"Happy Money: The Japanese Art of Making Peace with Your Money" by Ken Honda

Quick Book Review: “Happy Money: The Japanese Art of Making Peace with Your Money” by Ken Honda

I was hoping this book would be a nice combination of Zen philosophy and financial management, and that’s what it was, I suppose. He makes some good points about how your attitude toward money is derived from how your parents dealt with money issues, and helps you understand how money can generate thoughts of fear, stress, anxiety, and anger in…

Read more

"The Lonely City: Adventures in the Art of Being Alone" by Olivia Laing

Quick Book Review: “The Lonely City: Adventures in the Art of Being Alone” by Olivia Laing

A really fabulous book about the loneliness you can feel when you live in New York City.  The book is a very insightful meditation on being alone, with the author discussing New York artists whose work reflects that loneliness.  There are great sections on these artists, most of whom I was familiar with (Warhol, Hopper, Basquiat, Klaus Nomi) and some…

Read more

"Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now" by Jaron Lanier

Quick Book Review: “Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now” by Jaron Lanier

The title of this book is much more compelling than the book itself.  The author hails from Silicon Valley, and his philosophizing about the evils of social media, while they make sense, ring a bit hollow to me.   Really nothing earth shattering about his list of reasons.  Too much jargon, too much fake philosophy for me.  I do think he’s…

Read more

How I Spent My Winter 2019 Pt.4 – Bangkok (the next day…)

For Day 2, the itinerary was lighter:  A visit to another temple (Wat Suthat), and then a local park, and then finish the day strolling through Bangkok’s extensive Chinatown. First, I chowed down at the hotel’s excellent buffet.  I took a tuk-tuk to Wat Suthat, just north of Chinatown.   Wat Suthat is one of the city’s most beautiful and biggest…

Read more

Art in Amsterdam

How I Spent My Winter 2019 Pt.2 – Amsterdam (later that week…)

Udi, my Amsterdam buddy for over 20 years, was exceptionally busy, trying to wrap up all of his work assignments and projects before leaving for vacation – a 30-day excursion to Vietnam, Bali, and Malaysia.   But he put aside enough time for us to see a hilarious play at the Stadshuistheater (Husbands and Wives, based on the Woody Allen movie…

Read more

Mission Rabies Goa – Chapter 11: Recharging our Batteries

The Mission Rabies vaccination drive is exhilarating, but it’s physically taxing work.  You wake up early and spend nearly the entire day chasing down dogs, in stifling heat and humidity.  Fortunately, the Mission Rabies folks provided us with the opportunity to recharge our batteries after the first week, by arranging a relaxing, meditation retreat for the volunteers.  On Saturday morning,…

Read more

Pin It on Pinterest