Audible Review
Okay. So remember when I posted about how I'd never listened to a book on tape? Of course you do. That post changed both of our lives. Yeah, it was one of those posts that you never forget. You know you were totally like, "What a prude. She's never got under the covers to listen to a pre-recorded tome. She's never dabbled in the spoken interpretation of a work of literature. She's never let auditory osmosis work it's sexy magic on her."
And I was like, "God... My readers are judgemental, but at least they have a decent and playful vocabulary."
But now I have an update that will change our dialogue completely. I've totally popped my book on tape cherry. But I didn't do it with a book on tape. I did it with the much more modern and sensual Audible. I can't say that it was my choice. My hand was rather forced. I had to "read" a healthy book for my yoga certification that was only available on CD or digital format. I was going through my reading list, trying to decide what I would read via my snazzy new phone/reader, and what I would order in paperback. I came across this "book" and saw that it was only available as an audio book. I could keep holding out on audiobooks, or I could get certified and start my teaching career. Then I saw that the "book" would be free if I tried Audible. I'm always sold on free. Free is totally my thing. So, I went ahead and did it.
So, kids, I hate to use grown up language on this blog... but I lost my virginity today. I was wandering to my yoga class on what would be the jazziest hour walk on the face of the planet, but instead of popping in the jazzy musak, I hit play on my first audio book. The results are in... Not bad. I really like that Audible has an app, and I could put it directly on my phone. Even though there's an app for everything these days, I still find myself impressed. I could wander and absorb what was coming my way, but it might take a bit of getting used to. I spaced out a few times and it was a pain in the ass to figure out what I had missed out on.
What do you think about Audible and books on tape?
It’s a Phone… It’s a Reader!
So, you all know about the ongoing debate that I have with myself about getting a Kindle or paperless reader. It's been an epic battle that has gone a little like this:
Me 1: You know what would be awesome, me?
Me 2: What would be awesome, me?
Me 1: I think we would love a reader, like a Kindle or something, that we could take with us wherever we go.
Me 2: Oh, so now this conversation is switching into first person plural? Okay. I can dig it. But I can't dig getting a reader. They're ridiculous. Rmember that thing that Sherman Alexie said about them?
Me 1: No way dude. Neither of us remember what Sherman Alexie said about digital books. Was it something about 1984? Was it something about the omniscient police officer finding out what we're reading. We just have a vague recollection that he said something about them ruining literature and we really ran with that.
Me 2: Touche. But still.
Me 1 (holding up a copy of War and Peace): We'll never read this thing if we don't get a reader.
Me 2 (holding up a stack of comic books): We'll never read it anyway. This is pretty much all we do.
Me 1: Touche. But still.
And so it went, on and on, a constant battle in my mind over whether or not I would ever invest in a reader. But wait for it... Here's the twist in our story!
About a week ago, I was in desperate need of replacing my cellular device. When I got to the new phone store, I happened upon a comically oversized cell phone. When the cell phone man told me that it doubled as a reader, I was s.o.l.d. sold.
So now I have this thing, this reader, this cell phone, these digital books, and what can I say about it? I can say that it's cool, but I really don't use it all that much. Perhaps it's just because I've been busy. Maybe I'm just a tree slaying type of girl. At any rate, we can declare the war over the mind a victory. The reader wins. The reader loses.
Five Things I Learned: Tuesdays With Morrie
As part of my yoga teacher training certification, I have to read a ton (literally, a ton) of books over the next year, and write five things I learn from each one. When I scanned the list of our required readings, most of them made sense. There were yoga anatomy and emotional chemistry readings. There were books about buddhist and native american philosophy. There were some books about nutrition. They were all things one would expect to be on that kind of a reading list.
But there were a few that popped out at me as being a bit out of place. In order to be certified as a Forrest Yoga instructor, I have to read An Inconvenient Truth by Al Gore. Now it's not that I don't believe in global warming (no snow in Denver for the entire month of March... hmmm...). And it's not that I don't think that we should all be stewards of our planet, especially since we're yogis. But there's just something about it that gave me pause. What would Al Gore have to say to me that would make me a better yoga instructor.
