Syed Irfan's bookshelf: all en-US Fri, 28 Feb 2025 18:25:10 -0800 60 Syed Irfan's bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg The Lady or the Tiger? 12125412 10 Frank R. Stockton Syed Irfan 0 to-read 3.94 The Lady or the Tiger?
author: Frank R. Stockton
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 3.94
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<![CDATA[Living Proof: Telling Your Story to Make a Difference (Expanded)]]> 26134996
Authored by two expert communication trainers, this easy-to-use handbook has everything you need to decide what to tell, deliver your story effectively and authentically, and give powerful presentations or great media interviews. Living Proof is for anyone who hopes one person's story can move audiences from apathy to empathy to action.

Living Proof contains examples, tools, principles, exercises and worksheets to help prepare speakers at all levels. It's organized so you can work through the book in a weekend, a week, with a course of study or flip to sections most immediately useful. Whether you're just starting out or looking to take your communication skills to the next level, Living Proof provides the grounding, the confidence and guidance needed to advocate with the power of a well-told personal story.]]>
286 John Capecci 0983870349 Syed Irfan 0 to-read 3.42 2012 Living Proof: Telling Your Story to Make a Difference (Expanded)
author: John Capecci
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 3.42
book published: 2012
rating: 0
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Crush It! 11220386
In a world where an Internet video of a piano-playing cat gets more public attention than a multi-million dollar television ad, how can marketers and businesses spread their message? If you can get people to accept, embrace, and adore your ideas, you win. You win financially, you gain power, and you change the world in which we live.

In this enhanced edition of Unleashing the SUPER Ideavirus, Godin outlines the tactics you need to survive and thrive in today's fast-paced information economy and presents inspiring, entertaining examples of brands who changed the world.

About the authorSeth Godin is the author of twelve books that have been bestsellers around the world and changed the way people think about marketing, change and work. His books have been translated into more than 35 languages, and his ebooks are among the most popular ever published. He is responsible for many words in the marketer's vocabulary, including permission marketing, ideaviruses, purple cows, the dip and sneezers. His irrepressible speaking style and no-holds-barred blog have helped him create a large following around the world.]]>
234 Seth Godin 1936321246 Syed Irfan 0 to-read 4.02 2001 Crush It!
author: Seth Godin
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2001
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<![CDATA[Blindsided by the Taliban: A Journalist's Story of War, Trauma, Love, and Loss]]> 39280225
On September 9, 2010, while embedded with an Army unit and talking with locals in a small village in eastern Afghanistan, journalist Carmen Gentile was struck in the face by a rocket-propelled grenade. Inexplicably, the grenade did not explode and Gentile survived, albeit with the right side of his face shattered and blinded in one eye. Making matters worse, his engagement was on the ropes and his fiancĂŠe absent from his bedside.

Blindsided by the Taliban chronicles the author’s numerous missteps and shortcomings while coming to terms with injury and a lost love. Inventive and unprecedented surgeries would ultimately save Gentile’s face and eyesight, but the depression and trauma that followed his physical and emotional injuries proved a much harder recovery. Ultimately, Gentile would find that returning to the front lines and continuing the work he loved was the only way to become whole again.

Gentile recounts the physical and mental recovery which included a month of staring only at the ground on doctors’ orders, a battle with opiate-induced constipation and a history of drug addiction, night terrors born of post-traumatic stress, the Jedi-like powers of General David Petraeus, and finding normalcy under falling mortars in an Afghan valley. The result is an unapologetic, self-deprecating, occasionally cringeworthy, and always candid account of loss and redemption.

Blindsided by the Taliban also features the author’s photos from the field that depict the realities of life in Afghanistan for soldiers and civilians alike.#KissedbytheTaliban]]>
240 Carmen Gentile 1510729704 Syed Irfan 0 to-read 4.10 2018 Blindsided by the Taliban: A Journalist's Story of War, Trauma, Love, and Loss
author: Carmen Gentile
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2018
rating: 0
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Qur'an, The 42422786
The Qur'an, believed by Muslims to be the word of God, was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad 1,400 years ago. It is the supreme authority in Islam and the living source of all Islamic teaching; it is a sacred text and a book of guidance that sets out the creed, rituals, ethics, and laws of the Islamic religion. It has been one of the most influential books in the history of literature.Ěý

Recognized as the greatest literary masterpiece in Arabic, it has nevertheless remained difficult to understand in its English translations. This new translation is written in a contemporary idiom that remains faithful to the original, making it easy to listen to while retaining its powers of eloquence. Archaisms and cryptic language are avoided and the Arabic meaning preserved by respecting the context of the discourse. The message of the Qur'an was directly addressed to all people regardless of class, gender, or age, and this translation is equally accessible to everyone.Ěý

About the series: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.]]>
0 Muhammad A.S. Abdel Haleem 1721373101 Syed Irfan 5 4.20 632 Qur'an, The
author: Muhammad A.S. Abdel Haleem
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 4.20
book published: 632
rating: 5
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<![CDATA[PR for Anyone: 100+ Affordable Ways to Easily Create Buzz for Your Business]]> 18812151
Get Noticed! If you don’t have the budget to generate publicity, Christina Daves---founder of PR for Anyone and successful entrepreneur---provides expert advice on how she appeared in over 50 media outlets in one year The Steve Harvey Show, Dr. Oz, NBC, FOX, CBS, Parenting Magazine, Washington Pos t and more.

Learn How
* Brand your business so your message is consistent.
* Get FREE media exposure!
* Share your message with journalists---efficiently and timely.
* Find the media to get results!
* And so much more!]]>
150 Christina Daves 1630470333 Syed Irfan 0 to-read 4.31 2014 PR for Anyone: 100+ Affordable Ways to Easily Create Buzz for Your Business
author: Christina Daves
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 4.31
book published: 2014
rating: 0
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Guerrilla PR 2.0 4258379 The world's most widely used and seminal introduction to public relations—now fully revised and updated for the 21st century with online strategies that work

Every Fortune 500 corporation, movie star, and scandal queen knows that a good publicist is essential to building success and maintaining public support. But if you're a small business owner, an entrepreneur, or an undercapitalized beginner seeking an edge in a highly competitive arena, it's unlikely that you have your own high-powered publicist.

Guerrilla P.R. 2.0 offers all the resources necessary to mount your own campaign and get the media exposure you need. In clear and concise language, Michael Levine, one of the top public relations counselors in the country, reveals the same procedures he uses every day to get press on major stars—and how those strategies can be utilized on little or no budget. You'll learn how to think like a publicist and map out the perfect strategy for success.

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368 Michael Levine 0061438529 Syed Irfan 0 to-read 3.40 1993 Guerrilla PR 2.0
author: Michael Levine
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 3.40
book published: 1993
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The Doors of Perception 3188964 The Doors of Perception is a philosophical essay, released as a book, by Aldous Huxley. First published in 1954, it details his experiences when taking mescaline.

The book takes the form of Huxley's recollection of a mescaline trip that took place over the course of an afternoon in May 1953. The book takes its title from a phrase in William Blake's 1793 poem 'The Marriage of Heaven and Hell'.

Huxley recalls the insights he experienced, which range from the "purely aesthetic" to "sacramental vision". He also incorporates later reflections on the experience and its meaning for art and religion.]]>
208 Aldous Huxley Syed Irfan 0 to-read 3.91 1956 The Doors of Perception
author: Aldous Huxley
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 3.91
book published: 1956
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<![CDATA[A Force for Good: The Dalai Lama's Vision for Our World]]> 23743731 The Art of Happiness and The Dalai Lama’s Little Book of Inner Peace, the Dalai Lama has guided us along the path to compassion and taught us how to improve our inner lives. In A Force for Good, with the help of his longtime friend Daniel Goleman, the New York Times bestselling author of Emotional Intelligence, the Dalai Lama explains how to turn our compassionate energy outward. This revelatory and inspiring work provides a singular vision for transforming the world in practical and positive ways.
Ěý
Much more than just the most prominent exponent of Tibetan Buddhism, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama is also a futurist who possesses a profound understanding of current events and a remarkable canniness for modern social issues. When he takes the stage worldwide, people listen. A Force for Good combines the central concepts of the Dalai Lama, empirical evidence that supports them, and true stories of people who are putting his ideas into action—showing how harnessing positive energies and directing them outward has lasting and meaningful effects. Goleman details the science of compassion and how this singular guiding motivation has the power to
Ěý
• break such destructive social forces as corruption, collusion, and bias
• heal the planet by refocusing our concerns toward our impact on the systems that support all life
• reverse the tendency toward systemic inequity through transparency and accountability
• replace violence with dialogue
• counter us-and-them thinking by recognizing human oneness
• create new economic systems that work for everyone, not just the powerful and rich
• design schooling that teaches empathy, self-mastery, and ethics
Ěý
Millions of people have turned to the Dalai Lama for his unparalleled insight into living happier, more purposeful lives. Now, when the world needs his guidance more than ever, he shows how every compassion-driven human act—no matter how small—is integral for a more peaceful, harmonious world, building a force for a better future.
Ěý
Revelatory, motivating, and highly persuasive, A Force for Good is arguably the most important work from one of the world’s most influential spiritual and political figures.]]>
272 Daniel Goleman 0553394894 Syed Irfan 0 to-read 4.01 2015 A Force for Good: The Dalai Lama's Vision for Our World
author: Daniel Goleman
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2015
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<![CDATA[Leadership: The Power of Emotional Intelligence]]> 17830125
-Taken from Amazon.com]]>
117 Daniel Goleman 1934441171 Syed Irfan 0 to-read 3.88 2002 Leadership: The Power of Emotional Intelligence
author: Daniel Goleman
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2002
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<![CDATA[Empire: How Britain Made the Modern World]]> 166434 422 Niall Ferguson 0141007540 Syed Irfan 0 to-read 3.92 2003 Empire: How Britain Made the Modern World
author: Niall Ferguson
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2003
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<![CDATA[Islam: A Short History (Modern Library Chronicles)]]> 27306
Islam: A Short History begins with the flight of Muhammad and his family from Medina in the seventh century and the subsequent founding of the first mosques. It recounts the origins of the split between Shii and Sunni Muslims, and the emergence of Sufi mysticism; the spread of Islam throughout North Africa, the Levant, and Asia; the shattering effect on the Muslim world of the Crusades; the flowering of imperial Islam in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries into the world's greatest and most sophisticated power; and the origins and impact of revolutionary Islam. It concludes with an assessment of Islam today and its challenges.

With this brilliant book, Karen Armstrong issues a forceful challenge to those who hold the view that the West and Islam are civilizations set on a collision course. It is also a model of authority, elegance, and economy.]]>
230 Karen Armstrong 081296618X Syed Irfan 0 to-read 4.07 2000 Islam: A Short History (Modern Library Chronicles)
author: Karen Armstrong
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2000
rating: 0
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The International Jew 1413659 300 Henry Ford 1599869179 Syed Irfan 0 to-read 3.92 1920 The International Jew
author: Henry Ford
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 3.92
book published: 1920
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<![CDATA[Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth]]> 17568801 No god but God comes a fascinating, provocative, and meticulously researched biography that challenges long-held assumptions about the man we know as Jesus of Nazareth.

Two thousand years ago, an itinerant Jewish preacher and miracle worker walked across the Galilee, gathering followers to establish what he called the “Kingdom of God.” The revolutionary movement he launched was so threatening to the established order that he was captured, tortured, and executed as a state criminal.

Within decades after his shameful death, his followers would call him God.

Sifting through centuries of mythmaking, Reza Aslan sheds new light on one of history’s most influential and enigmatic characters by examining Jesus through the lens of the tumultuous era in which he lived: first-century Palestine, an age awash in apocalyptic fervor. Scores of Jewish prophets, preachers, and would-be messiahs wandered through the Holy Land, bearing messages from God. This was the age of zealotry—a fervent nationalism that made resistance to the Roman occupation a sacred duty incumbent on all Jews. And few figures better exemplified this principle than the charismatic Galilean who defied both the imperial authorities and their allies in the Jewish religious hierarchy.

Balancing the Jesus of the Gospels against the historical sources, Aslan describes a man full of conviction and passion, yet rife with contradiction; a man of peace who exhorted his followers to arm themselves with swords; an exorcist and faith healer who urged his disciples to keep his identity a secret; and ultimately the seditious “King of the Jews” whose promise of liberation from Rome went unfulfilled in his brief lifetime. Aslan explores the reasons why the early Christian church preferred to promulgate an image of Jesus as a peaceful spiritual teacher rather than a politically conscious revolutionary. And he grapples with the riddle of how Jesus understood himself, the mystery that is at the heart of all subsequent claims about his divinity.

