1. A Wild Sheep Chase- Haruki Murakami
Category- Fiction
Read- Jan 2019
Pages: 353
Rating: 2.5/5s
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| Courtesy: Amazon.com |
The book talks about a protagonist who works in the advertisement space. One of the pictures he had published in an article had a sheep in the background. He gets a strange threat wherein he had to find the sheep for a mafia tycoon or else risk losing everything. With the help of his girlfriend, he sets off on a wild chase to find the sheep. In the process, he connects several dots and ends up at a desolate place to meet his friend who had the intimate knowledge of the sheep. What happens to him there forms the rest of the story.
The story seemed to lead on to something for a good part. The ending took a spooky turn and left me high and dry as a reader. I must confess that A wild sheep Chase was indeed a wild chase that could have been avoided.
The book had mixed reactions when it got published and eventually gained traction in the western media. With Murakami, you might deal in extremities when it comes to liking. Better luck to me for his next book.
2. What the CEO wants you to know- Ram Charan
Category- Non-Fiction
Read-Jan 2019
Pages: 137
Rating: 2.5/5
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| Courtesy: Amazon.com |
3. Under the Same Sky- Joseph Kim
Category- Non-Fiction
Read -Jan 2019
Pages: 274
Rating:5/5
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| Courtesy: Amazon.com |
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4. Weapons of Math Destruction- Cathy O'Neil
Category- Non-Fiction
Read- March 2019
Pages: 218
Rating: 3.5/5
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| Courtesy: Amazon.com |
Weapons of Math Destruction was referred to me by a colleague during a lunchtime conversation. The title, being funny and catchy, caught my attention. The book proved out to be a non-conventional read on the popular topic of data science and decision making. Author Cathy O'Neil has a Ph.D. in mathematics from Harvard. She started her career as an academician, moved to help hedge funds and eventually worked for several startups building models for optimizing customer purchases. In this book, Cathy portrays data models as complex and obscure that more often than not causes more harm than good without a shred of accountability to the people who are impacted by it.
Cathy uses several examples of how models are used on a day to day basis towards making a decision. The most famous example of a model in the area of sports has been popularized by the book/movie Moneyball. Moneyball talks about how Billy Bean the general manager of small and obscure Oakland baseball team used analytics to assemble a group of ordinary players who collectively made an extraordinary pack. The team went on to win undefeated for a record 20 games despite no one giving them a chance to start with. Money ball exemplifies how a model can be used towards making decisions that are driven by data as opposed to gut feel.
While models do bring in objectivity to the decision-making process, they could also pit the society against larger issues. A classic example of this quoted in the book pertains to the area of education and skyrocketing student debts. Back in 1988, US News and World report came up with a ranking of colleges in the United States. It started as a means to guide students to choose the right colleges that met their objectives as well as for colleges to attract the right pool of students into the campus. The model took proxies of academic excellence such as SAT scores, student-teacher ratio, acceptance rates, alumni contributions towards arriving at the ranking. Since the model used proxies to predict scores, it went in with the conventional understanding of what constitutes a great college. This meant that great colleges such as Harvard, Standford, Princeton and Yale which people perceived as prestigious continued to be ranked highly. This bolstered the authenticity of the ranking. The ranking quickly grew into a gospel that had colleges getting into an arms race. A lot of colleges went into overdrive to attract the best talents. Several colleges hiked up their fees drastically, put in better infrastructure and tightened up the admissions so as to get into the elite league. As a result, college admissions became more and more expensive and 30 years since then spiraling student debt in pursuit of good academics ( to the tune of $1.5 trillion) is out of control.
Another example of machine learning models favoring the advantaged while weeding out the less privileged ones in the social spectrum is in the area of hiring. In the olden days, hiring happened through word of mouth. An employee in the bank might be contacted by one of their friends or relatives looking for a job. They would put a word to the manager who in turn might interview the candidate. If the manager found that the candidate is qualified and has a good personality, they might end up hiring them. One could argue that this is a very subjective process. With the advent of machines came in personality tests that were intended at making this process more objective. These tests were institutionalized and eventually scaled to be used by a number of corporations. While the personality tests made the process streamlined, it also created a cloak of opaqueness on the selection criteria. Outside a handful of people who created these tests, no one knew how these models worked. Consequently, if the model did not favor a person with a disability or past record, that person was red-lighted and was less likely to get a job with any other company that employed the same model. Eventually, these models evolved into resume screener that is now widely used by several corporations. The objective of these models is not to select the right candidate but rather to weed out mismatches in scale in an economical manner. Consequently, the person who has access to good resume building services and knows what is the right keywords that would favor their probability of moving up the stack would end up getting an interview call. There have also been studies that corroborate that the models discriminate against people based on race, names, and gender.
Another interesting example pertains to the payday loans(short terms loans at high interest) that are targeted at the neediest through internet ads that further push them down the hierarchy of credit rating and wipes out the possibility of them ever emerging out of the vicious cycle of debt. There are several other examples in the book that highlights how these mathematical models codenamed WMD's favors the advantaged and discriminates against the marginalized. At the heart of it all, the fundamental premise that the author makes is that the mathematical models gain their power because they operate at scale and remain unquestioned/opaque. Cathy proposes to open-up these models to audit and scrutiny. ( Personally, I feel this could also prove infeasible since a lot of corporations such as Google, Facebook, and other tech companies survive on these models towards optimizing their businesses). She also proposes expanding regulations to catch up to the complexities that have been introduced with tech-driven models. Cathy also favors putting more power into the hands of people similar to how Europe is moving towards GDPR(General Data Protection Regulation).
5. Little Book of the future - Dr. James Whittaker
Category- Non-Fiction
Read- March 2019
Pages:88
Rating: 4/5
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| Courtesy: Amazon.com |
The book starts off by underlying the importance of data and insights dating back to the beginning of human evolution. Since the time humans have lived in caves, the ability to observe, stalk animals and gain insights from game migration have determined whether they would eat or not. With the evolution of language, these valuable learnings began to get shared and consequently refined. The ability to write down and codify the information ensured that it outlived the individuals. The advent of the printing press in the 1400s drastically reduced the time it took to propagate information across humanity. The printing press also ensured that information was available to a wider canvass of audience. The books that contained the information began to get amassed in huge libraries. The possession and distribution of knowledge held the key to cultural evolution. Those cultures that had centers of learning and excellence progressed faster than the others. Fast forward to the modern era, the media houses with the possession and ownership of news contents determined the daily discourse. The advent of the digital age and personal computing disrupted the conventional media industry where it was super easy to replicate and distribute information. This lead to the emergence of several online avenues. The way in which the information got consumed also changed dramatically in the last 15 years with the mobile revolution. Each of the disruptions gave rise to new winners and unseated the incumbents.
