Stuff Matters: Exploring the Marvelous Materials That Shape Our Man-Made World

Author: Mark Miodownik

Genre: Non-fiction, Science

Rating: 4/5

Verdict: Very awe-inspiring book on the science behind the common things and materials without which we cannot imagine our daily life. 

After reading an array of self help and personal development books, I was very bored and my mind was overloaded with information from those books and I wanted to switch tracks and listen to something interesting and fun to learn about. This book was a perfect antidote to that and I simply loved it. 

It if a very well written book that keeps the reader so engaged with stories around each material we use in daily life and it is like having a conversation with the author. The stories shared by the author were very entertaining and even though this is a science book, the author kept it at just the right level of information without going too deep into the internals which made it very interesting to read and easy to understand. My favorite chapters were about chocolate and graphite. I look at paper around me and the plate that I eat in very differently now. 

I am glad I chose to read this book. It was a fascinating read and I can't wait to read other books by this author. 

Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us

Author: Daniel H. Pink

Genre: Self help, personal development

Rating: 3/5

Verdict: Not many new insights, but a good refresher on the intrinsic motivation mindset. 

This was a quick and easy read. It is pretty concise, the first two chapters were slightly longwinded but after that the author gets straight to the point. What drives some people to perform without external rewards and how those external rewards can in fact be detrimental?

The chapters on intrinsic vs extrinsic motivation was very interesting to read. To me personally, this has always been a very intriguing question and topic of discussion. On many occasions, I have found myself in the intrinsic motivated category when I do a task, for example, I can sit for hours in one place and paint and many a times I have wondered what is it that motivates me to sustain that long? The author explains that intrinsic drive comes from the satisfaction obtained from doing the task itself rather than the result from it. People with intrinsic drive enjoy the process as much as if not more than the results. 

It was also very interesting to read about Type X and Type I people and how the different characteristics can help distinguish them. Autonomy, Purpose and Mastery are the key factors in attaining the intrinsic drive and satisfaction. 

For people who have read the books of Carol Dweck, Peter Drucker and the likes, this book would be a repeat. Overall, a good and short read.