Review: The Boy Who Changed the World

Great Gift Book, Weak Story Book



The Boy Who Changed the World

I was looking forward to reading this book out to my 5-year old from the time I ordered it. After reading the book, I had a mixed feeling.

First of all, I won't call it a story book in the usual sense. It's more of a short message. The core message is very powerful - Everything You Do Matters. Every action we take in our life, even a little one, can make a BIG difference. A small action of one person can have a "ripple effect" (or butterfly effect) on others who may go on to change the world in a big way.

The book claims to be an "engaging tale", but I disagree with that. It's too short to engage anyone. While I agree that the message is powerful, the story didn't touch my heart. It lacked the elements of a good story - the characters are not well drawn out, there are no emotions, no plot (conflict, climax etc.) and no "sticky" factor at all. I wonder if kids would even remember the message for long, to have a lasting effect on their lives. Moreover, the story is so convoluted that I doubt whether children below 8 would even understand it. Unless parents or guardians help reinforce the message (from this book) in other ways, the message may not seep into the children.

The far as the illustrations are concerned, the book is wonderful with lots of colors and pictures all throughout. It has a nice texture, and the overall quality is outstanding. As an adult, holding it in my hand made me feel nostalgic. It would make a great gift!

So, while I agree that the message in the book is really powerful and true, the book isn't really effective in reinforcing that message into children. In summary, it's a great gift book, but a weak story book.

My rating: 2/5

P.S.: I received this book free of cost from Thomas Nelson Inc. under their Book Sneeze program. I would like to thank them for offering me the opportunity to review this wonderful book.

Review: Lies the Government Told You

Outrageously Revealing



Lies the Government Told You

If you believed in "Government of the people, by the people, and for the people", then you are in for the shock of your life. Judge Napolitano does not mince any words in conveying his message. The American Government has been lying to its people since independence and curbing their liberty and fundamental rights ever so increasingly. In disastrous situations, Government utilizes the panic surrounding these situation to further limit the freedom of people and grab more power for itself. Fear is the biggest weapon that Government employs to take away our liberties. American public should be ashamed of letting the Government do so by buying into Government's lies.

This book is a true revelation for me. I'm not an American and have very little interest in politics and history. Though I've lived in America for a few years, I have not watched the Fox News Channel much and had not heard about Judge Napolitano before I came across this book. I ordered this book only because the title intrigued me, and didn't expect much. Just 300 pages and a few hours later, I think this is one of the most informative books I've ever read. I wonder how someone can put all this information in a book and feel safe. Judge Napolitano - I've joined your fan list.

This book talks in detail about how American public's fundamental rights have been encroached throughout history by using instruments such as Slavery, Gun Control, War on Drugs, Income Taxes, The Federal Reserve system, Social Security, FEMA, FDA, Rental Control Act, The Patriot Act and many more. Some of the astonishing revelations for me are that the Federal Reserve is a private organization, not controlled by the government, and it cannot be audited. Lincoln, who's hailed as one of the greatest American presidents was a tyrant. The American bipartisan system is a sham and what America has is a "Big Government Party". This book also exposes how American government has fabricated excuses throughout history to enter wars. Be it World War I, World World II, The Vietnam War, or even the ongoing wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. I have read several stories and watched many documentaries about the 9/11 conspiracy theories. After reading this book, those theories are not far fetched. I'm a bit surprised it doesn't talk much about 9/11. Some of the stories mentioned in this book are truly frightening.

As a non-American, I had some respect for the American democratic system, most of it coming from my ignorance and what I hear on television. This book has shattered it all. The way the American Government has abused the power vested in it by the people and blatantly violated the Constitution is simply disgusting. Put bluntly (excuse the harsh words), America is in deep **** and Uncle Sam has been scr*wing not just the rest of the world, but also his own people. It's a real eye-opener, and a must read for any one who can read English. Just a word of caution - this book can make you feel paranoid.

My rating: 5/5

P.S.: I received this book free of cost from Thomas Nelson Inc. under their Book Sneeze program. I would like to thank them for offering me the opportunity to review this wonderful book.

Review: The Power of Respect

The Power of Respect - Priceless !

