A two-fer: Two book reviews

 August 10, 2020 – A two-fer:  Two book reviews

 

         The first one I started reading:  The Plus, self-help for people who hate self-help by Greg Gutfeld, who is a member of The Five on Fox news.

 

         I have always loved Gutfeld’s monologues. But, when he mentioned he was finishing a book in this “lock-down Covid19” situation, it piqued my interest.  He had plenty of seclusion time to re-think it all as he was going through the final process of getting ready to publish it.  Having not read any of his prior books, I said to myself – sure, let’s see what this one is about.

 

         I ordered it and I inhaled it. It is a self-help guide getting through the current political situation which is the divide in this country.  What to do in the cancel culture, during mob rule, and how to defeat the unbending mind.

 

         I have been there and done that, several times – shelfing politics – in an attempt to retain a friendship.  I failed at it with one person; the next person the friendship is now lukewarm, and the last person I tried it on, a complete understanding.  Maybe I am getting better at it, or maybe it has to do who they are as a person and who I am as a person. 

 

         I highly recommend this book for a couple of reasons. Two chapters:

 

The Prison of Two Ideas.

and

Why you matters.

 

         I highly recommend this book with the idea you should ponder it as you read it, talk back to it in the margins with a pencil, that is note, Huh? Agree or disagree or question in a pondering way OR simple say, Right on.

 

         It will give you a chance to dissect and solve the current issues of the day, which are actually issues of who you are and why you matter.

 

         Again, this book recently came out and on page 5 of the first chapter Greg mentioned a book by Jonathan Rauch called, The Happiness Curve.

 

         Greg said,

 

“If you aren’t getting happier as you’re getting older, you’re doing it wrong.”

 

         That piqued my interest and I immediately put down The Plus for five minutes and ordered Rauch’s book.

 

         This morning I finished Rauch’s book, The Happiness Curve – Why Life gets Better After 50.  It was a different type of read for me – more research than I expected, but research I could actually understand – possibly due to Rauch’s skills as a wordsmith.

 

         From Rauch’s book I will share only one item from page 180, giving you a reason to read the book - a basic equation:

 

         H = S + C + V + T

 

         H is enduring level of happiness

         S is emotional set point

         C is circumstances of your life

         V is factors under your voluntary control

         T is time’s influence on life satisfaction

 

         That should be enough for you to obtain a copy of the 2018 published book, The Happiness Curve and give it a thorough read.

    Now that I have had my reading break, out to the gardens to get them whipped into shape before fall.