A bit of a Problem....

I have a problem...And it's a pretty lame one at that...I really like to read...

How lame does that sound?

So far in 2009, I've been on team read...Amanda and my friends said that's all I blog about now. So I'll pair it down a bit...

Here's a quick glimpse into the few that I've read in 2009 thus far...

The Audacity of Hope by President Barack Obama
Pretty good book. Will be looking forward to his book after his time in the Oval office.
Favorite lines of the book: "Identities are scrambling, and then cohering in new ways. Beliefs keep slippin though the noose of predictability. Facile expectations and simple explanations are being constantly upended. Spend time actually talking to Americans, and you discover that most evangelicals are more tolerant that the media would have us believe, most secularists more spiritual. Most rich people want the poor to succeed, and most of the poor are both more self-critical and hold higher aspirations than the popular culture allows. Most republican strongholds are 40% democrat, and vice versa. The political labels of liberal and conservative rarely track people's personal attributes."

Flight of Passage: A Memoir by Rinker Buck
A little dandy of a great adventure of two young kids in the 60s...Fix up an old Piper Cub and fly it to Southern California from New Jersey. Fun read.

Same Kind of Different as Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore
Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh...Phenom book about an incredible lady, husband and former slave. Modern day story that will make you cry your face off. I read this book last Sunday. Yeah, just one day. I'm a tool but it's that good of a book. If you don't cry, you may not have a heart...

Through Painted Deserts by Donald Miller
Another great cross country adventure...This time in a volkswagon bus. Nice read. Fun. Funny at times. Liked Blue Like Jazz better but nonetheless enjoyed this one as well...

Those are in the complete box of 2009...

I'm currently in the middle of Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell and am also going through Francis Chan's Crazy Love with our small group. Both are drastically changing the way I view life...

2009 Reading List

I like to read. I read a bunch in 2008 and I want to continue that in 2009. Several of the books that I read this year were off the cuff. I didn't plan on reading them but I would pick them up at airports or borrow them from others. I'm going to take a different approach this year and make a list to stick to.

This list runs the gamut. Fiction, Non-Fiction, Literature, Biographies, Inspiration and a few classics...36 in total, average of 3 a month...

I have a few already but still need to get a bunch...If you want to hook a brother up with a gift or let him borrow one, that would be swell...

And in the spirit of the upcoming Inaguation, I'm going to start off 2009 with Nixonland and Audacity of Hope.

1. Tipping Point – Malcolm Gladwell
2. Blink – Malcolm Gladwell
3. Einstein – Walter Isaacson
4. Audacity of Hope – Barack Obama (On the Shelf)
5. Getting Things Done – David Allen (On the Shelf)
6. Rich Dad, Poor Dad – Robert Kiyosaki
7. Good To Great – Jim Collins
8. Crazy Love – Francis Chan (On the Shelf)
9. The Preacher and the Presidents: Billy Graham in the Whitehouse – Nancy Gibbs
10. The Last Lecture – Randy Pausch
11. Hot, Flat and Crowded – Thomas Friedman
12. Screwtape Letters – CS Lewis
13. Same Kind of Different as Me – Ron Hall
14. Lions of Lucerne – Brad Thor
15. State of the Union – Brad Thor
16. Take Down – Brad Thor
17. Blow Back – Brad Thor
18. The Apostle – Brad Thor
19. Depression Economics – Paul Krugman
20. Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith – Rob Bell
21. Machine that Changed the World: The Story of Lean Manufacturing – James Womack (On the Shelf)
22. Through Painted Deserts – Donald Miller
23. The Paths We Choose – Sully Erna
24. Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace…One School at a Time – Greg Mortenson
25. The Man Who Owns the News – Rupert Murdoch
26. Hemingway on Fishing – Ernest Hemingway (On the Shelf)
27. The Catcher in the Rye – JD Salinger (On the Shelf)
28. 1984 – George Orwell
29. The Grapes of Wrath – John Steinbeck
30. On the Road – Jack Kerouac
31. A Passion for Nature: The Life of John Muir – Donald Worster
32. The Working Poor: Invisible in America - David K. Shipler
33. Servant Leader – Ken Blanchard
34. Flight of Passage: A Memoir – Rinker Buck (On the Shelf)
35. Turnaround: How Carlos Ghosn Rescued Nissan – David Magee
36. The Wisdom of Listening – Mark Brady

Ok, Ok...One more for 2008...

