Four hour work week - Timothy Ferriss

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The four-hour work week - Timothy Ferriss
I really like this book!
It is about attitude change towards the work-life balance and pursuing passions and life goals
It is about time-management, do things efficiently and effectively, not do work for work sake.
It is about freeing yourself from a lot of unneccessary constraint such as your boss, an office, even a particular location and a lot of the time-wasting/zero value generating activities.
It is about eliminating the burdens.
It is about beating the game not just playing the game.
It is about over-coming the fears that have been stopping you from taking actions!
Most importantly, it is about getting rich in a combination of money, time, freedom and spiritual.
And the advices are actually practical, I have started applying some of the tips IMMEDIATELY!

Blink, The power of thinking without thinking

Type: Self-improvementAuthor: Malcolm Gladwell  My rating: Buy now
Posted by Dominic Book introduction: This book talks about how snap judgement can be tremendous useful at times and at other times, we can be so stubborn about our first impression of something which is wrong. How we can rely more on our gut feeling reliably.
My review: Another interesting book by Galdwell - author of Tipping point. I like the many concepts and experiment that he talks about in this book which tells us how we 'think' , or actually conclude or act without 'thinking' and our instincts are often right. But also when we have to make a decision in a hurry like in an emergency situation, how our intrinsic bias will affect our decision without being consciously awared that we have been affected. I no longer think about thinking the same way again.

Stand out

Type: Business Self-improvementAuthor: Simon Vetter  My rating: Buy now
Posted by Dominic Book introduction: This book is about personal branding strategies for Business Professionals. Learning from the case studies of some of the world's most successful speakers, independent professionals.
My review: Interesting collection of cases and invaluable lessons, I'm trying to incorporate these ideas in everyday life. It is sometimes not very obvious how you can do the same

Please Understand Me: Character and Temperament Types

Type: Self-improvementAuthor: David Keirsey, Marilyn Bates  My rating: Buy now
Posted by Dominic Book introduction: This book attempts to classify people along 4 preferences (with 2 possibilities in each preferences), hence 16 types of character. The 4 preference pairs are: - Extraversion Vs Introversion - Intuition Vs Sensation - Thinking Vs Feeling - Judging Vs Perceiving How do different group of people interact? What are the sources of misunderstanding? How can people communicate better?
My review: I was given this book during a McKinsey training on people's skills. This is an interesting book. We did a test to find out our own preferences and we played some games to illustrate how we interact and ways to improve team communication and dynamics. It made us more aware/sensitive to other people's preference too.

Meaning of It All: Thoughts of a Citizen Scientist

Type: Self-improvement ScienceAuthor: Richard Feynman  My rating: Buy now
Posted by Dominic Book introduction: A collection of the seminar notes of Prof. Richard Feynman letures on the meaning/definition of science, how to be scientific, what is unscientific, how to keep pushing the research front, the conflict between benefit that science brings and the potential damages that it caused; between science/religious and between science/politics.
My review: Well written and delivered seminar. I particularly enjoyed reading the conflict between science and religious, how religious can be defined into 3-parts Meta-physics: Who we are and how we come about. Ethic: How we should behave Spirtual: Meta-physics and ethic alone are not enough to pursuade people to behave, we need a spirtual link to inspire people to behave as defined in ethic part of religious. He further explained how meta-physics has been challenged many many times and has been modified, such as how man came to this earth, how the Sun didn't go round earth. How ethic has been upheld most of the time. The link meta-physics and spritual means that each time meta-physics is shaken, the spirtual part is shaken also. Science Vs. politics: Voters want to hear someone to tell them a "solution" instead of someone to tell them ways to find a practical solution. Politicians end up promising unachieveable goals/solutions and end up being called liars, and people have lost trust in politicians and they seek a new "liar" to tell them lies. This is very unscientific as Prof. Feynman puts it. Prof. Feynman has also defined what it means to be scientific, and how people today have been very unscientific in many many ways. Very interesting reading and it helps you to solve problems and everyday tasks in the scientific way. Highly recommended.

