Mindset by Carol Dweck – book review
I was really impressed by the contents of this book. Continue reading Mindset by Carol Dweck – book review
David Hume’s “Selected Essays” – book review
Hume was a skeptical infidel who had a fondness for the middle-class. Continue reading David Hume’s “Selected Essays” – book review
When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi – book review
This book is a worthy tribute to Kalanithi’s ferocious intellect and his sense of moral duty. A must read. Continue reading When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi – book review
Factfulness by Hans Rosling, Ola Rosling and Anna Rosling Rönnlud – book review
Believe all the hype – it’s an amazingly quick and clear read Continue reading Factfulness by Hans Rosling, Ola Rosling and Anna Rosling Rönnlud – book review
Kit de Waal’s “My Name is Leon”
I came across this book completely by coincidence. I had an awkward gap between meetings and seminars at the London Book Fair and I saw that Kit de Waal was speaking at the time. I knew she writes for The Guardian occasionally, so I decided to trot along to the talk. It was interesting enough for me to buy her debut book My Name is Leon. … Continue reading Kit de Waal’s “My Name is Leon”
Thomas Paine “Common Sense” – book review
Attempting to review Thomas Paine’s Common Sense is somewhat absurd. After all, as a political pamphlet, it set itself one task above all: to persuade its readers and that aim it has unquestionably achieved. You cannot possibly read an account of the American Revolution which does not mention Thomas Paine. America’s independence seems now to be unquestionably common-sense. Yet it was fascinating to read Paine in … Continue reading Thomas Paine “Common Sense” – book review
Joseph Conrad “A Personal Record” – book review
This is not a chronological autobiography – Conrad doesn’t go through all the events of his life. Instead, he focuses on what one might call turning points: when he decided to join the navy, when he wrote his first novel, when he revisited his hometown after 20 years absence. The whole is a carefully crafted meditation on what it means for him to be a writer. … Continue reading Joseph Conrad “A Personal Record” – book review
Han Kang “The Vegetarian”- book review
Han Kang’s The Vegetarian is one of these novels that I fundamentally fail to understand. There – I’ve said it – think of me as badly of me as you like. The story begins when a hitherto well-behaved and traditional wife, Yeong-Hye, suddenly decides to become a vegetarian. Her husband and her family are outraged. But is it really a simple case of ethical guilt … Continue reading Han Kang “The Vegetarian”- book review
Your Money or Your Life by Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez – book review
There haven’t been any reviews on this blog for a while – I’ve been reading a few books, but of the sort that I’m usually slightly embarrassed about reviewing online (but read anyway). In the same way as I read a book about perfect skin, because of my acne…. I read a self-help book about finances, because my finances are not as great as I’d … Continue reading Your Money or Your Life by Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez – book review
The Troublesome Immigrant – Eastern Europeans in the UK
There’s an issue that makes it difficult for me to be objective about Nikesh Shukla’s bestselling book, The Good Immigrant – and that is its title. The book was published in 2016, the year of the UK referendum, and it concerns itself solely with the BAME community. There is absolutely no mention at all of Eastern Europeans living in the UK. Correction: there are plenty of … Continue reading The Troublesome Immigrant – Eastern Europeans in the UK
