Seven Myths About EducationDaisy Christodoulou2014Routledge(Audiobook on Storytel)6 hours 6 minutes In this book by Christodoulou, some of the most popular beliefs about education are challenged. The author challenges the basic assumptions of these ideas and presents a well reasoned critique of the contemporary practices in education. The myths covered are (in the author’s words): 1….
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…
Hello, Bastar: The Untold Story of India’s Maoist Movement Rahul Pandita 2011 Westland pp. 202 Pandita’s writing on the Maoist movement in various parts of India details out the history of the movement. The narrative is replete with episodes of various comrades’ initiation into the Naxal movement. In various episodes, lives of people involved in…
A River in Darkness: One Man’s Escape from North Korea Masaji Ishakawa (trns. Risa Kobayashi and Martin Brown) 2000 Amazon Crossing pp. 159 The book descibes the life of Ishikawa. Born in Japan to a North Korean father and a Japanese mother, Ishikawa was not yet an adult when he migrated to North Korea along…
How the Zebra Got Its Stripes (And Other Darwinian Just So Stories) Leo Grasset (trans. Barbara Mellor) 2016 Hachette, Profile Books pp. 154 I picked up this book as part of Hachette India’s bookstagram challenge during the COVID lockdown, currently in progress. This lockdown has had many effects including giving me even lesser time for…
To-Do List Formula: A Stress-Free Guide To Creating To-Do Lists That Work! Damon Zahariades 2016 Createspace pp. 109 I picked up this book in a moment of desperation to become more organised coupled with the frustration at not being able to find time to work. Combining the two, I cheated myself into believing that reading…
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…
