Engey Brahmanan by : Cho. Ramaswamy
An engaging story by Cho. With lots of questions and answers from Hindu scriptures it explains - or at least tries to explain who is supposed to be a 'brahmin'. The one who lives his life only by taking 'biksha' - that is by begging for food; the one who does not save anything for tomorrow; the one who studies vedas and scriptures, the one who does homams and yagas, the one who prays for everybody's benefit everytime he prays, the one whose only work is to teach others, who does not expect any material benefit for his teaching, the one who treats all his students equally, the one who imparts all his knowledge to his students - he is the one who can be called as 'brahmin'.
Cho goes onto show that nowhere in vedas or in bagwat gita, it is said that the 4 castes are based on birth.
It is pretty clear that there is none called as a brahmin these days in the true sense of the word!!
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Out of Poverty : What works when traditional approaches fail
By : Paul Polak
To my mind, this is one of the most important books that I have read on the topic of poverty and how to get rid of the same.
The gist again, is simple : Go where the poverty is and observe it first hand. Live with the people for sometime and see why they are suffering. See what needs to be done to make them earn money for themselves.
No governmental organization and no world level organization - whether it is the gram panchanyats operated from Delhi or the world bank operated from God knows from where - tries to figure out why exactly people are poor.
Written by a man who has the personal experience and expertise on what he is talking about, and who started the International Development Enterprise (IDE), which is helping people around the world, this book is certainly an eye opener in thinking about poverty.
People are poor because they have no work sufficient enough to earn money. They don't have consistent work to get out of poverty. They may own land but they don't know what to sow and what agriculture they should do. They are all rain dependent. They are all people dependent. They also depend on a host of others for their equipment and so on. Can we get those equipments simplified? For example, can the drip irrigation be done at the fraction of the cost of how it is done in Israel? Can agricultural methods be taught to them so that they can get the crops going in a profitable manner? What are the practices which take away from making the profits? What makes agriculture very expensive? Can that be tackled?
Those are the questions the books asks. The author has lived in Napal. In India. In Indonesia. In vietnam. Where it really matters and has observed people in first hand. Has worked with them.
One simple line struck me : Don't give the rural poor people anything free. Teach them how to get work. Teach them how to make money and how to make it profitably. They can take care of themselves from then on.
Very true.
By : Paul Polak
To my mind, this is one of the most important books that I have read on the topic of poverty and how to get rid of the same.
The gist again, is simple : Go where the poverty is and observe it first hand. Live with the people for sometime and see why they are suffering. See what needs to be done to make them earn money for themselves.
No governmental organization and no world level organization - whether it is the gram panchanyats operated from Delhi or the world bank operated from God knows from where - tries to figure out why exactly people are poor.
Written by a man who has the personal experience and expertise on what he is talking about, and who started the International Development Enterprise (IDE), which is helping people around the world, this book is certainly an eye opener in thinking about poverty.
People are poor because they have no work sufficient enough to earn money. They don't have consistent work to get out of poverty. They may own land but they don't know what to sow and what agriculture they should do. They are all rain dependent. They are all people dependent. They also depend on a host of others for their equipment and so on. Can we get those equipments simplified? For example, can the drip irrigation be done at the fraction of the cost of how it is done in Israel? Can agricultural methods be taught to them so that they can get the crops going in a profitable manner? What are the practices which take away from making the profits? What makes agriculture very expensive? Can that be tackled?
Those are the questions the books asks. The author has lived in Napal. In India. In Indonesia. In vietnam. Where it really matters and has observed people in first hand. Has worked with them.
One simple line struck me : Don't give the rural poor people anything free. Teach them how to get work. Teach them how to make money and how to make it profitably. They can take care of themselves from then on.
Very true.
Secrets of a CEO Coach : Your personal training guide to thinking like a leader and acting like a ceo
by
D.A.Benton
Interesting book. Most of the points are the usual ones such as know what you are saying, walk the talk etc. But, what I found most useful are the set of questions. There are a number of questions that the author poses for you to think through. Right from your background, who your parents were, how happy were you in school and onwards to your responsibilities in your job. That walk through the entire life history throws wonderful insights into yourself.
I jotted down the points and I started answering them. It reveals lots of insights into the person that I am and why I relate to my job the way I relate to it. It also tells me a few things that I haven't really considered till now. To that extent, a very useful book.
by
D.A.Benton
Interesting book. Most of the points are the usual ones such as know what you are saying, walk the talk etc. But, what I found most useful are the set of questions. There are a number of questions that the author poses for you to think through. Right from your background, who your parents were, how happy were you in school and onwards to your responsibilities in your job. That walk through the entire life history throws wonderful insights into yourself.
I jotted down the points and I started answering them. It reveals lots of insights into the person that I am and why I relate to my job the way I relate to it. It also tells me a few things that I haven't really considered till now. To that extent, a very useful book.
A Bias for Action : How effective managers harness their willpower, achieve results, and stop wasting time
By : Heike Bruch & Sumantra Ghosal
I think I first read this book around 2005. I don't think I understood it fully then. But, I could appreciate the book a lot more when I read it again now.
The gist of the book can be summed up in one sentence : how do we get ourselves into purposesful, goal directed action taking? How do we ensure that our teams do this all the time?
