July Read/4

Title: The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference

Author: Gladwell, Malcolm

Call Number: 302 G543T 2002

Subjects: Social Psychology; Contagious; Causation

Number of Pages: 301

ISBN: 9780316346627

Book Description (from back cover):

            The Tipping Point is that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire. Just a single sick person can start an epidemic of the flu, so too can a small but precisely targeted push cause a fashion trend, the popularity of a new product, or a drop in the crime rate. This widely acclaimed bestseller, in which Malcolm Gladwell explores and brilliantly illuminates the tipping point phenomenon, is already changing the way people throughout the world think about selling products and disseminating ideas.

My Read:

            There are 3 things in the Law of Few, according to the author. They are: 1) Mavens who are data banks providing the message, 2) Connectors who are social glue and spread the message, and 3) Salesmen who have skills to persuade people. To make his point, the author provides cases and true events to vividly describe each role and its characteristics and what it does.

            There is this quote that I find very true and helpful. It comes from page 74. It says: If you don’t try you’ll never succeed. No matter how difficult or impossible the problem or situation is one should at least give it a try to see what works and what doesn’t. By trying and making efforts, one usually would find a way out or at least some ideas would pop up and from there things would get progress or be done.

            On page 142, the author points out that “The impetus to engage in a certain kind of behavior is not coming from certain kind of person but from a feature of the environment. Here the author states and gives examples about how environment and situation make a person change his/her usual behavior under certain circumstances. Chinese have a saying that if only the water flows as the river goes the flow would go without any barrier. Here, the author points out how by changing the immediate details of situation can make a big difference to a person’s behavior. –page 155.

            There are plenty of fun cases and stories the author shares with his readers. It’s a good read.

           

July Read/3

Title: Styles of Thinking: Strategies for Asking Questions, Making Decisions, and Solving Problems

Authors: Harrison, Allen F.; Bramson, Robert M. Ph.D

Call Number: 153.42 H318S

Subjects: Thought and Thinking; Questioning; Decision-Making; Problem Solving

Number of Pages: 202

ISBN: 0-385-15763-0

Book Description (from the inside flap):

            This is a book about how to make fewer stupid decisions.

            When we approach a problem or decision, we employ a set of specific strategies that are characteristic of a certain Style of Thinking. Each of us has a preference for one of the five Styles, and while each can be catastrophic if overused or used inappropriately.

            By reading this book, you will understand your own Style of Thinking, the Styles of other people who are important to you, and the differences between them. You’ll learn to recognize the errors into which your preferred Style is likely to lead you, and the kinds of situations in which they occur. You will learn how to use your existing strengths more positively, and learn a number of practical methods of expanding your Style. And finally, you’ll learn specific methods of influencing others in the most effective way.

My Read:

            “What kind of thinker are you?” At the back cover, this book challenges the readers to ask themselves this question. In the beginning of the book, the authors ask the readers the basic question: “How do you think about things?” As I read this part I wondered what kind of thinker I am and how I did my thinking. Well, to be honest, I didn’t have any answer for the two questions. But I would like to know what kind of courses the authors have had for their readers.

            I took the 15 questionnaires the book provided to see what kind of thinking style I belong to. From there I took the journey to self-acquaintance and learn about how my brain did the thinking and what the other four styles of thinking did their own. The messages delivered from the chapters reinforce what I have learned about who I am and what I am over the years. It’s a joyful reading experience.

            Here is the epitome of the five Styles of Thinking (from the back cover):

1-The Strange Ways of Synthesists:

            Motto: What if. Synthesists seek likeness in apparent unlikes; seek conflict and synthesis; interested in change; speculative; to whom data is meaningless with out interpretation.

            Apt to say: “On the other hand..”-page 98

            Strategies: grand strategy-the dialectic: #1 open argument and confrontation; #2 asking dumb-smart questions; #3 participating from the sidelines; #4 suspending opposing ideas; #5 speculation and fantasy; #6 proposing “far-out” solutions; #7 negative analysis.

            Strengths and liabilities (page 30):

S-they are willing to look at things from odd points of view, to take substantial risks in their thinking. They might produce penetrating and unusual solutions to problems.

L-they are sometimes nicknamed troublemakers. They might appear lack in personal commitment, lack of follow-through and attention to details.

2-The Wholesome Ways of Idealists

            Constantly asking: “What’s right?” Idealists welcome broad range of views; seek ideal solutions; interested in values; receptive; values data and theory equally. (back cover)

            Apt to say: “Don’t you think that…”-page 98

            Strategies: grand strategy-assimilative thinking; #1 focus on the whole; #2 the long-range view; #3 setting goals and standards; #4 receptive listening; #5 search for aids to agreement; #6 humanizing the argument.

