Book – Breakaway Consciousness

#Book Review: Invisible Influence by Kevin Hogan | #SocialEngineering | #Persuasion

An In-Depth Look At The Persuasive Influence Which Can Be Cast Upon Others

BreakawayIndividual
Zy Marquiez
July 8, 2019

In plainspeak, this book regards social engineering, which is a social tool that individuals may employ to influence others or even themselves, to take specific actions. Admittedly, these actions could be positive or negative depending on the intent of the social engineer.

Though I was unfamiliar with the work of Kevin Hogan in the past, with his execution of this particular book he’s certainly earned my respect.

Invisible Influence is a very pragmatic and easy to follow book that allows people to see part of the wide range that persuasion entails.

At its core, book is essentially split into two parts. The first part of the book brings about many examples of how subtle ways of social engineering are often employed. To that end, the fact that the book didn’t overuse technical jargon allows it to flow seamlessly. And although the book didn’t offer as much source data as I would have appreciated, it’s still constructed in such a way that individuals may draw significant information from it.

Hogan provides ample cogent explanations that followed his many persuasion examples, and these were top-tier. Various examples were used to bring about a kaleidoscope of information to provide a stronger fulcrum for the author’s thesis of the invisible influence individuals may have over others and even themselves.

Reading the book, the reader is able to realize how the possibilities of the techniques the book features can certainly multiply to a hitherto unforeseen and incredible extent. This provides a good segue to venture into the second half of the book.

The second half of the book is composed of 52 techniques that will help an individual become adept at social engineering at an entry level, some of which you can apply to yourself, which was unexpected but appreciated.

Subjectively speaking, this part alone was work the price of the book. Each of the techniques mentioned follow a stark methodology that is sure to make proactive mindful individuals cognizant of part of the spectrum that persuasion entails.

Invisible Influence is rousing in its possibilities as it is subtle in its approach. A great bonus is that the author is candid when making the point of how individuals should be aware of how these influences can shape circumstances for better or worse.

In an age where a certain sect of the population, or certain social groups, are nigh always seeking others to conform, whether they realize it or not, the availability of such information should not be glossed over in any way whatsoever.

___________________________________________________________

Suggested Reading & Watching:

The Tavistock Institute: Social Engineering The Masses by Daniel Estulin
Social Engineering 101
Lessons From Orwell’s 1984
What Is The Difference Between Education & Public Schooling?
The Catastrophic Decline Of Public Education: 21 Facts About Why Public Schooling Performs So Poorly
What Our List Of Most Banned Books Says About Our Society’s Fears
Logical Fallacies Employed In Every Day Life
Dumbing Us Down by John Taylor Gatto
Weapons Of Mass Instruction by John Taylor Gatto
13 Great Reasons To Study Logic
How A Generation Lost Its Culture – by Professor Patrick Deneen
A Different Kind Of Teacher by John Taylor Gatto
Socratic Logic by Peter Kreeft Ph.D.
Philosophy 101 by Peter Kreeft Ph.D.
Brave New World & Brave New World Revisited by Aldous Huxley
What Is Education? The Elite Curriculum – John Taylor Gatto
Astroturfing & Manipulation Of Media Messages – Sharyl Attkisson
Breakaway Guide To Censorship, Disinformation, Logical Fallacies & More
How To Read A Book by Mortimer J. Adler and Charles Van Doren
History So It Doesn’t Repeat – The Deliberate Dumbing Down Of America With Charlotte Iserbyt
Classrooms Of The Heart [Documentary] – John Taylor Gatto
Sumerhill School – A New View On Childhood by A.S. Neil
Dialectical Thinking – Zeno, Socrates, Kant, Marx by Tommi Juhani Hanjijarvi Ph.D.
Underground History Of American Education With John Taylor Gatto
The True Purpose Of Modern Schooling
Getting Things Done by David Allen
Open-Source Method: Genius Education – Examples | John Taylor Gatto
The Trivium – The Liberal Arts Of Logic, Grammar & Rhetoric by Sister Miriam Joseph Ph.D.
Cultural Literacy – What Every American Needs To Know by E.D. Hirsch Jr.
A Rulebook For Arguments by Anthony Weston
A Workbook For Arguments by David R. Morrow & Anthony Wesson
Drilling Through The Core – Why Common Core Is Bad For American Education by Sandra Stotsky & Contributors

