A very insightful book that I would encourage everyone to read whether you are currently feeling happy or not. I enjoyed reading Bertrand Russell’s take on happiness more especially because it was written in the 1930s and allowed me to draw parallels between then and now. I would say not very much has changed, however it is very clear that women had a certain ‘place’ in society at the time e.g. if they got married they were expected to leave work and bear children. Bertrand is rather forward thinking for the time as he expresses the view that he doesn’t think that is at all necessary. He states that a child of nine months can very easily be passed on to someone that specializes in child care allowing the mother to pursue her career and other hobbies. I will probably write a few blogs this year related to this book but in advance of that below are a few of my favorite Bertrand thoughts, I paraphrase in most cases:
If something comes so easily the pleasure, I find, is less intense and fleets by quite rapidly. “To be without some of the things you want is an indispensable part of happiness.” It gives you something to work towards, it gives you a reason to wake up in the morning. Please note that the kindle versions below are a "modern-day interpretation". The actual book is not currently available on the kindle store.
That said, this statement can be applied quite effectively to less developed countries where credit does remain scarce and hard to come by.
The only annoying thing about this book is that it is only available as a paper copy and as all my friends will know, I read all my books on my phone nowadays. It’s much more convenient because it’s portable, it’s quick and easy to find definitions or to highlight interesting words and phrases. In summary: buy.
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I wanted to read this book because some have proclaimed this man to be a successor to Roald Dahl. I have read (and loved) every single Dahl children’s novel (except one) and whilst I found Walliams' novel amusing he’s definitely not Roald Dahl. The story line and the illustrations have a similar feel but where it all falls short is that Roald Dahl makes kids feel like adults with mature prose whereas this definitely reads like a children’s book. In addition, I found some of the plot to be too unrealistic in an unexciting way. For instance, no kid is going to believe that a mobility scooter went onto the motorway, or that they pulled off their attempt at stealing the crown jewels all in one night or even that they got into Tower Bridge with almost no obstacle, everything was all plain sailing. I won’t be too harsh. It’s easy reading, has a feel good factor and a few important life lessons such as the importance of treating older people with appreciation and respect. I would happily recommend this for those under eight years old.
One thing’s for sure. When I eventually meet Richard Branson, he’s going to be completely different to the person I have built him up to be in my mind. Having now read both Business Stripped Bare and Losing My Virginity I can see myself approaching him like an effusive little groupie who feels she knows her Idol as well as she does an old friend but to the Idol the admirer is just another admirer. Anyway, what was Losing My Virginity like? The first half of the book was, to me, much more enjoyable than the second half because it’s very candid and personal. He talks a lot about himself and his lifestyle very openly: the girls, the fun, the drugs, the struggles, the mistakes. He also gives a lot of insight into his upbringing and this gives one a much better idea of why he grew up to be the person he is. Not just success-wise but with regards to his values and views on life. In fact, it reads a little like a novel, which is a good thing. The second half of the book is largely covered in Business Stripped Bare, it is much more business-like and it’s less about his life and more about his ideas and his businesses. Lots of people have this impression that Richard Branson has been rolling in cash for the last thirty plus years. This is not the impression I get from reading this book. Any excess cash in the early days was invested in new ventures such that the Branson Businesses were always operating on a tight rope. Bankers immediately wanted their money back whenever there was so much as the rumor of trouble. Myopic bankers refused to fund Branson beyond rigid limits because they really couldn’t see where his vision was going to take the enterprises. Competing companies (notably British Airways) used every dirty trick in the book to derail any progress. Some highlights from the book: “My parents always treated my two sisters, Lindi and Vanessa, and me as equals whose opinions were just as valid as theirs.” Ditto. It’s a little strange for a Malawian child to say this but I can definitely relate to this. My parents have been treating me like an adult with valid opinions from day zero and I think that has completely influenced the way I manage to interact with people who are much older and have achieved much more than I have. “My parents always encouraged us to have our own opinions and rarely gave us advice unless we asked for it.” I like this. Personally, my parents always gave advice but they always followed that up with the statement, I can give you advice but you don’t have to take it. I frequently chose not to take it because you know what? I thought I knew better! “When I get an idea it has to come out, it is like being sick, a bodily action.” I’ve