Tag: Penguin Books

Best Books of 2020 I read!!

Some books take you on a journey and sometimes those journeys are a ride of a lifetime, considering this pandemic to is a Ride of a lifetime that we all are experiencing and becoming a different you. Here is a list of books that made me visually travel and made me come across personalities and understanding different lives.
  • The Ride Of A Lifetime by Robert Iger. 
This was a book that I read totally by accident- I have been borrowing books during this lockdown from a friend and thank god for the recommendation. 
This Book was a beautiful ride into a journey of how much ones goes through to reach the top. But, In an entertainment business & media business, it’s very competitive. During Robert’s tenure, there were so many important acquisitions he acquired and managed to keep re-innovating and to keep Disney relevant as an organisation to an extent that he acquired Rupert Murdoch organisation for Disney and got access to a bunch of media channels including a popular streaming platform of theirs in India the Hotstar app and rebranded Disney+ 
There are so many insights to share, The relationship with Steve Jobs and how he convinced him and manages to acquire Pixar. 
Trivia: 
Wide World of Sports an ABC Broadcasting channel became the 1st U.S Media house to enter North Korea in the late 70s. 
Apple & Disney collaborate for Television Shows on iPod Touch. 
Marvel, 21st century Fox Studio, Star Wars acquisitions by Disney. 
Robert Iger shares some of his lessons. 
  • Tell Great Stories
  • Innovate or Die
  • Relentless Pursuit Of Perfection
  • Take Responsibility, When you screw up
  • Be Decent To People
  • Excellence & Fairness
  • True Integrity
  • Value Ability
  • Ask Question You Need to Ask.
  • Managing Creativity is Art.
  • Don’t Start Negatively
  • Don’t be in the business of playing it safe.
  • Don’t let ambition get ahead of the opportunity
  • We all want to believe we are indispensable
  • A company’s reputation is the total of the actions of Its people and the quality of its products
  • Optimism emerges from faith in yourself and in the people who work for you
  • You need to convey your priorities clearly and repeatedly
  • It should be about the future
  • Treating others with respect is an undervalued currency when it to negotiating
  • You have to do the homework
  • If something doesn’t feel right to you, it won’t be right for you.
This is one of the best books, I have read this year! And another interesting bit of news is recently Robert Iger announced he would be taking the role as the CEO For the popular video app Tik Tok an App that is currently banned in India as there have been ongoing conflicts with China. 

Becoming by Michelle Obama

I Wouldn’t have read this book. But, The moment you read It’s written by the former first lady, You know it’s going to be a great read. As it’s going to have things you wouldn’t know about their lives and you also get the chance to know the White House from an insider, The whole architecture, The protocols and the life behind the camera as a president and more importantly Michelle Obama’s journey in life.  If you enjoyed reading the book. You can also watch the documentary ”Becoming on Netflix ”

