The Ghost Map by Steven Johnson
Riverhead Books, 2006, 299 pages.
This book is tells the intriguing tale of a devastating epidemic of Cholera let an medical doctor and a priest down paths of discovery that eventually lead to the prevention of further outbreaks in London.
It the first section of the book it details the grow of the city and how that growth has lead the city into problems regarding waste disposal. London had two million people living in the city at that time and the inadequate understanding of the dangers of waste disposal and how diseases were transmitted directly enabled the cholera bacteria to thrive.
The common idea of the time, both by the educated and uneducated, was that diseases spread through the air in noxious vapors. Dr. John Snow, a doctor that had already revolutionized the use of ether and chloroform as anesthesia, happened to live in the area of a large outbreak of cholera and starts to investigate the sources of infection. He rules out dangerous vapors and brings a multidisciplinary approach to the problem.
At the same time Reverend Henry Whitehead, who ministered in the area of the outbreak, had started his own investigation into the same matter. Luckily Dr. Snow and Rev. Whitehead happened to be placed on the same board of inquiry into the matter and helped solve the mystery.
An engrossing book that tells an amazing tale with lessons that can be brought to bear on how each of us approaches problem solving in our own lives.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Animals Make Us Human by Temple Grandin
"What does an animal need to have a good life?
I don't mean a good life physically. We know a lot about what kind of food, water, exercise, and veterinary care animals need to grow well and be healthy.
I mean a good mental life.
What does an animal need to be happy?"
Dr. Grandin opens the book with these sentences and she captures the theme of her book in them.
Her main theory is that we need to take the needs of the animal in mind, and its natural habitat, to "base animal welfare programs on the core emotion systems of the brain" which will allow the animal to live in such a manner that they will be accessing their "positive emotions" much more than their "negative emotions".
Dr. Grandin has categorized what she calls Blue-Ribbon emotions, which are the core emotion systems that all animals and humans have. They are:
Seeking: "the basic impulse to search, investigate, and make sense of the environment."
Rage: The various level of frustration that is built up when an animal or person is physically or mentally restrained.
Panic: The pain that is felt when a loved one is removed from an early child, you are moved away from a group of peers that you have bounded with, and the pain felt when someone close to you passes.
Lust: Self explanatory :)
Care: Parental love and caretaking.
Play: Self explantory
Dr. Grandin shows how the behavior of animals change based on the application of these various emotions. She covers dog, cats, cows, horses, pigs, chicken, and others and shows us why animals act the way they do and what we can do to help increase their mental life so they can live happier and more healthy lives.
I'm certain that anyone reading this book with develop a deeper understanding of animals that hopefully translates and understanding of the nature of the animals in your life. This understand will hopefully manifest into making the animals in your own life happier and healthier.
A want to close by quoting a section of the book titled Making Real Change to Improve Animal Conditions (page 254-257):
"...the Humane Society in the 1970s used to send representatives to sit in on board meetings of the major livestock associations. That gave the Humane Society direct knowledge of how the livestock industry worked and what they they could change and still stay in business.
In the 1980s the Humane Society of the United States donated money to fund the development of my center-track restrainer system for meat plants. They would never do that today. Few animal welfare groups would fund something to help reform and improve the livestock industry. As people have become more abstracified they've become more radical, and today the relationship between animal advocacy groups and the livestock industry is totally adversarial.
You see this at every level. Recently I went to a college that has a program on animals and public policy. The only publications they had in their library were animal advocacy magazines. I said, "Look, I think you need to subscribe to Feedstuffs, Beef, Meat and Poultry, and National Hog Farmer. You need to get the magazines read by the industry." To make policy that will work you need information on every side of the issue.[I make this sentence bold, it's important!!]"
I don't mean a good life physically. We know a lot about what kind of food, water, exercise, and veterinary care animals need to grow well and be healthy.
I mean a good mental life.
What does an animal need to be happy?"
Dr. Grandin opens the book with these sentences and she captures the theme of her book in them.
Her main theory is that we need to take the needs of the animal in mind, and its natural habitat, to "base animal welfare programs on the core emotion systems of the brain" which will allow the animal to live in such a manner that they will be accessing their "positive emotions" much more than their "negative emotions".
Dr. Grandin has categorized what she calls Blue-Ribbon emotions, which are the core emotion systems that all animals and humans have. They are:
Seeking: "the basic impulse to search, investigate, and make sense of the environment."
Rage: The various level of frustration that is built up when an animal or person is physically or mentally restrained.
Panic: The pain that is felt when a loved one is removed from an early child, you are moved away from a group of peers that you have bounded with, and the pain felt when someone close to you passes.
Lust: Self explanatory :)
Care: Parental love and caretaking.
