Pazu薯伯伯 - aNobii

Books (27)

All books Finished (Newest) Title (A to Z) Title (Z to A) Rating (Highest) Rating (Lowest) Finished (Newest) Finished (Oldest) Published (Newest) Published (Oldest) Added (Newest) Added (Oldest)

- 大江東去: 司徒華回憶錄 (192)
- By 司徒華
- Finished on Apr 3, 2012
  
  Review
- Add...
  - My Shelf
  - Wish List
大江東去: 司徒華回憶錄

真摯感人

有數段甚是喜歡。
提到華叔與黃女士的情，華叔又說大江東去，他㨩到一瓢之飲，人生無憾。按字義解釋，一瓢之飲，大概就是黃女士吧？
讀書心得，有人問華叔買那麼多書，是否全都讀了。華叔說，如此問的人，不是真正愛書。因為愛書的人，又怎會把書全都看了，抽數段讀，也有啟發。看到這段，會心微笑。
論遲到，華叔說，遲到是對人不尊重。不要說塞車，因為他也經常坐車。
提到教協的財務，甚為詳細。華叔說有朋友開玩笑說，如果華叔不從政，應該是成功的商人。

Is this helpful?

— Apr 5, 2012 | Add your feedback
- The Power of Habit (85)
- Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business
- By Charles Duhigg
- Finished
  
  Review
- Add...
  - My Shelf
  - Wish List
The Power of Habit

1 person find this helpful
I finished reading this book without a coffee, a habit changed!

While I still couldn't quite understand how the bus boycott at Montgomery related to habits, I finished reading this book without a coffee.
Whenever I had an urge to read a book (cue), I usually buy a coffee at a local coffee house (routine) and got really happy after reading for an hour (reward). ... (continue)

While I still couldn't quite understand how the bus boycott at Montgomery related to habits, I finished reading this book without a coffee.
Whenever I had an urge to read a book (cue), I usually buy a coffee at a local coffee house (routine) and got really happy after reading for an hour (reward).
I know drinking too much coffee is probably bad, but I kept this habit even at 23:00 (the coffee house opens 24 hours). The caffeine rush before sleep affects my quality of sleep so I want to change it.
Now I am at the coffee shop but I intentionally grab something different, e.g. a bottle of Perrier (a new routine), and still feel happy after reading. Nothing deprived.
It sounds so easy that I should have figured out earlier, but well... this is life and you always think it would be difficult to change a habit. It is good that I learned a trick from this book.
Thanks!

Is this helpful?

— May 12, 2012 | Add your feedback
- From dictatorship to democracy (22)
- A conceptual framework for liberation
- By Gene Sharp
- Finished
  
  Review
- Add...
  - My Shelf
  - Wish List
From dictatorship to democracy

Great explanation

This is the best explanation I've heard about the non-violent struggle.
It's not only because of "love" or "compassion", it's because judging from the power gathered by both sides, any violent struggle will easily be crushed down by the regime.
People who don't want to use violence as a mean to ov ... (continue)

This is the best explanation I've heard about the non-violent struggle.
It's not only because of "love" or "compassion", it's because judging from the power gathered by both sides, any violent struggle will easily be crushed down by the regime.
People who don't want to use violence as a mean to overthrow a regime would sometimes be labelled as coward, this book offers the best defense for this strategy.

Is this helpful?

— May 12, 2012 | Add your feedback
- This Will Make You Smarter (16)
- New Scientific Concepts to Improve Your Thinking
- Finished
  
  Review
- Add...
  - My Shelf
  - Wish List
This Will Make You Smarter

Short articles of ideas...

While the ideas of gathering lots of people (or experts, as they claimed) to contribute some good ideas to the mankind is good, the book is disorganized, hard to follow and difficult to read.
The same idea of SHA (Shorthand Abstraction) kept coming up again and again, there are more than 5 short ar ... (continue)

While the ideas of gathering lots of people (or experts, as they claimed) to contribute some good ideas to the mankind is good, the book is disorganized, hard to follow and difficult to read.
The same idea of SHA (Shorthand Abstraction) kept coming up again and again, there are more than 5 short articles discussing the same idea that how unique we are...
The thoughts inside this book may be great, but it's indeed a very boring book.

Is this helpful?

— May 12, 2012 | Add your feedback
- The Tipping Point (1409)
- How Little Things Can Make a Difference
- By Malcolm Gladwell
- Finished
  
  Review
- Add...
  - My Shelf
  - Wish List
The Tipping Point

Will change the way how I deal with my business

Why does a bar of soup have a "customer hotline" printed on the back? The author said because it's a Maven trap, a trap to attract the one who's willing to spend time to spread the words.
I am running a tour business and I sometimes wonder why some tour members keep recommending my service to the o ... (continue)

Why does a bar of soup have a "customer hotline" printed on the back? The author said because it's a Maven trap, a trap to attract the one who's willing to spend time to spread the words.
I am running a tour business and I sometimes wonder why some tour members keep recommending my service to the others, while others, equally had a good time with our company, never really referred anyone to us back.
The connector, maven and salesman theory explains the situation well. It will probably change the way how I deal with my future clients.

