You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
prateekdwv's Reviews (52)
It was not an easy read for me. Nevertheless, it was adventurous while meditative. Not very often do we give a thought on how cruel we can be towards other animals and forget that we all are part of the same thing. Our overly materialistic abilities should not provide us with superiority edge over other animals as a day may come when they can rise above as well.
While reading, I realised that an excerpt was part of my early schooling curriculum. As I faintly remember that it wasn't an easy thing to cover on our own, which make sense now knowing how Jack has written it with meticulous care on emotions of the characters. It is undoubtedly a highly recommended read.
While reading, I realised that an excerpt was part of my early schooling curriculum. As I faintly remember that it wasn't an easy thing to cover on our own, which make sense now knowing how Jack has written it with meticulous care on emotions of the characters. It is undoubtedly a highly recommended read.
My rating of this book does not justify the quality of it. It is definitely on my highly recommended list, especially when the recommendation is on personal finance. My only complaint is to not get more out of it in 100 pages than I got in the first 20. It is a book with a lot of redundancy, with different stories presenting the same moral.
Nonetheless, the suggestions, no matter how manageable and redundant they may sound, are foundationally solid. And though there are better more advance books are available for personal finance, this one can be picked to solidify the basics. And not to mention this can surely be one's first step book on the subject.
Nonetheless, the suggestions, no matter how manageable and redundant they may sound, are foundationally solid. And though there are better more advance books are available for personal finance, this one can be picked to solidify the basics. And not to mention this can surely be one's first step book on the subject.
The book took me on a journey—a journey of life. It started with a boy running around in a city of Myanmar (formally Burma) to find some odd job for himself and ends somewhere in Kolkata with him being now more than 80 years of age listening to an old radio on his bedside. A slow journey where Amitav made sure that the reader gets attached to everyone the boy meets and made connections with; personal as well as emotional.
Now that necessarily may not be the endpoints of the book. There was a tale from the previous generation of the King of Myanmar. And a story of two generations after him of his kids and grand-daughter. Then there were wars, turmoil in relationships of characters, tranquillity in the end. It was complicated, but the things were taking shape like a jigsaw puzzle; individually, the characters matter a little, but together they frame the story.
Historical fictions are challenging to execute. As a well-researched book 'The Glass Palace' does not bring just the historical events as a fact with itself but also historical emotions. The way people think and make their decisions while things around them were turning into long treasured history - like a war, bringing more learning than just knowing those facts.
Now if only I could explain any better the feeling of bliss in reading a well written historical fiction in a review, we would probably not respect the author like Amitav Ghosh. If you are planning on reading this book, I would recommend you to start with it without a second thought.
Now that necessarily may not be the endpoints of the book. There was a tale from the previous generation of the King of Myanmar. And a story of two generations after him of his kids and grand-daughter. Then there were wars, turmoil in relationships of characters, tranquillity in the end. It was complicated, but the things were taking shape like a jigsaw puzzle; individually, the characters matter a little, but together they frame the story.
Historical fictions are challenging to execute. As a well-researched book 'The Glass Palace' does not bring just the historical events as a fact with itself but also historical emotions. The way people think and make their decisions while things around them were turning into long treasured history - like a war, bringing more learning than just knowing those facts.
Now if only I could explain any better the feeling of bliss in reading a well written historical fiction in a review, we would probably not respect the author like Amitav Ghosh. If you are planning on reading this book, I would recommend you to start with it without a second thought.
Struck by Genius: How a Brain Injury Made Me a Mathematical Marvel
Maureen Ann Seaberg, Jason Padgett
The one job this book does remarkably is convincing its readers that the human mind has incredible potential. Of course, we all know that, but more like a fact, but the book tells how Savants and synesthetic are evidence of it.
However, a significant portion of the book felt like a filler to me. And in some sense gave a feeling that the story fits better as a long blog than an entire book. In making its reader understand what if feels like to be an acquired savant and a synesthetic the authors mentions many known cases. And as an afterthought, I felt intrigued to know about how they would have felt when they first realised it and how similar or different it was from Jason's. And such a case analysis would have made the book complete for me.
Nonetheless, it was an informative read. And no matter how restrictive I felt the book was, it surely piqued my curiosity to know more on this subject.
However, a significant portion of the book felt like a filler to me. And in some sense gave a feeling that the story fits better as a long blog than an entire book. In making its reader understand what if feels like to be an acquired savant and a synesthetic the authors mentions many known cases. And as an afterthought, I felt intrigued to know about how they would have felt when they first realised it and how similar or different it was from Jason's. And such a case analysis would have made the book complete for me.
Nonetheless, it was an informative read. And no matter how restrictive I felt the book was, it surely piqued my curiosity to know more on this subject.
It seems there is a very structured process one can follow to achieve authors level of writing skills. Write a book with your limited knowledge of vocabulary. Once done, start using thesaurus on every word you wrote. Dr Tharoor was overly passionate about using every word he knows in English. As a reader, I might appreciate it in his speech or a tweet, but in a book, it was exasperating.
Dr Tharoor was impartial in making the connections between characters from the epic and history. And that was the only fascinating part of the book. There are no takeaways in this confluence, just a few opinions on the accounts that happened in the past.
So if you are the one who knows little about our history or the accounts of the epic tale of Mahabharta, you can undoubtedly enjoy. For others, it might be an abysmal experience.
Dr Tharoor was impartial in making the connections between characters from the epic and history. And that was the only fascinating part of the book. There are no takeaways in this confluence, just a few opinions on the accounts that happened in the past.
So if you are the one who knows little about our history or the accounts of the epic tale of Mahabharta, you can undoubtedly enjoy. For others, it might be an abysmal experience.
