Y.S. Stephen - Reader | Casual Observer

Power Law is a recollection as well as observation of how venture capital works, its impact on the modern economy, and the psychology of the people who have made a success of it. This is a book that tells us stories about how a lot of the most successful companies today got their start and the profile of those who funded them. WHAT I LIKE ABOUT POWER LAW A lot of Power Law 's contents contain quotes and interviews from the power players themselves - the venture capitalists - thus we are not relying on hearsay or third-party quotes. I also love the background stories and the improbabilities of some of the encounters. They add a conspiratorial flavour to the book. DISLIKES This isn't necessarily a criticism but I felt the book was a bit too long. Still, it was a good read. WHO IS POWER LAW FOR Anyone with interest in investment, whether it is in form of venture capital, stock trading, ETFs, or otherwise will love the insights Power Law has to offer. Many thanks to

How To Profit From Bitcoins After 2021 is an introductory text to Bitcoin - its history, nature, and how to profit from it. This is a book for beginners. It delves into the early days of Bitcoins, its mechanics, how it is mined, why it has become popular, and how to make money investing in it and other similar cryptocurrencies. WHAT I LIKE If you dislike technical jargon and heady financial phrases, then this is the book for you. It is one of the simplest and straight-to-the-point manuals I have ever read on cryptocurrencies. Reading the whole book would give you a solid foundation on cryptos and how to start making money from them. DISLIKES None. WHO IS IT FOR? How To Profit From Bitcoins After 2021 is for those who want to understand cryptocurrency and probably would like to invest in it. Many thanks to BooksGoSocial for providing a review copy.

We all have our fears... scenarios where everything goes wrong and we are hanging out on an electric pole, metaphorically naked with the whole world jeering and seeing us for who we are. Sorry... that image might not be yours but you get the idea. While most of us are sometimes paralysed by these mental images, some do manage to transverse these dark alleys of the mind, shutting off doubts and following their own positive promptings to its conclusions. Lindeblad seems to be in this latter category.  I May Be Wrong is a book that chronicles Lindeblad's journey and how he found himself in a forest monastery in Thailand after leaving a promising career.The author tells us what drove him to a monastery, what he learned on his journey, and what impact these strange decisions have made on his life.  WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THIS BOOK I May Be Wrong is a book that tries to avoid the clichés of a well-to-do young white man trying to find himself in a third-world country. The account here is ho

Desiderius Erasmus wrote In Praise of Folly in 1509 as a Christian satire that pokes fun at everyone, especially ridiculing those who take life too seriously. In the book, Erasmus presents Folly (idiocy or foolishness) as a god who dishes out admonitions, criticisms, and other observations of humans. Most of the lessons in the book are timeless and would benefit most of us today. Here are a few I've found: THE BEST OF HUMANS IS AS SIMPLE AS A CHILD Folly claims she loves children because they take nothing seriously, hence, the weight of this world does not stick to them. She observes that most people want to play with children because their joy is infectious. BE WHAT YOU ARE Folly dismisses philosophers and priests with stern faces and other superficial layers which cover up who they really are. According to Folly, all these trappings contribute to personal suffering and, in the long run, take humans far away from joy. FRIENDSHIP Folly says she is essential to long-la

  We all have that voice that nags us when we do something inappropriate like making a cutting remark to someone when we don't mean it or overreacting to something so small that we end up making an okay situation worse. For some, this nagging voice can go on for minutes, for others... days, even weeks. MonsterMind is a graphic novel that opens our eyes to how this process plays out in Alfonso Casas (the author). By using himself as an example, the author informs us of how he interacts with his inner monsters without losing himself. This is an autobiographical book that explores the debilitating thoughts that goes on in the author's head and how he sometimes succumbs or copes with it. One of the strengths of great literature is how it holds up a mirror to see ourselves clearly. MonsterMind achieves this by making me identify with the author and his experiences. More importantly, I gain new perspectives and tools to live with my own inner monsters. As far as mental

The Art Of Learning is a semi-autobiography about Josh Waitzkin, the former chess prodigy, and martial artist. The book contains the experiences he accumulated about efficient learning - how to pick up crucial learning skills that will deepen your knowledge of your craft, no matter what it is. Most of Waitzkin's experiences stem from his time playing chess at the highest level, winning Tai Chi Push Hands championships around the world, and his observation of top competitors like himself. A lot of important life lessons reside in this book, a few of which are:    POPULARITY CAN BE HARMFUL TO MASTERY After Josh won a couple of prestigious chess competitions his father wrote a memoir titled Searching For Bobby Fischer: A Father’s Story of Love and Ambition (1988) . A movie was released based on the memoir (same title) in 1993, drawing attention to the young Josh Waitzkin and his talents. The attention generated by the movie distracted young Josh from what mattered to him