books

Books I Read in 2022

Inspired by https://florian.github.io/reading-2019/

Down Below by Leonora Carrington, published 1983

This book describes Carrington’s ~1-year stay at a mental institution in 1940. Her story starts at the beginning of World War II in 1940, when her husband Max Ernst is sent to a concentration camp for the second time and she escapes to Spain. Carrington’s mental breakdown manifests en route to Spain and becomes publicly disruptive while in Spain. Her hotel, in conjunction with people probably related to her father’s company, traps her and sends her to a mental institution.

Papers I Read in 2022

Harvard Business Review - Managing Oneself by Peter F. Drucker, published 1999

This article in the HBR is an excerpt from Drucker’s book Management Challenges for the 21st Century. Drucker argues that to stay “engaged and productive during a work life in today’s knowledge economy that may span 50 years”, you need to understand your strengths and weaknesses and focus on improving your strengths. He starts by discussing how to identify your strengths using feedback analysis aka decision journaling, then talks about how to improve your strengths by identifying your learning style, values, and community.

Reading Harry Potter

warning: plot spoilers below

I finally read the Harry Potter (HP) book series, which was very popular 15 years ago when I was teenager. The seven books went on to spawn an eight-part movie adaptation, video games, a prequel film series, a play, and theme parks. As a teenager, I avoided the books because they were popular and I was too cool for popular. It’s taken me some time, but I’m now mature enough for HP.