And Then Some News

Thursday's Essay Preview

The first paragraph of Thursday's essay, "Life is a game," reads as follows:
The first thing I think of when a game (any game) is mentioned, is “fun.”  Games are fun.  And to think that a game (any game) can be an accurate metaphor for life is mistaken.  There are times, it is true, when life is pure fun, but much of life is not — more of life is not fun.  It is serious business and not to take it seriously can sometimes be disastrous.   It was Thomas L. Holdcroft who said, “Life is a grindstone. Whether it grinds us down or polishes us up depends on us.”





Thursday's Essay Excerpt - from the last paragraph of the essay

Do you consider life a game?   That’s perfectly fine.  Remember what Gordon Shippey said near the beginning of this essay: “In the long run, harnessing the engaging properties of games may become a serious productivity driver.”  The real determiner of success for your life is in the quotation by Abraham Lincoln: “In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.”



And Then Some News

The Mammoth Book of Best New Jokes

By Geoff Tibballs



Book review by Richard L. Weaver II


One thing I don’t do is purchase joke books to memorize jokes and share them with others.  Sometimes, I buy them to find jokes to use in my speeches, essays, and other writing that I do — such as in the writing of my college textbooks (but I have found very few that I could use in this manner).


Tibballs had compiled jokes under close to 80 categories.  In 597 pages there are thousands, and many of them are from contemporary comedians and a number of them, too, deal with contemporary politicians such as Barack Obama, Sarah Palin, the Clintons, and George W. Bush.


There are six jokes in the Sarah Palin category.  Wyatt Cenac, an American stand-up comedian, writes, “The governor of Alaska is so dumb she thinks the capital of China is Chinatown and that soy milk is Spanish for “I am milk’” (p. 418).  Jokes by Jay Leno and Conan O’Brian are mentioned here as well.


There are seven jokes listed for Barack Obama.  My favorite is, “A lot of voters mistrust Barack Obama because they say he’s not a real American.  You can see what they mean—after all, he’s slim” (p. 409).


Nine jokes appear under the category “The Clintons.”  In my view, the best one (all are pretty bad!) Is: “Hillary went to a fortune teller who revealed: ‘I have some bad news.  Bill is going to die a horrible death.’
    Hillary said: ‘Just tell me one thing.  Will I be acquitted?’” (p. 130)


There are more than 14 jokes in the category, “College and University.”  I found this one to be the most relevant and incisive: “When a university student returned home for Christmas his mother asked: ‘How’s your history paper coming along?’
    ‘Well, my history professor suggested I use the Internet for research, and it’s been really helpful.’
    ‘Oh, that’s good.’
    ‘Yes.  So far I’ve noticed fourteen people who sell them’” (p. 133).


Of the 8 jokes in the category “Donald Trump,” all but one discuss his hair—which I find a bit disappointing.  That is, it’s such an easy target and requires no imagination whatsoever.


Under the subject, “Vacation and Leisure,” there are nearly 25 jokes.  There was one Steven Wright joke I hadn’t heard: “I want to hang a map of the world in my house.  Then I’m going to put pins into all the locations that I’ve traveled to.  But first I’m going to have to travel to the top two corners of the map so that it won’t fall off the wall” (p. 551).


Needless to say, I loved this book, not because of all the jokes by Jay Leno, Jimmy Kimmel, Homer Simpson, Jerry Seingeld, Sarah Silverman, Amy Poehler, Margaret Cho and many others—including a number of English comedians I’ve never heard of (I guess I didn’t realize the English even had a sense of humor much less comedians who might display it! —Kidding, of course.), but because of the wide variety and range of jokes offered.  There will be at least one to satisfy every reader!


What led me to this book in the first place had to do with my interest in jokes.  Good thing, huh?  I had compiled more than 2,000 which I intended to include a book to be titled, “Laugh Like There’s No Tomorrow!” (a quote from Mark Twain that reflected the 365 days that contained an average of 4 jokes each day).  Tibballs’ book convinced me that such a book as mine would not sell.  That is, why would anyone buy a book with four or five jokes for each of 365 days when they could buy this one with well over 3,000 jokes arranged by categories?  I have even compiled enough jokes for a second and a third edition.  These books of mine did not go out of print, they never saw print.  The jokes, however, appear on Fridays on my blog.


