Category: 2. BUY it!

2. BUY it! · Book Review Actions · Book Reviews · Self Improvement

BR 52: The Greatness Guide by Robin Sharma

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Category: 2 – BUY it! (All Categories are 1 – Read ASAP!, 2 – BUY it!, 3 – SHELF it, 4 – SOMEDAY it)

Comments: A very very very good book. I rate it very high on inspiration, a tad lower on impact. But, it throws out tons of simple and actionable ideas that make it a fun read. In some ways, it is an eclectic collection of thoughts that form Robin Sharma’s recipes for greatness with lots of little nuggets that are actionable. Little nuggets that I acted upon were to start my day with reflections from yesterday and to ask for an upgrade to Business class every time I traveled. :)

Add on Mar 16, 2016: 5 years after reading this book, I have to say there’s something about this book that just worked like magic. Perhaps it was the timing (I vividly remember the flight on which I read it) but I took collection of ideas from the book to heart – e.g. waking up at 5am, meditating regularly and treating my body well.

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BR 50: The Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell

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Category: 2 – BUY it! (All Categories are 1 – Read ASAP!, 2 – BUY it!, 3 – SHELF it, 4 – SOMEDAY it)

Comments: A typical Malcolm Gladwell book – a mish mash of well presented facts that lead to a whole number of well organized conclusions – laced with engaging stories that makes the book just a very good read.

What to expect: Bits of research that success comes from a combination of factors – luck, background and the presence of an opportunity to work very very hard (read 10,000 hours).  There were lots of memorable stories – like those of Gates, Jobs as well as a whole host of interesting insights like the connection between the success of sports people and their birth months as well as the investigation of the reasons behind frequent ‘Korean Air’ plane crashes . The book presents many little nuggets to remember.

Add on Mar 16, 2016: I realized over the years that there was one large flaw in the 10,000 hour rule. It isn’t just about the hours. It is about “deliberate practice” during the hours. As I learnt about the original research by Anders Ericsson, I think I felt Outliers over sold it a bit. Still a really good read and likely his most popular work.

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BR 46: Harry Potter (series) by J.K.Rowling

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Category: 2 – BUY it! (All Categories are 1 – Read ASAP!, 2 – BUY it!, 3 – SHELF it, 4 – SOMEDAY it)

Comments: Fantastic series. The fan in me couldn’t resist putting this up just as soon as I watched the 7th movie of the series. The only reason this isn’t right at the top is because only after you read the whole series do you appreciate some of the deep learnings from the book.  Some of those learnings which have stuck with me –

1) We always have a choice between what’s right and what’s easy

2) ‘The biggest mistake that adults make is that they forget what it is to be young’

3) Harry’s loyalty to his mentor was admirable and was the reason he ended up being successful. Loyalty can make or break us!

4) Some may think being dragged into an arena for a fight until death and walking into the arena with your head held high makes no difference as the terms of the fight are the same after all. But, little do people know that it makes all the difference in the world.

5) Most adventures sound cooler than they were in reality. (I find this SO amazingly true!)

6) The most powerful force on earth is love.

Add on Mar 16, 2016: I am amused to find Harry Potter here as I think this blog became largely about non fiction books. I guess my love for the series found its way here. I think this book might be the last of fiction books I’ve written about here. For those who love this sort of this, A Song of Ice and Fire (popularly “Game of Thrones”)  series is a must read too!

2. BUY it! · Book Review Actions · Book Reviews · Psychology · Self Improvement

BR 41: How to Stop Worrying and Start Living by Dale Carnegie

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Category: 3 – SHELF it (All Categories are 1 – Read ASAP!, 2 – BUY it!, 3 – SHELF it, 4 – SOMEDAY it)

Comments: If you are a worry-wart like I was when I read this book, I’d definitely recommend checking it out. To put this in context, this book was written during the ‘Great Depression’  – so there were likely a lot of worried people then. The book had many simple ideas and stories and thoughts on how to execute them. Ideas that stuck with me were to ‘live in 24 hour compartments’, ‘stop rushing’  among others.

Again, at a time when I was prone to worrying a lot, the book was definitely positive.

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BR 39: Made to Stick by Chip and Dan Heath

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Comments: Great book. In many ways, it felt like a continuation of ‘The Tipping Point’ by Malcolm Gladwell but is a fantastic stand alone as well. It is exceptional as it brings about a framework for ideas that stick that is not too hard to apply in our own lives if we are disciplined enough.

