Books, NonFiction

How to Skimm Your Life from theSkimm

Worth A Read Yes
Length 240
Quick Review From the creators of theSkimm. They walk you through the basics of being a successful adult from what they mean when they’re talking about wine to networking to taxes.

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Reading How to Skimm Your Life in a super fun swing! | yoga pants | shirt | sunglasses | flippy-floppies |

theSkimm has become one of the most beloved emails people receive in the morning. It keeps you up to date on the goings on all over the world without having to invest hours combing through newspapers. I read it myself. The creators are now helping with life in How to Skimm Your Life comes out tomorrow and is a funny and informative.

I love a good glossy book with illustrations. Did you know millennials are changing and reinvigorating the wine industry? It only makes sense How to Skimm Your Life would start with a little wine information. Knowing your way around a wine menu makes you seem and feel fancy. There are also a ton of tips about taxes, travel, side hustles, politics, world history, house cleaning, finances, and networking. It’s a great overview of things every successful adult should be aware of in today’s society.

I love the section about politics and the UN. It helps break down a lot of overwhelming information. We hear about committees and such in the news, but often times we don’t necessarily know what they mean. One of the most important parts of How to Skimm Your Life is the break down of how these things works. It was also fun reading about it because I’m sitting in a coffee shop right across from the National Mall in Washington D.C. Although they fall a little short with the World History section because it starts in 1914. I think they could have given another page or two to a longer history lesson, but that comes from a history lover.

The book has a huge sense of humor, which keeps you flipping the pages. It has an incredibly upbeat tone filled with bright colors and a little bit of fun. Adulting can be hard, but getting better at it shouldn’t be. How to Skimm Your Life is like having a cheerleader in a book.

Memorable Quotes
“And why highly tannic wines like Cabernet Sauvignon develop like Jane Fonda: Better. Every. Year.”

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Title: How Skimm Your Life
Author: theSkimm
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Copyright: 2019
ISBN: 9781984820808

Books, NonFiction

The Art of the Good Life by Rolf Dobelli

Worth A Read Yes
Length 272
Quick Review Dobelli compiles 52 guidelines for living a good life and avoiding the unnecessary in The Art of the Good Life.

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The Art of the Good Life by Rolf Dobelli | Skirt | Shirt

Living a good life is kind of everyone’s goal. I hope, anyways. The meaning of life may always be elusive, but living a good life shouldn’t be. Rolf Dobelli is a businessman and well known author. He started out as a novelist but gained international acclaim for his book The Art of Thinking Clearly. His latest The Art of the Good Life compiles 52 guidelines for finding happiness no matter what your life looks like.

As I get older, it seems like my peers are looking to self help books more than in my younger years. I don’t necessary love them. I think they’re a little pretentious and boring. Dobelli seems to have his life pretty well figured out. I wouldn’t necessarily say his advice is ground breaking. In my 28 years on this Earth, I’ve already figured out most of these and have been living from that place for a good while. There’s advice, I wouldn’t follow, but that’s just me!

What I do appreciate about The Art of the Good Life is the prose. It’s well written and interesting. Dobelli pulls from his own life and the lives of others. The guidelines are very much grounded in real life. He has a huge sense of humor, which makes for an entertaining read. There is a lack of oxford comma usage, which I am not a fan of. I won’t hold it against him personally, but his life would be better if he used it. I very much appreciate his appropriate swearing. There’s a harsh honesty to the book. It has a bit of: humans are inherently dumb because we follow our emotions and that’s not smart. Dobelli isn’t condescending, but he doesn’t mince his words about how much time we waste on stupid shit. He is an amateur pilot and uses a lot of plane related examples, which I’m here for. I love flying.

I may not love self help books, but I did enjoy reading this one. I would say overall the guidelines he lays down in The Art of the Good Life are good rules to live by.

  • Have hard, unbreakable boundaries.
  • Feelings will lead you down the wrong path, so don’t follow them.
  • Money is not the key

Although, I wholeheartedly disagree about his sentiments on reading… kind of. One hundred books over ten years…  goodness “Once you hit thirty, life’s too short for bad books.” I don’t think I could stick to one hundred books over ten years…. Ugh.

