Book Club

So I've joined my first real book club.  My new sister-in-law (and mom) and her friends (plus their mom and their mom's friends) met tonight to discuss what we should read.  It actually turned out to be less of a what book to decide on and more so "how literature influenced my life"  We spoke about our first memories of books - a lot of us remembered Beatrix Potter's books as our first, I also remembered a series of books about a clumsy maid named Amelia Bedelia, and those crazy choose your own adventure books that drove my Mom crazy.  We also spoke about our favourites, and our not so favourites.  I mentioned Outlander of course and took turns jotting some notes down as to the next few books that we should be reading.  Jane Austen was tossed about for a while but in the end we settled for "Wolf Hall" by Hilary Mantel.  Indigo lists the description as :


"England, the 1520s. Henry VIII is on the throne, but has no heir. Cardinal Wolsey is his chief advisor, charged with securing the divorce the pope refuses to grant. Into this atmosphere of distrust and need comes Thomas Cromwell, first as Wolsey's clerk, and later his successor.  Cromwell is a wholly original man: the son of a brutal blacksmith, a political genius, a briber, a charmer, a bully, a man with a delicate and deadly expertise in manipulating people and events. Ruthless in pursuit of his own interests, he is as ambitious in his wider politics as he is for himself. His reforming agenda is carried out in the grip of a self-interested parliament and a king who fluctuates between romantic passions and murderous rages.

From one of our finest living writers, Wolf Hall is that very rare thing: a truly great English novel, one that explores the intersection of individual psychology and wider politics. With a vast array of characters, and richly overflowing with incident, it peels back history to show us Tudor England as a half-made society, moulding itself with great passion and suffering and courage."

In any case, it should be great.  However, I seem to be getting myself deeper and deeper into a reading debt with my military university courses and my current book "The Guns of Normandy".  It's an intriguing account of the canadians in Normandy after D day and one of the artillery sergeants at work brought it to my attention.  With Pete being artillery now it is very fitting that I should be reading this.

Alright, time for bed - good night!

Book of the Week / Last Friday

So today is my very very last day at Job #1 - FNF Canada. it's sad, in a way, but great in a different way. I will be pleased to leave certain aspects of this job, as well as some people (can't be friends with everyone, can I?) but the worst part is that I have some friends that are really close to me and it will be awful not to see them everyday. Guest blogger E$ is one of them, Lanster is another, Scott and Crystal as well - what will I do without them I wonder?

I will also miss my desk... situated beside the beautiful window, with all that glorious sunshine... well not TODAY as it is snowing, but most days. Plus I do think I will also miss the fully stocked kitchen and Fat Friday celebrations.. and maybe even the witty banter that passes between the cubicles in the office... wow, that makes me quite sad. Well, that and the fact that I will be in Victoria in less than a week... YIKES!!!!

Ughhh, now I am feeling the stress.. OK - enough of that, onto the book...

Today I've picked a book I read a while ago, then I gave to Heather to take to S. America and read, which I assume she did... but anyhoo it's a good book, it's historical (of course), set in France (of course), and features strong female characters.. (of course). Basically it's right up my alley. The book itself is titled "Labyrith" and it is written by Kate Mosse. She also just released another one called "Sepulchre" which is along the same lines at the first book - but not connected so you may read them independently.

Here's what the Publishers have to say about it:
When Dr Alice Tanner discovers two skeletons during an archaeological dig in southern France, she unearths a link with a horrific and brutal past. But it's not just the sight of the shattered bones that makes her uneasy; there's an overwhelming sense of evil in the tomb that Alice finds hard to shake off, even in the bright French sunshine. Puzzled by the words carved inside the chamber, Alice has an uneasy feeling that she has disturbed something which was meant to remain hidden...Eight hundred …+ read more
When Dr Alice Tanner discovers two skeletons during an archaeological dig in southern France, she unearths a link with a horrific and brutal past. But it's not just the sight of the shattered bones that makes her uneasy; there's an overwhelming sense of evil in the tomb that Alice finds hard to shake off, even in the bright French sunshine. Puzzled by the words carved inside the chamber, Alice has an uneasy feeling that she has disturbed something which was meant to remain hidden...

