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Exploring Delhi's Most Vibrant Neighbourhood: What to Do in Hauz Khas Village
Hauz Khas Village – also known as "HKV" or, simply, "The Village" – is a neighbourhood that epitomises Delhi's dynamism, vibrancy, and diversity. On the one hand, this area, south of the city center, offers centuries-old monuments ranging from 15th century tombs to a historic madrasa.
The striking Hauz Khas complex © MVorobiev/iStock
On the other hand, it has also been labelled as the city's most vibrant neighbourhood, thanks to a recent flowering of art galleries, concept stores and boutiques, destination restaurants and late-night bars. For those wondering what to do in Hauz Khas Village, our only counsel is to discover both sides of this thrilling district – it's the perfect way to experience Delhi old and new.
No trip to HKV would be complete without visiting the landmarks that made this southern district a destination in the first place. Begin with a trek around the gorgeous Hauz Khas Complex. Dating to the 13th century, the historic area includes a mosque, tombs, and other medieval structures that are incredibly picturesque.
These striking landmarks are centuries old © Manish Vohra/Flickr
For those after a breath of fresh air after braving Delhi's crowded streets, the complex is also home to a tranquil reservoir (or "Royal Tank" – the meaning of "Hauz Khas") that was recently restored to its antique glory. Don't miss the chance to go on a soothing stroll around this oasis, and in the neighbouring Deer Park.
The reservoir from which Hauz Khas derives its name © Manish Vohra/Flickr
Once you've tackled these cultural essentials, don't wind up your exploring early. Also high on a list of what to do in Hauz Khas Village is a visit to the Delhi Art Gallery, whose striking collection includes many masterpieces of 20th century Indian art.
Hauz Khas Village is nothing if not a playground for food and drink lovers, and its many restaurants and bars encourage wide sampling (or multiple visits). First, begin with a strong cup of coffee. The eclectic Kunzum Travel Café attracts wanderers with its java as well as its live performances, walking tours and other events.
Hauz Khas Village is full of cool cafes © TARIK KIZILKAYA/iStock
Haus Khas Social, a café-cum-restaurant-cum-co-working space, is another popular stop for the latte-sipping set, though its expansive menu also includes everything from breakfasty bites to burgers. And if that doesn't sate you, wander over to The Toddy Shop for a vibrant taste of Keralan cooking, ranging from curried prawns to Malabar-style biryani.
After that, you're ready for a night out (something which Hauz Khas Village is especially deft at). ELF Café & Bar is one popular local stop for cocktails and a high-energy atmosphere.
But beyond the parties and the art, no list of what to do in Hauz Khas Village would leave out the shopping. Begin your retail tour at the Lovebirds boutique – a stylish local label that's known for its drapery and vibrant fabrics. And for the gentleman with taste, a stop at Lacquer Embassy is a must for natty suits, bowties, and other tasteful accessories.
As you wander, don't miss the neighbourhood's colorful scenery © Weldon Kennedy/Flickr
No matter what you decide to call it, then, it's clear – Hauz Khas Village should earn a place on your next Delhi itinerary.


For centuries, people gazing at the sky after sunset could see thousands of vibrant, sparkling stars.But[41], you'll be lucky if you can view the Big Dipper.
The culprit: electric beams pouring from homes and street lamps, whose brightness[42]the night sky.In the U.S., the so-called light pollution has gotten so bad that, by one estimate, 8 out of 10 children born today will never[43]a sky dark enough for them to see the Milky Way.
There is hope, however, in the form of astrotourism, a small but growing industry centered on[44]in the world's darkest places.These remote sites, many of them in national parks, offer stunning views for little more than the cost of a campsite.And the people who run them often work to reduce light pollution in surrounding communities—asking towns to[45]their street lamp, for example, or urging residents to draw their blinds.
The ozone layer is a region in Earth's stratosphere that contains high concentrations of a bluish gas called ozone.Although ozone constitutes only about one-millionth of the[46]gases, it absorbs most of the sun's ultraviolet radiation.Without the ozone layer, this radiation would destroy all life on the surface of the planet.Ultraviolet radiation creates and perpetuates ozone.Because an ozone molecule is struck by an ultraviolet ray, it falls apart,[47]free oxygen.An oxygen atom can combine with another free oxygen to[48]more ozone, and this cycle absorbs most UV radiation.
Some manufactured chemicals interfere with this cycle, thus reducing the amount of ozone in the stratosphere.Among the worst offenders are chlorofluorocarbons(CFCs), usually found in refrigerants and aerosol sprays and now generally[49]due to their harmful effects.Falling ozone levels have caused a thinning of the ozone layer above Antarctica,[50]the ozone hole.The Antarctic ozone hole has increased dramatically in size over the past two decades.A smaller hole over the Arctic is now developing.
The answer is simple: genetically changed plants are[44]the same as the original ones.Think of somethinglike GE tomatoes.They may be larger and juicier, but they may contain DNA from plants such as nuts or even from animals such as fish.Opponents of GE foods say that the great[45]is for people allergic to substances such as nuts or fish.That tasty tomato could cause an allergic reaction—possibly even death for someone with severe allergies.Yet a person with allergies might never know that the tomato contained the substance.
An old proverb says that "Necessity is the mother of invention." But if you look at real-life stories of technology, you'll see that not all inventions were planned.Some of them were accidents!
In the 1940s, a scientist named Percy Spencer was working to develop radar systems for the U.S.military.One day, in his laboratory, he noticed that a chocolate bar in his pocket had gotten very soft and melted even though it wasn't hot in the room.He was standing next to a machine called a magnetron.Quickly, he did an experiment, putting some kernels of corn next to the magnetron.In a minute, he had popcorn.And that was how the microwave oven was invented.
"Accidental inventions" have been happening for a long time.In 1839, a salesman was experimenting with a newproduct from Brazil called rubber.It could be used to make erasers, but it melted at high temperatures, and broke when it was cold.The inventor tried mixing it with different chemicals, but nothing worked until he accidentally dropped it on a hot stove.Heat made the rubber strong and flexible.Thanks to Charles Goodyear's accident, we now have rubber tires for our cars, and rubber soles for our shoes.
(A)He lived in Brazil.(C)He was a salesperson.(B)He invented rubber.(D)He majored in chemistry.
(A)By giving a definition.(C)By providing examples.(B)By presenting contrasts.(D)By describing its origins.
(A)Before scientists succeed, they meet with a lot of accidents. (B)When people need something, they will find a way to do it. (C)Inventors usually have difficulty getting fresh inspiration. (D)Not all technological advances are made through careful plans.
Researchers have pointed out that it is important to know one's blood type.When Harvard scientists 46 more than two decades of data on more than 77,000 people, they found that people with type AB blood had a 23 percent increased risk for heart disease compared to people with type O blood.47 with type B blood had an 11 percent higher risk and people with type A blood had 5 percent greater risk of heart disease.Researchers aren't sure 48 , though.But they posit that type A blood is associated with LDL cholesterol and that type O blood, 49 is associated with reduced risk, may contain a chemical that boosts blood flow and prevents clots.However, researchers are quick to point out that lifestyle factors 50 weight, smoking, and diet,which, unlike blood type, are modifiable and have a much greater impact on heart disease.
Ever since he was little, Larry had been fascinated by balloons and fantasized about using them to fly.When he was 33, he decided to[46]his dream come true.He bought an aluminum garden chair, 42 weather balloons and an air gun to shoot the balloons when he was ready to land.He also got a parachute, just[47].Larry planned to fly 483 kilometers across the Mojave Desert.He tied the chair down with ropes and attached the helium-filled balloons to it.Then, he sat down in the chair with his gun and parachute.He was ready to go.When Larry's friends untied one rope,[48], the other rope broke, and Larry and his chair rose rapidly into the sky.He ascended much more quickly and much higher than he had expected.Before he knew it, he was 5,000 meters above the ground.The trip wasn't turning out the way Larry had planned.He was high up in the sky[49]the air was thin and cold.Shivering with cold, Larry decided to[50], but he couldn't because he had dropped his gun during his ascent.All he could do was float wherever the wind took him.When he finally floated down, the ropes holding the balloons became tangled in some power lines, and the chair hung just two meters above the ground.Larry was able to climb down unhurt, but the tangled ropes caused a twenty-minute power blackout in the neighborhood.
Taiwan's blue sand or blue tear is a phenomenon 38 along the coasts of Taiwan's outlying islands caused by sea sparkle that lives under the sea.As indicated by the name of the species, it is known as a sea firefly that will[39]a light when being disturbed.These sea fireflies like to gather along the coast because it provides them with a rich source of food supply.And when they gather and produce lights from their bodies, they can really[40]the tides into different colors such as red, green, or blue.For instance, the blue sand or blue tear phenomenon can be seen in many places around the world.In Taiwan, it can be viewed in Kenting, the coast lines in Hualien and Taitung[41]on several outlying islands.The most widespread blue sand so far has been spotted on Mazu islands in April 2014.The best season to visit the sight is in late spring and early summer, between April and May, but its occurrence will also[42]the wind.As narrated by one of the witnesses, one of the signs for the appearance of the blue sand is that the sea will start to turn dark a few days before it actually happens.No matter what it is, seeing the sight of blue sand is really one of the rare moments in our life.
While many studies have been undertaken to study the impact of consuming coffee on our health, researchers have just administered the first study that analyzes the effects of coffee's aroma.For many people, the morning coffee is just the thing to wake up the dormant brain cells and to put the body in gear.However, according to the 25th issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, the smell of coffee also has a comparable, if not more, effect on our body, diminishing the impact of sleep deprivation.At least, that's what researchers have found in rats.
Rats that suffered from insomnia, or inability to sleep, were exposed to the smell of coffee.Coffee aroma successfully activated seventeen different genes in their brains; among them, thirteen were known to produce proteins that protect nerve cells from the damaging impact of stress or tension.So, what is the implication of this finding for those people who were stressed by lack of sleep and/or need to stay up late?Well, maybe they do not have to shell out 100 NT dollars for a venti-sized latte to get some of their genes activated in their brains and/or to ease the impact of sleeplessness resulting from tension.All they need to do is to walk to a coffee shop around the corner and get a sniff of coffee.
(A)Coffee has no effect on insomnia.(B)The smell of coffee helps reduce tension. (C)Coffee helps keep doctors away.(D)Caffeine is harmless.
(A)In transition.(B)In transit.(C)In motion.(D)In time.
(A)Coffee aroma may have a damaging effect on our nerve cells. (B)Sniffing coffee also helps in awaken our body. (C)Researchers have failed to find any effect of coffee aroma on insomnia patients. (D)Coffee aroma is prescribed by doctors to cure insomnia.
Most people value efficiency because it allows us to get more of what we want from the means at our disposal.The free market often[43]efficiency.Producers compete with one another to provide goods and services of greater quality at lower prices.A lower price typically represents a smaller[44]not only on our individual financial resources, but also on the resources of the planet.For example, telephone communication with fiber optics is cheaper than with copper wire, and it is cheaper at least in part because[45]takes up less space and uses more readily available materials.The lower price corresponds to reduced environmental impact.Free market competition within the profit-oriented telecommunication industry[46]efficiencies that benefit both customers and ecosystems.Long distance rates keep coming down.
However, this logic does not work with public goods, such as clean air and water.These are goods that no one owns individually, so no one has a financial[47]to use them efficiently.They tend to be wasted unless society imposes regulations, such as required pollution permits, which make degradation costly.
Dyslexia, also referred to as "specific reading disability,"predominantly affects a person's ability to read and write.Dyslexics have difficulty connecting[48]symbols(i.e., letters)with their corresponding sounds.Many people who suffer from dyslexia also have trouble with enunciation, organization, and short-term memory.Dyslexia is the most common learning disability in children.It is not related to intellectual ability, vision, or access[49]education.Approximately 5-10 percent of school-age children in North America suffer from the condition, with each case[50]in severity.Children are generally diagnosed with dyslexia during the elementary school years when they are learning how to read and spell.
He stared at the boy and considered asking him why he looked so sad but hesitated because he thought it might sound[41].He knew that sometimes people who were sad didn't want to be asked about it; sometimes they'd[42]the information themselves, and sometimes they wouldn't stop talking about it for months on end, but on this[43]Bruno thought that he should wait before saying anything.
Fifteen-year-old Sebastian Clover arrived in Antigua early yesterday morning.Clover, a high school student from the UK, sailed across the Atlantic Ocean without anyone else's[44].Waiting to meet him at the harbor were his parents, a band of musicians, and the Governor-General of Antigua and Barbuda.Sebastian's journey began on December 19.He sailed his boat from the Canary Islands and arrived in Antigua and Barbuda on January 12.How was the trip?For Clover, the high point was seeing whales and dolphins.But sometimes it was[45]being alone on the boat—especially in bad weather.It was also hard to eat well.Clover[46]ate snacks because it was difficult to cook.It was an amazing trip, but Sebastian also admits he's glad to be back on land!
In late 1960s, electricity had just been brought into a village in Nigeria where a friend and his family were living.Each family got a single light in its hut: a real sign of progress.The trouble was that at night, though they had nothing to read and many of them did not know how to read, the families would sit in their huts in awe of this wonderful symbol of technology.
The light-bulb watching began to replace the customary nighttime gatherings by the tribal fire,where the tribal storytellers, the elders, would pass along the history of the tribe.The tribe was losing its history in the light of a few electric bulbs.
This story helps to illustrate the difference between scientific management and tribal leadership. Every family, every college, every corporation, every institution needs tribal storytellers.The penalty for failing to listen is to lose one's history, one's historical context, one's binding values.Like the Nigerian tribe, without the continuity brought by custom, any group of people will begin to forget who they are.
(A)Storytelling in the village was replaced by reading. (B)Technology brought happier life to the village, so they had more stories to share. (C)Storytelling was and should be a primary means of conveying history and culture. (D)Storytelling became more popular in Nigeria in late 1960s.
(A)In the world of today's scientific management, we still need tribal leadership. (B)The major function of tribal storytelling today lies in its entertaining effect. (C)If people do not listen to stories about their society and community, they will forget who they are. (D)The tribe was losing its history in the light of a few electric bulbs.


