A few months ago I read Meg Meeker’s Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters. I found that book incredibly helpful in understanding my daughters better, and how to apply that knowledge to my parenting. I picked up Boys Should Be Boys with the same intention, only for my son.

This book was not Meeker’s best work. I found it dry and somewhat difficult to follow. Her audience was for mothers and fathers of boys, which meant that there was a considerable amount of content that didn’t apply to me. I read it so that I could better understand Alison’s relationship with our son, but it made the journey less pleasant.

There were some good ideas sprinkled throughout, and of course, a few lessons that I’ve already began to implement. I just don’t find myself as overwhelmingly satisfied as I was when I finished Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters.

My main gripe with this book is that it could use a revised edition. Published in 2009, it was full of dated references that sounded silly, even though they were only a decade old. Meeker recently published a new book for fathers, called Hero, which I intend to read in the coming weeks. It’s my hope that that title will meet some of my learning objectives.

Would I recommend: NO

ISBN: 978-1596980570

Currently reading: Spymaster by Brad Thor 📚

Currently reading: The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo 📚

Finished reading: Boys Should Be Boys: 7 Secrets to Raising Healthy Sons by Meg Meeker, MD 📚

Currently reading: Boys Should Be Boys: 7 Secrets to Raising Healthy Sons by Meg Meeker, MD 📚

This book caught me at the perfect time. Cal Newport’s latest offering is the antidote to the quick glance, mindless scrolling, and trying to fill every down second of our life with something digital.

In a way, Newport met me right where I’m at. I’m more skeptical than ever of apps, a far cry from my evangelism of the early 2010s. I want my devices to do very few jobs and not be my default time waster.

Practical, insightful, and backed up by science, Digital Minimalism lays out a strong and succinct argument for the power of technology, and the importance of keeping it harnessed. Newport doesn’t advocate abolition, but rather better values alignment. He leads his readers through a 30 day process in which they step back from their digital interaction, define their values and relationship with technology, and only reintegrate with the technology that provides great personal benefit with few drawbacks.

This is the book for anyone who thinks seriously about personal technology and the role it plays in our lives. It’s also perfect for the casual reader who has a nagging thought in the back of their mind that they’re a little uncomfortable with the dominant role that their personal devices play in their lives.

Would I recommend: YES

ISBN: 978-0525536512

Finished reading: Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World by Cal Newport 📚