___________________________________________________________
If you find value in this information, please share it. This article is free and open source. All individuals have permission to republish this article under a Creative Commons license with attribution to Zy Marquiez and BreakawayIndividual.com

___________________________________________________________
About The Author:

Zy Marquiez is an avid book reviewer, inquirer, an open-minded skeptic, yogi, and freelance writer who aims at empowering individuals while also studying and regularly mirroring subjects like Consciousness, Education, Creativity, The Individual, Ancient History & Ancient Civilizations, Forbidden Archaeology, Big Pharma, Alternative Health, Space, Geoengineering, Social Engineering, Propaganda, and much more.

#Book Review: Validity In Interpretation by E.D. Hirsch | #SmartReads

A Concise, Cogent & Comprehensive View Into Literary Interpretation

BreakwayIndividual.com
Zy Marquiez
April 28, 2019

Validity In Interpretation by E.D. Hirsch, Jr. exegetes and distills the plethora of issues revolving around literary interpretation.

Hirsch deftly narrows down the truth behind the much confounding premise that truth lies within subjectivity. The author logically shows how objectivity is not only attainable, but should be striven for even when individuals are told otherwise.

Admittedly, as a caveat, this book was quite arduous to read. Its precision in analysis is highly reminiscent of some logic books. The framework undertaken by the author provides him with an ironclad scaffolding for which to base his contention against the vacillating subjectivity of ‘truth’ within psychologism, historicism and more.

Hirsch undertakes the hermeneutic task of showing the reader why the meaning of a certain text and the significance of a text are different. On one hand, the significance of a text changes within whichever context it resides in, while on the other hand the meaning of a text is static and unchanging.

As the author elucidates:

“…when we construe another’s meaning we are not free agents. So long as the meaning of his utterance is our object, we are completely subservient to his will, because the meaning of his utterance is the meaning he wills to convey. Once we have construed his meaning, however, we are quite independent of his will. We do not have to accept any longer the values and assumptions he entertained. We can relate his meaning to anything we want and value it as we please.”[1].

Ultimately, Hirsch confects a sagacious treatise on literary interpretation that is superb and incisive. Those interested in literary interpretation should definitely consider implementing this into their individual repertoire.

______________________________________________________________
Source & Reference:

[1] E.D. Hirsch, Validity In Interpretation, pg. 142

___________________________________________________________

Suggested Reading & Watching:

What Is The Difference Between Education & Public Schooling?
The Catastrophic Decline Of Public Education: 21 Facts About Why Public Schooling Performs So Poorly
Logical Fallacies Employed In Every Day Life
Dumbing Us Down by John Taylor Gatto
Weapons Of Mass Instruction by John Taylor Gatto
13 Great Reasons To Study Logic
How A Generation Lost Its Culture – by Professor Patrick Deneen
The Vanishing American Adult by Ben Sasse
A Different Kind Of Teacher by John Taylor Gatto
Socratic Logic by Peter Kreeft Ph.D.
Philosophy 101 by Peter Kreeft Ph.D.
Brave New World & Brave New World Revisited by Aldous Huxley
What Is Education? The Elite Curriculum – John Taylor Gatto
Breakaway Guide To Censorship, Disinformation, Logical Fallacies & More
How To Read A Book by Mortimer J. Adler and Charles Van Doren
History So It Doesn’t Repeat – The Deliberate Dumbing Down Of America With Charlotte Iserbyt
Classrooms Of The Heart [Documentary] – John Taylor Gatto
Sumerhill School – A New View On Childhood by A.S. Neil
Social Engineering 101
Dialectical Thinking – Zeno, Socrates, Kant, Marx by Tommi Juhani Hanjijarvi Ph.D.
Underground History Of American Education With John Taylor Gatto
The True Purpose Of Modern Schooling
Getting Things Done by David Allen
Open-Source Method: Genius Education – Examples | John Taylor Gatto
The Trivium – The Liberal Arts Of Logic, Grammar & Rhetoric by Sister Miriam Joseph Ph.D.
Cultural Literacy – What Every American Needs To Know by E.D. Hirsch Jr.
A Rulebook For Arguments by Anthony Weston
A Workbook For Arguments by David R. Morrow & Anthony Wesson
Drilling Through The Core – Why Common Core Is Bad For American Education by Sandra Stotsky & Contributors

