Saturday, February 21, 2015
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
Book Review: Influence, the psychology of persuation by Robert B. Cialdini, ISBN 9780061241895
- 6 principles that direct human behavior:
- Consistency
- Reciprocation
- Social proof
- Authority
- Liking
- Scarcity
Book Review: Beyond the university, why liberal education matters by Michael S. Roth, ISBN 9780300175516
John Dewey: The world in which most of us live is a world in which everyone has a calling and occupation, something to do. Some are managers and others are subordinates. But the great thing for one as for the other is that each shall have had the education which enables him to see within his daily work all there is in it of large and human significance.
John Dewey: The problem of securing to the liberal arts college its due function in democratic society is that of seeing to it that the technical subjects which are now socially necessary acquire a humane direction. There is nothing in them which is 'inherently' exclusive; but they cannot be liberating if they are cut off from there humane sources and inspiration. On the other hand, books which are cut off from vital relations with the needs and issues of contemporary life themselves become ultra-technical.
Richard Rorty: The point of non-vocational higher education is, instead, to help students realize that they can reshape themselves-that they can rework the self-image foisted on them by their past, the self-image that makes them competent citizens, into a new self-image that they themselves have helped to create.
In the end, the author answers the question: why liberal education matters? The liberal education should teach students to liberate (liberate students from self-imposed immaturity), animate (unleash the creativity to animate the world), cooperate (connect the studying of great questions of our time to the interests and activities of society), and instigate (question the authority, non-conformity). "Liberal education matters because by challenging the forces of conformity it promises to be relevant to our professional, personal and political lives. That relevance isn't just about landing one's first job; it emerges over the course of one's working life. The free inquiry and experimentation of a reflexive, pragmatic education helps us to think for ourselves, take responsibility for our beliefs and actions, and become better acquainted with own desires, our own hopes. Liberal education matters far beyond the university because it increases our capacity to understand the world, contribute to it, and reshape ourselves. When it works, it never ends."
Book Review: A troublesome inheritance, genes, race and human history by Nicholas Wade, ISBN 9781594204463
The main point: Human evolution has been recent, copious and regional.
To support the point, the author heavily cites the new development in physical anthropology development and some of the major sources include:
- Francis Fukuyama
- Reverend Thomas Malthus
- Gregory Clark
Saturday, February 14, 2015
Book Review: Clouds of glory, the life and legend of Robert E.Lee By Michael Korda, ISBN 9780062116291
An audio book of Confederate general Robert E. Lee and his principal subodinates: "Stonewall" Jackson, Longstreet and J.E.B.Stuart.
The author seems to draw comparison of Lee with his military idol Napolean and cited Napolean throughout the book. Maybe due to author's European based education background.
Book Review: The scorpion's sting, Antislavery and the coming of the civil war by James Oakes ISBN 9780393239935
Surrounded by a ring of fire, the scorpion stings itself to death. The image, widespread among antislavery leaders before the Civil War,captures long-standing strategy for peaceful abolition: they would surround the slave states with a cordon of freedom.
I picked up the book after reading Washington Post review and it certainly offered a closer look at Civil War from a new persepctive. 
Saturday, January 24, 2015
Book Review: Start-up Nation, The story of Israel's Economic Miracle by Den Senor and Saul Singer ISBN 9780446541466
One recent news item coincides with my reading of this book:after French's terrorism attacks on Jews in Paris, Israel's prime minister was visiting France to urge French Jews to immigrate back to Israel. Immigration, as stated in the book, was one of the policy reason that fostered Israel's innovation driven growth and industry.
Start-up nation addresses the trillion-dollar question: How is it that Israel-a country of 7.1 million people, only sixty years old, surrounded by enemies, in a constant state of war since its founding, with no natural resources- produces more start-up companies than large, peaceful and stable nations like Japan, China, India, Korea, Canada and the United Kingdom? Drawing on examples from the country's foremost inventors and investors, the authors describe how Israel's adversity-driven culture fosters a unique combination of innovative and entrepreneurial intensity.
Here are the list of possible reasons for Israel's success in generating start-ups:
- Geopolitical: Surrounded by Arab adversity
- Racial character: Jews individualistic and risk-taking culture
- Mandatory military drafting policy as a start-up incubator and entrepreneurial training ground
- Pro start-up investment environment
- Pro-immigration leads to inflow of new ideas and fostering bootstrapping mentality
- Expat community that support motherland's start-ups
Book Review: Thread of the silkworm 中国飞弹之父钱学森之谜 by Iris Chang 张定绮，许耀云译， ISBN 0465087167
想读此书源于越来越多的华人在美经济和社会地位提高，但似乎有一层玻璃天棚横在头上， 远有钱学森50年代McCarthy主义的冤狱， 近有李文和案。张纯如(Iris Chang)给此书定名Thread of the silkworm 颇含深意： 一可译为破茧而出，暗指当年钱学森冲破美国的玻璃天棚回到中国，另起炉罩，兴中国航天大业；也可译为做茧自缚，暗指来美的华人所常见的聪明，勤奋却也清高，孤立，不善结盟，不善交际，轻视不如自己的人，结果用事业学业的成功把自己隔绝起来，一旦冲突来临，孤立无缘，少人帮助的困境。
在美华人喜欢从事科技行业，靠头脑聪明打拼，希冀扬长避短，用善干来补嘴拙，以绕过玻璃天棚的制约。科学无国界，但科学家是有的。钱学森当年学术精英， 前途无量，但生不逢时，McCarthyism盛行，蒙冤受辱，只好回国发展。中美文化，体制不同，又均为大国，日后竞争角力在所难免，在美华人要有准备，全面发展，经济政治力量齐头并进，嗅觉敏锐，防McCarthyism于未然。 另外要广结善缘，联盟合纵，消除种族阶级壁垒，少做茧自缚。
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)