And miles to go… (10 years of a journey)2012 Noorjahan Diwan, Shabnam Hashmi, Sofiya Khan, Sayeda Hameed, and Zakia Soman Anhad pp. 150 This short book is one of the most powerful books that I have come across. I was a bit disappointed when the book began with a disclaimer on not having been proof read…
The Last Lecture: Lessons in Living Randy Pausch (with Jeffrey Zaslow) 2008 Hachette pp. 267 The Last Lecture is a set of ideas that Pausch presented in his last address to students, colleagues and family. His resilience, sense of humour and spirit to live are undoubtedly admirable. He has quite deliberately, hidden pearls of wisdom…
21 Lessons for the 21st Century Yuval Noah Harari 2018 Penguin pp. 352 This book presents Harari’s vision for what lies in the future. He covers a variety of themes ranging from advancements in biotechnology, warfare, world politics, employment opportunities and changes in political and personal spaces. It is an interesting read. At some places,…
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking Susan Cain 2013 Penguin pp. 352 Susan Cain’s book is an excellent read, particularly for introverts who have for long wondered why they can’t seem to adjust to the world. While the introversion-extraversion debate continues in academic circles, the popular conception is to…
The Good Women of China: Hidden Voices Xinran 2003 Vintage Books pp. 229 This book presents stories of women in China in the last few decades of the twentieth century. As a document of what transpired in China, this is an important book for times to come. The writing is lucid and full of emotion…
Atlas Shrugged Ayn Rand 1957 Random House pp. 1168 Atlas Shrugged is a popular work of fiction by Ayn Rand. The plot describes the struggle of railroad business tycoon Dagny Taggart and her lover, and steal business leader, Hank Rearden in working with efficiency in a fast crumbing American economy. The two work hard in…
My Husband and Other Animals Janaki Lenin 2012 Westland pp. 282 The book is a collection of anecdotes based on her life experiences with, well, her husband and other animals. I had never imagined living in harmony with nature would be like this. And although it sounds charming, I don’t think I have the courage…
Half of a Yellow SunChimamanda Ngozi Adichie2007 (first published 2006)Harper Perennialpp. 433Adichie writes about the forgotten civil war in Biafra and the making of ‘united’ Nigeria. The story revolves around the lives of twin sisters of upper middle class Igbo family. A life spent in realising and living the contrast between the haves of middle…
The NoseNikolai Gogol1836(original in Russian)(Read ebook)Gogol’s ‘The Nose’ presents his take on authority and identity. In a society driven by hierarchies, where relationships are marked by power, the story presents a strong take on how people tend to define themselves. The fictional account presents the story of a civil servant waking up one day to…
The Theory of Everything: The Origin and Fate of the UniverseStephen Hawking2006Jaicopp. 120The Theory of Everything is based on a collection of lectures by Hawking. The brilliance of Hawking in the concepts that he talks about and the way he talks about them is unmatched. Like his other book, A Brief History of Time, he…
