On Being Quiet - Susan Cain's book (Review)

When I first listened to Susan Cain's talk on TED in March 2012, I realised that my confused childhood now has a meaning of its own.  Pieces of the puzzle is starting to come together now as I reconcile my childhood and teenage struggles in school to 'fit in' and understand why I failed terribly to do so.   


Susan Cain's Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking, is written in four main parts.  Her book opens to an Introduction chapter that focuses on the story of Rosa Parks, that sparked the bus boycott of Montgomery, Alabama in 1955, which ignited the spark of human rights movement of Martin Luther King Jr. 


In the first part of her book, 'The Extrovert Ideal', Cain starts off the chapter with a walk through of Dale Carnegie's life from his humble beginnings in a pig farm, poverty stricken and demoralised to becoming America's most successful motivational and public speaking icon, which also the story of the rise of the Extrovert Ideal.


The author then goes on to argue that in the past, the Culture of Character was the ideal way of life that focuses on the self that was serious, disciplined, and honorable.  The word personality didn't exist in English until the eighteenth century, and having a "good personality" was not widespread until the twentieth.  


However, with the rise of the Extrovert Ideal, the personality superceeds all course of action by men.  Those with the charisma and confidence were revered as the way of life and abundance of opportunity is showered upon them.  


Her argument then builds on with meticulous research to back her motion that being extroverted is not necessarily the needed recipe for success.


In the second part of the book, 'Your Biology, Your Self?', Cain went on to state that being an introvert is very much embedded in our DNA.  She derived research done by Kagan, Jay Belsky and David Dobbs that found out that a specific gene known as the serotonin-transporter (SERT) gene, helps to regulate the processing of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that affects mood.  According to these scientists, a particular short allele, a 'short allele', is thought to be associated with high reactivity and introversion.  


Cain continues to build her argument towards cultural experiences and influences that could influence a person's extroversion or introversion.  She expounded on the possibility of culture and up bringing influencing someone's introversion and extroversion. 


In the last part of her book, she propagated useful and pragmatic solutions to encourage introverted co-workers and children to shine in their own way at work and in school.  Again, this chapter is laced with detailed synthesis of numerous research to put her point across.


Not only is her book well argued and well researched, she was able to laced it with honest and raw personal experiences and opinion to 'fight' for the less caustic society.  


What did I think?  I think that if only she has written this book years ago, it would definitely have made a marked difference in how I viewed my personal introversion and I would have been able to deal and plan my life much better.  Nevertheless, no one says it's ever too late to be who you really are. 






   

The Hunger Games - A Story Telling Sensation

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Imagine yourself into a distant future, where you live in a world that is surrounded by stifling guards, watching your every move, waiting to pounce on you at every chance they can, to punish and humiliate you, all in the name of control and power.  Panem is the new country that is governed by the main government called "The Capitol", that controls twelve districts in which, each district plays a role in producing and supplying products and essential supplies such as coal, electricity and soap, so that those who live in the Capital can live a care free life, while the residence of the other twelve districts slave away, by only scraping through with basic necessities.  


This is the setting of the story by Suzanne Collins in her trilogy called The Hunger Games, which is also the title of the first book in the series, with Catching Fire as the second and Mockingjay as the third and final installment.  


The story is weaved through an intricate interconnection between numerous characters that are closely related to the main protagonist of the story, Katniss Everdeen.   Sixteen-year-old Katniss lives in the nation of Panem (a post-apocalyptic North America) with her mother and younger sister, Prim. Her family resides in District 12, the poorest of 12 districts ruled by the wealthy Capitol. Katniss provides for her mother and sister by hunting with her friend Gale in the forbidden woods nearby. 


Every year, The Hunger Games is hosted by the Capitol, to remind the citizens of Panem, that rebellion only brings chaos and suffering, by choosing one boy and one girl, aged between 12-18, to be pushed into a gruesome fight-to-the-death reality television programme in order to re-live the past rebellion that brought down District 13 to ruins.  The ballot is drawn during an event called "The Reaping" and everyone in all the districts have to attend this event to witness themselves, which of their young ones would be chosen for the annual event.  


