Between the Covers

May 22, 2013 05:47 pm | Updated 05:47 pm IST

think-act-and-invest-like-warren-buffet-the-winning-strategy-to-help-you-achieve-your-financial-and-life-goals

think-act-and-invest-like-warren-buffet-the-winning-strategy-to-help-you-achieve-your-financial-and-life-goals

Cypherpunks: Freedom and the Future of the Internet

Jeremie Zimmermann, Andy Muller Maguhn, Julian Assange, Jacob Appelbaum

(Times Group Books, Rs. 249)

We have reached a crossroads. The cyber revolution did change the way we think and communicate. The flip side of it was lack of privacy and, more important, the fear of becoming so dependent on and enslaved by the Net that life might become impossible without it. Sounds scary?

Yes, as whole societies move online, mass surveillance programmes are being deployed globally. Who are these cypherpunks? Well, they are activists who advocate the mass use of strong cryptography as a way of protecting our freedom against this onslaught. Julian Assange, the editor-in-chief of and visionary behind WikiLeaks, has been a leading voice in the cypherpunk movement since the 1990s. Now, through this book, Assange brings together a group of rebel thinkers and activists and draws the battle lines in cyberspace to discuss whether the Internet will emancipate or enslave all of us. An original contributor to the cypherpunk mailing list, Assange is the creator of numerous software projects in line with cypherpunk philosophy. And who better than he to tell it all?

Think, Act and Invest like Warren Buffet

Larry E. Swedroe

(Tata McGraw Hill, Rs. 325)

This is a short, concise and simple guide book for those who want to invest. How, where, when and why? There are answers to questions such as these — should one be an active or a passive investor? How much risk should one take? How does one build a well-designed portfolio? Should one hire a financial advisor?

What Swedroe learnt from his experience as an investment advisor came in handy and what he realised is that not many people devote enough time to learn about investing despite its importance. It is difficult to get a client to read a 300-page book that cites dozens of studies. And that’s what led him to write this chockfull-of-essential-advice book.

It is designed to explain how adopting basic investing principles can help any investor outperform the vast majority of investors and increase his chances of achieving his financial and life goals.

What You're Really Meant to Do: A Road Map for Reaching Your Unique Potential

Robert Steven Kaplan

(Harvard Business School Press, Rs. 795)

How do you create your own definition of success — and reach your potential? It is no mean task to be successful. It takes courage, planning and hard work. But what is success? Too often, we charge down a path leading to ‘success’ as defined by those around us, and are invariably left feeling dissatisfied.

Each of us has unique skills and qualities to handle a given situation. These may not conform to the general rules for achieving success. So what we need to do is spend sufficient time to learn and understand ourselves to create our own definition of success.

Harvard Business School’s Robert Steven Kaplan, leadership expert, advises executives and students on such issues and shares a specific and actionable approach to defining success. Drawing on his years of experience, Kaplan outlines specific steps and exercises to help you understand yourself better, take control of your career, and build your capabilities in a way that fits your passion and aspiration.

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