Monday, December 21, 2009

Atlas Shrugged (1957)


Ayn Rand
“Who is John Galt?”
This is one of the most significant fiction books I read; it is the story of John Galt about a man who said that he would stop the motor of the world—and did... Through this book Ayn Rand puts forward her philosophy of Objectivism. It talks about protecting capitalism, and how to move above greed and evil effect. Book is full of quotations. When John Galt come back to society there is speech on radio (almost 100 pages)..Amazing!

“I swear by my life and my love of it that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine”.

“Pride is the recognition of the fact that you are your own highest value and, like all of man’s values, it has to be earned”.

“Rationality is the recognition of the fact that nothing can alter the truth and nothing can take precedence over that act of perceiving it”.

“That which you call your soul or spirit is your consciousness, and that which you call 'free will' is your mind's freedom to think or not, the only will you have, your only freedom, the choice that controls all the choices you make and determines your life and your character”.

“The recognition of individual rights entails the banishment of physical force from human relationships: basically, rights can be violated only by means of force. In a capitalist society, no man or group may initiate the use of physical force against others. The only function of the government, in such a society, is the task of protecting man’s rights, i.e., the task of protecting him from physical force; the government acts as the agent of man’s right of self-defense, and may use force only in retaliation and only against those who initiate its use; thus the government is the means of placing the retaliatory use of force under objective control”.
—Ayn Rand,

The Fountainhead (1943)


Ayn Rand
This is Ayn Rand’s first major literary success. Like her other books this book also has a philosophical backdrop like individualistic idealism vs pragmatic approach “Chalta hai” of life. Protagonist Howard Roark is dropout architect prefers perfectionism, originality in his work, how he develops his career in the world of hypocrite society represented by various characters like his class mate Peter Keating, Ellsworth Toohey popular art critic and manipulate mass opinion, Dominique heroine of The Fountainhead doesn’t cares what anyone thinks or does. She lives her life for herself and no one else…
Book is very inspirational, and last long with you…

“That love is reverence, and worship, and glory, and the upward glance. Not a bandage for dirty sores. But they don’t know it. Those who speak of love most promiscuously are the ones who’ve never felt it. They make some sort of feeble stew out of sympathy, compassion, contempt and general indifference, and they call it love. Once you’ve felt what it means to love as you and I know it–the total passion for the total height–you’re incapable of anything less.” (From book)

“I often think that he’s the only one of us who’s achieved immortality. I don’t mean in the sense of fame and I don’t mean that he won’t die some day. But he’s living it. I think he is what the conception really means. You know how people long to be eternal. But they die with every day that passes. When you meet them, they’re not what you met last. In any given hour, they kill some part of themselves. They change, they deny, they contradict–and they call it growth. At the end there’s nothing left, nothing unrevered or unbetrayed; as if there had never been any entity, only a succession of adjectives fading in and out on an unformed mass. How do they expect a permanence which they have never held for a single moment? But Howard–one can imagine him existing forever.” (From book)

"Here are my rules: what can be done with one substance must never be done with another. No two materials are alike. No two sites on earth are alike. No two buildings have the same purpose. The purpose, the site, the material determine the shape. Nothing can be reasonable or beautiful unless its made by one central idea, and the idea sets every detail. A building is alive, like a man."

"If you want my advice, Peter," he said at last, "you've made a mistake already. By asking me. By asking anyone. Never ask people. Not about your work. Don't you know what you want? How can you stand it, not to know?"

"He had forgotten his first building, and the fear and doubt of its birth. He had learned that it was so simple. His clients would accept anything, so long as he gave them an imposing façade, a majestic entrance and a regal drawing room, with which to astound their guests. It worked out to everyone's satisfaction: Keating did not care so long as his clients were impressed, the clients did not care so long as their guests were impressed, and the guests did not care anyway."

Ellsworth Toohey: There's the building that should have been yours. There are buildings going up all over the city which are great chances refused and given to incompetent fools. You're walking the streets while they're doing the work that you love but cannot obtain. This city is closed to you. It is I who have done it! Don't you want to know my motive?
Howard Roark: No!
Ellsworth Toohey: I'm fighting you and shall fight you in every way I can.
Howard Roark: You're free to do what you please!
Ellsworth Toohey: Mr. Roark, we’re alone here. Why don't you tell me what you think of me in any words you wish.
Howard Roark: But I don't think of you! (IMDB)

The Little Prince (1943)


Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Book is full of humor, story, visuals, and creative ideas across the journey of prince. The Little Prince is the observations about life and human nature. Can one imagine cooking on the volcanoes?

Mr. God this is Anna (1974)


Fynn
Basically book talks about spiritual aspect of life (More like question arise to 5 year Anna and tries to find innocent answer which adults find difficult to come up with) focuses a lot on the importance of religion and God in Anna's life, this book is really about faith very innocent. Nice to read

My days (1974)


R.K.Narayan
In this autobiography R. K. Narayan shares his life story very humorous way. His childhood in the grandmother's garden with picture perfect pet peacock and monkey… not interested in school, he trains grasshoppers…dreaming takes him to writing fiction, British diplomats, eccentric journalists, simple life humor and fall in love. R. K. Narayan's larger-than-life perception of the human comedy, and always true to it….

