Ravi Warrier
It was interesting to the know the history of the study of the evolutionary theory. I knew people across ages asked similar, if not the same, question, but didn't know there were theories that closely resembled or formed a basis or inspiration for the “On the Origin of Species”.
However, I would have liked to read more about the discoveries and theories of the various men, rather than their short biographies. The plot for every radical thinker was, in those days, the same: Almost living in poverty, a huge family to support, ridiculed by peers, chastised by the Church or some other religious order, dejection, depression and recognition, but mostly after death. Chapter after chapter were similar. And so, it would have made more sense to talk more science than personal history of men and women.
It was a good read and it was definitely informative, but not enough.
This is the second book published Edge Foundation that I have read and just like the first one, I am not at all disappointed. This Idea Must Die summarizes answers from over 100 intelligentsia about the one prolific idea that needs to be retired in the name of progress.
And the answers are insightful. Things that one takes for granted and as factual need not be so; and this book points out those obsolete ideas. Brilliant, as always is with Edge!
What I liked about the book was that it gives the readers some insight and backgrounder on the geopolitical arena between the US and China and how things happen in the country.
However, I couldn't help but feel that this was a puff piece that was far from being honest in describing the nature or characteristics of the Chinese dignitaries and industrialists mentioned. The people Paulson named are characterized as heroes or virtuous or brilliant and intellectual, but never shrewd, corrupt or devious. The ones he characterized as such went unnamed in the book.
I get why Paulson felt the need to not bad-mouth his colleagues, counter-parts or clients, but then one shouldn't be writing a memoir if one can't be honest. Paulson, of course, is not naive and hence his words can only be intentional.
Paulson also skims the topic of how China became a super-power and a threat to the US and other countries and attempts to justify his actions in the name of mutual benefit and growth, while all along the book, it is more than evident that whatever Goldman did in China was driven purely by capitalistic greed. I would have been happy to read such an admittance, but it never came.
The book just feels like it was a justification for his actions during Goldman days and a puff piece about Chinese officials that he dealt with. But then, it seems he does have a lot to justify, just like he did in “On the Brink”. Expected an honest non-fiction, but read a crappy fiction.
PS: Perhaps my views are biased, but most likely they are not.
When I started reading this book, I absolutely loved it. It was like reading a love story, almost poetic, between the author and one of nature's most wonderful creatures. As I read the first few chapters, Sy made me fall in love with the creatures I have never seen, except in pictures and videos. I wanted to head out to the GOT or the ocean and meet, touch and even play with the Octopuses myself.
But the book isn't just about how beautiful the octopuses are, but how sensitive, caring, playful and perhaps even thoughtful they are; almost making the worst of the cynics question their beliefs of non-human animals having any consciousness. Sy narrates her memoirs so beautifully that you wish you were one of the characters in the book, that you were actually there and not just reading about it. It's a wonderfully written love story that explores the bonds between the author and her octopus friends.
I still loved the book by the time I finished it, but beyond a certain point, the romanticism gets a little too long and overbearing. I felt the book could have been half as long, perhaps because I am not a romantic and can't ingest too much of a mushy thing.
This book is old. Well, in the technology world, 8 years is old. But, as with great books, age never affects the impact of the story and lessons the book tries to give to its readers.
I'm not entirely sure what genre this book falls into. It's a book that cuts across categories and perhaps even creates a few of its own. I've possibly read only 5-6 such books and maybe I should create categories for them. (Are ‘whistle-blowing', or, ‘shattering-illusions', categories?)
There is a lot that's wrong with the business world. Big companies have and always will try to protect their foothold in the industries. The first third of the book talks about industries that are built on copyrights - media, music, art; and what's wrong with their view and exposes the hypocrisy of their actions.
No, this isn't a slash book, where readers can revel in the curses thrown at big companies. This book opens the eyes of the readers to what's changing around them, cites the big company examples and suggests what they must do in order to ride the tidal wave of change.
Hmmm, the more I write, the less I'm doing justice to the book. Go ahead and read it. You'll find it for free (Doctor(ow)'s orders!) somewhere on the internet!
