THE IMPORTANCE OF LIVING
A Happy and Carefree Philosophy of Life
By
VIKRAM KARVE
There is one book you will never find in my bookcase – you will always find it by my bedside near my pillow. At night, just before I go to sleep, I open this book to any random page, and read on till I drift off to blissful idyllic sleep.
The name of this book, which has had a profound defining effect on me, maybe even subconsciously shaped my philosophy of life, is called: The Importance of Living written in 1937 by the Chinese philosopher Lin Yutang.
But first, let me tell you a story, maybe apocryphal, about a scholar who had thoroughly studied the Bhagavad Gita for many years, and who considered himself an expert, and traveled far and wide delivering discourses on the teachings of the Gita and was widely acknowledged as an authority on the subject. The scholar's ultimate desire was to deliver a discourse on the Bhagavad Gita at Benares, which was the sanctum sanctorum of learning.
So he went to Benares, and impressed by the scholar’s erudition and fame, the King of Benares invited the scholar to deliver a discourse on the Bhagavad Gita in his court. All the wise men of Benares assembled to hear the Scholar, but just as he began to speak the King interrupted him and told him to read the Bhagavad Gita one more time in the evening and deliver his discourse the next day. The Scholar was furious but he had no choice but to comply with the king’s wishes.
As he read the Bhagavad Gita with full concentration in the evening, he realized some new meanings and updated his speech accordingly. Next day the same thing happened – the moment the scholar began to speak the King interrupted him and told him to read the Gita once more and then come the next day to give his lecture. And again as the Scholar read the Gita he comprehended some new wisdom – something he hadn’t perceived before. So he incorporated his new findings and proceeded to deliver his talk.
Once again the same thing happened – the king interrupted him and told him to read the Gita once more before he gave his discourse. And again the scholar discovered some new wisdom in the Gita. This cycle went on for days and days till the scholar realized how ignorant he was and how much more there was to learn from the Bhagavad Gita that he gave up the idea of delivering the discourse and decided to totally devote his entire efforts to the study of the Bhagavad Gita.
Days passed, and suddenly one morning, when the scholar was deeply immersed in his study, the King went to the scholar’s house, sat before him with folded hands and requested the scholar to enlighten him about the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita.
It’s the same with any great book. Every time you read it, something new emerges, and you realize you have so much more to learn from it.
Now let me tell you about The Importance of Living, my favourite book, a philosophical treatise that enriched my life and taught me the Art of Living.
Title: THE IMPORTANCE OF LIVING
Author: LIN YUTANG
Published: 1937 (New York, USA); Indian Edition: 1960 JAICO Mumbai
ISBN: 81-7224-829
I have read The Importance of Living innumerable times, again and again, with renewed pleasure, and every time I read it I imbibe a special different philosophical flavor, and grasp new wisdom, which delves on all aspects of the art of living, and I have realized that there is more significance and value in Lin Yutang’s magnum opus than I am capable of appreciating. So let me not be as presumptuous as to attempt to evaluate this classic treatise – I’ll just try to gently pilot you along in random vignettes to give you a flavor of this delightful philosophical gem.
Let’s open this delightful book to a few random pages, read some lines to give you glimpse into the wisdom on the art of living contained in this masterpiece. In the section on Leisure and Friendship are these words: “Only those who take leisurely what the people of the world are busy about can be busy about what the people of the world take leisurely”. Reflect on this, let these words perambulate in your mind for some time. There is nothing that man enjoys more than leisure. The highest value of time is when you are doing what you love and want to do. During leisure you are free to choose what you want to do and enjoy doing. Leisure enables you to realize the highest value of your time!
Tell me, why do you work?Is it for job satisfaction, "on the job"? Or is it to earn money "on the job" so that you can enjoy satisfaction "off the job", to enhance the quality of your free time? In fact, most of us work for our leisure, because there is nothing we enjoy more than leisure. Elaborating on a theory of leisure the book says: “Time is useful because it is not being used. Leisure is like unoccupied floor space in a room…it is that unoccupied space which makes a room habitable, as it is our leisure hours which make our life endurable”.
Those who are wise won’t be busy, and those who are too busy can’t be wise.
Enunciating the distinction between Buddhism and Taoism: “The goal of the Buddhist is that he shall not want anything, while the goal of the Taoist is that he shall not be wanted at all”, the author describes the tremendous advantages of obscurity, and deduces that only he who is not wanted by the public can be a carefree individual. It is true isn’t it – only he who is a carefree individual can be a happy human being? Lin Yutang deliberates delightfully on his philosophical view: “Nothing matters to a man who says nothing matters”.
“How are we to live? How shall we enjoy life, and who can best enjoy life?” The feast of life is before us; the only question is what appetite we have for it.
The appetite is vital, not the feast. This delightful treatise gives us insights on how to develop, enhance and refine our appetites in order to enjoy various facets of living. The capacity for true enjoyment comes from an inner richness in a man who loves the simple ways of life. There is always plenty of life to enjoy for a man who is determined to enjoy it.
You may find some of the author’s views a bit passé – “mere relationship between man and woman is not sufficient; the relationship must result in babies, or it is incomplete” or “woman reaches her noblest status only as a mother, and that wife who by choice refuses to become a mother… loses a great part of her dignity…and stands in danger of becoming a plaything” or “a natural man loves his children, but a cultured man loves his parents” or “The art of attaining happiness consists in keeping your pleasures mild” or “It is against the will of God to eat delicate food hastily, to pass gorgeous views hurriedly, to express deep sentiments superficially, to pass a beautiful day steeped in food and drink, and to enjoy your wealth steeped in luxuries” – think about it, reflect a bit, and you may detect a iota of authenticity in these nuggets.
The book has fourteen chapters, embellished with epigrams, teaching stories, ancient wisdom and wit, on various aspects of the importance and enjoyment of living and once you start reading it this book is indeed so engrossing that it is truly unputdownable. The Importance of Loafing, The Enjoyment of the Home, Nature, Travel, Culture, The Arts of Thinking, Eating, Reading, Writing, Loving, Happiness – the range and variety of topics covered indeed make fascinating reading.
