Flow; the Psychology of Optimal Experience by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, is research based book about scientific study of people when they are in 'flow' or in the "the zone".

Author argues one of the critical components of flow is a complex self: a self that can weather change & maintain serenity. flow- experience is to concentrate attention on present moment instead of continually struggle with the past or worry about tomorrow. Ofcourse with potentially stress of daily life , book discusses how flow experiences can reduce stress. Author argues that flow will produce happiness, creates an opportunity for cultures to evolve.

“We have all experienced times when, instead of being buffeted by anonymous forces, we do feel in control of our actions, masters of our own fate. On the rare occasions that it happens, we feel a sense of exhilaration, a deep sense of enjoyment that is long cherished and that becomes a landmark in memory for what life should be like….. moments like these are not the passive, receptive, relaxing times…the best moments usually occur when a person’s body or mind is stretched to its limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile.”

But I should say, distinguish between simple pleasure and enjoyable flow is largely semantic & very unconvincing. And It was very interesting to find out that, this whole theory was applied while designing video games(which infact is addictive faux flow experience). flow is simply feeling of pleasure and like others this too can be addictive and its not an good.

Book is good(heavy) read if you are interested in Psychology.

You can also watch Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi discussing at TEDtalk

House of Stairs by William Sleator

House of Stairs by William Sleator, is a novel about 5 teenage orphans(Oliver, Peter, Blossom, Lola, and Abigail) who find themselves in a strange building. Its not a hospital or a prison but it has no walls or ceiling, nothing but endless flights of stairs leading to nowhere and a strange red machine.

They begin to realize that the machine give them just enough food to keep them alive but only whenever they become to do certain gestures & acts. So they started make many efforts to please the machine and let it rule their behaviour. Initially they have to perform some kind of dance but soon they realize they have to be cruel to each other in order get any more food. Then teenage continually face hopeless situations, creating suspense. What follows is- set of events highlighting adversity they face and brings out their personalities—strengths and vulnerabilities.

While teenagers find themselves in an enigmatic suitations and place, narrative is not the enigma but the story is about these five characters, their weaknesses and strengths, their reactions to stress and about the relationships they develop.

Book is very well written and very interestingly highlights the conflict of society's rewards for conformity and personal satisfaction of asserting one's individuality.

Life of Pi by Yann Martel

Life of Pi by Yann Martel, is a riveting adventures tale about a shipwrecked teenager(Piscine Patel) son of Pondicherry Zoo keeper who is stuck with a Bengal Tiger and their never-ending journey of up & downs, tragedy and triumph,. Book walks through details of zoo-keeping, connections between animal & man, Pi's religious & spirtual beliefs.

Pi's family decides to relocate to canada by taking much of its menagerie with them and selling the others. Half the way their ship sinks and Pi find himself stranding in a lifeboat with bengal tiger named richard parker, a zebra, a hyena. i.e ofcourse everybody is on each other's menu.

what follows is 200+days at sea with series of adventure journey of Pi with uneasy truce with his companion to find home and how they(Pi & richard/tiger) manage various troubles, main-easting island,etc.. by calling upon everything he learned both in practical & spiritual sense. Pi become to believe that his & tiger's fate are interlinked and they develops an deepening relationship.