I didn't think I was going to finish this one before the New Year but I just couldn't put it down last night...So, I stayed up til' about 1 or so and finished it up...

This was one of the best books I've read this past year. Malcolm Gladwell takes a look at success through a different lense...Opposed to looking at the individual and their success, he takes a look at many other factors.

We all love a good story about a person that defeats all odds and becomes a success through hard work and determination...Movies and books are often written because of "self-made" men/women.

The best example that was given talked about the tallest tree in the forest. It's all about the hardiest acorn that becomes the tallest tree. We examine why that acorn was so much better than all the others but neglect analyzing the soil it grew from, the sunlight it received and the trees around it. Here...I drew a picture for you...

In light of this example, Gladwell takes a look at specific examples of successful individuals and analyzing the forces surrounding the individual and their success...ie when they were born, socio-ecocomics and cultural legacies. Absolutely fascinating is all I have to say.

As complex as the topic is, he makes it incredible easy to read and understand. Lots and lots of facts from lots of different studies that have already been done.

If you haven't done it already, put this one on your 09' reading list. It's worth your time.

Onto 2009 for me...

Couple More Books...

During this last week in So. Cal, I had a bunch of free time to read. Yee Haw for me...

I finished up my 3rd Brad Thor book of the year. I really dig this dude's stories. It's mindless reading and I'm not really learning anything but it's just good ol' fashion action packed stuff.

The main character (Scot Harvath) is involved in yet another plot by a terrorist organization to take down is family and friends. Of course, he's a bad ass that totally goes against the grain of what the President or the CIA says...

I won't give it away...But in the end, dudeman gets the bad guy. I hope I didn't ruin it for anyone...

After I was finished with the above book, I found this dandy in my rent's house.

I've actually read a couple of other Ben Mezrich's books in the past. In fact, the movie "21" with Kevin Spacey is based on his book Bringing Down the House...

Needless to say, I was pretty stoked to find this book because I really enjoyed the others that I have read. The main character in this book is a young guy (24) that luckily gets hooked up with the NY Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) through some pretty gutsy moves. After some gritty and smart work, he gets hooked up with the nephew of a powerful sheik in Dubai who works for the ministry of finance. Long story short, these guys were the masterminds that helped get the Dubai Mercantile Exchange up and running. Something that people laughed at when first proposed. It's now up and running...True story...Check it out...www.dubaimerc.com...Is fo' real...

I guess that about rounds out 2008 in terms of reading. I don't think I'll finish the book I'm reading now so that will have to go into 2009...Speaking of, I'm going to post my reading list here in the next couple of days. I've got a bunch of books picked out right now and trying to narrow down the final few...This year, I've read about 25 books...I'm shooting for 40 next year.

A few more reads for you...

After my last book review post, I got back on it and read a few more books since then. First one is The Nine by Jeffrey Toobin. For those that don't know Jeffrey, he's an analyst on CNN. I really liked him because he was rather impartial during the election. Throughout the election, he frequently spoke about the Court and how the next President is going to have a significant impact on the court because there are several justices in there 70s and 80s that most likely will be done soon.

The book itself focused on the Rehnquist Court which saw the same Justices together for over 10 years which is the longest in Court's history. I greatly enjoyed the book and learned a lot about how the Court works and how they come to their decisions. I was also interested in Sandra Day O'Connor's role in the Court as the typical swing vote. She was nominated by Ronald Reagan but was very moderate in her voting record. I dug her moderate positions and wished there were more Justices like her that don't take a right or left approach to the bench...

I also didn't know abortion shows up so much in the Court. I have opinions on this that I want to explain in another post.

Nonetheless, it was a great book and a great read...

After reading about the Supreme Court, I dove into another Brad Thor book...If you don't remember, I read another book by the same author a few months back.

I actually liked this book better than the other one I read. The main character in the book is a bad ass, arrogant, tough as nails secret service agent that doesn't mess around...Basically, the main character, Scot Harvath, is trying to track down an terrorist organization before he wrecks havoc on the US. Awesome stuff.

I'm really liking this author and am going to be digging into the rest of his books. They are quick reads and very action packed. If by chance you have any copies of this dude, please let me know. If not, hopefully they will have them at the library...

