The Spanish Civil War has inspired a whole body of work in art and literature. I am not much of an art historian, but I remember being awe struck standing in front of Picasso's Guernica in Madrid's Museo Reina Sofia. I had not known much about the civil war then but I had vaguely heard … Continue reading For Whom The Bell Tolls – Ernest Hemingway
This is a delightful little book, chronicling the daily life of an octogenarian dutch man living in an old age home on the outskirts of Amsterdam. The ageing population in the West (and Japan) has been widely commented upon. More often than not, it is seen as a problem that needs to be solved. You … Continue reading The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen, 83 1/4 Years Old – Hendrik Groen
I spent two winters in Michigan. It was cold; I felt it all the more coming straight from the tropical heat of Mumbai. All my previous experiences of snow were those of tourists: artificial, designed to thrill and time-bound. Michigan was my first experience of a snow-bound way of living. I know many who really … Continue reading History of Wolves – Emily Fridlund
Cal Newport is a Professor of Computer Science at Georgetown University, but he is much better known for his books on personal efficiency. I read his Deep Work in 2017. In that book he talks about strategies for focusing in a world full of distractions. Now self-help books are a dime a dozen and most … Continue reading Digital Minimalism – Cal Newport
East West Street defies categorization. It is part memoir, part history, part biography and part a commentary on International Law. Whatever the category, it is deeply researched, very well written and tightly edited. While it is a non-fiction book, it has the pacing of a thriller. Who would have thought you can build so much … Continue reading East West Street – Philippe Sands
I read the first part of this two part history nearly 5 years back and remember being completely mesmerized by Simon Schama’s story-telling. I vowed to read the second part as soon as it is available but somehow missed its 2017 release, only to pick up the book at the very end of 2018. This … Continue reading Belonging, The Story of the Jews 1492-1900 – Simon Schama
Following in the footsteps of a successful first book(s), authors are often tempted to quickly publish a new (typically much shorter) book, either to now finally talk about ideas that found no place in the original, or to just harvest their new found popularity. And so, we had Yuval Noah Hariri's 21st Lessons for 21st … Continue reading The New Silks Roads – Peter Frankopan
Winter by Ali Smith is one of those books which suddenly gain popularity and then you can't escape it. Its everywhere. People are reading it on your commute, there are reviews in all kinds of newspapers and somebody is referencing it on the TV. It is the second in a quartet - each named after … Continue reading Winter – Ali Smith
Quiet, originally published in 2012 seems to have had some kind of a relaunch. It has suddenly showed up in all kinds of lists and reviews. I picked it up only around Christmas 2018 and is my first book for 2019. Its byline promises to unleash the power of Introverts in a world that can't … Continue reading Quiet – Susan Cain
The biblical stories of Adam & Eve and Cain & Abel have been reinterpreted multiple times in modern literature. East of Eden - first published in 1952 - is Nobel prize winning author John Steinbeck's attempt. At more than 600 pages, it is one of his longest books and in his own words - the … Continue reading East of Eden – John Steinbeck
The Books On Our Shelf 