**spoiler alert** Actiunea se petrece in Algeria undeva dupa al doilea razboi mondial.
Protagonistul este un tanar francez care este instrainat total d**spoiler alert** Actiunea se petrece in Algeria undeva dupa al doilea razboi mondial.
Protagonistul este un tanar francez care este instrainat total de societate , am putea spune un sociopat.
Nu isi plange mama aflat la priveghiul ei , nu simte nici o remuscare atunci cand omoara un arab , fapt ce il va trimite la inchisoare , loc unde din nou nimic.
Perspectiva este deosebit de interesanta , omul nostru intelege ce ar simti altii in situatia lui , dar el e sterp , se plictiseste atunci cand este interogat cu privire la conditia sa de prieteni, cunoscuti , preoti si mai tarziu in timpul procesului pentru omor de catre procuror si judecator.
Oamenii nu pot intelege/concepe ca exista astfel de semeni , oameni complet functionali care se pot integra total in societate dar care nu simt nimic.
Am putea spune ca protagonistul este idealul filozofiei stoice, filozofie ce pune accent pe detasare de cele lumesti , fie ele bune sau rele, pe acceptare/impacare cu tot ce vine in directia noastra...cu totii stim cat de greu ne este sa realizam acest lucru...personajul din acest roman face acest lucru natural.
Mi-a placut foarte mult locatia si perioada. Am ramas surprins ca intr-un loc precum Algeria existau atatea servicii sociale si institutii care functionau cum trebuie (inclusiv hingheri)....more
**spoiler alert** This book served me as a gateway to Africa in so many ways.
The main thing i got, is that we should stop seeing jihadism and esential**spoiler alert** This book served me as a gateway to Africa in so many ways.
The main thing i got, is that we should stop seeing jihadism and esentially the field commanders (that is how they are called , the leaders of terror cells in different regiona throughout this book) and terror organisations as some plague some diseases , some virus that gets hold of the local population and makes them suffer.
We should see jihadists more like entrepreneurs, more like political agents. Whenever there is discontent within a country, whenever some minority, some ethnicity or tribe has a feud with another, a grieviance , something that they can't solve alone (they are either too weak , too few, lack finances or etc) , they tap into a helping hand...a hand which is usually a terror organisation that wants to open shop in that country.
The locals use the jihadists groups as much as jihadis use them. Many times the state is alot worse than terror groups , such being the case in the Sahel, the stretch of land south of Sahara encompassing Mauritania, Mali, South Algeria, Niger , Burkina Faso, Chad , North Nigeria and Sudan.
The book is about how jihadi field commanders operate at a meso level , how they navigate through complex a complex web of relationships with locals , state authorities, foreign gonverments, tribes and of course each other, how they employ diverse tactics of collusion , schism , accomodation etc and how they fared in each of these Sahelian countries , where they found support in local discontented youth , villagers , politicians , where they were evicted , where they just as entrepreneurs took a bigger bite than they could chew and ended up annihilitated ( ex: in 2013 their jihad went from North Mali to Mid Mali , city of Mopti , which triggered a French military intervention - Operation Serval, which wiped them out).
This book taught me so much about what a big role geography plays into the development of a country, also how important ethnical lines are around Africa (arabs , berbers, touareg , Fulani etc) , minorities, how gonverment deals with terrorism, and how true the old adage "violence breeds violence" is.