Last up is Supreme Courtship by Christopher Buckley...

For those observant readers, I read another book by the same author here. This one though caught my eye while waiting in a grocery store line but Amanda had me wait and gave it to me for my birthday. Buckley is a political satirist and he didn't disappoint with this one. The President in his book finally has a chance to nominate a Supreme Court Justice but he has a congress and senate that aren't too entirely stoked on him so he can't get the first two books through the Judiciary Committee. While watching TV at Camp David, he runs across a TV Court show (ie Judge Judy) and is intrigued by the witty, fiery, Texas female judge. So, he nominates her and because of her popularity, the constituents of the Judiciary Committee members are forced to say OK...You can imagine the rest of the story.

Once again, great funny quick read that was very enjoyable. If you're interested, let me know and I'll let you read it. Also, if you have any of Chris Buckley's earlier books that you're willing to let go for awhile, let me know...

Next up, NixonLand...An 800 page beast about Richard Milhous Nixon...Lovin' it so far.

Reading Machine...

I've been reading a lot lately and I haven't posted any reviews and for that, I apologize.

I shall post now:

The Shack by William Young
Phenom book. There was lots of hype about it and I really do think it lived up to it. Several theologians and pastors out there have given it a bad rap because it's not theologically sound. I'm neither but thought the book was awesome. It really provided a sense of tangibility to the Holy Trinity. It may not be right but it gave me some great insight of how God may think. If you haven't read this. Please do. Tell me you want a copy and I'll buy it for you. You can check out their website here to get the gist of the book since I won't do it any justice here except to tell you to read it...


King of Torts by John Grisham
After Amanda and I listened to another Grisham novel we decided to check this one out on our trip to Panama City. Once again, very entertaining and a great listen. Same ol' same ol' with Grisham in that it's about a small time lawyer going against big corporation. But there is a major twist that sends this thing all over the board. If you want to listen to it, holler at me and I'll send it to you. It's worth it if you have a long drive somewhere.


Killing Pablo by Mark Bowden
This one has been on my list for a while and I finally got to it. I read another book by Mark Bowden last year and really enjoyed it. This was a cool book. It gives a brief history on who Pablo was and a pretty detailed look at how he was taken down with the help of american authorities. This was a very enjoyable read. You kind of get lost with all the Columbian characters involved though.


Next by Michael Crichton
I bought this book at Barnes and Noble about 4 months ago and never touched it. It was on sale for 5 bucks and was hardcover so I figured what the heck. This is the first time I've read a Michael C. book and I have to say dude has whack job imagination. This book ate me up. On a recent trip to Indianapolis a couple of weeks ago, I waxed this 400 page mofo. It's about big biological research companies working with genes...Human and animal. Let's just say there was a talking monkey and a smart ass talking bird that pretty much saved the day in the end. Crazy stuff I tell ya.
Since I read chomped this book up while on the trip I needed something to read coming home...The old man at the airport bookstore asked what I was into and I told him about my recent read. He was quick to say "You have to read.......

Timeline by Michael Crichton
So I went with the dude's recomendation and did it...I didn't like it as much as Next but it was still entertaining. Once again, this dude has crazy imagination to write this stuff....Essentially, it's about a company building a time machine like deal that sends some researchers off to France in the medievil period. Entertaining. Kind of got boring through the second half. I only finished because I wanted to see what happened.


This past week while in Michigan, my buddy Doche gave me another to read which he is a firm believer in...

Fair Tax by Neal Boortz and John Lidner
Very very interesting book. Here's the premise...Take away all federal income, payroll, capital gains, social security and medicare taxes and replace it with a 23% consumption tax. According to the authors, it's not a tax cut. It's revenue neutral. Meaning Gov't still should have same amount to spend and pay social security and medicare. There are so many more details to it that I don't have the will to type about but I will say it's interesting. There's several things I'm not concrete on and would like to do some more research. If you haven't read it, don't knock it. There's a lot of people out there that knock this plan without knowing anything about it along with not liking the guy that wrote it but I suggest you read it first before coming to conclusions. I'm not sold but the premise is pretty interesting and I think should be explored further....


That's it for now...I'm reading a great book about the Supreme Court now which is interesting by Jeffery Toobin (CNN dude). Also, if you have any good suggestions, let Amanda know...She's shopping for my b-day...I'm thinking about really getting into American history stuff. I saw a documentry on Nixon the other night and I'm intrigued to read about former presidents...I know, I'm such a tool...

