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thebookishelf's Reviews (431)
An informative start to an interesting take on a man’s journey, cycling to some of the most fascinating and historical countries, while engaging with the people and the culture.
An interesting viewpoint as the author, Dhruv Bogra narrates his journey cross-country. Visiting different locations that most people only dream of visiting. The reader connects with the author and the landscape he is travelling on. Imagery of beautiful countries Alaska, California, Mexico or Peru and beyond.
The reader is able to get a glimpse into this man’s world; his triumphs, his struggles and the amazing experiences he has.
I could read the story through his eyes, it’s not just like reading from a travel book or history book, but learning alongside the author about the places he goes, and the generous and friendly people he meets. You can get a sense one of the reasons he survived this major feat was because of the kindness of others, opening up their homes to him and his travelling companion.
At times I wished there was a bit more detail about some of these amazing countries. Sometimes I felt it was a bit brief, so it was difficult to get fully immersed and picture where he was. Some words could have provided a more descriptive view, but in the end that is the beauty of this story, he wrote what he thought.
It was great to see some of the pictures half-way through the story. That enabled a better picture of the author and the places he went.
I especially enjoyed reading about the culture and the places of great significance in history. Throughout the novel telling a little bit of history about the places he was at, and the hard reality of his choice of transport.
Going to places that really only a cycle can go, and having intimate experience with nature and the locals purely because one day to the next he didn’t know where he was going to stay.
The Author gave the feeling of been there with him. The different places and cultures. An inside view of touring on a budget and roughing it. The regular punctures, gear and spoke problems is probably simple enough but I am the person that needs the bike shop at the next corner when tragedy strikes.
I followed most of the journey looking at google maps which made it exciting from the computer desk. Where the author may of got soaked i only had to read it.
All I can say about this book is it's an incredible experience. Most people would never have had this experience, so to get a glimpse into it was great. Definitely recommended, especially for those that enjoy history and travel.
An interesting viewpoint as the author, Dhruv Bogra narrates his journey cross-country. Visiting different locations that most people only dream of visiting. The reader connects with the author and the landscape he is travelling on. Imagery of beautiful countries Alaska, California, Mexico or Peru and beyond.
The reader is able to get a glimpse into this man’s world; his triumphs, his struggles and the amazing experiences he has.
I could read the story through his eyes, it’s not just like reading from a travel book or history book, but learning alongside the author about the places he goes, and the generous and friendly people he meets. You can get a sense one of the reasons he survived this major feat was because of the kindness of others, opening up their homes to him and his travelling companion.
At times I wished there was a bit more detail about some of these amazing countries. Sometimes I felt it was a bit brief, so it was difficult to get fully immersed and picture where he was. Some words could have provided a more descriptive view, but in the end that is the beauty of this story, he wrote what he thought.
It was great to see some of the pictures half-way through the story. That enabled a better picture of the author and the places he went.
I especially enjoyed reading about the culture and the places of great significance in history. Throughout the novel telling a little bit of history about the places he was at, and the hard reality of his choice of transport.
Going to places that really only a cycle can go, and having intimate experience with nature and the locals purely because one day to the next he didn’t know where he was going to stay.
The Author gave the feeling of been there with him. The different places and cultures. An inside view of touring on a budget and roughing it. The regular punctures, gear and spoke problems is probably simple enough but I am the person that needs the bike shop at the next corner when tragedy strikes.
I followed most of the journey looking at google maps which made it exciting from the computer desk. Where the author may of got soaked i only had to read it.
All I can say about this book is it's an incredible experience. Most people would never have had this experience, so to get a glimpse into it was great. Definitely recommended, especially for those that enjoy history and travel.
Twisted. Intense. Deviously fun. Deceptive. Creepy. and unsettling.
I devoured this book in two days and didn't want to put it down! I was quickly questioning every move every character made. From beginning to end, I was all in!
