[doxinboy]

Paul Kalanithi, 37 year old Stanford resident neurosurgeon, passed away in March 2015 due to lung cancer. During his final days he wrote about the meaning of life and what it is to stare death in its eyes. He saved the manuscript in the docx file on his laptop. One of his last wish was to publish his manuscript. . His wife Lucy titled it "When Breath Becomes Air" and currently it is on top of the NY Times non fiction bestseller list.

One word: breathtaking

[ampere]

Originally Posted by doxinboy

His wife Lucy titled it "When Breath Becomes Air" and currently it is on top of the NY Times non fiction bestseller list.

Thank you for this reference. Brilliant. In fact the audio is version is even better. Just about to finish it.

[poised2drive]

Originally Posted by doxinboy

Paul Kalanithi, 37 year old Stanford resident neurosurgeon, passed away in March 2015 due to lung cancer. During his final days he wrote about the meaning of life and what it is to stare death in its eyes. He saved the manuscript in the docx file on his laptop. One of his last wish was to publish his manuscript. . His wife Lucy titled it "When Breath Becomes Air" and currently it is on top of the NY Times non fiction bestseller list.

One word: breathtaking

It sounds so depressing and exciting at the same time. I cannot imagine how the author felt when death was staring at him while the book would certainly be offering deep insights into the psyche of the human mind .

Adding it to my list, thanks for letting us know ...

[poised2drive]

http://www.amazon.in/Love-Physics-Rainbow-Journey-Through/dp/145160713X


Not sure if this book is recommended , but I shall do it again !

This book will definitely change our view on the world. We tend to adopt a 'Physicist' outlook on the Universe around us and will search for phenomenons and processes and reasons for different events.

I think my approach to physics would have changed if I had got my hands on this book during my school/college days, though I cannot change my profession now , but it is never too late to read ...

I emphatically suggest if you want your kids to take science streams [ like typical Indian parents] , just buy this book and read it to her/him and relish the beauty and magic of the Physics, introduce this new world to your kids so that they'll start enjoying the subject and will one day, Thank You !
Who knows- they might even be a part of Groundbreaking ever-increasing Vistas of Science.

5 *

[Latheesh]

Agree, I came across few Walter Lewin videos on youtube and bought the book very next day. Loved it.

[subraiyr]

Read the following since start of the year. Taking a 100 book challenge for the year

1. What If - Randall Munroe - A list of useless facts and trivia written in a funny manner. It can be good time filler and will make you think at times
2. Brad Thor - 17 books - Again a thriller series a.k.a Bollywood movie. No meat, just blood, gore and you get tired. I have satiated myself with this and will never touch another one with a barge pole. Don't ask me why I read 17 of them
3. Vince Flynn - Again similar to Brad Thor, but stopped with 13 of them. Phew
4. David Baldacci - The escape, The forgotten - quite good set of thrillers
5. James Rollins - Bone Labrynth - Less said the better
6. Robert Ludlum - The Geneva strategy - James F'lv - Please fly away from the Ludlum estate
7. The billion Dollar Spy - A very good book focusing on a true account of a KGB spy and his handlers
8.The tournament - Matthew Reily - A very different book from this author and a must read

[shashanka]

Originally Posted by subraiyr

Read the following since start of the year. Taking a 100 book challenge for the year

1. What If - Randall Munroe - A list of useless facts and trivia written in a funny manner. It can be good time filler and will make you think at times
2. Brad Thor - 17 books - Again a thriller series a.k.a Bollywood movie. No meat, just blood, gore and you get tired. I have satiated myself with this and will never touch another one with a barge pole. Don't ask me why I read 17 of them
3. Vince Flynn - Again similar to Brad Thor, but stopped with 13 of them. Phew
4. David Baldacci - The escape, The forgotten - quite good set of thrillers
5. James Rollins - Bone Labrynth - Less said the better
6. Robert Ludlum - The Geneva strategy - James F'lv - Please fly away from the Ludlum estate
7. The billion Dollar Spy - A very good book focusing on a true account of a KGB spy and his handlers
8.The tournament - Matthew Reily - A very different book from this author and a must read

Hi subraiyr,

First off, really appreciate your honest confession - 17 of them! But then, I have drunk from the same stream, in more salad days though - try going through 30 MAD magazines at a sitting. This was in college in the early 70s and some of us free radicals thought MAD was the ant's pants!

