"The noun of self becomes a verb. This flashpoint of creation in the present moment is where work and play merge." - Stephen Nachmanovitch

Monday, July 5, 2010

Say it isn't so - Power Money Fame and Sex

Our culture is so driven by these four words and yet I don't have words to describe this book, which is incredibly useless when attempting to write a blog about it. I finished this 300-page user's guide and am still unsure if it's a joke or not. It outlines in detail how to assert your success in each of these categories. I learned several useful pieces of knowledge:

-I crave indirect power through writing or possibly marrying someone powerful.
-I want money mostly for self-gratification, not for power or showing off.
-Everything should have a sense of sprezzatura - a grace, easy and carelessness without seeming calculation or effort. Exertion detracts from achievements.
-Hint that you need very little sleep. Well-known successful people claim to only need 3-4 hours a night.
-If you happen to be standing near someone more well-known than you when a photo is taken, point at his/her chest. It makes you appear energetic and it will be impossible to crop you out.
-A recent widower of a happy marriage makes for the best option of a "jackpot" for money.
-Trophy wives can only be so if it's a third or fourth marriage.

The author Gretchen Rubin acknowledges this book doesn't bring happiness (as is with her latest book the Happiness Project) - just power, money, fame, sex. These passions bring with them their own set of sadness, and yet in our culture we still seem to want them all (including me to some extent), even if they are...just words.

Today I'm grateful for library books, quiet evenings, and library renewals.

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