I kept scanning over it and ran into Tuesdays With Morrie. Again, I'd never read this book, so I really had nothing against it, based on merit or content, it just struck me as strange that it would be required reading in order to become a yoga instructor.
At any rate, I wanted to get cracking on getting my certification (that way I have something to fall back on other than being an administrative assistant), so I just picked up the book and started reading. So what five things did I learn for that short book about life and death?
- What it taught me about perspective: When I began reading the book, I thought that the lessons were really obvious and basic, cliche almost. Of course you should appreciate life and realize that every moment is precious. In order to learn how to live, you must learn how to die. But what the book made me realize is that those lessons aren't apparent to everyone. To someone stuck in their own monotony (or to people who haven't gone through the process of a death meditation) these might seem like revolutionary ideas.
- What it taught me about teaching: Morrie didn't get frustrated with his student for losing touch and becoming entrapped in an unfulfilled career path. He didn't give up on his student because of all those years when he didn't cry. Morrie continued to teach his lessons without regard to how quickly they sunk in.
- What it taught me about empathy: Morrie continued to be understanding with his student. He didn't let his students' opinions or energy effect his own.
- What it taught me about turning sh*t into fertilizer: Morrie used his own death as a teaching opportunity. If death can be an opportunity to teach and learn, than it follows that every part of life could be used to the same effect.
- What it taught me about family: It's important to have a family.
What did you learn from Tuesdays With Morrie?
The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook
Hey there book worms! Welcome back to the Well Read Student's month of quick reads. Today's fast read is... well, it's not so much a read as it is a cookbook. Allow me to explain. First of all, I was grossly overestimating how much reading time I would have during this training. I've been playing the role of yogi from before sun up to well after sun down. The only thing I've really had time to read is my manual, and unless you want to hear all about yoga teacher ethics and how to usebhramari to battle your inner demons, I figured I would save you from writing a review on that. So I'm going to throw in the only other thing, that could be qualified as a book, that I've had my hands on recently. Enter: The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook.
During the first week of my training, we got a nutrition buddy, and I told my partner (who knows how to become a dietitian, but decided to be a doctor instead) that I had a hard time with incorporating variety while staying healthy. The next morning she brought me this amazing book filled with amazing nutritional information and 200 gluten-free, dairy-free and egg-free recipes. I'm not usually a cookbook person, but I've really been enjoying this book and can't wait to create some more from it. I've pretty much been making the green smoothie out of it every day (I'm still working on that whole variety thing), and the smoothie is beyond fantastic.
This book has been perfect for getting me on a good track with food even when I'm in a hurry. It incorporates quick and easy dinners, deserts, snacks and breakfasts that are part of a sustainable whole foods diet when you're on the go. But it also caters to my decadent foodie side. There are tons of recipes on there that would be a perfect feature for a cool vegan blog post.
I made one of the deserts (the raw, vegan, gluten free, chocolate truffles) and brought it to a gathering of hungry yogis. They were a hit. So take a reading break and hit up a book store and a grocery store. Have fun getting healthy with this handy cooking read!
Fast Read: The Eternal Smile
Woooh! I'm in Denver and I'm craaazy busy getting ready for an unbelievably busy month ahead. So this is going to have to be quick, just like all of the reads were going to be talking about this week. If you're looking at a pretty stuffed schedule for March, but you don't want to take a break on your quest to be the most well read kid on the block, I'm making it my fast paced intention to help you out with all of that.
And in the spirit of fast reads with spirit, today we're going to take a look at the book that inspired this series. The Eternal Smile by Gene Luen Yang and Derik Kirk Kim is a collection of three short stories that all center around the themes of delusion, imagination and reality.
Meet a new king who's kingdom is constantly under threat from dragons, frog kings, and cola bottles. Explore the way a lonely girl's world transforms as she begins sending money to a Nigerian prince who contacted her via email. And watch as a greedy frog sets out to conquer the final frontier of pure profit as he creates a religion to celebrate the mysterious eternal smile.
