The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

Title: The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

Author: Barbara Robinson

Pages:96

Genre: Children's Fiction

Grade: B

Synopsis: Everybody knows their roles in the upcoming Christmas Pageant, they've played the same roles or similar roles for years.  But when the usual director breaks her leg and a family of incorrigible children begins to show up to rehearsals (they heard there were treats).  Because of the new kids, everything with the pageant turns out different than it has in the past.

My Review: This was a nice book to read just before Christmas.  It was Alison's book club selection for the month.  I think Alison read it ti Ada, and she is just about the perfect age to enjoy it.

The Origin of Species

Title: The Origin of Species

Author: Charles Darwin

Pages: 576

Genre: Non-fiction

Grade: B

Synopsis: This book took Charles Darwin more than 20 years to produce.  He left on the Beagle in 1831 as a geologist and naturalist and formed his theory of natural selection based upon his discoveries and observations.  Many of Darwin's predictions on natural selection and evolution have since been proven as factual as additional research and investigation has taken place.

My Review:  I found this book to be more readable (or in my case, listenable) than I expected.  I generally understood the discussions and chapters and found myself even enjoying many of them.  As you can imagine, this book does get bogged down in the details, but that is also one of the more impressive parts of Darwin's theories.  What really struck me in the book was Darwin's genius.  To make the observations and connections that Darwin made required pure genius.

How to Win Friends and Influence People

Title: How to Win Friends and Influence People

Author: Dale Carnegie

Pages: 320

Genre: Self-help

Grade: B+

Synopsis: First written in 1936, Dale Carnegie's book is a collection of tips, tricks and anecdotes about being more likeable, being a leader and helping people that you interact with to feel needed and important.  Simple ideas, such as being a good listener and talking about your own mistakes prior to criticizing another person.

My Review: This is a book that I've been interested in reading for quite a few years, so I was happy when I found it at the DI or a garage sale (I don't recall exactly).  It's a book that I'd like to read every few years; at least the first half of the book, the second half wasn't quite as engaging.

Predicatbly Irrational

Title: Predictably Irrational

Author: Dan Ariely

Pages: 384

Genre: Non-fiction

Grade: A-

Synopsis: This book investigates how we make decisions and how we think that we are in control of our lives, yet in many situations it is easy to predict how we are going to act.  Dan Ariely is a behavioral economist from MIT who has designed and implemented a ton of different experiments to try and figure out the process of decision making.  As noted on the book jacket, "We consistently overpay, underestimate, and procrastinate. We fail to understand the profound effects of our emotions on what we want, and we overvalue what we already own. Yet these misguided behaviors are neither random nor senseless. They're systematic and predictable — making us predictably irrational."

My Review: I found this book very fascinating.  There were plenty of times when I thought to myself, there is no way that I would act like that (or do that), but the experimental proof is nearly inarguable.  The fact of the matter is, is that we as humans are a bunch of suckers.  Hopefully, though, we can start to realize when we are being taken advantage of so that we can start to take control of our lives and decisions.

Just a couple of weeks after finishing this book I came across an interesting article in Wired by Dan Ariely "How Online Companies Get You to Share More and Spend More."  Give it a read!