ASHIM
Didn't quite like it. Sure, very detailed and good insights but something from the start just set me off. Agassi saying i hated tennis but I played and my dad made me go through insane routines doesn't appeal to me. I wish I got that kind of an environment for any sport. Not taking away anything, but to me it feels like a book from a very privileged position. Not my read.
Just a fun and interesting book on how to improve your memory using simple techniques like creating a mind palace. Came across an extremely cool concept of life logging as well as the importance of our internal brain memories.
I remember the feeling I got after I read ‘A man called Ove' - heart-warming, calm. It's the same feeling I got while reading this book. The setting, the characters and the story really warms your heart, the slow pace of life is very comfortable. I loved this!
2nd book in my ‘Japan context building books'. I picked it out randomly in Bangalore at Champace bookstore, because it had a Japanese theme that week (or month). Picked 4 random books. This is one of them.
I like this. It's very warm. The start of the book opened some scars and memories from one of my past relationships. It felt nice to be able to relate. Easy to read, comfortable with the pace.
Cute cover though. I will try to go to this particular neighborhood of second hand bookshops - Jimbocho neighborhood in Choyoda city.
Been raining for 3 days here. I started Upgrade and finished it just now. Feels like I've watched a movie across these 3 rainy days!
Read a comic after 15-16 years. Strange feeling. They're a little hard to read now, or maybe I need to get used to them.
One of my absolute favourites. Our brain is so adaptable to what we let it experience. People can change, it takes effort, and do wonderful things with their lives.
Our brain is just beautiful and amazing in so many ways.
Fun little picture book. It helped me feel calm about the present situations. All we need is some people to travel with :)
Very comforting!
Has helped me on the days when I'm feeling low and shit about myself. Nothing groundbreaking in the content, but thats not the point either. You'll find something, if not everything, very relatable and soothing in that moment. And that's sometimes all you need on a shitty day.
Amazing build-up and suspense!!
A gripping murder mystery that starts to converge so quickly from the second half and keeps you on the edge, wanting to know, so eagerly, who the killer is.
Not bad, but not great either. It's just a lot of opinions. I admire them, and i bought it simply because i wanted to learn about his perspective.
For me, my biggest win for myself was to better understand my relationship with money and wealth. I never really understood wealth creation. I always associated more money with evil and a negative emotion. Mostly because of how my family and bollywood movies viewed it. But my view has swung to the other side now, and it hopefully will only grow in that direction. If we can use our skills to solve problems for people, there is nothing wrong in letting society reward you with the agreed currency of the world. Ofcourse, it needs to be ethical and non exploitative.
More to learn in this journey though. To any of you reading this, if you can understand what I'm trying to explore, please do suggest more reading material.
Good story! Could only picture Matt Damon as the protagonist in a similar kind of plot. If they make a movie based on this, I'd definitely watch!
I remember picking this book because of its popularity but also because he's the protagonist in one of my top 5 movies.
I'm on an artistic path myself now and I needed to hear about the system of greenlights. I am taking note of them as I go along this uncertain, scary and exciting path.
The book was paced fast and slow at times, which directly affected my interest. I did end up reading to the end which is surprising, I thought I'd give it up mid-way.
It's a good story of a good life, and I have taken lessons of my own.
Completed this during a 3.5 hour flight to Trivandrum. I was literally and metaphorically high!
I originally thought it was about the story of Gotama Budhha himself, but the story is about another man who lived at the same time as the Buddha. It is an interesting journey of this man, where he lives many different experiences and his learnings / insights keep on evolving through the places he travels, emotions he feels, people he meets. I loved it, his thirst to learn and unlearn. I often felt the journey was similar to mine and how my beliefs have evolved and also changed over the course of time.
This one insight is worthy enough to be mentioned: Some people are searching for something, some people are finding something. There's such a gentle and beautiful difference. I would definitely recommend this. Would have given 4.5 stars if I could. I'm definitely re-reading this in the future.
Weirdly I feel like I am behaving and talking like a monk now hahaha, all calm and wise. I've landed now (birthday surfing week!!) But I still feel a little high.
Man this is a long read. Glad I had the week to read a lot. Picked this for Japan context building but also because Murakami is hyped. I didn't get a lot of parts, especially the ending. I guess there was no profound ending to it. But the book and its few characters did make me feel calm and free. I am slowly getting pulled towards that slow life, each day.
Such a big, fat book is my first, and I think my brain is sweating inside. Great sci-fi plot based on real life star systems in our universe. Character detailing, storyline and action sequences are great to read, fun too (what else are you going to do in 800 pages right?!) But it got a little extra for me.
Two insights amazed me:
1. How long back this was written, and its so simple
2. The difficulties Kafka faced when he tried to pursue his calling, and how well its portrayed in the absurd setting of him being metamorphosised to an insect
Great read for people interested in data around football - the new developments, new metrics to understand the game and the people & companies making a difference.
It's primarily focused around German clubs, but gives examples from around the globe. Players and clubs that you wouldn't have heard of. It really shows how many football decisions in the future will be influenced using data, even more than they currently are.
The content, writing style seems more relevant for a play adaptation. Or maybe the original, Japanese version is better. But this did not work for me.
Loving the Sci-Fi genre with the element of time bend. Really works the brain. The writing style is great. Thanks to my visualization powers, I have seen a great film now hahah
An absolutely amazing book - focuses on how learning and acquiring skills is more important than early specialization. Promotes sampling and experimentation. Not that it actively negates specialization, but says there are deep merits of gaining wide experience before you dive deep into something. I am convinced that early starts aren't well thought out. One of my favourite lines that resonate with me:
The question i set out to explore was how to capture and cultivate the power of breadth, diverse experience and interdisciplinary exploration within systems that increasingly demand hyperspecialization and would have you decide what you should be before first figuring out who you are.
Compare yourself to yourself yesterday, not to younger people who aren't you. Everyone progresses at a different rate, everyone started from a different place, everyone has struggles or obstacles that the world doesn't know about so don't let anyone make you feel behind. You probably don't even know exactly where you're going, so feeling behind doesn't help. Instead, as Herminia Ibarra suggested for the proactive pursuit of match quality, start planning experiments. Your personal version of Friday night or Saturday morning experiments.
Okay-ish. I liked the first half, mostly because it mentioned a lot about local Japanese culture. Also why I picked the book for my year end trip to Japan, I want to know local things.
Second half was more of advice and tips without a story, which I don't enjoy reading. Too much advice and info anyway in the world, I'd rather read stories.
I asked the personnel in Kathmandu's Pilgrim bookhouse to give me a book for my 12 day Everest Base Camp trek. A book which has the story of an expedition to a big Himalayan peak, a story which is well written and tells me about the realities of an expedition. A story which dives deep into the difficulty of the summits, and explains both the physical and mental limits that man faces.
After I ended my long explanation of what I wanted, a man showed me this book and said “This is the story of the first successful expedition of an 8000m peak, which happened before Everest. This is a story from 1950, by the expedition leader himself. You'll like it”.
And oh boy, did I like it? I loved it!
PS. I'd give 4.5 stars if I could as it got complicated in the start, identifying the people but the benefit of doubt for the brave team and the fact it was more than 70 years ago.