This is an amazingly thought provoking collection, especially considering that you can totally finish it in a half an hour. It challenges us to examine the divide between who we are, who we think we are and who we wish we could be. It plays on the conventions of perspective and fantasy, and shows what happens when the imagined world and the real world meet.
So if you only have a semi-long bus ride or bath time to fill with a book, let it be The Eternal Smile. If you happen to have a bunch of time on your hands this month because you're only applying for the easy scholarships, take your time and enjoy the artwork. It's phenomenal.
A Month of Fast Reads
Traveling by elephant might take a long time, getting through a great book shouldn't have to.
As much as I wanted to write about how handy a Kindle would be now that I've packed up a months worth of stuff and was forced to leave my books behind, I intend to keep my promise to you. I promised that I wouldn't spend any more space on this blog arguing with myself about whether or not I wanted a Kindle. I also promised that I wouldn't complain about the fact that I don't have one. So, consider this an act of amazing self restraint.
Because now that I'm saddled with my backpacking backpack, a book bag, some yoga mats and my day bag, I'm pretty sure that something that rhymes with dwindle would come in handy. Since I couldn't decide on a book and I didn't want to carry one around that I wouldn't end up reading, I decided to skip the whole travel book thing at this point. That seemed like the best decision when I was packing, but now that I'm in transit, I'm wondering what I'm going to do to stay literate for the next month. Then it hit me.
Last week, I was at a public library without a minute to spare. I had a bunch of work to do, and I had to catch a train when I was done. I only had about an hour. I put my nose to the grind stone and started working. The next thing I know, I blacked out. Somehow, I came to in the Young Adult Lit section with The Eternal Smile by Gene Luen Yang in my hands. Okay, so "blacked out" might be a bit dramatic. When I say "blacked out," I mean I procrastinated and wandered over to where they keep the comic books.
At any rate, I devoured The Eternal Smile in less than an hour (35 minutes to be exact) and was able to put it back on the shelf, get some work done and make my train. It was a brilliant 35 minutes to boot. I only wish I would have taken it a little slower. The extra 10-20 minutes would have given me more time to really appreciate the artwork more. So instead of wishing that I had one of those things that we shall not speak of, I'm going to spend my month enjoying everything that I can squeeze in.
March is going to officially be the month of the short book. It'll be like readers digest, but actually readable. Next week, I'll actually talk about The Eternal Smile, which was amazing, and then we'll see what I can squeeze in after that.
What's your favorite under-an-hour read?
Most Popular Unfinished Books
Last week, while I was doing heavy duty research on how to approach the dauntingly unfinished book on my nightstand, I took to the internet to get the facts. These days, the internet is obviously the place where we learn how to bake, think, breathe, build monsterous edible(?) creations out of weaved meats, and make up for that by only cooking vegan recipes for a week. So I was sure that there would be some information about where you should re-start an unfinished book.
I went looking for some kind of study in the New York Times that gave conclusive evidence that you absorb more of the book if you re-read from the beginning, or that you can cure cancer by starting where you left off. I hoped that there was a major poll conducted that concluded 89% of human beings start where they left of, but only 26% of the canine/feline population followed suit. I wondered if it was illegal for women to re-read the beginning of the book in Afghanistan. I checked to see if the government offered grants to people who had too many unfinished books. Shockingly, none of that information was readily available through the interwebs.
What I did find, struck me as far more interesting though. I ran across a list on GoodReads that shows how many people have marked a book as "Unfinished". They ranked these poor books by popularity. I'd like to share my findings with you, so here are GoodReads' top 20 unfinished books:
- Catch 22 by Joseph Heller
- One Hundred Years of Solitude
- Johnathon Strange and Mr. Norell by Susanna Clark
- The Time Travelers Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
- Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
- Lolita by Vladmir Nabokov
- Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory McGuire
- Life of Pi by Yann Martel
- Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
- The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larson
- The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
- Anna Kerenina by Leo Tolstoy
- A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin
- Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
- Moby Dick by Herman Mellville
- Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Garahm-Smith
- Sophie's World by Jostein Gaarder
- Ulysses by James Joyce
- 1984 by George Orwell
- On The Road by Jack Karoac
That list is pretty interesting. Some of them are obviously dauntingly complicated and large books, but some of them are short and simple. The mix is pretty even. It makes me wonder what makes people ditch out on a book before they've finished it.
