The Moor's Tale

‘The Moor’s Account,’ by Laila Lalami

Unexpected delightful book. This book Of historical fiction,fiction which I haven't read for a while, is the story based in 1527 approximately the Spanish voyage across the ocean to America the exploration into Texas (laFlorida) the disastrous results of the expedition, eventual survival and exploits of four who survive, all told from the view of a Moorish slave. the Castilian conquistador Pánfilo de Narváez and a crew of 600 men sailed from Spain to the Gulf Coast of the United States to claim “La Florida” for the Spanish crown. You get to relive the exploits of Europeans as they conquered the rest of the world claiming it for their own destroying everything that existed. They're utter disregard for humanity, civilizations, and peoples.

But the unique point of view of the narrator being from Morocco and Muslim made  the book intriguing and interesting and revelatory. The stories of life we construct. The stories of life we perceive. The stories of life that are intertwined from other points of view. Makes me consider what stories do I tell my children, what stories will my grandchildren tell of me, and of the necessity of me to share my stories.

Not a great book but a good book. Worth the time, and worth pondering about.

Unbroken

Unbroken by Laura Hildebrand

Well I'm late to reading this book the history of Louis Zampa rainy and of World War II. It's a book that was printed in 2010 and is currently being ready to be put into a movie.it's relatively quickly quick read so I rented over the weekend.

I thought it was just a story of a World War II bomber who got shot down over the ocean and survived a long stint floating adrift in the ocean. And turned out to be much more. Louis was a quality track runner prior to World War II. Book goes through his tumultuous childhood his finding track and running; and becoming a TrackStar; then signing up for the war.he becomes a bombardier on the B 24 ends up getting shot down over the pacific ocean and set adrift. History would be an incredible story of resilience of the human mind body and spirit if all he did was survive this over 30 days adrift and thousands of miles floating on the Pacific ocean. But as it turns out, he's taken as a prisoner of war in Japan , And is forced to endure horrendous treatment just violent abusive physically and emotionally and mentally but he endures. At the end of the war, He is a liberated returns stateside a damaged man suffering posttraumatic syndrome and nightmares totally disfunctional and then fails to cope with everyday life. That too but itself would be compelling story what he had to endure the resilience of the human mind body and spirit. His ultimate triumph to my surprise was a religious redemption, brought about by attendance and revival withBilly Graham. Louis finds the Savior and redemption and then the rest of his life through doing good. His burden is lifted and he is able to see life through a clear vision, Forgive those who abused him, and move forward.

It is not an exquisitely well-written book but it is a compelling story. No it is not man's search for meaning by Frankel. But it is every bit as compelling it's a quick read and i recommend it. Known fact I almost didn't finish reading the book when he became a drunk and was abusing his wife and I thought it was going to end on such a negative note. But then I finished the book and once again found hope and redemption.

The Checklist Manifesto, by Atul Gawandee

The checklist manifesto

By Atul Gawandee

The nice thing about living near a library is that on a rainy weekend, or a sunny day on the beach, you can grab a book and learn something new. ThIs weekend I picked up The Checklist Manifesto. It's a quick read but an interesting read. It has a few insights that might be worthwhile - some gleaned from reviews. The book focuses on the usage of checklists in relation to a problem that afflicts virtually every aspect of the modern world–and that is how professionals deal with the increasing complexity of their responsibilities  of daily and professional life

Gawande suggests that people tend to fail for two main reasons. The first is ignorance – having only a partial understanding of the task in front of us. The second is ineptitude – instances where we have the knowledge but we fail to apply it correctly.

But it’s not ignorance that leads to mistakes in today’s world. We have access to more and more information and our knowledge base is growing every day in every field. It’s the complexity of our world that is increasing, making it more difficult to deploy our knowledge predictably and routinely - like a weekly preprint or massive catalog. We need a strategy that builds on experience and takes advantage of the immense knowledge we all have in our brains, and in our hands, but also makes up for our inevitable human inadequacies

As the complexity of the challenges, problems, and tasks we face increases, we can’t just rely on memory or our “routine” to help us perform at the highest level. Gawande points out that, “[checklists] remind us of the minimum necessary steps and make them explicit. They not only offer the possibility of verification but also instill a kind of discipline of higher performance.”

Gawande offers some tips for building good checklists:

Make them precise.

They should be efficient, to the point, and easy to use even in the most difficult situations.

Do not try to spell out everything.

Provide reminders of only the most critical and important steps – the ones that even highly skilled professionals using them could miss.

Above all, make sure they are practical.

“…Under conditions of complexity, not only are checklists a help, they are required for success. There must always be room for judgment, but judgment aided – and even enhanced – by procedure.”  

I“We have an opportunity before us, not just in medicine, but in virtually any endeavor. Even the most expert among us can gain from searching out the patterns of mistakes and failures and putting a few checks in place. But will we do it? Are we ready to grab onto the idea?”,

Here are three suggestions on how we can implement checklists more effectively:

1. Identify areas of opportunity: What areas of your business could benefit from a checklist? How could you begin to reduce the number of mindless mistakes that lead to unhappy customers, failed execution, or even something far worse?

2. Check your ego: Throughout the entire book, ego more than anything seems to be the largest obstacle to implementing checklists. Remember, they are not intended to undermine your intelligence or ability. They are a tool to combat the increasingly complex nature of our lives.

3. Curate: Not everything requires a checklist, nor are they effective for every situation. The key is using them only in the most essential places and to be diligent about making them practical and precise.

Make a checklist! 

Mink River

Mink  river brian doyle

 This is the second Brian Doyle's book I've read, should have read this before the plover but oh we'll. it   brings a town to life through the jumbled lives and braided stories of its people. I like the metaphor of 'Stitching stories together ' or to 'Embroider the story'. It gives it a feeling of craft and nurturing with a caring eye to arrive at the end point of resolution . I enjoyed his writing and story telling , though he could have left out the sex parts and not lost much at all of the story. 

There are a number of interesting  turn of phrases and thoughts  I enjoyed 

Thought. - Keep a list of things to know

Thought -Words swing and sing through her mind all the time in parades and poems 

Thought -You and I know that you get a set of tools and talents and experiences  and you have to meld them into your work. What you are here for 

Thought - Kindness humor curiosity used for healing

Thought -Seems like a blow but its a gift - your challenge is to find out what the gift is

Thought -There are doors and windows everywhere - bringing new light to our situations and offering new vistas and opportunities 

Review which captured some of my thoughts - quote -I can't help but cry. I'm crying for the people in the book who died, who were lost, who were injured. I'm crying because not everyone dies when they could have. I'm crying because some people heal. Because some children heal. And because some people get to have love, give love, remain in love, which is so beautiful to walk among, my footsteps causing no distraction. I'm crying, too, because for some there is no love. I now believe a crow can talk his wise thoughts in perfectly lucid English sentences,

Not really my own review but more of a collection of reactions by me