Book Review: The Executive Code

 The Executive Code by Andrea Nicholas

This is a book about conscious leadership, which essentially is a shift from reactions tuned to survival to one of leadership that molds success. It begins with an examination of the summit, as far as management go, and throws much light on the opportunities, pressures, and rewards, a successful climb to the top, opens. The book then goes on to explore the defining skills to build, demonstrate, and to keep alive and in the reckon, one's executive potential. The discussion also deals with ways to handle politics in leadership, and also of finding a graceful exit from it. And the book ends with the capabilities additionally needed for leaders of the future, like adaptive learning and emotional intelligence.

I found in it, an easy and skillful approach to a manager's journey to the top. The book stands out for offering practical, experience-tested guidance for navigating the sea of business management. In fact, this is a worthy companion to those who strive to succeed at the highest levels of leadership. This book can also help executives to find their way in the complexities of senior leadership that takes a values-first approach.

Book Review: FOUNDING CRIMES

FOUNDING CRIMES by David H. Tolly is a book treating America's birth as a case file, and reads forensically, many of the relevant documents as evidence. The American founding was, as the author puts it, an act of mass criminal conspiracy and treason against the Crown.

The book then goes on to examine about twenty‑seven documents — like the Sugar Act of 1764, the Declaration of Independence of 1776, the US Constitution  0f 1787, and The Alien and Sedition act of 1798,  and subjects to trial, all the people that play a crucial part in each document, including the ones that missed an explicit mention. Each document undergoes a critical examination, with special attention paid to both factors that would have been overlooked at that time and the names that should face future trials. Saying, the men who founded the United States committed a capital crime, the author declares that the trial is still in session, and the verdict is for the readers to deliver.

In fact, this book goes on to approach familiar events from a different perspective. It covers topics related to constitutional and political history and related fields, and social dynamics of slavery. One can find in this, complex historical material particularly accessible for discussion and further exploration.  At a time when one's own country looks as though it is tearing itself to pieces, this book can be reminder to our resilient past. The book also has a good collection of reference material to aid further studies in these areas.

One More Thought

One More Thought

In fact, each of my books puts focus on some of the issues that remain generally overlooked or forgotten while being highly destructive, about a few significant aspects of our life. I have been finding our ideas about such issues untimely and asking for a revision, my books offering an alternative and a fresh remedial measure for many such issues.

However, on closer examination, I find that though we have been confronting each issue, as time go by, the number of issues go skyrocketing. To nip these at the bud, we need to get a good idea about the source of it all.

1 Do Issues Grow??

Since these issues are nothing new and have been there for a long time, few questions could naturally arise. Why there are so many issues with human life? Why does it continue to be so? Is there anything nourishing it? Or, are we deliberately avoiding to act against it? So, rather than putting efforts for a cure for each, shouldn’t we look for the root cause of it all? And, fetch and decimate the root cause? If we succeed here, won’t it correct the human society for good, making its effects felt on the whole of universe?

2 No – It’s the Cascading Effect of Remedies of The Past

I think yes, we need to address this imbroglio. But, I feel it isn’t due to something deliberate by us, though it may look like it. Giving due allowance to our intelligence, one has to realize that we would have always been coming up with optimum or appropriate answers to whatever issues we faced, just as we do now for all the issues that haunt us.

So, think of our intelligent forefathers. There would have been a befitting response to whatever they appreciated as an issue. An answer that worked well as long as their appreciation of the issue remained the same, which would not have been for much long, thanks to the growth of the human race in leaps and bounds. This would have been leading to frequent changes in our material and intellectual standards, owing to which, a fresh appreciation followed by another befitting response would have been happening quite often, at least once a generation. Probably, this is what necessitated all human societies to control and manage any time, a considerable load of issues of every kind and an equally daunting collection of cures. Perhaps not yet exposed to things like validity or time-dependence, they felt nothing abnormal about a large collection of issues and cures, which keep becoming larger, as time goes by.

As one can imagine, our response of those days would not have been adequate enough, having hardly any grasp of things, let alone an ability to identify and do things that matter. Even if our answers met challenges well, it would not have been a permanent remedy, all those issues keep resurfacing with greater tempo and wider reach.

