Thinking, Fast and Slow

Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


We know already that our eyes can deceive us, but in Thinking, Fast and Slow we also learn that our minds can deceive us!

Kahneman talks about the two different types of minds that we have - the fast-thinking one (System 1) that makes quick decisions and rationalizes it; and the slow-paced one (System 2) that does rational analysis. However, sending things "back" to System 2 is a costly effort, and it is very easy for us to forget to do that, leading us to oftentimes make decisions that seem irrational on a deeper analysis.

Each chapter is relatively short, with some very good examples backed by research. It becomes a bit overwhelming to think of how many ways there are that we make mistakes in our thinking and planning and decision-making, but by just being a bit more aware of it, we can avoid many of the pitfalls.

I think even if we just learn a little bit, slow down and think about what we decide and why, we will be smarter for it. And hopefully we will be able to make just a tiny bit better decisions!



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Beyond the Culture of Contest

Beyond the Culture of Contest by Michael Robert Karlberg

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This book is simply amazing in its analysis and commentary on the current state of the world. Looking at the economic, political and legal systems, how they're tied together and essentially run by money, creating an unsustainable society.

The culture of contest raises us in a mindset that normalizes adversarialism, conflict and contest, and looking at other ways of organizing society and world seems unrealistic and naive at best. Although the current culture of contest has led us to where it has, and we have made many advancements, looking at all the current problems in the world - environment, political and social instability, etc. - it is clear that continuing in this way is not viable, and a new order is needed.

An interesting analysis is made in the last chapter, where a suggestion is made on how to overturn the current order. Michael Karlberg mentions playing a different cultural game and not buy into the culture of contest - the rules are set up so that the ones with the most money will win in the long run - so the mode of operation is to play a different game, and win by attrition. As more and more people will switch over to play a different cultural game of mutualism, support and cooperation, the old order will slowly fall.

Of course, doing all of this is not easy, but we have to start somewhere.



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pretty #light #patterns in the #snow

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And the Mountains Echoed

And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Khaled Hosseini's book always make me shed a tear or two. This one was no different.

And the Mountains Echoed tells the story of a family in Afghanistan whose events in life scatter them around the world. We get to follow a series of interconnected stories, where the main protagonists of the book weave in and out of each other's lives, for better or worse. Each chapter has an element of sadness and almost despair to it, which is then interwoven with some sort of joy and happiness. There is something gripping in the way the chapter alternates back and forth between past and present, making you want to just continue reading on and on.

As with his other books, And the Mountains Echoed makes me think of our relationships and how we act towards each other. The consequences of our actions go a long way, even though we may not have that intention or foresight. This book really takes an interesting look at it, when the consequences of an act of seeming kindness ends up not working out well for almost anyone.

I highly recommend reading this book, even though it has its heartbreaking moments.



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bye bye Shrine... ♥

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walking the path of service

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Reality Is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World

Reality Is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World by Jane McGonigal

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Have you ever wondered if you're wasting your time playing games? Jane McGonigal wants us to believe that we're not, and that we in fact are preparing ourselves for the future, to create a better world. While that may seem a bit too optimistic and over-enthusiastic at first, she does present a good case for why games can help us improve reality - her TED talk (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dE1Du...) has reached over 700000 views.

The book is based on research on how to motivate individuals, and provides practical solutions (or fixes, as she calls them) on aspects of games that can be applied to real life. She is perhaps a bit too eager to jump to conclusions with regards to how games are the best embodiment of some aspect of research, there is good reason to believe that a balanced amount of playing games can be useful both for the individual and humanity at large.

Is the book worth reading? Definitely. There are many aspects of games that can be used to apply in our everyday lives, and this book provides many of ideas on what to look for and where.

(This book was actually so enjoyable that I went on to read the appendices as well. Mind you, they were practical tips for gamers, so maybe that has something to do with it too.)



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colonnade of the Archives building

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trees, clouds, water and Shrine. what better sunset to ask for?

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sunset just outside Bahji

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who thought a #book about #games could have thoughts on #spirituality and #service?

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prayer book

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reflections in the Mansion

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The Holy Family

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"... through Whom the letters B and E have been joined and knit together"

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this little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine...

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love, support and comfort

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if home is where the heart is, I have found my home.

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... the Queen of Carmel reigns majestically

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standing on a mountain, looking across the bay...

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moonlit Shrine... such beauty makes me happy.

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the wonders of being here... :)

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"Be", and it is.

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words fail to express my appreciation for another day in the holiest Spot on earth

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the sweet scent of the surroundings of the Shrine on a wonderful Holy Day

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door of hope.

