True Belonging Overcoming Loneliness Book Review

True Belonging - Mindful Practices to Help You Overcome Loneliness, Connect With Others & Cultivate Happiness  - A Book Review by Chris Garrah   November 29, 2012

I was directed to this book because I was reading a meditation book and I did not get the concept "mindfulness".

Even after reading the book once the concepts did not settle in because I assume I was reading the book without absorbing it.   And the tone seemed different.   But upon re-reading it - browsing it again it started to make some sense.

The central idea is that troubling emotions from the past influence your present - I mean you have some bad thoughts in your head or bad concepts about yourself.   This book will hopefully help you fix yourself. (if you pick it up from time to time and try to fix yourself) .

About the Mindfulness Book

The book jacket notes that there are over thirty reflective practices improve yourself.  It says that you will build stronger relations with others.

The authors of the reflective practices 

Jeffrey Brantley MD is a consulting associate in the Duke Department of Psychiatrry.   He is also a director of a mindfulness-based stress reduction program.   The second author is Wendy Millstine who in addition to being an author is a certified holistic  nutrition consultant.  

The book itself is a small pocketbook of 158 pages so it is easy to carry around with you.   Each reflective practice is only two or three pages.   So in a matter of 10 or 15 minutes perhaps you can strive to rid yourself of negative emotions and thoughts and make deeper connections with others.

Let me know what works! 

Book Review 50 - In The Shadow Of the Dragon

Book Review 50  -  "In the Shadow Of the Dragon - The Global Expansion of Chinese Companies - and How It Will Change Business Forever by Winter Nie and William Dowell with Abraham Lu   reviewed by Chris Garrah on November 26, 2012

Overview of the book about Chinese Companies

This book is an in depth look at some of the larger companies that have developed in China.  

The successes are measured from recent history - the 1980's and 1990's  - because previous to this,  private enterprises were illegal.  Individuals prior to this who sold goods on the street could be arrested.

Some insights from the book

The book's perspective is from China business's perspective as opposed to a Western outlook.  

There is extreme competition within China for market share within the China market   and the overseas market can be even more difficult.  For example selling electronics to the US military is very difficult because the US is very suspicious of China's  intentions.

Its not just about low cost manufacturing

In the news,  people here in North America,  hear about China stealing technology or copying it.

But China is also gaining access to the inner workings of technologies by making it a condition that the technological secrets be revealed for goods that are manufactured for the China market.  For example ,Japanese trains and the Chevrolet Volt manufacturers were both asked for their trade secret technology in exchange  for those products to be made and sold in China.

Because China engineers outnumber the US engineers graduates per year by 280,000 to 40,0000 (from the book) , there is no shortage of skill in actually improving on the designs.   For example, the book relates how the Japanese train was designed to go faster in China..

Suitability of the book for a reader

The case studies could be of interest to anyone who is interested in Chinese companies and the Chinese government.   There is a depth of information in the book - 290 pages in the book I read.   But it reads like an academic book. But if you want to learn about some of the history of the business people and their companies in China you may not find the book too dry.     

Reviewing "50 Ways to Make Google Love Your Website

Reviewing the Book - "50 Ways to Make Google Love Your Website by Steve Johnston & Liam McGee"  2010 Reviewed by Chris Garrah on November 18,  2012

 

Initial Impressions of the Book

To a casual observer the quick results of a Google search can lead one to not appreciate the sophistication and elegance of the Google model.  The book gives an in depth account of how Google operates and the principles it uses in deciding what search results shall be returned.

The book describes some of the mathematics involved in the search.  Mathematics is elegant because it expresses the essence of a complex task in simple math terms.

Pointing the Webmaster or Blogger in the Right Direction  - Making Google Love Your Site 

The book explains the nuts and bolts of how Google opertes.  It introduces the "tripod of Google's love" visibility, relevance and reputation.

But even without the book , the authors point to Google's own online resources that help the webmaster make their website easier for Google to understand a website. 

The importance of Google's Webmaster Central 

 The book stresses the importance of Google's Webmaster Central.  The book actually recommends you visit the site on a daily basis.   Google offers its own online SEO guide and there should be no one better than explaining how to optimize its search engine (SEO) than Google itself.  Go to Google Webmaster Central.   Go to Google SEO guide.

Google explains exactly how your website is interacting with Google and how you can improve your website's relationship with Google

For information specific to your own website and how well it is functioning go here ."Google Webmaster Tools"

 The book stresses that you should go here daily to let Google "love your site"

Areas to explore that the book suggests - Did You know.......??? 

To give you an idea of how knowledgable you already are without reading the book did you know the following?
1.   Google understands HTML so if you are writing in something like FLASH or something else maybe Google does not see it.
2.  The alternative text for a photo is important because Google does not actually see the photo.
3.  The anchor text in a link helps Google understand the significance of the link or what the relationship , relevance or significance of the link is.

If you didn't know all three of the above there is more to learn especially since there are 50 ways and not just  
a handful of ways ( to make Google love your website).

Why Get the Book?

It is all relevant and compact in a small pocket book about 4 inches by 6 inches and less than an inch thick.  I didn't measure it but that sounds about right.   It is easily referenced while your computer may be off.  - and it explains in detail while many sites offer a few tips that don't really seem to cover the topic.   ( But Google links above do cover in detail the SEO details.

I also learned that oversimplification may be something to avoid because Google actually looks at your whole site and  can recognize if your post looks "spammy" so a variety of words can be a good thing.

The book also helps you design your site from Google's perspective instead of just what appeals to you.   The book also makes you appreciate the long part of the curve - how big it is and the variety of related searches.   The book is a UK book and uses a fictitious goldfish store owner as a way to personalize the information in the book.

I once had a high school Chemistry teacher and he said to read things even if you don't understand them because you might absorb something through just exposure or osmosis.  This is a great little book and if there are things you don't understand or appreciate this is a great little book to help you understand more with a second, third or more reading.   What a great little book!