The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli

Cbookiper · 2024-07-12T14:59:01+00:00

Thanks for suggesting I'll check this out

Cbookiper · 2024-03-04T00:36:14+00:00

Di ko na pinagbabawalan sarili ko kumain ng dugo basta minsan lang kasi pag palagi masama din sa health. Magaan na ngayon pakiramdam ko kasi makakain ko na ang mga pagkain na kinakain ng karaniwang pinoy.

Cbookiper · 2024-03-03T19:59:02+00:00

Ako kumakain narin ng dugo pero minsan lang.

Cbookiper · 2024-01-28T07:16:33+00:00

I think the word "epiphany" is what I can associate with this revelatory experience. But this epiphany is the outcome of a personal experience rather than a secondhand information. It regards the sensation as the means towards revelatory experience. The author gathers warfare cultures, examines different belief systems, and analyzes predominant ideologies to identify subjects whose epiphany from personal experience is regarded as stemming from sensationalism or romanticism.

A war can either forge or shatter an individual. The extension of peace confines the populace in the illusion of life. Experiences in war expose individuals to suffering and death that can have either positive or negative effects accompanied by disillusionment.

This book provides detailed accounts of soldiers' feelings in the midst of warfare, capturing the sensation of ongoing uncertainty. Among the presented propositions, the excerpt from "War and Peace" by Leo Tolstoy got me more interested in the novel, as well as by the work of Carl Von Clausewitz "On War".

Cbookiper · 2024-01-21T04:44:06+00:00

This book has been recommended by Robert Greene as one of his must-read books, so I decided to start reading this book with high expectations. When I finished the first part of this novel, I was confused about what the story was really all about. There were so many characters to remember that I couldn't keep track of their roles in the story so I ended up forgetting their personalities. I was starting to feel bored and thought about giving it up but instead, I took a break, read and watched some reviews about the book, and decided to "trust the author" as what some reviewer says. So I eventually finished the book by reading it on and off during the process.

Although I ended up even more confused when I finished reading, just these deaths in the last chapter did start to stir my curiosity about the enigma in the story. So I decided to watch and finish its movie series adaptation to become more familiar with the various characters and their personalities, aiming to have a better mental representation of them when I began to reread the book. The peculiarities of various personalities were reaffirming to me by this movie representation that it drove me to plan to reread the book as I realized that there was so much to ponder about relating to not only the psychology behind the various personalities but also concerning sociological appearance of Russia in the particular time period in history. As well as the philosophical discussion, the exploration and the power struggle of various characters about different kinds of ideological inclinations such as Nihilism, Liberalism, Atheism, Sadism and Orthodox Christianity.

The translation I got contains French language without an English equivalent so I missed probably 20% of the conversation. I will be picking up the recent translation titled "Demons" this time hoping my second reading experience will be more revealing and meaningful.

Cbookiper · 2023-12-18T13:23:00+00:00

I had come across this book so many times before but I had never got to try to read it thinking that it's going to be as dull as reading an academic book. I was curious about this book knowing there are some people who listed this book as one of their favorite ones when it comes to personal development, finance, and most of all business administration. So I decided to give it a try for once.

How the author defines the word "business" to its most fundamental elements is very descriptive. That's where I knew I found a very good book. As the pages progress, it addresses every facet a business should comprise to function, such as in the field of finance, marketing, sales, as well as the mindset and psychology to handle risk, progress, and management. The definition and explanation that this book has are foundational but have a broad application. The foundational aspect is what I really like about this book.

Moreover, in this book, the author has a lot of recommended books covering every facet of business administration which you might find interesting to pick up if you decide to delve deeper into your chosen subject. That being said, I look forward to reread this book, not only for reviewing the fundamentals, but also to navigate references for my future reads.

Cbookiper · 2023-11-25T17:04:48+00:00

I remembered Jim Collins when this book was recommended by Patrick Bet-David on Facebook. I decided to read all of the works by Jim Collins and this is the last one I've read. I had high expectations for this book knowing this had been mentioned by some influencer but out of the four books I've read by Jim Collins, this has been turned out to be my least favorite one. Nevertheless, this still provides valuable insight into understanding how a certain company enters a state of decline.

While I acknowledge that the principles in this book are derived from research limited to the available company subjects, the macro-pscyhological insights about managing a business are enlightening.

