I blame LitRPG

Early this year, I resolved to read 100 books. Similar to last year, but this time a bit more ambitious. I'd make sure I didn't read anything below 200 pages this time, and I'd actually read things on non-fiction and interesting topics like dopamine and history.

Getting sucked into the world of LitRPG

More than that, I also resolved to write more this year - and what better way to hit two birds with one stone than by doing a book review post for every book?

And I was in such a great groove too. I easily got to 20 books by March, and had 5 blog posts and reviews to go along with it. It felt like it was inevitable more than a slog - I'd reach my goals and get to where I wanted to be.

Then I picked up Dungeon Crawler Carl. Followed it up with The Wandering Inn. And I haven't written a single book review since.

It's really more of a credit to LitRPG than anything - DCC and The Wandering Inn are such vividly imagined worlds, perfect for their millennial audience, tackling old tropes in fresh ways with characters as human as a Dostoevsky heroine. I didn't anticipate these series not just making me a fan but completely hijacking my fictional reading appetite. The lore consumed me so much that I don't think I've read any other fantasy since discovering these two series.

This post is not a review. I resolve to create massive reviews for both series soon. If you know The Wandering Inn, it feels like anything below 2,000 words is doing it a disservice.

I've been procrastinating about DCC for some time now, not because I'm lazy, but because it's really hard to describe without sounding absurd. The premise itself is absurd - the world is ending, and Carl, wearing just his boxers, and his cat get sucked into a game where they need to complete challenges for each level to survive. Along the way, they have to kill monsters, lead a rebellion, kill a big penis god, murder so many people, destroy a nursery with goblin babies, and a lot more absurd stuff that's just hard to explain. If there's anything that qualifies as a "trust me, this shit is really great" - DCC is it.

The Wandering Inn is a little easier to explain - it's a LitRPG, which means it's filled with the familiar tropes of leveling, isekai, and finding your place in a world that isn't yours. But its real power is just how immersive it is. It's a slice-of-life novel set in one of the most vividly imagined worlds you'll ever be part of, with a cast of characters and races I'm not sure you'd see anywhere else. There's the Stitch-folk, the Antinium, the Drakes, the Selphids. Famously, The Wandering Inn now qualifies as one of the longest works ever written - and it's not yet finished. Each volume is massive - we're talking the equivalent of the thickest Harry Potter book or the longest LOTR book. But I cherish every word and page of it, and it never feels boring.

I owe these books proper reviews soon. The worlds, the sheer vitality of them, make me so happy that they exist - they're worlds I can lose myself in from time to time. And maybe that's worth blowing up my reading goals for.

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow

I can't remember the last book I picked up and never let go in the end. It's probably a fantasy book.

As a habit and a ritual, when I pass by airports for long flights I almost always buy a book. Often a book written by a nationality of that location, or a book about the location itself. This is how I got into Bali short stories when we were there in 2023, or how I read that Fractured India history book I picked up passing through New Delhi on my many flights there.

Tomorrow, Tomorrow, Tomorrow (written by Gabrielle Zevin) is neither written by an Australian (or Filipino), nor was it especially about anything related to the location or the trip itself. But rather, I picked it up out of banality—seeing the hyperbolic John Green quote of "One of the best books I've ever read," and my own ego and deep-seated contrarianism of wanting to prove John Green wrong.

I'm typing this halfway through my flight from Australia, a good four hours over—and I'm done with the book. Surprising myself more than anyone else.

TTT is a story of two lives from high school to their thirties. That may sound a bit trite and tired, similar to how One Day was a story of two lives as well, intertwined. But to me, what made the book interesting is that while it's set in Boston, San Francisco, thousands of miles away from Manila where I grew up, I read it and it feels like it's partly a story of my life.

See—the book is primarily a story of a life of gamers, building games. Specifically, millennial gamers who grew up with Oregon Trail as their first games, graduated to play Donkey Kong, and eventually took on better games like Kentucky Route Zero, Bioshock 2, and other classics. These anecdotes and tidbits about games are interspersed in the march of life of its two protagonists—the decidedly not manic pixie dream girl Sadie, and the not really Holden Caufield from the meadow style, Sam.

It's a story of Sam and Sadie, from the moment they met to their eventual middle years, and everything in between. It's a story of games, and designing games, and the intricate partnership there has to be to build games. It's a story of life, love—but mostly it's a story of friendship.

I am not in the habit of describing books or reviewing them in a way where I have to get into the characters specifically. And I won't start here. But the power of the book is more around the realness of the relationship, and how loss, friendship, and love form much of our heartbeats in life. It feels that every point is earned, and every high and low was decidedly earned through quips and smalls. The storytelling was brisk, the pace was fast. And it was such an easy read that it's a bit sad to think I ended it pretty fast.

It feels like a John Green book—which is why John Green probably liked it—but at the same time, it's decidedly not. It's a lot less depressing, and in a way, less serious, but it's also more focused on the themes it wants to explore, and it did it in a way where it wasn't too stationary or too lingering on the topics.

Finally, I feel like the biggest reason why I adored this book is that I am a gamer myself, and I grew up with these games they talked about. I understand the type of games that they were building, from the artsy-artsy Solution and Revel, to the Mapletown clone, even to the MMORPG Pioneer. To use gaming as a medium was an easy way to get to my heartstrings. It's not just nostalgia—it's recognition. The way they describe the creative process, the partnership tensions, the compromises between art and commerce—these are conversations I've had, arguments I've witnessed.