Cloud computing has been in prominence over the last decade or so is laying the foundation for the next wave of disruption. Earlier the data used to be stored in an isolated server that exchanged information over the web. The ability for machines to have any meaningful learnings from these servers so as to provide insights that a human eye cannot discern was hard to achieve. This was so because for machines to recognize patterns and thereby derive insights, it needs a huge amount of information that is centralized and easy to consume. This is what cloud technology-enabled. In addition to the cost savings which is the table stakes for moving from on-prem to cloud, the wave of cloud revolution is laying the foundation for some incredible learnings all done by machines. The author makes an interesting distinction between Machine Learning(ML) and Artificial Intelligence. ML is based on mathematical models that train machines to identify patterns (Think of the captcha application whereby you are asked to select pictures with a common theme that in turn is vetted by machines). AI on the other hand tries to mimic the human brain with neural networks that progressively learns and gets smarter. ( Think of IBM deep blue beating humans in Chess that has evolved to a superhuman level).
All of the above disruptions have made machines smarter and as expected helps to simplify the day to day lives. This is where the internet of things come in. IoT scales up individual devices to a network of collections that can collaborate to provide an elevated level of service. The author paints the picture of a smart collection of ovens which can learn the recipes, optimal cooking conditions and what it takes to create the perfect dish. This could mean that one could simply add the ingredients and the food would get ready. If all of these ovens communicate in real-time, they could all learn from each other making cooking any dish a child's play.
All of this is leading us to a future whereby machines can learn the human intend by deducing data, predict what their needs are and proactively surface relevant recommendations in time. The author describes an interesting example wherein if you are in a movie and have an urge to pee, there is an app that lets you know which is the best time to step out so that you do not miss out( It's called RunPee). What if in the future, the machine is able to smartly predict when nature's urge would appear based on the last time you had food/drink, detect that you are in a movie theatre and figure out the movie you are watching and buzz you ahead of time to step out based on the specific scene that is currently playing!!! The shit would get seriously real :)
The appendix section of the book touches upon quantum computing that has the potential to hugely disrupt the computing power. The current storage of data happens bit-sized as 0's and 1's. What quantum computing does is to expand the capability of data storage from a simple off/on mode and expand that to several states that could exist in between. This is where the qubits(quantum bits) come in. This entire technology is envisioned to be driven by subatomic particles(atoms, electrons, quarks, etc) that do not obey the general theory of relativity. They do have special characteristics that have not been explained or fully understood as yet. For eg: they can disappear and reappear elsewhere spontaneously. Similarly, they can appear in two places at once. They can also "entangle" and impact each other's behavior. If these qubits with these characteristics are employed for regular computing, it can revolutionize the way data is stored and exchanged. This is a territory that is still being explored.
6. Hit Refresh- Satya Nadella
Category- Non-Fiction
Read- April 2019
Pages: 245
Rating: 4/5
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| Courtesy:Amazon.com |
Satya being an insider was well aware of these issues when he took over as the chief executive. He focussed on pivoting the company towards the future. A big part of this pivot was to Hit Refresh on the purpose whereby the definition of the company and what it stands was redefined. Satya introduced a new and much more straightforward mission statement in 2014- “To empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.” Right after taking over, Satya interacted with hundreds of employees at every level and every part of the company. An overwhelming theme coming out of those interactions was that employees were looking for a new beginning whereby they could feel is a sense of pride and purpose in the products they built. These interactions also helped him identify a few key actionable such as clear and regular communication, break down the silos and reignite cross-company collaboration, focus on new partnerships as well as catch the next wave of innovation that will help company reinvent itself.
Having identified a clear set of actionable, Satya along with the leadership started on a new path. Cloud was identified as a big area of opportunity. Amazon being an early starter was killing the space with AWS, and Microsoft had a lot of catch up to do. Microsoft started building expertise by developing the Bing platform. Google clearly was and still is the leader in the search engine space. What Bing truly did beyond the search offering that Microsoft put out was to provide it with the much-needed boost from a competency and collaboration angle. Bing helped Microsoft develop muscle for the cloud. It also proved out to the catalyst in breaking down of the siloes in the org and focus everyone towards a common goal. Microsoft eventually used the learnings from Bing to develop AZURE which is fast gaining the market share in the cloud space. Satya also focussed on getting the priorities sharp by laying off the Nokia division. The success with the cloud gave Microsoft a much-needed lease of fresh air. There are three major shifts that Satya outlines as the next wave of focus namely: Mixed Reality, Artificial Intelligence, and Quantum Computing. Microsoft is making huge investments esp in the Mixed Reality space with Holo lens. The stock market has also rallied behind the Microsoft stock with its newfound sense of purpose and clarity.
The book also outlines the personal side of Satya beautifully. It talks of his journey from Hyderabad to the US as a teenager to pursue his masters. He also uses several metaphors from his favorite sports cricket which he grew up with and passionately follows even today. The biggest revelation beyond the corporate story was the inspirational aspect of who Satya as a person is. He and his wife Anu have a son Zain who is severely disabled. The book is a manifestation of how Satya's compassion as a father to support his son has enabled him to bring that sense of purpose and passion in technology to transform peoples lives.
7. Becoming- Michelle Obama
Category- Non-Fiction
Read- May 2019
Pages: 675
Rating: 5/5
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| Courtesy: Amazon.com |
What makes the book Becoming from Michelle Obama such a fascinating read is very much same reason that made Michelle an inspirational figure- it has come straight from the heart. The book lays threadbare the magical tale of how an ordinary girl from the southern side of Chicago metamorphosed into one of the most influential ladies of the modern times, all the while staying rooted to her true self. The book is aptly titled "Becoming". Michelle has an interesting take early on in the book wherein she mentions that the worst question an adult can pose to a kid is "What she/he wants to be when they grow up"? The question assumes that growing up is a finite thing and once they become something that is the culmination of the growth process. Exemplifying her own experience, Michelle mentions that a person does not finitely become something. He/she continuously evolves donning different roles at different stages or even multiple roles at the same stage of life. Becoming is the story of Michelle's continuous evolution.