The author Abhaidev wields some kind of power with his combined words. That mysterious “it” factor present in the book, allowing readers to succumb all too easily to the manipulation. While reading this book, Life effortlessly fading into the background as the intensity and promise for something truly twisted takes over—no matter how loud the TV might be, who’s begging for attention, or the myriad of things niggling on your conscience. Believe me, none of those things will matter in the face of this devious page-turner.
Author introduce readers to Subodh, just another IT guy, who gets rejected at love. But wait, this is not just another love-story. After heart break, Subodh found a mysterious female voice in his head who knows everything about him and guides him for better. I had some adrenaline surging moments as the tension amped-up and the plot unfolded. The ending was just so perfect, Completely Intriguing and Totally Unexpected!
This was extremely well written! I was glued to these pages, devouring every single word with curious and hungry eyes. The pace, flow and narration were excellent! I felt the urge to read ‘just one more chapter’ from start to finish – I simply couldn’t get enough of this unique and mysterious story. The characters were well developed and each one kept my curiosity at highest level.
A bit of romance and more of paranormal mystery, this book will hook you till the last page.
I devoured this book in two days and didn't want to put it down! I was quickly questioning every move every character made. From beginning to end, I was all in!
The author Abhaidev wields some kind of power with his combined words. That mysterious “it” factor present in the book, allowing readers to succumb all too easily to the manipulation. While reading this book, Life effortlessly fading into the background as the intensity and promise for something truly twisted takes over—no matter how loud the TV might be, who’s begging for attention, or the myriad of things niggling on your conscience. Believe me, none of those things will matter in the face of this devious page-turner.
Author introduce readers to Subodh, just another IT guy, who gets rejected at love. But wait, this is not just another love-story. After heart break, Subodh found a mysterious female voice in his head who knows everything about him and guides him for better. I had some adrenaline surging moments as the tension amped-up and the plot unfolded. The ending was just so perfect, Completely Intriguing and Totally Unexpected!
This was extremely well written! I was glued to these pages, devouring every single word with curious and hungry eyes. The pace, flow and narration were excellent! I felt the urge to read ‘just one more chapter’ from start to finish – I simply couldn’t get enough of this unique and mysterious story. The characters were well developed and each one kept my curiosity at highest level.
A bit of romance and more of paranormal mystery, this book will hook you till the last page.
Amazing, awesome book! The kind that made me extra eager for my nighttime reading fix!
Took me a little time to get through the book. It has great depth and no wasted words. It is as thorough and well-researched as it is enlightening and captivating. I loved it. Author Shubha Vilas might have folded down about a million pages to refer back to particular points. I gained a lot of perspective about life. And he has a superb writing style; what a way with words!
"Mystical Tales for a Magical Life" is an extremely well-researched and well-written exploration of how India's ancient spiritual wisdom seeped into the culture.
All the stories in this book were so well put together, which in itself was great. I mean come on, gems like these are what make life worth living.
I adored all the stories I read, although some more than others. Keep in mind that everyone, myself included, has a preference when it comes to the mythology.
The stories author presents in this book are by no means exhaustive, but they are a great introduction to the Mahabharata, the Ramayana and the Puranas. The book is a riot of characters and colour burst from these pages. I cannot pretend to be any the wiser about Indian mythology, because, let's face it, there's a cast of thousands involved. And it's hard to keep track of them all. But I had a hell of a good time reading this.
In a way, the book reminded me of Gaiman’s Norse Mythology. Both books follow the same concept: the reworking of ancient myths to present them to a modern audience without losing any of their originality. And I think it’s a great idea. Shubha Vilas’ attempt carries much more of his own personality. And his own voice really shone through and I could tell that he really enjoyed writing this book.
I cannot begin to imagine how much effort went into writing this, there's so much information in this book. There are oodles of "facts" and more weighty matters revealed via footnotes. I learnt so much! From serious information to the humorous and whimsical. To top it all off, all of this is done without the book turning into a massive academic yawn.
Thoroughly readable and immensely enjoyable. I can't recommend it enough.
