Fabulous Waterstones

I recently got introduced to Waterstones, a book chain in UK (some branches in EU ?). Somehow in all my earlier visits I had missed seeing them (or not visiting them). But better never late than never !

The biggest store is in Piccadilly, near the tube station. But the one we frequented and the one with a great feel was on the one on Tottenham Court Road. It's open till 11:00 PM on all weekdays, has a  nice cosy cafe in the basement. More than the books (which Piccadilly has a lot more) , it has a great atmosphere.  It became the go to place for us to drop in post dinner, browsing through books and being a part of the events (which happen regularly !). In a way it re-kindled (pun intended) the love I had for libraries years ago.

Wished Bangalore had such a place(s).

From the Ruins of Empire

My fourth book by Pankaj Mishra and I think so far it's the best one. The breadth of coverage on Asian history is amazing. I also got introduced to the concept of Pan-Asianism, and realised how strong it had been around the turn of the last century. (I still have got through half of it , but thought of compiling my thoughts / notes before the first part fades away).

So far the book has distinct parts which covers key personalities which shaped the future of the Asian empires around that time. So if you were as ignorant as I was, you would get introduced to Al Afghani and Liang Qichao , key personalities in the Pan Islamic movement and shaping the future of China respectively. It gives a perspective of very very different geo political world of that time, where China was closer to what Afghanistan is today, Delhi and Istanbul the cultural capitals of the Islamic world, the struggles of the Asian countries against the ruthless assault of the Europeans, the great cities like Chicago, Tokyo , Berlin , London etc . became the cultural melting points from across the world.


(in progress)

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

I bought this book at the turn of the century (yes, that is a long time back !). And must confess I still have not finished half of it.

But I  must add that my view on the book have changed over the years. When I first started on the book, I thought it was a bit over-rated and put it down umpteen number of times (don't think I ever got past the first 10-15 pages).

But over the years,  as I got past the first few chapters, the book started getting it's hold on me. And now I savour reading it , slowly and almost re-reading parts of it when ever I pick it up again (over time I figured a lot of people have not finished the book , I hope to leave that group soon :)).

So what's interesting in it. The passages on topics like  scientific view points, gravity, ghosts, romantic vs classical view of things are intriguing and will challenge both sides of the brain !!!!

Jaipur Nama

Jaipur Nama review
Of late I have figured one of the best ways to enjoy your travel to a new city is to pick up a book about the place (and not rely only on Lonely Planet only). So it was Jaipur Nama for the winter trip to Jaipur this year (2009-10).

What is nice about Jaipur Nama is unlike other writers who tend to bring out the worst of India, there is no such effort in this one. In fact the author Giles has pointed out instances where other European writers try to attribute the best of India to western influence. The description of the building is quite lyrical and actually make the building sound better and more exotic than what one would have noticed them with an untrained eye.

The book is traces the history of Jaipur , right from it's start to it's last king. Each chapter is based on the Maharajahs of Jaipur. There are also plenty of references to other travellers who visited Jaipur over the years. It was fun looking for places mentioned in the books, or talking to locals about some of them. Some of the old photos are interesting (and you realize Jaipur, the old City has not changed a lot over the years).

Would strongly recommend this to anyone planning a trip to Jaipur as a must to have companion. Esp if you want to see the place more than the average tourist. And do try and figure out where the cover shot came from ...

The Lost Symbol

To summarize : The National Treasure in a book form.

Another page turner from Mr Brown. I read that on the net of how the critics have ripped him apart, but I read his books for the suspense and connections and history (and not for their artistic value). The research which seems to have gone in seems incredible. Enjoyed the book a lot (ending fails to live up to the start and build up, but that generally happens in these kinds of books / films). I have no doubt the tourism in Washington DC will increase, as well as the interest in Freemasons. (used to wonder where Roorkee's Masonic Lodge got it's name from).

As usual you get to know a ton of things from this book, pretty intriguing stuff. For starters it's about the Fresco within the Capitol Building.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Apotheosis_of_Washington

Interesting stuff on Magic Squares (for Suduko fans), lot of stuff on Ancient Scripts (I hope to read the Bible in a new light now). Newton continues to intrigue and discovery that there is something called Noetic Science (I read a book called the Divine Matrix but had no idea of what it was called then).

Read it if you like thrillers and historic stuff which you are keen to know. If you liked National Treasure, good chance you will like this also.

If Cricket is Religion Sachin is God : Review

So I have been outdone. This book on Sachin articulates all points which any Sachin fan would have had, and is a fitting response to critics like the Chappel brothers, Mr Sanjay Manjerekar and co. Pity Sachin's latest exploits (England and New Zealand series) could not get covered. Well I am sure there will be another edition soon.

It's full of interesting stats as well as the counter arguments which all die hard Sachin Tendulkar fans would have loved to give in response to all the muck thrown at him over the years.

A superb book for all die hard fans. And for people who have not converted yet.

Temptations of the West: How to Be Modern in India, Pakistan, Tibet, and Beyond

This was the third book from Pankaj M which I read. Was a bit disappointed.

The book provides a lot of facts and looks well researched. However what was disappointing was that his views seem to be from a westerner (I know he lives in London), but then I would expect this from a westerner and not an Indian. Got the sense that the book was written keeping a western audience in mind, hence found it below where I hoped it would be. 

Lot of the stuff from the Romantics (his best) is recounted in the first part of the book. Wish the western bias was missing from the second part.