Revival - Stephen King

“Nothing is more frightening than a fear you cannot name.” 

-Cornelia Funk

Arguably one of the greatest authors of modern times, Stephen King, has produced master piece after master piece over the years. His novels stand out not because of their macabre or gory nature, but due to the level of suspense and realism his plots have. Most of his books are about the horror of the unknown and the unnamed. They are little things and little events, which wreck havoc in the protagonists life.

Revival promises to be another top-seller, written along the same lines. The official website describes it as "A dark and electrifying novel about addiction, fanaticism, and what might exist on the other side of life".  

The story begins in a small New England town about half a century ago, where the new minister, Mr Charles Jacobs, begins preaching and reforming the local church.The charismatic minister forms a deep bond with a small boy named Jamie Morton, who loves to play the guitar and has the same 'secret obsession' as the minister. However, when tragedy strikes his family, Charles looses his faith in god and is banished from the shocked town. Over the next couple of decades, Jamie grows up to become a struggling musician, caught in the trap of drugs and sex. Living a nomadic life as a band musician, Jamie's life is profoundly impacted when he runs across Mr Jacobs again.
Seems like an interesting plot no? The official website claims that this novel has the 'most terrifying conclusion Stephen King has ever written'. Quite a tough ask if you ask me but then again, when has Stephen King ever disappointed us?

I am eagerly waiting for this book to come out and will update my views here once it does! Do comment if you have anything to say about this book and/or wish to share your views.

Why to Read?

In this age of movies and social networking, few people (if any) bother to read books/articles. Who has the time, they say. Who has the concentration and patience, I ask.

With the advent of Internet and the information overdose we all are faced with, most of us have developed techniques to skim through text and not 'waste time' reading worthless shit. However, this habit of skimming has reduced our attention span (so has our habit of messaging). When we read an entire article in a few seconds or we text multiple people at the same time, we believe we are saving time. Unfortunately, we are reducing our capacity for joy. How many of us can really understand Shakespeare any longer? How many can appreciate Wordsworth, Keats and Shelly?
The answer is few, if any. The reason is that a Keats cannot be skimmed through in one go, neither can Shakespeare be understood in one reading (except by another Shakespeare of course). Like jealous lovers, they demand your complete attention before they open up to you. Fickle minded us, can never get these pearls.

Schools and colleges are resembling factories more and more. Each pass out is only marginally different from the rest of his batchmates. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words.

So the next time you get yourself an A in class, think of the thousands of others classes in the millions of other districts , where people studying the same course as you, got an A. Would you still be proud? What makes you any different from all those other A's? If 17 problems of algebra are good enough to make you a master, what's the point of being one?

"That's all cool ya, but dafuq can I do about it? Kill the other A's? "

Umm, not really. There are ways to distinguish yourself without adopting such drastic measures. The easiest one of course is , read. Not by skimming hundreds of B grade articles on the net, but the good ones that you just CANNOT skim. Yeah, there are plenty of articles out there which will make you think. Yeah, you heard me. Think.

These are the kind of articles which are not often shared, which aren't posted on social networks because they are not 'easy reads'. They can belong to any category, to any niche. You need to find them and you need to read them. Why? Because you wish to distinguish yourself. Because they will change you, they will challenge you and they will make you grow.

Reading is an art that sharpens the mind. It gives you knowledge and knowledge gives you power,money, fame, life etc etc. It gives you a new way to look at things, it expands your horizons. Who knows, the next book you read might change the person you are, it might lead to a startup, an enterprise, an idea that might change the world? It might lead to an idea that changes your life. It might contain the answer to your problems.

Ps : Please do share any worthwhile articles you find as knowledge grows by sharing.

How to choose a good book

“A mind needs books as a sword needs a whetstone, if it is to keep its edge.” 

-George R.R Martin

There are literally hundreds of books out there and thousands of authors eager to express their views. It can be intimidating for a first timer to choose that 'perfect book', a book that hooks them to reading, a book that expands their horizons and is comprehensible. 

Today, I will write about the art of choosing a book. There are literally hundreds of articles on this and every other person will tell you something else about it, here's my two cents.

