Books For All

What's Education for Bread, Money or Something MORE?

2009-07-19T20:11:00.000-07:00

There is famous speech by Steve Jobs - at Stanford I guess, where he says - this is the closest he has come to being graduated, which should make us think how can a person who has not been educated "formally" - can ramp such a high tech industry, produce the most sexy designs one has seen, be a game changer etc. etc. If the world is working rationally then if he is not educated even for 15 years of life and he is so successful then larger part of urban india where graduation is a norm, spending more than 20 years in being EDUCATED must be a STEVE JOBS making machine. But then it is not so... may be reverse is true...

Whats education after all for and why Steve Jobs, the answer to it lies in his biography of sorts - ICON...very few people know that during the hippy decade steve jobs came to india to know indian religion, with very little money and almost slept on the streets of Varanasi or Banaras.... Education is like a tool, if one knows the purpose he can pick the right tool and complete it... but without purpose its useless...But finding purpose in life is really the hard part and thus we get settled for the lesser option of getting educated.

When we are ready to invest our resources and time on education - the question is why not some % of it in helping people, children find purpose....the purpose may change.. from age to age but if the desire would be strong enough eudcation would come on its own, when one wants to learn - who would care whether its coming from a govt school, or private - or from Internet....

Losing the Virginity - HAVE YOU !

2009-05-24T07:26:00.000-07:00

I bet each one of us would definitely want to be a rich man, having all the comforts which money can give, but then i also bet that amongst us 99.9999999% of people are not ready to pay the price of the riches. Yes, there are no free lunches - everything has a price, even getting rich - and its an endevour where the faliure ratio is the highest. But then the trick is to start enjoying the road to the destination.... getting too much heavy...let me explain you...
You would all be knowing about Richard Branson..if not then here he is... he owned a music recording industry, sold it and went into airlines and now he is venturing into out of the earth flights.. , what are this degrees... well as fars as i know none... barely graduated... but has been Kinghted by queen of England. What is his trademark - as far as I understand, being ready to loose his Virginity... :) , and he has lost it many time... , what kind of virginity i am talking about - its not what you think .. its about doing things which are never done before - its about being courageous enough to try once and its about being ready to loose - everything to gain everything. Can we ever imagine our Tata, Birlas, Ambanis and now Raju's (sorry), Murthys being ready to loose their virginity again and again and again.. i have my own doubts..can we imagine them to even imagine something undobale and do it..... These days there is a new trend among our IT ioncs to write about "India" - as if Nehru and others have not written much...

Richard Branson.. when asked his first co workers, what shall we name our venture - and one of the girls in their group told him lets name it "Virgin" as no body is that here..and its a fact..(it was an hippy time in england and america..the entire silicon valley is born out of hippy culture). Virgin Music was sold to make way for Virgin Airlines. Richard Branson have globe tracked in a ballon, in boat and what not.. to promote his brand. How many of our industrialist we know, have done anything like that... I cannot recall any... if you can do let me know. And lastly i would like to end with a very opposite picutre of RB, compared to the abvoe:

Lossing my Virginity is a Autobigraphy by Richard Barnson... i recommend you read it once.. if you intend to do any thing substantial in you life..

Only the Paranoid survives

2009-05-21T20:13:00.000-07:00

We all use computer and processors from Intel, but hardly any one of us know that the choice for intel to move into manufacturing of microprocessor was due to their complete market faliure on the area of memory chips. It was a forced decision as at that time microprocessor was not a market that had any potential. Intel was leader in manufacturing of memory - the technology which they pioneered, but japanese started making the products at a price and quality which intel was unable to comptete and it had to leave the memory market and itch for itself a new market - which today we call Microprocessor. Thus the moral of this story is that if intel had not been beaten on memory chip market - we would not have seen the Pentiums or Core 2 Duo.

I have just finished reading Andy Groove's Only the Paranoid Survives, its a great book, great because we come to see by reading the book that even the best of best makes mistakes and it is these mistakes that makes everyone. Andy Groove arguys that in the new business environment one needs to be Paranoid - one needs to constanly fear the unknown - and harness this fear to identify new markets and opportunities. And this is true not only for businessmen but also for employees.

IT IS ONLY BY HARNESSING FEAR THAT WE CAN OVERCOME IT.....