"I must say a word about fear. It is life's only true opponent. Only fear can defeat life. It is a clever, treacherous adversary, how well I know. It has no decency, respects no law or convention, shows no mercy. It goes for your weakest spot, which it finds with unerring ease. It begins in your mind, always. One moment you are feeling calm, self-possessed, happy. Then fear, disguised in the garb of mild- mannered doubt, slips into your mind like a spy. Doubt meets disbelief and disbelief tries to push it out. But disbelief is a poorly armed foot soldier. Doubt does away with it with little trouble. You become anxious. Reason comes to do battle for you. You are reassured. Reason is fully equipped with the latest weapons technology. But, to your amazement, despite superior tactics and a number of undeniable victories, reason is laid low. You feel yourself weakening, wavering. Your anxiety becomes dread. Fear next turns fully to your body, which is already aware that something terribly wrong is going on. Already your lungs have flown away like a bird and your guts have slithered away like a snake. Now your tongue drops dead like an opossum, while your jaw begins to gallop on the spot. Your ears go deaf. Your muscles begin to shiver as if they had malaria and your knees to shake as though they were dancing. Your heart strains too hard, while your sphincter relaxes too much. And so with the rest of your body. Every part of you, in the manner most suited to it, falls apart. Only your eyes work well. They always pay proper attention to fear.Quickly you make rash decisions. You dismiss your last allies: hope and trust. There, you've defeated yourself. Fear, which is but an impression, has triumphed over you. The matter is difficult to put into words. For fear, real fear, such as shakes you to your foundation, such as you feel when you are brought face to face with your mortal end, nestles in your memory like a gangrene: it seeks to rot everything, even the words with which to speak of it. So you must fight hard to express it. You must fight hard to shine the light of words upon it. Because if you don't, if your fear becomes a wordless darkness that you avoid, perhaps even manage to forget, you open yourself to further attacks of fear because you never truly fought the opponent who defeated you."

Book isn't about silly, meaningless adventure story but a mystery about man's relationship with life & faith. while the book does explains in some details about all major religious belief and how a sincer belief on something can make it happen but doesn’t offer answers or suggestions but many questions.

I like the fun tone of the book even while handling such heavy subject. Its not preachy but a fascinating tale which might or might not make you believe GOD but will make you wonder, questions your belief and awareness.

20 books in 2009

Iam getting into 20 books in 2009 challenge. The goal is to read 20 books in the 2009.
and I will update the progress here (@ my book review blog) with tag '20booksin2009'

Rules:

• must have a website/blog post to keep an online progress page.
  
• You must create a progress page, which will be updated each time you complete one of your 20 books. For more information about progress pages and an example of how you can do them, click here .
• If the book is a re-read, it must be from a year ago.
  
• If you begin the book in 2008 and finish it in 2009, it does count for this challenge.
  
• The following do not count: comics, catalogs, manga, journals.
  
• You must link back to this challenge with the button provided or one that you make for your own personal use, or even a text link.

Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer

Into the Wild is the depiction of Christopher McCandless, a young adventurer who wandered across the american continent by Jon Krakauer.

After college McCandless donates all his asset worth $25k to charity to walk away for solo adventure. Finally in 1992, McCandless's boby was found in the Alaskan wilderness.

Krakauer(author) manages to track so many friends/people all the over the country which gives good insight of McCandless's life.
Krakauer try to chart out inner motivation of McCandless since he(author) was an adventurer himself. This was a interesting book with route he took, the people he met, jobs he picked up on the pass by, interviews, research and quotes from other books also from McCandless’s family. All of it is depicted and described in a very impressive way.

I noticed various controversy news articles about McCandless decision to move away from his family and never bother to contact them. I always wonder an idea of vagabonding but such trip is very wild. I still wonder about his decision and motivation. It would have been great insight if only McCandless manage to come back wrote about his experience. This book is second best to that.

And ofcourse- Sean Penn's movie version is brilliant directorial work.

On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan

On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan, is story of one night in Florence's and Edward's life, Its about couple's experience of culture shift in 60s/70s. both being terrified yet thrilled about the wedding night and story is the journey of how both of them reaching brink of their adulthood and their private worried, shared joy.

Its sexual explicit yet it does touch deep into human emotions and illustrates the difficulties of communication & understanding of what goes in their inner secret world.


ONLY suitable for Adult. Good quick read & travel time killer.

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

The Secret History by Donna Tartt, was recommended by my good friend/ex-boss and almost immediately I find this book on sale at Bankside. Without second thought and haven’t read any reviews about this book before hand- I bought this book. I wasn’t disappointed.