I'm sure I'll forget about this book soon, but I appreciated the few hours it took me to devour the 496 or so pages it was, and I appreciated living in the world of Sam and Sadie and Marx (their business partner and best friend), and being part of building games along with them, and watching them grow up and eventually face life as adults.

Progressive Overloading: A Framework for Building High Performers

I’ve had the pleasure of working with a lot of new grads and early careerists throughout my career. From my years in HR, to scaling BPO operations, to product and product ops, and now. Sometimes by force, sometimes by choice. Over time, I just got better at it.

As I progressed, I realized it’s not a common skill set. Too often I’ve met brilliant individual contributors who took on team manager roles for the first time in their 30s — and then eventually get frustrated. Even more often, I’ve heard the excuse of a “generational gap.” That’s lazy. The real issue is lack of skill and experience in handling high-performing early careerists.

This post is about progressive overloading — a framework I’ve used to harness talent, accelerate development, and build a clear, shared path to hard, meaningful work. It’s a distillation of what has worked (and what hasn’t) across BPOs, startups, and now at Uber over the past decade.

What Progressive Overloading Is

The idea comes from strength training. You don’t start by lifting your max weight. You start small, perfect form, then add load. Skip progression and you get injured. Go too slow and you plateau.

Talent development is the same. You systematically increase workload and complexity to build capability. Capability is many things: capacity to work more, handle stress, manage multiple projects. You push to the limit, then further.

It’s not throwing people into complexity hoping they’ll swim. And it’s not underutilizing them just to keep stress low.

Pressure without progression creates burnout or failure.

The point isn’t just to work harder. It’s controlled stress that builds both competence and confidence.

If you throw people into complexity too early, they’ll think they’re not cut out for it. If you scale volume first, they realize they can handle more. That mindset shift is the foundation.

The Basics: Complexity/Time Matrix

I look at every piece of work as it can be mapped on two dimensions: how complex it is (knowledge and skills required) and how long it takes to complete. This creates four distinct quadrants:

The Four Quadrants

Quick & Easy (Under 30 minutes, low complexity)

• Daily check-ins and status updates

• Scheduling and calendar management

• Basic ticket reviews

• Simple data entry

• Routine communications

Takes Time but Easy (Hours to days, low complexity)

• Research and documentation

• Learning new tools through tutorials

• Creating basic reports from templates

• Attending and taking notes in meetings

• Process documentation

Quick but Hard (Under 30 minutes, high complexity)

• Stakeholder decisions under pressure

• Complex troubleshooting

• Emergency response

• Executive introductions

• Conflict resolution

Takes Time and Hard (Days to weeks, high complexity)

• Strategic project planning

• Multi-team initiatives

• System architecture decisions

• Building new frameworks

• Leading organizational change

The Critical Rule

Only overload the easy quadrants initially. This is where most development programs fail. They mix complexity and volume from day one, creating stress without learning.

Tasks can be mapped into two dimensions

The shaded area is your safe overload zone in the first few weeks. Stay there until the person proves consistent capacity.

Way back when I was leading Product, I made the mistake of giving Ron, a new grad designer, complex UX challenges right away — research, architecture, interaction design. She was talented but not ready. It led to a lot of frustrations on both ends, eventually culminating to him resigning from the team.

In contrast, at Uber, when Kat joined me on a complex project, I started her with basic tasks. She overdelivered immediately. That gave me the confidence to scale her workload fast — and soon she was producing work that delighted stakeholders and impacted thousands.

Ron didn’t fail because he lacked talent. He failed because I skipped the progression.

The Three Pillars

1. True Alignment

This only works with genuine alignment between manager and employee. Not words, actions.

• Do they actually want growth, or just say it?

• Do they show it in how they work — staying late to get something right, asking for feedback, implementing suggestions?

• Or do they avoid discomfort, make excuses, and deflect feedback?

Self-awareness is non-negotiable. People need to know their current capacity and accept it before pushing further.

The alignment talk happens day one:

“This program will stress you. You’ll be frustrated. That’s the point. We’re testing limits so you can break through them. Stress and negative emotions come with it — and that’s how you build resilience. Weekly check-ins are mandatory. You can ask for less. Failure is acceptable. Not growing isn’t.”

Some light up at that. Others hesitate. Both reactions are fine — what matters is honesty about fit.

2. Volume Before Complexity

New grads don’t know work stress. School stress has clear endpoints. Work stress doesn’t. It’s ongoing, ambiguous, and messy.

Building stress tolerance is the goal. Like training for a marathon, you don’t start at 26 miles. You build volume first.

Regina is a great example. Her strengths showed early — communication, project instincts, hunger for impact. Week one: multiple simple tasks. Week four: entire workstreams of simple tasks. Month two: add complexity.

One year out of college, she was presenting solutions to thousands across Uber — things senior managers weren’t doing. Because she built capacity through volume first.

Contrast Denise from my BPO days. Nineteen, no degree, starting as a call center agent. She began with volume too — scheduling, reports, team comms. As these became automatic, complexity increased. Training design. Team management. Eventually running operations. It took longer, but the progression was the same: volume built capacity, capacity enabled complexity.