The AntiChrist

2009-05-12T19:36:00.000-07:00

Have you ever challenged you faith, the things that you believed for year / decades? Have you ever put your faith and belief on test of arguments? The AntiChrist - which is a small book by Nietzsche - A German Philosopher challenges the very institution of Christianity. It is said that Hitler kept under his pillow the Book of Nietzsche and got inspired by it for what ever he did. Nietzsche never proposed it... it was Hitlers interpretation.
The Antichrist is a book in which Nietzsche in around 64 paragraphs try to say why he does not like Christianity - he compares it with Buddhisum and brings out their commanilities as well as differences. If you thought that Nietzsche in this book seems to be against Christ - Then you may be mistaken - as, as I understood - he is against the institution called Christianity - not Christ. Somewhere he has said - that "I know only one Christian and he died on the cross" - or something similar to that.. He also said somewhere that - "I cannot believe in god who cannot dance".
Nietzsche is difficult to read and understand, but if you like such books he is the Author for you.. at least you should try some of his works.....

If anybody wants to read it online follow the link : http://www.swan.ac.uk/german/fns/ac.htm

Everyone should have a Biography

2009-05-11T19:52:00.000-07:00

Every one is unique - and their experience too - even if we give two people the same activities their perception would be different and thus its image on them and the resulting effect on their lives. We are so used to read book, but have we ever thought of writing one - if anyone suggest that then we shrug our shoulder and say that no, no i am not a writer - but i read somewhere that that J. Krishnamurti said "one should never read a book, unless one is read to write one". Have we ever thought at the end of our lives - how would we tranmist our understanding of life to the next generation, - anyone hardly does - Because inside we know that we hardly have any - we think we understand what is happening around us - but then it is not understanding its just signal from our senses analyzed by our small brain. If we had even the simplest of understanding of anything - we would be jumping to give it to someone..... because we would know that it is rare and has to be preserved and passed on.

Everyone would have a different understading of life and that is what makes life so colorful, imagine at the end of 10 years if everyone of us would write our biography and passed on to the next generation, it would be the biggest gift we can ever give..

The frog hopes you agree.... so are you starting to write one....

Three frog, Three ponds and a Book

2009-03-22T04:41:00.000-07:00

Frog and pond has been part of our stories, it is metaphor for lot many things - a physcological tool which shows how dis-connected and at the same time how connected we are. The below is a true story of three frogs and a book which is seen by each frog in relation to its pond and ending in a hypothetical scenario which would change the lives of the frogs forever.

Part 1: The nature of frog
There lived three frogs in three different ponds very nearby each other. As every frog is - each frog thought he was the king of world (the pond was what was the world accroding to him) . Each frog communicated to one another, but in their own version of world. When night came - moon reflected in the ponds and each frog thought his version of the moon was the original, forgeting that there existed two more moons.
Part 2: The Books
One day the moon got a book, "The Polyster Prince", you know sometimes even moon gets bored, now as the moon read the book, its reflection fell on the three ponds. The books was only one, but the pond changed its relfection and each frog read it but with a differnt meaning.

Part 3: One book =Three meaning

Every body knows the polyester prince is known for wealth, wisdom, words, wars and what not.... Frog 1 read the book to know the reciepe to get rich just as the prince did, but he hardly knew that water does not fall from weather reports. One needs to get out of the house to get wet. . Frog 2 just disliked the reflection of the book - the prince never attracted him, may be water of the lake was too much distrubed to get a clear relfection of the book... too much filled with ripples of past stones thrown by mischievieous boys of the society. Frog 3 - read the book to know whether it is worth becoming a prince or it would be nice to be a frog forever. For him the book was not a reciepe for riches, but may be a light house either showing the way or warning rocky shores.

Part 4: The end

While all this play was going on, its started raining and the downpour made the three ponds one... , and it was at this time that the frogs came to know that - there is only one moon, one reflection, one pond and one book.

So, which frog are you 1, 2 or 3..... to know you can see you reflection of the book.... do email at bookizen@gmail.com

Disclaimer : During writing of this incident, no frog was hurt.