Reading is the greatest of all joys. Extolling the virtues and charm of reading, Lin Yutang says: “The man who has not the habit of reading is imprisoned in his immediate world…the reader is always carried away into a world of thought and reflection”, and on writing: “a writing is always better when it is one’s own, and a woman is always lovelier when she is somebody else’s wife”. “He who is afraid to use an ‘I’ in his writing will never make a good writer” and “anyone who reads a book with a sense of obligation does not understand the art of reading… to be thoroughly enjoyed, reading must be entirely spontaneous…you can leave the books that you don’t like alone, and let other people read them!”
The best way to read The Importance of Living is to open any page and browse whatever appeals to you, randomly, in an unstructured and haphazard manner. Think of yourself as a traveler in the philosophical or spiritual domain. The essence of travel is to have no destination. A good traveler is one who does not know where he is going to; a perfect traveler does not know where he came from! A true traveler is always a vagabond – he travels to see nothing, to see nobody, with plenty of time and leisure, with the true motive to become lost and unknown.
Are you the ambitious competitive go-getter obsessed with an overpowering desire for achieving quick success – craving for power, wealth, fame, and the status and money-oriented aspects of life?Do you value material possessions more than peace of mind? Is external achievement more important than inner tranquility?
If your answer to any of the questions is “Yes”, then please don’t bother to read this book now, as you may be too “busy” in your own competitive rat race of your own making and probably you don’t have any time to “waste” on anything that doesn’t give you something tangible in return – a solid material ROI (Return on Investment) for investing your valuable time and effort reading this book. But please don’t forget to read The Importance of Living after you’ve burned out, had a heart attack or suffered a nervous breakdown – when you’ll have plenty of time and, perhaps, the inclination, to reflect, contemplate, and delve more deeply upon the more intangible philosophical aspects of life – and ruminate on how you could have obviated that stressful burn-out, agonizing heart attack or traumatic nervous breakdown. Here’s Lin Yutang’s take: “Those who are wise won’t be busy, and those who are too busy can’t be wise.”
If you are happy here and now, wherever you are, in whatever state you are, and you are truly content with what you have, you place living above thinking, and are interested in savoring the feast of life and its joys, then this witty philosophical treatise on the art of living in its entirety is the book for you.
The Importance of Living presents an uncomplicated approach to living life to its fullest in today's rapidly changing, fast paced, competitive, ambition dominated, money and status oriented, commercialized world, enabling each one of us to enjoy inner peace and happiness.
Sometimes, it is a great pity to read a good book too early in life.
The first impression is the one that counts. Young people should be careful in their reading, as old people in eating their food. They should not eat too much. They should chew it well. Like you should eat gourmet food only when you are ready for it, you should read a good book only when you are ready for it. Mature wisdom cannot be appreciated until one becomes mature.
But The Importance of Living is a book for all ages. Of 1937 vintage, an ancestor and precursor of modern "self-help" books, it is a delightful philosophical treatise, which advocates a humorous and vagabond attitude towards life and deals with a variety of topics encompassing the art of living. Is such a happy and carefree philosophy of life relevant today?
Why don’t you give it a try and see for yourself.Slowly, unhurriedly, relaxingly, thoroughly, do peruse this classic masterpiece, absorb the witty wisdom, reflect, try out, practice and incorporate whatever appeals to you in your daily life, ruminate, experiment, enjoy yourself, have a laugh, change your lifestyle, enhance your quality of life, elevate your plane of living, and maybe your entire way of life may change forever.
Dear Reader, I commend this delightfully illuminating book. Though enunciated with a touch of humor, the thoughts are profound. Do get a copy of The Importance of Living and read it leisurely. I’m sure you will find a copy at your nearest bookstore or in your library. And don’t forget to tell us how you liked it, and whether it changed your way of life for the better.
VIKRAM KARVE
Copyright © Vikram Karve 2009
Vikram Karve has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.
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Appetite for a Stroll
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Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
The Secret of Achieving More with Less
Book Review
The 80/20 Principle: The Secret of Achieving More with Less by Richard Koch
(Reviewed by Vikram Karve)
The Pareto Principle (also known as the 80-20 rule) states that for many phenomena, 80% of the consequences stem from 20% of the causes.
Richard Koch takes a fresh look at the 80/20 principle and finds that the basic imbalance observed by Pareto way back in 1906 can be found in almost every aspect of modern life even today. He creatively and ingeniously extrapolates the Pareto Principle and discovers that it applies throughout our lives in every thread of it. It occurs in managing time, work, people, emotions, friendships, love, marriage, personal health and relationships.
Take relationships. Is it not true that 20 per cent of the people we deal with give us 80 per cent of our happiness?
What can you do to spend more quality time with these 20 per cent happiness givers?
Count on these people. They are your key friends, the 20 percent who contribute 80 percent of happiness and add value to the quality of your life.
The book is in four parts. Part One (Overture) introduces the principle, is a bit analytical but interesting and tells us how to think the 80/20 way.
Part Two (Corporate Success need not be a mystery) discusses the application of the principle to the business management and corporate domains.
The meat of the book is in Part Three (Work Less, Earn and Enjoy More) where Richard Koch explores application of the 80/20 theory in a number of ways to diverse aspects of life.
Chapter 10 titled Time Revolution is superb, and I can vouch for the fact that concepts like being unconventional and eccentric in the use of your time and high-value and low-value uses of time are really effective as I have incorporated them into my life with great success. Of the things you do during your day, only 20 percent really matter. Those 20 percent high-value uses of time produce 80 percent of your results and happiness.
Identify and focus on those things and make sure you make optimal high value use of time to achieve a harmonious balance between your work, home, social, self and other aspects of life.
Chapter 13 titled Intelligent and Lazy delves on the application of Von Manstein Matrix.
General von Manstein identified four types of officers in the German Officer Corps of the army.
First, there are the lazy, stupid ones. He suggests that they be left alone as they do no harm.