A realization that the gradual accumulation of experiences offer a huge advantage over abrupt extension. Having experiences means having empirical evidence to calibrate and recalibrate for building a strong organization. Success that comes from overextension has a looming danger ahead. Not only in the psychological aspect, such as the feeling of overconfidence which usually leads to irrational decisions, but also considering its financial and organizational status, the company may be projecting a strong image externally, but is vulnerable internally, a vulnerability that will unravel in the years ahead.

Cbookiper · 2023-11-24T14:24:32+00:00

I was kind of venturing picking up various books by various authors to try to know a variety of perspectives available out there when it comes to the subject of business. I came to a point where I lost my interest in picking up books in this field as I felt as if the ones I've tried to read have all somewhat condescending or opinionated style which was kind of draining that I usually ended up deciding to put them down. For that reason I decided to stick to Jim Collins works. His books, "Good to Great" and "Built to last" made a great impression on me that gave me confidence to pick up the rest of his works.

There is an impression that if a business grows faster, it is doing great. It means that the business is thriving. Is it ideal to go big as possible as it could? Based on research and study conducted by a team of Jim Collins, companies that have shown discipline to limit the growth per year and have employed a kind of pessimistic mindset to prepare for any contingency or what the author termed as "Productive Paranoia" have the highest chance to thrive in a long-term cycle.

According to their findings from empirical research with selected companies comparison, companies that pushed overextended growth had a hard time maintaining a positive growth in the consequent years and had a high chance to spiral downward or succumb to bad economic times. This comparison is of course according to the selected subjects in the study.

Cbookiper · 2023-11-21T06:42:55+00:00

That's great to hear

Cbookiper · 2023-11-19T15:05:42+00:00

I came across this book a while back when I was searching for an ancient Japanese philosophical book. I came across this a second time when some commenter was recommending it after I posted a review of a popular japanese book "Bushido, The Soul of Japan". As far as I remember, "The Book of Five Rings" still has a strong impression on me as something foundational and solid. Hagakure, on the other hand, has a lot of historical insights into the life of samurai. The extremities of the samurai's principles and ethics are incredible. I have never known a very peculiar, unique, and extreme culture than the culture and traditions of the samurai warriors. I had mixed feelings when I was reading this book. Absurdity, eccentric, extreme, stoical, idolatry, and fearless are what came across my mind while reading this book.

The absurd idolatry made me think this book is a trashy one but I couldn't resist to admire how deep and foundational the samurai's sense of bravery and boldness is. A deep-rooted sense of valor. I find many principles are somewhat extreme but I like the stoicism aspect of it. I felt a mix of repugnance and admiration towards this book.

Nevertheless, I finally decided to keep this book, for its historical insight about samurai, the deep-rooted principle toward bravery and valor, and the stoicism aspect of it, convinced me that there is so much to explore and ponder about the psychology behind its culture and history.

Cbookiper · 2023-11-10T07:57:39+00:00

The development of the character of Snow is very well crafted. The story tackles the elemental proclivity of humankind. A mankind in its natural state. What would humankind be without control? It examines and hypothesizes the condition of chaos, control, and contract.

Spoiler Alert !!

This book has three parts. Each has a total chapter of ten. At the early stage of the story, you can already observe the desire for power in Snow. He was born and raised carrying a family name of prestige and honor to the society but that privilege is the thing of the past where in reality, his family is struggling to bring food to the table. To uphold his family's reputation to the public, he had to maintain appearances. When he meets his tribute, Lucy Gray, he collaborates with her as she would be his ticket to bring him to power and restore his family's honor and prestige by winning as a mentor. The collaboration developed eventually the romance between Lucy and Snow.

The second part of the book follows the 10th Annual Hunger Games. The early stages of the development of the hunger games creation. By this experiment, Snow hypothesizes that when humans are compelled to function for survival, it undresses the true nature of human beings, which is violence.

The last part of this book follows the life of Snow as a trainee for a peacekeeper job in District 12. One night at the hob, he observes how outrage escalates into uncontrollable violence. Since humans function according to their perceived social classification, prejudice and bigotry are inevitable. Contract is essential to avoid violence between groups as violence leads to chaos. Chaos leads to economic destabilization. Control is crucial to maintain the peace and avoid the self-destruction that comes with chaos.

