Things a Little Bird Told Me: Confessions of the Creative Mind
Author: Biz Stone
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Date: April 1, 2014
Length: 237 Pages
About The Author
Biz Stone was born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1974. For the past decade, Stone has been developing large scale projects that facilitate the open exchange of information. He is the Co-founder of Twitter and advisor to several technology startups.
The Beginnings of Twitter
How did Biz Stone and his associates come up with the idea for Twitter?
Biz Stone shares many fascinating behind-the-scenes happenings that tell how Twitter started and how it grew to become a world-wide platform for posting messages of 140 characters or less.
Mr. Stone started out as a blogger and graphic designer. He was the heart behind the Twitter team and used his skills to communicate with users and grow the business.
Biz Stone tells about how he was responsible for all the customer service communications when the Twitter servers went down. It was up to him to contact users and let them know that the problems were being addressed by the Twitter engineers.
He explains how Twitter made it's public debut at the South by Southwest Conference in 2007. Large TV monitors were set up in the halls and people could read the tweets as they moved from room to room.
Twitter fans will be captivated by the stories behind the little blue bird.
My Thoughts
I really enjoyed the candid and open style that Mr. Stone used in this book. He pretty much tells it all. There are no huge scandals or earth-shattering secrets, but you come away from this book feeling like you have known Biz for his entire life.
He tells about his childhood and how his family was "dirt poor" and were frequently down-sizing to more affordable homes. He tells about his high school years when he realized that he just didn't have time to do homework so he instigated a "no homework policy" and he convinced his teachers to just grade him on work he did in class.
I think the most impressive part of this story is end. Mr. and Mrs. Stone have not let their financial success change them. They have given generous amounts of money to charities and continue to do so.
This is an inspirational book that will have readers tweeting for joy. Highly recommended!
My Rating: 5 STARS OUT OF 5
FYI ~ I received a complimentary digital copy of this book to read and review from NetGalley.
I Can See Clearly Now
Author: Dr. Wayne W. Dyer
Publisher: Hay House, Inc.
Date: February 25, 2014
Length: 389 pages
About The Author
Dr. Wayne W. Dyer is an internationally renowned author and speaker in the field of self-development. He’s the author of more than 40 books, has created numerous audio programs and videos, and has appeared on thousands of television and radio shows.
Turning Back the Years
They say that hindsight is always 20/20...Dr. Dyer reflects on his life, beliefs and writings in this autobiography.
The book begins with the author's difficult young years growing up in foster homes. The author clearly sees how these difficult times helped him learn to be self-sufficient and independent.
As a young man, Dr. Dyer spent several years serving in the U.S. Navy. During these years, the author determined that he wanted to go to college and eventually become a teacher.
The author reflects on how he wrote his first book, Your Erroneous Zones, and traveled around the country promoting the book and selling it. His love for teaching and writing led to the publication of over 40 books and his wildly popular appearances on PBS television stations.
The author touches on his personal family life but mostly focuses on his writing and teaching accomplishments. The book ends with his recent diagnosis of leukemia and how he is dealing with this chronic disease.
My Thoughts
I have been a fan of Dr. Dyer's writings since I read Your Erroneous Zones back in 1977. I have not read all of his books, but I have a pretty nice collection of Dyer books on my bookshelf.
This book provides a behind-the-scenes look at the man who became a best-selling author, teacher, speaker and a mainstay in PBS' membership drives.
I feel like reading this book was like turning back the years. I was thinking about events that happened in my own life as the author was sharing memories about his life and work.
This book demonstrates the value of looking back and clearly seeing how events, circumstances and people have come to guide you on your road to self-discovery. Dr. Dyer believes this guidance has been there for him every step of the way...and it has been there for you as well.
You don't have to agree with all of Dr. Dyer's teachings to find insight and inspiration in this book. Highly recommended.
MY RATING - 5 Stars Out Of 5
FYI ~ I received a complimentary digital copy of this book to read and review from NetGalley.
Please share your thoughts on the Comments Section below.
