Books books books

Ah well.. its been some time since i last came by this place. Life's been a lil stressed out recently and a kinda lost track of time..

But ya.. u reach a stage when u kinda shake urself out of all those strings attached to u.. take a deep breath, look at the world whose trying to screw u around and smile back at it... I think its way better than showing the finger.... and maybe.. just maybe it tends to smile back at u as well...

Now.. ive always been fascinated with the world of books... I remember when I was a kid (yes I was a kid in the 80s and 90s when cable TV didnt exist, He-Man and Giant Robot were the only entertainment we got during the week, unless watching rice fields on Krishi Darshan was considered to be refreshing), I found solace in books.

Im glad my folks encouraged reading for me as well. I remember Mom giving the old Russian fables with mighty dragons and beautiful princesses (waay before the Potter era) and comics - tons of comics which I used to read during my childhood. Eloor Library was my paradise and I used to loose myself amongst Famous Fives, Hardy Boys and Batman during my early school days.

I got stuck in a rut on reading in my college days and even in Cal. I guess it was like of time, effort or the feeling that the world was at ur fingertips with the internet, that kinda made me shun the idea of taking a good ol paperback, and flipping through the pages. I think I pushed books to be a provider of information or entertainment. I forgot that the most important thing that a book does, is that it stimulates thought. It lets you travel to places without even leaving the confines of your room and most importantly you can create your own world with your imagination which doesnt require motion capture technology and other snazzy effects.

I am glad I went back to reading recently. I am glad I am trying to free my mind of daily trivialities, tensions and worries. Here's my list of books which have influenced me personally, in random order of course. So if you havent even glanced through half of them, I suggest you rush to the nearest bookstore :)

1. A short history of nearly everything - Bill Bryson: A brilliant book for any high school student who is confused with all those theories and equations of Physics, CHemistry or Math. All those random equations and subject made so much sense once I read this long, but witty take on the history of science

2. The Last Temptation of Christ - Nikos Kazantzakis - A must read for anyone who knows about Christ. I dont know why this has been banned by the Vatican, but its a brilliant book which clearly shows why we should respect Jesus, no matter whether we believe him or not.

3. Asimov's Guide to the Bible - Isaac Asimov - A gigantic book, more of a reference than for cover to cover reading. Every Christian who has some view about his religion MUST read this book. Incredibly well researched and detailed - the book chronicles every single event of the bible and puts in the the historical context.

4. The Naked Ape - Desmond Morris - Brilliant book by a Zoologist, who studies the human being as yet another species of animals and tries to explain why we behave the way we behave.

5. Zorba the Greek - Nikos Kazantzakis - His most popular work to date, this book tries to explain in a very subtle way, what living in this world is all about and what living your life to the fullest is all about.

6. The God Delusion - Richard Dawkins - A very polarizing book. It has the potential to change your life. So read at your own risk.

7. The Great Indian Novel - Shashi Tharoor - Brilliant work from him, which he has not been able to replicate in any other of his works. The juxtaposition of the Mahabharatha and Indian politics is seamless, insightful and inspiring.

8. The Selfish Gene - Richard Dawkins - Yet another brilliant work by Dawkins. More politically and religiously correct. Must read if you want to know more about science, evolutions and Darwin

9. The Hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy - Douglas Adams - Wit, Sarcasm, its a classic.

10.

I guess I will leave this empty. Its the search for the next book that will confuse me, convince me, make me look at myself inside out and make me look at the world in a slightly different way. :)

Happy Reading!