It is maybe a while since I bought books of my favorite titles for reading on my vacant time but I realized recently that I trigger impulse buying when it comes to books. Whenever I pass by Booksale Bookshop in Robinsons or Gaisano City back in our city, there is no instance that I leave the store without a book in hand. That may be because I still have that fascination with checking topics and reading them, which I have inherited since childhood.

I also got the impulse to buy books on the Shopee app since it is easily accessible on my smartphone. I try to associate some titles on my Magic: the Gathering card game hobby and I checked on old book novels related to the game’s storyline. Starting with just one product search in the app, and I found myself minutes or even an hour later looking for other book titles that got my interest. I am more fascinated by buying old or secondhand copies as they are cheaper. I remember one of my previous purchases on the shopping app was very old, and was a pocket player guide to Magic: The Gathering Fourth Edition. That instantly caught my attention since I had before borrowed MTG Novels from my friend’s collection which he got when buying the Fatpack products of the past sets. It was sad though that they discontinued it when I already had the buying capacity for those products.

The book themes or topics that I always check whenever I visit a bookshop are about self-help and recently, on urban planning. That is after taking my Diploma in Urban and Regional Planning, I needed to further develop my knowledge. There were urban planning books recommended during our study but I am also open to reading something that is more sector-specific like in the areas of Smart City or Transportation development.

The last time I purchased a few books was before I got the schedule to go here to Korea for my Master’s. Sadly, I had to leave them back at home for the reason that they would bear more weight in my baggage. I also thought that time that I might not be able to focus on reading them due to I have also lessons to study.

For now, I am thinking of checking local bookstores to find some interesting book titles. I may have a list in mind beforehand, based on Best Books of the Month by Amazon for example. Maybe I will do it on a vacant weekend to explore these shops. I do hope so to have some ample time and budget. Wish me good luck.

I realized recently that I trigger impulse buying when it comes to books. Whenever I passed by Booksale in Robinsons or Gaisano City, there is no instance that I leave the store without a book in hand. That maybe is because I still have that fascination on checking topics and reading them and that I inherit since my childhood.

My recent purchase was via online on the Shopee website when I came upon one book while browsing on the results for “Magic the Gathering”. The item was very old, and was pocket players guide to Magic: The Gathering Fourth Edition. That instantly caught my attention since I had before borrowed MTG Novels from my friends’ collection which he got when buying the Fatpack products of the past sets. It was sad though that they discontinued it when I already have the buying capacity for those products.

Anyhow, the book costs 100 pesos and I needed to buy at least 500 pesos in order for a free shipping voucher to be validated. That said, I had to browse to the other books listed in the shop which were mostly on the Sci-Fi theme.

Here below is the summary of the titles I bought:

The total purchase was 550 + the discounted 40 pesos. Unfortunately, it was not the expected full free shipping. I would expect it to arrive in a week and with a cash on delivery option, I got ample time to set aside my budget for this purchase.

I was able to drop by Booksale in Gaisano City again after a buyer of the gaming dice told me that her preferred meetup place was that mall. I went there after my office hours since it was just one ride from my workplace. Fortunately, it was not that traffic congested at that time so I was able to arrive first and while waiting, I decided to go to Booksale and told her that we will just meet up there.

I was browsing the softbound education books when she arrived and I then handed over the dice bag and got the payment. We talked a bit about her plans to go back to playing Magic and after that, she bid goodbye. I went back to browsing the shelves and there was not yet a topic that got my interest. There were several topics on lifestyle, home improvement, and relationships but those were not my type. I then went to the coffee table books category and upon checking on the second row, I found this gem. The book is Think More, Eat Less by Janet Thomson and was priced for only P35.00.

This is basically changing your mindset so you can be effective in doing your diet. Of course, it is easier said than done so this book so sort of a coaching course wherein the author provides several exercises while going through the steps in reaching your goal.

I have yet to finish Chapter 1 but I already appreciate this mind conditioning method to really achieve a perfect diet and a healthier body. It really is all in the mindset.

Yesterday, I decided to drop by Booksale at Robinsons Place Iloilo City proper, as I waited for the meetup with my friend with regards to his purchase of a gaming controller. It was just purely to spend the time and also to check some book titles that might get my interest. The place was small with a few fellow book reader checking on their desired topics.

