Cormac McCarthy – The Road (2006)

Apr 03, 2009 by Mr. Nau In this Pulitzer-winning novel, a man and his young son travel through a stark post-apocalyptic world and try to avoid unimaginable danger, desperate bandits, and the omnipresent possibility of starvation. The writing style Cormac McCarthy employs here is sparse, minimalistic, and fragmented, which brings the story to life. Grade: […]

Pavel Tsatsouline – Enter the Kettlebell (2006)

Feb 14, 2009 by Mr. Nau Pavel Tsatsouline, a former trainer in the Soviet special forces, introduced the kettlebell, an indispensible tool in Russian strength training, to the United States. In this simple program, he teaches the exercises that build hard muscle — the swing, snatch, Turkish get up, clean and press — with his […]

Pavel Tsatsouline – Power to the People (1999)

Feb 08, 2009 by Mr. Nau Pavel Tsatsouline introduces old school Soviet strength training methods in this entertaining manual, which details an effective strength training plan involving only a few simple barbell exercises. It’s a minimalist program that plays up a Soviet Army sense of humor and offers a refreshing no-excuses course in building strength. […]

Jim Johnson – The Sixty Second Motivator (2006)

Jan 25, 2009 by Mr. Nau Physical therapist, Jim Johnson, walks us through a pair of simple methods for motivating ourselves and other people in this very short book, written from the narrative perspective of a physical therapist in training, seeing how the “sixty second motivator” works his magic in getting reluctant patients to follow […]

John C. Maxwell & Les Parrot – 25 Ways to Win with People (2005)

Jan 21, 2009 by Mr. Nau Motivational speaker, John C. Maxwell, gives lessons in people skills in this short little book primarily written by a psychologist, Les Parrot, Ph.D. The maxims are very helpful, although some of the anecdotes and illustrative examples seem gimmicky and contrived. Much of the advice here is grounded in common […]

Twyla Tharp – The Creative Habit (2005)

Jan 14, 2009 by Mr. Nau Internationally-renowned choreographer, Twyla Tharp, gives her readers a roadmap to building a creative habit and crafting that into successful artistic ventures in this astonishing eye-opener. Her insight into habitual creativity is refreshing and her advice extraordinarily useful. Full of illuminating anecdotes, this primer is essential for anyone creative. Grade: […]

Josh Waitzkin – The Art of Learning (2008)

Jan 07, 2009 by Mr. Nau Josh Waitzkin, former World Junior Chess Champion, tells the story of his love affair with chess, his application of the principles that made him an international master to everyday life, and the acquisition and mastery of martial arts. Most of his advice is practical tips on going from good […]

Larry Winget – It’s Called Work for a Reason (2007)

Oct 21, 2008 by Mr. Nau Larry Winget, the pit bull of personal development, opens up with both barrels in this blunt productivity book. The reason we have frustrations at work is because we don’t understand what we’re doing there and waste time on nonsense. He has no-holds-barred advice for employees and managers alike. Grade: […]

Timothy Ferriss – The 4-Hour Workweek (2007)

Sep 13, 2007 by Mr. Nau This book, targeted at cubicle monkeys and other corporate malcontents, gives straight-forward advice about creating opportunities to escape from meetings, the office, and even the country. While the author lays it on a little thick sometimes, his book is so stuffed with incredible information that it warrants multiple reads. […]

S. M. Stirling – Dies the Fire (2004)

Aug 12, 2007 by Mr. Nau Weighing in at nearly 600 pages, this epic post-apocalyptic action yarn is perhaps a little too long. The author is clearly fascinated with the Wiccans — including tedious descriptions of their lifestyle — and has crafted an engrossing page turner in which some plot points seem just a little […]

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