___________________________________________________________
About The Author:

#Book Review: Talent Is Overrated – What Really Separates World-Class Performers From Everybody Else by Geoff Colvin | #SmartReads

BreakawayIndividual.com
Zy Marquiez
April 16, 2019

Talent Is Overrated – What Really Separates World-Class Performers From Everybody Else by Geoff Colvin is a discerning book that aims to home in on the salient differences between the very top tiers of individuals in a variety of fields and the rest. With a rather unorthodox approach, the author poses a new theory about why so many individuals are great, and what got them there.

Colvin delves into why Ben Franklin, Tiger Woods, The Polgar Sisters, Jerry Rice, and many others rose to become the crème of the crop. Employing lessons from them, the author also shows how individuals can finetune their personal repertoire to gain insights and learn to practice in similar fashion.

In his quest for answers within this abstruse subject, the author samples various disciplines in society in his effort to get to the bottom of what ‘talent’ really means given all the talk about it.

Colvin does an reasonable job of arguing the case for deliberate practice and other ideas. Be that as it may, the book could have used some more scientific evidence or studies referenced just to bolster the argument and bring more fuel to the fire.

Irrespective of that, though, the matter of talent might boil down to the individual and their inherent mental faculties and the beliefs they themselves hold.

As the author ponders in his own words:

“What do you believe? Do you believe that you have a choice in the matter? Do you believe that if you do the work, properly designed, with intense focus for hours a day and years on end, your performance will grow dramatically better and eventually reach the highest levels? If you believe that, then there’s at least a chance you will do the work and achieve great performance.

“But if you believe that your performance is forever limited by your lack of a specific innate gift, or by a lack of general abilities at the level that you think must be necessary, then there’s no chance at all that you will do the work.

“That’s why this belief is tragically constraining. Everyone who achieved exceptional performance has encountered terrible difficulties along the way. There are no exceptions. If you believe that doing the right kind of work can overcome the problems, then you have at least chance of moving on to ever better performance. “[1][Bold & Underline Emphasis Added].

That’s what most people want, a chance, an opportunity. And why wouldn’t that opportunity be there for the taking? It’s merely a choice.

For those that might wonder if people are really born with talent, Colvin elucidates:

“…a hundred years later, abundant evidence showed clearly that people can keep getting better long after they should have reached their “rigidly determinate” natural limits. The examples were not just great writers, artists, business people, inventors, and other eminences producing their best work three or four decades into their careers. By the late nineteenth century, scientific research was showing repeatedly that ordinary people in various lines of work could keep getting better even after their performance had apparently plateau. Typists, telegraph operators, typesetters – highly experienced workers in all these jobs, whose performance hadn’t improved in years, suddenly got markedly better when they were offered incentives or given new kinds of training. This evidence was obviously a big problem for the you’ve-got-it-or-you-don’t point of view.”[2][Bold & Underline Emphasis Added]

Such data is actually quite refreshing, because it shows that this is not merely an issue of being born with talent. On the flip side, it is also not as simple as merely working hard, because most people work hard. The main takeaway is that as long as proper practice is designed and undertaken, progress and growth can be developed in countless professions.

Given all the data collated that shows how certain individuals became extraordinary, the information presented by the author is worth ruminating upon at length. And seeing as Colvin also gave individuals a jump-off point, the book does hold a lot of significance one way or another.

If you wish to read a book that offers value, ideas to ruminate upon which might just change your life, and also want to know what separates the top tier from all the rest, get this book.

___________________________________________________________
Sources:

[1] Geoff Colvin, Talent Is Overrated – What Really Separates World-Class Performers From Everybody Else, p. 205.
[2] Ibid., p. 63.