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For the non-African visitor planning a road trip in Namibia, Twyfelfontein pops up as a must-see in the literature, websites, and when talking with other travelers . Home to one of the largest concentrations of rock engravings in Africa, it's the only UNESCO-designated cultural World Heritage Site in Namibia. Yet when I talked to South Africans about where to go or where they'd been, they mentioned Spitzkoppe and Brandberg, both in the same region, but routinely failed to include Twyfelfontein. Brandberg is home to the White Lady, a rock painting of great renown that early scholars believed was influenced by European or Mediterranean ties. More recent scholars concur that, like all the other rock art in the region, there was no European influence. I didn't make it to Brandberg so if you'd like an account from an American woman who did, check out this piece.
Spitzkoppe is the Matterhorn of Africa, so-called because it allegedly resembles the Swiss mountain. I'm not entirely convinced by the reference. Of perhaps more interest than the Matterhorn comparison, Spitzkoppe is home to a beautiful campsite and at least 37 ancient rock art sites. None of the guide books I consulted sold me on Spitzkoppe but my South African traveling companion had her heart set on spending a few nights there. Mine was set on Twyfelfontein. We managed both. In the end, Spitzkoppe wound up one of my favorite spots in Namibia while Twyfelfontein was one of hers.
We approached Spitzkoppe from the West, having woken up on the Skeleton Coast. The day was overcast and we had a few moments of rain throughout the morning. The drive from Henties Bay meant taking D roads all the way. D roads are the least maintained of Namibia's "main" roads; one step up from ungraded farm roads (F or P). Driving a 2WD sedan along such roads is generally not recommended. But if you can tolerate bumpy corrugated gravel and dirt, routinely check and adjust tire pressure, and know how to change a tire, it's manageable. With low clearance, there are some roads best avoided but the D1918 and 1925 were fine when we came through. The drive was, unusually for Namibia, a bit dull. There were no bright red sands in this desert, no lichen to marvel at, and the scenery was monotonous. Until Spitzkoppe and its neighboring peaks appeared.
As we approached, untended tables covered in rocks and minerals popped up along the roadside. When we turned toward Spitzkoppe Campsite, the tables became stalls and children started waving. These were Damara, traditionally makers of glass and metal works, leather goods, and more. The children ran into the road, some dangling necklaces from their outstretched arms, hoping we'd stop for the crafts and stones sold by the women sitting in the shaded stalls. I've encountered countless scenes like this around the world but this one felt more sad than usual. It was low season for tourists in Namibia and few people came through with money to spend. The desperation on these children's faces was striking. I never know how to handle these moments. I don't have a home to which I can take trinkets or crafts nor do I have the space to carry such things. I don't wear much jewelry and even if I did, how could I decide which family to buy from? For better or worse, we drove on, choosing to not stop.
Our home for two nights was Spitzkoppe Campsites. Run by the local community, I at least felt good about supporting area residents by staying there. The site is well run and home to some gorgeous campsites. My only complaint is that a guide is required to visit some of the rock art but none were willing to accompany us on foot. We didn't want to sit in the car with a guide squished in with us. The camp's website and guidebooks state that guided walks and hikes are available but, perhaps because it was low season, we found this not true. So we walked to areas where one can go unaccompanied but quickly grew frustrated at the minimal areas this encompassed. At least we saw the paintings at Little Bushman's Paradise.
The rock art at Spitzkoppe is believed to date back 2,000-4,000 years and the bulk of it is within Bushman's Paradise. Without a guide, we weren't allowed to visit. Regardless, our time at Spitzkoppe was wonderful. A full moon and thick blanket of stars lit the night sky, even after a cloudy sunset. We scrambled around rocks, watched lizards at the rock puddle, marveled at the papery bark of a cyphostemma tree, and reveled at being back in the hot desert after our cold nights on the Skeleton Coast. I can't really explain why Spitzkoppe was such a pleasant surprise for me. Maybe it was the full moon, the lovely outdoor shower after days without washing at the Skeleton Coast, the joy of being back in the desert, the silence and peace of isolation, or something else altogether. Whatever it is, I'm eternally grateful to the South Africans who suggested Spitzkoppe.
Our visit to Twyfelfontein should have been a day or two after Spitzkoppe but a flat tire on our way out of Spitzkoppe caused us to reroute. For anyone traveling that way, consider yourself warned: the D1930 between Spitzkoppe and Uis is a terrible road with large, sharp rocks. It's little-used so if your car breaks down, be prepared to wait overnight for help. Also, let air out of your tires when you reach really bad roads like the D1930. Ask locals for guidance on what your tire pressure should be for a given road then make your own call based on your car and the weight it's carrying. Ok, public service announcement complete. Moving on.
Rock engravings are the main draw for Twyfelfontein and they did not disappoint. Ranging in age from 2,000 to 6,000 years old, the engravings are credited to the San hunter-gatherers (a/k/a Bushmen). Some may be maps, showing the location of waterholes. Others might constitute ancient chalkboards for educating children about the animals, their footprints, mating patterns, and more. One, a lion with a long tail and a human hand at the end thereof, represents a shaman.
Visiting the rock art at Twyfelfontein requires hiring a local guide and is done on foot. The site is well-organized with footpaths, staircases, and viewing platforms that get visitors closer to the engravings.
Spending two nights in the Twyfelfontein area gave us time to see desert elephants, walk to the Organ Pipes and Burnt Mountain, take long walks (or, in the case of my traveling companion, runs), and chat with the young team running the campsite we stayed in. It was here on a solo walk that I first saw a young springbok spronking. The height the young buck got with each leap was incredible. The Organ Pipes are columns of dolorite, likely formed 120 million years ago. Burnt Mountain is basically a mound of black shale. Apparently if the sun hits it just right, it looks as though it's on fire. We tried to catch the late afternoon light, alleged to produce that effect, but were a hair too late. Regardless, the spongy ground was fun to walk on and spotting Welwitschia plants was an unexpected pleasure.
Twyfelfontein is deservedly on the international tourist trail in Namibia. The rock art is well-preserved and easily observed once you survive the gravel roads. Desert adapted elephants like those we saw can, I'm told, almost always be seen in the area. It didn't have the same je ne sais quoi for me that Spitzkoppe did but I highly recommend a visit. If time allows, put both on your itinerary!