The Art of the Good Life is an interesting read. I enjoyed it, and there are some fun factoids throughout the pages.

Memorable Quotes
Radical acceptance “With each explicable pick-up, your life will get better.”
“A dog is authentic. You’re a human being.”
“A book is something qualitatively different from crème brûlée, a scenic flight over the Alps or sex.”

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Title: The Art of the Good Life; 52 Surprising Shortcuts to Happiness, Wealth, and Success
Author: Rolf Dobelli
Publisher: Hachette Books
Copyright: 2018
ISBN: 9780316445061

Books, NonFiction

Work Optional by Tanja Hester

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It’s hard not to feel like a pretty at Oak Alley. | Missguided Dress | Target Shoes | Jean Jacket | Sunglasses | Book

Worth A Read Yes
Length 288
Quick Review Whether you’re trying to retire in your early 40s or just trying to get a handle on responsible spending, Work Optional by Tanja Hester is a great motivational book.

Tanja Hester retired at 38 with her husband. She began her Work Optional life before her 40th birthday. In her book, she lays out the steps she and her husband took to save money without cutting back on the little joys.

Hester emphasizes the importance of balance. There is a balance between saving and living because living for retirement should not be the time people start living. We have only one life, so it should be a priority to enjoy all the moments of it.

Work Optional seems to be about money and finance. It is. It definitely is. More importantly, it is about prioritising or reprioritising based on the things that bring joy into one’s life. Hester spends the first part of the book discussing how to frame life and make a game plan in order to enjoy that life to the fullest. The next part is how to go about making that happen by making feasible financial plans. The last part is how to put those plans into action. Hester peppers the book with personal anecdotes and anecdotes from others who have also successful started making plans. The inclusion of others’ experiences helps cater to the vast variation of lives being lived.

Hester takes a topic and spins it into something entertaining and inspiring which could otherwise be incredibly dry and boring. Financial matters can be terribly unbearable to read if they are done poorly. Hester weaves the personal with the numbers to make the numbers into something relatable and worth working for.

I enjoyed reading Work Optional because it is motivating to spend on what is important and not on the unnecessary. I am lucky to work doing what I love, but someday, I would love to cut back those hours to enjoy living. This is a great resource to start planning for those days.

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Memorable Quotes
“I was barely out of college even I realized that I could be super successful on paper and even earn loads of money, but shirk probably ever fulfill me the way I hoped.”
“When it comes to sticking to financial goals, simple is virtually always better.”

[I love being able to travel with my work. I took these pictures at Oak Alley in Louisiana just outside of New Orleans. It was chilly, but I love this dress from Missguided. It’s a knockoff of a very expensive dress, which I bought for under $20. Yay sale shopping! A jean jacket goes with everything. Even on overcast days, I like to have a pair of sunglasses handy; these pastel purple shades are super cute and inexpensive. I’m also in love with my Target shoes.]

Title: Work Optional
Author: Tanja Hester
Publisher: Hachette Books
Copyright: 2019
ISBN: 9780316450898

Books, NonFiction

You Are A Mogul by Tiffany Pham

Read Yes
Length 224
Quick Review The Founder of Mogul, Tiffany Pham, compiles her knowledge, experience, and desire to change the world in You Are A Mogul; it will leave you motivated and confident. The perfect book for every female entrepreneur finding her way!

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Reading You Are A Mogul by Tiffany Pham || My friend has the cutest dog!!!

At the age of 27 (what am I doing with my life), Tiffany Pham had already graduated from Yale AND Harvard Business School, been a producer on movies, been on Forbes 30 under 30 list, worked in finance, a whole bunch of other stuff, and then launched a website, which she coded herself, that would become one of the most successful and influential communities of women. Yikes. She sets the bar so high! In her book You Are A Mogul, she talks about her life and all the hard work, time, and determination it took to become the mogul she is today.

