Anchit > Recent Status Updates

Finished the book in just 2 sittings!

Sums up the experience with a meaningful ordinary sentence. The end of the story makes that sentence stay with you. I love this writing!

This author is freaking amazing!! He's somewhat fatherly in sharing his life experiences. I only read the first short story but I love many aspects of it.

Logical flow. No sudden changes in POV. Explains the protagonists feelings as well instead of bringing it out with theatrics that many other authors do.

We're with the character throughout the story. Meaning what he's feeling, what he's saying.

- Kohli started gymming since childhood + controlling his diet. He was very conscious about his diet and wouldnt' exceed calories.

- Kohli used to be a captain during academy events. And coaches noticed that he was good.

- When the team desperately needed wickets then he would take up bowling himself. Very responsible! But coaches would ask him to let the other bowlers bowl and he would let it go.

- His teacher recalls - Virat could throw the ball from the boundary. He could play long innings without getting tired as a 9/10 year old guy.

- Virat's father was open to the idea of his son getting into sports. He told the coach to make the decision.

- Unfortunately, Virat's father didn't live long enough to see him play.

- He was very skilled naturally.

- He showed a remarkable self-discipline at age 9 when he joined a cricket academy.

- Virat didn't have people interested in sports in the area he grew up. That area had "speedy cars with loud music".

Editors note:
- As a part time bowler he can be relied upon to break partnerships
(What's a part time bowler? Did he bowl only for sometime? Or does he bowl sometimes and doesn't at other times? What's breaking up partnerships? What kinds? With who? What has part time got to do with that?)

- 1st chapter was very dry with lots of "facts" without any opinions thrown in. In X year Kohli did Y.

...

- What are these people doing that I should be emulating?

- If it works this well for them, what could it do for a smart guy like me?

- How can I learn to do what they do?

An estd. 90% of the population have been exposed to a traumatic event and 8-20% of them will develop PSTD.

While meditation might appear to be a safe practice it can thrust trauma survivors directly into the heart of wounds that require more than mindfulness to heal.

When the breath wanders, the mind is unsteady, but when the
breath is still, so is the mind still.
Hatha Yoga Pradipika.

With control of the
breath, the mind becomes calm, allowing one to tap into a flow
state where there is no sense of time, where externally imposed
barriers dissolve and there is a sense of oneness with the universe.

Ashtanga yoga wakes up the internal fire. By linking the postures it creates a continuous
flow of energy that heats up the body, bringing oxygen to the
blood, nourishing the glands and internal organs, cleansing and
purifying the nervous system, releasing unwanted toxins through
perspiration. As the heat goes up toxins are burned up and out of
the system, creating a lighter and stronger body, and a clear mind.

Even earlier, when these top business guys are discussing amongst themselves and with Alok they behave so snobbishly with him. And the author seems immune to all this.

For example:
- making a statement, getting up and walking off
- repeating a question that isn't understood without bothering to explain it
- having meetings at Taj (as if that is going to change the discussions)

They're like kids with money.

"Goel dramatically introduced Pramod Haque to me as the investor with the Midas touch and showed me pictures of him featured on prominent magazine covers."

It is amazing how these business top guys label themselves like they're larger than life! Maybe the success gets to them.

Lots of interesting anecdotes.

“In my own experience, more opportunities are actually presented when the company is not successful than when it is... While you're wasting your time helping the company succeed he's looking for failures to swoop in and save the day.”

I think he's talking about employees focussing on occasions when their boss fails and then they try to help him out.

Started reading this around 3 days ago. It's an incredible story! Here's a guy who's suffered more than I have. And he's captured life and soul in his narration.

Dropped at this point. Just can't take anymore of his overselling and salesmanship. He sounds like a snake-oil salesman.

"use X technique" but the only example is his own used in his heading for the chapter. Doesn't explain whether X technique shold be limited to headings or the body as well.

The "one hypnotic command that always works" - doesn't have a single example! At the end he says "my title got you to read the entire chapter isn't it?" - and that's the limit of his example.

"tell them you're about to say something imp but will come to it in a minute. Then go to a different point. " - sounds annoying depending upon how high value the final point would deliver.

I feel that Joe oversells everything. And when you actually learn the method you feel "duh" at worst, "hmm.. okay" at best. Repeat this experience a couple of times with phrases like "secret I haven't told anyone", "million dollar secret" etc and you quickly start losing interest in these statements. I've started skimming through the book.

Most points don't really teach you something as much as "hint" you about something.

For example, one of the points itself is "BE VISUALLY ATTRACTIVE" but without going into specific details which leaves you to figure it out on your own. You have a general idea of what you think would be visually attractive, but how do you do it? Do you break up paragraphs? Add more space? Or limit each point to 2 sentences?

Some of the points are introduced and dealt with within 2 paragraphs. Like "use word pictures" after which he gives an example to explain what he means by "word pictures". But the one example about this concept is actually a user scenario.

I still don't know whether he meant to visualize an image and communicate that, or to use descriptive words that paint a picture or to talk in terms of user scenarios.

There's just too much self-promotion. Instead of telling us the "secrets" he gives an extremely lengthy example of a bad copy and an extremely lengthy example of the good copy that he rewrote and then he asks us to figure out the difference. So far I've learnt only 2 "secrets" and the second one isn't given in a manner that I can implement it.

“Anything you do
which makes your listeners react because of MENTAL IMAGES
you plant in their minds is WAKING HYPNOSIS!”

By the same token, this is a clue for you to
remember: Hypnotic Writing occurs when you get out of your ego
and into the reader’s ego.

*******He means think from the reader's point of view********

(do you need help with X?)

Every time you state a fact, describe how that fact will benefit the
other person.”

suppressing emotions and how sup-
pression could be harmful

“Suppression is building bombs. When you bury an emo-
tion, you bury it alive.”

“When
was the last time you felt okay?”

“When was the last time you
felt fantastic?”

First 6 chapters are fluff. They deliver nothing but try to create your interest in his techniques. Too much of building before he does his reveal.

“Hypnotic Writing is intentionally using words to guide people
into a focused mental state where they are inclined to buy your prod-
uct or service.”