Third wave (1980)


Alvin Toffler
It is an amazing metaphor for visualizing social change. It is like wave of sea, like within IT revolution in India from almost more than decade (prominently) still we can see some people of old generation just missed it like they don’t know what is internet… google… bit difficult to believe but it is exist!

Some part of book as it is:
First Wave was the establishment of agriculture, and the social, economic and technological forms which derived from that.

The Second Wave was the industrial
revolution, and was characterized by such features as dependence on primary energy sources, the division between producer and consumer, the appearance of mass markets for standardized goods, large-scale concentrated technology and industrial resources, the ever-increasing division of labor, and mass hierarchical institutions such as the large incorporated company, the factory, the postal system, trade unions, political parties and “democracy”, the unified national state and the mass media. In a Second Wave society, a typical individual would be born into a “traditional” nuclear family, spend twelve or fourteen years in a compulsory school, then perhaps three or four in university or training college, then go to work as the employee of a large company or the state doing a specialized and standardized job, have one marriage partner and two or three children, and enjoy job security until retirement. People bought standardized consumer products, read mass-circulation newspapers, drove standardized cars, watched nationally-broadcast television and voted for one of two or three large political parties.

The Third Wave first appeared in about 1955, and has been characterized by the appearance of decentralized
technologies, such as electronics and micro-computing, and the fragmentation of both mass institutions and Second Wave patterns of life. The division of labor becomes somewhat less rigid, goods are produced in short runs for specialized markets, new technology and industries operate on a smaller scale, and mass organizations disintegrate and become less hierarchical. Rising divorce and illegitimacy rates challenge the traditional family, traditional industries decline and are replaced by small-scale high-technology concerns, companies decentralize their structures and contract out
many of their functions to specialist outsiders, and through micro-computers, modems and fax machines, the home becomes the “electronic cottage” in which many functions previously confined to the office or factory can be carried out. Individuals have access to video, cable and satellite television and hundreds of publications, and in politics countless small pressure groups become more important than mass parties. Life becomes more individualized, more fragmented and less secure and predictable: the Third Wave brings new problems and challenges as well as opportunities.

Future Shock (1970)


Alvin Toffler
Future shock written in 1970, gives insights into the working of organizations in the future (which is today) and to the surprise it is very correct. When today I am working in organization I can understand now what author wanted to tell almost three decade before
It is regarded as masterpiece on futurology…

Book talks about organizational behavior change, from typical governmental bureaucracy to flat structure (Adhocracy), where working people will take decision regarding projects.
It will make organization unstable but very fast in the decision making. Organizational growth will be more depends on mergers and acquisitions which we can see now as a mantra for growth.
One get amazed with Toffler’s vision… need to read his latest book of the series Revolutionary Wealth (2006) after Third wave (1980)
“The illiterate of the future will not be the person who cannot read. It will be the person who does not know how to learn”.
“The next major explosion is going to be when genetics and computers come together. I'm talking about an organic computer - about biological substances that can function like a semiconductor.”

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

One (1988)


Very imaginative book, takes reader on the roller costar ride. Do parallel world really exist? What if.... we can cross time beyond space, and meet our self in future or past…
There is Olympic game going in between the countries instead war to prove supremacy…Very metaphoric work…

The Bridge across Forever (1984)


Richard Bach
Book is more like autobiographical work but in the form of proper story and plot...Primarily focused on relationship and Bach's concept of soul-mates… This book is more like exposing our own thoughts with oneself (Talk a loud)…introspective in nature… when we don’t know our-self…clarifying rearranging and trying to understand one-self…

Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah (1977)


Richard Bach
Illusion is quite confusing at first read, need some background of author. It is mystical adventure story about two pilots who meet in a field in America… sort of, what if, can some one… teach me, tell me…

Jonathan Livingston Seagul (1970)


Richard Bach
It is an amazing story of seagull Jonathan, his quest for life and journey. I feel this book quite dear; it works subconsciously like Victor Frankl philosophy of “Man in search of meaning”. Jonathan develops interest in flying high unlike his breed, develops perfection and teaches other to fly high. He keeps on learning new techniques and inspires the all new lot… quite metaphoric and engaging…nice photographs…

Sunday, December 13, 2009

When Corporation rule the world (1995)


David C. Kprten
When Corporations Rule the World provides a hope for global reforms by which we may reclaim our power to localize economies while globalizing…

This is one of the few books just doesn’t talk about the problem of current economic crises but also tries to find out the solution. One must read this book to understand globalization, it make more sense after you read “Lexus and Olive tree”.
We have to be more “compassionate” toward life as whole, to sustain in this ever growing economy. I never thought the usage of this term in economics but it is compelling thought and very correct for new wave of social enterprising…
Book has lot of insight stories about corporate governance, strategies (shifting copper mine from Japan to Indonesia), powerful people how they manipulate stock market, noncompetitive strategy in automobile industry to fix the cost.

