America the Beautiful - Rediscovering What Made This Nation Great ––By Dr. Ben Carson (2012): Book Review By Amos T. Wama

I’ve thumbed through the pages of a New York Times Best Seller and great book, “America the Beautiful - Rediscovering What Made This Nation Great”, by Dr. Benjamin Carson (with his wife, Candy).

Dr. Ben Carson is a prolific writer and Thinker; he’d also penned two profound books, ‘The Gifted Hands” and “Take the Risk”. He’s also God’s greatest gift to this generation: a gifted brain surgeon. Currently he is the Director of Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery & Professor of Neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, U.S.A.

In February 2013, the Wall Street Journal–WSJ flaunted “Ben Carson for President” on its front page after Dr. Carson had intellectually ‘lectured’, President Barack Obama––my two role models in the same room––for 27 minutes straight during the ‘National Prayer Breakfast’ (07 Feb 2013). The speech became an instant hit and went viral on the internet. Considered the ‘New Conservative Folk Hero’ by many in the U.S., the devout Christian––who publicly declared ‘Jesus is my role model’––Dr. Carson had proposed logical, cost-effective policy options at the Prayer Breakfast.

Many of the ‘hot issues’ he addressed at the Prayer Breakfast are dealt comprehensively in this book––‘America the Beautiful.’ A brilliant student of history and intellectual powerhouse, Dr. Carson artfully canvasses a wide-array of issues––historical underpinnings of Europe’s current economic crisis and the lessons for the U.S.; political developments in U.S.; racism to which he’s nor bitter; capitalism; socialism; and America–a moral nation or not.  

                                                                                            

Coming from a poor background: rough and tough neighborhood and, being raised by a single mum doing multiple low-paying jobs, Dr. Carson is understandably passionate about quality education being the ‘key to success in life’. An avid reader and lover of books from childhood, what he ‘discovered between the pages of books’ guided him to realize full potential, to becoming the person he is today.

‘Walking the Talk’ in education, he’d founded the Carson Scholars Fund 17 years ago which operated in all 50 states. The Fund awards US$1,000 college scholarships to students in grades 4-11 who excel academically and are dedicated to serving their communities.

The multi–dimensional mind of a Neurosurgeon runs clearly throughout the book as it churns out innovative, cost-effective and practical solutions to U.S.’s pressing problems: from affordable HealthCare for every U.S. citizen to reducing the nation’s mind-numbing national debt. Dr. Carson’s Biblically-based idea of ‘tithing’–everyone dips in 10% of gross income–as a fiscal public policy instrument to address U.S.’s national debt problem is simple, straightforward and could get traction among weary voters.

What I liked best in this book is Dr. Carson’s upfront, uncompromising stance on ‘political correctness–PC’. If allowed to fester undeterred, he correctly asserts, PC would stifle ‘freedom of speech, thought and association’; evidently fracking one of U.S.’s bedrock principals on which it stands.

A must-read book I highly recommend to anyone wishing to be ‘read in’ the mind of a fascinating Thinker and world-class Neurosurgeon.

© Amos T. Wama

    Geneva, Switzerland

    21 May 2013

                                                          

Improve Your Reading Improve Your Career, Business and Personal Life

In this short post, I wish to tie the importance of reading to your job. 21^st century is a highly phased competitive century according to historians. There is so much truth in this sentence. Walls of countries are breaking down, cultures are merging like never before, giving birth to strange cultures or way of life, some of which are good and some are out right confusing.

I mekim ol manmeri i go longlong na ron nambout olsem anis long rot. 

As organizations come to realize the challenges of 21^st century market place, they tighten their grips on essential human skills that are necessary for day to day operation of their business or organizations. They demand you to have those skills. I was a divisional manager with a big oil palm company in Kimbe few months back and I am telling you from my experience. I use to hire and fire, and people skill was always a determining factor in the hire and fire process. 

Critical Human Skills for 21^st century carrier and business success

  

READING IS ONE. WRITING IS ANOTHER. SPEAKING IS YET ANOTHER.