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love this view

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some walks you enjoy more than others...

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"The world of humanity is possessed of two wings: the male and the female." #bahai (painting by @jmart1844)

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How Soccer Explains the World: An Unlikely Theory of Globalization

How Soccer Explains the World: An Unlikely Theory of Globalization by Franklin Foer

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I'm a little bit disappointed after reading this book. While there are good connections between football (yes, I choose to call it that) and events in societies and countries around the world, there doesn't seem to be much of an explanation but rather correlation or at best causation. The style of writing is good and capturing, but each section and chapter just left me waiting for the real punchline or some sort of pointer on how/where things were going, but there were no predictions or anything there. Good read, but still slightly disappointing.



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I love my view at breakfast

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Ruhi Book 8, Unit 1, Section 26, memorization exercise

Another exercise to help memorize/recall the following quote:

O my loving friends! After the passing away of this wronged one, it is incumbent upon the Aghsán (Branches), the Afnán (Twigs) of the Sacred Lote-Tree, the Hands (pillars) of the Cause of God and the loved ones of the Abhá Beauty to turn unto Shoghi Effendi—the youthful branch branched from the two hallowed and sacred Lote-Trees and the fruit grown from the union of the two offshoots of the Tree of Holiness,—as he is the sign of God, the chosen branch, the Guardian of the Cause of God, he unto whom all the Aghsán, the Afnán, the Hands of the Cause of God and His loved ones must turn. He is the expounder of the words of God and after him will succeed the first-born of his lineal descendants.

The following PDF file contains a page with two copies of the quote. I cut the quote up into small pieces, split the participants in small groups, and had them try to reorder it again. It took some 10-15 minutes, and was a fun exercise. Great success!

yupps, fall is here!

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Ruhi Book 8, Unit 1, Section 14 memorization help

Here is a simple memorization aid tool for section 14 of Book 8, Unit 1. It has the following quotations which we are encouraged to memorize:

Verily I say unto thee the truth, that I am with you in spirit and in heart, that I rejoice by your joy and am happy by your happiness; and hear with the ear of spirit your calling and scent with the spiritual nostrils the fragrances of your garden.


Verily, I implore God to gaze upon you with the eye of His mercy, to raise you through a godlike power, to move you by the breezes of His glory, to make you fluent in irrefutable and divine proofs and arguments, to sever you from the world and all therein, to purify and sanctify you from every material grade, and enable you to diffuse the bounties of the Divine Worlds.


At all times do I speak of you and call you to mind. I pray unto the Lord, and with tears I implore Him to rain down all these blessings upon you, and gladden your hearts, and make blissful your souls, and grant you exceeding joy and heavenly delights.


Ye live, all of you, within the heart of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and with every breath do I turn my face toward the Threshold of Oneness and call down blessings upon you, each and all.


O ye who have turned your faces toward the Exalted Beauty! By night, by day, at morningtide and sunset, when darkness draweth on, and at early light I remember, and ever have remembered, in the realms of my mind and heart, the loved ones of the Lord.

The simple Powerpoint contains each quotation in a series of four slides, where a couple of words get removed each time. Going forward then comes progressively more difficult, and aids in memorization of the quote. Enjoy!

Fast Food Nation

Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal by Eric Schlosser

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Spoiler alert: reading this book will make you want to avoid fast food and some other types of food for quite some time, potentially forever. Eric Schlosser's book is seemingly well researched, and explains things very well in stories that are both capturing and engaging. The story unfolds together with the growth of the fast food industry, and the practices that follow with it. Unfortunately there is a lot that is being done purely for profit, without much regard for the needs of the human beings who are actually meant to eat the food.
What I particularly enjoyed was the epilogue, where Schlosser not only points out what needs to be done, but also by whom. This is not simply a critique of practices and processes in the industry, but concrete suggestions for steps that can be taken to improve the current situations. Well worth the read, even though you might want to shy away from some type of food for some time!



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Bahá'í Prayers on your Windows 8 laptop/tablet

After working on this project for more than two years, I have finally been able to release a Bahá'í Prayer book app for Windows 8. This app contains all the prayers in the prayer book, with pictures from the Holy Places in Israel and elsewhere chosen specifically for each category. A screenshot of the start page:

In addition there is a search functionality which makes it easier to find the prayer you are looking for. It is sufficient to remember a word from it and you can find it. You can download the app here!

