Some Thoughts on The Lost Symbol

So I just finished reading Dan Brown's 'The Lost Symbol'.  I was wanting to formulate an organized book report that ties everything together with a lovely introductory paragraph, thesis, conclusion, etc., but then I realized a) this blog isn't a 7th grade writing class assignment and b) I don't think I care enough to put in the time and effort to write that (nor do my readers care enough to put in the time and effort to read it).   So, with no further ado, a simple bulleted list of random thoughts/criticisms/opinions on said book.

Oh, before I do so....SPOILER(S) ALERT.

*Can we get our main character, Mr. Robert Langdon, a steady girlfriend?  Now, don't get me wrong - I realize these aren't romance novels.  If one read these books in order (Angels & Demons, The Da Vinci Code, The Lost Symbol), which I didn't, it appears as though first there's Victoria, then there's Sophie, now there's Katherine (although there's no outright romance between Katherine and Langdon, just some brief implications that it could possibly be there).  At the end of the Da Vinci Code, it seemed that Langdon was ending up with Sophie, who is now completely and totally absent.  He supposedly ended up with Victoria at the end of A&D, and if I remember correctly, there's a very brief reference to her and her absence in the DVC, but really, nothing is actually explained.  Don't get me wrong, I like the fact that Mr. Brown has chosen to create intelligent, successful, strong-minded women as Mr. Langdon's counterparts, as opposed to just one-dimensional trophies.  However, I don't like their supposed disposability.  I can only imagine if there's a fourth book, there will be a fourth chick.

*Granted, I read the DVC five years ago at this point and I can't say I vividly remember it.  However, what I don't remember is Robert Langdon being a complete and total moron.   That and I can't remember the lead-ins to each scene being so painfully obvious.  It seems as though there were so many moments like the following:
--some sort of conflict arises
--other character suggests: haven't you heard of xyz? (as a potential explanation to the previous conflict)
--Langdon:  Yeah, but duuuuhhhh, everyone knows that's just a rumor (I'm paraphrasing)
--xyz happens to be true (who'da thunk?)
--Langdon:  Ohhhh....
This scene plays out multiple times throughout the book.  After a while I wanted to reach in and smack Robert Langdon, if for no reason other than the fact that he should have learned from the fact that he'd just made this same mistake 15 pages ago.

*Katherine's whole field of research 'Noetic Science' could have been completely edited out with no loss to the novel whatsoever.  Granted, although the fact that she was in a line of scientific research may have served as important character development, Brown could have made her some kind of biologist/historian/engineer, not over-explained her job, and moved on with it.  Also, I was waiting for some moment when it all tied together in the story, but it oddly didn't, leaving it seeming purposeless in the book.  Perhaps it had a greater meaning within the story that got somehow *thankfully* edited out - I say this because something of Noetics reeked of 'The Secret'.  Shiver/gag.

*The very end of the book (which was a simple letdown) made me question if Dan Brown was somehow just really excited by the Obama campaign.  Judging based on the timing of the release of this book, and presuming when it was being written, only gives more evidence to this argument.

*I do not remember feeling this disturbed whilst reading the DVC.  Although, again, I read it a while ago and don't remember it as clearly, so I may be off on this.

*It was completely and utterly ridiculous that Peter Solomon, after all he'd been through in the night, was, at the end of the evening, in decent spirits talking about Masonic secrets.

*I do believe Dan Brown is possibly on track to become M. Night Shyamalan.  Or, perhaps, they are the same person.  Now THAT would make for a good twist.

I will probably add to this list as I think of more.  Your thoughts?  Agree?  Disagree?  Like the book?

Filene's Basement Wedding Dress Sale

So, today, the Chicago Sun-Times had one of its book sales. It looked a little like this....



Despite the pushing and shoving, I was able to get some good finds. For instance:



It will help give me material for my next Tina Fey impersonation. I couldn't help but think some of my coworkers were looking at me and possibly judging me, for it gave the appearance that I'm a 'Sarah' fan. This is why I sometimes hate buying books at public places, like bookstores. Unless it's a typical best-seller, someone is judging your choice and making assumptions about your personality. I always say the book I'm looking at is a gift for someone, even if it isn't. I, at first, loved amazon for the reason of buying books in private, UNTIL they started recommending books to me that 'I might like based on other books I've viewed'. Ugh. Anyhow. The goodness of a booksale can't be passed up for this reason alone. I got some other good shameful products while I was there, including....



