Emotion – DaneCobain.com

Title: Work Rules!

Author: Laszlo Bock

Type: Non-Fiction

Page Count/Review Word Count: 406

Rating: 3.5/5

Laszlo Bock – Work Rules

This book was interesting, but it also dragged a bit and got a little tedious towards the end. In fact, the only reason that I picked it up is because I had to write a review of it for a client, although with that considered it was actually pretty good. Bock used to work for Google and spearheaded many of their innovative HR campaigns, and in this book he shares his secrets on how they approached people management.

It’s interesting because they ran all sorts of different tests to see what worked and what didn’t. Many of their findings were counterintuitive, which Bock explains by comparing it to aircraft design during the war. The designers noticed that certain parts of the plane such as the wings and the tail were more likely to be damaged on the aircraft that were returning from combat, and so they focussed their attention on reinforcing the cockpit. Why? Because the planes that were damaged in the cockpit weren’t returning at all.

Because of all of this, it’s a pretty interesting read. It’s a masterclass in thinking outside the box and has a bunch of great ideas on how to keep people happy and engaged in the workplace. I just think it would have been more enjoyable if it had been 100 pages shorter, and I don’t think that Bock’s writing style did it any favours. It’s not that he’s a bad writer, it’s just that writing isn’t his main thing. He does a good job of conveying information here, but I’m not necessarily convinced that it flowed well or that it built up and conveyed a sense of emotion.

Still, if you want to learn how Google does things then there aren’t any better books than this one to help you to understand the way their minds work. Bock also sources pretty much everything he says and so there’s also a comprehensive appendix at the end if you want to read any further on any of the topics that are covered. I just wouldn’t recommend picking this up as your main read because it might put you in a bit of a slump. I read it a chapter at a time in bed and it worked out just perfectly.You can make of this review what you will. Read it or don’t bother!

Laszlo Bock

Click here to buy Work Rules!.

Charles Bukowski – Come On In! | Review

Title: Come On In!

Author: Charles Bukowski

Type: Poetry

Page Count/Review Word Count: 288

Rating: 4*/5

Charles Bukowski – Come On In!

This book is one of several collections that Charles Bukowski prepared to be published after his death, and so if you’ve read any of his work before then you’ll know roughly what to expect. But what’s interesting is that the work here is more introspective than usual, and it gives you an insight into a different side of him as he came to terms with old age and mortality.

Of course, there’s plenty of Bukowski’s wisdom along the way, and the whole book is eminently quotable. It even ends on the line “drink from the well of your self and begin again”, which I’ve seen online a bunch of times. That’s the thing with his work – it sums up life in a way that few other writers have been able to accomplish, and even if you can’t directly relate with the experiences that he talks about, you can damn well relate to the emotion.

Come On In! also has the benefit of being aesthetically pleasing – it looks great whether it’s in your hands or on your bookshelf. It’s produced with a high quality print on the inside and out, and Bukowski’s unique style plays with line breaks in a way that makes it both easy to read, quick to whizz through and attractive on the page. He’s the kind of writer who can make popping zits sound beautiful, although you’re more likely to find a whore or a horse race.