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Today I'm thrilled to have Kai Klement on the show. Kai is someone who reached out to me with an incredible story and I knew that I needed to have him on the podcast.
Kai and his partner Jorg(yerg) are the co-founders of Kavaj (kavai), an internationally top-selling leather case manufacturer for phones and tablets. They've sold over 500,000 cases generating over 17 million in revenue.
They both started out as former Amazon employees with zero knowledge of manufacturing, or product creation and ended up creating this awesome ipad and phone case company. Enjoy the interview!
Kai's motivations for starting his business.
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Steve: Welcome to the My Wife Quit Her Job Podcast, today I'm thrilled to have Kai Klement on the show. Now Kai is someone who reached out to me with an incredible story, and I knew that I needed to have him on the podcast. So Kai and his partner Joerg are the co-founders of Kavaj, an internationally top selling leather case manufacturer for phones and tablets.
Now they've sold over 500,000 cases generating over 90 million in revenue on a span of about four years. Now they both started out as former Amazon employees with zero knowledge of manufacturing product creation, and they ended up creating this awesome iPad and phone case company, and with that welcome to the show Kai how are you doing today man?
Kai: Thank you very much for the nice introduction Steve, I'm very well thank you, how are you?
Steve: I'm very good; I'm really excited to hear your story here. So give us the quick background story about Kavaj, how you kind of came up with selling genuine leather cases online?
Kai: Yeah, it's very easy actually, so in 2010 when Apple launched the first iPad, Joerg — he wanted to have one, he was very, very keen on it. And by the time this case was only available in the US and as we founded our company in Germany, so we had to get it somehow. Joerg asked a friend who was a pilot at Lufthansa during the time to get one in New York. And once he had his iPad obviously he needed a case. So we both were looking around, checking out Amazon in particular what was available, because Joerg and he had his dream case already in his mind.
His dream case was a thin genuine leather case. And by the time nothing like this was available online and nothing available on Amazon nor somewhere else. This was like the turning point, then we thought okay let's do it. We will produce our own case and we — yeah first we do it for us, and then second we do it for everyone else, because there was nothing around we liked. So it's like the story how we came up with the idea.
Steve: It was — your primary motivation was because Joerg was looking for an iPad case?
Kai: Exactly, this is a private motivation, so it's the passion for — we needed first ourselves and then yeah let's do it.
Steve: Were you guys both working at Amazon at the time?
Kai: Yes, exactly this was the background, we both we used to work Amazon before we started Kavaj and yeah.
Steve: So did you start this while working on Amazon, or were there any rules about that?
Kai: Yes, exactly we started while we were working there; obviously it was not allowed like to build your company besides working there. So we did it like everyone else was doing it, who has this entrepreneurs [inaudible 00:05:19] like we used a company which was led by my wife, and then we were kind of advisors for her obviously we were running it all.
Steve: This first case was not leather though, right?
Steve: So before we get into like the product creation, I was just a little bit curious since you mentioned that you formerly worked at Amazon, did working there actually help you guys at all, and what did you learn from Amazon that kind of gave you the courage, or helped you sell this product?
Kai: Yeah, definitely it helped us. This was our idea in the first place to get into cooperate business for 2 or 3 years in order to learn as much as possible about business, about running businesses. And one of the most important things I think we learned even while working at Amazon is like to be so customer focused is one of the key factors of your success. Like this was the first reason in the first place I used to work for Amazon because I was such a happy customer.
Okay, I said, I have to work for this company because they are so customer centric. And while working there we recognized they really lived this kind of customer philosophy also internally. Every project, everything is like, on the top as the customer. If you have a reason why the customer will love this or will hate this, we will always get the project through management.
Steve: Okay, but in terms of any sort of insights and contacts inside of Amazon to help you launch, did you guys take advantage of anything like that?
Steve: Oh why is that?
Kai: Because like all the people we used to work with, they said, okay, they know everything; they don't need an account manager. So basically — imagine obviously we had the advantage to see all the internal figures, internal data of other people or other sellers working there.
Steve: Sure, I was just wondering if you guys got by like sat around the water cooler and saying, hey, these leather cases are really hot, we need to get into that, because you have access to that data.
Kai: But there are a lot of products we have access to, but as I said it's not the access to data or the information that's really the use of it and really doing it.
Steve: Okay, so let's start from the beginning then with your cases, you just mentioned to me earlier that you didn't start out with a leather case; you started out by testing something, a plain old case. So was this just a generic case that you sourced from China or something like that?
Kai: Exactly, we started out with a simple plastic case we sourced on Alibaba, because we just each didn't have $1000 and yeah. In order to get enough products, we put the money into the product and then just sourced via Alibaba and via email.
Steve: And what was the purpose of this test because it wasn't anything close to your final product, right?
Steve: Okay, so the logistics basically?
Kai: The logistics, so then the second part was what do we need company wise, which company do we have to establish? What kind of taxes do we have to pay, where? So the second biggest part and the third part obviously was how do we get the product to sell on Amazon. Obviously we had all these figures, but we didn't– yeah, we hadn't been like the seller so far, so we didn't know how did we do this.
Obviously I was in working in this department, so I told people what to do, but I didn't see what they actually did. We built up our own system and like promoting the product and generating traffic and marketing the product, so these 3 big things we basically set up with our test.
Steve: Okay and in that first vendor selling the plastic cases, they weren't the ones that manufacture the leather ones, are they or?
Kai: This is what we recognized, we had one, it wasn't a factory by the time it was an agent on Alibaba.
Kai: When we started our real business with Kavaj we met this agent in China, and recognized we cannot talk, because we only communicated via email so far, and she was not able to talk in English. The boss of the factory of the agency wasn't able to talk English either, so our relationship was finished once we met in person.
Steve: Okay, let's talk about these plastic cases first.
Steve: You listed them on Amazon how did you– it seems like they were just generic cases right that all the other guys were selling as well, so how did you get rid of those, or how did you move those in the first place?
Kai: Exactly, it was a generic case, we just proto did a simple generic name on it and RAR14, and then we listed the product. The first one we did is really we listed the product, we optimized like the whole product detail page.
Kai: And we named all these information which are for free on Amazon on the detail page, first the title, the bullet points, the product description, the search key words, and the images is one of the most important parts, is the images. This is where we really had like the lack of founding a company very early, because we tried to find someone who took images like for our budget. We emailed 20 people around our city in Munich, and they all offered us images of like $1000.
It's a very high price for one, the shooting of high professional images. The other day one guy came back with a really cheap like $200 offer, and we first couldn't believe it and in the end it was really a very professional photographer who used 2 or who's doing photos for BMW and all these big machines, and he said he really like our inquiry. He was starting a business also like 30 years ago, and he decided to help us out if we come back again. He wanted to test our inquiry if we were serious about it.
Kai: Then we got to him and we got really high, very, very high quality images, and I would say this is one of the key elements on Amazon. If you have really high professional images, you are way better than a lot of other of your competitors.
Steve: From what I understand you stood out from the rest of the park because of your product photos at the time?
Steve: This is probably almost 10 years ago then right or no not that long?
Kai: No it's like 6 years ago I would say.
Steve: 6 years ago, okay.
Kai: Yes 6 or 6 ½ years ago we did this, yeah.
Steve: Would that work today like going back and trying to sell a generic case, I'm just curious what your opinion is on that?
Kai: Yeah I think it still would work as a one shot, it still would work with this strategy, because it's something a lot of people are doing like this one shot opportunities in several niches, because Amazon is such a huge market place. It's going like when we used to work there like Amazon had 80 around 88 or something million customers.
Today I just checked the favor it's like they have 295 million customers worldwide. They're just growing this so huge that I would say it would still work, and but what we did after that is what works much better is like to build a brand on Amazon.
Steve: Are you still there?
Steve: The tendency– so you had this one successful product in the beginning which was just like a rebrand of an existing product. How did you decide that that wasn't good enough and that you actually needed to create your own branded product? Because a lot of people will just take that money and they go hey great, let's keep this going?
Kai: People nowadays after 4 years like they really look for our brand and the city combined. Then they find our case, this was of course like by chance, it wasn't really planned out like this well, but now we have experience. We say okay, have you just started? The best way you can do this, build the brand from the start out, think about all your elements you can put into this.
Steve: Just curious, you said you had no practice or any experience, how does one go about designing a leather case from scratch?
Kai: Yeah. This is also pretty simple, because what we did is we took two weeks of our vacation at Amazon, and then we checked out okay, where can we go out to get ideas about a simple and genuine leather thin leather cases, where can we go? Then we checked out the fairs in Hong Kong and in China.
Steve: Did you go to Global Sources also?
Kai: Exactly we went to Canton Fair, Global Sources.
Kai: And where all these suppliers meet 2 times a year and we went there to get ideas, so what was possible, and what exists. Then we met with a couple of– we did like our due diligence with the suppliers. After deciding which supplier would be suitable for us we went to the suppliers, and actually checked out their factories and met with the designers in house, because every factory basically has like the tech guys and designers in house, who are producing their design for the local market usually, and then we just talked as like as I said we wanted the case basically for us for ourselves.
Kai: No, we didn't specify any measurements because for the devices like the iPhone, the iPad, stuff like this, it's all like you cannot change the dimensions, they are all given so to speak.
Steve: That's not what I meant, like if you wanted to put a little pocket on there, did you specify the dimensions, or did you let the designer give you?
Steve: Were you in China the whole time during this iteration, or did you shift things back and forth?