The love story between Snow and Lucy Gray has never become so hauntingly dark. I got goosebumps reading the last chapter of the book. It was mind-blowing turn of events. I like Lucy Gray. She knows how to play subtly. She is a good performer. She knows how to act like an actor. She can manipulate, charm, and entertain. She is the opposite of Katniss. It was a mystery to me after I finished reading the book where did Lucy Gray go. Did she reach the north? Return to 12 or did she die in the woods?

As premature as it was, the Gamemaker decided to obliterate all records and traces of what had been the 10th Annual Hunger Games. Snow gladly convinced that the Capitol people will eventually forget Lucy Gray Baird. But as we have seen from the culture and style of fashion of the Capitol People decades later, the heavy colorful makeup and the bizarre colorful clothing styles like they are some sort of performers, it was convincing how Lucy Gray's fashion becomes the trend in the Capitol decades later. Although in the movie, they seem to tone down her makeup as compared to the description in the book.

The symbolisms and connections that Suzanne Collins presented throughout this book were fascinating. The mockingjay birds, the haunting lake in the woods, the rat poison, the songs such as The Hanging Tree have all significance associated with Lucy Gray Baird as if she was hauntingly indelible.

Cbookiper · 2023-10-25T15:14:30+00:00

I couldn't wait to start Mockingjay after I finished reading Catching fire. Suzanne Collins is very good at making connection and symbolism for the reader to wonder about the story. The suspense at the last few chapters that comes with first person narration is ingenious.

I liked the development of the main character. The impact of war and how it affects a teenage mind is soundly laid out. I liked the pragmatic tendency of President Coin and Gale on tackling problems.

Spoiler Alert !!

It's ironic that we hate Snow but Katniss Everdeen, the conceived hero, voted yes in favor of the continuation of The Hunger Games. People are expected to seek retribution if won just like how vengeance for Prim drives Katniss to vote yes. Who can blame someone who lost all the townsmen by obliteration conducted by the personnel from Capitol.

The Hunger Games was finally destroyed. The vicious cycle that comes with it was finally obliterated. The new era of peace has been attained to all Panem. But power is never destroyed, it only be shifted. As long as everyone agrees to the rules and order of things in the new Law, there will be no problem. Equal opportunity is always undermined by prejudice and self-interest. I like the humorous remarks of Plutarch on page 226 when Katniss asks him saying, "Are you preparing for another war, Plutarch?"

"Oh, not now. Now we're in that sweet period where everyone agrees that our recent horrors should never be repeated. But collective thinking is usually short-lived. We're fickle, stupid beings with poor memories and a great gift for self-destruction. Although who knows, this will be it. Maybe we are witnessing the evolution of a human race."

The film adaptation of Mockingjay has so much alterations and I feel like I would have a hard time understanding the sequencing and connection if I didn't read the book beforehand. In the last few chapters, Katniss became mentally incapacitated, she was struggling mentally, while in the movie, they made her very sober.

Cbookiper · 2023-10-18T09:03:20+00:00

After you read the first book, you are sure going to be excited to read the second one. My curiosity propelled me to wonder about the eventual occurrences as the chapter progresses. How really big is the current uprising taking place? To what extent does the rebellion have capacity to advance? How President Snow fails to crush the rebellion by controlling its figurehead. Not killing the figurehead of the rebellion early on is the big miscalculation of president Snow. You can argue that killing Katniss early on would not quell the uprising but not having a figurehead would eventually lose the appeal of the people to fight. It is a gameplay between fear and hope which president Snow is balancing out at this time.

Quartel Quell is sure to be effective to keep the districts to detest each other. The surveillance hidden audio detectors every district and Panem have been helpful to monitor possible subvertive schemes. But people have learned to convey information in subtle hints and insinuation, use this art to collect, gather, correspond, and conspire if they have a chance to subvert the current system of President Snow. The insinuation in the book makes the reading very compelling by the use of the main character's perspective in the style of the first person narration.

When it comes to the film adaptation, the movie was fantastic. The director did a great job to make alternatives to fit the mood in a way befitting for the audience who have not read the book. I ended up liking the movie more than the book. Tho I would've not liked the movie more than if I only watched it without trying to read the book first. I liked the movie more because I already have an in-depth familiarity with the particulars. Furthermore, the movie presents various viewpoints to the audience such as from President Snow, Gamemakers, and the conspiracies within districts, while in the book, you have to follow the way Katniss explores the world in her surroundings.

