The Kingdom Keepers

So it's been a while since I've blogged, so I thought I should get back on track with something new.

For the last few months, I've been listening to the audiobooks of the Kingdom Keepers book series. The books follow a group of kids who are trying to save the Magic Kingdom (and the rest of Walt Disney World) from being taken over by Disney villains who come to life after the parks close. I usually get distracted when I read a book, so I decided to subscribe to Audible on my iPhone, and I downloaded all three books in the series.

The books are really interesting and well-written. They're like the Harry Potter books (not quite as detailed and complex), but still full of story lines that keep my interest. And plus, it all takes place at Walt Disney World! It's so cool to hear phrases like Utilidor, Cast Member, Cinderella Castle, Main Street, and so on... and they even mentioned Cosmic Ray's!

I've finished the first two books, and am currently listening to the last book. The first two books were really good. Basically, the books follow a group of kids who got hired by Disney to become digital hosts at the parks, called DHI's, short for Disney Host Interactives (or Digital Holographic Images.) Park guests can rent a DHI, and the hologram will take them on a tour of the park, much like a Guest Relations Tour Guide does in real life. And when the parks close, the Disney characters and Audio-Animatronics all come to life. But the Disney villains have been attempting to take control of the parks. So it becomes the mission of the kids to save the parks from the villains, called the Overtakers.

Blink

“The power of thinking without thinking” – the subtitle says it all. Blink is a book about the kind of thinking that occurs in the blink of an eye – within our unconscious. Through a series of short stories and real-life examples, Malcolm Gladwell shows us how we can all become better decision makers by using less information. From meeting someone for the first time to reading the first few sentences of a book, Gladwell explains the difference between good decision making and bad, and how to use this in our lives. After reading Blink, it is clear that Gladwell’s message is that it is not enough simply to know how and why our mind works; it is our responsibility to use this knowledge to better our lives.

The book begins with a short narrative about an art dealer that acquired an ancient Greek sculpture. Gladwell delves into the how and why of the scientists that believed it was real after lengthy research, while viewers believed it was a fake at mere glance. He introduces us to the process of “thin-slicing,” which is “the ability of our unconscious to find patterns in situations and behavior based on very narrow slices of experience." Gladwell gives us more examples of how thin-slicing works in the next few chapters, such as World War II code breaking, successful car dealers, why directors knew Tom Hanks was a good actor, why speed-dating works, medical malpractice, and what you can learn about someone by looking around their bedroom.

Malcolm Gladwell is quite good at explaining such a complex topic in an easy-to-understand manner. Most of the book is based on actual research in the fields of neuroscience and psychology, which sounds rather confusing and off-putting for the average reader. Yet Blink offers a different perspective, a “layman’s terms” approach. After reading the book, I can actually say that I genuinely understood what he was talking about. There were so many little life lessons that we can put to use in our daily lives, and actually change the way we act and make decisions.

One quote that really stuck out is “when making a decision of minor importance, I have always found it advantageous to consider all the pros and cons. In vital matters, however, such as the choice of a mate or a profession, the decision should come from the unconscious, from somewhere within ourselves." This message was spread throughout a number of fascinating accounts of real-life situations in which better decisions were made from the unconscious.

As a matter of fact, I was talking to my aunt recently about why she knew – in an instant – which color paint she wanted for her kitchen. She was saying that she saw the paint splotch and knew right then and there that that was the color she wanted, and she didn’t want to waste time comparing other colors. I was able to explain to her why her decision was probably the right choice, because better decisions usually come from the unconscious. Now although her decision in a new paint color was not a vital matter such as a career, it was something that she would have to live with and look at each day.

When it comes to reading a book, I do tend to judge a book by its cover, though it’s always said you’re not supposed to. But Malcolm Gladwell explains that I might not be in the wrong, for my mind took about two seconds to jump to a series of conclusions when I saw this book, and these conclusions were based on prior knowledge and experiences. And in the end, I did thoroughly enjoy reading this book. I tend to like watching documentaries and how-to videos, and this book is quite like a documentary or how-to video. It’s funny, it’s thought provoking, and it makes sense.

I believe this type of thinking can be used to change many things in the world, like the way wars are fought, the way police officers are trained, the way couples are counseled, or the way job interviews are held. All of these seemingly small changes can really add up to a different – but better – world. And that, I believe, was the author’s intent in writing Blink. The power of thinking without thinking is a powerful tool and it is our responsibility to make use of it for the better.

List #5: My Disney Book Collection

1. A Pictorial Souvenir of Walt Disney World (1975)

2. Walt Disney World: The First Decade (1982)

3. Walt Disney World: A Pictorial Souvenir (1985)

4. Walt Disney World: 15th Anniversary (1986)

5. Walt Disney World and EPCOT Center (1987)

6. Walt Disney World: 20 Magical Years (1991)

7. Walt Disney World: A Pictorial Souvenir (1993)

8. Walt Disney World: Twenty-Five Years (1996)

9. Walt Disney World Resort: A Souvenir for the Millennium (1999)

10. Walt Disney World: Then, Now, and Forever

by Jeff Kurtti and Bruce Gordon (2008)

11. Secrets of Disney's Glorious Gardens

by Kevin Markey

12. Designing Disney

by John Hench

13. Tarzan: The Broadway Adventure
by Michael Lassell

14. Windows on Main Street
by Chuck Snyder

15. Encyclopedia of Walt Disney's Animated Characters
by John Grant

16. The Haunted Mansion: From the Magic Kingdom to the Movies
by Jason Surrell

17. The Disney Mountains: Imagineering at Its Peak
by Jason Surrell

18. Pirates of the Caribbean: From the Magic Kingdom to the Movies
by Jason Surrell

19. Since the World Began: Walt Disney World - The First 25 Years
by Jeff Kurtti

20. The Little Big Book of Disney
by Monique Peterson

21. Walt Disney Imagineering: A Behind the Dreams Look at Making the Magic Real 
by The Imagineers

22. Walt Disney's EPCOT Center: Creating the World of Tomorrow
by Richard Beard

23. The Making of Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park
by Melody Malmberg

24. From Mouse to Mermaid: The Politics of Film, Gender and Culture
by Elizabeth Bell, Lynda Haas, and Laura Sells

25. Good Girls & Wicked Witches: Women in Disney's Feature Animation
by Amy M. Davis

26. Birnbaum's Walt Disney World 2009

27. Realityland: True-Life Adventures at Walt Disney World
by David Koenig

28. Cast Member Confidential: A Disneyfied Memoir 
by Chris Mitchell

29. Walt Disney World Resort: Celebrating 100 Years of Magic

30. Disneyland: The First Quarter Century (1979)

31. Imagineering: A Behind the Dreams Look at Making More Magic Real (2010)
by The Imagineers