Last Three Books

"I've traveled the world twice over, Met the famous; saints and sinners, Poets and artists, kings and queens, Old stars and hopeful beginners,
I've been where no-one's been before, Learned secrets from writers and cooks
All with one library ticket
To the wonderful world of books."
~ Anonymous ~


Jobina likes to make fun of me because of my diverse reading appetite. I like biographies, theology, psychology, fiction, non-fiction, business/economics, outdoors, comic books, history, etc. I can't help it - I find so many things incredibly interesting. I thought it might be fun to ask some of my readers what the last three books they read were; partially to see your tastes and also to get some ideas for new books to read. I'll go first: The last three books that I've read (or are reading) are:

By George - the autobiography of Goerge Foreman
The Richest Man In Babylon - the classic on financial wisdom in story form
Orthodoxy - G.K. Chesterton's apologetic spiritual biography and defense of the faith

So what about you? Be honest!

VCR Hack

Have an old VCR kickin' around? Don't trash it, hack it. You'd be amazed at what you can find in there . . .

A Good Cry

I was talking to a counselor friend of mine the other day and we were talking about the emotional toll of working with people who are in tough situations. Eventually, he said, he will come to a point where he is so emotionally exhausted that he will call his wife and ask her to rent a really sad movie. He said he does this because he needs "a good cry" and the movie helps him to do this. Once he cries, he's able to feel along with his clients again and he is all good - able to feel emotionally again and not stuck in the numbness of vicarious trauma.

What do you think of this self-care technique? Is sometimes a good cry all you need? I'm also wondering how many guys do this (or something similar) . . .

Two Wolves

An elderly Cherokee Native American was teaching his grandchildren about life . .

He said to them, "A fight is going on inside me, it is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One wolf is evil---he is fear, anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, competition, superiority, and ego.

The other is good ---he is joy, peace, love, hope, sharing, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, friendship, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.

This same fight is going on inside you, and inside every other person, too."

They thought about it for a minute, and then one child asked his grandfather, "Which wolf will win, Grandfather?"

The Elder simply replied, "The one you feed."

Thanks Honey

Today Jobina went to the library to pick up a book for herself that she had put on hold. "I guess your name isn't Mark, " the librarian joked, holding up two books in her hand. "No," Jobina replied, "But my husband's is; Mark A. Westman."

"Then this is your husband's" she said, "would you like to take it for him?" "Sure," answered Jobina. So the librarian passed her this book:


Jobina paused for a moment, feeling very uncomfortable. "Um, my husband's a counselor . . . he gets books with strange titles."

"Mm-mmm," said the librarian.

(wait til she tries to pick up my next book on sex therapy!)

Book Review: Knockout Entrepreneur

Book Review: Knockout Entrepreneur by George Foreman

Why buy a book by a former boxer sharing his thoughts on business? Well, first because George Foreman is a fascinating guy: a former heavyweight boxing champion of the world (twice actually, the second time when he was 45 years old), former owner of the most popular small appliance in America (The George Foreman Grill), and currently both a pastor and businessman. You know a person has a unique personality when he names his 5 sons all after himself (George Jr, George III, etc).

I chose this book on a whim but ended up really enjoying it. Foreman shares an eclectic collection of advice on being successful as an entrepreneur as well as thoughts on life, family, faith, and integrity. Although most of his thoughts aren't ground breaking or new, the way he illustrates them with stories from his boxing and business exploits make for engaged reading. This book would especially appeal to men wanting to be successful in business but is readable by anyone. His slow and methodical strategy to reclaim his heavyweight title, 20 years after he first won it, illustrates the wisdom that has worked so well for him.

Personally, I was the most challenged by this thoughts on hard work. He relates that sometimes people ask him "George, what has been the secret of your success? How did you do it?" His answer is simple: "That's easy. I got up each day and worked harder then everyone else. If you want to be successful I recommend the same prescription for you." George reminds us that a great team in your corner, a winning strategy, and personal integrity are all important but working hard is the most important quality of all. I rate this book 4 ninja stars out of 5.

ASBO Jesus Friday: Pictures

(Click to enlarge)

Just a reminder to you: God is very, very fond of you.

Women's Tendency To "Poach"

I found this intriguing: A new study, published in the current issue of the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology shows that most single women actually prefer men who are already in a committed relationship.

Men and women were matched with students based on a description of their ideal romantic partner. When researchers described the women's match as single, 59 percent of the single women in the study were interested in pursuing him. However, when they described the exact same man as being in a committed relationship, 90 percent of the women were interested. Neither the men nor the already attached women who participated showed this preference. Only the single women.

Is it just me, or is this incredibly disturbing?

Past psychological studies have shown that some women may try to lure a man away from his current partner, a phenomenon known as 'mate poaching.' One 2004 study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology suggested that as many as one in five long-term relationships began when one or both partners was already in a relationship with someone else.