Eight hundred years ago, on the night before a brutal civil war ripped apart Languedoc, a book was entrusted to Alais, a young herbalist and healer. Although she cannot understand the symbols and diagrams the book contains, Alais knows her destiny lies in protecting their secret, at all costs.
Skilfully blending the lives of two women divided by centuries but united by a common destiny, LABYRINTH is a powerful story steeped in the atmosphere and history of southern France.

Happy Reading!

Book of the Week

Alright so I had a huge plan to do Victoria Beckham's Book - "That Extra Half and Inch" as tonight is Jamie's (my new MBFF) Birthday Party, aptly named "Farewell to Feminity". Sadly I've discovered that I already featured that book in a previous Book of the Week. So now I'm stuck thinking about another book.

Oooh, just got an idea. As I mentioned, it was Jamie's birthday on Wednesday and her present was a book (of course) - so because I can't think of another Feminine type book to post I'll do the exact opposite... but really, knowing Jamie and I, it fits!

The book is "The Art of War" by Sun Tzu.

Here is what the publishers have to say:

Widely regarded as "The Oldest Military Treatise in the World," this landmark work covers principles of strategy, tactics, maneuvering, communication, and supplies; the use of terrain, fire, and the seasons of the year; the classification and utilization of spies; the treatment of soldiers, including captives, all have a modern ring to them.

And now from Wikipedia:

The Art of War is one of the oldest books on military strategy in the world. It is the first and one of the most successful works on strategy and has had a huge influence on Eastern and Western military thinking, business tactics, and beyond. Sun Tzu was the first to recognize the importance of positioning in strategy and that position is affected both by objective conditions in the physical environment and the subjective opinions of competitive actors in that environment. He taught that strategy was not planning in the sense of working through a to-do list, but rather that it requires quickly responding appropriately to changing conditions. Planning works in a controlled but competitive environment, and competing plans collide, creating situations that no one planned for.

Happy Birthday / Book of the Week

So, being April 4th I think it is about time that I wish Crystal a very Happy 25th Birthday!

Yeah for your birthday!!!

Okay, back to business... this week's book is actually 3 books. It's referred to as the Josephine B Trilogy and encompasses 3 different parts of Josephine Bonaparte's life. I read it last year upon recommendation from the manager at the Chapters on MacLeod trail and I was really quite delighted. As we all know historical anything is up my alley and the fact that she played, or rather her husband played such an integral role in the formation of the France we all know and love today, not to mention the magnitude of influence Napolean has had on the world in general. The book is written in journal form and details the happenings of her life from her childhood in the Caribbean to her death in France.

From the Publisher
The Josephine B. Trilogy comprises three acclaimed,bestselling novels that draw the reader into the delicate yet passionate relationship between Josephine and Napoleon Bonaparte: The Many Lives& Secret Sorrows of Josephine B.; Tales of Passion, Tales of Woe;and The Last Great Dance on Earth. Together in this omnibus edition, they form an irresistible epic, tracing Josephine’s transformation from impressionable young girl to canny and compassionate wife, to confidant temptress and one of the most sophisticated and powerful women in history.
Adored by readers of historical fiction, the Josephine novels are a sweeping tale of love and loss, political intrigue and revolution during one of the most tumultuous periods in European history.

Happy Reading!

Book of the Week

I almost forgot to post this again.. oops!

Anyways, today, because I am sick and miserable, I thought we could read a book about a plague-town in England. The premise of the book is mainly about one women's struggles to get through one specific year in which a good portion of the towns folk fall victim to the Plague. If I'm not very coherent here I apologize as my brain is muddled with sickness...

In any case, it's a good read, very inspiring although somewhat sad.