Have you left any of these novels unfinished? Which ones?
How Do You Approach an Unfinished Book?
It's been on your bedside halfway read for the past 7 months. You've forgotten the story line, the characters, and even what the darn thing was supposed to be about. Part of you wants to finish it, for whatever reasons you don't remember, but now it sits there like a daunting task.
Or perhaps you really loved the book. Maybe it was a self help book that was guiding you in a good direction, but you got swept up into life, put it down, and just haven't found the time to make it back yet.
Or maybe you leant the book to someone even though you weren't finished with it, because you really wanted to impress them with how generous and trusting you are with your books. Then of course, the b*stard never returned it.
Or it's possible that a book thief jumped into your window, stole the book while you were laying in bed in your nightie drinking tea. The feind just snatched it right out of your hands. And then your boss called and fired you, so you didn't have any money to replace it. But now, you've been through therapy to get over your PTSD, you've pulled yourself together and found a well paying job in the bookstore industry. That's when you see it. All of the memories flood back, but you take some deep breaths, grab the book and vow to finish it.
It doesn't matter why you stopped reading a book partway through, the point is that you want to get back into it. But how? This is my question to you, dear readers. Do you start all over again? Do you jump right back where you left off? Does it depend on how much you remember? Does it matter what type of book it is?
Young Adult Lit: American Born Chinese
Since I touched on my love for all things comic last week, I figured we would dip back into our young adult literature series and talk about one of my favorite graphic novels that crosses into that genre. American Born Chinese by Gene Yeng tells the nuanced and layered tale of a young man, struggling to find his identity in America as a second generation Chinese immigrant.
Good Graphic Choice
The novel beautifully weaves three stories based on the Monkey King out Chinese mythology, a walking chinese stereotype (try not to wince every time you have to hear the name Chin Kee), and a character based in Yeng's own experience. If there was one graphic novel that you could read to give you an idea of how well the format is for intricate story, it should be this one. The three story lines begin at separate points and beautifully emerge as one. This probably would have missed the mark if it were done in prose or poetry, but is perfect in this visual realm.
From the Author:
I started American Born Chinese about five years into my comics career. (Though at the time, it was really more of a vocation since I wasn’t making any money at it.) Up ’til then, I’d done a couple of stories with Asian-American protagonists, but I never dealt with the Asian-American experience head-on. Since my own ethnic heritage is such an important part of how I understand myself, I knew I wanted to. I came up with three ideas and couldn’t decide which one was the best. American Born Chinese is me doing all three at once.
And The Award Goes To...
What? You don't trust a girl who argued with herself about asking for a Kindle when it comes to finding good literature? Fine. Don't trust me. Trust the gold. American Born Chinese is the 2007 Michael L. Printz Award Winner, a 2007 Eisner Award Winner, and a 2006 National Book Award Nominee. Figuring that out put me in a time warp. I read this book five years ago and it feels like just yesterday. Weird. Probably not weird enough to qualify for any weird scholarships, but definitely weird enough to be an argument that this book is that unforgettable kind of good.
See It, Read It: The Walking Dead
I'm not sure how I've never really touched on my love for graphic novels during this blog. I really just didn't want you to give me a wedgie and call me a comic book nerd. I don't go to Comic Con (unless you've got an extra pass). I don't do cosplay (unless you've got a sexy Green Lantern costume I can borrow). I don't sit around comic book stores and scoff at things all day long (unless that day is Saturday). So, don't call me a comic book nerd, alright?
I only collect them, put them in plastic covers, and tell children not to touch my beloved collection. I'm only ever following 3-15 series at a time. I only have a comic book budget that's bigger than my going out and commuting budget combined. Okay, fine do it. Call me a comic book nerd. I don't care. I get my comic book nerd on as often as possible. Comic books are awesome. They're a fast read. They're visually stimulating. They come in installments so they leave you hanging every once in awhile. Plus, they smatter some awesome art in the pages to make it a little more awesome.
