By: Khaled Hosseini
Pages: 463
Fiction
My recommendation: 5 / 10
Date read: 10th Jan'18
Brief review: It's a story covering a few generations about a family originating from Afghanistan. Khaled Hosseini is a great story teller. He turns fictional character into living people whom it seems we all have come across at some point of time. Though I liked the story and the first part of the book was quite engaging, I lost a bit of track connecting to several characters across generations which the story covers. The story is broken in several pieces (chapters), all interconnected with each other, which kind of disturbed the flow of the book in my mind. I love writings of Khaled Hosseini but not this one.
By: Bryan Stevensan
Pages: 318
Non Fiction
My recommendation: 8 / 10
Date read: 5th Jan'18
Brief review: The book is a story of how one man fought with the american judiciary to bring justice to wrongly convicted individuals who nobody cared about. After he successfully defended Walter McMillian who was sentenced to death for a murder he didn't commit, Bryan Stevenson dedicated his life for bringing justice to several others who had lost hope. He brought open the lapses and partiality in the judicial system. Heart breaking at times, this true story will bring tears in your eyes as well as offer hope.
By: Ryan Holiday
Pages: 272
Self Help
My recommendation: 8 / 10
Date read: 1st Jan'18
Brief review: Believe it or not, most of us are infected with the disease named 'ego'. In this fantastic book, Ryan says ego is our worst enemy and holds us back on the road to success. While we may rise to fame and success but if we don't manage our ego well, it can lead to a free fall from the top. He discusses the symptoms of ego and what we can do to get rid of it. Using lots of real life examples, Ryan makes a compelling case not only to cut our ego but to destroy it, before it destroys us.
By: Tim Urban
Pages: 549
Business
My recommendation: 10 / 10
Date read: 24th Dec'17
Brief review: It's a brilliant piece of work. Why will Tesla change the rules of the game in the car industry? How will Elon Musk colonize Mars? Today, Elon Musk is arguably the smartest, most courageous and visionary entrepreneur in the world. He has founded four billion dollar companies in just under 2 decades; including Tesla and Space X. He asked Tim Urban to look from inside and tell the world what his companies are trying to do. Tim is a world famous blogger and he wrote a series of 4 blogs on Elon Musk and his companies. It's a fascinating read.
By: John C. Maxwell
Pages: 155
Business, Self Help
My recommendation: 8 / 10
Date read: 20th Dec'17
Brief review: As the title suggests, the book talks about 21 indispensable qualities of a leader. Maxwell connects each quality with a real life example which is quite interesting, motivating and persuasive. A short book with lots of wisdom.
By: Edward De Bono
Pages: 296
Self Help
My recommendation: 7 / 10
Date read: 20th Dec'17
Brief review: It is basically an exercise book on thinking. Edward De Bono encourages you to broaden your thinking and examine more possibilities to a given scenario. He himself provides suggested answers after each exercise. He starts with asking 'What is interesting about a frog'? While you explore, you will be amazed with how Edward thinks. Another exercise asks you to observe what can happen if 'there is no television on Thursdays'. An interesting book which can help you expand your thinking horizon and make you more interesting infront of others.
By: Angela Duckworth
Pages: 352
Self Help
My recommendation: 6 / 10
Date read: 17th Dec'17
Brief review: In this book, Angela Duckworth reasons that 'Grit' is what makes us overcome challenges and achieve success. A lot of people have talent but without grit it may not amount to much. While it may be a good read for first timers, there are better books written on the subject. The sync is missing and there are lot of repetitions. A lot of concepts are captured from other similar books.
By: John Wooden
Pages: 272
Biography, Sports
My recommendation: 9 / 10
Date read: 14th Dec'17
Brief review: I am a fan of John Wooden. He was the first person to be honored with Basketball Hall of Fame both as a player as well as a coach. The book gives a glimpse of his life and career, mostly his coaching stint at UCLA. He guided UCLA to a record 10 NCAA titles (including 7 in a row). You will be enriched with many life lessons and awed with the simplicity of John Wooden. He candidly talks about his mistakes (though they were few). I found a few chapters too detailed and a bit technical at times (since I don't follow basketball much), yet this book is a gem. A must read.
By: Anders Ericsson & Robert Pool
Pages: 336
Non Fiction, Self Help
My recommendation: 9 / 10
Date read: 9th Dec'17
Brief review: A lot of books have been written on what it takes to become the best in any field. Is it the rule of 10,000 hours? Is talent enough? Is there really something called 'child prodigy'. According to the author, 'deliberate practice' is the key. A well researched book with brilliant examples from several fields. I loved this book. Anyone aspiring to become or know the secret of super achievers must read this book.
By: Sheryl Sandberg
Pages: 226
Biography, Self Help
My recommendation: 7 / 10
Date read: 4th Dec'17
Brief review: It's an honest story of one of the most powerful woman on earth. Sheryl Sandberg is the Chief Operating Officer at Facebook. She lost her husband Dave at age 48. Broken to the core with two young kids to raise, this book is the story of her struggle to come to terms with life, recover and rebound. This is a story of resilience in the midst of life shattering experiences and how one can rediscover joy. Life has its ups and downs and this book will show you the way how to deal with adversity and renew your life. A good read for everyone, specially those who are going through a rough phase in life.