Is it that we don't know what to do? And if we do know what to do, why is it that we don't do things which are critical to us? Which are critical to the organizational well being? What stops us? How can we break these barriers and move towards getting things done?
What is purposeful action? It is defined as consistent, conscious and energetic behaviour. How do we balance these with the experimentation and flexibility which are absolute must in organizations? How do we get deep personal commitment to that goal?
The authors come up with a simple 2 by 2 matrix to explain all the above. On x axis, you have` energy levels : low or high. On y axis, you have the focus. Low or high. You have 4 archtypes now. Those who are the frenzied : high on energy but low on focus. They just keep doing something to occupy themselves. There are the procrastinators who lack both the energy and the focus. These people harm all the teams and mar the organization. There are the detached. These are focused but are lacking in energy levels may be because a personal sense of commitment is missing. And, then there are those who are the purposeful who have high energy and focus levels and who come across as reflective and calm amidst chaos.
What is this energy? For people to be energetic, they must believe that the action to be taken and being taken is subjectively meaningful. They must be able to take proactive action and initiative. Their need to act should also come from whithin. And, only when they have exceptional energy levels, do they make exceptional efforts when tackling heavy levels of workloads.
Here, I remember Jack Welch's credos : Being energetic, Able to energise - are the key traits of a manager. Absolutely that is exactly what the authors are also talking here.
What is focus? It is the energy channeled towards a specific outcome. Focused managers are goal oriented. They keep moving towards achieving that one goal in spite of any obstacle being placed on their path. They ensure that all their activities are towards that goal and ensure that the activities don't clash with each other or detract from each other. Focus also requires phenomenal personal discipline. The focused manager must be able to concentrate on the job on hand, should be able to crystalise the actions that he needs to do and should be able to cull out meaning from the many noises surrounding his job and actions.
The book gives many case studies where people from different quadrants ended up in the high energy - high focus - purposeful quadrant and then pulled their companies out of the woods.
I enjoyed reading this book. I often wonder whether I have the required focus and energy levels to consistently do a great job for my company. And, if I lack either, how do I continuously prod myself to find the right levels of both.
By : Heike Bruch & Sumantra Ghosal
I think I first read this book around 2005. I don't think I understood it fully then. But, I could appreciate the book a lot more when I read it again now.
The gist of the book can be summed up in one sentence : how do we get ourselves into purposesful, goal directed action taking? How do we ensure that our teams do this all the time?
Is it that we don't know what to do? And if we do know what to do, why is it that we don't do things which are critical to us? Which are critical to the organizational well being? What stops us? How can we break these barriers and move towards getting things done?
What is purposeful action? It is defined as consistent, conscious and energetic behaviour. How do we balance these with the experimentation and flexibility which are absolute must in organizations? How do we get deep personal commitment to that goal?
The authors come up with a simple 2 by 2 matrix to explain all the above. On x axis, you have` energy levels : low or high. On y axis, you have the focus. Low or high. You have 4 archtypes now. Those who are the frenzied : high on energy but low on focus. They just keep doing something to occupy themselves. There are the procrastinators who lack both the energy and the focus. These people harm all the teams and mar the organization. There are the detached. These are focused but are lacking in energy levels may be because a personal sense of commitment is missing. And, then there are those who are the purposeful who have high energy and focus levels and who come across as reflective and calm amidst chaos.
What is this energy? For people to be energetic, they must believe that the action to be taken and being taken is subjectively meaningful. They must be able to take proactive action and initiative. Their need to act should also come from whithin. And, only when they have exceptional energy levels, do they make exceptional efforts when tackling heavy levels of workloads.
Here, I remember Jack Welch's credos : Being energetic, Able to energise - are the key traits of a manager. Absolutely that is exactly what the authors are also talking here.
What is focus? It is the energy channeled towards a specific outcome. Focused managers are goal oriented. They keep moving towards achieving that one goal in spite of any obstacle being placed on their path. They ensure that all their activities are towards that goal and ensure that the activities don't clash with each other or detract from each other. Focus also requires phenomenal personal discipline. The focused manager must be able to concentrate on the job on hand, should be able to crystalise the actions that he needs to do and should be able to cull out meaning from the many noises surrounding his job and actions.
The book gives many case studies where people from different quadrants ended up in the high energy - high focus - purposeful quadrant and then pulled their companies out of the woods.
I enjoyed reading this book. I often wonder whether I have the required focus and energy levels to consistently do a great job for my company. And, if I lack either, how do I continuously prod myself to find the right levels of both.
Friday, August 20, 2010
Buy.Ology : Martin Lindstorm
Why do people buy? This is an age old question which smart marketers have been trying to answer. There are endless number of market research techniques which try to answer the same. There are survey methods, there are projective techniques, there are observational methods and so on and so forth. But, nothing gives you a clear cut answer in terms of what excites the consumers and why they end up buying what they buy. Or, for that matter, why they don't buy inspite of having come close to buying you many times.
The new answer that Lindstorm comes up with is the brain imaging technique. This is a medical technique used to look into the the brain for any lesions and so on. But, marketers are now trying to use it to see what brain activity happens when consumers see an ad, when they see an image, when they are excited and so on.
And, Martin Linstorm says that this is the new way to go!
But I guess we need to wait and watch. This has potential but I guess it is just too early to become overjoyed!