The Power of Respect

This book is a good revelation of how something that cost absolutely nothing can make a huge impact in our life. Though for many of us, Respect is a part of our culture and our family values, the book helped me see it in a wider perspective. It shows how Respect is in play in all dimensions of life - family, work, education, business, leadership and self.

Overall, the book was a mixed bag for me. I really liked certain aspects of the book:

1. A powerful message, a revelation of sorts
2. Some interesting stories
3. Good layout with quotations spread throughout

However there were other aspects of the book that I didn't enjoy as much.

1. There are plenty of good stories in the book, but many of them are short and not drawn out enough to be memorable or have lasting impact.
2. Lot of redundancy - the message is repeated way too often. The book could have been 50 pages shorter without losing any value.
3. Some of the chapters remind me other books, which cover the respective topics much better. For instance, Chapter 2 reminded me of the "The Well-Behaved Child: Discipline that really Works" from John Rosemond and Chapter 3 of "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus".
4. There are way too much statistics and they only add noise. IMPO, most of them were useless. Deborah tries to prove every point with stats, which to me is unnecessary.
5. Most of the stories are in the American context. Deborah - there is a world outside of America too. Are you only writing for the American people? If only you had tried to look outside, the book could have had a more universal appeal.

In conclusion, the message in the book is powerful. It serves as a great reminder of how a basic element of human values - Respect - has such an important place in all dimensions of our life. I learned a great deal from this book, but it could have been more interesting.

My rating: 3/5

P.S.: I received this book free of cost from Thomas Nelson Inc. under their Book Sneeze program. I would like to thank them for offering me the opportunity to review this useful book.

10 Things I Learned from Steve Jobs's Keynote address

I want to share this key note address from Steve Job, CEO, Apple Computers delivered yesterday at a special event to launch the iPad. It's a 90-min presentation and probably one of the best example of how to deliver an important message.

Steve Job's Keynote address - iPad Launch

A few things I learned from his address:

1. He hardly ever looks back at the presentation.
2. There are hardly any words on the slides, leave alone lengthy bullet points.
3. Even when he's sharing the financial results of the company (in the beginning), he makes them fun to listen to.
4. He is driving the presentation, not the other way around. He's delivering the message, and the slides are giving the added impact to his message.
5. His words are in absolute sync with the slides.
6. There are no useless headers, footers or logos on every slide, that we often use on ours. It gives that extra space, flexibility and freshness to every slide.
7. You can hardly notice the remote controller in his hand. There are no other visible gadgeteries on him, distracting the audience.
8. He's so relaxed and calm, and that makes the audience comfortable and receptive to his message.
9. He's so focused on the message. Not even once did he stray from the topic.
10. He's unbelievably well familiar with the content on the slides. In the entire presentation, you won't see him going back on any slide even once. He did not fumble on a single word. Rehearsal, skills or simply the magic of a master craftsman? Perfection.

I wanted to stop at 10, but there's so much more to learn from him. One last thing I would say is that being a CEO of the company, he's demonstrating the key features of the product himself. That is a message in itself.

I'm sold !

Here’s a Quick Way to Transform into a Powerful Communicator

Do you know that we use certain words in our writing and speech that reflect lack of confidence on our part? Do you want to learn a quick way to transform into a Powerful Communicator? If yes, read further.

This tip is really simple, yet powerful. Let's consider these pair of statements to start with:

• We will try to deliver the project on time.
• We will deliver the project on time.

• I think you can solve the problem. You are the expert, right?
• I'm sure you can solve the problem. You are the expert.

• I believe this solution will work.
• I'm confident this solution will work.

Do you see any pattern in these pairs. The first statement in each pair reflects uncertainty, indecisiveness, a need for affirmation, and an overall lack of confidence. Here's a list of "weak words/phrases" that reflect a lack of confidence in our own actions:

• Try
• Might
• In my opinion
• Maybe
• Consider
• I feel
• As far as I can tell
• Possibly
• Probably
• Hope to
• I suppose
• Perhaps
• OK?
• Right?
• I suggest
• With luck
• Would like to
• I think
• I believe

I hear these words around me so often that they seem almost indispensable for some folks. We must strive to minimize the use of these words in writing (such as in emails, memos, formal letters, documents) and speech (such as in meetings, telephone conversations, business speeches, Toastmasters speeches) as much as possible, in order to transform into a Powerful Communicator.