If you want any of these books to borrow to peruse, let me know...

Recent Reads...

I've been somewhat on a reading/listening kick here lately...So I wanted to share some of that goodness of what I've been reading and listening to...

First read on the list is Alan Greenspan's Age of Turbulence. I actually read this book while on the honeymoon...Do I know how to party or what??? Anyways, I've wanted to read this book for awhile. I had heard good things about it and with the current US economic situation, I wanted to hear what AG had to say...

The book is basically split into two parts...1) His bio 2) Ecomonics...Well, the first part talks about economics as well but the second half of the book was much more termy...I don't think termy is a word...But you know what I'm saying.

Truthfully, I enjoyed the first half of the book much better because I really liked hearing what he had to say about the presidents he worked for as well as why he made certain decisions while in the Fed. Dude is smart...Dude hung out with lots of cool people...Including, Ayn Rand, the lady that owns me and all I'm worth...

If you're kind of a tool and like econ stuff or history, read this book. Have a econ dictionary on hand because there are some words I still don't know what they mean...

A few weeks ago for the 4th, Amanda and I drove to Indiana, Rensselaer to be exact, for a family reunion (Probably need to do a post on this as well)...My first with the new fam...We decided to drive it because the plane tickets were stupid high and we bit the bullet and made the 10 hour run...

Well, before we left, I went to Barnes and Noble and threw up money all over the place and bought a couple of books on CD...Kind of like reading....

On the way up, we listened to Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. I think this was an Oprah book and I heard it was fairly popular.

Truthfully, we didn't even make it all the way through. It just didn't do it for us. A few of her stories were funny but for the most part we felt like it was a boo bears party for her...She was the reader as well which made it even more boo bearish...We should probably listen to the rest but I don't think I'll be able to get through it. Just not my cup of tea man...

If anybody wants to buy this from me,,,let me know...20 bucks, it's yours...


The second book that Amanda and I listened to was the Appeal by John Grisham. RAD is all I have to say. They need to make a movie about this one because I'd see it and after my Rock the Reception starness, I'd probably have to be in it as well.

In all seriousness, this is a good read/listen. The jist without giving too much away...Big business trying to get a Mississippi supreme court judge elected to rule liability cases in their favor. The 10 hour drive felt like 2 while listening to this book.

I'm sure it's a really great read as well but the dude that read the book was very dynamic and was able to do different voices for all the different characters. Phenom job reader dude...

If you like John Grisham stuff, this won't let you down...I promise....

A few weeks ago, Amanda and I were watching Glenn Beck (I'm a toolbag) and he was promoting an author and his new book...Sounded awesome and Amanda was stoked on it so I bought it...

The Last Patriot by Brad Thor is the epitome of awesomeness.

Here's the five cent version since I know that you are going to read it right after you read this...

Some fundamental Muslims chasing down a professor who thinks he has a lead on Mohammad's last revelation that would totally contradict the entire Qur'an. Are you getting excited yet? You should...Because an ex-secret service agent gets involved, the President of the US and Thomas Jefferson...What? Crazy, I know...And that's why you should read it...

Basically, if you like anything Dan Brown has written, you need to stop everything what you are doing and read this book. It reads quick...I finished it in a flight to Dallas and another hour in a hotel room...Seriously, quick...This is the Muslim version of the Da Vinci code and we all know that that book was kind of lame and slow and not interesting...Right!!!

The only thing I didn't like about this book is the size of the author's name on the front. I totally understand that you have one of the coolest last names ever in THOR but come on bro...Why even title your books??? Maybe a pic and your name god of Thunder...Also, because of this dude's greatness in life, the back cover is homeboy's glamor shot...Lame holmes...Show a picture of the main character holding a machine gun next time...


That's it...

Next up...Half way done with The Shack....Interesting so far....

And also...Don't say anything anybody yet until I post something about this....but....I'm reading Audacity of Hope by Barack...This will be for another discussion....

An interesting way to solve a problem...

It's late...And I should be gazing at the back of my eyelids. But I'm not...

Just finished Boomsday by Christopher Buckley. Great read and quick. Read it in a flight to and from DC and a few hours after that.