Kai: No, we were during our first order where we were in the first, we were in China all the time, so it was like a very fast process was kind of this, we did this.
Steve: Wow okay. Did you, I'm just curious, did you commit to a large order before they were willing to do this for you, or did they just make these samples for you?
Kai: They made the samples for us before committing to the core [inaudible 00:19:57].
Steve: How much did you have to pay for each sample?
Kai: Nothing actually, because we decided … I think because we tried to build relationships, like really from the start. They also had the feeling, okay these guys are serious. They are here, they ask us for samples which nobody really does in this … Because we would spend, really, hours and then days there. I think they were like also sure that we would definitely buy something if they just deliver what we asked for.
Steve: Yeah. That's just a quick tip for the listeners out there. If you actually go to the fair and meet the vendors face to face, they'll take you a lot more seriously. We found the same thing with our stuff. Clearly that's something that Kai experienced with his case.
Kai: Yeah, definitely, much, much, much more seriously. We're going to China basically 3 to 4 times a year just to foster these relationships, and do it face to face.
quantity for your first design?
Kai: It was always 500 for every design.
Steve: Okay. Did you start out with one particular model? Was it just for iPad and when did you decide to branch out to some of the other devices?
Kai: Yeah, this Steve actually was one big mistake we made, because we actually knew that we had to focus on a few models or a few designs in order to be successful, but once we were there in China, we took vacations, and was first time order and all these hundreds and hundreds of suppliers and millions of people.
We were kind of overwhelmed during the first days. Then we made the mistake to do 10, I think it was 11 designs for our first order. 11 X 500 different designs, and then also 3 different suppliers. Once we were back in Germany and we tried to build our system, we build with our test case; we recognized it's impossible actually to get 11 different designs on page one of your main search keywords on Amazon, because this is the ultimate goal.
Your listener should listen closely, this is your ultimate goal for all you do on Amazon is to have your main keyword, and to get this main keyword, your product, on page 1 of Amazon search results, and in the best case, 1,2,3, because this is where the magic basically happens. This is not possible with 11 designs.
Steve: Right. Did you drastically cut back then, and only do a couple of designs per keyword I guess?
Kai: We drastically cut back. Unfortunately we had to remove quite a lot of these first designs. We didn't sell all of these. We cut back to maximum 3 designs per device, so we can claim slot 1 to 3.
Steve: When you say 3 designs do you mean designs and colors, or do you just mean designs?
Kai: I mean designs, and we do 2 colors, so basically we have maximum six products per device.
Steve: The minimum order per color, per device is 500, right?
Kai: Yes, nowadays are down to– we can basically order what we want, because we have really, really good relations with our main supplier, so it's possible to get way below 500.
Steve: Okay. Yeah. It's like that with ours too, but I am curious when you're talking with these guys … First of all what were your margins early on?
Steve: On your first leather case.
Kai: On the first leather case like it's always around 50-70%.
Steve: Okay. That's interesting. I would expect it to be a little higher than that. Basically you were making around 3X it sounds?
Kai: The thing is with genuine leather you cannot compare it to these cheap plastic cases. We have to buy at a much more higher price. In order to sell really big numbers you cannot price it higher than like $50-$60 on Amazon, because that's like the matching price for on Amazon. After that it is just impossible to compete against the $10, $15 on the first page.
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Steve: How did you guys know that you were getting genuine leather?
Kai: We tested everything. Basically we asked a testing company to test all the stuff for is it genuine leather using no chemicals which could be possibly dangerous.
Steve: You did your first production; let's just say you did 500 units. Once you got those 500 units, did you have any defects? Did you have any issues, or did you just kind of list those on Amazon right away?
Kai: No, we had like– not with the genuine leather cases we had no issues, but with two cases from the other designs we had issues because they were not packed properly. They got damaged. Almost half of them got damaged. Fortunately by the time we did the QC ourselves in Munich, we spent almost a day looking through 700 cases, and just throwing 350 away because they were just compressed, so we couldn't sell them anymore. The thing is they just forgot something to insert into this case, so during transportation they just made the mistake.
Steve: I see, so an inspection company probably would not have helped in this case?
Kai: No, I don't think so.
Steve: Okay. Your first batch, it sounds like you had to throw away half almost?
Kai: Yeah, half of one design. It was really one case … I don't know how they forgot this, but it was this one supplier who forgot to insert something so that the transport wouldn't harm the cases.
Steve: You went through everything and then you just listed them on Amazon. You hired a photographer to take professional pictures?
Kai: We still used the same photographer we had for our first test case. He was helping us out the second time, and the third time he said, okay, now you're in business and I'm actually much more expensive. Please find another one. He was like really was time constrained and we found another really good one.
Steve: What are your steps to getting the top 3 spots on Amazon search, because iPhone and iPad cases are an extremely competitive area?
Kai: Right now we're using tools. Back when we started we didn't use any tools. We just thought okay, what are the top 3 main keywords our customers would search for? Only during our time we made this process better, meaning one thing like you said buy a software that can help you with this, but the easiest thing you can do, or your listeners can do is really check out what Amazon is suggesting when you type in your best keywords, because Amazon automatically fills in your search.
For example if you type in iPads, you will definitely see iPad case as one of the suggestions, and these suggestions are like the main search terms in terms of volume, what is currently running on Amazon. If you do this like for example iPad case, you would see there's iPad case and there's very high volume search terms 'iPad case leather'.
If you type in iPad case leather, you will see iPad case leather and very high volume is iPad case leather black, iPad case leather brown. Only by checking out these automatic search suggestions, what Amazon is doing there, you can find your top keywords very, very easily.
Steve: You mentioned you use tools today. Do you suggest any keyword tools to use?
Kai: Yeah. We use MerchantWords.
Kai: Yeah, we use this to just like search volume, and it's basically our primary search tool. Another one we use is FreshKey, I don't know if you have heard of it.
Steve: FreshKey. Yes I have.
Kai: These are basically 2 tools which can kind of automate this manual work to check out the Amazon Keywords.
Steve: You've got your keywords down; can you describe the process of putting together the bullet points on your listing?
Kai: Yes, of course. What we do is optimize first title, because this is like priority number one on Amazon, and second is bullet points, and we use … All keywords we're not using on the title, we try to use in the bullet points because priority number two when you search on Amazon is bullet points. Most current information is that Amazon is currently changing its algorithm, and probably ranking the search keywords higher than the bullet points, but we're just trying to figure out if it's already happening or something like this.
Until today we're really optimizing the bullet points as the second step, meaning we put the keywords, we're not using in the title. The second is we answer the five questions a customer would ask us in the store, in an offline store. Imagine you were an offline store and a customer comes in and asks, okay, what can I do with this case? We try to use customer language, and combine it with the keywords we found for product.
Steve: Interesting, so what are the five questions that a customer asks about iPad cases?
Kai: First, what can I use it for? Do we have stand functionality? Does it support auto wake up function? Can I access all ports? Does it match your other Kavaj products? It's [inaudible 00:33:57] and that's the good thing of building a brand.
Kai: People right now, they really want like sets. They want Kavaj iPad, iPhone, iPad mini and now we started doing wallets, and they just combine everything and they just look for the brand, and then next product.
Steve: You have your bullet points down, trying to use the customer's language, answer commonly asked questions, what about your details, the product description?
Kai: Yes. Product description, we also value this very, very high. We take the same approach basically. We try to use really customer language. We get this customer language before using and reading the reviews. What we did is we called a couple of customers and did quality interviews in order to hear what we're really talking about our cases.
What language do they use, and then we put together a product description and also stating the main benefits and really what the cases can do for them and help them in. For example they can use it for watching videos and doing presentations very nicely and to type on the case. It's something like this, what Apple is also really doing nicely. Not putting out all features, but to really state, what can I do with this in real life?
Steve: Just curious. Do you find that a lot of people read your descriptions and that it makes a huge difference?
Kai: Yeah. You really have to specify. We think so but it's the whole package of your detail page. If it really looks totally aligned, like images, everything looks professional. I think this is which makes the difference, because then people are checking out. It's very hard to specify on Amazon, because we don't have hard facts, hard data.
I think in the long term, the customers will really check out the whole feature page, if it makes sense, the number of reviews, and the bullet points and they will come back and check out this. What we see a lot is really in the seller feedback 'Product as described.' This is like the best feeling you can get. If people are writing this or giving you this feedback, then they're obviously reading it.
Steve: Just curious in the very beginning, let's say you have your listing down and everything is all good, how do you get it to rank? Did you start giving away products for reviews? What was your early strategy to get sales?
Kai: No, we didn't do like giveaways or something. What we knew from the beginning is we had to drive all traffic we can possibly get to our Amazon detail page, because we had these tests with one product. We obviously had only one product. Then we really tried everything. Every channel we can get and in the early days we even used Google PPC.
We bought ads on Google, and then we built our own website and like putting the professional images there and building like a detail page for the test case already. Then we bought the PPC ads on Google, got the people to our website, and then we sent them to the Amazon detail page.
Steve: That's interesting. You're paying for ads and you're not taking the sale for yourself, you're instead giving the sale to Amazon where you have to pay Amazon's fees. So the rationale was that you want to rank on Amazon over your own site?
Kai: Exactly. The rationale is really, we want to get our products into this magic page one of Amazon because as I said, Amazon, there are already 295 million customers who are searching there. The traffic you can get on Amazon on page one is all for free, because the people are searching there for free.