One note of warning about Tibballs’ book.  He is British, and the English spelling of words, use of English references (such as their money), and the use of English comedian’s jokes occur throughout the book.  This really isn’t a handicap; however, it limits the effectiveness of some of the material here.


The Mammoth Book of Best New Jokes can be purchased from Amazon.com   

LAUGH . . . And Then Some!

Two blonds living in Oklahoma were sitting on a bench talking, and one blond says to the other, 'Which do you think is farther away...Florida or the moon?'
The other blond turns and says 'Helloooooooooo, can you see Florida ?????'

Laugh Like There's No Tomorrow: Over 2,000 jokes from the Internet, Volume 2

From Day #7 in a second complete manuscript compiled by Richard L. Weaver II

Boosting brain power

by Richard L. Weaver II
    
For me it hasn’t been about “boosting brain power,” it is more about “sustaining brain power.”  That is, I don’t like the thought of losing anything I have, and if I gain a little by doing things that will sustain what I have, then that is icing on the cake, or a positive byproduct that is greatly appreciated.  I try to do more than what it takes to keep my brain active just as I do more than what it takes to keep my body in shape.
    
My 98-year-old father-in-law gives credence to the comment by Elizabeth Zelinski, Ph.D., a professor at the University of Southern California, who said, “the research now suggests you have a good chance of keeping your brain sharp if you commit to the right kind of concentrated effort.”  This is a paraphrase by the unknown author of “Build a Better Brain,” an article in The Hartford’s Extra Mile bulletin (Winter, 2011, pp. 6-8).  Although my father-in-law engages in a limited amount of physical exercise (walking), a limited amount of contact with other people (mainly at mealtimes), he is a voracious reader of newspapers, magazines, and books.  His mind and memory are sharp as a tack.
    
Asking the question, “Can you build a better brain?” Sharon Begley, in a Newsweek essay of the same name (January 10 & 17, pp. 40-45), claims that “The quest for effective ways to boost cognitive capacity is not hopeless . . . The explosion in neuroscience is slowly revealing the mechanisms of cognition” (p. 42).  And here is a sentence most hardworking people will greatly appreciate: “. . . in people who excel at particular tasks, Stern’s neuroimaging studies show, brain circuits tend to be more efficient (using less energy even as cognitive demand increases), higher capacity, and more flexible” (p. 43).
    
Now, Begley reports one finding that should prompt everyone to vary what they do in life: “ . . . skills we’re already good at don’t make us much smarter; we don’t pay much attention to them.  In contrast, taking up a new cognitively demanding activity — ballroom dancing, a foreign language — is more likely to boost processing speed, strengthen synapses, and expand or create functional networks” (p. 43).  That is why the suggestions offered in The Hartford’s Extra Mile bulletin, cited above, make good sense.  The essay, as its first of seven “Tips to Enhance Brain Fitness,” suggests that we “Learn to play a new instrument” (p. 7).  It states that the reason is that “You’ll exercise several brain functions, related to sight, hearing, and movement.”  That’s true, but it is just as true that it will boost processing speed, strengthen synapses, and expand or create functional networks — which is likely to result in even greater rewards.
    
The Hartford’s Extra Mile bulletin also offers other tips besides learning to play a new instrument that may yield the same benefits.  These include making your hobbies harder, using your other hand, and walking on a rocky road.
    
In an online article (03-20-09), “Building a Better Brain,” at the web site, Isthmus, The Daily Page, Jennifer A. Smith, reports on a speech given by Richard J. Davidson, Ph.D., a professor of psychology and psychiatry and director of University of Wisconsin’s Laboratory for Affective Neuroscience.  He “was speaking on neuroplasticity — the ability of the brain to remain flexible, adaptable and trainable,” she writes.  “It’s one of the foundations of his work.”
    
“The adult brain, scientists now realize,” Smith reports, “continues to make about 5,000 new cells per day. It is ever changing, or ‘plastic,’ throughout life.”  Now, citing Davidson, she quotes him as saying, "Traits formerly considered to be fixed are really not.  They’re characteristics that can be changed through training.  In other words, human beings have more control over [their] minds than previously thought. . . . We’re carrying our own laboratory between our ears, and we just need to use it," Davidson told the crowd.
    