Contents:
Cowboy in the spaceship, Contest for the sovereignty, Corporate Colonialism, A rogue financial system, No place for people, Reclaiming the power

The Diary of a Young Girl (1947)


Anne Frank
There are so many movies, books, account, and records on the ill effect of WW II , Nazism, but for me this is the best book to undertand; intensity of it on normal people who suffered heavy losses. Anne Frank, 15 year child wrote day-to-day experiences in her diary. Experiences are so innocent and away from political/intellectual (so called) observation, they really stand out…

Autobiography of a Yogi (1946)


Paramahansa Yogananda
For long time I was looking some good book to understand the mind of yogi or the way spiritualism means to them. What makes them to leave home? And what make them so happy without so called “worldly” things? I came across this book, and found good, so many times unable to understand the spiritual phenomena like miracles (literally I thought they are magic from fairy tale way). It is nice to know altogether different society Himalayan yogi (I saw photographs in Kumbh mela). For me this is an experience to learn different way of life style like fashion industry…

The Story of My Experiments with Truth (1927)


(Selected works of Mahatma Gandhi by Navjeevan Ahmadabad volume I to VI)
Autobiographies are always nice to read or to know about person, but I have my own reservation and interpretations about persons. Before actually reading the autobiography of MKG I read his literature like letters, speeches and slowly started reading his experiments. Found quite thought provoking, and interesting. Still I am not sure how much really I understood some worldly meaning of Truth, Simplicity, non-violence…

Volume I: An Autobiography
Volume II: An Autobiography
Volume III: Satyagraha in South Africa
Volume IV: The basic work
Volume V: Selected letters
Volume VI: The voice of truth

Wings of fire (1999)


A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
Very inspirational and touching story; how poor child from remote village place can climb to the ladder of height post; The President of India through dedication, hard work and determination…
Instead of much writing about book I am adding poem by APJ which talks everything…

My Mother
Sea waves, golden sand, pilgrims’ faith, Rameswaram Mosque Street, all merge into one, My Mother!
You come to me like heaven’s caring arms. I remember the war days when life was challenge and toil—Miles to walk, hours before sunrise,
Walking to take lessons from the saintly teacher near the temple.
Again miles to the Arab teaching school,
Climb sandy hills to Railway Station Road,
Collect, distribute newspapers to temple city citizens,
Few hours after sunrise, going to school.
Evening, business time before study at night.
All this pain of a young boy,
My Mother you transformed into pious strength
With kneeling and bowing five times
For the Grace of the Almighty only, My Mother.
Your strong piety is your children’s strength,
You always shared your best with whoever needed the most,
You always gave, and gave with faith in Him.
I still remember the day when I was ten,
Sleeping on your lap to the envy of my elder brothers and sisters
It was full moon night, my world only you knew
Mother! My Mother!
When at midnight I woke with tears falling on my knee
You knew the pain of your child, My Mother.
Your caring hands, tenderly removing the pain
Your love, your care, your faith gave me strength
To face the world without fear and with His strength.
We will meet again on the great Judgement Day, My Mother!
- APJ Abdul Kalam

Talking Straight (1989)


Lee A. Iacocca, Lee Iacocca,
Talking Straight offers some more experiences by Iacocca like his involvement with Lady Liberty celebration (I personally feel that all great thinkers or performers have some thing like big event in their life to celebrate and they cherish through out life). The he talks about scandals, raising kids and growing older to what's wrong with trade, Wall Street, and the American psyche. . .He also offers eight commandments of management.

Every Street Is Paved With Gold (1994)


Kim Woo-Choong
In order to understand other Asian people I short listed some books and this was one of them.
This book is filled with business person’s experiences in real life scenarios. Some of the stories are quite motivational where we can relate with us. Kim Woo-Choong writes about the importance of dreams, visions, of entrepreneurs.

Made in Japan (1986)


Akio Morita
Made in Japan is an autobiography of Akio Morita and Sony, the co-founder and former chairman of Sony Corporation. The book narrates the story of Morita, his initial struggle, Sony Corporation and its famous products (walkman), hits and miss in the evolution of Sony to Japan's defeat in World War II, and its rise to fame and fortune…

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Crime and Punishment (1866)


When I read about Dostroyevsky, I could not believe, he finished writing this book in hurry since he was in need of money; I thought it is well researched book. I look at this book as applied psychology manifesto, some time psychological thriller. Book is written in two parts like sinocidal curve: it begins, reaches at peak and then calms down.

Protagonist Raskolnikov is student with radically different thinking looses his distinction between right and wrong. He feels that some people are more important than other, and in case of need they can take there life also, something similar like soldiers sacrificing life for protection of king, but in normal life scenario and he commits crime and doesn’t feel any guilt for his deeds… but as we progresses through book it shows how he develops guilt and get his redemption.

