Books and Movies

Reading and movies start again- this time in Indonesia

2010-09-07T12:28:00.001+05:30

gonna be in indonesia very soon, and have kept enough books and movies to keep myself busy during free hours, look forward to much more posts in the coming days

Good one's from Doughlas Adams

2008-11-25T11:57:00.000+05:30

A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof was to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools."

On the planet earth, man had always assumed that he was more intelligent than dolphins because he had achieved so much—the wheel, New York, wars and so on—while all the dolphins had ever done was muck about in water having a good time. But conversely, the dolphins had always believed that they were far more intelligent than man—for precisely the same reasons."

Curiously enough, the dolphins had long known of the impending destruction of the planet Earth and had made many attempts to alert mankind to the danger; but most of their communications were misinterpreted as amusing attempts to punch footballs or whistle for tidbits, so they eventually gave up and left the Earth by their own means shortly before the Vogons arrived."

"It is known that there is an infinite number of worlds, simply because there is an infinite amount of space for them to be in. However, not every one of them is inhabited. Therefore, there must be a finite number of inhabited worlds. Any finite number divided by infinity is as near to nothing as makes no odds, so the average population of all the planets in the universe can be said to be zero. From this it follows that the population of the universe is also zero, and that any people you may meet from time to time are merely the product of a deranged imagination."

"The knack of flying is to throw yourself at the ground and miss."

The history of every major galactic civilization has passed through three distinct and recognisable phases: those of survival, inquiry, and sophistication. Otherwise known as the ‘How’, ‘Why’, and ‘Where’ phases. For instance, the first phase is characterised by the question: “How can we eat?” The second by the question: “Why do we eat?” And the third by the question: “Where should we have lunch?”

"CLIXBY (adj.) Politely rude. Briskly vague. Firmly uninformative."

Douglas Adams wrote an ad for Apple. It goes like this: 'Macintosh - We might not get everything right, but at least we knew the century was going to end.' (Mac systems didnt suffer Y2K)

"A learning experience is one of those things that says, 'You know that thing you just did? Don't do that.'"

And the ever so popular "I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by."

Gonna be regular on this blog

2008-11-01T21:27:00.000+05:30

Hey all

It's been a long time since I have been regular with blogging, and fact that I use to do it everyday, it makes me wonder why did i stop, one reason was not much time with lot's happening around. But now I plan to be really active and regular on this site and you are going to see regular update's on books and movies on very active basis.

Take care and happy reading!

Cheers

Back to reading

2008-10-25T11:39:00.000+05:30

Back to reading so it seems to be !. I have bought/got lot's of books in my home library and I am hoping and kind of committed to atleast complete 3 of those

1. Competitive Strategy by Porter
2. Hitchhikers Guide to Galaxy by DOughlas Adams
3. Mind of strategist by Kenichi Ohmae

Look for the space for update's and hopefully a book summary soon enough

Azim Premji on The Changing World

2008-08-27T07:17:00.000+05:30

Azim Premji on The Changing World

Reading Fortune at the Bottom of Pyramid

2008-08-20T14:01:00.000+05:30

Started reading fortune at the bottom of pyramid by ck prahalad .

quite enticing and enjoying the read , would post the summary of the same soon enough

The Witch of Portobello

2008-01-01T22:14:00.000+05:30

It's been almost 2 years , that I am back to blogging .Just got over with the vacations , read Paulo Coelho's The Witch of Portobello

The book is based on a central character called Athena ...who was adopted when she was a child ..and the entire book stitches around how can we be true to ourselves -even if we are unsure of who we are .

The book is written in the form of story being told by different people who come in her live's , there view and interactions with her

Rating : Average .

Rich Dad Poor Dad

2005-05-25T15:36:00.000+05:30

Making this post after a long gap ..well have been reading books but kind of not completing them...basic laziness I guess

Well here it goes , Rich Dad Poor Dad ....one of the must read in the world of personal finance .a ground rule which works is time ur investments so that u know how to retire early , with jobs how much work u do that is Hard work ..then hang on
with it our focus should be how we can make money work for us ,whtever hard work we do so 2 things

We should be able to build assets and avoid build Liabilities

1. Passive money : this we can make by way of real estate trading

2. Portfolio money : this can be made using bonds , stocks investments

Extreme Jobs( and the people who love them )

2005-04-18T07:06:00.000+05:30

Article : Fast company ( magazine )

Author : Linda Tischler

Eighty hour Work weeks .Relentless travel . Unpredictable Schedules . High Risk , high Stress . Your worst nightmare , may be but a dream for group of elite workers .

Implacable effects of globalization , technology & competition have combined to create another set of jobs where demands have amped these requirements up by several degrees .

Investment Banking certainly Qualifies ; Management /Business Consulting with its relentless travel fits in properly .

55% of consultants & 30% of Investment bankers quit there jobs after 5 years .

How Smart Workers manage ??

a) Think of things outside ur Work .u like to Do . Pick one

b) Nurture your relationships

c) Make time for friends .

d) Build little rewards into your daily life .

e)Outsource whatever you can .