Why do people buy? This is an age old question which smart marketers have been trying to answer. There are endless number of market research techniques which try to answer the same. There are survey methods, there are projective techniques, there are observational methods and so on and so forth. But, nothing gives you a clear cut answer in terms of what excites the consumers and why they end up buying what they buy. Or, for that matter, why they don't buy inspite of having come close to buying you many times.
The new answer that Lindstorm comes up with is the brain imaging technique. This is a medical technique used to look into the the brain for any lesions and so on. But, marketers are now trying to use it to see what brain activity happens when consumers see an ad, when they see an image, when they are excited and so on.
And, Martin Linstorm says that this is the new way to go!
But I guess we need to wait and watch. This has potential but I guess it is just too early to become overjoyed!
Written in Bone : Simon Beckett
A forensic anthropologist (never heard of such a profession before reading this novel!) goes to an island where a body is reported to be in a funny state.
He goes there and finds that its head is torched out. Nothing else is damaged in the hut the body is found. A storm blows across and the island is cut off. And, there are more murders which start happening. The place that Dr.Hunter, the forensic specialist stays in, gets caught in fire. He escapes miraculously. But, a policeman was not so lucky. He dies in a separate fire. A journalist who is pursuing them gets killed, hacked to death and then torched.
So, who is doing it and why?
Made a very interesting read.
Full of twists and turns and you find that there are subplots all over the place.
The only thing is that it makes a very gory reading. But, written very well.
A quick look on the novelist : Simon Beckett
A forensic anthropologist (never heard of such a profession before reading this novel!) goes to an island where a body is reported to be in a funny state.
He goes there and finds that its head is torched out. Nothing else is damaged in the hut the body is found. A storm blows across and the island is cut off. And, there are more murders which start happening. The place that Dr.Hunter, the forensic specialist stays in, gets caught in fire. He escapes miraculously. But, a policeman was not so lucky. He dies in a separate fire. A journalist who is pursuing them gets killed, hacked to death and then torched.
So, who is doing it and why?
Made a very interesting read.
Full of twists and turns and you find that there are subplots all over the place.
The only thing is that it makes a very gory reading. But, written very well.
A quick look on the novelist : Simon Beckett
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Dumb Witness : Agatha Christie
Interesting story from the queen of crime. An old woman, surrounded by relatives who would like to gain from her, falls from the stairs. It is believed that the terrier, Bob has left the ball that it plays with on the top of the stairs. A few days later, she dies. Her death is believed to be from natural causes. However, she has written a letter to Hercule poirot, which, mysteriously, reaches Poirot only after she dies.
So, what has really happened? Did she die of natural causes? Did Bob, the dog, really was at fault?
That is what Poirot unwields finally!
As in every other Agatha Christie's novel, the build up is slow but surely it picks up pace and the denouement is very good!
For a full account of the plot, check here : Dumb Witness : the complete plot
To know a detailed account on Agatha Christie, check this : Agatha Christie
Interesting story from the queen of crime. An old woman, surrounded by relatives who would like to gain from her, falls from the stairs. It is believed that the terrier, Bob has left the ball that it plays with on the top of the stairs. A few days later, she dies. Her death is believed to be from natural causes. However, she has written a letter to Hercule poirot, which, mysteriously, reaches Poirot only after she dies.
So, what has really happened? Did she die of natural causes? Did Bob, the dog, really was at fault?
That is what Poirot unwields finally!
As in every other Agatha Christie's novel, the build up is slow but surely it picks up pace and the denouement is very good!
For a full account of the plot, check here : Dumb Witness : the complete plot
To know a detailed account on Agatha Christie, check this : Agatha Christie
Sunday, August 15, 2010
The Last Frontier : Alstair Maclean
There is no need to talk about the writing powers of Alistair Maclean. This novel is no different. Great writing. Frenetic pace.
The hero, Michael Reynolds is a british agent. He is sent to wintertime Hungary to rescue the nuclear prof. Jennnings who has been captured by the communist government against his wishes. How the mysterious "Count" and the even more mysterious "Jansci" help him is the story.
Fighting against all odds and pulling it off is the theme here also. The story also gets into a lot more in depth study of human nature. It talks about how people who fight war come to hate it and turn pacifists and fight a different kind of war from then on.
Very interestingly put together. It has also been filmed.
There is no need to talk about the writing powers of Alistair Maclean. This novel is no different. Great writing. Frenetic pace.
The hero, Michael Reynolds is a british agent. He is sent to wintertime Hungary to rescue the nuclear prof. Jennnings who has been captured by the communist government against his wishes. How the mysterious "Count" and the even more mysterious "Jansci" help him is the story.
Fighting against all odds and pulling it off is the theme here also. The story also gets into a lot more in depth study of human nature. It talks about how people who fight war come to hate it and turn pacifists and fight a different kind of war from then on.
Very interestingly put together. It has also been filmed.
A Prisoner of Birth : Jeffrey Archer
A fantastic Jeffrey Archer book. Great plot. A person who is held for the murder of his friend, though he did not commit it, escapes to avenge it. But, he escapes as another person whom he resembles. Did he avenge it? Did he join his sweet heart? How did it all go down?
That is the plot.
But, the usual vintage Archer language throughout. The twists and turns. And, a lovely ending which warms your heart. Good fun.