Regarding Ludlum, couldn't agree more - feel baffled how the Matt Damon movies (on his Jason character) turned out to be so gripping.

Sadly, nowadays I find that non-fiction is the only genre that holds the attention for longer stretches. Plus of course Wodehouse. Good old Pelham Grenville still has the power to weave the old magic!

[subraiyr]

Originally Posted by shashanka

Sadly, nowadays I find that non-fiction is the only genre that holds the attention for longer stretches. Plus of course Wodehouse. Good old Pelham Grenville still has the power to weave the old magic!

Finally, a fellow Plummer who is equally MAD. I now have gravitated to philosophical texts. They seen to hold much better value and the tedium is broken through with some gruesome fellows who find chasing pigs a better vocation than a desk job. Off for a vacation with Sir Galahad now

[shashanka]

Originally Posted by subraiyr

Finally, a fellow Plummer who is equally MAD. I now have gravitated to philosophical texts. They seen to hold much better value and the tedium is broken through with some gruesome fellows who find chasing pigs a better vocation than a desk job. Off for a vacation with Sir Galahad now

Lucky you - old Gally never fails to revive the spirit! And all the other denizens at Blandings - brings out the Peter Pan craving with a rush!

[ampere]

Originally Posted by shashanka

Plus of course Wodehouse. Good old Pelham Grenville still has the power to weave the old magic!

You should give Audible a serious try. Esp Jeeves series narrated by Mr Martin Jarvis. Then you will realise what I am alluding to (and what you have been missing). Reading of course of one part of the fun. But if some one enacts its for your in its elements, the fun comes out even more.

Audible Wodehouse Collection by Jarvis


Few others which are absolute essentials: Diary of a Nobody and Three Men in a Boat (Of course only the ones narrated by Jarvis)

[Eddy]

Shantaram - I've read about 20% of the book so far, but it has not yet lived upto its reputation.

Please tell me it gets better !

[Rajeevraj]

Originally Posted by Eddy

Shantaram - I've read about 20% of the book so far, but it has not yet lived upto its reputation.

Please tell me it gets better !

Read it several years back, hence do not recollect an exact detailed opinion. But distinctly remember being kind of underwhelmed with the book. Did not feel it wow as made out to be.

[joslicx]

Originally Posted by Eddy

Shantaram - I've read about 20% of the book so far, but it has not yet lived upto its reputation.

Please tell me it gets better !

Shantaram has about 3 really good essays (on topics like Right vs Wrong OR Good vs Evil if I remember correctly) Those are really well argued by the author.

Rest of it is just regular stuff.

[JLS]

Originally Posted by Eddy

Shantaram - I've read about 20% of the book so far, but it has not yet lived upto its reputation.

Please tell me it gets better !

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

Read it several years back, hence do not recollect an exact detailed opinion. But distinctly remember being kind of underwhelmed with the book. Did not feel it wow as made out to be.

Originally Posted by joslicx

Shantaram has about 3 really good essays (on topics like Right vs Wrong OR Good vs Evil if I remember correctly) Those are really well argued by the author.

Rest of it is just regular stuff.

Agree, underwhelmed !
Actually disappointed - may be because of hype.
Storyline never could catch my attention, also could not really appreciate the philosophy sprinkled in between.

[shashanka]

Originally Posted by ampere

You should give Audible a serious try. Esp Jeeves series narrated by Mr Martin Jarvis. Then you will realise what I am alluding to (and what you have been missing). Reading of course of one part of the fun. But if some one enacts its for your in its elements, the fun comes out even more.
Audible Wodehouse Collection by Jarvis
Few others which are absolute essentials: Diary of a Nobody and Three Men in a Boat (Of course only the ones narrated by Jarvis)

I have a confession to make, ampere - I have a hearing problem in my left ear! The reason why I avoid mobile phones (and ear phones) and of course audio books.

But as for the books you mention - oh yes, Jerome K Jerome's classics are right up there with Wodehouse, Chesterton and Waugh. But I must admit that blokes of my vintage (65+) are deeply partial to Wodehouse. His play with the language is probably unsurpassed. One book which I felt came anywhere near as hysterically funny (at times) is David Niven's autobiography "The Moon's A Balloon".
Cheers and happy reading!