Eventually, when Katniss' sister, Prim was chosen, she desperately volunteered herself in her sister's place, stumbling forwards towards the stage to be heard, worried that the organisors will not heed her.  Throughout the 74 years of The Reaping, nobody has ever volunteered in District 12 and the action by Katniss, proves a spectacular twist in that year's Reaping.


The other tribute is Peeta Mellark, a baker's son, who saved Katniss and her family from starvation by sneaking bread to her on a rainy day and they are both whisked away by train to the Capitol, with Haymitch Abernathy, the only District 12 victor that has ever won the games as their mentor, who is also, a hopeless drunk.


From here onwards, the story falls into a fast paced roller coaster ride for both Katniss and Peeta, in their preparation for the 74th Annual Hunger Games.  Collins wrote with such precision and ferocity, that grabs the readers to his seat with each page turned, yearning to know what happens next.  She weaves the intricate details of Katniss' and Peeta's training, to  his revelation of secretly loving Katniss since they were kids, right to the gruesome details of how the other 22 tributes from the other eleven districts goes down in the games.  Raw emotions were displayed throughout the book, to show compassion amidst the hatred that Katniss has for the tyrant Capitol.  Collins' writing shows the necessity of showing human compassion as the main virtue in humanity.  


I shall not elaborate further about the plot of the story, as not to ruin the reading pleasure of those who has yet to read these books.  Truly, the film has been a big hit since it's opening and has broken all the records ever held by Harry Potter and Twilight series, being the first sequel of a franchise movie, but, only through reading the books, can one fully appreciate the  fluid and gripping writings of Collins.        

Making Money Online: Book Review of KaChing by Joel Comm

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When I picked up this book two years ago, I was still an aspiring wana-be-online business owner.  Two years down the road, I finally started the engines for some serious blogging, to give my best level try on making money through blogging.

Joel Comm did a fantastic job on this book for those who are aspiring to use Internet marketing as a means of making a steady income or just as a sideline.  He has written his book in an easy to use manual with models he has used throughout his career in online business.

The book is divided into 8 chapters as follow:
Chapter 1:  The New Web Order - How the Internet Has Brought Opportunity to Everybody.
Chapter 2:  Your uniqueness Equals Cash
Chapter 3:  Content is not King - It is KaChing!
Chapter 4:  Information Products - Selling.
Chapter 5:  Earning from Affiliate Programs
Chapter 6:  Membership sites - Turning your Internet Business into a Passive Revenue Machine
Chapter 7:  Coaching Programs
Chapter 8:  Case Studies

Each chapter rules out the fundamentals of making your online business a success.  Joel Comm explains each fundamental in a simple and easy model which makes anyone capable of starting an online business.

His main model to create a great online business is listed out as below:
1.  You have a dream
2.  You have to believe
3.  You have to prepare
4.  You have to act
5.  You have to relate
6.  You have to use models
7.  You have to grow

Each of the fundamentals above were written with clear examples of how you could achieve them in a step by step method.  As a new blogger, I found his tips to be very practical.

However, I would like to stress that Joel Comm does not give solutions to online businesses but he offers invaluable advice and insights into what would make an online business successful.  His book is relatively easy to use and follow even when it comes to the more technical aspects of online business.

What I liked most about the book is the sincerity of the writer in which he stressed that starting a website is something everybody can do but to start making money from it would take a lot of preparation, hard work and determination.  Not many books like this would say such a thing accept for hyping you up to possibilities that cannot be achieved just to sell their ideas.

This is a great book for those who are just starting out as it points to all the right strategies and fundamentals that are needed to start on the right side of the trade.  It is also for those who are already seasoned Internet business owners as there are a few nuggets worth picking at to make your online business even better.

Oranges are Not the Only Fruit - Jeanette Winterson

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This is Jeanette Winterson's first novel, which speaks in every way a memoir as well as a delightful fiction that would delight any reader.

She used the different books of the bible to arrange the structure of her book.  Starting from Genesis and finishes in Ruth, she weaves her story in a sequence that would bring you from her childhood days to her adolescent years that were closely intertwined with rigorous bible learning and growing up with a mother whose dominance overshadows her father who is mainly quiet in the whole course of the novel.