A fantastic Jeffrey Archer book. Great plot. A person who is held for the murder of his friend, though he did not commit it, escapes to avenge it. But, he escapes as another person whom he resembles. Did he avenge it? Did he join his sweet heart? How did it all go down?
That is the plot.
But, the usual vintage Archer language throughout. The twists and turns. And, a lovely ending which warms your heart. Good fun.
In the Lap of the Buddha : By : Gavin Harrison
This is a book by a person, who chose bhuddism as his religion. A person, who was afflicted with HIV+ diagnosis and whose life lay shattered, he tells us his story of how he decided to fight the war of the disease, how he fought the demon within himself, how he fought off the anger and the fear and the self hatred which comes with the diagnosis.
He goes on to tell us about how to confront the physical pain and also the fear of death. He talks about the eternal question of "Why me?"
He gives guidance on his method of how to meditate. How to look at your body with love and kindness. How to meditate with love and kindness for your enemies who have wanted nothing but your downfall and destruction. How to love those who used you.
How to finally free yourself from the clutches of revenge seeking behaviour and fill yourself with love and affection so that there is nothing but love is left in you.
When I started reading the book, I was curious but also suspicious of what I will gain from this. The book looked like one more book on meditation. But, boy, was I wrong. I am glad I read the book.
When you read this, you understand the words of the one who has suffered through and in spite of his suffering and his still continued pains and ravages, has chosen to forgive all, who has chosen to love all, including himself. Unconditionally.
Beautiful book.
This is a book by a person, who chose bhuddism as his religion. A person, who was afflicted with HIV+ diagnosis and whose life lay shattered, he tells us his story of how he decided to fight the war of the disease, how he fought the demon within himself, how he fought off the anger and the fear and the self hatred which comes with the diagnosis.
He goes on to tell us about how to confront the physical pain and also the fear of death. He talks about the eternal question of "Why me?"
He gives guidance on his method of how to meditate. How to look at your body with love and kindness. How to meditate with love and kindness for your enemies who have wanted nothing but your downfall and destruction. How to love those who used you.
How to finally free yourself from the clutches of revenge seeking behaviour and fill yourself with love and affection so that there is nothing but love is left in you.
When I started reading the book, I was curious but also suspicious of what I will gain from this. The book looked like one more book on meditation. But, boy, was I wrong. I am glad I read the book.
When you read this, you understand the words of the one who has suffered through and in spite of his suffering and his still continued pains and ravages, has chosen to forgive all, who has chosen to love all, including himself. Unconditionally.
Beautiful book.
Friday, August 13, 2010
What are you going to be when you become big?
I was talking to my son Balaji as I drove him to his school this morning. I was asking him, playfully, "what are you going to be, when you become big?" He thought for a while and said "I am going to be a Doctor". I was asking him what kind of a doctor that he wants to be. He didn't know. He is all of 4 years now. And he has not yet made up his mind on which part of the human body that he wants to take up as a Doctor.
He then smiled at me and asked me : "what are YOU going to BE when you become big?"
I was taken aback. I haven't really contemplated my future in exactly those terms. Becoming big? For me? I was at a loss for words. I told him that I have already become big. That I am going to office.
He laughed. He disagreed with me. "I don't think you have become big. You are small only, only bigger than me". I smiled at him, again being at a loss for words. He asked again. "When you are through with the office, what are you going to be?"
By that time, his school had come and I dropped him off along with his sister Meenakshi.
I still haven't figured out the answer..
At times what kids ask you make you think a lot deeper than you have previously done...!
Guess I have to figure out!
I remember asking my daughter, Meenakshi the same question couple of years back. When I asked her, she thought for a!while and said, emphatically, "I am going to be a Mother!".
Well. One never knows how the kids will answer your questions. But, one can be sure that whatever their answers be, they make you wonder and make you think of things that you haven't really thought before!
I was talking to my son Balaji as I drove him to his school this morning. I was asking him, playfully, "what are you going to be, when you become big?" He thought for a while and said "I am going to be a Doctor". I was asking him what kind of a doctor that he wants to be. He didn't know. He is all of 4 years now. And he has not yet made up his mind on which part of the human body that he wants to take up as a Doctor.
He then smiled at me and asked me : "what are YOU going to BE when you become big?"
I was taken aback. I haven't really contemplated my future in exactly those terms. Becoming big? For me? I was at a loss for words. I told him that I have already become big. That I am going to office.
He laughed. He disagreed with me. "I don't think you have become big. You are small only, only bigger than me". I smiled at him, again being at a loss for words. He asked again. "When you are through with the office, what are you going to be?"
By that time, his school had come and I dropped him off along with his sister Meenakshi.
I still haven't figured out the answer..
At times what kids ask you make you think a lot deeper than you have previously done...!
Guess I have to figure out!
I remember asking my daughter, Meenakshi the same question couple of years back. When I asked her, she thought for a!while and said, emphatically, "I am going to be a Mother!".
Well. One never knows how the kids will answer your questions. But, one can be sure that whatever their answers be, they make you wonder and make you think of things that you haven't really thought before!
Sunday, August 08, 2010
Kapil's Korner : Blog Review
Kapil's Korner is a very nice blog. Interesting thoughts. Very interesting reflections. There are some reviews too. Nice photographs adorn the blog. Uncluttered. Simple to read. Flowing.
