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“Hjertet mot steinen” By Adrian Pracon Review

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On July 22, 2011, AUFs and Norwegian Pole Adrian Pracon will face Anders Behring Breivik on Utøya. Pracon prays for his life, but realizes deep down that he is going to die. For a few long seconds, he waits for the shot that will end his life. But the mass murderer lowers his weapon, turns around and walks away.

At the time of writing this book is only available in Polish and Norwegian so keep that in mind. 

This book is a nonfiction book about the July 22, 2011 Norway attacks written from the survivors perspective.

This book was much better than “One of Us” by Åsne Seierstad which was reviewed on the blog somewhen in 2020. (LINK HERE.) But it wasn’t so good to get 5 stars. Because there were various errors which didn’t go so well with me at least. 

The writing style was pretty decent but there were parts where the writing could have been better than it was. 

The whole book is pretty closed-off, and the author sort of tells you how you should feel about things you read in this book. Which shouldn’t happen in books especially when it comes to nonfiction books because everyone will more or less react and feel differently about the same things. And by doing this the author will make it super hard for many readers to like or even relate to what they are reading. 

There were many times in this book where it felt like you are just reading someone’s letter to his / hers therapist and not like you are reading a nonfiction book. It might have been the authors way of dealing with the trauma after the attack but still it didn’t feel like something which should have published for many people read. 

Half of the book was about days and events which the author have done in days leading to July 22, 2011 and pretty much of the topic which this book was about. The whole topic of what it was like to be on the island when the shooting happened tok maximum 10 pages. And then the book went to the criticising and bitching about the predator and the court trails which happened. 

If you want to read something which really will make you think and still is about the July 22, 2011 Norway attacks then you should much rather choose “One of Us” by Åsne Seierstad than this one because 60% of this book is about the authors life before the shooting massacre on that island, 5% is about the shooting and 35% is about the court trails. 

The author could have used more time on it and plan it out much more. It would have been so much better if the author would have written bigger book than what it is (only 170 fish pages) and focus much more on what happened on the island and the court trails than about his life pre July 22, 2011.

I give this book 3 / 5

“The Last Days of Jack Sparks” By Jason Arnopp Review

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Jack Sparks died while writing this book. It was no secret that journalist Jack Sparks had been researching the occult for his new book. No stranger to controversy, he’d already triggered a furious Twitter storm by mocking an exorcism he witnessed. Then there was that video: forty seconds of chilling footage that Jack repeatedly claimed was not of his making, yet was posted from his own YouTube account. Nobody knew what happened to Jack in the days that followed, until now.

I personally had high expectations for this book which it didn’t live up to.

This book is sort of a horror and paranomal book, which had the potential to be good but wasn’t that. It would be much better if we first got to know Jack and his investigation and then throughout his brother which is also in this book we would learn what have happened to him.

I need to give this book points for being funny and the fact that I personally could relate to Jack at the beginning.

The story itself was amazing but wasn’t used in the right way as I metioned above. The story had the potential to create this book one of the best horror books but all we got is a skeleton of a story.

Story started off right up my alley and I thought that I will love it. But after around 80 pages all I wanted is the book to end as fast as possible. An Italian exorcism that Jack gets permission to watch for his next book, the whole principle of the story sounds very interesting, but we as readers need much more than just a good idea for a book.

The main character Jack, was at the begining an amzing character he was sort of a jerk and a huge skeptic in the paranormal which I also am so it made it very easy to releate to him. But after around 100 pages he became more and more annoying. And the rest of the characters in this book was sort of just there to fill the story.

This book was definitely an odd book which had a big potential but it wasn’t scary or even close to it. So this book won’t get points for that.

The writing style was okay, but it could be better than it was. There were points in this book where the writing style was insufferable.

The ending is sort of hard to describe or say anything about without spoling anything for you. All I can say is that it was weird.

Overall this book was entertaining at times but it lacks elements which would make this book good or anthing close to it.