Writing and speaking can’t do WITHOUT reading. That is why PNG Book Club puts every effort in nurturing reading culture in PNG. One time back in University of Natural Resource and Environment where I was attached a research scientist, a colleague of mine who was an academic there passed few soils report from 4^th year degree students for me to read and mark. I made some very fascinating discoveries.  That some final year degree students can’t even differentiate between past and presence tense. This is really bad, I thought to myself. Why? Because they don’t read..Simple as that. You can hide and be lazy about reading but it will all show when open your mouth to speak or put pen to paper. 

Its gets harder and harder when you try to get a good job with poor reading, writing and speaking skills. Businesses survive because of people skills. Managers hire you for your skills. Your skills add value to the company to maintain competitive edge over others. YOU SEE IT NOW?.

Question: What happens if you don’t have these skills?  

Answer: More struggles for you.

Recommendation: Invest in yourself and get these skills, most of which are free. Read and read and read.

I became an author not because I studied language at UPNG. No. I became one because I committed my time into studying books and how they are written. You study accounting to be an accountant, right!
So if you want to be a good reader, study READING. If you want to be a good speaker, study SPEAKING and if you want to be a good writer, study WRITING.

That is all.

Click HERE to read more pf my similar self help articles on my Hub Pages site

Understanding the power of words - LEVERAGE

Reading plays an important role in how we as individuals perceive the world. In the beginning there was word and the word became man. We read that in the bible. In the financial world, word is the most important thing to understand. Word makes or breaks business. Word makes or breaks contracts. Word brings millions into ones account or words take out just the same million. 

In the political structures, you will find word as just as important as it is in the financial world. I took a lot of time trying to define the word LEVERAGE in my articles published at Hub Pages, a site where I publish for online income. 

You will find that the world is moving too fast. It’s getting even easier for people to amass greater wealth than before. 

Let me give you an example. It took John D. Rockefeller long time to become a billionaire. Mark Zukerberg became a billionaire whilst in college. Mark understood the power of leverage and used it to his advantage.

Now leverage as defined by self-made millionaire and investor Robert Kiyosaki is doing more with less effort. I add and "getting better results".

Understanding the words and their powers is a leverage it itself for you to become what you dream to have in life. 

Reading is the way forward. It is the bridge that connects you to the knowledge and wisdom you wouldn’t have otherwise found. 

I once had a chat with Professor Yamamotto from Japan, whilst I was a student in College. This is what he said to me ;

“Young man, your word is more powerful than guns; you just have to know how to use it”

There is so much truth is what the prominent professor said. 

I hope this short blog gives you some boost in reading. 

Happy reading and happy learning 

Ian

THE TRUE NATIONAL LEADERS

 

"Let me write the songs of a nation: I don't care who writes the laws." Andrew Fletcher, Scottish Politician

 

When he first took office I used to hear news about Governor Powes Parkop's vision to clean the city and the people's mindsets by the year 2012. That year is coming to an end now. How have we fared? Have we changed? He posed the question to a workshop of certain middle level bureaucrats: "How do we get people to change their mindsets and attitude?" Indeed: "HOW?"

 

Mindsets and attitude cannot be legislated or regulated into form. They exist freely of the external things we set up ourselves to control society. The conscience is the freest component of a human person. Inserted and guaranteed by God Himself. I could even say that the freedom of conscience is a freedom more precious than liberty itself. Throughout history and even today people have sacrificed their physical freedom and even the lives to keep their consciences. And the most powerful of people have been those who have been able to permeate people's conscience.

 

Leadership, I heard from Myles Munroe, is the ability to influence human behaviour. Human behaviour is a product of the human conscience. Leadership is therefore the ability to influence the human conscience to such an extent as it affects human behaviour.

All these considered, I have concluded who the REAL leaders of this nation are. They are not the Prime Ministers, the Members of Parliament, or the nation's top bureaucrats. They are not the ones who possess power or control over vast amounts of money or land, or people. They are not those who have many wives and massive wealth; or who drive successful businesses and expensive vehicles.

 

For me the true leaders are smaller people. They probably live with relatives because they can't afford rentals. Maybe they make their homes in settlements. They possibly have small blue-collar jobs that they struggle through every day. But they are famous people. Known and loved by many who share the same everyday experiences as they do. They are the local songwriters, singers, poets, writers and the storytellers. But I'll focus on the songwriters and singers because that segment of the arts has more dominion in PNG than the story-telling, books and poetry.