Bird Sense was a book that, like any other books on topics ‘non-human', was intriguing and curiously interesting.
One of my past-times is to watch birds (though, I wouldn't even be called an amateur bird-watcher) and see them do what they do. It always interested me to think about their ‘thoughts' and behavior. This books brings me closer to understanding my favorite flying objects.
The book is well developed, with each chapter dedicated to each of the sense. Tim's explanation of various sense organs, how they work and the description of the birds themselves is so vivid, that one can almost visualize the things he's talking about.
The most interesting parts of the books are where hidden knols are revealed, completely shattering the conventional wisdom about birds and their behavior based on their senses.
For anyne who's remotely interested in birds, this book is a great read.
Perhaps I am biased in my view of predictability as a skill which accounts for a low rating for a book that others really liked. Tetlock's arguments and suggestions are sound and he does qualify them in the light of a disclaimer that very few people have really been successful in predicting outcomes from complex causes.
However, my concern is if the examples he's stated in his book can't really be justified as successful predictions. At close to 50% (though on the higher side), the odds of correct predictions are just based on chance. No doubt people may have analyzed the causes to determine the possible effect, but none of what is cited in the examples can either be considered as art or science. Meticulous analysis based on sound reasoning and statistical evidence or data will yield better decisions and that's common sense, not science.
Even in a deterministic world, predictability of outcomes is a game of chance considering the numerous hidden or unseen variables. Citing “chaos theory” does not make a hypothesis right.
As I mentioned at the start of my review, I am biased and have a closed view and read the book with the hope that my views and biases will be proven wrong; however, nothing in the book made a strong enough argument to change my views and beliefs.
Before reading the book, I, like many others, was under the impression that alternative energy solutions was the answer to our growing environmental problems. This book is the proverbial other-side-of-the-coin.
As an uneducated (at least in the field of alternative energy) the arguments presented make a lot of sense and plausible, though a sceptic might find it to be an anti-greenwash campaign - my mind just cannot fathom that green technologies are not that green, perhaps in my naivety and optimism. Nevertheless, Ozzie manages to clear a lot of myths around and addresses the misconceptions regarding alternative energy. At least now, I can consider myself to be “informed” about what my (and the world's) possible options are.
Like I mentioned above, the book can open the eyes of many diehard believers (such as me) that perhaps our dreams aren't as rosy as we'd like it to be. However, Ozzie does provide a solution - one that requires an overhauling of human mentalities and tendencies (read - almost impossible today), but it's a start that is being seen in many small pockets of the world today.
Good book with good insights and arguments. 3/5 stars.
I'm generally sceptical about leadership books, mainly because of the rare instances that anyone gets its right. This book comes close. In a bit of a misleading way.
The concepts of self-deception, self-justification and confabulation are not new to the world, even outside that of psychology. “Mistakes were made, but not by me”, was a book that I recently read on the subject and absolutely loved. This book seemed like an extension of that, albeit with a specific story and scenario in mind.
Leadership is just a small part of the book, which mainly talks about relationships in general and how we need it up due to self-deception.
And from that perspective, the fictional narrative presented here makes its much easier to understand how much impact self-deception and accompanying confabulation has on how we do things.
I liked the book. It was short, or rather “ not unnecessarily long”, funny and ready to read and understand. It's broader implications makes it a good read for everyone and not just those who want to become better leaders.
It's always interesting to read about something that never crosses our minds in normal, daily life. Seeds are one of those things. I never really looked at the seeds, wondered about it (despite my curiosity) and thought about how my life and the life of everyone in this world is so dependent on something tiny.
Nor did I ever think of any evolutionary impact seeds, or for that matter plants, might have had on us as homo sapiens. Thor Hanson, does a brilliant job of plant those seeds of thought (pun intended) into the readers' mind.
The book is light and does not contain the heavy biological terms and jargons that other biology books have and manages to captivate the imagination of readers as the author takes us to various parts of the world, in this time and the past.