Book is bit difficult to understand because of its complex structure and translation. Most of the book talks about inner conflicts rather than plot. I feel that it is roller costar ride of reader through the mind ok Raskolnikov and his ideology. Must read book for people interested in applied study of psychology not recommended for thriller/crime loving…

The Lexus and the Olive tree (1999)


To understand globalization and its impact on the society this is very good book to start with by Thomas Friedman columnist for The New York Times.

Lexus is the car manufacturing company, suppose to be very high tech uses all the robotics, where as Olive tree is cultural symbol of traditional trees grown in china house hold. Book talks about the global impact of free economy, with lucid examples easy to understand. Being columnist for NYT author got ample opportunities to visit various countries for more than decade at various instances so he added all the knowledge, experiences and personal flavor, quotes in this book which compels reader to read.

Book is full of examples how democratic, capitalist, communist, sociologist petrol pump works toward customer. Jokes on the corruption in the various countries… Historic evidences, analysis and comparisons of various companies and policy…how some adapted globalization and how some failed

There are two ways to make person feel homeless, one is to destroy his home and other is to make his home look and feel like everybody’s home

Free to choose (1980)


Book talks about the crux of capitalism, freedom and importance of government. For this book and work in economic study Milton and Rose Friedman (Husband wife) awarded with Nobel Prize, and TV serial is made in the form of documentary of the same name.

Every day each of us uses innumerable goods and service, to eat, to wear, to shelter, simplify life, to enjoy. We take for granted that they will be available when we want to buy them. We never stop to think how many people have played a part in one way or another in providing this goods and services, how it is that most of us are able to earn the money to buy the goods.

No industrialist wake up in morning and say I need to pollute environment, rather he says I need to produce bread of the cost that normal person can afford, so to bake the bread he can not use the costly methods (solar/nuclear/clean fuel) rather he stick with cost effective means…

Chapters: The power of the market, The anatomy of crisis, who protects the customer and worker, the cure of inflation, what is wrong with our school

Commodities and Capabilities (1999)


This short monographs presents a set of interrelated theses builds the foundation of welfare economics for which latter in 1998 Amartya Sen got Nobel Prize for welfare economics

This book opens you altogether new vision to look at society. It is socio economic study where we understand; interest, well-being, advantage, commodities and their usage, utility, desire, happiness.

From book: I would distinguish broadly two ways of seeing a person’s interest and there fulfillment, and I shall call them respectively ‘well-being’ and advantage’. Well-being is concerned with a person’s achievement: how ‘well’ is his/her ‘being’? ‘Advantage’ refers to the real opportunities that the person has, especially compared with others.

How happiness (being well half) is relative term and can be explained with mathematical function, amazing!

Small is Beautiful (1973)


Small is beautiful is essentially a collection of essays and speeches given by economist E. F. Schumacher fist published in 1973 and to the my surprise it is totally correct even today. This a revolutionary approach to see the world in the different way.

Current economical growth of human being is based on profit and progress “bigger the better” creating the conflict with natural resources, like environmental pollution, inhuman working conditions. Shumacher explains his revolutionary concept of small is beautiful in very convincing manner by identifying the modern world problems, and explains through Buddhist economy. About resources he says that, how education, proper use of land, and technology is crucial in today’s scenario. How smaller working units, communal ownership and regional workplaces utilizing local labor and resources (similar to Adam Smith) can bring the change…

A Buddhist economist would consider this approach excessively irrational: since consumption is merely a means to human well-being, the aim should be to obtain the maximum of well-being with the minimum of consumption.... The less toil there is, the more time and strength is left for artistic creativity. Modern economics, on the other hand, considers consumption to be the sole end and purpose of all economic activity

The Price of Onion (2000)


Ashok Desai
To understand everyday economics (Socio-economic) for layman this is a sincere effort by Ashok Desai, advisor of Manmohan Sing’s congress government in the time of reform during 1991-92.

Book is in the form of case studies supported by Indian historic statistical data of regular use commodities like onion, ghee, oil, cereals and how price fluctuation takes place. Onion is the metaphor represents how unorganized sector like India fluctuate in it’s prize and to deal this sort of fluctuation how government reacts (some time wrong way) and what should be long term solution. It also talks about commodity prize governing mechanisms in the developed countries like USA and Europe.

This book also helps reader to understand prize mechanism of macro (international) level to micro level like mandi, and it makes us understand the complication involved. I am sure after reading this book reader feels happy on the regular irritating “NEWS of prize increase” on media, because he/she understand it well reason behind it…

The book concludes with an outline how policy making can make a difference in the economy of unorganized commodity sector like India.

Monday, November 23, 2009

The Turning Point


We are in the constant search of meaning in life; we want to relate knowledge of everything with everyone, to get some relationship among it which we can understand, we can use/relate…from history of civilization to globalization, theoretical physic explanation of big bang theory to economical crises, religion to politics, isentropic/adiabatic process to atmosphere, yin-yang theory to economics…I never understood before the why entropy of the universe always increases and its relation to second law of thermodynamics and hardly we get a reference book to start with and I feel this book exactly does this job.