However, we shall have to keep facing the cascading effect of our ‘appropriate’ answers or cures, and more so, where those answers did not succeed in taming those issues well. More significantly, as time goes by, these answers need not continue to be of use, or even could become harmful. This would have been making the cascading effect worsen, and lead to large scale destruction and social strife. Perhaps, unable to identify it as an offshoot of their own actions, the whole populace would have been badly in need of a fresh remedy to counter the overbearing presence of disorder in their society. Naturally, they would have been clutching on to every cure that came their way. Perhaps the majestic buildings and other constructions we see among the remnants of our long past are the leftover of those cures.

3 Comes, An Apt Response 

Our forefathers, not having the wherewithal to come up with a new idea for a remedy, given the logistical constraints of the early world, resorted to an intelligent move – put a tag of ‘violent human society’. This would have instilled precaution in all, while encouraging each one to be ‘always prepared for the worst’. It seems to have worked well. In our past, it looks like, people have been maintaining a rather sanguine reaction to the atmosphere of violence that encompass them all. One needs to admit, it was a highly effective step to maintain social harmony with the meager standards of intellectual and material wealth. 

4 Now, An Offshoot of the Response

But, this step, the ‘violent society’ label, though effectively contained repercussions, resulted in hiding from all of us, the spoils of the cascading effect. Else, we would have been noticing instances of social violence as something abnormal, and putting our intellectual faculties to task. Now, even though our intellectual and material standards are crossing boundaries of success everywhere, we remain blind to this particular contamination. So, our knowledge or skill is of no avail for this, and we remain as mute spectators to the danger that is taking our society back. Rather, by celebrating and glorifying as a distinct human feature, all that is part of the cascading effect, we close our eyes for good.

5 Why It Misses Us

In fact, effectively, the cascading effect is constituted by many activities that normally happen in our daily life, but happening at odd junctures, or at unjustifiable intensity or force. We fail to register those as something abnormal, since we do not take changes parameters like in intensity, a matter of serious concern. Here, an aggregate of the measures suggested through all my books can act as a permanent remedy, one which shall relieve us of the tag. 

(So far, none of us would have thought of the disarray, since the resulting violent ambience have been keeping us engaged profitably, while making many of us to do wonders. As a result of which, the whole of human race will come to possess a discernible forward momentum, and that will make them feel that they are totally unlike all the other ones of the living world. But, one can also say, if even a violent ambience could lead us to such worthy and profitable engagements, what better wouldn’t have been happening if the prevailing ambience wasn’t a violent one!)

6 Why We Miss It

But now, another question hits me. Why do we continue to be OK with such a tag? Why nobody found it worthy of an investigation, something we are always looking forward to? I agree, currently we are OK with it, since such a tag is of great use in finding an easy justification to the excesses or shortcomings that regularly occur with us. Else, we would have been in the horrendous situation of having to find ourselves as an assembly of blameworthy people. Is this true, historically too?

Now, I find this pointing to a different question to ponder. Rather than asking why ours is a violent society, isn’t there a need to answer, what makes us happy to remain as a violent one. How did we reach this state, a rather unnatural one for a form of life? For, had the tag not been there, we would not have been having at all, an unaddressed or unsolved issue in our society. One can safely say, with our analytic approach, we would have been victorious in making every issue meet its end. But, we miss to register as something significant, the violence that pervades all our societies. 

7 We Miss It, Since We Are OK With The Disarray

With this question in mind, if we are to look at ourselves, what will immediately strike us is a well-known and widely acknowledged fact – in our daily life, there are plenty of instances of disarray, whatever or wherever we be. Of course we are aware of it, but we do not acknowledge it, and even when we do, it is only for celebrating it as a human-specific abstraction and a treasure. So, over the ages, we have accumulated a large kitty of human-specific needs, supplies, and yearnings that monopolize our imagination.

I find, we make a collection of all such abstractions that are joyful or agreeable, naming and cherishing those as unique elements or occurrences of our life, jointly calling it our cultural wealth. Institutions like Nobel Prize, Olympics, or Oscar are only a few of the well-known ones among those. Many others of such nature remain in our tail, but we do not feel anything heavy or untoward, since we derive a lot of worth and celebrate all of those with abandon.