Took me a little time to get through the book. It has great depth and no wasted words. It is as thorough and well-researched as it is enlightening and captivating. I loved it. Author Shubha Vilas might have folded down about a million pages to refer back to particular points. I gained a lot of perspective about life. And he has a superb writing style; what a way with words!
"Mystical Tales for a Magical Life" is an extremely well-researched and well-written exploration of how India's ancient spiritual wisdom seeped into the culture.
All the stories in this book were so well put together, which in itself was great. I mean come on, gems like these are what make life worth living.
I adored all the stories I read, although some more than others. Keep in mind that everyone, myself included, has a preference when it comes to the mythology.
The stories author presents in this book are by no means exhaustive, but they are a great introduction to the Mahabharata, the Ramayana and the Puranas. The book is a riot of characters and colour burst from these pages. I cannot pretend to be any the wiser about Indian mythology, because, let's face it, there's a cast of thousands involved. And it's hard to keep track of them all. But I had a hell of a good time reading this.
In a way, the book reminded me of Gaiman’s Norse Mythology. Both books follow the same concept: the reworking of ancient myths to present them to a modern audience without losing any of their originality. And I think it’s a great idea. Shubha Vilas’ attempt carries much more of his own personality. And his own voice really shone through and I could tell that he really enjoyed writing this book.
I cannot begin to imagine how much effort went into writing this, there's so much information in this book. There are oodles of "facts" and more weighty matters revealed via footnotes. I learnt so much! From serious information to the humorous and whimsical. To top it all off, all of this is done without the book turning into a massive academic yawn.
Thoroughly readable and immensely enjoyable. I can't recommend it enough.
'Finding Myself' was consuming, thought-provoking and such an emotional read from the very beginning until the end. I loved the title, the premise of this book and even the simple, yet meaningful cover.
This story was equally heart-breaking and heart-warming so be prepared to be emotional exhausted at times, to smile and most of all, to feel. I love the concept and Nandini Dhanani did a fantastic job with the story of 'Finding Myself, It is so well written and so gripping. She wrote a sympathetic and likable heroine, who I couldn’t help but route for.
Finding Myself is about forgiveness, friendship, the end of relationships, the beginning of relationships, family, self-discovery, and a million other things. When you read this book, you are watching a story unfold and it’s thrilling and exciting. It’s such a great book. The storyline is excellent , it’s very detailed and it’s very well written. When the book ended, I wanted to read more but it was like...this just has to be how the STORY ends.
This story was equally heart-breaking and heart-warming so be prepared to be emotional exhausted at times, to smile and most of all, to feel. I love the concept and Nandini Dhanani did a fantastic job with the story of 'Finding Myself, It is so well written and so gripping. She wrote a sympathetic and likable heroine, who I couldn’t help but route for.
Finding Myself is about forgiveness, friendship, the end of relationships, the beginning of relationships, family, self-discovery, and a million other things. When you read this book, you are watching a story unfold and it’s thrilling and exciting. It’s such a great book. The storyline is excellent , it’s very detailed and it’s very well written. When the book ended, I wanted to read more but it was like...this just has to be how the STORY ends.
I found it brilliant and mysterious. So amazing! Great characters, great setting, great ideas, epic scope, and so well written. It has novelty and nuance from its first to its final paragraphs.
The story begins with the birth of The Little Light and follows its jorney to the Earth. The book got off to a bit of a rocky start for me, simply because the prose was a little more poetic than I'm used to, But then I settled into the style of the voice and came to enjoy the beautiful imagery that the author was able to create with her words. Nothing slowed down my read. Even in the last third of the book, where more time and events occur in-between the scenes and we’re left to figure out Whats and Hows, the book only gets more interesting.
I also found it a little difficult to really immerse myself in the story early on because there were a lot of names being revealed and some events being discussed, about which I had no prior knowledge. So I found myself having to flip back a few pages in the initial chapters in order to re-read certain excerpts. But once I got things figured out, it was smooth sailing.
