Category: Recommendation

Summer Reading Lists! They aren’t just for children.

So it’s summer. Whether you’re on vacation or not, you can sit back, relax, and enjoy some time in the sun. We’re all busy people but are we all that productive? This past year I’ve read some fundamental “business” books. These are great books if you want to reach higher and really build a foundation for yourself. So, without further ado, here’s my reading list:

All Work:

  1. 7 habits for highly effective people – I cannot preach this book enough. Helped me get on my feet this year and find success. Why it’s worth your time: The 7 habits give you a concrete framework for you to go from being dependent to independent to interdependent. If you find life constantly out of your control, give this book a try. It’s not a dry book and it has plenty of anecdotes to keep you entertained.
  2. How to win friends and influence people – Don’t be deterred by the title! This is not a book about becoming a grand puppet master and learning how to control relationships. This is a book that teaches you the techniques for being a better person! Why it’s worth your time: Communicating well can be hard. How often are we actually given a framework for how to be a better communicator? More often than not, we’re left to the wolves when it comes to learning how to communicate. Excellent communication skills are expected, so it can be frustrating when we don’t even know where to start. Well look no further, this is your book. I recommend reading after 7 habits. This book has plenty of anecdotes and is an easy, but thoughtful read.
  3. The One Thing – The book i’m reading right now. Great book, so great that I’m going to recommend it before I even finish. Why it’s worth your time: This is a book all about focus. It’s all about working smarter, not harder. Another book that gives you a framework for success, I highly recommend giving it a spin.

All Play:

  1. The book of awesome – Did I buy this book because of the title alone? Perhaps, but it is still a great book and I highly recommend reading it! Why it’s worth your time: This book is a quick read. It’s not a book you have with a glass of wine next to the fire. I actually heard of this book through a TED talk I watched years ago when I was but a wee freshman in college. I was caught up with all the chaos that is college so I needed a little reminder of all the little things that makes life so great. The story behind the book is amazing and I highly recommend checking out the link. Each “chapter” is a different awesome thing, so chapters can range from a paragraph to a few pages. The author is hilarious, so the book is good, lighthearted fun.
  2. The Martian – Where do I even begin with this book? This book is awesome (but is not the book of awesome). Why it’s worth your time: This book makes math seem cool. But more than that, it’s a space adventure showcasing the good of humanity and the strength of the human spirit. Mark Watney gets stranded on mars and has to survive. How does he do it? Why does he do it? Does he actually survive? All great questions. Also this book has lots of potatoes! Yay for potatoes!

Other Books:

  1. Good to Great – Next on my reading list, all I know is my professors love this book and that’s good enough for me.
  2. TED Talks –  I listened to the audio version which was narrated by the author, Chris Anderson, also the CEO of TED. If you’re looking to better your public speaking skills, not a bad place to start.

There you have it, if you’re looking for a great way to start your summer, try picking up one (or all) of these books. I included links to the books, so click away! Also be sure to check out the TED talk if you have the time, thanks for reading!

A Quick Guide to Discovering Your Passions

So college. A time of pure chaos. You’re either built or broken. Some graduate, some don’t. Old friendships die, new relationships prosper. Scary to think about, that college is a gate to a better tomorrow. But as I’ve found in 4 years, college is very much what you make of it. No other time in your life will you have the opportunity to create your identity, so it’s a shame when people reach their senior year and look back only to realize what they missed. People become obsessed with what they didn’t do rather than what they’ve done. So what’s a great way to ensure you do the most with the time that you have? Well the “simple” answer is to find out what you’re passionate about. Yet I’m in college and many have spent a lifetime trying to figure it out. So here are my thoughts:

  1. Do as much as you can while you can – You see an opportunity? Seize it. Don’t let it pass you by. If you end up hating the opportunity you’re given, take it as a learning experience and as a way to figure out what you don’t want to do.
  2. Keep a mental checklist of what you enjoy – No, it doesn’t have to start with the passion! Trust your gut, if you love picking up garbage, take a note. Once you have a good list of what you’re involved with, what you enjoy, sit down and take the time to reflect and find common themes.
  3. Don’t let others influence what you enjoy – If you like playing video games, great! If someone says it’s a waste of time, does it really matter? That’s their opinion and your experience shouldn’t be dependent on what they say. I, for example, am a comic book geek among many things. If you mention super heroes, I’ll light up and go on and on about it. Embrace every aspect of yourself and try to pull the good from the “bad”!
  4. Go with the flow – Be open to new experiences! Don’t say no, start saying yes! You never know what you might enjoy until you try it! So be brave and try to think “This didn’t happen as expected, but it ended up being better than expected”! You don’t have to enjoy every aspect of the adventures you go on, but do your best to pick out pieces of the experience you enjoyed. This will help narrow the search!
  5. Build Genuine relationships with others – Surprise! This may seem out there but it’s true! Make true, genuine friends. Questions you should be asking yourself: “Who do I hang out with?”, “Why do I hang out with this people?” and “How do my friends make me feel?”. The whole is better than the sum of the parts!  Don’t forget to ask your friends about their passions as well!

So there you have it! My five tips on how to discover your passions! Hope it helps and thanks for reading!

Shows you should be watching

Limitless – So far, I’ve really enjoyed limitless. 4 episodes in and the prospects are looking good for this show. If you’re looking for a new gem, I’d give limitless a go. It’s funny, intriguing, and has a great cast.

The Flash – I’ve been watching the flash since the beginning and it’s only gotten better with time. If you like time travel, butterfly effect, and super powers, this is a show for you. Even if you don’t like super hero shows, you’d be hard pressed not to like this one.

The Walking Dead – It’s not all about the zombies! If the fall of society intrigues you then give this show a try. Get through season 2 and enjoy a ride through what it means to “survive” the end of the world.

Movie Spotlight: Inside Out

This week is very content heavy but I honestly just felt like writing and it sure beats doing homework for my summer classes.So what better way to start (or finish) your Saturday than with a movie recommendation! Inside Out is a fantastic movie and not just for kids, believe it or not (thank you Pixar!). In fact, if you have kids, I would advise caution with this movie as it is one of the saddest movies I’ve watched in recent years, and even though I’m a guy and guys don’t cry, I got choked up multiple times throughout the film. Truth be told, I was dragged to this movie because I thought it was going to be a kids movie! The plot centers around an 11 year old girl, Riley, who moves to San Francisco and chronicles her experience adjusting to school and life in general. The movie goes back and forth between Riley and her 5 main emotions represented as cute little people inside her head: Joy, Anger, Fear, Disgust, and Sadness. The writers managed to envision a world inside Riley’s head and shows the brain as both a machine and a vibrant wonderland of thought and emotion. The world is fully realized and ever structure inside the mind is well fleshed out in what is perhaps the most fun interpretation of the human brain. Move aside, anatomy books, just have your students watch inside out instead. So there you have it, a brief rundown of inside out. I don’t want to go into too much detail in case you still haven’t seen it, but I would definitely give it the thumbs up. One of the best movies I’ve seen in recent years.

Final Verdict: 10/10

One of the best movies I’ve seen, beautifully written and executed, I could not find a flaw even if I tried.