Play: Self explantory
Dr. Grandin shows how the behavior of animals change based on the application of these various emotions. She covers dog, cats, cows, horses, pigs, chicken, and others and shows us why animals act the way they do and what we can do to help increase their mental life so they can live happier and more healthy lives.
I'm certain that anyone reading this book with develop a deeper understanding of animals that hopefully translates and understanding of the nature of the animals in your life. This understand will hopefully manifest into making the animals in your own life happier and healthier.
A want to close by quoting a section of the book titled Making Real Change to Improve Animal Conditions (page 254-257):
"...the Humane Society in the 1970s used to send representatives to sit in on board meetings of the major livestock associations. That gave the Humane Society direct knowledge of how the livestock industry worked and what they they could change and still stay in business.
In the 1980s the Humane Society of the United States donated money to fund the development of my center-track restrainer system for meat plants. They would never do that today. Few animal welfare groups would fund something to help reform and improve the livestock industry. As people have become more abstracified they've become more radical, and today the relationship between animal advocacy groups and the livestock industry is totally adversarial.
You see this at every level. Recently I went to a college that has a program on animals and public policy. The only publications they had in their library were animal advocacy magazines. I said, "Look, I think you need to subscribe to Feedstuffs, Beef, Meat and Poultry, and National Hog Farmer. You need to get the magazines read by the industry." To make policy that will work you need information on every side of the issue.[I make this sentence bold, it's important!!]"
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
The Rational Optimist by Matt Ridley
I was drawn to this book because Charlie Munger, of Berkshire Hathaway fame, had recommended an earlier work of his, Genome: The Autobiography of a Species in 23 Chapter, and I had enjoyed the subject and his writing.
His current work discusses the evolution of civilization from the prospective that cultural evolution and innovation is brought about by trading amongst ourselves. This book discusses how different humans are in relation to other animals in the beginning and discusses what he think is the key difference (besides language), that we trade amongst ourselves outside of the family unit.
I will quote his discussion of China here to give you a flavor for what the author is trying to teach us:
"China went from a state of economic and technological exuberance in around AD 1000 to one of dense population, agrarian backwardness and desperate poverty in 1950. According to Angus Maddison's estimates, it was the only region in the world with a lower GDP per capita in 1950 than in 1000. The blame for this lies squarely with China's governments.
Pause, first, to admire the exuberance. China's best moments, came when it was fragmented, not united. [A common theme of the author in this work] ..When the Tang empire came to an end in 907, and the 'Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms' fought each other incessantly, China experienced its most spectacular burst of invention and prosperity yet.... The burst of economic activity in China after 1978 was driven by 'township and village enterprises', agencies of the government given local freedom to start companies."
It is a very interesting book full of a rational discourse from the beginning of man on up the historical ladder to prove his main thesis. I found it thought provoking to say the least and I hope you do as well.
P.S. I just had to also include this additional quote:
"The message from history is so blatantly obvious - that free trade causes mutual prosperity while protectionism causes poverty - that it seems incredible that anybody ever thinks otherwise. There is not a single example of a country opening up its borders to trade and ending up poorer (coerced trade in slaves or drugs may be a different matter)."
His current work discusses the evolution of civilization from the prospective that cultural evolution and innovation is brought about by trading amongst ourselves. This book discusses how different humans are in relation to other animals in the beginning and discusses what he think is the key difference (besides language), that we trade amongst ourselves outside of the family unit.
I will quote his discussion of China here to give you a flavor for what the author is trying to teach us:
"China went from a state of economic and technological exuberance in around AD 1000 to one of dense population, agrarian backwardness and desperate poverty in 1950. According to Angus Maddison's estimates, it was the only region in the world with a lower GDP per capita in 1950 than in 1000. The blame for this lies squarely with China's governments.
Pause, first, to admire the exuberance. China's best moments, came when it was fragmented, not united. [A common theme of the author in this work] ..When the Tang empire came to an end in 907, and the 'Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms' fought each other incessantly, China experienced its most spectacular burst of invention and prosperity yet.... The burst of economic activity in China after 1978 was driven by 'township and village enterprises', agencies of the government given local freedom to start companies."
It is a very interesting book full of a rational discourse from the beginning of man on up the historical ladder to prove his main thesis. I found it thought provoking to say the least and I hope you do as well.
P.S. I just had to also include this additional quote:
"The message from history is so blatantly obvious - that free trade causes mutual prosperity while protectionism causes poverty - that it seems incredible that anybody ever thinks otherwise. There is not a single example of a country opening up its borders to trade and ending up poorer (coerced trade in slaves or drugs may be a different matter)."