One of the intellectual pleasures of this book for the reader is the putting-together of the world-building set-up, its mysteries gradually revealed. I was immediately conscious of the voice, which is omniscient, with its fascinating strengths and interesting abilities to hide weaknesses. Omniscient tends to be emotionally distancing, but has the advantage of being able to pack huge amounts of information into little page-time, allowing for a lot of rich and – relatively detailed world-building.
The story begins with the birth of The Little Light and follows its jorney to the Earth. The book got off to a bit of a rocky start for me, simply because the prose was a little more poetic than I'm used to, But then I settled into the style of the voice and came to enjoy the beautiful imagery that the author was able to create with her words. Nothing slowed down my read. Even in the last third of the book, where more time and events occur in-between the scenes and we’re left to figure out Whats and Hows, the book only gets more interesting.
I also found it a little difficult to really immerse myself in the story early on because there were a lot of names being revealed and some events being discussed, about which I had no prior knowledge. So I found myself having to flip back a few pages in the initial chapters in order to re-read certain excerpts. But once I got things figured out, it was smooth sailing.
One of the intellectual pleasures of this book for the reader is the putting-together of the world-building set-up, its mysteries gradually revealed. I was immediately conscious of the voice, which is omniscient, with its fascinating strengths and interesting abilities to hide weaknesses. Omniscient tends to be emotionally distancing, but has the advantage of being able to pack huge amounts of information into little page-time, allowing for a lot of rich and – relatively detailed world-building.
This is actually a book with good messages (for the time) about equality, and one which poses interesting philosophical questions about what happens with races with orthogonal thought processes come into contact, and how far one can or should go in such situations.
Is it really possible for AI to acquire human traits like empathy and the desire to understand the meaning of life and avoid death at all costs? What would the role of socialism play in an AI world? Would self-aware machines seek out to destroy anything that threatened their existence or tried to control their thoughts (i.e. programming).
If you are a fan of relevant science fiction, I would recommend this book. I ended up reading this one in a single sitting to make sure I didn’t miss anything.
The central theme in this book has been picked up: man managed to create an "inferior" version of man in order to make use of that product for their own benefit: as slaves, as company. For example, what would happen if Dr. Frankenstein's patent would expire and his creation would be mass-produced, made more aesthetically pleasing and completely void of emotions. Inferior is relative though, because the AI machines are generally more intelligent and agile. And most look very attractive, which helps.
That's where the philosophical aspect comes in: What is it that makes us so different from these creations that makes us essentially human? According to society in this book, it's empathy. The ability to feel for others, to manage to go through what they're going through by some mystic group connection.
The atmosphere created in the book is supreme. Author Saumick Pal creates a world full of doubt and conspiracy. AI could be anywhere and they could be anyone. As technology advances it becomes harder and harder for them to be detected. They even think they are human with a will and freedom to choose their own lives.
The nightmare feel of the book is CROSP (Criminal Reform One Silver Program) which makes punishment for a criminal(!) so vulnerable. It is so terrifying to even imagine that these fluid elements in the story where there are some shifts between dreamworlds and reality are part of what constitutes the nightmare experience for human.
My reading-experience of this book was amplified after each chapter. The images in between pages are simply sublime and provided the perfect framework in which the story could be set, also in my mind. This is a great novel, one that questions existence itself. It certainly made me think.
Is it really possible for AI to acquire human traits like empathy and the desire to understand the meaning of life and avoid death at all costs? What would the role of socialism play in an AI world? Would self-aware machines seek out to destroy anything that threatened their existence or tried to control their thoughts (i.e. programming).
If you are a fan of relevant science fiction, I would recommend this book. I ended up reading this one in a single sitting to make sure I didn’t miss anything.
The central theme in this book has been picked up: man managed to create an "inferior" version of man in order to make use of that product for their own benefit: as slaves, as company. For example, what would happen if Dr. Frankenstein's patent would expire and his creation would be mass-produced, made more aesthetically pleasing and completely void of emotions. Inferior is relative though, because the AI machines are generally more intelligent and agile. And most look very attractive, which helps.
