The Drunkard’s Walk
01:10 AM: Began reading the book: The Drunkard’s Walk: How Randomness Rules Our Lives (NLS book number DB-67164) by Leonard Mlodinow.
Reading time: Nine hours, thirty-one minutes.
Hmmm, I’ve often felt that people either take too much credit for their successes, or others deify them overly for them. This book bolsters the notion that while things like skill and tenacity might increase our chances of success somewhat, they by no means guarantee them; just as a person’s sheer imcompetence cannot promise that he’ll always fail at any endeavor he attempts. I found much encouragement in the passages I’ve read so far; even if I truly am an awful writer, my chances of succeeding at it are still, by no mens, zero. I like that, and can’t wait to read more later.
February 25th, 2010 at 10:25 pm
01:15 AM: Read the introduction and chapter one.
10:25 PM: Read chapters two through five.
February 26th, 2010 at 11:35 pm
Read chapters six and seven.
February 27th, 2010 at 5:21 pm
Read chapters eight and nine.
February 28th, 2010 at 10:55 am
10:50 AM: Read chapter ten (the final chapter) of the book: Drunkard’s Walk: How Randomness Rules Our Lives by Leonard Mlodinow (NLS book number DB-67164). I’ll capture my thoughts on this book in a future audio journal episode. In short, I found this book to be enlightening and socially significant. It confirmed a belief I’ve held for some years now, that I use to avoid feelings of inadequacy when accomplished writers (or acomplished anyone else for that matter) are nearby. When someone enjoys success, much more of that is due to random chance occurrences than I’d first thought as a boy and young adult. This book highlights examples in everyday life that show how this is so, and why it might be. Lady Luck favoring them does not make these people into gods therefore, because much of their renown came to them through forces beyond their personal control; they were less responsible for it than I thought. Thinking this way, I feel that I nowadays side-step many pangs of self-uncertainty when conversing with these experts, that would have depressed me in my younger years. Why? Because I no longer idolize them as much for their successes. I’ve come to recognize the prominent element of good fortune in said success, and I understand more clearly than ever before that without this good fortune in the mix, that virtually no one would ever achieve success. An excellent book this was. I think that as my future unfolds, the positive effects of reading this book (by chance mind you) will be apparent.