The book is divided into three segments. Becoming me talks about Michelle's early childhood and adolescent days. She was born as Michelle Robinson to Fraser Robinson and Marian Robinson in the south side of Chicago. Michelle's family was a middle class one and her dad spent almost his entire career at a water filtration plant in the city of Chicago. Her mother was a homemaker for the most part and took to work when Michelle and her brother Craig grew up to of manageable age. Despite their modest means, Michelle's dad and mom ensured that their kids get a well-rounded education and exposure to diverse areas of arts. Michelle was a go-getter right from childhood always aspiring to stay ahead of the game. She graduated from Princeton and went on to specialize in law from a degree at Harvard. Michelle's stellar academics had her all set on an illustrious career path with a firm- Sidley and Austin in Chicago. The trajectory of her life changed when a young man named Barack Obama walked in one fine day to intern at the firm.
This is the point from which the second segment Becoming us kicks on. Michelle and Barack were completely different personalities. Barack is portrayed in the book as a man who had ease in his stride and a lightness in his heart. He was stellar in academics and quickly emerged to become the most sought after intern in the firm. Barack had a completely different lineage from Michelle. His mom - Ann Dunham who was a white had married a man of color from Kenya- Barack Obama Sr. It turned out that Barack Obama Sr already had a wife in Nairobi which led to their divorce. Ann married another person named Lolo Soetoro and moved to Indonesia along with Barack Obama Jr who was just 6 at that time. Since the quality of education in Indonesia was not up to par, Barack was sent over to Hawaii wherein his grandparents brought him up for the most part of his childhood. He had two half-sisters namely Maya and Auma from his mother's and father's side respectively. Despite a very difficult childhood that was spent between Jakarta and Hawaii, Barack grew up to a boy who soaked it all in and never let the vagaries of life affect his inner positivity. He was a voracious reader and developed a whole new perspective on people and their struggles. Alongside a career in law, Barack worked early days as a community organizer focussed on helping facilitate conversations among people to share their stories, describe their concerns and build trust. This was a vital aspect especially in the south side of Chicago wherein the forgotten neighborhoods with lack of opportunities and meager standards of living lead to a loss of confidence and hopelessness among the black community. This had led to the younger generation going astray with drugs and gangs. Barack with his authentic self and story helped them share, become a voice that mattered and instilled confidence of a better tomorrow. There is an interesting episode on how Barack proposed to Michelle in a restaurant despite the fact that he was not a big believer of a formalized relationship. The community work was the foundation of Barack's political journey. In 1992 he went on to lead a campaign called Project Vote! that was aimed at maximizing people's participation for casting their franchise. This initiative became a huge success wherein more than 100,000 new voters exercised their right. Barack had a completely different approach to life from Michelle. Chaos invigorated him whereas it agitated her. Barack's association led to Michelle discovering that she no longer found joy in her high flying law firm career. This led her to take up a huge pay cut and switch over to taking a job in Mayor's office. In 1996, Barack was elected to the Illinois Senate. One thing that struck me profoundly in the book was the fact that despite a busy schedule with Barack and Michelle managed to find time for each other and worked on keeping the relationship warm. There were rough patches wherein Barack's all-consuming political career was a huge challenge but they successfully navigated through the times to keep it all intact. Michelle in her books candidly opens up the struggle they had to go through towards conceiving their first child Malia. Barack Obama shot into the national limelight with his 2004 speech at the Democratic convention. He gave a rousing and inspiring talk for 17 minutes that left the nation beserk. The voice around him running for presidency became stronger and stronger since then. 2008 provided the perfect platform with the mass recession, banking and housing collapse and war abroad leading to a sense of hopelessness and despair among Americans. It is history that Barack Obama emerged as the favorite choice with the Yes We can campaign. Michelle who was forced into the situation of her husband running for Office played her part supporting the demanding campaign by presenting her true authentic self and life story.
Becoming us sheds a whole new light on the life of what the presidency actually feels like. Despite the glamour and power, there is a big sacrifice in terms of the loss of privacy and flexibility. Michelle explains vividly in terms of how every move of theirs, even seemingly as simple as going outside and sitting in the lawn of the Whitehouse had to be approved by the security agents who were always on the vigil for protecting the first family. One thing that stood apart in the book was how Michelle used defined the role of FLOTUS(First Lady of the United States) to make a real social impact as opposed to the customary appearances that had come to define what is expected of her. She started slowly and steadily by getting a descend sized vegetable garden in the backyard. Her success with gardening was used as a platform to launch the initiative Let's Move! Let's move was aimed at addressing the alarming problem of child obesity wherein one in every three children was overweight. A combination of lifestyle factors coupled with ready to eat food choices had compounded the issue. Michelle ran the initiative to create awareness among parents, schools and most importantly children to go for healthier food choices. Her steps were incremental but at the same time foundational and impactful. She worked with the American Beverage association corporates to increase clarity around ingredient labeling. Three major suppliers of corporate lunches to school cut down the amount of fat, sugar, and salt in the meals served. She was attempting to change the ecosystem in a small and meaningful way. Any drastic changes would have meant heavy push back from the corporate lobby. She had truly emerged from being a hardworking girl in southside Chicago to a level headed leader with a pulse on reality. Michelle was also a bit of a rebel mom when it came to stretching the rigid protocols of the Whitehouse to favor a regular life for the girls. She was particular that just because Malia and Sasha are the daughters of the president, they do not end up growing in a fortress closely guarded by the stringent framework. Michelle frequently hosted the kids in the neighborhood to instill the feeling that girls and especially the kids of color are complete on their own. She inspired the kids with her own story and the fact that in America the talent and hard work was their best shot at a better life. She addressed students hailing from crime-torn neighborhoods to evoke a sense of hope. Her contribution to making a difference in the life of children as a first lady was commendable. She also did some great work partnering with Jill Biden(Vice President Joe Biden's wife) to support veterans from armed forces. Michelle Obama also reflects warmly of her special connect with Queen Elizabeth II from England as well as Nelson Mandela, both of whom amazed her with their simplicity and humble nature. The book also touches upon the major events during the Obama presidency such as the assassination of Bin Laden, frequent massacres from gun violence and the reelection campaign of 2012.
This one of the few books I have read that has stood out for its boldness and forthrightness. If you want to get a pulse on the middle-class in America and read a fascinating tale of how a man with a funny name and a lady with a big heart went on to influence the imagination of generations to come, Becoming is a must-read.
