Category: Movie

The Ride Of A Lifetime by Robert Iger!

The Ride Of A Lifetime by Robert Iger. This was a book that I read totally by accident- I have been borrowing books during this lockdown from a friend and thank god for the recommendation.

This Book was a beautiful ride into a journey of how much ones goes through to reach the top. But, In an entertainment business & media business, it’s very competitive. During Robert’s tenure, there were so many important acquisitions he acquired and managed to keep re-innovating and to keep Disney relevant as an organisation to an extent that he acquired Rupert Murdoch organisation for Disney and got access to a bunch of media channels including a popular streaming platform of theirs in India the Hotstar app and rebranded Disney+. There are so many insights to share, The relationship with Steve Jobs and how he convinced him and manages to acquire Pixar.

Trivia:

  • Wide World of Sports an ABC Broadcasting channel became the 1st U.S Media house to enter North Korea in the late 70s.
  • Apple & Disney collaborate for Television Shows on iPod Touch.
  • Marvel, 21st century Fox Studio, Star Wars acquisitions by Disney.

 

Robert Iger shares some of his lessons.

  • Tell Great Stories
  • Innovate or Die
  • Relentless Pursuit Of Perfection
  • Take Responsibility, When you screw up
  • Be Decent To People
  • Excellence & Fairness
  • True Integrity
  • Value Ability
  • Ask Question You Need to Ask.
  • Managing Creativity is Art.
  • Don’t Start Negatively
  • Don’t be in the business of playing it safe.
  • Don’t let ambition get ahead of the opportunity
  • We all want to believe we are indispensable
  • A company’s reputation is the sum total of the actions of Its people and the quality of its products
  • Optimism emerges from faith in yourself and in the people who work for you
  • You need to convey your priorities clearly and repeatedly
  • It should be about the future
  • Treating others with respect is an undervalued currency when it to negotiating
  • You have to do the homework
  • If something doesn’t feel right to you, it won’t be right for you.

This is one of the best books, I have read this year! And another interesting bit of news is recently Robert Iger announced he would be taking the role as the CEO For the popular video app Tik Tok an App that is currently banned in India As there have been ongoing conflicts with China.

What I Talk about Running, When I talk about Running by Murakami.

Yes, This would be after ages! Where I have been a fan of not just somebody’s craft but the person itself. So, you might think I would be biased and defence on my analysis for this book reviewing. What I talk about” Running by Murakami “is a Memoir by his on admission.

The only reason I was eagerly wanting to read this book is – How many Writers write their own autobiographies and How many write on the process & their passions.

Murakami had first titled his book “What I Talk about Running When I talk about Running” After being inspired by a short story collection from his favourite writer Raymond Carver.

The Book describes his first instinct of starting to run. He feels he started late at thirty-three he began started learning, And that was because he wanted to in shape and running practically needed no investment besides a pair of shoes and tracks and he wasn’t good with team sports and admits he is a loner. “ I am the type of person who doesn’t find it painful to be alone”

The book also highlights and makes you feel, He was in many ways a late bloomer. He wrote his first book at the age of Twenty-nine. He had this idea he could write stories after witnessing a baseball game And so his first novel was “Hear the Wind Sing”

He has completed a total of twenty-six marathons and has also done ironman Triathlons that involve (Swimming +Running + Cycling ) 4 km (2.4 miles) swimming,180.25 (112 miles) cycling and 42.20 km (26.22 miles) of running. Done in the same order and ultramarathons that’s more than the 42.20 km.

And he describes his process & fears of just following his passions.

And do you know why the running is a race called marathon?

I had never found this piece of information in any of the travel articles until I read the book and it’s so-called because first it’s a place in Greece that’s 42.20 km ( 26.2 miles) And the history behind is the information : Military runner was delivering news to Athens about their victory over Persians at Marathons and hence it’s a standard Marathon is 42.20 kms (26.2miles) long.

Now coming back to his writing. Murakami enjoys being a writer as he is a quiet person who doesn’t seek validation and relies on his inner motivation.

And Murakami believes to be a writer one should possess the qualities such as a talent (An inclination with some skill)

Should be able to focus (Being able to concentrate, and having patience to staring at blank pages and to patience to write for about months ) And Endurance – Writing can be difficult and uncertain but if you can overcome this it would pay off the patience you have invested in the profession.

The book is humorous and funny in many ways, And if you are a runner or into sports you would immediately click with them

Trivia:

  • Just like every other book – There is a playlist of Murakami that’s he has for his running and he uses a traditional music player and not an iPod as he believes you can’t mix music with computers to just like it’s not good to mix friends, Work & Sex.
  • There is a City named Murakami in Japan in Niigata prefecture ( Just like we have states Japan has prefecture and there are a total of forty-seven in Japan), no it’s not named after him, but after the Murakami castle. They have a marathon which Murakami participates in.
  • They are three translators Murakami works with – One translates the music and the other translates the story.
  • An Israeli illustrator, Noma Bar designs all his covers.
  • There is a playlist of Murakami Vinyl on Spotify.
  • He has a stamp that goes with his signature.
  • And for all those who have read his works surely know he once owned & ran a Jazz Bar in Japan.
  • This Book has taken a decade to write & publish and rightly so he doesn’t believe in deadlines.

