If you liked Outliers...

Hello Ladies- Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow at my house. (14047 Pine Mesa) Hopefully you are enjoying Outliers.  I thought I might list some of my favs that are similar in content and feel in case you want to read more in this genre.  See you tomorrow- Kerstin

NurtureShock
by Po Bronson & Ashley Merryman

Supposedly the latest and greatest parenting book out there. It's sort of like Outliers but focused on parenting. Two journalists gathered the latest studies relating to raising/teaching children. It isn't really a "how to" book but it has a lot of fascinating ideas and it really made me think about things I can do better. (Something I love in any book.)

Blink: The Power Of Thinking Without Thinking

By Malcolm Gladwell
I've been reading a lot of Gladwell in the last year and I'm definitely a fan of his work. This book wasn't as good as The Tipping Point or  Outliers, but it was still interesting. The main topic is rapid cognition thinking or relying on first impressions and our adaptive unconscious.  Pretty interesting stuff. 

Freakanomics by Steven D Leavitt and Stephen J Dubner- THIS IS THE BETTER OF THE FREAKANOMICS BOOKS

The results of an economist and columnist researching a random sprinkling of topics. The authors explore how incentives matter and how actions have unintended consequences.  It is hilarious.  I was a little traumatized over the chapter on the importance of choosing the right name for your child.

SuperFreakanomics
By Steven D Leavitt and Stephen J Dubner 

 I enjoyed the chapters on global warming and car seats the most. It was entertaining and well written but the research feels random for randomness sake. They were trying a little too hard this time. I liked the book but not nearly as much as the first one. Maybe it's because it isn't as much of a surprise to me this time around 

What the Dog Saw is a collection of Malcolm Gladwell's New Yorker columns written during the same time period as his first three books. I have a bit of love/hate relationship with books made up of newspaper or magazine columns. I always end up bored and enthralled even by the best writers. The first three chapters of this book nearly bored me to tears but then there were chapters I found absolutely fascinating. The chapter on hair dye and its impact on feminism was great. The chapter on the cost of homelessness in America was witty and intriguing. I also enjoyed the chapters on the inventor of birth control and the fall of Enron. The whole last section of the book is great.

 

The Tipping Point- It's a business book the same way Freakanomics (a book I LOVED) is about economics. The book basically talks about how to start an epidemic in your business but it talks about everything from the broken window theory, selling ipods, or the aids epidemic to how painting subway cars in New York City supposedly dropped the crime rate almost overnight. It was fascinating and well written and I recommend it to anyone. I'm not sure how it applies to my business but still a great read.

First meeting

I am looking forward to joining you for my first meeting with the Cosmopolitan Book Club! Can I bring anything?

Jane Eyre

I am sure most of you know by now how much I like Jane Eyre-which is not much.  I won't bore you with a repeat of the details- I am completely comfortable in standing by myself on this.  However, I am planning on seeing the new movie.  Amanda has expressed a desire to go when she gets back from China and I hope we can put together a group outing.  To get us all thinking about it, here is a quote from a recent review of the film: 
"To be sure, the dark hero of the story, Rochester, is not a vampire, but that’s only a technicality."
Hee Hee....I could not have said it better myself!!  The review goes on to make the movie sound pretty great.  I am looking forward to it.  For the rest of the review-Jane Eyre Plumbs the Gothic Depths, by Roger Ebert- click here:
http://thechronicleherald.ca/ArtsLife/1237531.html

Clara had a great idea!

Clara had an idea that maybe we could post some of the books that are on our 'To Read' lists so that in case anyone is having a hard time choosing a book for book club or just looking for a good book in general, they will have a great reference list.  Maybe we could just post our lists on the blog so they will always be available and easily accessed?  Just a thought :).  Looking forward to seeing you all again :).

Book Announcement for May

Hello Fellow Bookworms!

As I have been ruminating upon my book choice for May, I have been itching for another classic. And, since there is one that I have long wanted to read, I figured I would venture in that direction. Seeing as the book itself is a bit on the longish side (i.e. 800 pages), I thought you might appreciate some advance notice. So, here you go.

The book I have chosen for May is Middlemarch, by George Eliot. Eliot was actually a woman, whose real name was Mary Anne Evans. The book was extremely popular when it was written in its several installments, and has since found its place as one of the greatest English novels of all time--particularly when viewed through the lens of other English authors, (such as Virginia Woolf, for instance).

I was first introduced to the book via its BBC film adaption that I saw several years ago. The film has long stayed with me, and when the book was brought up in an unexpected place, (a BYU Education Week class on mothering), it intrigued me all the more.

For those of you who might be intimidated by the length of the book, I think now is a good time to introduce you to one of my latest and greatest finds: Librivox. This is an free online source of mp3 recordings of books that are held in the public domain. (It is compatible with an IPOD). I initially used this when I recently read Jane Eyre, and found it incredibly useful. Just in the last couple of days I've listened to well over 100 pages as I've been cleaning my kitchen or doing laundry. It's fabulous!

Also, speaking of free downloads, for those of you who haven't noticed the Salt Lake County Library website, there is a free service available to all library card holders. It's called Freegal, and it allows you to get 3 free music downloads a week when you input your library card number and pin. That may not sound like much, but I use all of our library cards, which adds up to a lot of free downloads for a whole family. If you get on there and look around, you'll be amazed how much available music there is. I've downloaded everything from Carrie Underwood, to Jascha Heifetz playing the Beethoven vln concerto, to the Backyardigans. Fun stuff . . .

Also, speaking of fun and (previously) Jane Eyre, there's a new film adaption of the book out, and it looks fabulous! Anyone interested in going? I can't think of anyone I'd rather see the movie with more than with my book club . . .

Bell Organic

Hi Ladies- As requested, here is a link to the farm I get my vegetable and cheese shares from.
http://www.bellorganic.com/
The produce is fabulous and the cheese divine. It's community supported agriculture right here in Draper and local cheese makers. The early spring shares are already sold out but they still have summer shares left.