Second, are the hard-working, intelligent ones. These are excellent staff officers who ensure every detail is accurate.
Third are the hard-working, stupid ones. These, according to him, are a menace and must be fired at once because they only create irrelevant work for everybody.
And finally there are the lazy, intelligent ones. [The 80/20 types?]. They are the select few suited for the highest office.
The fourth and last part of the book (Crescendo) explains the success and failure of various approaches in social, government and economic issues with the 80/20 principle as an ever present thread.
The book is readable, educational and interesting. The secret of a happy and fulfilled life is not difficult. The book shows you how to apply the 80/20 principle to focus on your best 20 percent in each aspect of your life and thereby enhance your quality of life and elevate your plane of living.
I suggest you keep the book on your table and refer to it from time to time.
The 80/20 Principle should serve as a daily reminder to focus 80 percent of your time and energy on that 20 percent that is really important.
Experiment, have fun, apply the Pareto Principle in various aspects and facets of your life wherever feasible, and use it wisely.
See for yourself how the quality of your life improves, you achieve a harmonious balance between your work life, home life and social life and you feel happy, tranquil and fulfilled.
It is indeed a captivating book. Read it. You will certainly benefit from it.
VIKRAM KARVE
vikramkarve@sify.com
http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com/
The 80/20 Principle: The Secret of Achieving More with Less by Richard Koch
(Reviewed by Vikram Karve)
The Pareto Principle (also known as the 80-20 rule) states that for many phenomena, 80% of the consequences stem from 20% of the causes.
Richard Koch takes a fresh look at the 80/20 principle and finds that the basic imbalance observed by Pareto way back in 1906 can be found in almost every aspect of modern life even today. He creatively and ingeniously extrapolates the Pareto Principle and discovers that it applies throughout our lives in every thread of it. It occurs in managing time, work, people, emotions, friendships, love, marriage, personal health and relationships.
Take relationships. Is it not true that 20 per cent of the people we deal with give us 80 per cent of our happiness?
What can you do to spend more quality time with these 20 per cent happiness givers?
Count on these people. They are your key friends, the 20 percent who contribute 80 percent of happiness and add value to the quality of your life.
The book is in four parts. Part One (Overture) introduces the principle, is a bit analytical but interesting and tells us how to think the 80/20 way.
Part Two (Corporate Success need not be a mystery) discusses the application of the principle to the business management and corporate domains.
The meat of the book is in Part Three (Work Less, Earn and Enjoy More) where Richard Koch explores application of the 80/20 theory in a number of ways to diverse aspects of life.
Chapter 10 titled Time Revolution is superb, and I can vouch for the fact that concepts like being unconventional and eccentric in the use of your time and high-value and low-value uses of time are really effective as I have incorporated them into my life with great success. Of the things you do during your day, only 20 percent really matter. Those 20 percent high-value uses of time produce 80 percent of your results and happiness.
Identify and focus on those things and make sure you make optimal high value use of time to achieve a harmonious balance between your work, home, social, self and other aspects of life.
Chapter 13 titled Intelligent and Lazy delves on the application of Von Manstein Matrix.
General von Manstein identified four types of officers in the German Officer Corps of the army.
First, there are the lazy, stupid ones. He suggests that they be left alone as they do no harm.
Second, are the hard-working, intelligent ones. These are excellent staff officers who ensure every detail is accurate.
Third are the hard-working, stupid ones. These, according to him, are a menace and must be fired at once because they only create irrelevant work for everybody.
And finally there are the lazy, intelligent ones. [The 80/20 types?]. They are the select few suited for the highest office.
The fourth and last part of the book (Crescendo) explains the success and failure of various approaches in social, government and economic issues with the 80/20 principle as an ever present thread.
The book is readable, educational and interesting. The secret of a happy and fulfilled life is not difficult. The book shows you how to apply the 80/20 principle to focus on your best 20 percent in each aspect of your life and thereby enhance your quality of life and elevate your plane of living.
I suggest you keep the book on your table and refer to it from time to time.
The 80/20 Principle should serve as a daily reminder to focus 80 percent of your time and energy on that 20 percent that is really important.
Experiment, have fun, apply the Pareto Principle in various aspects and facets of your life wherever feasible, and use it wisely.
See for yourself how the quality of your life improves, you achieve a harmonious balance between your work life, home life and social life and you feel happy, tranquil and fulfilled.
It is indeed a captivating book. Read it. You will certainly benefit from it.
VIKRAM KARVE
vikramkarve@sify.com
http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com/
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Book Review: Radar Systems Analysis by David K Barton
Radar Systems Analysis is a comprehensive and cohesive introduction to radar systems design and performance estimation. It offers professionals the knowledge they need to understand, analyze, evaluate, or design radar systems. The book presents accurate detection range equations for realistically estimating radar performance in a variety of practical situations. As radar systems evolve, designers, engineers, and analysts can turn to this book again and again to keep up with the latest advances in radar technology.
This book offers radar engineers all the fundamental and advanced information they need in day-to-day work. Readers will find several lucid chapters on various aspects of radar, such as theory of target detection, theory of radar measurement, description of radar targets, theory of search radar and its signal synthesis and analysis, error analysis, processing of radar data and tracking systems.
The book is divided into seventeen chapters starting with the theory of target detection where the radar echoes and noises are dealt with along with the integration of pulses. Chapter 2, 3 and 4 deals with the radar measurement of range, angle and velocity using the classical radar equation description, and description on RCS and complex targets. Chapter 5, 6, 7 and 8 is dedicated to the search radar and its target detection and measurement, MTI techniques, and synthesis and analysis. Chapter 9 to 14 deals extensively with the track radars which include angle measurement and tracking and its error analysis, range tracking systems, Doppler tracking systems, tracking radar data processing and its acquisition. There are discussions on the survey of propagation effects and multistation radar networks.
This book details practical procedures for search and track radar system testing and evaluation of radar range in difficult environments of combined noise, jamming, and clutter. However, an important topic like radar testing and evaluation gets one lonely chapter with somewhat cursory coverage. The book is substantiated with the adequate references and bibliography along with mathematical approximations for radar beam shape, spectra and waveforms.
