Barb Walsh

Secret Letters of the Monk Who Sold His Ferrari by Robin Sharma If you have kept up with my blogs, or raided by bookshelf or my ipod or my Twitter,   you would probably notice that I own every book, audio recording, video and podcast by Robin Sharma.  Formerly a lawyer, he is a speaker, author and business/self-help guru (a word he never uses to describe himself). Much like " The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari ", Robin's first best-seller, this book offers teachings on success in business and in life through the journey of the protagonist, Jonathan, the cousin of Julian, for those of you familiar with the main character from The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari. When we first meet Jonathan, he has separated from his wife, worries he has disappointed his young son by not being there for him, works long hours at a job he has grown to dislike and he is emotionally, physically and spiritually depleted. Motivated by the concern of his mother, he agrees to meet up with Julian an...

Just Kids by Patti Smith When I picked up " Just Kids " , I didn't really know very much about Patti Smith. I do know she is a bit of a punk revolutionary with a poet's heart -  think Joni Mitchell or Bob Dylan. Her lyrics are strong and painful and gorgeous. She has an unmistakable voice and sound. Just Kids is the story of the friendship of Patti and artist/photographer Robert Mapplethorpe, in New York in the '60s and '70's. Littered with popular culture references to some of the most influential musicians, artists poets and events of the time - 'Happy Xmas. War is Over' billboard by John Lennon, the passing of Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, Edie Sedgwick, and Andy Warhol and the Chelsea hotel and its infamous history - Allen Ginsberg, Janis Joplin, Jim Carroll, Sam Sheperd.  Words interweave the story of artist and muse, love and loss and the growth and eventual success of both Patti and Mapplethrope, each in their own right. ...