books are great (2)
If I really like a book, it will take me less than 3 days to finish reading it.
For example, Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code. Like everyone else, I later realised it was pretty much crap. But to give credit where credit is due, the book was gripping enough for me to finish it within 2 days.
I am a fast reader, even though I sometimes skip certain words and paragraphs and would go ‘huh what where’ when friends discuss a book. It’s a bad habit I’ve been unsuccessfully trying to change and finally I gave up. If I like the book enough I’ll read it again, more slowly the second (and third and fourth) time around.
Unless it’s Bill Clinton’s biography. I am sorry to report that it has been more than two months now, but I still have not reach the Monica Lewinsky story. Not even sure if it’s in it. It’s not that the book is uninteresting — I think Bill Clinton’s a charmer and I like his ideas on some things, but American politics can be draggy to read sometimes. Democrats, Republications, the entire US Senate and ruling procedures… it’s like being back in Form 6 and studying the Malaysian constitution and things you couldn’t care less about 
My bro-in-law recommended that I read ‘The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People’. I saw that Sharizal has a copy and so I borrowed it. I hope to finish reading the book sometime next year 
That’s why despite Sharon Bakar’s generous offer to lend me her copy of Salman Rushdie’s The Satanic Verses, I am reluctant as for now because I know I will take a darn long time to read it.
For some reason, I’ve developed quite a fondness for Anderson Cooper. He’s so drop-dead gorgeous (to me), must be the grey/silver hair effect. I think I have a thing for older men, though Cooper isn’t that old. I read in some forums that even 16 year old girls and boys have crushes on him. No matter kids, you can love him all you like but at the end of the day, he’s coming home with me.
Hahaha, I wish
Anyway he wrote his memoirs, ‘Dispatches from the Edge: A Memoir of War, Disasters, and Survival’. MPH priced it at RM99.00. Kinokuniya is selling it at RM100.30. I am not about to spend over RM50 for a book, not even for Anderson Cooper so I guess I’ll have to wait for the paperback. Or rent it from Rent-A-Book. Or who reading this blog has a copy that I can borrow? :D
I’m re-reading Dale Carnegie’s self-help classic, ‘How to Win Friends and Influence People’ for the 20th time. I wish more people would read this book and apply its principles. Would make socialising a whole lot easier.
For the 1000th time, I don’t want to know everything there is to know about you, again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again x10000.
Phewww… that felt good.
No, not talking about anyone in particular.
I’ve read two of Adeline Yen Mah’s books, and they were about unwanted daughters. Quite sad, though I cannot relate to the stories. My parents could not be gender-biased even if they wanted to
Since my dad is the eldest son in his family, I always thought it was a pity that he did not have a son to continue the tradition, so to speak. Of course his younger brothers can and did have sons, but my dad is the eldest mah. You know how very traditional/conservative some Chinese families could be. In fact this preferential treatment is still very much in practise today. Ask your friends who have brothers, they may be able to tell you some stories.
But my dad begged to differ. He maintains that there is no difference between sons and daughters. His mother did not prefer sons over daughters, and he does not see any reasons why anyone should do that. Customs and traditions, yes but he thinks they are bollocks. Remember that my dad is a life-long atheist.
So while I cannot relate to Adeline Yen Mah’s sob story, I can very well empathise with her. It is utter bollocks to have fortune-tellers (unless you are in the profession itself, it is difficult to ascertain which fortune-teller is genuine or not) tell you that you must give away this and that son or daughter (but mostly daughters) because they bring you bad luck.
Nonsense. Bullshit. Horse crap. Ignorant dumb fucks who don’t deserve their children. Go jump into a river or three.
Hence books are great. You don’t need to go through some things to know that you have been very lucky, and there are many before you, and there will be many after you who will continue to suffer bad luck through no fault of their own. You didn’t ask to be born into this world, into a certain family, did you? So that wasn’t your fault, though I’m not saying that you should continue to wallow in self-pity, refusing to do something about it if you can. How? I don’t know, watch Oprah.
I didn’t need to be unwanted to know what it almost feels like, thanks to Adeline Mah’s powerful story-telling. In that sense, books are great. That was the point of me rambling on for so long.
I didn’t need to develop Neurofibromatosis Type II to have a glimpse of a patient’s life. Just buy Yvonne Foong’s “I’m not sick, just a bit unwell” for RM19.90 to read all about it.
I suspect the reason this post has such lack of direction is that I am so sleepy. Another working week starting tomorrow.
Jose Gonzalez’s Heartbeats music video below. Enjoy. Toodles.
Tags: takebackthetech
Is your brother-in-law hinting at something?
I think I have a copy of “The Rules of Work” stashed somewhere. I read it half-way, set it aside and forgot about it. It’s way too late for me to change my work habits, but not too late for you.
Good week!
i lent my ‘chinese cinderella’ to my sejarah teacher back in high school.
