Our brain is much more efficient than any other machine existing outside when it comes to being rational or thinking. At the same time, with our thoughts, we can do miracles. I have added As a Man Thinketh by James Allen as an all-time favorite in my book list. The book talks about how our …
Category Archives: Book Reading Notes
autobiography
After reading a few dozen autobiographies, it seems like most of it follows the template below. Rags to riches. Not giving up attitude Finding a problem to solve and doubling down on it. The family suffered most because of no work life balance Great team and excellent incentives Treating customers like god Taking company public …
The blood-stained throne
I was in Kathmandu last December and this time visited the Narayanhiti Palace. I had heard about the Nepalese royal massacre. My friend gave some insights that resulted in me picking the book. I was curious to know about Nepal Monarchy and, the book takes us through the journey from the very beginning (1775-1914). I …
the body
I think it was Aparna who recommended this book to me. The author Bill Bryson has written dozen other books as well. I have been taking care of my health more in the last four years. The only way I could have gone through the pain of running my startup and books were a great …
Land Of The Seven Rivers
Last week I picked up Land Of The Seven Rivers by Sanjeev Sanyal.I loved the book and the amount of research the author has gone through writing the book. It starts with Harappa culture, talking about the Aryans, and goes from Mahabharata to all old Kingdoms and the Mughals. I could imagine walking as reading …
How democracies die
Last week while traveling, I had picked up: How democracies die. As the title suggests, the book talks about changing countries ruling from democracy to dictatorship. In the chapter, the author cites many examples of how the dictators, from the crowd selected by the democratic process and slowly and gradually started killing the pillars of …
Powerful
The book ‘Powerful” by Patty McCord talks about hiring and the overall culture at Netflix. Patty was an early recruiter there and these days consults startups by teaching how and what to hire. If you have read No Rule Rules by Reed Hastings, I don’t think you need to read this book. Building an initial …
missionary
We need people in a team like a missionary, with a common goal and belief, ones who are with us for long-term gain. Building a startup is not for everyone. It requires a lot of patience, persistence, and perfection. As a missionary team, we should have a common purpose. Everything falls in place. And every …
mercenaries
When building a startup for long-term success, the team should avoid mercenaries. One simple reason for this is that mercenaries think for the short term and about themselves first. They want the best outcome for themselves and, when the ship is sinking, they will be the first to disappear. If paid more, mercenaries will also …
mutual tolerance
I am halfway through the book: How democracies die. One part of the book talks about mutual tolerance and its importance in keeping democracy alive. It means running the country together with some disagreement among the ruling and opposition. At the same time, the government and judiciary work together and keep democracy alive. Once mutual …