What can I say. It’s The Hoff.

Oooh. Just finished this a few days ago. Quick and easy.

I’ve never bought or borrowed audiobooks, simply because of my belief in the superiority of books in printed format. Yet, I think that the next time I want a little David Sedaris, I want to listen to him read his own stories. This makes sense because I think he had a theatrical background before he became famous as an NPR humorist. Many of the stories make good monologues.

Early in the Christmas season, I woke up to him reading “The Santaland Diaries” on the radio. But then I fell back asleep. This has nothing to do with his performance or writing, but my own biological dictates. I set my clock radio at a moderately loud volume, so if I fall back asleep that means my body really still needs rest. Every once in a while I would hear Sedaris’ voice penetrating my subconcious. Once, I nearly woke up by his singing, Billy Holliday style.

This has happened to me twice for the past two years.

I decided to read Holidays on Ice so that he could stop invading my subconcious mind every Christmas season. We all like David’s little Macy’s elf story. But I also have my favorites. I liked the one about the mall cafeteria worker with a strong imagination. I also enjoyed the savage satire of “Christmas Means Giving”. This tall tale made me think.

Underneath the author’s persona as the fluffy funny guy, he really is a moralist. He bemoans the modern American lifestyle of frantic consumerism during the holidays while calling for more of the spirit of true giving.

There are only two nuggets of advice that I’ve been able to implement. (Well sometimes. It’s hard for me to change habits.) The first is the two minute rule. I have a lot of little 15 minute blocks. So I try to use these time cells for phone calls.

The second is to lower my expectations. It’s a bit challenging because I am quite obsessive about detail and I tend to work on something more than necessary so that it can be perfect.

What other time management books have others read and co-opted into their daily lives?

Also, I don’t think this book really serves its main target audience—busy multi-taskers who want to do it all and can’t say no. They probably have too much to do before they can complete the book in order to use and understand this system. It only works if the harried executive has a strong administrative assistant who can digest this book and then put limits on the boss for everyone’s sanity.

Maybe the author made this book more longer and wordier than it should be due to a hidden commercial agenda. I can see an executive barely squeezing the time to get through two chapters and then paging his secretary so they can make a personal appointment with the author.

Wny, why, why did I waste my time reading this? It was not intended for somebody with my lifestyle and temperament. I am not an executive. I am a slacker. I also have a bit of a packrat/Collier Brothers situation in my apartment. My home “office” area of my apartment is quite disorganized. The author states that one must begin by organizing your filing systems (virtual or physical) so that you can have easy to use inboxes. That’s an obvious first hurdle I must conquer in order for me to have an organizing system like this work.

I need to spend another five or ten minutes rereading the last two sections. Need to etch the main points in my brain.
At least I took notes. I’m trying to balance my chakras, although I admit I’m being half-assed about it. Using the appropiate color co-ordinated crystals seem to be good methods.
Crystals are supposedly all about healing. Using them brings positive changes to individuals’ lives. But there is darkness that doesn’t seem to be addressed in the pamphlets and books I come across. How are they mined? By third world children? That’s not healing.
Maybe I should watch Blood Diamond. There’s also a book published in the late 1990’s about the Jade mines of Myammar.

This may not be Deborah Tannen’s strongest work. It’s well written, but there are two chapters that seem to be professional academic articles stuck in there to give the book more bulk.
Still, I think this is required reading both for all women whose sense of self is dwarfed by MOM. Mothers of adult children should read this too. Both parties can learn alot. Often, a woman is not aware of the metacritical messages she gives to her family members. They are often much louder than what’s being literally communicated.
When this book first came out, my sister pressured me to buy and read it. As the eldest daughter, I have kept on annoying my younger sister with my Drama Queen act. It’s a love-hate thing between me and my mother. Tannen does give out some practical ideas to cool the fire. What’s praiseworthy is that she doesn’t lecture, just gently slips in the facts. Unfortunately I’m too proud and immature to be the one to take the first step.
Men should read this too. They may be of another gender, but this book gives deep insight into what are the passions that keep consuming their women.

“Are You the One for Me/Real Moments” is actually two separate self-help books written by Barbara De Angelis, one of the many talking heads of wisdom on Oprah. I suspect these two books were bound together by the publisher as a 2 for 1 Bargain Book package.
My sister was switching apartments a few years back. Much later, I discovered the book in my apartment and decided to give it a shot. Being single, I need all the help I can get.
I ran through both books. It’s been a while since I read it (more than a few months ago) so I don’t exactly remember the details. Being similar, my brain is blending them together.
It’s common sense advice, which I need, because I have no common sense. In a nutshell, Ms. De Angelis says something like “Don’t date/marry an asshole. Leave. You deserve better.”
Good advice. Unfortunately, I’m actually looking for books on dating/social skills for women who are a) currently not in a relationship, b) casually dating, and c) shifting from casual dating to serious relationships. Those books are meant for people who are already in serious relationships/marriage and are reassessing their situation.
Ms. De Angelis kept on bringing up a point that I’m still pondering. According to her, having a common interest is not the way to cement a bond. (She gives an example of having the hots for a Ren Faire juggler in her youth, only to discover that he wasn’t all that.) But—how are you supposed to meet people and have stuff to do together and talk about without both partners being part of a larger entity? I have a myriad of interests, and I think joining clubs is a good way to meet people outside of family and work.

I threw out my energy writing about this in the Police Tour messageboards already. So here is the quick and dirty version.

Andy Summers is a better writer than Sting. (And I’m a bigger fan of Sting than of Andy.) It’s not just for fans only. I hope its not ghostwritten.