Book Review: Born to Run

This was a book that I could not put down!  A great read and has really motivated me to start running more (and hopefully better!)  I enjoyed reading this book as next week I will participate in my 25th Peachtree Road Race.  This book definitely gave me the motivation I needed to train.

McDougall tells a great story and the words flow nicely.  He blends the characters together almost like this was a fiction novel.  I've had fun researching each of the key figures in his book and hopefully will stay motivated to continue training because after all...we were 'Born to Run'!

Book Review: The Smartest Kids in the World

Very interesting book by Ripley.  She told the story of several students in countries such as South Korea, Poland and Finland.  She followed exchange students from America to these places and compared their education systems to ours.  Her major question she was trying to answer was why are they "the smartest."  

It is a very tough question to answer because it seems that their is no exact formula.  One quick thing that I go out of the book was that most successful education systems 1. are rigorous and 2. care about education.  I'm not sure we can get to a point in America where we are passionate about either of those.  I hope we are.  I will certainly do my part as an educator to make sure my classroom is full of both.

Interesting book.  I enjoyed it.  It was a valuable book with tons of ideas about how I can change my classroom. 

Unbroken Book Review

Simply one of the best books I've ever read!  What an unbelievable story of 'survival, resilience, and redemption'.  Zamperini's story is unlike any other.  It is a story that captures you from page one and doesn't let you go until you are finished with the book.  It is sad that so many men went thru experiences like his in World War 2.  It is amazing the things they dealt with and how they survived.  They definitely don't make them like they used to!  Great book... pick this one up and read!

Book Review: How to Win Friends and Influence People

One of the best books I've ever read.  A potential life changer.  The title kept me away from this book for a while but I kept seeing it on every leadership book list on the Internet.  I ran across the book at a Goodwill so I picked it up and finally read it.  Highly recommended.  Below are the book notes from the book.  

Part I:  Fundamental Techniques in Handling People

1. Don’t criticize or complain
2. Give honest and sincere appreciation
3. Arouse n the other person an eager want

Part 2:  Six Ways to Make People Like you

1. Become genuinely interested in other people
2. Smile
3. Remember that a person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language
4. Be a good listener.  Encourage others to talk about themselves
5. Talk in terms of the other person’s interests
6. Make the other person feel important-- and do it sincerely

Part 3:  How to Win People to Your Way of Thinking

1. The only way to get the best of an argument is to avoid it
2. Show respect for the other person’s opinions.  Never say, “You’re wrong”
3. If you are wrong, admit it quickly and emphatically
4. Begin in a friendly way.
5. Get the other person saying “yes, yes” immediately
6. Let the other person do a great deal of the talking
7. Let the other person feel that the idea is his or hers
8. Try honestly to see things from the other person’s point of view
9. Be sympathetic with the other person’s ideas and desires
10. Appeal to the nobler motives
11. Dramatize your ideas
12. Throw down a challenge

Part 4:  Be a Leader

1. Begin with praise and honest appreciation
2. Call attention to people’s mistakes indirectly
3. Talk about your own mistakes before criticizing the other person
4. Ask questions instead of giving direct orders
5. Let the other person save face
6. Praise the slightest improvement and praise every improvement.  Be ‘hearty in your approbation and lavish in your praise.’
7. Give the other person a fine reputation to live up to
8. Use encouragement. Make the fault seem easy to correct
9. Make the other person happy about doing the things you suggest

Book Review: A Concise Biography of Adolf Hitler

While teaching about World War 2 in my World History class, my co-teacher Mr. Culverhouse brought me this book thinking I may find it interesting.  I honestly had no plan to read the book.  I was already involved in two books and had about ten already in my 'reading docket'.  

One afternoon after soccer practice, I picked the book up and began to read a few pages.   Three chapters later I was hooked on this book.

This was a different type of biography.  Each chapter had a 'theme'.  Some of the themes were: Hitler's moustache, Hitler's doctors, Hitler's books, etc.  The insight that the author provided was great.  He did very good research.  Reviews on other sights have bashed him for being anti-Hitler and showing too much opinion.  My response to that is....it's Hitler!  

After reading this book I'm even more convinced Hitler is more psychotic and sick than I previously thought.  I'm still amazed how the German people could go along with what he was doing.  There is no justification for what he and they did.  Most of the time after reading a biography I feel as though I'm a better person.  After reading this book it is hard to say that.  The things that Hitler was responsible for doing is a black eye on all of man-kind.  I pray that no one ever like Hitler walks the face of this other ever again.

Tales from Magaritaville Book Review

Last week was Spring Break for us.  Jessica, Macy and I met the Boyd's and the English's in Panama City for a great vacation!  (Dylan had college classes and couldn't make it down.)  We spent a lot of time solving the worlds problems, eating, playing and tossing cornhole.  In the middle of all of those activities I picked up this book by Jimmy Buffett to read.  I have read a couple of his other books and I was excited to read this one too.  I am a big fan of his music and maybe an even better fan of his writings.

This book was 'mostly' fiction.  I think there was some truth to several of his stories.  It was basically a tale of several different stories all linked together.  It was great to be on Island Time, sitting on the beach and reading this book.  

I would encourage anyone to pick this up not only as a beach read, but as a great read in general.  You will definitely get 'Lost in Magaritaville'! 