3. Weekly Calibration

Weekly check-ins aren’t status updates. They’re developmental checkpoints.

• Normalize struggle: “This stress means you’re growing.”

• Calibrate load: Watch for quality dips, slow responses, energy drain.

• Recognize growth: “That report took three hours last month — now it’s thirty minutes.”

• Adjust trajectory: Based on actual capacity, not assumptions.

Mia’s story shows what happens without this. Brilliant new grad, strong start, but we lost discipline on check-ins. Stress compounded, signs were missed, she disengaged, and eventually left. Not because the framework failed — but because we failed to calibrate.

The line between growth and burnout is thin — and you only catch it if you’re watching closely.

Not Everyone Should Do This

Progressive overloading isn’t for everyone. About 30% need something else. That’s not bad. It’s just fit.

Some thrive on one complex project instead of juggling multiple simple ones. Some need clearer structure. Some need validation at every step.

You know it’s not working when check-ins feel like therapy with no progress. When stress leads to paralysis. When someone says they want the challenge but consistently avoids the work.

Implementation at Scale

At Uber, I’ve run this with Product Ops in CommOps, where new grads handle multi-regional problems. We also use it to ramp SOAR trainees fast.

Worth noting: this has been remote for five years. Weekly check-ins on video. Distributed work. Growth and stress are the same. Remote even helps: calendars are tighter, documentation clearer, people open up more at home.

At LOKAL, this is core to how we operate. We hire brilliant new grads and drop them into complex client projects. CJ and RK have run this across teams, adapting it to environments with multiple stakeholders. As long as weekly calibration and volume-before-complexity hold, it works.

Why Most Managers Won’t Do This

It’s easier to throw people in the deep end and blame them for sinking. Or go slow and blame them for not progressing. Progressive overloading demands active, constant management.

The Emotional Labor

You’re pushing people through discomfort daily. Having hard conversations weekly. Reading subtle signals. And you own it if they break. That exhausts managers who aren’t prepared.

A senior manager once told me: “Your approach works for high performers, but some need more hand-holding.” They were partly right. Everyone needs support. The framework gives structure, not hand-holding. Big difference.

The Discipline

Check-ins can’t skip when busy. Load calibration can’t pause. Growth talks can’t wait for next quarter. Most orgs don’t lack good people — they lack managerial discipline.

The Balance

Blaming generations is easier. “Gen Z doesn’t want to work hard.” “Millennials want trophies.” Lazy excuses. Every generation can grow if given the right framework.

The balance is tough — push hard without breaking people. Most managers miss it.

The Payoff

The business results are obvious — faster delivery, stronger output, more innovation.

But the numbers aren’t what stick with you. What matters is the people — and how they change.

Regina doesn’t just present — she knows she belongs. Denise doesn’t just run operations — she knows she can handle what’s next. Kat doesn’t just manage projects — she hunts them.

They walk away with stress tolerance, resilience, self-awareness, work metabolism, and real confidence.

The Compound Effect

People who go through this become force multipliers. They handle more, mentor others, raise the bar. One Regina creates space for three more. One Denise builds an entire org. Over years, that compounds into transformation at scale.

Why This Matters to Me

From HR to BPOs to Uber, I’ve worked with new grads. It’s not just about metrics — it’s about unlocking potential.

Every Denise who could’ve stayed a call center agent. Every Regina who might have been stuck on basic tasks. Every Mia where I learned what I did wrong.

Progressive overloading isn’t just a framework. It’s how I see development: most people are capable of more than even they believe — if you apply the right kind of pressure, systematically, with someone who actually cares.

After a decade, I’m still learning. Still adjusting. I still get surprised sometimes by how far people can go when you do this right.

It’s hard. On managers and employees. But once you’ve seen what people are capable of with the right pressure and support, you know why it’s worth it.

Piranesi

Book 16 out of 100 in my 2025 challenge.

In college, I read a book called Happy Endings. It was written by a UP alum named Luis Katigbak. He hadn’t won his Palanca yet. This was his first publication. In it was a story about a girl who traverses worlds by folding photographs of herself from another world. It was a simple story—honestly, quite short—but it was the first time I’d encountered a kind of whimsical fantasy that I’ve always looked forward to since then.

In a way, Piranesi is a whimsical fantasy. In another, it’s not. It starts as a day-to-day recollection of a man living in a house that encompasses his entire world. Very quickly, the world is revealed to be more fantastical than mundane—while the house and its different accoutrements appear normal, their sum, their endlessness, and their stillness prove otherwise.

It’s a mystery, and at the heart of it is the question: Who is Piranesi—our narrator? He is both childlike in his curiosity, confidence, and naïveté. As the short novel progresses, you can’t help but feel for him as the mystery’s layers peel away, one after another.

The audiobook is a brisk six hours long—short for a typical novel. The narrator does an excellent job of bringing Susanna Clarke’s world to life.

There is, of course, a deeper meaning to this prose—one where mental health and relatedness are central themes. But this is not the review for that. For me, the writing was tight, the story brisk—a steady pace and simple. Almost like a teen novel, though more because of the plot’s directness rather than the themes it explores.

Similar to Happy Endings by Katigbak, Piranesi leaves me craving more of this whimsical style of fantasy.

One hundred books !?

