Something Else

Darius the Great Is Not Okay was a truly 5 star book.  I do think that this has great Printz potential.  Really, really good at showing insight into the Persian culture and Iran and how much alike we all are, no matter where we live or our DNA or our sexual preference or anything at all.  I loved this book.  This is the first book from Adib Khorram and already I can't wait for the next one.  I also learned a lot about tea!

I didn't realize

that The Culture Code:  the secrets of highly successful groups was a business book, a how-to, leadership kind of book.  I enjoy those books and don't read them as much as I should, probably, but I don't know if I would have read this one had I know what it was.  I thought it was more of a study of culture and group behavior, with a pop-sociology pop-cultural anthropology bent, rather than a business POV.  And it definitely is more than a business/leadership book, so it did satisfy what I was looking for from that end, and more than satisfy, I really, really enjoyed this book.  It made me once again take tine to reflect upon how lucky I have been to work where I have worked.  I have been the "leaders" in two jobs and I have been THE LUCKIEST GIRL IN THE WORLD because the people I "lead" have been UNREAL, INCREDIBLE people.  It was so hard to leave my first leadership role job, and I even got the names of the ladies with whom I worked tattooed on my arm!   I have never regretted that.  They are always in my heart and now always on my body!
I put "lead" in quotes because while I take full responsibility, and know that the buck stops with me, I feel like I learn something from them every day. 
I have just been so so so so lucky.  And so when I read this book about succesful groups it was really cool because it was like Daniel Coyle could have done a chapter on the Youth Services Department of the Bethel Park Library and the Youth Services Department of the Shaler North Hills Library because they have created groups where we all feel the three key things that Coyle believes a successful team will feel:  we are connected, we are safe, we share a future.
I really want to read The Talent Code:  greatness is not born, it's grown, next.   Great stories about work life at Pixar and Zappos.  I don't know much about the NBA but learning about Gregg Popvich was truly inspiring to me. 

I told you so!

Kinda!

When I was ripping on The Stand here, I wanted to make it clear that I don't always pan a book because I don't like the author.  But Hillbilly Elegy:  a Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis is proof- kinda.  I mean, I don't dislike J.D. Vance at all.  I really, really liked him.  But I didn't expect too, since I am biased against conservatives and he is a conservative.  But man, now that I read what REAL self-proclaimed conservatives are saying about him, I figure there is no reason at all not to like this guy!  They really rip him a new one.  As conservative and liberals are want to do.