Pham writes a book which cannot be described as self-help or memoir; it’s a combination. She uses her life as a basis to inform and help lift up other women. Her life and tips for success intertwine to create a portrait of who she is. She comes across as a beautiful, kind, hardworking soul. Honestly, as I read her book, I really want to be friends with her. The biggest pieces of her advice in succeeding in business and in life are incredibly similar to what I tell people. You’ll believe her more because she’s, well, successful, and I’m … working on it! The three things you should take from You Are A Mogul: 1) Be authentically you, always. 2) Don’t just make connections, create relationships. 3) Work as hard as you can on everything you do.  

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Cover of You Are A Mogul by Tiffany Pham.

I want you to read this book. Not because it’s groundbreaking information. It’s not. All the tips and advice and statistics in the book are not new if you are aware of the world and women’s place in it. What is beautiful about You Are A Mogul is Pham’s ability to seem like she’s chatting with a friend. So many women mention their accomplishments with humility if at all. Other’s go overboard trying to prove they are competent. Pham has confidence in who she is and what she created. She shares her accomplishments with a sense of pride, while also giving credit to everyone who helped her achieve her goals. More women need to have confidence and take pride in their accomplishments. She is an amazing role model.

At the end of every chapter, another female mogul write a one to three page blurb giving her own advice and story. Even though women are vastly under represented as moguls, they do exist. It’s important to hear their stories and know their faces.

Pham writes You Are A Mogul for women. Her business is for women. It’s an important book to read as a female entrepreneur, if for no other reason than to support one another. Though, I think it is probably more important for men to read this book and ones like it. They need to see and understand the difficulties women face in the business world. More importantly, they need to see women killing it. When women win, men win.

Tiffany Pham, if you’re reading this, I would love to be friends! You’re amazing.     

Click to buy on Amazon! Buy on Book Depository.

Memorable Quotes
“Be flexible but strategic.”
“True failing is not doing, not trying.”
“Always trust that you have the willingness to learn.”

Title: You Are A Mogul; How to Do the Impossible, Do It Yourself, & Do It Now
Author: Tiffany Pham
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Copyright: 2018
ISBN: 978150119855

Books

Get Money

Read: Yes
Difficulty: II
Quick Review: Kristin Wong writes about finances in the most approachable way possible. She doesn’t overwhelm you or make you feel stupid while comprehensively covering everything from basic savings to investments and taxes.

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I can’t recommend this book enough. Especially for the millennials who are entering and working through adulthood. I was lucky enough to have parents who taught me about finances, but, in adulthood, I have realized so many of my peers have not been so lucky. Which is a shame because money is a huge part of our lives… Usually something we struggle with because it’s money or we don’t have enough of it or whatever.

Kristin Wong has tons of experience with money because she writes about it for all the biggest outlets and she’s also human. Money is scary. Money can be depressing. Money can seem like a distant dream belonging to our favorite Instagrammers. She is unafraid to talk about the nitty gritty details without dumbing it down or making it too hard to understand.

Balance. The overarching theme of Get Money is balance; balance between savings and living. From the beginning of the book, Wong talks about the Oh Shit Cycle; us adults out there adulting are probably over familiar with this cycle of blame, shame, and a bit of depression. Wong gets to the real point of money, it’s personal. How we spend, save, and look at money is different with each person. She is consistent in pointing out in order to put your finances in order, you must look inward to your motivations, which takes time and work.

Money is rough, but it is a part of life. It is part of friendships and relationships. Who we are is intrinsically linked with money. Wong understands this and so much more. She gets money. No pun intended. She wants her readers to understand money and the choices they have. Banks. Everyone needs one. What we don’t realize: we have options. Wong wants her readers to know they have options. She does not want anyone to be blinded by their fears and reservations of money.

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Things included in Get Money that you need to know/Reasons to buy her book: a) credit scores are confusing b) taxes c) compound interest for the good and the bad d) savings e) IRA, 401k, what? f) debt g) financial advisers h) negotiating incomes/interest/anything. You need it!