Some facts i got - how pourous the borders really are in the Sahel , the gonverments focusing on the central power leaving peripheries at the mercy of local militias and drug traffikers , thus serving as a great recruiting ground of young discontented people into terror organizations. - terrorist organizations emerged in Algeria in the 90s when algerians that fought in Afghanistan against the russians came back and started grouping against the "infidel state that is a pawn of France" Thus came GIA , a terror organization that wrecked havoc agaisnt the state , an organization very diverse with very different terror groups , diversity which in the end proved to be their undoing once the unifying figures got killed fighting the Algerian state. The problem in GIA was that there was alot of infighting , no compromise and everybody.was calling the other infidel. The groups that emerged afterwards understood that they can function and tolerate each other without sparking religious incriminations. By the time these groups emerged the Algerian state recovered and started systematically dismantling them, thus Al Queada had to move shop from Algeria to.North Mali and then Burkina Faso and Niger - Mauritania is probably the country that reached a middle ground with jihadis employing a stick and carrot approach , letting preachers speak freely against USA , Israel but closely monitoring them - Mali is the real shitshow here , a place where Touareg , Arabs , Blacks , Fulani have to deal with draught, declining resources, state brutality and French foreign interventions. How so many times one of these ethnicities welcomed foreign jihadi aid to leverage against another actor. - Niger is so poor but yet so important serving as a gateway and transport hub for jihadis into the Sahel and beyond. - Burkina Faso serves as an example of how a minority (Fulani) can radicalize itself very quickly due to discrimination and be taken up by a convincing jihadi leader
**spoiler alert** The book covers the controversial life of irish patriot Roger Casement a man that gained the highest prestige and esteem while servi**spoiler alert** The book covers the controversial life of irish patriot Roger Casement a man that gained the highest prestige and esteem while serving as a diplomat and investigator for the British crown in regards to abuses and atrocities done by Belgians in Congo and then Peruvians in Peru on local populations all in the name of "progress and civilisation" (rubber production), the same man which would then become one of the strongest fighters for Irish freedom and turn its back to England , and would eventually travel during WW1 to germany trying to recruit irish Prisoners of War to form an army which would fight along Germany and thus be helped to gain independence. The irish prisoners would not agree to fight alongside those that bombed them in the trenches and thus Roger suffers a great delusion. A revolt in Ireland would start nonetheless which would end in bloodshed but would galvanize the irish spirit in the years to come. Not gaining the germany support he would get caught in Ireland trying to stop the revolt , then suffer a huge campaign in which he would get discredited, prosecuted and sent to death for high treason. Due to being a homosexual and noting in his diary many of his escapades as well as fantasy encounters his memory, name and deeds would be censored by Irish authroities (catholic country) until decades later when his name would be cleared and declared both a national hero of Ireland but also a hero against slavery and freedom.
This dude starts as a british explorer sent to Leopoldine Congo to study how the colony is doing. He discovers that behind the false colonial bravado that the belgian regime is bringing civilisation and wealth to the black indigens it is actually leading a murderous operation in which the locals are worked to death to extract very high quotas of rubber , their wives are raped and confined to make them work more , brutality , marking of men with iron and every kind of atrocity is done without remorse and everywhere and at each level there is a tacit agreement and understanding between thr parties. He travels within congo for many years noting everything he sees and then writes a report to the British Foreign Office.
His report goes viral and soon England finds itself having to cut ties with Belgium even if it risks making the latter get closer to rival Germany. Roger gains world recognition and is then sent to Amazonia (modern Peru) to investigate the activities of large british-peruvian rubber company operating deep within the jungle.
After throrough investigation he finds Congo repeating itself there....the company performing all atrocities in locals and effectively wiping out entire tribe populations.
It is at this time that Roger starts to tinker with his Irish origins and after finishing his job in Peru of exposing the company and making it go bankrupt, he starts travelling to Germany (by now ww1 started). He tries to recruit irish prisoners of war and make them go to Ireland and fight against the british. He is spat, shamed and called names by his countrymen. They would not collaborate with the germans. He does not manage to get too many recruits and he knows that the imminent revolt in Ireland will end in bloodshed without german support.
Before the revolt he tries to get to Ireland and stop the revolt. He is found and taken prisoner hy the british and sent to jail and condemned for high treason. The revolt ends in bloodshed with most irish fighters dead or captured and sentenced to death. He is sentenced to death and spends his last days rummaging through memories and trying to make sense of his choices, his cause, his spirit, his religion. He is hanged. Decades later his name will remerge as one of the most important irish patriots.
I gave this book 3 stars because after the first 50 pages till page 150 quite cumbersome, the narrative is quite confusing moving between the last moments spent in his cell and his beginings in Congo. After this point the novel becomes really good and graphic and you can see its well researched in regards to both Congo and Peru....more
**spoiler alert** Dupa nenumarate dictaturi militare in anii 50', singura initiativa puternica de a transforma Guatemala intr-o democratie autentica, **spoiler alert** Dupa nenumarate dictaturi militare in anii 50', singura initiativa puternica de a transforma Guatemala intr-o democratie autentica, initiativa, care incearca, precum Taiwan-ul, sa imparta pamanturile in parcele si sa le distribuie cetatenilor de rand pentru a facilitata competitia si libera initiativa, este innabusita in sange de armate de mercenari internationali. Acesi mercenari sunt finantati de o America prost informata, o America care se lasa prostita de teama aparitiei comunismului la ea in ograda.