Tables on transmission line and receiver input noise temperatures and table on radar range factors for system power change from 0 to 40 db have been provided for appropriate reference and use.
This excellent book summarizes the theory of radar systems and provides the radar engineer with methods and tools for estimating the performance of a wide variety of radars and for synthesizing or selecting radar designs to meet detection and tracking requirements. I recommend this book to all those interested in this fascinating field and Libraries of Technical Educational Institutions.
This book offers radar engineers all the fundamental and advanced information they need in day-to-day work. Readers will find several lucid chapters on various aspects of radar, such as theory of target detection, theory of radar measurement, description of radar targets, theory of search radar and its signal synthesis and analysis, error analysis, processing of radar data and tracking systems.
The book is divided into seventeen chapters starting with the theory of target detection where the radar echoes and noises are dealt with along with the integration of pulses. Chapter 2, 3 and 4 deals with the radar measurement of range, angle and velocity using the classical radar equation description, and description on RCS and complex targets. Chapter 5, 6, 7 and 8 is dedicated to the search radar and its target detection and measurement, MTI techniques, and synthesis and analysis. Chapter 9 to 14 deals extensively with the track radars which include angle measurement and tracking and its error analysis, range tracking systems, Doppler tracking systems, tracking radar data processing and its acquisition. There are discussions on the survey of propagation effects and multistation radar networks.
This book details practical procedures for search and track radar system testing and evaluation of radar range in difficult environments of combined noise, jamming, and clutter. However, an important topic like radar testing and evaluation gets one lonely chapter with somewhat cursory coverage. The book is substantiated with the adequate references and bibliography along with mathematical approximations for radar beam shape, spectra and waveforms.
Tables on transmission line and receiver input noise temperatures and table on radar range factors for system power change from 0 to 40 db have been provided for appropriate reference and use.
This excellent book summarizes the theory of radar systems and provides the radar engineer with methods and tools for estimating the performance of a wide variety of radars and for synthesizing or selecting radar designs to meet detection and tracking requirements. I recommend this book to all those interested in this fascinating field and Libraries of Technical Educational Institutions.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Oriental Wisdom & Cognitive Science
HUMOR WISDOM COGNITION THERAPY
A fascinating book on my bookshelves – ORIENTAL STORIES AS TOOLS IN PSYCHOTHERAPY : A Book Review
By
VIKRAM KARVE
An Eastern merchant owned a parrot. One day the bird knocked over an oil flask.
The merchant became very angry and hit the parrot on the back of the head.
From that time on, the parrot, who had previously appeared to be very intelligent, could not talk any more.
He lost the feathers on his head and soon became bald.
One day, as the parrot was sitting on the bookshelf in his master’s place of business, a baldheaded customer entered the shop.
The sight of the man made the parrot very excited.
Flapping his wings, he jumped around, squawked, and, to everyone’s surprise, suddenly regained his speech and asked the baldheaded man, “Did you, too, knock down an oil flask and get hit on the back of the head so that you don’t have any hair any more?”
This is a story called The Merchant and the Parrot from a delightfully interesting book in my bookcase called “Oriental Stories as Tools in Psychotherapy” by Nossrat Peseschkian. I bought this book on 12 October 1998 from the International Book Service at Deccan Gymkhana in Pune and love to delve into it from time to time.
The book features a fascinating compilation meaningful oriental Teaching Stories– the psychotherapeutic function of stories is the theme of this book. The author, a physician and psychotherapist, emphasizes the fact that long before the development of modern psychotherapy, stories served as instruments of folk psychotherapy and highlights how stories are effective transmitters of messages. He avers that stories have a lot in common with medication and, like medicines, used at the right time in the right form stories can lead to changes in attitude and behavior, but, given in the wrong dosage, told in an insincere and moralizing way, the application can be dangerous.
You can study, scrutinize and critically analyze this book if you are a serious reader and want to go deep into the subject; or like me, you can enjoy and be illuminated by the lovely teaching stories in the book.
I have read somewhere that Teaching Stories have a special quality – if read in a certain kind of way they enlighten you.
Remember, Dear Reader, that there are three ways to read teaching stories:-
• Read the story once. Then move on to another. This manner of reading will give you entertainment – maybe produce a laugh; like jokes.
• Read the story twice. Reflect on it. Apply it to your life. You will feel enriched.
• Read the story again, after you have reflected on it. Carry the story around in your mind all day and allow its fragrance, its melody to haunt you. Create a silence within you and let the story reveal to you its inner depth and meaning. Let it speak to your heart, not to your brain. This will give you a feel for the mystical and you will develop the art of tasting and feeling the inner meaning of such stories to the point that they transform you.
Let me tell you that a good teaching story has several levels of meaning and interpretation and offers us opportunities to think in new ways.
At first you may just have a good laugh, but as you think and reflect, the significance becomes more and more profound.
Each story veils its knowledge and as you ruminate, the walls of its outer meanings crumble away and the beauty of the previously invisible inner wisdom is revealed, and you begin to identify yourself in the story, and to acknowledge that you too could be as foolish or as lacking in discernment as the characters in these classic tales.
If you read the teaching stories narrated in this book in this way you will most certainly feel the therapeutic effect.
Here is a story called “Fifty Years of Politeness”:
An elderly couple celebrated their golden anniversary…while eating breakfast together, the woman thought, “for fifty years I’ve always been considerate of my husband and have always given him the crusty top of the bread roll. Today I want to finally enjoy this delicacy for myself.”
She spread the top part with butter and gave the other part to her husband.
Contrary to her expectations, he was very pleased, kissed her hand, and said, “My darling, you’ve just given me the greatest joy of the day. For over fifty years I haven’t eaten the bottom part of the bread roll, which is the part I like best. I always thought you should have it because you like it so much.”
I love and cherish this book which has enhanced me in all aspects of my life and browse through the stories quite often; and as I reflect and interpret I feel refreshed, enlightened and wiser.
