Book Review: Someone Destroyed My Rocketship

“Regardless of how seriously we take things, the truth is life is more than anything the art of going nowhere”

Some level of adventure is experienced by anyone who has been assigned a task by themselves or someone else, however big or small. Some tasks require a lot of extrinsic motivation, some require none, others lead down a rabbit hole and still others end in the satisfaction of a job well done. As different as these tasks can be, all of them share the thread of introspection. Being assigned a task makes you think and feel. Dushka Zapata addresses some of these thoughts and feelings associated with completing an assigned task, especially in the workplace in Someone Destroyed My Rocketship.

Zapata’s words are unfailingly soothing and gentle, although their underlying message is determined and at times fiery. Such as when Zapata states that disappointing people when being true to yourself is okay and often necessary. Or when she explains how working on your weaknesses might not be the best way to grow. The book isn’t a nod to various forms of self help, it is a collection of curated workplace experiences with a definitive message. It provides helpful and clear answers to questions such as - what is the best time to leave my current job? Can procrastination be good for me? How can become a success? Like Zapata’s other works, it is designed to make you think about where you would like to be and to provide a bout of courage when you would like to be isn’t exactly where you currently are.

Someone Destroyed My Rocketship is a book for everyone who has ever been assigned a task, by themselves or someone else. The book is both, the patient ear for the worst thoughts and feelings associated with tasks and the guiding hand towards the best thoughts and feelings associated with tasks.

Book Review: How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big

“Persistence is useful, but there’s no point being an idiot about it.”

Scott Adams, the man behind the famous Dilbert comic, has an honest conversation about the pursuit of a healthy and successful life in his book How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big. Adams describes his many failures and how they paved the way for him to become the successful speaker, author and cartoonist that he is today.

Adams explicitly lists his many failures and describes his successes, especially in the first part of the book. He does so brilliantly, being sagacious without belittling himself. Thus, reeling in his reader. His advice is thought provoking and rarely prescriptive. He focuses on describing what works for him and why he thinks that it can work for the reader as well. This lends a conversational flow to the book.

Adams is also very comprehensive in his advice. He does not limit himself to professional or academic situations, his winning strategy encompasses the pursuit of happiness, food & exercise habits, affirmations, party-conversations and behavioral observations as well. On each topic, he is succinct, thorough and frank. He is very clear about when he is describing something that works for him and might work for the reader (such as affirmations and food habits) and when he is stating a rule that can be reasonably generalized (such as behavioral observations and the importance of correct grammar). As a reader, this leaves you with many different ways in which you could learn from Adams’ intelligence, observations and experiences.

Personally, I found the book to be compelling and engaging. I would recommend it to anyone looking for some practical motivation. The book reminded me that working towards maintaining a healthy, introspective and ambitious lifestyle will drastically increase my likelihood of success, something that can be forgotten if the daily humdrum takes over.