Zealot yields a fresh perspective on one of the greatest stories ever told even as it affirms the radical and transformative nature of Jesus of Nazareth’s life and mission. The result is a thought-provoking, elegantly written biography with the pulse of a fast-paced novel: a singularly brilliant portrait of a man, a time, and the birth of a religion.]]>
296 Reza Aslan 140006922X Syed Irfan 0 to-read 3.83 2013 Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth
author: Reza Aslan
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2013
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<![CDATA[Homo Deus: A History of Tomorrow]]> 31138556 Yuval Noah Harari, author of the critically-acclaimed New York Times bestseller and international phenomenon Sapiens, returns with an equally original, compelling, and provocative book, turning his focus toward humanity’s future, and our quest to upgrade humans into gods.

Over the past century humankind has managed to do the impossible and rein in famine, plague, and war. This may seem hard to accept, but, as Harari explains in his trademark style—thorough, yet riveting—famine, plague and war have been transformed from incomprehensible and uncontrollable forces of nature into manageable challenges. For the first time ever, more people die from eating too much than from eating too little; more people die from old age than from infectious diseases; and more people commit suicide than are killed by soldiers, terrorists and criminals put together. The average American is a thousand times more likely to die from binging at McDonalds than from being blown up by Al Qaeda.

What then will replace famine, plague, and war at the top of the human agenda? As the self-made gods of planet earth, what destinies will we set ourselves, and which quests will we undertake? Homo DeusĚýexplores the projects, dreams and nightmares that will shape the twenty-first century—from overcoming death to creating artificial life. It asks the fundamental questions: Where do we go from here? And how will we protect this fragile world from our own destructive powers? This is the next stage of evolution. This isĚýHomo Deus.

With the same insight and clarity that made Sapiens an international hit and a New York Times bestseller, Harari maps out our future.

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450 Yuval Noah Harari Syed Irfan 0 to-read 4.19 2015 Homo Deus: A History of Tomorrow
author: Yuval Noah Harari
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2015
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Indian Philosophy: Volume I 7029455 664 Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan 019569841X Syed Irfan 0 to-read 4.28 1923 Indian Philosophy: Volume I
author: Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 4.28
book published: 1923
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DMT: The Spirit Molecule 51654 A Doctor's Revolutionary Research into the Biology of Near-Death & Mystical Experiences.
A clinical psychiatrist explores the effects of DMT: A behind-the-scenes look at the cutting edge of psychedelic research.

From 1990 to 1995 Dr. Rick Strassman conducted US DEA-approved clinical research at the University of New Mexico in which he injected 60 volunteers with DMT, one of the most powerful psychedelics known. His detailed account of those sessions is an inquiry into the nature of the human mind and the therapeutic potential of psychedelics. DMT, a plant-derived chemical that is also manufactured by the human brain, consistently produced near-death and mystical experiences. Many volunteers reported convincing encounters with intelligent nonhuman presences, especially "aliens." Nearly all felt that the sessions were among the most profound experiences of their lives.

Strassman's research connects DMT with the pineal gland, considered by Hindus to be the site of the seventh chakra and by RenĂŠ Descartes to be the seat of the soul. DMT: The Spirit Molecule makes the case that DMT, naturally released by the pineal gland, facilitates the soul's movement in and out of the body and is an integral part of the birth and death experiences, as well as the highest states of meditation and even sexual transcendence. Strassman also believes that alien abduction experiences are brought on by accidental releases of DMT. If used wisely, DMT could trigger a period of remarkable progress in the scientific exploration of the most mystical regions of the human mind and soul.]]>
363 Rick Strassman 0892819278 Syed Irfan 0 to-read 4.15 2000 DMT: The Spirit Molecule
author: Rick Strassman
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2000
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<![CDATA[Muhammad: A Biography of the Prophet]]> 27310 290 Karen Armstrong 0062508865 Syed Irfan 0 to-read 4.20 1991 Muhammad: A Biography of the Prophet
author: Karen Armstrong
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 4.20
book published: 1991
rating: 0
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<![CDATA[Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators]]> 51022071
All the while, Farrow and his producer faced a degree of resistance that could not be explained - until now. And a trail of clues revealed corruption and cover-ups from Hollywood, to Washington, and beyond.

This is the untold story of the exotic tactics of surveillance and intimidation deployed by wealthy and connected men to threaten journalists, evade accountability and silence victims of abuse - and it's the story of the women who risked everything to expose the truth and spark a global movement.

Both a spy thriller and a meticulous work of investigative journalism, Catch and Kill breaks devastating new stories about the rampant abuse of power - and sheds far-reaching light on investigations that shook the culture.

In a dramatic account of violence and espionage, Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter Ronan Farrow exposes serial abusers and a cabal of powerful interests hell-bent on covering up the truth, at any cost.]]>
608 Ronan Farrow 0316454133 Syed Irfan 0 to-read 4.33 2019 Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators
author: Ronan Farrow
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2019
rating: 0
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<![CDATA[The Structure of Scientific Revolutions]]> 61539 The Structure of Scientific Revolutions is that kind of book. When it was first published in 1962, it was a landmark event in the history and philosophy of science. Fifty years later, it still has many lessons to teach.

With The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, Kuhn challenged long-standing linear notions of scientific progress, arguing that transformative ideas don’t arise from the day-to-day, gradual process of experimentation and data accumulation but that the revolutions in science, those breakthrough moments that disrupt accepted thinking and offer unanticipated ideas, occur outside of “normal science,” as he called it. Though Kuhn was writing when physics ruled the sciences, his ideas on how scientific revolutions bring order to the anomalies that amass over time in research experiments are still instructive in our biotech age.

This new edition of Kuhn’s essential work in the history of science includes an insightful introduction by Ian Hacking, which clarifies terms popularized by Kuhn, including paradigm and incommensurability, and applies Kuhn’s ideas to the science of today. Usefully keyed to the separate sections of the book, Hacking’s introduction provides important background information as well as a contemporary context. ĚýNewly designed, with an expanded index, this edition will be eagerly welcomed by the next generation of readers seeking to understand the history of our perspectives on science.]]>
226 Thomas S. Kuhn 0226458083 Syed Irfan 0 to-read 4.03 1962 The Structure of Scientific Revolutions
author: Thomas S. Kuhn
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 4.03
book published: 1962
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World War I: The "Great War" 5630230 Running Time: 18hrs 45min]]> 19 Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius 159803152X Syed Irfan 0 to-read 4.33 2006 World War I: The "Great War"
author: Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2006
rating: 0
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<![CDATA[Operation Paperclip: The Secret Intelligence Program that Brought Nazi Scientists to America]]> 17333289 The “remarkable” story of America's secret post-WWII science programs (The Boston Globe), from the New York Times bestselling author of Area 51.

In the chaos following World War II, the U.S. government faced many difficult decisions, including what to do with the Third Reich's scientific minds. These were the brains behind the Nazis' once-indomitable war machine. So began Operation Paperclip, a decades-long, covert project to bring Hitler's scientists and their families to the United States.

Many of these men were accused of war crimes, and others had stood trial at Nuremberg; one was convicted of mass murder and slavery. They were also directly responsible for major advances in rocketry, medical treatments, and the U.S. space program. Was Operation Paperclip a moral outrage, or did it help America win the Cold War?

Drawing on exclusive interviews with dozens of Paperclip family members, colleagues, and interrogators, and with access to German archival documents (including previously unseen papers made available by direct descendants of the Third Reich's ranking members), files obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, and dossiers discovered in government archives and at Harvard University, Annie Jacobsen follows more than a dozen German scientists through their postwar lives and into a startling, complex, nefarious, and jealously guarded government secret of the twentieth century.

In this definitive, controversial look at one of America's most strategic, and disturbing, government programs, Jacobsen shows just how dark government can get in the name of national security.]]>
575 Annie Jacobsen 031622104X Syed Irfan 0 to-read 4.12 2014 Operation Paperclip: The Secret Intelligence Program that Brought Nazi Scientists to America
author: Annie Jacobsen
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2014
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<![CDATA[Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind]]> 23692271 512 Yuval Noah Harari Syed Irfan 0 currently-reading 4.33 2011 Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind
author: Yuval Noah Harari
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2011
rating: 0
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Achieve What Matters in 2017 33027442 Michael Hyatt Syed Irfan 4 4.08 2014 Achieve What Matters in 2017
author: Michael Hyatt
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2016/12/19
date added: 2021/03/28
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<![CDATA[The Fall of the Mughal Empire, 4 Vols. by Jadunath Sarkar (2007-05-04)]]> 24628718 1238 Jadunath Sarkar 8125032452 Syed Irfan 0 to-read 4.32 1972 The Fall of the Mughal Empire, 4 Vols. by Jadunath Sarkar (2007-05-04)
author: Jadunath Sarkar
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 4.32
book published: 1972
rating: 0
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date added: 2021/01/04
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<![CDATA[Inspired: The Secrets of Bob Proctor]]> 11007098
The proctor family shares what they have learned from the Godfather of motivation, Bob Proctor. From his 9 year old grandson relaying how Bob gently explained the meaning of death, to his son's view of money, the Proctor family relay what they have learned from living with Bob Proctor.

The chapters are honest, emotional and funny. They expose Bob Proctor's traits as a dad, husband, grandfather and much more!
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Linda Proctor 1596595833 Syed Irfan 0 to-read 5.00 2009 Inspired: The Secrets of Bob Proctor
author: Linda Proctor
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 5.00
book published: 2009
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date added: 2020/12/19
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<![CDATA[More Bedtime Stories for Cynics (Bedtime Stories for Cynics, #2)]]> 52948271
If children's literature is any guide, we should all be able to magically fall asleep simply by saying goodnight to the things we can see from our beds. But any adult knows that our work anxieties and shameful memories would rather stay up all night and chat. That’s where Offerman and Co. come in—with clever and occasionally downright dark parodies of the classic kids genre. What really happened after Snow White died, from the perspective of the one medically trained dwarf? A naive wizard professor reports back from the trenches of an underprivileged school of magic. A middle-aged man is haunted by the voices of his own aging body. The stories will make you laugh, cry and probably squirm a little.

Performers include: Patrick Stewart, Alia Shawkat, Jane Lynch, Aparna Nancherla, Harry Goaz, Mike Birbiglia, Ellen Page, Rachel Dratch, Gary Anthony Williams, Nicole Byer, and Matt Walsh.

Please note that this audiobook contains explicit content.]]>
176 Nick Offerman Syed Irfan 4 3.20 2019 More Bedtime Stories for Cynics (Bedtime Stories for Cynics, #2)
author: Nick Offerman
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 3.20
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2019/06/01
date added: 2020/04/04
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<![CDATA[The Unfair Advantage: How You Already Have What It Takes to Succeed]]> 44065777
This innovative book shows how to identify your own unfair advantages and apply them to any project. Drawing on over two decades of hands-on experience, including as the first Marketing Director of Just Eat, the authors offer a unique framework for assessing your external circumstances in addition to your internal strengths.

Hard work and grit aren't enough, so this book explores the importance of money, intelligence, location, education, expertise, status and luck in the journey to success. From starting your company, to gaining traction, raising funds and growth hacking, The Unfair Advantage helps you look at yourself and find the ingredients you didn't realise you already had, to succeed in the cut-throat world of business.]]>
256 Ash Ali Syed Irfan 0 3.86 The Unfair Advantage: How You Already Have What It Takes to Succeed
author: Ash Ali
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 3.86
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<![CDATA[Pride and Prejudice: With Quotes That Could Change Your Life]]> 20840291 350 Jane Austen 0615967787 Syed Irfan 0 to-read 4.24 1813 Pride and Prejudice: With Quotes That Could Change Your Life
author: Jane Austen
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 4.24
book published: 1813
rating: 0
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<![CDATA[The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life]]> 28257707 Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9780062457738

In this generation-defining self-help guide, a superstar blogger cuts through the crap to show us how to stop trying to be "positive" all the time so that we can truly become better, happier people.

For decades, we’ve been told that positive thinking is the key to a happy, rich life. "F**k positivity," Mark Manson says. "Let’s be honest, shit is f**ked and we have to live with it." In his wildly popular Internet blog, Manson doesn’t sugarcoat or equivocate. He tells it like it is—a dose of raw, refreshing, honest truth that is sorely lacking today. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**k is his antidote to the coddling, let’s-all-feel-good mindset that has infected American society and spoiled a generation, rewarding them with gold medals just for showing up.