At the Stanford Medical Magazine web site, (Fall 2005) Amy Adams has written an essay, “Building a better brain: It's never too late for renovation,” in which she cites the work of Eric Knudsen, PhD, a professor of neurobiology.  Knudsen said there is more to it than simply playing a new instrument, learning a foreign language, or beginning ballroom dancing.  It is all about laying the groundwork for growth.  He claims that, “. . . building the best possible brain is all about preparation. True, a child can’t learn algebra until the brain is ready. But how well the child picks up that new skill can be altered by early experiences that prime those neurons and their connections for action.”
    
Adams offers this conclusion to her online article: “What all this research adds up to is good news for those who had rich and rewarding early experiences. Their brains are primed for learning new skills throughout life. As for adults hoping to make late-term modifications to their brains’ wiring, all hope isn’t lost. Knudsen’s work shows that older [people] can still learn, if somewhat more slowly than juveniles. As with any remodel, it’s less efficient than starting from scratch, but with patience even fully mature brains can squeeze out some new connections.”
    
There is an almost contradictory finding in Begley’s Newsweek article which explains why my father-in-law has maintained his sharp mind and memory throughout his 97 years.  It has nothing to do with learning new skills or developing new abilities.  Begley writes that building brain power “requires tapping into one of the best-established phenomena in neuroscience — namely, that the more you use a circuit, the stronger it gets.  As a result, a skill you focus and train on improves, and even commandeers more neuronal real estate, with corresponding improvements in performance” (p. 44).
    
That is precisely what I have discovered as well.  That is, although I enjoy learning new skills (special ballroom dancing steps), having new experiences (cruising to Southeast Asia), and stretching the skills I already have (reading new books or writing new essays such as this one), I have discovered that the more I use the circuits I possess, the stronger they get.  That is why I said at the outset of this essay, “ it hasn’t been about ‘boosting brain power,’ it is more about ‘sustaining brain power.’” To me, that is the essential issue, and if I can boost brain power while sustaining brain power, all the more brain power to me!
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From the Stanford School of Medicine comes the Stanford Medicine Magazine (referred to in my essay), and the article by Amy Adams, “Building a better brain: It's never too late for renovation” (Fall, 2005).  This is really a very well-written, well-explained essay that is both thorough and comprehensive.  It is well worth a read.

At eMedExpert, the essay, “14 Research-Proven Ways To Boost Brain Power,” is excellent.  Not only are the suggestions right on target, but at the end of the essay each of the 47 “Sources and References” that support the essay are not just listed in their correct entirety, but in each case there is a link so that you can go to the research and read it for yourself.  This is an absolutely terrific essay.
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Copyright January, 2012, by And Then Then Some Publishing, L.L.C.

Intertwine with others.

SMOERs: Words of Wisdom"When people interact, their behaviors intertwine as do the sounds from different instruments in a band."  ---Frank Bernieri and Robert Tosenthal   Day #294 - Intertwine with others.

SMOERs: Self-Motivation, Optimism, Encouragement Rules! - Daily Reminders for Outstanding Living An everyday guide full of quotations to uplift your spirits.  This is one of four motivational quotations for Day #294.  

Free 30-Day sample: smoers.com

And Then Some News

Thursday's Essay Preview

For me it hasn’t been about “boosting brain power,” it is more about “sustaining brain power.”  That is, I don’t like the thought of losing anything I have, and if I gain a little by doing things that will sustain what I have, then that is icing on the cake, or a positive byproduct that is greatly appreciated.  I try to do more than what it takes to keep my brain active just as I do more than what it takes to keep my body in shape.

Thursday's Essay Excerpt - from the last paragraph of the essay

That is precisely what I have discovered as well.  That is, although I enjoy learning new skills (special ballroom dancing steps), having new experiences (cruising to Southeast Asia), and stretching the skills I already have (reading new books or writing new essays such as this one), I have discovered that the more I use the circuits I possess, the stronger they get.  That is why I said at the outset of this essay, “ it hasn’t been about ‘boosting brain power,’ it is more about ‘sustaining brain power.’” To me, that is the essential issue, and if I can boost brain power while sustaining brain power, all the more brain power to me!
   



And Then Some News

WRONG: Why experts keep failing us --- and how to know when not to trust them

By David H. Freedman



Book review by Richard L. Weaver II


The author is :a science and business journalist.”  Outside of appendices, notes, and index, the text is 230 pages long, and there are 11 pages of notes.


There are a number of reasons I liked this book.  First, it is very well-written.  Second, it covers areas (finance, doctors, relationship gurus, celebrity CEOs, consultants, health, and more) with which I have some interest (although no expertise).


