What If?: The Challenge of Self-Realization
My rating 3 out of 5.
As you flip through the chapters, it makes a very disturbing read. Provides various thought experiments, changing their circumstances and hence how the conclusions go through a change. Some of these experiments are painful and make us dwell could this angle change the entire meaning so much!
In all, he challenges us to question our beliefs and look at a case from different angles of morality. A question that comes throughout the book- Would you know this would be true, would that change anything in your behavior.
However, it seems through this book we are having the reader challenge their own beliefs to adopt their own. Here is the problem with that- the book is supposed to offer guidelines and not thrust you into a scenario to force some other beliefs. I had hopes that this book is about exploring, it sounded more like preaching to me.
Find Your Strongest Life: What the Happiest and Most Successful Women Do Differently.
My rating 5 out of 5.
This is an amazing book, could not keep it off, once I started. The concepts around “catch and cradle”; unbalancing life, leaning it towards the things one is strong at seems to make perfect practical sense.
I typically liked the way he delves into the case studies of two ladies to isolate patterns/decisions and “what if” something would have been done differently. Finally, giving us a perspective on what was their strong and weak moment and more importantly how does one get into concluding so. The latter part of the book with real-time case studies was very touching and informative too.
I was simply intrigued to take the “Life tests” and they came out very correctly for me. I would recommend reading this to anyone who juggles with guilt(especially women) and are interested in seeking clarity and fullness in life.
1,000+ Little Things Happy Successful People Do Differently
My rating 3 out of 5.
Well, I have been a regular at their blog for years and do read the subscription emails when not able to spend time at the blog. This is why I always wanted to read this book. To my surprise, it failed to keep my attention as the content flow seemed repetitive and much like a collection of blog entries.
Sometimes I felt as I am reading a revised version of a ‘book of sayings’. I tried hard from chapter to chapter to see if the content was any different than their blog, however, it was not. And while as a reader it’s easier to read a specific blog entry, it got really boring and monotonous to read those instructions over and over. Book seemed to drag!
Personally, this is my opinion and I am sure there may be others who may find it interesting to read so much in the flow it was delivered. In a nutshell, nuggets of information that felt like blog entries were grouped.
Presence: Bringing Your Boldest Self to Your Biggest Challenges
My rating 3 out of 4 stars.
I would have given it 4 stars, if not for the way how the book was structured. It starts off pretty well keeping you focused on why you are reading this book. Her personal struggles only to drift into a lot of science, statistics. The book becomes a drag after some point.
I do feel inspired by how she has put it all together, despite her accident setback that led to losing her identity. It is laudable and this rating is not reflective of her personal story, by any chance. However, the book content could have been presented in an engaging way, rather than piling it with a lot of research papers/statistics. It could have helped to read on how to apply the method and some real-world examples.
Her ted talk is exemplary with a solid message ” Fake it till you become it”. Do go over it. Over the years I have seen many modalities and I don’t really practice the pose. It’s just a different way of saying face your challenges with confidence, no matter what. Starts with how you feel and respond to a situation- be present.
When Bad Things Happen to Good People.
My rating : 3 out of 5 stars.
For quite some time I had wanted to read this book, as I believed that the book may explain its title. It gave a different perspective contrary to what most of us have been ingrained with. That world is not a fair place and life is full of random circumstances; so there is nothing that “GOD” decides in terms of who goes through what. He cites a plane accident to be taken as a combined random fate of all those in; rather than giving it any religious meaning “those in that ungrateful event deserved it/there must be some divine plan to it”.
He puts through an analysis of “The Book of Job” and states that – only three options are possible:
(1) God does not exist.
(2) God exists but is not good, or
(3) God exists and is good but is not all-powerful. He chooses the 3rd explanation. I found Kushner’s explanations of tragedy in the world somewhat conflicting offering no purpose/dismissing them as random nature’s acts. He touches upon “afterlife” and skips through labeling that topic as “beyond comprehension”.
Fundamental belief through this book- That GOD is not piling grief and sadness onto our shoulders because HE thinks we can handle it/ there is a divine plan to it. Some takeaways are offered on a right and wrong prayer- that I have never come across in any other book, thus far. And that important question to ask in the face of tragedy is not – “Why did God let this happen to me?” but rather “How can God help me endure now that this has happened?”