Manson makes the argument, backed both by academic research and well-timed poop jokes, that improving our lives hinges not on our ability to turn lemons into lemonade, but on learning to stomach lemons better. Human beings are flawed and limited—"not everybody can be extraordinary, there are winners and losers in society, and some of it is not fair or your fault." Manson advises us to get to know our limitations and accept them. Once we embrace our fears, faults, and uncertainties, once we stop running and avoiding and start confronting painful truths, we can begin to find the courage, perseverance, honesty, responsibility, curiosity, and forgiveness we seek.

There are only so many things we can give a f**k about so we need to figure out which ones really matter, Manson makes clear. While money is nice, caring about what you do with your life is better, because true wealth is about experience. A much-needed grab-you-by-the-shoulders-and-look-you-in-the-eye moment of real-talk, filled with entertaining stories and profane, ruthless humor, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**k is a refreshing slap for a generation to help them lead contented, grounded lives.]]>
212 Mark Manson Syed Irfan 0 currently-reading 3.87 2016 The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life
author: Mark Manson
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2016
rating: 0
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date added: 2019/12/22
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<![CDATA[Trillion Dollar Coach: The Leadership Playbook of Silicon Valley's Bill Campbell]]> 36501797 #1 Wall Street Journal Bestseller
New York Times Bestseller
USA Today Bestseller

The team behind How Google Works returns with management lessons from legendary coach and business executive, Bill Campbell, whose mentoring of some of our most successful modern entrepreneurs has helped create well over a trillion dollars in market value.

Bill Campbell played an instrumental role in the growth of several prominent companies, such as Google, Apple, and Intuit, fostering deep relationships with Silicon Valley visionaries, including Steve Jobs, Larry Page, and Eric Schmidt. In addition, this business genius mentored dozens of other important leaders on both coasts, from entrepreneurs to venture capitalists to educators to football players, leaving behind a legacy of growing companies, successful people, respect, friendship, and love after his death in 2016.

Leaders at Google for over a decade, Eric Schmidt, Jonathan Rosenberg, and Alan Eagle experienced firsthand how the man fondly known as Coach Bill built trusting relationships, fostered personal growth--even in those at the pinnacle of their careers--inspired courage, and identified and resolved simmering tensions that inevitably arise in fast-moving environments. To honor their mentor and inspire and teach future generations, they have codified his wisdom in this essential guide.

Based on interviews with over eighty people who knew and loved Bill Campbell, Trillion Dollar Coach explains the Coach's principles and illustrates them with stories from the many great people and companies with which he worked. The result is a blueprint for forward-thinking business leaders and managers that will help them create higher performing and faster moving cultures, teams, and companies.]]>
Eric Schmidt 0062839276 Syed Irfan 3 3.93 2019 Trillion Dollar Coach: The Leadership Playbook of Silicon Valley's Bill Campbell
author: Eric Schmidt
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2019
rating: 3
read at: 2019/12/22
date added: 2019/12/22
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Die Trying (Jack Reacher, #2) 220969 Alternate cover for this ISBN can be found here

In a Chicago suburb, a dentist is met in his office parking lot by three men and ordered into the trunk of his Lexus. On a downtown sidewalk, Jack Reacher and an unknown woman are abducted in broad daylight by two men - practiced and confident - who stop them at gunpoint and hustle them into the same sedan. Then Reacher and the woman are switched into a second vehicle and hauled away, leaving the dentist bound and gagged inside his car with the woman's abandoned possessions, two gallons of gasoline. . . and a burning match. The FBI is desperate to rescue the woman, a Special Agent from the Chicago office, because the FBI always - always - takes care of its own, and because this woman is not just another agent. Reacher and the woman join forces, against seemingly hopeless odds, to outwit their captors and escape. But the FBI thinks Jack is one of the kidnappers - and when they close in, the Bureau snipers will be shooting to kill.]]>
567 Lee Child 0515142247 Syed Irfan 4 4.04 1998 Die Trying (Jack Reacher, #2)
author: Lee Child
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 4.04
book published: 1998
rating: 4
read at: 2019/10/15
date added: 2019/12/15
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<![CDATA[Killing Floor (Jack Reacher #1)]]> 78129 474 Lee Child 0515141429 Syed Irfan 4 4.08 1997 Killing Floor (Jack Reacher #1)
author: Lee Child
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 4.08
book published: 1997
rating: 4
read at: 2019/09/10
date added: 2019/09/10
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<![CDATA[History of Aurangzib (Volume 2); Based on Original Sources]]> 7665624 172 Jadunath Sarkar 1150221046 Syed Irfan 0 to-read 4.00 2009 History of Aurangzib (Volume 2); Based on Original Sources
author: Jadunath Sarkar
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2009
rating: 0
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date added: 2019/08/26
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<![CDATA[A History of Jaipur : c 1503-1938]]> 28009465 428 Jadunath Sarkar Syed Irfan 0 to-read 4.00 1984 A History of Jaipur : c 1503-1938
author: Jadunath Sarkar
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 4.00
book published: 1984
rating: 0
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<![CDATA[Aik Siyasat Kai Kahaniyan / ایک سیاست کئی کہانیاں]]> 18306871 390 Rauf Klasra Syed Irfan 4 4.31 2010 Aik Siyasat Kai Kahaniyan / ایک سیاست کئی کہانیاں
author: Rauf Klasra
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 4.31
book published: 2010
rating: 4
read at: 2019/07/29
date added: 2019/07/29
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Game Changer 45363068
In 1996, as a teenager, Afridi shot to fame after hammering the fastest ODI century at the time. One of the world’s greatest all-rounders, today he holds the distinction of having hit the most number of sixes in the history of ODI cricket, scooping the most wickets in T20s and winning the most player-of-the-match awards in the same format.

From his humble beginnings in the mountains of Pakistan’s unruly northwest to the mean streets of Karachi and the county parks of southern England, Afridi tells his life story just the way he bats – instinctively, candidly and with no holds barred. In a career as unpredictable as his leg-break googlies and ‘boom-boom’ power hitting, Afridi has been many things – the lost kid focused on pulling his parents out of poverty, the desperate captain trying not to snitch on his corrupt teammates, the gallant Pashtun centurion staring down a hostile Indian crowd, and the bad boy at the center of a ball-tampering scandal.

In Game Changer, he sets the record straight once and for all. A must-read not only for his legion of fans across the world but also for those interested in cricket and Pakistan’s future.]]>
313 Shahid Afridi 9353026725 Syed Irfan 4 3.42 Game Changer
author: Shahid Afridi
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 3.42
book published:
rating: 4
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date added: 2019/06/01
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Escape from Alcatraz 534279 256 J. Campbell Bruce 1580086780 Syed Irfan 2 3.57 1963 Escape from Alcatraz
author: J. Campbell Bruce
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 3.57
book published: 1963
rating: 2
read at: 2019/05/15
date added: 2019/05/15
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It has had hardly any structure and the technical bits were hard to comprehend. But I had to finish it considering my curiosity about Alcatraz and my fascination with prison breaks (real and metaphorical).
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<![CDATA[The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin]]> 52309
Few men could compare to Benjamin Franklin. Virtually self-taught, he excelled as an athlete, a man of letters, a printer, a scientist, a wit, an inventor, an editor, and a writer, and he was probably the most successful diplomat in American history. David Hume hailed him as the first great philosopher and great man of letters in the New World.]]>
143 Benjamin Franklin 0743255062 Syed Irfan 0 to-read 3.84 1791 The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
author: Benjamin Franklin
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 3.84
book published: 1791
rating: 0
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<![CDATA[Win Bigly: Persuasion in a World Where Facts Don't Matter]]> 34427205 From the creator of Dilbert, an unflinching look at the strategies Donald Trump used to persuade voters to elect the most unconventional candidate in the history of the presidency, and how anyone can learn his methods for succeeding against long odds.

Scott Adams--a trained hypnotist and a lifelong student of persuasion--was one of the earliest public figures to predict Trump's win, doing so a week after Nate Silver put Trump's odds at 2 percent in his FiveThirtyEight.com blog. The mainstream media regarded Trump as a novelty and a sideshow. But Adams recognized in Trump a level of persuasion you only see once in a generation.

Trump triggered massive cognitive dissonance and confirmation bias on both the left and the right. We're hardwired to respond to emotion, not reason. We might listen to 10 percent of a speech--a hand gesture here, a phrase there--and if the right buttons are pushed, we irrationally agree with the speaker and invent reasons to justify that decision after the fact.

The point isn't whether Trump was right or wrong, good or bad. Win Bigly goes beyond politics to look at persuasion tools that can work in any setting--the same ones Adams saw in Steve Jobs when he invested in Apple decades ago. For instance:

- If you need to convince people that something is important, make a claim that's directionally accurate but has a big exaggeration in it. Everyone will spend endless hours talking about how wrong it is while accidentally persuading themselves the issue is a high priority.
- Stop wasting time on elaborate presentations. Inside, you'll learn which components of your messaging matter, and where you can wing it.
- Creating "linguistic kill shots" with persuasion engineering (such as "Low-energy Jeb") can be more powerful than facts and policies.

Adams offers nothing less than "access to the admin passwords to human beings." This is a must-read if you care about persuading others in any field--or if you just want to resist persuasion from others.]]>
304 Scott Adams 0735219710 Syed Irfan 4 3.68 2017 Win Bigly: Persuasion in a World Where Facts Don't Matter
author: Scott Adams
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 3.68
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at: 2019/04/28
date added: 2019/04/28
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Junk 44148094
This title contains explicit language and depictions of physical and sexual violence that may be upsetting to some listeners. Listener discretion is advised.

Š2018 Leslie Bohem (P)2018 Audible Originals, LLC.]]>
10 Les Bohem Syed Irfan 1 2.79 Junk
author: Les Bohem
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 2.79
book published:
rating: 1
read at: 2019/04/14
date added: 2019/04/28
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The writer would be better off writing non-fiction. He is a good writer but he isn't good at fiction IMHO.
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<![CDATA[Finding My Virginity: The New Autobiography]]> 34626372 Global business icon Richard Branson has written many books, but none have been more popular than his first memoir, 1998's Losing My Virginity. Now he's finally publishing his second volume of memoirs, covering all of his fascinating ups and downs of the past two decades.

In the two decades since Richard Branson wrote Losing My Virginity, his life and company have changed significantly. Now he brings his life story up to date, including all the successes and failures of ventures such as Virgin Galactic. He also shares his personal, intimate thoughts on five decades as the world's ultimate entrepreneur, and his shift to focusing more and more on public service. Virginity Regained shows how Branson created hundreds of different companies, going from a houseboat to his own private island. Join him as he juggles working life with raising his children, sustaining his marriage, and creating a unique company culture. Discover how he created a new life on Necker Island, while continuing to grow the Virgin brand into all corners of the world. Get the real story behind his encounters with everyone from Bill Gates and Rupert Murdoch to Nelson Mandela and Beyonce.

Go behind the scenes as Branson creates the world's first commercial spaceline, Virgin Galactic; handles the biggest crisis of his career; and makes world record attempts on land, sea and air. He even discusses what it's like for the original business hippy to become a doting "grand-dude" to his three grandchildren.]]>
471 Richard Branson 0735219427 Syed Irfan 4 4.04 2017 Finding My Virginity: The New Autobiography
author: Richard Branson
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at: 2019/03/19
date added: 2019/04/19
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<![CDATA[Rising to Power: The Journey of Exceptional Executives]]> 21535014
Rising to Power is a time tested, wisdom-packed guide for executives desiring to be exceptional leaders as they navigate their ascent to the highest levels of their organization. Nearly two-thirds of all leaders entering executive roles lack sufficient understanding of what is required and are unprepared for what they will face, which explains why 50 percent of them fail within the first eighteen months.

For decades we have known that failure rates among transitioning executives are too high, causing exorbitant costs, damaged organizations, and stalled careers. Still, little has changed in the way organizations prepare leaders to assume executive positions. Three-fourths of new executives say their organization did not adequately prepare them for the executive office. It doesn't have to be this way.

