Three (3) Categories of Books To Avoid #LeadersAreReaders April 2022

In his highly recommended book, Lit! A Christian Guide To Reading Books (2011), Tony S. Reinke shares three categories of books to avoid:

1) AVOID CERTAIN BOOKS BECAUSE OF TIMING. "Choosing what books to read is often not a yes/no decision but a now/later decision," writes Reinke. "The same is true for young Christians who are new to the faith. Be cautious of reading literature that you are ill-equipped to read with discernment. Sometimes the proper Christian approach to literature is humble postponement." I agree. One day, a student saw me reading Richard Dawkins' The God Delusion, a passionate atheist who states that it is irrational to believe in God and why religion is harmful to mankind. After he noticed that I'd written the review, he wanted to borrow the book because he was interested too. I'm all out for reading widely and books that I don't agree but he was not equipped to read this kind of book with discernment (Dawkins, although a brilliant scientist, is such a lousy layperson theologian). I know because I've observed his knowledge of the Scripture is still under development. So I refuse kindly, explained to him patiently, and encourage him to study the Scripture first. I love that he wants to read books at all but at this rate, he needs to practice "humble postponement."

2) AVOID CERTAIN BOOKS THAT GLORIFY EVIL. This does not mean avoiding books that mention evil or give descriptions of evil or capture the dark realities of life. The Scripture doesn't even avoid the topic of evil explains Reinke. "The more important questions are these: How are the violence, sexual sin, and skepticism presented? Is it presented as evil? Is fornication celebrated, or are the consequences of sin made obvious? Does the book celebrate sin, or leave evil unresolved?" These are good questions to think about. This is why I'm very concerned with the rise of open occultism and the glorification of witchcraft in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Books such as The Harry Potter and the likes should be avoided. As the Scripture says, "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter" (Isaiah 5:20). Books that expose evil, yes; books that glorify evil, no.

3) AVOID CERTAIN BOOKS FOR CONSCIENCE'S SAKE. Reinke asserts, "While there are no rigid rules for what Christians should or should not read, we must be sensitive to our own consciences and the consciences of those around us. As we establish our own understanding of what books we will and will not read ourselves, we must respect the parameters that other Christians have chosen to set for themselves and their children." For me, as an example, I have no problem reading books on Islam and from Muslim writers although I don't believe in their core teachings. I enjoy especially the writings of the liberal Muslim modern-day intellectuals. But I find myself couldn't even read a page or two of Anton S. Lavey's The Satanic Bible. Both are false religions (respectfully honest), yet, I couldn't consciously endure the other. It's a matter of conscience, a level of tolerance, and a mass amount of discernment. On this, Reinke has a good reminder: "A firm grasp of the biblical worldview learned directly from the study of Scripture is essential for a Christian book reader because distortions to the biblical worldview can be found on every shelf in the bookstore." Yes!

#ServeToLead #BooksToAvoid #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

CLICK THE LINKS to read my book reviews of #LeadersAreReaders for April 2022

1) The Science of Self-Learning (2018) by Peter Hollins, CLICK HERE
2) The Spirit-Filled Life (1895, 2019) by John MacNeil, CLICK HERE
3) The Message of Matthew: The Kingdom of Heaven (1988, 2000) by Michael Green, CLICK HERE
4) Matthew: The College Press NIV Commentary (1997) by Larry Chouinard, CLICK HERE

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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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On the Future: Prospects for Humanity (2018) by Martin Rees, Book Review

 On the Future: Prospects for Humanity (2018) by Martin Rees

I enjoy watching the YouTube Originals series on The Age of A.I. eight science-documentary episodes covering the ways how Artificial Intelligence is and will change the world in various fields such as robotics, health, food, space travel, relationships, and others. It is narrated and hosted by Robert Downey Jr. with the vibe of Tony Stark’s coolness and humor (actually it is more interesting if J.A.R.V.I.S. or F.R.I.D.A.Y. be the one who narrated the series). I’m always fascinated by how fast we humans have progressed in terms of knowledge, science, and technology. It is both creates excitement and anxiety. When I watched the series, I realize that the producers want to highlight the wonderful positive aspect of A.I. implementations in many areas of our human experiences, but I still can’t help to think realistically (with a mix of negative thinking), of “what if” this or that happened. What if we create evil Ultron with the good intention to protect ourselves? What if there are powerful but bitter people like Magneto who decided to choose only special people like them to survive? What if there are people with the Thanos ideology that in order to bring peace and order there must be wars and necessary sacrifices needed to be made?

