My Year in Books - 2021
Here’s what I read in 2021 - in order of what I liked most (highest rated first):
Author: David McCullough
My rating: 5 out of 5 stars
The Wright Brothers is an exhilarating account of inventing flying machines. It gives deep insights into the Wright family and their relationships. It brings out the value system that the two brothers grew up with and maintained throughout their life. The spirit of endeavor, immaculate study & experimentation is inspiring.
David McCullough’s writing style is endearing. The book deserves an extra star for stunning photographs of the first flyers of humankind.
Author: Mitch Albom
My rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Morrie has a very stoic take on life, death & everything in between. I didn’t know it’s a memoir before completing it.
Reading Morrie talk about death without any self-pity was illuminating. Mitch Albom succeeds in not letting the book become preachy.
Author: J.K. Rowling
My rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Apart from a couple of irritating characters, I was hooked throughout. I found it more engrossing than the first one given that the world was already built. I had a magical Sunday with this book.
“It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.”
Author: J.K. Rowling
My rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Unputdownable. It’s witty and pulls at just the right strings of the heart. Only one complaint - I should have read it way before!
Author: J.K. Rowling
My rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Loved it! But a bit less than Azkaban.
Author: Albert Einstein
My rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Einstein’s paper is condensed and touches upon an individual’s relationship with society. Paragraphs like the following show great foresight:
“…the members of legislative bodies are selected by political parties, largely financed or otherwise influenced by private capitalists who, for all practical purposes, separate the electorate from the legislature. The consequence is that the representatives of the people do not in fact sufficiently protect the interests of the underprivileged sections of the population. Moreover, under existing conditions, private capitalists inevitably control, directly or indirectly, the main sources of information (press, radio, education). It is thus extremely difficult, and indeed in most cases quite impossible, for the individual citizen to come to objective conclusions and to make intelligent use of his political rights.”
Author: Morgan Housel
My rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Sound, easy-to-comprehend financial advice. This book’s “wisdom per page” is through the roof.
I especially liked the last two chapters where the author elaborates on his own financial journey & how the changing economy has broadened the economic divide leading to growing populism.
Author: Anupam Mishra
My rating: 4 out of 5 stars
तालाबों के इतिहास और पानी के संरक्षण पर लिखी कोई किताब इतनी ख़ूबसूरत हो सकती है, ये मेरी कल्पना से परे था। ये किताब भारत के तालाबों, उन्हें बनाने वालों, और बनाने की रीतियों में छुपे विज्ञान से आपका परिचय कराती है।
ये किताब उन तालाबों की याद दिलायेगी जो आपके बचपन के इर्द-गिर्द थे, पर अब गायब हो चुके हैं।
Author: Jawaharlal Nehru
My rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Nehru is a romantic and India is his muse. “Discovery of India” has sublime prose & eloquence. The book feels like being on a historical tour of India with a guide who is hopelessly in love with her.
More than the historical tidbits, I liked his interpretation of them. His statesmanship shines through these interpretations.
The chapters on last 100 years could have been shorter but that’s understandable as that timeline coincides with his own life. Inside accounts of the freedom movement are interesting.
His writing shows that politics’ gain was literature’s loss.
Author: J.K. Rowling
My rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Is there a better place to spend a weekend than at Hogwarts? I think not. Also, I’m a sucker for this kind of humour:
‘Certainly, certainly,’ said Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling. ‘Let me draw you up a chair –’ And he did indeed draw a chair in mid-air with his wand, which revolved for a few seconds before falling with a thud between Professors Snape and McGonagall.
Looking forward to visiting platform nine and three-quarters for the fourth year!
Author: Satyajit Ray
My rating: 4 out of 5 stars
सत्यजीत रे का यह कहानी संग्रह बेहद दिलचस्प है। सभी कहानियाँ रहस्यात्मक या हॉरर का अंश लिए है। कई कहानियों का अंत काफी अप्रत्याशित और रोमांचकारी है। दो कहानियाँ मुझे खास तौर पर पसंद आई - फ्रिंस और घुरघुटिया की घटना ।
इस किताब ने एक अनोखे किरदार से मेरा परिचय कराया है - फेलुदा । फेलुदा आपको सत्यजीत रे की कई और किताबें पढ़ने पर मजबूर करेंगे।
Author: David Eagleman
My rating: 4 out of 5 stars
This book has some thought-provoking short stories with a philosophical blend. Each of the first 20 stories is a gem. A few of them in the latter half aren’t as engaging. Narcissus was my favourite story.
Overall, the book provides ample food for thought. Some of them will linger long in your mind.
Author: David Reich
My rating: 4 out of 5 stars
An enthralling scientific work that explores the genomic revolution. The story of human migration is fascinating and very lucidly written.
“Our particular ancestors are not the point. The genome revolution provides us with a shared history that, if we pay proper attention, should give us an alternative to the evils of racism and nationalism, and make us realize that we are all entitled equally to our human heritage.”
Author: Mike Brearley
My rating: 4 out of 5 stars
A light, gentle book on Cricket, captaincy & leadership. Some of the memoirs are pleasing - especially the ones involving Botham.
Cricket is the backdrop but Mike gives a generic understanding of team dynamics, protecting individuality & leading well.
Author: Harishankar Parsai
My rating: 3 out of 5 stars
आपातकाल के राजनीतिक परिदृश्य में लिखी गयी कहानियाँ हैं। उस वक़्त के समाज को आइना दिखाती इन कहानियों में कमाल का व्यंग है।
Author: AirFocus
My rating: 3 out of 5 stars
This book includes 7 frameworks for feature prioritization. Most of them are obvious & you might already be using them without knowing their name. But it was good to go through them in a structured form.
Author: Alice Miller
My rating: 3 out of 5 stars
A good read delving into early childhood & how parents’ behaviour shapes a kid. It will nudge you to read more in psychology.
However, the content could have been organised better.
Author: Munshi Premchand
My rating: 3 out of 5 stars
प्रेमचंद की सादगी और सरलता संजोये एक छोटी सी कहानी।
Author: John F. Kennedy
My rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Profiles in Courage is an account of ten American senators who showed exceptional courage in trying circumstances. These are stories of men with integrity who didn’t get their due in the public domain.
It has good insights into American politics and succeeds in showing why things are not as black & white as they appear from afar.
Author: Douglas Adams
My rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Good fun! Though the humour gets repetitive after a while. It gave me some chuckles but unlike the second book, it doesn’t excite me to read the next one in this series.
Written on December 31, 2021