Book of the month

February 2024

Exercised

Daniel Lieberman

This was a good book. It didn't blow my mind but reinforced for me the need to continue to exercise right until my last days. It was interesting to take the viewpoint that we are naturally somewhat lazy. As hunter-gatherers, we didn't exert ourselves dramatically and rarely, if ever exercised for the sake of it. Most early humans spent some of their day hunting, carrying, digging and generally moving, but never for the sole purpose of exercise as we now know it. Now in the modern world, with all our needs met so easily, we have excess energy and need to use this energy in some way to avoid the dreaded bulge. Lieberman made it clear that a lack of exercise and mindful eating will almost certainly reduce the length and quality of your life.

I enjoyed his investigation into the other meaning of 'exercise' - To become exercised. I've already seen enough people who become irate by the smallest thing and often wondered if there would be some consequences later in life. Let's just say the picture is not a pretty one. We need to learn to manage stress and keep our blood pressure low. My father's advice of 'Relax and enjoy' comes to mind. 

A synopsis of the entire book is in the last few line - "Make exercise necessary and fun. Do mostly cardio, but also some weights. Some is better than none. Keep it up as you age"

January 2024

The Fabric of Reality

David Deutsch

The hardest book I've ever read. I can't say I took much from it to be honest as the writer seemed to spend more time making definitions and deciding whether logic itself can be used in logical arguments. Frankly, I didn't enjoy this book. There was just endless over-complication of concepts that are in themselves, quite straight-forward and worse still, concepts that are difficult, he seemed to make even more difficult! I also think the vocabulary was too much for me and I found it hard to take anything from the book as a result.

I did find it interesting when he talked about virtual image generation and how this may be an aspect of reality. In a mad scenario, maybe were are experiencing life through virtual reality and many versions of ourselves exist out there, but we will never be able to experience them. Everest's Many Worlds interpretation of Quantum Physics made slightly more sense to me in this book but overall, it was a near impossible read. I persevered though but it's not something I'm proud of. Maybe my future-self will thank me for reading it and I'll be enlightened and want to read it again. That day may be a long way away though.

December 2023

Good to Great

Jim Collins

Ironic. Written back in 2001, this book hasn't stood the test of time very well. Considering that one of the companies they investigated was Fannie Mae, the financial institution that helped to bring America to its' knees in 2007, I found a lot of what it had to say hard to accept. Now, granted I accept it's hard to predict the future, and I have a bee in my bonnet about banks in general, but when you read what made Fannie Mae so great, you understand my reserved judgement.

Along with this, it failed to highlight some of the upcoming technologies that completely changed the game. When you see how Amazon, Alphabet etc. have performed since, they could change every single company that they studied. I think I'd take more from the author's other book 'Built to last'.  Wouldn't recommend it as a book you're going to learn from, but I'd suggest it to anyone who claims that some companies (and countries) are too big to fail!

November 2023

The Art of War

Sun Tzu

Underwhlemed. I was expecting to be blown away by this classic, which would apparently inspire me, in a business sense and teach how to deal with people, but all I took from it were old messages that incite aggression amongst people. I know it's all metaphors but I don't have the mindset that others have where I feel in constant competition. Maybe that's why I'm not a millionaire.

The book is short and simple and is still interesting but the hype built around it is overdone for sure. I used it as a filler/ conversation starter which usually went like this - 'Ya,  the Art of War, have you read it?' 'No, should I?' 'Not unless you plan to kill.'

October 2023

Man's Search for Meaning

Victor Frankl

What a read. If Victor Frankl can forgive and maintain hope, we have no excuse to hold grudges at any stage in life. For anyone who knows me and the struggles I went through, they will know the depth I go to in thought. I've spent most of my adult life pursuing excellence and searching for my why. In reading this book, I learned this is futile. I need to get to the headspace where relationships and connection with those that matter are way above and beyond all else.

Learning about Logotherapy also helped. For years I've told myself that Freud was wrong and this is the first confirmation I've read to say that sexual desires are not our deepest desires- instead love is. 