It is a book that will leave you with more questions or at least points to ponder over, which I think is the purpose of books. To leave the reader with a curiosity and the urge to seek more information.
This book checks all those boxes. I really liked the book and highly recommend it.
I started reading this book with an inherent bias. Of course, I agree with Agent Kay in Men In Black when he said, “A person is smart, people are dumb!” and that's kind of intuitive for anyone with two eyes and a brain to observe the world. And so, I was convinced I wouldn't like what ‘this guy' (the author) had to say... But I changed my mind. Only because mentally I changed the title of the book.
If you change the title of the book to “How to make crowds wiser”, then everything that Surowiecki says in the book falls into place, like a jigsaw puzzle. In fact, he concludes it that way as well. And so, I am guessing that the current title might be either a case of “bandwagon effect” or cowering into the publisher's demands to have a catchier title.
Suroweicki does a good job of balancing both sides of the argument, demonstrating when crowds are smart and when they are dumb. And it all boils down to two important factors. I won't mention those factors here, because of spoilers and because I'd be taking away James' thunder. But, the factors that he tacitly or implicitly identifies are the two factors that determine any good brainstorming session or any group that is created to solve a problem.
So, I liked the book. It brought a lot of information on its pages. Most of it good. Surowiecki also took the effort to show both sides of the coin in different scenarios and walks of life and society, which was nice. It was well written, but I must admit, at places, it felt repetitive and unncessarily longer than it should have.
It lost out on 4 stars only because of the misleading title.
Ray Kurzweil's ‘How to Create a Mind' is different from his earlier works which were more on predictions (and reasons for making them) about technology and the future of humankind in the world of Artificial Intelligence.
What I really liked about the book is how Kurzweil explains the biological (electro-chemical to be precise) mechanism behind thoughts. Unlike most other books I have read on neurology, this one goes into details that I had never come across (you'll need to read the book).
Additionally, Kurzweil goes on to expound on how this knowledge of human thoughts is shaping the development of various systems like AI and sub-systems like Speech Recognition.
The book is really insightful and even if you are not a proponent of AI and the transcendance of humans into machines or convergence of the two, you would take away a lot just by reading the first 4-5 chapters that explain in detail the mechanisms of thought.
As always, Kurzweil's books are a delight to read, though one must be warned: it can get a bit heavy on the subjects of computing, mathematics and of course, neurology - nothing that a second read of the page can't help one get through.
This is by far the best book on Cognitive Dissonance that I have come across or read. The authors have managed to take this confusing thing (cognitive dissonance) and explain it using examples from various walks and activities of life and that makes it extremely helpful.
It's something that impacts all of us, smart ones and not so smart ones. It's something all of us fall prey to. It's something that affects the decisions and actions of all of us. And thus, these mere matter-of-fact statements make this a book that all of us must read.
It is always overwhelming to know how lucky we are to be where we are and what we have turned into. Apart from all the cosmological chances, evolutionary streaks of luck, as this book puts it - inventions of evolution, makes one just realize how lucky we are that things turned out the way they did.
For one, I always took oxygen as granted, but to read about how photosynthesis evolved and its part in creating oxygen which in turn, not only gives us life, but makes this planet the way it is - blue oceans and skies, the size and shape of living things, the chemical reactions that propagate life, is astounding.
I liked this book (despite its dull moments) and I am glad I read it. This world and my existence is a little more clearer to me today.
The uniqueness of this book is not the evolutionary biological history of the world, but the manner in which Dawkins narrates its.
Hopping back in a reverse chronological order, rendezvousing with the previous known ancestor, is reminiscent of the images of marches of groups of people joining forces at a junction, just to collectively go ahead and join another group at another junction.
The concept of the narrative is ingenious and is made better by the narration itself. Dawkins is exemplary in the manner that he explains various biological and evolutionary concepts and phenomenon in a candid and yet simple way.
The Ancestor's Tale is a book that, literally, takes you on a mental journey to meet all the ancestors of humans, right to the beginning of time.
There are books that entertain, books that enlighten, books that teach and books that make you see the view you would never have thus forcing you to think about things you would never have.