The book is organized into three sections covering about every aspect of money issues normal (non-financial sector) people need to know. There are work spaces throughout, so you can make plans and complete the exercises. If you’re awkward or shy like I am, Wong includes advice and scripts for calling to negotiate with insurance companies, banks, etc. She gamifies money/reading into levels, so you can level up instead of dealing with boring old chapters. Advice from other financial experts is scattered throughout, as well as, outside information and resources. If you’re wanting to put her words to work and use it as a guide to getting your money in order, it’s not a quick read. Although, I would suggest reading it all at once, and then going back using it as a personal game plan.

Kristin Wong is competent, funny, motivating, helpful, understanding, and human. I don’t want financial advice from someone scary, and she is anything but scary. Her book is fun to read and informative. Everyone and anyone can learn something from her.

Memorable Quotes:
“If you’re bad with money, take solace in the fact that you’re not stupid, you’re just human.”
“Sticking to your budget is really about sticking with your goal.”
“Sex is an awkward topic, but based on my experience, money is leaps and bounds more taboo.”
“If you want to stick to your budget and goals, learning to spend consciously, with a purpose, is a must.”

Title: Get Money; Live the Life You Want Not Just the Life You Can Afford
Author: Kristin Wong
Publisher: Hachette Book Group, Inc.
Copyright: 2018
ISBN: 9780316515658

 

Books

Gracious

Read Yes
Length 256
Quick Review A comprehensive overview on how to be gracious… Or, as I would phrase it, being gracious is easy but takes a little bit of thought, and if you have a hard time being a good person, this will help you get there. It’s also incredibly funny in an honest kind of way. 

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Full of unwaivering grace, humor, and optimism, Kelly Williams Brown forgoes asterisks for pineapples. This is just the beginning of all the wonderful tidbits, side notes, anecdotes, interviews, opinions, and solicited (because you’re reading it sans force, hopefully) advice. I had high hopes after her debut best selling book Adulting, and she exceeded my expectations: Brilliant!

Gracious is an important book on how to be a decent, if not good, person in this world full of hardships and less than pleasant cohabitants. Brown spent, what I imagine to be, a good amount of time talking to the gracious people surrounding her; from those she’s looked up to since childhood to those she encountered through her career. Giving credit where credit is due, she mentions so many beautifully souled people I wish I knew.

She writes exceptionally well. Maybe it’s because I connect so thoroughly to her topics (shameless plug: I wrote a thing about living through kindness before I read her book, but KWB did it so much better. You can read it if you want at: Living Out of Kindness). Basically, I think we could be best friends because reading her book is like having a one way conversation with your close friend over cake and adult beverages on a comfy couch. She has a remarkable sense of candid humor. Fearlessly Gracious tackles awkward situations such as how to be gracious when a lover (teehee) spends the night. Let’s be honest, there is no guide book on how to make that not awkward, so tips on grace are always welcome.

Gracious is a straightforward easy read with an incredible amount of depth and brevity. Vacation season is just around the corner, so if you have a beach or pool in your future, this will be the perfect companion.

I will recommend Kelly Williams Brown to anyone and everyone. Go buy it; link is below! Or it is available at Target, in case, you are out of toilet paper and going on a late night run today. I’ve never been there…

Side note about the publisher. I love that Rodale is eco friendly; meaning Gracious was printed on acid-free recycled paper. So buying this book is good for the environment! She’s even gracious in publishing.

Memorable Quotes
“It’s a word that is both feminine and divine, unlike most ancient feminine words, which often seem to be something along the lines of root vegetable/soil/something to put a penis into, etc.”
“The 1800’s, ladies and gentlemen! Definitely not as long ago as we’d like.”
“Our lives are filled with beeps that don’t stop, and each time we hear that sound, we hear that someone needs us, which means we exist.”

Title: Gracious; A Practical Primer on Charm, Tact, and Unsinkable Strength
Author: Kelly Williams Brown
Publisher: Rodale, Inc.
Copyright: 2017
ISBN: 9781623367978