So, I was inspired to write this post because The Walking Dead is now a TV show. I was really excited about this upon first hearing it, but after watching the first six episodes, I got a little bored. They're taking the amazing story from the graphic novels and adding a whole lot of crud that doesn't really need to be there. It doesn't really flow with the tone of the graphic novels, which are awesome.
So if you're getting really into The Walking Dead TV show, I would implore you to pick up the graphic novel this weekend to see what you're missing out on. I'm not saying the show is awful, quite the contrary. It's a great show. I'm just saying that the graphic novels are even greater.
Have you read The Walking Dead? Seen the show? What do you think?
Do You Audiobook?
Reading with your eyes closed?
I was talking to a friend the other day about how I had absolutely no time for reading now that classes have started and writing posts for my vegan recipe blog I'm studying yoga and becoming an FBI agent (shhhh) working full time and house sitting and constructing run on sentences without punctuation. And that friend made a suggestion to me that I kind of abhorred at first. He suggested that I begin "reading" audio books.
I said, "Really? Books on tape?"
To which he replied, "When was the last time that anything was on tape?"
He had a good point, no one recorded anything on tape anymore. But still, audio books didn't feel right. They just didn't seem like reading to me. I mean after you "read" an audio book, do you say that you read it? Wouldn't you have to say something like, "Oh yeah, I heard that book last year."
Plus, discussing the book in detail later on would be complicated if you don't have a physical copy that you could reference. Or would you just go to a book club and say, "Oooh! I loved that part at 2:39:24 when she slapped Rhett Butler. He totally deserved it after what he did at 1:45:37."
It just seems that you would miss so much listening to an audio book. Reading is one of those activities that you have to be fully focused on in order to really experience the text. If you're listening to a book for the sake of multi-tasking, aren't you missing a lot?
If you can't tell at this point in this post, I have never in my life listened to an audio book. I've never had a reason to. I love reading. It's something I've always made time for, no matter what was going on in my life. Perhaps after all of the posting about my struggles with technology, you now think I'm an old/Amish woman. I'm not, but I can see how you might believe that.
So, I'd like to hear from you. Do you do the audio book thing? Do you feel like you really get as much out of it as reading a real book? What makes a good audio book? Is it still okay to call them books on tape?
Lady Power: Women Who Run With the Wolves
When I was trying to figure out what to put on my newly revised reading list for the upcoming year, I came back to this blog to see what I had missed and what I had already read. While scouring the old reading lists, I came across an old whiny post-break up post that I completely forgot about and totally left hanging. I know you all are at the edge of your seats, wondering if I got back together with my ex after he went on a date with the mother of my nephew, whether or not I stayed devistated, whether I ran back into his arms, or whether I went on a stab fest and if I'm writing this from a prison cell... bum buuum buuuuuuum (those were supposed to be dramatic bum bums).
So, what happened?
Well, a lot happened actually. After writing that post, I stayed hopeful and forgave them both for what had transpiredl. I even thought that maybe some day (after everything had blown over) that we might be able to repair the damage. My ex toyed with me and lied to me for a few months. He would talk to me for a few days, tell me that they weren't seeing each other, but that talking to me made him confused. So we would stop talking and I would soldier on with my new life until he would pop back into it and we'd start the same song and dance all over again.
I eventually found out that the "one date" they went on, turned into a serious relationship. Not to worry, dear readers. A stab fest did not ensue. I forgave this too and began to heal and move on.
When I was in the best place that I'd been in since we broke up, my ex contacted me to forgive me (yeah), to bury the hatchet (forgive me?), to be friends (Really? Forgive me?). After an emotionally charged convos, he told me that he still had feelings for me, that he didn't love her... blah, blah, blah. So what did I do? I idiotically told him that I felt the same way. I don't even know if it was true at the time. I was genuinely happy and doing really well. But I said it and it didn't make a damn difference. He started blaming me for leaving, criticizing the person that I was, and telling me that I'd never do better.
The encounter with him ended abruptly, and it slid me back into a pretty bad place that I'm still trying to claw my way out of. In the end, he drunkenly sent me a few mean text messages, and after a calm, forgiving and understanding response from me, he told me that he was over it and ready to fully move on.