These existential questions and more leads me to this book. Martin Rees, an Astronomer Royal, renowned scientist, and futurist, examines the critical issues that will define the future of humanity on earth and beyond. His insights into cutting-edge science and technology and global trends are very helpful. His main argument is that if we approach the future with short-term thinking, polarizing debates, alarmist rhetoric, and pessimism, we are doomed to extinction (my language). But if we take responsibility for the future NOW with long-term thinking, rational discussions, solution-oriented partnership, globally, collectively, and optimistically, we can flourish. “This book offers some hopes, fears, and conjectures about what lies ahead,” said Martin who doesn’t claim to be a prophet of the future but trying to act like one anyway due to the urgency of the subject at hand. “Surviving this century, and sustaining the long-term future of our ever more vulnerable world, depends on accelerating some technologies, but responsibly restraining others. The governance challenges are huge and daunting.” I agree. As a Christ-follower, I wholeheartedly believe that the future is in the hand of the sovereign God. But from the humanistic perspective, as the author seems to be one (he said he is a ‘cultural Christian.’ It doesn’t matter what he meant, for this book is not a Christian book anyway), the future is in our hands.

Overall, On the Future is an excellent read. The author’s careful and brief treatments on the issues like nuclear threats, eco-threats, climate change, biotech, cyber technology, human consciousness, robotics, A.I., and spaceflight are both encouraging and alarming for obvious reasons. Of course, a book like this is not without speculations such as the possibilities of our dominion outside our planet (for example, colonization of Mars), and the ongoing search for extraterrestrial intelligence. I find that it is interesting when Martin also discusses the limits and future of science. By the way, I want to share one thing that probably going to spark your interest. This book is published in 2018 and about two years after that, in March 2020, the WHO declared COVID-19 a global pandemic. This is a glimpse of one of Martin’s worst nightmares coming true when he wrote: “Pandemics are an ever-present natural threat, but is it just scaremongering to raise concerns about human-induced risks from bio error or bio terror? Sadly, I don’t think it is. We all know too well that technical expertise doesn’t guarantee balanced rationality. The global village will have its village idiots and they’ll have a global range… Bio error and bio terror are possible in the near term - within ten or fifteen years. And in the longer term, they will be aggravated as it becomes possible to ‘design’ and syntheses viruses - the ‘ultimate’ weapon would combine high lethality with the transmissibility of the common cold.” 10 to 15 years, huh? How about 1-2 years?!

After I finished reading this book, I still have the “what if” questions about the future of humanity from the humanistic perspective. The difference is that I have moved from some (Oh, there are many!) of my ignorance to more informed “what if” questions.

#ServeToLead #LeadersAreReaders #OnTheFuture #ScienceAndTechnology #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

[P. s: Two other issues/topics that are important, in my opinion, that should be covered in a book on the future like this one are cryptocurrency and the metaverse. Check it out!]

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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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How To Think Like Einstein (2015) by Scott Thorpe, Book Review

How To Think Like Einstein: Simple Ways to Break the Rules and Discover Your Hidden Genius (2000, 2015) by Scott Thorpe

Three primary materials sparked my interest in the life of Albert Einstein, namely, Walter Isaacson's Einstein (2007, an extensive volume biography that I didn't get to finished), a TV series Genius: Einstein (2017, based on Isaacson's book), and John Gribbin's Einstein's Masterwork (2015). I also watched lots of documentaries about his life and works. Thus, I can boast about having general knowledge about Albert Einstein. Still, I cannot say the same when it comes to an understanding of how the general theory of relativity really works (Yes, YouTube videos are helpful. Thank you). Although Albert Einstein wasn't the only gifted intellectual during his lifetime, his accomplishments, especially the 1905 papers, make him the poster-child or the symbol of GENIUS. The words Einstein and genius are synonymous. So no wonder many authors who want to write books on being a genius or discovering your hidden genius will go to Einstein for reference or as the chief model. But I think we shouldn't want to be like Einstein or think precisely like Einstein because Einstein is one of a kind. We are created by God (not evolve) wonderfully and uniquely from everyone else. However, we can - and should - learn from others, including Einstein, even if we disagree with them. When I approach this book with this attitude, I get more from it.