Basically coporatia United Fruit , cea care a adus banana in America de Nord si a facut-o "staple food in SUA" , corporatie ale carei activitati in Guatemala erau total neregularizate, de teama aparitiei legilor si a controalelor si evident a TAXELOR , provoaca zbonuri si stiri false cum ca noua conducere (care incearca sa aduca democratia in Guatemala) defapt este pro rusa si comunista. Guvernul de la Washington distruge orice sansa la democratie si stabilitate pentru Guatemala, inflacarand astfel spiritul revolutionar in tarile americii latine pentru deceniile urmatoare (inclusiv in Cuba) apropiindu-le astfel de Rusia. They basically fucked up big time.
O carte care imprumuta si se foloseste destul de mult de o opera precedenta a lui MV Llosa si anume Sarbatoarea Tapului ce descrie dictatura lui Trujillo din Republica Dominicana.
Desi personajele nu sunt atat de contrastante, si ritmul si desfasurarea actiunii nu sunt nici pe departe atat de alerte precum cel din celalata carte mentionata, volumul de fata aduce claritate in ceea ce priveste situatia politica din Guatemala si America Latina a mijlocului de secol XX....more
**spoiler alert** What do you get when a Cambridge Educated researcher and historian lives in Pakistan for more than 15 years and decides to share his**spoiler alert** What do you get when a Cambridge Educated researcher and historian lives in Pakistan for more than 15 years and decides to share his educated insights ? You get a masterpiece.
Anatol Lieven's current book is basically a compendium , a synthesis, a very very intense one, of years upon years of travelling throughout Pakistan and interviewing people from all walks of life from tribal chieftains, policemen , peasantry, taliban fighters, political party members to senior officials , army generals , officers, mayors down to the mere private , ISI(Pakistan secret services) operatives , police intendents , constables to businessmen , shop keepers, blue collard workers, laywers, judges, mullahs, pirs...you get the idea.
So on one hand you have this dimension of such a wide and varied range of people telling their stories and how they see things and on the other you also have each province/region of Pakistan being firmly delimitated , explained by all accounts be it poltiical , military, exonomical , religious , social, and the cherry on the cake , how each province interacts and views the other and all internal tensions that appear whenever there is a ecological disaster or an insurgency both of which can displace millions of people.
This book has totally rocked me , and i will be forever grateful that such people still exist , people that do the hard meticulous work of writing first grade non-fiction literature, people that research and research and research more across multiple years, just to synthetise everything in a mere 600 pages. I was wrong believeing everything contemporary is trashy self development non-books and easy-to-sell-buzzword bonanzas. This one is one of those rare ones so treat it with care and don't rush through it !
A couple of ideas that stuck with me:
- Pakistan is a working chaos, a negotiated state, a state where you need to take into consideration each party of the transaction,a state where patronage, prestige and above all clan affiliation is everything. For example: on one hand you have a city like Karachi, a pearl of modernity at the Indian Ocean, a city founded by Mohajirs(muslim that fled India) on the other you have the NWFP (north western frontier province) where people are at peace only when they wage war on anybody that represents authority, be it US on their relatives in Afghanistan or the Police and Pakistani Army. In one city you have modern IT and Road infrastructure while in the other crime is negociated via a community assembly and does not result in punishment but in compensation, girls are killed for choosing suitors outside their clan and Taliban can always find a safe heaven and a regrouping ground while running from US forces.
-Everything appears to point that nothing is working , the state services are abysmal , there are insurgencies upon insurgencies , there are 3 juridical codes: state law, sharia law and local law (e.g Pashtunwali) , huge portions of the country are subjected to tribal feuds and mediated via Jirgas (community gatherings act as both the law givers and enforcers). Despite all this, despite a this chaos, Pakistan manages to negotiate and keep the state flowing, by using negotiation, bribery as well as brute force whenever it needs to.
-Sharia is basically a written law code , the code that Muhammad placed upon the tribes to unform and get rid of local barbaric customs. Sharia is not primitive compared to what local traditions can be , like in Pakistan. Sharia is actually a sign of modernity of uniformity.
- We do not realize the importance of having a single supreme judicial authority in the country, a single organ that can change and keep tabs of the law code. Pakistan has 3: sharia , state law (based on former british administrations) and local law. Everybody is exasperated that the state does nothing and solves nothing (including delivering justice to criminals) while the typical Pakistani follows whichever code benefits him in any given situation.
