The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People - Steven Covey (1989)

This book needs neither an introduction nor a review. When you have read a book in your 20s and again read it in your 40s, the perspectives are quite different. That's what I can say after re-reading this book. I have read several books on the topic. A few are probably influenced by this book. What are the seven habits?

• Be Proactive
• Keep the End in Mind
• Put First Things First
• Think Win/Win
• Seek First to Understand and then be understood
• Synergize
• Sharpen the Saw

While the outcomes and expectations from the habits are clear, one may find the methodologies described to achieve can be a bit restrictive and not to your liking. I think one can choose own technique to inculcate these habits. 

The Discovery of India - Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru (1945)

The last in the Nehru Saga, this book is not just about the history of India. We draw that conclusion as most of us grew up with the televised series Bharat-Ek-Khoj by Shyam Benegal. This book is about Indian people, their aspirations, mistakes, and learnings from the mistakes. While one may wonder if this is the India-centric aspect of Glimpses of World History, the answer is not quite. There are parts where Nehru discovers India for himself by interacting with her history and people; there are chapters on how India needs to model herself based on the progressions of the modern world. 

The last hundreds or so pages are on the post-war world order. The situation had not completely unfolded when Nehru wrote the book. Hence the explanations are a bit sketchy in places. Some may challenge the viewpoints, and with the wisdom of hindsight, we know some of the events did not take the direction Nehru expected to happen. But, with many of the follies, it still can be considered a great compendium to understand India.  

Raso Vai Sah - Brahmananda Panda (1980)

"Raso Vai Sah - Sweetness only is He" was written in the late 70s when Brahmananda Panda was still a member of the Rajya Sabha. The book apprises us of the scholarly understanding of Hinduism of the author. It also tells us about how devotees of Satya Sai Baba mingled with Him like a friend, making Him a part of their daily life, expressing their doubts and uncertainties. Sai Baba used to call him Panda lovingly. He used to ask him about his well-being whenever He met. He has graced Panda's son and his grandkids on several occasions. 

Overall it's a book about a devotee who reached his spiritual master and created a lifetime association. A person's spiritual journey is a great read.  At the end of the reading, you still wonder what happened next. Panda continued to serve as the state president for many years later. Children as we were have interacted with him several times. He was popularly known as Brahmananda Aja (Grandpa) by the kids. Always, smiling, and encouraging, with lots of stories and fables with divine messages. Sahitya Academy has published his life story in Odia,  but the book is no longer in print. 

https://www.exoticindiaart.com/book/details/brahmananda-panda-old-and-rare-book-in-oriya-mzr127/ 

An Autobiography - Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru (1936 and 1940)

 Who is Pundit Nehru? Here he replies in his own words:

"I have become a queer mixture of East and West, out of place everywhere, at home nowhere. Perhaps my thoughts and approach to life are more akin to what is called Western than Eastern, but India clings to me, as she does to all her children, in innumerable ways; and behind me lie somewhere in the subconscious, racial memories of a hundred, or whatever the number may be, generations of Brahmans."

Writing a review of this book will be superfluous. But, not writing a short opinion will be criminal. For the past month, I have consciously taken a few hours a day to read through these 600+ pages to understand the man. With the unfathomable intellect he had, it is hard to overlook his capabilities as a passing interest. The book starts with his early life, with a lot of focus as a congress worker. He openly discusses his shortcomings and the clashes he had with Gandhiji in terms of viewpoints. Even openly admitting his aversion to Fascism to the extent of rejecting a meeting with Mussolini from a Rome airport. He was not even a communist and had clashes with the principles. He was a socialist to a great extent. The book focuses a lot on his works, views, and vision for India before he was anywhere near consideration as a prime ministerial candidate. If you read this text, you will realize to a great extent why Nehru, the prime minister, took the actions he undertook. It refers to the planning commission and constituent assembly and many such congress initiatives much earlier to their actual effect. 

Everyone who wants to understand Nehru and his contribution to India must read this book.

