Two Ways to Grow In the Information Age #1Book1Week July 2021

 
One of the fascinating books that I read is by Yuval Noah Harari, Sapiens. In the book, Harari explores briefly the history of human civilizations from the Nomadic Age to the Agricultural Age to the Industrial Age and now, to the Information Age (which he covered in detail in the sequel, Homo Deus). Many wonderful things happened and I praise God for humanity's progress as we enter the Information Age, also known as the Digital Age. But of course, there are flip sides too. As you probably know, the danger of the Information Age is that we spend too much of our time gathering useless, pointless, or even harmful information rather than information that can help us grow and to live life to the fullest.

In computer science there is an expression “garbage in, garbage out” that also can apply to us humans as we attempt to sort through the info-glut and identify the information that can be useful to us. It means incorrect or poor-quality input to the computer system will produce faulty output. Similarly (but not exactly), the same goes for human mind programming. If we watch cringy TikTok videos and Instagram live for hours, listening to mean-spirited conversations on Facebook and YouTube daily, and read the latest gossip about our favorite celebrities online constantly, then, we are filling our hearts and minds with “garbage.” How, by following the latest news on Ebit Lew vs. Caprice can improve our way of living? Or, admiring Charli D’Amelio's or Bella Poarch's videos on TikTok can make us closer to God? Or, playing Fortnite online can make us men of valor and women of virtue in real life? In short, we can’t! We are what we watch, what we listen to, and what we read.

If you want to grow mentally, maturely, and spiritually, you have to start screening out the info-garbage and feeding yourself with positive, uplifting, stimulating, and meaningful messages. The first step is AWARENESS. We need to be alert to the problem of data smog and make a conscious effort to screen the bad information from the good. We have to be vigilant and avoid falling for the gossip, the grunge, and the garbage in the Information Age. You don’t have to cancel your Netflix or YouTube TV subscription, you just need to learn to discipline yourself to watch programs that build up rather than causes you to fall into sins. You don’t have to quit social media (although I encourage you to do that IF you have nothing good to do on these platforms) but consider limiting yourself to no more than a certain number of hours daily. Maybe 1-2 hours. In the same way, use Facebook and Instagram wisely. As for TikTok, I have nothing good to say except quit and repent.

Then, secondly, make positive, SMALL CHANGES in your daily habits. One way is to read good books. Abigail Van Buren said it best: “If I could give young people one piece of advice, it would be read, read, read! In reading, you will open up new worlds, real and imagined. Read for information, read for pleasure. Our libraries are filled with knowledge and joy, and it’s all there - free for the taking." Women are not always right, but on this point, AMEN sister! ��������� #ServeToLead #GrowingLeaders #LeadersAreReaders #TheInformationAge #GrowMentallyMaturelySpiritually #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

To read my #1Book1Week, CLICK HERE

1) Strength for the Storm (first published, 1988) translated by Arthur Reynolds, CLICK HERE

2) The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything (2009) by Ken Robinson, Ph.D. (with Lou Aronica), CLICK HERE

3) Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources (2006) by Martin Lings, CLICK HERE

4) Cults & Isms (1948, 1962) by J. Oswald Sanders, CLICK HERE


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#1Book1Week Lists March 2020

Someone said (I bet he or she is a reader), "So little time, so many books." I'm familiar with this frustration. There are two main reasons if I go to the mall: the cinema & bookstores. Whenever I'm surrounded by books, I instantly feel happy like I'm home with family and at the same time sad because I will never know all of them when I'm gone. This month (March 2020) is a rough and tough month so far but it gives us the opportunity to spend time with family and - self. Here is my list of reading this month:

1) The Power of Positive Thinking (first published in 1952) by Norman Vincent Peale. This is a classic self-help book on why positive thinking is important with practical instructions on how to have an optimistic attitude. This is my second time reading it. My favorite quote is: "What the mind can conceive and believe, and the heart desire, you can achieve" [P.s: I aim to be an optimistic-realist rather than just positive thinker].

2) Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow (2015) by Yuval Noah Harari. If you haven't read the first book, Sapiens (2011), read that one first, then read this. Here Harari looks to the future and explores how global power might shift, as the principal force of evolution – natural selection – is replaced by intelligent design and our quest to upgrade ourselves into gods (Homo-Deus = human-god). This book is both scary and hopeful. What makes it a good read is because it makes me think rather than only inform since I don't necessarily agree with his worldviews. Harari is a gifted thinker.