The third reason I liked this book is that it offers great evidence, interesting facts, and fascinating statistics and insights I would probably never gather elsewhere.  The fourth reason is that it produces skeptics.  Whether you accept Freedman’s ideas or not, he certainly opens your eyes and makes you question — something we all should be doing all of the time.  (If nothing else, it is what colleges and universities should be good at promoting.)


I enjoyed Freedman’s examination of the various safeguards that we have to try to root out and address fraud.  As I was preparing this review of his book (on January 6, 2011), the British Medical Journal (BMJ) just pronounced a Lancet study by lead scientist Andrew Wakefield, M.D., that connected the Mumps, Measles, and Rubella (MMR) vaccine to autism as an “elaborate fraud.”  An ironic juxtaposition, to say the least.


On page 120 Freedman writes, “Thank goodness for peer review, the 350-year-old research-journal tradition of sending candidate articles out to knowledgeable researchers for vetting and comments.” — even though he admits that peer review provides only a minimal assurance of quality, and that “lousy research can slip past peer review into journals” (p. 121).  Having been part of a number of peer-review teams during my tenure as a university professor, I have to agree with Freedman; however, I also agree that there is really little other way to prevent lousy research from getting published.  The Internet makes “publication” an easy process.


What Freedman does is open the whole area of fraud and “the fraudulent police” to further discussion.  His chapter conclusions (see page 124) are right on target about scientists.


Freedman’s comment about determining whether or not Internet information is accurate was well taken: “ . . . we’re back to that problem of whether most people in the public are equipped to track down high-quality information on the Internet, as opposed to ending up with advice that may look convincing but is in fact junk” (p. 201).  Of course, with respect to students (and the public, too), this isn’t a new concern, it is simply a much bigger concern with the glut of information at our fingertips.


Every student should be required to read Chapter 9, “Eleven Simple Never-Fail Rules for Not Being Misled by Experts” (pp. 203-230).  Even though the rules are generic, they are important and well explained here.  His “Typical Characteristics of Less Trustworthy Expert Advice,” “Characteristics of Expert Advice We Should Ignore,” and “Some Characteristics of More Trustworthy Expert Advice” is priceless, essential, practical, and incredibly relevant in today’s information-saturated world.


WRONG: Why experts keep failing us—and how to know when not to trust them can be purchased at Amazon.com

LAUGH . . . And Then Some!

Marry me and I'll never look at another horse!

I married your mother because I wanted children. Imagine my disappointment when you came along.

Whatever it is I'm against it.

Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read.

Laugh Like There's No Tomorrow: Over 2,000 jokes from the Internet, Volume 2

From Day #2 in a second complete manuscript compiled by Richard L. Weaver II

Dealing with excuses

by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.

“Two university students had a week of exams coming up. However, they decided to party instead. So, when they went to the exam, they decided to tell the professor that their car had broken down the night before due to a very flat tire and they needed a bit more time to study.
    
“The professor told them that they could have another day to study. That evening, both of the boys crammed all night until they were sure that they knew just about everything.
    
“Arriving to class the next morning, each boy was told to go to separate classrooms to take the exam. Each shrugged and went to two different parts of the building. As each sat down, they read the first question.
    
"’For 5 points, explain the contents of an atom.’
    
At this point, they both thought that this was going to be a piece of cake, and answered the question with ease.
    
Then, the test continued . . . ‘For 95 points, tell me which tire it was.’”
    
When I first read this joke I identified with it immediately.  What a terrific joke!  As a college professor for 30 years, I heard many excuses; however, I found a number of successful ways to deal with them.
    
I have a perspective on all of this, and it certainly colors my overall point of view.  In all of the classes I took as a student (about 20 years of classes), and in all of the classes I taught as an instructor or professor (close to 30 years of teaching) — even my time as a “practice teacher” in high school — I never missed a single class; thus, I have never used nor had to use an excuse.  Now, I have to admit that I loved being a student, and I had the same identification with being a teacher and large-group lecturer.  I always did my homework, submitted my papers and reports on time, and appeared on time for all examinations.  (In all of the college textbooks I have written and in all of the additional textbooks editions as well (well over 30), I have never missed a deadline.  I consider deadlines just as sacred or inviolable now as I considered class and lecture meetings when I was a student.)
    
