By Agatha Christie
Another well written mystery by Christie. Even though I saw the movie a few years ago, I still enjoyed reading the book just to see how well the pieces were woven together.
There is a small plot hole in that the first murder had to be planned out before hand, yet executed with perfect luck and timing otherwise the murderer would have easily been exposed. You don't realize that unless reflect back on the book after you've finished reading. So, I'll forgiver Christie.
By Hanna Arendt
Eichmann was a German-Austrian official in the Nazi Party and an officer in the SS. He wasn't a particularly bright individual. He followed the law. He followed his orders. He wasn't particularly antisemitic, yet somehow he oversaw the death of millions of Jews.
There is a great amount of detail in the book. What struck me is how the Nazi's twisted their law and their language so that the majority of officials and officers didn't need to actually need to admit what they were doing. The officers were each doing their small part, following their lawful orders, to help accelerate the final solution for the Jewish problem. One helps improve the process needed to strip Jews of their citizenship. One helps build interment camps. One helps organize transport of undesirable people. And one helps build gas chambers so that there is an opportunity for a peaceful death, rather than starvation, slavery or defeat by the enemy.
So much pretty language.
In "The Plague" a character says "I'd come to realize that all our troubles spring from the failure to use plain clear-cut language. So I resolved always to speak-- and to act-- quite clearly, as this was the only way of setting myself on the right track."By Frank Slootman
This book is a contrast with "Slow Productivity." Though Slootman is an executive and Newport is self driven.
I discussed with a coworker. She wonder what Slootman would have changed if the book was written after years of malaise, and not during a tech bubble. Of course you should work and fast when the wind is at your back.
None the less, the book is a good reminder....
1. Raise you Standards
2. Align Your People and Culture.
3. Sharpen Your Focus
4. Pick Up The Pace
5. Transform Your Strategy
Now that I reread the above, except for #4, Slow productivity is well aligned with the above five points.
Raise Your Standards = Obsess over Quality
Align Your People and Culture + Sharpen Your Focus + Transform Your Strategy = Do Less
A whole essay could be written about the difference between “Pick up your pace” and “Work at a natural pace”
By Devon Price PhD.
Part of me wants to love this book, especially the message. The narrative was too stuffed or choppy for me to deeply embrace it. The focus is too much on those who skimp on sleep, work 18 hour days and neglect their health.
Things to take away...
Laziness Is Not Evil
If someone is acting lazy, then are they really...
By Cal Newport
Do less.
Work at a natural pace
Obsess over quality.
Newport covers the way genius grow there ideas.
Now, do I want to grow my ideas? Different question.
So, these cook books are fancy, and the recipes are not from nothing. Either that or Roman’s pantry is much more exotic than mine.
The recipes are wonderful. The techniques are never complicated, which is nice.
I want to keep them as a reference.
By Agatha Christie
As alway's, Christie's writing is high quality.
I appreciate her drive to vary the form of her mysteries, clues and characters without lowering quality or bringing in bizarre twists. After one writes dozens murder mysteries, it would be easy to stop caring.