That's where the philosophical aspect comes in: What is it that makes us so different from these creations that makes us essentially human? According to society in this book, it's empathy. The ability to feel for others, to manage to go through what they're going through by some mystic group connection.
The atmosphere created in the book is supreme. Author Saumick Pal creates a world full of doubt and conspiracy. AI could be anywhere and they could be anyone. As technology advances it becomes harder and harder for them to be detected. They even think they are human with a will and freedom to choose their own lives.
The nightmare feel of the book is CROSP (Criminal Reform One Silver Program) which makes punishment for a criminal(!) so vulnerable. It is so terrifying to even imagine that these fluid elements in the story where there are some shifts between dreamworlds and reality are part of what constitutes the nightmare experience for human.
My reading-experience of this book was amplified after each chapter. The images in between pages are simply sublime and provided the perfect framework in which the story could be set, also in my mind. This is a great novel, one that questions existence itself. It certainly made me think.
'Godmen’ or religious gurus are often the charismatic rock stars in India. They have a high profile presence, thousands of devout followers, incessant wealth and are capable of influencing mass opinion.
Their followers are impressed by their Godmen proclamations of possession super natural powers that have the ability to heal and influence future events.
From a business perspective, India is the best market for a Godman. No other country provides the market which India does. No fancy degree required, low cost investment and no family influence. Because of their immense following, they are often courted by the nation’s top politicians to leverage their influence on the masses.
However, despite their demi-god status, they have been regularly criticized by certain quarters. Especially after the recent episodes of monetary fraud and sexual violence against their followers. However, going forward, it is unlikely that their influence will subside.
The spiritual gurus that are doing well have very well established and resourced teams. It’s not surprising at all that they’ve been able to organise around social media content
I read this book, A Man From Mandu by Manoj Jain, compulsively, two hours either side of a night's rest. The writing of this book is crisp, not a word wasted. An average Indian may find this to be one of the funniest books ever written, seriously.
Pretty horrifying to think how one man and his Ponzi scheme could fool so many people in the name of God for so long.
The author, Manoj Jain, has done the research and comeup with the real look into the world of professional 'Babas'. The book is balanced, truthful and an eye opener. Author through this writing can open the eyes of the scripturally blind if they would read and understand what he has written. Author Manoj Jain doesn't write over the heads of readers, it is so simple that a child can understand it all one has to do is read it.
This was an amazing, yet depressing book. It's incredible how people believe in mythological beings, but then to see how Earthly minions are willing to throw away their hard-earned money on charlatans is mind-boggling. Worst of all, politicians seek the favor of these so-called pastors of faith and the people buy into their nonsense.
Their followers are impressed by their Godmen proclamations of possession super natural powers that have the ability to heal and influence future events.
From a business perspective, India is the best market for a Godman. No other country provides the market which India does. No fancy degree required, low cost investment and no family influence. Because of their immense following, they are often courted by the nation’s top politicians to leverage their influence on the masses.
However, despite their demi-god status, they have been regularly criticized by certain quarters. Especially after the recent episodes of monetary fraud and sexual violence against their followers. However, going forward, it is unlikely that their influence will subside.
The spiritual gurus that are doing well have very well established and resourced teams. It’s not surprising at all that they’ve been able to organise around social media content
I read this book, A Man From Mandu by Manoj Jain, compulsively, two hours either side of a night's rest. The writing of this book is crisp, not a word wasted. An average Indian may find this to be one of the funniest books ever written, seriously.
Pretty horrifying to think how one man and his Ponzi scheme could fool so many people in the name of God for so long.
The author, Manoj Jain, has done the research and comeup with the real look into the world of professional 'Babas'. The book is balanced, truthful and an eye opener. Author through this writing can open the eyes of the scripturally blind if they would read and understand what he has written. Author Manoj Jain doesn't write over the heads of readers, it is so simple that a child can understand it all one has to do is read it.