I learned early in my teaching that one of the ways I had to try to avoid having to listen to student excuses was simply to make all of my classroom policies clear at the outset in my syllabus and attached handouts.  Depending on how often during a week my class met, I would make that number (usually one or two) the number of excused absences permitted during a term.  After that, I would simply lower a student’s grade by one-third for each additional absence beyond that.  This policy was a powerful one, and it severely limited having to deal with student excuses.
    
Regarding missed papers, I stated at the outset of the course that the grade on any late paper — no matter the excuse — would lose one full grade for every day it was late.  No matter how late, however, it was still a required part of the course.   I seldom had to use this policy.  I found that if students knew the policy up front, they found ways to deal with it.
    
In one class where the final paper for the class counted for much of a student’s final grade in the course, I structured the paper in such a way that students had to begin work on it early — like choosing their topic, doing their research, outlining their approach — and in this way, I helped students organize their time.  Every student had the paper submitted on time.
    
To help students in the basic course which enrolled a thousand students per term, I had students choose their speech topics early.  They selected three topics, their graduate assistants would number them in the order they thought best for class presentation, and students would have to stick to these choices as they prepared their final speech.  This was a technique for helping to limit the amount of plagiarism as well.
    
Just as an aside here, I taught an interpersonal-communication class of over 300 students per term.  I created a seating chart so I could call on students by name, and I used a daily half-sheet response that allowed me to take roll, receive feedback, and quiz my students at every class meeting.  I remember the attrition that occurred between the first class meeting when I would hand out the syllabus and all of my expectations and the second class meeting when those students who wanted a “freebie” lecture course that they did not have to attend, left the course.  Amazing!
    
I had a teaching philosophy that may appear a bit egocentric; however, I can’t deny its existence.  If I was going to be paid to teach a course, and if I was going to prepare in the best way I could to teach it, I had no intention of allowing my students — the students who chose to take the course from me — to wander in and out of class, decide when to come to class and when not to, and to make their own decisions (during the duration of the class) as to whether they thought the material was important or relevant or meaningful.   If you (talking to the student) choose me as your instructor, you must make the same commitment to this class as I will — no exceptions and no excuses.
    
One of my goals throughout my teaching career was to appear to be a fair, flexible, and tolerant teacher.  At times, I found, some students loved to push the limits to determine just how far a person (me!) was willing to go.  Most of the time this occurred early in the course, and when a student discovered I had very clear and well articulated expectations and regulations, often they would either drop out or tow the line.  I found, too, that it was always  better to accept an untrue excuse than reject a legitimate one and be seen as unfair.  In a couple of cases, but few more than that, I would check my record-keeping book on the student’s performance in the course thus far, and if I could tell that the goals of the course were being met, I tried in the best way I could, to help students deal with their emergencies and complete class assignments as well.
    
You may wonder why the issue of dealing with excuses is even a concern for teachers.  I agree with Sandra Goss Lucas and Douglas A. Bernstein, in their book, Teaching Psychology: A Step by Step Guide (Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum, 2005) when they talk about dealing with excuses.  They point out: “The way you handle excuses conveys a message to your students about your teaching philosophy, and most particularly about whether you view students as partners or adversaries, the degree to which you trust them, and how you care about them” (p. 137).  It can set the tone for an entire term, determine how effective you will be, and, most important of all, govern (or at least influence) how much students are likely to learn.
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On the web site Faculty Focus, there is a short essay by Maryellen Weimer, “A Smart Way to Handle Student Excuses” (October 2009), excerpted from the book Effective Classroom Management, where a “stuff happens” card is discussed: “Professor Daniela A. Feenstra, who teaches a variety of business classes at Central Pennsylvania College, has developed an interesting way through this dilemma. On the first day of class she gives each student a ‘Stuff Happens’ card. It’s about the size of a business card and also includes the semester date and a place for the student’s name. In the syllabus (and in class) she explains that this is a student’s ‘one time only’ forgiveness card.
   
 “If a student is late for class or might need a one-day extension on a paper, the student may trade the “Stuff Happens” card for this exception. Students don’t have to get her approval or permission to use the card. Use of it is entirely at their discretion. However, each student gets only one card, which is not transferable and won’t be replaced if lost.
    
“If no “stuff happens” during a given a semester and a student follows all classroom policies and procedures, the “Stuff Happens” card may be traded in the last week of class for 20 bonus points.”