A final word of thought however is that maybe this book isn't for everyone. Better still, this book isn't for everyone at a certain time. I think it would have been an impossible reading for me if I had read it any closer to my Dad's passing. For those searching for meaning though, this book inspires to create meaning rather than just searching externally. 

It helped me find my why.

September 2023

Hyper Space

Michio Kaku

An astonishing read. I just wish I had the intellect to relate more deeply to some of the ideas shared here. When Kaku talks about having space in Higher dimensions, I can relate in 3 dimensions, sometimes 4 if I'm drunk, but 10 dimensions? How?

This book is probably best for those already involved in Physics or Maths as, while he does his best to explain things with examples, some things are just above that. 

Personally I enjoyed Part 1, where he tried to explain the fifth dimension. I woke up many nights with eureka moments, although when I read further I doubted myself again. The only other issue I have with this book is that it's probably a bit dated. It hasn't even mentioned the advancements made in telescopes and particle collier's les alone gravitational wave detectors. 

This book made me excited to learn more and believe in the amazing potential of the human mind. Some day I hope I'll write an updated account of the state of Physics.

Exceptional read.

August 2023

The Fun Habit

Mike Rucker

I expected so much more. I wanted handy, proven fun things to do but instead it gave the method and science behind it. Granted this is good and what some people want, but I was looking for something different. 

I believe you need to be in the right head space for this book. I was under the impression that with a few simple hacks I could live a more joyous life. Like I should know at this stage though, its the journey, not the destination. There's no one-size-fits-all approach and it's very personal to the person involved. It's also a habit. Not something you can do sparingly and hope it to be effective.

I picked up a few nuggets as always but these could have been summarised in a thread on Twitter. (Idea bundling = multitasking) My two favourite chapters were on fun when parenting and fun when goal-setting. It gave me renewed hope and courage to pursue my wild, authentic, ego-driven goals but to recognise the genuine reasons why I want this success. 

In short, this book will be a huge hit for some but personally I may have to return to it at a time in my life when I'm feeling more adventurous. A pleasant read.

July 2023

The Expectation Effect

David Robson 

Seismically influential. This has been one of the most encouraging, inspiring and scientific books I've ever read. There is hope in everything we do and it is our expectation and overall view of things that can influence outcomes.

Turned 31 last year and this was the first book to open my mind to the fact that it doesn't have to be steady decline into old age. It even encouraged me to define old age and described how significant this can be. I've told myself the importance of exercise and Robson reminded me that I don't have to stop at 36 and rest easy, never to push myself again. With the right mindset and a structured plan, there's nothing to stop me other than my own mindset. 

When reading this book I also took the time to reflect and externalism my thoughts. If I was speaking to a friend going through the same circumstances, would I be so harsh on them?

The book gave me great confidence but was also enjoyable to quote to family and friends as there are tonnes of snippets that we can take value from, without having to read from page to page.

One of the most refreshing books I've ever read.

June 2023

Journey's End: The truth about life after death

Colm Keane

Pseudoscience. I found this book hard to swallow as the entire thing is based on hearsay from people who had near-death experiences. This is way too vague and unscientific for my liking. What made it even less believable was that he didn't even give full names, just expected the reader to accept what people had to say.

It seems to me also, that people are very much influenced by what others say. If I was asked to describe a near-death experience before reading this book, I'd have said something about going through a tunnel towards a bright light, weightlessness, meeting other dead relatives, elation, pearly gates, etc. These were the exact experiences people reported and the only pleasing thing I took from the book was that the author explained the origin of such ideas. I paid particular attention to the origins of hell and the devil, that was fun.

Overall I wouldn't recommend this book to too many, as it failed to grip me at any point and lacked the genuine scientific grounding that I look for in books. Uninspiring.

May 2023

We Learn Nothing

Tim Kreider

Light-heartened and fun. I really liked this series of essays documenting events throughout Tim's life, and what (however little) he learned from it. While he earned his trade as a satirical illustrator, he certainly learned enough to make this a series of comical stories that are so well described, they must be true.