            Strengths and Liabilities

S-they are future-oriented; they welcome a diversity of views and they are interested in quality of life. They pride themselves on their high standards and their intuition.

L- they are nicknamed “bleeding heart.” Sometimes they are unable to recognize how high their standards are. So idealists tend to suffer two related pangs-guilt over disappointment in themselves and hurt feelings over disappointment in others. (page 41-42). When others fail to appreciate or acknowledge their efforts to achieve goals they would feel resentful and ill-used.

3-The Piecemeal Ways of Pragmatists

            Motto: “Whatever works” Pragmatists seek shortest route to payoff; interested in innovation; adaptive; use any data or theory that gets us there. (back cover)

            Apt to say: “I will buy that…”-page 99

            Strategies: grand-the contingency approach; #1 moving one step at a time; #2 experiment and innovation; #3 looking fro quick payoff; #4 tactical thinking; #5 the marketing approach; #6 contingency planning

            Strengths and liabilities:

S-they excel at finding new ways of doing things with the materials that lie at hand. They are interested in getting from here to there, in looking for the shortcut and the quick payoff. They have a grasp of what people will buy, what will sell. (page 13-14)

L-Pragmatists tend to be less predictable and less managed if their great strength, adaptability is overused or used inappropriately.

4-The Orderly Ways of Analysts

            “Logical,” ”reason,” ” scientifically” are terms often used by the analysts. Analysts seek “one best way”; seek model and formulate; interested in scientific solutions; prescriptive; take data over theory and method. (back cover)

            Apt to say: “It stands to reason…”-page 99

            Strategies: grand-search for the one best way; #1 systematic analysis of alternatives; #2 the search for more data; #3 conservative focusing; #4 Charting the situation; #5constrctive nit-picking; #6 deductive reasoning

            Strengths and liabilities:

S-Analysts’ strategies would be clear-cut, specific, visible, and logical if they are applied appropriately.

L-Analysts might seem dry, disciplined, even humorless and dull. They might become rigid and bulky if the analysts had never spent a day in the field therefore their well-formulated strategies might be applied inappropriately.

5-The No-Nonsense Ways of Realists

            Motto: Facts are facts.

            Favorite expressions: “It’s obvious to me…”; “Everybody knows that…””Let’s look at the facts in the situation..”-page67

            Strategies: grand-empirical discovery; #1 setting hard objectives; #2The resource inventory; #3 getting to specifics; #4simplification; #5 using expert opinion; #6incisive correction

            Strengths and liabilities:

S-Once they learn to really face the facts they find practical ways to achieve their goals.-page 77

L-They might seem stubborn and unimaginative for they are people of strong opinions. Once they got perceived facts they are quick to form opinions of other people.-page 77

            The most helpful part for me personally from the book is landed on page 98 and page 99. The two authors composed and listed a chart/table for the readers to have a glimpse of the 5 Styles of Thinking. It’s called “Behavioral Clues to Styles of Thinking.”

            Reading this book reminds me of and warns me not to judge a person based upon what s/he had done. At least, not to do it too quickly or hastily. In a family or at the workplace the mix and combination of members and staffs serves some or certain level or degree of meanings and purposes. Everything happens with certain reasons, known or otherwise. If harmony has to be installed and maintained at any place or situation then we had better respect every plays at present. Even the weakest link serves its meaning and purpose to ask us to work together, to focus and work on the greater good.

            Harmony is the air everyone deserves to breathe in and take home with.

           

           

           

July Read/2

Title: Angela Merkel

Author: Mills, Cliff

Call Number: B M563M 2008

Subjects: Merkel, Angela, 1954-Juvenile literature; Heads of state-Germany-Biograplhy-Juvenile literature; Germany-Politics and government-1990

Number of Pages: 120

ISBN: 9780791094969

Book Description (from the back cover)

            Born in West Germany but raised in East Germany, Angela Merkel has known both repression and freedom. With the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, Merkel started her meteoric rise to become Germany’s first female chancellor and one of the world’s most powerful women. A scientist by training, Merkel possesses analytical skills seldom seen in a world leader, and she confronts issues in Germany, Europe, and the world with diplomacy and tact.This biography is the inspiring account of an intriguing leader who is a tireless force for progress.