- Pakistan helps the Talibans from Afghanistan even if that means supplying weapons and intelligence , hsoting them , despite US warnings, because its main fear is a non-taliban India- friendly gonverment in Afghanistan , a gonverment that could (backed by India) attack Pakistan from the west , while India does it from the East in a two pronged assault.
There are too many things to add but i will stop here. The book is beyond terrific and i recommend it wholeheartedly ! -...more
**spoiler alert** While the book was not brilliant i'd say it was definetly good and worth it , to understand a bit more on this country that has been**spoiler alert** While the book was not brilliant i'd say it was definetly good and worth it , to understand a bit more on this country that has been plagued over the decades by a really trash , violent and abusing class of politicians and upper class.
A few points: - Colombia's geography is in such a way that it is really hard for the capital Bogota to assert , control and check what happens in the rest of the country. - Over the decades the two political parties have ruled in turn or together in one form or another over the country prioritising their own agendas and not giving a shit about the working class especially the peasants in the remote highlands - FARC (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia) was formed as a communist leninist political-guerilla movement that would oppose gonverment abuses and fight against class inequality. Some of their main goals have not changed from their incpetion: redistribution of land to the peasants , nationalising the state resources especially oil and energy. - Over the decades the guerilla has fought a bloody war first against the national army, then against paramilitaries sponsored by the government and later by the US - who wanted to gain easy access to the vast resources of the country. - The US , the Bogota gov , the paramilitaries have tried by any means thus violating a huge number human rights to eradicate the guerilla movement. All proved to be in vain eventually , because the roots of the problem (inequality) have never been addressed , therefore the poor class has always found a better alternative to join the FARC and actively support them. - In need of revenue FARC got heavily involved in the cocaine business , as the middle men between the poor farmers and the drug cartels. They would set a fixed price per kg of coca and act on behalf of the farmers not to grt extorcated. - After nearly 70 years and a lot of bloodshed , after many presidents , all adopting an aggresive stance towards the guerilla , the problems have remained the same. The guerillas are fighting with rudinentary weapons attacking nowadays foreign oil corporations setting shop in the oil rich areas , blowing up pipelines and planting land mines across huge spots of land. - Despite the huge number of colltateral damage and incredible number of civilian deaths , no the politicians try relentlessly to keep everything under the rug , to pay paramilitaries to do their dirty work thus killing , raping , torturing and displacing civilians in order to root out the guerilla , failing to address the socio-economical issue , the elephant in the room.
A really really sad situation , and a total surprise for me , hoping post Narco Era Colombia would get their shit together. -...more
**spoiler alert** Steinbeck ne poarta dintr-un capat al Americii (New York) pana la Pacific (California) intr-o calatorie cu dubita impreuna cu cainel**spoiler alert** Steinbeck ne poarta dintr-un capat al Americii (New York) pana la Pacific (California) intr-o calatorie cu dubita impreuna cu cainele sau batran. E ca si cum as fi citit un roman al lui Tolkien in care Pamantul de Mijloc este SUA anilor 1960 iar orcii , elfii , si diferitele semintii de oameni sunt tacutii din Maine, pasnicii din Nebraska , ardentii Texani , rasistii din Louisiana.
Cartea are deosebit de multe momente de contemplare asupra vietii, a modului de trai american , a existentei si foarte multe dialoguri amuzante dar pline de povete cu cainele insotitor Charlie.
Cel mai mult m-au impresionat momentele de oprire la marginea drumului si contemplare asupra unui naturii si a vietii , asupra directiei in care se indreapta lumea.
Steinbeck asta chiar a reusit sa prevada in anii 1960 crizele si chestiunile ce provoaca tensiuni din zilele noastre.
Am apreciat ca in roman a intrat si drumul inapoi catre New York , drum identic dar in sens invers, parcurs de eroii din romanul sau Fructele Maniei in goana lor catre bogatiile Californiei mergand din Oklahoma prin coada de castron a Texasului , New Mexico , Arizona.
Am apreciat si faptul ca a aruncat lumina asupra inceputurilor tensiunilor rasiale , din statele sudiste din anii 60 atunci cand miscarea lui MLK era inca in pruncie.
As fi dat 4 stele dar au fost momente cand m-am plictisit , cum ar fi descrierea copacilor de tip Sequoia.