The essence of Einstein's secret to think like a genius, according to the author, is that "you've got to break the rules." I know this is not a piece of top-secret information. But I agree with Scott Thorpe when he writes: "Rules are not always bad things. They are like railroad tracks. If you want to go where the track goes, they are perfect. But like destinations without a rail line, some solutions cannot be reached by following our rules. The only way to get there is to leave the tracks. Rules stunt innovative thinking because they seem so right. They hide the numerous superior solutions that exist but are outside our rule ruts. These great solutions will only be found by breaking the rules." As I observe myself and others, I find that most of our rule ruts are in our heads: we are trained to obey the rules mindlessly, we refuse to think differently when we become 'experts', we hold on to our limited perceptions, we don't stop to notice external forces that influence us, we quickly rejecting contrary evidence, we tend to conform to groupthink, the fear of rejections paralyzes us, etc. A world-class problem-solver and master of rule-breaker, Albert Einstein said, "We must recognize what in our accepted tradition is damaging to our fate and dignity - and shape our lives accordingly."

But even Einstein is not immune to rule ruts. Imagine this: Einstein's intelligence was consistently high throughout his life, and as he grew older, his vast knowledge of mathematics and science increased steadily. At the beginning of 1905, the young Einstein made significant discoveries in physics in his spare time, especially when he developed his special and general theories of relativity (and don't forget the formula, E = MC²). One of the rules that he broke was Isaac Newton's 'time is absolute' rule. When most scientists think that time is absolute, as decreed by Newton, Einstein believes otherwise, saying that time is relative. His productivity and problem-solving skills are in the beast mode. But as he gained reputation and acquired more knowledge, the old professor's spark was diminishing (Ronald William Clark's remarked in his book, Einstein: The Life and Times, another book that I didn't finish, "…later years, he moved his interest from science to politics"). He was still brilliant, but he didn't solve any more critical scientific problems after that. Why? Thorpe explains, "If rule-breaking was the secret to Einstein's genius, then we should expect his problem-solving decline when he didn't break the rules - and that is exactly what happened." Isn't this is sad but true? When you first enter the Christian ministry, you're so full of revolutionary ideas, but after few years of service, you are settling for the old-unchristian rules? When you were appointed leader, you wanted to make a difference, but now it seems like you're stuck in the same situation as before? Perhaps it's time to rethink and examine your current physical and mental rules and start to break the rules! Read this book is an excellent way to know-how.

#ServeToLead #LeadersAreReaders #GrowingLeaders #ThinkLikeAlbertEinstein #BreakTheRules #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

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Cracking Neuroscience (Cracking Series) by Jon Turney, Not-A-Review

 

Cracking Neuroscience (Cracking Series) by Jon Turney

If I want to see the greatness of God, I either look at the vast universe or look into the complex brain. This Cracking series on neuroscience is a good crash-course introduction in the latest scientific knowledge of the workings of the brain 💪 I enjoyed reading Jon Turney's bite-sized chapters (quite wordy as a whole but wonderful graphics makes it doesn't look so) on the field of neuroscience - such as memory, addiction, consciousness, brain waves, mind mapping, etc. - give me the chance to understand the brain, not fully (many things remain a mystery), but enough to be fascinated with it... and a proud owner of one 😉🧠💪

#ServeToLead #GrowingLeader #LeadersAreReaders #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain #CrackingNeuroscience #BrainPower

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Altar of Eden (2010) by James Rollins, Somewhat Review

Altar of Eden (2010) by James Czajkowski a.k.a. James Rollins

 Rollins is one of my favorite novelists. He is brilliant! The Order of Sanguines Series, a trilogy, his collaboration with Rebecca Cantrell, and SIGMA Force Series, are among my top three novel series.  In the past, whenever I feel like I want to read fiction, I used to entertain myself with Nicolas Sparks’ heart-melting romanticism (author of A Walk to Remember) and Arthur Conan Doyle’s mystery genius (author of Sherlock Holmes Series). But as my interests grow wider, I stick with Rollins. His ability to mixing cutting-edge science and theories, advanced technology, and ancient history, romance, and action, is one of the kinds. He is very good with frictional stories like Eminem in the rap industry. “His books have everything…” one of the praises says, “Yet it works, because Rollins is a master of controlled chaos.” I couldn’t agree more.

