As regular readers know (ha ha!), back in 2010, I made a resolution to read at least 25 books per year. I did it that year, and fell well short in 2011. In 2012 I have managed to scrape through! So here is the list, with a few words about each book.
1. Hyperspace by Michio Kaku
This is a well written introduction to string theory with lots of historical back ground, which is something I always appreciate.
2. Spontaneous Happiness by Andrew Weil
A concise set of suggestions for a more wholesome living, if you ignore the somewhat tacky testimonials
3. Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
A much anticipated book - I have always wanted to read a Kahneman book. But, nine months later, what I do I remember? Not much. Not much in the form of specifics anyway. Is it a reflection on the book or me? Probably me. I'd read this book again, though. It seemed quite important.
4. Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
Great story telling, tortuously retarded philosophy. Listened to the audio book - I don't think I'd have completed it otherwise. One of the main effects of reading this book is that I'm quickly losing respect for politicians like Ron Paul. No matter how sane you may sound now, if you ever fell for this kind of BS, you need to have your head examined.
5. The End of Illness by David B. Agus
Hardly any new revelations or ideas, but a decent summary of the state of the art of hi-tech medicine (at its infancy)
6. God is Not Great: how religion poisons everything by Christopher Hitchens
Take no prisoners attack on religion, mostly the three big mono-theistic ones. Hitchens' depth and breadth of knowledge is awesome. Too bad I've discovered him after his death.
7. 1984 by George Orwell
I was running into so many reverential references to this novel, I had to read it. It was a little underwhelming though. Perhaps, there had been too many spoilers. But I am glad I read it - now I'll know what someone is talking about when they mention Room 101.
8. Hitch-22 a Memoir by Christopher Hitchens
Entertaining. Good insight into the man.
9. The Startup of You by Reid Hoffman, Ben Cosnocha
Hoffman co-founded LinkedIn and has invested in a few other successful tech companies. Most illustrations in this book are based on LinkedIn and people associated with it. I found the basic template of Plan A, Plan B and Plan Z useful in thinking about my career.
10. Arguably : Essays by Christopher Hitchens
Well, you can tell I was on a Hitchens frenzy earlier this year. Read about half the essays - good writing, but i have only so much time - this is one fat book!
11. Money : A suicide note by Martin Amis
Another Hitchens influence, actually. Amis is one of Hitchens best buddies, and I was curious how he wrote. Sure, this novel was quite different from any I have read, and the story was interesting enough. But I abandoned it mid way - my limited reading time needs to be allocated prudently
12. Unintended Consequences : why everything you've been told about the economy is wrong by Edward Conard
A defense of trickle down economics - disguised as a neutral analysis; quite informative - worth the time. The author is Mitt Romney's friend from Bain Capital. It figures, I guess.
13. Why Things go Wrong: The Peter Principle revisited by Laurence Peter
The peter principle is the famous "in an organization, an employee will raise to his level of incompetence". This book, as the title says, is a sequel to the original that spelled out the principle. But this one reads rather like Reader's Digest; lots of jokes, quotes, etc. with a few nuggets of wisdom in between
14. The Price of Privilege: How Parental Pressure and Material Advantage Are Creating A Generation of Disconnected and Unhappy Kids by Madeline Levine
Written for affluent moms, but any parent can benefit from a read
15. A Brief History of Time by Stephen W. Hawking
Ah, finally finished it, on the 3rd attempt, spread over 2 decades! Oh, why didn't I read it earlier? It's a gem.
16. Joseph Anton: A memoir by Salman Rushdie
Engrossing and illuminating in patches, but long and icky as well. A lengthier review here...
17. The Universe in a Nutshell by Stephen W. Hawking
A nice update or even a sequel to A Brief History of Time, though the author would protest this book stands by itself. Loved it.
18. The Sentinel by Arthur C. Clarke
A mixed bag of shorts. A decent collection, but not the cream of the master's work. More detailed review here.
19. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carrol
20. Healing Back Pain : The Mind-Body Connection by John E. Sarno
A very interesting book. The author contends that most back pain (along with so many other pain, auto-immune, and other disorders) is caused by repressed anger. He doesn't sound like some new-age guru - this book is quite logical, reasonable and cogent. It's worth a consideration. One obvious criticism is that the doc seems to be cherry picking his patients (and he makes no secret of it), and so it's not surprising that his percentages are so good.
21. Five Lectures on Psycho-Analysis by Sigmund Freud
My first real exposure to Freud (other than references in articles and quotations and such). I had expected it to be obscure and jargon-laden, but was plesantly surprised by how accessible and lucid he was.
22. Curious Behavior : Yawning, Laughing, Hiccuping and beyond by Robert R. Provine
I don't feel all that much smarter after reading this book, and that's disappointing for a science book, even one bordering on trivia and written to be popular. The last chapter on pre-natal behavior is probably the best - so if you feel bored in the middle, skip over and don't miss the last dozen pages.
23. Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift
A brilliant dig at human banality, brutality and corruption
24. How to Build a Time Machine by Paul Davies
A quick fun book, if you are into cosmology at a superficial level
25. Haroun and the Sea of Stories by Salman Rushdie
Funny, original and very entertaining. Rushdie has found a quite humorous and delightful voice for this novel. Best of all, it's short! Should be a good book for an early teen - especially one with Indian background
26. God's Debris by Scott Adams
Adams attempt at philosphysing falls flat. He hides behind the disclaimers "these are not my views... i have mixed up facts with baloney, you figure out which is which". The contrived discussion between the two characters is full of half-baked arguments, lazy and shallow thinking, and plain old ignorance. There are patches of clever writing for sure, but they are few and far between. In all a waste of time. Had it not been this short (132 pages), I would not have bothered to read it through.
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