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<![CDATA[Simmoril added 'How Tiger Does It']]>
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/59361769
to: How Tiger Does It (Hardcover)byBrad Kearns
Although this isn't the first book about Tiger that I've read, I definitely have a new-found respect for the man after finishing it. Brad Kearns' book takes a look at how Tiger got to where he is today, and shows the reader how the lessons Tiger has learned and the techniques he's developed can apply to all of us, in our everyday lives, no matter what our goals are.
Even though I myself am not a golf player, and I don't really follow the sport all that much, I still enjoyed reading this book. Kearns picks a few anecdotes here and there from Tiger's career, but the real focus of the book is the mindset, the way of thinking that helped Tiger achieve his great success. Although some analogies are admittedly a bit stretched, I like the messages the book drives home.
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<![CDATA[Simmoril added 'The Drunkard's Walk: How Randomness Rules Our Lives']]>
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/60810589
to: The Drunkard's Walk: How Randomness Rules Our Lives (Hardcover)byLeonard Mlodinow
I first came across this book while perusing the math section at my local Border's bookstore. The title interested me because when I was a student in college, the professor who taught my probability class was an expert in the drunkard's walk.
Mlodinow's book is an examination into two fields: one being the history of probability and statistics (and the difference between the two), the other being the flaws in our thinking that can arise from randomness. Mlodinow covers quite a bit of ground in this books, with topics ranging from the Monty Hall Paradox, to the life and history of Blaise Pascal, to normal distribution. The math-averse need no fear, as Mlodinow goes to great pains not to inundate the reader with endless equations and proofs (in fact, I don't think there was a single equation in the whole book!).
I really enjoyed reading The Drunkard's Walk, as I've always been fascinated by the biographies of the great mathematicians and scientists of history. In addition, many of the points that were made in this book echo the points that Malcolm Gladwell made in his book Outliers, which is also another one of my favorites. However, while I do appreciate Mlodinow's attempts to avoid the formal mathematical details, it makes following and understanding some topics difficult (most notably the section on Bayes' Theorem).
If you're already well-versed in probability/statistics, you'll probably find this book lacking in 'meat', but even still, I think just about everyone can get something useful out of reading The Drunkard's Walk.
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<![CDATA[Simmoril added 'The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court']]>
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/59040385
to: The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court (Hardcover)byJeffrey Toobin
With the recent nomination of Sonia Sotomayor, I figured now was as good a time as any to learn a little more about the Judicial Branch. And, after a quick scan of the jacket to Tobin's book, I decided it would be a good place to start.
Toobin's book isn't a complete and comprehensive history of SCOTUS, but rather an overview of it within the last thirty or so years. Toobin's examination of the court covers each of the justices individually, their beliefs, their politics, and as a group that must pass decision on some of the most hotly-contested topics around.
The Nine really cleared up a lot of confusion I had over events that I was either too young or too uninformed to understand. From Clarence Thomas' expedited nomination and confirmation, to Bush v. Gore to the failed nomination of Harriet Miers, Toobin covers quite a bit of ground, but in a very clear and concise manner. In addition to the commentary on various SCOTUS rulings, the portraits of each of the justices that Toobin painted give the reader deep insight into how and why they made those decisions.
As a fair warning, I should mention the book definitely has a political 'lean' that I myself identify with. But in all honesty, I think it would be a near impossibility to write about this kind of subject matter without any bias whatsoever (and still come out with a readable book). Still, if you can keep an open mind and an even keel, I highly suggest checking this one out, regardless of your political aspirations.
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<![CDATA[Simmoril added 'Outliers']]>
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/57769841
to: Outliers (Hardcover)byMalcolm Gladwell
I suppose if I had to sum up Outliers in one sentence, it would be "Events do not happen in isolation." In this book, Gladwell tells the stories of a wide range of people, from kid hockey players in Canada, to Jewish lawyers in New York City, to Korean airline pilots, all to convince the reader that extraordinary events and/or people do not just come out of nowhere or show up by chance. Rather, they are the product of an intricate set of circumstances that provide exactly the right environment needed for success (or failure). Gladwell not only shows how this kind of 'confluence of events' produces similar success stories, but also how, by taking these circumstances into account, it is possible to create your own story of success.
I really loved the hodgepodge of information that Gladwell's stories provide. Often while reading this book I would find myself constantly interrupting my reading to go and do my own reasearch, wondering things like 'Wow, did Oppenheimer really try to kill his advisor?'. Although I was already in agreement with Gladwell's thesis before I started reading the book, I think he does a fine of at least laying out a plausible argument for why success is hardly ever achieved alone. If you're a fan of Gladwell's other works, you won't be disappointed by Outliers.
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<![CDATA[Simmoril added 'American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer']]>
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/56780604
American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer (Paperback)
byKai Bird bookshelves: to-read
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