1) Friends & Acquaintances - Ask the people around you who read a lot (hint : they are the ones 'hanging out 'in libraries and book stores). They will suggest you exactly the right book, keeping in mind you level and your aim for reading.

2) Your interests -  Why do you want to read a book? Is it for fun or to learn? If you want to learn, then why a book instead of a blog/website? These questions, while simple, will greatly help you in narrowing down your search. Not all books talk about what you want. Many would talk about similar ideas, but only a few will deal with the exact topic.

3) Reviews - Book reviews and user ratings are a great way to find out more about any book. Also, while reading a review keep in mind the kind of person who wrote the review. A teenager might not highly rate a book which retirees would love. Search around a bit and you will find a good review by a person with similar thoughts as you. Heed this guy's advice.

Freakonomics – Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner

“A rogue economist explores the hidden side of everything.”

Some books teach you how to think , others show you how its done. Freakonomics belongs to the second category,

Economics is a field long associated with money and its applications in the modern financial system. However, in this book Levitt proves how it's more than just crunching numbers. Levitt arrives at mind-boggling conclusions simply by analyzing data using established economical methods. I mean how can one quantify the role of parents in a child's life? How do you predict something about a person just knowing their name. There are dozens of books on this topic, but few (if any) support their hypothesis and conclusions in the way Freakonomics does.

The book has become a well deserved best-seller. For me this is more a book about greatness than about statistics or conclusions. Dr. Levitt proves that adage, “Winners don't do different things, they do things differently.” Applying an abstract field ( at least that's what I thought before reading this book) like economics to real life situations and coming up with mind blowing hypothesis's shows how greatness isn't limited by conventional boundaries. A great economist is as much a philosopher and a scientist as a number cruncher.

THE MONK WHO SOLD HIS FERRARI - Robin S. Sharma

"The book which changed a million lives"

Robin S. Sharma managed to pen down ancient Indian philosophy in this short and concise book, which was loved by readers the world over. This book is a huge success and it deserves it.

Through the voice of Julien Mantle, a hotshot lawyer turned enlightened saint, the books discusses the problems we face in our fast-paced lives. Julien talks about his old “successful life”, where he earned millions but was unhappy, unhealthy and stressed, with little time for friends and family (Strikes a chord? ). Then, he talks about his transformation and the various steps he followed to reinvent his life. He intersperses his philosophical talks with funny anecdotes and jokes and manages to keep both the reader and his friend interested.

In the genre of self-help books, this one would rank amongst the top ones for sure.

On a side note, those of you who have read or are about to read Ayn Rand, compare the interpretation of eastern philosophy by Rand to the one preached here. Does make an interesting study. Plus, it highlights the myopic view Ms. Rand had of the concept of altruism.

Acre - George Johnson

“Genius is 1% talent and 99% percent hard work” 

This is a simple book, written straight from the heart. It tells the story of a talented baseball player's journey to success and the obstacles he faces along the way. It manages to interest and inspire its readers, most of whom, specially the baseball lovers, won't put it down without finishing it.

The author's love for baseball and his firm belief in working hard is apparent while reading this book. His protagonist, Acre, is superman in disguise (figuratively of course!). Acre works hard, stays disciplined and relentlessly pursues his dream of playing baseball. He keeps his promises, helps the poor, isn't greedy etc etc. Not sure if such a person could actually exist, but he is definitely the ideal we all unconsciously strive to achieve. His hard work and determination bring him the success he deserves but they also make the other players jealous of him. They taunt Acre, ignore him. With his professional career taking off, Acre is informed of the death of his sweetheart, Sharon. The way he deals with these issues and doesn't let them interfere with his career makes this book interesting and different from others in this genre. His father's penchant for tweaking and his creation of an unique baseball cage (the description's given in the book) is another interesting part of this story.

There are parts of this book that do seem repetitive and at times the story seems too slow. The various baseball statistics and plays simple went over my head* and I would have appreciated it if the author had, either provided more graphic descriptions or gone easy with the stats et al.Still the pros far outweigh the cons and I would suggest this book as a leisure read, specially to baseball fans and sports lovers around the world.

The Fountainhead - Ayn Rand

“To say "I love you" one must know first how to say the "I" ” 

A must read.

