On my Bedside and In my Bag

I am currently reading two books, something that I do not usually do. They are so different in so many ways, yet they both serve a purpose now fading to humanity. Reading.

The first was given to me by my mentor, as a guide and preparation for my future. The second is a 'must-read' for every African, so I had to taste the honey. At the end of both journeys, my vocabulary will have expanded even more, I will have gained knowledge and I will have fed the hunger to constantly read.

In my Bag

About Chimanda Ngozi Adichie's Half of a Yellow Sun, Chinua Achebe says: "We do not usually associate wisdom with beginners, but here is a new writer endowed with the gift of ancient storytellers. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie knows what is at stake, and what to do about it. She is fearless, or she would not have taken on the intimidating horror of Nigeria's civil war. Adichie came almost fully made." I am not going to get into a synopsis of what this one is about, as I would like you to get it for yourself and find out. It stirs all kinds of emotions in me, and I am only on page 41 of 433.

On my Bedside

An interesting Memoir about this woman's career path, how it impacted her life, the choices she had to make and the stereotypes she went through. It has insights on leadership, decision making, education and the ins and outs of business. At age twenty-three, she was a law school dropout who had no idea what to do with her life. Twenty-two years later, Fortune Magazine named her ”The Most Powerful Woman in Business” and she was recruited to be CEO of Hewlett-Packard as the first female CEO with a mandate to shake things up. One of her big themes is that in the end business isn’t just about numbers; it’s about people. This book goes beyond the caricature of the powerful woman executive to show who she really is and what the rest of us male or female, in business or not can learn from the tough choices she made along the way.

The next few weeks should be interesting as I navigate this maze, a memoir vs. fiction and balancing the information to make sense of both stories.

I pledge to read the written word, signing out...

StreetSindz