Call Me Ted

I read 27 books in 2012. Here are some of the more interesting ones: Shogun - James Clavel. 'Epic' is the best word I can use to describe this historical fiction. I first read it in 2009 and have reread all 1100 pages multiple times since. The first English pilot to reach the Japans discovers a culture that, while strange, is in many ways far more advanced than his own. The fictional Lord Toranaga is based on the historical Tokugawa Ieyasu, a brilliant strategist who founded a dynasty that lasted 268 years. The book is full of the real Tokugawa's writings, which can be very profound. For anyone familiar with the 'marshmallow test' for determining how well 5 year olds will do later in life, Tokugawa had it figured out 370 years before Walter Mischel: "The strong manly ones in life are those who understand the meaning of the word patience. Patience means restraining one's inclinations. There are seven emotions: joy, anger, anxiety, adoration, grief, fear, and hate, and if a man does not give way to these he can be called patient. I am not as strong as I might be, but I have long known and practiced patience. And if my descendants wish to be as I am, they must study patience."…

I got a Kindle as a gift too and I love it as well. I highly recommend you play with it or at least borrow someone's (if they'll let you) if you doubt you'll like it. "Inside Steve's Brain" - Great book on the history of Apple, and the inner workings of the company and the philosophy. "Never Eat Alone" by Keith Ferrazzi on the importance of networking and building relationships. "Trade-Off, Why Some Things Catch On, and Others Don't" "The Pixar Touch" Great history of Pixar and how they came about. "Call me Ted" - Ted Turner's autobiography "How the Mighty Fall" Jim Collins