“I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library.” – Jorge Luis Borges
Ever since my childhood, I have perceived the world through the books I read. I have never been much of a “people-person” or a “places-person”. My knowledge of the world around me and the world on other corners of the globe has been drawn from my reading.
Bill Gates describes in his book The Road Ahead (1995) how humans use tools as mediators to know and communicate with and influence their environment. As times have progressed, the tools have become more and more “knowledge-based”. I have been, since young, dealing with the best knowledge-tools ever invented – books! While I have had a wonderful education under some of the best teachers one can have, I find that the concepts that really stuck in my mind are those that have been enriched by further reading and contemplation. Indeed one of my professors used to tell us: “My job is to introduce you to a set of useful books that you can refer to time and again in your professional career.” I suppose that is what a good university is nowadays.
Some people may pity me for my cloistered existence but that is unnecessary. I am as content with my reading as several people are being glued to the TV screen for news on the latest market downswing or the latest cricket score.
In this blog that I have titled Post-Reading Reflections I intend to write (hopefully useful) reviews of books that I have read and will read in the future. I plan to cover books on various topics: business, economics, finance, history, technology and some fiction.
I believe that 2008 was a crucial year in world history because of the Global Financial Crisis (also called the Great Recession in the US). I believe that this year signals an inflection point in world affairs. Future historians may refer to it as the year in which the West slowly lost its dominant position in the world. I don’t know what will replace it (China?) but the world will never be the same again.
I intend to review mostly books published after 2008, which factor in this paradigm change in global affairs.
Let’s see how it goes…. The ancient Chinese curse has come true: We do live in interesting times.
Ever since my childhood, I have perceived the world through the books I read. I have never been much of a “people-person” or a “places-person”. My knowledge of the world around me and the world on other corners of the globe has been drawn from my reading.
Bill Gates describes in his book The Road Ahead (1995) how humans use tools as mediators to know and communicate with and influence their environment. As times have progressed, the tools have become more and more “knowledge-based”. I have been, since young, dealing with the best knowledge-tools ever invented – books! While I have had a wonderful education under some of the best teachers one can have, I find that the concepts that really stuck in my mind are those that have been enriched by further reading and contemplation. Indeed one of my professors used to tell us: “My job is to introduce you to a set of useful books that you can refer to time and again in your professional career.” I suppose that is what a good university is nowadays.
Some people may pity me for my cloistered existence but that is unnecessary. I am as content with my reading as several people are being glued to the TV screen for news on the latest market downswing or the latest cricket score.
In this blog that I have titled Post-Reading Reflections I intend to write (hopefully useful) reviews of books that I have read and will read in the future. I plan to cover books on various topics: business, economics, finance, history, technology and some fiction.
I believe that 2008 was a crucial year in world history because of the Global Financial Crisis (also called the Great Recession in the US). I believe that this year signals an inflection point in world affairs. Future historians may refer to it as the year in which the West slowly lost its dominant position in the world. I don’t know what will replace it (China?) but the world will never be the same again.
I intend to review mostly books published after 2008, which factor in this paradigm change in global affairs.
Let’s see how it goes…. The ancient Chinese curse has come true: We do live in interesting times.
All I would like to say is that it's a mad mad world and books keep me sane and a bookshop/ library is no less than heaven! I can totally relate to whatever you've written! Looking forward to reading your reviews Sir!
ReplyDeleteThank you Divya. I hope you will like my reviews. If I remember right, you have started a blog yourself, haven't you?
ReplyDelete