I give this book 1 / 5

“Thinking, Fast and Slow” By Daniel Kahneman Review

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In the highly anticipated Thinking, Fast and Slow, Kahneman takes us on a groundbreaking tour of the mind and explains the two systems that drive the way we think. System 1 is fast, intuitive, and emotional; System 2 is slower, more deliberative, and more logical. Kahneman exposes the extraordinary capabilities—and also the faults and biases—of fast thinking, and reveals the pervasive influence of intuitive impressions on our thoughts and behaviour.

This one is definitely a must read book, because there are a lots of things which you will learn about your brain and yourself. And most of these things are things which you probably didn’t think about before.

This book explains also a lots of psychological reasons behind the decisions and action we take even when we dont think about it. Dont worry this book explains this in a very easy and smooth way and everyone will at least understand 50% of this book.

I need to give this book points for being very quick read at least for me. 

By reading this book you can just skip reading books like “Black Swan”, “Blink”, “Nudge” and very likely hundreds of other Behavioural Economics books because this one really covers what most Behavioural Economics books leak to cover. 

If you are interested in psychology or in why human beings behave the way they behave you should read this book. 

I need to be honest and say that this book is pretty lengthy, self-conscious and a challenging read if it is your first book about psychology. But you will gain a lots out of this book when you only give it a try. 

This book gives you a fascinating and very interesting study of the human mind. But also about how people make decisions together with how the decision-making process can be improved.

This book was written by a Nobel-prize-winning economist which can be trusted that he isn’t feeding us bull shit. 

I give this book 4 / 5

“Alien” By Alan Dean Foster Review

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Based on the screenplay by Dan O’Bannon. The crew of the spaceship Nostromo wake from cryogenic sleep to distress signals from an unknown planet. One is attacked when they investigate a derelict alien craft. Safely on their way back to Sol, none foresee the real horror about to begin.

So another boring science fiction book about aliens killing everyone on board of a space ship. 

I need to say that I’m not a fan og science fiction genre no matter if we are talking about books, movies or video games. The science fiction genre is not something for me.

This book is the first Alien Movie Novelisations, which isn’t that great as the movie itself as you can expect. To be honest here with you the movie wins over this book in every single way you can imagine to look at it.

The writing style is boring and very poorly used. Its also very simplistic and it feels like it was written by a high school students writing this book in a huge rush. 

When it comes to the scary part of this book when the Alien is chasing and killing every human on board the ship. Then you have to know that it wasn’t scary, a kid in the kindergarten would be scared and nobody else pretty much.

The characters were very badly done. The same characters were much better in the movie than they were in this book. 

I give this book 1 / 5

“Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future” By Ashlee Vance Review

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Elon Musk, the entrepreneur and innovator behind SpaceX, Tesla, and SolarCity, sold one of his internet companies, PayPal, for $1.5 billion. Ashlee Vance captures the full spectacle and arc of the genius’s life and work, from his tumultuous upbringing in South Africa and flight to the United States to his dramatic technical innovations and entrepreneurial pursuits. Vance uses Musk’s story to explore one of the pressing questions of our age: can the nation of inventors and creators who led the modern world for a century still compete in an age of fierce global competition? He argues that Musk is an amalgam of legendary inventors and industrialists including Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Howard Hughes, and Steve Jobs. More than any other entrepreneur today, Musk has dedicated his energies and his own vast fortune to inventing a future that is as rich and far-reaching as the visionaries of the golden age of science-fiction fantasy.

If you are like me and you are a big fan of Elon Musk and a big geek of Tesla and SpaceX, you will enjoy this book. Because this book provides us with a lots of information about Elon Musk and what kind of a person he is in his comapnies and behind closed doors.

This book is excellent and inspiring. It might also give you motivation about following your dreams and make cool projects no matter the odds against you. If you are afraid of taking action because you think that your business will not make it than remeber that Tesla had very small chances to succeed back in 2003 but look at it now.

This book shows that being reckless like Elon Musk helps. Elon Musk was reckless in two areas: in the risks he took, and the way that he manages his companies.

