Take 92

Another book that I read this week was Dream Yoga. It is a book of a somewhat spiritual nature with pieces of information on enlightened ones and their clear-light mind. Going around in circles on the topic of lucid dreams, their advantages and ways of activating them I was left a little confused by this work. It just seemed like musings with so much depth they could not be understood by regular readers. Or maybe it was just ramblings going on and on. A different kind of book from the ones I'm used to. 
 

Take 91

Another book that I read this week was Writings of a Young Doctor. It is a small volume with short stories, the longest of which is some sort of journal of a newly appointed doctor. With the message that you acquire knowledge not from books but by doing, the book contains some hardcore images and depicts the challenges doctors have to face especially when dealing with people who lack basic education. I enjoyed reading it. It's not exactly The Master and Marguerita but it has some interesting passages and I was rooting for its main character. One particular observation that resonated with me was that charlatans live a better life and are held in higher esteem than honest men. Should you happen to be a fan of Bulgakov you might give this book a try as well.

 

This week's book is The Wisdom of Crowds. Not much to say about it. About 300 pages of arguing that crowds under certain circumstances are wise and can make better decisions that the smartest individuals. I've come across the Matthew principle according to which the rich get richer and the poor get poorer although I have heard of instances where the poor got richer and the rich got poorer, I've learned about group polarization and confirmation bias and some psychological experiments, I've struggled to keep my focus and enjoy the book because I found it outdated and a bore. Opinions differ on the matter. There are those who say geniuses are wiser than crowds. All in all it was an interesting idea to write such a book and maybe it was needed.

Take 89

Another book that I read this week was A History of Celibacy. A thoroughly researched work on a sensitive topic. It documents instances of celibacy across the ages with important names such as Athena, Lewis Caroll, Leonardo da Vinci, Joan of Arc, Virgin Mary and even Cher. A vast array of instances where human stupidity, cruelty and madness were the norm. It depicts the human obsession with sex and the involvement of society, especially clergy, in sexual matters. It equated with the loss of innocence for me, for I did not know just how much pain sex affairs brought onto the world. Sad truths, pertinent insights and disclosures. Interesting read. I finished it deeply immersed in reading it which is something I don't do everyday.

Take 88

 

Another book that I read this week was How Emotions Are Made. An impressing piece of research this work goes against the classical view on emotion and argues that we are architects of our emotional experience even if we are not conscious of it. All of our concepts regarding emotion are constructed since birth and we express them differently. What I found refreshing was Darwin's theory mentioned in the book according to which all species of animals are comprised of unique individuals with varying characteristics. The book is stuffy in the first part as I struggled to understand the theory of constructed emotion proposed by the author but it gets better in the second part where it mentions the US legal system, the emotional lives of animals, how to live a healthy life, explanations for depression and some observations on the brain's default mode network. It definitely requires a second reading to help cement the accumulated knowledge: so much of it in one book. Highly recommended for neuroscience aficionados.

Take 87

 

Another book that I read this week was The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. A children's classic it depicts the adventures of a humble, unimportant girl called Dorothy and her three companions in search of a brain, a heart and courage. The girl is protected by the Power of Good which is more powerful than the Power of Evil and she manages to kill unwillingly two evil witches, that of the East and the West and maintain good relationships with the remaining two good witches. It seems to me that all is just a dream in which Dorothy struggles to find her way home and find out things about her real power and the meaning of friendship. I enjoyed reading it for the third time although it did not bring back memories of my early adolescence. Tough luck I guess.

Take 86

 

Another book that I read this week was The Path Made Clear. It is a part-autobiographical-part-quotations collection book on the importance of answering to your calling and rising up to your purpose. It contains recommendations, thoughts on life and success and happiness both from Oprah and her guests. It was a beautiful read but I was expecting something more, some sort of guide for following your unique path. One thing that remained with me was the fact that you do not grow into your path, you already are on your path and in some cases you make decisions that lead you astray. But the path has always been there since the day you were born. All in all a positive work that holds God to high esteem and makes you feel that everything will be okay.