Teddy Roosevelt got me on this path.

Since reading the Rise of Theodore Roosevelt by Edmund Morris, way back in the 2000s, I've been obsessed with the idea of reading fast. There was a wayward quote that sparked something in me:

"(Teddy Roosevelt)...would read a book before breakfast every day, and depending on his schedule, another two or three in the evening."

I was intrigued. I thought I read a lot, but reading about a person who consumes a book in an hour, made me sit up and rethink what I can do. And ultimately I thought, if he can do it, I can do it too.

So back in 2010s, I tried a 3,000 book challenge - I wanted to read 3,000 books in a span of three years. My failed sojourn is still documented in my old blog. The reality is it was the wrong time - I didn't have the time, technology, or devotion to actually execute it. Back then, my goal was to read three books a day. I was reading everywhere - in the FX, when I woke up, before sleep, while eating, at work, while walking. And still, it wasn't enough. I gave up at around 40 - a far cry from the original goal.

It's a bit different these days.

For one - I've been trending between 40-60 books over the past few years. I have actual routines now that allow me to read faster and get more time. There's also much more variety in topics I'm interested in now - actual knowledge I want to pursue or stories I want to read. But more importantly - I actually have the technology now to read anywhere, even without carrying books with me.

These days, you won't see me without some sort of audio apparatus attached to my ear - either my trusty AirPods, my Beats, or my cmf Pro Buds. This is by design. I learned through the years that I am an auditory learner - I learn best when I listen rather than when I watch (Visual) or when I do (kinesthetic). I have been leveraging that significantly in my life. Podcasts took over my life for a great stretch of time, but these days, it's all audiobooks.

I still do read physical books. There's an attraction to physical books that I cannot deny - from the moment you enter a Kinokuniya to browse for one book and come out with at least five. To folding creases, inserting bookmarks, and adding the book to your shelf once it's done. There's a romance to it that I'm attracted to, and I'll still keep.

But back to the original topic. One hundred books?!

I see it more as a challenge. I set myself a lot of challenges yearly, and this one was something I thought was easy to smash. My interest in different stories and knowledge has always been insatiable, but it has only been fueled further by our march to AI and the instability of global politics. My appreciation of fiction has only grown - with a specific focus on Fantasy, SciFi, and LitRPG, all of which have piqued my interest significantly over the past few years.

So no, there's no grand plan. I just like reading and I thought it would be interesting to hit 100 books this year. I'll read fiction, non-fiction, or anything that interests me. To that end I subscribe only to the rule Teddy himself made - focus only on what interests you. And that's what I'm doing.

Book Review: The Almanack of Naval Ravikant

It’s almost a crime to write a longer review given how short the book is.

I have read a lot of business books and a lot of them are filled with fluff. The Almanack of Naval Ravikant is different. It's a lean collection of Naval's thoughts, curated by Eric Jorgenson, that delivers more value in its sparse pages than most books do in their padded chapters.

The book distills Naval's mental frameworks for building wealth and finding happiness. No guru worship, no step-by-step formulas - just crystallized insights from someone who's thought deeply about success and actually achieved it. The format is unconventional, but it works because Naval has mastered the art of packing wisdom into tweet-sized punches.

There's no fluff here. Every page offers insights you can actually use, making most self-help books look like they're just killing trees for sport. It's refreshing how the book doesn't oversell itself or pretend to have all the answers. Instead, it offers clear perspectives on wealth creation, happiness, and life navigation - then lets you figure out what works for you.

The format might throw some people off - it's more like a well-organized Twitter feed than a traditional book. You don't read it front to back; you dive in where it's relevant and surface with something useful. But that's exactly why it works. No filler, no fluff, just concentrated wisdom you can actually use.

In a world of bloated business books, The Almanack of Naval Ravikant stands out for its brevity which lends to its effectiveness.

Book Review: Discipline is Destiny

Ryan Holiday’s Discipline is Destiny is, at best, a passable attempt at exploring discipline as a core virtue. At worst, it’s a derivative and uninspired piece of work that stretches itself far too thin without ever delivering anything fresh or worthwhile. For a book that positions itself as a deep dive into one of the most important principles for personal and professional growth, it spends more time regurgitating old stories than building a solid, actionable framework for its readers.

The core problem with Discipline is Destiny is how unoriginal it feels. Most of the book reads like a collection of secondhand anecdotes stitched together in service of obvious points. Yes, discipline is important. Yes, people like Marcus Aurelius or Lou Gehrig are examples of it. But the way Holiday handles these examples feels more like a Wikipedia summary than a meaningful analysis. Instead of digging deeper into the nuance of how discipline works, how to build it, or even how it evolves in different contexts, the book settles for surface-level storytelling that you’ve probably encountered in a dozen other self-help books—or a quick Google search.

Even the stories themselves feel tired. Many are familiar, almost cliché, if you’ve read even a little bit in this genre. Worse, they’re often forced to fit the narrative, leaving you wondering if the example is being stretched to make the point rather than the other way around. This lack of authenticity in the storytelling undercuts any emotional weight or practical insight they might have had.

