A Warrior’s search for Synchronicity

A brilliant book – relevant as ever.

Interweaving of anthropological knowledge with current challenges involving social behaviour, climate threats, economic collapses – connecting the dots could not be more magnificent.

The hugely insightful and enthralling book about creative choices whether it be career, life or passion after Dan Pink’s The Adventures of JohnyBunko. Both are one of its kind. Johny Bunko with it comic book story telling. Ignore Everybody with its business card size cartoons. Each of 39 keys are worth pondering about and set you on a journey of thoughts. However me being the insatiable book-eater, I could not stop till I finished and was wondering all the while how my friend Aditya would read it one chapter a day and keep the fire burning for 40 days.

Thanks to Seth Godin for having recommended this book on his blog.

Amazing story telling by Larry. This is a personal account of a talented insider who worked the floors of Lehman, made fortunes and was fired during early 2008, as he belonged to bear culture while Lehman Management was bullish . Can be read or heard like a breeze, a bit melodramatic, but clearly engaging and informative

 This is an indepth study into the natures of human behaviour and possible reasons along the lines of antropology and evolution for those behaviours. One of those books which calls for multiple reading for if you start all over again, be sure to find a lot of new meanings and revelations you missed the first time.

One more stunning revelation of untold stories including the atrocitites unleashed by Indian Army on Hyderabadi Muslims and how Nehru and Patel hushed it up from International conscience. If you think about it, stitching together an India which was non – existent was no small task and may resemble the stories from many other parts of the world, however was it worth the cruetly the inhabitants of the country had to face from an organised military of the same country? No history books in Indian curriculum is taught about these shortcomings of great leaders of  India in their quest to make unified India a reality. Children are taught about unity in diversity  - Diversity there is , Unity simply does not exist, todays india is only 62 years old, the rich and varied history dates back thousands of years and there rituals like that of Madurai Meenakshi temple carried out for thousands of years without change in a single detail. Amidst all the invasions of modernity you can see people with modern educations and standing like software engineers, writers, diplomats flock to these ancient traditions. Indian psyche’s emphasis on faith is astonishing and that faith is a trust on the cosmic force and the sense of belonging to that force. For many Indians the innate calmness is from the awareness that “it is written”, from being able to identify with centuries of history and future and realising the momentary nature of one’s existence, yet contributing in whatever shape or form for the eternal good all beings and non-beings.

How many of us has looked at this economic crisis as an opportunity? That is what Douglas Rushkoff does. And that too in depth reasoning and vision. This book unravels how a centralised monetary system was set up to serve the interests of monarchies and how that evolved to servc the interests of corporates today. How the ongoing alienation to one another is promoted to make a market for the consumer products and how all this slip us into an unreal world of social benchmarking and competition instead of interaction and support. I wish all of you will read this book and or at least watch the video

You don’t stop running because you get old, you get old because you stop running.

Fascinating book for all people, not only runners. Mc Dougell not only crafts his theory and findings around an actual story with amazing prowess, at times he haunts you with his insight. Especially at junctures where he describes two stars of ultra running one from the modern era and one from ancients history, reaching out to the technique perfected over 2000 years, one from the start and one from the finish (similar to the movie Curious case of Benjamin Button) and realizing how identically they have perfect the art of utlra running. There is not a dull moment in the book, touching varied subjects like modern medicine , evolution, abstract science, brain usage, diet, ageing, and finally weaving it all together to culminate in his theory human beings evolved from neanderthals for ultra distance running and perfected the art by using their endurance techniques to outsmart the prey as well as to stay healthy.

The story unveils the lie that sneaker companies had been telling us for years – that cushioning is good for our feet. Evidence based research tells us that before 1970s the sneaker companies took over the world running related injuries were far less in the world. This makes you think what kind of unholy partnerships would modern medical schools and sneaker companies had. Also the vacuum of evidence any of the sneaker companies has to provide on cushioned shoes reduces injury. Shoes only takes away pain, it does not reduce impact on your bones or your back.

Tarahumara indians, the hidden tribe of super athelets run 100 mile races on thin sandals tied to their feet. You can Chris using one in the video below. Just think how the billion dollar industry of sneaker companies build their edifice on a pack of lies and costing health and injury to generations

Nike when they realized, they tried redemption, see video

Astonishing book  - provides deep insight into the underlying codes of different cultures, which is a pre-requisite in understanding them and shaping any form product or campaign where any of these cultures are target markets or even if its just plain interaction or negotiation.