SuperStar Sales Secrets

2005-04-17T22:48:00.000+05:30

State of the Art Selling : Superstar Sales Secrets

Author : Barry J. Farber

Rating : Good

Based on the Sales Cycle - from Planning to follow Up -this book contains every key question a salesperson should ask himself or herself before entering a prospect's office , not to mention identifying all the questions that he should ask the customer in order to close the cycle .

This book is packed with Action Plans ,Checklists and inspiring Quotes for every stage of Sales Process .

It's broken down into Stages

a) Motivation
b) Prospecting
c) Needs Analysis
d) Presentations
e) Handling Objections
f) Closing
g) Follow Up
h) Time Management

Future Reads

2005-04-13T21:04:00.000+05:30

I am searching for new books which I can read once I am done with the present set .

Have heard a lot about all these :-

Hitchhikers Guide to Galaxy : Douglas Adams ( Science Fiction )
Zen & the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance : Robert M Pirsig.( Technology & Human Interactions )
Journey to the Centre of Earth : Jules Verne ( Science Fiction )
Lamb : Christopher Moore ( Humour )
Seven seasons of a Man's Life in a mirror :Patrick Morley ( Philosophy )
One : Richard Bach ( Philosophy )

Any suggestions on good reads are Welcome :-)

2005-04-03T12:46:00.000+05:30

Long Time , an Update . Have been busy in work from last 3 wks . & least to say have been lazy enough .Read Aunt's aint Gentlemen from PGW ,a small book ,Good Subtle Humour , PGW at his very best . Right now Going through ....3 books at a Time ..poor me ..tht's why it seems nothing gets over

-Think & Grow Rich : Napolean Hill

-Sales Secrets :Superstar Sales Secrets : Barry J Farber

- In Search of Excellence : Tom Peters

All these books are kind of tied up so going through them in Phases & gosh I am being really slow doing it ...This just doesnt works for me . I like finishing 1 book at a Go rather than take DAYS to wind it up ..Change of Strategy Needed

Terminal

2005-03-06T14:13:00.000+05:30

Terminal : A movie that is so simple but yet conveys such a deeper meaning ,Tom Hanks is amazing . The movie starts with a guy being UNACCEPTABLE in USA , since his country is at war and all the travel permits with that country are ended . Its a story of a person who just doesnt believes in Shortcuts and Easy way outs . He is in US for a cause and that is too fulfill his father's dream ... He is being shown different easy way outs & traps but this get doesntn falls prey to any ...because Inherently there is something which is working deep within & that is Integrity He survives without any money by doing some or the other work and with the hope
that some day his country's war will end up and he ll get Visa to go to NY and fulfill dream . Story is of truth , integrity , Commitment ,Sacrifice , Promises to Keep and Love . Truly heart warming movie .

Added Movies Review

2005-03-06T14:10:00.000+05:30

From today I will be adding movies review in my Blog . The movies will be limited to a few exceptional movies ,which create deep impact on me and makes me think .so no chick flicks in it

BLACK : A movie

2005-02-28T04:46:00.000+05:30

Well , I have been using this Blog for writing about books , but wuld like to take a Detour & capture a Movie , BLACK .........A very different movie from all the Bollywood flicks ..I am not going to talk about actors & acteresses of the moviee m but the theme . Its about a Blind & Deaf kid whose life is BLACK means Darkness , she cant hear , she cant see ..the entire world for her is BLACK ...But she has 1 thing that is Determination and a Mind whose thoughts make you work . From the Alchemist ..if you really are determined the whole world conspires to help u .
She gets a Teacher ...who changes her life for ever ..., Gives her purpose in life ...makes possible for here to live a Life of Dignity ..without being Dependent on any body ....Movie starts with showing a gal who is D&B ...8 yrs old ...who is angry with herself ..keep on throwing things ...agitiated always bcs ..world is Black for her .. Her parents recruit a Teacher who is an Expert ...in handling kids ...D&B ....., that fellow is persistent , determined & passionate about his work ... he makes it possible for her to live a life of purpose ....., teaches her language of words, teaches he r fundamentals : 1. Failure is the stepping stone to success ... when you fail , think of why u failed and improve upon ..dont give up anytime .. 2. Nothing is impossible in this world ...this is the World of possibilities ..you have to chart a course for yourself ..& go ahead & do it ..tht makes life so much fun

The same D&B female ends up Graduating from a Top College though she failed 20 times but was determined .....Her teacher had left her bcs of incident which made the female feel like a woman & indignified the teacher ....teacher returns ..but he is down with Alzheimer's disease ....cant remember anything ..the same gal works day in & day out with him ,,,,& when she graduates his teacher gets the memory back in life ....A truly heart warming story ...couldn't resist writing about it

The Pilgrimage

2005-02-17T09:36:00.000+05:30

Book : The Pilgrimage
Author : Paulo Coelho
Rating : Good
Trivia : This is the first book of Paulo Coelho . After this came Alchemist

Read : Feb 12 -13 , 2005

Well helps you to think ...& think is everything wht u think u become .He has shown in this book how a Pilgrimage an Ordeal to Santiago , Spain in search of a Sword ,leads to discovering of the true self and what a person really wants out of life .An important lesson is ..we at times get blinded with our goals .and our desires ....forgetting the most Important thing that we have to get there first of all .

