Category Archives: 2014 Empty Shelf Challenge

Currently “Reading”: Malcolm Gladwell’s David and Goliath

2014 Empty Shelf Challenge, Books, Goals

I’ve been a fan of Malcolm Gladwell‘s books ever since I discovered them with Outliers. He’s got a knack for finding very interesting points that get overlooked in stories. So when I heard he had a book out about David and Goliath and how we tell the story all wrong, it got my attention.

The opening story, about David and Goliath and what was really going covers basically the same material as his TED Talk about the same story. He then leaps into stories ranging from underdog basketball teams to trying to find a cure for cancer that generally are very different takes on the same ideas:

Most things we often consider advantages can actually be disadvantages and vice versa. Also some things that are definitely negative can also have very positive things that come along with the negative.

I put “Reading” in quotes because I am listening to the audiobook narrated by Malcolm Gladwell. He’s got a very good reading voice and I’d highly recommend the audiobook to anyone who is busy especially if they have a commute like I do.

Buy from Amazon:

Empty Shelf Challenge for 2014

2014 Empty Shelf Challenge, Goals

I’ve decided to participate in Jon Acuff’s 2014 Empty Shelf Challenge. The idea is simple.

1. Clear out a bookshelf.

2. Every time you read a book, put it on this shelf.

3. Track your progress by posting pictures of the shelf.

4. The goal is to fill up the shelf with books you read in 2014.

So far, the books I’m reading are all in digital format, so trying to figure out a way to do this. I’ll likely just print out labels and put them on books I already own that are about the same dimensions as the non-digital versions of these books.