This is what the editors have to say:

When an infected bolt of cloth carries plague from London to an isolated village, a housemaid named Anna Frith emerges as an unlikely heroine and healer. Through Anna''s eyes we follow the story of the fateful year of 1666, as she and her fellow villagers confront the spread of disease and superstition. As death reaches into every household and villagers turn from prayers to murderous witch-hunting, Anna must find the strength to confront the disintegration of her community and the lure of illicit love. As she struggles to survive and grow, a year of catastrophe becomes instead annus mirabilis, a "year of wonders."
Inspired by the true story of Eyam, a village in the rugged hill country of England, Year of Wonders is a richly detailed evocation of a singular moment in history. Written with stunning emotional intelligence and introducing "an inspiring heroine" (The Wall Street Journal), Books blends love and learning, loss and renewal into a spellbinding and unforgettable read.

In other news I found out this morning that I have a pinched nerve in my right foot.. hence why my foot goes numb when I run... which is always fun... yeah!

Book of the Week / Top O The Morning to Ya!

Oops, I seem to have forgotten to post a Book of the Week so without further ado, I give you:

A History Of The World In Six Glasses

From the Publisher:

Whatever your favourite tipple, when you pour yourself a drink, you have the past in a glass.

You can likely find them all in your own kitchen — beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea, cola. Line them up on the counter, and there you have it: thousands of years of human history in six drinks.

Tom Standage opens a window onto the past in this tour of six beverages that remain essentials today. En route he makes fascinating forays into the byways of western culture: Why were ancient Egyptians buried with beer? Why was wine considered a “classier” drink than beer by the Romans? How did rum grog help the British navy defeat Napoleon? What is the relationship between coffee and revolution? And how did Coca-Cola become the number one poster-product for globalization decades before the term was even coined?



I was going to try to do something James Joyce -esque, but really... This sums of the spirit of St. Paddy's Day as historically this is the busiest day of the year for the pubs!



Cheers!

Book of the Week

Oops... I kind of forgot to post this as my day has been pretty hectic. I also promise to post, with pictures, about my Wednesday evening ceremony.

Without further ado, and because I am going places, I thought this week's entry should be a classic... Oh The Place You'll Go, by our beloved Dr. Seuss

From the Publisher:

"Don''t be fooled by the title of this seriocomic ode to success; it''s not ''Climb Every Mountain,'' kid version. All journeys face perils, whether from indecision, from loneliness, or worst of all, from too much waiting. Seuss'' familiar pajama-clad hero is up to the challenge, and his odyssey is captured vividly in busy two-page spreads evoking both the good times (grinning purple elephants, floating golden castles) and the bad (deep blue wells of confusion). Seuss'' message is simple but never sappy: life may be a ''Great Balancing Act,'' but through it all ''There''s fun to be done.''"

Balancing act indeed. I just found out that I have one more course to do this summer, so I'll be away until August. Plus I need to do a lot more paperwork and fitness tests and security clearances and uniform fittings and military ID appointments, and training days (including Mondays and Saturdays, and yes it is the same day that Snoop has her wedding.. darn it!), and CPR courses before I go, which PS is in less than 50 days as the course starts the 27 th April so I need to be there a day or two early... yikes!

I am exhausted just thinking about it..... no worries though, I'll make it through!

Happy Weekend!

Book of the Week / HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Someone commented to me the other day that not everyone likes military books and therefore my book of the week should perhaps appeal to wider variety of people... I thought about this statement for a minute or two before I came to this conclusion....It's my blog, damn it, I'll pick any book I want ;)... but in all seriousness she was right, I had quite the military theme going (for obvious reasons) but as today is a special day I shall pick this week's Book of the Week in honour of someone who only gets to celebrate this day once every 4 years... Hence

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DENISE!!!!!!

Here's a picture of you during our trip to Europe Feb 2004... we searched for this little guy and Voilá! We found him... don't you look happy???

Anyhoo, back to the Book of the Week. In honour of Denise I shall choose something that her and I both love - Julie Garwood... I think this may be in your top 5 Julie Garwood picks, but pardon me if I'm a bit off...