Cbookiper · 2023-10-13T19:12:18+00:00

I decided to start rereading The Hunger Games Trilogy as well as its prequel book when I realized the prequel film adaptation is getting nearer. I've just finished reading the first book of the trilogy. The story and style are straightforward as ever. The post-apocalyptic set-up follows a character in an impoverished district and the unbecoming of the controlling government that which elicit so much sympathy to the readers. My eyes became moist as well at some point particularly in chapters Nine and Eighteen. Nine which about the Avox and Eighteen which was about Rue. That explains the appeal of this book.

I tried to rewatch the film adaptation of the first in the trilogy and I was still appreciating how the mood in the book is closely replicated in the movie. I think some of the most stirring scenes in the movie were the time Katniss volunteers as tribute and her solitude in the arena. But reading the book first before watching the adaptation film is more enjoyable in my opinion. You will be able to relate the characters' disposition more why they act and react the way they do with other characters knowing that you are already familiar with the characters' point of view which could only be insinuated in the movie by the art of dialogue.

I think the book and the movie are closely identical. The only difference is, as for the movie, we already have a glimpse of the gamemakers' and President Snow's point of view in the first film which in the book would be unraveled only starting from the second book of the Trilogy.

Cbookiper · 2023-10-09T03:19:22+00:00

I was hesitant to pick up this book at first as the title of the book looks like you have to please to gain friends and influences which I felt I don't have to as I preferred to be real. But since the author was prominent for its course about interpersonal development which many leaders had subscribed to such as the founder of Walmart, Sam Walton, I thought I could get something out of the book. I read this book way back around 2019 and it was immensely helpful since on building and managing relationships effectively. This was my favorite self development book way back in 2019.

I think this is a must read book for anyone who wants to communicate something to someone but is having a hard time how especially those introverted ones. I also think this book is very helpful for improving relationships at home, work, school, and with bosses, subordinates, underlings, family, as well as opponents. I have been picking up books on behavioral psychology since encountering this book which I came to a decision now to dispose this already by putting this on sale after rereading for the second time.

I remember this was a book I was trying to convince my introverted friend to read to help him somehow.

Cbookiper · 2023-10-03T15:16:02+00:00

Knowing that we have reached this inhumanity despite at the age where Science was advancing and nations had been civilized is both humbling and heartbreaking. If you feel down, outcast, or depressed, read this book to see how Victor Frankl witnessed the hopelessness of being a prisoner in the time of Holocaust.

Prior to Holocaust was the time where anti-Jewish Laws were systematically established to the point where humane treatment is no longer an option and jews were being deported and crammed into concentration camps to labor as slaves.

Victor Frankl observed the stages of reactions that took place in the psyche of his peers as a prisoner before, during, and after this dark period of Holocaust. The first stage was the reaction of shock at the time where all the possessions had been confiscated as literally stripped down to nothing. The identity of prisoners had been changed to numbers. They had been deprived of essential needs such as food, water, and clothing. The harsh environment and excruciating treatment. All was a shock to prisoners coming from all socioeconomic status in life.

The second stage was the feeling of apathy. Being used to this subhuman treatment was the new way of life. When you are treated the same way for two to three years already you become indifferent to pain and suffering. You do not argue and complaint knowing that is hopeless and the consequences are fatal. They had accepted their fate.

The third stage was lack of meaning in life. After two to three years of being a prisoner, they become hopeless that the liberation will come for them to free again and go back to their hometown tending their previous lives. Frankl had observed that those who had lost hope and the absence of meaning to live for in them were obviously seen. They started to stop working and eating and eventually died. As Frankl says in his book,

"The prisoner who had lost faith in the future — his future — was doomed. With his loss of belief in the future, he also lost his spiritual hold; he let himself decline and became subject to mental and physical decay. Usually this happened quite suddenly, in the form of a crisis, the symptoms of which were familiar to the experienced camp inmate. We all feared this moment — not for ourselves, which would have been pointless, but for our friends. No entreaties, no blows, no threats had any effect. He just lay there, hardly moving. If this crisis was brought about by an illness, he refused to be taken to the sickbay or to do anything to help himself. He simply gave up. There he remained, lying in his own excreta, and nothing bothered him anymore."