Kreider asks the hard questions too and backs them up with a lesson we should all take heed of. In fact, his description of marriage and having kids made me burst out laughing- before then making me think and laugh again a few moments later.

Overall a good humoured book that can be picked up any time.  Don't take it all to heart thought.

April 2023

Standing in Gaps

Seamus O Rourke

On point. Seamus O Rourke grew up right next door to my mother and literally hit the nail on the head with every character he describes in this book. His writing reads like he talks, with tangents and hilarious metaphors to split your sides at. O Rourke's self-depreciating is a joy to behold as you get the feeling he received 'compliments' on his size and manner.

O Rourke describes his childhood and struggles in school, which, for someone who now makes a living by describing things eloquently, is remarkable and fascinating. He is an inspiration to all who struggle with the motonomy that school often entails, and another shining example of what can be achieved when someone follows their passion

The book is a memoir but as many here can attain to it's often a case of 'don't let the truth get in the way of a good story'. I really enjoyed his descriptions and the language he used and genuinely laughed multiple times. Worth a read, especially to anyone from the area or who lived in rural Ireland at any point. A classic.

"Truth was hard to come by in those places - still is- and truth never sparkled like a good lie"

March 2023

Parallel Worlds

Michio Kaku

Mind expanding. This was the most significant explanation of all things Universe and I really enjoyed it. A phrase I love is that it takes genius to simplify a hard concept and it takes an idiot to make a simple concept hard. Kaku made me feel like I understood the 5th dimension.

That said, I'm fully aware that I don't have a clue, but I am learning through books like this. It caused me to really consider what noise a tree makes if it falls and there's nobody there to hear it. The only issue I had with this book is that it's not up-to-date as it was written in 2005. His latest book 'The God Equation' may be the one to go for as I'd blown away by how far things have come, especially the advances made with the JWST.

Anyone looking to advance their deep conversations with friends, and who want to think more philosophically about their existence- This book is made for you.

February 2023

Engage: The fall and rise of Matt Hampson

Paul Kimmage

Perspective. Kimmage does a great job detailing the story of the English prop who suffered a life-changing neck injury in a scrum. It's easy to take things for granted and books like this help ground you again and make you accept the fickle existence that we experience. 

All that said, I wasn't engrossed by this book as Kimmage tried a matter-of-fact approach by presenting the information in a trial scenario, where the struggles his family went through to get help from the RFU are presented to characters from Hampson's life. For me, it wasn't until the final chapter that I really felt for Hampson. The severity of his situation was only apparent to me when it detailed that Hampson nearly lost his life on multiple occasions when his ventilator got unattached. Add to this wavering support from the RFU who did not crown themselves in glory whatsoever. And his girlfriend leaving him. Life was very unfair to Hampson. Main learning - Be grateful.

January 2023

Unguarded: My life in rugby

Ronan O Gara

Typical O Gara. Honest. Straight-forward and entertaining. O Gara is my favourite Cork sports star, followed closely by the O Donovan brothers. Throughout the whole book you get the sense that ROG was just an ordinary man who achieved extraordinary things through sheer effort and commitment alone. He is a testament to being honest to yourself and overcoming whatever challenge gets in the way. It's no wonder whatsoever that O Gara succeeded as a player and moreso as a coach, as he admits he may have lacked the physicality, but found ways to make himself one of the top 10's to ever play the game. I'm fascinated by his critical analysis and enjoy listening to him on television and reading his articles. A future Ireland head coach, I hope.

December 2022

Don't sweat the small stuff

Richard Carlson

Calming. I took a lot from this book and didn't panic to read it, taking it one message a day. It helped a lot as I went through a rough patch and needed grounding in the mornings. At the end of the day, everything is the small stuff. Being late for work once will not damage your reputation with your boss. Eating a chocolate bar will not make you fat. There's endless messages in this book, too many to recite them all, but it was definitely the self-help book that had the longest lasting impact on me. Inoffensive and practical.

