Review by NaeemHassan -- From Drift to SHIFT
Posted: 03 Aug 2017, 02:26
[Following is a volunteer review of "From Drift to SHIFT" by Jody B. Miller.]
4 out of 4 stars
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This book is a good motivating and encouraging literature for all those who want to marshal and discipline their life and careers towards definite purpose and destination. The personal and professional life of nine individuals is delineated in the book, with the lessons, extruded out of these stories, written at the end of each chapter as “Takeaways”. The book is all about, how to bring purpose in life and how to give direction to all aspects of life in order to achieve this purpose. I rate this book 4 out of 4 four stars. The book has a great motivational impact and the structured guideline for moving from drift to shift, has been elucidated very minutely. Moreover the book is professionally edited.
The beginning of the book is replete with abstract and subjective notions and ideas. For average reader it would be difficult to retain such abstract theories in mind. Anecdotes are good but the philosophies and lessons after these stories are not concrete enough to retain in mind. It takes a considerable going, until the book leaves a concrete holistic impression; and amorphous thoughts emerging out of this reading start solidifying into a monolithic forceful impact. However, the anecdotes at times get boring and the reader fails to make out, as to why flimsy details are given in these stories. However seen in broader perspective the minute details in the narrative, do serve the vital purpose, to prove the point, which author is asserting.
The takeaways at the end of the chapters, which summarize the lessons, learnt in the respective chapters are really refreshing and reassuring, infusing a relentless enthusiasm and motivation in the reader. The reader is compelled by the spell of the narrative, to read beyond what he originally planned to read in one sitting.
The word “Shift” seems as proselytism to us in the context it is used in this book. The gist of it can be summarized in author’s words as, “shifting is a process, not a race to the finish line”. At times while reading the stories, a thought flashes across the mind of the reader, that situations depicted in the book may represent just extreme, marginal or rare cases. The caveat in the mind of the reader is epitomized by the “Life Experience Overlaps” (described at page 180). These are common aspects of all case-studies discussed in the book. An average reader may find, not many of these “Overlaps”, overlapping with his own life experiences. But then the reader realizes it is not about prevalence of a peculiar situation, rather it is the lesson learnt from this situation, which is applicable, to life of every other human being, irrespective of the analogy to the situation.
The delineation of the life of tribes, in the Amazon forest, is refreshing and the reader feels vicarious peace of mind and serenity, which only a simple and close to nature life can offer. The beauty in simplicity is revealed through this narrative. It feels like a pleasant digression, though it actually is an integral part of the whole scheme of the book.
The author has also described, the evolution of events and her thinking process, which led to the creation of this book. The cerebral metamorphosis, leading to the genesis of this book, as described by the author, is the most interesting narrative in this literature.
******
From Drift to SHIFT
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
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4 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
This book is a good motivating and encouraging literature for all those who want to marshal and discipline their life and careers towards definite purpose and destination. The personal and professional life of nine individuals is delineated in the book, with the lessons, extruded out of these stories, written at the end of each chapter as “Takeaways”. The book is all about, how to bring purpose in life and how to give direction to all aspects of life in order to achieve this purpose. I rate this book 4 out of 4 four stars. The book has a great motivational impact and the structured guideline for moving from drift to shift, has been elucidated very minutely. Moreover the book is professionally edited.
The beginning of the book is replete with abstract and subjective notions and ideas. For average reader it would be difficult to retain such abstract theories in mind. Anecdotes are good but the philosophies and lessons after these stories are not concrete enough to retain in mind. It takes a considerable going, until the book leaves a concrete holistic impression; and amorphous thoughts emerging out of this reading start solidifying into a monolithic forceful impact. However, the anecdotes at times get boring and the reader fails to make out, as to why flimsy details are given in these stories. However seen in broader perspective the minute details in the narrative, do serve the vital purpose, to prove the point, which author is asserting.
The takeaways at the end of the chapters, which summarize the lessons, learnt in the respective chapters are really refreshing and reassuring, infusing a relentless enthusiasm and motivation in the reader. The reader is compelled by the spell of the narrative, to read beyond what he originally planned to read in one sitting.
The word “Shift” seems as proselytism to us in the context it is used in this book. The gist of it can be summarized in author’s words as, “shifting is a process, not a race to the finish line”. At times while reading the stories, a thought flashes across the mind of the reader, that situations depicted in the book may represent just extreme, marginal or rare cases. The caveat in the mind of the reader is epitomized by the “Life Experience Overlaps” (described at page 180). These are common aspects of all case-studies discussed in the book. An average reader may find, not many of these “Overlaps”, overlapping with his own life experiences. But then the reader realizes it is not about prevalence of a peculiar situation, rather it is the lesson learnt from this situation, which is applicable, to life of every other human being, irrespective of the analogy to the situation.
The delineation of the life of tribes, in the Amazon forest, is refreshing and the reader feels vicarious peace of mind and serenity, which only a simple and close to nature life can offer. The beauty in simplicity is revealed through this narrative. It feels like a pleasant digression, though it actually is an integral part of the whole scheme of the book.
The author has also described, the evolution of events and her thinking process, which led to the creation of this book. The cerebral metamorphosis, leading to the genesis of this book, as described by the author, is the most interesting narrative in this literature.
******
From Drift to SHIFT
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Like NaeemHassan's review? Post a comment saying so!