My pick of the blog posts :
1) the most recent "walk in the mama's garden" - superb photos...
2) 5 super tools which power my office PC - very useful...
3) Picks from Cannes Lion 2010 - I agreed with the selections. Most interesting ones...
4) 5 things I didn't know last week - I didn't know them either. If only I can put a list like this every week...!!
5) The wall project - the great wall of Mumbai - what an idea!
There were other entries as well which are worthy of mention - but I just stopped with my top 5 picks.
Thoroughly entertaining and really thought provoking.
Thumbs up for this blog!
Kapil's Korner is a very nice blog. Interesting thoughts. Very interesting reflections. There are some reviews too. Nice photographs adorn the blog. Uncluttered. Simple to read. Flowing.
My pick of the blog posts :
1) the most recent "walk in the mama's garden" - superb photos...
2) 5 super tools which power my office PC - very useful...
3) Picks from Cannes Lion 2010 - I agreed with the selections. Most interesting ones...
4) 5 things I didn't know last week - I didn't know them either. If only I can put a list like this every week...!!
5) The wall project - the great wall of Mumbai - what an idea!
There were other entries as well which are worthy of mention - but I just stopped with my top 5 picks.
Thoroughly entertaining and really thought provoking.
Thumbs up for this blog!
The Montissori Method :
Vandana and I went to our kids' school on Saturday (7th August). It was an outreach program conducted by the school. Navdisha school has a few basic tenets that it lives by - all of them derived from Dr. Maria Montissori's teachings :
The school is very well kept and is a very good environment for all kinds of children. Each of the teachers know about their kids by name and what the kid is doing and what the kid is capable of.
I was thinking about the kind of schools that I studied at. The Susilabai Government High School in Pondicherry, where I studied upto 5th standard. The dingy classrooms. The teachers who did not mind beating the kids. On the head. I remember the number of hits that my head took. The window there without the bars, through which I escaped out everyday after the attendance was taken. I remember the 3rd standard class room vividly. Most of the time, I was on the street with the other few kids who knew the secret of escaping. We also used to go out and buy vada and idly for the teachers. Who cared!
But, there were a few who cared even there. Mahalaxmi teacher who took maths in my 4th standard. Vijaya teacher who took English and Science in 5th standard. They really cared.
How to bring about an educational system which cares? Which allows for individual differences? Which allows each child to develop at its own pace? Which nurtures each child well? Which encourages the curiosity in the children instead of asking them to mug up facts and figures?
That is perhaps why I love this method. When my children come from school and they are still happy to learn, I know that they have not been under any pressure to learn. When they want to go back to school the next day, I know that the learning has been a pleasure for them. That is important.
Vandana and I went to our kids' school on Saturday (7th August). It was an outreach program conducted by the school. Navdisha school has a few basic tenets that it lives by - all of them derived from Dr. Maria Montissori's teachings :
| • | Every child has the inherent right to life | |
| • | Every child, irrespective of background and ability, should enjoy a full and decent life | |
| • | Every child should be nurtured in an environment which ensures dignity, promotes self-reliance and encourages an active participation in the family and the community | |
| • | Every child has a right to a standard of living adequate for physical, mental, spiritual, moral and social development |
The school is very well kept and is a very good environment for all kinds of children. Each of the teachers know about their kids by name and what the kid is doing and what the kid is capable of.
I was thinking about the kind of schools that I studied at. The Susilabai Government High School in Pondicherry, where I studied upto 5th standard. The dingy classrooms. The teachers who did not mind beating the kids. On the head. I remember the number of hits that my head took. The window there without the bars, through which I escaped out everyday after the attendance was taken. I remember the 3rd standard class room vividly. Most of the time, I was on the street with the other few kids who knew the secret of escaping. We also used to go out and buy vada and idly for the teachers. Who cared!
But, there were a few who cared even there. Mahalaxmi teacher who took maths in my 4th standard. Vijaya teacher who took English and Science in 5th standard. They really cared.
How to bring about an educational system which cares? Which allows for individual differences? Which allows each child to develop at its own pace? Which nurtures each child well? Which encourages the curiosity in the children instead of asking them to mug up facts and figures?
That is perhaps why I love this method. When my children come from school and they are still happy to learn, I know that they have not been under any pressure to learn. When they want to go back to school the next day, I know that the learning has been a pleasure for them. That is important.
Sunday, August 01, 2010
Ad Review : Pepsodent - ShahRukKhan Ad : Pappu & Pappa
You can watch the ad by clicking the above or by logging into the following Youtube link :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-CIzogOaD8
This is one ad which I liked. The idea of putting a cine star - one whom even the kids can relate to, is a good move. The presence of Shahruk Khan and his voice lend good entertainment value to the film. The 2 minute germ kill is coming across nicely.
But, the star can also be the problem in the ad. The Shahruk performance is so good that you forget that you are watching an ad for a toothpaste. Also, the proposition seems to lose its sting a bit by the time you finish seeing the ad.
But, overall, an extremely likeable ad. HUL seems to be taking the "time" as a measure of performance across its product categories...!
Personally, I would rate it at about 7 out of 10 on how much I like this ad...
