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Book Ponder

Book Ponder

We Think About Books


  • March 24, 2025

    How Adversity Shapes Success: Insights from American Heroes

    How Adversity Shapes Success: Insights from American Heroes

    The Unseen Journeys of Lost Friends Have you ever had a childhood friend you lost touch with, and when you ran into them years later, they were changed entirely? Perhaps it was age, but there was something else you just couldn’t put your finger on. Perhaps their demeanor and confidence weren’t where you expected their… Continue reading

    2025, Blog, Harry Truman, Ulysses S. Grant
    Adversity, American, bible, Biographies, Book Ponder, Book Reviews, Books, Challenges, faith, god, Grant, Heroes, History, Lessons Learned, Military, Reading, resilience, success, Truman, War Heroes
  • March 14, 2025

    A Short History of the Downfall of Reading

    A Short History of the Downfall of Reading

    As an avid reader of history and biographies, I am always intrigued by how much people read, especially leaders and highly successful people. Analyzing reading habits from a time when reading became widely available to all in the 15th century with the invention of the printing press to the present day, reading has been on… Continue reading

    2025, Blog, Books, Reading
    Book Ponder, Book Review, Book Reviews, Books, Boredom, Cal Newport, Deep Work, Digital Declutter, Distractions, Focus, Kindle, Lessons Learned, PC, Printing Press, Reading, Smart Phones, TV, VIdeo Games, Walking, Writing
  • February 15, 2025

    9 Books I Read In January

    9 Books I Read In January

    My goal in 2025 was to prioritize reading more than ever by minimizing my screen time and replacing TV, video games, and social media with reading. This strategy truly paid off: I read a record nine books. Now, to the books. On Writing by Stephen King As a writer it’s a good idea to squeeze… Continue reading

    2025, Blog, Book Reviews, Books
    Berlin Wall, Bob Doto, Book Ponder, Book Reviews, Books, Brandon Sanderson, Charles Dickens, Classics, Crime and Punishment, David Copperfield, David McCullough, Fyodor Dostoevsky, George Washington, Harry Truman, Hegel, Helena Merriman, Lessons Learned, Niklas Luhmann, Odysseas, Peter Singer, Philosophy, Reading, Richard Brookhiser, Ron Chernow, Sonke Ahrens, Stephen King, Truman, Tunnel 29, World War 2, World War 3, Zettelkasten
  • January 31, 2025

    Teaching Kids Life’s Realities Through Honesty

    Teaching Kids Life’s Realities Through Honesty

    Honest parenting involves addressing life’s realities with children. Parents should communicate openly about their availability, reflect on their own limits, and strive for personal growth. Continue reading

    2025, Blog, Parenting
    Book Ponder, Books, children, faith, Family, Honesty, Lessons Learned, life, Parenting, Ryan Holiday
  • January 27, 2025

    Celebrate Small Wins: How to Overcome Disappointment and Build Momentum for Self-Improvement

    Celebrate Small Wins: How to Overcome Disappointment and Build Momentum for Self-Improvement

    Facing disappointments during self-improvement is normal. Celebrate small wins, own your successes, and be your biggest fan to maintain momentum and overcome old habits. Continue reading

    2025, Advice, Blog, Lessons
    Austin Kleon, Book Ponder, Books, Disappointment, Donuts, Habits, High Five, inspiration, Lessons Learned, Momentum, Motivation, Optimism, personal-development, personal-growth, Positivity, Reading, Self Improvement, Victory, Win
  • January 22, 2025

    How Time Can Be a Gift of Generosity

    How Time Can Be a Gift of Generosity

    Generosity transcends money; it includes offering time and support to others. Emerson exemplified this, receiving community aid during his crisis due to his selfless actions. Continue reading

    2025, Blog, Generosity, Ralph Waldo Emerson
    Book Ponder, Book Reviews, Books, Emersonicon, Emersonicon Motivational Content, Henry David Thoreau, Lessons Learned, Margaret Fuller, Money, Motivation, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Reading, Time
  • January 17, 2025

    Write, Read, Repeat: Building the Habits That Lead to Better Writing

    Write, Read, Repeat: Building the Habits That Lead to Better Writing

    There’s No Excuse Not To Be Writing Once a year, I’ll pick up a new book on writing to get my creativity flowing again and to see if I gain any new insights into the craft. While I gain some new tips and tricks, I will save you a ton of time and tell you… Continue reading

    2025, Blog, Reading, Writing
    Book Ponder, Book Reviews, Books, Fiction, Lessons Learned, Louis L’Amour, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Reading, Roland Allen, Stephen King, Writing, writing-tips
  • January 17, 2025

    Grow Your Website: Be a Fan First

    Grow Your Website: Be a Fan First

    You Must Give a Little I want people to read my blog, I want people to subscribe to my newsletter, and I want to be followed on Instagram. These are all similar goals for anyone creating content, but why do we deserve to have fans when we aren’t fans first? This is an issue I… Continue reading

    2025, Austin Kleon, Blog, Lessons Learned
    Audience, Austin Kleon, Blogging, Book Ponder, Book Reviews, Books, digital-marketing, Fanbase, Fans, Lessons Learned, marketing, Motivation, Reading, Social Media, Writing
  • January 12, 2025

    Harnessing Aha Moments for Creative Breakthroughs

    Harnessing Aha Moments for Creative Breakthroughs

    That moment when something clicks, when you get excited about a thing, some may call it the “aha” moment or the “light bulb” moment.  These are the moments when you need to drop everything and allow whatever is causing this feeling to guide you.  It could be reading a topic that is resonating with you… Continue reading

    2025, Blog, Creativity, Ralph Waldo Emerson
    Book Ponder, Books, Creativity, health, inspiration, Lessons Learned, mental-health, mindfulness, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Reading
  • January 7, 2025

    Why Getting Ready Is Holding You Back

    Why Getting Ready Is Holding You Back

    “The fool is always getting ready to start.” Seneca Are You the Fool? We all know that fool because it might be you. They are always preparing to do the thing. They’ll start the workout routine on Monday, the first of the month, or at the new year. How much time has been wasted in… Continue reading

    2025, Blog, Discipline, Procrastination, Productivity, Ryan Holiday, Self Improvement, Seneca
    Book Ponder, Books, Discipline, Just Start, Procrastination, Reading, Ryan Holiday, Seneca, Stoicism
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About Me

Welcome to Book Ponder. I have enjoyed reading and writing for the majority of my life. I work for a hands-on blue-collar job, but consider myself a lifelong learner on the side. I enjoy reading many of the classics but also read something new if it’s recommended to me. I take extensive notes and save great quotes when I read and I plan to share those with you while also extracting lessons we can learn. I believe we can use the past to guide our future. I will try to post a couple of times a month, you can sign up for my newsletter with updates on new posts. I will never spam you, I hope to hear from you soon.

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Recent Posts

  • Anne Lamott’s “Debt of Honor”: The Quiet Power of Owning Your Word
  • Building A Life Compass
  • Don’t Take Everything: A Better Way to Learn
  • Why You Need to Be Bored Again
  • What Harry Truman Taught Me About Action and Integrity

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Recent Posts

  • Anne Lamott’s “Debt of Honor”: The Quiet Power of Owning Your Word
  • Building A Life Compass
  • Don’t Take Everything: A Better Way to Learn

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