Story based in small liberal art fictional college at velmort, where small group(Charles, Camilla, Henry, Bunny, Francis) of elite students who signed up ancient greek course. Julian Morrow, professor of course accepts only few students every year. Richard Papen who recently relocate from California from a life which he was desperate to live behind. He finds myself initially unable to signup for ancient greek classes and later not just manage to join but gradually get to know the other student in the group. He later finds out that Bunny was blackmailing fellow-mates about a crime their committed during an effect to recreate greek ancient bacchanal. when Bunny’s intention become questionable, Richard had to decide to side with other friend to kill Bunny to cover up. Aftermath of Bunny’s dead is the second half of the book, in which group collapses with psychological stress. Professor Julian finds truth eventually and decided to leave the college without making crimes public and letting the students to deal with their problem in isolation.

Its a philosophical fiction with ethical, moral dilemmas. Although with no big surprises, journey of the characters in situations and they aftermath scrambling- that I find very interesting.

It sure is very exciting page turner. I would highly recommend.

Happy Days by Laurent Graff

Happy Days by Laurent Graff, is often amusing but well-written funny novel with poignancy and also without getting heavy.

Set in contemporary France book narrated by the main character, Antoine- who believes he had lived life by his eighteenth birthday. But anyways he decided to give life more chance by getting a job, marriage and kids. He didn’t feel himself. So he decides to retire, a longtime dream. This choice ofcourse is not out-of-laziness but out-of-strong personal philosophy. His belief is nothing to do with life. So by the age of 35, he checks-into retirement home called Happy Days to await death. He bought his own grave and claims to be emotionally blank and wanted to be free from any ties. From him, settling at Happy Days is big experiment to understand individual’s life by stripping out of all diversions. But ofcourse he could do that completely. Despite the age difference, he find himself to be accepted by locals and settles into a routine uneventful and peaceful daily life. That’s until he develops a special bond with an old woman suffering from terminal cancer. He develop unique bond with her and goes on a very special journey. His understanding is proximity of death don’t bring elder near to the truth life is pretense right up to the end.

Author highlights various incidences which led him to retirement. A decade later he find myself in unchanged, a fitting end to the character that is unwilling to live his life.

Novel is more narrative journey. Graff manages to keep it light but without being very superficial. Author control his theme and episode of death stops- very well. Author making depressing argument that world is retirement home and all are biding the time before the trauma of death.

Its a pleasant read and Iam waiting to see Jonny Depp's version.

Freakonomics – Hidden side of Everything by Steven Levitt

Freakonomics – Hidden side of Everything by Steven Levitt, If I have to choose one word to describe this book its – Brilliant.

Author is an unusual economist, who looked up for stories which data can tell and highlight things which normally ignored. Most Economic books are based on a particular concept but this about microeconomics at its better and pulled out from people who have no idea about economic theories. Its an attempt to the explain a theory of ‘truth’ without any underlying self-interest intention.

Although in some cases, I find myself with lot of questions since I fail to accept that sufficient explanations were given to make necessary conclusions. Some answers were obvious and many were surprises. Ofcourse, we don’t need to accept the answer and analysis by Steven made in this book but it sure does highlight a new way of looking at things.

If you a person who like to argue, accepts the other-side-views, interested in analysis then you will truly enjoy reading this book. As one review mentioned this book is the Unconventional Wisdom.

If god was a banker by Ravi Subramanian

Bought this book in airport book shop for transit reading and 'Banker' in the title attracted me to this book. First impression- good read(not great). Its typical Indian movie story- story is about fresher men from B-school who rise corporate ladder in MNC bank, one the honest way(Swaminathan) and the other(Sundeep Srivastava) the dishonest way. ofcourse in the end, dishonest guy realize his mistakes. All right, book is fictional but still bad guy is very guy and good guy is too good. That to me, is suspense killer and book become very predictable.

Nevertheless book is decent, narrative is simple(especially if you have exposure to banking industry), easy to read and its good walk-thru of ugly side of power/money.

Will recommend for lite read over flight journey or if you like typical masala movie then you will like this as well. But if you are choosey then you can do away with this book and you wouldn’t be missing anything.