 

The majority of this nation listens to music and song every day. And songs have the ability to stick and continually play in the minds of people. The words, aided by music, can seep easily into our sub-conscience, shaping the mindset without us even knowing it. When we constantly listen to the same thing we usually end up believing it—without even making a conscious decision to start believing. Sooner or later we start living out the kind of beliefs transmitted by the songs. Our behaviour is affected.

 

Human behaviour is shaped by what we constantly hear, see and read—by what is constantly communicated to us. Politicians can deliver speeches once in a while but their words do not dwell in our minds and hearts as much as songs and music. Hence politicians, despite having the authority to make laws and the macro-decisions for the country, do not have much influence on the people's behaviour. That privilege (or responsibility) lies with our song-writers and singers.

The problem however, is that much of our popular local songs are full of negative themes such as self-pity and regret, low self-esteem, loss of hope ("I give up") etc. They are un-inspiring and narrow-minded. They stimulate fleeting desires that can never be satisfied.

 

Such songs that carry words such as "mi pipia blong pipia blong pipia", "maski mi rabis man mi simel tinpis". Or "save-kad nogat save", "skul-pepa blong yu skul-pepa nating", or "wai na mama karim mi?" or "mi bai stap na raun wabo", limit our ability to dream and aspire for great things or greatness. They remove our ability to look beyond our current limitations—beyond the immediate.

 

One song that has been very influential (to my utter disgust) is Skwatas hit Take Me to Parardise. This song opens with the phrase "Wik i kam pinis em wikend nau taim bilong kisim wara wantaim ol poroman". Those words, and the phrase "I'm living for the weekend", reinforce within young people that life has no ultimate meaning or everlasting joy, but if we compound our pleasures every weekend—by taking alcohol, dancing away and picking up a one-night stand—we may salvage some happiness. This is a dangerous message. Yet this song is (was) a hit with very young children who had yet to cement a proper outlook of life.

 

Then there's Tania's song Trupla Man. I once watched a TV program showcasing Tania promoting her album and that song to hundreds of kids mostly below the age of 13. Some kids (possibly aged between 7 and 10) were called to the stage and sang the chorus brilliantly: "Trupla man, wokobaut long bikpla nait. Painim mi. Em orait. Mi save long ting ting blong yu!..." (translation: "A real man. Walks in the dead of the night looking for me. That's fine. I know what you're thinking") One phrase goes "Mi tu mi man na mi gat bulut na mi nidim presens blong yu..." ("I'm human too. I got feelings (hormones) and I need you").  I thought to myself "what the heck!" These kids are singing along without a clue as to what Tania's intent was (I doubt Tania herself knew). Very early a mentality is being imbedded into their sub-conscience. That is, if your body desires something, get out there and do what it takes to satisfy your body. And if you do so you are a "trupla man" (real man)!

 

Songs such as these are dangerous to our society. They summon up energies and curiosities within children and young people before they built strong foundations from which they can properly direct such energy. They lack a message of hope, peace, unity and other positive themes that could energise Papua New Guineans to do the right thing. Yes we do have some of those songs ringing through the air but they're significantly outnumbered by the negatives. Songs with such words are not just harmless music and entertainment. They shape human thought. They shape the conscience. They shape culture.

 

If there are songwriters out there reading this, you have more power than you know. Use it well. And for politicians, if you'd like to regain some of your lost power from the singers and songwriters, I'd recommend that you ban the so many negatively-charged songs that infiltrate almost every young heart every single day in Papua New Guinea.

If we are to have a positive society with a positive culture we have to change the things that shape the minds that shape the behaviour of the people that shape our society.

Heavenise Week!

 

Ganjiki

--

Ganjiki

"INSPIRING PASSION"

 

http://ppngtokauttokstret.blogspot.com/ 

PNG BOOKCLUB REACHES 4000!!

Awesome!! CONGRATULATIONS & THANK YOU to all you bookworms for adding your friends to this beginning of PNG's READING REVOLUTION!

It's been great seeing all the post discussing books and authors, searching for books, etc. And seeing the enthusiasm in book-swaps and exchanges etc.

The Admin and Committee are grateful and encouraged and believe now more than ever that PNGeans will begin to think deeply and act differently because they'd be reading more often now.

Thanks Yaku for adding the 4000th member of PNG BC.

God Bless and Heavenise Day!!

Ganjiki