Five (5) Benefits of Reading Good Books #LeadersAreReaders March 2023

John Wesley was a man who had a great passion for reading. Most of his reading time was on horseback (so don't complain about your environment!). He rode a horse up to 9 miles per day, and during those times he consumed thousands of books such as on science, history, medicine, and one book above all that he always brings along was his Greek New Testament. He told the younger ministers of the Methodist societies to read or get out of the ministry! He was once quoted as saying, “Reading Christians are growing Christians. When Christians cease to read, they cease to grow.” Let me share with you briefly five (5) benefits of reading:

< Reading Is the Main Source of Inspiration > Most of my thinking, writing, and teaching for LEGASI.tv comes from reading books. They inspired me to create YouTube videos, encouraged me to share my findings on the podcast, and enlarged my understanding of the Scripture for Bible studies. Good books especially have helped me to think about things and frame some great thoughts that I would never have come near without them.

< Reading for Intellectual Growth > I always experience the thrill when I read some gems that were opposite and/or invite me to see matters from different perspectives. Books make me think, polish, re-imagine and re-examine my beliefs. They test my wits, provide fresh ideas, and challenge my assumptions. They help me to express my thoughts in words.

< Reading to Keep Yourself Updated > J. Oswald Sanders writes, “Read… to acquire new information, to keep current with the time, to be well informed in his or her own field of expertise." I think you can get more updates on social media. But what makes books unique is that the information that you'll get is generally better in quality, thoughtful, and selectively beneficial.

< Reading Is Having Fellowships with Great Minds > To read good books is like hearing the authors speaking to us. Their words reflect their thinking. Their minds project on every page. It is like a conversation with the authors. Do you want to have a fellowship with A.W. Tozer, Charles Surgeon, Adrian Rogers, J.C. Ryle, Jim Rohn, Zig Ziglar, etc.? Then read their books!

< Reading Books May Change Your Life >  I am convinced that the right books by the right authors in the hands and hearts of rightly motivated people could turn their world right-side-up! (Not upside-down, that’s negative!) Some books, especially spiritual classics, can literally change your life!

#ServeToLead #LeadersAreReaders #BenefitsOfReading #IntellectualAndSpiritualGrowth #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

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The Art of the Good Life: 52 Surprising Shortcuts to Happiness, Wealth, and Success (2017) by Rolf Dobelli, Book Review

The Art of the Good Life: 52 Surprising Shortcuts to Happiness, Wealth, and Success (2017) by Rolf Dobelli

This is my second book from Dobelli. I enjoyed the first one, The Art of Thinking Clearly (2013), and since this is marketed as the follow-up book, I expected to have the same enjoyment with this one too (Here lie my many biases. Chief among them is the confirmation bias!). I do, most of the time. What the subtitle called shortcuts are actually Dobelli's "own collection of mental tools designed to build a good life" as he defines it. He derives these tools from classical antiquity to cutting-edge psychological research. As such, these are not original thoughts per se but packed briefly and simply for modern readers and aimed to be as practical as possible for the twenty-first century. The author, an economic philosopher, admits that "these fifty-two intellectual tools may not guarantee you a good life, but they'll give you a fighting chance." I like this kind of honesty.

Here are what I like about this book: 1) Each chapter consists of one main mental tool, with a clear definition or explanation and relatable examples. I think this is why Dobell is a good writer (it was originally written in the German language) because he can make complex concepts and academic journals accessible to common readers like me. Perhaps there are times when he oversimplified things and situations, but hey, these are just tools not laws; 2) I appreciate Dobelli's openness about his atheism and stoicism. This understanding helps me to see from his point of view and filtered through what I read with my own worldview; and 3) Notes at the end of this book are very useful if I want to explore each tool further. There are references and credits. By the way, I noticed that he loves to quote Warren Buffett, Charles Munger, Bertrand Russell, and Daniel Kahneman. Good thinkers.

