Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess - Bobby Fischer (1966)

Why didn't I learn chess from this book? The best first book on chess. With frame after frame of the board visually in front, I just devoured it in one sitting. 

Definitely, recommended. 

The Nine Questions People Ask about Judaism - Dennis Prager (1981)

I did not know how and when this book landed in my bookcase, but it is a good read, although parts of the book are relevant to the period when it was written, like working on the cause of Soviet Jewry. It introduces Judaism, its principles, why the rules are conceived, how they are relevant today, etc. My take, it is good to know people's beliefs and respect them. But, the arguments can be made virtually from any other sect and practice, given an opportunity. So, there is no need to compare across faiths. What is more relevant is how the Faiths can provide space to others equitably for a better social and world order. 

As a non-Jewish person with no real introduction to Judaism, the book gave me some good insights into the community and its practices. 

The Mathematics of Ciphers - S. C. Coutinho (1999)

RSA cryptography is the most commonly used asymmetric cryptographic algorithm. However, with quantum cryptography, this may not be forever. The mathematics of RSA cryptography is modular algebra, which is not too complex. However, a complete understanding requires some knowledge of higher algebra. This book provides the right level of mathematics knowledge to assimilate the concepts needed to understand RSA cryptography. 

A great starting point to learn cryptography. 

The Power of Now and The New Earth - Eckart Tolle

 I read both the books one after the other. So, my understanding has become muddled across the books. A simplistic thought presented in the books:

1. The past and future create much stress that is not worth it. So, living in the present helps. 
2. Move to an egoless state of existence
3. Have a goal for yourself and keep working on it to make progress. 

The books are simple, yet the thoughts are deep. So, reading through in a hurry does not work. One has to give some time to assimilate the ideas. 

Chanakya's Chant by Ashwin Sanghi (2010)

The legend has it that if you recite a stanza for Shakti four hundred times a day over four thousand days, you shall be bestowed with the mental capabilities of the great Indian political master Chanakya, who conceived a unified Bharat for the first time. The novel has two parallel stories running side by side, one of Chanakya of 350 BC and a modern story of the 21st century. The book is a good read. It starts with a compelling story to keep your attention. As the story progressed, I could not find the same energy sustaining across 400 pages. The historical Chanakya part is a story; its accuracy cannot be ascertained, although the author has provided references. The use of modern expletives in the story is unnecessary. The modern story is of a political kingmaker who identifies a poor girl as his political protege and promotes her to become the Indian PM. Just like Chandragupta and Chanakya had differences as mentor and mentee, the politician also falls in the eyes of his protege. 

To be read like a story without much historical significance given to it. A good page-turner. 

India : A Million Mutinies Now - VS Naipul (1990)

This book is the last of the series of books VS Naipaul has written on India. His understanding of the contemporary India he visited is remarkable. The way he connects the then realities to the history of India is what makes this book most interesting. His writing has been a mix of talking to regular people, understanding their lives, connecting those events to the notable history of India, and establishing that association for the readers to interpret. He has just presented what he learned from the exchange without passing on a moral judgment of the situation. Being someone who has grown up in the 80s and 90s, I found some of the descriptions very apt to the character of the period. There was a limited supply of funds, and people were aspirational and followed a line of thinking that claimed to fulfill that dream. The book covers, Bhimsena, Shivsena, British India's influence on Calcutta, Lucknowi Nawabs, the history of the Sikh gurus and their influence, operation Bluestar, the anti-brahmin movement in the South, the story of Kashmir and the Maharaja, etc. There is a chapter dedicated to Women's Era magazine and the emergence of new thinking of women who are tied to traditional India and want to look at it in a modern interpretation. VS Naipaul has discussed India nicely, is all I can say. 

A recommended book. 

Doglapan - Ashneer Grover (2022)

There is nothing dogla about Doglapan. No one doubts that Ashneer Grover is a loose cannon. The book gives a lot of insights into Ashneer Grover's early life, his businesses, and the struggles he went through in establishing his businesses. The book makes you feel someone is fighting for recognition which he has been missing from place to place. If you have seen the Zuckerberg-themed social network movie, here is the Indian version of it. The founders are fighting with one another, showing one-upmanship over the rest, etc. It seems like a lot of boardroom drama. The good part is it's a  short 200-page book and a quick read. Ashneer speaks in Hindi in interviews, yet, he is a great communicator in the English language. Then, why this book? When I see any of his interviews, he keeps repeating things mentioned in the book. With cases pending in courts, it could be lawyered advice to speak to a story, and he meticulously has submitted his views in this story and keeps to it in every public meeting. 

Once you read it, you do not have to watch any of his interviews or videos.