If you are an executive--or you're aspiring to be one--and considering how you will navigate the ascent in your organization, Rising to Power will serve you like no other resource can. Odds are high you have watched a promising executive fail on their way up. Like many, you scratched your head, wondering, ''Why didn't they see that coming?'' Now you're hoping not to be the next one that falls. Rising to Power will guide you on a predictable journey of ascent, through the transitional moments and issues most common in executive failure. It will bolster your confidence, open your eyes, deepen your insight, and if you let it, reveal your own proclivities for failure that you may not even recognize. Based on a ten-year longitudinal study, Rising to Power offers a profoundly new way of looking at an executive's rise in an organization, and offers an approach to significantly increase yourĚýodds of success.]]>
296 Ron A. Carucci 1626341087 Syed Irfan 0 currently-reading 4.10 2014 Rising to Power: The Journey of Exceptional Executives
author: Ron A. Carucci
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2014
rating: 0
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date added: 2019/04/19
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<![CDATA[This Is How You Pitch: How To Kick Ass In Your First Years of PR]]> 18514750 164 Ed Zitron 0989608018 Syed Irfan 3 Plus at least 2-3 sections of the book seemed to have been used in Ed's other book Fire Your Publicist.
I read the audio version of the book and while Fire Your Publicist's narrator was awesome, this book's narrator wasn't. He kind of sounded like Sylvester Stallone, to be honest.
Still, it's a good read for absolute beginners in PR (which I am not). But the author should do a review of the book and come up with a new and improved version of it. ]]>
3.59 2013 This Is How You Pitch: How To Kick Ass In Your First Years of PR
author: Ed Zitron
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 3.59
book published: 2013
rating: 3
read at: 2019/01/21
date added: 2019/01/21
shelves:
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The chapters on pitching should have been more detailed, and the chapter on social media wasn't too good.
Plus at least 2-3 sections of the book seemed to have been used in Ed's other book Fire Your Publicist.
I read the audio version of the book and while Fire Your Publicist's narrator was awesome, this book's narrator wasn't. He kind of sounded like Sylvester Stallone, to be honest.
Still, it's a good read for absolute beginners in PR (which I am not). But the author should do a review of the book and come up with a new and improved version of it.
]]>
<![CDATA[The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change]]> 36072 372 Stephen R. Covey 0743269519 Syed Irfan 0 currently-reading 4.16 1989 The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change
author: Stephen R. Covey
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 4.16
book published: 1989
rating: 0
read at: 2008/01/01
date added: 2019/01/04
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<![CDATA[Khrushchev: The Man and His Era]]> 18708267

This is the first comprehensive biography of Khrushchev and the first of any Soviet leader to reflect the full range of sources that have become available since the USSR collapsed. Combining a page-turning historical narrative with penetrating political and psychological analysis, this book brims with the life and excitement of a man whose story personified his era.

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929 William Taubman Syed Irfan 0 to-read 4.47 2003 Khrushchev: The Man and His Era
author: William Taubman
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 4.47
book published: 2003
rating: 0
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date added: 2019/01/04
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<![CDATA[Wizard: The Life and Times of Nikola Tesla: Biography of a Genius]]> 16095515 Nikola Tesla (1856–1943), credited as the inspiration for radio, robots, and even radar, has been called the patron saint of modern electricity. Based on original material and previously unavailable documents, this acclaimed book is the definitive biography of the man considered by many to be the founding father of modern electrical technology. Among Tesla's creations were the channeling of alternating current, fluorescent and neon lighting, wireless telegraphy, and the giant turbines that harnessed the power of Niagara Falls.]]> 22 Marc J. Seifer Syed Irfan 4 However, I realize we owe it to Tesla to try to know more about his work.
Great job by the narrator btw.]]>
3.51 1996 Wizard: The Life and Times of Nikola Tesla: Biography of a Genius
author: Marc J. Seifer
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 3.51
book published: 1996
rating: 4
read at: 2019/01/04
date added: 2019/01/04
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If your knowledge of electric/mechanical engineering, physics etc is bad like mine, you will find it to be a difficult read.
However, I realize we owe it to Tesla to try to know more about his work.
Great job by the narrator btw.
]]>
<![CDATA[Affective Neuroscience: The Foundations of Human and Animal Emotions]]> 334755 480 Jaak Panksepp 019517805X Syed Irfan 0 to-read 4.40 1998 Affective Neuroscience: The Foundations of Human and Animal Emotions
author: Jaak Panksepp
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 4.40
book published: 1998
rating: 0
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date added: 2018/12/08
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<![CDATA[The Gulag Archipelago 1918–1956 (Abridged)]]> 70561 The Gulag Archipelago 1918–1956—a grisly indictment of a regime, fashioned here into a veritable literary miracle—has now been updated with a new introduction that includes the fall of the Soviet Union and Solzhenitsyn's move back to Russia.]]> 512 Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn 0060007761 Syed Irfan 0 to-read 4.31 1973 The Gulag Archipelago 1918–1956 (Abridged)
author: Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 4.31
book published: 1973
rating: 0
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date added: 2018/12/07
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<![CDATA[Sun Tzu on the Art of War - A Business Strategy Handbook]]> 523860 Gary Gagliardi 0962950505 Syed Irfan 0 to-read 4.25 Sun Tzu on the Art of War - A Business Strategy Handbook
author: Gary Gagliardi
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 4.25
book published:
rating: 0
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date added: 2018/12/04
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<![CDATA[Throwing Rocks at the Google Bus: How Growth Became the Enemy of Prosperity]]> 25734304 Capital in the Twenty-First Century meets The Second Machine Age in this stunning and optimistic tour de force on the promise and peril of the digital economy, from one of the most brilliant social critics of our time.

Digital technology was supposed to usher in a new age of endless prosperity, but so far it has been used to put industrial capitalism on steroids, making it harder for people and businesses to keep up. Social networks surrender their original missions to more immediately profitable data mining, while brokerage houses abandon value investing for algorithms that drain markets and our 401ks alike--all tactics driven by the need to stoke growth by any means necessary. Instead of taking this opportunity to reprogram our economy for sustainability, we have doubled down on growth as its core command. We have reached the limits of this approach. We must escape the growth trap, once and for all.Ěý

Media scholar and technology author Douglas Rushkoff--one of today's most original and influential thinkers--argues for a new economic program that utilizes the unique distributive power of the internet while breaking free of the winner-take-all system the growth trap leaves in its wake. Drawing on sources both contemporary and historical, Rushkoff pioneers a new understanding of the old economic paradigm, from central currency to debt to corporations and labor.

Most importantly, he offers a series of practical steps for businesses, consumers, investors, and policymakers to remake the economic operating system from the inside out--and prosper along the way. Instead of boycotting Wal-Mart or overtaxing the wealthy, we simply implement strategies that foster the creation of value by stakeholders other than just ourselves. From our currency to our labor to the corporation, every aspect of the economy can be reprogrammed with minimal disruption to create a more equitably distributed prosperity for all.

Inspiring and challenging, Throwing Rocks at the Google Bus provides a pragmatic, optimistic, and human-centered model for economic progress in the digital age.]]>
288 Douglas Rushkoff 1617230170 Syed Irfan 0 to-read 3.80 2016 Throwing Rocks at the Google Bus: How Growth Became the Enemy of Prosperity
author: Douglas Rushkoff
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2016
rating: 0
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<![CDATA[First, Break All the Rules: What the World's Greatest Managers Do Differently]]> 50937 271 Marcus Buckingham 0684852861 Syed Irfan 0 to-read 3.94 1998 First, Break All the Rules: What the World's Greatest Managers Do Differently
author: Marcus Buckingham
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 3.94
book published: 1998
rating: 0
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date added: 2018/11/28
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<![CDATA[The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Performance]]> 15708888
Our recent book 'The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living' was written for health care professionals, championing the benefits of carbohydrate restriction to manage insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, and type-2 diabetes.

In response, our athlete friends asked "What about us?"

This companion book is our answer, and it could be titled: 'The Art and Science of Avoiding the BONK'. But actually, it is much much more than that. The keto-adapted athlete benefits from superior fuel flow not only when nearing glycogen depletion, but also during training, recovery, and in response to resistance exercise as well.

"On a well designed ketogenic diet as recommended by Jeff and Steve, I consume up to 4200 Calories per day while maintaining 6-7% body fat. This transformation has increased my power to mass ratio and allows a high level of performance in a range of activities. Equally if not more important is the efficiency with which I operate in every facet of my life. My energy level in the keto-adapted state is constant and nver undulates." Tony Ricci, MS, CSCS, LDN, CISSN, CNS. High Performance Coach/Sports Nutritionist]]>
174 Jeff S. Volek 0983490759 Syed Irfan 0 to-read, nutrition 4.24 2012 The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Performance
author: Jeff S. Volek
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2012
rating: 0
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date added: 2018/11/27
shelves: to-read, nutrition
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<![CDATA[The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference]]> 2612 The tipping point is that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire. Just as a single sick person can start an epidemic of the flu, so too can a small but precisely targeted push cause a fashion trend, the popularity of a new product, or a drop in the crime rate. This widely acclaimed bestseller, in which Malcolm Gladwell explores and brilliantly illuminates the tipping point phenomenon, is already changing the way people throughout the world think about selling products and disseminating ideas.]]> 301 Malcolm Gladwell 0316346624 Syed Irfan 4 4.01 2002 The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference
author: Malcolm Gladwell
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2002
rating: 4
read at: 2018/11/18
date added: 2018/11/18
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<![CDATA[The Alliance: Managing Talent in the Networked Age]]> 20763746 Introducing the new, realistic loyalty pact between employer and employee.

The employer-employee relationship is broken, and managers face a seemingly impossible dilemma: the old model of guaranteed long-term employment no longer works in a business environment defined by continuous change, but neither does a system in which every employee acts like a free agent.

The solution? Stop thinking of employees as either family or as free agents. Think of them instead as allies .

As a manager you want your employees to help transform the company for the future. And your employees want the company to help transform their careers for the long term. But this win-win scenario will happen only if both sides trust each other enough to commit to mutual investment and mutual benefit. Sadly, trust in the business world is hovering at an all-time low.

We can rebuild that lost trust with straight talk that recognizes the realities of the modern economy. So, paradoxically, the alliance begins with managers acknowledging that great employees might leave the company, and with employees being honest about their own career aspirations.

By putting this new alliance at the heart of your talent management strategy, you’ll not only bring back trust, you’ll be able to recruit and retain the entrepreneurial individuals you need to adapt to a fast-changing world.

These individuals, flexible, creative, and with a bias toward action, thrive when they’re on a specific “tour of duty”—when they have a mission that’s mutually beneficial to employee and company that can be completed in a realistic period of time.

Coauthored by the founder of LinkedIn, this bold but practical guide for managers and executives will give you the tools you need to recruit, manage, and retain the kind of employees who will make your company thrive in today’s world of constant innovation and fast-paced change.]]>
224 Reid Hoffman 1625275773 Syed Irfan 0 to-read 3.78 2014 The Alliance: Managing Talent in the Networked Age
author: Reid Hoffman
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2014
rating: 0
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date added: 2018/11/17
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<![CDATA[Naked Economics: Undressing the Dismal Science (Fully Revised and Updated)]]> 7937510 “Explains our global economy in a way that is (gasp!) actually entertaining.”—Book Magazine

Finally! A book about economics that won’t put you to sleep. In fact, you won’t be able to put this bestseller down. In our challenging economic climate, this perennial favorite of students and general readers is more than a good read, it’s a necessary investment—with a blessedly sure rate of return. Demystifying buzzwords, laying bare the truths behind oft-quoted numbers, and answering the questions you were always too embarrassed to ask, the breezy Naked Economics gives readers the tools they need to engage with pleasure and confidence in the deeply relevant, not so dismal science.

This revised and updated edition adds commentary on hot topics, including the current economic crisis, globalization, the economics of information, the intersection of economics and politics, and the history—and future—of the Federal Reserve.

Also available: Naked Statistics ]]>
384 Charles Wheelan 0393337642 Syed Irfan 0 to-read 4.06 2002 Naked Economics: Undressing the Dismal Science (Fully Revised and Updated)
author: Charles Wheelan
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2002
rating: 0
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date added: 2018/11/17
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<![CDATA[The Genius in All of Us: Why Everything You've Been Told About Genetics, Talent, and IQ Is Wrong]]> 7012191
Ěý

DNA does not make us who we are. “Forget everything you think you know about genes, talent, and intelligence,” he writes. “In recent years, a mountain of scientific evidence has emerged suggesting a completely new paradigm: not talent scarcity, but latent talent abundance.”

Ěý

Integrating cutting-edge research from a wide swath of disciplines—cognitive science, genetics, biology, child development—Shenk offers a highly optimistic new view of human potential. The problem isn't our inadequate genetic assets, but our inability, so far, to tap into what we already have. IQ testing and widespread acceptance of “innate” abilities have created an unnecessarily pessimistic view of humanity—and fostered much misdirected public policy, especially in education.

Ěý

The truth is much more exciting. Genes are not a “blueprint” that bless some with greatness and doom most of us to mediocrity or worse. Rather our individual destinies are a product of the complex interplay between genes and outside stimuli-a dynamic that we, as people and as parents, can influence.

