Matthew Siegel recommended Inventing the Truth to us. More specifically, two chapters, "Introduction" by William Zinsser & "Life With Mother" by Russell Baker were part of last week’s assignment for his course on Writing Creative Nonfiction: Fearless and Authentic Narratives. I ordered a second-hand copy. It arrived in the post on Friday evening. Brown, beautifully … Continue reading Inventing the Truth
Category: Rant
Women Leaders: Mastering Organisational Strategy
This weekend, I attended the Women Leaders: Mastering Organisational Strategy workshop given by Dikla Camel Hurwitz at Stanford Graduate School of Business. In short, my summary is: attend it if you have a chance, regardless of your gender. I personally think many discussions and practices we had would be very useful for male professionals as … Continue reading Women Leaders: Mastering Organisational Strategy
The Seven Levels of Communication
This book, the Seven Levels of Communication by Michael J. Maher, arrived in the post. Very excitedly, I opened the package. After a quick glance at its cover with the subtitle “Go from Relationships to Referrals”. My heart sank to the deep dark valley in King’s Canyon. “Relationships to Referrals” those words immediately projected to … Continue reading The Seven Levels of Communication
Effective Argument and Critical Thinking
I wish I had come across Oxford Guide to Effective Argument and Critical Thinking by Colin Swatridge when I started reading ferociously and writing to a lesser extent in the 1990s. Unfortunately, Swatridge only wrote and published it in 2014. I suppose that having not found and read it for the last five years is … Continue reading Effective Argument and Critical Thinking
Always Right
It has been nearly six years since Margaret Thatcher passed away. I was on my way to board an aeroplane from London to California. By the entrance door to the plane, there were dozens of newspapers on the shelf, with their front pages announcing her death. Looking at the iconic images of her, my heart … Continue reading Always Right
The Old Men and the Sea
In my early teens, I read the Chinese translation of the Old Man and the Sea. The old man, Santiago, left a fiercely persistent and strong image in my mind. Reading Ernest Hemingway’s original English writing this week, an intense sensation of strength and survival came to me overwhelmingly, together with the beauty of the … Continue reading The Old Men and the Sea
Compassion
Last Autumn, I attended Building Interpersonal Skills: An Experiential Workshop, organised by Susan Neville, Campbell Frank and a couple of other instructors, at Stanford. After this intensive program, one poem and one word repeatedly come back to me: compassion. To begin the program, the instructors read us Miller Williams's poem. Sue was very kind to … Continue reading Compassion
Big Magic
When I picked up Big Magic - Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert, I was concerned that it might miserably disappoint me. A few writers unknowingly did that to me in the past. Usually the first book was fascinating, so I went on to read another one or two of their works. Sometimes they … Continue reading Big Magic
The Art of Learning
Marc Tessier-Lavigne recommended this book in his recent talk given at Stanford University. The Art of Learning details the author Josh Waitzkin’s journey of reaching the top of his first field, chess, followed by his transition into Chinese martial art, Tai Ji Quan, and winning multiple championships. Had the book just stopped there, when you … Continue reading The Art of Learning
A New Journey
About two decades ago, as a 2nd year middle school student, physics and mathematics were my favourite subjects. Like many children growing up in that part of the world in that era (perhaps universally?), we were asked who we would like to be when we grow up. I wanted to be another Marie Curie, inspired … Continue reading A New Journey