So basically, he took a sh*t on me in order to get over me and move on with my nephew's mother. I'm totally glad I could be of service.
So, the first book I'm putting on my reading list is a book for female empowerment Women Who Run With The Wolves. It was given to me by my lovely old neighbor Nita, after Zach and I broke up.
What do you read when you want to get your strength back?
New Year, New Reading List
If you're like me, you didn't have time for your entire reading list last year. Throughout the year and throughout your life, it seems that your book list can become an epic and monstrous beast filled with books that you have to read, books that you want to read, and books that came out of nowhere and winded up slap dab in the middle of all of the important stuff. If you have a physical reading list (meaning that you write it all down), first of all, good for you. That is awesome. You should really pat yourself on the back. Writing down the books that you want to read is the second best thing you can do for establishing a good reading schedule. It comes in a close second to loading up the Kindle that no one got you for Christmas... Okay, I know I promised I stop and I swear that was the last one.
Second of all, maybe it's time to clean the slate and start from scratch. Hear me out. I'm not saying to ditch your reading list and forget which classics you were meaning to get around to and which thrillers your thriller loving uncle recommended, but I am saying that maybe it would be a good idea to pare things down for the new year.
An easy way to do this is to figure out how many books you read in 2011, add a few to that (because you're growing). That will give you a good, solid realistic number of books that you can read this year. Maybe you'll want to get a little more detailed. You know that in the summer you like to read fantasy (we won't tell anyone) and in the winter, you like taking on some serious non-fiction. Make note of that. Now go through your reading list and figure out what fits where.
Voila! Now you have a new reading list that is realistic, scheduled and color coded... What? Too anal retentive? Come on... I didn't suggest that you have it turned into a tattoo written backwards on your torso, did I? No. Because that would be crazy... Right?
Note to self: Rethink torso tattoo.
Are you going to reorganize your reading list this year? How do you get on a reading schedule?
Okay Kindle, I Lose
It's a twist in the plot! The epic battle of the reader continues (because I know you care whether or not I get a gadget). Long story short, I waited too long to ask for a Kindle and therefore, did not receive one. All of that internal dilemma for absolutely no reason at all.
I was hoping to have a reader to talk about, review, take pictures of and brag about for this weeks post. But alas, there's no reader in sight. Well, I'm sure if I turned around someone in this bar will have one. Now that I didn't get one for Christmas, I'm seeing them everywhere. It always happens that way doesn't it? Like it says in that song, "You don't know what you got until... you don't got something and you don't want it at first, and then you do, and you ask for it too late in the season, and then it's gone from your fantasy and everyone else in the world has one." That song always gets stuck in my head.
But am I like one of those whiny no iPhone having punks on Twitter? No. But I sure do sound like one. The difference is that I'm genuinely not upset that I didn't get a reader for X-mas. I'm not upset at all. I'm actually totally cool with the fact that I didn't receive one.
I'm pretty sure it was fate. I'm rethinking whether I even really want one, or if I just got caught up in the whirlwind of Christmas. That "I want stuff" attitude is catching. So, here's my New Years resolution for this blog... I resolve not to talk about Kindles, ever again, in regards to me having one. Unless, that is, I actually get one. No, I don't want one, so this won't be an issue anymore. I promise. But if you sent me one, I wouldn't send it back to you... Do you want my address?
Maybe I should start talking about books on this blog again. Is that what this thing was supposed to be about?
Okay Kindle, You Win
Did you end up asking for a reader for Christmas?
Reading List: Opening The Mind
Sometimes it takes the sight of a flower opening in the morning sun. Sometimes it takes a high school English teacher. Sometimes it takes a crowbar and an infinate amount of strength. Whatever it takes to open the mind, keeping it open is not an easy task.
It's funny how the mind works. Sometimes it will stay open long enough for you to get attached to a belief system that works for you. Then it slams shut like a bear trap around that set of ideas. No matter how radical or "out there" those ideas may be, you're still closing the mind by identifying with them. So how do you get open and stay open? Well, that's the question, isn't it? Like all problems, this one can be solved by throwing a lot of books at it (what did you expect from a book blogger?).