___________________________________________________________
If you find value in this information, feel free to share it. This article is free and open source. All individuals have permission to republish this article under a Creative Commons license with attribution to Zy Marquiez and BreakawayIndividual.com

___________________________________________________________
About The Author:

#Book Review: J.R.R. Tolkien – A Biography by Humphrey Carter | #SmartReads

BreakawayIndividual.com
Zy Marquiez
April 14, 2019

With his high fantasy literature, J.R.R. Tolkien has provided the tinder that stokes the imagination of millions. His books are known around the world, and for great reason, for they resonate the journey of the individual.

In that sense, J.R.R. Tolkien – A Biography by Humphrey Carter provides some illumination into the underlying reasons that drove Tolkien to write what he wrote and create what he did.

The biography is split up into 8 parts, some of which are more interesting than others. Admittedly, autobiographies can run quite dry many times, but this still did a reasonable job of showing us Tolkien in his most authentic form and that’s the most important thing.

Tolkien’s growth, his early years, his friendship with C.S. Lewis, and even his penchant for countless revisions are all catalogued within the book. It was particularly interesting to see what a perfectionist Tolkien was. In a sense, this allowed Tolkien to fine tune his writing process while at the same time expanding his Legendarium.

The Legendarium was created by Tolkien to serve as the fictional mythology about Earth’s remote past, and is composed by The Simarillion, The Hobbit, Lord Of The Rings, The History Of The Middle-Earth and more. This however, is not discussed in the book. I only mention it to supply the fervent reader for additional avenues to explore Tolkien’s unbounded work.

My favorite parts of the autobiography were about the creation of his books. Be that as it may, Tolkien’s skill in poetry, in conjunction with his relentless passion as a philologist to pursue the roots of language and learn everything about it was also highly intriguing.

In fact, regarding his penchant for writing Lord Of The Rings and linguistics, Tolkien had this to say:

“One writes such a story not out of the leaves of trees still to be observed, nor by means of botany and soil-science; but it grows like a seed in the dark out of the leaf-mould of the mind: out of all that has been seen or thought or read, that has long ago been forgotten, descending into the deeps. No doubt there is much selection, as with a gardener: what one throws on one’s personal compost-heap; and my mould is evidently made largely of linguistic matter.”[1][Bold Emphasis Added]

In its entirety, the book provides ample latitude of background while still providing enough fascinating components of Tolkien’s life. Each reader will undoubtedly gain myriad insights, but regardless, it’s intriguing to note that Tolkien himself was not an avid fan of biographies ironically enough.

Tolkien believed that biographies wouldn’t provide the truest nature of the person, and perhaps he was right. Just like movies, which are based on books, provide merely a facsimile of the depth which is entirely superficial of what great books provide, autobiographies will likewise never capture in full breadth and scope the life of an individual. Still, readers are lucky that Tolkien wrote phenomenal fiction because it allows us to see Tolkien’s soul as it is infused within pages.

And there’s no more authentic biography than a writer’s words.

___________________________________________________________
Source:

[1] Humphrey Carter, J.R.R. Tolkien – A Biography, p. 131.

___________________________________________________________

#Book Review: Healing Chi Meditation by Sifu William Lee | #SmartReads

BreakawayIndividual.com
Zy Marquiez
April 13, 2019

Healing Chi Meditation by Sifu William Lee is a rather straight forward and methodical book that covers the subject of meditation from a no-nonsense point of view.

Lee does a compelling job in laying out an easy-to-follow guide covering meditation.

This book covers just enough information to help individuals get an essential crash course into meditation, but it doesn’t become overly complex like some other books. It’s strength definitely lies in its simplicity in learning and application.

Covered within the book are the foundational stages of meditation, the how’s and why’s of meditation, as well as how to prepare to net the greatest benefits. And yet, the strongest part comes at the latter stages of the book.

Lee covers what is known as Dan Tian Centering as well as the 8 Moons, each of which is a technique to benefit the individual. And he anchors the book with a template for the Little Universe Micro Cycle.

This is my first book from Lee, and still have two others, one of which am currently reading and am definitely glad to have gotten these. The other book is just as pragmatic as this one, and am enjoying it just as much and even netting benefits from it.

Simply put, if you’re interested in meditation and don’t know where to begin, get this book.