You can watch the ad by clicking the above or by logging into the following Youtube link :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-CIzogOaD8
This is one ad which I liked. The idea of putting a cine star - one whom even the kids can relate to, is a good move. The presence of Shahruk Khan and his voice lend good entertainment value to the film. The 2 minute germ kill is coming across nicely.
But, the star can also be the problem in the ad. The Shahruk performance is so good that you forget that you are watching an ad for a toothpaste. Also, the proposition seems to lose its sting a bit by the time you finish seeing the ad.
But, overall, an extremely likeable ad. HUL seems to be taking the "time" as a measure of performance across its product categories...!
Personally, I would rate it at about 7 out of 10 on how much I like this ad...
Life After Death - The book of answers : Deepak Chopra
The book opens to a lot of promise. It puts evocative questions such as "what happens after death?" and whether "death is the end of life" as is naturally believed to be. With 4 deaths in the family over the last 18 months, I have been looking for some of this stuff. It starts well. It starts with the Savitri Satyavan story - which is familiar. It offers fantastic thoughts and points : "there is nothing which gets truly destroyed. everything gets transformed from one form to some other form". The eight standard physics. Energy can not be made nor can it be destroyed. The sum of energy in the universe is a constant. One just needs to know how to harness the energy which is in abundance in this universe. That thought is echoed in the book.
But, the book then gets into all the advaitic thoughts. It quotes a lot of stories from after life incidences which I have heard and read about.
At the end of the book, I did not get a handle on how to understand death. There are a lot of thoughts and points here. But, the essence is "death is not the end and it is a mere continuum into another form" gets repeated in so many words and so many pages throughout the book.
Where the soul goes, how the rishis understood all this and so on and so forth are all put over here. But, none of that has helped me understand the "why" of death. Why does it occur so very suddenly? So very violently at times? What really happens after that? Why are we unable to communicate to people who are "dead"? How do we communicate? How can we understand "death" while we are alive? After all, Ramana Maharishi was supposed to have understood "death" while he was a mere boy and that incident was the one which drove him to Tiruvannamalai...So, what happens when you die? And, how can you die before you really are dead?
I did not get a clear handle on these. Probably, one needs a lot more maturity to figure this...
The book opens to a lot of promise. It puts evocative questions such as "what happens after death?" and whether "death is the end of life" as is naturally believed to be. With 4 deaths in the family over the last 18 months, I have been looking for some of this stuff. It starts well. It starts with the Savitri Satyavan story - which is familiar. It offers fantastic thoughts and points : "there is nothing which gets truly destroyed. everything gets transformed from one form to some other form". The eight standard physics. Energy can not be made nor can it be destroyed. The sum of energy in the universe is a constant. One just needs to know how to harness the energy which is in abundance in this universe. That thought is echoed in the book.
But, the book then gets into all the advaitic thoughts. It quotes a lot of stories from after life incidences which I have heard and read about.
At the end of the book, I did not get a handle on how to understand death. There are a lot of thoughts and points here. But, the essence is "death is not the end and it is a mere continuum into another form" gets repeated in so many words and so many pages throughout the book.
Where the soul goes, how the rishis understood all this and so on and so forth are all put over here. But, none of that has helped me understand the "why" of death. Why does it occur so very suddenly? So very violently at times? What really happens after that? Why are we unable to communicate to people who are "dead"? How do we communicate? How can we understand "death" while we are alive? After all, Ramana Maharishi was supposed to have understood "death" while he was a mere boy and that incident was the one which drove him to Tiruvannamalai...So, what happens when you die? And, how can you die before you really are dead?
I did not get a clear handle on these. Probably, one needs a lot more maturity to figure this...
Saturday, July 10, 2010
ஒரு தமிழ் புஸ்தகம் படிக்க இவ்வளவு நேரம் ஆனது இதுதான் முதல் தடவை. என்னால் தொடர்ந்து படிக்க முடியவில்லை. உக்கிரமான எழுத்து.
ஜெயமோகனின் நினைவுகள். அவரது தாயின் மரணம். மரணம் அல்ல. தற்கொலை. தந்தையின் தற்கொலை. சிறு குழந்தையாய் இருந்தபோது நிகழ்ந்த நிகழ்வுகள். அம்மாவிற்குப் பிடித்த நாவல்கள். அம்மாவிற்குப் பிடித்த பாட்டுகள். கேரளத்து ரமணன் பாட்டு.
கம்யுனிஸ்டுகளின் கதைகள். அஜிதன் பிறந்தது. கேரளத்து கவிதைகள்
வ்ர்ம வ்வைத்தியரின் சிகிச்சை. தங்கை விஜி. அருண்மொழியை மணந்தது. வேலைக்கு சேந்தது.
துரவியாய் ச்சுற்றியபோது கண்ணில் பட்ட பேரழகி. குழந்தை வளர்ப்புக் கலை.
எதையுமே கதை போல் படிக்க முடியவில்லை. ஏதோ, நானே நின்று ஜெயமோகனுடன் சேர்ந்து நின்று, அவருக்கு நிகழ்ந்தவற்றைப் பார்ப்பது போன்ற உணர்வு.
இது மனதைத் தொடும் எழுத்து இல்லை. இது, மனதை அடித்துச் செல்லும் அலை. அற்புதமான உணர்வு இது.
