Sum

Title: Sum: Forty Tales of the Afterlives
Author: David Eagleman
Genre: Modern Fiction / Philosophy
Pages: 128
Rating (out of 5 stars): *****
Reviewed by: Ben
Description: David Eagleman, a neuroscientist, writes 40 different vignettes of what the afterlife might be like.  In one version, you re-live your life but with events grouped together so that you sleep for 30 years straight, spend 200 days in the shower, five months on the toilet, and so forth.  In another, you find out that God created humanity but then lost control and is farming out the work of managing people's lives to individuals who have passed away.  Each chapter is only 2-3 pages long.
Thoughts: I really loved this book.  It is amazing how much the afterlife can teach you about THIS life, and Eagleman does a really amazing job of delivering a new insight or deep thought in an incredibly creative way by forcing you to consider what each type of afterlife would be like.  What if in the afterlife you were stuck in a room until no one remembered you any longer?  How would that change how you behave?  I found myself underling the last couple of paragraphs in nearly every single chapter, finding new thoughts that made me think about how I'm living.  Eagleman's book was so good not because he writes about what the afterlife will actually be like, but because each different afterlife made me thing about what my current life is all about.
Disclaimer: None.

Confessions of a Public Speaker

Title: Confessions of a Public Speaker
Author: Scott Berkun
Genre: Advice
Pages: 240
Rating (out of 5 stars): *** 1/2
Reviewed by: Ben
Description: Scott Berkun is a professional public speaker.  This book gives his advice on how to prepare and give a great talk, as well as advice on how to handle difficult situations and what to do when things go wrong.  It's also full of funny stories about public speaking.
Thoughts: I find myself doing a lot of public speaking in my career, so it seems worthwhile to try to get better at it.  Berkun's book had a lot of good advice, and it was fun to read as well.  I really liked that it didn't come off as preachy at all, but more, "I've made a whole bunch of mistakes; hopefully you can learn from some of them."  Berkun is pretty funny as well, which is always a plus.  At the end of the day, I didn't come away with any earth-shattering new advice, but all of it was solid and helpful.
Disclaimer: Maybe a few swear words in this one, but not much.

Quiet

Title: Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking
Author: Susan Cain
Genre: Behavioral Psychology
Pages: 368
Rating (out of 5 stars): ***1/2
Reviewed by: Ben
Description: Susan Cain's goal in this book is to dispel misconceptions about what introverts are, to remove any negative stigma there might be out there about introverts, and to try to convince the world that we should not cater only to extroverted types.  Laced with lots of anecdotes and scientific research, she tries to champion introverts in the same way that feminists began to be advocated for back in the 60s.
Thoughts: I loved the topic and the content of this book, and I really think that everyone should read it.  Whether you're and introvert or not (and you may be one without even knowing it!), this book is full of useful information that might change the way you structure your life, or at least make you more understanding of how others choose to structure theirs.  It has totally helped me understand better what motivates and energizes me. (I'm a total introvert, for the record.  Like, 100%)  My only complaint with the book is the tone.  It's written almost as a manifesto.  Cain is very upfront that she wants to spark a social movement for introverts similar to how the feminist movement was partially sparked by Betty Freidan's The Feminine Mystique.  To me, the book came off a little bit too much as a "Rah! Rah! Introverts are amazing!  Extroverts just don't get it!" kind of a message, despite it being chock full of really great insights.  In my view, she would have been more effective is she had just kept it more informational and let the reader decide what to do with the information.  But, you should read the book, and just ignore the tone.
Disclaimer: None.

The Road

Title: The Road
Author: Cormac McCarthy
Genre: Modern Fiction
Pages: 287
Rating (out of 5 stars): ****
Reviewed by: Ben
Description: In a post-apocalyptic world, a man and his son are barely staying alive.  Due to some worldwide destruction (that is never specified), nothing grows and ash is constantly falling from gray skies.  Meanwhile, the man and his son travel along the road, hoping to find a better place, hoping that they can find enough food to last for a few more days, and hoping that they meet no one else along the way.
Thoughts: This is a book that will stick with me for a long time.  I couldn't figure out why anyone would write such a book for most of it; it's just so dark and depressing nearly all of the time.  Is it a commentary on how humans are essentially animals?  On how easily our society could come apart?  On the human spirit's amazing drive to survive?  Yes, it's about all of those.  But, when you come right down to it, this is a book about a father who knows he can't protect his son from the hard, dark things of this world, no matter how much he wants to.  And that certainly resonated with me.  Aside from the themes of the book, I also loved the writing style.  It felt almost like Hemingway to me, and I really like to read Hemingway.  All in all, I would definitely recommend it.  And, I must say, that despite how dark the book it, I do think that its main message is one of hope.
Disclaimer: There is some bloodshed in this book, and probably a swear word or two.  Mostly, though, it's just a mature-themed book.