This was an amazing, yet depressing book. It's incredible how people believe in mythological beings, but then to see how Earthly minions are willing to throw away their hard-earned money on charlatans is mind-boggling. Worst of all, politicians seek the favor of these so-called pastors of faith and the people buy into their nonsense.
I guess I was a little naïve when I started this book but I am certainly glad that I was. I had not read anything from this author before and was unaware of her skill with words. Love story of Commando is clean, classic romance, adventure and thrill tied in a package with a sweet ending. It's not just a regular romance book that we read, It's a of a girl in love with a commando in extraordinary situations.
The book starts off making you sit on the edge of your seat. A rescue operation at Taj, Assassination attack on PM, Encounter with terrorist in POK are backdrop of this amazing love story. The whole book is full of action and adventure with very good romance involved.
From the first sentence I was drawn into this story of Riya and Captain Virat. Riya met Captain Virat accidently during her visit to an art gallery after bunking a class. It was love at first sight for both. After that day they never met again until after a few years, When Riya is working in Mumbai after getting placed from college.
To celebrate the promotion, Riya and her colleagues went to Hotel Taj. The Taj was attacked by terrorists while they're having dinner. And here Captain Virat enters again in her life to save her from the attack but now he's a 'black cat' commando. After this incident Virat again disappears.
Riya, in heart broken state, left the job in Mumbai and joins a school in Kashmir as a computer teacher. Riya found this work more satisfying than her previous job. She settles there and enjoys her teaching. After about a year of Riya joined the school, Prime Minister visits Kashmir and her school. During PM's speech in her school, there was another terrorist attack to assassin PM. Though terrorist failed in their mission, but have created chaos in school and area. Here Virat enters again in Riya's life.
The overwhelming feelings, especially the love and anger and loss, are so vivid described that you'll feel for both characters. Both Riya and Capt. Virat aren't perfect. They struggle with their choices and feelings, trying to do what's best but not always succeeding.
Riya and Virat are great characters. Virat is a strong soldier, confident in his purpose with a soft heart. Riya is beautifully written, having a quiet strength, but struggling with love and questioning about the hard things she's had to endure. They play so well off one another and their chemistry is palpable, but has a solidity that goes beyond simple infatuation. Susan is another excellent supporting character that has good depth and heart touching story.
Swapnil Pandey has a gift for fantastic scene descriptions. I love the way she dives into all of the senses to give you the feeling of watching the action from a few feet away. The author made this book real with strong details about army and their life. This was a great read that I had a hard time putting down, so I'm looking forward to the next book by Swapnil Pandey.
The book starts off making you sit on the edge of your seat. A rescue operation at Taj, Assassination attack on PM, Encounter with terrorist in POK are backdrop of this amazing love story. The whole book is full of action and adventure with very good romance involved.
From the first sentence I was drawn into this story of Riya and Captain Virat. Riya met Captain Virat accidently during her visit to an art gallery after bunking a class. It was love at first sight for both. After that day they never met again until after a few years, When Riya is working in Mumbai after getting placed from college.
To celebrate the promotion, Riya and her colleagues went to Hotel Taj. The Taj was attacked by terrorists while they're having dinner. And here Captain Virat enters again in her life to save her from the attack but now he's a 'black cat' commando. After this incident Virat again disappears.
Riya, in heart broken state, left the job in Mumbai and joins a school in Kashmir as a computer teacher. Riya found this work more satisfying than her previous job. She settles there and enjoys her teaching. After about a year of Riya joined the school, Prime Minister visits Kashmir and her school. During PM's speech in her school, there was another terrorist attack to assassin PM. Though terrorist failed in their mission, but have created chaos in school and area. Here Virat enters again in Riya's life.
The overwhelming feelings, especially the love and anger and loss, are so vivid described that you'll feel for both characters. Both Riya and Capt. Virat aren't perfect. They struggle with their choices and feelings, trying to do what's best but not always succeeding.
