Daily Archives: December 8, 2012

Content of my reading list by amazon (part 8 of 9)

Posted on by

In an attempt to complete the moving from the linkedin/amazon application here is the second chunk of today.

You can read why I’m doing this and can also find the first , second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh part of the list that I’ve already published.

Friday, Jun 10 2011
Guarda, tocca, vivi. Riscoprire i sensi per essere felici by Claudio Risé
I liked the book overall, yet I felt like something was missing on the closing part.
It’s more like a collection of multiple interesting essays on related subjects than a single comprehensive text

Saturday, May 28 2011
Twenty Days with Julian and Little Bunny by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Wednesday, May 11 2011
Forever War: Dispatches from the War on Terror by Dexter Filkins
Recommended

Wednesday, May 4 2011
The Complete Stories by Flannery O’Connor
Recommended

Thursday, Mar 31 2011
Manifesto dei conservatori by Roger Scruton
Very good reading.
The reasoning is rigorous yet easy to approach.
You can find an interesting review in Italian here

Wednesday, Mar 16 2011
Decisive Treatise and Epistle Dedicatory by Averroes
I’ve read the italian translation printed by Rizzoli.
The introduction and notes provide the fundamental context to fully appreciate the content.

Wednesday, Mar 2 2011
Shadrach in the Furnace by Robert Silverberg
The conclusion is clear a bit too early, but it’s a nice reading to relax.

Thursday, Feb 10 2011
I Drink Therefore I Am: A Philosopher’s Guide to Wine by Roger Scruton
I strongly recommend this book.
The part covering the wines is great and inspiring (I’d like to taste as many as possible of the mentioned ones to compare my experience with the author’s one) and the philosophical part is easy enough to handle for non-philosophers yet rich in content.

Thursday, Jan 20 2011
Incandescence by Greg Egan
I found it a bit boring

Monday, Jan 10 2011
La profondeur des sexes by Fabrice Hadjadj
Recommended book. Even if you may disagree with the author facing the issues he raises in a structured way will turn out useful nonetheless

Some banks deserve to lose their customers and mine is one of them

Posted on by

As it’s often the case I’m traveling at the moment and so I went to an ATM to get some local currency.
I do this on a regular basis when not in a euro-country and I did used my ATM card several times in the past also here in the USA.

But this time it did not work.
I’ve tried over half a dozen different places without success this morning: BofA, Merril Lynch, Chase, Wells Fargo, Union Bank, California bank and trust and two privately operated ATM (in the office and in the hotel) without success and a lot of discomfort: I have 4 1$ notes in my pocket.

The I arrived in the office and found a nice message from the bank (sent during the local night) telling me that now they have a new policy in place such that my world-wide enabled ATM card by default is no longer worldwide.
They suggested that I could go to my branch asking to change it before the trip (quite inconvenient ad I’m about 10.000km from home already) or do it over the phone 8-22 during the workdays (but my wife called at 21.50 and the lady said it’s not operating after 21.30 and, even if we share the signature on the account, I have to call personally with great joy of the roaming mobile operator) or by internet banking (but it takes 48 hours to happen).

I’ve moved 65% of my savings to another bank in November (without anyone even asking why or whether they can do anything to keep it with them) but now I’m going to close the account completely.

It will be a nice Christmas gift for me and maybe for them too as they have one less customer to worry about.

Content of my reading list by amazon (part 7 of 9)

Posted on by

After a long pause with the incoming weekend hopefully I’ll be done moving my reading list out of the linkedin-amazon application.
Below you’ll find the seventh part.

You can read why I’m doing this and can also the first , second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth part of the list that I’ve already published.

Monday, Jan 10 2011
The Scapegoat by René Girard
Girard interpretation of the dynamics of the human behavior is very interesting and supported well by the author.
Book recommended without any doubt.
I’ve read the italian translation.

Sunday, Dec 19 2010
Transactional Manager by Abe Wagner
I found the book a bit boring. Maybe I’ve had enough readings related to TA
OR the book is not a big deal in itself.
My wife is reading it I’ll post her feedback in the future.

Friday, Dec 3 2010
Games people plays by Eric Berne
I did not like the introduction to the italian edition, but the book is interesting without any doubt.
My mother found it interesting too as an interpretation key for the behavior of a friend of her.

Friday, Nov 26 2010
Leadership and the One Minute Manager: Increasing Effectiveness Through Situational Leadership by Ken Blanchard
Recommended: the time I used to read this book was invested well.
I suggest it not only to managers but to individual contributors too.
As an old Harvard Business review article stated everyone needs (at least) to manage his manager

Tuesday, Nov 23 2010
Lettera a un Bambino Mai Nato by Oriana Fallaci
Without any doubt a book that is valid now as it was 35 years ago. Maybe even more now.
Absolutely recommended.

Saturday, Nov 20 2010
Renaissance by Raymond F. Jones
Relaxing book, but nothing to write home about.
I’ve read the Italian translation.

Saturday, Nov 6 2010
On War by Carl Von Clausewitz
The Italian edition that I’ve read is actually a selection of the most philosophical chapters from ” uber die Natur des Krieges” and “uber die Theorie des Krieges”.
I’ve found the reading extremely interesting and useful.
I’d suggest the reading to anyone that’s not afraid of a theoretical and systematic approach to the subject.
The author thinking goes way deeper that the (only) one liner most people know.

Thursday, Oct 28 2010
The Art of Warfare by Sun Pin

Sunday, Oct 24 2010
The Art of War by Sun Tzu
I’m unsure whether or not having read this book will change the way I act, but I’m pretty sure that I’ve seen the actions of people who changed after having read it.

Wednesday, Oct 20 2010
Attracting Investors: A Marketing Approach to Finding Funds for Your Business by Philip Kotler, Hermawan Kartajaya, S. David Young
I’ve found the reading extremely interesting.
I’d suggest this book to anyone thinking about starting a new company.