Offices are the last thing on my mind right now...
The Book: Remote: Office Not Required by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson
My Rating: 3/5
Blurb from Amazon.com:
The “work from home” phenomenon is thoroughly explored in this illuminating new book from bestselling 37signals founders Fried and Hansson, who point to the surging trend of employees working from home (and anywhere else) and explain the challenges and unexpected benefits. Most important, they show why – with a few controversial exceptions such as Yahoo -- more businesses will want to promote this new model of getting things done.
The Industrial Revolution's "under one roof" model of conducting work is steadily declining owing to technology that is rapidly creating virtual workspaces and allowing workers to provide their vital contribution without physically clustering together. Today, the new paradigm is "move work to the workers, rather than workers to the workplace." According to Reuters, one in five global workers telecommutes frequently and nearly ten percent work from home every day. Moms in particular will welcome this trend. A full 60% wish they had a flexible work option. But companies see advantages too in the way remote work increases their talent pool, reduces turnover, lessens their real estate footprint, and improves the ability to conduct business across multiple time zones, to name just a few advantages. In Remote, inconoclastic authors Fried and Hansson will convince readers that letting all or part of work teams function remotely is a great idea--and they're going to show precisely how a remote work setup can be accomplished.
My Review:
I think the library blurb I read was different, because I went into this book seeking a how-to manual on remote work.
Instead, this seemed more like a glossy pamphlet building up the idea of remote work. It's great encouragement if you've never considered working from home before, but don't expect to get into the nitty gritty details.
The writers focus on business practices used by their own company, 37 signals (now Basecamp), and the target audience seems to be business managers rather than remote employees.
In short, I don't think it was a bad book, but it wasn't what I was looking for.
The Place: Zabriskie Point, Death Valley National Park, CA
My Rating: 4/5
My Review:
Death Valley's main claim to fame is that it contains the point of lowest elevation in North America, -232 feet in Badwater Basin. But there's lots more to see in the 5000+ square miles that make up this national park.
Zabriskie Point is one of these highlights. Nine million years ago, a large lake formed on this site, depositing layers of colorful sediments. After the lake dried up and tectonics made the ground go all wonky, erosion did its work and carved out these otherworldly badlands. Today, photographers flock to this viewpoint at sunrise and sunset to capture the texture and colors in the rock.
Before coming here, I pictured Death Valley as a desolate wasteland. And I can confirm that it is a shithole. But it's a surprisingly beautiful shithole.
Note that, while I am posting in this in summer, I was not visiting during the summer, when temperatures soar up to 134 °F!
I was amazed that life can be found in such an inhospitable place, from the tenacious scrub-brush to the fearless jackrabbits and coyotes that came through our camp. This national park is worth a visit if you're interested in learning more about this ecosystem (or maybe just checking out the spring wildflowers or the four wheeling out to the mysterious "racetrack playa" or hiking through Golden Canyon - take your pick!).
Book + Place Pairing
My Review: 3.5/5
We decided to pull off at this viewpoint to take in the sunset before setting up camp at Furnace Creek Campground. A mob of photographers clustered at the end of the short path that led up from the parking lot, so I picked a quiet spot off to the side and settled in on the chalky ground.
Oh, hello! Would you like to come lie in this nice patch of dirt and read with me?
As my view flickered between the Kindle screen and the orange sunset, it finally started to sink in what this book was talking about. This could be my office! (Assuming I drop a ton of money on satellite internet and solar panels and anti-glare screens).
Moments later, the book lay abandoned while I zoned out at the mountains in the distance. Ok, maybe my attention span isn't cut out for this remote work thing...
Wait, what is adventure reading?
My favorite hobby! I am a bookworm who loves to travel, so I usually just shove a book in my pack and go. I try to find the most scenic reading spots and spend some time taking it all in, letting the story and the place mingle.
A couple years ago, I started photographing the page I was on. (It’s not a pretty process, since I have to hold the phone with one hand and poking at the screen with my nose to focus.)
All of these posts will have the tag #adventurereading, and I would love to see you add to it - even if the place is your living room or favorite coffee shop!