The attitude which the author took with hounding to Elon Musk and wearing him down till he agreed to cooperate with this biography, was amazing but still there are couple of things which this book could be better.

There are moments in this book which the author is like”Holy crap, Elon Musk is CRAZY”. And thats the thing every genius is in their own way crazy untill everyone sees that they are actually not that crazy after all.

Elon Musk’s comapnies are also the most exciting companies ever. And the fact that you can read about their early struggles at the beggining are amazing, and really brings a light that every company have the change to succeed no matter what.

The writing style itself is pretty good but there are times where the writing could be much better than it actually was. But I think that in this asspect and in this book that doesnt matter that much because of the whole concept of this book and idea behind it.

Even if you are not the biggest fan of Tesla, Space X, Solar City or Elon Musk you will at least have the opinion that this book is pretty decide and worth reading. Because there are always something to learn when it comes to big and important people like the goat himself aka Elon Musk.

Elon Musk is an important innovator of our times, but the author could take different take with this book. Of course the author had many interviews with Elon Musk and it would be very dope if he had mentioned stuff about there interviews and his feelings he got out of these interviews. It would have been also very dope if the author had involved some of these interviews in this book and not just talk about Elon Musk and his dope companies.

Of course this biography isnt the best one which you can find. But still you will learn something from it and most of you will enjoy it.

I give this book 4 / 5

“The Wolf of Wall Street” By Jordan Belfort Review

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By day he made thousands of dollars a minute. By night he spent it as fast as he could, on drugs, sex, and international globe-trotting. From the binge that sank a 170-foot motor yacht and ran up a $700,000 hotel tab, to the wife and kids waiting at home, and the fast-talking, hard-partying young stockbrokers who called him king and did his bidding, here, in his own inimitable words, is the story of the ill-fated genius they called.

This book has a lots of hatters coming after it which should happen. Because this books isnt half bad as many other books which have been reviewed on this blog.

If you are triggered by drugs, violence or lots of sex maybe dont read this book, because this book has a lots of these things and even more.

Two of the central themes of this book are finance and market manipulation, which make a lots of people pissed off. But the central themes which people also forget about when it comes to this book is how money can ruin people, and how being in charge can go south.

The story is told mostly in dialogue which is pretty much a unique way to do it. And it really gets funny and super interesting at many times throughout the book.

The whole book is about Jordan Belfort and how he was able to manipulated the market to his own advantage. There are many describsions of how some of the money was laundered.

For the most part this whole book is a roller-coaster sort of a ride. Because there are a lots of times where you are like “he will get caught really soon”. But all these times you think so, it doesnt happen.

The lifestyle which Jordan Belfort has in this book makes the whole book more interesting to read. But yes some people will not like the book and his lifestyle will make it worse.

It’s a tale of excess and hedonism. And all these hardcore feminists will hate this book because there are times (a lots of times) where women are treated badly.

The writing style was actually good. It was simple, humorous and descriptive.

One of the best parts about this book is that Jordan are calling his life as “rich and dysfunctional”, which could mean that he knows that the shit he have done wasn’t okay.

This book is about his sturggles with various things like drugs, Feds after him and how to laudry more cash. I personally read a lots of nonfiction books and I found this book refreshing because for once a nonfiction book wasnt about how people got into fame. This book starts when Jordan Belfort first day at Wall Street and in the next chapter it goes forward when he is the boss of Stratton Oakmont, Inc.

However there are times while reading this book where you will feel like you are a drug addict yourself. Because of the way how Jordan Belfort describes things and explain things.

I give this book 4 / 5

“Insane Mode: How Elon Musk’s Tesla Sparked an Electric Revolution to End the Age of Oil” by Hamish McKenzie Review

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The award-winning Tesla Model 3, a premium mass-market electric car that went on sale in 2018, has reconfigured the popular perception of Tesla and continues to transform the public’s relationship with motor vehicles–much like Ford’s Model T did nearly a century ago. At the same time, company CEO Elon Musk courts controversy and spars with critics through his Twitter account, just as Tesla’s ever-increasing debt teeters on junk bond status.

