Post: #1

The Art of the Good Life: Clear Thinking for Business and a Better Life, by Robert Dobelli

Rules for Modern Life: A Connoisseur's Survival Guide, by Sir David Tang

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking, by Susan Cain

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Lets start with Dobelli - at first, it looks like all the other self-help books, but soon the somewhat no-nonsense tone is refreshing, and dusts off any residual of the reader's special snowflakeness.

Sir David's book is an easier read, as long as the reader understand its cultural context (Brits might be in a slightly better position that Americans, who could be slightly offended, as the making-it-obvious "kidding" flag is missing in his responses). Taking apart social pretensions, exposing the social climber - the late David Tang does it with perfection. Caution: largely recycled material from his FT Weekend column.

Susan Cain does an interesting analysis of how "style over substance" came into fashion, and how the emerging American middle-class, urbanization and the advertising industry played their respective roles, and how even Harvard began reject the “sensitive, neurotic type” in favour of the “healthy, extrovert kind.”

Post: #2

Breaking out of Homeostasis: Achieve Mind-Body Mastery and Continue Evolving When Others Stagnate by Ludvig Sunström

To the point, basically anyone can do anything so long as they are willing to push through the plateau.