The most notorious culprits that have crept into almost everyone's vocabulary are Maybe, I think, OK?, and Right?. We can start with concentrating on minimizing the use of these words first.

Note: All the words and phrases listed above as "weak" are legitimate and have their use in writing and speech. They are not always "bad". It depends upon the context in which we use them. Also, excess and repeated use of any one of these words/phrases or a combination of them, won't reflect well on the person using them. For example, a statement, "I believe in my abilities", is very strong. But, if I say, "I believe I can complete this work by next week", isn't such a strong statement.

I hope, or rather, I'm sure you enjoyed reading this tip.

Review: The Well-Behaved Child - Discipline that REALLY works

Children are Children, not Bad

The Well-Behaved Child prescribes a very authoritarian style of parenting, the one that is traditional or old-school so to speak. Author, John Rosemond advises parents to be "mean" in order to discipline their children, and justifies this for the good of their own children. The target audience is parents with children aged 3-13.

In the very first chapter, the book says that children misbehave because they are "bad". Now, this is sure to offend many. I almost felt like throwing this book out of the window at that very moment. However, I hung in there and wasn't all that disappointed at the end. The book says that in order to correct a child's behavioral problems, the child should face the "consequences" for his/her misbehavior. The basic "consequences" for almost all situations are stripping the children off their favorite toys (or something they enjoy indulging in), confining them to their room, and sending them to bed one hour earlier than their usual routine. The consequences were repeated so many times in this book that they almost sounded like cliché. The question it leaves in my mind is that what if the child isn't obedient enough to stay in the room (which is the reason for punishing them in the first place), or bangs the door or windows repeatedly while confined (in case the room is locked by the parents). This part is mysteriously left out of the book.

The part I like the most about this book are some of the techniques described to tackle some of the worst behavior problems such as obsessive stealing and lying. These techniques are as simple as a mere change in parents' reaction to the child's behavioral problems. It provides testimonials of parents, who at the advice of psychologists, were about to put their child on medication, but rescued their child almost overnight by a simple change in their own reaction. In particular, I really liked the "The Doctor" technique and the "Ask Them No Questions and They'll Tell You No Lies" approach. I'm convinced that some of these "common-sense" approaches will actually work the way they have been described in the book. The book is full of real stories of disciplining children with behavioral problems including those of John's own children and grandchildren.

The part I didn't like about the book is that it sounds too "cold". It leaves out the emotional aspects of parenting, the joys of watching your children grow, the thrills of indulging with them in their childish acts. I think that an extremely well-behaved is also a "boring" child. I don't mind some playfulness in children and don't want to turn my home into a military camp. After all, children and children.

In conclusion, the approach described in this book is a bit of over-reaction for minor misbehaviors. Unless your child is facing acute behavioral problems, and something you would seek medical attention for, you can do without this book. However, if you are truly distressed with your child's behavior, and at the brink of putting your child on treatment or medication, I would highly recommend that you read this book first.

P.S.: I received this book free of cost from Thomas Nelson Inc. under their Book Review Bloggers program. I would like to thank them for offering me the opportunity to review this useful book.

Review: A Million Miles in a Thousand Years

A character who wants something and overcomes conflict to get it

A Million Miles in a Thousand Years is about how the author, Don Miller, discovers the importance of living a good life, while working on the script for a film based on his book 'Blue like Jazz'. Before he started working on the script, his life was stalled and he was inclined to believe that there was no meaning to life. But things started changing when he meets couple of guys who want to make a film on his life. Through his interactions with these guys and thanks to a seminar that he attends on story writing, he learns the elements of a good story. Gradually, he starts experimenting with his own life by consciously applying the elements of a good story to his real life. As he puts himself through deliberate plots, such as hiking the Inca Trails, a bike trip across the United States and the Mentoring Project, it dawns upon him that the elements that make a good story are pretty much the same that make a good meaningful life. Eventually, ... let's keep the suspense :)

The book is honest, daring, inspiring, creative, brilliant, interesting, amusing, thought-provoking and sometimes provocative. However, it's also boring and repetitive, with some personal ramblings, in the beginning where Don describes the "boring" part of his life. Maybe it's to his credit that he made me feel bored by describing how boring his life was. I almost lost interest in the book after reading the first few pages. I'm so glad I didn't give up on it. The book really catches on from Part 3 where Don actually starts living a 'good story'. That's where it turns from an average book to a great book.