I personally was pretty sceptic about this book when I first was starting to read it. But I need to admit that i really enjoyed it and I learned a bunch of things from this book. Even though I’m a huge Tesla geek it still had learned me a few things about Tesla and why people and the big car companies like BMW, Audi etc might be very skeptical about fully electrical cars. 

If you are someone who wants to learn about Tesla or electrical cars and the long and hard history to electrical cars take this book and really spend time with it.

Its important to say that this book might not be a page-turner for some people but give it a shot and go into it with an open mind and without thinking that electrical cars are completely bull shit. 

The writing style and the whole format of this book was amazing and incredible well executed. I really wish that more books like this one could have been written like this one.

This books starts with talking about Tesla and Elon Musk. And in general all the ups and downs which both Tesla and Elon Musk had from beginning. And the second part of this book are more about other fully electrical cars companies which Tesla and Elon Musk have inspired or influenced at some point. 

This book needs to get points for going into depth about the fact that an electric car is faster, lighter and cleaner than internal combustion engines.

However don’t get it wrong is not a Tesla or Elon Musk Biography book. Its the story of the electric car, and since Tesla together with Elon Musk and other people involved in the company where the first to actually make it through as survive as a fully electrical company a huge piece of this book is about them.

But I get the point why some people (especially the die hard fans of combustion engines) might think that this book is nothing but a very long article. However give it a shot, and don’t trash this book just because you don’t like electrical cars. 

I’m actually here under a big impression because i wasn’t expecting how good this book would turn out to be in the end. You can really learn a lot of things in this book if you just give it a shot.

I give this book 5 / 5

“Book Of Sith ” by Daniel Wallace Review

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In his quest for total domination, Darth Sidious compiled six legendary dark side texts detailing Sith history and philosophy by Sorzus Syn, Darth Malgus, Darth Bane, Mother Talzin, Darth Plagueis, and himself. Together these documents form the Book of Sith. Over the centuries, the texts were passed among Force users who left handwritten notes and annotations in the margins, including Darth Vader, Yoda, Mace Windu, and Luke Skywalker, among others. Collected by acclaimed Star Wars writer Daniel Wallace and embellished by numerous esteemed Star Wars illustrators, this volume introduces new characters and history, and delves deeper into understanding the philosophies and methods behind the dark side of the Force.

If you are a huge Star Wars fan just like me, you will probably enjoy this book the same way as I need. And if you are not a Star Wars then the book will not go so well with you.

This one is the second must read for every Star Wars fan we are talking about on this blog. 

This one is very similar to “The Jedi Path” I have reviewed on this blog few days ago. But this one is of course about Sith path, and to be honest this one gives a bigger history lesson than the “The Jedi Path”. 

This book is a compilation of various Sith texts written by several different Sith lords and master. This of course includes Darth Plagueis, The Emperor, Mother Talzin and many others. 

This book is made of several different “books” from the Sith side, which really brings you different insights to the Sith mystery. Because you have texts written by Palpatine, texts written from Mother Talzin which is the leader for Nightsisters which should have been more involved in the movies and you have texts written by other Sith lords and masters like Darth Bane.

This book involves many different topics linked closely to the dark side. These topics are all the way from Sith history and practitioners to different creatures bad ass weapons.

It’s important to mention that this book also involves somehow chronicled Palpatine’s rise to power as one of the most important Siths. 

This book gives you different point of views which Siths like Darth Bane, Emperor, Mother Talzin and many others had. 

Of course this one to involves notes or commentary notes from different characters from the Star Wars universe. 

This book adds a lot to the mystery about Siths and how dope they really are.

From the moment you get this book in your hands you will see that there was a lots of effort and knowledge put into this book. 

This book is a pleasure to read as long as you are a Star Wars fan and wants to increase your Star Wars knowledge and have some fun with it. 

This book have 160 pages which means that this book is a short read which can be read in one or two sittings. 

The illustrations in this book are brilliant and adds to the value of this book. 

