Monday, February 09, 2015
Monday, February 02, 2015
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
Zorro
Zorro by Isabel AllendeMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
I have been fascinated by the story of Zorro ever since watching the TV series in the early 90s, so when the opportunity came to read a book about him, I did not hesitate to pick it up.
While it is always fun and exciting to read the stories of heroes and how they came to be, Diego de la Vega's striving for justice does not come out as too heroic or over the top. We get to follow his struggles as he grows up, caught between two parents and cultures, not knowing where he really belongs. As he travels to Spain to continue his education, while always proficient in his undertakings, he also has his occasional shortcomings. However, his desire for justice is always his guide.
The narrative is well-written and captivating, and leads you along the way through his life without ever feeling boring. Knowing that at some point he will return and take on the double life of Diego and Zorro, it is still an interesting and compelling read, wanting to know how he gets there and what happens along the way. Recommended!
View all my reviews
Friday, January 23, 2015
Tuesday, January 06, 2015
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
Thinking, Fast and Slow
Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel KahnemanMy 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!
View all my reviews
Thursday, December 25, 2014
Beyond the Culture of Contest
Beyond the Culture of Contest by Michael Robert KarlbergMy 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.
View all my reviews
Monday, December 15, 2014
Sunday, December 14, 2014
And the Mountains Echoed
And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled HosseiniMy 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.
View all my reviews
Thursday, December 11, 2014
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)