The Wisdom of Teams

Type: Business Self-improvementAuthor: Jon R. Katzenbach, Douglas K. Smith  My rating: Buy now
Posted by Dominic Book introduction: This book talks about how to create the high-performance organization and the secret lies in the team.
My review: I once heard TEAM stands for Together Every Achieve More. Sounds easy? Well, can be if you need how to motivate, delegate and with a clear common goal.

Don't sweat the small stuff...and it's all small stuff

Type: Self-improvementAuthor: Richard Carlson  My rating: Buy now	Publish Post
Posted by Dominic Book introduction: 100 tips on how to calm your self and take life easy
My review: Easy reading that offer some useful tips. You can read a few tips a day.

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Type: Self-improvement
Author: Stephen R. Covey
My rating: 
Buy now 
Posted by Dominic

Book introduction:
What's the secret of succeeful people? Being "Highly effective". Stephen Covey concludes that it can be summarised in 7 habits that these people keep practicing through their business and personal life. And the 7 habits are divided into 3 stages. Before that we must learn that everyone has a different perspective or paradigm of his/her world, we must also learn to respect and appreciate other people's paradigm. Paradigm change is a very powerful event that can allow us to approach things in a fresh and better angles.

Now the 3 stages of dependencies...

Stage 1: Dependant
When we are still a "Dependant", we need support from others. We need to prepare to change ourselves into "Independant" people, so we are able to take care of ourselves.

Habit 1: Proactive
Don't sit around, be proactive in what you pursue and what you need to accomplish.

Habit 2: Start with the end in mind
Think clearly what the end result you are trying achieve before you start doing it.

Habit 3: First thing first
Priorities "to-do" things by "Urgent/Not Urgent", "Important/Not Important". Focus on "Not Urgent and Important" things (thus fewer and fewer items will fall into the "Urgent and Important" category).

Stage 2: Independant
Once we become an independant person. We need to co-exist and inter-dependent with others.

Habit 4: Think Win/Win
Always strive for win/win for both party, don't be afraid to say "Win/Win or no deal"

Habit 5: Understand before being understood
Listen more before you speak. Must understand each other before true "Win/Win" can be achieved.

Habit 6: Create Synergy
1+1 > 2 otherwise there is not point of collaborating.

Stage 3: Inter-dependant
How can one keep on to be highly effective and continue to be inter-dependable?

Habit 7: Sharpen the saw
Keep the mind sharp, keep the body healthy! Exercise often and let the mind rest.

My review:
None of the ideas are new, but they are put in a very structured ways that can be explained to people. And people often over-look many key points especially the need to continously "Sharpen the saw". Interesting reading, highly recommended.

Who Moved My Cheese?

Type: Self-improvementAuthor: Spencer Johnson  My rating: Buy now
Posted by irene Book introduction: A story of rat finding cheese to imply our changes in life.
My review: Encouraging to how we handle changes in life.

What Color is your parachute?

Type: Business, Self-improvement Author: Richard N. Bolles My rating:  Buy now
Posted by Dominic Book introduction: This book recommends some exercises and approaches to identify your ideal career. It also suggests how you can get there. You may generate some new ideas about your next move and what actions you should take now.
My review: Though the ideas are not new, the book does give some insights on searching the desired career. Don't waste your time on paths that lead to no where, focus on your networks. "Are you approaching your job hunt as a LIFE-CHANGING career move?" YOU SHOULD! But how? Spend some time to really understand yourself and devise a strategy that suits you! Also learn about the myths of job hunting. Is there something wrong with your job hunting process? Read this example: A typical job hunting process 1. Search on mass-internet job site 2. Read classified in newspaper 3. Contact head-hunters 4. Ask network for referral Employer filling a position 1. Look from within his organisation 2. Ask trusted network for referral 3. Engage head-hunters 4. Advertise in newspaper or mass job site So you see how a typical job hunting process is out of step to the employers' procedure in finding talents. Many people waste precious time in endless search on mass jobs site and classified AND they convince themselves that they are making good progress by browsing a long list of job openings that match their so called "keywords". Instead they should catch the jobs at a much earlier stage - the "Network referral" stage. Not only you are able to catch the better jobs, you actually have a higher chance of finding the RIGHT job! - Because, your network has done the screening for you and your prospective employers, not to mention the important "trust" element in a referral. Isn't it time you adopt the correct approach? I wish you every success!

