[Review of Books] Read by #IS in April 2011

Hello SCG,

welcome to 6th month of 2011 (already?!). Let’s kick it with book reviews, which might inspire you to pick some of those titles for your long summer days, too. As (our) beloved Seth Godin said in his yesterday’s blog post -> ” I wonder why we believe we can skip reading and still be so dang smart.” Guys, I so encourage you to “read your eyes off”, because skipping this “hard part” will not get you anywhere near being indispensable, smart, well – read linchpin. I mean it! So, here is portion of my April’s reading list. Enjoy!

#1

Self Reliance by Ralph Waldo Emerson

I have been bumping into genius quotes by R. W. Emerson for quite some time (on Twitter, Facebook and books of other people) -> so at last I have downloaded (into my Kindle) his most talked about essay -> Self Reliance for less than 1 USD! -> What an investment that was! I have read it twice since April and 3rd time with Self-Reliance was few days back with its Project Domino edition. Shall you read it? Hell, yes! It is a classics, must read!

#2

America by Franz Kafka

America was my first book read by Franz Kafka and I must say, that I was pleasantly surprised by it. Narrative and language of the author kept me awake for few nights describing adventurous journey of a hero. Starting at a boat cruising to New York from Europe -> then meeting his wealthy uncle -> then… Aw, I guess I shall stop now -> It is your turn to discover what has happened to a teenage boy in the land of the dreams.

#3

Do the Work by Steven Pressfield

Do the Work by Steven was 2nd book published by the Project Domino. I so loved this book, that as my gratitude for Steve’s gift -> I spent handful number of days painting slide-deck summarizing main take away from it. Do the Work is must-read book for everyone who create, compose, build, project and ship her art. Read it, now!

#4

The Museum of Innocence by Orhan Pamuk

I have discovered Orhan Pamuk, thanks to my high school classmate & vivid reader with brilliant taste for art, music & literature Helena -> when she has posted on Facebook, that she loved The Black Book by this Turkish author & winner of Noble Prize for Literature – I ran into a bookshop & searched for “him.” The only title I have found by him was The Museum of Innocence. I have been a bit “worried about thickness of the book” (700 plus pages), but once I have started to read it, all my worries diminished. It is a master piece! I am still blown away by it & I wonder how could Orhan put it all together in such touching human way…Bravo! You might want to check out also Charlie Rose’s video interview with Orhan Pamuk about The Museum Innocence.

Quotes Of the Month Column goes to Emerson’s Self-Reliance

Man should learn to detect and watch the gleam of light which flashes across his mind from within, more than the lustre of the firmament of bards and sages.

In every work of genius we recognize our own rejected thoughts, they come back to us within a certain alienated majesty.

There is a time in every man’s education when he arrives at the conviction that envy is ignorance, that imitation is suicide, that he must take himself for better for worse as his portion.

Trust thyself; every heart vibrates to that iron string.

Society is a joint-stock company, in which the members agree, for the better securing of his bread to each shareholder, to surrender the liberty and culture of the eater.

Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind.

Good or bad are but names very readily transferable to that or this. the only thing is what is after my constitution; the only wrong what is against it.

It is easy in the world to live after the world’s opinion; it is easy in the solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude.

A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.

To be great is to be misunderstood.

The voyage of the best ship is a zigzag line from sufficient distance, and it straightens itself to the average tendency.

Your genuine action will explain itself and will explain your other genuine actions. Your conformity explains nothing.

Greatness appeals to the future.

When we have new perception we should gladly disburden the memory of its hoarded treasures as old rubbish.

I cannot break myself any longer for you, or you. If you can love me for what I am, we shall be the happier. If you cannot, I will still seek to deserve that you should.

If you are true, but not in the same truth with me, cleave to your companions; I will seek my own. I do this not selfishly but humbly and truly.

Our housekeeping is mendicant, our arts, our occupations, our marriages, our religion we have not chosen, but society has chosen for us.

Prayer that craves a particular commodity, any thing less than all good, is vicious.

As soon as the man is at one with God, he will not beg. He will then see prayer in all action.

Another sort of false prayers are our regrets.

The secret of fortune is joy in our hands.

Traveling is a fool’s paradise. Our first journey discover to us the indifference of places.

***

SCG,

I could go on and on with Emerson’s quotes, so you better read it yourself! And to correspond with the last statement about traveling -> I am greeting you from Dubai, which makes no difference to me -> I will ship, learn and cherish every second of my journey no matter of place.

Be well!