I’ve been on a bit of a tear recently with the books I’m reading, so a lot of recos coming your way (but only two today) . I had to take a break from the typical non-fiction informationcal books that I love to consume and finally wind down with a nice fictional book that I could relax and let my imagination wander. That said, I love learning information on subjects that I’m not well versed on. The book I’m reading now actually is 722 Miles: The Building of the Subways and How They Transformed New York because I ride the subway every day and although I get easily frustrated with the constant delays, I’m always awestruck by the fact that most of the tunnels, tracks, and systems that the cars are operating on were built two or three generations before me. So whenever you complain about the F train being down, remember it was built in the 1920’s – be a little grateful why don’t ya?
I’m providing two book recommendations that I think are worth your time, regardless of who you are, what you do, or what you do or do not like. They were both recommended to me by multiple friends and family, and were definitely worth the time.
Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth
It took some time for me to finally get around to this one but this book is so cool. What is boils down to is that it doesn’t matter how much talent you have, or how smart you are – what matters in any facet of life is how much effort you put in, or “grit”. Talent without effort is just talent. Talent with effort = achievement. Angela Duckworth started out as a schoolteacher and then went into psychology. She offers cool stories from areas such as the US miliarty, sports, music, and business to show that the most successful people are almost always the “grittiest” and it was their hard work that put them head and shoulders above the rest of the competition. If you need a little extra motivation in whatever field or hobby you’re pursuing, definitely give this a read.
Greater than Ever: New York’s Big Comeback by Daniel Doctoroff
This book was recommended to me by my brother and I’ve since given it to three people. It’s especially interesting if you live/work in NYC or have spent considerable time in NYC in your life. It’s written by the former Deputy Mayor for Economic Development and Rebuilding in the post 9/11 Bloomberg era in New York City. He basically had one of the toughest jobs in rebuilding lower Manhattan after the terrorist attacks left most of the Financial District destroyed or vacant. Not only did he head the devlopment of Lower Manhattan, Hudson Yards, the High Line, Long Island City, and Greenpoint, he also headed the committee to get the 2012 Olympics hosted in New York City. Remember the plan for a West Side Stadium in Manhattan where the Jets would play? That was this guy and it was supposed to be meant for the Olympics. It’s amazing just how many agencies are involved and how much effort and budgeting it takes for just one thing to happen in NYC. It’s also amazing how quickly the Bloomberg office was able to get things done in such a short period of time due to the impending Olympic bid, which eventually went to London.
What I’m Listening To:
Have a great MDW everyone
-KB
I loved Grit! I’ll have to check out the other one ✌