But, the instances that are disagreeable to us, haunt us, and we spend a major share of our time and effort in fighting those. Whether it is health, well-being, or wealth, such fights only, resulted in almost all the good things that has happened to us.

8 What The Disarray Does to Us

Thus, the disarray continues unabated, and so also, our struggle to contain it. This diverts a lion’s share of our time and efforts to a task that is not yielding any result. I think, we have not been able to smother the flames of disarray so far, since, though we address a disagreeable one with force, the agreeable ones keep getting nourished. As a result, even when half of such instances happen to face suppression, the remaining half is there to get fortified. Naturally, as far as the human society go, disarray becomes something permanently attached to it.

This brings up another interesting situation. The fortunes of human race depend heavily on how successful are they in directing one half of the disarray against whatever damage is done by the other half of the disarray! Quite in line with it, our past is a mix of golden periods and dark ages. 

Now, is this a healthy situation? What else can we do but imagining that there is no possibility of a few dark ages or another few golden periods occur regularly to fill the coming years? While we proceed with a rather peaceful life, our creativity and resourcefulness resulting in golden periods, and while we are drawn into wars and strife, the same, resulting in dark ages? And also to assume that the technology-empowered dark ages of the future will not become powerful and destructive enough to obliterate the race itself? 

9 A Peep into Disarray

I have always been in search of a reason for this disarray, and my book, Life of Style, attributed it to the absence of a unique lifestyle. A distinct lifestyle could have made us just another one of life who sticks to its own style of living. In another book, Overhaul Life, I find that we have been cherishing and holding on for no reason, to all the remnants of the past. Whether it was beneficial in the current ambience or not, all our social transactions stood to be under its control and influence. So, at least some of what we do shall turn out to be inappropriate or ill-timed. Needless to say, this always lead to or aggravate disarray, and the book suggested as a solution, a periodic overhaul of human life. And in my book, Evolution and The Future of The Unique Human, I warn about the pitfalls waiting for us, if we overlook things like this and continue living with a disarray, as we currently do.

It seems, something is missing from all this. We are yet to get a good idea about the disarray and all its causes, as well as the effects, it gives rise to. Moreover, not all products of the disarray are subjected to a thorough scrutiny and analysis, and the disarray itself is left out fully, from both. I think, it is happening thus, for two reasons.

Firstly, the products of disarray becomes bothersome and disagreeable to us, only where it crosses certain threshold of oppressiveness. And we subject to a critical study, only the ones that are of such a nature, where the study focuses more on its threshold of dreadfulness than its oppressive content or unacceptable practices.

Lastly, since we notice and appreciate the disarray itself as something unique for the human, while we are engaged in relishing its facets that are worthy, all its drawbacks go unnoticed.

10 Root Cause of The Disarray

So, what is needed is a complete understanding about all facets of the disarray, whether it is giving rise to something disagreeable or not. In this, the first question that comes to my mind is, what exactly is this dismay. An answer too, comes to me. One cannot see or sense the disarray directly, but it can easily be felt in all that one does, where ever one is beyond reason. So, we only need to examine closely, all that we do beyond reason.

In fact, in varied circumstances, reason appears in widely different forms. For example, in schools, factories, or offices, the appearance of reason could be as theories, rules, or regulations. Or while engaged at home or in fields, it could be as wisdom or common sense. Disarray is nothing but an aggregate of all that happens when we go beyond these.

11 Things We Do for No Reason

I therefore think, we need to do a thorough study about all that constitute, all that we do without reason. Like, whatever we do that are against, established theories, rules that are in force, existing regulations, widely accepted norms, or mere common sense. Or things we do without waiting to establish a reason, like traditions and customs. And whatever we do that are in accordance with the same, when it is beyond reasonable limits.

Now, it calls for a survey of almost all the we do as a part of living our life. For easing which, we can divide activities into two branches, namely linear and digital. Linear activities denote all the acts where there is a possibility or a provision to change certain parameters of interest, and by effecting such changes, the activity can be altered to suit us. Whereas, digital activities denote the acts where it is impossible to change a parameter of interest. However, such activities can be made to occur in a multitude of variations, where one can make a choice.