Ruhi Book 8, Unit 1, crossword sections 1-7

I recently started tutoring Ruhi book 8, Unit 1, on the The Covenant of Bahá’u’lláh. To aid our understanding and recollection, I created a crossword puzzle that summarized sections 1-7. It worked pretty well, and our participants enjoyed trying to solve it on their own before we did it in the group together. I figured I should make it available to anyone else that wants to use it, so go ahead and download the crossword here!

#breakfast #crepes with strawberries 🍓, #chocolate 🍫 and exquisite #british #cream

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#epic #food prepared by @sahar009

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THIS. #food #salad melted #cheese #sogood by @sahar009

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The Black Swan

The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable by Nassim Nicholas Taleb

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


They say that if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. I wouldn't stretch it as far with this book, but NNT is riding a very high horse, and proclaiming himself to be highly knowledgeable and speaking very lowly of many others. While there are a lot of good and valid points being made throughout the book, the tone is just off-putting.



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I love the humor provided by the @rebelhouse in #toronto

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found this beautiful #flower

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best.gift.ever.

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Eats, Shoots and Leaves

Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation by Lynne Truss

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Can a book about grammar actually be fun and enjoyable? Well, yes, it can. Some good examples about grammar gone wrong, some history of the different punctuation marks, and some rules of when and where to put them. Language is constantly evolving, and there is no reason to stick with something just for the sake of it, but just as punctuation in music helps us find our rhythm as we play, there is something to be said for proper grammar and punctuation. It helps the flow of the text and conveys the intention of the author - without all the signs we'd be lost.



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Monsieur Linh and His Child

Monsieur Linh and His Child by Philippe Claudel

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Wow. The (relatively) short story of Monsieur Linh and His Child is captivating from beginning to end. Short sentences, short chapters and an interesting story that takes you from an unnamed war-torn Asian country to an unnamed country accepting refugees. Monsieur Linh ends up daily sitting on a park bench, listening to Monsieur Bark, speaking a language he does not understand. Despite this, the friendship develops and grows, and they go to places. When Monsieur Linh is suddenly removed from his refugee home, he immediately sets his mind on meeting up again with his friend. The journey ends unexpectedly, with a true twist.
It's a quick and easy read, which really makes you reflect on your relationships, with both those near and far from you. I really recommend reading it, and it won't take you more than a day or two.



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approximate number is approximate.

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I love #reading #books, especially when grammar jokes are involved

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don't awkwardly sit and chill on the fence

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this is how you watch two #worldcup games at the same time - with a #surface! #argentina #nigeria #argvsnig #bosniahercegovina #iran #bihvsirn

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a theory on spain's downfall

by now the shock of spain's exit from the world cup has calmed down, and people are looking at what happened and what's going on. I believe the reason why spain bowed out so quickly is because of physical and mental tiredness and fatigue. most of the players have been playing essentially non-stop for almost six years without a proper break, and that takes its toll. here are some stats:

- euro 2008, spain: winner. final played 29 june. first game of la liga 2008: 30 august.
- season 2008-09, champions league final: barcelona winner. final played 27 may. first game of la liga 2009: 29 august
- world cup 2010, spain: winner. final played 11 july. first game of la liga 2010: 28 august
- season 2010-11, champions league final: barcelona winner. final played 28 may. first game of la liga 2011: 27 august
- euro 2012, spain: winner. final played 1 july. first game of la liga 2012: 18 august
- confederations cup, spain: runner-up. final played 30 june. first game of la liga 2013: 17 august

most often the pre-season training and friendlies start about a month before the first game of the season. many times there's also champions league qualification games.

looking at these numbers, there's only been two years (2009 and 2011) where there's actually been a proper off season. most of the players are also key players in their teams, meaning they usually play more or less every game, and 90 minutes plus extra time. keep in mind also that real madrid won the champions league this year.

a lot of people say that the players don't have the same hunger anymore, but I don't really believe that's true. which player that has won one trophy would not want to win it again? it's like having a delicious piece of chocolate and think "nah, I've already had it once, I'm done" - who would do that?

obviously there's the fact that their strategy and tactics have been analyzed and counter-plays developed, but the fact that they are physically exhausted probably also played a big role.

what do you think? could this be a reason?

straight up! #clouds #airplane

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big big @rosejp11 #rose 🌹 #flower

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brazil - croatia, quick analysis first half

brazil is doing really well on the right wing

oscar's crosses from the right wing have been really dangerous

brazil is too open on the wings defensively, where croatia has been able to push

with the wing backs (dani alves and marcelo) pushing up, they're not sufficiently protected

the defensive midfield needs to cover up when brazil go on the offensive

haven't been this excited in a long time