September Read

Title: The Charisma Myth: How Anyone Can Master the Art and Science of Personal Magnetism
Author: Cabane, Olivia Fox
Call Number: 158.2 C112C 2012
Subject: charisma (personality trait)
Number of Pages: 264
ISBN: 9781591844563
Book Description from amazon.com:

      What if charisma could be taught?

 

The charisma myth is the idea that charisma is a fundamental, inborn quality—you either have it (Bill Clinton, Steve Jobs, Oprah) or you don’t. But that’s simply not true, as Olivia Fox Cabane reveals. Charismatic behaviors can be learned and perfected by anyone.

 

Drawing on techniques she originally developed for Harvard and MIT, Cabane breaks charisma down into its components. Becoming more charismatic doesn’t mean transforming your fundamental personality. It’s about adopting a series of specific practices that fit in with the personality you already have.

 

The Charisma Myth shows you how to become more influential, more persuasive, and more inspiring.

My Read:

     There was a time rush and limit for me to finish this good book; it's a library book and there was a list of requests. But I did finish the book.

     From my recall, there are 3 elements in charisma: power, warmth, and presence. It takes power to be charismatic for you have to hold something useful and helpful needed for others. They could look up at you and seek assistance. Warmth radiates friendliness and kindness. When others seek help they feel they are welcome. Without presence, your existence would go unnoticed. A charismatic person has wonderful listening skills and their empathetic trait allows the other parties feel they are heard and taken care of.

     As I am composing this review a thought came to me. A charismatic person might not be the main course a person is having and enjoying at the table. The enjoyment and enlightenment might come from the right seasonings. When we have great time savoring a dish we usually appreciate the visible materials in the plate. It's the right seasonings that highlight the food and the taste on our tasting buds. It's just a after thought of mine.

     It's kind of nature vs nurture when we deal with charisma. According to the author it's a skill anyone could learn and excel at. It's another book that piques my curiosity about people and their behaviors. Mindset dominates and it is organic. Good read and good luck to those who gonna read the book.

October Read/Lydia

Title: George Washington Carver --The Life of Great American Agriculturist

Author: Linda McMurry Edwards

ISBN: 0-8239-6633-X

George Washington Carver was an African American born in Missouri during the Civil War. His mother was slaves and belongs to Mr. and Mrs. Carver. In 1865, the Civil War ended and slavery was abolished. Mr. and Mrs. Carver had no child and decided to adopt George and his older brother after the death of George’s mother.

As a child, George Washington Carver was small and weak but curious and intelligent. Unlike his older brother, he usually helped Mrs. Carver with cooking, cleaning and housework indoor. George was interested in nature, especially with plants. He wanted to know everything about nature. Mr. and Mrs. Carver were white but opposed to slavery and treated George and his brother as a family. They sent George to Neosho, Missouri to attend a school for African American when George turned 12 years old. After that time, he moved to several places, kept studying and worked hard.

Carver entered Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa as an art major in 1890. He was an excellent student in art, but his professor recommended to study agriculture for his specialty and future. Next year, Carver transferred to Iowa State to study agriculture. In 1896, Carver received a master’s degree in agriculture and accepted a job at Tuskegee Institute which founded by Booker T. Washington in Macon County, Alabama. Booker T. Washington believed that anyone who worked hard would succeed. He thought that success would eventually win African Americans not only respect but also rights from whites. He told black southerners to focus on receiving education and buying land rather than fighting for political rights.

While Carver worked at Tuskegee Institute, he tried to help poor black southerners. He experimented and developed natural fertilizers and taught farmers how to use natural resources to meet their needs. Also he studied several crops like sweet potatos, beans, and peanuts for black southerners in nutrition deficiency to explain how to plant them successfully. In 1916, he published one of his most famous bulletins, “How to Grow the Peanut and 105 Ways of Preparing It for Human Consumption”. That’s why he was called the “Peanut Man”.

Carver agreed with the idea that most black men and women who were able to get a college education despite difficulties believe they should share their fortune. He didn’t fight or insist on human rights for African American but he worked and studied hard all his life for better lives of poor black southerners.

