A fine balance

Fri 28 August 2020 by Thejaswi Puthraya

Set during the dark time of Emergency, "A Fine Balance" traces the story of 4 characters from different backgrounds but who find themselves under one roof in the megacity of Mumbai.

Their lives are poignantly described through various facets like caste, community and ideology and yet they all have one …

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Right Ho, Jeeves

Sat 15 August 2020 by Thejaswi Puthraya

Any regular reader of the Jeeves series will tell you that there can only be one ending yet they love to read it. It's probably because of Wodehouse's writing style. It effortlessly transports you to aristocratic England where masters loved to frequent the club and hang out with buddies and …

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Everybody Lies

Wed 29 April 2020 by Thejaswi Puthraya

"Everybody Lies: Big Data, New Data and What The Internet Can Tell Us About Who We Really Are" is a mouthful. Seth Stephens-Davidowitz analyses the 'new' data sources that are now available to researchers, corporations and governments to sometimes expose the hypocrisy in the society. We claim to be more …

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The Power of Habit

Mon 30 March 2020 by Thejaswi Puthraya

Habits as some say can be made in 21 days. But does this stick? Is there any science behind these claims? Charles Duhigg explores the power of creating and modifying habits through some stories featured in the news media.

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Leonardo

Thu 12 March 2020 by Thejaswi Puthraya

Leonardo from Vinci aka Leonardo da Vinci is a name that needs no introduction. Most people recognize him from his paintings and scribblings from his note book.

But what was he as a person? How did he build such a powerful brand during the peak of the Italian renaissance amongst …

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Surely you are joking Mr. Feynman

Fri 28 February 2020 by Thejaswi Puthraya

"Surely you are joking, Mr. Feynman" is a memoir of Nobel Prize winning physicist Richard Feynman written by a close friend based on stories he heard from Richard Feynman during their time together.

This book has not much to do with science but showcases Richard Feynman's multiple interests like in …

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India's Struggle For Independence

Sat 15 February 2020 by Thejaswi Puthraya

What were the societal conditions that triggered the 1857 revolt? How did the Congress movement come into existence? Why was a movement that was dominated by peasants tilt towards the middle-class? This book is divided by various time periods and analyses the various strategies of the different classes of society …

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The Namesake

Sun 09 February 2020 by Thejaswi Puthraya

What's in a name? For some, there is a long and emotional story. "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri is a beautiful story of a couple that immigrates to America and their American-born children.

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Guns, Germs and Steel

Fri 24 January 2020 by Thejaswi Puthraya

Have you ever wondered why the American Indians (natives) didn't cross the Atlantic and colonize Europe or why the Aborigines in Australia could not successfully resist a European colonization?

Jared Diamond answers these questions and more on how and why society is today shaped through the events in history. A …

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Why we sleep?

Mon 06 January 2020 by Thejaswi Puthraya

Why do we sleep? To rest the body and brain? Or does it have any other function? Matthew Walker, a sleep researcher has written this book to answer the question.

The author starts off with an explosive statement that sleep deprivation is the largest undiagnosed global epidemic. He then describes …

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