SHE HASN’T RETURNED IT TO ME UNTIL NOW. T_T
But it’d be kind of a challenge to finish a really thick book that you happened to like within your standard three days. Say, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norell (assuming you like it, of course..)
All those self help books are bullshit, burn them all.
ST: Wei, I find self-help books pretty useful and once you get past all the roses, kittens and daisies, they do have some good advice.
Ahh…the Heartbeats song reminds me of Ariff. That was one of the last songs he learnt before going back to KK.
*sniff*
Agreed with ST on the self help books
as well as those ‘get rich quick/how to be rich’ (hint: how to make the author rich) book, especially robert kiyosaki’s.
burn’em al.
I tried to make a habit to read around 1 book a week. books are great, but not as good as comic (speaking from the perspective of manga fans), and no where near the movies.
a picture’s worth a thousand words, so a 2 hours movies (with 24 fps) should worth around 172 million words. divide that by 12000 ( assuming total words per book), and you will get 14,400.
a movie’s worth 10,000 (or more) books.
Maybe you haven’t heard yet, Suanie…Print Is Dead. So you don’t have to worry about finishing Bill Clinton. (P.S. Monica isn’t in there. At least the juicy parts.)
anyone who says that daughters are bad, just insulted their own mother.
“I think I have a thing for older men…” hmm….;)
Jebus…my dad got me the Hilary Clinton memoir and I’m well urr….only a quarter into it. It’s left in the dust while I devour David Sedaris’ collection like a carnivour. Recommended great stuff. Made me LOL at times reading his dysfunctional life.
Least but not less, I don’t think I have a thing for older man.
I HAVE a thing for older man.
i have “the 7 Habits..” for.. errmmm years now.. hope em gonna finish it b4 u do.. :p
“self help books” not really that bad.. unless u really follow it word by word.. think of it as an jump start(to what ever ur going with it).. but always create your own set of rule(that’s what i do.. coz as everyone face different ppl with different situation..)
woot! self help boks are great! They help you move cheese and are great as coasters!
GS: Haha, nah I just asked him what I should read, I think
Chen: oO You haven’t left high school for long right?
Suertes: Well I don’t usually read damn thick books so that’s not a problem for me
LOTR comes in 3 books so I’m happy with that 
ST: Some are great
Erna: I miss Ariff too
BearWithClaws: Nah, I understand the bullshittingness of self help books. I never read RK. But Dale Carnegie’s classic is a must-read. Although much of it is common sense, a lot of people do not realise the importance of selling your client more than yourself (wrestling term) and the ways to properly do it. More people should read it, yay!
I disagree about the movies bit. Tuesdays with Morrie sucked.
mad: aww damn! but i prefer print to e-books. i spend an average of 8 hours staring at the pc a day.
ahseng: agreed. but then some of them never like their mothers much in the first place.
gamB:
Z: I have no energy for Hillary Clinton, heh. One Clinton is enough
miao: haha wanna bet?
eyeris: damn mice
I haven’t read Bill Clinton, but Hilary Rodham Clinton’s biography was good. And as I was reading it, I wondered whether she had copies of her speeches or whether she’d recalled everything off the top of her head(!).
Adelin Yen Mah’s books are good. Best served with Kleenex (or is it just me?!) =)
I didn’t know Anderson Cooper wrote a book until I saw his interview on Oprah last night. Did you catch it? Did I just admit to watching Oprah publicly? Should I kill myself?
You need to watch the advertisement of some Sony brand new flat TV. The one with rubber balls and Jose’s Heartbeats
pelf: I suspect HC’s memoir will be less political than BC? Did she mention the Lewinsky affair?
Am thinking of getting Winston Churchill’s stuff.
I didn’t cry reading Adeline Yen Mah’s book. But I cried buckets watching ‘The Butterfly Lovers’, the Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai story. EVERY TIME, NO FAIL, SURE CRY!
Izad: Yeah I did.. but I watched it before already, so StarWorld played repeats!
It’s not shameful to watch Oprah lah. BE LIKE ME! JUST ADMIT IT!
I am now an Oprah whore. Set to automatic daily recording 
beefstew: I know it was from the Sony Brava/Bravia TV stuff… but don’t think I’ve seen the ads. Actually I got the song from here:
http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1713721/context/popular
.l.
i left for 3 years already bitch. feels like forever okay.
:/ but i’m still scared of my teachers. still having nightmares about this one bitch of an english teacher i had. ugh.
wot’s going on? from women to books. this is becoming one theme park.
hey guys if you are looking for brand new book self-help book that is less than RM 50, usually it’s just 22 to 35 please visit my ebay http://search.ebay.com.my/_W0QQsassZklsuccess_shop or visit us at our shop at 30G, Jalan Bangsar Utama 1. It’s just beside Bangsar LRT station facing the UOA Construction. We also give special discount if you buy in bulk.
Okay so I\ll see you there
Rahman Yii