8. When breath becomes air- Paul Kalanithi
Category- Non Fiction
Read- June 2019
Pages - 228
Rating- 4.5/5
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| Courtesy: Amazon.com |
The title of the book "When Breath becomes Air" symbolizes the feeble thread with which life and death are bound together. In other words, the distance between life and death is only a breath away. When the breath stops, this throbbing life falls flat in the inescapable arms of death. The only certainty in any one's life is death. The moment one realizes his or her mortality and becomes aware of it every moment, life blossoms. At that point, one realizes the futility of pretenses and external pursuits. The only quest worth aspiring is to be oneself and to fill every moment of people around you with joy, for there are no guarantees of one more breath.
The book makes this knowledge a true experience for the reader as told through the lens of the author Paul Kalanithi- a seasoned neurosurgeon who battles and succumbs to Stage IV lung cancer. The author who was only in his mid 30's when diagnosed with cancer deals with the cruel dichotomy of life where he is both the doctor as well as the patient who is uncertain about the next moment. Through his heart-wrenching experiences, Paul raises a mirror in front of us and asks the question- "What in life is worth living"? A defining moment for me in the book is when Paul and his wife Lucy decided to go for a baby through artificial means despite knowing fully well that Paul's days are numbered. This to me signified continuity of life. We live through the life of others whether it be our siblings, children or even intimate friends. Though death is much feared, it is also a true leveler. This book leaves an indelible mark in one's mind primarily due to the realization that we are the Paul Kalanithi reflected in the book. The only unknown question is "How much time do we have" or rather "What do we want to be this moment"?
Do watch this brilliant Ted talk by Dr. Lucy Kalanithi as she outlines in clear words the mental state of patients with critical conditions and respecting their priorities - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5-yBjKKicA
9. Bad Blood- John Carreyrou
Category- Non-Fiction
Read- Aug 2019
Pages - 456
Rating- 4/5
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Bad blood tracks the fascinating story of the silicon valley company - Teranos and it's fall from grace. The book delves into the details of how its founder Elizabeth Holmes misled several investors and healthcare companies such as Walgreens and CVS with the promise of a revolutionary blood-testing mechanism that could even predict what are the risks of potential ailments a patient could encounter. The rise to fame of this company was the claim that all of this could be achieved with a simple prick of a finger. Theranos was considered as the next groundbreaking phenomenon since predictive medicine was the holy grail in the biomedical field. Not only was the promise of "I can help detect and remedy what you are likely to get 20 years from now with a simple prick of a finger" super enticing, but there was also a tonne of money to be made. This is what attracted both the investors and big corporations to the so-called next big poster kid of the silicon valley.
Then there was Elizabeth Holmes - the CEO and the face of the company who had a unique persona and spun magic with her voice and conviction. Elizabeth emulated Steve Jobs and pitched Theranos as the gift to mankind in all the forums that the company featured. She pushed Theranos employees to the brink having promised the sky to investors. There was just one issue with this magical future that was touted all around. It did not work !!! Theranos machine- code-named "Edison" provided very inconsistent results even for the basic blood test administered. Slowly but steadily, things started falling apart. The line between envisioning a futuristic vision Vs the ground reality got muddled up. The failures of the technology were hidden by the top management. The employees who tried to bring it up were isolated and fired. The corporate culture became a fast revolving door with people joining and leaving on a constant basis. The story also exposed the FOMO(Fear of Missing Out) tendencies of large corporations. Walgreens and CVS were desperate not to lose the opportunity to be at the forefront of the much-touted technology. This meant that the executives of these companies
10. Extreme Leadership- How US Navy Seals lead and win- Jocko Willing and Leif Babin
Category- Non-Fiction
Read- Sep 2019
Pages - 282
Rating- 3.5/5
11. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck- A counterintuitive approach to living a good life- Mark Manson
Read- Sep 2019
Pages - 282
Rating- 3.5/5
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| Courtesy: Amazon.com |
Extreme ownership is written by two ex-Navy Seals Jocko Willing and Leif Babin who now run a leadership training company. Each of the chapters in the book deals with a specific principle followed by Navy Seals and illustrates how well they apply to the corporate world.
Authors bring to life their experiences fighting insurgents in Iraq in what could possibly be one of the deadliest combat operations by US forces in the last 30 years. These extreme battleground situations required leadership that is clear, decisive and driven by trust. The quality of leadership essentially determines the life and death of every soldier on the ground.
These very same principles find their manifestation in every life situation. They are especially true in a large corporate setting wherein the primary objective is to keep every employee focussed on an identified set of priorities. Communicating the goal clearly and periodically and having alignment and understanding top-down is normally a bottleneck in achieving the above objective. It is no surprise that the discipline and the focus that veterans bring in to a corporate context is highly sought after these days. A lot of companies including Starbucks are increasingly looking at hiring veterans across all the levels to have these principles imbibed as part of the corporate culture.
The book among other things also makes a reference to the training offers to Navy Seals called BUDS(Basic Underwater demolition Seal training). This intense coaching offered to the participants prior to being inducted as a SEAL is an extreme test of the body and the mind. The training emphasizes the value of trust and teamwork in achieving collective success. Similar programs are also available to civilians to challenge their limits.
I would recommend Extreme Ownership as a good read, provided you are ok with the occasional reuse of the examples at different junctures.
11. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck- A counterintuitive approach to living a good life- Mark Manson
Category- Non-Fiction
Read- Sep 2019
Pages - 212
Rating- 2.5/5
This book employs a heavy dose of profanity to convey something more profound. It conveys the simple message that what one truly does with her/his time determines the quality of their life. In other words, not giving a f*ck about things that do not matter makes all the difference.
The book attempts to convey some deep philosophy through some heavily laced expletives. While the book reiterated the value of attention and time and to use them with care, the tone and the style was a turnoff.