Charles Chaplin – Autobiography

I don’t like reading artist biographies or autobiography’s who have been part of the entertainment industry. For one they could be biased, one-sided and slightly boring to read. But Charles Chaplin I have been wanting to read for a long time, a couple of days before we went on national lockdown (25th march ’20’ ) I was about to place an order from the e-commerce website, But did not. Also, having read most of the books that I had already ordered and now worried I had no books to read, First I began scrolling from my contacts and messaged a couple of my “friends” if they could lend me some books. After having waited for too long for them to reply, I browsed through my library at home once again! Maybe there is a book I haven’t read and guess what! I found one of the first editions of Charles Chaplin which was tearing apart and I began reading the book, It was one of the best books I must have read on cinema and actor as it teaches you so much about what goes behind an actor during his preparation and how much effort is it to “Act” and being a superstar of the “silent Era” This fascinated me and within five days I had finished reading the book. Right from his childhood to him coming back from Hollywood and visiting his roots in The UK to him finally settling down in Switzerland to have been married numerous time. About five times and having eleven kids to getting the longest standing ovation in the (Twelve Minutes long ) history of academy awards Charles was one hell of a “Charlie.” It’s a must-read for all and besides Charlie, if you want to read another book on an actor you must! And must read Naseeruddin Shah Memoir – Then one day.
Being Mortal by Atul Gawande
A Book that I have been wanting to read for a while. That was written in twenty fourteen And what better than a pandemic to understand from a doctor on why “Being Mortal” is important and how we aren’t ready to face it and it’s consequences and during this time it’s an apt book to read.
Being Mortal is on the subject of “Death” – Yes, It questions why in medical we don’t discuss death as important as a “life” and how should we deal with the topic of death. 
And the book questions us with some thought-provoking questions – 
  • If independence is what we live for, what can we do when it no longer be sustained? 
  • The real Issues with Nursing homes & how they are solving this problem? 
  • What exactly is the job of one in the medical field – Only to ensure the health & Survival? Or is it also to teach & look into the well being of one? 
  • Is it true – Once someone loses their physical independence – A life worth of freedom is simply not possible? 
  • And Scientist advances have turned the process of ageing & dying into medical experiences & why is it medical world prepared for or in today’s context wasn’t prepared for it? 
You must surely read this book once not only because of what all it makes us question. But because a Doctor himself has shared his thoughts & Experiences on how unprepared we are to face Reality. 
This is a slightly Emotional, Dull and emphatic read. 
Why we Sleep By Matthew Walkers. 
There have been times! When you have not just heard but have been told to sleep, Sleep and complete your eight hours of sleep! Without really knowing or understanding why should you sleep. Then a year’s later when you grow up you find a book -Why we sleep? That answers your questions on the importance of sleep. This book interested me for two reasons one since I too like many don’t like to sleep much and unlike like many who sleep too much. The book highlights how changing your sleep cycle from just a couple of hours to a minimum of eight hours can make you healthier and keep all your levels ( Sugar, Blood, Weight) balanced and under control. 
I also remember visiting the Facebook office & The Google office a couple of years ago in California US and noticing sleeping Pods for the employees to Nap and be more creative. 
And can’t recall if the same 
is being implemented in India where most of the Indian’s are overworked and underpaid and if any of the organisation have sleeping Pods. While reading the book I also read another point where certain Ceos and owners abroad are giving incentives and bonus for people to sleep and not coming to the office half asleep. Even some of the Animals sleep a lot. 
Trivia:
*Lion & Tiger 15 Hrs a Day
*Brown Bat sleep 19 Hrs. Outperforming all MammalsAnd with this whole change with the pandemic, it has taught a lot of us to slow down and take it easy and we should focus on the importance of sleep. Just changing one thing we all as individuals can change our lifestyle. 
Snow by Orhan Pamuk. 
Yes, I was looking to read something different, And Have been wanting to read a book by the Turkish Novelist Orhan Pamuk, But did not know which one to read .his works include the “My Name is Red” ”Museum innocence” and a few others. Fortunately, I have been borrowing books from a friend, And They had Snow and I choose to start reading Orhan Pamuk books. Two things that got me interested in this book is the written description and reading the blurb, This sounded exactly like a mirror image of Turkey, It’s culture and Turks. And since I visited turkey about a decade ago. A Lot of the writing and descriptions were accurate. 
The Story of Snow is about Ka who is a poet, Intellectual from Istanbul who visits Ka on the context of understanding Why Suicide is on the rise. By representing a Print newspaper. But as the story unfolds you realise it’s more than a suicide… It’s about the politics within. The difference between the open mindset and the Conservative culture. To be vocal about issues that are a cause of concern. 
Snow, Is an intellectual and digging in deep into a writer and poets mind and A Turkish Author while living in turkey he has expressed in his writing about turkey so accurately it is very fascinating. This is surely one of the best books I have read this year already. And having read Orhan Pamuk & Elif Shafak both Turkish authors. You realise how different both of their writing style is, But both have portrayed Turkey Beautifully … 

The Gaze by Elif Shafak
The Gaze was the first book that got me interested in Elif Shafak as an author. As the story idea is different – It’s about a couple who change their genders one day and go out for a meal only so that the society doesn’t judge them anymore. 

