And I get why Huffington wrote this: it's about how much harder it is to fall asleep, and sleep well, than it used to be.  Now we have all these toys with lights that keep us up.   But this was barely clever enough to keep my attention as an actual book - and I only say this because I respect Huffington and I expect more from her.   If I didn't thinks he was more clever, I wouldn't hold her to such a high standard.  

 

That being said, this is worth the free download for the introduction, which gives more of a history of sleep, albeit a brief one, and more information about sleep.   Even the book itself gives some hints on how to sleep well - like what she eats before bed that has melatonin in it.   Still, the introduction has the most information, and so smartly presented that I want to read her book on sleep now.  

 

I wanted to like this more than I did, but I'm glad I read it - just for the introduction.   It's cute for what it was, but I think I was expecting too much from this.   

I was really excited to read this book. I first saw that Rosanna Pansino of Nerdy Nummies was reading it and it looked intriguing. I haven't read a non-fiction book in years and I wanted to get back into it. So when I saw this at my library and I remember how Ro said she was enjoying it, I thought it was about time I read a bit of non-fiction about sleep. Sleep has always been an interesting topic for me since I rarely got any when I was younger and now I just crash on certain days. I wanted to know the science behind sleep and the history of it, too. And this book provides that... for the first half anyway.

 

I really liked the amount of effort and research Arianna Huffington put into this book. You might know her from the Huffington Post. She is an incredibly smart woman and I enjoyed reading this book by her. However, I started to lose interest when it came to the anecdotes by various celebrities. I mean, when it started to get repetitive, when each celebrity interviewed kept saying, "I was a mess without sleep but now I feel great," I couldn't help but roll my eyes because at this point, we ALL know how important sleep is. What I wanted was what happens to the brain when you sleep or don't sleep and how, in some cultures, sleeping is used as a means to reach "another world." The History of Sleep! That's what I wanted to read, and like I said, I got that in the first half of the book. Not so much the second half.

 

Another problem I had with this book was how general it was. Separating people into "the rich, straight" category. To the "men and women" category. I wasn't too keen on how Huffington talked as if everyone had money and everyone was in a straight relationship. So a lot of the studies only included couples of men and women. But what about those in homosexual relationships or those who can't afford expensive sleep treatment? *Sighs* As much as I can tell she did a lot of research for this book, it was very much catered to a specific audience, which really bothered me.

 

I do appreciate Huffington for including all her resources and articles where she found out all this information so if you wanted to continue learning about the topic, you can. I really did like this book and if you want to learn more about sleep and don't mind having celebrities telling you what you already know then I recommend you give this a shot. Might learn a bit more about your own sleeping patterns in the process.

**ETA: the orignal post erroneously stated that Courtney Milan was being sued by Tina Engler.  It has been amended to Jane Litte.**

 

"...an Internet where everyone's free to be their badass selves..." (unless you don't like something or choose to be critical)

 

On April 21, HuffPost ran an article about a group called HollaBack- that largely focuses on street harassment complaints- that's currently running a (successful) Kickstarter campaign to launch HeartMob- an online site to combat cyber-bullying.  Check the video in the link.

 

 

 

You know what they say about the Road to Hell, right? This is a catastrophe waiting to happen, no way around it. Being a natural skeptic and cynic, thanks to Anne Rice and a host of others the Internet's done nothing but reinforce and hone these senses. The problem here, as in most cases, is not so much the idea but the (lack of) execution. The Devil's always in the details, and a few key ones are glaringly absent from all the warm and fuzzy.

 

When you read throught their fanfare and propaganda- because that's what it is- you'll be quick to note a few things. First off- the lack of affiliation with any reputable or established anti-bullying/harassment organizations. Yes, it's a grassroots organization... yes, it's some concerned citizens taking action against something they feel is wrong... but few of the groups who could help them out are having anything to do with them. There's any number or reasons for this, but to me it's just not a good sign, especially for a group that been around a couple of years.

