I just finished reading The Greatest Networker in the World by John Milton Fogg (the link will take you to the author’s website). Again I picked up this book from my company’s library.

I thought this book was about how to build people and contacts. But it’s actually more about Network Marketing, or more commonly known as Multi Level Marketing (MLM).

The book was written in the style similar to Rich Dad Poor Dad, whereby the author was fortunate enough to meet and then be coached by this highly successful individual, the best in the field who happens to love sharing his knowledge, this individual is aptly titled "The Greatest Networker in the World" (akin to the Rich Dad in Kiyosaki’s book).

The author’s main point seems to be: to be successful you need to change your habits of belief, replace the old and bad habits with the ones that will help you achieve what you want, for example: if you keep on believing you are fat, that you will stay that way, instead you need to change the beliefs with what will your life looks like if you are slimmer.

The author goes on great details describing the networker’s perfect life: big house, nice cars, horses, great & happy family, a Japanese house maid (who happen also to be his no 1 distributor in Japan) and how in the end the author can achieve the same thing (in the epilogue John mentioned that he bought the networker’s house). Describing extravagant success in details seem to be the norm for this sort of book and the author seems to suggest that success in life can only be measured in what one can gain materially. 

I guess it wasn’t a fruitful reading for me as I am not really into MLM much anyway although Lina was doing it a bit before. But it was short reading and an enganging one so at least I learn a little bit about writing. Would I recommend this book? Heck no, unless you are doing MLM yourselves.

And that my friend was the 15th book finished this year.

I just finished reading The Five Love Languages of Children by Gary Chapman and Ross Campbell recently. I borrowed the book from my company’s library.

I’ve listened the audio book of the original Five Love Languages which is directed for couples. This book is a spin off from that.

I’ve learned a great deal from the original book. Especially I found the categorizing how people want to be loved into these 5 languages making the abstract nature of love to be more understandable (and actionable). I was also aware that the concept can be easily transferable to different groups of people (ie not only to your spouse). 

So naturally I am excited reading "the children version" of the book. I did find it to be helpful and practical. For example, from the section on punishing the children, Gary and Ross suggested that parents should first of all assure that child felt loved (making sure his/her "love tank" full) before delivering the punishment. They also suggested against using the primary love languages as a mean to punish children, for example: if a child’s primary language is physical touch, then punishing the child physically might have a more detrimental effect than intended. Some other useful points include:

• Age and sex determine the appropriateness of showing your love, example: if have a boy whose primary language is physical touch, when he comes to his teenage years, refrain from showing your love physically in front from his friends or in public.
• If you are a single parent, seek help from your church or community, especially when your child is entering the teenage life, which he might withdraw himself from you.
• Use persuasion/request, command, gentle physical, punishment and behaviour modification in that order.

I found the authors have communicated the true sense of love quite strongly in this book, that is: love is all about the other person. You want to learn how to communicate love to your children for their sake not your own. The same message I also found from Gary’s original book.

I think the book can be made more concise, by cutting down the testimonies and stories, I just found them repetitive and too many. Although this book I think was intended for parenting in general, the authors being Christians themselves, they communicated how their faith made an impact on their understanding of love. They quoted some Bible verses to show how some of the points are supported by the Bible. I applaud the efforts from Christian authors writing to not necessarily Christian audience to do this. However I found that the usage of the Bible passages is often out of context (although I can’t remember an example and I have returned the book, but most of these out of context quotations were from the Old Testament).

I would strongly recommend this book for parents. It’s all about knowing your children better and then love them in the way that they understand best.

Book 14 finished!

Side note, I am also reading What Colour is Your Parachute, which is a very2 good and thorough book on career in specific and life in general. I think I need to buy this book (currently borrowing it from library) as the vast material in it needs to be digested slowly perhaps in the span of months. I think now my reading time would be taken by my SCJP Exam prep, so i won’t be able to finish too many books.

Finished reading this book sometimes last week. It’s the story of the most successful Turtle traders, Curtis. You’d heard of the story of Turtle traders if you are into trading.

Usually trading books are full of charts and formulas, so I am bit surprised by the simplicity of the methods outlined in this book. The trading system that Turtle uses is quite simple but Curtis assert that Trend Following system requires a very large fund to start with as you have to consistently follow every signals as well as be involved in several markets (he’s thinking $100k is a bare minimum).

Not sure whether I gained anything practical from the book since I no longer trade.

Book no 13 finished.

Finished reading The Best of Software Writing I by Joel Spolsky.

I think I will write a short review or some sort when I got time later. In short, it was good reading, some of the essays warrants a second read. I want to read the second volume.

No. 12 done, I’ve met my target of finishing 1 book a month.

One of the benefits of long commuting is you get your readings done.

47 biggest Mistakes made by Property Investors and How to Avoid Them – Hellen Collier, it was an OK book, I couldn’t remember reading anything new from other books and magazines..

No Country for Old Men – Comac McCarthy. Normally people read the book and then watch the movie. I watched the movie first and it made impression to me (especially the antagonist Anton Chigurh, played brilliantly by Javier Bardem), so much that I don’t mind reading the book after knowing the story. It was a very good reading, I loved it. It’s hard to describe why I like the book, perhaps it’s the style of writing which unusual, perhaps it’s because I can relate to Sheriff Bell’s reflections of his life. Despite the ending which a little bit hanging, I do think it’s a book with one message at least. And that message is: If you stumbled across a scene of a drug transaction gone wrong, leave it alone.

That’s number 10 & 11 finished. Currently reading 3 books in parallel, blame it to my short attention span: Getting things done, The best Software Writing 1 and The Way of The Turtle(another gem discovered on Bowen Library).