Mistakes I made at Work

”This insightful book reminds us that failure is a stepping stone to success. Successful people are able to say to themselves, “While I may have screwed up, it doesn't mean I am a screw up.” In this book, some women talked about walking away from terrible supervisors or from jobs that were sapping the life out of them, this section is called “Learning to Say No.” Other women discussed experiences that taught them self advocacy, these are in the “Learning to Ask” section. Stories in “Learning to Take Charge of Your Own Narrative” are about coming to recognize strengths and becoming more purposeful. Finally, there is a section called “Learning Resilience” – on getting back up after being knocked down. There is power in talking about our mistakes and failures. My hope is that in reading the stories in this book, you will be reminded that no one is perfect – not even these amazing women – and that it will help to propel you forward. The problem is that anyone who wants to innovate, gain recognition, or become a leader will need to take risks and realise that mistakes are inevitable. People must understand that making mistakes is part of growing at work.”

The Pillars of the Earth Series

The Pillars of the Earth book tells the magnificent tale of a twelfth-century monk driven to do the seemingly impossible: build the greatest Gothic cathedral the world has ever known.

Tom, the master builder and a man divided in his soul,  Lady Aliena, the ravishingly beautiful noblewoman haunted by secret shame,  Philip, the prior of Kingsbridge,  Jack, the artist in stone and Ellen, the woman of the forest who casts a terrifying curse.  From humble stonemason to imperious monarch, each character is brought vividly to life.   With all this characters there is also a struggle between good and evil that will turn the church against state and brother against brother.

The building of the cathedral, with the almost eerie artistry of the unschooled stonemasons, is the centre of the drama.  Around the site of the construction, Follett weaves a story of betrayal, revenge, and love, which begins with the public hanging of an innocent man and ends with the humiliation of a king.

Follett has re-created the crude, flamboyant England of the Middle Ages in every detail. I can feel the vast forests, the walled towns, the castles and the monasteries become a familiar landscape.

The master storyteller draws me irresistibly into the intertwined lives of his characters into their dreams, their labours and their loves. This historical novel gives intrigue, fast-paced action and passionate romance.

IT

If you have not seen the movie, IT is about a group of children who discover a supernatural force that lives under their hometown of Derry, Maine. IT manifests itself as a demonic clown known as Pennywise, who kills in a thirty year cycle. The children defeat Pennywise but fail to kill it. They vow that they will come back if Pennywise returns. Thirty years later, they return and unite to destroy the evil beneath Derry.

I read IT back in 1987 and revisited a few more times before it was made into a movie last year. To those who say IT is a horror book, I beg to differ. As is the case of all Stephen King’s books, horror plays a big part but IT is about so much more than that. IT explores themes about friendship, childhood, growing up, overcoming your fears as well as racism, prejudice, and domestic abuse. Reading this book transports me back to my childhood and sharing the heartache, fear, sadness and joy of the Losers Club is a reading experience I will never forget. Every time I get to the end of the book, I am overwhelmed by a sense of loss with a twinge of sadness as I feel like I am leaving my best friends in Derry.  That this book can elicit all those emotions makes it one of my favourite reads of all time.

Up and running

Choosing to run as a daily exercise may be a decision that is not acceptable to everyone, especially during this time there are many more enjoyable exercise options. However, according to the author; Julia Jones (a running coach) and Shauna Reid (a lifestyle blogger), ran not only to be slim and sporty. It can change tired mothers or those who have the pressure in their daily work to be more vibrant and cheerful.   “Running is more than putting one foot in front of the other it’s an exercise in commitment and courage.

This book provides a simple, compact but easy-to-understand guide that has been proven effective for those who are interested in making running as therapy. The first question we need to ask; why do we want to run and why is it important for us? The answer to these question maybe hold our own success The contents of this book are divided into weeks, Each week has its own plan, until the eighth week during which period you are ready to participate in any running programs. Pictures and examples of weekly training diaries are included in this book. Very interesting and motivating book

Words Onscreen

Baron is a Professor of Linguistics at American University.  In her introduction, Baron admits she will be going beyond the usual linguistic practice of describing the is into the helpful tasks of considering the ought. This willingness to make some judgments, albeit with grace, makes this book very valuable.

The question Baron picks up in the volume is whether “digital reading is reshaping our understanding of what it means to read.” (xii) She goes on to argue “that digital reading is fine for many short pieces or light content we don’t intend to analyze or reread.” (xii) Her conclusion is that digital reading is here to stay, but so is reading in print. Each has a niche in the publishing world and the academic world. Thus the future is a complementary coexistence rather than extinction of one or the other.

Baron begins with a state of the book address, where she lays out the history of the rise of the e-book and the shift in print publishing. She then provides a history of reading that will make a lover of reading swoon. In the third chapter she discusses the impact that e-reading is having on writing styles, where media are moving to punchier, shorter chunks. This is a chapter that is historiographic and, again, very enjoyable for one who loves reading.

In Chapter Four Baron explains the attraction to reading onscreen, for those that appreciate it. She is fair in presenting the strongest arguments for that form of reading.    Still she notes that e-books and e-readers may not be as green as claimed, particularly since most people don’t simply dispose of their hard copy books.

What comes of the discussion is that onscreen reading is more suitable for one-off reading. In Chapter Six, Baron discusses the phenomena of social reading, which began with the book club and has progressed to sharing quotes through Goodreads and other platforms.

Baron dwells on one of the most significant downsides of e-books in her seventh chapter. This is the fact that people feel there is something lacking from the aesthetic experience of reading a book on a screen.

Despite its shortcomings for some uses, Baron concludes that onscreen reading is here to stay as a complement to reading on paper. Her case is compelling and winsomely argued.  The ability to get a vast number of resources online is extremely helpful for quick research. At the same time, the opportunities to annotate, spatially associate, and focus on a tangible object are essential for deep reading. Both forms of readings have a purpose and both are here to stay.

I enjoyed this book immensely. Not just because I agree with her conclusions, but because it was well written, well researched and accessible.