Is this helpful?

— May 12, 2012 | Add your feedback

- The Case against Perfection (9)
- Ethics in the Age of Genetic Engineering
- By Michael J. Sandel
- Finished
  
  Review
- Add...
  - My Shelf
  - Wish List
The Case against Perfection

Short essays, but pretty convincing

Short essays with interesting hypothetical situations of treating embryos, I found it insightful to read this book, like an extension of the first few chapters of Justice, I found it hard to give a rating lower than 4.

Is this helpful?

— May 12, 2012 | Add your feedback
- What Money Can't Buy (118)
- The Moral Limits of Markets
- By Michael J. Sandel
- Finished
  
  Review
- Add...
  - My Shelf
  - Wish List
What Money Can't Buy

Short essays, but pretty convincing

Short essays with interesting hypothetical situations of treating embryos, I found it insightful to read this book, like an extension of the first few chapters of Justice, I found it hard to give a rating lower than 4.

Is this helpful?

— May 12, 2012 | Add your feedback
- Justice (400)
- What's the Right Thing to Do?
- By Michael J. Sandel
- Finished
  
  Review
- Add...
  - My Shelf
  - Wish List
Justice

Obviously, better than the videos

Obviously, better than the videos as it dug deeper into the philosophical debate.
The first few chapters with those funny examples (e.g. the famous trolley accident story) were easier to follow.

Is this helpful?

— May 12, 2012 | Add your feedback
- Speak Like a Native (2)
- Professional Secrets for Mastering Foreign Languages
- By Michael Janich
- Finished
  
  Review
- Add...
  - My Shelf
  - Wish List
Speak Like a Native

It's like reading a diary from an veteran...

The author worked as a translator during the Vietnam War and learned Vietnamese not because of his love for the country, but to help his countryman to kill the people who are using the "target language". It must be quite a different experience for most, as I learn a language to interact with the peo ... (continue)

The author worked as a translator during the Vietnam War and learned Vietnamese not because of his love for the country, but to help his countryman to kill the people who are using the "target language". It must be quite a different experience for most, as I learn a language to interact with the people, because of the love for the people.
I probably would not have started spending time on one if I really hate a place at the very beginning.
While some tips for learning a foreign language may be helpful, but nothing new. e.g. The author spent a long passage to tell you that you only get out what you put in, don't trust the 10-minute quick guide, decide on your specific goal, use flash cards, etc... okay, thank you for all these important advice, but I suppose everyone learning a foreign language should have known about it long time ago.
If you try to start reading this book, be prepared to read it like a diary from an old veteran, who is desperate to share his stories in a target country with the target fellows who are speaking the target language.
One story is like this:
When the author was working in Haiphong, Vietnam, some hotel staff asked the "linguist" to teach them some situational English like greeting a guest. The author did teach them, but "in the spirit of smalltime Cold War politics, the phrasing we (the author's team) taught them was, 'Hey, you! Sit your ass down. What the () do you want to drink?'"
The word in () is omitted because Amazon wouldn't let it.
Enjoy your language learning guide.

Is this helpful?

— May 12, 2012 | Add your feedback
- Babel No More (7)
- The Search for the World's Most Extraordinary Language Learners
- By Michael Erard
- Finished
  
  Finished (re-read)
  
  Review
- Add...
  - My Shelf
  - Wish List
Babel No More

Interesting and a rare topic, but quite bored...

I read about this book from the Economist (31 Dec 2011), started reading it a week ago. It's an interesting topic but rarely discussed in such full details, so I give it 3 stars.
The book was, however, loosely organized, it's like reading an overly detailed private diary of a curious journalist sea ... (continue)

I read about this book from the Economist (31 Dec 2011), started reading it a week ago. It's an interesting topic but rarely discussed in such full details, so I give it 3 stars.
The book was, however, loosely organized, it's like reading an overly detailed private diary of a curious journalist searching for a hyperpolyglot.
No wonder so few people want to write about this topic, because it's really boring.

Is this helpful?