Within every belief system, there are hundreds of books offering new ideas and perspective. Personally, I believe that all of existence is a matter of perspective and level of consciousness. The more perspectives you can recognize, the more you realize that the "real" world is based entirely in perspective. Everything can be looked at from infinite angles, making nothing finite. Or at least that's how I feel today. I try to stay completely open to new perspectives, even the ones that may prove that my beliefs are bull sh*t. That's not to say that I'm going to sit around reading Glen Beck all day. I want to be educated in what I'm interested in, so this list is geared towards training the mind and the body to stay open and flexible.
Here's my new reading list that I'm hoping will blow my mind.
- Light on Yoga: The Bible of Modern Yoga...
- Yoga Anatomy: Leslie Kaminoff (Yes...I'm still working on it)
- The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali: Commentary on the Raja Yoga Sutras by Sri Swami Satchidananda
- Meditations from the Mat: Daily Reflections on the Path of Yoga
- Light on Life: The Yoga Journey to Wholeness, Inner Peace, and Ultimate Freedom
- The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom, A Toltec Wisdom Book
- Tao Te Ching
- The Alchemist
- The Bhagavad Gita
- Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life
- Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind
What books have opened your mind?
Eckhart Tolle’s The Power of Now
Hello there bookworms!
I'm back from my haul to Central America, and I read one book on the trip that I wanted to drop in and tell you alllll about. As soon as I finished A New Earth, a few weeks back, I took up Eckhart Tolle's bestseller The Power of Now. Since I would be backpacking through Panama, I knew I'd really only want to bring one book with me, so Power of Now got a spot in my bag because it was what I was reading at that moment.
I'm really glad that it worked out that way. At times, I was frustrated that I didn't have some mindless fiction with me that I could get lost in when I was jet lagged or exhausted. But having Tolle's guide to accessing the moment with me while I was on vacation turned out to be enriching and enlightening.
Tolle said something that stuck with me throughout the entirety of my adventure. It was something to the effect of: some people go on vacation and don't really go anywhere because they never leave their head. If you're completely identified with your thoughts and your mind and if you're always trying to cling on to the memories while you're making them and thus thinking about them in the context of how you'll talk about it in the future, you're really not present. If you're thinking about everything the moment after it happens in order to 'solidify' it as a memory, you miss what's happening right in front of you.
One of the major things that I noticed while practicing the techniques Tolle lays out in The Power of Now during my journey, was that every day seemed longer, fuller and complete. That's not to say it's easy staying out of your mind when you're traveling. It takes a lot of conscious power in order to keep your mind on what's going on in this moment as opposed to your later plans or the beautiful thing that just happened to you. It is, however, completely worth the effort. It's something that translates back home too. Whether I'm researching the best online schools or taking a shower, being completely present makes each moment more full, vibrant and majestic.
I'd recommend The Power of Now even though I didn't like the question and answer format of the book. The content was good, but the structure was a little forced.
Have you ever read Eckhart Tolle? What did you think?
Are You Asking for a Reader for Christmas?
Okay, so I'll be the first to admit it. I've been an anti-reader for a long time. Maybe I should rephrase that. I've been against getting one of those tablet reader thingies for a long time. My reasoning had to do with a discussion that Sherman Alexie had about technology and literature. To be honest, I can't remember the point he made that convinced me that digital books were bad news. Even so, I held that belief so dear to my heart, that I would have battled those who dare tried to give me a reader for Christmas in years gone by.
Right now, it's three weeks before the holiday and I'm sitting looking at the Pacific ocean with my back to the jungle, in Panama. Why is this relevant to a post about readers and christmas? For two reasons, I suppose. One reason is that I can't look up Sherman Alexie's argument against digital reading devices, because I am using the slowest internet on the planet. Otherwise, I might be able to reinforce my belief that readers are a threat to writers, and literature en masse.
