Could synergy be the new screenplay for the new generation to encourage to serve and help others, and prevent protection of self-interests, selfishness and juxtaposition thinking?

Couldn’t there be a new script that also increases openness, trust, will to give, and guides to love others and care about them, but at the same time reduces possessiveness and judgment of others?”

This is a translated [by me, so sorry about the possible flaws in the language] excerpt from the Finnish translation of the book “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen R. Covey. I very much recommend this book to everyone. More about the book at Goodreads.

Somehow recently I’ve seen many people reading and reviewing this book in the media [although this is already as old as from the year 2000 – a little push to some certain people thinking that knowledge is nowadays something somehow bound in time]. So, I had to find out what’s all the fuzz about it. This is the first of Malcolm Gladwell’s books I’ve read, and as always when listing a new book here, I have to recommend it to everyone, and most likely try to get my hands on the rest of them too.

What’s it about

Like the title says, Mr. Gladwell explains in this book what it takes to some situations, trends and other things to explode and change, sometimes very rapidly, to something else. He calls this as ‘the tipping point’. Often very unexpected reasons can drive things to popularity and fame.

First impressions

Very interesting, demystifying and a mind opener. Hard facts, solid text, written in a way that is fast to read and page after page makes you want to read some more [like in every good book, the end comes too fast of course]. The examples used in this book vary from how crime dropped in the New York City so rapidly to why TV’s Sesame Street is so powerful program in teaching kids.

Possible inspirations

• When you see in the future some new phenomenon exploding, you won’t be rolling your eyes and say ‘This new such and such trend; I cannot understand what people see in it! Why is it happening!?”. Or ‘How come these new sneakers I’ve never heard of are all of a sudden so popular?’. Instead you may get interested about the real reasons behind everything, and start asking why this happened.
• To those working in the advertisement/marketing segment of life; read this and get it in your head: trends don’t just come off from nowhere, but are often a combination of careful planning and right people being in the right place.

Some things from the book

• The examples are great and interesting; especially the vigilante story of New York. Reminds you somehow of Michael Douglas going over the edge in ‘Falling Down‘.
  
• Interesting theories drived from for example how an epidemic works.
  

For who?

To people interested about why collective things happen and may already have some clue of that like they said in Lost: ‘Everything happens for a reason’. And once again: a good remainder and must-read to you ad and marketing people out there. Ponder these things next time when you are trying to build your client’s product to be the ‘next big thing’.

Other reading from the author:

www.gladwell.com

Links to the book:

About ‘The Tipping Point’ at gladwell dot com
The Tipping point at Amazon

What’s it about

Like the title says; the book contains a list of 101 experiments one can just read through or even try. They are of course more than just a list of do’s, there’s often more thinking through the exercises. Some of them last longer,  from a life time and some of them are shorter, lasting just seconds, and they vary from trying to peel an apple in your mind to imagining the world lasting only twenty minutes.

The book isn’t really about doing funny or odd experiments. You could replace them with other similar experiments as I will later try to show you, but the basis would stay the same. In my opinion the book is about understanding that the so-called normality and the state of one’s existence is created in our own minds, and breaking away from or changing it is really an easy thing to do. It only requires one to be an active participant in that progress.

First impressions

Funny, weird, awesome, a mind opener. I noticed that there was a couple of practices I’ve already done without thinking them as doing anything, like ‘Leave the cinema in daytime’ or ‘Try not to think’.

Reading this book could also help one except better other people. This isn’t ever a bad result now is it?

Possible inspirations

• Opening one’s mind to ponder what is really ‘weird’ or what is ‘normal’.
• Expanding one’s creativity and borders of thinking – yes, it’s called philosophy and that’s what is usually should do, I know. These maybe the biggest effects hopefully one can get out from this strange journey.

Possible turn downs

• Nothing much, but if I had to mention something: The ‘French feel’ and the mixture of philosophical pondering may be a bit too much to some not so open minded people. So if you can take things without judging them so easily, you shouldn’t have any problems.
  

