India After Gandhi: The History of the World's Largest Democracy (2008) - Ramachandra Guha

Ramachandra Guha has described the events from 1947 - 2008 in remarkable details. Of course the book has described in period chronologically but also has established a succinct theme to what actually happened in the period. Describing India's problems and what happened to address those. For example, the whole constitution establishment chapter is very informative and gives a great treatise to what contributed to making the constitution written the way it was. Nehru, Patel and Indira Gandhi have got good coverage in the book. One can get a fair understanding of what really drove India during these formative years of India's democracy. I guess there are parts towards the end. Particularly, post 90s where it's a little hard to keep interest on the events. First, because it's too recent to distinguish history from journalism. Second, everyone has an opinion in these periods. One feels like one has lived through the changes so they do not seem very interesting. I will consider this a book worth reading and I am sure some day these will be talked about in the text books in schools. It makes you feel the real Indian history starts after 1947.

The Mind of Ramana Maharshi - Andrew Osborne

The biographical note on one of the famous and revered saints of modern Hinduism. Almost born to be a saint by birth the Bhagvan let his presence known to the world early in his life. The book is a short one but not a smooth read. It's not quite written in the chronology as most biographies are but presented mostly in various aspects or works of Swamiji and his contribution to that aspect. This sometimes removes the focus on the chronology to certain extent. But overall a great book to know about the great soul.

Steve Jobs - Walter Isaacson (2011)

Although, considered as Steve Job's account of his life in some sense, the writer has provided a very detailed description of a product innovator's life. The book has overall kept the author's originality which is not influenced by Jobs as much. I have read iCon and you can see the review couple of years back. I think iCon level of depth is fair. This is by far way too detailed and sifting through 600 pages at times can be a bit daunting. But I will not consider this boring in any manner. Just sometimes when you get the gist you just want to finish the story and move ahead. At some point I felt that. But I think one should not miss the last chapter where Steve puts his thoughts on products and how he and his team at Apple and Pixar made it happen. Here are some points to learn from:

1. Great companies make great products and not run after money. For Steve money was a means of recognition and not the need to work for something great.
2. Great products come from great people and A team player prefer working with A team players. You cannot keep a mix of A and B team players.
3. Market research really cannot bring in new products. It only tells you with the limits or horizons the mass is exposed to. 
4. Great innovations are created off existing ideas already in the market. Interestingly, one of the early days in my career I had seen a great chip designer from Digital Corp had made a similar remark. Really great ideas come only when there is a critical mass of great thinkers. 

I think if you have worked for a great product ever, you will realise how brutally true some of these viewpoints are. Management literature can only suggest how to bring in operational efficiency to a well oiled machinery but great products are built when the beast is unleashed from human creativity. Some of the reactions and emotions in Steve Jobs life is testament to the same. 

Overall great read. But not your quick coffee table read. Involved and needs some patience. 

Shikhandi and Other Tales They Dont Tell You - Devdutt Pattanaik (2014)

At some point I got a bit tired of the author. Same mythological stories, same level of treatment and same stories read elsewhere. I was a bit sceptic when I was deciding on the next book of Pattanaik. But, simplicity and short book kind of made me pick up this book. I will probably tell this is one of the better books of Pattanaik. It's not explaining an epic but actually brings out a sociological issue across our mythology on views on uncommon sexual practices and the existence of the third sex which we have normally avoided. Practices not entirely confined to Mahabharata but across many mythological text and also compared with Egyptian, Mesopotamian, Roman and Christianity views on the subject. The stories are very short as such characters are not provided an elaborate treatment in any of our mythological texts. However, the explanations and similar topics discussed elsewhere with references is a remarkable achievement for the author. A quick read. One can finish the book in one sitting and definitely a recommended read.