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deepakjois' Reviews |
0.0 star
After growing up listening to many versions of the story of Shakuntala and King Dushyanta, it was an interesting experience reading a translation of the original work.
What really took me by surprise was the sophistication of the work, considering that it was written sometime in 10CE. In my opinion, the quality of writing surpassed that of even Victorian playwrights like Shakespeare.
It was also very informative to read the translator's notes at the beginning of the book, and its references to the Natya Shastra – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N
After growing up listening to many versions of the story of Shakuntala and King Dushyanta, it was an interesting experience reading a translation of the original work.
What really took me by surprise was the sophistication of the work, considering that it was written sometime in 10CE. In my opinion, the quality of writing surpassed that of even Victorian playwrights like Shakespeare.
It was also very informative to read the translator's notes at the beginning of the book, and it... (read more)
4.0 stars
There is so much the author has covered in the book in a span for a mere 200+ pages – immigrant identity, relationships (both of the father-son and the husband-wife kinds), New York, cricket. The narrative flows freely and the book at no point looks hurried.
I also found interesting, the way the author goes back and forth in the timeline in a sort of zig-zag fashion, going forward first and then coming just a bit backwards and continuing from there.
I am not a big fan of serious contemplative fiction, but I found enough interesting stuff to carry on and complete the book. (read less)
There is so much the author has covered in the book in a span for a mere 200+ pages – immigrant identity, relationships (both of the father-son and the husband-wife kinds), New York, cricket. The narrative flows freely and the book at no point looks hurried.
I also found interesting, the way the author goes back and forth in the timeline in a sort of zig-zag fashion, going forward first and then coming just a bit backwards and continuing from there.
I am not a big fan of serious... (read more)
4.5 stars
I love the book for the thorough research that the author has presented. He covers the art 'industry', if one might call it that, from all perspectives – Artists, Auction Houses, Dealers, Collectors and Museums etc.
The book is filled with all sorts of trivia and insights about the hows and whys of valuing a contemporary piece of art. It is a great read if you are genuinely interested, but you may find it verbose and boring if you approach the book in a half-hearted manner.
4.3 stars
The last time I picked up Snow Crash a couple of years ago, I abandoned it after reading 2-3 pages. I was coming out of an overdose of Cryptomonicon, which I had abandoned halfway, after numerous efforts at reading it.
However, two years later and having achieved what I could call, some sort of reading maturity, I think this book is great, as far as science fiction goes. You will like it especially if you are a computer hacker.
3.7 stars
The book was pretty fantastic, but I think I will have to read it again to parse all the cultural references and the concepts that the author was putting forward regarding parallel universes.
Ian McDonald acknowledges the book The Fabric of Reality for inspiring a lot of ideas in this book. For me, the best thing to come out of this book was being introduced to The Fabric of Reality which is simply fantastic!
4.0 stars
What strikes me about the book is the honesty with which the author has reproduced his account of hanging around with a crack-dealing gang in Chicago and the poor black neighborhood where they conduct their operations. There does not seem to be even a hint of exaggeration or melodrama.
4.0 stars
A fascinating account of Alan Turing and his life's work. There were a places in the book where the author got extremely technical, and I felt a little out of depth. But overall, this book was really inspiring to me as somebody who has studied computer science.
4.0 stars
The White Tiger makes a contribution to a subgenre in Indian writing which portrays ‘The Darkness’ that exists as an undercurrent beneath the economic boom and globalisation in urban India. The Mark of Vishnu by Manil Suri (fiction) and Temptations of the West by Pankaj Mishra (non fiction) are some others I can recall.
In a funny, irreverant but hard-hitting account of a man from rural Bihar, Aravind Adiga exposes the utter callousness that exists about basic human dignity and quality of life, outside the glamour and affluence of the big cities. This is the India where rampant corruption, and the evils of the caste system combine to create a wretched existence for most people who live inside it.
A review by Kevin Rushby in the Guardian said : “My hunch is that this is fundamentally an outsider's view and a superficial one. There are so many other alternative Indias out there, uncontacted and unheard.”
I can assure Mr. Rushby that the picture that Adiga paints is anything but superficial. It is just that the rich, and the rising middle class choose to ignore the ‘alternative India’ that exists right outside the comforts of their compounded enclaves.
The only reason I gave the book 4 stars was because of a small bit in between which was bit of a drag. (read less)
The White Tiger makes a contribution to a subgenre in Indian writing which portrays ‘The Darkness’ that exists as an undercurrent beneath the economic boom and globalisation in urban India. The Mark of Vishnu by Manil Suri (fiction) and Temptations of the West by Pankaj Mishra (non fiction) are some others I can recall.
In a funny, irreverant but hard-hitting account of a man from rural Bihar, Aravind Adiga exposes the utter callousness that exists about basic human dignity and q... (read more)
4.0 stars
This is an excellent book! Even though it is dense and not meant for a beginner, it really helps you understand Javascript a lot. I had read Definitive Javscript by Flanagan, but some of the concepts are more clearly discussed in this book, even though it may take you more than one reading to understand it.
I especially liked the discussion on method invocation patterns in Chapter 4.
4.0 stars
I read this book mainly to find out about the new features in C# 2008, and how they all tie together in LINQ. Found the book to be really accessible.
I would recommend it highly as a reference to anyone who is doing serious C# development.