There are few books that force you to think hard about your life, your goals and the world around you. The Fountainhead definitely falls in this category.

This is a story about a talented architect, Howard Roark, who believes in himself and refuses to compromise with his work, refusing any sort of collaboration project and ignoring suggestions about his work. He believes that the end result of one man's effort can be used as a starting point by others but an idea that is formed by mixing together several ideas, isn't half as good as the original ones. His radical and uncompromising attitude causes Roark a lot of hardships, which he faces with the attitude of a stoic. At the same time, Gayle Wynand, a man just as talented and determined as Roark, publishes in his newspaper whatever the public wants to read. Unlike Roark, he doesn't believe in expressing himself through his work. So at one hand you have a media mogul, content to sit back and let people read what they want, not interested in sharing what he believes, only in making money and on the other, you have Roark, the man who believes in working for no one except himself and who won't do anything he doesn't like to do, no matter what the consequences. The contrast in the beliefs and the lives of these two individuals forms the basic plot for this novel.

You can't help but love both of them. Roark and Wynand seem like brothers who chose different paths in life and are now set for collision. Other characters like Toohey, Dominique and Peter will remind you of certain people around you. Remember the boy who wanted to be a painter but is studying science under family pressure? He's Peter Keating (or will be unless he changes his dreams or his profession). The confused boy who always does what others tell him to? He's a representative of the confused masses, lost and gullible.

The greatness of this book lies in the way it makes major philosophical commentaries, without being the least bit boring. Rand talks about the need for individualism and independence, she criticizes altruism and subsidies based on need, and she does all this with flair. As a reader, I never felt bored of this novel. Even during the philosophical parts of the text, my interest never waned. The examples given in the book, the situations created are all practical and while reading it, we are often reminded of real life incidences where these things do occur.

The Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger

“I'm quite illiterate, but I read a lot. ” 

Weird.

This word pretty much sums up this book. You often come across authors who attempt to write books on concrete events or topics but the resultant is nothing except trash. Their attempts to convey meaning fail and the readers are left confused. But what about an author who deliberately does this? Catcher in the Rye is one such book. It has no moral lessons to impart, no special experiences to thrill.

It is the story of a teenage boy,Holden Caulfield, who after being kicked out of school, decides to spend sometime in run down New York motels, before going back home to face his parents. He spends the next few days visiting bars, meeting old crushes and wondering about the motives of people around him. The story has no major twists and turns. A detailed narrative of Holden's simple(stupid?) adventures is all it tells. And yet, this is considered a literary classic by many (myself included). The reason? Because of the sheer difficulty of penning down accurately the thoughts and actions of a teenager. Teenage is a phase we all go through. Each of us has experienced the moments of self doubt, pity and confusion that Holden goes through. Most of us spend hours trying to find out what we really want in life, few of us succeed. In this book, the author captures the angst of Holden and his confusion beautifully. Holden's hate of movies, slobs, wars and almost everything that's fake is expressed in an interesting way.

This book is not for the rational people, the ones who believe every story must have a head and a tail. For this one doesn't. It's simply random thoughts penned down together to create a narrative. I thought it was easy to do it, till I tried it myself.

Reasons to read it:

• Reading about Holden's views and actions reminds one of our teenage. The period when people seem fake and all actions pointless, the time of wondering what we really want to do. Believe me, its fun.
• This is one book which all aspiring writers should read. Simple everyday events are always the toughest to describe and Salinger does this beautifully. You can learn a lot from him. 

Jonathan Livingston Seagull – Richard Bach

“You have the freedom to be yourself, your true self"

This book is counted amongst the best spiritual and self-help classics of the previous century. You will find it quoted and referenced in many places, and this was the prime reason I picked up this book.

After reading it, I can say that it is a good read, not just due to the concise manner in which it deals with heavy topics like spirituality, individuality and dream chasing, but because the simplicity of language and allegorical references used, make it easy to forget that the story has a deeper meaning (whether this is a plus or a minus, I will let you judge for yourselves). While reading the story, I felt that at times, it was abrupt, concentrating more on the end results or teachings rather than providing actual justification or the rational behind the views given. Maybe a deeper discussion or justification of the ideas would have helped both the 'Breakfast flock' and the readers. Then again, as is often said, actions speak louder than birds*, the obvious happiness and greatness achieved by Jonathan Livingstone, can be a regarded as a more proper justification of his views, than any other.

