Book Review: 'Because I Said So!' by Ken Jennings

Ken Jennings gets out his bullshit detector after telling his son that he shouldn't run and eat a lolly pop because a tragic accident would ensue. He realised he got this from his mother and wondered if there were any basis to other 'parentisms' such as chicken soup for a cold, don't eat cheese before bed because you'll have weird dreams, running with scissors and not swimming for an hour after eating.

Ken digs through medical journals, interviews experts and tirelessly researches each parentism to gauge the level of nonsense. But if you are worried that this would be dry, you always have Ken's humour to fall back on which is certainly up there in non-fiction humour with Mary Roach and Bill Bryson.

What is lacking compared to his other books is the geek charm. There are no long form interviews with weird people with weird obsessions. The short form of each section limits the charm factor.

While it's harder to love this book as much as his previous two ('Mapheads' and 'Brainiac'), it is still a funny and informative read that is top of my non-fiction reads for the year. So if you are a fan of Mary Roach, 'Mythbusters' or just a snarky 12 year old looking for material to come back at your parents with, get reading.

Ten Rules for Success According to Adam Savage

From Boing Boing

Adam Savage of Mythbusters fame as well as a figurehead for all Makers, gave a closing talk to a Boing Boing event on the weekend where he offered his ten rules for success. Although they may not be new to most of us, and others may argue the validity of this advice, they speak volumes to the type of success that I would like to achieve.

1. Get good at something.
Really good. Get good at as many things as you can. Being good at one thing makes it easier to get good at other things.

2. Getting good at stuff takes practice.
Lots and lots of practice.

3. Get OBSESSED.
Everyone at the top of their field is obsessed with what they're doing.

4. Doing something well and thoroughly is its OWN reward.

5. Show and Tell.
If you do something well and you're happy with it, for FSM's sake, tell EVERYONE.

6. If you want something, ASK.
If something piques your interest, tell someone. If you want to learn something, ask someone, like your BOSS. As an employer, I can tell you, people who want to learn new skills are people I want to keep employed.

7. Have GOALS.
Make up goals. Set goals. Regularly assess where you are and where you want to be in terms of them. This is a kind of prayer that works, and works well. Allow for the fact that things will NEVER turn out like you think they will, and you must be prepared to end up miles from where you intended.

8. Be nice. To EVERYONE.
Life is way too short to be an asshole. If you are an asshole, apologize.

9. FAIL.
You will fail. It's one of our jobs in life. Keep failing. When you fail, admit it. When you don't, don't get cocky. 'Cause you're just about to fail again.

10. WORK YOUR ASS OFF.
Work like your life depends on it...

I will print these up and put a copy above my desk.