And a Turkish Writer writing this story with Turkey as a backdrop. What more would you want in a story. The Gaze becomes my third read instead of first as this book was difficult to be found so I began with forty rules of love and then read The Bastard of Istanbul both of these are lovely too and the bestseller for the author. 
Salivation Of A Saint By Keigo Higanshino. 
My 3rd Book from Keigo Higanshino, 2nd one of the year and two and half days of another page tuner from Keigo Higanshino.This has the best read of all the Keigo Higashino books. Writing is so engrossing. Murder has already being committed in the first thirty pages and You might have the hint of who the murderer might me. But How it happens remains a mystery…Until Detective Galileo works around the theory with the Police officers and comes to the conclusion. A Book & author you wouldn’t want to miss reading, Who surprises you with a perfect Murder Crime that you wouldn’t in your wildest thought, imagined to take place like the one mentioned in the books and with logical backstory and supporting evidence, This book is all the more enjoyable where you just want to read more stories like these from Keigo Higanshino one of my new favourite Crime/Thriller who doesn’t disappoint.
The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa 
A book that I first wanted to read, When I had visited a bookstore and found the copy on New arrival and since I had a couple of books that I was reading or wanted to read. I hadn’t picked it up and after a month when I was looking to read something new. I thought about reading The Memory Police. Originally written in 1994, but has been adapted to suit 2019-2020. This book is a science dystopian novel like the ones of 1984 George Orwell, But has more similarities with Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand as who is the Memory Police? can easily be compared to Who is John Galt? 
The book was also nominated for shortlisting Booker Prize 2020. And relates to issues like loneliness and being expressive the issues like the lives been controlled by a particular organisation. 
This is the first book, I have read of Yoko Ogawa and it is a book, no matter how many years later you read it. You could relate to quite a few of the issues.
This Book written by yet another Japanese writer that I have read this year Should be on your reading list.
Kafka on The Shore by Haruki Murakami”
Kafka on The Shore by Haruki Murakami 
Is the seventh or eighth books in the Murakami collection that I have read so far and Kafka on the shore has been one of the most enjoyable mysteries to unfold? 
Murakami has stuck to his elements in his writing. 
Cats, Painting and the characters we want to know more about. 
Though I read “Killing Commemorate” Last year, Before reading Kafka on the shore and though both were on the same lines. Kafka on the shore has been a breeze to read. 
Like all the other Murakami books, Japan has always been a backdrop with every story and a new town or new side of the city is portrayed. 
Kafka on the Shore is a story of Kafka Tamura, a fifteen-year-old boy who runs away from home to escape an awful oedipal prophecy, and Nakata, an ageing and illiterate simpleton who has never completely recovered from a wartime affliction. Kafka’s journey brings him to a small private library in the provincial town of Takamatsu and to a mountain hideaway where the ordinary laws of time no longer apply. But, like Oedipus, the more Kafka tries to avoid his fate, the closer he comes to fulfilling it. Nakata also sets forth on a quest for an enigmatic entrance stone, the significance of which he does not understand. Intellectually ambitious, emotionally intense, and beautifully written.
Man Called One by Fredrik Backman
A Book was written by a Swedish author and blogger, that had been quite a phenomena. 
It was this year, When I was looking to find something new & different…Did I go through My Reading list – Book that I would like to read and began reading this one. About a character (Ove) who is one of the grumpiest men in the town and his outlook to life, and once you read the book or have read it already, you would relate to one’s you have come across in your everyday life. The humour is a little dry but funny. 
This book – Aptly observes not just people, but also their emotional side and Ove a character you just can’t ignore. 

Why we Sleep By Matthew Walkers. 

There have been times! When you have not just heard but have been told to sleep, Sleep and complete your eight hours of sleep! Without really knowing or understanding why should you sleep. Then a year’s later when you have grown up you find a book –Why we sleep? That answers your questions on the importance of sleep. This book interested me for two reasons one since I too like many don’t like to sleep much and unlike like many who sleep too much. 
The book highlights how changing your sleep cycle from just a couple of hours to a minimum of eight hours can make you healthier and keep all your levels ( Sugar, Blood, Weight) balanced and under control. 
I also remember visiting the Facebook office & The Google office a couple of years ago in California US and noticing sleeping Pods for the employees to Nap and be more creative. 
And can’t recall if the same as being implemented in India where most of the Indian’s are overworked and underpaid and if any of the organisation have sleeping Pods. 
While reading the book I also read another point where certain Ceos and owners abroad are giving incentives and bonus for people to sleep and not coming to office half asleep. the  
Even some of the Animals sleep a lot. 

*Lion & Tiger 15 Hrs a Day

*Brown Bat sleep 19 Hrs. Outperforming all Mammals 

And with this whole change with the pandemic, it has taught a lot of us to slow down and take it easy and we should focus on the importance of sleep. Just changing one thing we all as individuals can change our lifestyle. 

The Subtle Art of not giving a F***K & Think like a Monk – Book Review !!

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**K
A book, That I had heard a lot about. But, never did I find out what it was about. Maybe because it had become such a big sensation and had hit the best-selling charts. That I was slightly sceptical to read at that time, So this year… In The Bookclub we decided to read “The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**K” And literally within two days, I was done reading this book. 
Let’s start with what I liked about this book. 
The tone is very conversational, with examples for explanations, so that it becomes very relatable, unlike other self-help books the language is easy to understand. 
The authors refer to his situations in his life, this makes the book trustworthy and gives the confidence to be the change. 
the chapters too are captioned with the doubts or questions we always come across or have come across that makes it a fun read. 
Yes! Happiness is a problem, We always do have a choice, Why we must say “No” and We are always wrong about everything.
This book is like you have always heard someone say those same things, but this time you are not listening, but you have understood his argument. 
CHAPTER 1: Don’t Try
CHAPTER 2: Happiness Is a Problem
CHAPTER 3: You Are Not Special
CHAPTER 4: The Value of Suffering 
CHAPTER 5: You Are Always Choosing 
CHAPTER 6: You’re Wrong About Everything (But So Am I) 
CHAPTER 7: Failure Is the Way Forward 
CHAPTER 8: The Importance of Saying No 
CHAPTER 9: . . . And Then You Die 

 

Think Like Monk – Jay Shetty.