Zell Miller's A National Party No More

I have always been interested in politics.  I used to think I might one day want to get in to politics maybe as a candidate or as a job.  That was until I helped run my dad's re-election campaign for Chief Magistrate Judge.  I loved the organization.  I loved the game planning.  I loved designing the signs, the website and the t-shirts.  I didn't even mind knocking on doors.  The part that discouraged me was the nastiness of dad's opponent.  I won't say much, but I will say that he was a liar and a very low character man.  I was so impressed with my dad and no matter how tired he got, he still showed his true character as a great man.

From time to time I do still get the political bug.  Especially when I see my buddy run for mayor or I see friends signing up to run for school board.  This political season in the race for the White House has also sparked my fever again.

I calmed that thirst a few weeks ago when visiting my sisters in Marrietta.  We made our usual trip to their local Goodwill and I picked up Zell Miller's book.  It was a little old, but still worth the read.

Even though he was a democrat and 'most' of the time I considered myself a Republican, it was one of the best political books I've ever read.  I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and found myself not being able to put it down.

Zell is definitly a 'conservative' democrat and as he laid out his views on issues, I found myself checking- yes, yes, yes......

If Zell was a little younger, I'd be leading the charge for him to run for President of the United States.  He is a conservative who uses common sense in his approach to politics.  He brought numerous great programs to the state of Georgia including the Hope Scholarship and the Pre-K program.  Some of the ideas he brought while governor should be brought back like boot camps for juvenile delinquents.  

I'm sure most Democrats would alienate him for his strong views today, but you know what... I don't think Zell would care.  He is a true conservative and a true Southerner.  I'm not sure if there is a statue of him in Georgia today but if not, there should be!  

Great read and an even greater man!!!

Devil in the White City

Several years ago I had a friend come up to me because he knew I liked to read.  He was a fellow coach like me so I was surprised when he handed me a 'history' book.  He told me that it was a great book and he knew I'd love it.  I'm ashamed to say that I took the book and put it in a drawer in my desk at work.

A few months later, I ran across the book again and took it back to my friend.  I told him that I didn't have time to read it and that I wanted to give it back in case I lost it.

Fast forward about ten years.  I was about to teach about the Gilded Age in my APUSH class and I wanted to read a book about the time period.  I did a little research on a few websites and I kept coming across 'Devil in the White City'.  I remembered how good my buddy said it was, so I decided to give it a try.

He was right.  It was an amazing book.  Larson is a wonderful historian and a great writer.  I was hook from the first chapter on.  He did a beautiful job of telling the story of the Gilded Age and how the World's Expo in Chicago really changed America.  It was one of the most fascinating stories that I've read.  Just about all of the 'key figures' of the Gilded Age were mentioned in the book and had some type of role in the Expo.  It was a very well put together story of this event in US history. 

Not only was this a great history book, but Larson also told a great story about a murderer who was lose in the streets of Chicago.  He made it seem real.  There were many nights when reading right before bed that I would have a few nightmares from his descriptive writing!  

Great book.  Great read.  Larson has a few other books that I look forward to reading.  As my buddy tried to get me to read this many years ago, I encourage you to pick it up and read it!

God's and Generals Book Review

My Dad brought me this book several years ago.  He said that my Uncle Tommy had read it and was amazed how good it was.  Dad took a turn and also raved about the book.  For some reason, I have been in a Civil War lull for several years.  Because of this, I just put the book on a book shelf and ignoring it for a long time.  

While teaching my APUSH class this year, for some reason, I began to feel the fire for the Civil War again.  The topics I was teaching and the research I was doing was sparking my interest once again in the 'war between the states'.  I went to my book shelf and looked at several Civil War books.  The last book I saw was God's and Generals that Dad had brought over.

I grabbed the book and decided to give a chapter a try.  I'm not sure I made it a chapter before I was hooked.

The author Jeff Shaara brought the story of the Civil War to life.  The story is told as a novel.  The facts in the book are historically accurate and put you directly in the mind of everyone involved.  Each chapter is dedicated to a soldier such as Lee, Jackson, Hancock and others.  The chapters beautifully tell the story.

The book starts before the war and the tell of the decisions that many of these men had to make.  It is crazy to think about how tough it would be to decide to fight for your country or your state.  To fight against your family and your friends.  I think this is what grabbed my attention and kept me in this book.

This is an amazing book.  I recommend it to anyone.  I remember seeing the movie years ago and I can't wait to reinforce the book by watching the movie again.

Troublemaker by Leah Remini

Finished this book about a month and a half ago.  Just now getting around to blogging about it.  I was very interested in the religion of Scientology.  I did not know much about it and my students always ask questions about it.  I downloaded a couple of chapters off of Ibooks and decided to give this book a chance.

After reading the two free chapters, I knew I wanted to read this book.  I headed to Macon with my wife Jessica in tow, and went to Barnes and Noble to buy the book.  I had read the reviews and they all seemed as though it was a good read.

I must admit that it was a great easy read.  Remini's story kept me interested from the first pages to the last.  Her story is intriguing and amazing.  This religion is nothing but a cult trying to squeeze as much money out of as many innocent people as they can.  I am amazed why so many get involved in this cult.  I truly can't understand.  I'm am glad for Remini that she was able to get out of the cult when she did and that even though the cult leaders are trying to hurt her, she has risen above them.  I have lost a lot of respect for many of the 'famous' Scientologist including the weirdo Tom Cruise.

Great read.  I recommend this read to anyone.  It is again, truly fascinating.