For example, think of lighting a room. If we use a variable intensity lamp, the brightness of room can be changed to our convenience by adjusting the same lamp. Whereas, if we use lamps of varying brightness, to achieve the same, we need to use different lamps. If the need is one of varying brightness, one has to use a variable intensity lamp, or a set of lamps of different power. Else, the aim of brightness variation shall not be accomplished smoothly.

12 Origin of The Disarray

It seems, human beings are quite rational while choosing irrational acts. They choose linear activities, where the act calls for exceeding certain limits, and choose digital ones, when it is an unreasonable, one time act. Or, one can say, there will not be an instance where one is not able to perform well, all the irrational elements in the act.

(Incidentally, we humans are not at all careful or rational while choosing a rational act to meet a need. Many a time, the chosen act may be a digital one while the need calls for a linear one. Which could be the reason for the persisting state of restlessness in all our societies. Like, things going well, or unwell, for no reason) 

So, this is the key to understanding the origin of the disarray. Humans display a specific approach to the irrational. They are quite rational while choosing the irrational activity that suits perfectly, whatever be the context or the circumstance. As a result, an activity of this nature that gets chosen for whatever reason, shall continue to be in contention irrespective of everything else. However, nothing useful comes out of it, but for the instances where we define as useful, whatever is the result. Since the activity is an irrational one, at least some of the results that come out of it end up causing ripples in our social fabric, which we quietly overlook, calling it as a part of our ‘violent society’. What we term as a disarray is nothing else but this.

13 How did it come to be, thus?

I think, this dates back to the period before the origin of the concept of ‘rational’ as a property. (Perhaps the times of philosopher Descartes) Those days, as it is even now, people would have been associating themselves with various activities, whether of fun, or of work. Having no implements worth the mention, they would have been more comfortable with activities that did not call for any action involving the use of tools, or using more than human strength.  Later, when the idea of ‘rational’ acts dawned on us, we were already quite comfortable with the activities that could not be termed ‘rational’. So, because of our historical attachment, we are quite at home with the activities that later came to be termed as ‘irrational’.

14 A Thought Experiment

Imagine that there are no abstract words, whether nouns or verbs.

One will be forced to express only those matters that relate to specific things, or about relatable or witnessed events, or of identifiable persons. Reactions also shall follow a similar path, all that happens being limited to those that goes well with the current ambience. For example, those who express sentiments and feelings like affection, dislike, or hatred will have to factor in the expected repercussions from all quarters alive currently. Or, if it relates to real things or people, only those descriptions and recounts that are humanly possible will stand to find a place in the narration. 

As a result nothing of what all one expresses can cause a disarray.

15 A Cure for All – Get Rid of The Abstract

What does this experiment show? Nothing but the fact that as far as human societies go, there is a need to rein in the abstract, if peace is to be given a chance. How can we do it? Not at all difficult. Stop using words that do not point to specific things or real events or identifiable persons. Which amounts to nothing else but rewriting and republishing the dictionaries that are in use, such that all words that do not match the above criterion is removed from regular use.

Now, if we do so for all languages, nothing can stop human race from conquering all of the living world, including those unknown and new. Moreover, this is the only measure we need to take to eliminate the root cause of the disarray that makes the human society, a violent one. Even with the disarray, we are scaling heights, and now when the disarray is gone, I think, nothing will be there to stop us from reaching unimaginable heights.

16 Do Abstract, Do Anything Good?

Now that we have found that a rather distinct and manageable work of removing all that is abstract will help us in ending the disarray, there is scope for many more questions and answers. Like, what else can it do? Can it bring lasting peace everywhere? Will it cause a loss? If necessary, what can replace it?

Towards this, the first question that comes to my mind is, what does abstract do? When do we use an abstract word in the first place?

Language, I think, is naturally formed from the social exchanges that thrive in a society. Assuming that we human beings would have been communicating sense, it should be consisting of words with unique meanings. In which case, no transaction can happen that cannot point to a real thing or an actual need. But, what do we do when we are not clear about either the need or the thing involved? Resort to words that can convey the meaning we have in mind, without the need of any other component of a sentence, And thus was borne abstract words.

Or, to be blunt, abstract words signify the speaker’s ignorance or an inadequacy, as far as the language used. In both cases, abstract words not only hides the shortfall, but also provides an air of style or superiority.