You might think, If you have read a book on spirituality, Zen, Buddhism all are the same. Yes, Most of them are very similar to a great extent. But giving relevant examples that one can connect to the current generation, can install the belief and practice of enlightenment yet again.

Whether it was Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse to finding out the secret by Rhonda Byrne or To know about the Monk who sold his Ferrari by Robin Sharma to Learning The Art of not giving a F**K Mark Manson to Thinking like a Monk by Jay Shetty.

All have their way of telling you the same thing, But they use the relevant examples to keep the practice going- If Think as a monk spoke about Brain Acton’s rejection to not giving up and come up with WhatsApp to giving each of us simple practices to practices to live a life of detachment.

Jay Shetty’s this  book, one should read today if they want to connect and change their way of living.

The book is written in three parts – Let Go the first part, Grow second and Give the last part…With some practical applications.

What The Dog Saw by Malcolm Gladwell

 

 

What The Dog Saw by Malcolm Gladwell

Reading a Malcolm Gladwell after about two~three years and it was the title that interested me to read another one of Malcolm Gladwell. This is the 5th Book that I read from Malcolm and this one is as insightful as the previous ones But this has had more case studies that I could relate to personally after a long time and the writing style and the writing is similar to all his previous work – The Tipping Point, Blink, Outlier and David Goliath. Some of the case studies that I could relate to were the Heinz case studies & Prego case studies as these were both I had heard about a long time ago. Is Talent overrated and The Mind hunter we’re other case studies I could relate to. -As I had just watched Mindhunter on Netflix a couple of months ago so it was interesting to live so many stories again.

Garden of Eden by Ernest Hemingway

The Final novel by Ernest Hemingway, Which is believed to be an unfinished Work, for me a rather disappointing read.

The story is about Catherine involving herself & her husband David who is a writer in a strange, erotic triangle with another young woman – And we really never know why until a couple of chapters before the bookend.

This was one book – that was lying on my bookshelf for years and now that I was spending too much time at home and no books to read. I found another book that I was hoping to read “One Day” That day came last week and within a week, I was done reading the book. Maybe I picked the wrong “Hemingway Book” Maybe I had huge expectations. May Be I was just wanting to read a book and that’s why I chose “Garden of Eden”

The style of Hemingway Books are normally incomplete sentences, not too descriptive and just always giving us an outline, not many details of anything much – The setting, and the story takes too long to make you realise what is the actual story. Being my first, I still wanted to know if at all anything happens?

And yes they do, but it too late for that. Leaving the reader to think why did it take this long.

Maybe, Because I have read it today after so many years of it’s the publication and the Era that this story belongs, doesn’t really connect and hence maybe I haven’t enjoyed reading a book from one of the finest writers – Ernest Hemingway.

Personal Book Review – Becoming & Charles Chaplin !!

 

Becoming by Michelle Obama

I Wouldn’t have really read this book. But, The moment you read It’s written by the former first lady, You know it’s going to be a great read. As it’s going to have things you wouldn’t know about their lives and you also get the chance to know the White House from an insider, The whole architecture, The protocols and the life behind the camera as a president and more importantly Michelle Obama’s journey in life.

Charles Chaplin – Autobiography

I really don’t like reading artist biographies or autobiography’s who have been part of the entertainment industry. For one they could be totally biased, one-sided and slightly boring to read. But Charles Chaplin I have been wanting to read for a long time, a couple of days before we went on national lockdown (25th march ’20’ ) I was about to place an order from the e-commerce website, But did not. Also, having read most of the books that I had already ordered and now worried I had no books to read, First I began scrolling from my contacts and messaged a couple of my “friends” if they could lend me some books. After having waited for too long for them to reply, I browsed through my library at home once again! Maybe there is a book I haven’t read and guess what! I found one of the first editions of Charles Chaplin which was tearing apart and I began reading the book, It was one of the best books I must have read on cinema and actor as it teaches you so much about what goes behind an actor during his preparation and how much effort is it to “Act” and being a superstar of the “silent Era” This fascinated me and within five days I had finished reading the book. Right from his childhood to him coming back from Hollywood and visiting his roots in The UK to him finally settling down in Switzerland to have been married numerous time. About five times and having eleven kids to getting the longest standing ovation in the (Twelve Minutes long ) history of academy awards Charles was one hell of a “Charlie.” It’s a must-read for all and besides Charlie, if you want to read another book on an actor you must! And must read Naseeruddin Shah Memoir – Then one day!