Books I read in November: Reviews and Recommendations

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Here are books I recently read:

Catch me if you Can by Frank Abagnale Jr.

Rating: 9/10

Review:

Frank Abagnale’s autobiography is engaging and honestly, hard to believe! Before he turned 21 – Frank posed as a Pan Am pilot and traveled the world, he then passed the bar and became a lawyer, he forged transcripts and was a doctor for an entire year in Atlanta, then taught summer classes at Brigham Young! He lived large on stolen money. He now works to keep others from doing the same.

I would have loved for him to share more about the change that happened on the inside that caused him to change on the outside. I know he became a man of faith, is married and has 3 sons. He doesn’t share much about life out of prison and I’d be curious to hear about it. Maybe it’s in another book? Overall, it was a fun book to read.

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Be the Bridge by LaTasha Morrison

Rating: 9/10

Review: The author weaves together the past and the present to lead the reader on a path to reconciliation. Unlike many books, this one will leave you empowered to make forward progress toward justice in a healthy and Biblical way.

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George Washington by Janet Benge

Rating: 10/10

Review:

My 13 year old son (George) and I read this ‘George Washington’ biography together and now George wishes his middle name was Washington. We have so much admiration and respect for our first president. He was a true patriot who worked tirelessly to create, protect, and lead the United States of America.

Did you know George Washington decided the leader of our country should be called “The President of the United States” and “Mr. President” for short?

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Positivity by Barbara Frederickson

Rating: 9/10

Review: Couldn’t we all use a little more positivity in 2020? This book teaches you how to reduce negativity and increase positivity in your life!

Here are some gold nuggets from the book:

• Things that cultivate positivity include love, inspiration, amusement, pride, hope, interest, serenity, gratitude and joy. 
• Positivity strengthens your connections with others, seeing ‘we’ instead of me. It inspires you to do what’s right for others which inspires others to do the same. 
• Positivity is your birthright. Just like ice can change to water by warming up the environment. You can increase your positivity by warming up your emotional climate. 
• When you change the course of your thinking, you change the course of your emotions. (I wrote a blog post similar to this here)
• If you feel good, you do good. When we increase positivity, we are not only happier, but we are more resilient, productive, creative and becoming a better an all around person. 
• One scientifically proven way to stop negativity is to dispute negative thinking. Replace negative thoughts with truth/facts. When you take in the facts – really take them in – you breath easier.  (Click here for a blog post I wrote on believing truth vs. lies)
• We change our eating habits to help us feel better. Why don’t we change what we are reading, watching and listening to for the same reason! 
• You can’t FORCE yourself into positivity just by saying “Be positive,” but there are actions you can take to increase your positivity by: Doing more of what you love; Practicing mindfulness: being completely present in the moment. Getting outside. Even a 20 minute walk can boost your positivity. Connecting with another human. The tie between flourishing and enjoying good social relations is so strong and reliable that scientist called it a necessary condition for flourishing. 

Just like you count your calories to lose weight, or watch your money, you can track your positive to negative thoughts and feelings so that you can start tipping the scale in the positive direction. 

For more info, visit PositivityRatio.com. 

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Dad’s Eye View: 52 Adventures in the Twin Cities

Rating: 10/10

Review: Because this book was written for “Dads,” I wouldn’t have picked it up in the store. However, someone gave it to me and the subtitle was intriguing. For a Minnesota Newbie who LOVES adventures – this book was amazing. It had so many fun ideas of places to explore with your kids. If you live in the Twin Cities and want to take your kids on some unique adventures around town, this book is for you.

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I Never Had It Made by Jackie Robinson

Rating: 9/10

Review: Our family watched the movie 42 recently and thought it was excellent. It made me curious about Jackie Robinson, so I checked out his autobiography from the library. I really admire how this man gave his all to fight for what he believed it. Sometimes that fight was by staying silent and playing great baseball, and sometimes it meant speaking out for equal rights. Great book!

What have you been reading? Leave me a comment!

Click here for 7 tips for more joy!

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