What to expect: Lots of examples and proof that the ‘SUCCES’ principle is what makes great ideas stick. Great ideas are  S(imple), U(nexpected), C(oncrete), C(redible), E(motional) and are packaged in a S(tory).

2. BUY it! · Book Review Actions · Book Reviews · Philosophy

BR 20: Stillness Speaks – Echkart Tolle

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Comments: This is a book I read typically during one of the following 3 situations –

1) When I’m struggling to sleep and need to make sure I get rest before morning..
2) When I’m feeling restless on a flight..
3) When I need something calming..

And in all 3 of the above times, this book is simply brilliant. It is deep, extremely thought provoking and narrated in Eckhart Tolle’s calm and sleep-inducing voice..

What to expect: The following –

1) A book that cannot be read or understood in 1 sitting.
2) A book that can be read and re-read many times and still enjoyed..
3) A brilliant book for relfection..
4) Lot’s of silence and pauses during the book ..
5) Tons of insight..

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BR 14: How to become a Great Boss

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Category: 3 – SHELF it (All Categories are 1 – Read ASAP!, 2 – BUY it!, 3 – SHELF it, 4 – SOMEDAY it)

Comments: Good book.

What to expect: All of Jeffrey J Fox’s books have many simple ideas in one or two page chapters. A lot of them are tit-bits that are worth remembering. Lots of simple tit-bits worth remembering.

Add on Mar 16, 2016: This was one of JJF’s better books. “Hire slowly, fire fast” is an idea that has stuck from this book. Very much a cliched “how to” book though. :)

2. BUY it! · Book Review Actions · Book Reviews · Psychology · Relationships · Self Improvement

BR 13: Difficult Conversations by Douglas Stone

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Category: 2 – BUY it! (All Categories are 1 – Read ASAP!, 2 – BUY it!, 3 – SHELF it, 4 – SOMEDAY it)

Comments: It’s  funny I rate this so high because I recall this book having a rather boring narrator. That definitely says a LOT about it’s impact! In simple words, the book does 2 things – emphasize the importance of having those ‘difficult conversations’ and avoid sweeping things under the target in all relationships that matter to us hoping that things will turn out okay. Secondly, it talks about the importance of differentiating between facts and feelings when presenting issues.

What to expect: Lots of example incidents that provide for great learning. And lots of ideas on how to approach ‘that‘ difficult conversation.

Add on Mar 16 2016: I don’t remember much from the book except that it reinforced the importance of having difficult conversations. It is an idea I’ve tried to stay true to.

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BR 8: A Short History Of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson

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Category: 2 – BUY it! (All Categories are 1 – Read ASAP!, 2 – BUY it!, 3 – SHELF it, 4 – SOMEDAY it)

Comments: Super entertaining, super informative and lots of fun to read. Classic Bill Bryson with a science focus.

What to expect: As the title goes, a ‘short history of nearly everything’. It is one of those books that makes learning fun and moves seamlessly (for the most part) from one topic to another. One big realization that hit me was how all things  in our universe are interconnected..

A note – While great for expanding perspective, I don’t remember a lot of specifics from the book but yet remember how it increased my curiosity about inventors, inventions and ideation in itself.

2. BUY it! · Book Review Actions · Book Reviews · Psychology · Self Improvement · Skills

BR 4: Getting Things Done by David Allen

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Category: 2 – BUY it! (All Categories are 1 – Read ASAP!, 2 – BUY it!, 3 – SHELF it, 4 – SOMEDAY it)

Comments: The big issue I faced here was that the audio book was narrated by David Allen himself and it just turns out that he’s a narrator who put me to sleep about 3 times. Having said that, the ideas in the book are very powerful and I’m sure reading the paper back would mean a whole different set of learning.

Top Lessons: 3 powerful concepts have stuck:

i) Maintain a bin: A bin is a place where you shelve ALL ideas/thoughts that require action. This makes sure you are always focused on the currrent job. So, whenever there is a new smart idea, it is filed away and reviewed again when it’s time to prioritize

ii) Inbox 0: The highest source of stress is an inbox with many emails. Make sure the number of emails is always 0! ‘Impossible!’ – you may cry. What about emails that need follow up/whose action is not in your control?

iii) Make a WIP folder: WIP is my own term for ‘Work in Progress’. You know what it’s for of course.. the aim is to keep the inbox to 0 emails.

Add on Mar 16, 2016: A full 8 years later, these 3 lessons are still critical in how I approach getting things done.