Riya and Virat are great characters. Virat is a strong soldier, confident in his purpose with a soft heart. Riya is beautifully written, having a quiet strength, but struggling with love and questioning about the hard things she's had to endure. They play so well off one another and their chemistry is palpable, but has a solidity that goes beyond simple infatuation. Susan is another excellent supporting character that has good depth and heart touching story.
Swapnil Pandey has a gift for fantastic scene descriptions. I love the way she dives into all of the senses to give you the feeling of watching the action from a few feet away. The author made this book real with strong details about army and their life. This was a great read that I had a hard time putting down, so I'm looking forward to the next book by Swapnil Pandey.
For most of my life, I’ve been an avid reader of fiction — in fact, as a child and young teen, I grew up wanting to be a writer, and still want to be. In the past few years, my interests led me toward nonfiction, with a specific emphasis on books that explored the impact of technology on both an individual and societal level. In response to the volume of information available to us that technology has wrought (a subject of this book), the format in which I read has evolved from print to eBooks and, now, audio.
As technology moves from the realm of the visible to the invisible; embedded, pervasive programming that adds intelligence to even the most mundane objects and experiences — there will be an inevitable, ongoing conversation about the consequences, unintended or otherwise. That despite the unbounded trajectory of Technology power, Humans are also unbounded. Technology will keep taking ground but humans will keep taking the higher ground.
Here in ‘Where Will Man Take Us?’, Atul Jalan presents a wonderful mish-mash of thoughts, comparisons, personal experiences, and research. The book was so stuffed full of ideas and I devoured them eagerly. I'm compelled get up out of bed and write down some thoughts after finishing Where Will Man Take Us. I did a double-take when Atul Jalan wrote about Artificial Intelligence.
In ‘Where Will Man Take Us?’ Atul Jalan makes the case that the grand sweep and direction of technology shares parallels with evolutionary principles. This is a history and culture book as much as it's a "technology" or futurism book. It's one of the few books I've read in the last decade that really deserved to be a BOOK that commands your attention and requires immersive reading.
This book was not a monograph, but an opinion piece where one can feel the author’s knowledge and enthusiasm. It was like listening to the author’s monologue at a bar, nodding at times, raising an eyebrow at others, often scratching one’s head to develop some new thoughts on the topic of technology as the 7th kingdom of life. But for all the thoughtful reservations, ‘Where Will Man Take Us?’ is hugely positive. Probably author Atul Jalan’s years of research, and years of knowledge and experience before that, are here used to brilliant effect, to construct an ambitious intellectual framework through which to view the patterns and forces that shape technological change, together with the bigger scientific picture into which, Atul Jalan argues, technology fits.
The way you see the world is likely to change by the end, and if you're not already immersed in the tech industry, then I guarantee you'll be talking about and recommending it to others.
As technology moves from the realm of the visible to the invisible; embedded, pervasive programming that adds intelligence to even the most mundane objects and experiences — there will be an inevitable, ongoing conversation about the consequences, unintended or otherwise. That despite the unbounded trajectory of Technology power, Humans are also unbounded. Technology will keep taking ground but humans will keep taking the higher ground.
Here in ‘Where Will Man Take Us?’, Atul Jalan presents a wonderful mish-mash of thoughts, comparisons, personal experiences, and research. The book was so stuffed full of ideas and I devoured them eagerly. I'm compelled get up out of bed and write down some thoughts after finishing Where Will Man Take Us. I did a double-take when Atul Jalan wrote about Artificial Intelligence.
In ‘Where Will Man Take Us?’ Atul Jalan makes the case that the grand sweep and direction of technology shares parallels with evolutionary principles. This is a history and culture book as much as it's a "technology" or futurism book. It's one of the few books I've read in the last decade that really deserved to be a BOOK that commands your attention and requires immersive reading.