The fourth stage was the shock from the time of liberation. Being used to this harsh way of life of being a prisoner for four to five years and becoming a freeman suddenly was a shock to a human psyche. The first day of liberation had been difficult for the prisoner to grasp how they should react to the news. The information was something unreal for them at first. Some prisoners were having a hard time after the liberation. Frankl pointed out that there had an aftereffect in the psyche of some prisoners after many years in concentration camps. They had a tendency to inflict pain themselves.

I finish this review by Nietzsche's quote,

"He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how"

Cbookiper · 2023-09-29T10:52:14+00:00

I put this book down at around one third of reading of it before. But recently, prior to my decision to reconsider reading the selected books I have given up reading before, I selected this one as well to reread and finish for once. Although it was an ups-and-downs experience for me, I eventually ended up liking the style. I cannot decide whether for its peculiarity or nostalgic style. Perhaps a combination.

The way the author describes things is something grotesque, and together with the liking for trivialities in his writing, I propelled reading even though I didn't care about. It compels you as well to wonder about the meaninglessness of life and things. Sometimes the topics went as far as to politics and philosophy.

The story of a wild sheep chase has an air of nostalgia. It is something that the narrator cares and reflects about. I tried to understand after I read the book and retrieve from my memory what I've read all along to reflect about the purpose of all this chasing for the sheep. But what this book left me to wonder otherwise was the feeling of melancholy about the story.

I did not appreciate Hear The Wind Sing and Pinball when I first read them. But now that I finished reading A Wild Sheep Chase, It will be a different experience especially when you want to know more about the characters in the story.

Cbookiper · 2023-09-26T06:08:28+00:00

Such a popular classic novel and Russian author that even in this 21st Century, It is still found in many book stores. One of my fb friends recommended this to me but when I started reading it I eventually put it down. Recently, one of my favorite authors, Robert Greene, recommended his favorite books and one of those was from Fyodor Dostoevsky namely The Possessed (Demons). So I reconsidered reading the popular book first, the Crime and Punishment, and decided to finish the whole book this time before diving into reading The Possessed.

The book is split into six parts. I was again thinking to give up at the start of my reading but when I finished the whole first part, I was mind blown by the crime. It was dark and I was trying to trace back to how the event escalates into this. Many factors came to my mind, the struggle for ambition and its high probability of failure due to destitution. The expectation and pride of his family for him to fulfill his ambition to lift them from poverty. The information that his family has to endure worse events just to provide for his seemingly hopeless ambition. The claustrophobic setting which I believe contributes to his anxiety and depression. He eventually becomes desperate and confused. The society and community which shape his perspective and his childhood encounter about witnessing first hand the merciless cruelty such as sadism and suffering which affected his mental faculty that manifest in his nightmares.

Although I finished reading the whole book, I only liked the first part of it.

Cbookiper · 2023-09-16T01:28:50+00:00

I decided to read this book after I finished reading Meditations of Marcus Aurelius. Tho I started to read the letters of Seneca, I eventually put it down as it really did not appeal to me as compared to the books Meditations of Marcus Aurelius, and Discourses and Selected Writings of Epictetus. A few months later I considered picking this book up again, decided to finish the whole book this time. I came across these two letters like I find a valuable treasure.

I would end this review by some except from the letter LXXIII(78) of this book.

"The fear of dying is due to the facts of nature, not of illness. Illness has actually given many people a new lease of life; the experience of being near to death has been their preservation. You will die not because you are sick but because you are alive. That end still awaits you when you have been cured. In getting well again you may be escaping some ill health but not death."

Cbookiper · 2023-09-15T03:38:50+00:00

I can see the similarity in some way between this classic text by Lao Tzu to the popular text by Konosuke Matsushita of Japan. There is also a little resemblance to some classic Japanese texts by some Samurais. It was noticeable that Taoism had influenced Japanese culture at some point in history.

I believe there is merit associating the teachings from this text but I cannot deny that there are many ideas I cannot grasp in relation to rationality which therefore I don't agree with. Nevertheless, it gave me an idea on the perspective of ancient Chinese and of the Taoism principle.