Per total o lectura foarte buna de aventura si viata , ce ar fi putut fi si mai buna daca ar fi fost oleaca mai scurta....more
This book is a real bang for the buck ! A mind bending perspective on violence , criminal activity , self defense. This piece does not only tackle theThis book is a real bang for the buck ! A mind bending perspective on violence , criminal activity , self defense. This piece does not only tackle the misgivings of self defense in all its plethora of forms and variations , but it goes deeper , it challenges the reader on his own perception about life and conflict, about what you are capable of doing. Psichological implications checked , philosophical ones checked , society checked.
Awesome read. I recommend it to anyone intrigued or wanting to know more about the mechanics, dynamics and complexity of violence....more
A great book for understanding Iran from the 40s till the present day.
Some key points i've learned: - Mohammad Mossadeq the premier of Iran , the greatA great book for understanding Iran from the 40s till the present day.
Some key points i've learned: - Mohammad Mossadeq the premier of Iran , the great man of the people of the 50's was not actually coup-ed by US but by his own compatriots , due to his inability to resolve the largest legal oil fiasco between the then operating british oil company AIOC and Iran. He came to power through the people , but the people devoured him - the Shah of Iran was a man that would accumulate as much pwoer as possible but would retreat and let others take responsibility when the going would grt tough. He was a really lame leader on internal politics. He tried to modernize Iran and rightfully managed to in a way (building hospotals , universities and infrastructure) , he was the first monarch to distribute land to the masses. This being said he never let the masses interfere in politics, during his tenure meritocracy was at its lowest point... This is one of the main reason people started to hate him. -On the other hand the shah was a master of foreign policy , being a friend of USA , while selling oil at high prices to Russia, befriending arab states while being a friend and trade partner with Israel - USA has supproted the shah during his reign but has always tried to make him do internal reforms for his country. Truman , Eisenhower , Kennedy , Johnson and all their administrations tried as much as possible to quell his thirst for weaponry and make him focus on his people.
The most important and interesting part of the book of course was the begining of the end , the era of Khomeini. The way this dude manage to be everything for everybody , disgracing the shah and galvanizing the clergy , bazaar and students against the shah whose reforms benefitted many. Khomeini was an ambitious ruthless yet had a chameleonic speech.
His policy was no policy , he promised pardoning of all his enemies , yet as soon as the revolution was succesful the wave of summary trials started and waves of people got murdered with the even now present accusation of "corruption on earth" . This basically meant a sham of a trial of 10-15 minutes followed by the accused getting shot in the back of the neck. Khoemini sent countless people to their deaths , starting ironically with the ones that have helped him along the way.
A great book. Its a 4/5 because i found the period of 1945 to 1953 (Mossadeq reign and the shah quite off the stage) quite boring as in happenings , not authors writing.
**spoiler alert** Dezastru, foarte greu am terminat cartea asta. As spune ca 80% sunt cugetari fara sens , se porneste de la o idee apoi se trece la u**spoiler alert** Dezastru, foarte greu am terminat cartea asta. As spune ca 80% sunt cugetari fara sens , se porneste de la o idee apoi se trece la un eveniment istoric care nu are nici o legatura cu ce s-a spus , nici macar ca fabula. Inteleg ca e fluxul liber al gandirii si as intelege daca ar fi cum insusi spune autorul "parerile mele se mai si bat in cap"... Ei bine nu se bat cap in cap ci pur si simplu nu au legatura una cu alta.
Mult prea mult gunoi intelectual in 230 pagini.
Din cand in cand citind pe diagonala (caci la un moment dat nu am mai rezistat - dupa 80% din carte) mai dai de cate o idee superba , filozofica care chiar te loveste in moalele capului.
Cel mai fain capitol a fost cel despre relatii amoroase. Mi-a placut cum stilul de viata boem si libertin este apreciat, ba mai mul, sprijinit cu o intreaga suita de dovezi , demonstratii si exemple din societatea inalta.
Per total o carte greu de parcurs cu mici scantei pe ici pe colo....more
"Daca maica-ta zice ca te iubeste , dute si verifica !" , aceasta este deviza unui adevarat jurnalist.
Cartea aceasta iti cam arata diferenta dintre ar"Daca maica-ta zice ca te iubeste , dute si verifica !" , aceasta este deviza unui adevarat jurnalist.
Cartea aceasta iti cam arata diferenta dintre articolele mizerabile scrise in ziua de azi bazate pe supozitii, interpretari ca sa nu mai vorbim de minciuni deliberate si cele scrise in era de aur a ziarelor intre anii 60-80'.
