What I Read: March 2020

When I uploaded my last "What I Read Post" on March 10th, I could have never guessed that three days later our entire world would flip upside down. It is incredible how we all react so differently when a crisis hits. 

My husband is an Enneagram two: the helper. When a crisis hits, he works harder. He tries to find a solution. And he does his best to help everyone he can. 

I am an Enneagram five: the researcher. When a crisis hits, I hide. (Enneagram fives can go to an unhealthy seven when under stress.) I mean, I don't disappear completely. I have a job that I love. And I have two energetic boys to parent and teach. 

But when it comes to anything extra, I check out.

The uncertainty of COVID-19 left me hiding under the covers for a couple of weeks. I felt exhausted the moment I woke up. And even after I got moving, I felt like I was moving through the mud.

This is completely reflected in the lack of reading I did this month. I only read one book. The rest of my free time was spent watching old movies, listening to audiobooks, scrolling on Instagram, and reading the news. 

Interestingly, all of the books I listened to or read this month all involved overcoming difficulty and refusing to live in victimhood. Though, if I learned anything from these books, it is that change takes time. While I think it is okay that I gave myself permission to veg for a bit, it is time to get back to it. My April "What I Read" post will look a little sad, but I am planning to gear up my reading in May. 

How do you process a crisis? Are you like my husband, who works even harder? Or, do you turn into a couch potato like me? Let me know in the comments. 

The Choice: Embrace the Possible, Dr. Edith Eva Eger (paperback book)

Verdict: Recommend

The Choice is a memoir by Holocaust survivor Dr. Edith Eva Eger. Dr. Eger marries her experience as a holocaust survivor with other stories of trauma she hears as a licensed clinical psychologist. Through the power of storytelling, she postulates that we all suffer, whether by our own decisions or by institutions, we have a choice whether to live in victimhood. 

This was an extremely challenging book to read. Dr. Eger dives deep into the horrors she experienced in the holocaust. Some of the images she describes will likely stay with me for the rest of my life. Likewise, some of the stories she tells of her patients are equally as hard to read. 

That said, I love the overall message of this book: victimization is not a choice, but living in victimhood is. She argues, "no one can make you a victim buy you. We become victims not because of what happens to us but when we choose to hold on to our victimization" (7). Honestly, this is a controversial message, and one that I feel like only someone like Dr. Eger could bravely and convincingly argue. 

If you have ever wondered about how people overcome extreme trauma or are interested in entering a healing journey yourself, I highly recommend you pick up this book.

168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think, Laura Vanderkam (audiobook)

Verdict: Recommend

168 Hours is another "tough talk" type of book. Though a little different than The Choice in content, it also argues against one allowing themselves to be a victim. Although in this book, the villain isn't trauma, it's time. 

Vanderkam bases her entire book on a series of time-studies to argue the idea that even though we claim to be overwhelmingly busy, objective time-studies prove over and over again that we actually have way more time than we think (to borrow the subtitle of the book). 

One of the most interesting parts of this book is the gap that exists between how much people say they work and how much they actually work. In fact, the average full-time employee works LESS than forty hours a week. And the more time that someone claims to work, the larger the gap is between the number of hours they claim and the number of hours they really work according to the time study. 

Time studies also show that as Americans, we, on average, watch more TV in a week than the average full-time employee works. YIKES. 

I love this book. I have now read or listened to it five times. I love it because it is the kick in the pants I need to stop claiming that I "don't have enough time" and to objectively look at areas where I am wasting my time. 

If you are a productivity nerd, this book is a must-read. 

What Most Successful People do Before Breakfast, Laura Vanderkam (audiobook)

Verdict: Skip it

I have read two of Vanderkam's books, and I have loved them both. This book, however, was a major flop for me. I think it was because I expected it to be more in-depth, the way her other books were. However, this book just looked at a few different morning routines and didn't ultimately offer me any practical solutions. 

Everest: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage, Alfred Lansing (audiobook)

Verdict: Recommend

Alfred Lansing's book chronicles the incredible attempt Shackleton and his team made to cross Antarctica on foot. 

Lansing wrote this book in 1959. However, it reads like it was written in 2020. I remember my mom reading it in the 1990s and also feeling like it was incredibly relevant. I initially chose this book to listen to, thinking it would give me motivation during my longer runs. However, the journey is so disheartening at times, and I found it a bit depressing for my runs. 

That said, this book was incredible. It is beautifully written and provides all the hope, tears, sorrow, and joy that one can desire in a story. I highly recommend this book; just don't use it to motivate you during a run.