_________________________________________________________________
Suggested Reading & Viewing:

A Mind Of Your Own – The Truth About Depression & How Women Can Heal Their Bodies To Reclaim Their Lives by Dr. Kelly Brogan M.D. & Kristin Loberg
Eat To Beat Disease – Food’s Medicinal Qualities by Catherine Frompovich
Toxic Psychiatry by Dr. Peter Breggin M.D.
Dr. Belisa Vranich On The Intricacies Of Breathing [Video]
Cancer Is Serious Business – Burzynski [Documentary]
The World According To Monsanto [Documentary]
Thimerosal – Let The Science Speak – The Evidence Supporting The Immediate Removal Of Mercury – A Known Neurotoxin – From Vaccines by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
Food Forensics by Mike Adams

_________________________________________________________________
If you find value in this information, you are implored to please share it. This article is free and open source. All individuals have permission to republish this article under a Creative Commons license with attribution to Zy Marquiez and BreakawayIndividual.com

_________________________________________________________________
About The Author:

#Book Review: How Life Imitates Chess by Garry Kasparov | #SmartReads

BreakawayIndividual.com
Zy Marquiez
April 13, 2019

How Life Imitates Chess by former World Chess Champion and grandmaster Garry Kasparov does an incisive job of showing how life is a mirror for chess. Or is it the opposite?

Filled with much erudition regarding the intricacies of life, How Life Imitates Chess sifts through Kasparov’s career in search for the gems of wisdom that not only helped him become a sharper, stronger, and more intuitive individual. This book also dives into the importance of quality actions via precise decision making which help individuals rise to meet the challenges of life as they go.

Throughout the book Kasparov carries out a rather trenchant job in detailing many of the data points, or perhaps ‘life-lessons’ is a better term, which helped him grow as a chess player that became a grandmaster, but more importantly, as an individual. Each of these life-lessons helped him grow in crucial ways, regardless whether it was facing dismal defeats, or manifesting intense resounding victories.

Kasparov makes it a point to go into why constant self-analysis is essential not only to survive in the world, but in fact to thrive. Self-awareness and peak performance go hand in hand, as many of you know, and because of this he urges individuals to become conscious of their inherent decision making process and strive to polish it to become wiser.

An interesting part from the book are the myriad fascinating stories of individuals, chess matches, companies et al. which are used to drive home lessons to be gleaned from the events that took place within those instances. These were as thought-provoking as they were entertaining.

Another notable point mentioned in the book is the importance of not becoming your own enemy. In one instance, the author noted how it’s important to find the nascent stage of a crisis before it becomes a full-fledged crisis. This might seem obvious at in hindsight, but we’ve all seen the mental state of ourselves or others be overwhelmed by emotions, which therein overrides our logic. And not being able to use logic is downright disastrous being that in such an instance the mental precision an individual has is only a shade of its true power.

Furthermore, when an individual gets emotional, not only does the amygdala go into overdrive, but “…the logic center processors [neocortex] get almost turned off and blocked. Adrenaline, hormone levels, and blood pressure rise, and our memories become less efficient. We begin to lose our ability to communicate effectively, and we turn to a form of autopilot to make decisions.”[1][Emphasis Added]

Hands down, my favorite part of the book, although admittedly there were many intriguing points, was how Kasparov relentless speaks about having to question everything. As he warns:

“Question the status quo at all times, especially when things are going well. When something goes wrong, you naturally want to do better the next time, but you must train yourself to want to do it better even when things go right.”[2][Bold & Underline Emphasis Added]

This reminds me of poker, as well as many other things in life, where one might make the most ridiculous and stupid choice, and still get rewarded. If an individual chooses not to question their actions, they will simply not grow. Someone may make a very poor choice, and still end up winning untold sums of money. When such is the case, individuals rarely if ever opt for introspection to verify that they were correct. The emotional assumption is that if the money is won…then the choice ‘had to’ be a good one – the correct one. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Moreover:

“Questioning yourself must become a habit, one strong enough to surmount the obstacles of overconfidence and dejection. It is a muscle that can be developed only with constant proactive [sic].”[3][Bold Emphasis Added]

Another additional point brought up by Kasparov was about the vital significance not only to move out of our comfort zones, but also to challenge ourselves in creative ways to push us into new boundaries.