From the Editors:

In the feuding English court, gentle Lady Madelyne suffered the cruel whims of her ruthless brother, Baron Louddon. Then, in vengeance for a bitter crime, Baron Duncan of Wexton—the Wolf—unleashed his warriors against Louddon''s main. Exquisite Madelyne was the prize he captured...but when he gazed upon the proud beauty, he pledged to protect her with his life. In his rough-hewn castle, Duncan proved true to his honor. But when at last their noble passion conquered them both, she surrendered with all her soul. Now, for love, Madelyne would stand fast...as bravely as her Lord, the powerful Wolf who fought for...Honor''s Splendour.

I can attest that it is a good book, as are most of Julie's - and although it isn't set in Scotland I can work with the English background, plus it is historical and we know how much I love that... Can you tell I'm a hopeless romantic?

Book of the Week

I can't lie and say I had a million different things to choose from for this week's edition - I'm feeling quite unimaginative. However, in keeping with my military theme and the fact that I am almost through this book - this is the pick for this week. In a nut shell the book is a collection of narratives written by people who have been to Afghanistan and were "outside the wire".

Anyways, it's pretty decent, the forward written by Lt. Gen. (Retired) Roméo Dallaire is one of the best things I've ever read, and most of the stories are quite substantial, including the letters from Nichola Goddard (a fellow Calgarian no doubt).

From the Publisher:

A remarkable collection of first-hand accounts written by soldiers, doctors and aid workers on the front lines of Canada’s war in Afghanistan.

Visceral, intimate and captivating in ways no other telling could be, Outside the Wire features nearly two dozen stories by Canadians on the front lines in Afghanistan, including the previously unpublished letters home of Captain Nichola Goddard, the first female NATO soldier killed in combat, and an introductory reflection by Roméo Dallaire.

Collected here are stories of battle and the more subtle engagements of this little-understood war: the tearful farewells; the shock of immersion into a culture that has been at war for thirty years; looking a suicide bomber in the eye the moment before he strikes; grappling with mortality in the Kandahar Field Hospital; and the unexpected humour that leavens life in a warzone. Throughout each piece the passion of those engaged in rebuilding this shattered country shines through, a glimmer of optimism and determination so rare in multinational military actions–and so particularly Canadian.

In Outside the Wire, award-winning author Kevin Patterson and co-editor Jane Warren have rediscovered the valour and horror of sacrifice in this, the definitive account of the modern Canadian experience of war.

After having read my little write up I feel like I haven't given this book the praise it deserves. A lot of people I have spoken to have confessed, or demonstrated their ignorance on the whole Afghanistan situation, therefore I think we should all endeavour to learn a bit more about the whole issue. Don't we owe our soldiers the courtesy of understanding why they are risking their lives? I think so.

Book of the Week

After last night's conclusion to the Band of Brothers Marathon - PS Kristen, you were so right about the heartbreak, it was awful and I very nearly cired through the whole thing... - I felt the need to feature the book version for Book of the Week. Written by Stephen Ambrose, it is a good read to be sure. Even if you just move on to the miniseries instead you will not be dissapointed. It was so well done, I am just speachless. Watch it, or read it - you will not be sorry you did, I guarantee.

From the Publisher:
As good a rifle company as any in the world, Easy Company, 506th Airborne Division, U.S. Army, kept getting the tough assignments -- responsible for everything from parachuting into France early D-Day morning to the capture of Hitler''s Eagle''s Nest at Berchtesgaden. In Band of Brothers, Ambrose tells of the men in this brave unit who fought, went hungry, froze, and died, a company that took 150 percent casualties and considered the Purple Heart a badge of office. Drawing on hours of interviews with survivors as well as the soldiers'' journals and letters, Stephen Ambrose recounts the stories, often in the men''s own words, of these American heroes

Book of the Week

This week's entry for Book of the Week goes to a book that I first read way back when I was in France. I had zipped over to Geneva (my old stomping grounds) for a visit with my friend Marci who was working with the UN Human Rights Commision at the time. While she finished her work day I wondered around the town, visiting my old haunts and taking in the crisp and clean Swiss air. During my wanderings I popped into a bookstore and found this book. Before I read it, I had no clue about what the tenseness in the Middle East was really about. This book however, did wonders to open my eyes. It also feuled my fascination with all things ancient and I now have Jordan listed as one of my top ten countries to visit. When I came home for my surprise week home I gave it to my mom to read and she in turn bought a copy for our neighbour to read - see, this book is that good.