Ěý

This is a revolutionary and optimistic message. We are not prisoners of our DNA. We all have the potential for greatness.]]>
320 David Shenk 0385523653 Syed Irfan 0 to-read 3.86 2010 The Genius in All of Us: Why Everything You've Been Told About Genetics, Talent, and IQ Is Wrong
author: David Shenk
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2010
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<![CDATA[Thinking for a Change: 11 Ways Highly Successful People Approach Life and Work]]> 183602 266 John C. Maxwell 0446692883 Syed Irfan 0 to-read 4.15 Thinking for a Change: 11 Ways Highly Successful People Approach Life and Work
author: John C. Maxwell
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 4.15
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<![CDATA[Fire Your Publicist: The PR and Publicity Secrets That Will Make You and Your Business Famous]]> 37507851 240 Ed Zitron 0989608050 Syed Irfan 4 4.00 Fire Your Publicist: The PR and Publicity Secrets That Will Make You and Your Business Famous
author: Ed Zitron
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 4.00
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<![CDATA[Accessory to War: The Unspoken Alliance Between Astrophysics and the Military]]> 38589832
Spanning early celestial navigation to satellite-enabled warfare, Accessory to War is a richly researched and provocative examination of the intersection of science, technology, industry, and power that will introduce Tyson’s millions of fans to yet another dimension of how the universe has shaped our lives and our world.]]>
576 Neil deGrasse Tyson 0393064441 Syed Irfan 0 to-read 3.55 2018 Accessory to War: The Unspoken Alliance Between Astrophysics and the Military
author: Neil deGrasse Tyson
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 3.55
book published: 2018
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<![CDATA[Astrophysics for People in a Hurry]]> 32191710
But today, few of us have time to contemplate the cosmos. So Tyson brings the universe down to Earth succinctly and clearly, with sparkling wit, in tasty chapters consumable anytime and anywhere in your busy day.]]>
223 Neil deGrasse Tyson 0393609391 Syed Irfan 0 to-read 4.07 2017 Astrophysics for People in a Hurry
author: Neil deGrasse Tyson
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2017
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<![CDATA[The Wealth of Networks: How Social Production Transforms Markets and Freedom]]> 14721 528 Yochai Benkler 0300110561 Syed Irfan 0 to-read 3.97 2006 The Wealth of Networks: How Social Production Transforms Markets and Freedom
author: Yochai Benkler
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2006
rating: 0
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<![CDATA[Change Comes to Dinner: How Vertical Farmers, Urban Growers, and Other Innovators Are Revolutionizing How America Eats]]> 13164592
Change Comes to Dinner takes readers into the farms, markets, organizations, businesses and institutions across America that are pushing for a more sustainable food system in America.

Gustafson introduces food visionaries like Mark Lilly, who turned a school bus into a locally-sourced grocery store in Richmond, Virginia; Gayla Brockman, who organized a program to double the value of food stamps used at Kansas City, Missouri, farmers' markets; Myles Lewis and Josh Hottenstein, who started a business growing vegetables in shipping containers using little water and no soil; and Tony Geraci, who claimed unused land to create the Great Kids Farm, where Baltimore City public school students learn how to grow food and help Geraci decide what to order from local farmers for breakfast and lunch at the city schools.

Change Comes to Dinner is a smart and engaging look into America's food revolution.]]>
288 Katherine Gustafson 0312577370 Syed Irfan 0 to-read 3.83 2012 Change Comes to Dinner: How Vertical Farmers, Urban Growers, and Other Innovators Are Revolutionizing How America Eats
author: Katherine Gustafson
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2012
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<![CDATA[Locavore U.S.A.: How a Local-Food Economy is Changing One Community - A Chapter from the Book Change Comes to Dinner]]> 17827543 Locavore U.S.A. introduces readers to some brave, hard-working souls in western Montana who are building their own such network piece by piece. In the process they are uncovering a key way to transform our industrially dominated food system. The following ebook is taken from the book Change Comes to Dinner.]]> 22 Katherine Gustafson Syed Irfan 0 to-read 3.76 2012 Locavore U.S.A.: How a Local-Food Economy is Changing One Community - A Chapter from the Book Change Comes to Dinner
author: Katherine Gustafson
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2012
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<![CDATA[Content Inc.: How Entrepreneurs Use Content to Build Massive Audiences and Create Radically Successful Businesses]]> 26222932 Survive and thrive in the marketplace without pitching your product. Learn how to build an online content platform that attracts new customers!

Every start-up and entrepreneur struggles to reach and attract customers. Content Inc. introduces a new business model that uncovers how entrepreneurs with limited resources can build a massive online audience as the engine that drives their entire businesses. The book reveals a systematic process any entrepreneur or small business owner can use to dominate the market without initially selling anything at all.

Content marketing expert Joe Pulizzi shows you how to position yourself as an informational leader in your niche and develop content that is as beloved as that coming from any traditional media company.

You’ll discover how to:

Develop a model that creates an audience of future buyers Formulate a plan for social media sharing and search engine optimization Learn the six steps that power today’s fastest growing businesses Catapult your company from micro status to becoming the leading industry player ]]>
353 Joe Pulizzi 1259589668 Syed Irfan 0 to-read 3.94 2015 Content Inc.: How Entrepreneurs Use Content to Build Massive Audiences and Create Radically Successful Businesses
author: Joe Pulizzi
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2015
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<![CDATA[Work Rules!: Insights from Inside Google That Will Transform How You Live and Lead]]> 22875447 From the visionary head of Google's innovative People Operations comes a groundbreaking inquiry into the philosophy of work-and a blueprint for attracting the most spectacular talent to your business and ensuring that they succeed.

"We spend more time working than doing anything else in life. It's not right that the experience of work should be so demotivating and dehumanizing." So says Laszlo Bock, head of People Operations at the company that transformed how the world interacts with knowledge.

This insight is the heart of WORK RULES!, a compelling and surprisingly playful manifesto that offers lessons including:


Take away managers' power over employees
Learn from your best employees-and your worst
Hire only people who are smarter than you are, no matter how long it takes to find them
Pay unfairly (it's more fair!)
Don't trust your gut: Use data to predict and shape the future
Default to open-be transparent and welcome feedback
If you're comfortable with the amount of freedom you've given your employees, you haven't gone far enough.



Drawing on the latest research in behavioral economics and a profound grasp of human psychology, WORK RULES! also provides teaching examples from a range of industries-including lauded companies that happen to be hideous places to work and little-known companies that achieve spectacular results by valuing and listening to their employees. Bock takes us inside one of history's most explosively successful businesses to reveal why Google is consistently rated one of the best places to work in the world, distilling 15 years of intensive worker R&D into principles that are easy to put into action, whether you're a team of one or a team of thousands.

WORK RULES! shows how to strike a balance between creativity and structure, leading to success you can measure in quality of life as well as market share. Read it to build a better company from within rather than from above; read it to reawaken your joy in what you do.

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406 Laszlo Bock 1455554790 Syed Irfan 4 4.11 2015 Work Rules!: Insights from Inside Google That Will Transform How You Live and Lead
author: Laszlo Bock
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2015
rating: 4
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The Confessions 673840 The Confessions is an astonishing work of acute psychological insight. Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-78) argued passionately against the inequality he believed to be intrinsic to civilized society. In his Confessions he relives the first fifty-three years of his radical life with vivid immediacy - from his earliest years, where we can see the source of his belief in the innocence of childhood, through the development of his philosophical and political ideas, his struggle against the French authorities and exile from France following the publication of Émile. Depicting a life of adventure, persecution, paranoia, and brilliant achievement, The Confessions is a landmark work by one of the greatest thinkers of the Enlightenment, which was a direct influence upon the work of Proust, Goethe and Tolstoy among others.]]> 608 Jean-Jacques Rousseau 014044033X Syed Irfan 0 to-read 3.46 1773 The Confessions
author: Jean-Jacques Rousseau
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 3.46
book published: 1773
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<![CDATA[The Desert and the Sea: 977 Days Captive on the Somali Pirate Coast]]> 33544879 Sweetness and Blood, incorporates personal narrative and rigorous investigative journalism in this profound and revelatory memoir of his three-year captivity by Somali pirates—a riveting, thoughtful, and emotionally resonant exploration of foreign policy, religious extremism, and the costs of survival.

In January 2012, having covered a Somali pirate trial in Hamburg for Spiegel Online International—and funded by a grant from the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting—Michael Scott Moore traveled to the Horn of Africa to write about piracy and ways to end it. In a terrible twist of fate, Moore himself was kidnapped and subsequently held captive by Somali pirates. Subjected to conditions that break even the strongest spirits—physical injury, starvation, isolation, terror—Moore’s survival is a testament to his indomitable strength of mind. In September 2014, after 977 days, he walked free when his ransom was put together by the help of several US and German institutions, friends, colleagues, and his strong-willed mother.Ěý

Yet Moore’s own struggle is only part of the story: The Desert and the SeaĚýfalls at the intersection of reportage, memoir, and history. Caught between Muslim pirates, the looming threat of Al-Shabaab, and the rise of ISIS,ĚýMoore observes the worlds that surrounded him—the economics and history of piracy; the effects of post-colonialism; the politics of hostage negotiation and ransom; while also conjuring the various faces of Islam—and places his ordeal in the context of the larger political and historical issues.ĚýĚýĚýĚýĚýĚýĚýĚýĚýĚýĚý

A sort of Catch-22 meets Black Hawk Down, The Desert and the SeaĚýis written with dark humor, candor, and a journalist’s clinical distance and eye for detail. Moore offers an intimate and otherwise inaccessible view of life as we cannot fathom it, brilliantly weaving his own experience as a hostage with the social, economic, religious, and political factors creating it.ĚýThe Desert and the SeaĚýis wildly compelling and a book that will take its place next to titles likeĚýDen of Lions and Even Silence Has an End.]]>
480 Michael Scott Moore 0062449192 Syed Irfan 0 to-read 3.94 2018 The Desert and the Sea: 977 Days Captive on the Somali Pirate Coast
author: Michael Scott Moore
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 3.94
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<![CDATA[The Plot to Destroy Democracy: How Putin and his Spies are Undermining America and Dismantling the West]]> 37506133 A provocative, comprehensive analysis of Vladimir Putin and Russia's master plan to destroy democracy in the age of Donald Trump.

In the greatest intelligence operation in the history of the world, Donald Trump was made President of the United States with the assistance of a foreign power. The Plot to Destroy Democracy reveals the dramatic story of how blackmail, espionage, assassination, and psychological warfare were used by Vladimir Putin and his spy agencies to steal the 2016 U.S. election—and attempted to bring about the fall of NATO, the European Union, and western democracy. The book shows how Russia and its fifth column allies tried to flip the cornerstones of democracy in order to re-engineer the world political order that has kept most of the world free since 1945.

Career U.S. Intelligence officer Malcolm Nance examines how Russia has used cyber warfare, political propaganda, and manipulation of our perception of reality—and will do so again—to weaponize American news, traditional media, social media, and the workings of the internet to attack and break apart democratic institutions from within, and what we can expect to come should we fail to stop their next attack.

Nance uses top secret Russian-sourced political and hybrid warfare strategy documents to demonstrate the master plan to undermine American institutions that has been in effect from the Cold War to the present day. Based on original research and countless interviews with espionage experts, Nance examines how Putin's recent hacking accomplished a crucial first step for destabilizing the West for Russia, and why Putin is just the man to do it.

Nance exposes how Russia has supported the campaigns of right-wing extremists throughout both the U.S. and Europe to leverage an axis of autocracy, and how Putin's agencies have worked since 2010 to bring fringe candidate Donald Trump into elections.

The Plot To Destroy Democracy puts a professional spy lens on Putin's plot and unravels it play-by-play. In the end, he provides a better understanding of why Putin's efforts are a serious threat to our national security and global alliances—in much more than one election—and a blistering indictment of Putin's puppet, President Donald J. Trump.]]>
352 Malcolm W. Nance 0316484814 Syed Irfan 3 4.15 2018 The Plot to Destroy Democracy: How Putin and his Spies are Undermining America and Dismantling the West
author: Malcolm W. Nance
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2018
rating: 3
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<![CDATA[The Science of Mindfulness: A Research-Based Path to Well-Being]]> 29353087 Have you ever noticed that trying to calm down before a high-stakes event often just produces more agitation? That trying to change troublesome habits can seem difficult or impossible? Or that real fulfillment and well-being can be elusive, despite living a successful life?

A surprising number of such difficulties stem from an inherited propensity of the human brain—our automatic, hardwired tendency to seek pleasure and to anticipate and avoid pain. Modern science demonstrates that this mental hardwiring, traceable to the survival needs of our earliest ancestors, is at the root of many of the psychological and behavioral problems that we face today.

