Blink! by Malcolm Gladwell

his book was extraordinary. Blink by Malcolm Gladwell was a fascinating read. If you enjoy psychology, sociology, the human mind, etc., you will enjoy this work.

The research is wonderful and as I read it, I was amazed at the way we make decisions and think about things in a split second. I never really thought about choices we make without ever realizing why we made that choice in the first place. I also found the study on facial expressions to be very revealing as well.

I enjoyed The Tipping Point, but I think I enjoyed Blink even more.

Dinner Bells

“I hear the dinner bell ringing”, is a statement that all of have used from time to time to signify that we are hungry and it is time to eat. But have you ever experienced the ringing of an actual dinner bell first hand? Much like my clothesline post, I think ringing dinner bells are also something my son may possibly never actually experience.

There were two places I recall a dinner bell growing up. One was at church camp. Whenever it was meal time, everyone came running to the mess hall. It was a sound of excitement and anticipation. “I wonder what we’re having today? I bet it sucks!”. We all scrambled for our seats eager to satisfy our hungry appetites.

The other place was at my cousin Rebecca’s house. On Sunday afternoon, after church services, we would take off on bikes through the woods, while my aunt prepared lunch. We usually had about 30 minutes to ride and she would always say, “listen for the bell?” I’m not sure how to describe the feeling, but there was something special about hearing that bell ring from a mile away. It was a lot like a lighthouse for lost ships. When it rang, you knew which direction home was and not only that, you also knew there was a warm meal and loving family waiting for you. All the way back you could smell green beans and begin to taste the roast beef in your mouth. The dinner bell signified the start of something special. A family meal.

Five Tragic Hours

I just finished my first reading on the Battle of Franklin. I decided that as a proud citizen of Franklin, TN I should be more informed on some of the details of the battle. My first read was Five Tragic Hours by James Lee McDonough and Thomas L. Connelly.

As I mentioned reading this book with a colleague of mine, he informed that there are other books that are more up to date and give a more in-depth look at the battle. This book did good to lay down some ground work for me and confirmed many of the stories I have heard others discuss.

Reading a book like this has helped me be more aware of my surroundings as I drive through Franklin. After reading this I realized that if you live in Spring Hill, Franklin, and even Nashville you should read at least one good book on the battles that took place here. Yankee or Rebel, Union or Confederate, Blue or Gray, regardless of your heritage, it our country’s history and you need to know the stories.