At StateUniversity.com, there is a great little essay at the College and University blog, “The Cultural Phenomenon of the Lying College Student” by Tara, where she begins her essay saying: “It is easy for me to believe that college and all it entails can cultivate an unwitting liar. I can understand how the pressures of deadlines, parents, activities, etc., can instigate scads of little fabrications to ease the load of college life. However, I have seen time and time again how those little white lies become habit, and habits are very hard to break.”  The useful part of the essay is where she cites “many studies [that] have been done on what psychologists call ‘the use of fraudulent excuses.’”
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Copyright January, 2012, by And Then Some Publishing, L.L.C.

 
Read more: The Cultural Phenomenon of the Lying College Student - StateUniversity.com Blog

Please only yourself.

SMOERs: Words of Wisdom"I am a big believer in the 'mirror test.'  All that matters is if you can look in the mirror and honestly tell the person you see there, that you've done your best."  ---John McKay
  Day #293 - Make today the beginning of the best of your life.

SMOERs: Self-Motivation, Optimism, Encouragement Rules! - Daily Reminders for Outstanding Living An everyday guide full of quotations to uplift your spirits.  This is one of four motivational quotations for Day #293.  

Free 30-Day sample: smoers.com

And Then Some News

Thursday's Essay Preview

The first paragraph of the essay, "Dealing with excuses“ reads as follows: 
"Two university students had a week of exams coming up. However, they decided to party instead. So, when they went to the exam, they decided to tell the professor that their car had broken down the night before due to a very flat tire and they needed a bit more time to study."
    

Thursday's Essay Excerpt - from the last paragraph of the essay

You may wonder why the issue of dealing with excuses is even a concern for teachers.  I agree with Sandra Goss Lucas and Douglas A. Bernstein, in their book, Teaching Psychology: A Step by Step Guide (Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum, 2005) when they talk about dealing with excuses.  They point out: “The way you handle excuses conveys a message to your students about your teaching philosophy, and most particularly about whether you view students as partners or adversaries, the degree to which you trust them, and how you care about them” (p. 137).  It can set the tone for an entire term, determine how effective you will be, and, most important of all, govern (or at least influence) how much students are likely to learn.                                  



And Then Some News

Power: Why some people have it --- and others don't

By Jeffrey Pfeffer



Book review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.


I found this book incredibly interesting.  The book is well-written, extremely well organized, and well-supported (16 pages of notes) in addition to hundreds of relevant, important, and pungent examples.  I found the information to be honest, forthright, and  right on target.


I tended to agree with Pfeffer’s negative evaluations of other books on leadership (even though it may be a bit self-serving), but after reading Pfeffer’s various suggestions for gaining power, you realize that so many other author’s books lack the force, bite, sharpness, and honesty that Pfeffer delivers.


One thing I felt as I was reading was that I pictured myself in a college classroom listening to a well-informed, interesting lecturer.  There are great examples, and the book is pretty easy to read.  It should be clear that you don’t have to be a college student or an academic to appreciate Pfeffer’s information and insights.


Another thing I discovered from reading this book is something I learned rather early when I was teaching speech-communication classes — especially those sections dealing with persuasion.  At one point I was asked by one of my students (and it occurred several times throughout my career), “Couldn’t someone take the ideas and principles you are teaching and become another Hitler?”  The answer is clearly yes.


The best way (perhaps the only way) I found to counter or address these concerns is to talk extensively about ethics — how to properly and ethically use the information and ideas they were learning.  Also, a unit or section on ethics exists in every textbook on public speaking or persuasion.  There is no way to guarantee that such messages get through to students; however, class discussions, coverage on examinations, in addition to such units or sections in textbooks, is the way we approach the ethics issue.  There is no discussion of ethics in this book; perhaps, there should be.


Pfeffer’s suggestions for gaining power far exceed any of the persuasive strategies I taught in college, and someone bent on using his ideas in a negative fashion could certainly wreak more havoc in a shorter amount of time than they could with persuasion alone.  If anyone, after reading this book, thinks this is all common sense or skills that any opportunist might use, then I beg to differ.  They are not reading Pfeffer closely or they are not understanding his suggestions.  (—or, they are already wreaking havoc!)


I found this to be an interesting statement: “Many studies of the predictors of career success, focusing on both the general population and specific subpopulations such as business school graduates, have found that mental aptitude correlates somewhat with grades in school but has virtually no ability to explain who rises to the top” (p. 55).


I absolutely loved his use of current examples such as Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Willie Brown, Ishan Gupta, Caroline Kennedy, Frank Stanton, Oliver North, Barack Obama, and many others.


