Mind Blogging. Mind Boggling.

This is a book by an elite Cyclist, Tyler Hamilton, who raced alongside and competed with Lance Armstrong. It's an explosive tell-all whistleblower tale, and in that way unlike anything I've ever read before. My only other such experience was probably the movie Citizen Four, which was about Edward Snowden.  

The author shows how doping was rampant and also 'table stakes' in the world of elite cycling. It truly was a cat and mouse game- the cyclists carefully outwitting the testing agency and testing processes. It would have been so sad- a young cyclist coming up the ranks, but then, once he reaches the upper echelons he confronts reality . Tyler H is brave, in that he is speaking up so openly about his misdemeanors and also the woes of his personal life. He is also 'ratting' on his very 'brotherhood', which would take some doing.  The book goes into detail of the minute logistics that was involved in the entire doping operation. It is disturbing to see the abuse that the cyclists put their bodies to, to just compete. Gory is not an understatement, for some of the illegal acts they undertake. Once you set your mind on winning, or reaching a milestone, one can go to incredible lengths.   

This is a complete circle on the journey of my blog on the subject of Lance Armstrong. He has featured thrice in the past: 

Posts touching on the subject of Lance Armstrong 

In 2006, I read the book "It's not about the bike" by Lance Armstrong. I got extremely inspired. The effect was immediate and visceral- I put the book down and immediately went for an adrenalin pumped half hour fast cycling ride on my 18 gear bicycle .

In 2008, when I was in a situation where I was 'forced' to pick my idol, I chose Lance Armstrong.  

Then in 2016, when I was talking about Fallen Gods, I mentioned Lance Armstrong.  One has to diversify their heroes or idols. Just like stocks- one of them might plunge to absymal depths!

And now, in 2022, I got to know the entire inside story through this book. 

Well, 'It's not about the bike' produced a visceral call to action- Go out and get on your bike. That seemed like such a positive message. But then, the reality that came afterwards, teaches you to be a bit skeptical. The reality, and the stories of this book, tells you to treat real life stories with some care. This book does not inspire you to get on your bike. How ironical. How geared we are to believe in one kind of story. "The hero's journey", as codified by Joseph Campbell. 

The departure: The hero leaves the familiar world behind - Lance leaves the world of professional cycle racing because he falls sick.   

The initiation:  The hero navigates the unfamiliar world- Lance learns to get back to the circuit

The return:  : The hero returns to the familiar world- Lance returns as a hero to the world of professional cycle racing. 

As a society, we tend to be happy to start toasting success. Early social media is an example- everyone sharing their success stories or carefully manicured happy moments. The book also made me think about the 'costs' of winning. The 'winning' is celebrated publicly, but often the costs are hidden from the public eye. I will end with my favorite quote from the book: "The person who finishes at the back is often more courageous than the one who wins" 

Labels: Books

# posted by Ashwin Ravikumar @ 10:43 PM 0 Comments

A very different British 'espionage' or 'intelligence services' writing, considering that a lot of exposure I and many people have had on the genre, are John Le Carre and Frederick Forsyth. This book is highly irreverent, whereas the Forsyth's and the Le Carre's are highly reverent of the processes and mannerisms of the Services and those within. The book is filled with brutal realities of those in the intelligence services since it's replete with blundering lay-people, instead of the heroic (Forsyth) or calculative (Le Carre). Lastly, it's filled with chaotic happenings rather than the careful origami-like unfolding plots of the Forsyths and the Le Carres. 

The sardonic humor is among the best I've come across, and the book is full of amazing office quips. It can be deployed in your office if you want to vitiate or spoil the atmosphere. People fear a 'toxic' workplace, and this book is a guide towards creating that! 

1

He slurped some tea, and scowled. 'That's gunna taste better coming back up. 

'The teabags are very old'.  

2

He might a well be wearing an emergency exit sign. Soon as it's necessary, you'll go straight through him. 

3

I have better things to do than to debrief entry level spooks. My lunch won't eat itself. 

As you can see from the above 3 examples, the book is packed with sardonic and toxic office quips. One per page, atleast. In some ways, the writing also feels like Noir detective fiction, with the fantastic dialogue and the weak government or justice system.  Thus, it's Noir Spy- a new genre I've never come across. I've only come across Noir Detective (The Big Sleep) or Noir Action (Sin City).   

I thought the plot was not too taut, and rambles at times. However, it did have my attention. 

Apart from just the plot and the humour, there are some broader points that the book makes that are in keeping with the political times we live in.  In a democracy, in case the elected person is not competent enough, there can be a power grab by the non-elected. Which is a dangerous situation because the non-elected are not answerable to the public. In such a scenario, if incompetent people are appointed to key positions, foreign unfriendly powers can easily outwit these people and get 'leverage' on the incompetent or the 'unelected' members. For example, these folks may fall for honeytraps, which is the 101 trick for getting leverage, which a competent veteran would not fall for. Further, the incompetents or the non-elected appointees will want to profit in the short term through contracts etc, and thus undermine long term institutions and processes such as civil service or courts. Many of the good people might be forced out or might leave in frustration, and so even after the bad period ends, the institutions are set back a few years due to the loss of key personnel or weakening of key processes.   

John Le Carre passed away recently, and I read that he had almost completed the manuscript of his last book. The work was completed by his son. That book is in my reading list, on this genre. 

Labels: Books

# posted by Ashwin Ravikumar @ 9:22 PM 0 Comments

 It's 5 fold, but it's called 'Decka'. 

It's the answer to give to plainspeople, when they ask - 'Trek pe kya "dekha"'? Decka dekha. 

1. Discipline (Wake up at 5 30, however cold it is. Clean the utensils) 

2. Endurance : (Physical & Mental endurance , for example at Devsu Thatch of the Har Ki dun trek. To go beyond the path (eg: monkeying around boulders during breaks)) 

3. Community (Connect with fellow journeymen to make the ride enjoyable. Strike the right balance between solitude and socializing)

4. Kindness (Simple stuff like pour out the water for others, and encouraging others on the trail)

5. Appreciation of beauty (Take time to stop and stare for example at the swirling waters on the river or the moonshine glowing on the snow capped peak)

Written in the aftermath of the wondrous Har Ki Dun trek: Gushing river, tricking streams, crystal clear waters, multicolored vegetation, lofty peaks, persistent rain, tough endurance, freezing cold, beautiful people.  

# posted by Ashwin Ravikumar @ 8:52 PM 0 Comments