Overall, I like it. Although, if you haven't read any book by Dobelli, I recommend you start with The Art of Thinking Clearly. That book will make you feel - and perhaps actually - smart. You may or may not read this one as a follow-up. I bought this at a massive discount bookstore. The normal price is expensive. So, borrow or find a secondhand one ☕#ServeToLead #LeadersAreReaders #TheArtOfTheGoodLife #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

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The Science of Self-Learning (2018) by Peter Hollins, Sort-of Book Review

The Science of Self-Learning: How to Teach Yourself Anything, Learn More in Less Time, and Direct Your Own Education (2018) by Peter Hollins, Ebook

 
The title and subtitle say it all. Some books are easy to read and quick to finish simply because you already agree with the main theses of the book. And extra if you already applied most of the ideas. So, what is the benefit of reading a book that doesn't challenge me to do or think about something new? Well, for one, the feel-good effect I had due to confirmation bias. And the other, for self-reminder, that it is the right thing for me to continue to pursue. Peter Hollis, a psychologist by profession, wrote in such a way that is engaging and balances theories with practicality. He reminds me that the path - for me, not necessary for everyone - to education is through self-learning.

We all should've realized that the process of acquiring information has changed significantly over the last few decades. The author seriously joking that 30 to 40 decades ago, one of the main ways for people to look up general info was inside an encyclopedia! Today, all we have to do is just Google-ing absolutely anything and find out very specific info about any subject of interest in less than a few seconds anywhere, anywhen. What hasn’t changed, sadly, is our educational system. It is still based mostly on a traditional model, where students still learn what somebody else has decided for them to learn. Although there are exceptions and some positive sides to it, the outdated model is overall limiting and intimidating. Mr. Hollins writes, "[Motivating] someone to learn by threats or reproach isn’t just ineffective - it’s impossible. If one is feeling hurt or mistrusted, or if they’re dealing with depression, stress, difficult personal issues, or fear, they don’t have any resources left to help them learn."

Enter the keyword: autodidact (or a self-educator). It simply means a self-taught person. He or she is both a teacher and a student at the same time. Self-taught is not a new pursuit. There are famous people like Mark Twain, Albert Einstein, and Leonardo da Vinci who are autodidacts. The advantage for us today is that it is easier and faster for us to be one. “Courtesy of the Internet, the world is your oyster,” writes Mr. Hollins, “and we have the ability to learn anything we want these days.” Due to my personality and learning style, classroom-type, professor-guide, assignment- dateline like Bible seminary is not suitable for me. My process of directed personal education growth is via proactive intellectual curiosity. Thus, my motivation is not from the outside forces but from the inside a.k.a. intrinsic. Nobody can 'force' me to learn, I WANT to learn. The author puts it like this: "Rather than performing a task to gain rewards or avoid punishment from someone else, a person experiencing intrinsic motivation does an activity for how it will enrich them on an intangible level." Right!

If you are an autodidact, reading Chapter 1: Principle of Self-Learning is a good reminder for you to keep doing what you are doing (probably Chapter 1 is just enough). If you are aspired to be one, reading this book is a good starting point. You will learn the Learning Success Pyramid, the classic SQ3R Method, the Cornell Note-Taking System, Speed-Reading tactics, and more. The author is generous with his resources. I love this quote, "Anyone can be an autodidact - there aren’t any restrictions on age, gender, or background. All that’s required is the willingness to actively find new knowledge and to do so with a discerning, evaluative mind." Yes! ☕

#ServeToLead #LeadersAreReaders #TheScienceOfSelfLearning #AutodidactForever #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

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Cracking Philosophy: You, This Book and 3,000 Years of Thought (2016) by Dr. Martin Cohen, This-Is-Not-A-Review

Why Learning Philosophy Is Important?

In 2014, the late Dr. R.C. Sproul’s book Everyone’s a Theologian was published. He argues that any time we think about God and/or the teaching of the Bible and strive to understand it, we are engaging in theology. “No Christian can avoid theology,” he said, “Every Christian is a theologian. Perhaps not a theologian in the technical or professional sense, but a theologian nevertheless. The issue for Christians is not whether we are going to be theologians but whether we are going to be good theologians or bad ones.” In the same way, I think, everyone is a philosopher. We might not be a formal one or called as one but we are a philosopher nevertheless. If you ask questions or think intentionally about specific problems and ideas or engage with others on particular issues or challenge assumptions and concepts to generate new perspectives, you’re a philosopher (philosophy comes from the Greek roots Philo- meaning “love” and Sophos- meaning “wisdom” and so is defined as “the love of wisdom”). If you philosophized, then, you’re doing philosophy. Or to put it generally, no one can avoid it because everyone has a life philosophy. However, in the same way, similar to what Dr. Sproul said about being a theologian, the issue is whether we are going to be good philosophers or bad ones.

