This book is different. The author collects a few stories from various periods, some well-known and some not so. All the stories are of adolescent kids, mostly from their school life. I found the two Indian stories from the author interesting. The other stories were sometimes difficult to follow. One could attribute it to the lack of understanding of the culture and context.
While visiting the Mantralaya Ashram in Andhra Pradesh, I sought to understand the origins of a tradition spanning over eighty gurus since the 16th century. My search led me to the only English text available: a biography of Sri Vijayeendrateertha.
A true polymath of the 16th century, Sri Vijayeendrateertha was a master of sixty-four distinct art forms and an unrivaled debater. The book chronicles his evolution from a dedicated disciple at Mantralaya to the head seer at Kumbhakonam. It details his intellectual travels across Southern India, where he defended the Dwaita philosophy of Madhavacharya against the most formidable scholars of the Shaiva, Adwaita, and Buddhist sects. His influence was so profound that it transcended religious boundaries, earning the respect of Muslim rulers like Adil Shah. This work offers a compelling window into the intellectual rigor and spiritual heritage of the Madhava lineage.
Laurie, Kamal, and Anil are teens. They would soon be graduating from school into adulthood. The association is of classless young kids who have fun without any social divide. Laurie is the son of a British officer. Anil is relatively well off, but Kamal manages by selling one of thing to people and studying in a night school. The class divide does not affect them. They share and care for each other all through. They discover a natural stream in the hills and call it their hidden swimming pool. They have fun together in beetle races, chase ghosts, and their adventure culminates in a trek to a glacier. Laurie finally shifts to England. Anil graduates from school and moves to Lucknow for college. Anil, in his final letter, lets Laurie know that the river has changed course, ending their hidden pool. Kamal is left behind and finds new friends.
A simple Garwali girl exchanges her lucky charm pendant for a blue umbrella from a few visitors from the town. She was enchanted with it and would flaunt it around everywhere she went. Her brother was supportive. The rich village shopkeeper also wanted that umbrella and wooed the siblings to sell it to him. But, they would not budge. Frustrated, he sends his assistant to steal it from the siblings - a plan that failed due to the brother’s alertness. The village took notice, and the shopkeeper’s business was affected. Finally, the young girl went to the shopkeeper on a pretext of buying some chocolates and left the umbrella with him. The shopkeeper keeps the umbrella, but he is no longer enchanted with it as a novelty and lets everyone in the village use it. Slowly, the umbrella sort of becomes a property of the village. The shopkeeper finds a bear claw, makes a pendant out of it, and gifts it to the young girl.
A Brief History of Time remains a timeless classic of modern physics for the masses. Written almost four decades ago, the book begins by tracing the history of astronomy through its modern interpretation in Galilean and Newtonian mechanics. It then moves into Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity before diving into the complexities of quantum mechanics.
Hawking uses the unified representation of relativity and quantum mechanics to explain black holes, which in turn help us understand singularities and provide a portal to the origin of the universe. In the later chapters, he justifies the need for a 'Theory of Everything'—a common set of laws that explain the physics of the universe as a whole.
While the author genuinely tries to simplify these concepts, some principles may still feel overwhelming depending on your prior knowledge. For instance, while string theory was explained in simple terms, I still found it challenging to grasp. Ultimately, this is a great read for anyone seeking a unified view of the development of physics, even if some of the scientific frontiers have shifted since its original release.
Anton Chekov is known as a storyteller and playwright for his satires. However, these stories are in all genres. Not all the stories are as interesting. Some can be quite insignificant in the modern context. Some are just short observations. Some are not as flawless and can be a drag to read. I didn't find all the stories interesting.