12. Shoe Dog- Phil Knight
Category- Non-Fiction
Read-only Oct 2019
Pages- 401
Rating-5/5
13. സുഗന്ധി എന്ന ആണ്ടാൽ ദേവനയകി- ടി..ഡി.രാമകൃഷ്ണൻ
Category- Fiction
Read- Nov 2019
Pages- 295
Rating-5/5
ശ്രീ ടി.ഡി.രാമകൃഷ്ണൻ (തത്തമംഗലം ദാമോദരൻ രാമകൃഷ്ണൻ ) രചിച്ച സുഗന്ധി എന്ന ആണ്ടാൾ ദേവനായകിയെ ഒരു Classical Tale weaved in Contemperory setting എന്ന് വിശേഷിപ്പിക്കാം. 2016ൽ കേരളം സാഹിത്യ അക്കാദമി നോവൽ ലഭിച്ച ഈ നോവൽ വായനക്കാരെ നൂറ്റാണ്ടുകൾക്കു പുറകെയുള്ള മാസ്മരികമായ ഒരു ലോകത്തിലേക്ക് കൊണ്ടുപോകുകയും അതിലൂടെ പറഞ്ഞു വരുന്ന ദേവനായികയുടെ കഥയെ ശ്രിലങ്കളയിൽ നടന്ന തമിഴ് വംശീയ പോരാട്ടവുമായി കോർത്തിണക്കുകയും ചെയ്യുന്നു.ഇത്രയും പ്രഭാവശാലിയായി ഒരു കഥാകൃത്തിന്റെ പേരുമായി (തത്തമംഗലം ദാമോദരൻ രാമകൃഷ്ണൻ ) മലയാള സാഹിത്യരചനകളുടെ ആദ്യാനുഭവത്തിൽ വിസ്മയിച്ചു നിൽക്കുന്ന ഈയുള്ളവന്റെ പേര് (തത്തമംഗലം വൈദ്യനാഥൻ രാമകൃഷ്ണൻ) സാമ്യമുള്ളത് വിധിയുടെ കൗതുക വിളയാട്ടം തന്നെ !!!
ശ്രീലങ്കയിൽ വളരെ വർഷങ്ങളായി തമിഴ് വംശജരും സിംഹള സർക്കാരും തമ്മിൽ നടന്നിരുന്ന പോരാട്ടമാണ് കഥയുടെ പശ്ചാത്തലം. തമിഴ് ഈഴം , തമിഴ് വിമോചനം മുൻനിർത്തി രൂപീകരിക്കപ്പെട്ട സംഘടന ആയിരുന്നെങ്കിലും അതിനകത്തും സ്ത്രീവിരുദ്ധ പ്രവണതകൾ വ്യാപകമായിരുന്നു. അത്തരം ചൂഷണങ്ങളെ എതിർക്കാൻ തുനിഞ്ഞ രജനി തിരണഗാമ മുതലായ വനിതകൾ ക്രൂരമായി വധിക്കപ്പെടുകയും ചെയ്തു. ഇത്തരം സാഹചര്യത്തിൽ സ്ത്രീകളെ ഒരുമിപ്പിക്കുവാനും സർക്കാരിനും ഈഴത്തിനും വിഭിന്നമായ ഒരു ശബ്ദമായി ഉയർത്തെഴുന്നേൽക്കുവാൻ ശ്രീലങ്കയിലെ ആക്ടിവിസ്റ് സമൂഹം ശ്രമിച്ചുകൊണ്ടിരുന്നു. ഒരു കാലത്തു ഈഴത്തിൽ പ്രവർത്തിച്ചു കൊണ്ടിരുന്ന സുഗന്ധി എന്ന വനിത ആണ്ടാൾ ദേവനായകി എന്ന തൂലികാനാമത്തിൽ എഴുതുന്ന രചനകൾ പീറ്റർ ദേവാനന്ദം എന്ന കഥാകൃത്തിനെ അന്വേഷണത്തിന്റെ പാതയിലേക്ക് നയിക്കുന്നു. അതിലൂടെ വളരെയേറെ വര്ഷങ്ങള്ക്കു മുൻപ് കാന്തള്ളൂർ എന്ന പ്രദേശത്തു ജീവിച്ച ആണ്ടാൾ ദേവനായകി എന്ന കഥാപാത്രത്തിന്റെ കഥ അയാൾ കണ്ടെത്തുന്നു. കാന്തല്ലൂർ രാജന്റെ രാജ്ഞിയായ ദേവനായകി, അദ്ദേഹത്തെ യുദ്ധത്തിൽ കൊലപ്പെടുത്തിയ രാജരാജചോഴന്റെ റാണിയാകുകയും പിന്നീട് ശ്രീലങ്കയിലെ മഹീന്ദ്രന്റെ പതനത്തിനു കാരണമാകുകയും ചെയ്യുന്നു. കഥയിൽ ഉടനീളം മറ്റുള്ളവരെ സ്വന്തം ലക്ഷ്യങ്ങൾക്കായി കരുവാക്കിയിരുന്ന ദേവനായകി പര്യവസാനത്തിൽ ആത്മീയമായ ദിവ്യത്വം കൈവരിക്കുന്നു. സുഗന്ധി എന്ന വനിതയും സ്ത്രീശാക്തീകരണ പോരാട്ടത്തിൽ ജീവൻ ആത്മാഹുതി നൽകുന്നതോടെ ദേവനായകിലേക്കുള്ള പ്രയാണം സമാപ്തമാകുന്നു.
വളരെയേറെ ഗാഡമായി റിസർച്ച് ചെയ്തു രചിച്ച നോവൽ ആണ് സുഗന്ധി എന്ന ആണ്ടാൾ ദേവനായകി. ഒരു കഥ എന്നതിന് പുറമെ സ്ത്രീകളുടെ അസാമാന്യ മനക്കരുത്തും പ്രതികൂല സാഹചര്യങ്ങളോട് പൊരുതി ജയിക്കാനുള്ള മനസാന്നിധ്യവും ഇതിലൂടെ രചിക്കപ്പെട്ടിരുന്നു. ഈ വർഷം ഞാൻ വായിച്ച പുസ്തകങ്ങളിൽ ഏറ്റവും മികച്ചത് എന്ന് തന്നെ വിശേഷിപ്പിക്കാം. സുഗന്ധിയെ റഫർ ചെയ്ത എന്റെ കോളേജ് സുഹൃത്ത് ലക്ഷ്മിയോട് കടപ്പാട് .
14. രണ്ടാമൂഴം- എം ടി വാസുദേവൻ നായർ
Category- Fiction
Read- Nov 2019
Pages- 300
Rating-3.5/5
ശ്രീ എം.ടി. വാസുദേവൻനായരുടെ എക്കാലത്തെയും മികച്ച സൃഷ്ഠികളിൽ ആണ് രണ്ടാമൂഴത്തിന്റെ സ്ഥാനം. നമുക്കെല്ലാം അറിയാവുന്ന മഹാഭാരതത്തെ ഭീമന്റെ കാഴ്ചപ്പാടിൽ അവതരിപ്പിക്കുകയാണ് ഈ നോവൽ. പാണ്ഡവരിൽ ഏറ്റവും ശക്തനായ പോരാളി എന്നതിനേക്കാൾ എന്നും അർജുനൻ എന്ന ധനുർധാരിയുടെ ജ്യേഷ്ടൻ എന്ന മേൽവിലാസത്തിൽ ആണ് ഭീമസേനൻ അറിയപ്പെട്ടിരുന്നത്. ഭീമസേനൻ നിശബ്ദമായി അനുഭവിച്ച യാതനകളും പാണ്ഡവരുടെ വിജയത്തിനായി വഹിച്ച പങ്കുമാണ് കഥയുടെ സാരാംശം.
