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Book review thread on the MSN R2IClub - Book reviews

Let's use this thread to post reviews on books.

I purchased a copy of 'Jonathan Livingston Seagull', when I was in my late teens. I had heard/read about the book and picked it up to see what the hoopla was all about. And I must say I was disappointed - it did not impress me at all, given that I used to read Sidney Sheldon, Irving Wallace, Forsythe, Chase, W. Smith etc. etc. at that time.

I "rediscovered" the book a couple of years ago and have read it a couple of times since then.

On the surface it is a story about a Seagull which does not conform to its inherent "Seagullness" and breaks out of the mould. In reality the book talks about how anyone can strive to achieve excellence in anything by a) believing; b) perseverance.

This book does not overtly fall under self-help, philosophy or fiction genre. For a relatively short read, it does carry a lot of punch.

In telling the story of the seagull the author, Richard Bach, challenges/urges the readers to be the best in whatever it is that they do.

Though not a fan of self-help genre I like this book for its simple and unpretensiousness style.

Next and Prey by Miachel Crichton

Next is more about the biotech/genome revolution happening and it's impact on day-2-day lives of people. Largely fiction, but author claims based on some real stories.

Prey is about nano-technology cum microbiology - largely sci-fi, but an interesting read. This has some typical bollywood masala towards the end, so pardon that.

The Other Side of Nowhere by Danniella Westbrook

A gripping, brutally honest autobiography of a person who raced to fame, name, money and status very fast and early in her life......and lost all that and her friends and family to her addiction....

She was almost on brink of loosing her life...and fought her way back.....a very candid tale with no melodrama, no excuses and honesty to the cre.....it is truly gripping.....

I didnt get that impression when the book landed in my hands by accident...in fact I did not plan to read it ...but one boring afternoon made me start reading it and I never stopped untill I reached the last page.....

[QUOTE]
Synopsis
The lowest of the low points came when she called to beg social services to take her son into care. Totally alone, shoplifting food to survive and still using cocaine, Danniella knew she had to do something. Written with complete frankness, this is the whole story, from the first time she took coke, as a 14 year old, to the horror and shame of her ruined nose, and the near collapse of her relationship with the man who loved her. As her addiction took over her life she lost her friends, family, career and her looks, but when it came to her son, she knew enough was enough. Inspiring and powerful, this is an intensely personal story of the fight back from the edge of death.

The Meaning of Liff and The Deeper Meaning of Liff by Douglas Adams and John Lloyd

Truly hilarious......

I'll just put the standard intro below

Liff (lif) n.
A common object or experience for which no word yet exists.

Does the sensation of Tingrith(1) make you yelp? Do you bend sympathetically when you see someone Ahenny(2)? Can you deal with a Naugatuck(3) without causing a Toronto(4)? Will you suffer from Kettering(5) this summer?

Probably. You are almost certainly familiar with all these experiences but just didn?t know that there are words for them. Well, in fact, there aren?t?or rather there weren?t, until Douglas Adams and John Lloyd decided to plug these egregious linguistic lacunae(6). They quickly realized that just as there are an awful lot of experiences that no one has a name for, so there are an awful lot of names for places you will never need to go to. What a waste. As responsible citizens of a small and crowded world, we must all learn the virtues of recycling(7) and put old, worn-out but still serviceable names to exciting, vibrant, new uses. This is the book that does that for you: The Deeper Meaning of Liff?a whole new solution to the problem of Great Wakering(8)


1?The feeling of aluminum foil against your fillings.

2?The way people stand when examining other people?s bookshelves.

3?A plastic packet containing shampoo, mustard, etc., which is impossible to open except by biting off
the corners.

4?Generic term for anything that comes out in a gush, despite all your efforts to let it out carefully, e.g., flour into a white sauce, ketchup onto fish, a dog into the yard, and another naughty meaning that we can?t put on the cover.

5?The marks left on your bottom and thighs after you?ve been sitting sunbathing in a wicker chair.

6?God knows what this means

7?For instance, some of this book was first published in Britain twenty-six years ago.

8?Look it up yourself.

Folks,

Read any good books lately? Also, any recommendations for travel/journey reading?

TIA

Galloway's book on running: Jeff Galloway
Excellent book on running. Whether you are a very new runner or a seasoned one, this book has everything you need to know. This guy knows his stuff and he is actually good at what he preaches. He sounds very intellectual and I have a feeling that this book is NOT ghost written.

If you want to become a runner (your age and current physical conditioning doesn't matter) you should get a copy of this book from your local library. Even if you don't take to running, you will become fairly knowledgeble at it and will be able to dispense sound advice to your kids.

I'd recommend reading

A call to honour - In Service of Emergent India - by Jaswant Singh

Although I am recommending this book, I am actually recommending reading of only parts of it.

Particularly, his perspective on
Pakistan (partition and the wars, Lahore accord),
Nehru,
Indo-China,
Pokharan-II and consequent sanctions,
Kargil,
IC 814 hijack to Kandahar,
Indo-USA (particularly Clinton administration).

Jaswant has conveniently avoided talking about
intelligence failure in Kargil,
slow reaction to hijacking,
BJP (RSS, VHP, Advani, Modi, et al),
failure of "India Shining" campaign, and
babri masjid.

Perhaps BJP and Babri Masjid were not in the jurisdiction of MEA or Defence Ministry, but certainly the other two were.

If I were to read this book again, I would skip his discourse on "Hindu" and his personal origins which has no bearing whatsoever.

This book is not necessarily a BJP point-of-view. It is a Jaswant + Bajpai point of view.

My next read would be the Talbott's book.

In the mood for some good/interesting books on India/Indian topics. Suggestions and reviews please...