In short - how to find your soulmate using THE SECRET....I look forward to panning it in a review shortly....

Also,



California Dreams Seasons 1 & 2. For nostalgia purposes alone...don't judge.

O Really?

A Million Little Pieces.
The Secret.
Barack Obama.

Don't doubt the Oprah effect people!!!

The Secret - Revisited

Ok, so two good friends brought up the subject of the book "The Secret" this past week.  I OBVIOUSLY can't resist revisiting it.

Ok, so I have some definite problems with the book/way of thinking, which I have outlined before in multiple posts, I know.  However, to summarize briefly - I have three main problems with the book.  1)  The notion that an individual has that level of control over one's own life.  2)  The absurd, arbitrary, ridiculous suggestions it makes as realistic steps toward achieving one's goals (i.e.  writing fake checks to oneself at a time one wants to better her own financial situation).  3)  The notion that the above suggestions actually work.  

I won't get into it any further.  I already have more than enough.  

Also, a several good friends have mentioned to me they've heard critiques similar to mine from various other sources - such as radio commentators, Amazon reviews, etc.  So my campaign is working.   I guess a combination of a couple things happened:  1)  People who think 'The Secret' is a load of crap got the courage to speak up and come forward.  2)  People who originally bought into 'The Secret' have reconsidered and reanalyzed the situation.  3)  People tried 'The Secret' and it didn't work (look at the general state of the country SINCE 'The Secret' has been on the bestseller list.  I rest my case.)

However - there is something I agree with about The Secret.  I agree with the idea of envisioning the life you want.  I agree with the notion that actually believing something can happen for you is an important step toward the goal.  So maybe I will take that away from this book for 2009; everything happens for a reason, and I didn't waste a couple hours of my life reading this book for nothing.  :)

Coach?

So I have come across, on several occasions, something pertaining to the occupation of 'life coach'.  

Needless to say, I am VERY cynical to this profession on the whole and those who think they are qualified to assume such a role.   

What exactly is a life coach?  What do they do?  More importantly, what makes one qualified to be a life coach?   How is it determined that, hey, you right there - you're more successful in life than 90% of the buffoons out there - you're qualified to tell others what they should be doing with their lives!!  Is it a certain amount of 'life experience' that makes one qualified to be a life coach?  I see 20 and 30-somethings claiming to be life coaches.   Is there any training to become a life coach?  I personally would think the training would be life itself - but we all have that experience of having lived life - what makes some of us grossly unqualified for the profession?   Is being a life coach solely a self-proclaimed accolade, or is there a formal certification process?  Are there a good amount of people out there going to 'life coaches'?  (Actually, I have no trouble believing this - those who feel desperately lost and searching will turn to anything that might be able to solve their problems, hence the success of cults, Rhonda Byrne's "The Secret", etc.)

I do believe several of those behind "The Secret" are self-proclaimed life coaches.  This doesn't add on any cynicism for me toward this subject matter; I already had plenty.

It's not the idea of a life coach that troubles me - it's the idea that some of my peers might be qualified to assume this role in my, or someone's, life.  I dare a life coach to offer up some advice to me.

(Editor's sidenote:  To find a picture for this blog, I googled 'Coach', but that only yielded handbags.  I then googled 'athlete coach' and immediately came upon the picture of Bela Karolyi and Kerri Strug.  Those who know me appreciate that I couldn't resist.)

I Made It!!!

So, at the beginning of the year, I made the goal to read 12 books for the year (one book a month pretty much).  I started out strong, finishing one book by the end of January, however, I seemed to hit a lull.  It was May and my book log was still at one; it didn't seem as though it was going to happen.  

However, I looked deep into my soul and channeled the spirit of a younger me.  Never one to give up on a goal, no matter how bleak things looked - I found my adrenaline to sprint to the end.  With almost two months to spare, I reached my goal.  I just might do a victory lap-book.  

My 12 books, in an attempted chronological order:

-- The Secret of The Secret  by Karen Kelly

-- Microtrends by Mark J. Penn

-- Debunked by Richard Roeper

-- If I'd Known Then edited by Ellyn Spragyn

-- Olive Kitteredge by Elizabeth Strout

-- Nerds:  Who They Are and Why We Need More of Them by David Anderegg

-- Aruba by Dave Holloway

-- Friend or Frenemy by Andrea Lavinthal and Jessica Rozler

-- The Tenth Circle  by Jodi Picoult

-- How to Get Sued by J. Craig Williams

-- Dear Zoe by Philip Beard

-- Slackonomics by Lisa Chamberlain

Piper, I hear you over there.  Reviews to come (if they haven't been published already).