Levitt and Dubner's books generally fall in all four categories. This book isn't any different. Continuing to paint the economy color on almost everything that you and I experience in every day life, Levitt and Dubner talk about various questions and experiences in an economic tone.
Another reason why L & D's books are so good is because unlike most economists who cannot help talk in economic terms and jargons, boring the crap out of non-economists, L & D haven't, throughout the book, used any economic term that a person wouldn't hear about in a magazine or newspaper.
Interesting, entertaining and thought-provoking, except the part that spoke about American sports that most of the rest of the world might not understand or relate to.
The book provides in an interesting take on the various diplomatic problems and solutions faced by Obama's White house during his first term as the POTUS, shedding a different light on Obama than the non-US mainstream media.
Politics isn't easy. Foreign policy and diplomacy is much tougher. It's difficult for the leader of any country to get it right all the time. However, the misgivings pointed out in the book, of the Obama administration and Obama himself are shocking and worth learning from.
I'm no political expert and hence would not go beyond my capability to judge the actions of Obama and his team. Things are very different when you read them and when you actually are under the gun. Nasr does point out the various opportunities Obama had had to improve relations and situations with the Middle-East countries, narrating the hard-work and foresight of Holbrooke and the pressure applied by Hillary Clinton on the White House to change its mentality and tactic with regards to rising tensions and problems in that part of the world. And in hindsight, it does look like Nasr, Holbrooke and Clinton were right all along.
The book is a great read. It's definitely a “foreign policy and what not to do 101” for readers. Every page will make you wonder, “what were they thinking?” and how simple the answers look now. It is well-written and detailed. However, my only advice to readers is to keep in mind two things - hindsight is 20/20 and that this is only one side of the story. I know enough of politics to know that things are never as black and white as the authors of political debacles put them to be.
Nevertheless, it was an interesting read, for two simple reasons - it showed me (a non American) another side of Obama and how difficult global diplomacy really is.
There has been significant advances in neurological studies that indicate that our social nature evolved due to the increase in our neurological abilities, rather than the theory believed earlier - that our brains changed to catch up and not the other way around. This book brings in various aspects of that evolutionary stage and results.
More interestingly, while trying to understand why our brains are wired to connect, Lieberman also delves, for the benefit of the readers, the impact of those reasons in our modern lives. From coping at school to motivating employees, Lieberman tells readers how the new understanding of our social nature can be put to work to bring about a more harmonious society and more productive workforce in organizations looking at trying to improve employee relations and engagement. There is a good mix of theory and practical applications in the book and that's really important for the readers.
My personal hope of understanding my own social awkwardness, however, was left wanting. Primarily, perhaps because of incorrect expectations set at the beginning. Nevertheless, if the goal of the reader is to study sociality at an anthropological level (and not a personal one), then this book is a beautiful read.
If one reads this book with an expectation to get answers of a more existential, philosophical nature then one is going to be highly disappointed. The book explores the question purely from a scientific viewpoint with a aim to bridge the gap between biology, or to be specific, systems biology, and systems chemistry.
In a very Richard Dawkin-ish way, Pross, breaks down all the scientific puzzles with relation to what makes life different and what attributes of it actually contribute to saying, “this is alive”. The book delves into various theories over years and proposes a new one of its own - a way to think about both sciences - biology and chemistry as one. Pross provides ample arguments to sustain the case and even convert most (non-scientifically gifted) people into accepting the possible validity of his arguments.
It is definitely a new way to think about life and contemplate about it in a way that challenges many philosophical and theological beliefs (which is a good thing).
Only cautionary note is that the book introduces readers to a various aspects of sciences that can be a little overwhelming to a casual reader.
What was nice about this book was the personal touch that Gutsche brings to his narrative. It didn't feel like reading a book, but more like reading a letter from a close friend.
The tips Gutsche gives in the book are also relevant and helpful coupled with a myriad of examples from various walks of life and industries that help understand what needs to be done next.
However, after a point, it just seemed like the book was repeating itself with no really new insights brought forward. Somehow I felt that Jeremy was compelled to make the book a little fatter and went overboard with saying similar things (with new examples of course) again.