Altar of Eden, a stand-alone novel, is a good read. Probably because the characters are new and fresh to me (I mean, different from SIGMA Force Series characters) and the story includes something that I’ve done some personal research about. Not much, but at least I can keep up with the basic arguments. Without going into spoiler alert, I must say, if you have pondered about our scientific discoveries and technologies of the 21^st century and the mystery of our DNA – or the creation, in general – you’ll be thrill by this novel. Plus, most of the facts that go into his book(s) are true. At the end of every novel, he will outline “Author’s Note to Readers: Truth or Fiction.” Of course, the characters, conclusions, and implications are made-up. It doesn’t claim “historical accuracy” like Dan Brown does to The Da Vinci Code.

 #ServeToLead #1Book1Week #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain #LeadersAreReaders #JamesRollins #ThrillerNovel #AltarOfEden

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The Clever Guts Diet: How to Revolutionize Your Body from the Inside Out (2017), Book Review

The Clever Guts Diet: How to Revolutionize Your Body from the Inside Out (2017) by Dr Michael Mosley

"All disease begins in the gut," says Hippocrates of Kos (460-370 BC), Greek physician, the father of Western medicine. Based on Dr Michael Mosley's book, Hippocrates was right! Gut, the not-so-glamorous organ of the human body, plays important role in extracting energy from our food, accounts for most of our immune system and produces lots of essential hormones that influence everything from our appetite to our mood. Not only all (I think, most) disease begins in the gut, but good health also somewhat begins in the gut. Deep buried in our intestines, the gut is "made up of the same cells, neurons, which are found in the brain" and "there are over 100 million neurons [in it], as many as you would find in the brain of a cat," write Dr Michael. Technically, the gut is our 'second brain’ (I have a 'gut feeling' about this). Whenever I see a cat now, I imagine its brain is neurotically almost the same numbers as my gut!

The heroes inside our gut are called microbes. Dr Michael explains: "Until recently the world of the microbiome was a dark, dank and private one. Down there live creatures that have never seen the light of day, more than 50 trillion of them, at least 1000 different species, a richer diversity of life than you would find in a rainforest." Astounding! (this fact reminds me of Giulia Enders' Gut: The Inside Story of Our Body's Most Under-Rated Organ). If you study the gut and microbes inside our body and how it influences our decisions in some ways, you will wonder, as human beings do we really have free-will? That's a good philosophical question, right? …for another time. By the way, microbes are called "Old Friends" because they are always with us since the beginning and are essential for our health. In this book, Dr Michael explores the kingdom of the microbiome first by self-experimentations, find the reliable and latest scientific researches, share stories and end with how to improve, heal and 'help' our good "Old Friends" in the most practical ways.

It is said that junk foods and overuse of antibiotics (in the animal meats, especially. Probably in Malaysia we are slightly safer than that of the Western countries like America and British. But we never know for sure) have wiped our many 'good' gut bacteria, leading to a very modern phenomenon of allergies, coeliac diseases, food intolerances, irritable bowel syndrome and obesity. We need to nurture and create good conditions in our gut to make sure that 'good' bacteria (hard to pronoun names I tell you) are always available and lively in our body for optimum health. How to do it? There are lots of suggestions in the book, but basically:

1) Make Your Biome More Diverse. The more different types of plants you eat, the more diverse your microbiome. In short, eat more plants. Avoid junk foods and anything to do with antibiotics (as I said, this we can't be sure. So, minimize your intake of meats). Get your hands dirty like gardening or exercise outdoor can expose you to good bacteria. Just don’t be overexposed…

2) Nourish the Gut with Food Boosters. To borrow Dr Mike Dow's Diet Rehab term, 'booster', is referring to food (and activity) that is good for you. Here Dr Michael outlines such as olive oil, oily fish, fruits and vegetables, herbs and spices, home-made yogurt and fermented foods. These will put a smile on our “Old Friends.” All of these foods, I think, must be taken in moderation and based on your body needs. I suggest you experiment with it and read more about it because as you know, information can differ. Other ways to nourish your biome are intermittent fasting, exercise regularly and have a good sleep.

