One friend saw me reading 'Made to Stick' which is the only book where I’ve used an entire packet of sticky notes and then some more. He asked, so what were the top learnings from this book? And I went blank. He asked again, seriously, not even top three or one? I went blank again. My mind chatter as much as I can recall was - I’ve to come up with an intelligent answer summarizing the best points.I’m not good with summaries, I’m more of a story person.How can one summarize a great book?Why haven’t I re-read this book?I should have …
Books & Me
Even before I learned to read/write, books were my sanctuary, my safe haven. The former years of my childhood were spent in a big Marwari joint family. My mom was almost always in the kitchen. She would make a circle of magazines and books around me and make me sit in the center. Even if she was occupied for hours at a stretch, I would keep turning every single page of those magazines patiently and make my way from start to finish of the circle. I think I was around 1-2 yrs old at the time. She was sometimes late in giving me food but even if I …
When Breath Becomes Air
I had read this book a few months back and I read the last 2 chapters again this morning. The news of close friends and family members falling sick was making me anxious and yet ironically I felt that reading the autobiography of a talented neurosurgeon - Paul Kalanithi who died at a very young age from cancer will give me peace. And it sure did. It’s quite emotional, heart-breaking but also a profound and inspiring story of a remarkable man. It’s a book about embracing the reality of death which teaches you how to be alive, being …