If your product is on the first page of Amazon search results, you will get the traffic automatically. You just have to get there somehow, and then the magic will happen all along.
Kai: No. No PPC traffic is profitable in the first place for us right now, I would say. It's really, we spent– it's really our strategy to spend there, and then get the sale and get ranked. Once we are ranked, like the sales of page one are coming in and supporting this initial spending on PPC so to speak.
Steve: How do you correlate the two, because it's not like you can put a conversion pix on Amazon site. How do you know that the sales are actually coming from PPC?
Kai: We don't know, but in the early days when you don't have a ranked product, or if you put in a product in a category like iPad cases, you have one million results, no one will find your product if you don't do any kind of either PPC, or getting all the traffic you can get from other sources to your products.
It must be from somewhere. What you do doesn't matter actually, but if it's PPC, or if you like have an email list, or if you have YouTubers, bloggers talking about your product, but it must come from somewhere else in our category.
Steve: Interesting, okay. What were some other ways that you drove traffic to your Amazon listings early on?
Kai: Early on what we did is we got in touch with YouTubers and bloggers through influencers basically, and gave them samples for free. They did a review for our products, and then like posted these on their channel, and obviously linked on their channels to our product.
Kai: On Amazon exactly. This was one very, very good way to promote it.
Steve: How did you find these people? Did you use any services, or did you just reach out to people on YouTube?
Kai: Exactly. We just reached out to people on YouTube, and basically what happened was like they reached out to us. Somehow they found us later. It wasn't kind of that we put this much effort into it, but we would recommend to do this much more right now. I know that there are even services nowadays who can connect you with famous influencers. I think you even had one guy on the show who was very successful for this kind of strategy.
Kai: We didn't use the services, but we definitely will look into this. I hope this information– this could be a very good strategy.
Steve: Can you comment on driving all that traffic to Amazon where you have to pay the 15% fee on top of FBA fees as opposed to taking it on your own website, saving that 15% and having Amazon for full regardless?
Kai: Yeah of course. Our strategy is really the thing to get ranked. Your sale on your website is one sale on your website. The sale on Amazon is one more sale than your competitor, and this means Amazon will rank you higher, because sales and traffic is the most important you can get on Amazon in order to get ranked. In the long run, or we see it with our products, this will benefit your products in terms of ranking.
Once you're ranked on Amazon, you will just get the sales, first of organic traffic on Amazon instead of the sales on your website where you always have to drive the traffic to your website, and will always cost you money to drive this traffic to your website. On Amazon, once your products are ranked, you will get all this organic traffic from Amazon and these organic sales, which makes a huge difference, because you will never get 295 million customers on your website so to speak.
Steve: Interesting, so do you collect emails, like how do you, do you do any marketing outside of Amazon then?
Kai: We started this way too late actually.
Kai: This whole email thing, nowadays when we last priced we use email as one of a big external traffic drivers as well, so we would recommend to use email very, very early on and try and start building a list so in order to spot your launches.
Steve: How do you entice people to give you their email because you can't get it from Amazon right?
Steve: I assume you're doing some sort of promotion outside on your own site?
Kai: We just give them like a $5 coupon code, once they give us their email address, and this which is valid for all Kavaj products.
Kai: Exactly and we place this very prominently on our website, so like nowadays.
Steve: I see and then you send out an email and then you drive those people to the Amazon listing, and that in turn boosts your Amazon rankings, because that leads to sales?
Steve: I see so you're going all in on Amazon basically?
Kai: We're going all in on Amazon, all in.
Steve: Have you had any problems with Amazon?
Steve: Can you just go through some of the common problems that you faced?
Steve: Okay, how do you deal with that?
Kai: Basically I just describe what happens, we have 2 colors for example one iPad case black and brown, and then from one day to the other there, well there're like 20 color variations like red whatever, blue something like this. It's a different seller we didn't know who cannot connect; it's just hijacking of our listing, and benefiting from our sales rank probably.
What we do is we registered our trademark and our Amazon brand very, very early on, and we contact Amazon either the support team or the service performance team, and just proving that we are the manufacturer of these products. We are the only seller of these products, we have the brand registry, we have the trademark, and we have the EAN code on our website which only shows that we are selling black and brown cases. Then we ask please remove the seller, please correct the listing and this usually works within 24 hours.
Steve: You in this regard you mean they put up a different listing, not sharing your Amazon number, right?
Kai: Yes exactly, they are just extending our listing variation to more colors, yeah.
Steve: I see, but what about the ones you piggy back on your exact product number, how do you get rid of those people?
Kai: We didn't have this kind of thing so or so to speak, we have our sellers who try to sell these products, but are only very, very limited number, and it's not a problem for us basically.
Kai: Because they're usually either selling like used or something, or they are selling higher prices.
Kai: And they are not, they cannot do FBA because we don't sell them so.
Kai: Yeah this is basically it, second problem is, or any question to this or?
Steve: No, no I'm good yeah.
Kai: Like the second very common problem is that Amazon is just removing our product from the platform from one day to the other without noticing us. And this usually happens during Christmas season.
Steve: No, you mean just a complete removal of your product you mean?
Steve: No, we haven't seen that yet.
Kai: Okay and this can happen pretty easily because Amazon has a process called [inaudible 00:47:35] court. Which means if one customer either one customer is complaining about the same issue twice, or if 2 or 3 customers are complaining and talking about the same issue in a very short time period, like the Amazon guideline is pull [inaudible 00:47:55] and take the listing off line and to protect the customers, or basically the future customers in order to experience these kind of issues.
Steve: Do they, does Amazon at least warn you that this has happened, or did you have to just notice yourself?
Kai: We have to notice it ourselves, so Amazon like we didn't really fully understand how this works, sometimes they notify us, sometimes they don't, so this is why we always recommend to monitor your listings very well on Amazon to also keep an eye is everything online. Especially your top sellers are they still online, because as I said it can happen pretty fast.
Yeah if just two customers are saying, okay I have this issue and the next comes I have this issue, like there's a red light internally yeah on Amazon. The solutions also contact the Amazon support staff and then the Amazon service performance team and explain what happens. The best case you know what happens if they notify you. If you don't know you have to just guess what happens.
Kai: We had one example story from our products was we used to wrap all our cases into a wax paper, and at the beginning we only used black wax paper also for our coniac [ph] brown cases. People got these coniac cases, but saw okay they look black; I ordered brown, why does it look black. They just didn't unpack the case, so they just saw the black wax paper, and figured okay this must be a black case, it's a mistake.
They made it like Kavaj made it. They just reported us to Amazon that we shipped the wrong case, and if you ship a lot of cases during Christmas time, it's very likely that two customers are not unpacking these cases, and then they're just complaining at Amazon. This happened actually three times to us, and we always explained please check the bin, please unpack the case, the customer just had forget to unpack the cases.
Kai: After three times we learned the lesson the hard way, we changed the packing material and now we wrap everything in their respective color brown or black.
Steve: Okay, that's a good story. Hey Kai we've been chatting for quite a while, I understand you have a couple of other projects on the wing that I thought that you might want to mention.
Kai: Yeah definitely yeah, we got a lot of questions during our time during last couple of years because we built like Kavaj only in only 4 years, and we build a global brand in UK, US and in Germany, and people came to us saying how did you do this actually. We quite, we had quite a lot of people already in Germany and the UK and US and helping us out with explaining, just explaining what we did.
Then we figured okay we can share our knowledge like our experience from working in Amazon and building a brand, and what we did is we wrote a book and we put our whole story together. Steve for your listeners they can just go to kavajacademy/book, and they can get our book for free there.
Kai: We're building like a whole Kavaj Academy around this topic selling on Amazon, because we saw there's huge demand really how to sell on Amazon. We really love to get the feedback we already received from this book, and what we did with Kavaj Academy already.
Kai: This is the second biggest thing we do currently besides Kavaj and expanding Kavaj internationally.
Steve: If any of the listeners have any questions for you Kai, where can they reach you?
Kai: Yeah, obviously as I said they could just go to Kavaj Academy, and we have a Facebook group, or a Facebook profile already for Kavaj academy, this will be probably the easiest way to get in touch with us or working.
Steve: Okay, sounds good. Well Kai thanks a lot for coming on the show.
Kai: Yes, thanks a lot.
Steve: I must say I think you are the first person who I've interviewed who drives all of their traffic from their own page to Amazon for ranking, so I found that very interesting.
Kai: Yeah, it is definitely very interesting, and it's working, and all countries we use to do the strategy.
Steve: Yeah, awesome well thanks a lot.
Kai: Yeah, thank you Steve for having me and thanks for the interview.
Steve: Hope you enjoyed that episode. Kai's story is truly amazing, and it just goes to show that you don't need any business experience whatsoever to start a 9 figure business. All it takes is some initiative, a lot of hustle and a strong desire to learn and adapt. For more information about this episode, go to mywifequiteajob.com/episode 107. And once again I want to thank famebit.com for sponsoring this episode.
As I mentioned earlier Famebit is the best place to find YouTubers, Instagramers, and other influencers to promote your products online, and it works. One of my podcast guests Emanuel Eleyae used famebit.com to make over $65,000 in 4 months with YouTube influencer marketing, and it costs as low as 50 bucks to start. And the best part is if you use coupon code mywife@famebit.com, you will automatically get $25 off. Go to famebit.com right now, and get famous YouTubers to promote your products online.
And finally if you're interested in starting your own online business, be sure to sign up for my free 6 day mini course, where I show you how my wife and I manage to make over 100K in profit in our first year of business. Go to mywifequitherjob.com for more information, sign up right there on the front page, and I will send you the course right away via email. Thanks for listening.
Outro: Thanks for listening to the My Wife Quit Her Job podcast where we're giving the courage people need to start their own online business. For more information visit Steve's blog at www.mywifequitherjob.com.