രണ്ടാമൂഴത്തിന്റെ പ്രത്ത്യേകത മഹാഭാരതത്തിലെ ചില സംഭവങ്ങളുടെ പൂരിപ്പിക്കലാണ്. ഉദാഹരണത്തിന് ദ്രൗപദിയെ സ്വയംവരത്തിൽ ജയിച്ചുകൊണ്ടു വരുമ്പോൾ, കിട്ടിയത് എന്തായാലും തുല്യമായി പങ്കിടു എന്നു വാതില്കളിൽ പറയുന്ന കുന്തിദേവിയുടെ കഥയാണ് നമുക്കെല്ലാം പരിചിതം. എന്നാൽ രണ്ടാമൂഴത്തിൽ കുന്തി ദ്രൗപദിയുടെ സൗന്ദര്യത്തിന്റെ പേരിൽ പാണ്ഡവർ തമ്മിൽ കലഹിക്കരുത് എന്ന ലക്ഷ്യത്തോടെ പുറപ്പെടുവിക്കുന്ന ഒരു ആജ്ഞയായി ഈ സന്ദർഭത്തെ ചിത്രികരിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നു. അതുപോലെ അരക്കില്ലത്തിൽ പാണ്ഡവരെ ചുട്ടെരിക്കാൻ പദ്ധതിയിട്ടപ്പോൾ ഭക്ഷണം തേടി വന്ന യാചകിയെയും അവരുടെ 5 പുത്രന്മാരെയും സൽകരിച്ചിരുത്തുകയും അവർക്ക് മദ്യം വിളമ്പി അവിടെ കിടത്തുന്ന കുന്തിദേവിയെയും നമുക്ക് രണ്ടാമൂഴത്തിൽ കാണാം. ഭീമന്റെ ദ്രിഷ്ട്ടികോണത്തിൽ പറഞ്ഞുപോകുന്ന മഹാഭാരതത്തിൽ ഇത്തരം പല പുതുമകളും എംടി അവതരിപ്പിക്കുന്നു.
ഭാരതം എന്ന ഗ്രന്ധം പല വേർഷനുകളിൽ ഇന്ത്യയുടെ പലഭാഗത്തും പ്രചരിച്ചിരുന്നു. അത്തരം വേർഷനുകളുടെ ഒരു reseach outcome ആണ് എംടിയുടെ രണ്ടാമൂഴം. മോഹൻലാൽ ഭീമസേനനെ അവതരിപ്പിക്കാൻ ഉദ്ദേശിച്ച ഈ നോവലിന്റെ ചലച്ചിത്രആവിഷ്കരണം ഇപ്പോൾ നിറുത്തി വെച്ചിരിക്കുകയാണ്. അത്തരം ഒരു ചിത്രം ഭാവിയിൽ നിർമിക്കപെട്ടാൽ തീർച്ചയായും മലയാള സിനിമക്ക് അത് ഒരു പുതുമയാർന്ന അനുഭവമായിരിക്കും.
15. ആടുജീവിതം- ബെന്യാമിൻ
Category- Fiction
Read- Dec 2019
Pages- 220
Rating-4.5/5
2009 ൽ കേരളം സാഹിത്യ അക്കാദമി പുരസ്കാരം ലഭിച്ച നോവൽ ആണ് ബെന്യാമിന്ടെ ആടുജീവിതം.ബഹറിനിൽ ജീവിച്ചിരുന്ന ബെന്യാമിന്റെ മലയാള സാഹിത്യലോകത്തേക്കുള്ള ഒരു ഉജ്വലമായ ചുവടുവയ്പ്പ് കൂടിയായിരുന്നു ഈ നോവൽ. അതുവരേയ്ക്കും പ്രവാസി ജീവിതം വളരെയേറെ ആവര്ത്തനവിരസത്തോടി കൂടി ചിത്രികരിക്കപ്പെട്ടിരുന്ന ഒരു പ്രമേയം ആയിരുന്നു. നാട്ടിലെ പ്രാരബ്ധങ്ങൾ , ഭാര്യയെയും ,കുട്ടികളെയും അച്ഛനമ്മമാരെയും ഉപേക്ഷിച്ചു വർഷങ്ങളോളം പൈസയുണ്ടാക്കാനുള്ള തത്രപ്പാട് മുതലായ ക്ലിഷേ ഫോര്മുലയിൽ വാർത്തെടുത്തതായിരുന്നു ഗൾഫ് പ്രവാസി എന്ന കഥാനായകൻ.
ആടുജീവിതം ഗൾഫ് എന്ന ഒരു പുതിയ ലോകവും അതിലെ പച്ചയായ മനുഷ്യജീവിതവും നമുക്ക് മുന്നിൽ തുറന്നുവയ്ക്കുന്നു . അതുവരെയ്ക്കും നമുക്കെല്ലാം സുപരിചതമായിരുന്ന കണ്ണഞ്ചിപ്പിക്കുന്ന ഗൾഫ് ആയിരുന്നില്ല അത്, മറിച് അതികഠിനമായ വെയിലിലൂടെ ശരീരത്തെയും ,മനസ്സിനെയും ഉരുക്കിതളർത്താൻ കെല്പുള്ള മണലാരണ്യമായിരുന്നു ആടുജീവിതത്തിന്ടെ പശ്ചാത്തലം. നാട്ടിൽ നിന്നും ജോലിക്കായി വരുന്ന നജീബ് എന്ന ചെറുപ്പക്കാരൻ മരുഭൂമിയിലേക്ക് ആടുമേക്കുവാൻ ആയി കടത്തപെടുകയും , നീണ്ട മൂന്നര വര്ഷങ്ങളുടെ യാതകള്ക്കുശേഷം അവിടെ നിന്നും രക്ഷപെടുകയും ചെയ്യുന്നതാണ് കഥാസാരം.
