Paul Grenyer

Posts

A Review: Ego is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday

I first spotted Ego Is the Enemy years ago, sticking out of someone’s bag in the kitchen of an office I rented back in the mid-teenies. The title caught my eye, so I bought the Kindle version there and then. It’s taken me until now to actually read it. It’s a good book, and I think it’s helped me understand what ego really is and, perhaps more importantly, that mine isn’t as bad as I thought. It’s a very American book. A lot of the examples, stories, and metaphors are drawn from American history and sport, and I found myself having to look up quite a few of the references. That detracted from it a little for me. There were also a few too many chapters that felt similar, with long retellings of historical figures who’d come undone because of their ego. Still, I did enjoy learning something new about Kirk Hammett: I hadn’t expected Metallica to make an appearance in a book about philosophy and self-awareness. The biggest thing I took away was the idea of letting go of grudges. Inste...

Do software engineering professionals still read? - survey results

In order to gauge the potential audience for my book, So you think you can lead a team? , I conducted a small survey of my colleagues, co-workers and anyone from Linked. I read regularly, for work and pleasure, and assumed everyone else did too but did the responses I received confirm this? I polled 173 people, all within the software engineering field (including Product, etc), with a range of ages and years of experience in their role. What surprised me the most was that the majority of people, young or old, just starting or seasoned, still prefer reading physical books to blogs or e-readers. It also seemed that the older and more experienced were the most keen in learning more, and reading to expand or update their knowledge. When it comes to reading habits between different roles the survey showed that software engineers and team leads read more regularly for their career than other roles, with 55 years old and over and 16+ years experience being the biggest readers over...

A Review: It’s Hard to Tell You This by James Kinsley

Having previously read two of James Kinsley’s novels, I was surprised, and impressed, by It’s Hard to Tell You This. While I’ve always associated Kinsley with science fiction, this book takes a different direction, focusing instead on intimate human emotions and relationships. It’s a departure that works beautifully. I found myself immediately identifying with Michael’s father. His experiences, especially his awkwardness at a Catholic school and his fear of girls, resonated with my own memories. The story caused me to think about my own relationships over the years.. At just the right length, the novel flows quickly, and while I could easily have read more, its brevity is one of its strengths. The ending, in particular, stands out. Endings are difficult to get right, but Kinsley manages to finish the story well. This is, without question, Kinsley’s best book so far and, incredibly, it’s all fiction! ISBN-13: 978-1917090193

A Review: Babylon's Ashes by James S. A. Corey

It’s dull, which is a shame as Nemisis Games had picked up after Cibola Burn . There’s nothing new from the characters. No new characters of interest. What was an exciting sci-fi series in the beginning has turned into politics and war in space. I can get that anywhere. There’s a ring gate with thousands of new worlds to explore, yet the story is confined to the solar system and the warring factions. The bad guys are unpleasant and not even interesting to read about. I don’t think it matters any more, but I didn’t recognise anything from the TV series here either. Of course I’ll plough on and read the other books. It might get better again. ISBN-13: 978-0356504285

A Review: The Art of War (illustrated)

ISBN-13: ‎ 978-1773137735 I found Lionel Giles’ introduction very boring. In this edition, there are more of his notes than Sun Tzu’s actual text. I gave up on them early, as they didn’t add any value for me. The Art of War itself is 13 short chapters of advice that mostly come across as common sense approaches to winning wars, or at least avoiding losing them. It didn’t really connect with me, since I’m not a general and my own leadership style is collaborative rather than combative. I mainly read it because I thought something I used in my own book might have originated here, and because Sabaton used it as inspiration for one of their albums.

Review: Rob Newman at the Norwich Playhouse

I went to see Rob Newman at the Playhouse in Norwich this evening, and he was every bit as brilliant as I’d hoped. At times he came across as a little nervous, but that vulnerability only made the performance feel more genuine and engaging. The Mary Whitehouse Experience was a huge part of my teenage years, and I’ve followed all four of its comedians ever since. Each of them has carved out their own path, but what makes Rob stand out is the way he approaches comedy. He doesn’t just fall back on everyday observational humour or awkward anecdotes. Instead, he draws on his passion for culture, the classics, science, and mathematics to create routines that are clever, thoughtful, and original, all while being self-deprecating and warm. That mix of intelligence and humility is rare in comedy, and it made for a truly memorable evening. Nervous or not, Rob Newman delivered one of the smartest and most enjoyable performances I’ve seen in a very long time. I might even read his spy novel when...