Date Archives 2014

What I read in 2014

Non-fiction Capital by Thomas Piketty The Sense of Style by Steven Pinker The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell Think Like a Freak by Levitt and Dubner Fiction Decoded by Mai Jia Night Film by Marisha Pessl The Colorado Kid by Stephan Kind Deception by Jonathan Kellerman Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour…

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The Goldfinch – A very short review of a rather long book

I just finished “The Goldfinch” by Donna Tart. A really bulky book (784 pages) and on top of it this is a very slow book. I read some glowing reviews of this book and since I was planning to read something other than a murder mystery or thriller I chose…

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Testing whether the improved cookstoves are meeting “ours” and users’ expectations. #cleancookstoves #ics

Mr. Penumbra’s 24 Hours Bookstore – A nostalgic read

Some places might not be very exotic, scenic or on people’s list of must see-must visit but often they offer something that many places do not: nostalgia and comfort arising out of familiarity. The neighbourhood park where one spent many of the childhood evenings playing with friends is one such…

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Decoded – An Unusual Thriller

Although, Decoded blurb and reviews considered the book to be a thriller, it is surely not a thriller in the traditional sense. It is a languid and intriguing story of a mathematical genius who worked for a top secret cryptography unit of Chinese government. However, this is surely worth a…

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Drilling down, moving forward A boring is being drilled in a village in Vaishali district of Bihar. The farmers are excited and curious; this boring will be used to install a solar powered irrigation pump. 

A hut in a remote West Bengal village. The hut is  abode of a very happy family that is not expecting much from our politicians or governments. They have learnt the truth: only their efforts can make any impact on their condition.