Sample Saturday is when I wade through the eleventy billion samples I have downloaded on my Kindle. I’m slowly chipping away and deciding whether it’s buy or bye.
The Fun Habit by Mike Rucker
Why I have it: Mari Andrew referred to it in one of her blog posts.
Summary: Examines the idea that the more we seek happiness, the more elusive it becomes, and that ‘fun’ is largely absent from our modern lives.
I’m thinking: Yes.
Swimming Pretty by Vicki Valosik
Why I have it: Appeared on one of the 2024 ‘best of’ lists.
Summary: “If you’re not strong enough to swim fast, you’re probably not strong enough to swim ‘pretty,’” said a young Esther Williams to impresario Billy Rose. From vaudeville tank shows to the Olympic arena, a history of how women found synchronicity – and power – in water.
I’m thinking: Yes.
Slow Productivity by Cal Newport
Why I have it: Was one of the books I’d been looking forward to last year.
Summary: Our current definition of ‘productivity’ pushes us to treat busyness as a proxy for useful effort. We’re overwhelmed by all we have to do and on the edge of burnout, left to decide between giving into soul-sapping hustle culture or rejecting ambition altogether. But are these really our only choices? Newport examines ‘slow productivity’ as an approach to pursuing meaningful accomplishment.
I’m thinking: Yes.
I have a habit of reading about habits! 😉I haven’t read the productivity book but I heard an interview with the author on a podcast and got excited enough about it to get a copy for MrBIP. He liked it, fine he said, but he preferred others on the topic in the end. (IIRC his objection was that the author’s examples were a little same-y.)
i agree that sometimes these sorts of books become a little too niche and therefore the examples are stretched.
The Newport sounds interesting…
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