September Read/Ruby

Title:Haunted Castle On Hallows Eve

Author: Osborne, Mary Pope  

      Halloween was coming up, Jack and Annie were talking about what costumes should be wore this year. And then, a raven swooped down to the ground and glided into the autumn sky and headed toward the Frog Creek Woods quickly. Jack and Annie followed the giant black bird and climbed inside the magic tree house. A huge yellow leaf fluttered through the open window, it's an invitation from Merlin, and the invitation took them to get there immediately.

      The magician, Merlin, wanted Jack and Annie to bring order to a duke's castle, and sent them a helper and guide from the magic world to complete the mission. Does " Bring order to the castle" mean Merlin wanted them to do chores such as mop the floors or washed the dishes? Of course not. In fact, old Maggie who used to work in the castle, she went there as usual two weeks ago, but she said the castle was all haunted with ghosts and scared out of her wits. A flock of large black birds was flying low in the dark gray sky, the village kids screamed, one woman picked up a handful of stones and threw them at the ravens. A stone struck on of the ravens, it fell to the ground. Annie dashed to the fallen bird and knelt beside it. She talked to the bird in her own language and set its free into the sky.

        Three of them went towards to the castle , but the castle was still and silent. No candles burned, no guards stood, no archers patrolled. they went into the castle, climbed around and around the twisting stairway, looked around a lot of rooms to find out if anything was out of order. Finally they found a kid's room, the spinning wheel was spinning thread, but no one was touching it; the wooden chess pieces were moving on the chessboard, but no one was sitting there; the bone was hanging in the sky, but no one was holding it. It is because of after Arthur became king, Merlin gave the Diamond of Destiny to a noble family of Camelot, as long as the family kept the diamond safe, they would have good fortune. But the family let the diamond got stolen, so now they've all turned into ghosts. If Jack and  Annie could found out who stole the diamond, and took it to the castle, then everything in the castle would be returned to normal. 

       They got the answer from the invisible ghost girl, she showed them the words in the mirror dust that The Raven King did it. So they changed into ravens, and flew up to the mountain nest, Jack and Annie got the diamond back to the castle successfully, let everything returned to order.

September Read/Lydia

Magic Tree House #35 : Night of the New Magicians
Autor : Mary Pope Osborne
ISBN : 978-0-375-83036-5
Pages : 144

The magic tree house could take Jack and Annie to any time and place in history. The tree house belonged to Morgan le Fey a magical librarian from the legendary realm of Camelot. Jack and Annie got a mission from the magician Merlin in this book. They had to find the four magicians and learn their secrets at the Paris World’s Fair in 1889.
The four new magicians are: the Magician of Sound- his voice can be heard for a thousand miles, the Magician of Light- his fires glow but they do not burn, the Magician of the Invisible- he battles deadly enemies no one can see, the Magician of Iron- he bends the metals of earth and triumphs over the wind.
Jack and Annie were sent to Paris World’s Fair, where was thousands of exhibits from over the world. At first Jack and Annie searched for real magicians but they realized before long the magicians are inventors, who are all famous for doing great things in science or other field. Jack and Annie found out the Magician of Sound was Alexander Graham Bell, who invented telephone, the Magician of Light was Thomas Alva Edison, who invented light bulb, the Magician of the Invisible was Louis Pasteur, who discovered and investigated microbes, and the Magician of Iron was Gustave Eiffel, who built Eiffel Tower.
Jack and Annie finally met the four magicians on the top of the Eiffel Tower. Jack and Annie asked the four magicians their secrets of magic. Gustave Eiffel, the Magician of Iron, said “I have a taste for adventure and a love of work and responsibility.” Louis Pasteur, the Magician of the Invisible, said “Chance favors the prepared mind.” Thomas Alva Edison, the Magician of Light, said “Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.” Alexander Graham Bell, the Magician of Sound, said “When one door closes, another door opens.”
Jack and Annie learned from their secrets: if you want to reach your goal, you have to love adventure and responsibility. You have to study and be prepared so luck will favor you. You have to work really hard, because genius is ninety-nine percent perspiration and only one percent inspiration. You should never lose hope because when one door closes, another one opens, and you don’t want to miss it. Jack and Annie told Merlin their secrets of magic and promised that they will remember and live in each of these secrets.