Think and Grow Rich. Misogynistic, unrealistic, completely ignores capitalistic systems that promote racism and classism. Not to mention straight weird. People post his self help quotes all over the internet but it sounds like just another way to blame poor people for being poor. Sure mindset is important, but don’t let this a hole trick you into thinking you aren’t rich because you didn’t write it down enough.
This post was great, John! Even came with a scoring system.
I didn't know about The Game, but your summary was perfect. I went to YouTube to look up the show you mentioned. I actually remembered the guy, "Mystery", and the show. I must have been a kid when it aired, and maybe saw it when flicking through channels. What absolute trash! Funny, in a sad way. I watched this commentary, which made me laugh:
Somehow the baseness of reality TV is enhanced when viewed in retrospect. Makes me really want to tuck into good books, good magazines, and good movies as my only forms of media. But of course finding the good means trudging through the bad.
Great post - and I have to think the utter dross of The Secret would get my vote (anything remotely pro Trump-related goes without saying). The title of your post reminded me of The Simpsons episode when Hans Moleman walks into the Just Crichton and King Bookstore at the Springfield Airport. He asks for a Robert Ludlum book and is told to get out ...
I think I went with Gladwell on the original tweet rather than Freakonomics, but my reasoning was much the same—simple idea explains everything! I remember debating with myself and choosing Gladwell because he was published in the New Yorker and thus (to my highly WASPy mind) had a level of influence among people who’d never be caught dead reading The Secret but who are also the kind of people who hold an outsized amount of power and influence in the world.
The Art of the Deal. That ghost writer has a lot to atone for.
The Game by Neil Strauss
Probably 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, the Jennie Mccarthy anti-vax book, Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus, and Grit.
Any fad diet book
The Tipping Point or Outliers or really anything at all by Malcolm Gladwell
Think and Grow Rich. Misogynistic, unrealistic, completely ignores capitalistic systems that promote racism and classism. Not to mention straight weird. People post his self help quotes all over the internet but it sounds like just another way to blame poor people for being poor. Sure mindset is important, but don’t let this a hole trick you into thinking you aren’t rich because you didn’t write it down enough.
The Secret
The Shack and The Secret
Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg
Lean in
Any book written or endorsed by TRUMP!
This post was great, John! Even came with a scoring system.
I didn't know about The Game, but your summary was perfect. I went to YouTube to look up the show you mentioned. I actually remembered the guy, "Mystery", and the show. I must have been a kid when it aired, and maybe saw it when flicking through channels. What absolute trash! Funny, in a sad way. I watched this commentary, which made me laugh:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ad9zdCkcITE
Somehow the baseness of reality TV is enhanced when viewed in retrospect. Makes me really want to tuck into good books, good magazines, and good movies as my only forms of media. But of course finding the good means trudging through the bad.
Great post - and I have to think the utter dross of The Secret would get my vote (anything remotely pro Trump-related goes without saying). The title of your post reminded me of The Simpsons episode when Hans Moleman walks into the Just Crichton and King Bookstore at the Springfield Airport. He asks for a Robert Ludlum book and is told to get out ...
Any book by Nicholas Sparks 😑
I think I went with Gladwell on the original tweet rather than Freakonomics, but my reasoning was much the same—simple idea explains everything! I remember debating with myself and choosing Gladwell because he was published in the New Yorker and thus (to my highly WASPy mind) had a level of influence among people who’d never be caught dead reading The Secret but who are also the kind of people who hold an outsized amount of power and influence in the world.
Anything from underqualified scold Dr. Laura Schlessinger. I remember her AM radio rants from my days commuting to UCLA - oof.