Whether it is your work, you marriage, you relationships, children, or any situation or facet of your life, there is sure to be an apt story in this book for you which will put you on the path of self-discovery.
I’ll conclude with a quote from this exquisite and unique book:
Occasionally we can’t avoid science, math and erudite discussions which aid development of human consciousness. But occasionally we also need poetry, chess, and stories, so our spirit can find joy and refreshment.
I truly liked this delightfully illuminating book - I am sure you will like it too!
VIKRAM KARVE
mailto:vikramkarve@sify.comvikramkarve@hotmail.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/karve
http://www.ryze.com/go/karve
http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com/
A fascinating book on my bookshelves – ORIENTAL STORIES AS TOOLS IN PSYCHOTHERAPY : A Book Review
By
VIKRAM KARVE
An Eastern merchant owned a parrot. One day the bird knocked over an oil flask.
The merchant became very angry and hit the parrot on the back of the head.
From that time on, the parrot, who had previously appeared to be very intelligent, could not talk any more.
He lost the feathers on his head and soon became bald.
One day, as the parrot was sitting on the bookshelf in his master’s place of business, a baldheaded customer entered the shop.
The sight of the man made the parrot very excited.
Flapping his wings, he jumped around, squawked, and, to everyone’s surprise, suddenly regained his speech and asked the baldheaded man, “Did you, too, knock down an oil flask and get hit on the back of the head so that you don’t have any hair any more?”
This is a story called The Merchant and the Parrot from a delightfully interesting book in my bookcase called “Oriental Stories as Tools in Psychotherapy” by Nossrat Peseschkian. I bought this book on 12 October 1998 from the International Book Service at Deccan Gymkhana in Pune and love to delve into it from time to time.
The book features a fascinating compilation meaningful oriental Teaching Stories– the psychotherapeutic function of stories is the theme of this book. The author, a physician and psychotherapist, emphasizes the fact that long before the development of modern psychotherapy, stories served as instruments of folk psychotherapy and highlights how stories are effective transmitters of messages. He avers that stories have a lot in common with medication and, like medicines, used at the right time in the right form stories can lead to changes in attitude and behavior, but, given in the wrong dosage, told in an insincere and moralizing way, the application can be dangerous.
You can study, scrutinize and critically analyze this book if you are a serious reader and want to go deep into the subject; or like me, you can enjoy and be illuminated by the lovely teaching stories in the book.
I have read somewhere that Teaching Stories have a special quality – if read in a certain kind of way they enlighten you.
Remember, Dear Reader, that there are three ways to read teaching stories:-
• Read the story once. Then move on to another. This manner of reading will give you entertainment – maybe produce a laugh; like jokes.
• Read the story twice. Reflect on it. Apply it to your life. You will feel enriched.
• Read the story again, after you have reflected on it. Carry the story around in your mind all day and allow its fragrance, its melody to haunt you. Create a silence within you and let the story reveal to you its inner depth and meaning. Let it speak to your heart, not to your brain. This will give you a feel for the mystical and you will develop the art of tasting and feeling the inner meaning of such stories to the point that they transform you.
Let me tell you that a good teaching story has several levels of meaning and interpretation and offers us opportunities to think in new ways.
At first you may just have a good laugh, but as you think and reflect, the significance becomes more and more profound.
Each story veils its knowledge and as you ruminate, the walls of its outer meanings crumble away and the beauty of the previously invisible inner wisdom is revealed, and you begin to identify yourself in the story, and to acknowledge that you too could be as foolish or as lacking in discernment as the characters in these classic tales.
If you read the teaching stories narrated in this book in this way you will most certainly feel the therapeutic effect.
Here is a story called “Fifty Years of Politeness”:
An elderly couple celebrated their golden anniversary…while eating breakfast together, the woman thought, “for fifty years I’ve always been considerate of my husband and have always given him the crusty top of the bread roll. Today I want to finally enjoy this delicacy for myself.”
She spread the top part with butter and gave the other part to her husband.
Contrary to her expectations, he was very pleased, kissed her hand, and said, “My darling, you’ve just given me the greatest joy of the day. For over fifty years I haven’t eaten the bottom part of the bread roll, which is the part I like best. I always thought you should have it because you like it so much.”
I love and cherish this book which has enhanced me in all aspects of my life and browse through the stories quite often; and as I reflect and interpret I feel refreshed, enlightened and wiser.
Whether it is your work, you marriage, you relationships, children, or any situation or facet of your life, there is sure to be an apt story in this book for you which will put you on the path of self-discovery.
I’ll conclude with a quote from this exquisite and unique book:
Occasionally we can’t avoid science, math and erudite discussions which aid development of human consciousness. But occasionally we also need poetry, chess, and stories, so our spirit can find joy and refreshment.
I truly liked this delightfully illuminating book - I am sure you will like it too!
VIKRAM KARVE
mailto:vikramkarve@sify.comvikramkarve@hotmail.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/karve
http://www.ryze.com/go/karve
http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com/
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Neural Networks and Artificial Intelligence for Biomedical Engineering
Name of the Book: Neural Networks and Artificial Intelligence for Biomedical Engineering.
Authors: Donna L. Hudson, Maurice E. Cohen
Publication: IEEE Press, New York, 2000
ISBN: 0-7803-3404-3
Pages: 306
‘Neural Networks and Artificial Intelligence for Biomedical Engineering’
[Reviewed by Prachi A Deshmukh]
The advent of technology in the twentieth century has changed the total scenario around us. The fiction stories which we were reading in books have now become the truth, the reality. Robotics and artificial intelligence are some of the examples.
Neural networks and artificial intelligence have created new horizons in the field of medicine and biomedical engineering.
The book ‘Neural Networks and Artificial Intelligence for Biomedical Engineering’ by Donna Hudson and Maurice Cohen is a good guide for those who are working in this field or for the students who are studying neural networks, artificial intelligence or biomedical engineering as a part of their course work.