Anyways, I highly recommend it - plus you'll probably learn a thing or two, and isn't that the whole point anyways????

From Amazon:

Anyone who loved The King and I will readily warm to the love story of Queen Noor and the late King Hussein of Jordan. Born in America in 1951 as Lisa Halaby, Noor came from a wealthy, well-connected family and was part of Princeton's first co-ed class. Her father's aviation business produced a chance meeting with King Hussein in 1976, and a year or two later Noor realized the king was courting her. He was 41, she was 26. The rumor mills buzzed: was she the next Grace Kelly? Before long, the king renamed her Noor (light in Arabic), and she converted to Islam. They were married in the summer of 1978. From this point on, her story is mostly his, mainly covering his attempts to broker peace in the Middle East. There are meetings with Arafat, Saddam Hussein, American presidents and other leaders. Noor details Hussein's struggles to create Arab unity and his vision of peaceful coexistence with Israel. Her own activities developing village-based economic self-sufficiency projects and improving Jordan's medical, educational and cultural facilities take second place to her husband's struggles on the world stage. And while she occasionally acknowledges her domestic difficulties, Noor is careful not to allow personal problems to become any more than asides. Her pleasing memoir ends with the king's death after his struggle with cancer, although readers may suspect that this smart, courageous woman will remain a world presence for years to come.

Book of the Week

For obvious reasons I feel like this week I should do something with a military theme - well, that and the fact that Top Gun has been on TV every day. Therefore, I think I shall choose "Making the Corps" by Thomas E Ricks. I finished this one a few days ago as I felt the need to remind myself how Basic really was. I do recommend it to most of you, mainly because I am sure the only things you know about the Marines are what you see in movies. This book explains the mentality through the progress of the recruits in basic training. I am sure that you will all be very surprised to see how they make it!

From Amazon:

Marines are different: distinct not only from ordinary U.S. citizens but from the ranks of the army, navy, and air force as well. The difference begins with boot camp at Parris Island, South Carolina, where the history and future of the United States Marine Corps intersect in the training of every new recruit. In Making the Corps, Ricks follows a platoon of young men through 11 grueling weeks of boot camp as their drill instructors indoctrinate them into the culture of the Few and the Proud. Many arrive at Parris Island undisciplined and apathetic; they leave as marines.
With the end of the cold war, the role of the American military has shifted in emphasis from making war to keeping peace. "The best way to see where the U.S. military is going is to look at the marines today," says Ricks, as the other armed forces have begun to emulate the marine model. To understand Parris Island--a central experience in the life of every marine--is to understand the ethos of the Marine Corps. Ricks examines the recent changes in the Standard Operating Procedures for Recruit Training (the bible of Parris Island), which indicate how the corps is dealing with critical social and political issues like race relations, gender equality, and sexual orientation. Making the Corps pierces the USMC's "sis-boom-bah" mythology to help outsiders understand this most esoteric and eccentric of U.S. armed forces. --Tim Hogan

Happy Friday!

And for more Marine fun, check out this blog I found...

"The Day to Day, semi-normal life of a Female Marine"

Book of the Week / Happy Robbie Burns!

Happy Robbie Burns Day!!!

As we all know (I hope we all know), today is the Birthday of Scotland's Greatest Poet. If he was alive he would be 249 years old - not bad! But, in all seriousness it is a day to celebrate as he was a great poet and luckily his writings live on today - "Auld Land Syne" and "A Red, Red Rose to name but a few. So if you happen to see a bunch of kilted men and women out and about to day make sure to wish them a Happy Robbie Burns day, and if you are so inclined I urge you to have a wee bit o' haggis and wash it down with a dram o whisky to commemorate this special day!

In honour of this day I propose the Book of the Week to be a Collection of Robbie's poems... this particular one is available on ebay for only $24.99 USD.

Happy Reading, and Happy Celebrating... Slainte!