November 2022

The subtle art of not giving a fu*k

Mark Manson

Paradoxically effective. I didn't want to buy this book as I don't really support the bullish, obnoxious theme that it suggests. (Similar to how I don't like James Smith PT online!)  However as I read more of it, I have to say it definitely gave me confidence and improved my risk-taking attitude, realising that whatever we do, others will never care as much about it as we do. What seems like a massive move for us, is but a small unnoticed move to everyone else and it's because of this that we can afford to make more mistakes, and take more risks. It's paradoxical, however, because he openly admits that we all have to care about something- that's the point of this book. It's by narrowing the things which we care about, that we can truly focus and care about the things that truly matter to us. 

I read this book in a day and still get flash backs to key learnings. I think I will go back and read it carefully again. Surprisingly effective.

October 2022

Sarah's House & The Canal

Jane Gilheaney Barry

Local legend. I really enjoyed Jane's stories and sample of her new works. She keeps things simply but compelling and I'd particularly recommend these to anyone local, although they will hit home for all who read them too.

Sarah's house is so typical of situations in Ireland. Disagreement and stubbornness are fundamental in the story and I could think of several family situations where I could see this happening. Throw into the mix a bit of 'Stranger Things' and you get a short story that is relatable for everyone in Ireland.

The Canal is another story that the masses can enjoy as it lays bare the fear that is omnipresent around water. Personally I know as a child, standing next to a river was a huge fear factor and Jane's story helped revive some of that fear in me!

I enjoyed these short stories and the imagery created as I felt I knew the areas she talked about, and could picture locals in the very situations she described. A good short read for any Irish soul thinking about days gone by.

September 2022

You can't stop the sun from shining

Sonny Bill Williams

Bland but not boring. Sonny Bill Williams is a super star. I got the impression that he was always going to make it in some sport, but to do so across 3 codes is something special. What struck me most, as was probably hardest to believe, was that at his highest, he still felt like a shy Samoan boy, failing to find his voice. He came across so confident on the pitch, and I knew of his 'wild' personality off the field so it was a great shock to me to learn that a lot of this was a mask. It wasn't until Sonny Bill found Islam and a caring partner, that he really settled and found the peace and confidence he was looking for.

My favourite part of the book was learning about his protective mother, interrupting prayers to find out the names of kids who had beaten her son! While I found it hilarious at first, it showed the strength of her character and it was no wonder Sonny Bill went on to reach such heights, with support like that behind him. Williams, to me, is a fantastic role model and will continue to influence lives in a positive manner long after his sporting days are finished.

May 2022

Tiger Woods

Jeff Benedict & Armen Keteyian

Eye-opening. If Tiger Woods is your childhood hero, do not read this book. For all the amazing achievements he had over the course of his life, it's very hard to still love the man, giving everything that he did in his personal life. That said, he is really on a path to redemption and it remains to be seen how far he has come. I did feel pity for him at certain times in the book, and I'm in awe at how hard he trained and disciplined himself from such a young age, but the question that comes to mind is: Was it worth it?

Woods achieved everything possible on the golf course but his obsessive and cold personality affected the relationships that matter most. It makes me wonder if the Nike curse is real, as so many top stars signed with Nike and while they all reached the pinnacle of their sports, often times their fall is just as dramatic. I will hold my final judgement of Woods until he produces his autobiography as some of the stories are so unbelievable, I'd like to hear it from the horses mouth.

April 2022

Open: An Autobiography

Andre Agassi

Stark. But incredibly relatable. Agassi describes in detail his struggles on and off court and there were times where my sporting and personal struggles came right back at me. Agassi hated tennis. The life of a professional player was too much for him and he was following his father's dream, more so than his own. But he settles down as the book goes on. While he was seen to have started professional life as a maverick, its clear that he was a young man struggling, and got himself into difficult as a result. From a teaching point of view, it helped reinforce that the people who are acting out are often the people that need the most personable help. Agassi admitted that school didn't suit him and in a fascinating change of mindset, he has since went on to open his own school, a testament to his improved attitude.

