Hiya SCG,

I suspect that this year went by somehow fast, don’t you think? 10th wrap up of books, which I have read last month is due. I have taken off with; asking myself “why” with Simon Sinek & then I had a privilege to spent overwhelming time by science fiction piece(s) by Robert Heinlein about Man from Mars and 2 books by Seth Godin, who preaches according to some “wise” people in our planet: science-fiction things,too. 😉 So, let’s hop on a space-ship into “October’s reading universe” of I.S.

#1

I have been mentioning Simon Sinek on #IS couple of times before as he “got me” with his sincere and insightful talk on TEDx. So, I have “grabbed” Kindle version of his book Start With Why , too. Oh my, what a nicer world we would live in, if we all would start asking why more often…in our businesses, schools, governments, homes, relationships…“Why Do I Do What I do? Why Do I Run This Business? Why Do I Serve This Country?” and from that What and How will unfold. Easy-to read book, even though I had a feeling, that it was too long for sending across this simple yet powerful message of why-> how -> what.

#2

Concern about length of a book was certainly not in case of The Dip written by Super Cool Gang-er – Seth Godin. This short and sweet book will teach you (if you are willing to trust Seth’s wisdom) when to quit and when to stick. What is the Dip? “The Dip is the long slog between starting and mastery.” and as Seth said: “Use the Dip as an opportunity to create something so extraordinary, that people can’t help but talk about it, recommend it, and yes, choose it.” If you are already on a path of creating something remarkable or you are about to take your 1st steps, keep this tiny book in the back pocket of your jeans as a “first aid check list”, when you feel like to give up on your quest, it might be a good idea to assess it mindfully. Seth knows how!

#3

Mantra of Purple Cow by Seth Godin is: “be so remarkable that ideas about YOU will spread, safe is boring, no one has time to listen to boring you.” Seth, brilliantly defined “TV industrial complex” how we live(d) in age of interruption marketing ruled by TV ads and “winning” companies, which were solvent enough to buy TV commercials. But this times are over! People ignore all the noise, they pay no attention to ordinary “brown cows”, but they will for sure turn their necks and take pictures of a “purple cows” along the road. Getting the point? To make it easier for you, I encourage you to watch Seth’s TED talk about Purple Cows.

Bottom line is, if you want to be worth remarking about, you gotta read this book and re-read it and then read it again and then ask yourself “why are you going to do what you have decided to do?”, then have the guts to slog through the Dip and then you will become a Purple Cow! 😉 Sounds like a plan?

#4

Robert A. Heinlein gave our world incredible gift by writing this jewel of science-fiction Stranger In a Strange Land. I have incredibly enjoyed the depth of dialogues and messages about humankind hidden in between the lines. 650 plus pages of intellectual orchestra is still resonating with me. This is simply a must read! Another thing, which amplify beauty of this book is an amount of sticky notes, which I have used on marking down quotes. Thank you Mr. Heinlein that you did not quit, when you went through the Dip -> during 11 years long writing journey of this book, when all publishers had feared your manuscript as it was way too far from the beaten path and when you have been asked to cut 70, ooo words from it…Thank you for knowing your why & for inspiring us through creating this “Purple Cow” in the history of science-fiction. Thank you for Man from the Mars!

Quotes of the month column goes to Robert Heinlein’s

Stranger In a Strange Land

The greatest danger to man in space was man himself.

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Calling a tail leg, doesn’t make it one.

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Government is a living organism, like every living thing it’s prime characteristic is a blind unreasoned instinct to survive.

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The drive for power is even less logical than the sex urge and stronger.

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There comes a time in the life of every human when he or she must decide to risk his life, his fortune and his sacred honor on an outcome dubious.

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I am always suspicious of a disinterested interest.

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Humanity does not want to be served, it resents any attempt to serve it.

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Each religion claims to be truth, claims to speak rightly. Yet their answers to the same question are different…

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It appeared that Mike’s (Man from Mars) difficulty in understanding the nature of truth was that he did not know what a lie was – the definitions of “lie” and “falsehood” had been filed in his mind with no trace of grokking (understanding).

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Shape is not man.

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There was one field in which man was unsurpassed: He showed unlimited ingenuity in devising bigger and more efficient ways to kill off, enslave, harass and in all ways make an unbearable nuance of himself to himself. Man was his own grimmest joke on himself. Man is the animal, who laughs. (words of Jubal)

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When you are most in loss is the time when you must appear confident.

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Human’s mind ability to rationalize its own shortcomings into virtues is unlimited.

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Correct timing was accomplished by waiting, he (Man from Mars) learned to wait faster to cover their (humans) lack.