My Read:

            It’s a good read though it’s a book aimed for the juvenile. The picture of Ms. Merkel on the book cover is a good catch of her: reserved, shy, shrewd, and intelligent. I Google Ms Merkel and found plenty of images of her. The one I like the most is a picture of her in peach color dress or suit and she applied makeup. She was well-known of no makeup. Pictures from later years showed her with slight makeup and this change did make her look more appealing and softer than before. Looks and appearances are indeed important for pubic image.

            Readers will find that the fact Ms. Merkel raised and grew up in East Germany gave her a different perspective and cognition about the world and the way this world revolves. It proves again that if a person is able to view the world in others’ shoes or perspectives the society we are living might be in different shape. People might be more empathetic and cases of belligerence or violence would dramatically decrease and lessen. If only we could feel and know what others might have been feeling and thinking…

            Finally we are witnessing a strong leader who is also a scientist and an expert of analysis and pragmatism. The analytical side of her helps her to focus and target on the crucial issues right on the spot and enables her to make justified decisions that would eventually amend problems and make a huge impact on the human affairs. The cool mind of a scientist provides her methodical and systematical methods and solutions to break apart dilemmas and hit on the hot spots. Honest and straightforward she wasted no time to play games and let her people know she is determined and committed to serve her country, her people, and the world. Who wouldn’t admire such person of intelligence, wisdom, and cleverness?

            I didn’t see her as a female world leader. Instead, to me, she is a scientist who, at the same time, with political shrewdness. Her interest in politics is purely simple: she discovered years ago that the power of government is great and she might be good at it to help her people to have a better world to live in. In her eyes, power of government could benefit the people if used and exercised by righteous and right hands.

            Her success dealing with world issues is inspiring. And it got me wonder how this world might be different if more good-brained and kindhearted scientists get engaged in the politics. May there be more leaders like Ms. Merkel!

July Read/Patti

Title: Black Rose

Author: Nora Roberts

 published 2005

Patti's Read: 

                This the second of a trilogy with the first being “Blue Dahlia” and the third being “Red Lily”.

Three women meet at a crossroads in their lives. They are each seeking to grow and  they all have ended up living in the same beautiful old huge home with huge and beautiful gardens.

                Rosalind Harper is the restorer and owner of the gorgeous home.  Her son Harper lives with her. David a friend of Harper lives there and cooks for the household. A Stella and her boys Luke and Gavin live there too.  Stella is going to marry Logan who lives in a cottage on the property.  There Hayley, a cousin, and her baby who are living there. 

                There is a large business called “In the Garden” near the property that Rosalind started and has made very successful in order to make a living and keep her home up.  All of the people who live in the house are involved with the business.

                A Mitch Carnegie becomes involved with Rosalind and the others as he researches and is writing a book about the house’s ghost called “The Harper Bride”.  She is interested in the young male children and sings to them at night.  She becomes violent as Mitch and Rosalind become involved romantically. 

                Rosalind’s ex-husband causes her trouble and at the end of the story he attacks her garden business and Rosalind who is saved by the ghost coming to her rescue and attacking the ex-husband. 

                The reader is made aware that the ghost is named Amelia and was the kept mistress of Reginald Harper, the family ancestor, in order to bear him a son and heir that his wife couldn’t do.  Amelia has a son and it is stolen by Reginald who tells her it is a stillborn girl.  He pays off the doctor and others.  He takes the son home and forces his wife to pretend that she has been pregnant and this is her child.

                Amelia is told to get lost by Reginald who tries to buy her off with no success.  She loses her mind and goes to the Harper estate to get her son back.  It all ends in tragedy. What happens to her is solved in the last book of the trilogy, “The Red Lily”.

July Read

Title: Hardwiring Happiness: The New Brain Science of Contentment, Calm, And Confidence

Author: Hanson, Rick, Ph.D.

Call Number: 158 H251H 2013

Subjects: Positive Psychology; Neuropsychology; Happiness; Brain; Self-Help/Personal Growth/Happiness; Religion/Buddhism

Number of Pages: 272

ISBN: 9780385347310

Book Description (from the inside flap)

            “See through the lies your brain tells you.” Why is it easier to ruminate over hurt feelings than it is to bask in the warmth of feeling loved? Your brain was wired in such a way when it evolved, primed o learn quickly from bad experiences, but not so much from the good ones. It’s an ancient survival mechanism that turned the brain into Velcro for the negative, but Teflon for positive.