No wonder, these words are the most sought after. But, from the above reasoning, use of such words is a necessity only where one wants to hide the above mentioned shortfall, rather to profitably hide the same.

17 Stop Carrying the Burden of the Abstract

Look at where we are. We have abstract words hiding our ignorance, and we are ignorant about it. 

Why? Because more than hiding our ignorance, abstract words can make us look knowledgeable, thorough, or stylish, without the need for becoming any of those.

This points to another benefit, removal of abstract words can bring. One cannot become one of the above, unless one really attains the necessary standards.

Now, will there be any issue, if we go ahead and do so? Yes, I think there will be a few. Like, there will be a difficulty in acquiring sought-after attributes like knowledgeable. Or, one cannot express complimentary or derogatory feelings without a study or measurement of relevant parameters. 

How will this issue manifest? Firstly, everywhere there will be a heavy shortage of people who appear to be well read or an expert. Also, all of us will find difficulty to narrate or record our feelings of contentment or dejection of any other entity without a laborious assessment or examination.

I agree. These difficulties could complicate all that is part of our social life, like scientific, political, or romantic transactions. For easing which, we probably will have to lay down fresh, rather extensive stipulations that specify the extent, content, and all other parameters that are relevant to each. Other than these, removal of abstract words shall be of no serious or insurmountable concern.

Book Review: Forging Eden

 FORGING EDEN by JAN R. KRUPP, MD

It seems Napa Valley had no vineyards. Author, a doctor by profession, joins a few pioneers to set up a vineyard on a wild stretch of the Vaca Mountains. The book begins with an exciting story of buying land, setting things, and goes narrating the search for a market for the first yield, and building a loyal, genuinely enthusiastic customer base. How he gets hit by a divorce that enables him to channel more energy towards his dream vineyard. How he manages to put the immense effort required in developing it, like digging wells, clearing the land of boulders, and adapting to differing weather patterns year to year. And how, while adding more vineyards to his dream one, he finds time for dating again. The story then ends with the vineyard’s sale and the author's semi-retirement, spending hours together with grandchildren planting seeds and harvesting fruits and vegetables. This book is a heartwarming narration of how, a passion for medicine gave way to a career sporting love of food and wine. 

Book Review: F-14 Tomcat Pilot

 F-14 Tomcat Pilot by Phil Grandfield begins with an account of 'being bitten by the aviation bug' and the flurry of excitement to follow. After a brief description about the naval roots that run in his family and the childhood reminiscences of Hawai, it starts talking about aviation training and takes a deep dive into all the accompanying missions. Comes the days at the prestigious US Navy Test Pilot School, and the author's move to Naval Air Forces Pacific staff, California, followed by the command of 'Black Knights'. And the book ends with the recollection of crossing every meridian of longitude around the globe with the Navy and having visited over thirty-five countries.
Pilots, I think are the ones most proud of their profession, and here is one who could beautifully express it too. There is excitement in every page, and it lasted long after I finished the last page. For, this is a story that blends well, breathtaking flight ops, unparalleled adventure, and the human side of service.

Book Review: Stand Up Speak Up

 Stand Up Speak Up by Timothy Lennon is a book that honors and celebrates the survivors who emerged from the shadows to create organizations and initiatives to fight back. Chapter 1 begins with a vivid description of sexual abuses, the author had to undergo, and the journey as an activist, it sparked. The 15 chapters that follow tell us how, courageous survivors have stood up, organized, and mobilized a new social movement since 2000, resulting in dramatic reforms in law, social relations, and culture.  Author's association with Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP), and the many stories of abuse as well as the fight back.

The book devotes many chapters for discussing sexual abuse as an indelible characteristic of our society, a crime where many have evaded accountability. So also, for narrating predator-friendly actions by the church. Like using euphemisms rather than real words to describe the sexual assaults in diocese documents. Comes a chapter about the me-too tweet that caught fire, leading millions of others to express their solidarity and shared experiences of sexual harassment, abuse, and rape. And how, in 2025, over thirty years later, the Survivors Movement, a new social movement, has become a powerful social and political force.

The book goes into quite a deep discussion on all facets of the issue of sexual abuse. With a rather big collection of notes, references and index, this is of great value for taking such movements forward and winning the battle for justice and accountability.