For last months update, please go here.
I read an interesting set of books this month.
I’ve not got around to writing enough though, so, hopefully the coming month will change that, there are a few posts in the works but, I haven’t really spent enough time writing.
I’m publishing this post a day early because I don’t think I’ll be able to find the time to write tomorrow, which kind of implies that I won’t be finished with any more books by tomorrow end either.
I read 10 books in May.
The books I read were:
- The Dawn of Science - Thanu Padmanabhan, Vasanthi Padmanabhan
Written by my aunt and uncle! Both incredible physicists in their own right.
Super engaging read.
The timeline given at the end of each chapters really puts things in perspective, prior to reading this, while I might have had a vague sense of when things happened, the timeline introduced the idea of what else was happening when a discovery was being made.
My favorite being the one at the end of Ch. 15, “Affairs of the heart”, which shows that, while 40 years of political turmoil could exist, scientific progress will not be hindered.
This however, as is discussed right before the timeline, does not mean that an individual scientists’ (in this case William Harvey) research will not be harmed.
[Source : Amazon/Hardcover]
I think this is a subtle, but, impressive undertone in the book.
- Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff, it’s all small stuff - Richard Carlson
A simple read that continuously reiterates the idea expressed in the title.
It also goes into some level of specificity of techniques that can be used to not ‘sweat the small stuff’
I liked the book.
[Source : Amazon/Kindle]
- The Tao of Physics - Fritjof Capra
This has been on my reading list for a long time. The book however was a little disappointing. While the initial analogies are somewhat acceptable, as the book progresses it begins to draw similarities which are a little too flimsy for my liking.
The book closes with a discussion on the Bootstrap Model which isn’t really that much of an accepted theory today, based on my understanding anyway. The book is also lacking in terms of a proper overview of ‘eastern’ thought which the author oversimplifies. Maybe worth a read if it is of interest.
[Source : Paperback]
- The Venture Hacks Bible - Naval Ravikant and Babak Nivi
What an awesome book. It’s a compilation of their earliest blog posts on Venturehacks and it’s super informative plus you get to see the first posts about Angelist from 2009-2011!
[Source : VentureHacks]
- Out of Control - Kevin Kelly
Written by one of the co-founders of Wired magazine.
Some parts of the book are prescient, some are radically futuristic, and very little is dated.
This book is about far too many things and maybe intends to leave the reader with more questions than answers.
The book opens with an engaging discussion on what makes humans human and the shortening distance between the biological and mechanical and takes off from there. Highly recommended.
[Source : Kevin Kelly]
- Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
This book has retaught me how descriptions of interactions and emotions can be done.
One of the greatest books ever written and my review on this is meaningless.
Please read the book.
[Source : Paperback]
- Rebecca, Jamaica Inn, Frenchman’s Creek - Daphne du Maurier
I got my hands on a Daphne du Maurier omnibus and finished all three books.
I liked the books in the order listed above.
Rebecca is a marvellous book, if Anna Karenina retaught me descriptions, Rebecca retaught me dialogue and emotion. It’s a beautiful book.
Jamaica Inn has a significantly darker tone and Frenchman’s Creek a more exciting tone, however, both books end with their respective opposite tones and both books end a little sooner than expected.
[Source : Hardcover]
- The Library of Babel - Jorge Luis Borges
My first Borges story. This is a short story, not a book.
I picked this up because one of the books I am currently reading is The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco and I’ve read elsewhere (i forget where) that it is in some ways inspired by this short story.
Reminded me of Interstellar. Superb read.
[Source : Library of Babel - T/L by Erby - html , T/L by Hurley - pdf]
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Thank you for reading what I’m reading
Sainath