ஜெயமோகனின் நினைவுகள். அவரது தாயின் மரணம். மரணம் அல்ல. தற்கொலை. தந்தையின் தற்கொலை. சிறு குழந்தையாய் இருந்தபோது நிகழ்ந்த நிகழ்வுகள். அம்மாவிற்குப் பிடித்த நாவல்கள். அம்மாவிற்குப் பிடித்த பாட்டுகள். கேரளத்து ரமணன் பாட்டு.
கம்யுனிஸ்டுகளின் கதைகள். அஜிதன் பிறந்தது. கேரளத்து கவிதைகள்
வ்ர்ம வ்வைத்தியரின் சிகிச்சை. தங்கை விஜி. அருண்மொழியை மணந்தது. வேலைக்கு சேந்தது.
துரவியாய் ச்சுற்றியபோது கண்ணில் பட்ட பேரழகி. குழந்தை வளர்ப்புக் கலை.
எதையுமே கதை போல் படிக்க முடியவில்லை. ஏதோ, நானே நின்று ஜெயமோகனுடன் சேர்ந்து நின்று, அவருக்கு நிகழ்ந்தவற்றைப் பார்ப்பது போன்ற உணர்வு.
இது மனதைத் தொடும் எழுத்து இல்லை. இது, மனதை அடித்துச் செல்லும் அலை. அற்புதமான உணர்வு இது.
The book which won the man booker prize.
A very angry story. Story of a boy who ran away from his home, who learnt how to drive, who drove around his master and who learnt how to survive in the city of Bangalore.
The way the story is writtin is very different. It is a letter to the Chinese Premier. The language is fantastic. It is dark. It is funny and a brand of humour which is absolutely angry and which spits at you.
It presents India as one of the filthiest of the nations. It paints the people here as those who are cunning and deceitful and cheating on a daily basis. It shows its leaders as all suckers and absolutely self centered ones.
At the end of the story , I didn't know what the story tried to tell. Is it okay to muder? Is it important to get out of slavery and being a servant to being your own master? Is survival very difficult in India? What?
The story left me troubled. I was wondering whether it deserved the booker....probably it doesn't, in my eyes.
எஸ்.ஷங்கர நாராயணன் என்பவர் தொகுத்த கதைகள். எல்லாமே சங்கீதத்தை அடிப்படையாகக் கொண்ட கதைகள். அற்புதமான கதைகள்.
"சரிவாரிலோன" என்ற தியாகையர் கதை. தியாகராஜ ஸ்வாமிகள் ராமனை நினைந்து நினைந்து உருகி பூஜை செய்து பின்னர் ஊரார் பேச்சால் காயம்பட்டு மனம் வெதும்பும் கதை. அற்புதம்.
"ஏறும் இறையும்" என்று இன்னொரு கதை. ஜெயமோகனின் கதை. அற்புதமாக எழுதப்பட்ட கதை. 'ரிஷ்பம்' என்ற பெயரிலே விளையாடும் கதை.
"உக்ரம்" என்ற ப்ரபஞ்சனின் கதை. நீஜமாகவே உக்ரமான கதை.
"வீணை பவானி" என்ற கல்கியின் கதை. அவருக்கே உரித்தான பாணியில், அழகான, உருக்கும் கதை.
"சின்னம்" என்ற வாஸந்தியின் கதை. தாஸி குலத்தில் பிறந்த பாவத்திற்காக, பாடகி படும் பாட்டைச் சொல்லும் கதை.
"திரிவேணி" என்ற கு.அழகிரிஸாமியின் கதை. இராமன் வருகிறான். தியாகையரின் வீட்டுக்கு வருகிறான். அவர் பாட்டில் மயங்கி, ஸீதாப்பிராட்டியுடன் வருகிறான். அழகான, நெகிழ வைக்கும் கதை.
இளங்கோவனின் "நகுமோமு". சின்ன கதை. ஒரு சின்னப் பெண், ஒரு பெரிய பாடகிக்கு பாட்டின் பொருள் சொல்லி, எனவே அந்தப் பாட்டு எப்படிப் பாடப்ப்ட வேண்டும் என்றும் சொல்கிறாள். நல்ல கதை.
"ஆர்மோனியம் சிரிக்கிறது" என்ற அனுராதா ரமணனின் கதை. தன் மனைவியின் அற்புதமான சங்கீதத்தை ரசிக்கத் தெரியாத மனிதர், கச்சேரி நுணுக்கங்களை பற்றிப் பேசும்போது சிரிக்கும் பெண்ணின் கதை.
லா.ச.ராவின் "ஈ ஜகமுலோ திக்கெவரம்மா". உணர்ச்சி மயமான கதை. கதையின் போக்கிலே, நம்மையும் அப்படியே படாத பாடு படுத்தும் கதை.
இன்னும் சில கதைகளும் இருந்தன. ஆனால், இந்த சில கதைகளே மனதைத் தொட்டு, உணர்வில் கலந்து, உயிரிலும் கலந்து நிற்கின்றன. புஸ்தகம் கிடைத்தால், நிச்சயம் படிக்கவும்.
"சரிவாரிலோன" என்ற தியாகையர் கதை. தியாகராஜ ஸ்வாமிகள் ராமனை நினைந்து நினைந்து உருகி பூஜை செய்து பின்னர் ஊரார் பேச்சால் காயம்பட்டு மனம் வெதும்பும் கதை. அற்புதம்.