Regarding this, Kasparov minces no words:

“When we regularly challenge ourselves with something new – even something not obviously related to our immediate goals – we build cognitive and emotional “muscles” that make us more effective in every way. If we can overcome our fear of speaking in public, or of submitting a poem to a magazine, or learning a new language confidence will flow into every area of our lives Don’t get so caught up in “what I do” that you stop being a curious human being. Your greatest strength is the ability to absorb and synthesize patterns, methods, and information. Intentionally inhibiting the ability to focus too narrowly is not only a crime, but one with few rewards.”[4][Bold & Underline Emphasis Added].

How Life Imitates Chess offers more than ample information for it to be worth the price, and it gives plenty of grist for the mill not only for individuals to ruminate upon, but more importantly, for the incisive development of the individual.

___________________________________________________________
Sources & References:

[1] Christopher Hadnagy, Unmasking The Social Engineer, p. 166.
[2] Gary Kasparov, How Life Imitates Chess, p. 135.
[3] Ibid. pp. 34-35.
[4] Ibid. p. 170.

___________________________________________________________

Suggested Reading & Watching:

Logical Fallacies Employed In Every Day Life
13 Great Reasons To Study Logic
How A Generation Lost Its Culture – by Professor Patrick Deneen
A Different Kind Of Teacher by John Taylor Gatto
Socratic Logic by Peter Kreeft Ph.D.
Philosophy 101 by Peter Kreeft Ph.D.
What Is Education? The Elite Curriculum – John Taylor Gatto
Breakaway Guide To Censorship, Disinformation, Logical Fallacies & More
How To Read A Book by Mortimer J. Adler and Charles Van Doren
Social Engineering 101
The True Purpose Of Modern Schooling
Getting Things Done by David Allen
Open-Source Method: Genius Education – Examples | John Taylor Gatto
The Trivium – The Liberal Arts Of Logic, Grammar & Rhetoric by Sister Miriam Joseph Ph.D.
A Rulebook For Arguments by Anthony Weston
A Workbook For Arguments by David R. Morrow & Anthony Wesson
Drilling Through The Core – Why Common Core Is Bad For American Education by Sandra Stotsky & Contributors

___________________________________________________________
About The Author:

#Book Review: Le Morte d’Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory | #SmartReads

BreakawayIndividual.com
Zy Marquiez
April 12, 2019

A widely-known and timeless classic, Le Morte d’Arthur – King Arthur and the Knights Of The Round Table by Sir Thomas Malory is the masterpiece from which the Arthurian Legend was born.

As the definitive English-language version of the story of Arthur and his Knights, Sir Thomas Malory collated information from the historical tradition and lore that was available to him at the time.

For a book that draws from various sources, it actually reads seamlessly, which speaks of Malory’s skill in the creation of this book and the ironclad integration he undertook. It’s also worth noting that the book is written in Old English.

All components of the Arthurian Legend, from Arthur, Merlin, Lancelot, the Knights of The Round Table, to Excalibur and the Quest for the Holy Grail are all contained therein. Considering the book was published over 500 years ago, it’s actually a remarkable achievement considering that there aren’t many books which appeal so much to human creativity and imagination from that specific time period. Granted, Malory drew from English and French sources for this, but it was his imagination that allowed him to make this book a finished product.

Some intriguing components of the book are the many themes the book features, which are repeatedly alluded too. Woven within the story are themes that encompass revenge, jealousy, trickery, honor and chivalry. The many quests that the Knights undertake are also a common theme in the book.

The measure of a great fiction book is how great it stokes the embers of imagination. Without a doubt, Sir Thomas Malory’s work has done all that, and much more, which is why after centuries later these stories still have a remarkable appeal to a wide-ranging audience.

As a classic adventure featuring intrigue, romance, deception, and adventure with sprinklings of magic, the legend of King Arthur has and always will be a mainstay in literature. That is because it appeals to the element of human mind in a way that many other books do not, and that is what makes it a landmark book in Mythology and Folklore. Any connoisseur of Mythology would enjoy this thoroughly.

___________________________________________________________