For thousands of years, people have used mindfulness practices—techniques to develop awareness of present experience with acceptance—to deal effectively with a wide range of life challenges. And, a large and fascinating body of scientific research now validates the remarkable benefits of mindfulness practice for psychological as well as physical health.

But how exactly does mindfulness work, in scientific terms? How can understanding the science and practice of mindfulness improve everyday life? And how can the human brain, whose very functioning gives rise to so many of the problems we struggle with, actually provide a solution?

Now, in the 24 fascinating lectures of The Science of Mindfulness, Professor Ronald D. Siegel, a clinical psychologist on the faculty of Harvard Medical School, reveals the science behind mindfulness in compelling detail and demonstrates its application to an extraordinary range of human problems—psychological, social, and medical. You’ll closely examine the neurobiology involved, leaving you with a clear knowledge of the science underlying ancient practices that are now profoundly influencing the contemporary world. And you’ll learn many practical ways you can use mindfulness techniques in your own life.]]>
6 Ronald D. Siegel 1598035649 Syed Irfan 0 to-read 4.25 2014 The Science of Mindfulness: A Research-Based Path to Well-Being
author: Ronald D. Siegel
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2014
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<![CDATA[The Psychology of Judgment and Decision Making]]> 226665 302 Scott Plous 0070504776 Syed Irfan 0 to-read 4.17 1993 The Psychology of Judgment and Decision Making
author: Scott Plous
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 4.17
book published: 1993
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<![CDATA[Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking]]> 40102 The Tipping Point a classic, Blink changes the way you'll understand every decision you make. Never again will you think about thinking the same way.

Malcolm Gladwell redefined how we understand the world around us. Now, in Blink, he revolutionizes the way we understand the world within. Blink is a book about how we think without thinking, about choices that seem to be made in an instant - in the blink of an eye - that actually aren't as simple as they seem. Why are some people brilliant decision makers, while others are consistently inept? Why do some people follow their instincts and win, while others end up stumbling into error? How do our brains really work - in the office, in the classroom, in the kitchen, and in the bedroom? And why are the best decisions often those that are impossible to explain to others?

In Blink we meet the psychologist who has learned to predict whether a marriage will last, based on a few minutes of observing a couple; the tennis coach who knows when a player will double-fault before the racket even makes contact with the ball; the antiquities experts who recognize a fake at a glance. Here, too, are great failures of "blink": the election of Warren Harding; "New Coke"; and the shooting of Amadou Diallo by police. Blink reveals that great decision makers aren't those who process the most information or spend the most time deliberating, but those who have perfected the art of "thin-slicing" - filtering the very few factors that matter from an overwhelming number of variables.]]>
296 Malcolm Gladwell 0316010669 Syed Irfan 4 3.97 2005 Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking
author: Malcolm Gladwell
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2005
rating: 4
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<![CDATA[Strategic Planning for Public Relations]]> 19721858 This innovative and popular text provides a clear pathway to developing public relations campaigns and other types of strategic communication. Implementing the pragmatic, in-depth approach of the previous editions, author Ronald D. Smith presents a step-by-step unfolding of the strategic campaign process used in public relations practice. Drawing from his experience in professional practice and in the classroom, Smith walks readers through the critical steps for the formative research, strategic and tactical planning, and plan evaluation phases of the process.



Offering clear explanations, relevant examples, and practical exercises, this text identifies and discusses the decision points and options in the development of a communication program. The cases and examples included here explore classic real-world public relations situations as well as current, timely events. This fourth editionĚýhighlights the results of new research studies on opinions and practices within the discipline, and adds overviews of several award-winning public relations campaigns.



As a classroom text or a resource for professional practice, this volume provides a model that can be adapted to fit specific circumstances and used to improve effectiveness and creativity in communication planning. It serves as an accessible and understandable guide to field-tested procedures, offering practical insights that apply to public relations campaigns and case studies coursework.

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560 Ronald D. Smith Syed Irfan 0 to-read 3.79 2002 Strategic Planning for Public Relations
author: Ronald D. Smith
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2002
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<![CDATA[The One Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results]]> 16256798 The One Thing explains the success habit to overcome the six lies that block our success, beat the seven thieves that steal time, and leverage the laws of purpose, priority, and productivity.]]> 240 Gary Keller 1885167776 Syed Irfan 4 4.11 2012 The One Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results
author: Gary Keller
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2012
rating: 4
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<![CDATA[The One Page Marketing Funnel: Use This Simple Template to Generate 2-10X More Leads With Zero Tech Overwhelm]]> 29479975 60 Aaron Fletcher Syed Irfan 0 currently-reading 4.50 The One Page Marketing Funnel: Use This Simple Template to Generate 2-10X More Leads With Zero Tech Overwhelm
author: Aaron Fletcher
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 4.50
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<![CDATA[Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything]]> 1202
These may not sound like typical questions for an economist to ask. But Steven D. Levitt is not a typical economist. He is a much heralded scholar who studies the stuff and riddles of everyday life -- from cheating and crime to sports and child rearing -- and whose conclusions regularly turn the conventional wisdom on its head. He usually begins with a mountain of data and a simple, unasked question. Some of these questions concern life-and-death issues; others have an admittedly freakish quality. Thus the new field of study contained in this book: freakonomics.

Through forceful storytelling and wry insight, Levitt and co-author Stephen J. Dubner show that economics is, at root, the study of incentives -- how people get what they want, or need, especially when other people want or need the same thing. In Freakonomics, they set out to explore the hidden side of ... well, everything. The inner workings of a crack gang. The truth about real-estate agents. The myths of campaign finance. The telltale marks of a cheating schoolteacher. The secrets of the Ku Klux Klan.

What unites all these stories is a belief that the modern world, despite a surfeit of obfuscation, complication, and downright deceit, is not impenetrable, is not unknowable, and -- if the right questions are asked -- is even more intriguing than we think. All it takes is a new way of looking. Steven Levitt, through devilishly clever and clear-eyed thinking, shows how to see through all the clutter.

Freakonomics establishes this unconventional premise: If morality represents how we would like the world to work, then economics represents how it actually does work. It is true that readers of this book will be armed with enough riddles and stories to last a thousand cocktail parties. But Freakonomics can provide more than that. It will literally redefine the way we view the modern world.
(front flap)]]>
268 Steven D. Levitt 0061234001 Syed Irfan 4 If you are a contrarian, are able to dive deep into a subject, and don't trust the views of the majority when it comes to most issues, you must read this book. ]]> 4.01 2005 Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything
author: Steven D. Levitt
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2005
rating: 4
read at: 2018/05/20
date added: 2018/05/20
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I loved it. Tons of lessons on how to find stories hidden within data, and to be more analytical in our approach. I am ordering 3 other books of the same authors soon.
If you are a contrarian, are able to dive deep into a subject, and don't trust the views of the majority when it comes to most issues, you must read this book.
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<![CDATA[SuperFreakonomics: Global Cooling, Patriotic Prostitutes And Why Suicide Bombers Should Buy Life Insurance]]> 6402364
Four years in the making, SuperFreakonomics asks not only the tough questions, but the unexpected ones: What's more dangerous, driving drunk or walking drunk? Why is chemotherapy prescribed so often if it's so ineffective? Can a sex change boost your salary?

SuperFreakonomics challenges the way we think all over again, exploring the hidden side of everything with such questions as:

How is a street prostitute like a department-store Santa?
Why are doctors so bad at washing their hands?
How much good do car seats do?
What's the best way to catch a terrorist?
Did TV cause a rise in crime?
What do hurricanes, heart attacks, and highway deaths have in common?
Are people hard-wired for altruism or selfishness?
Can eating kangaroo save the planet?
Which adds more value: a pimp or a Realtor?

Levitt and Dubner mix smart thinking and great storytelling like no one else, whether investigating a solution to global warming or explaining why the price of oral sex has fallen so drastically. By examining how people respond to incentives, they show the world for what it really is – good, bad, ugly, and, in the final analysis, super freaky.

Freakonomics has been imitated many times over – but only now, with SuperFreakonomics, has it met its match.]]>
270 Steven D. Levitt 0060889578 Syed Irfan 0 to-read 4.00 2009 SuperFreakonomics: Global Cooling, Patriotic Prostitutes And Why Suicide Bombers Should Buy Life Insurance
author: Steven D. Levitt
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2009
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<![CDATA[The Code of the Extraordinary Mind: 10 Unconventional Laws to Redefine Your Life and Succeed On Your Own Terms]]> 26114571
Learn to think like the greatest creative minds of our era—to question, challenge, and create new rules for your ideas of love, education, spirituality, work, happiness, and meaning. The Code of the Extraordinary Mind is a blueprint for retraining our minds to hack everything—how we work, love, parent, and heal—and learn to succeed on our own terms.

No matter where you’re starting from, you can build a life that’s truly extraordinary and make a dent in the universe. In this book, you will learn to bend reality, question the brules, transcend the culturescape, embrace your quest, practice consciousness engineering, live in blissipline, and push humanity forward. You will question your limits and realize that there are none. Your understanding of the world around you and your place in it will change, and you will find yourself operating at a new, extraordinary level in every way—with happiness, purpose, fulfillment, and love.]]>
288 Vishen Lakhiani 1623367085 Syed Irfan 2 4.00 2016 The Code of the Extraordinary Mind: 10 Unconventional Laws to Redefine Your Life and Succeed On Your Own Terms
author: Vishen Lakhiani
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2016
rating: 2
read at: 2018/05/04
date added: 2018/05/10
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Something was off. I am not sure what it was, but I didn't really enjoy the book too much.
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Rethinking Ibn 'Arabi 39838155
Lipton juxtaposes Ibn `Arabi's absolutist conception with the later reception of his ideas, exploring how they have been read, appropriated, and universalized within the reigning interpretive field of Perennial Philosophy in the study of Sufism. The contours that surface through this comparative analysis trace the discursive practices that inform Ibn `Arabi's Western reception back to the eighteenth and nineteenth century study of "authentic" religion, where European ethno-racial superiority was wielded against the Semitic Other-both Jewish and Muslim. Lipton argues that supersessionist models of exclusivism are buried under contemporary Western constructions of religious authenticity in ways that ironically mirror Ibn `Arabi's medieval absolutism.]]>
304 Gregory A. Lipton 0190684526 Syed Irfan 0 to-read 4.10 Rethinking Ibn 'Arabi
author: Gregory A. Lipton
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 4.10
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<![CDATA[The Idea Factory: Bell Labs and the Great Age of American Innovation]]> 13119596 The definitive history of America’s greatest incubator of innovation and the birthplace of some of the 20th century’s most influential technologies“Filled with colorful characters and inspiring lessons . . .ĚýThe Idea FactoryĚýexplores one of the most critical issues of our What causes innovation?” —Walter Isaacson,ĚýThe New York Times Book Review“Compelling . . . Gertner's book offers fascinating evidence for those seeking to understand how a society should best invest its research resources.”Ěý—The Wall Street JournalFrom its beginnings in the 1920s until its demise in the 1980s, Bell Labs-officially, the research and development wing of AT&T-was the biggest, and arguably the best, laboratory for new ideas in the world. From the transistor to the laser, from digital communications to cellular telephony, it's hard to find an aspect of modern life that hasn't been touched by Bell Labs. In The Idea Factory, Jon Gertner traces the origins of some of the twentieth century's most important inventions and delivers a riveting and heretofore untold chapter of American history. At its heart this is a story about the life and work of a small group of brilliant and eccentric men-Mervin Kelly, Bill Shockley, Claude Shannon, John Pierce, and Bill Baker-who spent their careers at Bell Labs. Today, when the drive to invent has become a mantra, Bell Labs offers us a way to enrich our understanding of the challenges and solutions to technological innovation. Here, after all, was where the foundational ideas on the management of innovation were born.]]> 432 Jon Gertner 1101561084 Syed Irfan 0 to-read 4.36 2012 The Idea Factory: Bell Labs and the Great Age of American Innovation
author: Jon Gertner
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 4.36
book published: 2012
rating: 0
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date added: 2018/04/13
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<![CDATA[The Miracle of Mindfulness: An Introduction to the Practice of Meditation]]> 95747 Thich Nhat Hanhs enkla, rättframma stil gür rakt in i hjärtat och fÜrmedlar en stark känsla av sinnesnärvaro. Han vet hur man gÜr fÜr att släppa taget om alla tankar som driver oss hit och dit och hindrar oss frün att vara närvarande i stunden.
Praktiska Üvningar varvas med enkla berättelser ur vardagen som visar att vi alltid kan välja att fokusera pü det väsentliga och därmed fünga nuet. Thich Nhat Hanh lär oss att diska varje kopp och tallrik varsamt, som om de vore heliga ting. Pü kÜpet lär vi oss att se värdet i vardagliga gÜromül och finna ro i oss själva.
Han delar ocksü med sig av meditationsÜvningar som leder oss inüt mot vürt autentiska jag. Vi är stÜrre än vad vi tror och genom att iaktta och släppa taget om negativa tankar och fÜreställningar kan vi sü smüningom leva ett mer medvetet och glädjefyllt liv.]]>
140 Thich Nhat Hanh 0807012394 Syed Irfan 4 4.20 1975 The Miracle of Mindfulness: An Introduction to the Practice of Meditation
author: Thich Nhat Hanh
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 4.20
book published: 1975
rating: 4
read at: 2018/04/12
date added: 2018/04/12
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<![CDATA[Profitable Podcasting: Grow Your Business, Expand Your Platform, and Build a Nation of True Fans]]> 33198964 The secret to making money in podcasting

The word is out: content marketing is king. But when nearly every business has a blog, it's tough to stand out. The real secret is that there's a much better tool for spreading influence and generating revenue—one with far less competition.