The book is divided into three parts: The first part covers Basics Neural networks, the second discusses Artificial Intelligence and the third one comprises of Alternative approaches.
Before starting with the neural networks, the authors have introduced us with the basics of biological systems as well as medical and biological data. This makes easy for us to enter in the field.
In part one, there are eight chapters.
All these are related with the neural networks. Chapter one is the foundation of neural networks. This one introduces us with the basic things regarding the neural networks. Starting from the structure of a biological cell and neuron, central nervous system we move towards the early neural models and current models. Second chapter classifies the neural networks. In this chapter we also learn the techniques which are used in biomedical problems. In chapter 3, 4 ad 5 we learn the network structure, feature selection and types of learning. Chapter 4 and 5 are dedicated to supervised learning and unsupervised learning respectively.
Chapter 6 is regarding the design issues. In this we learn the input data types, structure of networks implementation of network structures and the choice of learning algorithms. In chapter 7, we do the comparative analysis. In this chapter we again deal with the supervised and unsupervised learning. In this chapter we also learn the network structures.
The last chapter of part one is chapter no 8: Validation and evaluation. Here we become familiar with some important concepts such as data checking, validation and learning algorithms and evaluation performance.
After going through the first part of the book, we have with ourselves a strong base on neural networks.
In second part we move towards the Artificial Intelligence. Artificial Intelligence is an important field in the history of science and technology.
The second part is divided into 5 chapters.
First chapter of this part is chapter no. 9: ‘Foundations of computer assisted decision making’. Here the authors introduce us with the databases and medical records, mathematical modeling and simulation, pattern recognition, decision theory, symbolic reasoning techniques. Chapter no. 10 and chapter no. 11 are knowledge representation and knowledge acquisition respectively. These two introduce us with the production rules, frames, databases, nets (predicate calculus and semantic nets),learned knowledge, meta knowledge and knowledge base maintenance.
Chapter 12 deals with the reasoning methodologies. Here we learn the problem representations, blind searching, trees-graphs and higher level reasoning methodologies. In chapter 13 we learn the validation and evaluation. Here we learn the algorithmic evaluation, knowledge base evaluation and system evaluation. The part two terminates with the end of chapter no. 13.
In third part there are 6 chapters which are arranged under the name ‘Alternate approaches’.
In chapter 14 we learn about the genetic algorithms. In this chapter we learn about the representation schemes, evaluation functions, genetic operators, evaluation strategies and some biomedical examples.
Chapter 15 and 16 are probabilistic systems and fuzzy systems respectively. In chapter 15: probabilistic systems, we learn about the Bayesian approaches in which we become familiar with the Baye’s rule and Baye’s decision theory, parameter estimation, discriminant analysis, statistical analysis, regression analysis. At the end of the chapter brief information about the medical applications is given.
Chapter no. 16 is related with the Fuzzy systems. Here we get the information of fuzzy logic and fuzzy set theory, representation of fuzzy variables, membership functions, fuzzy neural networks, fuzzy approaches of supervised learning networks, fuzzy generalizations of unsupervised learning methods, reasoning with uncertain information, pre-processing and post processing using fuzzy techniques etc.
At the end we find some applications in biomedical engineering.
In chapter 17 we become familiar with the hybrid systems. Here we learn about the hybrid system approaches, components of the hybrid systems, use of complex data structures, design methodologies etc.
Chapter 18 deals with the ‘HyperMerge’ which is a hybrid expert system. Here we learn about the knowledge based component, neural network component, analysis of time series data, combined system and lastly an application: Diagnosis of Heart Disease.
Chapter 19 is the concluding chapter of this part as well as the book. It is ‘Future Perspectives’. In this chapter different aspects are considered such as the effects of hardware advances, effects of increase in knowledge and the future of software. In this chapter different important parameters are discussed. Computing speed, memory, parallel machines, miniaturization etc. The different effects of increase in knowledge such as information explosion, human genome project, proliferation of databases, communication of information etc are studied. The end of the chapter the authors discuss about the future of the software. Here we discuss about the hybrid systems, parallel systems, non textual data, Neural network models and the artificial intelligence approaches.
This book provides useful guidance for the graduate and undergraduate students who are studying this subject and I strongly commend the book to those interested in this fascinating field.
Authors: Donna L. Hudson, Maurice E. Cohen
Publication: IEEE Press, New York, 2000
ISBN: 0-7803-3404-3
Pages: 306
‘Neural Networks and Artificial Intelligence for Biomedical Engineering’
[Reviewed by Prachi A Deshmukh]
The advent of technology in the twentieth century has changed the total scenario around us. The fiction stories which we were reading in books have now become the truth, the reality. Robotics and artificial intelligence are some of the examples.
Neural networks and artificial intelligence have created new horizons in the field of medicine and biomedical engineering.
The book ‘Neural Networks and Artificial Intelligence for Biomedical Engineering’ by Donna Hudson and Maurice Cohen is a good guide for those who are working in this field or for the students who are studying neural networks, artificial intelligence or biomedical engineering as a part of their course work.
The book is divided into three parts: The first part covers Basics Neural networks, the second discusses Artificial Intelligence and the third one comprises of Alternative approaches.
Before starting with the neural networks, the authors have introduced us with the basics of biological systems as well as medical and biological data. This makes easy for us to enter in the field.
In part one, there are eight chapters.
All these are related with the neural networks. Chapter one is the foundation of neural networks. This one introduces us with the basic things regarding the neural networks. Starting from the structure of a biological cell and neuron, central nervous system we move towards the early neural models and current models. Second chapter classifies the neural networks. In this chapter we also learn the techniques which are used in biomedical problems. In chapter 3, 4 ad 5 we learn the network structure, feature selection and types of learning. Chapter 4 and 5 are dedicated to supervised learning and unsupervised learning respectively.
Chapter 6 is regarding the design issues. In this we learn the input data types, structure of networks implementation of network structures and the choice of learning algorithms. In chapter 7, we do the comparative analysis. In this chapter we again deal with the supervised and unsupervised learning. In this chapter we also learn the network structures.
