Book Review: How to Implement Self-Service..

How to Implement Self-Service Without Failing, By Adriana Rivas, is a blueprint for retailers looking to scale heights of sale. The book begins in Memphis, Tennessee, with the story of the world's first self-service grocery store. It then traces how, several global brands, like McDonald's have unlocked the full potential of self-service through innovative execution.
After dwelling on key areas like deployment strategies, leadership options, and possibility of partnerships, the book takes on real-time assessment of performance. and profitability of one's implementation. Then comes a good discussion about returns, as well as a review of the the challenges of employee management. More than telling how to avoid mistakes, another chapter is fully devoted to learning lessons from failures. Implementation checklists and performance tracking resources are also there, making the book an on-the-job companion, and ready reckoner, for managing retail.

To A Real Reason

 

I agree with all. Human life is in a disarray. Yes, we realize this, and there is none among us who does not have a remedy for it. However, all the remedies revolve around something abstract, like god, demon, or other esoteric ideas of whatever can catch one’s imagination. With this, I do not agree at all.

There must be a real reason for this disarray. In my search for it, I tried to examine different facets of our persona, and every time, the results looked rather special, and enlightening, prompting me produce it as a book. As I went through those books again, I found, effectively, each of those books is rationalizing, at least one of the distinctions and waywardness that could have been leading to many instances of disarray, by terming ourselves unique. As a result, each of us will continue to step over or clash with every other one, while doing nothing else but religiously following one’s own, unique, call!

I summarize those results below, along with the book that took inspiration from each such outcome, which also can help us in finding the real reason mentioned above.

My book, Life of Style, attributes to the absence of a unique lifestyle, the issue of human society in a perpetual disarray. A distinct lifestyle would have made us just another one of life with its own style, successfully removing the ‘unique’ status!

My book, Overhaul Life, finds that we have been holding on for no reason, to all the remnants of the past, and presents as a solution, a periodic overhaul of human life. In fact, but for this, we humans would have had nothing unique in us!

My book, The Unsure Male, finds as a cause for all that is wrong with us, a shortfall found in all that is male. In fact, human is a unique one because of nothing else but the steps they are constantly taking to counter this shortfall!

My book, Human Element of the Human, makes a successful search for the element, the correction to which can also correct, every element that makes us unique!

My book, Fathoming the Enigma, tries to search for the origin of our unfathomable status, and finds that forces of time and tide would have corrected it by now, had we not been celebrating all of those as our unique elements!

My book, Hubs that Provoke, warns of the harm, in things that we cherish as our unique elements!

My book, More Hubs that Provoke, warns of the harmful, in a few more things we cherish even more.

My book, An Easy Route to Peace, tries to focus on maintaining peace by preventing things that disturb peace.

My book, An Easier Route to Peace, talks of a way to maintain peace without even thinking about peace.

My book, Is Wisdom, a Must?, tells about the pitfalls associated with wisdom. If not for wisdom, we wouldn’t have so successful in finding fresh reasons to be unique!

And,

My book, evolution and The Future of The Unique Human, tells how, an inclination towards uniqueness became an integral part of the human race, and how it will not be a good fit for the rather unpredictable and eventful human life!

I think, one can clearly see, some of my books try to examine the falls, traps, and difficulties that are there with our life, and some others suggest a remedy, and paint our future, if we overlook all this and continue with the present style of living.

Now I have a question. Suppose we want to continue with our present style of living. What options do we have, to delay and avoid such a dismal future?

From what is mentioned above, as long as one do not acquire the ‘unique’ status, things are quite OK. So, what exactly is bestowing the ‘unique’ status? In fact, a conclusive answer to this question is all that is needed to bring peace and tranquility to our society.

So, let us ask, what exactly makes us unique? Come to think of it, most of all that we do should be looking unique to us, simply because there is no other constituent in the living world, who apes us. But, this is not what should be in our mind, when we call ourselves unique. All forms of life revel in exercising each one of its faculties or talents, wherever it suits. Whereas, the human form of life revel in celebrating certain of their faculties over and above the natural, while restraining themselves, as far as a few chosen ones go. I agree, this does not look natural at all, and someone among us should have been alerting us. But, by terming it as a unique quality found only among the human, we let the celebrations silence the warnings. Both the style we take for celebrating, and the reason we adopt for ignoring the warnings, make us unique.

Thus, being unique was meeting a purpose. Over time, the original need seems to have dwindled, both time and tide having its say. Still, we continue to be unique, for no purpose, causing widespread consternation. And so, this is the real reason, which has been keeping the human race perpetually in a violent state.