Omul asta a acoperit Razboiul din Vietnam (masacrele My Lai) , Afacerea Watergate , Submarinul Rusesc scufundat in Pacific si cautat de americani , Razboiul din Golf , Razboiul Impotriva Terorii, Crima Organizata din Chicago , a scris un urias volum despre matrapazlacurile lui Kissinger , l-a dat in Vileag pe Dick Cheney, a cautat sa inteleaga Orientul Mijlociu intervievand pe presedintele sirian , Assad (cu ocazia asta am aflat ca nu a dat cu gaz sarin cum se zicea) , pe conducatorul Hezbollah , Hassan Nasrallah , torturile din Iraq etc.
Este un jurnalist de talie mondiala pentru ca curajul, etica ,perseverenta, dedicarea si calitatea muncii sale sunt incontestabile.
A scuturat de-a lungul timpului Casa Alba , armata, Pentagonul , Congresul American . Oamenii intotdeauna i-au oferit ponturi si informatii pentru ca stiau ca etica lui este exemplara. Si-a protejat sursele cat de bine a putut in ciuda presiunilor imense a tertelor parti implicate , a informat persoanele despre care scria articolele negative apriori , a cautat adevarul oricat de murdar si neplacut a fost , fapt ce i-a adus renume mondial precum si admiratia tuturor adversarilor sai .
Un moment ce m-a impresionat : cautarea soldatului ce a autorizat masacrarea a 100 de civili in Vietnam. Jurnalistul nostru l-a cautat prin toata America , a mers pe toate pistele de pe o coasta pe alta. Pana la urma printr-un lant de surse indirecte, mergand din aproape in aproape, i-a dat de urma intr-o baza americana. Nu s-a lasat pana nu a reusit sa se infiltreze in baza , l-a gasit pe un prieten al soldatului , l-a luat cu masina , iar acesta seara i-a facut legatura cu soldatul.A durat luni de zile cautarea , dar articolul ce a iesit a influentat politica americana din Vietnam , si probabil ca a inclinat balanta in favoarea retragerii. Ulterior visul sau s-a implinit si i-a fost oferita o slujba permanenta la ziarul sau de suflet The New York Times.
Daca a reusit ceva aceasta carte , este faptul ca mi-a intarit convingerea ca fac bine ca nu citesc ziare sau urmaresc stiri din surse traditionale, preferand site-uri controversate , precum 4chan, Liveleak , unde e la latitudinea cititorului sa filtreze tot ce citeste dar totodata este si locul unde apar informatiile nefiltrate de multe ori chiar de la sursa....more
**spoiler alert** Acest Steinhardt...mare om. O expunere superba a vietii de parnaie , a modului in care omul incarcerat incearca sa isi pastreze mint**spoiler alert** Acest Steinhardt...mare om. O expunere superba a vietii de parnaie , a modului in care omul incarcerat incearca sa isi pastreze mintea netulburata impotriva celui mai de temut dusman , dusman ce nu este reprezentat de bataile sau torturile gardienilor , nici de frig, malnutritie , mizerie , boala, accidente sau ci de timp !
Este de-a dreptul fascinant sa citesti cum oameni cat se poate de diversi din punct de vedere social/moral/religios..etc precum tarani, bancheri , directori, fosti militari, profesori , figuri monahale, legionari , evrei ,reactionari ,unguri , regalisti, jurnalisti, ... oameni care in oricare alte imprejurari nu ar fi avut cum sa se intalneasca, ajung tovarasi de celula si cum reusesc , sau nu, sa coabiteze, cum se toarna unul pe altul, cum se jignesc, cum se mascaresc, sau, dimpotriva, cum invata unul de la altul, cum gasesc raspunsurile la interbarile vietii in religie , filosofie , istorie...., cum improvizeaza adevarate cenacluri literare in care discuta, dezbat, argumenteaza sau pur si simplu se educa in literatura romana si universala. Fabulos !
As minti daca as spune ca a fost o calatorie lina. Pe alocuri cartea m-a plictisit deoarece unele crampeie nu erau de interes pentru mine, dar am continuat pentru ca la fel ca la pacanele, stiam ca urmeaza va urma la scurt timp o victorie, o runda castigata, ceva interesant.
This is not a self help book but more like an outside perspective on the flawed human nature.
It provides a cynical framework on how humans fool themseThis is not a self help book but more like an outside perspective on the flawed human nature.