The other reason is that when I was packing for this journey, I couldn't think of a better thing to have than a cheap kindle (the old one is $75 now) filled with things I've always wanted to read. How easy would it be to pick up the light device and carry along both War and Peace and a comprehensive English to Spanish dictionary? What a convenient way to hold massive tomes on a backpacking journey.
As I say those things, some of Alexie's sentament comes back to me. He wasn't arguing that they were inconvienient. He didn't even argue that they left out the romance of turning the page. It was something about ownership, about writers rights, about permanance, about software developers killing print so their jobs would be more relevant, about publishing houses, about the man. It was definitely something about the man.
But part of me knows that if I choose to live here next year, my life would be much easier with a reader (they don't have local bookstores here, folks). So I guess it comes down to supporting a vaguely corrupt system or going without the big books. To ask for a reader, or not to ask for a reader... that is the question.
How do you feel about them? Do you remember that thing Sherman Alexie said that made me not want to buy one? Will she ever get out of the jungle and into a place with wifi? Oh, I forgot what I was doing there...
Student Self Help: Eckhart Tolle’s A New Earth
Eckhart Tolle's work isn't your normal self help stuff. When you crack open He's Just Not That Into You, you may very well find a nugget of truth here and there. There might be a bit about self confidence that helps you hold your head a little higher. There could be a part about not investing too much that will keep you from getting your feelings hurt. But, ultimately, it's not going to change the way you see men completely. It's definitely not going to change the way you see the world completely.
Eckhart Tolle's New Earth has the power to do just that. While it would probably have been more beneficial to read Power of Now, his first bestseller, before tackling A New Earth, which is mainly about the big picture. At any rate, after reading an Eckhart Tolle book in it's entirety will allow you to view the world in a completely new context. A New Earth teaches you how to live within the boundaries of the Present and to experience your world by becoming friendly with the moment you are in. This sounds simple enough, and it is. Although the idea is simple, that doesn't mean that it's easy.
Tolle explains how recognizing and becoming aware of the ego (that voice inside your brain that constantly sucks you into repetitive conceptual thinking) can help you find your true being, and can ultimately help you cultivate contentment and happiness. He draws from ideas in Zen Buddhism, Christianity, and Hinduism and boils the ideas in many world religions down to their essence message. He then turns that message into a practical guide for living in the Now.
It's some pretty powerful stuff. As I mentioned, it's not easy. While you're reading the book, it seems that epiphany after epiphany flood your mind. That makes it easy to flourish in the moment and connect with your true nature. Afterwards, putting the ideas into continual practice becomes notably harder. People will undoubtedly notice a difference in you when you don't really engage in dramatic and negative conversations and when you want to talk about your new experience. Mocking runs a muck. I think that the experience afterwards was just as valuable, you have to learn how to laugh at yourself.
Overall, it's an enlightening and interesting read that can help you figure out where you really want to be in life. I'd highly recommend it if you're looking to expand your horizons or figure out what you want to be when you grow up. If you're in college trying to figure out how to become a CIA agent or how to become the president of future earth, this book should be first on your reading list.
It’s Different When You’re a Grown Up: Gulliver’s Travels
There are a lot of things that are different when you're a grown up. Here are a few of them:
Cotton candy: As you get larger, it gets smaller. One day you realize that it's no longer a sugar cloud that's bigger than half of your body. That usually is the same day when you realize that it's made out of pure sugar, which you're suddenly concerned about. Where did your childhood go?- Zoos: What was once a majestic trip to see creatures from faraway places is now the most depressing day of your vacation. You know about elephant hooking, you see how hot the polar bears are, and you just want to free those poop slinging monkeys.
- Jimmy Buffet: You might have absolutely loved that song about cheeseburgers when you were a kid. "I like mine with lettuce and tomato, Hinez 57 and french fried potato!" But now you've been to a Margaritaville and you know that if that guys the king of margaritas, then the monarchy needs to go down for the count. Add that to seeing his endless line of parrot head gear and you don't consider that guy the coolest beach vagabond on the planet anymore.
- Gulliver's Travels: This book isn't about tiny little people on an island, giants on some other island and horses on yet another island (this dude obviously didn't like his family). This is some serious satirical stuff going on.