Having said that, if you want to be jostled out of your apathy and get your next big idea, this is a book to read as the stories and examples are inspiring. The tips are easy to follow and even implement giving you the right jumpboard that you might need.
There are books that give you new knowledge and then there are books that tell you that all knowledge you've gained will become obsolete and irrelevant sometime during your life. This book falls in the latter category squarely.
The Half-Life of Facts is a book that tries to educate its readers on a simple notion - “Nothing is written in stone” and that individuals and societies must keep this tenet in mind all the time. Providing many anecdotal examples and results of scientific inquiries, Arbesman systematically exposes readers to various facts that we might have come to believe and how they are not “true” any more.
It's a lesson worth remembering, not just for scientific facts, but because the same principle of half-life can be extended to non-scientific realms as well. Morals, ethics, accepted behavior, social norms, language, religious dogmas, etc. are all evolving and no longer remain true or valid beyond a certain point. And yet, state laws are based on them. Our attitudes towards people are based on them. Or compass of right and wrong are based on them.
Arbesman's book is a reminder that whatever we know is just a candle that would burnout and not something that we could wager our lives on, and certainly not wage wars for.
Even though the sub-title of the book says, “Risk Taking, Gut Feelings and the Biology of Boom and Bust” and the book is written around the narrative of stock markets and traders, this book speaks of much more. It is, perhaps, the only book that I have read so far, that provides detailed anatomical, neurological and physiological processes of stress in general (in a non-textbook kind of way).
Many self-help books will tell you that a way to healthier living is to de-stress, providing you with few proven techniques to do so. This book doesn't tell you how to de-stress, but provides a microscopic, under-the-skin view of what stress can do to a person psychologically and physically and thus giving far more insight into why de-stressing could be really important to your health, decisions and even happiness factor.
I loved this book and would recommend it to anyone wanting to understand this aspect of theirs and others lives. With many take aways, not only for traders and athletes, but for teachers, human resource personnel and a general class of managers and leaders.
The Science of Evil was a book that I found mildly amusing as I read it. I found it amusing because it resounded the views I have carried and shared for years - all the problems of the world would go away only if one (thought with rationality and) acted with empathy.
Baron-Cohen expresses the same with more scientific insights into the minds of the unempathic, classifying them into various personality disorders and the effect of neurological wiring of such people as seen by the acts carried out by them.
What I liked about the book was that B-C distances the cruel acts from the theological concept of evil on the basis of science and scientific studies, forcing the readers to, at the least, think that individuals with low or zero degree of empathy are acting on the predisposition of their mental and neurological states.
Even more fascinating was his ending query - doesn't reducing the perpetrator to an object and sentencing him/her to death make us unempathic like the victims of our judgements? While the question of punishing the violent offenders is more social and complex than the simplicity posed by B-C, it at least provides some food for thought on how one might look at others and dispense judgements.
Fried's thoughts and insights are always a pleasure to read.
What I really liked about this book was not the concept of remote working (that's been around and advocated in multiple books and on various blogs/articles), but the approach taken by the authors to explain, not just the benefits, but also real-world practical problems and simple solutions to overcome them. After all, it would be pointless without them.
However, I don't think (not that it matters a lot) the authors really put all the cards on the table. Especially when it comes to adoption in larger companies. Yes, IBM's done it, but the problems it faced (in my opinion) would have been much more than what a smaller organization would face. The solutions provided may not be as easy to implement when you have hundreds of thousands of employees across the globe. Starting small might help, but not as much as the authors might purport it to.
I liked that the book is as long as it should be. Unlike a few authors I read in the past couple of months that write about in circles and repeat often (perhaps because of a minimum page mandate by the publisher), this book is succinct. 4 hours of reading time is a good duration for any book and beyond that, it only makes sense if the subject is vast. This was just on the money.
It's a good practical guide for anyone who's thinking of adopting remote working in their organization, with the caveats mentioned above. And its definitely worth a shot, for companies big or small.