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Fighter Pilot by Robin Olds, Christina Olds, and Ed Rasimus
I picked up this book having never heard of General Olds before and despite being a military history buff. I also had no developed any particular interest in air combat. That being said I found the book at a local library last weekend and on a whim I picked it up and brought it home. As soon as I finished the first few pages I knew I was in trouble, i.e. I had a difficult time putting it down.
I have started a letter to my six year old daughter in which I will try and pass along a few words of wisdom that I have gained and other bits of hopefully useful lessons that I find in the books that I read. I found two really important life lessons in this book that I have included in that letter.
The first is on page 135, and details advice General Olds received from General Spaatz. His comments on people I thought were spot on and helpful to anyone that finds themselves working in large organizations. The other section that I added to the letter started on page 260 of the book and covered effective leadership. The book was terrific but those two sections alone were outstanding and well worth the price of the book.
I have started a letter to my six year old daughter in which I will try and pass along a few words of wisdom that I have gained and other bits of hopefully useful lessons that I find in the books that I read. I found two really important life lessons in this book that I have included in that letter.
The first is on page 135, and details advice General Olds received from General Spaatz. His comments on people I thought were spot on and helpful to anyone that finds themselves working in large organizations. The other section that I added to the letter started on page 260 of the book and covered effective leadership. The book was terrific but those two sections alone were outstanding and well worth the price of the book.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Mandela’s Way: Fifteen Lessons on Life, Love, and Courage by Richard Stengel
Mandela’s Way: Fifteen Lessons on Life, Love, and Courage by Richard Stengel
We long for heroes but have too few.” This is the first sentence of our newest book recommendation.
Do you think you would be able to endure 27 years of prison and almost a countless amount of indignities heaped upon you and be able work with the people who had done this to you? Keep in mind that during those 27 years in jail he was only able to see or correspond with his family very infrequently and was not allowed to have any physical conduct with them until very late in his term in prison.
With this heavy weight on injustice on your shoulders would you be able to negotiate with the people who had disrespected you and keep you behind bars? Nelson Mandela did just that. It’s an incredible story of what it takes to overcome ingrained prejudices and produce an outcome that hardly a soul alive would have suspected was possible.
Anyone capable of these feats certainly has learned lessons that the rest of us could implement, albeit in a smaller way, in our own lives. Richard Stengel, who collaborated with Mr. Mandela on his book, Long Walk to Freedom, spent three years with him on it and this book imparts the wisdom that he learned from Mr. Mandela as a result of that collaboration.
What are some of the lessons in the book?
“Courage is not the absence of fear… it’s learning to overcome it” page 29
“He radiates calm… Lose control and you lose the situation” page 39
“Don’t hurry, he would say; think, analyze, then act” page 53
“He would say don’t postpone the inevitable even though it might not be the solution you originally wanted.” page 70
“Mandela genuinely believed in the virtues of the team, and he knew that to get the best out of his own people, he had to make sure that they partook of the glory and, even more important, that they felt they were influencing his decisions.” page 75
“You can trust your friends … You can trust your enemies… but your friendly rivals – they are the ones you need to keep tabs on” page 151
“…he knows that the price of not saying no now makes it harder to say it latter. Better to disappoint someone early.” page 163
“Look, you may be right for a few days, weeks and months and years,” he would say, “but in the long run, you will reap something more valuable if you take a longer view.” page 173
Find your own private island, such as the garden Mr. Mandela planted in prison in which you can distract yourself from the events that are pressuring you. Use that place to renew and refresh yourself.
Incredibly after what he had lived thorough he was a man who didn’t allow himself to succumb to bitterness. He took the difficult path and united a land filled with parties that had long standing grievances against each other and managed to build one nation. He wanted to show everyone that looking forward was the key to building a nation that could encompass all the people. I wish we all could learn, and live, this lesson.
I can’t do the book justice here but I hope I have provided enough enticement for you to go purchase the book or get a copy from your local library. I think you will find it as inspiring as I did.
We long for heroes but have too few.” This is the first sentence of our newest book recommendation.
Do you think you would be able to endure 27 years of prison and almost a countless amount of indignities heaped upon you and be able work with the people who had done this to you? Keep in mind that during those 27 years in jail he was only able to see or correspond with his family very infrequently and was not allowed to have any physical conduct with them until very late in his term in prison.
With this heavy weight on injustice on your shoulders would you be able to negotiate with the people who had disrespected you and keep you behind bars? Nelson Mandela did just that. It’s an incredible story of what it takes to overcome ingrained prejudices and produce an outcome that hardly a soul alive would have suspected was possible.
Anyone capable of these feats certainly has learned lessons that the rest of us could implement, albeit in a smaller way, in our own lives. Richard Stengel, who collaborated with Mr. Mandela on his book, Long Walk to Freedom, spent three years with him on it and this book imparts the wisdom that he learned from Mr. Mandela as a result of that collaboration.
