POULTICE FOR THE SOUL - REVIEW OF STEPHEN R COVEY'S "EVERYDAY GREATNESS"

For some time I debated with myself whether to post a review of this book. I wanted to be known as a purposeful blogger featuring reviews of books on economics, finance, technology, history and wondered how a self-help book would fit in. But then I thought: isn't it good to open the windows and smell the flowers in the garden for a change and share with friends and colleagues?

IS IT A CHINESE FUTURE? - REVIEW OF ARVIND SUBRAMANIAN'S "ECLIPSE"

As you are probably aware, Arvind Subramanian is the current Chief Economic Advisor to the Government of India. He is author of Eclipse: Living in the Shadow of China's Economic Dominance (2011) which foreshadows the rise of China to superpower status in this century.

THE WORLD ACCORDING TO WARP - REVIEW OF KIP THORNE'S "THE SCIENCE OF INTERSTELLAR"

The first thing I have to say is that you must first watch the movie Interstellar (2014) before reading this book. The second thing is that I am astounded at the pains that present-day Hollywood directors like Christopher Nolan take to get the science right!

WORLD WAR III - REVIEW OF MARK LEONARD'S "CONNECTIVITY WARS"

Connectivity Wars: Why Migration, Finance and Trade are the Geo-Economic Battlegrounds of the Future (2016), a book edited by Mark Leonard, is published by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) and the book can be downloaded for free here.

ADVICE ON MONEY - REVIEW OF ROBERT T KIYOSAKI'S "INCREASE YOUR FINANCIAL IQ"

I read my first Robert Kiyosaki book Rich Dad, Poor Dad (1997) about five years ago. Since then I have been hooked on Kiyosaki's writings and I have read several of his books more than once.

It was only by reading Kiyosaki did I fully appreciate the importance of money and a financial education. During my PhD years I was much influenced by one of my professors who said: "Some people know how money works; some people know how ideas work." I aspired to be an ivory tower thinker with not much involvement with mundane things like money.

THE PREVALENCE OF FORCE - REVIEW OF DAVID GRAEBER'S "DEBT"

In his book Debt: The First 5000 Years (2011), David Graeber proves to be an original and provocative thinker. Graeber is a professor of anthropology and described as an anarchist (I suppose he is an economist of the Left while Murray Rothbard, the Austrian economist would be an anarchist of the Right). Graber was one of the organizers of the Occupy Wall Street movement.

THE INDIAN AUSTRIAN - REVIEW OF SAURABH THIRANI'S "SPOT THE NEXT ECONOMIC BUBBLE"

With the ongoing economic crash in China and the US Fed increasing interest rates, there is a lot of volatility and anxiety the world over. Several economists and investors were bullish about China over the last few years. I felt that it was a good time to re-read Saurabh Thirani's Spot the Next Economic Bubble (2012) which was quite prescient about China.