Vagabonding by Rolf Potts

Iam not a Vagabond. I am a common man with desire for certain level of material comforts. But I always wondered for long-term travel and excused myself due to lack of money and time. Reading Vagabonding: An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel, by Rolf Potts made me realize, may be I don't lack resources but desire to make such a journey. and may be my Indian DNA structure is constantly mapping my interest in the context of family, friends, material success and appreciate for all those while billion others lack those at our doorsteps.

In any/all culture, Travel is often romanticized and associate with lifestyle, luxury. Vagabonding by Rolf Potts explains the philosophy of long term travel which discourage material choices and motivates an idea that life experience not accumulating 'things' is the truest form of wealth and Travel is greatest resource for acquiring such rich life experience. And such experience doesn't cost as such as people think it would.

Beside being inspirational this book offer some basic attitude tuning before making any travel plans like willingness to try, learn & adapt, being open,etc.. This book is not Where to go, What to eat,..Lonely Planet kind of travel guide. Its timeless book which offers some simple & practical answers for issues of travel planning.

I find a fitting review for this book--

"Anyone who has ever thought about traveling, this book will make you go! Anyone who has ever been traveling, this book will make you want to go again and anyone who is traveling whilst reading this, this book will make you that bit more adventurous when ordering food in a cafe where a squat toilet is another eating area! It's definitely a case of, if he can do it then so can I! Of course if your not a traveling type then the book will mean as much to you as a tin of baked beans to a kipper, but for those who yearn for life as one of the wandering nomads of this world, this book will seem like the travel bible in as much as it suggests a life less ordinary. This book is about working to live and not living to work."

The Romantics by Pankaj Mishra

The Romantics by Pankaj Mishra, is story about desire of first intimate but short-lived affair of Samar, young Indian student. Books narrators is journey of love & loss as he recalls his days at Benares/Varanasi as student preparing for his civil service career and Samar is introduced to expatriate circle by Ms.West, a Englishwomen who is tenant of same landlord.

Samar goes thru mysterious conflict between his Eastern upbringing, specially ideology about relationship, marriage-- where love follows arrange marriage And his fascination with west, where love is illicit excitingly experienced. Mid Novel soul search leads him to his homeland in Benares and is troubled by the scenes from difficult but still calming memory with good narrations. Author narrator the first experiences of love, infatuations with Western culture with exotic backdrops of "holyland" of India. Book completely and complexly renders love with its pain.

Book's doesn't have any particular point. Its starts and ends with characters flowing in & out. But its a good narration of East meeting West & temptations which comes with that encounter of cultures and for that very reason its an interesting read.

Book(Tag)ed..

I was Book(Tag)ed.. to reveal my book interests

Swami and Friends by R.K.Narayan

Swami and Friends by R.K.Narayan, is about story of idyllic childhood of Swaminathan(/Swami), when life for some lucky kids consists entirely of avoiding the homework and playing all the time in the street with friends. Swami is living in Narayan's beloved fictional town of Malgudi with his grandma with who he share very close relationship and often she help him from his oppressor's (his father & teacher)). Other characters are his closest friends, Mani and Rajam.

Swami & Mani just managing to crawl past exams to keep them in the class. Rajam is new student to Swami's class. Ofcourse with any new addition comes some scuffles but later Swami, Mani and Rajam became best of friends. Swami manages get thrown out school as he accidentally gets caught in Anti-British struggle. and even this changing school often, Swami manage to keep his friendship with Mani and Rajam. But his run away from the second continue. and final he finds no reason to stay home as well. years later Swami returns home only to find his childhood’s great calamities, in wait for him. book ends with bitter-sweet note.

Very nostalgic journey of school life with emotional high's & low's with friendship's, and little care but impacted by Nationalist movement of that times.

I cannot imagine anyone not liking this Book. Simple & Brilliant writing. Must Read and very good summer gift for kids.

The Argumentative Indian by Amartya Sen

The Argumentative Indian by Amartya Sen, highlights India as more than just the home for effete mysticism that it has been portrayed to be in some western societies.