Podcasting offers rich opportunities, especially if you get in early and do it right. Based on the author's experience building a $2 million venture from scratch, Profitable Podcastinglays out the precise formula for creating, launching, marketing and monetizing podcasts in any industry. Packed with priceless production help, software recommendations, web and social strategies, schedules, checklists, and examples, this indispensable guide explains exactly how to:

Plan your podcast strategy ● Choose the ideal format for your show ● Be a great host ● Get the best guests ● Mastermind interview questions ● Record and edit interviews like a pro ● Navigate Libsyn, iTunes, Stitcher, and Sound Cloud with ease ● Maximize buzz for the launch ● Secure generous sponsorship ● Achieve top rankings fast ● Win fans ● And more

It's true podcasting may take more technical knowledge than other marketing and sales efforts, but lucrative rewards await once you conquer the learning curve. Profitable Podcasting gets you to the payoff quickly and painlessly.

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272 Stephen Woessner 0814438288 Syed Irfan 4 3.89 Profitable Podcasting: Grow Your Business, Expand Your Platform, and Build a Nation of True Fans
author: Stephen Woessner
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 3.89
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2018/04/12
date added: 2018/04/12
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<![CDATA[Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: Techniques for Retraining Your Brain]]> 39067892
The answers to these questions - and the path to lasting change in your life - lie in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), a well-tested collection of practical techniques for managing moods and modifying undesirable behaviors through self-awareness, critical analysis, and goal-oriented change. CBT illuminates the links between thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and physical health and uses those connections to develop concrete plans for self-improvement. Built on a solid foundation of neurological and behavioral research, CBT is an approach almost anyone can use for promoting greater mental health and improving quality of life.

In 24 engaging half-hour lectures, you'll build a robust and effective self-improvement toolkit with the expert guidance of Professor Satterfield of the University of California, San Francisco. You will explore CBT's roots in Socratic and stoic philosophy, build a toolkit of CBT techniques, and hear about the latest research about its outcomes. Additionally this intriguing and practical course allows you to take on the role of medical student, physician, psychologist, and patient.

Throughout the course you'll explore issues that cause people to seek out therapy. In some cases you'll get to hear Dr. Satterfield working with a patient, and in others you'll be delving into research to find what causes issues and how CBT helps to resolve them.

Everyone has something about their life that they would like to improve. With the tools in CBT and the desire to make your situation better, you can create lasting change in your life.]]>
Jason M. Satterfield 1629971359 Syed Irfan 3 4.06 2015 Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: Techniques for Retraining Your Brain
author: Jason M. Satterfield
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2015
rating: 3
read at: 2017/07/29
date added: 2018/04/07
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Unshakeable 33965707
Building upon the principles in Money: Master the Game, Robbins offers the reader specific steps they can implement to protect their investments while maximizing their wealth. It's a detailed guide designed for investors, articulated in the common-sense, practical manner that the millions of loyal Robbins fans and students have come to expect and rely upon.

Few have navigated the turbulence of the stock market as adeptly and successfully as Tony Robbins. His proven, consistent success over decades makes him singularly qualified to help investors (both seasoned and first-timers alike) preserve and add to their investments.]]>
256 Anthony Robbins 1471164934 Syed Irfan 0 to-read 4.05 2017 Unshakeable
author: Anthony Robbins
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2017
rating: 0
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Tools of Titans 30820956 The latest groundbreaking book from Tim Ferriss, the #1 New York Times best-selling author of The 4-Hour Workweek.
Ěý
From the author:
Ěý
“For the last two years, I’ve interviewed nearly two hundred world-class performers for my podcast, The Tim Ferriss Show. The guests range from super celebs (Jamie Foxx, Arnold Schwarzenegger, etc.) and athletes (icons of powerlifting, gymnastics, surfing, etc.) to legendary Special Operations commanders and black-market biochemists. For most of my guests, it’s the first time they’ve agreed to a two-to-three-hour interview, and the show is on the cusp ofĚýpassing 100 million downloads.
Ěý
“This book contains the distilled tools, tactics, and ‘inside baseball’ you won’t find anywhere else. It also includes new tips from past guests, and life lessons from new ‘guests’ you haven’t met.
Ěý
“What makes the show different is a relentless focus on actionable details. This is reflected in the questions. For example: What do these people do in the first sixty minutes of each morning? What do their workout routines look like, and why? What books have they gifted most to other people? What are the biggest wastes of time for novices in their field? What supplements do they take on a daily basis?
Ěý
“I don’t view myself as an interviewer. I view myself as an experimenter. If I can’t test something and replicate results in the messy reality of everyday life, I’m not interested.
Ěý
“Everything within these pages has been vetted, explored, and applied to my own life in some fashion. I’ve used dozens of the tactics and philosophies in high-stakes negotiations, high-risk environments, or large business dealings. The lessons have made me millions of dollars and saved me years of wasted effort and frustration.
Ěý
“I created this book, my ultimate notebook of high-leverage tools, for myself. It’s changed my life, and I hope the same for you.”]]>
673 Timothy Ferriss 1328683788 Syed Irfan 0 to-read 4.23 2016 Tools of Titans
author: Timothy Ferriss
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2016
rating: 0
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<![CDATA[Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy]]> 32938155
After the sudden death of her husband, Sheryl Sandberg felt certain that she and her children would never feel pure joy again. “I was in ‘the void,’” she writes, “a vast emptiness that fills your heart and lungs and restricts your ability to think or even breathe.” Her friend Adam Grant, a psychologist at Wharton, told her there are concrete steps people can take to recover and rebound from life-shattering experiences. We are not born with a fixed amount of resilience. It is a muscle that everyone can build.
Option B combines Sheryl’s personal insights with Adam’s eye-opening research on finding strength in the face of adversity. Beginning with the gut-wrenching moment when she finds her husband, Dave Goldberg, collapsed on a gym floor, Sheryl opens up her heart—and her journal—to describe the acute grief and isolation she felt in the wake of his death. But Option B goes beyond Sheryl’s loss to explore how a broad range of people have overcome hardships including illness, job loss, sexual assault, natural disasters, and the violence of war. Their stories reveal the capacity of the human spirit to persevere . . . and to rediscover joy.
Resilience comes from deep within us and from support outside us. Even after the most devastating events, it is possible to grow by finding deeper meaning and gaining greater appreciation in our lives. Option B illuminates how to help others in crisis, develop compassion for ourselves, raise strong children, and create resilient families, communities, and workplaces. Many of these lessons can be applied to everyday struggles, allowing us to brave whatever lies ahead. Two weeks after losing her husband, Sheryl was preparing for a father-child activity. “I want Dave,” she cried. Her friend replied, “Option A is not available,” and then promised to help her make the most of Option B.
We all live some form of Option B. This book will help us all make the most of it.]]>
240 Sheryl Sandberg 0753548283 Syed Irfan 0 to-read 3.81 2017 Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy
author: Sheryl Sandberg
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2017
rating: 0
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<![CDATA[Waiting for the Punch: Words to Live by from the WTF Podcast]]> 33898867 WTF with Marc Maron comes a book of intimate, hilarious and life changing conversations with some of the funniest, and most important people in the world like you’ve never heard them before. Waiting for the Punch features the stories and thoughts of such luminaries as Amy Schumer, Mel Brooks, Will Ferrell, Amy Poehler, Sir Ian McKellen, Lorne Michels, Judd Apatow, Lena Dunham, Jimmy Fallon, RuPaul, Louis CK, David Sedaris, Bruce Springsteen, and President Obama.

This book is not simply a collection of these interviews, but instead something more wondrous: a running narrative of the world’s most recognizable names working through the problems, doubts, joys, triumphs, and failures we all experience. With each chapter covering a different topic: parenting, childhood, relationships, sexuality, success, failures and others, Punch becomes a sort of everyman’s guide to life. Barack Obama candidly discusses the challenges of the presidency, and the bittersweet moments of seeing your children grow up. Amy Schumer recounts the pain of her parents’ divorce. Molly Shannon uproariously remembers the time she and her best friend hopped a plane from Ohio to New York City when they were twelve on a dare. Amy Poehler dishes on why just because you become a parent doesn’t mean you have to like anybody else’s kids but your own. Bruce Springsteen expounds on the dual nature of desperation to both motivate and devastate.

Full of stories that are at once laugh-out loud funny, heartbreakingly honest, joyous, tragic and powerful, Waiting for the Punch is a book to be read from cover to cover, but it is also one to return to again and again.]]>
416 Marc Maron 1250088887 Syed Irfan 0 to-read 3.97 2017 Waiting for the Punch: Words to Live by from the WTF Podcast
author: Marc Maron
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2017
rating: 0
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<![CDATA[Stephen Colbert's Midnight Confessions]]> 34853119
Based on his popular segment from The Late Show, Stephen Colbert and his team of writers now reveal his most shameful secrets to millions (although, actually, he'd like you not to tell anyone). Midnight Confessions is a collection of Stephen Colbert at his most brilliant and irreverent.]]>
208 Stephen Colbert 1501169009 Syed Irfan 0 to-read 3.55 2017 Stephen Colbert's Midnight Confessions
author: Stephen Colbert
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 3.55
book published: 2017
rating: 0
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date added: 2018/04/03
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<![CDATA[Revolution for Dummies: Laughing Through the Arab Spring]]> 30653928 The Program, the most popular television show in Egypt’s history—chronicles his transformation from heart surgeon to political satirist, and offers crucial insight into the Arab Spring, the Egyptian Revolution, and the turmoil roiling the modern Middle East.

Bassem Youssef’s incendiary satirical news program, Al-Bernameg (The Program), chronicled the events of the 2011 Egyptian Revolution, the fall of President Hosni Mubarak, and the rise of Mubarak’s successor, Mohamed Morsi. Youssef not only captured his nation’s dissent but stamped it with his own brand of humorous political criticism, in which the Egyptian government became the prime laughing stock.

So potent were Youssef’s skits, jokes, and commentary, the authoritarian government accused him of insulting the Egyptian presidency and Islam. After a six-hour long police interrogation, Youssef was released. While his case was eventually dismissed, his television show was terminated, and Youssef, fearful for his safety, fled his homeland.

In Revolution for Dummies, Youssef recounts his life and offers hysterical riffs on the hypocrisy, instability, and corruption that has long animated Egyptian politics. From the attempted cover-up of the violent clashes in Tahrir Square to the government’s announcement that it had created the world’s first "AIDS cure" machine, to the conviction of officials that Youssef was a CIA operative—recruited by Jon Stewart—to bring down the country through sarcasm. There’s much more—and it’s all insanely true.

Interweaving the dramatic and inspiring stories of the development of his popular television show and his rise as the most contentious funny-man in Egypt, Youssef’s humorous, fast-paced takes on dictatorship, revolution, and the unforeseeable destiny of democracy in the Modern Middle East offers much-needed hope and more than a few healing laughs.]]>
304 Bassem Youssef 0062446894 Syed Irfan 0 to-read 4.34 2017 Revolution for Dummies: Laughing Through the Arab Spring
author: Bassem Youssef
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2017
rating: 0
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<![CDATA[The Awkward Thoughts of W. Kamau Bell: Tales of a 6' 4", African American, Heterosexual, Cisgender, Left-Leaning, Asthmatic, Black and Proud Blerd, Mama's Boy, Dad, and Stand-Up Comedian]]> 32337904 The New York Times or The New Yorker, about his intersectional progressivism gimmick: he treats racial, gay, and women's issues as inseparable.

