Tuesday, October 27, 2015

the worst hell

"The worst hell I can think of is that when you die the person you became meets the person you could have become."
powerful words.

Friday, October 09, 2015

The Dorito Effect

The Dorito Effect: The Surprising New Truth About Food and FlavorThe Dorito Effect: The Surprising New Truth About Food and Flavor by Mark Schatzker

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Reading Fast Food Nation made me not want to eat fast food; reading The Dorito Effect almost made me want to stop eating food altogether. Although it also did make me almost drool while reading it.

The basic premise of the Dorito Effect is looking at why food tastes so bland and is lacking nutrition. Mark Schatzker goes on a deep-dive investigation, and it turns out that the problem is with the way we are raising animals and growing produce. He focuses on chicken and tomatoes, and it's scary to see what's going on.

The strong focus on yield over the last couple of decades has completely neglected everything else and we are now suffering from it. Instead of micronutrients, taste and flavor, we have large yields that consist basically of water, carbs and fat. Is it a wonder that we are not healthier than we used to be?

Luckily there is a way back, and there are steps being taken to improve the situation. There are growers that are slowing things down, and we as consumers should also look at not buying just the cheapest thing that's in the stores.

The book is really well written, with lots of small bits of humor here and there. The whole thing ends with a delicious dinner of all properly grown ingredients, and an appendix with recommendations on what to eat to feel better. Read this book, it will make you a more informed consumer.



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Saturday, October 03, 2015

Reinventing Organizations: A Guide to Creating Organizations Inspired by the Next Stage of Human Consciousness

Reinventing Organizations: A Guide to Creating Organizations Inspired by the Next Stage of Human ConsciousnessReinventing Organizations: A Guide to Creating Organizations Inspired by the Next Stage of Human Consciousness by Frederic Laloux

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


How are companies and organizations structures and organized? How should they be organized? With the evolutionary changes over the course of human history, from hunter-gatherers to the Industrial Revolution to modern society, what should a modern company look like?

Frederic Laloux has examined a number of highly successful companies from what he calls the "Evolutionary-Teal" perspective, and how they function and manage themselves. Three main points stand out: self-management/self-organization, wholeness and evolutionary purpose. These three traits create a completely different culture in organizations, where employees feel they're living a full life and truly enjoying what they do. In addition, these organizations are happier, faster and performing above average compared to their peers.

There is a lot to learn from the book, showing the structures, processes and practices of these organizations. There are plenty of practical examples on what they're doing, how they solve their problems, and even how to transform an existing organization or start up a new one. While not an exact step-by-step, you can still draw a lot from it.

I'm not one for using much hyperbole, and I'm hesitant to say that a book or anything else will change your life, and I will not say it for this one either, but I will say this: this book *should* change your life. Read it, and learn from it.



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