This entry was posted in Working Online and tagged Affiliate Funnel, Affiliate Marketers, bribes and gifting, nancy radlinger, promoting to earn commissions, Traffic Exchange Basics, traffic exchange credits by Nancy. Bookmark the permalink.
Great post Nancy. It is always a great idea to give to your referrals.
Oh that's a very idea Nancy and that would a good way to get referrals to some of te's you belong to that you don't have any referrals for. I noticed Shielda Wheaton does for her Mailers that she advertises for, lol.
Good post in respect to the idea. However, two things I think apply here. 1. Don't give credits to a new person who has not activated. Credits should be an award for an accomplishment.
2. Be very careful not to bribe a subscriber to take an action. It can be seen as 'buying' your subscriber that upgrade or position and cause you your membership.
The 'gifting' side seems to be the better way both legally, in accordance with TOS and for getting your person to continually surf, earn and promote.
A few thoughts in support of your post.
lol… So, people are finally coming around to my way of thinking. I have been using bribery for years in my marketing to get people to either join a downline or to actually do something once they do join. I almost always send a note to new downline members with credits to get them started.
That was a great post Nancy. I believe in giving also. I think it also lets your referrals feel appreciated.


text:
Including web-only reviews
Against theory of mind
Ivan Leudar & Alan Costall (Eds.)
Macmillan; 2009; Hb £50.00
One would be hard pressed to be working in psychological science these days and not have come across extensive reference to work in theory of mind (ToM). This volume collects chapters united in opposition to 'ToM-ism'; the set of assumptions ToM researchers are held to share. The goal, according to the back cover, is 'mercilessly documenting conceptual errors on which the approach is based and pseudo-problems it tries to answer'. It sounds like stirring stuff, and ToM-ism is surely a sinister sounding enough target.
So is this rising ToM-ophobia justified? Theory of mind is a framework for the study of the foundations of social interaction, and work within it draws on a diverse range of theoretical positions, ranging from constructivist accounts focusing on individual learning, to accounts claiming early and reliably developing learning mechanisms shaped by evolution, as well as many variations in between. An increasingly broad range of empirical methods and approaches are employed, with a wide variety of populations. The framework 'got its major break' in developmental psychology, but now increasingly dovetails with other disciplines (brain imaging, computational modelling, neuropsychology, gerontology, etc.).
You might be thinking that it would be tricky to be simultaneously against all of those things. This may be because you are, as am I, looking at it from inside, at least insofar as you might share the basic assumption that an experimental approach can lead to answers to these kinds of question. The contributors attack this basic assumption, among other foundational tenets of ToM research specifically. Being within the framework is a problem, according to the book, because those within 'avoid sustained engagement' with alternative approaches.
This may be true, but despite being aimed at the entirety of ToM, the contributions themselves actually do little sustained engagement with individual theories. Indeed, as one contributor notes, detailed critique of specific theories would enter 'the very terms of the discourse which we have hitherto been concerned to reject' and would lose sight of the aim 'to disparage all theorizing of this peculiar kind'.
ToM theorists who appeal to evolutionary ideas receive particular scorn, accused of offering natural selection to solve certain problems, without an explanation of how natural selection achieves the solution. But this is 'lack of engagement' writ large; commentators
who think that it must be 'miraculous' for natural selection to have access to information unavailable to individual learners just don't understand natural selection, and claiming there exist no defences of this idea is possible only insofar as one has not engaged with that literature. The 'failure to engage' charge runs both ways.
The key problem with all this is that ToM is a framework for research, not just one specific theory. Its assumptions may not have been defended to the satisfaction of some, but so it typically is with foundational assumptions. Indeed, later chapters of the volume go on to offer a range of alternative approaches to ToM, but explicit statement and defence of the foundational assumptions of these approaches is itself thin on the ground. Rather, the authors appear content to assume that documenting apparent problems with ToM is sufficient to bolster their own approaches. But it isn't; science is not a zero-sum game.
Historically, attacks on framework theories are inordinately difficult to mount. The critiques in this volume may in the long run prove correct, and ToM research may one day be an abandoned field. The editors discuss an analogy between 'enclosed frameworks' (such as ToM) and impregnable castles, never taken by direct assault, but found in time to have been quietly deserted. Despite this volume, my guess is that the citadel of ToM research will likely continue to be an engine of scientific progress on questions of social cognition. In the meantime, I'm reminded of Miracle Max's parting words to the heroes in the movie of The Princess Bride: 'Have fun storming the castle!'
Reviewed by Tamsin German
Talent Is Overrated: What Really Separates World-Class Performers from Everybody Else
Geoff Colvin
Nicholas Brealey; 2008;
Pb £12.99
This book asserts that there is more to the 'talented' among us than talent alone. Tiger Woods is not just a good golfer. Jack Welsh is not just a good business leader. Yes, they have an innate quality, a 'talent', but this alone is not enough. There is something external and not innate, and therefore controllable, manageable and which, once subject to deliberate, demanding, repeated practice with results, can be manipulated to push us to the next level of performance.
Colvin and his endorsers would have you believe this is
a research-based premise upon which he has stumbled, and now, he is liberating the world as masters of our talents. However, search through the 'Sources' section and you will find just a handful of peer-reviewed academic inputs, despite the plethora of research in psychology around the nature of deliberate practice with knowledge of results.
Thus, is what Colvin tells us really as mind-blowing and liberating as he claims? Probably not. But he writes in an inspiring way and uplifting way that is sure to appeal to the hopeful few who dream of the big time.
Reviewed by Fidelma Butler
Capabilities and HappinessLuigino Bruni, Flavio Comim & Maurizio Pugno (Eds.)
Oxford University Press; 2008; Hb £50.00
Reviewed by Evelyn Gibson
What makes us happy? The answer is still not clear despite centuries of searching. This book aims to provide an alternative to the traditional economic view of well-being as being linked to income – a view that, despite its limitations, has been fundamental to the development of social policy. The authors who have contributed to this book outline two alternative approaches to the understanding of well-being, and explore how these can be combined to provide a viable alternative to the purely economic perspective.
Overall, the collection is a good overview of the current state of understanding in the field of well-being, as well as effectively introducing the reader to the current controversies. Each chapter works well as an independent piece of work; however, as a whole, there is some repetition of the basic concepts throughout the book.
At times this book is hard work, but if you are willing to put in the work it will teach you most of what you need to know to understand this important topic.
The Meaning of Madness
Neel Burton
Acheron Press; 2009; £14.99
Reviewed by Joe Hickey
What is schizophrenia? The answer, Burton argues, involves Homer, Thomas Aquinas and Pinel as much as any diagnostic manual. His book offers essays on six aspects of mental illness: personality disorders, psychosis, depression, bipolar disorders, anxiety and suicide.
Each piece interleaves some essentials of psychiatry with discussion of the condition's cultural construction, literary history and philosophical implications. Burton's interdisciplinary approach is at its best in the opening chapter on personality. Here, accessible discussions of uniqueness and free will are used to explore the concept of a disorder of the self.
It is a shame, given the book's wide appeal, that the text is so badly produced. The verbatim repetition of paragraphs between essays is grating, and the omission of an index is vexing in a work of this scope. Some references are incomplete, and the proofing is poor – why is Nijinksy given two different birthdays in as many lines? The exasperated reader may be forgiven for finding a double edge in Burton's quotation of Shelley: 'Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!'
Women and Depression: Recovery and Resistance
Michelle N. Lafrance
Lafrance turns a critical gaze upon the subject of women's depression and how women's distress is pathologised within biomedical frameworks. Her focus is on recovery and resistance to culturally dominant ways of understanding women's mental health.
Three major sections examine women's narratives of depression, experiences of recovery and the struggle to prioritise self-care in a culture where 'good' women's needs are often experienced as secondary. Within this structure, there lies a comprehensive and well-referenced account of the social forces implicated in women's depression, with an emphasis on power, violence, poverty and everyday demands arising from women's social roles.
Centring women's experience, Lafrance provides substantial grounding in original data from her own research. Individual women's voices are woven through the text as powerful illustrations of her arguments. While the account she provides is engaging and compelling, I would have valued a more reflexive account of Lafrance's role in the research and greater detail on methodological rigour.
This is an important book for those seeking a comprehensive, scholarly and readable exploration of the impact of social inequalities on women's mental health.
Reviewed by Wendy Franks
Web-only reviews
Management and Leadership Development
Christopher Mabey & Tim Finch-Lees
Management development is an important high-profile personnel activity, involving some of an organisation's key people, and attracting huge hopes and investments from organisations and individuals alike. Yet in many ways, the high expectations often remain unevaluated and unfulfilled.
In this up-to-date text, the authors describe the current state of management and leadership development discourses, introducing readers to competing theories and offering them a more critical perspective, highlighting both the complementary and contradictory nature of some of these approaches. The book is so heavily grounded in research that the reference list is as long as the chapters themselves. Throughout the book, ideas are illustrated by international case studies and vignettes, which is particularly useful given the globalised workplace in which we now operate.
This book has been targeted at upper level undergraduates and master's students in related disciplines in need of the theoretical overview of the field and does this very well. However, it is not a how-to guide for practitioners seeking guidance on how to implement such activities, nor does it purport to be, and other texts may be more appropriate in this instance.
Sage; 2008; Pb £26.99
who is an occupational psychologist in training
Developmental Disorders of Language, Learning and Cognition
Charles Hulme & Margaret J. Snowling
Although the title is about developmental disorders of language and learning, this book would be a useful addition to the shelves of clinicians working with a full spectrum of individuals, providing useful information that should be accessible to anyone in a clinical environment.
The book provides a comprehensive review and discussion of reading disorders, disorders of coordination and mathematics and discussion of autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. There are useful insights given into why such disorders develop relating these to 'typical' development. Cognitive theories for the disorders are explored, although the evidence for biological and genetic contributions is also considered.
The explanations are easily accessible with various models being presented diagrammatically and further explanation as required. All of the chapters are as useful to those working with adults as they are for those working with children, making complicated concepts easily understandable.
The authors have produced an excellent source of information in a well-presented and easily accessible format.
Wiley-Blackwell; 2009; Pb £24.99
Reviewed by Louise Birkett-Swan
who is a clinical psychologist at Kemsley, St Andrew's Healthcare
Listen to the article in MP3 format (5.65 MB)
Dancing plagues and mass hysteria
The Delphi method
The face is familiar