A Red, Red Rose

O my luve is like a red, red rose
That's newly sprung in June;
My is love like the melodie
That's sweetly played in tune.

As fair art thou, my bonny lass,
So deep in luve am I;
And I will luve thee still, my dear,
Till a' the seas gang dry.
Till a' the seas gang dry, my dear,

And the rocks melt wi' the sun;
I will luve thee still, my dear,
While the sands o' life shall run.
And fare thee weel, my only love!

And fare thee weel, awhile!
And I will come again, my love
Though it were ten thousand mile.
My Love is Like a Red, Red Rose

Book of the Week

Remebering yesterday's post about manners I thought this week's book should also be along the same line. Now, I could have gone old school and posted an Emily Post Etiquette guide or perhaps a Miss Manner's tie in, or even something Martha-esque, but I think I shall choose "Talk to the Hand" By Lynne Truss. It isn't a book on etiquette per-say but it does deal with the breakdown of basic manners in today's society, and to be quite honest it really is funny

In Lynne's own words:

" Writing Talk to the Hand was a process of synthesising and organising. I had been banging on about the rudeness of modern life for a couple of years on the radio; I’d also written talks about the burden of choice and the pernicious effect of the internet on the way people think of themselves in relation to “society”. There is a lovely example in one of David Lodge’s novels of a person sitting final exams, carefully pouring his knowledge into his answers, day after day, until he’s poured out the whole lot and the exams are over. I felt something similar about Talk to the Hand. I had so many things I wanted to say, but I had to say each thing in exactly the right place, and not to have any left over. When the process was complete, I felt quite purged. As far as I was concerned, I had laid out the problem to my absolute best ability.
People still tell me I wrote a book on etiquette, which is a bit depressing, but I suppose Talk to the Hand was a bit hard to classify. It didn’t tell people how to behave, in the style of the traditional book on manners; and although it was, unashamedly, a big long moan about modern life, it didn’t have much in common with Grumpy Old Men or Is It Just Me, or Is Everything Shit?, either. I was trying to do something quite new with Talk to the Hand: maybe amateur sociology, in the way that Eats, Shoots & Leaves was amateur linguistics. Anyway, “forensic polemic” was how someone described my strategy, and I liked this description very much. If you hate something, I think you have a duty to ask why you hate it, and also whether it’s reasonable to hate it; then you have to try to understand why this hateful thing seems to have come into existence. I brought a lot of modern life under the umbrella-category of rudeness – including automated switchboards, customer service, mobile phone abuse, littering, and telling strangers to Eff off. And, as I said, it made me feel ever so much better."

Book of the Week

I decided that I needed a better knowledge base about certain world conflicts. I know that I used to keep up with it when I was in school - mostly because I had to in order to write something, or pass something. Now however I am doing this for me, and really that is a quite the reason. So without further ado.. this weeks Book of the Week is "In the Hot Zone" by Kevin Sites.

I've read about 4 chapters thus far, and I can say that Kevin has a nice easy style of writing. Although the theme of the book is rather morose and although you do end up feeling dissapointed in humanity and their actions, it is a good read.

From the Publishers:

Kevin Sites is a man on a mission. Venturing alone into the dark heart of war, armed with just a video camera, a digital camera, a laptop, and a satellite modem, the award-winning journalist covered virtually every major global hot spot as the first Internet correspondent for Yahoo! News. Beginning his journey with the anarchic chaos of Somalia in September 2005 and ending with the Israeli-Hezbollah war in the summer of 2006, Sites talks with rebels and government troops, child soldiers and child brides, and features the people on every side, including those caught in the cross fire. His honest reporting helps destroy the myths of war by putting a human face on war’s inhumanity. Personally, Sites will come to discover that the greatest danger he faces may not be from bombs and bullets, but from the unsettling power of the truth.

Happy Reading!

Book of the Week

Seeing that it is the end of the first week of January and most people have made some kind of resolution to be better this year I thought it fitting to have this week's book as "Getting Things Done - The Art of Stress-Free Productivity" by David Allen.





It outlines how to get things done, which could be extremely helpful this day and age where most of us can admit to experiencing some degree of procrastination.