What really frustrated me, though, is the lack of a cohesive argument or framework. The book doesn’t build toward anything meaningful. Instead, it meanders through a series of disjointed reflections that never quite gel into a clear or actionable takeaway. I kept waiting for it to deliver a big idea, or even just a unique perspective, but it never does. Holiday seems content to rehash the obvious: discipline is good, self-control matters, balance is key. These are hardly groundbreaking insights, and the book doesn’t do the work to elevate them into something more profound.

Worse still, some of the points are outright contradictory. One moment, Holiday emphasizes the importance of balance and moderation. The next, he’s praising obsessive, almost ruthless discipline. These mixed messages leave the reader unsure of what the book is actually advocating for. Should we be relentless, or should we strive for balance? The lack of clarity doesn’t just weaken the argument—it makes the whole book feel scattered and unfocused.

To be blunt, Discipline is Destiny feels like a long college essay that was padded out to meet a word count. It doesn’t say anything you couldn’t already guess from the title alone. If you’ve read Holiday’s other work, you’ll recognize his typical style of moralizing through historical anecdotes, but here, it feels especially repetitive and shallow. There’s no real analysis, no unique synthesis of ideas, and nothing that justifies the price of admission.

That’s not to say it’s a total disaster. Holiday’s writing is clean and easy to follow, and if you’re completely new to the concept of discipline as a virtue, this might serve as a decent introduction. But for anyone who has even a passing interest in the subject, the book is unlikely to tell you anything you don’t already know—or couldn’t find online for free.

Ultimately, Discipline is Destiny is a disappointing read. It’s not the worst book out there, but it’s far from essential. If you’re looking for a book that will genuinely challenge your thinking or offer practical strategies for building discipline, look elsewhere. This one is all fluff, no substance. Save your money and just Google the key points. You’ll get the same value in a fraction of the time.

Book Review: Hidden Habits of Genius

This book feels less like an original examination of genius and more like a well-researched but ultimately uninspired repackaging of familiar ideas. I can respect the effort it takes to compile this much material, but when the bulk of it is restating well-known events, it’s hard to find anything novel or truly insightful.

The core premise assumes that genius is inherent and largely independent of external factors, which, frankly, feels incomplete. To buy into the author’s argument, you’d have to accept a Hegelian notion that history is driven by a handful of extraordinary individuals. Personally, I’m not sold. This perspective overlooks the crucial roles that environment, timing, and broader social contexts play in shaping so-called geniuses.

At least three-quarters of the book seems devoted to retelling stories about historical figures—stories I’ve heard before—without adding much depth or new interpretation. It’s like reading a polished collection of Wikipedia entries, which is fine if you’re looking for a refresher but disappointing if you’re expecting fresh insights.

The author also tends to reduce genius to historical impact and novelty, as if those are the only meaningful criteria. There’s even a claim that “as political winds change, so does genius,” which seems to suggest that genius is entirely subjective. If that’s true, what’s the point of spending hundreds of pages trying to pin it down?

There are moments when the book tries to offer something actionable—traits or patterns that supposedly define genius—but it mostly comes across as a list of quirks and coincidences among successful people. The correlations between genius and things like mental health or rebelliousness might be interesting on paper, but without a stronger argument tying everything together, it all feels scattered and superficial.

In the end, this isn’t a guide to understanding genius. It’s a loosely connected series of observations about prominent figures, wrapped in a framework that doesn’t quite hold up. If you’re looking for depth, insight, or even a clear stance on what makes genius, you’re unlikely to find it here.

Battlegrounds by Jim Butcher

Jim Butcher’s Battle Ground, the 17th entry in the Dresden Files, delivers exactly what fans have come to expect: high-octane action, sharp wit, and a rich tapestry of supernatural forces clashing in an epic battle. However, while it delivers spectacle and stakes on an unprecedented scale, it ultimately feels more like a prelude to something even greater rather than the grand finale it first appears to be. This is not the battle for Gondor—it’s Helm’s Deep. Thrilling, impactful, but clearly setting up a larger, final confrontation.

Originally conceived as part of Peace Talks, Battle Ground is inseparable from its predecessor. Together, they form two halves of a single narrative arc, which means the book starts at full throttle and rarely lets up. Readers coming into Battle Ground without having Peace Talks fresh in mind might feel disoriented by the immediate chaos, but for those following the series closely, it’s a seamless continuation.

Strengths: Clear Action, Strong Pacing, and Humor

One of Butcher’s hallmarks is his ability to craft clear, vivid action scenes. In a novel where battle dominates most of the narrative, this clarity is crucial. The pacing never falters, even with multiple factions—fae, Einherjaren, Denarians, and mortal forces—vying for dominance. Despite the scale of the conflict, Butcher maintains a tight grip on the narrative, making each skirmish feel purposeful and easy to follow. The tactical logic behind the battles, the integration of magic, and the varied fighting styles of different supernatural beings lend authenticity to the chaos.

Beyond the action, Butcher’s trademark humor remains a key ingredient. Harry Dresden’s pop culture references and wry internal monologue provide much-needed levity without undermining the tension. Unlike many modern fantasy or superhero stories, where humor can feel intrusive or poorly timed, Butcher’s approach enhances the story, keeping it grounded and relatable.

Harry’s Evolution: From Hero to Leader

One of the most compelling aspects of Battle Ground is Harry Dresden’s personal growth. Over the course of the series, we’ve seen Harry evolve from a scrappy underdog to a powerful figure in the supernatural world. Battle Ground represents a turning point—not in terms of his raw power, but in his role. Here, he’s not just a hero fighting to survive; he’s a leader taking responsibility for the lives around him.

