Category: Psychology

1. Read ASAP! · Book Review Actions · Book Reviews · Psychology · Self Improvement

BR 29: Stop clutter from stealing your life by Mike Nelson

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

Comments: I loved this book! This was fantastic because I had this habit of accumulating lots of clutter purely because I used to never throw away stuff all that easily. As I was listening to this book, I remember I went on this de-cluttering exercise where I threw away half of my existing ‘stuff’. And since then, I have been regular at decluttering and keeping just the essentials!

What to expect: A very practical book that explains the science behind accumulation of clutter through many stories and a book that I personally found VERY inspiring! :)

Add on Mar 16, 2016: A full 8 years or so after reading this book, it continues to inspire a relatively minimalist way of live.

3. SHELF it · Book Review Actions · Book Reviews · Psychology · Skills

BR 28: Power of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini

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Comments: A shortened version of his excellent book – “Influence.” This is only available as an audio or video. Unfortunately, there is no paperback version of this gem of a 1 hour lecture.

What to expect: 7 action steps for you to apply into your day to day life to improve your persuasion skills.

3. SHELF it · Book Review Actions · Book Reviews · Business · Psychology

BR 22: The 48 laws of Power by Robert Greene

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Comments: Take this book with a pinch of salt.  I tried reading the book as a 19 year old and found it a touch too dark. It has interesting insight on games of power.

Add on Mar 16, 2016: I read this book again a few years later and would stick to my original note – take it with a pinch of salt as you can start seeing power games everywhere. Robert Greene is an artful writer, though, and this book was understandably very popular when it came out.

3. SHELF it · Book Review Actions · Book Reviews · Psychology · Self Improvement

BR 19: Get Anyone To Do Anything by David J Lieberman

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Comments: Fun book that dives into human psychology and what makes people and relationships tick. It’s an entertaining read for sure.

What to expect: Lots of small tips and tricks to establish rapport that are definitely useful. I always feel the biggest use of books like this that deal with personality shifts is they help us think from the point of view of the other person, to actually listen and pay attention.

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.

3. SHELF it · Book Review Actions · Book Reviews · Psychology · Self Improvement · Skills

BR 12: Goals by Brian Tracy

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Comments: Good book on impact! Tracy spells out many simple and oft-heard of ways to make sure we integrate goal setting into our lives. After years, we tend to remember very little from books we read but that’s where this book scores even if the content may seem cliche. I found it scoring well on the impact it’s had on my way of thought..

What to expect: Tracy’s your quintessential sales guru who likes spelling out things to make them simple and easy to follow. So, while a lot of the book may seem simple and elementary, it is not reading it that matters, like any other self-help group, it’s the execution on it that makes a difference!

ADD on Mar 16 2016: I don’t think I agree with the thesis of this book now. I’ve come to learn that we ought to focus on systems vs. goals.

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BR 9: Getting to Yes by Roger Fisher, William Ury and Bruce Patton

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

Comments: A negotiations classic. My rating is biased because I didn’t find the audio book great as the reader was rather monotonous. I think the paperback would definitely have more impact.

What to expect: A technical look into the conversion of the ‘art’ of negotiation into a science. It introduces the reader to very basic negotiation primers and I remember the book reinforcing many simple concepts like BATNA, looking for a creative win-win solution etc.

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

BR 4: Getting Things Done by David Allen

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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.