Drive by Daniel Pink

Humans have evolved through the years but the some of the ways we do things have not. While it made sense to reward good behavior and punish bad behavior in the Industrial age, it is now the Information age and such motivation techniques do not apply as much. In this easy-to-read yet engaging work of nonfiction, Daniel Pink examines a more appropriate way to motivate people today. Calling it “Motivation 3.0,” he puts forth a paradigm in which people are driven to do things for the sake of their love of the task, the opportunity to grow as people and the satisfaction of serving a greater purpose.

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Ignore Everybody: and 39 Other Keys to Creativity by Hugh MacLeod

If The Gnoll Credo is life-changing, then Ignore Everybody is eye-opening. I read this book and I realized that the jaded office drone in me, who had been dreaming of pursuing the arts as a job for seven years, had been missing the point completely. Cartoonist and author Hugh MacLeod has composed over one hundred pages of advice on how to cultivate one’s innovative abilities. He draws upon his experience in both the office and the arts to produce a list of forty pieces of advice, wisdom, recommendations and soft skills that will benefit mostly the creative types but everyone overall. I recommend this easy-to-read volume of guidelines to anyone with even a shred of creativity that lurks in their veins.

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The Gnoll Credo by J. Stanton

I try my hardest never to describe something as “life-changing” because it is an overstatement that is also overused. When I finished reading The Gnoll Credo and recommended it to a peer, I caught myself telling him that it was “life-changing.” A work of fiction that was written by pioneer of the Paleo community J. Stanton, it tells the story a man who gets to know a certain member of a species of anthropomorphic hyenas, known as Gnolls. This gnoll, named Gryka, teaches him about the Gnolls’ way of living, and he learns valuable lessons about life that humans have forgotten as time and technology has advanced. This book gave me a lot to think about, influenced my interest in Taoism and can be described simply by using the following two words – read it.

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The Last Apprentice, Book 1: Revenge of the Witch by Joseph Delaney

There are many book series, meant for children, that adults enjoy just as much. Joseph Delaney’s Last Apprentice series is the one I prefer. It’s about a boy who takes on an apprenticeship with the local man who acts as exterminator to paranormal pests. Together, they battle witches, ghosts and monsters. The book is 300-plus pages of adventure, horror and easy-to-read fun.

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The Perfect Health Diet by Paul Jaminet and Shou-Ching Shih Jaminet

This book is mentioned on a frequent basis among the paleo community and for good reasons. The authors – a husband-and-wife team of scientists – present a LOT of information about nutrients, what they do for your body and how to get the optimal amount from which foods. The tinkerer – the person who likes to really understand the nitty-gritty of things and get “under the hood” – will enjoy this book. It is only necessary to read one book about the paleo diet, but if you are going to read more than one, make this your third.

“Against the Grain: How Agriculture Has Hijacked Civilization” by Richard Manning

This book is recommended by J. Stanton, who wrote The Gnoll Credo. After “going paleo,” the next logical step that many people take is to develop a dislike of agriculture for how it shaped the less-than-ideal society of today. With this book, author Richard Manning cites historical and anthropological evidence that support said dislike. While certain parts contain a lot of information that may be difficult to process all at once, this book fascinates and provokes thought.

“Why We Get Fat: And What to Do About It” by Gary Taubes

The paleo diet antagonizes grains, carbohydrates and sugar. Journalist Gary Taubes tells you why in 200 pages while cleverly balancing historical evidence and biological facts. Written with the scientific amateur in mind, this book reads with ease, inspires the reader and concludes with a call to action that will result in good health. If you only read one book about the paleo diet, read this one.

Welcome

Hello, and welcome to Literary Afterthought. You will find book reviews here that are of perfect length and detail for today’s busy society. Please stay tuned while we publish the first round of posts. Have a great day!