A Heartbreaking Work

I just finished Dave Eggers' book, A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius. It's one heck of a book, and heartbreaking is certainly a good description of it.

The book is a biopic about the author and his little brother. Their parents both die within a short time and Eggers has to raise his much younger brother. They are 21 and 9, which leads to exactly the kinds of house rules one would imagine.

This book was very well written and, most unique, the story was creatively told. The book hit home a bit, and will do so for anyone who has lived through a traumatic family death.

Eggers used a unique voice throughout, and he really made the story interesting even when fairly mundane events were taking place. Sometimes, the story is the feeling, rather than the events. This book is an early favorite for top-5 of the year. This year may be my toughest decision yet as to top five.

I feel obligated to put Churchill #1 if for no other reason that it was like living history and because it is the only first hand account I will read this year about probably the most important time in modern history. Yet, from pure enjoyment (Eggers' work) to life lessons (Predictably Irrational), I could put any number of those at number 1. Eggers will have to strive for number two, and its a dead heat. From pure joy of reading, Eggers wins. Time to let the decision simmer for awhile.

OTHER UPDATES

... I am working diligently on my story and am up to 12 pages or so. I have mapped much of the story and feel like I it will probably be about 30 pages when done. I have completed the back stories of three characters, and need to complete two more as well as the "event" at the end.

... We went sledding last week, and I have some pictures below. Jacob went down the hill about three times before deciding he would rather just run down the hill. I also threw in some more pictures that we have taken since Christmas. Enjoy.

Playing with Mom's Clarinet

Jacob and Maerron

Running down the hill

Posing in the cold

All bundled up

My Jen

Helping Dad Shovel

Mom and Jacob

Shoveling

Ego Maniac

As I write this, I'm keeping tabs on the Nuggets vs. Cleveland game. It just went into overtime. I am also awaiting Jacob's bedtime so I can relax with a blu-ray movie. Maybe Dark Knight... maybe Star Trek. It's a nice relaxing evening.

Anyway, I just finished book number six on the year, and it again pushed my interest in behavioral science (specifically dissonance theory) to new heights. We have all taken an introductory course in psychology or sociology that mentioned the "ego" and the "super ego," and we have all mocked such things incessantly. I know I have.

I'm not real big into Freud or anything of that nature, but I am quickly taking a liking to cognitive dissonance. The two books that set my fire most recently are "Mistakes were Made (but not by me)" and "Predictably Irrational."

Although neither book expresses ideas of the Super ego, they do illustrate that our perceptions of ourselves justify our actions. At times, even irrationally.

The theory, in short, is that we have an opinion of ourselves; actions happen that challenge that view of ourselves (we appear to have been less than honest, as an example); this creates discomfort to us; we use justifications to restore our notion of who we are; and, this rarely leads to admissions of mistakes. This can also explain why person already standing in a deep hole can somehow manage to dig deeper. This is done with what I'll call the "self-justification Shovel."

I love books that help me on a daily basis, and both of these titles do just that.

This may sound like a justification for manipulation, but it also taught me how to better recognize dissonance in myself and others and how to "influence" a person to feeling consonance (comfort), which lessens the need for self-justification.

(Carmelo Anthony just hit the game winner in the face of LeBron James. I am now pumped. Justify that LeBron!!).

OTHER UPDATES

.... Now that my reading pace has taken me through March, I have created the space necessary to make a real push for a first draft of my story. I have pushed forward and written another 5 or 6 pages, and I have done a lot more mapping. Now is my big writing push.

.... Jacob has been doing well. He's as playful as ever. We have decided to take more pictures and I will try to post some soon.

.... I am tired of this winter.

Book Report

I posted this at my book blog, but I'll repost it here since I've been too busy trying to write my story to blog as must as usual. I just finished book 4 on the year and am currently reading two more while I plod through my story.

This one is about pro wrestling:

Approximately once a year, I have a weird craving to relive the old days when I watched pro wrestling as a kid. We even once organized "viewings" of Wrestlemanias I through III at rotating locations within the last few years. (I will spare naming all involved in this delicious travesty of taste.)

This makes me neither proud nor ashamed. It really just amuses me.

I don't watch wrestling today. I don't enjoy what it has become. Hell, I laugh at 80s wrestling today and enjoy it now for very different (mostly mocking and nostalgic) reasons. But, for the second year in a row, I read a book about old-school wrestling from the days of my youth. This year, I read "Hitman," by Bret "The Hitman" Hart.

Ironically, I used to hate Bret Hart and his evil Hart Foundation. I loved the British Bulldogs, who were arch rivals with the Hart Foundation.

"Hitman" is a great book. It takes you into the "cartoon" world of pro wrestling. I learned a lot about the history of wrestling, and, most interesting, how it works behind the scenes. Hart takes the position that the wrestling business grinds its workers up and spits them out. I think there is some truth to that, but that there is also a tendency for unstable people to explore such a career. There is definitely truth in both perspectives.

The stories are funny, depressing, strange and just odd at times. I recommend reading this book near a computer so you can youtube the various matches he describes in detail. For example, I watched Hart take the kick to the head that ended his career. I also watched the online footage of the "Montreal Screwjob," complete with Vince McMahon wobbling out of the locker room after being knocked silly by Hart.

Although the "Montreal Screwjob" has been a source of great sympathy for Hart, I actually began to think of how Hart may have put himself over a little too well in the book. My take: A promoter has to deal with moody, roided up alpha-males on a regular basis. He has a business to run and didn't get rich by letting wrestlers who decided to go to his rival (WCW) while champion keep the belt and march out triumphant. Promoter lies (not OK, but also... well, Hart makes it clear wrestlers are a bit moody and difficult) and screws over his champion. In the process he damages the goods being received by the rival and collects enough checks to more than pay for the broken jaw.

Pardon my sarcasm, but being "screwed" out of a title defense while 1) leaving the company and 2) ITS STAGED didn't garner as much sympathy from me as I know others feel about this incident. Sorry, but he was 5 time champ because that got ratings. He was a good "wrestler" in that he preformed well, but popularity is what mattered. Stuff happens.

Most interesting to me were the stories of what some of my favorites were like behind the scenes. Andre the Giant, Hulk Hogan, Macho Man, Dynamite Kid, etc. I also loved the stories of the road and all the ribbing. Just kinda guy stories. It was a fun book, but I can't get all broken up about losing a belt that changes hands based on projected ratings draws. Shoot me.

As for steroids, Hart basically makes the strong case that a career would be over without them for someone of his stature (he wasn't exactly a giant). I took this to mean he simply used the "recommended" dosage. It was that or a different career... he rolled the dice and got rich. He only mentions it once when he decided to do it and never again brings it up, although its implied he was on them his whole career (never explicitly says so, though). He later confuses his own use by suggesting he was a desired champ because he wasn't a roided up freak like so many others at a time when people were angry about steroids. I guess its appropriate my next book is about self-justification.

Overall, a fun read. Much longer than expected, and he has some points to make. Much like actual wrestling shows, it's like reading 500 pages of one long description of a train wreck. You see all the twisted metal and all the carnage vividly after reading this book.