Quotes :

"When you are moving towards an Objective..it's very important to pay attention to the road.It is the road that teaches us the best way to get there, & the road enriches us as we walk its length ."

First symptom of process of killing of our dreams our :

1.Lack of time .
2. Certainties .
3. Peace .

We always know the best road ,but we always follow the road we get accustomed to .
Teaching is onlydemonstrating it is possible . Learning is making it possible for yourself .
The only way to make the right decision is . , is to know what the wrong decision is .
people who consider themselves to be wise are often indecisive when command is called forand rebellious when they are called to obey .They are ashamed to give orders & consider it dishonorable to receive them.

Horse Sense

2005-01-24T11:37:00.000+05:30

Book : Horse Sense
Author : Al Ries and Jack Trout

Rating : Very Good

Reason 4 reading :
Had heard a lot about this book from my IBM friends ., least to say its one book which should be made a must read in all business schools . The only problem is this book is not readily available or should I say not at all available in India ., I got this book from one of my friend's in US .

Authors
Well Al Ries & Jack Trout ..what 2 say of these guys ..They keep on buzzing us with Jargons Bottom up Marketing , Marketing Warfare , Horse Sense .

Something to Ponder : Success is looking outwards yourself , whatever we have been given till now has been by people .eg Bill Gates .... if we remove him from earth and put him on some island Deserted ...wht ll be he worth ...zero .....He is a Multi-billionaire because of all of us

That's the theme of the book , look outwards , Find Horse to Ride it could be company , Product ,Partner , Spouse ,Family Name etc Find wht works 4 u and Ride it ...
Hard work as they say is Optional ....4 rising in Corporate Life ..
Be like a CAT ...smart , shrewd from inside ,.... Act like a DOG ....Team man , enthusiastic .

Cheerz

Nxt looking for some Light /Romantic Reading ...

Got some 6 PG Wodehouse Books ...kept it 4 Reading in US ...

Promises to Keep

2005-01-24T11:15:00.000+05:30

Promises to Keep : The Amway Phenomena and How does it works
Author : Charles Paul Conn

Rating : Average

Well , I have been thinking of starting my Own from some time now ..One of my friends introduced me 2 Amway .I had mixed reactions about that corporation and how it works ..some good some bad. So wanted to know more about the same Read this book , pretty well written .Has done a diligent work in listing down all the possible doubts/Questions any person can have before signing in 2 Amway , though all the answers don't sound convincing 2 me at this point of time .This book gives a good background about the corporation as a whole. Another reason why I wanted to know more is the Direct Sales business ..sounds exciting and have been evaluating it as a Business Model .Dell is highly successful using the model ,but their is a huge list of failures as well , cut all intermediaries and pass on benefits 2 consumer makes sense

The Monk who Sold his Ferrari

2005-01-18T09:59:00.000+05:30

Book : The Monk who Sold his Ferrari
Author : Robin S Sharma

Rating : Good Read

A beautifully written book , Robin Sharma does a Paulo Coelho by this book . It does inspires , motivates you to think . The way he has conveyed his thoughts is also amazing , by means of a easy read story , he has conveyed strong messages . Talks about 7 virtues which he has Pictured by means of Lush Green Garden ( Human Mind ) , Lighthouse ( Purpose of Life ) , Coiled Cable ( Discipline ) , Sumo Wrestler ( Self Improvement ) , Gold Stopwatch ( Time Mngmt ) , Fragrant Roses ( Selfless service ) , Path of Diamonds ( Embrace Present ) .

Five Point Someone : What not to do at IIT ?

2005-01-13T15:18:00.000+05:30

Five Point Someone : What not to do at IIT ?
Author : Chetan Bhagat

Rating : Must Read

One word for it : NOSTALGIC . It makes u feel that , It's story of all of us .You just can't leave this book .Engrossing in true sense . The incidents sited our something which we all can easily relate to ..be it Bunking classes , Sleepless nites during Exams , College Crushes , Gossips n Grapevine , Prof's , Playing Pranks , Dating ,Assignments ...all the stuff which we did . This book is about 3 friends who got it all wrong in the Premier Insti . .. Author has subtle humour which works out well . I put this book in the same league .as The Inscrutable Americans by Anurag Mathur .

Cheerz .. Gaurav

Presently reading : Horse Sense by Al Ries n Jack Trout . Should be over this weekend

Suggest me any new Reads ?

Here we go !!

2005-01-13T14:58:00.000+05:30

This is for all those who love reading , be it books , Journals , advertising , the idea is to give a summary /Opinion of the recently read book . Please no disclosures in terms of thriller novels , I had a terrible experience ..with people forwarding me the end of Da Vinci Code before I had even started reading it ..Terrible ...So No Disclosures

zo zimple

cheerz , Happy reading