The Emerging Mind

Writer: Vilayanur Ramachandran
Genre: Non Fiction / Science

What would you call a person who sees some numbers colored always? And what about someone who cannot see [although he has perfect vision] anything to his left? What about someone who starts laughing when in pain?
The answer to all the above from a commoner would be - Mad!

After a disastrous fiction book, an absolute wow book that had me hooked. How does our brain work? I am sure each one of us has had that question many a times. That reason alone is enough for people to pick up this book. And yes, not to forget that the writer has written the book in a style that will endear it to readers who may have no background in science. It’s just pure pleasure to understand his explanations even after subtracting the technical aspects.

The writer picks some famous mental disorders like Phantom Limbs, color-graphemic synesthesia(seeing colored numbers) and explains them in a very tactful manner. He uses all the terminologies but yet keeps the explanation easy enough for people who would like to just understand the reason behind the disorder. The book is filled with such disorders and their explanations in a very lucid fashion.

Grab the book; you won't regret even a single page!

Oh Shit Not Again!

Writer: Mandar Kokate
Genre: Fiction

Skip it!

Its Not About The Bike: My journey Back to Life

Writer: Lance Armstrong with Sally Jenkins

Genre: Autobiography

Do a Google search on Lance Armstrong and you will know why everyone should read this book. Armstrong's determination is so human that you get inspired too.

Winning world famous cycling championships Armstrong was all set for the Grand Slam of cycling races - the Tour De France when he was diagnosed with testicular cancer and a brain tumour. He underwent chemo, brain surgery and returned back to win the 1999 Tour De France. The media suggested that his chemo was probably acting as a doping agent in his win. The man however has silenced all his critics because he has won the Tour de France each year from 1999 to 2005, which in itself is a record.

  

The book covers this journey in an extremely inspirational and human way. He has no qualms in accepting his aggressiveness before being diagnosed and neither is he ashamed to admit that he was scared and almost quit cycling. his almost fatherless childhood is stated in a matter-of-fact manner and that’s something that I really liked.

It’s fabulous and an uncomplicated read. Grab a copy whenever you feel down, this book sure motivates you to keep trying harder

Update: Oct 2012
Lance Armstrong has been disqualified from all his results since 1998 after the doping allegations against him were found to be true. He has chosen to not contest the findings.

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

Writer: Robert Pirsig

Genre: Philosophy

Do not let the genre be a turn off! A fabulous book that I caught hold of after a long long time. By the way it has got nothing to do either with Zen or motorcycle maintenance as such, but maintenance of motorcycles seems to serve as a good analogy for the author for explaining his point of view.    

The book is a first person narration of a motorcycle journey of the author with his son, Chris and family friends from Minnesota to California. The book jumps between 2 characters - the author in his present state and a state in which he identifies himself as Phaedrus. Phaedrus, a rhetoric teacher and becomes engaged in identifying what is it that makes something better than something else. In short, he wants to define Quality. His pursuit of Quality drives him insane and the mental asylum changes his personality completely.

It’s almost impossible to explain the contents of this book without sounding insane yourself. It is class apart and you have to read it, understand it and accept it to understand its beauty. But yes, it’s not an easy read. You need patience and my idea is that if you love the book in the first 100 pages you will read it till the end or else keep it down immediately.

This one is going to be on my favourite list!

Some excellent quotes from the book:

"The truth knocks on the door and you say, "Go away, I'm looking for the truth," and so it goes away. Puzzling."

"When one person suffers from a delusion, it is called insanity. When many people suffer from a delusion it is called a Religion."

"For every fact there is an infinity of hypotheses. "

Q:"Is it hard?

A: 'Not if you have the right attitudes. Its having the right attitudes thats hard."

..................and my personal favourite

"The law of gravity and gravity itself did not exist before Isaac Newton."

...and what that means is that that law of gravity exists nowhere except in people's heads! It 's a ghost!"

Mind has no matter or energy but they cant escape its predominance over everything they do. Logic exists in the mind. Numbers exist only in the mind. I don't get upset when scientists say that ghosts exist in the mind. Science is in your mind too, it s just that that doesn’t make it bad. Or ghosts either."

Laws of nature are human inventions, like ghosts. Law of logic, of mathematics are also human inventions, like ghosts."

Conversations with myself

Writer: Nelson Mandela

Genre: Collection of Letters, etc.

Picked up this book by mistake and was too stupid as to not verify its contents. I was actually scouting for his autobiography and bought this instead.  It’s a collection of letters, conversations, and written notes from the man himself - Nelson Mandela. Much of the data is from the days when he was imprisoned at Robin Island.

Decent read but not exciting enough and yeah the price is a little too steep for its contents! My take, skip it.

Money for Nothing

Writer: P G Wodehouse
Genre: Classic/ Humour/Fiction

Another perfect one from the master himself!  I am thoroughly enjoying my second stint with Wodehouse and I intend to read his entire collection again. During times when the going is not good, Wodehouse is the man for you.  Someone who can seriously make you smile with those smart one liners and comic but simple situations.

Lester Carmody and his old pal, Col. Wyvern are no longer on talking terms because of a silly feud and this has given poor Johnnie sleepless nights. Why? Because he, Lester's nephew, is in love with  Pat, Wyvern's daughter. He proposes her but Pat can never accept Johnnie as a lover because he is not the dashing kinds. When the American millionaire, Molloy and his daughter pay a visit to Mr. Carmody there is more to them than what meets the eye. 
Mr. Molloy's daughter seems to be interested in Johnnie and this makes Pat jealous.

