Arjun turns Three

My son, Arjun turned 3 last week and we had a great party with friends and family in New Jersey. The travel up north was worth all the fun we had. Three years have swished past and I still remember laying my eyes on my son for the first time as if it were just yesterday !!

Currently reading: The Travancore State Manual, by Nagam Aiyah

The Travancore State Manual is considered one of the most original works related to the history of the erstwhile "Travancore State". My home town, Trivandrum, was part of the state of Travancore and I have a natural urge to read more about its history. Written by the former Dewan of Travancore, V.Nagam Aiyah in 1906, the manual is an elaborate compilation of the the state's geology, flora, fauna, archaeology, and history. Finding the first three sections a little boring, I have leaped to the chapter on archaeology. The Dewan displays great erudition and excellent command over the English language. If it were upto me, I would make the Travancore State Manual and Prof. A. Sreedhara Menon's "A Survey of Kerala History" required reading for all high school students in Kerala.

Dan Brown's "Lost Symbol" : another let down

I read Dan Brown's "Lost Symbol" a couple of months ago while recuperating after my tonsillectomy. I have to confess that the pain my my throat was exacerbated by the huge letdown that Mr. Brown's novel turned out to be. The climax looked so silly that I almost kicked myself for getting carried away by the huge buildup that looked promising. A sprinkling of Noetic Science, a smidgen of mysticism, and a dollop of ancient religions - all baked inside a framework of cults and secret societies made the novel look nauseatingly similar to other Dan Brown novels. A few years ago, I really enjoyed reading the "Da Vinci Code", but all other novels by Mr. Brown - "The Digital Fortress", "Angels and Demons", and "The Lost Symbol" have made me sick. Good bye Dan, I hope I never make the mistake of picking up another one of your novels.

Currently reading: The Communist Manifesto

I have wanted to read "The Communist Manifesto" and "Das Capital" for a long time now for no other reason than to hear straight from the horse's mouth. Having grown up in Kerala, I am certainly thankful to the democratically elected communist governments for bringing about radical social changes by obliterating the deeply entrenched feudal setup and diminishing the sway of caste-ism. At the same time, I can never forget how the militant trade unions are responsible for Kerala's lack of industrial development and the dearth of opportunities that still drive thousands of educated and skilled young men and women to other states in search of jobs.

PS: I finished reading the manifesto in English and now I am reading its translation in Malayalam here. I find it a good exercise in literature to attempt to translate a couple of paragraphs to and fro between English and Malayalam. Since both are readily available for reference, I am able to see how feeble by language skills are.

The Personal MBA

I just finished reading The Personal MBA by Josh Kaufman. It is an excellent book that gives a high-level overview of a wide body of business literature. Mr. Kaufman walks the user through over 200 different concepts, illustrated with anecdotes, personal stories and other relevant examples. The book covers a wide range of topics including business productivity, efficiency, communication, decision making, innovation and creativity, project management, entrepreneurship, corporate strategy, marketing and sales, and finance..etc It also delves into topics related to the human mind, leadership, and personal development. If you have even a passing interest in business and the all that happens backstage, I highly recommend this book.

The Social Animal by David Brooks

I just finished reading "The Social Animal" by David Brooks. A fairly well written book (with occassional dry patches in between, where the writer doles out one research finding after another) that tries to integrate psychology with sociology, politics, and culture by using the context of a fictional novel.