Monthly Archives: January 2011

Reviews

Book review: Escape From the Deep

Leave a comment

The story of a legendary submarine and her courageous crew

“Today we have devalued terms like ‘hero’ and ‘courage,’ applying them loosely to athletes with multi-million dollar contracts and movie stars whose feats are no more than celluloid fantastic. The destroyer we launch today [celebrates] a genuine hero from an age when heroism truly meant something.” Congressmen Tom Allen honoring Captain O’Kane at the dedication of a ship in his honor.

I just complete listening/reading to this book that chronicles the extraordinary WWII heroism of the crew of the USS Tang, the deadliest submarine operating in the Pacific. It is the story of their accomplishments, of the sinking of their sub, of the escape of some them from 180 feet below the surface, and their survival of torture in a Japanese concentration camp (I confess I skipped the section covering their time in the concentration camp).

The book left me with a greater understanding of the price paid by many for the freedom we have and therefore a greater appreciation of it. The book challenges me to live a life that honors their sacrifice, using the freedom they paid for to live well. I hope I will complain less as well, as my trials here are small compared to what they enduring with honor.

I wonder why this tale has this never been made into a movie?

In contrast, last night Cathy and I watched the movie “The A-Team”, a fictional story of a group of four Special Forces type-men who do special assignments to protect U.S. interests. While amusing, it is also predictable. The men come out of impossible situation after situation without significant injury and succeed in their impossible mission. There is little suspense as you know the end, except for some of the particulars, in this case, who is the bag guy(s). While amused, that was the extent of the gain for the watching.

Real life is another thing. Not a fun read but there is gain as mentioned above. The book did not win a Pulitzer Prize but it is written well enough and a compelling story.

Recommended to check out the library for a real or listen.

Reviews From Amazon

From Publishers Weekly – Popular historian Kershaw (The Bedford Boys) chronicles the extraordinary WWII heroism of the crew of the USS Tang, the deadliest submarine operating in the Pacific, in this spellbinding saga. The Tang’s captain, Cmdr. Richard O’Kane, was a celebrated maverick whose contempt for the enemy was absolute. He was Continue reading Book review: Escape From the Deep →

Finances, Personal

Investing reading group

Leave a comment

Over the coming few months, I plan to read three specific books on investing. Below is why, what I hope to accomplish, and an invitation to join me.

Over the last 3-4 years I have been tracking the performance of two retirement accounts Cathy and I inherited as part of her father’s estate. These investments are professionally “managed”. However, as I have tracked them, I have noted that the investments regularly under-perform vs. the DOW (and SP500), which are “unmanaged.” This has always puzzled me as it seems managed investments should do better than unmanaged ones.

Recently, I have started reading on investing and read that the DOW/SP500 beats over 85% of professionally managed funds over the long term.  While it may be normal, it does not seem to be in line with good stewardship.  So, I would like to do something different.

I am starting to read from a variety of authors to determine my strategy moving forward.  I would like to invite others interested to read and discuss these books. I do not see the book “club” as a detailed study but more of an overview. I will assign a book to read, give people a month to read it, and then meet a time or two to discuss each book. We would then go on to the next book the same way.  I would like to get through a few of the books before summer.

Here is my list of books I plan to read:

Investing in One Lesson
Random Walk

I have also been looking at recommendations of David Ramsey in The Total Money Makeover. I do not plan to read it together but may relate his conclusions at the end of our study.

While the focus will be on stocks, we will also look some at bonds and other investment options.

Continue reading Investing reading group →

Personal, Reviews

Movie Recommendation: Temple Grandin

Leave a comment

Last night, Cathy and I watched a movie called Temple Grandin. A delightful and very well done movie about an autistic girl and her mom and their work to help her find a meaningful place in society, which she does.  It is a story of a gifted mind that is over stimulated by her sense of the world and that does not know how to act in society resulting in ridicule and struggle. In a day when autism was little understood, they overcome with help of others along the way. It brings encouragement and challenge into our “normal” worlds as well. There is also insight into the animal world as well.

A movie I recommend and I will buy so I can watch it again from time to time.

From Amazon:

Editorial Reviews – Amazon.com – It doesn’t take long to see that Temple Grandin, the main character in this eponymous HBO movie, is, well, different–she (in the person of Claire Danes, who plays her) tells us before the credits start that she’s “not like other people.” But “different” is not “less.” Indeed, Grandin, who is now in her 60s, has accomplished a good deal more than a great many “normal” folks, let alone others afflicted with the autism that Grandin overcame on her way to earning a doctorate and becoming a bestselling author and a pioneer in the humane treatment of livestock. It wasn’t easy. The doctor who diagnosed her at age 4 said she’d never talk and would have to be institutionalized. Only through the dogged efforts of her mother (Julia Ormond), who was told that “lack of bonding” Continue reading Movie Recommendation: Temple Grandin →