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Digi collaborates with MDEC, UNICEF to make digital skills accessible
KOTA KINABALU: Digi Telecommunications Sdn Bhd (Digi), Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), and UNICEF with the support of the Ministry of Education (MOE) announced their collaboration to embark on a Future Skills For All programme yesterday.
The collaboration aims to make the learning of digital skills easier and more accessible for schoolchildren.
The launch was officiated by Assistant Education and Innovation Minister Jenifer Lasimbang.
Also in attendance were Resource and Educational Technology Division deputy director Dr Qhamariah Samu; Education Sector, Sabah Education Department deputy director Haji Abidin bin Marjan; Digi Head of Sustainability Philip Ling; MDEC vice president of Digital Talent Development Division Dr Sumitra Nair; and UNICEF education specialist Azlina Ahmad Kamal.
Speaking at the launch, Jenifer said that schoolchildren in Sabah, primarily those from the rural and underserved areas, currently lack the access to digital learning resources that can otherwise assist in bridging the skills gap, thus stimulating the growth and development of future talent in the state.
"We are excited to kickstart this programme in Sabah because our schoolchildren in rural communities are currently learning these subjects through the aid of textbooks without the opportunity to have hands-on learning as their schools may be deprived of the necessary tools.
"We want to change that through the implementation of this programme and empower schoolchildren from all walks of life to have equal access to future skills learning," she said.
Meanwhile, Ling said it has been Digi's ambition to engage one million schoolchildren in Malaysia by 2020 as part of their Yellow Heart commitment and this programme helps set that goal in motion.
"We hope to empower the underserved communities and strengthen inclusivity within rural areas by establishing a sustainable education programme focused on capacity building.
"Moving forward, we are looking to expand the availability of the programme to other communities in Sabah and ultimately, across the country, with the aim of reaching a wider community of schoolchildren and to make learning interactive and a hands-on experience."
On behalf of MDEC, Dr Sumitra said they are pleased to be working with MOE, Digi and UNICEF to enrich the teaching and learning experience of digital tech skills via this initiative.
She added that it is very much in line with the aspiration of the #mydigitalmaker movement of MDEC to provide Malaysian youth with essential digital innovation and creativity skills for the future workforce.
In the meantime, UNICEF representative in Malaysia, Marianne Clark-Hattingh, said through this initiative, they want to close the gap between those with access to digital technology and those without.
"This is one part of our efforts to ensure quality education for all in Malaysia, especially indigenous children, children with disabilities, and undocumented children.
"To achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, we need to ensure that no one is left behind – this includes equipping them with the digital skills needed for the future," she said.
Future Skills for All Programme is also supported by Telenor Group, through its Global Partnership framework with UNICEF Global.
Through this long-standing partnership, Digi, MDEC and UNICEF Malaysia aspire to explore more sustainable ways to enrich the education experience for schoolchildren in underserved communities and aim to build more digital modules to upskill them in its upcoming second and third phases of the programme.
The programme started in Sabah yesterday with a four-hour workshop hosted by Universiti Malaysia Sabah with 60 digital natives consisting of teachers and schoolchildren from four primary schools around Kota Kinabalu, internet centre managers, representatives from e-Desa, state libraries and selected non-profit organisations.
At the workshop, participants were introduced to the digitised materials and to develop the required competencies to enable a training and learning environment, all of which are facilitated through a digital classroom format.
AccessiblecollaboratesDigidigitalMDEC
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While selective serotonin uptake inhibitors comprise the major class of modern antidepressants, the role of serotonin in reward function remains poorly understood. The complex reward pathway is key to understanding the mechanisms in the brain related to addiction.
Scientists have examined the structural and molecular characteristics of the synaptic connectivity between certain serotonin neurons (Dorsal Raphe or DR) and dopamine neurons in the brain's ventral tegmental area.
The study findings suggest this pathway promotes reward by releasing glutamate and activating specific dopamine neurons. This study is important in determining how these specific neurons affect behavior, offering a target for further research, including the development of medications that could manage these reward areas.
The research was done by scientists from NIDA's Intramural Research Program, the University of Maryland and the University of Texas.
Hui-Ling Wang, Shiliang Zhang, Jia Qi, Huikun Wang, Roger Cachope, Carlos A Mejias-Apont, Jorge A. Gomez, Gabriel E. Mateo-Semidey, Gerard M. J. Beaudoin, Carlos A. Paladini, Joseph F. Cheer and Marisela Morales. Dorsal raphe dual serotonin-glutamate neurons drive reward by establishing excitatory synapses on VTA mesoaccumbens dopamine neurons. CELL Reports.


