Assume the Worst

 Assume the Worst: The Graduation Speech You'll Never Hear by Carl Hiaasen 39 pp.

This is not the commencement speech you expect to hear. Hiaasen takes all those charming platitudes espoused for a happy, successful life after graduation and turns them on their heads. In essence, those very platitudes that one hears, "Live each day as if it were your last," and "If you set your mind to it, you can be anything you want to be," sound nice but in reality are not realistic. Most of us do our best to plod through life in a job that just manages to support us in the mundane way we've become accustomed. But this book isn't just dream crushing scenarios. It does end with some solid advice on living your life.

GuRu

 

GuRu by RuPaul 191pp.

RuPaul enters the world of self-help books with this collection of ways to eliminate your self-imposed limitations alternating with photos of RuPaul in fabulous drag glory. The advice is as simple as waking up and praying, meditation, and ways to stop self-sabotage in your career, monetarily, and in your daily life. There's nothing new or earth-shaking here but the photos of RuPaul are wonderful. 

Goodbye, Things

Goodbye, things / Fumio Sasaki, read by Keith Szarabajka, 288 pgs.

This book is by a guy who tells us his journey from unhappy materialist to happy minimalist.  He gives you hints, tips and delves into the philosophical concepts that support a minimal life style.  It isn't just getting rid of "things" but also attitudes.  What is holding you back today?  Sasaki believes it is "things" but also the ideas that we must be a certain way so we can impress others.  Once we shed the things and the attitude, we are open to a lot more happiness.

I listened to the audio version and I don't think the reader added much to the experience.

How to sew a button

How to sew a button and other nifty things your grandmother knew/Erin Bried 278 pg.

There were a few good hints in this book (cleaning, gardening) but I knew how to pack a sandwich for lunch. Still, a neat idea and the ladies who contributed sound like quite a group! - Christa