The other important message I took from this book was the importance of true love. Agassi admits that his first marriage was not for himself, and was almost instantly doomed, although this can be very easy to say in hindsight. Upon seeing Steffi Graf however, he knew he had met the person he wanted to spend life with and done everything he could to create an bond with her. Luckily for him, she enjoyed being chased and it wasn't long until they started a loving family together. A lesson for us all to listen to our true selves.

The 4-Hour Workweek

Tim Ferriss

Published in 2007, this book was ahead of it's time. Yet at the same time, now it seems outdated. I enjoyed the main message: Automate your workload so that your work is confined into 4 hours per week. Unfortunately, this is a bit out of reach for most and works best if you're already far up the chain. That said, it is something to aspire towards and becoming part of the 'New Rich' is undoubtedly a goal of mine. As a teacher, with summers, we are time-rich, and it's important to do the things we enjoy in this time. For some reason I doubt I'll be able to minimise work to 4 hours per week though. For anyone who is good at coding it is a very achievable target however. Computers are our friends and we should benefit from the fact that we can work from anywhere across the globe, and we really should try to. If the Covid saga has taught us anything, it's that the day of everybody being essential in the traditional office is a thing of the past.

Work from home where we can and enjoy the things that really matter. Simple message, let it sink in. 

January 2022

Life: A trip towards trust

Kevin Kelly

I'll openly admit - I have never heard of Kevin Kelly! I picked up this book one day when I had nothing else to read and I have to say I really enjoyed it. Written way back in 2002, Kevin takes us through many life experiences and what he has learned from them. What I liked about it was he came across as a humble man who went on to do some incredible things and the book is very relatable because of this. He is an Irishman, with Irish experience, doing things that we normally expect from people far removed from us.

This is a book for anyone who isn't looking for high energy, all action motivation, but instead simple instructions for how to get the best out of yourself. Kevin's simplistic bravery throughout the book, taking calculated risks where many others wouldn't, was encouraging rather than inspirational. I feel this is not a book for someone in their early 20s who is looking for instant success. Instead, for anyone feeling a void in their 30s or beyond, if you're looking for self-actualization, this is a good place to start.

December 2021

Beyond Order

Jordan B Peterson

This is the first book I'm reviewing that I wouldn't recommend to a friend. I've watched some of his online material and enjoyed his debating skills, fully understanding why he is globally respected. This book however was not suitable to the average reader. In multiple chapters I found myself completely lost in his highfalutin words and endless deep explanations. It has been said that the sign of a genius is someone who can take something complex and explain it in simple terms. Peterson did the exact opposite here. Many simple 'rules for life' were dissected beyond recognition to the point that the lost all meaning.

As the book went on, things started to improve (I think he got tired writing and his explanations became simpler.), but still I found it a hard read. I haven't read his first book of 12 rules but I sense that a dozen is enough, making another 12 was a stretch and felt like someone writing a book to sell rather than writing one with the true hope of affecting the people who read it. Maybe it's a sign of my reading ability but I wouldn't advise any casual reader to attempt this as it can be painfully pointless at times. 

November 2021

How many miles to Babylon?

Jennifer Johnson

A heart breaker. Seeing the friendship between two unlikely friends develop and prosper caught me right in the feels. The two boys, and that's what they were, grow a relationship which is frowned upon due to their coming from different social classes. It reminded me of some lasting relationships I had as a child, which were frowned upon by some but these relationships really worked, purely because, as a child, class was never a deciding factor.

The two embark on adventures together before the call comes that their country needs them in times of war. The two know the inevitable consequences of this yet embark on the journey regardless, terrified but putting on brave faces. When Jerry pushes his luck too many times, their friendship is tested to the limits before a gut-wrenching end. 

I can fully understand why this is often studied in school as it is an emotionally gripping tale and one can't help but feel sorry for both characters.

October 2021

Recovering 

Richie Sadlier

Richie Sadlier is someone who I would have noticed on television but someone who never stood out, so the appeal of reading his biography was not huge at first. He has an interesting and inspiring story to tell however.