Fritjof Capra gives the term “Fossil Fuel civilization” to current generation since there growth is totally depends on the fossil fuel.

Topics: The Turning of the Tide, The Newtonian World-Machine, The New Physics, The Mechanistic View of Life, The Biomedical Model, Newtonian Psychology, The Impasse of Economics, The Dark Side Of Growth, The Systems View of Life, Wholeness and Health, Journeys Beyond Space and Time, The Passage to the Solar Age

To Kill a Mockingbird


To kill a mocking bird is sin…Very meaningful book, written with the perspective of ten year old girl regarding racial injustice and the destruction of innocence by Harper Lee
It frequently reminds me Frank’s diary, the innocence of small girl and how she perceives the society around her.

The Story of Philosophy


(William James Durant American writer, historian, and philosopher)
It is good book to keep as a reference about philosophers, their ideas and short biography which shaped them. First chapter begins with introduction to philosophy and it’s different branches like Metaphysics, politics, Art, Theology, Epistemology etc
Philosophers included are: Plato, Aristotle, Francis Bacon, Baruch Spinoza, Voltaire (with a section on Rousseau), Immanuel Kant (with a section on Hegel), Arthur Schopenhauer, Herbert Spencer, and Friedrich Nietzsche.

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Siddhartha


One more philosophical masterpiece by Hermann Hesse… I never could understand how foreigner (I used this word because of cultural and language barriers) like Hermann Hesse can understand so nicely the deep meaning of Indian ancient thoughts like spirituality, concept of Om, Hinduism, Buddhism so effectively and can use it as backdrop for a plot to tell simple story what is life?

For long time I was avoiding the book, just because of it’s title. I thought it will be one more book of Siddhartha, or biographical account, but it is not. This is the simplest book I read about the application of Hinduism and Buddhism (I am using this term generically not specifically about one thing). This book made/helped me to visualize what is life, in the simple term, what is so special about Buddha’s smile how all the life is connected which talked in Bhagwatgita like river…

“You know how to speak cleverly, my friend. Be on your guard against too much cleverness.”

Man’s search for meaning


Classic book from Dr. Victor Frankl, must read by everybody. It is divided into two parts autobiographical story of his struggle and survival from Nazi concentration camp, and other part of book is application of his psychological thought he developed and derived called logotherapy. This is the book which tries to answer the fundamental question everyone feels in some time of his life, what is the quest of life? What is the life itself? or something like why me? And I feel no other person can explain better than Dr. Franks, not only because of his break through research on psychology which challenges the classical or modern psychological theories by psychologist like Dr. fruid but also because the experiences he himself went through in the concentration camp which indirectly proves the merit of his thinking.

It but obvious that one will feel, why to live in the concentration camp where one get a treatment worsen than animal and so much hardship/pain to achieve what? Better to die and rest in peace (If we call so…)… and this book exactly talks about why not? It talks about the hope in life, and how the man’s in search of meaning in his life conquer all the odds…

Logotherapy is the application of his thoughts in the normal life problem as a psychologist Frankl offers to his patients, it is just amazing!
According to logotherapy, this striving to find a meaning in one’s life is the primary motivational force in man, human existence. It challenges the Friedrich Nietzsche’s theory of super man in quite extend, and contradicts Sigmund Freud modern psycology. In today’s scenario of life I feel that Dr. Frankl’s theory explains and answers quite extend the psychological problem we are facing in the contemporary life style.

The Prophet


I feel “The prophet” is book of wisdom full of philosophical thoughts and amazing use of metaphors to explain them by Khalil Gibran. Some books are published with his paintings also. Rather than spiritual book design students should read this book to understand the usage of metaphors. The prophet is the commentary about regular life issues and concerns like what is life: Love, Marriage, Children, Giving, Eating and Drinking, Work, Joy and Sorrow, Houses, Clothes, Buying and Selling, Crime and Punishment, Laws, Freedom, Reason and Passion, Pain, Self-Knowledge, Teaching, Friendship, Talking, Time, Good and Evil, Prayer, Pleasure, Beauty, Religion, and Death

E.g. when some one asks prophet what is house; he explains house is like eye. It is always open to see and closes as the danger comes, so house should be such… amazing thought I never got this type of explanation in any architectural books and philosophy I read so far…

The Prince


Like Arthashastra by Chankya is famous in India, in Europe “The Prince” book by Niccolo Machiavelli has similar status. This is must read book and reference book. Italian political thinker and diplomat Machiavelli started his career as minor clerk and rose to become diplomat for Florence. Book he wrote and gifted (?) to king (which is said, it was his political move to please him) and it generally talks about “political success at all cost” with historic references and his political study in long carrier as political thinker.

