Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Reading List for June-12

Travel to Austin and lots of time as I'd be alone in Austin means, I can catch up with some interesting books. This is what I plan to read this month:

Bring me the Rhinoceros: And other Koans that will save your life
Recommended by a blogger that I follow, this sounds like an interesting book, though little tough to understand the true meaning and gain insight. Bring Me the Rhinoceros is an unusual guide to happiness and a can opener for your thinking. For fifteen hundred years, Zen koans have been passed down through generations of masters, usually in private encounters between teacher and student. This book deftly retells more than a dozen traditional koans, which are partly paradoxical questions dangerous to your beliefs and partly treasure boxes of ancient wisdom. Koans show that you don’t have to impress people or change into an improved, more polished version of yourself. Instead you can find happiness by unbuilding, unmaking, throwing overboard, and generally subverting unhappiness. John Tarrant brings the heart of the koan tradition out into the open, reminding us that the old wisdom remains as vital as ever, a deep resource available to anyone in any place or time.

Uncertainty: Turning Fear and Doubt into Brilliance


Caught this one too while reading a blog, the title appeared very interesting. Properly understood and harnessed, fear and uncertainty can become fuel for creative genius rather than sources of pain, anxiety, and suffering. In business, art, and life, creating on a world-class level demands bold action and leaps of faith in the face of great uncertainty. But that uncertainty can lead to fear, anxiety, paralysis, and destruction. It can gut creativity and stifle innovation. It can keep you from taking the risks necessary to do great work and craft a deeply-rewarding life. And it can bring companies that rely on innovation grinding to a halt.

Influencer: The power to change anything
From the bestselling authors who taught the world how to have Crucial Conversations comes Influencer, a thought-provoking book that combines the remarkable insights of behavioral scientists and business leaders with the astonishing stories of high-powered influencers from all walks of life. You'll be taught each and every step of the influence process-including robust strategies for making change inevitable in your personal life, your business, and your world. You'll learn how to:
  • Identify a handful of high-leverage behaviors that lead to rapid and profound change.
  • Apply strategies for changing both thoughts and actions.
  • Marshall six sources of influence to make change inevitable.

Monday, June 4, 2012

Itinerant: Solo bike trip

Got my Royal Enfield Classic Chrome 500cc bullet in May. After the run-in was over, planned a 900km solo trip to western ghats, as per the following plan:
Jun 1st: Bangalore - Mysore (stay at my village near Mysore) (about 150 kms)
Jun 2nd: Mysore-Madikeri-Talacauvery-Panathur-Sulya-Ujire (about 420 kms)
Jun 3rd: Ujire-Charmadi-Hassan-Magadi-Bangalore (about 330 kms)

Let the pictures tell the story:

In front of my ancestral home in the village


Near Bhagamandala, just before the ascent to Talacauvery, my first experience of hair pin bends and real "ghats". Thought the monsoon had not started it was cloudy and there were few short spells of drizzle along the way.


Panathur Forest. There is one less traveled and lesser known road from Bhagamandala to Panathur in Kerala, which is the shortest route from Talacauvery Kanhanghad and Kasargod. This road is narrow, twisty, descends fast and goes through a thick jungle. I took about an hour to cover 30kms and encountered about 3-4 jeeps in this period. Elephant dung was visible on the road. Didn't dare to stop and get down anywhere, until I passed the forest.







Charmadi was as majestic as ever. Got up early and was on the road just to see the mist covered ghats of Charmadi and I was not disappointed.






It was a great experience, especially given that I started riding bikes only in Feb 2012 and prior to the trip had a riding experience of only about 800kms or so.The "Bull" is great, especially once you cross 60kmph - its as comfortable as driving a car.

Next one is planned in Sep/Oct exclusively in the district of Shimoga.