This shift is significant because it broadens Harry’s arc beyond his personal struggles. Earlier novels, particularly Changes, focused heavily on Harry’s personal stakes—his family, his friends, and his identity. Battle Ground moves beyond that, portraying him as someone who has to make hard decisions for the greater good. It’s less about what Harry can do and more about what he must become.

That said, this evolution feels slightly less intimate than Changes. While Changes delivered a raw, emotional punch by putting Harry’s loved ones at the center of the conflict, Battle Ground focuses on large-scale stakes. It’s about saving the city and fighting off an existential threat. As a result, while it’s undeniably epic, it doesn’t quite hit the same personal, emotional high notes.

Characterization: Highs and Lows

The characterization of key figures in Battle Ground is one of its highlights. Mab, in particular, is given significant depth. Her complex relationship with Harry continues to evolve, and by the end of the novel, there’s a mutual respect between them that feels hard-won and satisfying. Their dynamic—filled with tension, grudging respect, and occasional moments of understanding—adds richness to the narrative.

However, not all character arcs land as well. Butters’ evolution feels rushed. While his transformation from a mild-mannered medical examiner to a Knight of the Cross was hinted at in earlier books, it still feels as though he skipped a few key steps. He’s gone from sidekick to front-line warrior, but the journey lacks the necessary buildup to make it feel completely earned. A couple more books exploring his development would have helped.

Similarly, Johnny Marcone’s rise to power, culminating in his Denarian turn, feels a bit too abrupt. While his decision to embrace the Denarians makes sense in context, the speed at which it happens leaves little time for readers to fully appreciate the shift. It’s a significant development, but it feels like it needed more groundwork.

The weakest link, however, is the main antagonist, Ethniu. While she’s undeniably powerful and poses a credible threat, she lacks the depth and charisma of previous villains. Dresden has faced far more compelling enemies—Nicodemus, the Red Court, even the Fomor themselves—and compared to them, Ethniu feels one-dimensional. She serves her purpose as a force of destruction, but she doesn’t leave a lasting impression.

Challenges of a Penultimate Story

In many ways, Battle Ground suffers from being a penultimate story. It has all the trappings of a final battle—massive stakes, a climactic showdown, significant losses—but by the end, it’s clear that this is just the setup for a larger, even more important conflict. The stakes are high, but not final. The resolution is satisfying, but incomplete.

This isn’t inherently a flaw, but it does shape how the book is experienced. Readers expecting a true conclusion might feel slightly underwhelmed. Those who see it as part of a longer arc will appreciate the groundwork it lays for what’s to come.

Final Verdict

Battle Ground is a thrilling, action-packed installment in the Dresden Files that pushes Harry Dresden into new territory as a leader and protector. It offers relentless pacing, well-crafted battles, and the same humor and wit that have defined the series from the beginning. While some character arcs feel rushed, and the main antagonist lacks depth, the book delivers on its promise of epic, large-scale conflict.

For fans of the series, Battle Ground is essential reading. It’s not the final word on Harry Dresden’s story, but it’s a critical step in his journey—one that promises even greater challenges ahead.

Is it as personal and game-changing as Changes? No. But it’s a powerful, satisfying ride that sets the stage for what’s sure to be an even more epic finale.

Peace Talks

Book Review: Peace Talks by Jim Butcher

Jim Butcher’s Peace Talks, the sixteenth installment in the Dresden Files series, is one of the stronger entries in the saga, despite adhering to the familiar formula that longtime fans have come to expect. Like many of the books in the series, Peace Talks delivers high-stakes action, supernatural political intrigue, and that distinct blend of noir and urban fantasy. Yet what sets this book apart isn’t the plot so much as the characters. In Peace Talks, the narrative’s real power lies in its characters’ continued development and the emotional investment readers have made in them over the years.

For me, the hallmark of the Dresden Files has always been the evolution of Harry Dresden—not just as a wizard but as a deeply human protagonist navigating a world filled with non-human forces. This book excels in portraying Harry’s humanity while also expanding the roles of the non-human characters. As much as the overarching plot and magical battles define the series, it’s the characters’ growth and complexity that keep drawing readers back. Over time, Harry has transformed from a scrappy private investigator with a chip on his shoulder to a nuanced leader who must shoulder the burdens of responsibility, power, and difficult choices. In Peace Talks, we see him grapple with these responsibilities in ways that feel personal and relatable.

One of the standout aspects of this book is its long-term storytelling. Butcher has always had a knack for weaving plot threads that pay off several books later, and Peace Talks continues this tradition with the reveal of the Fomor as a looming threat. The introduction of the Fomor and the subsequent buildup toward a larger conflict are handled deftly, creating a natural sense of anticipation for the next installment. This long-term plotting is part of what makes the Dresden Files series so engaging—it always leaves you wanting more, eager to see how earlier seeds of conflict will bear fruit in future books.

That said, while the buildup to future events is exciting, Peace Talks does feel incomplete in some respects. Unlike earlier books in the series, where Harry’s role as a detective was more central, this entry doesn’t delve deeply into any overarching mystery. Instead, it focuses heavily on what Harry needs to do, almost functioning more as a narrative of his personal struggles than as a traditional mystery story. This shift in narrative style may leave some readers missing the more investigative tone of earlier books, but it does offer a deeper look into Harry’s character and his evolving relationships with those around him.