This book was not a monograph, but an opinion piece where one can feel the author’s knowledge and enthusiasm. It was like listening to the author’s monologue at a bar, nodding at times, raising an eyebrow at others, often scratching one’s head to develop some new thoughts on the topic of technology as the 7th kingdom of life. But for all the thoughtful reservations, ‘Where Will Man Take Us?’ is hugely positive. Probably author Atul Jalan’s years of research, and years of knowledge and experience before that, are here used to brilliant effect, to construct an ambitious intellectual framework through which to view the patterns and forces that shape technological change, together with the bigger scientific picture into which, Atul Jalan argues, technology fits.
The way you see the world is likely to change by the end, and if you're not already immersed in the tech industry, then I guarantee you'll be talking about and recommending it to others.
'Who Stole My Job?' by Sunil Mishra was a most pleasant surprise. Discovering that the one and only goal of any business is making money and this could only be achieved by a smooth flow of the work and our most important management task is to prevent any resistance slowing it was eye opening.
Management here seems to be mesmerized by metrics while ignoring a more common-sense and human-cantered approach. Yes, they are fascinated with speed, but fast does not necessarily equates harmonic and quality flow.
I really enjoyed when I was reading. This book tells a story, which is really easy to understand. The main character for this book is Satvik Saxena, who is the mid-level manager for Creative Tech, one of the most successful IT companies in India. He was told that he has to reduce at least one third of current staffing members by Marshal Scott, a company executive whose policies created chaos in company. Then one day Satvik met his old colleague, Vikas who left Creative Tech two year ago. Vikas tried to help Satvik to solve company problems during their meetings. As a reader and an engineer, I understand Satvik really wants to keep this company for sake of many employers and his family.
In the book 'Who Stole My Job?', Vikas teaches Satvik by using the stories. All the time, when Satvik asks for help from Vikas, Vikas would never give him answer directly; instead, he tells him a story, which makes Satvik to think and solve problems.
The best process improvement novel I've seen, this classic work explains the all-important theory of constraints through real life examples and a surprisingly good story. Most books of this nature are exceptionally unrealistic, but this one manages to keep the reader engaged, which is key for an instructional text like this.
The book's lessons have some practicality in normal, everyday life, but its greatest utility is for those involved in process improvement in IT industries. All industrial and systems engineers need to read this book, as do all managers of processes. A peachy piece of fiction, packed with applicable lessons in the most enjoyable format you can imagine. While other systems thinking books are somewhat dry, 'Who Stole My Job?' is filled with life and well-grounded in reality.
Management here seems to be mesmerized by metrics while ignoring a more common-sense and human-cantered approach. Yes, they are fascinated with speed, but fast does not necessarily equates harmonic and quality flow.
I really enjoyed when I was reading. This book tells a story, which is really easy to understand. The main character for this book is Satvik Saxena, who is the mid-level manager for Creative Tech, one of the most successful IT companies in India. He was told that he has to reduce at least one third of current staffing members by Marshal Scott, a company executive whose policies created chaos in company. Then one day Satvik met his old colleague, Vikas who left Creative Tech two year ago. Vikas tried to help Satvik to solve company problems during their meetings. As a reader and an engineer, I understand Satvik really wants to keep this company for sake of many employers and his family.
In the book 'Who Stole My Job?', Vikas teaches Satvik by using the stories. All the time, when Satvik asks for help from Vikas, Vikas would never give him answer directly; instead, he tells him a story, which makes Satvik to think and solve problems.
The best process improvement novel I've seen, this classic work explains the all-important theory of constraints through real life examples and a surprisingly good story. Most books of this nature are exceptionally unrealistic, but this one manages to keep the reader engaged, which is key for an instructional text like this.
The book's lessons have some practicality in normal, everyday life, but its greatest utility is for those involved in process improvement in IT industries. All industrial and systems engineers need to read this book, as do all managers of processes. A peachy piece of fiction, packed with applicable lessons in the most enjoyable format you can imagine. While other systems thinking books are somewhat dry, 'Who Stole My Job?' is filled with life and well-grounded in reality.