Mindfire: Big Ideas For Curious Minds (2011) - Plot & Excerpts
I was able to finish this book in two sittings, only because of how short it was. While there were certain points that made me stop and think in a new inspirational light, there were also many instances that I was wishing the chapter would end. It didn't feel like there was an organized flow of the overall book and I often forgot what a certain essay was originally about. There were unnecessary explanations and I found a lot to be boring. This gets three starts because of the occasional excerpts that sparked my mind. This book is a collection of essays published by Scott Berkun on his personal website. As the author wrote in the Preface:1. These essays have been published elsewhere before. Do not panic.2. If you are so inclined, you can find them for free by poking around on scottberkun.com or elsewhere online.However, the author does not recommend that because, "this book serves as a fantastic introduction to a decade of effort." And "if you've previously enjoyed my work online, please pay a few bucks in return for the value my free work has provided."It is a personal preference, but I am biased towards "lean" writing. Writers such as Joshua Field Millburns, Chip and Dan Heath are my models as they write succinctly. Each word is considered for its purposes and sentences are crafted so that the reader can grasp the point quickly and easily, and they are lead to keep reading.However, this book feels a lot like a collection of blog posts by Scott Berkun and hence, the writing are at times windy.As for the content, there are some really good sharing in the book. If you are reading this book to mine for ideas - you can put it back on the shelf. This book doesn't necessarily gives you any ideas to change the world. What it does share is the author's experience and personal thought on some issues, such as how to detect bullshit, whether transparency matter, and how he found his passion. Personally, I do not find the content very helpful, although I do agree with his viewpoints on certain things.
What do You think about Mindfire: Big Ideas For Curious Minds (2011)?
"I don't need anything more than I already have." ...and other life-changing ideas.
—JMAy
A nice primer of Berkun's work. Makes you want to read more.
—pesh
Compilation of blog posts. Some good insight
—kwakuedgar