— May 12, 2012 | Add your feedback

- 放下．行夢！ (30)
- 世界在我倆背包裏
- By 梁飛, 黃道
- Finished
  
  Review
- Add...
  - My Shelf
  - Wish List
放下．行夢！

何必劃地自封

以前有位香港朋友，一手拿著數千元的手機，一邊質疑我去旅行的目的。在他眼中，世界就像香港島青蛙形的地圖，下面加個斧頭形的泰國。
在拉薩的咖啡館，遇到一名遊客，他說︰「其實沒必要出國，中國甚麼都有，可以去世界最高的山峰珠穆朗瑪峰，坐世界最高的鐵路青藏鐵路，看世界含沙量最大的河流黃河，世界最低的盤地吐魯番盤地……」
我忍不住問︰去旅行本應是體會，為甚麼要把行程說像背書，像《作死不离3兄弟》裡高材生對「機器」的定義？世界很大，為甚麼旅行時要以中國為界？
香港，物質相對豐富，工資相對高，護照相對好用，簽證相對容易，本來有足夠條件讓我們窺探外面的世界，但生活富足，活於久安，更容易不小心以香港為界，封 ... (continue)

以前有位香港朋友，一手拿著數千元的手機，一邊質疑我去旅行的目的。在他眼中，世界就像香港島青蛙形的地圖，下面加個斧頭形的泰國。
在拉薩的咖啡館，遇到一名遊客，他說︰「其實沒必要出國，中國甚麼都有，可以去世界最高的山峰珠穆朗瑪峰，坐世界最高的鐵路青藏鐵路，看世界含沙量最大的河流黃河，世界最低的盤地吐魯番盤地……」
我忍不住問︰去旅行本應是體會，為甚麼要把行程說像背書，像《作死不离3兄弟》裡高材生對「機器」的定義？世界很大，為甚麼旅行時要以中國為界？
香港，物質相對豐富，工資相對高，護照相對好用，簽證相對容易，本來有足夠條件讓我們窺探外面的世界，但生活富足，活於久安，更容易不小心以香港為界，封鎖自己領域。
飛及道從事金融，最難是放下現在擁有的，「辭職浪遊太危險」，一走就是三年，難上加難。
也因此，這本遊記更為實在。
行程之始，霏及山說，在普埃布拉住在一家旅館，30美元，價廉物美，行程結束再回看，才知道屬昂貴之列。到後來，享受的是超市買到的3元人民幣啤酒。想起自己行程，最初覺得300元港幣一晚的住宿點才算適合人類居住，到後來睡在5元人民幣的床位，一樣享受。
旅行最大的收獲，是改變了心態及價值觀。把前後的遊記對照，數年後忽然發現過去的稚氣，難免會心微笑。
每個有文化或假裝作有文化的旅客都會有一本啟蒙書籍。回想當年，我是看保羅‧科爾賀的《牧羊少年奇幻之旅》而開竅，霏及山說他們是受石田裕輔的《不去會死》影響。影響的範圍可能是行程、是心態或是處世態度。
希望有一天，讓你腳趾大動的是《霏山浪遊記》。
薯伯伯字
2011年11月11日
寫於西藏拉薩風轉咖啡館

Is this helpful?

— May 12, 2012 | Add your feedback
- Cat Basics (2)
- The Essential Guide to Caring for Your Cat
- By Caroline Davis
- Started on Apr 2012
  
  Review
- Add...
  - My Shelf
  - Wish List
Cat Basics

Probably too basic

Spent too many pages to tell you the most basic idea of keeping a pet...

Is this helpful?

— Apr 7, 2012 | Add your feedback
- The Ayatollah Begs to Differ (13)
- The Paradox of Modern Iran
- By Hooman Majd
- Finished
- Add...
  - My Shelf
  - Wish List
- 我與香港地下黨 (28)
- By 梁慕嫻
- Started on Mar 23, 2012
  
  Review
- Add...
  - My Shelf
  - Wish List
我與香港地下黨

1 person find this helpful
有些內幕，但看得累

從Facebook看到兩章節，甚有興趣，銅鑼書灣數家書店都售罄，最後在人民書局找到。剛好是特首選舉前讀此書，甚有感觸，地下黨都浮面。
另外說一下，書中極多別字，像「翻版書」。例如1967寫成1976，自己寫成自已，結束變成結朿。而文章太多重覆，觀點相近，本來可以剔除，讀起來會稍為順心。
編輯工作不夠嚴謹，扣一星。

Is this helpful?

— Apr 5, 2012 | Add your feedback
- 殺劫 (120)
- By 唯色
- Finished
  
  Review
- Add...
  - My Shelf
  - Wish List
殺劫

2 people find this helpful

也許是上天的旨意, 留下這麼珍貴的照片, 為那個時代, 提供最有力的歷史證據。
黑暗, 懦弱, 可悲, 罪孽, 看得讓人心情沉重的書。
佩服唯色在資料搜集上所做過的功夫, 那個時代, 現在看來, 仍然如此真實!

Is this helpful?

— Apr 4, 2009 | Add your feedback