3) Avoid Gut-Killers Foods. Top of Michael's list is sugar and processed food. Besides sugar in general, artificial sweeteners also must be avoided or reduced drastically. As for my own personal practice, I avoid fast foods and snacks. High-fat, trans-oil, high-sugar and bad-carbs are a no-no game. Not only they will kill 'good' bacteria, but they also can promote the growth of 'bad' bacteria in our gut. Resulted in what? Bad health and excessive weight (let's be honest here, once in a while, I eat at the fast-food restaurants and chew some snacks. I don't make it a habit though).

I'm familiar with the works of Dr Michael Mosley, doctor and medical journalist, because I watched some of his TV documentaries especially my favourite The Story of Science: Power, Proof and Passion (2010) Documentary. He is curious, clever and a good storyteller. I'm interested in the realm of health only recently this year especially after I read Spartan Up! I share Dr Michael's hope and dream that the future of eating healthy is bright even though there are lots of counterfeits at the moment. He concludes, "Keeping your biome properly fed and cared for is definitely worthwhile. If you look after all those friendly microbes then they will look after you. We are at the start of what I am convinced is a whole new way of approaching and understanding nutrition, one that could change the way we treat a wide range of diseases, from obesity to depression. This is just the beginning – there is so much more to come." Gut feeling tells me that this can be true. 

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Diet Rehab: 28 Days to Finally Stop Craving the Foods That Make You Fat (2011), Book Review

Diet Rehab: 28 Days to Finally Stop Craving the Foods That Make You Fat (2011) 

by Dr Mike Dow

In March 2010, the Scripps Research Institute release a ground-breaking study (read page 15-16) that find rats who were fed high-fat, high-sugar diets such as bacon and chocolate (lucky rats!) developed full-brown food addictions such as drug addictions. Oh ya, they gave cocaine to the rats too. Amazingly, the food had altered their brain chemistry. Because of this, these rats – overweight and food-addicted – desire for more and more 'junk' food to experience pleasure or at least, just to feel normal. "Now here's the even scarier part," writes Dr Mike, a psychology expert on addictive behaviours, disordered eating and food addictions, "After cocaine-addicted rats stopped taking the drug, it took only 2 days for their brain chemistry to return to normal. For the food-addicted rats in the food study, though, their brain chemistry took 2 weeks to return to normal. In other words, food habits affected their brain MORE than drugs in some ways!" Now, that is scary!

Let me repeat: Food addictions alter brain chemistry the same as cocaine addictions but it took longer for food addictions to recover. Mind-blowing! In this book, Dr Mike focuses on two main brain chemicals that affect our food intakes, body weight and wellbeing, namely - dopamine and serotonin. Dopamine is the pleasure, excitement, 'fall in love' and energizer chemical. If you're low in dopamine, you'll be listless, sad and feel lonely. Concerning food addictions, the more you eat high-fat foods, the more doses of dopamine you'll get to get 'high.' But the more you feed yourself with extra fat, neurons that release, receive and keep your dopamine moving become overloaded, then damaged. Thus, you need greater and greater quantities of dopamine 'junk' foods to feel normal again. This will create a downward spiral cycle of your food addictions. "The more you eat, the more you want." Serotonin, on the other hand, is feeling calm, peaceful and positive chemical. If you're low in serotonin, you'll feel anxious, fearful and perhaps depressed. You'll crave for high-sugary and sweet foods and the vicious cycle of the downward spiral will happen. Your craving for foods is the response of your craving for dopamine and serotonin boosts (among other important brain chemicals). You eat to feel calm when you're nervous, sad or depressed. Weight gain is the by-product.

There are two hallmarks of addiction: 1) Tolerance. "When you keep needing more to get the same high", and 2) Withdrawal. "The pain of giving up an addictive substance that the body has come to rely on." Any diet programs will have to face these two obstacles. And so, Dr Mike introduces his Diet Rehab program. His approach to addiction is based on 'gradual detox' in which "you begin by adding foods that will boost your serotonin and dopamine levels before you even cut back on anything." This is well illustrated in The Dr Oz Show (watch YouTube Dr Mike Dow's 28-Day Plan to Kick Cravings). Gradual detox is based on the understanding that it takes a month (about 28 days) for the human brain to create a habit. So, during Diet Rehab, you need to gradually replace "pitfall" foods, activities and thought patterns with "boosters." There are lots of examples of pitfalls and boosters listed in the book. I love the secret of Diet Rehab because it deals with not only the food that you eat, but also the activities that you do, and the thought patterns that you keep. It can be summed up in two-sentence, says Dr Mike:

1) First add booster foods (more greens and healthy foods) and booster activities (take a walk, exercise, sing, etc.) to your life

2) Then gradually reduce pitfall foods (saturated/trans- fat, high-fat, high-sugar, high-salt, etc.) and pitfall thoughts ("I'm not good enough", "I'm always a failure", etc.)