From the Editors:


With first-chapter allusions to martial arts, "flow", "mind like water", and other concepts borrowed from the East (and usually mangled), you'd almost think this self-helper from David Allen should have been called Zen and the Art of Schedule Maintenance.
Not quite. Yes, Getting Things Done offers a complete system for downloading all those free-floating gotta-dos clogging your brain into a sophisticated framework of files and action lists--all purportedly to free your mind to focus on whatever you're working on. However, it still operates from the decidedly Western notion that if we could just get really, really organised, we could turn ourselves into 24/7 productivity machines. (To wit, Allen, whom the New Economy bible Fast Company has dubbed "the personal productivity guru", suggests that instead of meditating on crouching tigers and hidden dragons while you wait for a plane, you should unsheathe that high-tech sabre known as the mobile phone and attack that list of calls you need to return.)
As whole-life-organising systems go, Allen's is pretty good, even fun and therapeutic. It starts with the exhortation to take every unaccounted-for scrap of paper in your workstation that you can't junk. The next step is to write down every unaccounted-for gotta-do cramming your head onto its own scrap of paper. Finally, throw the whole stew into a giant "in-basket".
That's where the processing and prioritising begin; in Allen's system, it get a little convoluted at times, rife as it is with fancy terms, subterms, and sub-subterms for even the simplest concepts. Thank goodness the spine of his system is captured on a straightforward, one-page flowchart that you can pin over your desk and repeatedly consult without having to refer back to the book. That alone is worth the purchase price. Also of value is Allen's ingenious Two-Minute Rule: if there's anything you absolutely must do that you can do right now in two minutes or less, then do it now, thus freeing up your time and mind tenfold over the long term. It's common sense advice so obvious that most of us completely overlook it, much to our detriment. Allen excels at dispensing such wisdom in this useful, if somewhat belaboured, self-improver aimed at everyone from CEOs to football mums (who, we all know, are more organised than most CEOs to start with).


On a side note, my dinner experience last night with KQ was fantastic.... Thanks again for the company KQ! Oh, and the game today for the World Juniors goes at noon... Canada vs USA... should be a good one -

GO CANADA GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Book of the Week

I think we all know how much I love reading a good Bill Bryson book, right? I mean, I actually laughed hysterically in public, by myself, whilst reading Neither Here nor There.... So, I think you'll understand why I've decided to use Bill Bryson's newest entry into the literary world as the Book of the Week.

I've not yet read this one, it is on my every growing list, but I can assure you that it will be good, very good in fact, and very funny.

From the Publishers:

William Shakespeare, the most celebrated poet in the English language, left behind nearly a million words of text, but his biography has long been a thicket of wild supposition arranged around scant facts. With a steady hand and his trademark wit, Bill Bryson sorts through this colorful muddle to reveal the man himself.
Bryson documents the efforts of earlier scholars, from today’s most respected academics to eccentrics like Delia Bacon, an American who developed a firm but unsubstantiated conviction that her namesake, Francis Bacon, was the true author of Shakespeare’s plays. Emulating the style of his famous travelogues, Bryson records episodes in his research, including a visit to a basement room in Washington, D.C., where the world’s largest collection of First Folios is housed.
Bryson celebrates Shakespeare as a writer of unimaginable talent and enormous inventiveness. His Shakespeare is like no one else’s–the beneficiary of  Bryson’s genial nature, his engaging skepticism, and a gift for storytelling unrivalled in our time.

I must leave you all know as it is my fat Friday at work and I am therefore in quite the heinous mood. I guess feeding your office full of fellow co-workers a feast will do that to you.... adieu!

Book of the Week

Yikes, it is almost noon and I am just now posting this - sorry guys...

This week's Book of the Week is "The Know-It-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World" By A. J. Jacobs.

Now, I haven't read it yet, however it looks hilarious and quite honestly seems up my alley, although I am in no way even close to being the smartest in the land - granted if I read this book I may be a bit closer to achieving that fame.

