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Autobiography of a Restless Mind: Reflections on the Human Condition Volume 1 Paperback – December 13, 2012
Autobiography of a Restless Mind is a fascinating, exceptionally diverse collection of observations and reflections written over the past twenty-five years by one of the most innovative thinkers, writers, and leaders of the past half century. Witty and wise, playful and profound, prophetic and immensely quotable, it is a companion no thinking, caring person should be without. Written in an unforgettable style reminiscent of Aurelius, Montaigne, Lao-Tse, and Bacon, it is a classic that will be read with pleasure and profit for generations to come.
- GenresBiography
Unknown Binding
First published December 11, 2012
71 people are currently reading
418 people want to read
About the author
Dee Hock
8 books23 followersDee Ward Hock is the founder and former CEO of the Visa credit card association.
More information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dee_Hock
More information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dee_Hock
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
March 19, 2024
*** I only read the first maybe 15%. Not reading any further. Here some reasons:
This book contains a selection from 2 decades of his writing, that he has been doing regularly for many years. There are over 1000 'things' (sentences, 1-3 usually). This book IS NOT about his business career though!
He was a successful person in business, so we can assume he's fairly intelligent.
Most people, who have even just average intelligence, if they wrote down thoughts over years, given enough time, there would be some smart sentences in there, valid observations or musings. And sure, lots of it you've heard or read in some form or another, before.
The problem is, when you're not humble enough to realize, you haven't put together 1000 profound or worth-while 'nuggets'. I'm sure it's difficult to not have an over-sized ego, when you have been the founder and CEO of the Visa credit card. It's not surprising then, that he thought his thoughts and writings were worth sharing. Less (much less) would've been more. Let's start with a few good lines:
"Never in the history of language has there been a poem with a tenth the beauty of a hummingbird sipping nectar from a flower."
- I can get behind this. We should all marvel at nature and creation, the miracle of life.
He loves nature:
"We are so addicted to sucking the cloying teats of technology, science, and material possessions that we are unable to evolve into fit companions for nature. Small wonder we are tearing the earth and all life therein to bits. We are fools worshiping our tools."
----------------
Here is a selection of what I consider, unsuccessful musings by the author:
"When ideas and passion drive words there is literature. When words and ideas drive passion there is revolution. When words and passion drive ideas there is noise."
- What?
"Flattery is mental flatulence that makes a gaseous shambles of mind and a malodorous mess of character."
- This sounds like a disgruntled teenager, too cool for school, who used a thesaurus to sound intellectual. Flattery and compliments make for a polite society. Sorry to break it to you, but there are good, valid reasons to find nice things to say.
"Tyrants can kill us, but they cannot enslave us against our will, since mind, spirit, and heart remain ours to command. Slavery requires consent."
- The last three words are idiotic. Is he saying, the countless murdered human beings, generations of slaves, worked to death by age 30 in the sugar cane production, were consenting?
Anyway, there are better things to do with your time than read this book.
This book contains a selection from 2 decades of his writing, that he has been doing regularly for many years. There are over 1000 'things' (sentences, 1-3 usually). This book IS NOT about his business career though!
He was a successful person in business, so we can assume he's fairly intelligent.
Most people, who have even just average intelligence, if they wrote down thoughts over years, given enough time, there would be some smart sentences in there, valid observations or musings. And sure, lots of it you've heard or read in some form or another, before.
The problem is, when you're not humble enough to realize, you haven't put together 1000 profound or worth-while 'nuggets'. I'm sure it's difficult to not have an over-sized ego, when you have been the founder and CEO of the Visa credit card. It's not surprising then, that he thought his thoughts and writings were worth sharing. Less (much less) would've been more. Let's start with a few good lines:
"Never in the history of language has there been a poem with a tenth the beauty of a hummingbird sipping nectar from a flower."
- I can get behind this. We should all marvel at nature and creation, the miracle of life.
He loves nature:
"We are so addicted to sucking the cloying teats of technology, science, and material possessions that we are unable to evolve into fit companions for nature. Small wonder we are tearing the earth and all life therein to bits. We are fools worshiping our tools."
----------------
Here is a selection of what I consider, unsuccessful musings by the author:
"When ideas and passion drive words there is literature. When words and ideas drive passion there is revolution. When words and passion drive ideas there is noise."
- What?
"Flattery is mental flatulence that makes a gaseous shambles of mind and a malodorous mess of character."
- This sounds like a disgruntled teenager, too cool for school, who used a thesaurus to sound intellectual. Flattery and compliments make for a polite society. Sorry to break it to you, but there are good, valid reasons to find nice things to say.
"Tyrants can kill us, but they cannot enslave us against our will, since mind, spirit, and heart remain ours to command. Slavery requires consent."
- The last three words are idiotic. Is he saying, the countless murdered human beings, generations of slaves, worked to death by age 30 in the sugar cane production, were consenting?
Anyway, there are better things to do with your time than read this book.
Displaying 1 of 1 review