ഒരു മനുഷ്യൻ പ്രതികൂല സാഹചര്യത്തിൽ തീർത്തും ഒറ്റപെട്ടു പോകുമ്പോൾ അയാളുടെ ചിന്തകളും മാനസിക അവസ്ഥയും എങ്ങനെയായിരിക്കും എന്നത് ആടുജീവിതം മനോഹരമായി പ്രതിപാദിക്കുന്നു. അത്തരം അവസ്ഥകളിൽ മരണം പോലും ഒരു രക്ഷപ്പെടലായി ആഗ്രഹിച്ചു പോകും. ദൈവത്തിന്മേലുള്ള അചഞ്ചലമായ വിശ്വസവും ഒരു നല്ല നാളേക്കുള്ള പ്രതീക്ഷയുടെ നാളവും മനുഷ്യനിൽ ജീവനോടു പിടിച്ചുനിൽക്കാനുള്ള ശക്തി നൽകുന്നു.
ലളിതമായ ഭാഷാശൈലിയും സാഹചര്യങ്ങളുടെ തീവ്രതയും ആടുജീവിതം എന്ന പുസ്തകത്തെ അവിസ്മരണീയമായ അനുഭവമാക്കി മാറ്റുന്നു.
Read- Sep 2019
Pages - 212
Rating- 2.5/5
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| Courtesy: Amazon.com |
The book attempts to convey some deep philosophy through some heavily laced expletives. While the book reiterated the value of attention and time and to use them with care, the tone and the style was a turnoff.
12. Shoe Dog- Phil Knight
Category- Non-Fiction
Read-only Oct 2019
Pages- 401
Rating-5/5
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| Courtesy: Amazon.com |
Shoe Dog by Phil Knight is a brilliantly authored business memoir that tracks the story of the iconic brand- Nike. It talks about Phil and his legendary running coach- Billy Bowerman went on to establish a company called Blue Ribbons that started off as a distributor to the oldest shoe company in Japan(the Onitskuga Tiger) and eventually went on to establish Nike that manufactured and sold own brand of shoes.
The aspect that makes Shoe Dog such an awesome read is that it is refreshingly honest. Phil opens up candidly and through the story of Nike goes on to say what it takes to build an enduring brand. An unwavering passion and a determination to see things through the odds are the hallmarks of a great entrepreneur. There were several moments when Phil was close to shutting the shop and going back to square one. He persisted and thanks to the generosity of people who trusted in him, his company emerged triumphant. Shoe dog also makes an interesting reference to the informal culture of Nike and the ability of the employees across the board to show up as their true selves. This freewheeling culture coupled with the innovative strides in shoemaking is what makes the Nike swoosh one of the sought after brands in the world.
13. സുഗന്ധി എന്ന ആണ്ടാൽ ദേവനയകി- ടി..ഡി.രാമകൃഷ്ണൻ
Category- Fiction
Read- Nov 2019
Pages- 295
Rating-5/5
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ശ്രീലങ്കയിൽ വളരെ വർഷങ്ങളായി തമിഴ് വംശജരും സിംഹള സർക്കാരും തമ്മിൽ നടന്നിരുന്ന പോരാട്ടമാണ് കഥയുടെ പശ്ചാത്തലം. തമിഴ് ഈഴം , തമിഴ് വിമോചനം മുൻനിർത്തി രൂപീകരിക്കപ്പെട്ട സംഘടന ആയിരുന്നെങ്കിലും അതിനകത്തും സ്ത്രീവിരുദ്ധ പ്രവണതകൾ വ്യാപകമായിരുന്നു. അത്തരം ചൂഷണങ്ങളെ എതിർക്കാൻ തുനിഞ്ഞ രജനി തിരണഗാമ മുതലായ വനിതകൾ ക്രൂരമായി വധിക്കപ്പെടുകയും ചെയ്തു. ഇത്തരം സാഹചര്യത്തിൽ സ്ത്രീകളെ ഒരുമിപ്പിക്കുവാനും സർക്കാരിനും ഈഴത്തിനും വിഭിന്നമായ ഒരു ശബ്ദമായി ഉയർത്തെഴുന്നേൽക്കുവാൻ ശ്രീലങ്കയിലെ ആക്ടിവിസ്റ് സമൂഹം ശ്രമിച്ചുകൊണ്ടിരുന്നു. ഒരു കാലത്തു ഈഴത്തിൽ പ്രവർത്തിച്ചു കൊണ്ടിരുന്ന സുഗന്ധി എന്ന വനിത ആണ്ടാൾ ദേവനായകി എന്ന തൂലികാനാമത്തിൽ എഴുതുന്ന രചനകൾ പീറ്റർ ദേവാനന്ദം എന്ന കഥാകൃത്തിനെ അന്വേഷണത്തിന്റെ പാതയിലേക്ക് നയിക്കുന്നു. അതിലൂടെ വളരെയേറെ വര്ഷങ്ങള്ക്കു മുൻപ് കാന്തള്ളൂർ എന്ന പ്രദേശത്തു ജീവിച്ച ആണ്ടാൾ ദേവനായകി എന്ന കഥാപാത്രത്തിന്റെ കഥ അയാൾ കണ്ടെത്തുന്നു. കാന്തല്ലൂർ രാജന്റെ രാജ്ഞിയായ ദേവനായകി, അദ്ദേഹത്തെ യുദ്ധത്തിൽ കൊലപ്പെടുത്തിയ രാജരാജചോഴന്റെ റാണിയാകുകയും പിന്നീട് ശ്രീലങ്കയിലെ മഹീന്ദ്രന്റെ പതനത്തിനു കാരണമാകുകയും ചെയ്യുന്നു. കഥയിൽ ഉടനീളം മറ്റുള്ളവരെ സ്വന്തം ലക്ഷ്യങ്ങൾക്കായി കരുവാക്കിയിരുന്ന ദേവനായകി പര്യവസാനത്തിൽ ആത്മീയമായ ദിവ്യത്വം കൈവരിക്കുന്നു. സുഗന്ധി എന്ന വനിതയും സ്ത്രീശാക്തീകരണ പോരാട്ടത്തിൽ ജീവൻ ആത്മാഹുതി നൽകുന്നതോടെ ദേവനായകിലേക്കുള്ള പ്രയാണം സമാപ്തമാകുന്നു.
