Book Summary: A Field Guide to Lies and Statistics by Daniel Levitin

Some points to take away from this book.

- Ecological fallacy and Exception fallacy
- Result of samples to represent population : Margin of error, confidence level
- Selecting sample to be representative of the population : random, strata
- Sampling bias
- Defintion: whether it is acceptable and reasonable eg. What defines as homeless
- Probability, bayers theorem
- Counter knowledge
- Inductive or Deductive
- Converse error

Overall, it's an enjoyable book especially with the examples on Ecological fallacy or 'tricks' that people can play with statistics. Nowadays when data driven decision is necessary, it is good to know and be aware.

Book Summary: Tiny Leaps Big Changes by Greg Clunis

This book is about setting goals as well.
Read it in March and April when I was still setting or firming up my goals. Could be useful. But again, knowing it won't help. Doing it, you will see the results.

Set a clear goals, behavior modification
6 steps to personal change
- Inspiration
- Exploring options
- <missed it>
- Discovery
- Tiny leap (Execution :taking the small actions to change day to day)
- Repeat!

(How to start?)
Inertia : It is hard to get it started. But once it's started, it is easier to continue or carry on.
(How to continue?)
Pick a goal with a Why that is Personal, has emotional weight, easy to reinforce
(Are the behaviors in line to achieve goals)
Performing an audit on your behaviours

Consistently monitor your goal progress

Define what is success (SMART)

Break down goals into subgoal

Book Summary: Awake the Giant Within

It's a book about setting goals that is meaningful to youself and how to stay on track with your goals. It's summed up in 6 Steps.

1. Power of decision
2. New actions to realize it
3. Make decision often
4. Learn from your decision
5. Stay committed to your decision
6. Enjoy making the decision
- Fully committed decision
- Use pain and pleasure and not let pain and pleasure use you
- change and understand the association of pain and pleasure with your decision
- Focus on consequences of belief

1. Decide what you really want. What is stopping you.
2. Get leverage. Must do right now. Create a sense of urgency. Ask yourself pain inducing question if you are not changing. Then, ask yourself what are  pleasure you get if you are changing.
3. Interrupt your own pattern. Do something different.
4. Create a new and empowering alternative. To ensure change is lasting
5. Condition the new pattern till it is consistent. Else, you get back to the old pattern. Set a schedule for the behavior. Link pleasure to the new habit. Reward yourself once you reach a milestone.
6. New behavior fits into the core belief. Checking points: Pain is associated with the old pattern. Notice that you link pleasure to new pattern. Consistent with my values. Change is long term, condition is effective.
7. Set goals
Personal development goals
economic, career,
Adventure goals: do, create, places like to go,
Contribute goals:

Find your 1 year goal and Write the compelling reason why you want to do.

So I had pinned down all of my goals (1 and 3 years) Just do it!

Overall, this is a short book but concise. It also emphasise on NOT just listening or reading this book, you have to DO it.

Investing in Property - Bad tenant experience

Signed a 2 years lease with a tenant who broke it after 2 months..
One lesson to learn is not to give in with regards to the security deposit.
This time, I only took 1 month rather than the usual 2 months for a 2 years lease..
Actually I had a bad feeling when I was thinking about it.
Should have thought through more rather than rushing in when there were other people asking..

Never do it with a company that is new..

I didn't want to go to court since my loss of income is not too big.
Heard it takes months..

But nonetheless hope I could get a tenant soon. Hopefully by end of this month.
Pray hard. A good and friendly tenant please.

and please get back my keys...