The synopsis goes like this:

Part memoir and part education (or lack thereof), The Know-It-All chronicles NPR contributor A.J. Jacobs''s hilarious, enlightening, and seemingly impossible quest to read the Encyclopaedia Britannica from A to Z.
To fill the ever-widening gaps in his Ivy League education, A.J. Jacobs sets for himself the daunting task of reading all thirty-two volumes of the Encyclopaedia Britannica. His wife, Julie, tells him it''s a waste of time, his friends believe he is losing his mind, and his father, a brilliant attorney who had once attempted the same feat and quit somewhere around Borneo, is encouraging but unconvinced.
With self-deprecating wit and a disarming frankness, The Know-It-All recounts the unexpected and comically disruptive effects Operation Encyclopedia has on every part of Jacobs''s life -- from his newly minted marriage to his complicated relationship with his father and the rest of his charmingly eccentric New York family to his day job as an editor at Esquire. Jacobs''s project tests the outer limits of his stamina and forces him to explore the real meaning of intelligence as he endeavors to join Mensa, win a spot on Jeopardy!, and absorb 33,000 pages of learning. On his journey he stumbles upon some of the strangest, funniest, and most profound facts about every topic under the sun, all while battling fatigue, ridicule, and the paralyzing fear that attends his first real-life responsibility -- the impending birth of his first child.
The Know-It-All is an ingenious, mightily entertaining memoir of one man''s intellect, neuroses, and obsessions, and a struggle between the all-consuming quest for factual knowledge and the undeniable gift of hard-won wisdom.

Book of the Week

I know what you are all thinking... where the heck are the Vegas pics... and my answer to you is that they are coming.. I forgot to bring the camera to work so I could upload and post the pics.. I'll try for the weekend, I promise. But, in the meantime let's all chat about some good books - shall we?

So for this week I think I will go with "A Year in Provence" written by Peter Mayle. I picked it simply because I am remembering the Christmas I spent in France and the laughs that this book brought me while I was there, and even living in Provence to boot! Almost everything that happened to Peter Mayle happened to me - with the exception of purchasing a house / car cause I was a poor student.. but that is besides the point. It was hilarious both when it actually happened and when I read about it in his book. The French have a certain - je ne sais quoi - about them and their way of life that causes mass confusion for the English speaking people who live in their fine country. But to be quite honest, this is a funny funny book, and I have and will continue to recommend it to anyone who loves to read about travel.

PS - When you get to the part about the market and lurid Johnny Halliday T-Shirt.. call me, or read these two posts and I shall explain why that is the funniest thing that I have ever read... oh Johnny, I really do miss you and your crazy silver suits...

From the Publisher: In this witty and warm-hearted account, Peter Mayle tells what it is like to realize a long-cherished dream and actually move into a 200-year-old stone farmhouse in the remote country of the Lubéron with his wife and two large dogs. He endures January''s frosty mistral as it comes howling down the Rhône Valley, discovers the secrets of goat racing through the middle of town, and delights in the glorious regional cuisine. A Year in Provence transports us into all the earthy pleasures of Provençal life and lets us live vicariously at a tempo governed by seasons, not by days.

Au revoir!

Book of the Week

I just had to.....


From the Editors:
'I've always been a girls' girl. And I know from experience that making the very best of yourself is something any woman can do. I was never the six-foot-tall pin-up. I've always been the girl-next-door who got lucky. I've come a long way in the last ten years, but this book isn't my attempt to tell you what or what not to do. It's just to share some of what I've learned.'

In That Extra Half an Inch, a tongue-in-cheek reference to her love of high heels, Beckham shares her tips for finding your own style including:


Learning how to dress for special occasions
Shopping for everyday wear and where to look for it
Accessories: defining the looks that work best for you
Helpful hints for the holidays
Making the most of your wardrobe
How to feel confident and look great every time you leave the house

That Extra Half an Inch is a beautiful, nothing-but-the truth, easy-to-use book on fashion, beauty and style. Victoria shares her personal style secrets so whether you're getting ready for work, a night out on the town or even doing the school run, you too can feel confident and look great every time you step out of the front door.

We could all use a bit more style in our lives right?