It provides a cynical framework on how humans fool themselves and others thinking they are their own masters , and their will, long term and short term goals , and aspirations are their own , when in fact we can not even trust our senses and we let our emotions have the better of us without even having the chance to procees the "outside signals" .
We are slaves of our lizard brain , the one that knows only two states (drawers as the author puts it) : fight or flight , winner or loser , and everytime something uncomfortable happens in our lives we go into survival mode and that happens even to millionaires.
Pretty shocking that even long term goals and careers can be a byproduct of a frustration or a repressed emotion for example:
A guy finishes college and feels a need to move out of the parents house motivating that he needs freedom e feels a calling to explore the world . So he moves to thousands of miles from his parents , without realising that in fact he does it because he is jealous that his parents offered more attention to his sister during childhood.
**spoiler alert** Este drept ca am fost informat cu privire la tematica cartii , cu toate acestea , mi-a cam iesit pe nas citind primele o suta dr de **spoiler alert** Este drept ca am fost informat cu privire la tematica cartii , cu toate acestea , mi-a cam iesit pe nas citind primele o suta dr de pagini in care se vorbeste aproape exclusiv despre moarte , chimioterapie , tratamente paliative , sinucidere asistata , boli ale batranetii care aduc moartea , infarcturi , cancer , precum si prieteni , colegi , rude moarte.
As putea spune , ca , continutul acestei carti se prezinta asemenea pulsului unui muribund...plat , si rar , cate o pulsatie.
Acestea fiind spuse , odata ce trecem de jumatate (nevasta se prapadeste)cartea incepe sa devina deosebit de interesanta.
Asistam la toate starile tranzitorii , angoasele si bineinteles durerea prin care trece Irvin Yalom in varsta de 88 ani , somitate in psihologie , odata cu moartea sotiei dupa o casnicie 50 de ani ; mai mult decat atat , suntem martori si la procesul sau de ... ameliorare , caci , de vindecare nu ar putea fi vorba !...more
**spoiler alert** While I like Llosa due to his multiple chronological threading writing style and the strain it puts on the reader's brain when tryin**spoiler alert** While I like Llosa due to his multiple chronological threading writing style and the strain it puts on the reader's brain when trying to figure out who does what and when , this book is not like that .
This book is about a religious fanatic that uses his assertiveness to draw people from all walks of life including thieves, murderers, rapists , sick , orphans and old from all over Brazil mainland villages and bring them together on a mountain to build a civilisation which opposes the newly formed Brazilian republic , politics , imperial units of measurement.
The gonverment sends 3 military expeditions (20 ,100 and then 1000 people) to.cull this cult each with the same disastrous result. The soldiers are massacred , cut to pieces , their heads hung on spikes.
In this place and under the leader's influence , the murderers turn to generals that protect the place , the thieves to scouts , a baby killer female becomes the nun etc....
Under the leader's influence these broken people start to show solidarity , love , kindness and compassion for themselves.
Looking from an outside perspective , these same people including young teens , show no remorse to anybody that tries to.interfere with their community. They fight gonverment forces , burn army supply locations , go onto suicidal errands. Mothers jump.with their babies in the fires then be caught by army forces.
My dilemma: Is it moral to fix a broken man , give him a sense of purpose in life , make him a valuable part of society given the fact that that society harms anybody not belonging to it ?...more
**spoiler alert** Interesting perspective on how to tackle management dilemmas which are in most cases social skills and persuasion problems or better**spoiler alert** Interesting perspective on how to tackle management dilemmas which are in most cases social skills and persuasion problems or better said , the lack of them.
While the book sets a strong foundation defining the 4 pillars of effective managment : knowing your directs, providing feedback, asking for more of your directs and delegating , i found the book repeating itself too much on these ideas after some point.
The book is written in a depth first manner , and the breadth is lacking in some aspects.
Would have been a solid book with more examples and more ideas put in the spotlight....more
**spoiler alert** Parcurgand cartea nu am reusit sa scap de aceasta puternica senzatie de repulsie , mi-sa parut ca nu te poti cobori atat de jos , sa**spoiler alert** Parcurgand cartea nu am reusit sa scap de aceasta puternica senzatie de repulsie , mi-sa parut ca nu te poti cobori atat de jos , sa te lupti pentru fiecare dolar pentru fiecare concesie , sa te "tiganesti" in asemenea hal.