Machiavellian character is the term derived from his name, typical Machiavellian character is the main character around which all the plot revolves but he/she doesn’t take part actively but make sure the entire things takes place with his/her wish. To understand the historic evidences one should also read his letters.

Monday, November 2, 2009

The Naked Ape


The Naked Ape: Desmond Morris Zoologist's study of the humans as a species and compares them to other animals. This is basic book one must read to understand human behavior, it is full of facts are comparisons with other animals to clarify doubts. It is a benchmark of popular anthropology and psychology book. Each chapter is distinct and like individual research papers on topics: Origin, Sex, Rearing, Exploration, Fighting, Feeding, Comfort, Animals, and References.

It asks the fundamental questions like: If humans are evolved from monkey, what would have been today’s monkey that time?

Friday, October 9, 2009

Freakonomics

"If you own a gun and have a swimming pool in the yard, the swimming pool is almost 100 times more likely to kill a child than the gun is." Do we really think that way? But statistically it is right. Freconomics talk about regular life problems and statistical/economical solution. It is more close to behavioral economics. Reading book is like detective story how detective found out the clues, only difference is Steven D. Levitt uses the economical theories and statistical models.

Book is very effective to understand the real life problem, it helps us to increase our analytical problem solving, and it influences our thoughts.

Some of the events cover in the book: Who cheats? Just about everyone…How cheaters cheat, and how to catch them…Stories from an Israeli day-care center…The sudden disappearance of seven million American children…Cheating schoolteachers in Chicago…Why cheating to lose is worse than cheating to win…Could sumo wrestling, the national sport of Japan, be corrupt?…What makes perfect parents? The negligible effects of good parenting on education… socioeconomic patterns of naming children…

Thursday, October 8, 2009

What do you Care what other people think?


This is the extension of his first book “Surely you’re joking Mr. Feynman”. It is similar in nature where Mr. Feynman shares his life experiences. First half talk about autobiographical notes and impact of his father on his thinking. How his father taught him to ask questions, how he find similarity between science and art and how he developed it. Second part he talks about his involvement on the Rogers Commission investigating the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. Believe me it is so funny I was laughing through out…it always reminds me whenever we have postmortem review of projects…

Surely you’re joking Mr. Feynman


Richard Feynman is Nobel Prize winner physicist, very inspirational speaker and has a very fine sense of humor. When some one ask him at Princeton whether he wants to have tea with lemon or cream he says without thinking add both so person reply back “Surely you’re joking Mr. Feynman!” that’s the reason for a book title. Book is full of real life experiences and incidences happened to Feynman. For reader it is an opportunity to witness his life in small stories which remind me of my dad when he tells the stories about his childhood and life. This book also tells you about science, culture, art and how different sectors like military, education, government works in USA.

I would like to write specific to one of the article from book “Judging books by there covers”. Feynman talks about his experience when he got involved with state board of education California as committee member to look over the books and to give them advise which book to take. He talks about how the book content is selected, how examples given in the book to teach mathematics to children is not appropriate, how the board and publisher has a relationship…too funny, and some time I wonder; is this the way school curriculums are designed?

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

The Metamorphosis


“One morning, when Gregor Samsa (protagonist) woke from troubled dreams, he found himself transformed in his bed into a horrible vermin/beetle” amazing plot and story by Franz Kafka, I found similar writing skill only in G.A. Kulkarni Marathi story writer.
It also reminds me when we change the basic point of view to look at some problem or assignments; we get altogether different some time unbelievable results. Like metamorphosis of thoughts….

This story not only talks about subconscious thoughts of narrator about his family and surrounding after his transformation, but it also talks; how it transforms his family. Story compels reader to witness different world, some time very sad but optimistic very real and very fictitious…

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Animal Farm


Animal Farm is satire; sharp look at so called revolution, and communal government by George Orwell. When leader behaves like master how society suffers. Beauty of the book is simplicity in the plot and clean humor. I don’t know how but so many reviews tell that characters in Animal Farm were inspired by the Russian Revolution and the events that followed.
Apart from book, so many times I think myself; is it possible to look everything flat, equal without division? What happens to food chain pyramid? How we can form sentence, word without division/group of alphabets? Are some are more important/privileged than other? Our human brain understands when we have logical chunks, groups, brackets… but it is up to us how we treat that… musical harmony can be created with the all types of notes, no one note is inferior/superior than other… only thing is that whether we need melody or chaos?

Five Point Someone


For long time I was avoiding this book because of its misleading title “Five point someone”, I thought it is typical, five, seven, or ten pointer book… but it is not!

When I started reading, I found it is quite interesting and nostalgic, it rememinds you the good old college days, and hostel life. Characters are very alive and I am sure this type of people/friend/character everyone knows in the hostel/college. I will say it is typical bollywood masala (They are making movie also) book with humor, story line, romance and twist.

More than a book I like the strategy of pricing this book, (it is already best seller English book in India) content that represents new generation (generation-x, fatafat generation, yangistan) mentality… I am looking forward to Chetan Bhagat as a new generation thought leader sort; I am not sure but why not?

