Read and remember

Part of the non-detailed course work of class IX and X is a good compilation of short stories. Containing stories which are on serious themes to stories by Leo Tolstoy to satirical comics. I think the book has a good collection to boast about 20 years later as well.

Sita - an illustrated re-telling of the Ramayana - Devdutt Pattanaik (2013)

Pattanaik's a masterful story teller. The book brings out stories from many forms of Ramayan from many regions of India and abroad. Nicely stringed as a single story the book has provided a large set of footnotes giving references from other Ramayan sources.

The Ascent of Money - Niall Ferguson (2008)

A financial history of the world is a great book to make you understand how the money and financial system got developed and reached to the state it's in now. The book starts with how money started its beginning as an exchange. The advent of currency notes, the establishment of corporations, share markets and how insurance came in a big way to mitigate risk in the financial system. The contribution of wars and socio-political changes and their influence on financial systems worldwide. The timing of the book around 2008 also puts the book talk a lot about sub-prime crisis. Since, not all the facts were not established by the time the book was released there are some gaps about that. But the Great Depression and other historical events of fincial significance have been covered in details. Overall a book worth reading.