"ஏறும் இறையும்" என்று இன்னொரு கதை. ஜெயமோகனின் கதை. அற்புதமாக எழுதப்பட்ட கதை. 'ரிஷ்பம்' என்ற பெயரிலே விளையாடும் கதை.
"உக்ரம்" என்ற ப்ரபஞ்சனின் கதை. நீஜமாகவே உக்ரமான கதை.
"வீணை பவானி" என்ற கல்கியின் கதை. அவருக்கே உரித்தான பாணியில், அழகான, உருக்கும் கதை.
"சின்னம்" என்ற வாஸந்தியின் கதை. தாஸி குலத்தில் பிறந்த பாவத்திற்காக, பாடகி படும் பாட்டைச் சொல்லும் கதை.
"திரிவேணி" என்ற கு.அழகிரிஸாமியின் கதை. இராமன் வருகிறான். தியாகையரின் வீட்டுக்கு வருகிறான். அவர் பாட்டில் மயங்கி, ஸீதாப்பிராட்டியுடன் வருகிறான். அழகான, நெகிழ வைக்கும் கதை.
இளங்கோவனின் "நகுமோமு". சின்ன கதை. ஒரு சின்னப் பெண், ஒரு பெரிய பாடகிக்கு பாட்டின் பொருள் சொல்லி, எனவே அந்தப் பாட்டு எப்படிப் பாடப்ப்ட வேண்டும் என்றும் சொல்கிறாள். நல்ல கதை.
"ஆர்மோனியம் சிரிக்கிறது" என்ற அனுராதா ரமணனின் கதை. தன் மனைவியின் அற்புதமான சங்கீதத்தை ரசிக்கத் தெரியாத மனிதர், கச்சேரி நுணுக்கங்களை பற்றிப் பேசும்போது சிரிக்கும் பெண்ணின் கதை.
லா.ச.ராவின் "ஈ ஜகமுலோ திக்கெவரம்மா". உணர்ச்சி மயமான கதை. கதையின் போக்கிலே, நம்மையும் அப்படியே படாத பாடு படுத்தும் கதை.
இன்னும் சில கதைகளும் இருந்தன. ஆனால், இந்த சில கதைகளே மனதைத் தொட்டு, உணர்வில் கலந்து, உயிரிலும் கலந்து நிற்கின்றன. புஸ்தகம் கிடைத்தால், நிச்சயம் படிக்கவும்.
Thursday, July 08, 2010
The Oracle of the century:
I was wondering about the octopus which seems to have made a fantastic prophecy yet again on the german football outcome. And, exactly as it had predicted, the Germans have lost the match to Spain.
The Oracle of the Century
Suppose this octopus was in India? What would we have done with it? Oh! A lot of things.
One, we can disband with the whole process of elections to start with. Such a massive exercise can be replaced with just asking the Octopus as to which candidate is going to win.
Two, we can disband market research for most things and instead of going and asking consumers, we can ask the esteemed oracle on which product will win and which idea will win. It woudl save a lot of money and effort also!
Three, we can send all our dogs and cats and beloved fish varieties to this octopus and at least make them observe the oracle make those predictions so that all of us end up having a "predictionist" at our homes. This can even help us phase out all the astrologers and have only the animal oracles to help us with decide on the future.
Well, I think you get the drift. It is a pity that the orale is talking about football and that too, only the German matches.
Finally, I am not personally sure whether the Oracle will survive a few more days, given the wrath of the fans. They are surely going to take revenge on it!!
Tuesday, July 06, 2010
Finding out leaders is difficult. Why is it difficult? Typically because it is difficult even to define what leadership is all about. Also, it is made even more difficult because of the pace at which we need to do things. However, unless you have fantastic leadership, the company starts floundering at some point in time.
This is what Ram Charan takes and looks deep at.
He looks at the conundrum of "how to get the supply of leaders at different levels?" and tries to answer the question of how does one plan for succession.
He advocates an apprenticeship model. This sounds really radical. However, as he points out, it is not as radical as it sounds first. The apprenticeship is the basis in which almost all the professions prospered in the previous centuries. It is still in vogue in professions such as Medicine and engineering and so on. People learn from the teacher / boss and learn the tools of the trade and then become master over a period of time.
However, the same is not really applied in the case of management.
And, Ram Charan points out that it is perhaps time that we started doing this.
He also looks at and gives a probable framework of evaluating people on leadership. That is a good framework. He gives plenty of examples of how different organizations started grooming leaders from early on. How to have a proper process in place for this identification and grooming. How to take bets on leaders from early on. How to separate temporary successes or failures from long term possibility of success or failures. How to look at different situations and why those situations might require completely different styles of leadership.
He talks about a set of key points : identification, nurturing, how to mentor the leaders, how to set challenging tasks to them early on to spot the real leaders, how to put a process of continuously offering them great tasks which will refine their skills, how to manage the talent pool of leaders, how to continuously monitor them and what kind of frame work might work to take care of all of these.
Made me wonder how I would go about if I have to look for leaders. Made me wonder whether I do any productive and useful mentoring. I was also thinking about who are the potential leaders around me. There seem to be a number of them.
Very good book for any one who is passionate about leadership. For anyone who wants to mentor and nurture talent under him. For both the bosses and the HR teams.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)