Book summaries (excerpts)
Instead of summarizing the books in my own words, I gathered the top excerpts. I want the spirit of the books to remain intact and I want you to be able to interpret the crumbs of wisdom on your own.
Date is the date on which I read the book.
Factfulness: Ten Reasons We’re Wrong About The World – And Why Things Are Better Than You Think
Author: Hans Roslin, Ola Rosling, Ana Rossling Ronnlund ISBN: 978-1473637474 A must read book, which demonstrates that things aren't as bad as media is portraying and we consequently believe them to be! The book puts all the bad news in perspective- and comes up with surprisingly positive data that show the state of the world has in fact improved over the last 50-200 years. The things are going [...]
The Way of the Psychonaut Volume Two: Encyclopedia for Inner Journeys
Author: Stanislav Grof and Rick Doblin ASIN: B07W62JR6D Volume II of the Encyclopedia. EXCERPTS The results were very disappointing. Condrau actually described occasional deepening rather than alleviation of symptoms. This is understandable since LSD, properly used, heals homeopathically—by temporary intensification of symptoms. When LSD was administered in small dosages as an adjunct to psychotherapy in a series of sessions, it did not noticeably enhance the therapeutic process. Instead, [...]
The Way of the Psychonaut Volume One: Encyclopedia for Inner Journeys
Author: Stanislav Grof and Richard Tarnas ASIN: B07TBPZFT1 Exploring a (deep) psyche is a daring adventure. This book is a collection of dr. Grof's findings and hypotheses based on numerous psychedelic trips. It is a very interesting read and it might help you integrate your recent journey. Like with other books on sub-/un-conscious psychology and spirituality, we do not have a way to test the claims/ hypotheses. So, [...]
The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less
Author: Barry Schwartz ISBN: 978-0062449924 The dark side of being able to choose (too much). EXCERPTS The fact that some choice is good doesn’t necessarily mean that more choice is better. As a culture, we are enamored of freedom, self-determination, and variety, and we are reluctant to give up any of our options. But clinging tenaciously to all the choices available to us contributes to bad decisions, [...]
Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr.
Author: Ron Chernow ISBN: 978-0679757030 John D. Rockefeller was the richest person in the modern history. Interested in his personality, his drives and motives? Read on. EXCERPTS I've listened to the Audible narration. I haven't really had a need to make any excerpts. The book is lengthy so only read if you're really interested in Mr. Rockefeller. What I've found most interesting were the following facts: the social [...]
So Good They Can’t Ignore You
Author: Cal Newport ISBN: 978-0349415864 Some great advice on how to seek satisfaction on your career path. EXCERPTS [Disclaimer: This title on Derek Sivers' blog grabbed my attention so I checked it out. I've read his excerpts and did a selection of my own, so here they are.] "Follow your passion" might just be terrible advice. Move your focus away from finding the right work, toward working right, [...]
