gautamgopalk's reviews
46 reviews

The Mechanism of Mind by Edward de Bono

slow-paced

1.0

The Mechanism of Mind by Edward de Bono was published in 1969 where the author tries to present some toy models of how the mind works based on its functionality. The book is divided into two parts with the first part focussing on what the author calls "the memory surface" and the second part focusing on types of thinking. The book slowly builds up to focus the reader's attention on lateral thinking as opposed to natural, mathematical or logical thinking.

Despite writing this in simple English and with many examples, it is a very dry read. The content is repetitive and the writing is exhausting. Reading this book can feel like a chore and it seems quite outdated since most concepts presented in this book seem childishly obvious. There isn't anything scientific in this book and the author concedes as much towards the end of the book, since the motivation is to merely present some simplistic models of the mind and implore the readers to think about lateral thinking. His later book Po: Beyond Yes and No published in 1973 might be a better read than The Mechanism of Mind for the curious reader, although neither are great.

The Brothers Karamazov (Bicentennial Edition): A Novel in Four Parts With Epilogue by Fyodor Dostoevsky

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

The Brothers Karamazov is the last novel of Fyodor Dostoevsky and is generally considered one of the best works of fiction. The story deals with a Russian land owner and his sons, set in a village in the late 1800s. The story telling is simply a masterpiece. There is great depth and complexity  in the characters who struggle with various conflicts. This book is generally classified as a courtroom drama or a murder mystery but such a description does not do it justice. The author uses this story as a medium to depict how different individuals think and feel in our society. The underlying story is heart-wrenching and the murder mystery plot line is riveting. The reader will be immersed in the story because of the characters and feel what the characters are going through which is a testament to the brilliance of the writing.

There is a good deal of philosophy and questions of religion and free will raised in long expositions in different sections of the book (which can be hard to read and can require time to digest). There are deep symbolisms, allegories and thought provoking philosophical questions wrapped in an insightful depiction of human nature presented as a tale that leads up to a courtroom drama. There is a surprising amount of subtle humour throughout the book. This particular edition is an English translation by Pevear and Volokhonsky of the Russian novel and is one of the more popular translations. There are many characters and each of them have many nicknames (which can get confusing). It helps to take notes of the characters' names and timelines of major events in the story while reading (because the story is somewhat nonlinear). It is astounding that this book was published as a serial in a magazine over the course of two years when it looks like note taking is required to fully enjoy the novel when it is available as a book today.

The Roman Empire by Paul Veyne

informative inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing fast-paced

4.5

The Roman Empire by Paul Veyne focuses on the prevalent thoughts, attitudes and social structures of the ancient Roman empire (which a reader can roughly envision as the time period between 100 BC and 200 AD). The book is masterfully written as it is engrossing from start to finish and it beautifully builds the society of the Roman empire by answering all the relevant questions that might pop up in the reader's mind. The language is very easy to navigate and the story telling is very compelling. 

Broadly, this book tackles the themes of marriage, slavery, nobles, notables, commerce, religion and philosophy. The author who is a French historian and a specialist of ancient Rome, provides some of his own interpretation to guide the reader but the book is largely presented in a manner which makes the reader a spectator of ancient times who is there to observe. There is careful exposition about the lens under which various aspects of everyday life (including sex, power dynamic, trade, entertainment and leisure) were viewed by the Romans. This book can serve as a wonderful introduction to the Roman empire as it doesn't require any prerequiste and it is written in an engaging manner.

Heart of the West by O. Henry

funny lighthearted relaxing slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.0

Heart of the West is a collection of nineteen short stories by O.Henry. The stories take place in and around Texas. The western theme serves as a backdrop for the stories and the reader is provided a window into the culture and mindset of the people of the time. The stories are verbose and can be very difficult to read and process. Despite the physical setting of the stories, the author ultimately writes about human nature and tends to veer towards romance. Stories end with a twist which is characteristic of the author but they aren't great for many of the stories in this collection. A few stories which include The Ransom of Mack, The Pimienta Pancakes and The Princess and the Puma are enjoyable while Cupid A La Carte, The Handbook of Hymen and A Call Loan tend to be thought provoking. A classic which is often referenced from this collection is The Caballero's Way which lives up to its hype.

The Trimmed Lamp and Other Stories of the Four Million by O. Henry

funny lighthearted reflective relaxing fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

The Trimmed Lamp is a collection of 25 short stories by O. Henry, set in New York city. There are some extremely well written and entertaining stories like The Pendulum, Two Thanksgiving Day Gentlemen, According to their Lights and The Last Leaf. This collection also contains some thought provoking stories like A Harlem Tragedy, "The Guilty Party" and Elsie in New York. Since this set of stories was written after The Four Million, the comparison is inevitable. The short stories in The Four Million were much better, since The Trimmed Lamp is a mixed bag with some boring stories sprinkled amidst the rest unlike the former. The stories are quick and easy to read but most of the stories lack the punch and humor that one might expect after reading some of the classics produced by this author.

The Four Million by O. Henry

funny lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

The Four Million is a wonderful collection of short stories by O Henry. These stories are easy to read and they almost always end with an unexpected twist that puts a smile on the reader's face. As one progresses through this book, the vivid descriptions and the lives of working class characters in New York, makes the reader contemplate on the harsh reality of how difficult life can be. Despite the grim setting, the stories themselves are incredibly heartwarming and entertaining. This book contains some wonderful classics including The Gift of the Magi, The Cop and the Anthem and After Twenty Years. This is an extremely fun read which isn't time-consuming.