The book has lots of interesting stories, especially the amazing story of his friend Bob. The part where he describes his emotions on the way to meeting his father and the description of the actual meeting, were really touching.

I liked the message in the book and can relate some elements of my life to Don's at times. The idea of living a good story really challenges me. It makes me think about my own life and compels me to live a good story - a story that's worth sharing, a story that has a meaning. I'm sure it'll continue to haunt me for days to come and might actually prompt me to take some real actions.

This is the first Don Miller book that I've read. Though it's not the best book I've read, Don's brilliance has shone through it and made me wanting to read his other books as well as the movie.

Thanks Don, for sharing a wonderful story.

P.S.: I received this book free of cost from Thomas Nelson Inc. under their Book Review Bloggers program. I would like to thank them for offering me the opportunity to review this wonderful book.

Feed your Intellect and Feed the Hungry

I came across a wonderful non-profit website run by the United Nations World Food Program, called Free Rice. This website has two goals:

1. Provide education to everyone for free.
2. Help end world hunger by providing rice to hungry people for free.

Here's how it works. It offers free quizzes on various subjects like Art, Chemistry, English Grammar and Vocabulary, Geography, Language Learning and Math. For each correct answer that you give, it donates 10 grains of rice to help end hunger through the UN World Food Program. Many corporates across the world sponsor this program.

So what are we waiting for? Here's the link to Free Rice:

Free Rice

Go ahead and improve your knowledge and help a great humanitarian cause. It's like killing one bird with two arrows. Or is it two birds with one arrow? Anyway, it doesn't matter because we shouldn't be killing the birds in the first place.

Visit the site often and spread the word by sharing it with your friends, family members and colleagues.

Everyday Greatness: Inspirational, Insightful and Touching

Everyday Greatness is a collection of some of the best and most inspiring stories from Reader's Digest over the past eighty years. The main idea of the book is that the world celebrates heroic achievements and rare talents, but there's greatness in small and simple deeds in everyday life that deserves a bigger honor. The book is dedicated to celebrating the important elements of human character such as responsibility, courage, integrity, humility, vision, ethics, respect, empathy, charity, perseverance and simplicity, which are often overlooked in this material world.

The book contains sixty-three motivational and inspirational stories, hundreds of quotations, a few jokes and other short stories. Though the cover displays "Stephen R. Covey" in big letters, the stories aren't written by Covey. He provides commentary at the beginning and end of each chapter that compel the readers to introspect and reflect over the morals presented in the chapter.

The good part about this book is that you don't need to read it cover to cover. I don't think it's meant to be taken in large dozes. You can pick up the book, read a story in 5-10 minutes, and put it back. Idea is to do self-reflection after reading each story and try to implement the values in one's life in order to lead a life of meaning and satisfaction.

Being a member of Toastmasters International, I found this book particularly useful. It gave me lot of fresh ideas for my future speeches and table topics. It would be very useful resource for anyone involved with any sort of public speaking activity.

My biggest complaint about this book is that all the stories have an "American" theme. Though many stories have a universal appeal, there are some which I didn't find as appealing as an American would probably find. The book would have been more balanced had the stories been selected from different cultures and regions around the world. I'm sure everyone would agree that there's lot of "Everyday Greatness" in other parts of the world.

Some of the stories in the book are very insightful and really touched my heart. The book claims to expand your thinking and open your mind and I agree that it succeeded in doing so in my case. I wouldn't call this a compelling read, but it's one of those books that you treasure in your collection. I would recommend this book and rate it 4 out of 5.

P.S.: I received this book free of cost from Thomas Nelson Inc. under their Book Review Bloggers program. I would like to thank them for offering me the opportunity to review this wonderful book.