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Beyond good and evil


One of the most complex and difficult to understand book I read until now, one of the reason is very old (1886) in language style and other could be topics/thoughts it described in it.

I think to appreciate this book one need to do some research on Friedrich Nietzsche, one of the most influential philosophers of 19th century from German, check on wikipedia his list of he influenced the people like Hitler, Ayn Rand, Hermann Hesse. Check his biography his likings in music, poetry and philosophy.
His most influential work include “God is dead”, “Superman”, “The will to power”, more information about his work we can obtain from “the story of philosophy by Will Durant”

Some of his concept I could understand on the analysis of his work provided by various writers/researchers through the internet. E.g. Nietzsche concept is like finding the ultimate rule to play universal game. When god was there he made rules to play universal game (only one and ultimate) say cricket, and it was working fine for long time, but as human society progresses they themselves found different games like football, hockey, but to play that games they need different rules (can not play with the cricket rules) they made and played, enjoyed but further problem started arising when human tried to understand which is the best game? In fact these are all different games (can not be compared), some philosophers (?) tried to make universal rule taking best of from each game rule, but result was; people could not play the game, they were self contradictory… and then there was a time of chaos, nobody knew what to do.. And hence Nietzsche says we lost the ultimate game rules, and hence the creator of rule and hence god is dead and to make new rules (ultimate rules of game we lost) we need superheroes which got capacity to write the new rules  hence the concept of super hero came… same with beyond good and evil… I think this is one of the best works I read. This concepts are very strong and challenges about your existence and thinking…
As and when I get time I would like to write more about some Nietzsche concepts I understood…

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

The Argumentative Indian


When it come to arguments Indians are well known, these essay or monologs talks about historic references, statistical data, philosophical journey of Indian thoughts from Geeta to India-china relationships, culture, politics and so many aspects of life with reasons.

I liked the name welfare economics derived from the central theme of Geeta “faire and forward” to current requirement of “welfare and forward”. I always feel that books like these make our understanding about our country more accurate, transparent, and make us proud about our country. Sometime I amazed first university of international education was In India called Nalanda with so many foreign students who shaped the history of world.

“Just consider how terrible the day of your death will be, others will go on speaking, and you not be able to ague back.” Ram Mohun Roy

Persepolis


This book remind me of Anne Frank’s diary, an innocent account on the dark side of war history, and story-line quite similar to movie/novel Forest Gump, linking the biography with historic events…

This graphic novel is full of humor and sadness in the life of narrator Marjane Satrapi. First part talk about her childhood and second part talk about her school days or latter adulthood… This graphic novel is something you feel like witnessing Iran as Marjane’s family member. Quite honest and neutral opinion about situations in Iran and facts about life… This book also talks about culture, traditions, social structure of Iran…

Graphics are in black and white, very effective and to-the-detail required. Sometime we can see very good compositions, and brilliant usage of positive negative spaces.

The Barn Owl’s Wondrous Caper


This graphic novel is sort of mystery story where central character/narrator is in the search of precious book of scandals. Story presentation style is disorienting not a linear, but happens in different cities and at different time zones.

Graphic style is very interesting, some time usage of original photographs with mix media illustration is good. Sarnath Banerjee has very interesting visualization and he portrayed Calcutta city and culture nicely. Illustration style is similar to Writers & Readers Publishing beginner series graphic novel.

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

The Romantic Manifesto


After reading some of Ayn Rand’s book like Atlas shrugged and Fountain head I always have a fascination about her books and philosophy. This specific book I started reading when I was working on the creative process, or design process to look for philosophical thought to start with it; and exactly this book answers these questions.
I started reading this book with the story provided in the last chapter “The simplest thing in the world” it illustrates the nature of creative process of writer writing about his story/book and what goes through his mind which could be similar to painter who starts painting. How artist’s sense of life directs the integrating functions of his subconscious and controls his creative imagination.

There are various interesting scenario of mental models like: In order to live, man must act; in order to act, he must make choices; in order to make choices, he must define values; in order to define values, he must know what he is and where he is i.e. he should have knowledge about his own nature and nature of universe around, which means he need philosophy (metaphysics, epistemology, ethics). Art is selective recreation of reality according to an artist’s metaphysical value-judgment. Because of this of all the human products, art is perhaps the most personally important and least understood in human kind.