You will read in this book about what Siths value and what techniques they use, together with the famous “Rule of two” and how it really works. 

This book gets 5 / 5

“The Jedi Path” by Daniel Wallace Review

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With the push of a button, the doors of the vault open in a wash of light and Star Wars sound effects. The inner platform rises, revealing this exclusive edition of The Jedi Path. This ancient training manual, crafted by early Jedi Masters, has educated and enlightened generations of Jedi. It explains the history and hierarchy of the Jedi Order, and what Jedi must know to take their place as defenders of the peace in the galaxy — from mastery of the Force to the nuances of lightsaber combat.

If you are a huge Star Wars fan just like me, you will probably enjoy this book the same way as I need. And if you are not a Star Wars then the book will not go so well with you.

This book will give you the feel as though you’re a padawan who might be reading this as part of your teachings. 

This book is basically a Jedi Codex or path which every Jedi learn and needs to follow since they choose the Jedi Path.

This book is a treasure trove of information pertaining to Jedi and the Jedi Order. Because you will most likely get a huge insight to the Jedi world and it will paint a bigger picture for you.

This book is both a Jedi guidebook and a history lesson of the Jedi Order. And it gives you insight into what it means to be a Jedi Knight and a lots of hints at the philosophies, structures, and mantras of the Jedi.

This book talks about how a lightsaber is made and different types of Jedi + their function. But you will also get the insight of the Jedi Trials and all the Knighting ceremony which the Jedis have.

From the moment you get this book in your hands you will see that there was a lots of effort and knowledge put into this book. 

In this book you will also get small notes or commentary notes from different characters from the Star Wars universe which will make the pleasure of reading this book bigger. Some of the characters I mentioned are Luke, Yoda, Obi Wan, Emperor and the great Anakin.

This book is a pleasure to read as long as you are a Star Wars fan and wants to increase your Star Wars knowledge and have some fun with it. 

There are a lots of illustrations in this book which again adds a lots to this book. These illustrations which you will find in this book goes all the way from how a lightsaber is created to what clothes the Jedis must wear depending on their rank in the Jedi Order.

If you are a Star Wars fan then this book is a must read, because it will give you knowledge which probably didn’t know about. And this book involves things which the films did not involve.

This book have 160 pages which means that this book is a short read which can be read in one or two sittings. 

This book gets 5 / 5

“The Intelligent Investor” By Benjamin Graham Review

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Over the years, market developments have proven the wisdom of Graham’s strategies. While preserving the integrity of Graham’s original text, this revised edition includes updated commentary by noted financial journalist Jason Zweig, whose perspective incorporates the realities of today’s market, draws parallels between Graham’s examples and today’s financial headlines, and gives readers a more thorough understanding of how to apply Graham’s principles.

If you are starting you journey with investing in stocks, bonds and funds and you have been following the investing section on this blog you need also to read this book if you havent read so far. I’ve been recommending this book in the investing section couple of times and now it is the time to review this book.

This book is the must read book for anyone who is starting with investing, are investing or just want to know more about investing. And Warren Buffet says that this book is the best investing book so far, and if Warren Buffet says that you gotta read it if you are interested or are investing.

This book explains a lot about investing and you should look after while doing research for best investment companies and what not to do. But the author gives us also history lessons about makes stocks go up and down and how the stock markets was doing in the past so that we can take notes from them and learn from them so that we can avoide losing a lots of money.

There are many parts of this book which feels like it is way too hard to understand but be patient it will at some point make sense and you will be greatful that you have read this book.

If the stock markets going down scare you then you need to read this book because it explains that stock market which is going down isnt that scary as you may think it is.

This book goes much more in depth than my investing posts do so if there are some things that are unclear from the posts I’ve written about investing then read this book.

You will find this book to a big help with understanding the stock market and everything which I myself and other investing creators on the internet are talking about.

This book really shows why many people fail in investing and lose a lots of money. This book shows that investing is much more important than many people might think it is. And that there is much more in investing than just buying and selling stocks, bonds or funds.

I give this book 5 / 5