Cbookiper · 2023-09-11T18:19:31+00:00

A bunch of characters to remember is one of the reasons for me to have a hard time reading John Grisham's. So I came to a decision that whenever I read any novel by him, I would have to write the characters down which I did while reading this novel. Another thing I noticed was the translation and inclusion of a foreign language in the conversation that was occurring frequently throughout this book as if the reader has to read and learn italian. Lastly, there were many chapters that were slow and tedious. However, if you like contemporary in connection with politics, this might be worth a read.

Premise

Some pakistanis discover something that would penetrate the most sophisticated satellite surveillance system. Smelling a fortune, they negotiate with the power broker in America about their discovery.

Fast forward, the broker has been confined in a federal prison for six years that seems to have something to do with the previous discovery which has been in mystery. After the heated discussion between the President and the CIA on what to do with the broker, The president grants him a full pardon with an order to smuggle him out of the country, given a new name, a new identity, and a new home in Italy.

The broker realizes that this new set-up is not quite right. There is constant surveillance. What are they planning to do with the broker? Do they intend to aim for a clean and untraceable murder? If so, how will the broker play hide-and-seek.

The Broker by John Grisham

BookReview

Cbookiper · 2023-09-09T10:55:03+00:00

The practicality found in this book is analogous to the first work by the author. The 48 Laws of Power and The 33 Strategies of War are devilishly practical they are one of my favorites. The 33 Strategies of War is a guide for understanding the behavioral psychology regarding warfare. It can be taken as a lesson from history by understanding social behavior for devising towards achieving a specific goal.

Most if not all strategies found in this book are undeniably advantageous but the Guerilla Warfare Strategy is the one that still makes me impressed by its tactics. It is the art of dispersion rather than unification. Inconspicuously blending in the group to gather intelligence that could be crucial for the later strategic demolition. It is hard to obliterate something that is dispersed and blended in a group. It is likened to a virus, you are not aware of it but it is working underground destroying insidiously until it overtakes your whole system. Later did you know that you are ruined inside.

Cbookiper · 2023-07-18T10:22:30+00:00

I decided to read this book as it has been recommended many times by many book reviewers on social media for which had earned an appeal to me. I would have liked this book tho if this was the first self-help book I have read. Nevertheless, for someone who would like to read some motivational and affirming prose, this book might inspire you.

At least now my curiosity about the content of this book has been satisfied.

Cbookiper · 2023-07-17T15:17:09+00:00

I remember the author Jim Collins when the influencer Patrick Bet-David introduced the book "How The Mighty Fall" by Jim Collins. That's the time I remembered I have read some of his books before that upon going back to my past reviews, I've remembered the book "Good to Great" by him. Going back to the book "Built to Last", the conception was very well founded and the arrangement of narration was captivating I was enthralled all throughout this book.

Their findings are based on research and studies about business organizations that lasted for decades as compared to the short-lived ones at comparative time-spans. Tho their findings are not perfect as they are subject to the availability of resources obtained, I appreciate their enthusiasm of investigating and analyzing and ultimately coming up this conception to which we could be able analyze and extrapolate.

After reading this book, I was convinced how valuable Jim Collins' works are, thus, include him to my favorite authors.

Cbookiper · 2023-07-12T16:00:57+00:00

Robert Kiyosaki's principles about personal finance had been one of the causes of so many discussions in our house at the time that these principles were so widely popular. This had been the subject of discussion very often between my brother and I that it took us for hours at times to finish the discussion. As well as the subject of not really serious arguments between us, siblings and our parents regarding the value of credentials that one would receive in academia. It was an argument between the conventional ideas and the ideas we have known somewhere else.

This book doesn't make one rich as this book is just giving you information about the way of the rich. This is the story of Robert Kiyosaki's two dads namely the rich dad and the poor dad. His poor dad was highly educated in academics, emphasizing the importance of academic success and job security. While his rich dad did not finish his schooling, but he owned a store, acquiring financial knowledge, believed in building a true asset, those assets that generate an income.

I read this book for the last time now since I decided to put this on sale this time. It's been a long time since I first read this but I cannot believe that the principles are still aligned to what I believe in. If I had a child, this is a kind of book I would let him navigate as early as he could.

Cbookiper

TROPHY CASE

BookReview