Unsurprisingly, I eventually found one after digging through some of the books in the softbound section. The book title is Land Development, and after checking the table of contents, the topics were timely and coincided with our DURP subject on P231-Site Planning. More so, it was ideally related to our group project, which was the site plan for socialized housing for the municipality of President Roxas, Capiz.

The cost is around P205 and below is the book cover.

It was a bit pricey, but nonetheless information provided would prove to be useful to my work and to our office. The subject site planning might be done for the semester, but the plans for future projects that the Iloilo City LGU will implement will have this book as a viable reference.

For now, I might have this placed in my workstation at the city hall and casually read on the topics one by one during my free time.

My “impulse buying” act has triggered and done it again. This time is due to the books posted in an online shop. This is the second book released by the author and also the admin of the Facebook page Typical Pinoy Crap that I have been following for many years now.

I have purchased his first book, Labo, on a special order from the author and which were mostly composed of his compilation of the various topics he posts on his page. His second book named Tagos by TPC is said to be out at the local bookstore on August 30. Since I am an impatient person as my natural self, seeing the book that is available for purchase online convinced me to buy as soon as possible. The book costs P150.00, which has the same price as the first book.

What worried me was the shipping fee and in order to waive that fee, I needed to buy an additional book and so I proceed to browse the online shop that was also selling fiction and love novels. I found two more titles that got my curiosity: Depinisyon: Art of Hugot and Cristina’s Guide for Online Writing. Each also costs P150.00. The total purchase is P450.00. It is still short of the minimum for a free shipping and so I decided to use my voucher to waive it. The grand total cost: P455.

As of this posting, the recent update is that the package will arrive by August 4 which is Saturday. Since my shipping address would be at the City Planning Office, I would expect Monday to be the correct delivery date. Hoping for no delays.

Here I am sharing my recent book hauls when I dropped by earlier at Booksale in Robinsons Place city proper. I decided to drop by the shop right after meeting with a fellow hobbyist for a transaction on the Macross figure that I am selling. I tried my luck again looking for Magic: the Gathering novels but to no avail. I noticed that there were more romance novels in the right shelves than that of the fantasy and sci-fi action. Maybe they have been pulling out those old titles and replaced them with new ones. i got one short story sort-of-a fantasy novel which only costs 15 pesos.

I then skimmed through the technical softbound sections, hoping to get an Urban Planning related book. There were more financing and self-development titles and titles like software guide, marketing, and real estate. I was able to dig one which can be a related topic to my course and here it is below.

‘After Hong Kong: Some key trade issues for developing countries’ is about the Doha Round and its development, and on Hong Kong’s trade relations with least developed countries after its ministerial declaration on duty-free and quota-free access. The book costed 10 pesos.

As for the fantasy novel title I have mentioned earlier, it was The Warlock’s Companion by Christopher Stasheff.

It is a part of The Warlock Series of books and is probably the last part as I have checked. I did not spot any of the similar books on the shelves though I might check the story and Google it online if it happens that I will like it.

That is a wrap. Until the next post.

This is a bit of a late blog post (just a week ago) but I just wanted to share again that I had my recent book purchases when I dropped by Booksale in Robinsons Iloilo on a Friday last week. I seldom go to that establishment lately as I currently have a lot of pending books that I haven’t done reading yet.

Anyhow, here it goes

Blueprint – Measuring Sustainable Development

Price: P155

As I have browsed through this book’s table of contents, I’ve found some topics that I might need to read or have as a reference for my subjects in the current course I am taking which is the Diploma in Urban and Regional Planning. Sustainable Development has been thoroughly discussed in the previous semester so I am convinced that I still need to know more about this topic.

The Money Diet by Martin Lewis

Price: P50

This is a late grab purchase as I was about to drop my books at the cashier for payment. I have thought of having this one as my guide in budgeting my weekly or even daily expenses. That’s included in my pile of financial freedom books I have at the HQ.

Steve Jackson’s Creature of Havoc

Price: P25

I usually browse at the Fantasy books section whenever I drop by Booksale and hoping to find an old Magic: the Gathering novel that was once included in Fat Packs. I haven’t been lucky ever since, as I usually found Dragon Lance and the Star Trek book series. Anyhow, what convinced me to buy this book is the fantasy gameplay factor. It is not only reading but also taking the role of the main character and deciding its fate in your hands. That is every move and decision are to be done by you. I haven’t started playing it though so I’ll just share a quick look of the inside page.

