m a n u s c r y p t s | A work life balance sheet

How Emotions Are Made

I found this book a refreshing perspective, when compared to the other books that I have read on the subject. From the system of the brain and the construction of emotions to the subject of free will, there are a bunch of interesting lines of thought. The understanding of emotions, and our ability/inability to control them have implications on a lot of things from our own daily behaviour to how we deliver justice as a society. While the topics are complex, the book has an excellent narrative style and is very accessible.

Comfort Zoned

Recent thoughts, and a conversation, made me wonder if I am in a comfort zone, at least in my non-professional life. Some of it is probably FOMO, since there is so much literature on how growth continues by stepping out of the comfort zone. But it is worth a thought, and probably a good way to provide direction on life ahead.

Whiplash: How to Survive Our Faster Future

As technology continues to accelerate changes, asymmetry, complexity and uncertainty have become the underlying themes across the world. Using nine themes, Joi Ito and Jeff Howe provide both perspectives and food for thought on the kind of adaptive thinking that is required to survive the future.

Woke it out for yourself!

The pressure test being carried out thanks to a virus induced lockdown has resulted not just in shifts in consumer behaviour, but a trend among brands to espouse social causes. In an earlier post I had commented on the challenges of brands becoming “woke”, but what is the long term impact on consumption and brand building?

It Can’t Happen Here

A political novel written in 1935 that’s prescient about how an authoritarian regime could actually take power in the United States. Though it begins with a democratic victory, it soon becomes a “corporatist” regime with its own paramilitary force called Minute Men. Through the struggles of Doremus Jessup, a liberal, we see the journey downhill. The references to real life personalities might require some research, but a great read nevertheless.