Books is collection of 4 essays which talks about culture, relationship with China, politics, protest, religion, ethnicity and much more. also an very important and interesting argument Sen makes about how inequities inherent in the discrimination against women, low castes and the poor endemic in Indian society deeply interrelated not only with each other but also with factors such as religion & ethnicity. He explains that it is not possible to challenge one of these factors without affecting or monitoring simultaneously by changing other.

Sen highlight who Greatest Hindu King Ashoka's was establishing human rights much before Jesus, when european catholics were killing each other, persecuting jews while Akhar was claimed Delhi without interferred on religion basis, when Aristotle still explaining about freedom but by excluding women and slave and such exclusion while no such exclusion where made in Indian monarch. Indian secularism unlike in the west, has never intended to separation of religion from state or the prohibition any religious activities. But by encouraging profusion religious tolerance without anyone being favoured or privileged or favoured by the state.

Its very interesting argument not just against Western stereotyping but also against Hindu hardliners who pushing for platform to ought India to be Hindu state. According to the author, the soHindutva movement has entered into a confrontation with the idea of India itself. With these essay collections, Sen demolishes premises of Hindutva along with Western religious reductionism.

If I have say one(of many) good take away from this book-- is that you can be cosmopolitan & you can be an Indian and that's no contradiction. I hope as many Indian will read this book not just to be very nationalist but for more rational analysis and pick-up sen's argument to (our own)world's stage.

Chasing the Good Life : On Being Single

while bloging for Boos or Woos of Singlehood I landed on this book, Chasing the Good Life : On Being Single

Being single: for some, it means complete bliss; for others, it is a malaise that must be cured. Irrespective of one's point of view, in a society where the unattached person is viewed as an oddity, singledom comes with challenges: dealing with uncomfortable questions from well-meaning relatives and friends; the hushed whispers; the envy; and, of course, the unwanted attention from those who think singles are people of dubious morals.

Chasing the Good Life: On Being Single has a diverse crop of individuals bringing you their stories—the nonagenarian Khushwant Singh revels in gastric freedom; ‘single girl' Radhika Jha struggles to find accommodation in Delhi (she has since given up and married); Sheela Reddy lives the life of a ‘married single'; Suhel Seth perfects (or doesn't) the art of seduction; and Jerry Pinto finds unique ways to combat annoying people who ask him why he isn't married.

Through many such tales of bliss, exasperation, freedom, loneliness, self-discovery, hilarity and heartbreak (the editor, Bhaichand Patel, has found to his dismay that there is more to chasing the good life than lust and debauchery) this anthology captures the spirit of a person alone.

The Lucifer Effect : Understanding How Good people turn Evil

The Lucifer Effect : Understanding How Good people turn Evil by Philip Zimbardo, is Book which re-examine human capabilities when caught up in the crucible of behavioral dynamics. Also, how we can exercises our capabilities in resisting evil actions and teach ourselves to be more heroically. Philip Zimbardo is Stanford University Professor explains Stanford Prison Experiment, a now-classic study which he conducted in 1971. with this he explain why human do things they do, what makes s/he to do so.

“The Lucifer Effect” represents this most extreme transformation imaginable from God’s favorite Angel into the Devil. My work has focused on lesser transformations of human character not as dramatic as this one, in which ordinary, even good people begin to engage in bad deeds, for a short time or longer, that qualify as “evil.”

Book has answers for -- why Virgin Tech incident, British Sail capturing, Abu Ghraib, etc.. happened and How we can avoid such incidents in future.

and with this I hope someone from Bush Administration is reading this book to understand the meaning of word "evil".

If you are interested in human psychology then this book is very good read.

FYI - If Interested... with similar subject, BBC documentary explore human behaviour which created 'Century of Self' and Discovering Psychology: The Power Of The Situation with Philip Zimbardo

The Paradox of Choice : Why More is Less by Barry Schwartz

The Paradox of Choice : Why More is Less by Barry Schwartz, explains Choice are not always freedom. Self-determination that we enjoy at some points might turn to psychologically and emotionally dangerous.