The First Fifty

2009-03-11T06:00:00.001-07:00

This the the list of First 50 books available for reading:
1. Talks with students, Varanasi 1954 – J. Krishnamurti
2. The Second Penguin Krishnamurti Reader
3. Zen in the Art of Archery – Eugen Herrigel
4. Hot, Flat, and Crowded – Thomas L. Friedman
5. How to get Rich – Felix Dennis
6. The 80/20 Principle – Richard Koch (Ring Binded)
7. The Mckinsey Way – Ethan M. Rasiel (Ring Binded)
8. The Undercover Economist – Tim Harford (Rind Binded)
9. The Days are Just Packed : A Calvin and Hobbes Collection – Bill Watterson
10. The Fourth Way – P. D. Ouspensky (Spiral Binded)
11. Talks with Sir Raman Maharshi Volume 1.
12. Building and Running a Successful Research Business – Marry Ellen Bates
13. The Mind Map Book – Barry Buzan
14. Small Wind Systems for Battery Charging – By Simon Dunnett
15. Engineering analysis with Ansys Software – T. Stolarski, Y. Nakasone, S. Yoshimoto
16. Active Solar Heating System Design Manual
17. The People’s Tycoon: Henry Ford and the American Century – Steven Watts
18. The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying - Sogyal Rinpoche
19. Vedanta: Voice of Freedom – Swami Vivekananda
20. Holy Blood Holy Grail – Michael Baigent, Richard Leigh, Henry Lincoln
21. The Essence of the Bhagavad Gita – Swami Kriyananda
22. Above all Don’t Wobble – Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh
23. The Bhadvad Gita : The Royal Science of Self – Realizations – Sri Sri Paramahansa Yogananda (Vol 1 and Vol 2)
24. Mejda: The family and the early life of Sri Sri Paramhansa Yogananda – Sri Sananda Lal Gosh
25. Commentaries on Living Third Series – J. Krishnamurti
26. The Search : Talks on the Ten Bulls of Zen – Osho
27. The Path: The Autobiography of a Western Yogi – Swami Kriyananda
28. The Book of Books Vol IV – Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh
29. Losing my Virginity: Richard Barnson – The Autobiography
30. Flight of Alone to Alone – Osho
31. Rinzan: Master of the Irrational – Osho Rajneesh
32. The Art of Living: Vipassana Meditation – William Hart
33. The Life of Swami Vivekananda – By his eastern and western disciples (Vol 1 & 2)
34. Talks with Swami Vivekananda
35. Kriya Yoga: Its mystery and Performing art – Swami Sadhanananda Giri
36. Sri Aurobindo for all the Ages – Nirodbaran
37. The Holy Science – Swami Sri Yukteswar
38. The mind of Ramana Maharshi – Arthur Osborne
39. The revolution from within – J. Krishnamurti
40. When the Shoe Fits – Osho
41. The perfect way – Osho
42. Meditation and its methods – Swami Vivekananda
43. Discourses on Satipatthana Sutta – S. N. Goenka
44. Commentaries on Living – J. krishnamurti
45. Meditation on Swami Vivekananda – Swami Tathagatananda
46. The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna
47. Zen and the Art of Enlightenment – Osho
48. The book of Women – Osho
49. Essays in Zen Buddhism – Daisets Teitaro Suzuki
50. Journey to Self Realization – Sri Sri Paramahansa Yogananda
51. Man’s Eternal Quest – Sri Sir Paramahansa Yogananda
52. Zen, Zest Zip Zap and Zing - Osho

How BookiZen Works

2009-03-11T05:48:00.000-07:00

Hi,
The mode of operation for BookiZen is really simple and it is as follows:
1. Any one who wants to join bookizen would need to send his photo (actual) along with his introduction to bookizen@gmail.com
2. The next post (s) would contain list of books which would be currently available for reading
3. Anyone who is interested in reading (and has supplied his / her details ) any of the tile would need to mail it to bookizen@gmail.com for the same.
4. If the title would be available - then an arrangement would be made by the bookowner to make sure that the books is being delivered to the person.
5. We are developing an online system for this, but for present this is the arrangement.
6. Any one who wants to share their books can provide their list, which would be then merged with the existing one.
7. The book would be available for reading for around 30 days, thereafter it would return back to its source.
8. There are no fees or charges any of the services.
Presently bookizen is only available in Ahmedabad, but nonetheless - we believe that a book would find its way to any place - so if you are not in Ahmedabad, then also be a part of bookizen and we would try to see that you get to read what you want.
Thats all......

The Frog is out of the pond

2009-03-11T05:36:00.000-07:00

Hi,
I believe that whomsoever has reached this page would have read at least one book, and would be ready to read another. I heard some where that we dont select the books - the book selects us !
that is why there is some Zen in reading books, now dont ask what is Zen, that is for you to find out. Bookizen is an idea to share the books, the learnings from them with others, we all has lot many books lying in our closet, but you know the right place of book is not in closet but in someone's hand and in his eyes. Thus through BookiZen an humble attempt is made to free these books from closets, so that they can change the lives and mind of others as they have changed yours.

BookiZen is an open platform for everyone of us to share our books with other, and even if you dont want to share - at least you can take someones.