Toastmasters Evaluation - Some Noteworthy Tips

I came across some very useful and interesting videos about Toastmasters evaluations on YouTube. Being a participant in the Evaluation contest this year, I found these videos particularly useful. I have hand-picked three videos for anyone serious about improving his/her evaluation skills.

Video 1:



Video 2:



Video 3 (Complete evaluation workshop - 4 part series):



Happy Evaluations !

The Noticer - Simple yet Powerful

The Noticer is a story of an enigmatic sage, called Jones, who mysteriously appears in people's lives at critical junctures, and helps them just when they need it the most. He completely turns around their life by offering them a different "perspective" to their situation. That explains the tag line "Sometimes, all a person needs is a little perspective".

It consists of short stories that describe how Jones goes around a small town helping people struggling with problems such as poverty, troubled relationships, failing business, doomed career, and hopelessness. I did find the book falling short of expectations in the story-telling department. At times, the stories take you to a high and then drop you abruptly. They were a bit on the shorter side, occasionally a bit repetitive, not so effective in creating visual imagery, and the characters not well carved out well enough. Even after reading the entire book, I hardly have a mental image of Jones. It also left me a bit confused. Was it an auto-biography or a fiction or a combination of two?

Despite the shortcomings, each story offers invaluable insights on dealing with life's problems. I believe it's a great book, and anyone who reads it will find at least 2-3 useful takeaways. I had more -

1. What is it about me that other people would change if they could?
2. There's a difference between a mistake and a (wrong) choice.
3. Whenever you face a problem in life, remember "the best is yet to come".
4. The 4 love "dialects".
5. Life's "big picture" is made of "small things". The small things can make a big difference in the final outcome.
6. There's a difference between deciding to do something and actually doing it. The Seagull example was really effective in conveying this message.

It's a short, yet powerful book, filled with wonderful wisdom. A few hours spent reading this book can make a huge difference in your life. Just a caveat, don't expect it to be an thrilling page-turner. And don't keep it aside after reading it. Spend some time on introspection and see how you can apply the wisdom to make a difference in your life and that of people around you.

Good job, Andy !

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P.S.: I received this book free of cost from Thomas Nelson Inc. under their Book Review Bloggers program. I would like to thank them for offering me the opportunity to review this wonderful book.

Toastmasters Project 5: The Priority Seat

The following speech was written by Anandan Chandrahasan, a Toastmaster from Singapore, and edited by yours truly. Many thanks to Anandan for letting me post his work on my blog.

Project 5: Your Body Speaks

Body language is an important part of speaking because it enhances your message and gives you more credibility. It also helps release any nervousness you may feel. Stance, movement, gestures, facial expressions, and eye ontact help communicate your message and achieve your speech’s purpose. Body language should be smooth, natural, and convey the same message that your listeners hear. Read: Gestures: Your Body Speaks (Catalog # 201), which you received in your New Member Kit.

Objectives

• Use stance, movement, gestures, facial expressions, and eye contact to express your message and achieve your speech’s purpose.
• Make your body language smooth and natural.
• Focus on methods of delivery, but do not overlook speech content.

Time: Five to seven minutes

The Priority Seat

I read in a book that some tribal communities in Africa take only 20 seconds to become "War Alert" from deep sleep. I think the author of the book would be surprised to know that some people traveling in Singapore Mass Rapid Transport (MRT) trains can even beat that record. A few seconds after occupying a Priority Seat, you can hear these people snoring. But within 5-seconds from their station, they become alert and vanish.

Honorable Club President, fellow Toastmasters and Guests .. a very Good Afternoon to you all.

Most of us know that MRTs have Priority Seats. There has been a huge public outcry on the issue of Priority Seats. It's said that needy people are not getting these seats. Assume that I am one of the culprits who does not give up a priority seat to needy people and all of you are judges. I want to support my case here.

My Lord! Earlier, the notice was too lengthy and far above the seat, and without any title. The notice read "Please give up this seat to those who need it more than you do". This was imported straight from England. I had seen it in London buses. Who had the time to read all this and interpret it? Moreover, the notice was far above the seat, and it wasn't clear which seat it was referring to. That is the reason why many people didn’t give up their seats.

