Ashutosh > Recent Status Updates

Chapter 1 done. Guess what it was about. It was about a guy going hunting. Lol. Why am I surprised by this? Well, I wasn’t expecting the title to be so literally reflective of what’s inside; I was expecting it to be more… metaphorical. That’s why I’m surprised, or rather, amused. Yes, that better describes my feeling. Anyway, let’s not make any judgements so soon. Let’s see what happens…

Looking to pick up one of Stephen Leather's books next, because they have lots of action; thanks to a recommendation from an online friend. Leaning towards 'The Hunting.' Either that, or I'll pick up 'Gomorrah' by Roberto Saviano. I've watched the series, but I want to see it for real: without the toning down of brutality, humanizing of ruthless killers, and sensationalism; which were added to the screen adaptation.

Almost done... It's been an enjoyable experience reading this before sleep, being part of this story.

I picked it up because of the cover. The story progression is slow, and it’s very classic in the way it’s told - a narrator telling you everything that’s happening, hardly any dialogue - which may not be for everyone. It doesn’t have me hooked or anything but it’s been fun so far - just something for me to pick up and read to be part of a different world, enjoy a story, and kill time.

I was scared to pick it up, because sequels usually suck, but it’s every bit as good as Heat 1 (we saying Heat 1 Heat 2 now? What a time to be alive!). Heck, it’s better. They’re going to have a hard time matching this level of artistic finesse in the film version. Real hard time. I’m willing to bet this book will overshadow the film.

After enjoying Inspector Rebus #11 (Set in Darkness), I was curious I wanted more, so I’ve picked this up. It’s good exercise to pick something from the middle of a body of work, enjoy it, then try the author’s early work on for size. Witnessing how an author has honed their craft and seeing how far they’ve come is a learning + inspiring experience.

It’s been an absolute delight so far. It’s not just revelationary (yes I just invented that word), but at times downright hilarious. Education + entertainment. I like. I finished Part 1 in one night. It was all was about understanding the concept of positioning by breaking it down into digestible components. Now on to Part 2, where the author teaches how to actually position a product.

The writing is excellent at making you create images inside your head, so it feels like I’m watching a TV show without actually watching one (which is healthy for brain and body both and I love it)

Two concepts really struck me.

One is the relation between talent, effort, and achievement

Talent * Effort = Skill
Skill * Effort = Achievement

Twice the talent but half the effort can never get you to the same level of achievement.

The other concept is about passion. To find out what you're passionate about, notice what you've been consistent at. That's your true passion, not something that you 'like intensely'.

I love it so far. I can tell it’s going to be an epic adventure. The writing’s clever, funny, and deep. Most of all, it’s so free - At one point, one of the characters looks at a sign on the road and the book just goes on and on about that sign and its own story with no hesitation, before coming back to the scene. I love that. I can imagine what a jolly good day the author was having that day.