The book tells the story of a misfit bird, Jonathan Livingston, whose sole goal in life is to fly faster and with more control. He stays away from his flock and concentrates all his energy on flying. Upset by his attitude and believing him to be wrong, the flock banishes Jonathan. Despite becoming an outcast, Jonathan sticks with his love of flying and keeps on practicing. His practice and perseverance are rewarded when he meets another flock of gulls, who love flying as much as he does and are willing to teach him. Under the guidance of his new teachers, Jonathan learns a lot about flying, life and spirituality, until he decides to spread the message amongst his old flock and leaves his new one to go back.

Animal farm - George Orwell

“All animals are equal , but some are more equal than others”

Some books win your heart simply by the simplicity of its language and the depth of the ideas they convey. For me , animal farm is one such book.

This book talks about animals living on a farm ( hence the name :P) and manges to allegorically convey the story of the Russian revolution and the reasons for its decay in an simplistic manner.Like the Russian revolution in 1918, the story starts off with the farm animals revolting against their greedy farmer, Mr Jones, and chasing him off the farm. Then, they establish a new estate based on the principle of equality for all animals. However, as history has often shown, things start going downhill, when the “brains of the revolution”, the pigs, start allocating more food for themselves. What starts off with more food, ends with the pigs living in houses and becoming increasingly autocratic. The other animals driven by their fear of the “humans” keep shut.

Why don't they raise their voice against the pigs? Why do they continue to work hard, despite living miserable lives? What makes them suffer the purges and “show trials” in silence? The reader feels amazed at their stupidity. Stupid animals,he thinks, anyone could have seen the truth. But then again , millions of us failed to too.

A revolution which starts off with the slogan “Four legs good, Two legs bad” ends up with the slogan “Four legs good, Two legs better”.

Reasons to Read it :

•  A masterpiece of allegory, read it, if only to be amazed and the imagination and creativity of its author.
• Its a short book and teaches its readers a lot about how politicians manipulate the public. Learn from it and avoid falling into the same trap.

The Prince - Niccolo Machiavelli

"It is better to be feared than loved, if you cannot be both"

The Prince, is one of the most discussed political treatises in the world. It talks about the actions and methods a ruler must adopt in order to stay on his throne. Unlike various other works on the same topic, this book separates the practical aspect from the ethical ones. The author has no qualms advocating violence and treachery if the situation calls for it. Indeed, many of his recommendations seem cold hearted and calculating.
I like this book because of its brutal honesty. Machiavelli has no hesitations in calling a spade a spade. He creates a lot of scenarios which a ruler might face and proceeds to tackle each one of them. One might question his morality, but has to admire his understanding of statecraft.
Though the book was written two hundred years ago, its principles are just as true in the modern day world. Whether it be the employee looking for a promotion or the businessman seeking to outshine his competitors, Machiavelli's work can be adapted to a lot of situations. This book has inspired a whole genre of writing “The 48 Laws of Power” by Robert Greene seems an apt example.

Reasons to read it: 

• Wish to know why you missed that promotion or why your employees hate you? Read this book and draw parallels between the world of then and now. The times may have changed, but the factors influencing human decisions have remained much the same.
• He talks about whether a Prince should be generous or parsimonious,cruel or merciful etc are.He talks about the importance of keeping up appearances.The topics would make an interesting read for any employer. 
• Again the discussion on prudence of a prince and the care he takes in selecting in staff, is important for those who wish to hire. 

Memorable Quotes:

“If an injury has to be done to a man it should be so severe that his vengeance need not be feared.” 

“The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him.” 

“…he who seeks to deceive will always find someone who will allow himself to be deceived.”  

“Never attempt to win by force what can be won by deception.”

This book has often been criticized for being immoral.However, it is also true that many of our present day management gurus seem to be influenced by it. I would recommend this book to anyone with an interest in philosophy and management. Others can read its modern day adaptations, which discuss the same principles albeit in a toned down way.