To wrap up things, I’d suggest having and reading books as a pastime activity. It will in one way relax your eyes from the PC or laptop monitor. Also, it won’t cost you much as Booksale is your store of source. Most books would only cost about half or less of that expensive coffee you are buying, and the value of knowledge that you are digesting would surely suffice.

Qualitative research is a means for exploring and understanding the meaning individuals or groups ascribe to a social or human problem. The process of research involves emerging questions and procedures, data typically collected in the participant’s setting, data analysis inductively building from particulars to general themes, and the researcher making interpretations of the meaning of the data. The final written report has a flexible structure. Those who engage in this form of inquiry support a way of looking at research that honors an inductive style, a focus on individual meaning. and the importance of rendering the complexity of a situation (adapted from Creswell. 2007).

Quantitative research is a means for testing objective theories by examining the relationship among variables. These variables, in turn, can be measured typically on instruments, so that numbered data can be analyzed using statistical procedures. The final written report has a set structure consisting of introduction, literature and theory, methods, results, and discussion (Creswell. 2008). Like qualitative researchers, those who engage in this form of inquiry have assumptions about testing theories deductively, building in protections against bias, controlling for alternative explanations, and being able to generalize and replicate the findings.

Mixed methods research is an approach to inquiry that combines or associates both qualitative and quantitative forms. It involves philosophical assumptions, the use of qualitative and quantitative approaches, and the mixing of both approaches in a study. Thus. it is more than simply collecting and analyzing both kinds of data; it also involves the use of both approaches in tandem so that the overall strength of a study is greater than either qualitative or quantitative research (Creswell & Plano Clark. 2007).

*quoted from the book Research Design, Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches by John W. Creswell

I have been checking books at the nearest Booksale branch whenever I drop by the mall, either it is at SM City or at Robinsons Iloilo. I used to buy before those book related to productivity, self-success and related life hacks, but recently came upon their Fantasy novel shelves. The intention was to search for old Magic novels that were published as part of their then-named Fatpack products. It already stopped when I started collecting Fatpack of each Magic set and so my chances of digging those novels are from their piles of used books.

My friend Johann initially posted a picture of a novel book from the Guildpact set which he found in one of the Booksale branches. I was not able to verify which branch so I just tried my luck on checking the book when I dropped by SM City last week. The bad news was there was no sign of that novel and instead, I found books from the Dragon Lance series which was released in the 80s. I chose the one with the cheapest price, and it was titled as Darkness & Light, a Volume 1 Prelude story. Here is a pic below.

Now, my next concern is the time to finish reading this book and to think that I still have a lot of pending reads with the previous books I bought. The weekend is my only chance, but then again there are errands I need to finish. I guess I needed to plan out my time carefully for those two days.

So recently I have decided to build my mini library here in the HQ and so I am occasionally passing by bookstore to check some interesting books. One of which that I recently purchased was a book guide for long distance running. It was authored by Sean Fishpool and I bought it for only 25 pesos at Booksale in SM City Iloilo.

I just started reading it today as I am currently not done with the 48 Laws of Power which I started to read about a month ago. For a short share, here are what running can do for you, which excerpts from Beginners Guide to Long Distance Running:

Weight Loss – Running burns calories faster than any other activity.

Better Health – it boosts your immunity to illness, as well as improve blood cholesterol level. Also it can fight diseases such as diabetes, arthritis and osteoporosis.

Less Stress – runners are less prone to depression than sedentary people. This is partly because of the endorphins that the body releases but also because they enjoy the benefits of achieving something.

Confidence – you will feel better because you know that you are fit and motivated and achieving your running goals. This as a result will inspire you in other areas of life.

Quiet Time – forget about your to-do list for 40 minutes- simply breathe fresh air and enjoy being alone with or without your thoughts.

More Energy and a Better Body – this will help your body work more efficiently, with improved metabolism and cell regeneration. Your body’s lean-to-fat ratio will improve and your calves, thighs, hips and buttocks will become stronger and shapelier.

Healthier lifestyle – this is one of my main reasons why I exercise. The results are adopting better sleeping habits and removal of vices like smoking and drinking.

A Knowledge of your Body – you will discover what kinds of effort your body responds to best. If you race or do speedwork, you will find out how your body reacts to pressure.

I guess I should restart my evening run routine as soon as possible.