All hell breaks loose when the Molloy's along with Lester Carmody and the local fitness man, Dr. Twist fake a burglary of the Carmody's ancestral heirloom. Johnnie decides to investigate and ends up as a prisoner at Twist's health resort.

How he manages the situation and finally wins Pat's heart makes for some real good reading.

The story is uncomplicated and carries a Wodehouse stamp all along. A must read for British English lovers and pick it up if you need some smiles as you turn the pages.

Much Obliged Jeeves

Writer: P G Wodehouse
Genre: Fiction/ Humour

Bertie Wooster, on insistence of his aunt Dahlia decides to help an old chum, Ginger Winship, in winning the House of Commons by-election. However, when he reaches Brinkley he is in for surprises. Florence Craye, his ex-fiancé is now engaged to Ginger. Spode and Madeline are in Brinkley too to help Ginger.

Bertie's butler, Jeeves who is a member of Junior Ganymede club tells him about a book that exists in his club where every employee writes about his employer. He also explains that book consists of some explosive material for Ginger. Unfortunately the book has been stolen by Bingley and he threatens to expose Ginger's past.

A simple situation and a fabulous British English narration. It’s a classic Wodehouse, something that’s short, sweet and extremely humorous. Go for it!

The Burning Shore

Writer: Wilbur Smith
Genre: Fiction
 
 
The first book in the Courtney 2 series, it concentrates on Centaine de Thiry.
 
The first part is a boring love story between Centaine and Michael Courtney. Micheal dies in air crash on the day of the wedding and Sean Courtney sends off Centaine and her nurse, Anna to Africa. They are to be welcomed by Garry, Michael’s father. However the ship they are travelling is torpedoed and Centaine is shipwrecked.

The next section is how Centaine survives against all odds in hostile environments and is the best part of the book. After almost giving up hope, Centaine meets and is adopted by an old Bushmen couple who teach her all the tricks to survive in the dangerous terrain. Her child, Michael Shasa Courtney is born in this wilderness and just when she has given up hope of meeting people of her own kinds she encounters them.

Lothar De La Ray, an outlaw has traded Centaine's safe delivery in return for a free pardon with Garry. He manages to save Centaine when she is being mauled by a lion and saves Cenatine and her son. He finally delivers Centaine and Shasa to the Courtneys but not before having a tumultuous affair with Centaine. Centaine breaks away when she realizes that Lothar had killed her Bushman grandparents. Centaine is happily welcomed into the Courtney family.

The book ends in Centaine delivering Manfred De La Ray and handing him over to Lothar. She has also uncovered a diamond mine owing to her wild travels and it would make her the richest woman in the world.

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest

Writer: Stieg Larsson

Genre: Fiction

The last book in the Millennium Trilogy and probably slower than the other two but its climax worth reading.

Salander is admitted to Sahlgrenska Hospital with bullets in her brain, hip, and shoulder and the man who discovered her is none other than Millenium's reporter - Mikael Blomkvist. Alexander Zalachenko is also admitted with an axe wound in his head, a wound caused by his daughter - Lisbeth Salander, when she tried to kill him.

The real story is what  Blomkvist knows but the Swedish media are delighted when Salander is captured. After all, she was wanted for 3 murders! But suddenly Zalachenko is murdered and Salander's allies realize that the war is still on. There are people who would go to any length to protect the real secret. And they are the people who are in control.

Annika Giannini, Blomkvist lawyer sister decides to fight the case for Salander. It will be long fight but armed with Salander's hand written biography she finally puts the whole truth in the courtroom to the amazement of everyone and manages to acquit Salander of every single charge.

The book ends with Salander having the final showdown with her half brother Ronald Niedermann but this time she uses a clever ploy to eliminate him without involving herself showing that she has finally managed to re-enter the society she was so carefully thrown out of.

The 3 books are a fiction reader's delight and if you buy, buy the whole set at once.

The Girl Who Played with Fire

Writer: Stieg Larsson
Genre: Fiction

The second book in the Millennium Trilogy, this book focuses more on Lisbeth Salander unlike the first one.
Salander has walked out of Blomkvist's life for reasons unknown to him and he tries to get in touch with her but in vain.

Dag Svensson has done a lot of research on the topic of sex trafficking and he wants Millennium magazine to publish the story. His girlfriend, Mia Johansson is writing her thesis on the same topic and together they are a threat to many. However, with the enlisted support of Blomkvist and Erika Berger they carry on their work which is currently focusing and has reached a dead end on a man who is simply called Zalachenko or Zala.

Suddenly Dag and Mia are murdered as also is Nils Bjurman, Lisbeth's guradian. To complicate matters it is Lisbeth Salander whom the police believe is guilty and are having a difficulty tracking down.

Blomkvist does not believe and is determined to get the truth; however there is onw problem - Salander has vanished. With help from Armansky - Slander's previous boss, Palmgren- Salander's previous guardian and a few police officers he uncovers a shocking story. He also realizes he has to stop Salander from carrying out the final attack all alone.

Fabulous narration and a climax that will make you lap up the sequel immediately.