The Glimpses of World History - Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru (1933)

This book is by far the best book I have read in life. Why? Here is one book that gives me a complete picture of the history of the world till 1933 with some notes taking it to 1938. While Nehru wrote it all for his 11-year-old daughter Indira Gandhi, I am not sure how far a modern 11-year-old can assimilate the complexities of world politics. Some people may say there are historical inaccuracies in the text or may challenge Nehru's understanding of history. However, only a few books can give you such coverage of world history. That's why it's unique. Of course, Nehru was not a historian; he was merely writing letters to his daughter over nine years from various jails where he got detained as part of the Indian freedom movement. A 1200-page book without any reference material is impossible to imagine today. It also says volumes about his scholarship that is not natural to his training as a barrister. The book covers so much across all of history that it is not worth writing a review. It has prehistoric events, middle-age challenges, science and technology, industry, and coverage of the history of every continent (maybe no Antarctica). But what makes it interesting is the history of post-world war-I; one can see the pot boiling for the second world war and the world politics of the period. We can all be wise men with the wisdom of hindsight, yet looking through, one can realize how his understanding got created and the policies he undertook as the first foreign minister and prime minister of India. 

I feel every person should read this book to understand world history and how our political leadership interacted with the world. 

Deep Thinking: Where Machine Intelligence Ends and Human Creativity Begins - Gary Kasparov with Mig Greengard (2018)

The book tells a great deal about the history of machines playing chess. I was surprised by the level of understanding Kasparov has of AI. Generally, explaining the concepts to a non-technical audience is not easy. However, this book carries on into it with utmost ease. I will still believe the book has lost its meaning in today's world of AI. The chess-playing of 1997 by a computer is very different from 2018. In the afterword, he states the AlphaGo-like machines based on reinforcement learning (type C) are taking over the game's strategy. The type-A or type-B machines based on search are a thing of the past. The book may not satisfy the interest of a technical audience but will keep you engaged. Hence, recommended. 

Learning GraphQL - Eve Porcello and Alex Banks (2018)

A breeze read for a quick grasp of the GraphQL API design. The last three chapters, 5, 6, and 7, are implementation-specific. Depending on the tools you choose, you may want to skip those. The first four chapters provide a conceptual understanding of the technology. 

I shall recommend this book to newbies to the technology. 

Kafka on the Shore - Haruki Murakami (2005)

The plot is a bit complex for my taste. There is a runaway teenager who sets out in search of his mother and sister. His father used to curse that his son would end up in an incestuous relationship with both and would be the reason for his death. The son ends up meeting an old lady and her assistant in a distant land. With many assumptions and claims, he established them as his lost mother and sister. In the meantime, an old mentally challenged person kills his father and follows the same trail as the young boy. The old man kills the man under the influence of Johny Walker. Not sure if the author means to use the Johny Walker whisky metaphorically. There is also a reference to Col. Sanders of KFC fame working as a pimp. One would wonder if this metaphor for the consumption of junk food affects libido. In the end, the old characters die, the young realize their follies, and some experience near-death experiences and decide to reset their lives. 

The book will keep you on it. You may end up thinking about how these parallel threads will merge. There is no clear ending as such. You are left to make your interpretations. Recommended if you have time in reading for pleasure and no knowledge-oriented gains. 

What the CEO wants you to know - Ram Charan (2001)

By the year of publication, one may say the book has lived its life. I will beg to differ. I think the book has a lifetime shelf life for a management practitioner. Although I read this book as part of a management training coverage almost a decade back, I had not written a review. I will like to rectify that omission. In a few words, Du-Pont analysis of the 60s has a strong influence on this book. That is the reason I like this book most. Product growth is an important aspect, and understanding it through Du-Pont analysis is the easiest.   It has numbers and a mechanism to locate the areas of focus from the model. This book gives a simplistic commoner's language without adding the MBA jargon. So anyone can understand the book, while MBAs can see through the theoretical foundations of the book. 

It's a breeze to read, and one can complete it within an hour or two. One can bring it to use in one's day-to-day professional life. I recommend everyone to read this book to understand business. 