One relationship that stands out in Peace Talks is the development between Harry and Karrin Murphy. While their dynamic has always been an emotional anchor for the series, there’s a bittersweet quality to their interactions in this book. The relationship feels ominous, as if it’s approaching an inevitable turning point, and there’s a sense that it might be coming too late. Longtime readers who have followed Harry and Karrin’s journey will appreciate how far they’ve come, but they may also feel the shadow of impending loss looming over them.

In terms of ranking among other Dresden Files novels, I wouldn’t place Peace Talks at the absolute top, but it’s certainly in the upper tier. While it may not have reached the heights of personal favorites like the “vampire book” (Grave Peril) or the “Hades book” (Skin Game), it still stands out for its emotional depth and character progression. Fans who have been with the series since the beginning will likely appreciate how much these characters have grown, and that growth is where Peace Talks truly shines.

Ultimately, Peace Talks may not offer the tightest mystery or the most explosive action in the series, but it succeeds in delivering what long-term fans value most: meaningful character development, long-term narrative payoff, and a sense of anticipation for what’s to come. Butcher continues to build a rich, layered world that feels alive, with characters whose struggles resonate because they’re grounded in human emotion, even when wrapped in layers of magic and mythology.

As a reader invested in Harry’s journey, Peace Talks left me satisfied yet eager for more. It’s a book that feels like a bridge between what has come before and the larger conflicts yet to come, setting the stage for an epic continuation of the series. If you’ve been following the Dresden Files for years, Peace Talks is a rewarding chapter in Harry Dresden’s story—one that reminds us why we keep coming back to Butcher’s world, again and again.

Behind the Cloud

Behind the Cloud: A Practical Yet Romanticized Tale of SaaS Evolution

The book's unique structure of "plays" offers an interesting framework for storytelling, though it sits squarely in the middle tier of company-authored business narratives. While the foundation chapters occasionally meander, Benioff manages to craft an engaging narrative of Salesforce's journey from startup to enterprise giant.

As someone who has implemented and worked extensively with enterprise software including Salesforce, I can say the book paints an overly optimistic picture of the platform. Benioff positions Salesforce as a revolutionary force in enterprise software, when in reality it was more of an evolutionary step in the SaaS landscape. That said, I appreciate the book's acknowledgment of its predecessors, even as it frames Salesforce's story in somewhat heroic terms.

From an entrepreneurial perspective, the book delivers practical value. The "plays" focusing on competing as a smaller player against established giants offer concrete strategic insights. Benioff's straightforward advice, drawn from real experiences, provides actionable guidance for entrepreneurs navigating similar challenges.

However, the narrative follows a familiar Silicon Valley arc: talented executive leaves established tech giant (Oracle) to build their own venture. While well-executed, it doesn't break new ground compared to other founder stories. The book's greatest strength lies in its tactical approaches to business challenges rather than revolutionary insights.

What sets this apart is its detailed examination of enterprise SaaS strategy, though readers should approach the Salesforce-specific claims with a degree of skepticism. It's most valuable when read as a practical playbook for scaling a B2B software company rather than a definitive history of cloud computing.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Innovation dies with a whimper

“Hollow Men” based on TS Elliot’s Opus from Poetry + Neural Network

Nobody sets out to kill innovation.

If you ask any leader what they want to achieve, stifling creativity and reducing innovation is never on their agenda. In fact, most leaders want to champion innovation, creating programs and initiatives specifically designed to foster creative thinking and problem-solving.

But innovation dies when left untended. Not with a dramatic crash, but with a whimper.

It happens through a thousand small cuts – seemingly rational decisions that individually make perfect sense but collectively create an environment where innovation struggles to survive.

The most destructive force to innovation isn't outright opposition; I call it "shock reactions" to legitimate business problems.

Let me share an example I've seen in multiple organizations: A frontline employee notices a repetitive task consuming hours of their team's time each week. Taking initiative, they learn basic automation tools and create a simple script to handle these routine tasks. The script works well, completing in minutes what usually took hours of manual work.

The immediate management reaction?

Concern about unauthorized tools, worry about potential errors, and anxiety about compliance. All valid concerns, but the way they were handled sent a clear message: stick to the prescribed processes, don't experiment without approval, and definitely don't try to automate anything without going through proper channels.

The intent wasn't to discourage innovation.

The managers and leaders were doing their jobs, protecting the organization from potential risks. But the effect was chilling—not just on that particular employee but on everyone who heard about the incident. The message received wasn't "innovate safely"—it was "don't innovate at all."

This pattern repeats itself in various forms:

1. Process Rigidity: When faced with occasional mistakes from experimental approaches, organizations often respond by adding layers of approval processes. While intended to prevent errors, these processes can make it so cumbersome to try something new that people simply stop trying.

2. Risk Aversion: After a small innovation causes an unexpected problem, the knee-jerk reaction is often to implement strict controls. Instead of learning from the experience and improving, organizations frequently opt to prevent any similar attempts in the future.

3. Resource Constraints: When innovative projects occasionally lead to missed deadlines or temporary productivity dips, the common response is to tighten resource allocation and focus solely on "core work." This effectively kills the space needed for experimentation.