Luck rarely seemed to be on his side, especially when it came to injuries and this is the reason his career reached a peak when he scored in an u18 third-place play-off at the European championships. 

From the outside point of view, I initially felt that Sadlier was his own worst enemy and he maybe wasn't cut out for top-flight professional football. But as his story progressed, and he revealed a stark incident from his childhood, my respect and admiration for him increased. 

Well worth getting a look into the difficult life of a recovering alcoholic. The work he now does is highly commendable and it's great to read a success story of someone with a difficult and troubled background.

September 2021

Programming the Universe 

Seth Lloyd

A tough one. I began reading it thinking this was an idea I really wanted to delve more into. It was a bit dull to get into the binary aspects of things in such detail. It's not my area of interest so, for much of this book I spent confused and reading back over what I just read. It did, however, leave me questioning things once more. Could it be that the whole universe is a self-contained quantum computer? 

It's an idea, which I firstly felt was way too wild of any idea but, as the book explains, it could potentially be true. Anything that can be boiled down to a simple binary operation, leads Lloyd (and now me) to believe that it could be the workings of a super powerful quantum computer. 

So here's my defining thought that stemmed from it. What if current developments in quantum computers and virtual reality actually lead us to creating incredibly life-like simulations which people can live out? And what if this has already been done? Could we in fact be actually living a simulation at this minute? 

This idea left me smiling for days and is one I want to learn more about. This book was the beginning of that investigation. 

May 2021

The Universe In Your Hand

Christophe Galfard

This is one of my favourite reads. A prior note is needed though - It's not for the faint hearted! This book is packed with information that blew my mind. The sheer extent of the universe is dispelled in the first chapters and it really got me thinking how there must be a higher power out there. I was fully convinced that the universe must have been created. Yet within a few chapters, I was questioning this idea and doubting myself once again. 

This book touched on all the most up-to-date theories that govern our universe - from Einstein right through to the latest approaches to of String theory and M-theory. Having read other books that delve into these in more brain-numbing ways, it was refreshing to get a brief overview of all and yet still come away being able to speak about these topics.

What I really think is a USP for this book is that it only contains one equation, possibly the most famous equation of all (the one that connects mass, energy and the speed of light!). Because of this, the author spent a lot more time describing the key features of how the universe began and taking us on thought-journeys to the edge of black holes, up to the speed of light and many other very difficult areas that one's mind struggles with.

I have to say, I binged this book it was so interesting. I will definitely read it again.

April 2021

Anything You Want

Derek Sivers

Such an enjoyable read! Sivers just describes his path as an accidental entrepreneur to the own of a $22 million dollar business. While I feel he really made the most of the dot-com bubble he offers some great advice for the attitude and traits that budding entrepreneurs should aspire to.

In a short read, which I feel one should spread out over a number of days, or read a page a day, Sivers is honest and refreshing explaining how it should not be about the money and give great nuggets of advice which inspired a carefree spark in me and boosted my confidence.

Well worth a read by all especially as he admits himself that it could be read in an hour. 

March 2021

Show your work

Austin Kleon

Simple tips for creative people everywhere. It's a book that I will return to regularly and turn to any page for a piece of advice. 10 main snippets with plenty of accurate advice for taking on any new task and living a life true to yourself. This said I have some reservations about the advice given. From experience, some of the advice is a little idyllic and may be hard to stand be in the rough-and-ready world that we live in. I'm in the privileged position that my creative endeavours are very much secondary to my job, but I feel people who are depending on creative work for sole income may find it hard to truly trust the process and not be consumed by making money.

I do feel that this is a book that would make a great toilet read and should be referred to on a regular basis to ensure that you are pushing your self-imposed boundaries. I found aspects of it not quite inspirational but it did give me a kick to get a move on, share content and seek new challenges. I'm sure you will take snippets in places I didn't and that this book could be shared with 10 others, who would each take something new from it. Give it your time.

February 2021

January 2021

December 2020