This Month In Books (February 2019)
Last month was a good start to reading more books. I immediately started the next series of books and it took more time to go over. However, the books I’ll present here are persistent and headstrong. It also helped me develop an understanding of why reading will set you free. So, here are the next set of books.
ONE SMALL STEP CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE: THE KAIZEN METHOD by Robert Maurer
The old phrase from Tao Te Ching “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step” is the easiest way of looking at a challenge. You might think it’s better to find a shortcut and take on everything. That’s not how it works. The purpose is to take on the smallest chunk and gradually build improvement without failure. That’s why the Japanese method of Kaizen is important. Author Robert Maurer gives examples and proven strategies to overcome change. The reoccurring hint he writes is taking small actions (questions, thoughts, problems, and rewards). It may sound simplistic and ridiculous, but it’s the most effective way to make progress. If you’re overwhelmed by the magnitude of a task and have trouble starting, I highly recommend this book.
FAVORITE QUOTES:
“When life gets scary and difficult, we tend to look for solutions in places where it is easy or at least familiar to do so, and not in the dark, uncomfortable places where real solutions might lie.”
“Your brain loves questions and won’t reject them...unless the question is so big it triggers fear.”
“In mind sculpture, people imagine the movement of their muscles and the rise and fall of their emotions.”
THE QUIET AMERICAN by Graham Greene
Being the first novel for February, Graham Greene’s prolific novel kept appearing while searching for classic books. The story follows English journalist Thomas Fowler who covers the Vietnam War at a time when the French were still fighting the Viet-Minh and America’s involvement was all but silent. It's not so much about reporting itself (the author observed everything during his visit in the 1950s), but it’s about tackling love and chaos in a cynical way. Fowler shows an insight of the events around him realistically as well as the relationships he has with his lover Phuong and the idealistic, but quiet American Alden Pyle. While most readers may found Fowler too pessimistic, the expressions he gives about human observation ring true, especially today. The prose is two different styles: one is a journalist point of view and the other is a personal re-accounting of Pyle and Phuong. There is a harden self-revelation within Fowler that I found intriguing.
FAVORITE QUOTES:
“Innocence is a kind of crazy.”
“Suffering is not increased by numbers. One body can contain all the suffering the world can feel.”
“To be in love is to see yourself as someone else sees you, it is to be in love with the falsified and exalted image of yourself. In love we are incapable of honour - the courageous act is no more than playing a part to an audience of two.”
NEVER SPLIT THE DIFFERENCE: NEGOTIATING AS IF YOUR LIFE DEPENDED ON IT by Chris Voss
Negotiating isn’t easy. It’s a practice that takes time and effort. I thought the purpose of negotiating is to provide only logical terms towards emotional or otherwise contradictory statements. But I’m glad I decided to give this book a read. This is not just another business book, it’s a toolkit. One of the tools included is tactical empathy: the art of listening to subtle behaviors and gain access to the mind of another person. How and what is so important about this specific deal and overall, to become an effective human. Author Chris Voss applies a direct application into different interactions and learn to sift through conflicts and pick up on emotions in a way that will not discredit you and the person you’re talking to.
FAVORITE QUOTES:
“Good negotiators know they have to be ready for possible surprises; great negotiators aim to use their skills to reveal the surprises they are certain to exist.”
“Effective negotiating is applied people smarts, a psychological edge in every domain of life: How to size someone up, how to influence their sizing of you, and how to use that knowledge to get what you want.”
“To get real leverage, you have to persuade them that they have something concrete to lose if the deal falls short.”
STRANGER IN A STRANGE LAND by Robert A. Heinlein
Heinlein's prolific novel starts off with multiple points of view in regards to themes. Most people today would find the novel grotesque and offensive since it features religious descriptions and conservative morals. However, there is a reason why Stranger In A Strange Land lasts for a long time. The overall message, from what I concur, is about gaining acceptance through communication. As the story grows so do all the characters and their interactions with Valentine Michael Smith. They do show a humorous, yet decent amount of work shedding light into what to do with Valentine while presenting a gorgeous look into various futuristic inventions. The novel can meander at times, perhaps bore the reader, but paying attention to the self-reflection on morality and awareness are the most rewarding.
FAVORITE QUOTES
“There comes a time in the life of every human when he or she must decide to risk “his life, his fortune, and his sacred honor” on an outcome dubious. Jill Boardman encountered her challenge and accepted it at 3:47 that afternoon.”
“A desire not to butt into other people’s business is eighty percent of all human wisdom.”
“’Love’ is that condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own.”
DAVID AND GOLIATH: UNDERDOGS, MISFITS, AND THE ART OF BATTLING GIANTS by Malcolm Gladwell
Malcolm Gladwell presents true stories of people under disadvantage circumstances by identifying vantage points and the exchange of power. The idea is used when present the old biblical tale of David battles Goliath in order to shed some light into the situations presented. The way that Gladwell writes this is by using a journalistic format through data and storytelling on how each individual throughout history gathered their strengths and weaknesses. What we consider valuable in the world often leads to conflict because in a way it tugs at us and provides fulfillment. We compare ourselves to others and determining the likelihood of success is not about how smart we are, but how we feel towards others.
FAVORITE QUOTES
“We spend a lot of time thinking about ways that prestige and resources and belongings to elite institutions make us better off. We don’t spend enough time thinking about the ways in which those kinds of material advantages limit our options.”
“The reasonable man adapts himself to the world: the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.”
“Courage is not something that you already have that makes you brave when the tough times start. Courage is what you earn when you’ve been through the tough times and you discover they aren’t so tough after all.”
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