In everyday life you have to face many decision making points be it shopping, education, work, health care,.. and day by day these decisions are increasingly becoming very complex due to too many abundance of choices we have today. General assumption is more choices means freedom, better decision and greater satisfaction. But due to excessive choices, we often end-up questioning our decisions after we make them and often, we set unrealistic(high) expectations. Result: we have no one to blame except us for our failures or inabilities that leads to decision-making paralysis, anxiety and perpetual stress. Growing up we are taught no excuse for failure and not to fall short of perfection since options are endless.

Author explains profound challenges of today's daily life balancing with family, career and our needs and how paradoxically its become problem instead of solutions. Schwartz highlight our obsession with choice encourage us to seeks options and still how end-up feeling worse. By synthesizing scientific studies and social research, author makes the interesting case -- Eliminating choice might result in stress, anxiety reduction. Author also explains some practical approach to limit choices in managing various aspects and have discipline to focus only on important decision by ignoring others and one which derive greater satisfaction.

Very interesting monolog and read. If this subject is too dry or uninteresting for you then you can also take look at brief(15mins) google video presentation by the author, explaining how & why abundance of choice in modern society is actually making us miserable.

An equal music by Vikram Seth

An equal music by Vikram Seth, is very unusual novel. Story set in London, Venice and Vienna, is about Michael Holme violinist with Maggiore Quartet finding his ('so-called')love, Julia McNicholl who he had lost almost 10year ago.

Book is emotional roller coaster journey of Michael's object of obsession hidden deep in Michael's heart, which appeared to have departed straight from his mouth bypassing his brain.

Michael and Julia falls in love and play together but when Micheal has a nervois breakdown because of stern and very demanding violin teacher he leaves Vienna(and Julia) with warning. After some months & year, he tries to reach Julia and no luck. Ten years still in love with her, he meets her in London when she was attending his concert with his quartet. Still a pianist but Julia is now married to American banker with a child. Also due to her auto-immune disease, she is gradually becoming deaf.

Will past hunting, both begin to meet again, under the dark shadow of her marriag and her tragic hearing losses. Julia agrees for tour of Vienna and Venice with Michael and Maggiore Quartet, during such brief, magical time everything seems to be possible.

The idea that Violin is Michael's true passion over his obsession with Julia, is very interesting plot. thought at the end, he end-up satisfying neither.

Onething stands out in this novel, is that Art/Music/Poetry is as great as deep as truth, as important as love, and can be as redeeming.

This is story with flawed romance but very decent light read to fill your time. Personally I enjoyed and admired the narrative power of Seth's words.

A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier

Normally, I don't buy books without reading reviews & plot/summary before. I have no addiction for new #1 or best sellers books. since I only read few, I prefer to wait for critics review so that I can choice for my interest. But this book I found while walking thru a book store. Just after flipping thru some pages for 5-10mins, I decided to buy. [/that's my way of saying 'Great Book and Must Read'].

Ishmael Beah one of many African children, who were forced into local conflicts as boy Soldier. He is now 26yr old living US.

A Long Way Gone, is his riveting true life story. In this book about 12yr old wandered a land rendered unrecognizable by violence and fled attacking rebels by thirteen picking sides with government army. Beah, simple small village boy, found that he was capable of evil acts. Most of African wars are fought by children hopped-up on drugs and wielding AK-47s. Children are becoming soldiers of choice.

This books explains -- How African Civil wars fought today? How Children are effect? What is like for child soldiers? How simple boy transform into a killer? How to recover humanity? Life story of boy soldiers cannot be described by NGOs, journalists, working on ground. Until now very few had manage share light like Beah, someone who came through this hell and survived. This one of those few Memoirs told with honesty and real literary abilities.

This book is yet another re-assurance that:
a) Yes, Hope & Faith do have voice
b) Most of us has nothing to complain about and we are among few of most blessed people in this world.

also, Interesting to read :
NewYork Times: The Making, and Unmaking, of a Child Soldier by By ISHMAEL BEAH