What I love about this book is that Dr Mike gives good suggestions and science-based reasons for what, why and went we behave in certain ways that are stealing our lives. My favourite is Part 3 entitled Free Yourself from Food Addiction where he talks about obsessive eating, emotional eating and binge eating. This part alone is worth your money and time reading it. I bought this book for only RM10 (on sale) and I learned a great deal about the psychology of food addictions and behaviours and how to overcome them. To be honest, I didn't follow the 28-Day Diet Rehab Programme but I watch carefully what I eat, adding more booster activities and keep my thought patterns in check. If you have an eating disorder or eating emotionally (if chronic, check with your doctor), I highly recommend this book. Dr Mike has dozens of exercises that can help you to understand yourself better and how to deal with it.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

 

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DOCUMENTARY REVIEW Particle Fever (2013) produced by‎ David Kaplan‎ & ‎Mark Levinson

Particle Fever (2013) produced by‎ David Kaplan‎ & ‎Mark Levinson

About: Imagine being able to watch as Edison turned on the first light bulb, or as Franklin received his first jolt of electricity. For the first time, a film gives audiences a front-row seat to a significant and inspiring scientific breakthrough as it happens. Particle Fever follows six brilliant scientists during the launch of the Large Hadron Collider, marking the start-up of the biggest and most expensive experiment in the history of the planet, pushing the edge of human innovation.

As they seek to unravel the mysteries of the universe, 10,000 scientists from over 100 countries joined forces in pursuit of a single goal: to recreate conditions that existed just moments after the Big Bang and find the Higgs boson, potentially explaining the origin of all matter.

But our heroes confront an even bigger challenge: have we reached our limit in understanding why we exist? If you love this question and the journey of science, I recommend this highly educated and entertaining documentary!

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DOCUMENTARY REVIEW The Story of Science: Power, Proof and Passion (2010) presented by Michael Mosley

The Story of Science: Power, Proof and Passion (2010)
by BBC presented by Michael Mosley

When I was in secondary school, I was always fascinated with science. I remember during recess time I went to the library, took books about the planets with pictures and devoured my reading. Reading wasn't my hobby back then but my interest in science superseded it. I don't remember I want to be a scientist back then but I do want to be the most knowledgeable man in the universe! (Both didn't happen, btw). I love The Story of Science documentary because it tries (yes, tried) to answer these six (6) fundamental questions of the humankind:

#1 What Is Out There?

#2 What is the World Made of?

#3 How Did We Get Here?

#4 Can We Have Unlimited Power?

#5 What Is the Secret of Life?

#6 Who Are We?

For about three thousand years, we – as humankind – have struggled to answer the great questions like the above. I do because I'm fascinated (using this word again) by these questions especially How Did We Get Here? and What Is the Secret of Life? Michael Mosley, an award-winning journalist, is very good at narrating this insightful and entertaining series. He is funny and serious at the same time. From the Cosmos to the Earth to the Mind to the Body to the world of Ideas. This series "reveals how the political upheavals of history combine with iconic inventions and discoveries, along with the ideas of great thinkers (such as Galileo, Newton, Einstein and Darwin), to create the advances that have transformed our lives." The more I try to understand the world around and within me – the what, the where, the how and the why – the more I'm in awe with the beauty and the wisdom of God, the Creator. I believe in God but I also appreciate the effort, the contribution and the power of science to explain these questions. I love science!

