Review: What I Talk About When I Talk About Running

What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



So, I actually have never read Murakami, and I found this book looking for audiobooks about running, not searching specifically for a runner novelist. I emphasize this, because it's not the book's fault that I didn't loved it, I simply expected something different.
It was not etirely unpleasent, but it just wasn't the kind of book I was hoping for, I hoped it would have tips, advice or inspiration for running, but it was a lot more of a biography with running anecdotes, than a running centered book. I guess it may have different if I had already read some of his novels, so maybe I will.



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Review: The Developer's Code: What Real Programmers Do

The Developer's Code: What Real Programmers Do by Ka Wai Cheung

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



The book is divided into small essays that suggest and advise things to do and avoid when programming, generally not in a technical, but more in a state of mind and the way in wich we should aproach a programming challenge. Although some of the essays were good ideas that made me consider to change the ways in wich I work, most of them were too repetitive and not that helpfull.



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Review: Endgame: Bobby Fischer's Remarkable Rise and Fall - From America's Brightest Prodigy to the Edge of Madness

Endgame: Bobby Fischer's Remarkable Rise and Fall - From America's Brightest Prodigy to the Edge of Madness by Frank Brady

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Fisher had such an interesting life, that it would be impossible for the book to be otherwise. There was so much about his life that I didn't know, and now that I do, I both despise and admire him even more. A great listen/read if you like chess.



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Review: Finding Ultra: Rejecting Middle Age, Becoming One of the World's Fittest Men, and Discovering Myself

Finding Ultra: Rejecting Middle Age, Becoming One of the World's Fittest Men, and Discovering Myself by Rich Roll

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



I was very excited about this book, mainly because of the vegan athlete theme. As a relativly new vegetarian I have always wondered about the nutrition key factors in vegan diet and how it fits with athletes requirements.

Unfortunately this book is more the kind of book that tries to make you to get up and do something EPIC but fails (or at least it failed with me). I think it is a nice inspiring book, but I found it repetitive and too spiritual at the end. All in all it is a great story, but could have been told better.



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Review: Bounce: Mozart, Federer, Picasso, Beckham, and the Science of Success

Bounce: Mozart, Federer, Picasso, Beckham, and the Science of Success by Matthew Syed

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I enjoyed so much this book, the concepts and arguments that Syed uses are not really new but are presented with clarity, examples, anecdotes and scientific studies. Syed makes a compelling argument that there is no such thing as innate talent, nor shortcuts to success and that in order to become an expert at any activity you need at least 10000 hours of practice with purpose. It really made me re-think some things I had taken for granted and for that I highly recommend it.



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