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Replied by irene. My rating: My review: I find the exercise to brainstorm career options useful, but the disadvantage of this book is that most job search information are for America.

Leading at the Edge

Type: Business Self-improvementAuthor: Dennis N. T. Perkins  My rating: Buy now
Posted by Dominic Book introduction: A book on leadership lessons using the 1914 Antarctica exploration led by Sir Ernest Shackleton on a boat called the "Endurance". A remarkable journey, the boat was soon trapped by the ice and the crew was strangled in the most harsh region on the globe. Under Sir Ernest's amazing leadship, the crew was able to survive for over 2 years and eventually reached safety with no loss of a single life. His unique style of leadership skill was able to hold the team together and keep their spirit alive, how to eliminate doubts and achieve incredible results. The book analyses these outstanding qualities and citing more turn-around examples of modern corporations.
My review: A remarkable story that has been quoted countless times. This book gives a good summary on the lessons that we can learn and leadership skills that can be applied in modern society, in organisations of any kind.

Tuesdays with Morrie

Type: Leisure Self-improvement Author: Mitch Albom My rating:  Buy now
Posted by Vivian L. Book introduction: 'tuesdays with Morrie' is a book about Mitch Albom who got the chance to rediscover Morrie Schwartz in the last months of Morrie's life, who was once the college professor who taught him like 20 years ago. The relationship turned out to be lessons on 'how to live'. It's a real story detailing their moments shared together in the last months of the old man and how Mitch rediscovered his own life through the lessons.
My review: I truly love this book. It touches you deeply into your heart. Being busy in our everyday life, perhaps we have already forgotten how we once were, how innocent, yet very positive and energetic about our world, things around us. As the years passed, we seem to have lost of track of our dreams, our direction in life, this book sort of awakens and inspire you in every aspect of your life. There are quite a lot of proverbs that are really enlightening. Have we ever wonder what are the important things in our life? Is it, death, fear, aging, greed, marriage, family, society, forgiveness or a meaningful life? That worths a thought!

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Replied by Vanessa. My rating: My review: A very touching and exceptionally well written little book. Simple words were used to describe the complexity in life, in an everchanging society. A book that I would buy for teenages and pple who are in their mid twenties. (not sure abt 30s/ 40s/50s as I have not experience that part of life as yet) Leave it at your bedside and read one chapter a day, this will give you a little reflection about your ownself after a busy day. I also read the other book by him called 'five people you meet in heaven'. Interesting setting of the story. Sometimes pple around us have impact on us which we seldom realise. http://www.albom.com/

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Replied by Dominic. My rating: My review: Heard so much about it and finally got hold of a copy from a friend. A very touching book on a true story of a dying professor, how he saw life in the face of death. I particularly like "when you learn how to die, you learn how to live" and also, don't let the so-called modern culture dictate what we want. Think hard on what we our heart really really wants. The ideas in the book are not new but people are often too busy to think about them and overlook what are truly important in life - love and family.

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Replied by irene. My rating: My review: one of the best books i've read. simple and inspiring! i read it 2 years ago when i started thinking what i want in life. the most touching message of the book is "in a society we're very often influenced by its culture. if we don't stand firmly, we will easily lose ourselves and follow the flow. know who you're and what you want to be, create your own culture"