New ideas from old books

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New ideas from old books

@jashdholani

14 Memos

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@jashdholani

Religion as a daring dash into the dark

Swami Vivekananda, an Indian mystic, has influenced everyone from Mahatma Gandhi to Narendra Modi. Is religion akin to exploration? Why does inspiration both harm and help? What is the fundamental nature of the world? Read Vivekananda’s take on all this a

2 min read

@jashdholani

What hippies wanted and why they failed

Robert Pirsig raises the question of hippies: Why did a generation break free from its past in such an unexpected way? In a sense the hippie movement “has been so hard to understand because ‘understanding’ itself was its enemy.” Read on👇👇👇

2 min read

@jashdholani

The tragedy of Tolstoy

In his classic essay, The Hedgehog and the Fox, Isaiah Berlin argues there are two fundamental types of people: foxes and hedgehogs. Berlin discusses the deep differences between the two, and digs into the exceptional case of Tolstoy, a genius stranded in the middle

2 min read

@jashdholani

Why did Arthur Koestler leave communism behind?

Arthur Koestler is one of the most famous ex-communists in history. In the book The God That Failed, Koestler describes how he became a communist, how his expectations clashed with his experience, and how he left the party. Read on.

2 min read

@jashdholani

Are you a commissar or a yogi? Find out.

How to account for the baffling diversity in human mindsets? Think of it as a spectrum, Arthur Koestler suggests in his essay The Yogi and The Commissar. The commissar acts, the yogi reflects. Read more about these two drastically different approaches to

2 min read

@jashdholani

Joe Rogan's Favorite Book: The Book of Five Rings (1645)

Discover an old but brilliant book today: The Book of Five Rings(1645) by Miyamoto Musashi. Joe Rogan calls it "one of the most valuable things anyone has ever written." Read on to find out the mistakes fighters make, techniques to make your opponents sho

2 min read

@jashdholani

Joe Rogan’s Favorite Book: Food Of The Gods

Terence McKenna, a botanist, mystic and psychedelic expert, wrote Food Of The Gods in 1992. In a 2008 Q/A, Joe Rogan, the world’s most popular podcaster, said it’s his favorite book. In this memo, find out how mushrooms fueled our evolution, gave us story

2 min read

@jashdholani

Why systems fail so often - and how to make them work

I discovered an old but brilliant book today: Systemantics by John Gall (1975). It asks big questions: How Do Systems Work? How Do They Fail? "Everything Is A System,” John Gall says, and he notes four major reasons why systems fail. Read on👇👇👇

2 min read

@jashdholani

Infinite games: what they are and why you should play them

I recently discovered an old but brilliant book: Finite And Infinite Games (1986) by American academic James P. Carse. In this Memo, I’ll lay out the meaning of finite & infinite games, their main differences, and why this framework matters.👇👇👇

2 min read

@jashdholani

Modi's Bookshelf: Integral Humanism by Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya

Deendayal Upadhyaya is one of Narendra Modi's intellectual inspirations. In his book Integral Humanism, he wrote about the difference between democracy and dharma, why India mustn't ape the west, India's unique worldview, and more. Read on 👇👇👇

2 min read

@jashdholani

Nietzsche on what lovers and young people get wrong

I recently read an old but brilliant book: Beyond Good And Evil (1886) by German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. In this memo, find out the problem with thinking in absolutes, Nietzsche's writing tips, why men and women fight, and more.👇👇👇

2 min read

@jashdholani

Modi's Bookshelf: The Kural (300 BC)

Indian PM Narendra Modi has often recommended The Kural, a classic Tamil text. The Kural was written sometime around 300 BC by a man whose name, background, and profession no one knows anything about. The book touches on morality and gives practical tips on how to live. The top

2 min read

@jashdholani

Modi's Bookshelf: Bhagavad Gita

Bhagvad-Gita is one of the holiest books in Hinduism, and has been a timeless source of wisdom for thousands of years. In this memo discover the Gita's key insights on the nature of the self, demonic traits, and more👇

2 min read

@jashdholani

The psychology of battle - insights from the old classic On War(1832)

Introduction. Carl von Clausewitz joined the army at the age of 13. His life ranged from being a war prisoner to the "professor at the war academy" in Prussia. His classic book On War digs into the psychology and strategy behind warfare. Read on👇

2 min read

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