Digital Detox

At the beginning of this month, I dared to uninstall all the time-consuming apps from my smartphone. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn were the main victims of this detoxication process alongside with some exits from meaningless Whatsapp & Telegram groups.

The fact that I can use these applications only via desktop significantly reduced gigabytes I used to spend in never-ending scrollings each and every day. All of a sudden my smartphone happened to be too boring to carry with you to the WC. Now the only entertaining thing on my phone is e-books. That notorious habit too — grabbing the phone as soon as I woked up every morning — was transformed into grabbing the book.

Reward this punishment didn’t wait too long: I finished 8 books in a frame of 25 days. For me, this was quite a progress. I truly immerse myself in books whenever I read it. I don’t skip any pages, I take notes and I report summary to myself once I finished it.

In this Medium post, I would like to share my 2 cents about these 8 books in a brief fashion.

Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini

Superb! This prominent bestseller happened to prove itself much much better than my expectations. It is not your usual motivation book. Dr. Cialdini clearly outlines the six principles of influence which are Reciprocation, Commitment & consistency, Social Proof, Liking, Authority, and Scarcity. The book is full of scientific experiments inclined to the academic writing style. I learned a lot.

The Wisdom of Insecurity: A Message for an Age of Anxiety by Alan Watts

I have finished this book almost in a day. I think I should read it in my 40s again. I liked how the author was describing the “now” concept. For some reasons, it evoked somewhat pessimism deep inside me. My favorite quote from the book: “To understand music, you must listen to it. But so long as you are thinking, “I am listening to this music,” you are not listening. To understand joy or fear, you must be wholly and undividedly aware of it. So long as you are calling it names and saying, “I am happy,” or “I am afraid,” you are not being aware of it.”

The Brand Gap by Marty Neumeier

Concise, fluid, and nice to eyes! The book itself is a true example of branding with its distinctive photos, the list of key takeaways, the brand glossary, and so on. A perfect book to understand the basics of branding.

Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind by Al Ries and Jack Trout

Old but gold! The book clearly explains the positioning concept based on practical examples. Would be great if you pair this book with something related to branding. Obviously lacks some sparks in the eyes of the Internet generation. Some “heroes” of the book are already in the bin of history. In general, I liked it very much.

The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life by Twyla Tharp

When I started this book I had other expectations, now after finishing it the result is vastly different. I don’t say it is bad. It is just different. At some points, it will be a little bit boring if you don’t familiar with Twyla’s career. There are many valuable insights filtered through the author’s personal experience. She shares a lot of tips & tricks.

Ego Is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday

My key takeaway: ego is not bad at all if you can control it. However, I guess this was not the main idea the author planned to transmit to readers. Also, I felt like Ryan used “ego” as a synonym of many valuable treats like ambition, passion, assertiveness, etc. The fun fact: Ryan Holiday has tattooed “Ego is the Enemy” on his forearm.

Scientific Advertising by Claude C. Hopkins

Perfect book if you can travel back to the past as little as 50 years. Still contains some valuable insights applicable even in modern days. The author of the book Claude Hopkins is well known as the father of modern advertising techniques. This book covers many important aspects of advertising.

Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown

What a remarkable book! Went directly to my “all-time favorites”. Say no to nonessentials, make your choices wisely, get enough sleep, bring a play into your life, enjoy the moment and understand that the less is more — this must be the optimal recap of the book. Essentialism is not about how to get more things done; it’s about how to get the right things done. It is about making the wisest possible investment of your time and energy in order to operate at our highest point of contribution by doing only what is essential.

Note: If you possess a Goodreads account I’d be glad to connect with you. Please add your account to the comments or just DM me.