The Dragon Slayer's Guide to Life

An Insight from a Serial Monogamist, Literarily Speaking

A quick little word from our sponsor...

Like many people who enjoy reading, I had a tendency to jump from unfinished book to unfinished book, never quite completing any of them  You know how it goes...one book reminds you of something else you once read or makes reference to one you've been meaning to get to and the nex thing you know you've looked up the reference, scanned a couple chapters and THAT lead you to yet a third book.  I finally reached such a frustration point with my own stack of "half-reads" that I declared myself a serial literary monogamist as an experiment and on only the rarest of occassions have I veered from this in the past couple years.  I'm amazed at how much I am enjoying reading ONE book at a time, start to finish. For someone with a hungry mind always filled to the brim with questions, with a brain so in love with thought candy, I didn't think it possible for me to be loyal to a single book at a time. For those of you who suffer the same tendency, I have an insight to offer...

I have learned by reading one book at a time that what I used to do with so many books open was the equivalent to those "scanners" at parties and networking events that half listen to you while making sure that there isn't someone more interesting/available/useful/entertaining/intriguing in the room. Yeah, I'll read you but I'm really thinking about that even better book that must be out there...

Have you ever been talking to someone who is doing that? I have. It totally sucks. So, if an author took the time to lay out something for me that they want to share, I want to sit and listen (read) and not continually interrupt them with all the other brilliant thoughts of other authors. Hear them out, absorb it and stop worrying that something even cooler is going to get by me. It won't. They are books. Where do I think they are going to run off to?

Of course, a terrible book may get abandoned midstream...I still care what I feel this brain of mine. I reserve the right to be discriminating.

Special Interview: Eric Maisel Discusses The Van Gogh Blues

It is my pleasure to present Dr. Eric Maisel to you for a discussion of his most recent book, The Van Gogh Blues.  As many of you know, I am an avid reader and as such, my standards for books I am willing to recommend are high. And as many of you, my loyal readers, are quite discriminating, I know I'll hear about it if I don't keep them that way.

The Van Gogh Blues has impressed me as a book worthy of your attention for a number of reasons.  I appreciated Dr. Maisel's frank discussion of traditional psychology and how it has and has not served the creative person well.  His normalizing of the existential depression that many creatives experience, how this is a distinct experience from what we commonly call clinical depression, and how this existential depression can be engaged and worked with in a productive manner resonated with me personally and called to mind many of the individuals I coach.  If you appreciate the breathe of fresh air that comes from reading authors who admit life has challenges, that they generally don't end, that there aren't 3 Simple Steps to Everlasting Bliss AND who manage to leave you feeling solid, validated, hopeful, focused and ready to roll up your sleeves despite all that, I do recommend you check out this worthy read.

And now, I present Eric Maisel:

Eric Maisel Discusses The Van Gogh Blues

I would like to put The Van Gogh Blues on your radar screem, a compelling book by Eric Maisel. Anyone who has experience the "quarterly Dark Night of the Soul" as I have will find much food for thought in this work. In fact, I am a host for his current blog book tour so be sure to return here on February 12th. for that interview. If you have questions you would like me to pose to Eric, please send them on over or post them in the comments section below.

Book Review: Don't Ask Stupid Questions

For as much as I read, I really haven't been very good about giving you all my take on what I think might be worth your time to check out. I just added a book review category for you and will make an effort to let you know when I discover books that may be worth your while.

The honor of my first book review goes to Tim Brownson.  Tim is a life coach who contacted me recently asking me to check out Don't Ask Stupid Questions: There Are No Stupid Questions. My first instinct was to hit delete because I swore I would never accept another poorly written book to review again, I don't care how free it is. The only thing that stopped me was Tim's humor and his promise that the book functions exceedlingly well as a doorstop in the worst case scenario. 

Who couldn't use an extra doorstop?