His Chapter 7, “Acting and Speaking with Power (pp. 125-146), caught my attention because of my background in speech communication.  This is, indeed, the chapter that traces Lt. Colonel Oliver North’s return to power after being indicted on 16 felony counts, “including accepting illegal gratuities, aiding and abetting the obstruction of a congressional inquiry, and destroying documents and evidence” (p. 125).  Also, in this chapter, the comparison between North and Donald Kennedy (former president of Stanford University) and the manner in which they testified before a congressional investigating committee is offered. I found it eye-opening, and Pfeffer’s comment about it is rich in meaning: “We choose how we will act and talk, and those decisions are consequential for acquiring and holding on to power” (p. 128).


Did you know this?  “Although the research literature shows the interview is not a reliable or valid selection mechanism, it is almost universally used . . . To come across effectively, we need to master how to convey power.  We need to act, and speak, with power” (p. 129).


Using examples of Peter Ueberroth, Andy Grove, Gary Loverman, and Rahm Emanuel (among others), Pfeffer clearly demonstrates how to act and speak with power using interruption, contesting the premises of the discussion, using persuasive language (and Max Atkinson’s linguistic techniques).


Although Pfeffer advocates using “humor to the extent possible and appropriate” and even cites novelist Salman Rushie saying, “If you make people laugh, you can tell them anything” (p. 145), there isn’t a great deal of humor in this 273-page book.  It could use some; however, it is direct, strong, straightforward, and powerful.  I recommend it.



The book, Power: Why some people have it — and others don’t can be purchased at Amazon.com

LAUGH . . . And Then Some!

While attending a Marriage Seminar dealing with communication, Joe and his wife Ann listened to the instructor, "It is essential that husbands and wives know each other's likes and dislikes."

He addressed the man, "Can you name your wife's favorite flower?"

Tom leaned over, touched his wife's arm gently and whispered, "It's Pillsbury, isn't it?"

Laugh Like There's No Tomorrow: Over 2,000 jokes from the Internet

From Day #314 in a complete manuscript compiled by Richard L. Weaver II

The "great" opening paragraph

by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.
 
It was a delightful, cold, calm, Monday morning, and I had just finished showering after my 3-mile jog.  Relaxing music played in the background, and I was sitting at the dining-room table reading the Monday edition of The (Toledo) Blade.  Thomas Walton’s op-ed column, “In search of the Great Opening Paragraph,” caught my attention.  That’s not surprising since reading the editorial pages and op-ed columns is my favorite part of the newspaper.  I spend more time on that section than on any other.
    
In his op-ed column Walton invited readers to submit their “best opening paragraph for the novel that’s been kicking around in [their] head.”  Walton continues by explaining the parameters of his request: “The rules are simple.  Make sure your paragraph is truly your own unpublished work.  Hold it to 50 words or so.”  I love temptations like this, and being a writer this invitation was not just tempting, it was downright irresistible.
    
Using an advertising insert card for a subscription to USA Today which I regularly pull out of that newspaper and that was lying nearby, I quickly (without much thinking) jotted down the following:

        “Her scent lingered momentarily, then she disappeared as if a lighthouse beacon had passed over me.  Bathed in the flow of that beacon, I became suddenly alive and aware, then conscious of my past.  With that conscious awareness, I realized I was not to have her, and I was surprisingly pleased.”
 
Those 50 words came to me immediately without pause, investigation, or searching.  They just seemed to be there waiting for a breath of fresh air — for release from the literary prison that bound them.
    
When finished with breakfast and the newspapers, I sat down at the computer keyboard; however, before I stroked a single key, I remembered something my wife said to me twenty years ago — about five years after I began using a computer.  She said, “You write much better when you write your thoughts out long hand.  Perhaps it’s because it gives you more time to think about your ideas.”  I had taken to using the computer so quickly that I had stopped writing long hand and simply composed at the computer keyboard because it is faster and more efficient.  (I can write more!)
    
Remembering what my wife said, I stopped.  Using what I had written on the USA Today advertising card as a beginning point, I re-wrote my 50-word passage on a half-sheet of paper.  That iteration went as follows:

        “Her scent lingered momentarily, then dispersed as if a light breeze had massaged the fibers of my being. [I had written “leaves of a tree” but crossed it out for this more vivid, less cliche-ridden version.] When fully recovered, I became alive and aware, then conscious of my past.  With that mindful insight [I had written “conscious awareness,” but having just used the word “conscious” I made the change to “mindful insight.”], I realized I was not to have her, and I was surprisingly at peace.”
    