Book Review: Understanding and Addressing Misinformation About Science (2025)

National Academies: Understanding and Addressing Misinformation About Science (2025)
Misinformation about science is a multi-faceted, complex phenomenon, and we all need to examine our assumptions about the origins of misinformation about science, how it spreads, and how we can help address it, the book says.
The book begins by putting information, and misinformation, as something present everywhere— like our phones, televisions, or social media. If misinformation about science leads
to beliefs that are in conflict with accepted science, the consequences can be profound. Next chapter is about the broader contexts within which the phenomenon of misinformation about science emerges and impacts society. How, things like political polarization, or public dissemination can be of concern. Sources of misinformation is then examined, highlighting the role of industry, government, or ethnic or diaspora groupings. Followed by an insight into how misinformation can spread. The impact of misinformation comes next, examining the consequences at the societal level. And the book ends with an overview of the possibility and the extent of intervention into the whole gamut of misinformation.

Book Review: TEACHING THINKING: ISSUES AND APPROACHES

 TEACHING THINKING:ISSUES AND APPROACHES. By Robert J. Swartz & D. N. Perkins discusses matters pertaining to a systematic conception of the aims of teaching thinking. Also, certain guidelines for achieving these.

What is meant by “thinking” and what would “better thinking” mean, the book asks, and answers. Then, it puts the nature of thinking in terms of such psychological elements as component processes, strategies, and attitudes. Different categories of thinking, comes next, and also, the part played by the left and the right brains. An insight into the possible styles of teaching thinking, and a brief overview of its evaluation, bring the book to a close.

Book Review: 'Transformation, Designed..'

 Book Review: 'Transformation, Designed: [ ]evolution Within' by Juan Jose de la Torre

 This book identifies design as a challenge that confronts big corporations, who have to constantly compete with fast, lean companies and an emerging array of startups. Or, design is the one that can show and teach the need of transforming an enterprise.

 The book begins in 1999 with the institution of world wide web and the unlimited possibilities that followed, mostly ushering in a shift in approach towards the digital. And the impactful part, design did, and continues to play, is highlighted. What follows are case studies that tell how, such steps are transforming Apple, Starbucks, Disney, and others.

 The book concludes by equating design with intention. One should show a want for whatever one may hope to get or accomplish. Now, a set of self-examination questions are also there to guide one to a path of digital revolution.

 

Book Review: Code of Conduct for Health and Medicine

National Academy of Medicine - An Artificial Intelligence Code of Conduct for Health and Medicine says: "The necessity it is to harmonize the existing principles, and to address the identified gaps". This book elaborates the background of this issue, where it mentions that the recent advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) technologies have unlocked unprecedented opportunities in health, health care, and biomedical science, and that these breakthroughs hold the potential to fundamentally transform our approaches to all aspects of medicine and health. Hence, the objective of the AI Code of Conduct (AICC) project is to harmonize the existing principles, and address the identified gaps,

The book then lists the Code Principles and Code Commitments and elucidate guiding principles for responsible AI in the health care and biomedical science domains. It also identifies and describes activities that are amenable to collaboration, consolidation, and centralization, like Loose-Tight-Loose leadership model. In conclusion, it likens AI to another powerful tool, a hammer, which brings out the duality of utility and intent guiding its deployment.

Book Review: Own your own divorce

 Own your own divorce by Laurence Wilson, JD, introduces divorces as unique stories, each one being potentially different from every other one.

Part I of this book impresses upon us the need to be ready with a resolve to face the worst, right from the start itself. Next part looks at the mechanisms that make a couple. Like identifying each component of social life, like expressions, and mixing those in an appropriate ratio. Part III discusses different aspects of wealth and its impact on relationships. Next two parts trace the complex path, all this can cause to one's life. Now comes part VI, and the book starts.discussing ways to navigate breakups and patch-ups. And the last part, part VII, dwells on all those practical aspects of relevance, like litigation. 

Whether one's choice is, doing it yourself, mediation, collaboration, or litigation, this book can act as an eye-opener. It will advise them to channel, what worked well during their marriage to landing into an amicable divorce. With self-examination questions and navigation tips, this book can act as a guide for couples who are on a low, whether to part, or to re-unite with added gusto.

Another HUB

Ours is a violent society. And it continues to be so, despite our best efforts. How to make it calm and serene, while, we too remain calm and serene? Surely, there must be a reason for violence, and we only need to liquidate the same before it erupts. Who or what is it, and how can we contain the same? Published my take on this.