Political satire at its finest. Basic premise of the book is the boomers retiring and the gen X/Yers are having to pay for social security. To solve the problem, main character proposes "Voluntary Transitioning" for those at age 70. If you get Jack Kevorkian, your kids and grandkids get tax breaks.

Author also wrote Thank You for Smoking.

Super stoked on two books I bought today...Two pastors that challenge me via podcasts every week. Really looking forward to getting into those through the next two weeks of traveling.

Good night...

Ayn Rand Owns Me...

About 8 months ago, my friend Valerie recommended that I read Atlas Shrugged. She said that it would change my outlook on a lot of things in life, especially business. Being somewhat of an avid reader, I was game. Well, I can officially say that I am finally done. 1168 pages, several plane flights and hotel stays later I am done.

Although it took me forever to finish, I will say it is a phenomenal book. It reads like drying paint in some areas, hence the time it took to read it. I would go into all the details of the book but I have forgot many of them. Maybe I should read it again? Na...At least not right now.

I will say that while reading it, I saw many similarities to the current political differences we hear everyday...And this book was written in 1957 and took place during the industrial revolution...

Read the Wiki entry here to gain some insight if you don't want to commit to reading the entire thing...

It's on to a bunch of other books I have in the queue...The World is Flat, Getting Things Done, For Men Only...These are going to be a breeze compared to this beast...

Book Review - A Year of Living Biblically

I once again cheated on Ayn Rand and Atlas Shrugged this past weekend and read a great book. The Year of Living Biblically; One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible by AJ Jacobs was my book of choice this last trip. I just couldn't bring myself to bring along the Shrugged with me so I opted for a book that I've heard nothing but great things about.

The title pretty much sums up the book. AJ, the editor at large for Esquire magazine goes on a one year quest to live out the commands of the Bible. He spends 9 months in the Old Testament and the last 3 in the New. You can imagine, if you've ever had any exposure to the Bible what a task this would be, especially some of the Old Testament laws. The author is agnostic and was raised in a secular Jewish home. He admits on the front side that he was looking for an epiphany of sorts to get more spiritual and was looking for a "God" moment. He did incredible research on the front side as well as throughout the year. This dude was a Bible reading and research machine. Also, throughout the book, he consulted with several religious leaders from all denominations. You need to read the book to get the details though.

All in all, a freakin' hilarious book that was tough to put down. Let's just say I was laughing out loud on both my flights and in my hotel room. I know, I'm a dork...It's an easy read that is written in a journal format with references to what he has learned. Regardless of where you are on a spiritual scale, I highly recommend and give a few thumbs up...Actually just two...If you would like a copy, let me know and I'll send you mine...

Into the Wild

So I decided that I would cheat a little bit and not finish Atlas Shrugged before I started another book. I went ahead and downloaded Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer from iTunes. I haven't listened to a book on tape for awhile but I thought this would be a great one because of its story. In total, it was a tad over 7 hours long so between driving to and from work and some other random driving it took three days to knock it out.

I have to say that I really enjoyed listening to this book. Without giving too much away, it's about a young man (Chris McCandless) in the early nineties that took an amazing adventure out west with basically nothing in his pocket. While I disagree with some of the guy's view on life, I agree with several others. Unfortunately, things didn't end up very well for the guy. Nonetheless, he left behind detailed journals, letters and other documents to vividly tell a great story that I think most could enjoy.

If you're into the outdoors or into the life of a wanderer, you should check this out. I'm thinking about going to see it at the movies just to see some of the places that he was during his trip. I'm sure it will be a disappointment though as most movies are after reading or listening to the book.

Book Reviews

Due to a bunch of time on planes lately, I've had a lot of time to get reading done. With a nine hour flight to Amsterdam you can definitely knock some stuff out. So with that I have a couple of book reviews.

First one is Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller. This may have been the best book I've ever read. The sub title of the book describes it best by saying "Non Religious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality". The author tells several stories of his Christian life that really hit home in so many ways. I can't tell you how much I got from this book and how many "ah-ha" moments while reading it. My sister actually read the entire book as well while we were in Amsterdam. Freakin' awesome is all I have say. If you get the chance, please read this book. You will not be disappointed, I promise.