            Life isn’t easy, and having a brain wired to take in the bad and ignore the good makes us worried, irritated, and stressed, instead of confident, secure, and happy. Each day is filled with opportunities to build inner strengths, but the brain is designed to ignore and waste them. This makes you come down harder on yourself than you do on other people, feel inadequate even when you get a hundred things done, and feel lonely even when support is all around you.

            Dr. Rick Hanson, an acclaimed neuropsychologist and internationally bestselling author, shows us what we can do to override the brain’s default programming. Hardwiring Happiness lays out a simple method that uses the hidden power of everyday experiences to build new neural structures that attract happiness, love, confidence, and peace. Dr. Hanson’s four steps build a brain strong enough to withstand its ancient negativity bias, allowing contentment and a powerful sense of well-being to become the new normal. In mere minutes each day, we can transform our brains into oases of clam. We can hardwire in happiness.

My Read:

            This is not the first book I have read that claims it’s human nature to have negativity inside us for survival. There was this book listing that we have three needs to be satisfied to have a fulfilling life. They are: to be recognized, to be needed, and to be appreciated. Not surprisingly, in Hardwiring Happiness, Dr. Hanson states we have three core needs to be filled. And they are: Safety (Avoiding), Satisfaction (Approaching) and Connection (Attaching).

            “In the light of an accepting, nonreactive awareness, your negative thoughts and feelings can sometimes melt away like morning mists on a sunny day.” Page 8 It’s human nature, according to the author to own a reactive mode of thinking and feeling; and it’s negative thought. The whole book the author shows us how to transform from a reactive mode to a responsive mode of thinking and feeling. He applies four steps to do the “Taking in the Good.” He said: “Technically, taking in the good is the deliberate internalization of positive experiences in implicit memory.” Page 60It’s called HEAL; it involves four simple steps:

1-      Have a positive experience

2-      Enrich it.

3-      Absorb it.

4-      Link positive and negative material.

Overall, the process is like this: Find a positive experience you have had. Imagine and feel the positive feeling and take in the good feeling. Have a deep sense of the good feeling, sink in the good and allow the good sink in you. Over practices and experiences the good will grab a root and replace the negative kinds. For the author said that our brain is shaped by our mind. If we have the mind zero in on the good and positive thinking then over the times with practices we are able to grow inner strengths and reshape our brain.

Under the subtitle “Filling the Hole in Your Heart” something the author said hit a home run. “Many people are embarrassed about still carrying the past. They ask, Why haven’t I gotten over this by now, what’s wrong with me? Page 153 What had happened at the younger age cast a long shadow. It’s a tough battle for someone to overcome the bad past experiences. “You can’t change the past, but you can use key experiences today to fill that hole.” Page 153

At the end the author shares with us twenty-one jewels for the treasure chest of the heart. Safety: Protection, Strength, Relaxation, Refuge, Seeing threats and resources clearly, Feeling all right right now, Peace; Satisfaction: Pleasure, Gratitude and gladness, Positive emotion, Accomplishment and agency, Enthusiasm, Feeling the fullness of this moment, Contentment; Connection: Feeling cared about, Feeling valued, Compassion and kindness, Self-compassion, Feeling like a good person, Compassionate assertiveness, Love.

Among the twenty-one jewels I found the “Compassionate Assertiveness” valuable to me. The author states: Compassionate assertiveness is where heart and strength come together, the twin pillars of healthy relationships. Page 215 And: Know that you have rights of your own, and that whether others are happy or not is primarily in their hands, not yours. Page 216 It sounds so true yet sometimes we forgot about the ownerships.

Though there are plenty of repetitions this book serves well its purpose: invite and allow the readers to think and reflect about their life. The mind shapes our brain.

     

June Read/Patti 4

Title:  “Bones of a Feather

Author: Carolyn Haines

 published 2011

 Patti's Read:

                This is a Sarah Booth Delaney Mystery.  Sarah and her best friend Tinkie, who run a private investigator business, make a nearly fatal mistake when they take on two elderly wealthy heiresses of Briarcliff in Natchez, Mississippi.  The heiresses claim that a family necklace worth four million dollars has been stolen.  The two investigators learn the heiresses are liars and are probably committing insurance fraud. 

                There is supposedly a giant black ghost horse and rider that rides around the estate.  It is discovered this is  a fraud one of the sisters is carrying on.

                When Sarah and Tinkie finally figure out what is going on and the fraud that is being omitted because the heiresses are nearly broke, they are attacked and thrown into a cave and tunnel that will soon be under water with the horrible storm that is raging outside.  The gardener is the hero who save the two ladies and helps them capture and arrest the lying and murdering and awful two heiresses.