Ohara, Kyoko Hirose. 2003. Manner of Motion in Japanese: Not Every Verb-framed Language is Poor in Manner Information Paper presented at the 8th International Cognitive Linguistics Conference. University of La Rioja, Spain. July, 2003.


text:
package com.benoitletondor.mvp.core.view.impl;

import android.os.Bundle;

import com.benoitletondor.mvp.core.presenter.Presenter;
import com.benoitletondor.mvp.core.presenter.PresenterFactory;
import com.benoitletondor.mvp.core.view.View;

import androidx.annotation.NonNull;
import androidx.annotation.Nullable;
import androidx.appcompat.app.AppCompatActivity;
import androidx.lifecycle.ViewModel;
import androidx.lifecycle.ViewModelProviders;

public abstract class BaseMVPActivity<P extends Presenter<V>, V extends View> extends AppCompatActivity
{
    /**
     * The presenter for this view
     */
    @Nullable
    protected P mPresenter;
    /**
     * Is this the first start of the activity (after onCreate)
     */
    private boolean mFirstStart;

// ------------------------------------------->

    @Override
    @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
    protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState)
    {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);

        mFirstStart = true;
        mPresenter = (P) ViewModelProviders.of(this, new PresenterFactoryWrapper(getPresenterFactory())).get(ViewModel.class);
    }

    @Override
    public void onStart()
    {
        super.onStart();

        if( mPresenter != null )
        {
            doStart();
        }
    }

    @Override
    protected void onStop()
    {
        if( mPresenter != null )
        {
            doStop();
        }

        super.onStop();
    }

    @Override
    protected void onDestroy()
    {
        mPresenter = null;

        super.onDestroy();
    }

// ------------------------------------------->

    /**
     * Call the presenter callbacks for onStart
     */
    @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
    private void doStart()
    {
        assert mPresenter != null;

        mPresenter.onViewAttached((V) this);

        mPresenter.onStart(mFirstStart);

        mFirstStart = false;
    }

    /**
     * Call the presenter callbacks for onStop
     */
    private void doStop()
    {
        assert mPresenter != null;

        mPresenter.onStop();

        mPresenter.onViewDetached();
    }

    /**
     * Get the presenter factory implementation for this view
     *
     * @return the presenter factory
     */
    @NonNull
    protected abstract PresenterFactory<P> getPresenterFactory();
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Google's PageRank Exposed, Find Out How To Increase PageRank, Rise In Serps, Increase Traffic, Attract More Visitors And Get More Sales.
Though we have yet to evaluate your product, be assured that we have acknowledged your entry and will have it critiqued in a prompt and steadfast manner. Our team of highly competent and enthusiastic writers spend countless hours searching the web for products and sites to review, and treat each entry with the same respect and deference. We sincerely hope our site will meet your needs.


Florida Mortgage Corporation is a well known and established mortgage lender with corporate headquarters in Clearwater, Florida (Tampa Bay area). An excellent reputation and outstanding service has earned us customers who are second and third time or more. Our valued customers come from all over the world!
Florida Mortgage Corporation's staff offers more than a century of combined experience in the mortgage industry. We offer our customers stability and dependability that is second to none. We are Florida.
Florida Mortgage Corporation is known throughout Florida as "The Mortgage Specialists". Our staff of highly experienced and professional loan officers work directly with buyers, builders and real estate agents offering the best mortgage opportunities available. Our loan officers will work with you from time of application to closing. No shuffling from department to department! We are committed to outstanding "personalized service".
Florida Mortgage Corporation finances properties all across the Sunshine state. We know and live in Florida. Out of state lenders and brokers have no idea of the various customs, regulations and guidelines unique to Florida. There is a long list of horror stories about the out of state lenders and brokers attempting to do business in Florida. Many of these so called internet companies that come and go (here today and gone tomorrow) by posting their toll free number and no physical address at their web site. These companies have no idea what Florida is all about and could care less. Be cautious and let the buyer beware.
Florida Mortgage Corporation backs up it's excellent reputation with it's credentials. We are an active member of local and national organizations to name a few.


text:
The oldest known full-body impression of a flying insect has been discovered, a new study says.

The 300-million-year-old fossil (seen in an undated picture), which dates to the Carboniferous period, was likely made by an ancestor of the mayfly, scientists say. (See picture: "Oldest-Ever Bee Found in Amber.")

In 2008, fossil hunters found the ancient imprint while searching woods behind a suburban shopping mall in North Attleboro, Massachusetts. The extremely rare find "is like winning the lottery," study leader Richard J. Knecht, a geology student at Tufts University, told National Geographic News at the time.

That's because the bodies of flying insects are usually not preserved due to their softer, fragile nature, he said. Scientists more often find only the remains of wings, which are not digested easily by predators.

The 3-inch (7.6-centimeter) insect that made this imprint likely stayed in the mud long enough to move its legs before flying off, leaving a near-perfect impression, Knecht said in 2008.

The oldest flying-insect study appeared this week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Leaving an Impression
The oldest known full-body impression of a flying insect has been discovered, a new study says.
The 300-million-year-old fossil (seen in an undated picture), which dates to the Carboniferous period, was likely made by an ancestor of the mayfly, scientists say. (See picture: "Oldest-Ever Bee Found in Amber.")
In 2008, fossil hunters found the ancient imprint while searching woods behind a suburban shopping mall in North Attleboro, Massachusetts. The extremely rare find "is like winning the lottery," study leader Richard J. Knecht, a geology student at Tufts University, told National Geographic News at the time.
That's because the bodies of flying insects are usually not preserved due to their softer, fragile nature, he said. Scientists more often find only the remains of wings, which are not digested easily by predators.
The 3-inch (7.6-centimeter) insect that made this imprint likely stayed in the mud long enough to move its legs before flying off, leaving a near-perfect impression, Knecht said in 2008.
The oldest flying-insect study appeared this week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Photograph by Jacob Benner, Tufts University
Fossil Pictures: Oldest Flying Insect Imprint Found
Three hundred million years ago, a possible ancestor of the mayfly got trapped in the mud—leaving behind a rare full-body impression.