book review
Book reviews for the self-help enthusiast to help you conquer obstacles and achieve goals.
How Marcus Aurelias' Meditations Can Help Us Prevent Violence
For thousands of years, human beings have perfected the art of symbology and communication. To survive the onslaught of natural chaos and evolution, we have created masterpieces of oral and written stories and histories that share our valuable wealth of knowledge with each other as we learn, grow, and find our Self. While some narratives have generated a massive amount of friction towards one another, others have delivered peace, prosperity, and a sense of hope. However negative or positive, one thing is certain: literature and the art of storytelling is powerful – the pen is mightier than the sword.
By James D. Greer6 years ago in Motivation
Chase The Lion
This is a book that I highly recommend for any and everyone who has a dream. It is faith based. It very inspirational and motivating. It imposes that we should not only dream big but have the courage to go after our dreams as well. We often hear that life is what we make it. Because ultimately life is about choices... I’m not very religious but I do have spiritual beliefs. The Bible says faith is the substance of things hoped for with the evidence of things not seen.
By Chris Grace6 years ago in Motivation
The Last Lecture: The Wonderful Life of Randy Pausch
In 10th grade, our teacher emailed us a video. She told us that we were to watch it once at home, and the following day at school, she would show it to us again before asking us a series of questions based on it. I was curious as to what exactly I would be watching: perhaps it was a re-enactment of a scene from As You Like It (the play we were studying at the time), or a scene from an iconic movie. However, to my surprise, it was a clip from an old episode of Oprah, where a man named Randy Pausch reprised a lecture he had given earlier at Carnegie Mellon University dubbed 'The Last Lecture'.
By Arvind Pennathur6 years ago in Motivation
Hustle Believe Recieve
This book was recommended to me by someone very close to me who I consider to be a mentor. It was January 2020 and I had been struggling, to say the least, with my mental wellness. And this was pre quarantine... I struggle with Manic Depression, Generalized Anxiety, PTSD with a tendency toward neuroticism and S.A.D. This bout had been particularly bad and I felt myself sliding backward over all the progress I had previously made. I had left my job of three years that June after a co-worker turned practically mother, best friend and confidant suddenly passed away of a heart attack. In my grief, I was able to see how working 84 hours a week, 12 hours a day 7 days a week for a month straight not to mention the ever changing schedule between dayshift, swing and graveyard was wearing on my family life, and my boys were acting out at home. It was time for a change. I had a wild summer thereafter of making manic decisions some of which I am still living with the consequences of to this day. (facepalm)I quit my job, I started and quit two or three more jobs in the course of six months, I impulse spent all my savings, I got a dog during the most tumultuous time (though I would do that again 1000x over) I took two impulse trips one of which I didn't tell anyone about. I cut people off and made friends with strangers (something I would never normally do) I finally started to settle my ass down and found the perfect job for me (medical transport) with flexible hours, great pay and benefits. I get the job, and I go through like 40 hours of training which by the way, cost in total like, 300 bucks and I was building a great relationship with my boss then BAM! The City of Portland denies my certification request even though they had approved my permit. I appeal this decision and get a court date set for months out. That felt like such a huge setback and it was all the excuse my ego needed to justify sliding into a fully depressed state in which I don't leave my house for weeks. I don't file for unemployment or any other benefits like I know I should. I cancel all plans, I stop answering the phone. I don't wash or brush my hair. I'm suddenly into my like, twentieth time of watching Game Of Thrones after binge-watching for what could have been the one-hundredth time Tru Blood and I realize I need to pull myself out of it. I reach out because that's all I have the energy for at that moment. Yet I know I don't want to 'feeling dump' on anyone, I just need a little direction toward some actionable steps I could take to get back on track.
By Reflectionsandintrospection6 years ago in Motivation
Book review: Who moved my cheese, by Dr. Spencer Johnson
The photo Cheese Moving and other Bedtime Stories was originally uploaded by Tsahi Levent-Levi on Flickr and is reused her under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0) license
By thepavsalford6 years ago in Motivation
Outcasts United - Refugees
Outcasts United was a powerful book with many strong themes. Coach Luma’s refugee team, “The Fugees,” endure countless struggles, from getting kicked off soccer fields, practicing in parking lots, using Luma’s car headlights to study, wearing rejected uniforms, to dealing with opposing racist coaches and slurs throughout games. Luma would always tell them to just ignore these things and smile. Through all this, the boys never complained and held their heads up high.
By Meg6 years ago in Motivation
Finding Your Own Tempo
Finding Your Own Tempo, written by yours truly, Jim Gaven, is about finding your own tempo in life. Leading your own life instead of following in someone else's footsteps takes faith, hope, and courage, and 'Finding Your Own Tempo' sheds some light on ways to do that, specifically through faith, music, and exercise, particularly, soccer. Designed to inspire others to take action to live the life they so desire and be more at peace with themselves, I hope to light a fire under you, the reader.
By Jim Gaven6 years ago in Motivation
"Girl, wash your face"
I've always been a reader especially while growing up, I remember being just a little one reading "Big Kid books" like a professional. During that time Books that some would see as daunting I would excitedly take on for a weekend reading adventure in my bedroom!
By Jamika6 years ago in Motivation
Why is life exactly like Gambling? Or it isn't?
Recently, I read the book Gambler, written by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, one of the most celebrated novelists in history. The book lively describes a gambler's mindset, feelings, and perspective of life. I was always wondering why do some people waste their time and money on gambling games such as poker. The Gambler answered my question by bringing me inside a gambler world.
By Pooya Oladazimi6 years ago in Motivation
7 Essential Lessons I Learned from "Mastery" by Robert Greene
Hello! This is my first real, serious, honest, crazy-detailed story for Vocal. I had recently just finished reading a book called Mastery by Robert Greene, a book that I have been trying for the last 3 or 4 years to finish. Life would simply get in the way, and boom, not done. But now, I can proudly say I've finished it, and have taken the time to write this. They are in the order of what I learned as I progressed through the book, so if you have any critiques or suggestions, I am more than happy to hear them out.
By Kirk Pineda, LMHC (aka "DEUXQANE")6 years ago in Motivation
Gratitude Is More Than an Attitude
If you are familiar with Rhonda Byrne’s The Secret or The Power, you are completely in the loop of what many in the New Age realm call “The Law of Attraction.” However, according to Harvard University's website, there have been quite a few studies that substantiate a link between being grateful and being happy, and H.A. Fraser has set up a personal gratitude experiment anyone can conduct on their own in her book Thank You, Yes Please.
By Heather Down6 years ago in Motivation