The last chapter of part one is chapter no 8: Validation and evaluation. Here we become familiar with some important concepts such as data checking, validation and learning algorithms and evaluation performance.
After going through the first part of the book, we have with ourselves a strong base on neural networks.
In second part we move towards the Artificial Intelligence. Artificial Intelligence is an important field in the history of science and technology.
The second part is divided into 5 chapters.
First chapter of this part is chapter no. 9: ‘Foundations of computer assisted decision making’. Here the authors introduce us with the databases and medical records, mathematical modeling and simulation, pattern recognition, decision theory, symbolic reasoning techniques. Chapter no. 10 and chapter no. 11 are knowledge representation and knowledge acquisition respectively. These two introduce us with the production rules, frames, databases, nets (predicate calculus and semantic nets),learned knowledge, meta knowledge and knowledge base maintenance.
Chapter 12 deals with the reasoning methodologies. Here we learn the problem representations, blind searching, trees-graphs and higher level reasoning methodologies. In chapter 13 we learn the validation and evaluation. Here we learn the algorithmic evaluation, knowledge base evaluation and system evaluation. The part two terminates with the end of chapter no. 13.
In third part there are 6 chapters which are arranged under the name ‘Alternate approaches’.
In chapter 14 we learn about the genetic algorithms. In this chapter we learn about the representation schemes, evaluation functions, genetic operators, evaluation strategies and some biomedical examples.
Chapter 15 and 16 are probabilistic systems and fuzzy systems respectively. In chapter 15: probabilistic systems, we learn about the Bayesian approaches in which we become familiar with the Baye’s rule and Baye’s decision theory, parameter estimation, discriminant analysis, statistical analysis, regression analysis. At the end of the chapter brief information about the medical applications is given.
Chapter no. 16 is related with the Fuzzy systems. Here we get the information of fuzzy logic and fuzzy set theory, representation of fuzzy variables, membership functions, fuzzy neural networks, fuzzy approaches of supervised learning networks, fuzzy generalizations of unsupervised learning methods, reasoning with uncertain information, pre-processing and post processing using fuzzy techniques etc.
At the end we find some applications in biomedical engineering.
In chapter 17 we become familiar with the hybrid systems. Here we learn about the hybrid system approaches, components of the hybrid systems, use of complex data structures, design methodologies etc.
Chapter 18 deals with the ‘HyperMerge’ which is a hybrid expert system. Here we learn about the knowledge based component, neural network component, analysis of time series data, combined system and lastly an application: Diagnosis of Heart Disease.
Chapter 19 is the concluding chapter of this part as well as the book. It is ‘Future Perspectives’. In this chapter different aspects are considered such as the effects of hardware advances, effects of increase in knowledge and the future of software. In this chapter different important parameters are discussed. Computing speed, memory, parallel machines, miniaturization etc. The different effects of increase in knowledge such as information explosion, human genome project, proliferation of databases, communication of information etc are studied. The end of the chapter the authors discuss about the future of the software. Here we discuss about the hybrid systems, parallel systems, non textual data, Neural network models and the artificial intelligence approaches.
This book provides useful guidance for the graduate and undergraduate students who are studying this subject and I strongly commend the book to those interested in this fascinating field.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Appetite for a Stroll
Appetite for a Stroll
[Foodie Adventures, Simple Recipes, Musings on The Art of Eating and Vikram Karve’s Authentic Guide to Value For Money Food in Mumbai and Pune]
By
VIKRAM KARVE
Have you read my Foodie Adventures Book – Appetite for a Stroll -- a Sulekha Blogprint book - featuring some of my best mouthwatering writings.Please click the link and read the review of my Foodie Book Appetite for a Stroll titled Food for Soul in the Indian Express [Pune] Sunday 7th September 2008:
http://www.indianexpress.com/story/358363.html
express online book review:
http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Food-for-soul/358363/
If you want to get a copy of the book Appetite for a Stroll just click the links below:
http://www.indiaplaza.in/finalpage.aspx?storename=books&sku=9788190690096&ct=2
http://books.sulekha.com/book/appetite-for-a-stroll/default.htm
I am sure you will enjoy reading the book, especially if you are a Foodie, and a traveller.
You must relish delicious food at all the value for money eateries, especially at Mumbai and Pune, and enjoy cooking the recipes.
Happy Reading and Happy Eating
VIKRAM KARVE
http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com/
vikramkarve@sify.com
vikramkarve@hotmail.com
© vikram karve., all rights reserved.
[Foodie Adventures, Simple Recipes, Musings on The Art of Eating and Vikram Karve’s Authentic Guide to Value For Money Food in Mumbai and Pune]
By
VIKRAM KARVE
Have you read my Foodie Adventures Book – Appetite for a Stroll -- a Sulekha Blogprint book - featuring some of my best mouthwatering writings.Please click the link and read the review of my Foodie Book Appetite for a Stroll titled Food for Soul in the Indian Express [Pune] Sunday 7th September 2008:
http://www.indianexpress.com/story/358363.html
express online book review:
http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Food-for-soul/358363/
If you want to get a copy of the book Appetite for a Stroll just click the links below:
http://www.indiaplaza.in/finalpage.aspx?storename=books&sku=9788190690096&ct=2
http://books.sulekha.com/book/appetite-for-a-stroll/default.htm
I am sure you will enjoy reading the book, especially if you are a Foodie, and a traveller.
You must relish delicious food at all the value for money eateries, especially at Mumbai and Pune, and enjoy cooking the recipes.
Happy Reading and Happy Eating
VIKRAM KARVE
http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com/
vikramkarve@sify.com
vikramkarve@hotmail.com
© vikram karve., all rights reserved.