I have also discovered — on a regular basis — that if I write it out longhand then edit it as I type it into the computer, that re-write becomes significantly improved over the original.   I am always reminded of Strunk and White’s [The Elements of Style] fifth suggestion to beginning writers who are searching for a satisfactory style: “Revise and rewrite.”
    
The edited 50-word piece above is what I e-mailed to Walton.  I had no idea how long I would wait to see if my writing merited publication.  I knew, however, that he liked my writing, because he was the editor of the Blade who initiated the column, “Saturday Essay,” and published over the course of several years, sixteen of my essays.
    
On January 3, 2011, Walton’s follow-up op-ed column appeared.  It was titled “‘It was a dark and stormy night’ . . . or not.”  He began the column, “I’ll say this for readers of One of America’s Great Newspapers.  Give them a challenge and they embrace it.”  He followed this opening with a second paragraph, “A month ago, I asked you to compose your best opening paragraph for the novel that you wish you had time to write.  Several dozen of you responded — many with eloquence, all with earnestness and passion.  For a few, it was indeed a dark and stormy night.”
    
After openings written by Rani Marshall, and Phillip R. King, my opening was the third one printed, followed by eight more.  Then, the most surprising openings of all were included.  Walton printed two written by an eighth grade creative writing class at St. Rose School in Perrysburg.  Those two were absolutely outstanding, but time and space prohibits me from reproducing them here.  (They can be found online.)
    
On the very same Monday morning when the second Walton op-ed piece was published, my daughter called me from the parking lot of Toledo Eleven Television in downtown Toledo saying she had a flat tire.  Being an AAA (Automobile Association of America) member for many years, I drove to where she was parked, called AAA, and they appeared one hour later.  On the way out of my driveway, however, I stopped at our mailbox and picked up both of my morning newspapers, so I had them in the car, and I was reading them as we waited for AAA to arrive.
    
Seeing the column, surprised by the inclusion of my submission, I read what I wrote to my daughter.  Her response: “Wow!  That doesn’t even sound like you.”
    
I have never written fiction.  One of the problems with writing a best selling college textbook [Communicating Effectively, 10th ed., McGraw-Hill, 2012] is that it gives you little time for other pursuits.  I have written a number of other college textbooks as well [Understanding Interpersonal Communication went through seven editions.], and with all the academic articles, chapters in books, and speeches, there was no time left over.  Now, that doesn’t mean I don’t want to do it, but I have had no choice except to wait for the right time.  It is true, there may be no “right time”!
    
In addition to all of this, when I Googled myself (See my essay on “Egosurfing.”) for the purposes of writing an essay about it, I discovered a Chinese website where Walton’s column of January 3, 2011, appeared with a date just one day in advance of when it appeared in The (Toledo) Blade, and I now realize that the whole world is waiting (breathlessly, I’m sure!) for my “great” follow-up novel to my “great opening paragraph”!  I’m so excited I’m out of breath!
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At All About Manga  there is a cute, short essay written May 7, 2010,  titled “My Life as a (Rookie) Editor: The Joy of Being Published.”  The writer of the blog essay explains: “People instantly have more respect for you. I am not kidding. Tell them you’re a published writer/editor/artist/whatever, then somehow you get street cred. Even aspiring writers and artists admire people with actually published work. It’s a big accomplishment. And when you think about it, it really is, getting ANYTHING published takes a lot of time and money from somewhere. People admire scientists and other non-writerly types with major published studies in some related journal they’ve probably never heard of. YOU have something to show for yourself. You’re not so hackjob that no one’s heard of because obviously someone published YOUR thing.”

On his blog, (March 16, 2007) David Louis Edelman, discusses the topic, “Five Things That Ddelman <o Happen When You Become a Published Author.”  1) Strangers become deferential, 2) you become “the writing expert,” 3) you get “mixed feelings about what you’ve written,” 4) “self-published authors look to you for validation,” and 5) “You’ll have accomplished something that nobody can take away from you.”  I wonder if a 50-word “great opening paragraph” can accomplish the same thing?
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Copyright January, 2012, by And Then Some Publishing, L.L.C.

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Day #292 - Make today the beginning of the best of your life.

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