never heard it put like that before but I like! RB is very fortunate to have been in the position whereby he could actually action his ideas. It takes a lot of guts and nerve of course but this line got me thinking, how many poor villagers in Africa and elsewhere have a burning desire to action a plan but completely no resources to do it? “My parents had always drilled into me that the best motto to follow is ’Nothing ventured, nothing gained’.” That’s a great motto to be brought up on, don’t you think? This might be the reason why the guy always gives it a stab, whatever ‘it’ is at that point in time. Many of us would be so overcome with all the things that could wrong that the idea would remain just that, an idea. I love the passion that Richard Branson has for Africa. However, his focus has so far been on South Africa which is rich compared to many other African countries. I wonder what he would think if he came to a place like Malawi. We look upon our wealthy South African cousins with awe and doubt as to whether we will ever reach a similar state of development. As poor as they might be, we are much much poorer and I think we would benefit from some input from Mr Branson. I don’t blame him for not having come through though, the business environment is not good at all and the Government needs to work hard to change that. If you can’t even buy a tank of fuel to drive around town where does a foreign investor start? Cons? There is a little too much detail in some areas; for instance, the many hot air balloon trips. At first, I thought there was also too much stuff on outer space. Who cares? I thought but when I started getting into it I thought there was some very valid information e.g. the potential to live in outer space if earth was for any reason uninhabitable or even the potential to use resources from outer space as energy sources that will take away our dependence on crude oil. One question remains in my mind: does Richard Branson really relate as well to celebrities as he does to the common man? I got the impression that he does or at least he used to (he’s a lot less exposed to commoners now) and I would really like to know more about this. There are many other things to be gained from reading Losing My Virginity. Get a copy.
I think this is one of the best poems ever written on what breeds happiness in life. Here's Martial: Of what does the happy life consist, My dear friend Julius? Here's a list: Inherited wealth no need to earn, Fires that continually burn, And fields that give a fair return, No lawsuits, formal togas worn Seldom, a calm mind, the freeborn Gentleman's health and good physique, Tact with the readiness to speak Openly, friends of your own mind, Guests of an easy-going kind, Plain food, a table simply set, Nights sober but wine-freed from fret, A wife who's true to you and yet No prude in bed, and sleep so sound It makes the day come quickly round. Be pleased with what you are, keep hope Within that self-appointed scope: Neither uneasily apprehend Nor morbidly desire the end.
An enjoyable read. The book may be a little slow for some. It's about a middle aged man who discovers that he wants more out of life than just money and beating the stock market. He wants to develop a relationship with his son who he's never got to know since his divorce when the child was about four years old. He wants to interact with people. It takes a near heart attack to make him realize these things. He goes on to form new friendships with interesting characters: an Indian donut shop owner, an actor, an author, a woman that he meets in the grocery store. In the same vein, he becomes more altruistic. Sometimes it is good to read a book that reminds us that life is basically about other people and how we interact with them, it's not just about one's own world! Overall, I think the book was not appropriately titled, because the book won't save your life but it is still worth a read. If you just want to relax and see life from another person's perspective, try this.
Exactly why have I not read a James Patterson novel until now? This book was hands down one of the most action packed thrillers I have ever read. By the time I finished it I felt like I had just been on a roller coaster ride, my heart was racing. I also got through the pages very fast, mostly because it was just a story, nothing particularly taxing. A few Amazon reviews argue the book was too far fetched to be realistic but I disagree, the truth is often stranger than fiction. I guess if you have led a very ordinary life it is hard to believe the sort of strange things that can happen in the life of another. Some reviews argue that his earlier books are a lot better so I am going to try another one and see what I think. James Patterson is a very good storyteller, you should try him.
OKay, so I watched this when it debuted at the cinema last year but I watched again on TV a few days ago and I was completely dying with laughter. A lot of British films I watch are either too silly to be funny or they are unsuccessfully trying to be American and it's just painful to watch. This didn't fall into any of those categories, it was pure authentic British humour. In fact, it's probably so British that some won't fully appreciate the humour. I say watch this and decide what you think for yourself. This film achieved what very few manage - it made me switch my laptop off and concentrate on listening rather than watching and surfing at the same time. Favourite quote: "rubber dinghy rapids" (said with a Yorkshire accent) - classic.