What are some of the lessons in the book?
“Courage is not the absence of fear… it’s learning to overcome it” page 29
“He radiates calm… Lose control and you lose the situation” page 39
“Don’t hurry, he would say; think, analyze, then act” page 53
“He would say don’t postpone the inevitable even though it might not be the solution you originally wanted.” page 70
“Mandela genuinely believed in the virtues of the team, and he knew that to get the best out of his own people, he had to make sure that they partook of the glory and, even more important, that they felt they were influencing his decisions.” page 75
“You can trust your friends … You can trust your enemies… but your friendly rivals – they are the ones you need to keep tabs on” page 151
“…he knows that the price of not saying no now makes it harder to say it latter. Better to disappoint someone early.” page 163
“Look, you may be right for a few days, weeks and months and years,” he would say, “but in the long run, you will reap something more valuable if you take a longer view.” page 173
Find your own private island, such as the garden Mr. Mandela planted in prison in which you can distract yourself from the events that are pressuring you. Use that place to renew and refresh yourself.
Incredibly after what he had lived thorough he was a man who didn’t allow himself to succumb to bitterness. He took the difficult path and united a land filled with parties that had long standing grievances against each other and managed to build one nation. He wanted to show everyone that looking forward was the key to building a nation that could encompass all the people. I wish we all could learn, and live, this lesson.
I can’t do the book justice here but I hope I have provided enough enticement for you to go purchase the book or get a copy from your local library. I think you will find it as inspiring as I did.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Civilizations
Civilizations: Culture, Ambition, and the Transformation of Nature by Felipe Fernandez-Armesto
First item of note: The preface to this book almost stopped from continuing to read the book as I didn't find it interesting or an enjoyable read at all but I'm glad that I kept reading.
The book examines civilizations from a prospective that I hadn't seen used before; by climate. The author separates the world into several categories such as Waste Land (Desert, Tundra, Ice), Grasslands, Wet Climates, Dry Climates, Highlands, the Sea, etc..
In each interest the author examines the evolution of the different civilizations that sprang from each of the environments and discusses how that environment shaped their cultural expectations.
I found the discussion to be interesting (though the book does have some parts that will leave you scratching your head in wonder about the point being made) and thought provoking and I would recommend it to anyone that wants to broaden their horizons.
First item of note: The preface to this book almost stopped from continuing to read the book as I didn't find it interesting or an enjoyable read at all but I'm glad that I kept reading.
The book examines civilizations from a prospective that I hadn't seen used before; by climate. The author separates the world into several categories such as Waste Land (Desert, Tundra, Ice), Grasslands, Wet Climates, Dry Climates, Highlands, the Sea, etc..
In each interest the author examines the evolution of the different civilizations that sprang from each of the environments and discusses how that environment shaped their cultural expectations.
I found the discussion to be interesting (though the book does have some parts that will leave you scratching your head in wonder about the point being made) and thought provoking and I would recommend it to anyone that wants to broaden their horizons.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
The Checklist Manifesto
The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande.
Checklists are boring, stifle creativity and are unnecessary. I think this is how most people think about them and their use. Mr. Gawande, a successful surgeon, in this book details how he think the medical field has become so sophisticated that it is hard for one person to remember, consistently, all the steps that need to be taken by all the team members during a surgical event.
Mr. Gawande, in a effort to improve surgical results in general, looks at the airline and building industry to see how they reduce the risk of failure in their operations since in either industry, just as in surgery, if a complication happens they can be very devastating.
What he found, in both cases, is the embedded use of checklists. In both cases the details of flying a plane and building a skyscraper are extremely complex and require strict attention to detail and excellent communication between parties. The use of checklist helps to make sure critical steps are missed.
Hopefully this is enough to get you interested in checking this book out. Trust me, you will not be disappointed.
Checklists are boring, stifle creativity and are unnecessary. I think this is how most people think about them and their use. Mr. Gawande, a successful surgeon, in this book details how he think the medical field has become so sophisticated that it is hard for one person to remember, consistently, all the steps that need to be taken by all the team members during a surgical event.
Mr. Gawande, in a effort to improve surgical results in general, looks at the airline and building industry to see how they reduce the risk of failure in their operations since in either industry, just as in surgery, if a complication happens they can be very devastating.
What he found, in both cases, is the embedded use of checklists. In both cases the details of flying a plane and building a skyscraper are extremely complex and require strict attention to detail and excellent communication between parties. The use of checklist helps to make sure critical steps are missed.
Hopefully this is enough to get you interested in checking this book out. Trust me, you will not be disappointed.
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