വളരെയേറെ ഗാഡമായി റിസർച്ച് ചെയ്തു രചിച്ച നോവൽ ആണ് സുഗന്ധി എന്ന ആണ്ടാൾ ദേവനായകി. ഒരു കഥ എന്നതിന് പുറമെ സ്ത്രീകളുടെ അസാമാന്യ മനക്കരുത്തും പ്രതികൂല സാഹചര്യങ്ങളോട് പൊരുതി ജയിക്കാനുള്ള മനസാന്നിധ്യവും ഇതിലൂടെ രചിക്കപ്പെട്ടിരുന്നു. ഈ വർഷം ഞാൻ വായിച്ച പുസ്തകങ്ങളിൽ ഏറ്റവും മികച്ചത് എന്ന് തന്നെ വിശേഷിപ്പിക്കാം. സുഗന്ധിയെ റഫർ ചെയ്ത എന്റെ കോളേജ് സുഹൃത്ത് ലക്ഷ്മിയോട് കടപ്പാട് .
14. രണ്ടാമൂഴം- എം ടി വാസുദേവൻ നായർ
Category- Fiction
Read- Nov 2019
Pages- 300
Rating-3.5/5
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രണ്ടാമൂഴത്തിന്റെ പ്രത്ത്യേകത മഹാഭാരതത്തിലെ ചില സംഭവങ്ങളുടെ പൂരിപ്പിക്കലാണ്. ഉദാഹരണത്തിന് ദ്രൗപദിയെ സ്വയംവരത്തിൽ ജയിച്ചുകൊണ്ടു വരുമ്പോൾ, കിട്ടിയത് എന്തായാലും തുല്യമായി പങ്കിടു എന്നു വാതില്കളിൽ പറയുന്ന കുന്തിദേവിയുടെ കഥയാണ് നമുക്കെല്ലാം പരിചിതം. എന്നാൽ രണ്ടാമൂഴത്തിൽ കുന്തി ദ്രൗപദിയുടെ സൗന്ദര്യത്തിന്റെ പേരിൽ പാണ്ഡവർ തമ്മിൽ കലഹിക്കരുത് എന്ന ലക്ഷ്യത്തോടെ പുറപ്പെടുവിക്കുന്ന ഒരു ആജ്ഞയായി ഈ സന്ദർഭത്തെ ചിത്രികരിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നു. അതുപോലെ അരക്കില്ലത്തിൽ പാണ്ഡവരെ ചുട്ടെരിക്കാൻ പദ്ധതിയിട്ടപ്പോൾ ഭക്ഷണം തേടി വന്ന യാചകിയെയും അവരുടെ 5 പുത്രന്മാരെയും സൽകരിച്ചിരുത്തുകയും അവർക്ക് മദ്യം വിളമ്പി അവിടെ കിടത്തുന്ന കുന്തിദേവിയെയും നമുക്ക് രണ്ടാമൂഴത്തിൽ കാണാം. ഭീമന്റെ ദ്രിഷ്ട്ടികോണത്തിൽ പറഞ്ഞുപോകുന്ന മഹാഭാരതത്തിൽ ഇത്തരം പല പുതുമകളും എംടി അവതരിപ്പിക്കുന്നു.
ഭാരതം എന്ന ഗ്രന്ധം പല വേർഷനുകളിൽ ഇന്ത്യയുടെ പലഭാഗത്തും പ്രചരിച്ചിരുന്നു. അത്തരം വേർഷനുകളുടെ ഒരു reseach outcome ആണ് എംടിയുടെ രണ്ടാമൂഴം. മോഹൻലാൽ ഭീമസേനനെ അവതരിപ്പിക്കാൻ ഉദ്ദേശിച്ച ഈ നോവലിന്റെ ചലച്ചിത്രആവിഷ്കരണം ഇപ്പോൾ നിറുത്തി വെച്ചിരിക്കുകയാണ്. അത്തരം ഒരു ചിത്രം ഭാവിയിൽ നിർമിക്കപെട്ടാൽ തീർച്ചയായും മലയാള സിനിമക്ക് അത് ഒരു പുതുമയാർന്ന അനുഭവമായിരിക്കും.
15. ആടുജീവിതം- ബെന്യാമിൻ
Category- Fiction
Read- Dec 2019
Pages- 220
Rating-4.5/5
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| കടപ്പാട് : Goodreads.com |
ആടുജീവിതം ഗൾഫ് എന്ന ഒരു പുതിയ ലോകവും അതിലെ പച്ചയായ മനുഷ്യജീവിതവും നമുക്ക് മുന്നിൽ തുറന്നുവയ്ക്കുന്നു . അതുവരെയ്ക്കും നമുക്കെല്ലാം സുപരിചതമായിരുന്ന കണ്ണഞ്ചിപ്പിക്കുന്ന ഗൾഫ് ആയിരുന്നില്ല അത്, മറിച് അതികഠിനമായ വെയിലിലൂടെ ശരീരത്തെയും ,മനസ്സിനെയും ഉരുക്കിതളർത്താൻ കെല്പുള്ള മണലാരണ്യമായിരുന്നു ആടുജീവിതത്തിന്ടെ പശ്ചാത്തലം. നാട്ടിൽ നിന്നും ജോലിക്കായി വരുന്ന നജീബ് എന്ന ചെറുപ്പക്കാരൻ മരുഭൂമിയിലേക്ക് ആടുമേക്കുവാൻ ആയി കടത്തപെടുകയും , നീണ്ട മൂന്നര വര്ഷങ്ങളുടെ യാതകള്ക്കുശേഷം അവിടെ നിന്നും രക്ഷപെടുകയും ചെയ്യുന്നതാണ് കഥാസാരം.
ഒരു മനുഷ്യൻ പ്രതികൂല സാഹചര്യത്തിൽ തീർത്തും ഒറ്റപെട്ടു പോകുമ്പോൾ അയാളുടെ ചിന്തകളും മാനസിക അവസ്ഥയും എങ്ങനെയായിരിക്കും എന്നത് ആടുജീവിതം മനോഹരമായി പ്രതിപാദിക്കുന്നു. അത്തരം അവസ്ഥകളിൽ മരണം പോലും ഒരു രക്ഷപ്പെടലായി ആഗ്രഹിച്ചു പോകും. ദൈവത്തിന്മേലുള്ള അചഞ്ചലമായ വിശ്വസവും ഒരു നല്ല നാളേക്കുള്ള പ്രതീക്ഷയുടെ നാളവും മനുഷ്യനിൽ ജീവനോടു പിടിച്ചുനിൽക്കാനുള്ള ശക്തി നൽകുന്നു.
ലളിതമായ ഭാഷാശൈലിയും സാഹചര്യങ്ങളുടെ തീവ്രതയും ആടുജീവിതം എന്ന പുസ്തകത്തെ അവിസ്മരണീയമായ അനുഭവമാക്കി മാറ്റുന്നു.
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