lifehack

Think Simple Now
$0.99
I was EXCITED to find out that Think Simple Now is now available for Kindle.

No mistake, I read A LOT of content daily: I currently have 110 sites in my RSS reader. But there's no site that I look forward to as much as Think Simple Now.

Why? It's---

#1 Relevant: There are writers out there who publish interesting work, but it doesn't really apply to my life. Tina consistently puts out articles that make me think "That's just what I needed to read today."

#2 Practical: Sometimes you'll read content that reads well, but is short on practical application. Tina always gives doable steps to go with her insights. I often end up passing copies of her articles on to friends and coworkers.

#3 Personal: Over the months I've gotten more than just great insights and applications; I've gotten to know Tina Su the person. Somehow knowing that her articles really do come from her own life experiences makes a real difference; it helps me reflect on my own life and see how I can change and grow myself.

#4 Consistent: Last but not least, Tina's content is consistently top-notch. I have some writers I keep up with for that one gem of an article out of a dozen that they write. There are few writers that just keep turning out gems time after time after time. I don't have to wonder if Tina's latest article will be worth my time or not: they're all gold.

Bottom Line: You won't find better updated content on self-improvement and personal growth. Highly recommended.

Lifehack
$15.95
Regan Grier, assumed dead, faces a city of walking corpses in which she struggles to find her brother. Her hopeless efforts meet some unsolicited help after two years. Enter Captain Alisia Terone. Intent on rescuing Regan from the city, stumbles on an unforeseen hazard: Regan's love. Regan's problems intertwine with Alisia's as they hunt the source of the technologically driven zombies, and cope with Regan's love for the inconveniently straight Captain.

AZU-1: Lifehack
$21.99
Regan has some serious problems. She just broke up with her girlfriend and is forced to move in with her brother because she has nowhere else to go. She can't find a job. She can't even afford a new amp for her guitar. To make matters worse, there was an accident at her brother's company. It seems nanoites, microscopic robots that are suppose to cure diseases in humans, have had an unforeseen effect. So now, on top of everything else, Regan has to deal with a city completely infested with zombies!

Such is the basic premise of AZU-1: Lifehack, by Joseph Picard. Hardcore fans of the zombie genre, rejoice, because there is plenty of zombie fun to be had. The walking dead are in full force in this novel, forcing Regan and a small band of survivors to use every ounce of their wits, and any makeshift weapon they can find, to survive (I believe this may be the first incident of a zombie "killed" by a fast food menu board). But for all the potential zombie-loving fun this book has to offer, there are two serious issues that keep all but the most devoted zombiephile from becoming completely involved in the story.

The first issue would be fixed by a good proofreader. While a certain number of typos are expected in any book regardless of publisher, this book is riddled with typos, grammar errors, awkward sentences, weird spacing, and nonstandard punctuation. The author has a tendency to CAPTIALIZE EVERYTHING when an exclamation point is all that is needed. All of this becomes a distraction to the reader.

The second issue is pacing. Part of what makes a zombie book a zombie book is the growing sense of isolation and dread that envelops the characters. But the sense of isolation and dread is lost in a story as the author blasts through scene after scene with such a speed that you never have a chance to really grasp what is happening on more than a cursory level. After the first few chapters, the zombie presence becomes almost boring as Regan dispenses of mob after mob without much thought. We don't get the good internal struggle. We don't even get very good descriptions of the kills or the rotting hordes of undead. Everything blurs by so quickly we don't get much at all. There is a lack of attention to detail that keeps the reader from becoming fully engaged with the characters and the story. Hardcore zombie fans will want to add this to their collection, but casual horror and sci-fi readers may be disappointed.

Upgrade Your Life: The Lifehacker Guide to Working Smarter, Faster, Better
$29.99
This book is about what Gina told in an [...] blog, the three things she would teach in a Lifehacker MBA course would be:
- how to install a personal organization system,
- how automate repetitive tasks,
- how to firewall your attention.

Tips in the book are on the Lifehacker website; however, it is much easier to digest. I have read the book while travelling, identified the hacks I wanted to implement, and made a small to do list from the Table of Contents. Then, back at my PC, I just implemented those I felt interesting.

There are tips for life in general (i.e. without computer), and there are many tips to improve on computer usage. Differences for Windows and Macintosh are highlighted. The book is very practical and easy to understand, which doesn't mean it is light on content. There are easy to do hacks, but there are hacks for the very advanced computer user, too.

Among all hacks, the most important to me is that I have completely changed how I deal with e-mail. I have implemented the Search style instead of Organizing in folders style, and changed how I respond to e-mails. Before e-mailing was time consuming and energy intensive, now it is quick and fun.

Some of the tips I have implemented became daily routine to me in such a way, that I only realize reading the book that they come from this book.

Finally, there is just some great fun about reading about a nice hack, even without implementing, it makes me think more creatively.