Let's Go Thrifting Reviews: The Inkblots By Damion Searls

In an effort to expand my reading interests, I chose a book that was partly biography, partly history of medicine. Psychology has always been a subject of interest for me, so when I heard about The Inkblots, I was intrigued. I knew very little of Hermann Rorschach prior to reading this, and found his knowledge of the field and dedication to a better understanding on how humans "see" themselves and the world around them through his seemingly subjective  test. Containing both advocates and adversaries, the great shame of the situation was Rorschach's untimely death, and him ultimately not experiencing the success and validations of his work during his lifetime. 

However, if you're interested in history and psychology this book is well worth the read, as it has a great deal of both. 

It was actually surprising to see just how much of the narrative, if you will, took place after Rorschach's death. And while I am tempted to be disappointed by this, author Damian Searls makes a compelling case for just how much Hermann Rorschach altered academia, psychology, and even history...all with the symmetry, symbolism, and psychological interpretation of his test.

I received a copy of The Inkblots complimentary from Blogging For Books, for the purpose of providing an honest review. The Inkblots is available on Amazon, and your local book store. 

Book Review: What Color Is Your Parachute? (2017)

A Practical Manual For Job-Hunters and Career-Changers.  Sounds kind of drab, right? While I can't think of a single self-help or career advice book that is a riveting read, author Richard N. Bolles has compiled indispensable wisdom in a format that kept me engaged. 

Am I a job hunter? Yes. Am I "career-changer?" That's a tough question to answer. When people ask you what you do for a living, isn't the answer inevitably your job title? I work in retail. What do I do? Well I do a lot of things, creatively speaking. I'm a freelance writer, a photographer, a blogger. And maybe one day I will become a top-blogger that no longer requires another source of income. Maybe I won't. But I'll always enjoy what it is that I do. 

And in reading the 2017 edition of What Color Is Your Parachute, I've learned that a job or career doesn't always align with your dreams or your passions. But that doesn't mean that they can't. And in assessing my own self-worth as a potential employee, I've been evaluating my strengths, my weaknesses, and my own professional desires to merge more of my creative aspirations with a higher income.

With Bolles' grids, graphics, and worksheets in What Color Is Your Parachute? I've been able to better visualize what being a better blogger means to me.

In an interesting tidbit into going into business for yourself, Bolles refers to a list compiled by Dan Pink, author of Free Agent Nation: 

A) Make a list of five things that your good at.

B) Then make a second list of five things you love to do. 

C) Then make a third list of where the first two lists overlap.

D) Read that list. Ask yourself, "Will anyone pay me to do these things?"  

So. Will anyone pay me to be an expert thrift blogger/thrift store reviewer/professional secondhand shopper? Maybe not in the traditional sense. Not yet, anyway. But if I could translate this particular set of skills into something desirable for an employer, I could make a killing. Also, I can be funny. 

DISCLAIMER: What Color Is Your Parachute 2017: A Practical Manual For Job-Hunters and Career Changers was complimentary, courtesy of Blogging For Books for the purposes of review. The above review also contains affiliate advertising.