4. Standardization Over Creativity: In the name of efficiency and consistency, organizations often implement rigid standardization. While standardization has its place, when applied too broadly, it can suppress the very variations that lead to improvements.

As a new father watching my daughter Elyse learn to walk, I cannot help but compare it to our baby learning how to walk.

Each day brings new attempts, wobbles, and falls. The natural parental instinct might be to cushion every corner, to hold her hands constantly, to prevent any possibility of falling. But that's not how children learn to walk. Instead, we create a safe space, stay close enough to prevent serious harm, and encourage her to keep trying despite the tumbles.

Innovation requires the same delicate balance. Yes, there will be mistakes. Yes, some experiments will fail. And yes, occasionally there will be messes to clean up. But the solution isn't to prevent future attempts – it's to create an environment where those attempts can happen safely and learn from each iteration. There’s a manner and method to encourage innovation to continue, and a communication process that needs to be thought through.

Because innovation doesn't die from a single decisive blow. It dies from the accumulation of well-meaning but restrictive reactions, from the gradual tightening of controls, from the slow but steady message that it's safer to stick to the prescribed path than to explore new ones.

Presence over productivity.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Amet aliquam id diam maecenas ultricies mi eget mauris. At auctor urna nunc id. Eu lobortis elementum nibh tellus molestie nunc non blandit. Dui sapien eget mi proin sed libero. Dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing elit ut aliquam purus sit. Sed ullamcorper morbi tincidunt ornare massa eget. A condimentum vitae sapien pellentesque habitant. Cras tincidunt lobortis feugiat vivamus at augue. Habitant morbi tristique senectus et. Consectetur purus ut faucibus pulvinar elementum integer enim. Iaculis urna id volutpat lacus laoreet non curabitur. Tellus integer feugiat scelerisque varius morbi enim nunc faucibus. Velit sed ullamcorper morbi tincidunt ornare massa eget. Quis blandit turpis cursus in hac. Elementum facilisis leo vel fringilla. Tincidunt arcu non sodales neque sodales ut etiam sit. Vitae nunc sed velit dignissim sodales ut eu. Et malesuada fames ac turpis egestas integer.

Maintaining your creativity.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Amet aliquam id diam maecenas ultricies mi eget mauris. At auctor urna nunc id. Eu lobortis elementum nibh tellus molestie nunc non blandit. Dui sapien eget mi proin sed libero. Dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing elit ut aliquam purus sit. Sed ullamcorper morbi tincidunt ornare massa eget. A condimentum vitae sapien pellentesque habitant. Cras tincidunt lobortis feugiat vivamus at augue. Habitant morbi tristique senectus et. Consectetur purus ut faucibus pulvinar elementum integer enim. Iaculis urna id volutpat lacus laoreet non curabitur. Tellus integer feugiat scelerisque varius morbi enim nunc faucibus. Velit sed ullamcorper morbi tincidunt ornare massa eget. Quis blandit turpis cursus in hac. Elementum facilisis leo vel fringilla. Tincidunt arcu non sodales neque sodales ut etiam sit. Vitae nunc sed velit dignissim sodales ut eu. Et malesuada fames ac turpis egestas integer.

The benefits (and pitfalls) of working in-house.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Amet aliquam id diam maecenas ultricies mi eget mauris. At auctor urna nunc id. Eu lobortis elementum nibh tellus molestie nunc non blandit. Dui sapien eget mi proin sed libero. Dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing elit ut aliquam purus sit. Sed ullamcorper morbi tincidunt ornare massa eget. A condimentum vitae sapien pellentesque habitant. Cras tincidunt lobortis feugiat vivamus at augue. Habitant morbi tristique senectus et. Consectetur purus ut faucibus pulvinar elementum integer enim. Iaculis urna id volutpat lacus laoreet non curabitur. Tellus integer feugiat scelerisque varius morbi enim nunc faucibus. Velit sed ullamcorper morbi tincidunt ornare massa eget. Quis blandit turpis cursus in hac. Elementum facilisis leo vel fringilla. Tincidunt arcu non sodales neque sodales ut etiam sit. Vitae nunc sed velit dignissim sodales ut eu. Et malesuada fames ac turpis egestas integer.

Putting yourself in the client's shoes.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Amet aliquam id diam maecenas ultricies mi eget mauris. At auctor urna nunc id. Eu lobortis elementum nibh tellus molestie nunc non blandit. Dui sapien eget mi proin sed libero. Dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing elit ut aliquam purus sit. Sed ullamcorper morbi tincidunt ornare massa eget. A condimentum vitae sapien pellentesque habitant. Cras tincidunt lobortis feugiat vivamus at augue. Habitant morbi tristique senectus et. Consectetur purus ut faucibus pulvinar elementum integer enim. Iaculis urna id volutpat lacus laoreet non curabitur. Tellus integer feugiat scelerisque varius morbi enim nunc faucibus. Velit sed ullamcorper morbi tincidunt ornare massa eget. Quis blandit turpis cursus in hac. Elementum facilisis leo vel fringilla. Tincidunt arcu non sodales neque sodales ut etiam sit. Vitae nunc sed velit dignissim sodales ut eu. Et malesuada fames ac turpis egestas integer.