Second of the list is Freakonomics by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner. I had heard of this book but never had the chance to read it. So while in the Amsterdam airport, I made the purchase and knocked it out during the flight home. I really thought this book was going to be about something else so was pleasantly surprised by its contents. Basically, these guys write about why things happen. Weird things too. For example, they propose that crime took a dip in the nineties not so much because of governmental agencies crackin' down but because of Roe v. Wade. Gist being that because abortion became legal, less criminals were being born into this world. Interesting stuff. They have several other things they write about that is rather entertaining. Overall I liked the book and it was a rather quick read. I would recommend it if you don't have anything else going on.

Last on the list is Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman. This is a relationship book that I had heard about from a friend who highly recommended it. I owe you one Chris because this was a great book. The basic premise of this book is that there are five primary love languages that people speak. Once you recognize these both in yourself as well as your significant other, you can tailor your actions to help fill their love tank. I can't tell you how many times things jumped right out at me with Amanda and me. We've talked about a few of these things and they couldn't be more right on. Amanda is going to read the book as well in the ladies edition to see what she thinks as well. I definitely recommend this book for singles or married couples as there is always room for improvement in any relationship.

So there you have it. A quick little book review for you guys to chew on. Let me know if you get the chance to read any of these as I would love to hear your thoughts as well.

I'm currently neck deep in two more books right now. One about money by Dave Ramsey and the other a 1000 page beast called Atlas Shrugged. Second one was a request by a lady that I work with. She said I wouldn't be disappointed and so far I haven't. I'll be sure to give details on both.

Quick Book Review

A few months back as I was coming home from a trip, I stopped into the little bookstore in the Shreveport Airport. I was in need of some reading material and I ran across this little beauty.

Guest of the Ayatollah was a narrative of the Iran hostage crisis. I was interested in this book for a couple of different reasons: 1)I want to know more about the history of the Middle East conflict and 2) I was born the day before the hostages were taken. Apparently, my dad would tell people how old I was in days +1 for all 444 days.

I really thought this was a good book to read. It took me a long time to finish it because I only read it during travel and the book was over 700 pages. If you have any interest whatsoever in a very significant moment in our history that still has implications in today's world, I highly recommend it.

Culture Warrior

So my second book review of my four recent book purchases is a book by Bill O'Reilly called Culture Warrior. I'm sure most of you know who Bill O'Reilly is and it's probably a love or hate relationship. I personally like his talk show on Fox News, not so much because of the conservative stance, but because of his intelligent insight on things going on.

I would say that my political ideologies tend to skew to the right (both social as well as fiscal) but I'm not some neo-conservative right winger. Needless to say, I really did like this book and would recommend it. The premise of the book is Bill talking about the movement of secular-progressivism vs. traditionalism in the US. He cites several examples in the book as well as drops a whole bunch of names that are on board with the SP movement. Since I've only read one side, I can't really make comments about these other people's stances on things. I think one of the biggest problems that we face is not so much the ideologies of people but the arguing and smearing that goes on. People take politics so seriously and personal that it's tough to have an intelligent conversation about it without people getting all jacked up. If you "Google" blog search Bill O'Reilly, you get about 9million hits and I would say that 95% of them are people bashing. Likewise, when you blog search some of the people that Bill isn't too fond of (George Soros, ACLU, etc.), it's the same thing. Let's get over it people. Opposed to getting all bent out of shape and sharing your feelings online or in print, do something about it in a peaceful and effective manner. Rants and raves in my book just don't get things done.

Anyways, that's number 2. I'm debating what book is next. I have a relationship type book and I have a Kurt Vonnegut book so I don't know which way I'll go.

Moneyball

In a previous post, I said that I bought four new books...Well one down and three to go. I've been reading more spiritual/self help type books lately so I wanted to change it up a bit. Moneyball was definitely that.

I wouldn't say that I'm a baseball freak but I'm pretty close. It's just one of those things that I've always been close to so this book hit the spot. Essentially it was the story of the Oakland A's strategy of building a baseball team with limited financial resources. The story focused around the General Manager of the team Billy Beane. All in all it was an outstanding read that went real quick. It was fun to turn the pages and recognize the names of several players, coaches, media folk, etc.

Even if you don't like baseball but like an overall business type book you'll dig this. If you like baseball, you will like it even more.

So there you go, my first book review. I just started reading my second of the four books and I'll let you know when that one is finished....The next one may be a tad more controversial to some...We shall see.