3) The 50th Law (2009) by Robert Greene & Curtis Jackson a.k.a. rapper 50 Cent. This is a very powerful book - partly 50's memoirs, partly Robert's Laws of Power - on success in life and inspired living by one simple principle: fear nothing or fearlessness. Someone said that this is 'The Art of War' for 'The Hip Hop Generation' but I said this is 'The Gangster Book' on personal development straight from the hood! I will read this book again, for sure.

4) Fakebook: A True Story. Based on Actual Lies (2013) by Dave Cicirelli. What can I say? I really enjoy this book so much that I texted Dave through Messenger to let him know that (he texted me back). His curiosity leads him to do a social experiment where he announced on FB that he was quitting his job (lie) and heading west (lie) for an adventure. But the truth is, he wasn't going anywhere (true) and most people believed him! (true). The big question in this book is: Who is the real 'you' and what is the story you tell others?

5) The Bible: The Book of Numbers & The Book of Deuteronomy. This is part of my discipline to read the entire Bible chronologically in 1 year. You must know the past to live in the present. Soli Deo Gloria.

What book(s) have you read this month? Share with me in the comment section #ServeToLead #LeadersAreReaders #GrowingLeader #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain #1Book1Week

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Simple Book Review: "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" (2014)

This book is not a quick read, but worth the investment of time (it took me a month and a book in between to finished reading it. 466+ pages) and money (RM51.80). If you are not bothered by reality and willing to face the uncomfortable truth about human race from the writer’s perspectives, this book is for you. It is brilliantly written, challenging, humorous at time and totally non-politically correct. To appreciate a book you need to have an open-mind and critical thinking. Don’t believe everything you read and – don’t simply condemn that you don’t know in depth.

Okay, Sapiens first published in 2014. It is a critically acclaimed international best-seller. Mark Zuckerberg and ex-president Obama were among influential people that recommended this book. In it Harari tracks the evolution of Homo Sapiens from hunter-gatherers into self-empowered “gods” of the future (which he expounds more in his second book, Homo Deus). He focuses on the 3 great revolutions of human history: #1 Cognitive, #2 Agricultural and #3 Scientific.  

“We control the world basically because we are the only animals that can cooperate flexibly in very large numbers,” writes Harari, historian from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He continues, “And if you examine any large-scale human cooperation, you will always find that it is based on some fiction like the nation, like money, like human rights. These are all things that do not exist objectively, but they exist only in the stories that we tell and that we spread around. This is something very unique to us, perhaps the most unique feature of our species.”

What I like about Harari is that when he doesn’t have any real answer to certain topics, he just say ‘I don’t know’ and then outline 3 to 4 possible theories or reasons and ask us to decide for ourselves. But when he really know the topics very well – as historian, he is also very good with scientific knowledge – he writes with simplicity, clear and clarity. Jared Diamond similarly fascinated: “Here is a simple reason why Sapiens has risen explosively to the ranks of an international bestseller. It tackles the biggest questions of history and of the modern world, and it is written in unforgettably vivid language. You will love it!” Yes, you will.

This book is divided into 4 parts and 20 chapters. Part 1, 2, 3, and the last chapter are my favourites, especially part 3 entitled The Unification of Humankind where Harari claims that commerce (money), empires (nations) and universal religions are the three secrets of success that virtually bring every sapiens (humankind) on every continent into the global world we live in today. He ends this book with an afterward entitled The Animal that Became a God. He argues that we have become more powerful than ever before “but have very little idea what to do with all that power.” We seem to be more irresponsible than ever. “Self-made gods with only the laws of physics to keep us company, we are accountable to no one.” We are the ones that wreaking havoc on wildlife, ecosystem and environments. With a question, he ends this book: “Is there anything more dangerous than dissatisfied and irresponsible gods who don’t know what they want?”

Fire gave us power

Gossip helped us cooperate

Agriculture made us hungry for more

Mythology maintained law and order

Money gave us something we can really trust

Contradictions created culture

Science made us deadly

A must read!

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.