Next, there were three pictures next to the notice, in a row. First one was that of an old man holding a walking stick. The picture only showed the upper half of his body. What he wanted wasn’t clear - whether he wanted to sit or stand? How can we tell with half a picture? So I didn’t give up my seat. Second picture was that of a pregnant woman holding the hand of a child. I was eagerly looking out for a pregnant woman holding the hand of a 3-4 years old child, but never found one. Sometimes, I did find pregnant women, but with a child in the arms. So I didn’t give up my seat. Last one was a full picture of blind man with a walking stick. Since the picture was in standing position, I thought he could stand and didn't need a seat.

SMRT discovered all these excuses, and on July 26th, last year, changed all those signs. Now there are 2 signs of "Priority Seat" – One on the top and one right above the seat. In the middle it says, "Be Considerate. Give up this seat to a passenger with special needs". Earlier, it was polite - starting with a "please", but now a little "rude". Anyway, it is better than the previous one. The 3 pictures are also more clear.

Even though I don’t know the meaning of "special needs", I decided to be considerate. First day when I became considerate, I saw an Indian woman boarding the train at Kranji. She looked "pregnant". So I took a few seconds to assess her situation. Finally, I stood up to offer the seat. She sneered at me and walked to the other side. I think I stared too much at her belly and she got angry. Next day, it was even more complicated. Two women boarded the train. One was slim but pregnant, and the other was plump, but not pregnant. I was in a dilemma - to whom should I offer my seat?

As you can see, irrespective of your best intentions and willingness to help, it's not easy to give up your seat. My observation is that most people are afraid of getting rejected. There is also a risk of offending others by offering your seat because they may feel that you think of them as old or weak. To overcome this dilemma, I referred to the Internet for some good suggestions. I'm glad that I found a very nice idea – SMRT should issue special badges to people with "special needs" that such people can wear while traveling in public transport buses and trains. This would help us identify people with those "special needs" and offer our seat to such people. I hope SMRT considers this suggestion seriously in order to make public transport a viable option for all.

Thank you, Toastmaster of the Day ...

Toastmasters Project 9: An Effective Toastmaster

Project 9: Persuade with Power

The ability to persuade – to get other people to understand, accept, and act upon your ideas – is a valuable skill. Your listeners will be more likely to be persuaded if they perceive you as credible, if you use logic and emotion in your appeal, if you carefully structure your speech and if you appeal to their interests. Avoid using notes because they may cause listeners to doubt your sincerity, knowledge, and conviction.

Objectives

• Persuade listeners to adopt your viewpoint or ideas or to take some action.
• Appealing to the audience’s interests.
• Use logic and emotion to support your position.
• Avoid using notes.

Duration: Five to seven minutes

Toastmasters Project 9: An Effective Toastmaster

• To read the content in a "speech format", click here.


• To read the content in a cool, interactive and detailed format, click here.

Toastmasters Project 8: Lazy Person's Guide to Global Warming

Project 8: Get Comfortable with Visual Aids

Visual aids help an audience understand and remember what they hear; they are a valuable tool for speakers. The most popular visual aid are computer-based visuals, overhead transparencies, flip charts, whiteboards, and props. The type of visual aid you choose depends on several factors, including the information you wish to display and the size of the audience. Visuals must be appropriate for your message and the audience, and be displayed correctly with ease and confidence.

Objectives

• Select visual aids that are appropriate for your message and the audience.
• Use visual aids correctly with ease and confidence.

Duration: Five to seven minutes

Here's my Project 8 presentation (san the speaker notes):

Toastmasters Project 8: Lazy Person's Guide to Global Warming / Publish on Bukisa

Toastmasters Project 7: Hello, can you hear me?

Project 7: Research Your Topic

Your speech will be more effective if you can support your main points with statistics, testimony, stories, anecdotes, examples, visual aids and facts. You can find this material on the Internet, at a library, and in other places. Use information collected from numerous sources and carefully support points with specific facts, examples and illustrations, rather than with just your own opinions.

The objectives of Project 7 are:

1. Collect information about your topic from numerous sources.
2. Carefully support your points and opinions with specific facts, examples, and illustrations gathered through research.

Duration: 5 - 7 minutes

Hello, can you hear me?

• To read the speech, click here.