Some things from the book

• Experiment: ‘Call yourself’. Basically try to step out from yourself and call yourself shouting, like you would be someone other, that you really aren’t but you should think like it anyway. Scream, shout and try to call yourself 20 minutes until you feel your really are duplicating, bending the boundaries what is you in you and what is that thing, object you are calling. How can you get back to be just one again [can you?]? Say in a normal voice ‘Yes, Coming!’.
• Experiment: ‘Rant for ten minutes’. This is an exceptionally good practice for those like me who often feel this ball we call earth is stupid and inadequate place. Read more about the excercise from the book itself, I don’t want to spoil every one of them here.
  

For who?

To anyone trying to broaden their perspectives and trying to burst the bubble of a regular, boring, normal weekday. This is a must book for creative people and people overall interested in common and practical philosophy.

To those who are asking the question ‘Is this all there is?’. The answer in here could be; yes, but so what? Make the best out of it and try to enjoy! There’s a good experiment for this in the book called ‘Practice make-believe everywhere’.

Other reading from the author:

How are Things?

Links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger-Pol_Droit

http://www.the-philosopher.co.uk/reviews/poldroit.htm

Amazon
Shvoong
An Interview with Roger-Pol Droit

Extra – Experiment 102 by me

This is a small exercise that came to my mind while reading this book, and I really have to write it down. Hopefully Roger-Pol won’t be offended about this. Of course it’s not as good as the ones in the book so probably not. I thank him for the inspiration.

Experiment 102: ‘Read something you are least interested’

Duration: 30–90 minutes [depending on your patience and if you became interested about it]
Props: A library
Effect: Nearing

Go to a library, find a topic you know you are not at all interested in. Find the least interesting subject you can find. Take one random book about it, any will do. Find a good spot and begin to read it as if you really were interested about it. Be happy for the moment you now have, enjoy and gorge the written lines with your eyes.

There can be basically a couple things that can happen:

1. You are thinking the whole time ‘Aaaf, this is so boring’ or,
2. You may get [a bit] interested.

This is a funny thing. You are in a place filled with the mankind’s written down knowledge, interests and passions. Someone is really, actually interested about all of these subjects. Of course not the same person about them all, but for every topic there’s followers.

And what makes your passion so interesting anyway? Think about it in the light of the emotions you are currently feeling about the book you just read. Someone in the world is feeling the same way about your hobbies or interests. Not interesting at all!

So here we are in the verge of interesting questions; is your ‘interest’ really interesting at all? Think about it a while. Why are you feeling football or economics are interesting? Are they, or are you just running along, believing that they are interesting, but one thing you would really like to do instead is to knit? Really, try to ponder this. Strange things can appear.

You’re not here trying to loose your interests, more likely to think over them. Pick up a new one for a while and try it out.

Can you after this still say that his interests aren’t that interesting and why does she love to do those things? Of course you can and no, you cannot. And who made you to comment, and why are you even commenting?

What’s it about

In my opinion, it’s really a comprehensive guide to yourself, not just another one of those 12 steps programs you see in millions out there. Although this is divided in 12 weeks, and at first I was thinking ‘Another one of these’, but the format in this case defends its place.

The book doesn’t work like ‘snap’, and after reading it you are done. In it Ms Cameron introduces many good questions and thoughts about creativity and how you should live it. And puts you to work to achieve results. Merely reading, as in many other cases, isn’t enough.

First impressions

When I read this I was like, ‘OK now we are going a bit over the top in some things’. But when you let go of your prejudices and read the text with an open mind, it feels good. And after all, if you’re supposed to be a creative and open-minded person, you should have an open-minded approach to these things too and determine what works for you best.

Possible inspirations

• The concept of describing creativity as it is; a whole that you have to nurture and feed, not a separate feature you can just turn on and off as you please
• Creativity should be fun! Like when you were a child. –This point I really enjoyed. Too many times I see, that ‘creating’ has become a too big deal
• Dozens of magnificent quotes to make you think

Possible turn downs

• Talking about God in the sense she does, may drive away some people. But those who have a broad view to life and are able to think outside the box, shouldn’t feel any discomfort
• Some parts of the texts may be a bit pampering, but perhaps that’s just me
  

Some things from the book

• Artist’s dates
• Morning pages
  

For who?

To artists of any kind, and to all those who wrestle with creativity in their lives, or want to understand it a bit better.

Links:

http://www.theartistsway.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julia_Cameron