Jared Byrne

Most notably of Home Depot (cofounder), Atlanta Falcons (NFL), and Atlanta United FC (MLS) 'fame', Arthur Blank writes (p.165) "What keeps a company great (and a person, for that matter) is non-stop reinvention. Whether you're launching a brand-new venture or leading a long-established brand, you need to constantly ask, "What can we do better? What can we do differently?" If you're always in motion, no one can catch you." That's not a particularly unique approach to innovation and entrepreneurship, but in "Good Company" Arthur Blank points out, with real examples from exceptional experiences, how a company is able (and should be expected) to do this through leadership with values, and being a "good neighbor". That approach to business is, sadly, novel in society - and makes this book a must read.

While it's not a guarantee that you would see it every time, it is a safe bet that any member of the public could easily find at least a few poorly organized sports practices, and ineffectively coached games, by attending a local park most evenings. This reality, sadly, suggests that, as Dr. Rob Grey outlines in his wonderfully written 'How We Learn To Move', current coaching methodologies defer to a linear, controllable view of sport (not the more realistic view of sports as dynamic, uncontrollable systems that we want to empower participants to more importantly influence). In turn, any observer is likely to find sports practices that rely on boring routines (i.e., soccer players endlessly dribbling/running around pylons) that train behaviors not used in actual games (i.e., rugby players running laps around a field) and coaches that scream at, and often degrade, players because they are not fitting the coaches mental model of the "right" movements. Thanks to a research backed review of how individuals learn to move and improve their movement, Dr. Gray shows us all that there is a better way forward!

To be upfront, I am not an American, I am a Canadian currently living in the United States. So my understanding of the U.S. political system is limited (especially as it was in 1971, when this book was written). However, when the leadership of any nation(s) doesn't understand the inherent complexity of dynamic systems, like those related to running a country, even the most uninformed citizen can see that governments have a perverse incentive towards controlling a population (i.e., less crime, better economy, more tax payers, etc. all benefit a governments chances of being "successful" and being reelected). Unfortunately, a trend towards increasing centralized control seems to be happening more and more around the world (i.e., Justin Trudeau in Canada), regardless of the political parties (right v. left) in power; and these types of dishes always fail. 'None Dare Call It Conspiracy' does a good job of flagging how this was/is being done, and the hypocrisy of those who intentionally seek centralized power. So much so that if only 10% of the claims made in this book are true, there is still a massive problem with many of our governments that needs to be fixed. Yet, while I enjoyed the read, and found reading Allen w/Abraham's text a worthwhile endeavor, the suggestions at the end of the book were a let down. I agree with the power of informed voting and political engagement, but surely deferring all our power to elected officials is what caused this problem in the first place. I would have hoped for a better final chapter that included more meaningful suggestions being political activity and activism, to include how each of us could use our personal voice, work ethic, economic entrepreneurship, and even more community, bipartisan civility and peacemaking to improve the course of our communities and country.

I didn't think I wanted to read these books, in part because I had already seen the movies and thought I knew the story well. Thankfully, my sons didn't care and wanted to read the Lord of the Rings; and now that I've read the books, I can confirm that this book series is, unsurprisingly, so much better than their movies (books being better than their movies is common). J. R. R. Tolkien is a master at creating a world that is as intriguing as it is all encompassing. From the locations and characters to the multiple concurrent storylines, this fictional novel is so engaging that it proved difficult to put any of the books down. Making it clear why this book is a classic and, I would suggest, a must read series.

If I had to pick my favorite books, this would definitely be at the very to of the list. You could say that I'm not a just a reader, I'm a believer 😁: I'm glad I took the opportunity to read this book as part of a book club I had previously quit. Specifically, I thought the book wasn't directly related to my studies/profession, but I'm ecstatic to say I was proved wrong as it has added a unique perspective backed by meaningful evidence. This is a fascinating book that worried parents, nervous students and fearful "late developers" should read, alongside the growing sorts culture (w/kids picking one sorry and playing it 4x - 5x/week). Undoubtedly, we would all do better with a little bit more tolerance for our own journeys and the unique twists and turns that life takes; and completely removing the vice of 'personal worth via comparison' that pervades or communities.