Not much going on in Hamilton (I am leaving for Bay of Islands/Auckland on Thursday though!), so I thought I would switch it up and talk about one of my goals for the trip.
During my MayMester course in San Francisco, my professor described somebody as "a reader." Now, what I took this to mean is that reading has become a lost art in today's age of digital media, so those who still read are more likely to be a lot sharper and on top of their mental game. It was at this point that I realized that I am NOT a reader. Now don't get me wrong, I love reading. But there are very few books that are able to grab my attention over such activities as going out with my friends or going to the beach. Overall, I'd say that, for pleasure, I read one, maybe two books a year. But I also realized that my professor is onto something. By reading, I am setting myself up to learn more and be more knowledgeable on a variety of subjects.
Many of you have already heard about my obsession with the Kindle that my Grandfather gave me. For those that haven't, I love this thing. Its light and portable, with all the books you could ever need right at your fingertips. Now I know that it may sound like blasphemy to all my traditional readers out there, and I agree that nothing beats holding a nice paper copy in your hands. But when you are traveling as much as I am/will be, portability wins out. Plus, you don't have to worry about pages flipping back on you, bookmarks etc. Its a great invention.
So without all of the usual distractions, this trip has actually been a great opportunity to become a reader. So, before I left, I downloaded a few books for the trip. They are as follows:
The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkein, an old favorite, very New Zealand appropriate
Drift: The Unmooring of American Military Power by Rachel Maddow
New Boots in New Zealand: Nine great walks, three islands, and one tramping virgin by Gillian Orrell, also very New Zealand Appropriate
Five Chiefs: A Supreme Court Memoir by Former Justice John Paul Stevens
Guns, Germs and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies by Jared Diamond, a book that I have had on my shelf for years and haven't gotten around to
Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
Shaq Uncut: My Story by Shaquille O'Neal
Secrets of the Sommeliers: How to Think and Drink like the World's Top Wine Experts by Rajat Parr and Jordan Mackay
Coincidentally, the last three listed there were the first three I read. I had an opinion on each, and thought I might share it with you.
Secrets of the Sommeliers: This book is great for any wine rookie trying to get in the game. Parr and Mackay truly capture the essence of the wine industry with this book and, step by step, walk you through each aspect. From the difference in the varietals to how to properly serve the bottle, no detail is spared. Having Parr, a respected sommelier himself, as a writer only adds to the personality of the book. He adds his stories, as well as those of his friends, mentors and counterparts. He has seen it all, and doesn't hold anything back.
Shaq Uncut: The world must have known that Shaq's autobiography would be as quirky as he is. Although the writing quality is not superb, you feel as if you can hear Shaq telling the stories of his life. I thought I knew a lot about Shaq, but I learned a lot about one of my favorite players of all time from this book. From his childhood in Newark, Georgia, Germany and San Antonio, to his playing days in every city, Shaq does not beat around the bush. I was particularly interested in what he would say about his time with the Celtics and it was evident that he felt he owed Boston, and even Sudbury, more. I respect his honesty. If you are into autobiographies, this is a great read.
Steve Jobs: Biographies are a tricky genre. If you are the first person to write about a really interesting subject, the book will sell, regardless of the writing quality. I was not impressed by the quality of Isaacson's writing in this book. He repeated too many things that did not need to be repeated, and did not repeat some facts that did need to be repeated. I found his writing to be bland and quote heavy. But I could not put the book down. Steve Jobs is just too interesting of a subject. This guy was a nut, throwing fits to get his way and not fearing anyone. But he was an artist as great as Picasso. He made products that may not be powerful, but are beautiful. Something you want to carry around and study, something that you would want to own. My theory is that in order to be a successful CEO (and few are truly successful) you have to be a perfect genius. A 100 on a scale of 0-100. That's why they pay you the big bucks. Jobs had always been close, but it took him a while to be a 100. But I think by the time he died he had exceeded 100. He had done what few, if any CEOs had ever accomplished before. I have always believed that violence and anger is not the way to solve problems, but the strategy has clearly worked for Apple. In fact, not only was Jobs' anger productive, it helped reach goals that many of his employees thought were impossible. In the end, I totally agree with this book being a New York Times best seller, not because of the writing, but because it was a fitting final product to the legacy of a man who turn anything into gold.
I have really enjoyed writing this blog. My thought coming into this project was that I could start a new blog for my everyday life when I am done in New Zealand. I think posts like this are a transition into that. Therefore, expect a few more like this one mixed in to keep it fresh.
Can't wait to tell you guys how Bay of Islands and Auckland go this weekend.
Wilson
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