My Reading Journey Backwards and Forwards
A book about? by Chip and Dan Heath
I finished reading Decisive in June of 2022 – I highlighted a lot while reading this book. On a scale of 1 to 5 I’d call this book a 4 – but I’d need to think about what would make it a 5.
“researchers have found again and again that people act as though losses are from two to four times more painful than gains are pleasurable.”
Jan 18, 2025
Continuing my read of Thinking, Fast and Slow via the Shortform summary, I came across a discussion that essentially debunks the concept of priming. The summary notes that even the author, Daniel Kahneman, admitted to having relied too heavily on results from experiments that lacked sufficient rigor—yet he remains a believer in the concept. I wouldn’t have known this without reading the summary, though I imagine there’s plenty written about it elsewhere. And, I wouldn’t have realized that I had completely bought into the theory of priming myself—not sure if I was introduced to it in this book or at some earlier time.
System 1 automatically generates suggestions, feelings, and intuitions for System 2. If endorsed by System 2, intuitions turn into beliefs, and impulses turn into voluntary actions.
This summary was provided ShortForm –
My rating of this book is not based on the quality of its writing or content but rather on how practical and valuable it has been in my life.
I started reading Thinking Fast and Slow in Dec of 2022 – it was recommended by Chip & Dan Heath in their book Decisive – in fact, they called it essential reading.
“… our recommended decision books, but to understand the problems we face in making decisions, essential reading would include Daniel Kahneman’s book, Thinking, Fast and Slow, mentioned above, and Dan Ariely’s Predictably Irrational. One of the handful of books that provides advice on making decisions better is Nudge by Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein, which was written for “choice architects” in business and government who construct decision systems such as retirement plans or organ-donation policies. It has been used to improve government policies in the United States, Great Britain, and other countries.” (Chip Heath, Dan Heath, Decisive)
It’s also on Nassim Taleb’s list of 25 Best Non-Fiction books of all time – which you can find on Medium here.
While I’ve gotten some value from this book I’m not enjoying the read.
March 26, 2023
So, I dislike reading this book enough that I’ve committed myself to reading it daily for 10 minutes until I’ve finished it. The gist of the five pages I read seems to be that 1. Preference for the status quo is a consequence of loss aversion, and loss aversion is built into the “automatic evaluations” of what he calls system 1, which I believe (I still get confused on this point) is our subconscious thought process.
This is one of the reasons I dislike this book. System 1 and System 2 – why make up new terms for commonly understood terms? System 1 is for the subconscious, and system 2 is for the conscious; what’s the point? It just makes the book hard to understand. I have to keep thinking about what the terms mean rather than what he is trying to say. Very annoying.
March 28, 2023
As usual, I barely understand what I’m reading. This 10 or maybe 15 minutes was a discussion about the perception of fairness and reference points in economics. And a brief discussion of “altruistic punishment.” The tendency of one stranger to punish another for what they perceive to be unfair behavior. i.e., refusing to purchase from a store perceived to be “gouging.”
Seriously hate this book.
I’ve started counting the number of times this author tells the reader what they are thinking – seriously can’t get thru a 10 minute reading without another instance of him saying “you just thought…” – this is one of the most unreadable popular books I’ve ever tried to get through.
I leave room for the possibility that I will feel differently about it with a second read, but I doubt I can get through a second read. I downloaded a summary from Ninja Reads – perhaps that will help.
This book is referenced in so many of the books I’ve read since – I’m going to make a list of them here.
“Ship creative work. On a schedule. Without attachment and without reassurance.” (Seth Godin, The Practice)
I bought this on Audible a few days ago. It was recommended by a business associate. I’ll read anything Seth Godin writes and this book doesn’t disappoint. Most often I listen to Audible when I’m going to sleep. So I purchased the Kindle version as well.
March 26, 2023 9:56 am
I am obsessed with and inspired by this book.
“If you want to create your work, it might pay to turn off your wi-fi for a day. To sit with your tools and your boundaries and your process and nothing else.” (Seth Godin, The Practice)
Author Michael Connelly
Copyright 2021
I started this book March 8th 2023, I have it in hardcover and I probably got it from my dad. I know I didn’t buy it. I do this kind of reading when I eat lunch – so it takes a minute to finish a book.
April 2, 2023
I finished reading this book yesterday. As usual easy and enjoyable read. It has almost 60,000 reviews on Amazon, with an accumulated rating of 4.6 stars. What else needs to be said?
Michael Connelly
Copyright 2017
I read this in early March 2023. One of my favorites so far. I’ve been hung up on Michael Connelly novels for a couple of years. When I had Covid probably Jan 2020 a friend brought me The Lincoln Lawyer, I’d seen the movie but hadn’t thought of reading him. I’ve read five or six of them now.
Again this is not a book review site. Rather it’s me documenting my reading. Something I wish I started long ago.
Author Ken Follett
Copyright 1995
I finished reading this probably the end of January 2024. This is the 6th Ken Follett novel I’ve read.
Author Matthew Perry
Copyright 2022, I started reading this March 4th or 5th 2023.
When I was younger I read a lot of biographies and memoirs, not so much now. I love Matthew Perry, I loved Friends for years and years.
I bought it at Target in hardcover, 30% off. I would have paid full price and I don’t buy many hardcover books these days. I just don’t have room for them, but again I love Chandler Bing therefore I love Matthew Perry, therefore I am reading his memoir.
I expected this to be an easy read, but it isn’t, for me at least. It’s painful to read, so it may take me a minute to finish it.
Author, Samin Nosrat
Copyright 2017, I bought this book Feb 26th 2023.
I am appalled that this book as been in print for 5 years and I am just reading it now. I cook. A lot, and I’m a good cook. And yet this book has already rocked my world! At least in the kitchen. Who knew? I heard about this book listening to Tim Ferris interview the author Samin Nosrat for his book Tribe of Mentors. I’ll have more to say about this book.
A book about developing Talent through deep practice by Daniel Coyle
Copyright 2009
I first read this Dec 2022.
Michael Connelly
Published in 1993, this is the 2nd of Michael Connelly’s mystery novels. The first The Black Echo, was published in 1992 and won the Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award for Best First Novel. As of this writing he has published an additional 35 novels. Most if not all were best sellers – I wasn’t able to figure that out exactly.
The Black Ice has been reviewed on Amazon almost 11,000 times. I’m not a good enough writer to imagine that I can add anything original to that discussion other than my opinion, such as it may be.
It’s the second in the Harry (Hieronmyous) Bosch series, I love the character and the setting. As a resident of Hollywood and the San Fernando Valley for the last 30+ years his local references are fun, the sense of familiarity they add are – hmm I don’t have a good adjective – but I enjoy it. It’s a quick read, nothing to ponder here.
I watch the television series as well. Unlike most book/tv series combos I’m able to enjoy the show after the book. Typically if I want to enjoy both I have to watch the show first – generally speaking I find television can’t hold up to the book – like the Outlander series. I was obsessed with the books but don’t find the show at all entertaining.
For a quick and engaging read pretty much any Michael Connelly book will do the trick, The Black Ice is no exception. I finished reading this Jan 9, 2023. That note is for my own reference – mostly because I don’t know where else to put it and I want to publish these posts as I finish the books.
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