There are many things in life - or the universe, seen and unseen - that are yet to be discovered. As Christ-follower and Bible-believer, the essentials like who is the living God are already settled in my mind and heart. Faith in Him triumphs all my doubts about Him (see, I’m philosophizing here). Unashamedly, I’m very close-minded in this matter. But in almost everything else, I remain curious and open-minded. That’s why I love science because science is about discovery. Yet it has its limit. As scientific knowledge and discoveries grow rapidly, it is impossible to know what to do with them without reflecting on what they mean to us and how to use them for the greater good rather than for self-destruction (as predicted by Ultron in MCU’s 2015 Avengers movie). From the humanistic perspective, answers to all these questions depend on what conception we have of ourselves as human beings and what we think that means for the best way to live. None of these issues are questions for science but for philosophy (I wanted to write “philosophy and theology” but I’m still struggling with the relation between these two. But to limit the scope of this short article and to show the importance of philosophy, l will just focus on one). Science gives us facts but philosophy gives us reasons. Science can create robots but philosophy makes us humans. Science deals with cause and effect but philosophy deals with ethics.

Again, everyone is a philosopher. So don’t be a bad one. Learn and study philosophy. Of course, not everything can be solved by philosophy (in fact, sometimes it can make things more complicated) but since we are philosophized about everything anyway, why don’t be a better one at that? Philip Strokes, author of Philosophy 100 Essential Thinkers, says it best in the introduction of his book: “Since philosophers are engaged in exploring every avenue of thought, it should cause no surprise that many of their conclusions strike us as unacceptable in some way or another. At least one of the merits of such work is that it can indicate what we should NOT believe. But it should be equally appreciated that the conclusions of philosophers have also had profound effects.” Yes, the ripple effects of philosophy from the dawn of civilization to the present day cannot be undervalued and overlooked. That’s why I appreciate Dr. Martin Cohen’s Cracking Philosophy very much. He provides a good introduction to the subject in a very easy-to-read format (I do not imply that it is easy to understand though), written in somewhat chronological order and filled with amazing illustrations from start to end. I have to admit that I’m not good at remembering the terms and names mentioned in the book. So Google and Index are my constant companions. The 3,000 years of the history of thought is divided into ten (10) chapters, namely:

1. Mysteries and Wondering: Where It All Started - The First Philosophers
2. The Golden Age of Philosophy
3. Seeking Wisdom Through God
4. The Renaissance and the Triumph of Reason
5. Enlightenment, Philosophy, and the Rise of Science
6. Sniffing Out Empiricism with Locke, Berkeley, and Hume
7. Capitalism and the Rational Man
8. A Fork in the Road: Philosophies of Romanticism and Human Striving
9. Language, Truth, and Logic
10. Beyond Science: Philosophers Still Searching for Wisdom

☕ #ServeToLead #LeadersAreReaders #EveryoneIsAPhilosopher #CrackingPhilosophy #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

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The Wisdom of Psychopaths (2012) by Kevin Dutton, A Short Review

The Wisdom of Psychopaths: What Saints, Spies,
and Serial Killers Can Teach Us About Success (2012)
by Kevin Dutton, Audiobook

I had just finished listening to this audiobook last week. I'm not sure whether I want to write a proper summary review about it or not. Probably a short one. First, although I'm able to comprehend the big picture of an audiobook (especially on the subjects that are very interesting to me) through listening, I cannot recall the specific juicy quotes or thought-provoking lines unless I have the actual book or ebook to refer to. So, sorry in advance. Secondly, overall this book is stimulating enough (I love psychology!) but the title and subtitle can be misunderstood by those who will never read it. Let me explain.

The word Psychopath in general is negative. The dictionary defines it as a person suffering from a chronic mental disorder with abnormal or violent social behavior. Mad and bad. Then add the word wisdom to it can be very confusing and oxymoron. Plus, "what serial killers can teach us about success" is not helpful either. But once you explore what Kevin Button writes in the book - stories, interviews, theories, research, data - you will start to get why small and control doses of 'good' psychopathic traits as psychologists define it like charming personalities, no fear of failure or risk, cold empathy, hyperfocus, somewhat intelligent and smart (now I'm thinking of my favorite fictional villain, James Moriarty), etc. are useful for us to strive in the world today. At the right place, time and amount, these traits can be very helpful without harming others as some psychopaths do. I remember Kevin Button said that some of the top career choices for 'functional psychopaths' are politicians, entrepreneurs, police, journalist, and even clergy!