Gender roles in the novel were very much turned around with Jeanette's mother being the head of the house and Jeanette deemed too manly to be a girl.  She was given roles to lead Bible study and preach in church.  There are only two male characters that are mentioned throughout the book; Jeanette's father and Pastor Spratt.

The story revolves around Jeanette's mother who is a fervent evangelist and an advocate for the Society of the Lost in their church.  Jeanette was constantly drilled on the Bible so that she can recite word by word during Bible quizzes in church and come up as the top of the class.

Jeanette's mother never believed in sending Jeanette to school, in which she calls it 'the breeding ground'.  She believes that all is lost in terms of spiritual guidance from God when one goes to school.  However, Jeanette welcomed it with an open enthusiasm and glee.  Jeanette goes on to terrorize the kids in school about how they would all eventually burn in Hell if they don't accept the Lord which brings her into a lot of trouble even though she believes that what she was saying was the truth and her way of trying to fit in.

As she grow into her adolescent years, Jeanette started realizing her hidden sexual attraction for the fairer sex.   She grew to love a new convert named Melanie and all turned topsy turvy when the church found out about their 'evil' relations.  Jeanette went through exorcism which aimed to rid her of her 'demons', where she experienced and orange demon that bids her to make a choice - either stay the same or change.  The writer clearly showed Jeanette's strong will and strong belief in God that helped her make her decision.  Jeanette eventually left home as she no longer is able to tolerate her mother who keeps cursing her as 'evil' and she worked in a funeral parlour, sold ice cream in a van and eventually moved out of town.  She eventually went home to visit her parents after some time away but nothing much has changed except for some extra electrical appliances in the old house.

This book is quite an inspiration for anyone whose searching for the inner truth within themselves.  It's a typical coming of age novel that not only inspires but also entertains.

Allah, Liberty and Love: Reconciliation of Faith and Freedom

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I first got to know about Irshad Manji when I came to a curiousity to understand more about Islam.  I had this sudden fascination for the religion as I have been living in a moderate muslim society for the past 32 years and I realised that I hardly knew anything about it.  My lack of knowledge or newly found ignorance was not something that I would tolerate. 


Irshad Manji was a Canadian refugee that fled her hometown in Uganda during the Idi Amin's explusion of Asians.  Manji was born to parents of Egytian and Gujarati descent.  She and her family settled near Vancouver in 1972 and dictated her own learning of Islam via public libraries and Arabic tutors after being expelled from the madrasah.  She excelled in the secular environment to later on winning the Governer General's Medal for top humanities graduate, where she earned an honours degree in the history of ideas from the University of British Columbia.


She has also achieved many milestones in her career, from a legislative aide in the Canadian Parliament to managing and hosting a few talk shows in Canadian television.  In 2004, she wrote a book entitled "The Trouble with Islam Today", which won her not only accolades but also death threats.

Now with her new book, "Allah, Libery and Love", Manji looks forward to an optimistic fix and reconciliation methods from the Islam's woes in her first book mentioned above.

Her main idealogy comes from a term in the teachings of Islam called ijtihad, which simply means "a “tradition of dissenting, reasoning, and reinterpreting.”   According to Manji, the very essence of the Islam teachings have been stiffled by the Arab culture and moderate practice of Islam by Muslim moderates, which encourage violence and discrimination.  She encourages muslims and non muslims to challenge 'moderate' thinking that perpetuates intolerance and violence.

She also weaves her arguments around the need to obliterate the Arab culture in the teachings and practice of Islam.  Practices such as honour killings and wife beatings are just universally and morally wrong.  The practice of pack following in Islam is also something she shuns vehemently as it not only takes away one's individuality but also discourages the core essence of ijtihad, which she states is the core of Islamic teaching.

Personally, I feel the book is very engaging as she quoted emails written to her by foes and allies to make her point heard.  Some of the email conversations that she has chosen to included was cynical and hilarious in its own way due to her sarcastic wit and wisdom.  

A must read for those who have a curiousity for what Islam should be and feel that a change is imminent for the further proliferation of the faith.

If you are interested to read this book, you may purchase this book by clicking here.