Definitely worth a read, I felt very hyped as I was reading this book. I much prefer to a read a book written by someone with tonnes of experience rather than reading a multitude of theoretical mumbo jumbo. Richard Branson also has the benefit of multi-sector experience. Personally, the fondness with which he speaks of Africa is endearing, however, some of the awful scenes he described were experienced in a rich African country. I wonder what he would make of the really poor countries like my own dear Malawi. It would be totally radical if he visited. I was encouraged that he didn’t portray his business experiences as plain sailing and explicitly talked about the hard times. Personally, I am not all that interested in space travel so I skimmed over those pages rather rapidly and although I am pro-environment, that section got a little technical and I skipped a little. Here are some of my favourite quotes. I won’t write every single one because that would pretty much have me typing the whole morning and that’s just not practical: “Never mind Dragons’ Den: if you want to meet entrepreneurs, come to Africa.” True dat! “business has to give people, rewarding lives, or it’s simply not worth doing” “I’ve sat drinking with people who have abused their gifts – and others who have made absolutely the most of some pretty dubious talent.” “I’d advise every owner of a company to keep a notebook and jot down the things that need doing.” I do this for every interesting thought that I have, if I don’t have notebook to hand I email myself a one liner and put the thought into my notebook later! “Success one day does not give you a free lunch every day thereafter.” “You can spot negative people and stultifying institutions a mile off. Have the courage of your convictions, and ignore them.” “If I was a happening band on the cusp of success today, I wouldn’t go through a conventional record company. I’d...release it myself.” I would say the same of books. Publishers and record companies eat most of your profit AND you lose control over the final product – they probably mean well but there’s a lot to be said for autonomy in artistic output. “One business mantra remains embedded in my brain – protect the downside.” So many ignore this one rule. When the London riots happened a couple of weeks ago in August 2011, so many shopkeepers were revealed to be uninsured. Insurance isn’t all that expensive. This also applies to hedging liabilities with simple derivatives like interest rate caps and swaps. People often forget that choosing not to hedge is a hedging decision in itself. Think about it. “You’ll need stamina and patience to deliver well – especially when everybody is out to kill you.” There was plenty of good stuff about keeping on the right side of the law which is something my dad always tells me. I also laughed at the business idea that Virgin received of three-legged women’s tights, one that you tuck away and use when you get a ladder. Virgin turned that idea away but you know what – I would buy those!! His definition of success is the best I have seen yet and it will totally help me to explain a little venture I am working on. He said for him money and celebrity are a poor guide to success. "Success for me is whether you have created something you can be proud of" he surmised - this is the perfect definition, some friends have questioned the point of the project I am working on because they can't see how I will make money from it and I haven't been able to answer their queries to my satisfaction. I say it's not about the money, because it isn't, however, I would be happy if I did make some money doing it because that would be one gauge of success. That said, ultimately it is something I will be proud to have done and that's what matters. Importantly, I cannot expect someone else to visualize my visions. It's best to just execute. Finally, he reminded me that “in business, as in life, you can’t afford to be afraid of doing the wrong thing.” If you’ve got an idea, go for it.
I bought this book thinking it was going to be deep, perhaps prompting me to think about God on a deeper level. However, it didn't take long to discover the book was so called because the protagonist had a rabbit called God...after this realization why did I go on? Well, I had ditched my previous book so I wanted to give this one a fair chance so I ploughed on expecting the book to get better. It was a bad decision. I don't feel like I learnt anything by the end of the book. It tries to deal with too many topics such that in the end you really haven't got a clue what the book is actually about: the molested child or her best friend who we find out later was also molested? The lesbian aunt or the gay brother or even the 9/11 attack of the twin towers that caused the protagonist's brother's to become amnesic? Or was it about the errant old man that she stumbles upon in the forest and ends up living with her family for the next two decades?! You get the drift - the book was about everything and in the end, I would say about nothing in particular. I didn't enjoy it bar the last 30 or so pages (which had a general feel good factor), so I wouldn't recommend it.
I started reading this book a week ago and have utterly failed to get into it. Despite rave reviews I didn't like the style of writing and sometimes I thought the protagonist's statements were not in keeping with the persona she was meant to have. Additionally, the book wasn't getting to the point. There wasn't enough action to propel my reading forward. Perhaps I am not in the right state of mind for this book right now and will pick it up again at a later juncture but for now, we must part ways. By the way, just in case you were wondering, Lionel is a gal not a guy.
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By Heather Katsonga-WoodwardTime allowing, I love to read. If I read anything interesting, I will blog about it here. Categories
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November 2015
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