The good part of recovering from minor surgery.

[MikeK]

It gives you a chance to sit down and spend some time reading.

A few books that I've been reading over the last 2 weeks.

Finally finished Code of the Street: Decency, Violence, and the Moral Life of the Inner City by Elijah Anderson.
Rory mentioned this one a while back and it was quite good.

The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene
I've heard people talking about this book on the web for a while. This book makes The Prince look like a feel good book from Oprah's book club. One reviewer summed it up pretty good when he wrote.
1. For attack: To gain power, as have others who have carefully observed the Laws;

2. For defense: To be aware of ways that people may be trying to manipulate you.

Highly recommended, but not a pleasant read.

And finally
Guests of the Ayatollah: The Iran Hostage Crisis: The First Battle in America's War with Militant Islam by Mark Bowden

Just started this one but it's sucked me in quick.

[IJ]

I thought the benefit was the Percocet. Not true?

Does the book on power include different perspectives on manipulation, such as the friendly kind of forming consensus and inviting opposing views, or is it the more cutthroat stuff? Much of that nastiness can be avoided by finding the right job.

[MikeK]

It's pretty neutral. It's also one of the things that makes the book hard to take. Greene doesn't give any moral opinions one way of the other, he just presents the idea followed by some stories and some additional information on the topic.

[Icebladeraptor9]

The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene
I've heard people talking about this book on the web for a while. This book makes The Prince look like a feel good book from Oprah's book club. One reviewer summed it up pretty good when he wrote.
1. For attack: To gain power, as have others who have carefully observed the Laws;

2. For defense: To be aware of ways that people may be trying to manipulate you.

Highly recommended, but not a pleasant read.

48 Laws of Power is an excellent book, I've read one of Greene's others, The Art of Seduction, and I am planning on diving into his other book, 33 Strategies of War very soon.

[RA Miller]

Mike- didn't know about the surgery. Hope everything is healing and you are well.

Rory

[MikeK]

Thanks Rory, I appreciate it. It was just getting a hernia fixed, so nothing major. The recovery from day one has been great. I also can't complain much as the weather here has been very nice and I had a stack of good books to read through. Today it's back to work, and a few weeks from now it's back to training.