Do You? I Do.

At this time of blogger's block, I recall an old conversation with my roommate.  It was on the subject of the school of thought that, if you're single and want to be dating someone, you should do things such as sleep on one side of the bed instead of in the middle to make room for another person in your life ('The Secret" presents this school of thought, although it didn't originate it.)

I went on to say that I already sleep on one side of the bed; well, I have to, because the stuffed animals take up the other side.  

I am curious to hear "The Secret" and others of this view's thoughts on this and how it might affect my dating life.  

Yes, I sleep with a stuffed animal.  Well, a couple.  Primarily, Heimlich of "A Bug's Life" (see above).   I do believe I'm the only adult who does so, but I don't care.  Does anyone else?  Thoughts?  

Positive Thinking - A Follow Up

Ok, so the other day I posted about the power of positive thinking (see below). There were so many comments with interesting points that I felt I needed to dedicate another blog post to it.

One issue raised was that even if, say, The Secret and other positive thinking theories don't work, is there any harm in believing in them? Isn't it good just to have something to believe in, whether or not it's real? (Think of the statistic that says people with religious beliefs are happier than those without.)

Well, with The Secret specifically - I see two major problems. One - this author does a very thorough job in covering her @ss in that she says her proposed theory is 100% effective for 100% of the population 100% of the time (pretty amazing, isn't it?!?!). Wait, what, The Secret didn't work for you?! You must have somehow done something wrong!! Wait, all of a sudden something bad happened to you? You must have somehow brought it on yourself!!

Imagine all the angst, stress, trauma and guilt this can cause a person - especially someone going through a rough time in the first place!! I can't see this self-blame being good for one's self-esteem, psyche, or ability to keep pushing through.

If that alone isn't bad enough, I think the second fundamental problem is much worse. Generally speaking, when one has a dilemma, he or she will work to find a solution; however, once one finds a solution, he or she will usually stop looking for it. I think The Secret, along with many other self-help books on the subject of the power of positive thinking, have positioned positive thinking as the solution.

Although positive thinking can be nice, it is action, not thought, that moves mountains. I do have a feeling anonymous is going to reply that these books don't tell their readers to stop at positive thinking alone, I do think perhaps a good amount of readers have interpreted them that way. I think the positive thinking craze has produced a society of thinkers when what we really need is a society of doers.

That, and another gripe is the notion that no one has ever succeeded without thinking positive. Although I'm sure there are a lot of successful people who will claim their mentality largely contributed to their success, haven't there also been instances of people taking the long shot - maybe throwing up a Hail Mary or taking the half-court shot at the buzzer that he or she thought didn't have a prayer and somehow, someway, emerged victorious?

Ana suggested that positive thinking might not be the real medicine, but what is? That I don't know. But I do know that one should keep searching until he or she finds it. And, in my opinion, this positive thinking movement hasn't helped that cause.

The Power of Positive Thinking?

Now, let me preface this post with the obvious (or at least, what is obvious to anyone who regularly reads my blog or knows me personally, or both):  I am a cynic. 

Let me speak for a moment on the matter of the idea of the power of positive thinking.  The concept has been around for a long time and has had a recent surge in popularity.  Think "The Little Engine that Could" (inset).  The book "The Secret".  Barack Obama and his message of "Hope".  

Now, you all know my feelings on "The Secret" and "Obama" - I'll have to reread the train book before making an informed comment on it.  I was perusing the amazon.com message boards and came across a comment that brought up that 'yes, the book (The Secret) is a total sham in terms of false promises and sleazy marketing techniques, however, is her message of positive thinking wrong?'

Hmm.  Is there anything wrong with it?  Probably not.  But  is there anything really right with it?  Is it as all-powerful as so many self-help gurus have claimed?  Has it consistently performed?  Does it deserve the credit it has received?

Let's look at a couple question on the matter:  Do the masters of positivity really have resumes of mountains they've moved?  More importantly, in instances of success and overcoming great adversity - was positive thinking really the factor that lead to success, or was it a correlation moreso than causation?  Is there any way to really even measure this, per se?  

As I said, I'm not knocking positivity, but maybe it's a placebo when we need real medicine.  

Your thoughts?