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.