Dar , omul (autorul) are dreptate ; nu e tiganeala , e vorba de respectul de sine , de a reusi sa empatizezi cu celalalt om , de a-i intelege pozitia , de a il asculta , ..dar in final (desi este numita in fel si chip) de a obtine ceea ce vrei prin manipulare..caci celalata parte tot pierde , important fiind sa piarda cu zambetul pe buze , cu ego-ul satisfacut si cu cu gandul ca a iesit ca el.
O lectura interesanta , cu sfaturi bune de testat macar !...more
**spoiler alert** Never has a book shed so much light upon such a controversial subject : Lebanon and the rise of Hezbollah.
This book is addicting , w**spoiler alert** Never has a book shed so much light upon such a controversial subject : Lebanon and the rise of Hezbollah.
This book is addicting , written in a thriller like manner , following the original timeline of the rise of Hezbollah.
The reader is thrown directly into the Beirut 80's , a city with daily bombings , mass slaughters , ethnic cleansing , guerillas around every corner, Israel occupying the southern part of the country while US and western countries are trying to figure out what the hell their peacekeeping efforts are worth.
The story begins with the total obliteration of the US Embassy in Beirut , a seven story building , performed using a truck going at full speed packed with a ton of explosives.The truck penetrates the security fence and breaks through the main entrace of the compund and stops into the lobby. The dead-man switch detonates and the building evaporates killing around 100 officials and injuring hundreds.
From here on we find out that the perpretators are shia individuals from the Beka'a Valley , a region inhabited by the poor shia minority of Lebanon. This region will become the perfect recruitment center for the emerging terror faction - Hezbollah.
Iran sends a couple of thousands special agents to start preparing this new Resistance Movement . The constant cash flows from this big brother will enchance the new faction in areas such as bomb making , kindnapping , warfare , quality of life thus securing a steady and consistent flow of young men ready to die in the waar against Israel and its allies.
The first action will be introducing a new form of assymetrical warfare : bombing suicidial attacks on Western presence in Beirut basically exporting Ayatollah Khomeini's islamic revolution to Lebanon.
The situation escalates ,in the upcoming years diplomatic compounds around the world turn to dust , civilians from all walks of life are abducted , tortured and killed , airplanes are sabotaged , USA and especially Israel retaliate with lethal force and deadly precision.
A complete timeline of why the things are as they are in Lebanon , how Hezbollah raised to power , the constant long reaching arm of Iran and meddling in Beirut affairs , the always ready to facilitate/intermediate Syrian neighbour.On the other hand we start with the impotent CIA that does almost nothing in the 80's and 90's to save its abducted citizens , which after the Reagan administration slowly starts showing its teeth , esoecially after 2001.
Last but not least, Israel, always vigilent , always ready for an eye for an eye operation , always seen as a pariah by western powers for defending its citizens.
**spoiler alert** The book is about behaviour economics , why and how we take decisions , how we weight the good vs bad.
Main theme : There are 2 system**spoiler alert** The book is about behaviour economics , why and how we take decisions , how we weight the good vs bad.
Main theme : There are 2 systems at work in our brain: - system 1 : this is the fast , auto-pilot-default , associative one , whenever you are faced with a situation your brain first uses this one and starts fetching a tree-like data structure composed of events , feelings , memories , words and tries to mold them into some sort of mosaic otherwise known as coherence so that it makes sense for you. Thats how you construct a story and you believe it. - system 2 : is the slow , lazy and, deliberate one. This bad boy is used whenever you need to focus a large part of your attention (multiplying numbers , driving...etc)
My favourite part: Whenever you are faced with a hard question , your system 1 answers to another simpler question and mischeviously replaces the answer so that it looks you have answered the original one:
Ex; Bob: i placed 200 k on Ford Stocks Fred: Why did you check their financials ? Bob: I like ford cars and i visited the factory:
Bob is tasked with answering a tough question : does he know how Ford financials look like ? Bob's system 1 answers to a simpler question: Do i like Ford cars ? Yes Bob then sets the answer Yes to the original question even though he answered for the second.
Besides these 2 systems that are explained thoroughly with examples and statistics and case studies ,this book is great because it explains so much more regarding human behaviour in making decisions like : the law of small mumbers , priming , framing , utility and prospect theory , regression , planning fallacy and so much more.
Even though the book is terrific on theory and examples on why things happen the eay they are i rated it with 4/5 because i did feel like i wanted a section dedicated to "how to avoid X or Y "
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