 

Second- the lack of any vetting or a system of checks & balances regarding complaints. I searched through all their info and couldn't find anything referring to a verification process. Any blogger or reviewer can speak volumes to the current climate regarding online book reviews; it's a sorry state where many authors feel justified in falsely accusing people of 'bullying' for receiving a bad review. By HeartMob's own admission, all you have to do is contact them and they've got your back- no questions asked.

 

Not a single one. Well, other than how you'd like to proceed, that is.

 

You can be lying through your teeth and they won't care. They'll be sure to protect your identity and information- because no one should be bullied for contacting them for help; they just won't bother to examine anything that you tell them. But they're ready to assist you in going after your enemies, though. So if you want a ready-made street team to attack a reviewer or flame that guy you're arguing with in a chatroom, they'll have operators standing by. HeartMob looks to be nothing more than a crying corner for anyone to come and whine about all the meanie pants of the world.

 

One of their own 'stories' shows this: a woman talks about some looneytune out on the street shouting things at her. He never approached her, never threatened her- just talked shit. I'm sorry- but how does this rate any attention whatsoever? I'm dead serious- who gives a fuck? Who hasn't had this happen to them? And this is one of their recruitment tools.

 

And I hate to keep harping on this, but just try to imagine the kind of damage that could've been done had Lauren Howard had a site like this to run to during her epic run. Or Tina Engler/Jaid Black with her current lawsuit against Jane Litte? Or any Gamergater? How about any of those people (sic) over at STGRB?

 

It shouldn't have to fall to the likes of me or anyone else to point these things out. All these thing should've been part of their business model. Especially as a non-profit, where all their practices will be available for public scrutiny, they're already off to a shaky start. Not saying that it can't get better or that it won't eventually all sort itself out, but I don't have any confidence in this already half-assed, Time Out for Adults site.

My co-worker gave me one of the most profound statements, “you shouldn’t have to pay for serenity.” And though many may baulk at Huffington’s wealth, to her credit, she lays out a plan to embrace “the third metric” free of charge. Not only does she dispense hearty advice, but she also points to a plethora of other resources (including free apps) that can continue your path toward free serenity.

 

 

Forgetting the buzz words, THRIVE boils down to two main things: sleep and meditation. Don’t shirk a full night’s sleep, and remember to pause. Again, to Huffington’s credit, these two things will make HUGE differences in your life. Through her careful distribution of facts and personal story (including vulnerable moments like her own blood-pooling fall and her daughter’s addiction), Huffington presents a case that is near impossible to refute. Sleep and meditation WILL improve your life.

 

 

And, yes, while it is not spelled out, there is no discredit to Huffington’s first two metrics. She uses the illustration of a three-legged stool, this book being the third leg. The other two legs are wealth and power. For those that have it, good for you. Thankfully this book sticks to topic and doesn’t obfuscate the task at hand: sleep and mediate more. Money is good, but these others things you can have immediately.

 

 

Huffington also speaks about having a sense of wonder and giving, but she goes back to how these things are improved with the first two: sleep and meditation. They are vitally important to your own thriving life; you can’t help others (such as her example with the airplane oxygen masks) before you help yourself.

 

 

As mentioned before, the resources included in this book are aplenty. She has a chock-full bibliography and three appendixes listing free apps, but there are many more resources included within the text itself. You’ll find quotes, books, online resources, and apps that will further your study into a better life.

 

 

Yes, it was convenient that Huffington made a ton of money before her “ah ha!” moment, but don’t let that bother you. We all come to these moments at different stages of our lives and there is plenty here that we can benefit from. Don’t let your head hit the figurative (or literal) desk before you find out—find out now.

 

 

Thanks to Harmony and Crown for sending me this book to review. I’ve had almost a week to implement some of the things I’ve learned and I feel great.

Scary book about how our politicians sold us out and are turning the USA into a third world country!

We have let our infrastructure go so badly that bad roads cause more crashes than drunk drivers! In a 2008 study, 80% of Americans believed government was controlled by "a few big interests looking out for themselves." Averaged out, each member of the legislative branch received $6.5 million from special interests! "Not only have we failed to control corporations, corporations have flipped the equation and taken control of us."

If you have ever wondered just what happened to our country, just pick up this book! Easy to read and understand, more frightening than any horror novel!