Made In America by Bill Bryson-Book Review

 

Made In America by Bill Bryson.

Bill Bryson is an author, I discovered accidentally while reading “Neither here Nor there “a book on his travel journeys around Europe a couple of years ago. Then read “Down Under “- A book on Australia. Though he is better known for his book “A Walk in the woods” The author’s book that I haven’t read is about A Journey the authors goes through wanting to find peace and rediscover himself. By going on a trekking trail with his friend Stephan Katz.

And after nearly two years I read another book written by Bill Bryson

“Made In America” A book that fascinated me as soon as I had undertaken the journey of neither being here nor there. But, being a very heavy book with a lot to grasp it needed a lot of time. And what perfect time than now to have read this book.

“Made In America “who should read this book & why?

Made in America is about this whole new world discovered and how did it come to be called America. It’s for someone who likes to know about history, The past of America and the future of where it is going.

You need to read the book to know how English as a language was altered to have suited the American.

You need to read to understand again and again America is a land built with immigrates who have migrated from centuries ago and is the land of just a small population of natives.

How the modern-day luxuries- The Escalators, The Automobiles, The Restaurants, Ice cream, Chocolates, Whisky’s and Air conditioner’s had come to existence in this world.

Yes, It’s perfect to call them luxuries today with the pandemic making us aware of what privileged life we live as a human. And how well the Americans have marketed, Branded and Advertised things that were invented in The United States of America and Things that weren’t but made the people believe they were the ones who had thought about it.

The Made in America book takes you on a journey about Americans with a perceptive from an American’s Eye and questions you America you thought it was or it is.

Some Of The Lockdown Reads!

The Gaze by Elif Shafak

The Gaze was the first book that got me interested in Elif Shafak as an author. As the story idea is different – It’s about a couple who change their genders one day and go out for a meal only so that the society doesn’t judge them anymore.

And a Turkish Writer writing this story with Turkey as a backdrop. What more would you want in a story? The Gaze becomes my third read instead of first as this book was difficult to be found so I began with forty rules of love and then read The Bastard of Istanbul both of these are lovely too and the bestseller for the author.

Night Boat To Tangier by Kevin Barry

Night Boat To Tangier by Kevin Barry has been a book that on love, Drugs and Sex and this book particularly interested me was because not just the blurb of the book sounded interesting, But also because I had visited Morocco, Marrakech about one and half years ago and thought this would be a story that I could relate to after visiting the country. The book is good! But doesn’t really hold the story right till the end.

Blockchain by Stephen Williams

The Whole concept of blockchains was something that I wanted to know more about, Ever since it became the thing to watch out for in the next few years. And the interest became after watching a google talk of Alex Tapscott explaining the revolution of Blockchain. The Blockchain by Stephen Williams is a great read telling you about the blockchain like you are dummy. Simple & Easy to understand without using much of the technical Jargons.

Hygge by Meik Wiking

Hygge is a Danish way of living Like the Ikigai is finding the purpose in your life in Japan. a Danish and Norwegian word for a mood of comfortable with feelings of wellness and contentment. Hygge is a lifestyle that’s very popular in Denmark and teaches you the importance of lighting in Danish culture. A must-read if you like books on cultures and loved “Ikigai”.

Kafka On The Shore By Murakami !

 

 

 

“Kafka on The Shore by Haruki Murakami”

“Kafka on The shore by Haruki Murakami”

Is the seventh or eighth book in the Murakami collection that I have read so far and Kafka on the shore has been one of the most enjoyable mysteries to unfold. 

Murakami has stuck to his elements in his writing.

Cats, Painting and characters we want to know more about.

Though I read “Killing Commemorate” Last year, Before reading Kafka on the shore and though both were on the same lines. Kafka on the shore has been a breeze to read.

Like all the other Murakami books, Japan has always been a backdrop with every story and a new town or new side of the city is portrayed.

Kafka on the Shore is a story of Kafka Tamura, a fifteen-year-old boy who runs away from home to escape an awful oedipal prophecy, and Nakata, ageing and illiterate simpleton who has never completely recovered from a wartime affliction. Kafka’s journey brings him to a small private library in the provincial town of Takamatsu and to a mountain hideaway where the ordinary laws of time no longer apply. But, like Oedipus, the more Kafka tries to avoid his fate, the closer he comes to fulfilling it. Nakata also sets forth on a quest for an enigmatic entrance stone, the significance of which he does not understand. Intellectually ambitious, emotionally intense, and beautifully written.

Japan Made Easy by Sandeep Goyal

Japan Made Easy is one of the best books to know more about the Japanese lifestyle, Business Ethics, Culture, Spiritual and Food Habits and all these are shared by the Japanese words used to describe each situation or word. This makes the book an interesting read for anyone who wants to know more about Japan or the basics before they would be travelling or after they have travelled.

This book is split into eight sections with an average of ten chapters in each section.

The book also shares insights of  Japan through the years.