What I Just Read

It's unfortunate to read such a workmanlike book when there are so many hilarious anecdotes about "metric fixation" that would have (and should have) made a book like this fun, and far more memorable. See for example C. Northcote Parkinson's Parkinson's Law as just such a book--one that teaches useful principles with memorable examples, irony and good storytelling. This book, in contrast, offers diminishing returns beyond the first fifty pages or so. The author becomes increasingly repetitive, and some of the later chapters seem phoned in, as if he decided it wasn't worth shaping them into something more engaging. Notes: 1) I don't know how many times (certainly three or four separate times throughout the book) the author cites the show The Wire as an example of "juking the stats" (gaming metrics such that it subverts the metrics' entire purpose). As powerful an "example" as this might be--especially to rabid fans like myself!--on...

I think it's best to think of this fascinating (but difficult) book as a long poem: something to be read, reread, pondered--even savored. If read this way, it may cure you of many of the ills of modernity. It might even cure you of your narcissism and self-absorption. I sure hope it helps me with mine. I've lingered over this book more than anything else I've read this year, and it's made me think--hard--about how I treat the people around me. Actually more than that: it's caused me to rethink how I treat everything in my reality. I'm not sure I can articulate this idea well, but perhaps from reading my notes below (if you have the patience to wade through them!) you'll see what I'm trying to get at. A brief comment about the author Martin Buber's style: reading this work is challenging, but in a good way, somewhat like the experience of reading St. John of the Cross . It's a puzzle to figure out what Buber means sometimes, and you get the feeli...

Unexpectedly interesting on a few levels: a sort of unofficial history of postmodern California, a look back at the 1960s and 1970s bodybuilding scene, a discussion of Arnold's forays into real estate, politics, and of course the movie business. A surprisingly enjoyable book! Notes/Themes: * On being possessed by a dream: even as a 10-year-old in tiny village of Thal, Austria, Arnold was possessed by the idea of going to America and "making something of himself: "I became absolutely convinced that I was special and meant for bigger things." What's also interesting here is how this can be a self-fulfilling prophecy--or delusional grandiosity--depending on to what extent you live up to your dream. * He has a knack for turning his liabilities into assets--starting with his preposterous accent. See also his knack for doing the non-consensus thing. Also this guy is a world-class salesman . He understands the selling and marketing aspect of everything: the little two-m...

Readable and filled with insight. The author gives readers clear instructions on how to perform zazen breathing and sitting meditation along with explanations of what happens physiologically and psychologically in the body during various states of Zen wakefulness and attention. This book also filled an important gap in Western Zen literature: most writing about Zen teaches nothing about the actual  practice  of Zen techniques, instead dealing mostly with with psychological and intellectual aspects of Zen. I'm grateful to this author for this generous, sincere gift of a book. Thank you! Notes:   [Warning: preposterously long. Do not read!] Introduction (by A.V. Grimstone, who also helped edit the book) 1) Talks about how most of the literature about Zen that reached the West (see for example Alan Watt's book The Way of Zen ) were mostly theoretical and cultural, lacking discussion of practical aspects of Zen training, even though training is foundational to the p...