corina
took the never-ending book quiz.
| questions answered: | 62 |
| correct: | 52 (83.9%) |
| skipped: | 37 |
| best streak: | 11 |
| questions added: | 0 |
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i think i enjoyed tipping point more than blink-- it felt more cohesive with a better developed theory and didn't drag along as much. per gladwell's model, he pulled in some interesting stories from different fields (i think my favorites were about the like hundred of muscles in your face and how some scientists have mapped which activations lead to which emotions being expressed and the scientist who videotaped married couples talking and can predict who will get divorced based on signs of contempt they display) but maybe i've been doing much reading in this field because some of the stories sounded old/familiar (the 17 jams or whatever, the pepsi vs. coke taste test). ]]>
another background reading book for my job, this one was a big deal when it first came out. i think today people will agree with the premise that emotional or social IQ is as important for being happy and successful as being smart. sometimes this book started to drag a little (some points feel too science textbook, other points, where he tries to give advice, feel too self-help wishy-washy) but there are some great bits in there too. one of my favorite studies was about how testing how impulsive a kids was (they are given a marshmellow and are promised a second one if they don't eat the first one right away) could predict later in life how well they dealt with stress, got along with other people, were optimistic. crazy stuff indeed. ]]>
another fast read with a good number of interesting stories, like about the subway ad campaign with jared, and studies. the overall message of the book is pretty straightforward (to make ideas that are memorable be concrete, use stories, etc, i think most of us know these things) but it's also rounded out with more specifics/subtleties about these strategies, drawing from psychology and business case studies. on the whole i say nice, light read, not life changing. ]]>
this reads pretty quickly and showcases some interesting ideas/studies from behavioral economics and psychology. the best parts were the chapters in the beginning (the most interesting was chapter 1 about how relativity plays into decision making) and then things get less interesting when you realize he's talking about more well-known concepts, like the placebo effect, and the implications for his findings become more macro/societal levels (i.e. this would be important for me to know if I was part of government maybe). ]]>
still on my david sedaris kick and still laughing. my favorite stories are the ones where he is learning to speak french and his scary teacher, especially the easter one. ]]>
so funny. i read the whole thing in like a day. i decided to start reading his books after hearing him read on This American Life, a story about how a popular kid threw a rock at him and his dad goes over to have a talk with their family, down in the rumpus room and the agony that ensues. i think as a result when i read, i imagine his voice narrating. the awkward, poignant moments that fill his stories are excruciating and hilarious and keep me wanting more. ]]>