Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

The encouraging message that went viral is now in a cute book with more friends

Koupen-chan & You: Words of Encouragement from Japan's Positive Penguin by Rurutea

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I have seen this adorable little penguin on some things but never knew that it had a name or that recently they had a book come out called Koupen-chan & You: Words of Encouragement from Japan’s Positive Penguin by Rurutea. When I found this book as an online reader copy (though it is available currently), I figured I would look at a few pages (as it was nearly 300 pages). What started as a “few pages” turned into “all the pages” read. Now, it is […]

Motivational & Inspirational, but fun

Worry Lines: You're Doing Really Well Given the Circumstances by Worry Lines

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Humor and seriousness mixed together create a “mindfulness” read without being pretentious or preachy in Worry Lines: You’re Doing Really Well Given the Circumstances by Worry Lines. There is cake, potatoes, advice, and affirmations, so a little something for everyone, broken down into sections to help you have a little organizing. Fast pace, but take your time, as it is the journey here and the end results. Due in May 2024 this laugh out loud, little too close to home, and even a bit helpful, […]

The Good Life is not the goods life.

Post-Growth Living: For an Alternative Hedonism by Kate Soper

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Kate Soper’s Post-Growth Living is split in two. It’s about environmentalism and true human flourishing. It’s about doing the right and also pragmatism. This isn’t a pie in the sky philosophy book – it looks at where we are right now and how we can change our thinking and therefore our action in order to build a more sustainable and happy future. In some ways this book could make more enemies than friends – Soper goes after our current cultural desire for more more more. […]

How we make our own unhappiness

The Situation Is Hopeless, But Not Serious: The Pursuit of Unhappiness by Paul Watzlawick

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This is a self-help book for people who scoff at self-help books. A guide through complex issues for people who claim they don’t need a guide. It’s funny, clever and only slightly pretentious. In short: what popsci should be like. Paul Watzlawick was an Austrian psychologist whose main field was human interaction/communication and its complexities. He introduces his theories in this book as well, how we communicate on two planes for example, one object based and one relationship based and how it makes clear communication […]

cbr12bingo – Happy!

Medallion Status: True Stories from Secret Rooms by John Hodgman

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“Hey, it’s John Hodgman!” John Hodgman used to spend a considerable amount of time on TV. He’s played, in his words, all sorts of “sexless weirds” in TV and commercials alike. He spent time on The Daily Show as, among other things, a deranged billionaire. He left his Daily Show role behind as Trump rose to power, as there is nothing funny anymore about criminally insane rich people.  He isn’t spending too much time on TV at the moment; it’s been years since he was the PC of […]

If you want to be happy

Happier Now by Nataly Kogan

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I don’t read a lot of self help books, maybe a couple a year.  I decided to read Happier Now by Nataly Kogan, because who doesn’t want to be happier.  The book is a combination of her story and tips on how to be happier.  Nataly is a Russian Jewish refuge who came to this country during her middle school years.  She struggled with learning English and trying to fit in and achieve the “American Dream”.  She is successful, very successful, as an entrepreneur creating […]



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