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The Science of Getting Rich (1910) by Wallace D. Wattles, Book Review

The Science of Getting Rich (first published in 1910)
by Wallace D. Wattles

Two prosperity books that I dare to read in my younger years were Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill and As a Man Thinketh by James Allen. Since then, I read half a dozen others. I love reading old-classic books. After that, I slow down. At the age of 25-30, I stopped. One because many Christian leaders that I admire said that books that promote material prosperity are deceiving. And the words like “rich” and “wealth” are taboos in most of the Christian communities. I’m not blaming anyone here. What I should’ve realized early on is that I’m free to read any books that I want, be what I want to be, and dream big but be wise and discern what is good and pleasing to Christ, my Lord. What many Christian concerns are right, not all wrong. Prosperity books such as this one can lead us to believe that God (or Infinite Intelligent or Substance, as many prosperity writers refer to God or god vaguely) appears to be our ‘servant’ and we are the masters of our own lives. We willed it, God does it. This doesn't sound right. I realized too that most of the prosperity teachings are saturated with New Age ideology and not necessarily aligned with the Christian faith and beliefs. Because of this, I recommend that any Christians who want to read prosperity books such as this one should be aware of all of this and make it a priority that they should study God’s Word more seriously. With that saying, I want you to read any books that you want even if many people forbid it. There are reasons book like this stand the test of time.

I think titles like this – The Science of Getting Rich (Getting rich???) – turn people off, which is a shame. Because although this book is thin (about 150 pages only) there is nothing shallow in its contents. It is so deep and rich that it would surely benefit anyone who reads it with an open mind (this is both a good tactic and risky advice). Before I read this book, I listened to the audiobook first. So, when I read it, I can understand better and get many new insights. Wallace D. Wattles begins with this statement: “This book is pragmatically, not philosophical; a practical manual, not a treatise upon theories. It is intended for the men and women whose most pressing need is for money; who wish to get rich first, and philosophize afterward. It is for those who have, so far, found neither the time, the means, nor the opportunity to go deeply into the study of metaphysics, but who want results and who are willing to take the conclusions of science as a basis for action, without going into all the processes by which those conclusions were reached.” His approach is direct, simple and to the point. I love it.

According to Wattles, getting rich is an exact science. It works like a set of algorithms, much like the mathematical laws of addition and subtraction. By applying the science in this book, thinking and acting in accord with the laws, anyone can get rich. “To be rich, you must act in a certain way.” This book is for those “who wish to get rich first, and philosophize afterward,” thus he wrote seventeen (17) short and straight-to-the-point chapters on how to think and act on this idea, how to overcome barriers to its application, and how to work with very direct methods that “awaken it in your life.” He further explains how “creation and not competition” is the hidden key to wealth attraction, and how your power to get rich uplifts everyone around you. “Every man who becomes rich by competition throws down behind him the ladder by which he rises, and keeps others down; but every man who gets rich by creation opens a way for thousands to follow him, and inspires them to do so.” Here are the 17 powerful chapters in this book:

Chapter 1: The Right to Be Rich

Chapter 2: There Is a Science of Getting Rich

Chapter 3: Is Opportunity Monopolized?

Chapter 4: the First Principle in the Science of Getting Rich

Chapter 5: Increasing Life

Chapter 6: How Riches Come to You

Chapter 7: Gratitude

Chapter 8: Thinking in the Certain Way

Chapter 9: How to Use the Will

Chapter 10: Further Use of the Will

Chapter 11: Acting in the Certain Way

Chapter 12: Efficient Action

Chapter 13: Getting Into the Right Business

Chapter 14: The Impression of Increase

Chapter 15: The Advancing Man

Chapter 16: Some Cautions, And Concluding Observations

Chapter 17: Summary of the Science of Getting Rich

[Chapter 4, 7, 11 & 17 worth reading over and over again]

I end this short review by quoting Wallace D. Wattles on self-development: “Get rid of the idea that God wants you to sacrifice yourself for others, and that you can secure his favour by doing so; God requires nothing of the kind. What he wants is that you should make the most of yourself, for yourself, and for others; and you can help others more by making the most of yourself than in any other way.” Even if you don’t want to get rich or allergic to thinking about getting rich, read this book for the sake of your personal development and abundance mind-sets. In fact, if you need inspiration and motivation, there are lots of real gems of quotes in the book as well. It’s a short book. You can finish reading it in 1-2 hours (max). Of course, if you want to understand it, read slower.

P.s: Currently, I’m writing chapter-by-chapter blog posts on Secret on the Millionaire Mind (2005) by Harv Eker. CLICK HERE to read.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.