booknewb

TL;DR; It is a small part biography of Mother Teresa, and the people at the Missionary of Charity; and part advise and perspective mostly about Prayer, Faith, Love, Service and Peace.  The book opens with "The Simple Path": The fruit of silence is Prayer. The fruit of prayer is Faith. The fruit of faith is Love. The fruit of love is Service. The fruit of service is Peace.

TL;DR It is a series of Essays with a self-examination or a self-exploratory aim, discussing various topics that piqued Montaigne's curiosity.  Had Montaigne lived today he would be writing long form blogs. It is influenced by the stoics; some of more well known philosophers such as Socrates, St. Augustine and others. In the philosophical branch, he is lumped under Skepticism. From the writings, he seems like a regular guy, regular in the sense that he's like a neighbor, like an old uncle, a really smart, and at times self-deprecating uncle.

TL;DR: It is a collection of crime/horror stories that happened in Manila around the 50's and 60's.  To say that this is a terrifying read is an understatement. Combined with the subject matter and Nick Joaquin's style of writing gives the stories a certain kind of flair that amplifies the tension.  There were some prominent individuals, one including Joseph Estrada; a couple actors and actresses. And others who seem to be normal people dealt bad hands with bad circumstances aggravating fate with bad choices. It is a different view of Manila. It appears that even before Martial Law, the country had its share of terrible events.

TL;DR: There's a lot here. I'm of the opinion that this is one of those books where you take time, take long to read. It is not encouraged. It even has its own space in the Constitution declaring separation from the State. Whether it wants to or not, the Church does seem to get intertwined with Politics. At least, not directly nor intentionally but when a government becomes oppressive to its people; when it's no longer a matter of public opinion; and actual human values and dignity are crossed; the Church takes action.

TL;DR: You make snap decisions all the time. It can be biased so learn how to affect it. It begins with what Gladwell calls a "thin slice". It is a small sample size of a moment or moments. It is often indirect or emotional. ie. viewing a person's room or his bookshelf, a couple's 15 minute talk about mundane things, a doctor's interaction and not necessarily his diagnosis. 

TL;DR: Seriously though, it is 180 pages with the font, the size of a thumb. It's a short read. Take the time. Anyway, if you've seen the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory movie with Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka, it is extremely close to the original by Roald Dahl. Around 97% close. I'm saying 97% because the part about Willy Wonka's back story in the Movie was not in the book. Roald Dahl may not have thought of giving Willy Wonka a back story, and it was pretty sad now remembering it. Daddy and Family issues may not have jived with the lively and warm tone Roald Dahl had in the book.  I wonder what Roald Dahl had in mind when he was writing the book. It reads like a sweet cautionary tale for kids about being too gluttonous, eating too much gum, being too spoiled and watching too much TV. Essentially, how to not be bratty hidden inside a Fantasy Chocolate world, like a caramel inside a chocolate kiss. Hey,  Charlotte's Web by EB White   is an...

TL;DR: To stay in Power as a Prince, you must be sly defensively, and offer fear offensively. You must play a certain way, have the right army and allies, and have the right character and behavior. It is necessary to be a fox to discover the snares, and a lion to terrify the wolves. This is terrible. Terrible in a stomach churning way. Hence, the term "Machiavellian".