The Importance of Understanding
UNDERSTANDING LIFE - The Art of Living
By
VIKRAM KARVE
[ Book Review of THE IMPORTANCE OF UNDERSTANDING by LIN YUTANG ]
Whenever I want to unwind and relax, I pick out one of my favorite books from my bookcase, settle down in my easy-chair, put my feet up, and open the book to any random page, or thumb through the pages, and dip into whatever arrests my attention, and as I begin reading I experience a soothing feeling and a calm tranquil sensation of absolute and perfect relaxation. From time to time, I let myself drift off into sweet slumber, and when I come around I begin my relaxed reading again. So the cycle continues till my mind recaptures the harmony it has lost during the hustle and bustle of daily life and my inner self feels soothingly nourished.
The book is called THE IMPORTANCE OF UNDERSTANDING and is compiled by Lin Yutang, who is more famous for his magnum opus THE IMPORTANCE OF LIVING, the classic seminal philosophical masterpiece on The Art of Living. I have written about this classic book in my blog and request you to please read my book review in the preceding blog post. Now about The Importance of Understanding.
I’ve got a hardcover copy of the book, published by Heinemann London in 1961, which I obtained, by a stroke of luck, from a raddiwala a few years ago. The book comprises translations from the Chinese. There are essays, reflections, poems, ancient wit and wisdom, literature, writings on The Art of Living, Enjoyment of Life and Zen, parables, epigrams and proverbs. The writings focus on the simple joys of living and distinction between the practical and the poetic vision of life.
There is wit and subtle humor throughout the book. As a sample of the fantastic wit and wisdom encapsulated in this book, here is a story titled “Prohibition” from the chapter on Ancient Wit and Wisdom.
In the time of the ruler of Shu, Shienchu (third century AD) there was prohibition on wine on account of a drought…There were people who were arrested for having vats and distillery apparatus in their houses, punishable in the same terms as those actually caught making illegal liquor. Chien Yung was driving in the country with the ruler when they saw a young man strolling leisurely.
“Have that man arrested,’ cried Chien Yung.
“What has he done?” asked the ruler in puzzlement.
“He is going to commit adultery.”
“How do you know?”
“He has the organs of adultery, just as those people have their vats.”
The ruler broke out into a loud laugh and ordered that the people arrested for mere possession of vats released.
The meat of the book is the section on “Home and Daily Living” which encompasses a wide range of facets of the art of living and enjoyment of daily life.
I’ll end with an epigram of Yuan Chunglang: Beware of the man who has no hobbies. If he is not sincere in loving what he loves, he is also probably not sincere in hating what he professes to hate.
Dear Reader, first read The Importance of Living and then read The Importance of Understanding. And I’m sure you will see your life from a different perspective.
If you liked this philosophy of life do read my book:
Appetite for a Stroll
http://www.indiaplaza.in/finalpage.aspx?storename=books&sku=9788190690096&ct=2
http://www.flipkart.com/appetite-stroll-vikram-karve/8190690094-gw23f9mr2o
http://books.sulekha.com/book/appetite-for-a-stroll/default.htm
VIKRAM KARVE
mailto:vikramkarve@sify.com
http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com/
http://www.ryze.com/go/karve
http://www.linkedin.com/in/karve
By
VIKRAM KARVE
[ Book Review of THE IMPORTANCE OF UNDERSTANDING by LIN YUTANG ]
Whenever I want to unwind and relax, I pick out one of my favorite books from my bookcase, settle down in my easy-chair, put my feet up, and open the book to any random page, or thumb through the pages, and dip into whatever arrests my attention, and as I begin reading I experience a soothing feeling and a calm tranquil sensation of absolute and perfect relaxation. From time to time, I let myself drift off into sweet slumber, and when I come around I begin my relaxed reading again. So the cycle continues till my mind recaptures the harmony it has lost during the hustle and bustle of daily life and my inner self feels soothingly nourished.
The book is called THE IMPORTANCE OF UNDERSTANDING and is compiled by Lin Yutang, who is more famous for his magnum opus THE IMPORTANCE OF LIVING, the classic seminal philosophical masterpiece on The Art of Living. I have written about this classic book in my blog and request you to please read my book review in the preceding blog post. Now about The Importance of Understanding.
I’ve got a hardcover copy of the book, published by Heinemann London in 1961, which I obtained, by a stroke of luck, from a raddiwala a few years ago. The book comprises translations from the Chinese. There are essays, reflections, poems, ancient wit and wisdom, literature, writings on The Art of Living, Enjoyment of Life and Zen, parables, epigrams and proverbs. The writings focus on the simple joys of living and distinction between the practical and the poetic vision of life.
There is wit and subtle humor throughout the book. As a sample of the fantastic wit and wisdom encapsulated in this book, here is a story titled “Prohibition” from the chapter on Ancient Wit and Wisdom.
In the time of the ruler of Shu, Shienchu (third century AD) there was prohibition on wine on account of a drought…There were people who were arrested for having vats and distillery apparatus in their houses, punishable in the same terms as those actually caught making illegal liquor. Chien Yung was driving in the country with the ruler when they saw a young man strolling leisurely.
“Have that man arrested,’ cried Chien Yung.
“What has he done?” asked the ruler in puzzlement.
“He is going to commit adultery.”
“How do you know?”
“He has the organs of adultery, just as those people have their vats.”
The ruler broke out into a loud laugh and ordered that the people arrested for mere possession of vats released.
The meat of the book is the section on “Home and Daily Living” which encompasses a wide range of facets of the art of living and enjoyment of daily life.
I’ll end with an epigram of Yuan Chunglang: Beware of the man who has no hobbies. If he is not sincere in loving what he loves, he is also probably not sincere in hating what he professes to hate.
Dear Reader, first read The Importance of Living and then read The Importance of Understanding. And I’m sure you will see your life from a different perspective.
If you liked this philosophy of life do read my book:
Appetite for a Stroll
http://www.indiaplaza.in/finalpage.aspx?storename=books&sku=9788190690096&ct=2
http://www.flipkart.com/appetite-stroll-vikram-karve/8190690094-gw23f9mr2o
http://books.sulekha.com/book/appetite-for-a-stroll/default.htm
VIKRAM KARVE
mailto:vikramkarve@sify.com
http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com/
http://www.ryze.com/go/karve
http://www.linkedin.com/in/karve
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