Riddish
“Against boredom even the gods contend in vain.” – Friedrich Nietzsche“The problem with traveling all the time is you have a lot of goodbyes.”
Reads like a very poorly written erotica, very little of the wise quips on pointless travel and the failings of the EFL system, the world over, that had made me read my first ETX novel.
Took up far too much time listing down all the supposed exploits of a man who clearly needed professional help or a bit of soul searching at the very least.
4* - For the book itself
1* - For audible and a sign of appreciation for the times we live in. To think I had the ex-President of the United States talk to me about his first term in office during morning cycle rides is absolutely ridiculous.
Back in 2008, I was swept up by his campaign and by the things he said. Having heard all the garbage been strewn around by politicians in India, even the notorious Indian media couldn't help but get carried away.
I would recommend this book to everyone. It is great to hear an almost centrist voice in today's highly polarised political climate around the globe. He got a lot done in his first term and genuinely tried to do a lot of good along the way. It was priceless to get to hear how the White House actually views global events. He might not have done everything he promised but he tried his best. In a time when politicians are heavy on promises and absolute lightweights on execution, I do admire the guy.
The best piece of literature I have read this year. I am a big fan of Alain de Botton, having been introduced to his work through his YouTube channel “School of Life”. It opened for me the various schools of philosophy ,which has greatly affected the way I view the world.
This book explores various professions and provides a glimpse into the life of various individuals pursuing them. The writing might come across very erudite, elitist and verbose to most readers, who might have picked up this book for its name and are unfamiliar with the author himself and the context in which this book was written. This should not however, deter anyone from giving it a try.
The book got me looking at everyday things in the work place in a different light. Each page provides something very fresh to think about.
Would definitely recommend this book.
2023 Update:
This book is absolutely fantastic! I am not even a sci-fi nerd and I still loved it so much.
With the final book coming up soon, I'm curious about how it will end.
Original Review:
Without a doubt my favorite Sci-Fi to date. Brandon Sanderson is just a gifted author. For an author who has so far written dystopian/crime/high fantasy, to come up with such an amazing science fiction is just unbelievable.
If he were to write contemporary/chick-lit tomorrow, I know I would read it and love it.
Cannot wait for the next book.
Updated review in 2021:
Funny how much difference 2 years can make. It reeks of survivorship bias, incorrect inferences and the studies do not meet necessary modern standards.
Still has some good ideas though, so yes people should still pick it up.
Original review in 2019 : I don't normally recommend books on Personal Finance, but this time I would like to make an exception. I urge everyone to read this book. The insights provided by the authors are invaluable.
Everything it mentions goes against what popular media tells us. Even though it does not give a point by point strategy to become a millionaire, the study they conducted is so comprehensive that you're sure to find at least one point that sticks with you till the end and helps you towards your own financial goals.
It amazes me to think that there are people in this world who do read, but have not yet read any book written by Brandon Sanderson.
It gets me all excited hoping that someday, these people would pickup just one book of his and then fall in love with BS's world building and all the amazing characters. And then just one day, they would have finished reading all the books he has written and feel this amazingly satisfying “pain”.
Pain because now we wait for the great master to write more books and at the very same time, feel a bit jealous of the people who are just starting out in the Cosmere universe.
Thank you Brandon Sanderson. I have yet to read The Rithmatist, but after that I would be well and truly done with all the books you've written so far (or should I say “published”, I still have Aether of the Night :P).
Thank you for Mistborn, thank you for The Reckoners, thank you for The Stormlight Archive (and hey, you better get on with writing more books for this series) and finally thank you for Elantris
I have rated this book five stars not just for its merit but also to reflect my adoration for this series.
Never before have I read 7 books of one series in 3 weeks. The Clifton Chronicles might not be the greatest work of literature, but it sure pushes the art of storytelling to new heights.
Jeffrey Archer does great justice to character building as an art-form while at the same time making sure he doesn't overdo it at the expense of the plot. I could write pages for all the characters, singing high praises but I would like to give a shout out to Lady Virginia Fenwick. I do not think I have ever disliked any character as much as her and I hope I do not come across a human being half as despicable as her. I would have preferred if she met with an ending befitting her standing but I guess that's what makes Jeffrey Archer a great author and me a lowly reader.
I will definitely be rereading the CC in entirety again, and would recommend it to my friends.
Rating BS books 5 stars has almost become a reflex action for me. That being said, I would have to say this book falls a bit short of my expectation and I would rate it more as 4.5 stars.
The last 2 books, were out of this world brilliant and honestly were the best reads of my life. This one thus, had to provide a patchwork of explanations for the last two books, in addition to taking the story forward.
The revelation about the Desolations and Recreance hit me hard in the face (could never have guessed it).
To avoid giving out to much too much information, the rest of the review is tagged as a potential spoiler.
Dalinar's backstory is almost prophetic. The ideals embodied in the whole narrative might as well take shape in a new religion some day :P. Shallan's story though makes her seem too skillful in too short a time. Also, I was shipping Shallan and Kaladin so hard, I stand disappointed. Kaladin being Kaladin, is just f**king awesome. Not to forget, Jasnah Kholin! I just love that woman, is there anything she can't do? The Fused(supposed Gods) should put up a better fight right? A few other question that remain unanswered.How the hell did Amaram get so powerful? Also, is it just me who finds Odium something like Voldemort? Unreasonably confident but easily dealt with. That's not to say he makes a bad villain but honestly, I expected better from him. All in all, the last 2 books just raised my expectations to unhealthy levels and this book, though brilliant, left me yearning for more.
Very well written. It is no easy task to draw parallelisms to the Mahabharata. Yet, Shashi Tharoor does a great job of fitting in our freedom struggle and the years that follow, almost as if Mahabharata was based off of them! Definitely a recommended read given its unique symbolism, unmatched alliteration and a style of writing almost certainly missing in Indian writers.
Somehow, I feel as if I would have to give this book another read to better understand a few things Tharoor has tried to convey.