Although in general, I enjoy this book, I also have some strong disagreements and dislikes about the author's theories and conclusions. It seems like, without ethical considerations (and clinical help?), someone might use this book as approval for their harmful psychopathic behaviors. From "wisdom" to "destruction." Success at all costs can prove to be a folly determination and serial killers are your worst teachers! Read or listen with care 😉🔍💬 #ServeToLead #LeadersAreReaders #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

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Lima (5) Cara untuk Menyambut Hari Merdeka 2021

1) HARGAI SEJARAH. Dulu saya langsung tidak peduli dan menghargai sejarah Malaysia tetapi apabila saya sudah berkerjaya dan memasuki pelayanan, saya mendapati bahawa sejarah banyak mempengaruhi bagaimana kita berfikir, bergaul, berkomunikasi dan mengenal identiti sesama kita. Sumber terbaik untuk mengetahui sejarah Malaysia - dan isu-isu semasa - ialah melalui buku-buku yang diterbitkan oleh Gerakbudaya (https://www.gerakbudaya.com). Selain itu, dokumentari seperti Road to Nationhood: Formation of Malaysia juga sangat membantu (https://youtu.be/WP3NsJVU-78). Tak kenal Malaysia maka tak cinta.

2) MENGUBAH MINDSET. Syukur kepada TUHAN Allah kerana kebanyakkan kita tidak perlu pergi berperang untuk mendapatkan kemerdekaan. Tabik dan hormat penghargaan kepada para pejuang kita dahulu! Namun begitu, kemerdekaan sebenar ialah holistik termasuk dari segi minda atau mindset. Lirik rap Joe Flizzow dalam lagu Negaraku sangat cun: "Nak merdeka dijasad harus bebas diakal." Apabila ada isu* yang melibatkan keutamaan dan kepentingan sesama kita timbul, salah satu mindset yang penting ialah ini: I am Malaysian first, then my race or tribe second (*bergantung kepada konteks).

3) KURANGKAN SIKAP PERKAUMAN. Saya memahami sesetengah orang yang optimistik yang mengatakan bahawa mereka ada sifar (zero) sikap perkauman. Namun begitu, ianya mustahil. TIADA seorang pun yang langsung tidak ada prejudis dan stereotaip. Apa yang kita boleh buat ialah mengakui bahawa kita ada sikap itu, memiliki kesedaran apabila kita bersikap begitu dan hari demi hari cuba mengurangkan sikap itu. Berkawan dan berkomunikasi dengan orang daripada pelbagai kaum ialah cara yang ideal untuk melakukan semua ini. Tetapi oleh kerana kita sekarang berdepan dengan isu pendamik, jadi, empat cara lain yang disenaraikan di sini boleh membantu.

4) BERDOA BAGI NEGARA. Yesus Kristus berfirman: "Kasihilah musuhmu dan doakan orang yang menganiayamu" (Matius 5:44). Jika kamu marah kepada musuh kamu, cuba kamu berdoa sesuatu yang baik untuk dia. Bolehkah kamu kekal marah dan terus berdoa? Tidak! Malah, kasih mulai timbul. Begitu juga, kita mungkin pasrah, kecewa dan marah tentang apa yang terjadi dalam negara kita sekarang. Berdoa. Berdoa untuk para pemimpin, keadaan & isu-isu semasa dan kebajikan seluruh rakyat Malaysia. Bagi orang Kristian, ebook The 40-Days Fast & Prayer 2021 (https://www.necf.org.my/index.cfm?&menuid=200&parentid=144) boleh membantu kita untuk mendapatkan perkara-perkara doa bagi Malaysia.

5) BUKA & TUTUP MULUT. Penjelasan ini mudah tapi sukar dilakukan oleh kerana sifat manusia. Jika ada perkara yang melibatkan keadilan, kebenaran dan mempertahankan orang yang lemah, kita harus berani membuka suara dan bertindak atau melakukan sesuatu. Bukan hanya merungut, jadi keyboard warrior atau mahu going viral tapi benar-benar terbeban. Sebaliknya, tutup mulut. Jika tidak ada apa-apa yang baik, jelas, membina atau benar-benar penting untuk diperkatakan. Ataupun tangguhkan respon dahulu dan berfikir sebelum bersuara. Malaysia boleh berpecah lebih cepat melalui konflik dalaman berbanding dengan pengaruh secara luaran. Bukankah itu yang kita lihat dalam 'drama' politik negara?

#ServeToLead #SelamatHariMerdeka #MalaysiaYangTercinta

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