In any kind of art subject and style defines the nature of art. Subject defines the view of man’s existence (metaphysics) while style expresses the view of man’s consciousness (psyco-epistomology)

I understood appreciating abstract art through reading of G.A. Kulkarni; famous Marathi story wrier, whose stories are mystic in nature and most of the time talks about subconscious minds of characters. His visualization helped me to understand the nature of artist’s subconscious mind, which provocates (Is it a write word?) him to create…

This book talks about what is good painting and bad painting; it also narrates writer’s own experience of experiencing the art. There are good amount of western painting styles and painter’s famous paintings are discussed as a case study which I think will help individual to appreciate art more correctly…

Games Indians play: Why we are the way we are


This is one of the most satisfying rather study made on Indian behavior. It talks about the Indianess or indian’s nature and provides explanation with the help of game theory and behavioral economics by prof. V. Raghunathan sir. I find same nature in Amartya Sen’s book “The Argumentative Indian” but it talks more historic evidences whether this book provide regular life problem like why Indian city looks so dirty and shabby where as historically we are the people of very high aesthetic sense. How Indian perceive problem individually and socially and solve it with “chalta hai” attitude… I think one of best work in behavioral economic I came across…

Imperium


This is the classical book of historian fiction about ancient Rome politics. The title itself is very powerful so I feel the need to understand the ancient political, socio-economical system, trumps and losses in Rome which will help me to understand current political scenario in our country (Which hardly changed). This is the story of Marcus Cicero written by household slave Tiro; his struggle to attain supreme power of Rome Imperium nearest thing below the heaven to immortality. It has quite interesting plots which proved the brilliancy/political supremacy of Cicero. Orator ship was the key of success at that time so how Cicero prepared it although he had ill health and physic, the training and practices he went through is an amazing account. The way court cases handled by him to the gaining the favors or votes in aristocrat elections. It is also an account of social structure; slavery, economical condition; bribes, aristocracy; power games, architectural development of Rome society; I think it is very brilliant effort and very difficult task Robert Harris has made successfully, but I found personally very difficult so many time to track the different character names and scenarios considering the complexity of story and difficult names.

“The art of life is to deal with the problems as they arise, rather than destroy ones’s spirit by worrying about themtoo far from advance”

“Words, words, words. Is there no end to the tricks you can make them perform?”

Fashion Babylon


This book is an accidental finding to me. After working with more than decade in the design (Industrial/interaction) industry I still wonder, what is the difference between style and substance…
As a sincere effort I thought to work on specific design field to get reasonable answer if not the absolute, and chose fashion design since it involve lot of style, glamour…and some time substance…

This book helped me to understand the fashion industry setup, what is the social-economical structure of it, limitations, drawbacks and success stories…

Imogen Edward-Jones’s effort is more like a research project. She wrote this book along with anonymous person from industry and tried to find out fashion industry details like how money flows in the industry, how models maintain there physic, what is the difference between London fashion show to Milan, how big brands are made and does the business, how important it is to make dresses for celebrity, to all other fashion gossips to reality…

Fashion shows are vital tool to recognize the future trend, colors and material per say which influence industry and most of the time production, but more than substance it talks about setup… doest answer the questions of underline meaning within it…

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

V for Vendetta



After long time I read graphic novel, as a kid we used to read about Phantom, batman, superman and chaha-chaudhari :) but this is quite different experience, it is serious in nature and discusses about the philosophical quest like for social welfare what is good governance?

There are lots of books and thoughts which advocate democracy, monarchy, aristocracy, this specific book talks about anarchy…

The most interesting thing about this graphical novel is the usage of metaphors, scenario buildings with the help of strong visual language used by Alan Moore and David Lloyd.

Reading this novel is an experience in itself, but so many times I felt characters are confusing and difficult to recognize through visual depiction. The usage of negative space in illustration style is amazing!

Thursday, September 17, 2009

The Glass Bead Game by Hermann Hesse


This week end I finished reading The Glass Bead Game book, by Hermannn Hesse.I found this is very interesting and highly recommended to read. After almost 7 years I found a book comparable with Atlas Shrugged in terms of context. Hermannn Hesse got Nobel prize for literature and this book was one of main consideration.

Story is fiction futuristic 23rd century; but it is not sify type… infact it is very philosophical in nature, it talks about Order and disorder in life, how to earn faith (quite new to me) by doubts and clarifying the doubt. All the characters are fictious but more or less developed on real time persons like philosophers Friedrich Nietzsche, historians Jakob Burckhardt.

One need to constantly refer wikipedia since it talks about art movements, music masters, styles, meditation I ching, Hinduism, church…

If u think to read the book skip introduction at beginning, its quite confusing.. but make sense after u read it.
Narration style is very different, and difficult, since writer wrote this book as a researcher historian finding life and detail about Joseph Knecht through interview of peoples, his books, poetry and other references… end is bit disturbing.. but who cares it? Over all very nice experience to read…

Through out the book writer developed interest by making the conceptual game "glass bead game" its rules and history of its champions...

In Atlas shrugged John Galt makes one ideal world, here is starts with ideal world and then goes back to normal world of disorder… with respect for it...

Its plot is based on Plato’s philosophy of education where he feels that kids are the future of society so they need to be educated in isolation than normal family life, (Indian guru-shishya pranali is also the same) in protected environment, he goes in detail in extend that what subjects at what age should be taught. Once they are ready to serve society can go out from protected educational society… its bit radical at first, but it make sense...

My Book Shelf

I would like to share my books with all my friends, some time my opinion, comments, reviews and learning. I would also like to listen your view on books.