The Awkward Thoughts of W. Kamau Bell is a humorous, well-informed take on the world today, tackling a wide range of evergreen issues, such as race relations; fatherhood; the state of law enforcement today; comedians and superheroes; right-wing politics; failure; his interracial marriage; his upbringing by very strong-willed, race-conscious, yet ideologically opposite parents; his early days struggling to find his comedic voice, then his later days struggling to find his comedic voice; why he never seemed to fit in with the Black comedy scene . . . or the white comedy scene; how he was a Black nerd way before that became a thing; how it took his wife and an East Bay lesbian to teach him that racism and sexism often walk hand in hand; and much, much more.
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340 W. Kamau Bell 1101985879 Syed Irfan 0 to-read 3.98 2017 The Awkward Thoughts of W. Kamau Bell: Tales of a 6' 4", African American, Heterosexual, Cisgender, Left-Leaning, Asthmatic, Black and Proud Blerd, Mama's Boy, Dad, and Stand-Up Comedian
author: W. Kamau Bell
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2017
rating: 0
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date added: 2018/04/03
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<![CDATA[The Daily Show: An Oral History as Told by Jon Stewart, the Correspondents, Staff and Guests]]> 29214727 The complete, uncensored history of the award-winning The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, as told by its correspondents, writers, and host.

For almost seventeen years, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart brilliantly redefined the borders between television comedy, political satire, and opinionated news coverage. It launched the careers of some of today's most significant comedians, highlighted the hypocrisies of the powerful, and garnered 23 Emmys. Now the show's behind-the-scenes gags, controversies, and camaraderie will be chronicled by the players themselves, from legendary host Jon Stewart to the star cast members and writers-including Samantha Bee, Stephen Colbert, John Oliver, Steve Carell, Lewis Black, Jessica Williams, John Hodgman, and Larry Wilmore-plus some of The Daily Show's most prominent guests and adversaries: John and Cindy McCain, Glenn Beck, Tucker Carlson, and many more.

This oral history takes the reader behind the curtain for all the show's highlights, from its origins as Comedy Central's underdog late-night program hosted by Craig Kilborn to Jon Stewart's long reign to Trevor Noah's succession, rising from a scrappy jester in the 24-hour political news cycle to become part of the beating heart of politics-a trusted source for not only comedy but also commentary, with a reputation for calling bullshit and an ability to effect real change in the world.

Through years of incisive election coverage, Jon Stewart's emotional monologue in the wake of 9/11, his infamous confrontation on Crossfire, passionate debates with President Obama and Hillary Clinton, feuds with Bill O'Reilly and Fox, the Indecisions, Mess O'Potamia, and provocative takes on Wall Street and racism The Daily Show has been a cultural touchstone. Now, for the first time, the people behind the show's seminal moments come together to share their memories of the last-minute rewrites, improvisations, pranks, romances, blow-ups, and moments of Zen both on and off the set of one of America's most groundbreaking shows.]]>
480 Chris Smith 1455565385 Syed Irfan 0 to-read 4.16 2016 The Daily Show: An Oral History as Told by Jon Stewart, the Correspondents, Staff and Guests
author: Chris Smith
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2016
rating: 0
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<![CDATA[Churchill's Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare: The Mavericks Who Plotted Hitler's Defeat]]> 29635592 Six gentlemen, one goal: the destruction of Hitler's war machine

In the spring of 1939, a top-secret organization was founded in London: its purpose was to plot the destruction of Hitler's war machine through spectacular acts of sabotage.

The guerrilla campaign that followed was every bit as extraordinary as the six men who directed it. One of them, Cecil Clarke, was a maverick engineer who had spent the 1930s inventing futuristic caravans. Now, his talents were put to more devious use: he built the dirty bomb used to assassinate Hitler's favorite, Reinhard Heydrich. Another, William Fairbairn, was a portly pensioner with an unusual passion: he was the world's leading expert in silent killing, hired to train the guerrillas being parachuted behind enemy lines. Led by dapper Scotsman Colin Gubbins, these men—along with three others—formed a secret inner circle that, aided by a group of formidable ladies, single-handedly changed the course Second World War: a cohort hand-picked by Winston Churchill, whom he called his Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare.

Giles Milton's Churchill's Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is a gripping and vivid narrative of adventure and derring-do that is also, perhaps, the last great untold story of the Second World War.

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368 Giles Milton 1250119022 Syed Irfan 0 to-read 4.24 2016 Churchill's Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare: The Mavericks Who Plotted Hitler's Defeat
author: Giles Milton
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2016
rating: 0
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Leonardo da Vinci 34684622 600 Walter Isaacson 1501139150 Syed Irfan 0 to-read 4.19 2017 Leonardo da Vinci
author: Walter Isaacson
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2017
rating: 0
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<![CDATA[My Lovely Wife in the Psych Ward]]> 31371728
A story of the fragility of the mind and the tenacity of the human spirit, My Lovely Wife in the Psych Ward is, above all, a love story that raises profound questions: How do we care for the people we love? What and whom do we live for?]]>
305 Mark Lukach 006242291X Syed Irfan 0 to-read 4.06 2017 My Lovely Wife in the Psych Ward
author: Mark Lukach
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2017
rating: 0
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<![CDATA[I Can't Make This Up: Life Lessons]]> 33347428 INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

Superstar comedian and Hollywood box office star Kevin Hart turns his immense talent to the written word by writing some words. Some of those words include: the, a, for, above, and even even. Put them together and you have the funniest, most heartfelt, and most inspirational memoir on survival, success, and the importance of believing in yourself since Old Yeller.

The question you’re probably asking yourself right now is: What does Kevin Hart have that a book also has?

According to the three people who have seen Kevin Hart and a book in the same room, the answer is clear:

A book is compact. Kevin Hart is compact.

A book has a spine that holds it together. Kevin Hart has a spine that holds him together.

A book has a beginning. Kevin Hart’s life uniquely qualifies him to write this book by also having a beginning.

It begins in North Philadelphia. He was born an accident, unwanted by his parents. His father was a drug addict who was in and out of jail. His brother was a crack dealer and petty thief. And his mother was overwhelmingly strict, beating him with belts, frying pans, and his own toys.

The odds, in short, were stacked against our young hero, just like the odds that are stacked against the release of a new book in this era of social media (where Hart has a following of over 100 million, by the way).

But Kevin Hart, like Ernest Hemingway, JK Rowling, and Chocolate Droppa before him, was able to defy the odds and turn it around. In his literary debut, he takes the reader on a journey through what his life was, what it is today, and how he’s overcome each challenge to become the man he is today.

And that man happens to be the biggest comedian in the world, with tours that sell out football stadiums and films that have collectively grossed over $3.5 billion.

He achieved this not just through hard work, determination, and talent: It was through his unique way of looking at the world. Because just like a book has chapters, Hart sees life as a collection of chapters that each person gets to write for himself or herself.

“Not only do you get to choose how you interpret each chapter, but your interpretation writes the next chapter,” he says. “So why not choose the interpretation that serves your life the best?”]]>
378 Kevin Hart 1501155563 Syed Irfan 4 4.08 2017 I Can't Make This Up: Life Lessons
author: Kevin Hart
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at: 2018/04/03
date added: 2018/04/03
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I loved it. Brutally honest and highly inspirational. He is authentic and doesn't shy away from sharing his dark side. Plus, the icing on the cake for me was his impeccable business and marketing knowledge and tactics. A must-read!
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<![CDATA[The Dilbert Principle: A Cubicle's-Eye View of Bosses, Meetings, Management Fads & Other Workplace Afflictions]]> 85574 Dilbert, the fastest-growing comic strip in the nation (syndicated in nearly 1000 newspapers), takes a look at corporate America in all its glorious lunacy. Lavishly illustrated with Dilbert strips, these hilarious essays on incompetent bosses, management fads, bewildering technological changes and so much more, will make anyone who has ever worked in an office laugh out loud in recognition. The Dilbert Principle: The most ineffective workers will be systematically moved to the place where they can do the least damage -- management.

Since 1989, Scott Adams has been illustrating this principle each day, lampooning the corporate world through Dilbert, his enormously popular comic strip. In Dilbert, the potato-shaped, abuse-absorbing hero of the strip, Adams has given voice to the millions of Americans buffeted by the many adversities of the workplace.

Now he takes the next step, attacking corporate culture head-on in this lighthearted series of essays. Packed with more than 100 hilarious cartoons, these 25 chapters explore the zeitgeist of ever-changing management trends, overbearing egos, management incompetence, bottomless bureaucracies, petrifying performance reviews, three-hour meetings, the confusion of the information superhighway and more. With sharp eyes, and an even sharper wit, Adams exposes -- and skewers -- the bizarre absurdities of everyday corporate life. Readers will be convinced that he must be spying on their bosses, The Dilbert Principle rings so true!]]>
336 Scott Adams 0887308589 Syed Irfan 0 to-read 3.87 1996 The Dilbert Principle: A Cubicle's-Eye View of Bosses, Meetings, Management Fads & Other Workplace Afflictions
author: Scott Adams
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 3.87
book published: 1996
rating: 0
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date added: 2018/04/02
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<![CDATA[Expert Podcasting Practices For Dummies]]> 1550652 456 Tee Morris 0470149264 Syed Irfan 0 to-read 3.97 2007 Expert Podcasting Practices For Dummies
author: Tee Morris
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2007
rating: 0
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date added: 2018/04/02
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<![CDATA[Podcast Launch - A Step by Step Podcasting Guide Including 15 Video Tutorials]]> 18068346
Podcast Launch begins with identifying your podcast, followed by equipment needed, recording and editing, intros and outros, tagging your MP3, uploading to a media host, embedding your MP3 onto your website, submitting your podcast to iTunes, Stitcher Radio, and Blackberry, launching your podcast the right way, building your audience, and monetizing.

The author, John Lee Dumas, is the Founder and Host of the top ranked business podcast, EntrepreneurOnFire. EntrepreneurOnFire generates over 150,000 unique downloads every single month in over 140 countries. EntrepreneurOnFire’s lineup consists of Seth Godin, Tim Ferriss, Barbara Corcoran, Gary Vaynerchuk, Chris Brogan, MJ DeMarco, and over 170 others.

In Podcast Launch, John Lee Dumas shares how he turned an idea into a red-hot podcast that inspires thousands of people daily. It started with an AHA moment, and passion has guided him ever since. John shares the lessons he learned so you can take advantage of all his victories and learn from all of his failures. Your final result will be a podcast of your own, and it will be amazing.]]>
38 John Lee Dumas Syed Irfan 0 to-read 3.88 2013 Podcast Launch - A Step by Step Podcasting Guide Including 15 Video Tutorials
author: John Lee Dumas
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2013
rating: 0
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date added: 2018/04/02
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<![CDATA[Cryptoassets: The Innovative Investor's Guide to Bitcoin and Beyond]]> 36197082 The innovative investor's guide to an entirely new asset class--from two experts on the cutting edge

One of the fastest growing investment opportunities in the world today, blockchain assets such as bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are changing the way investors think, use, and grow their money. This clear, concise, and accessible guide from two industry experts is the first book of its kind to explain this brave new world to investors who want to explore the potential of blockchain assets in their portfolios.

It gives readers an understanding of how this new asset class has evolved over the last decade, as well as an actionable framework with which to evaluate new blockchain assets and position investment portfolios in the coming wave of blockchain asset innovation. Investors will learn how to securitize these assets in familiar investment vehicles and leverage multiple platforms to achieve their financial goals. This is the future of money.]]>
369 Chris Burniske 126002668X Syed Irfan 0 currently-reading 3.93 2017 Cryptoassets: The Innovative Investor's Guide to Bitcoin and Beyond
author: Chris Burniske
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2017
rating: 0
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date added: 2018/04/02
shelves: currently-reading
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West Cork 38108759 Listening Length: 7hr 52mins

This much we do know: Sophie Toscan du Plantier was murdered days before Christmas in 1996, her broken body discovered at the edge of her property near the town of Schull in West Cork, Ireland. The rest remains a mystery.

Gripping, yet ever elusive, join the real-life hunt for answers in the year’s first not-to-be-missed, true-crime series. Investigative journalist, Sam Bungey, and documentarian, Jennifer Forde, guide listeners through the brutal, unsolved murder and the tangled web of its investigation, while introducing an intricate cast of characters, a provocative prime suspect, and a recovering community whose story begs to be heard.]]>
8 Sam Bungey Syed Irfan 4 3.79 2018 West Cork
author: Sam Bungey
name: Syed Irfan
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2018/03/25
date added: 2018/04/02
shelves:
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Pretty interesting read. Since I was 'reading' it via Audible, the background music/sounds etc were quite interesting.
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