The Picture of Dorian Gray – Oscar Wilde

“If a man were invincible, why would he act justly?”

- The Republic, Socrates. [Adapted]

All of us live dual lives. Many of our actions are done to please the society , to “fit in”. But what if we didn't have to? What if , we were blessed with a mask, that hid all our follies, no matter what?The picture of Dorian Gray , is the story of such a man.

On seeing a life-like portrait of his, Dorian, wishes to be young forever and wishes that his portrait grows older instead. His wish is granted and all of his actions(good or bad) leave him unspoiled and untainted. The world always sees his youthful and charming avatar . However, his debaucharies and misdeeds change his portrait , which becomes a mirror to his soul. How does a man deal with that? What does one do when the only one looking , is your own self?

While reading this book, I found myself admiring the subtlety of the author. The witty comments which Lord Henry makes on the subjects of hedonism,society and marriage made me laugh. At the same time, I couldn't help but wonder at the depth of the insight. What would I have done if I had been Dorian Gray? The greatness of the author lies in the way the story is presented and the fact that the reader is left to draw his own conclusions from it. The sarcastic commentry on victorian society makes the book a great read.

Key issues it deals with

• Is man an animal, tamed only by the laws of society? Or do we really have an inner conscience guiding us?
• Who is responsible for your actions? Was it the knife who killed the man or the hand which held the knife?
• Bad advice can destroy a man's life. However, even in such a situation, whose fault is it? The giver's or the taker's ?

Memorable Quotes 

“The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it.”

"Humanity takes itself too seriously. It is the world's original sin. If the cave-man had known how to laugh, History would have been different."

“You will always be fond of me. I represent to you all the sins you never had the courage to commit.”

“Experience is merely the name men gave to their mistakes.”

Of the many books I have read, The Picture of Dorian Gray, is definitely amongst the best. Read it,if only, to laugh at Lord Henry's comments and admire their depth.

Train to Pakistan - Khushwant Singh

“I am the village badmash..... I do something and its always wrong”

I had heard a lot about this book. So I had a basic idea of the storyline and plot before I started reading it. Yet, while reading this book, at no point,did I feel it to be predictable or boring. The way it describes the pre-partition days, the impact of parition and its after-effects(which are left unstated mostly) kept me engrossed.

 Key Points:

• Reading this book made me realize the basic principle behind Gandhi ji's lines, “An eye for an eye,makes the whole world blind” Both the sides,Hindus and Muslims, justify their acts because the “other side is doing it too”. Neither of them takes responsibility for their own actions. This knee-jerk response from both sides leads to a lot of bloodshed.
• “Chaos is good, its fair”. The book makes a good case against it. As the Muslims evacuate their homes , the charge of their property is given over to the local goons “to protect till the rightful owners come back”. The unscrupulous and the greedy are the only ones who enjoy seeing the Muslims leave. 
• Actions speak louder than words. Education has a tendency to complicate simple things. What's obvious to the uneducated seems complicated to us. While the educated social worker,Iqbal sits and ponders over the point of self-sacrifice and Hukum Chand, the local magistrate, debates with himself the extent of his duties and responsibilities, the uneducated simpleton,Juggut Singh, faces no such doubts and worries. He does what needs to be done.

Reasons to read it:

• The India-Pakistan partition was a gruesome and painful affairs. By concentrating on the human element, the book shows how much damage was wrought in the span of a few days.
• The dilemmas faced by the various characters are beautifully described. A lot of people could have done things to stop the wrong doing. The reasons why they did not do it, the ways they might have justified their actions to themselves, all of it is described nicely.
• The simple manner in which such heavy topics are dealt with makes it a fun read.
• There's something in the simplicity of the characters which ensures that you won't forget the story anytime soon.

Memorable quotes:

“The point of sacrifice is the purpose. For the purpose, it is not enough that a thing is intrinsically good, it must be known to be good.”

“Freedom is for the educated people who fought for it. We were slaves of the English, now we will be slaves of the educated Indians - or the Pakistanis.” 

It's one of the best books I have read. Hope you enjoying reading it too.

Cheers.