Intuition Pumps and Other Tools for Thinking - Daniel Dennet (2013)

The book is hard to read. The tools described are simple. Yet, identifying and establishing a meaningful association with day-to-day life can be difficult. Some of the tools are relatively easy. For example, sorta. You can colloquially get it, yet some need significant thought-provoking mind exercises. The book is for philosophers. However, it contains little something for biologists, engineers, mathematicians, and computer scientists. The chapter groups are - 

Tools for:

• General Thinking
• Content
• Computers
• Meaning
• Evolution
• Consciousness
• Free Will

The book is for serious readers. But, it's best not to try reading multiple chapters in one go. Try to read a few chapters a day and establish a meaningful connection to how to apply such tools. One should reread the book after a few months for maximum effect. 

I recommend the book only for thinkers and readers and not coffee table conversations. 

Play Nice But Win: A CEO's Journey from Founder to Leader - Michael Dell (2021)

 The book does not have a co-author, which means Michael Dell is a profound storyteller. Unlike other CEOs of successful companies, you don't hear much about Dell. FAANG CEOs typically hug all the limelight. However, Michael Dell is remarkable. Precise communicator, to the point delivery of facts, a good bit of details into his likings that made him the successful manager he is, although he does not have a formal college education. He is so precise most chapters in his book are almost twenty pages long. A biography starts from early childhood to successful adulthood in a chronology; this story is more like two parallel stories. One talks about taking Dell company private vis-a-vis the author's childhood and how he set up the company. Towards the end of the first part, both stories merge into the present how he brought Dell Technologies into a publicly-traded organization again,  thus providing enhanced stockholder value. He is not the strongest technologist. Yet, he has a deep understanding of the business and conducts himself as a strong manager and visionary. The last chapter was not very interesting; it felt one is leading the regular business press. 

Overall the book is a great read and almost unputdownable. 

Make Your Bed - Admiral William H. McRaven (2017)

The book is an extension of the commencement speech given by the Admiral. Anecdotes are taken from his experience as a Navy SEAL and delivered as ten short pieces of advice. Those are summarized in the final paragraph of the book. 

"Remember… start each day with a task completed. Find someone to help you through life. Respect everyone. Know that life is not fair and that you will fail often. But if you take some risks, step up when times are toughest, face down the bullies, lift up the downtrodden, and never, ever give up—if you do these things, then you can change your life for the better… and maybe the world!"

Overall a breeze read. 

Ikigai: The Japanese secret to a long and happy life - Héctor García, Francesc Miralles (2016)

 I guess the last page of the book speaks it all. 

1. Stay active; don’t retire. 

2. Take it slow. 

3. Don’t fill your stomach.

4. Surround yourself with good friends. 

5. Get in shape for your next birthday. 

6. Smile. 

7. Reconnect with nature. 

8. Give thanks. 

9. Live in the moment. 

10. Follow your ikigai. 

The last one is particularly important, Find something that you can do for the rest of your life without feeling bored, limited, being paid, or otherwise. That's your perfect Ikigai. 

The Monk Who Sold his Ferrari - Robin Sharma (1996)

A person who knows my reading habits said I would not find the book interesting. It is true. The book opened with a great story. However, somewhere the fables turned into riddles. Rather than being simple concepts, the riddle-like metaphors seemed like complex explainers for something much simple. Indian spiritual texts may have made some of the ideas easier to grasp, so explanations seemed redundant.

I am no longer the right audience for the book. I flipped through about half of the book but no more. 

Do Epic Shit - Ankur Warikoo (2021)

 Absolutely preachy. Just loads and loads of advice. In self-help books, you look for one central theme that builds up over a few pages and then explainers to support them. This book had none of those. In any case, could not keep my interest for more than a few minutes. 

Sorry, not my type of book.  

The Age of Algorithms (2020) - Serge ABITEBOUL & Gilles DOWEK

 The book, written for none programmers, starts with a simple explanation of algorithms and how computers use algorithms. However, the later chapters talk about ethics, law, artificial intelligence, ecology, jobs, human creativity, etc. - essentially all the questions on the usage of AI in our lives. The word algorithm is used in its most generic sense. 

Overall, a good read for a non-computationally inclined audience.