Category Archives: Book Reading

Book Reading – The Great Gatsby

General Comment:As mentioned earlier on my April 19 2007 post, I have embarked on writing a few words on all the books that I may read in my retirement. I will reread few books which I read over last few years – this to allow me to capture some good essence from the readings.

The recent book I have completed reading is a book by that great American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald . The book is  titled The  Great Gatsby.. This book that i read was a   short  paperback (some  189 pages long).

I read the book in Toronto while visiting my son, Sunir. We went to Toronto to celebrate my 68th birthday; for which Sunir had bought me & wife a present – tickets for  an Indian  musical (by Udit & Aditya Narayan – on Saturday April 12 ) . Infact,  he and his fiancee also joined with us to attend the musical.

This book is one of many in Sunir’s library. He reads voraciously – books of various topics.

The Great Gatsby is a classsic which portrays American life in the early twentieth century. The story is about the fabulously wealthy Jay Gatsby and his love for the beautiful Daisy Buchannan ( married to Tom Buchannon). Thebook is acclaimed by generations of readers.

F. Scott Fitzgerald was born in St. Paul, Minnesota in 1896 and attended the Princeton University. He published his first novel (The Side of Paradise) in 1920.

The Great Gatsby became a standard in Ameraican schools.

Pravin Shah

Book Reading – The Key To Midnight by Dean Koontz

 

General Comment:As mentioned earlier on my April 19 2007 post, I have embarked on writing a few words on all the books that I may read in my retirement. I will reread few books which I read over last few years – this to allow me to capture some good essence from the readings.

The recent book I have completed reading is a book by Dean  Koontz  titled The Key To Midnight.. This book is paperback (some 420 pages long). Dean Koontz   has written many books with paranormal mental gifts  and post-hypnotic suggestions  as the main element in his stories. This  book about a woman (Joanna Rand) who had been a U.S. senator’s daughter,  whose whole personality has been altered by post-hypnotic suggestions  -by Russians (post-soviet work)to enhance Russia’s influence in America.  Before she was transformed to Joanna Rand, she was Lisa Chelgrin – daughter of   Tom Chelgrin, an inflenecial U.S. senator and who was  preparing and  getting ready to be elected as the president of U.S.     As a twist, Tom was one of the few Russians who were trained look alike  to Americans (who got caught in Vietnam) and the characters are  then transplanted to U.S. as teh oeriginal Americans.

I enjoyed the book as to how the post-hypnotic suggestion  is applied  and a   devious way . It provides shocking suspense & reveting terror.

This book I bought at Petawawa bookstore to keep me amused during the Christmas holidays.   I completed reading the book within a week – finishing on Friday 28 December 2007.

Pravin Shah

Book Reading – Flowers in the Blood by Gay Courter

General Comment:As mentioned earlier on my April 19 2007 post, I have embarked on writing a few words on all the books that I may read in my retirement. I will reread few books which I read over last few years – this to allow me to capture some good essence from the readings.

This book is  about Jews in India in the nineteenth century. Since my  ancestory is from India, the  book  is an important source for me  to understand   the  coming, acceptance and development of Jews in India  . Jews did well in India and Jews do     acknowledge that India is the only country in the world where they were not harassed or persecuted.

The author,Gay Courter,  has based the story on some real murder of Leah Judah on the first of October 1858 in Calcutta -a capital of British rule at that time in India. Calcutta was known as the City of Palaces. The book I read is a soft cover and has 630 pages.

The book provides the background of opium trade and related wars with China at that time  .  

This book was given to my wife by a lady (Annaliese) . Annaliese was a customer at  our store  run by my  wife    in Petawawa .  They became good friends and Annaliese spent many hours with my wife to talk about general happenings in life.

The author has developed the story based on true murder at that time but weaving in  some authentic incidents in India at that time. Very interesting book   and worth reading. She has provided description  of Opium and Tea Plantations in India at that time.

Pravin Shah

Book Reading – America (the Book) by The Daily Show with Jon Stewart

General Comment:As mentioned earlier on my April 19 2007 post, I have embarked on writing a few words on all the books that I may read in my retirement. I will reread few books which I read over last few years – this to allow me to capture some good essence from the readings.

I had earlier completed reading the book written and edited by The Daily Show (with Jon Stewart) – first published in September 2004. This book is a satirical/humorous book on American political system. Jon Stewart and his Satirical TV Program  “Daiily Show” is inspiration for material for this book.

The book is a large hardcover book ( some 220 pages). The book belongs to my son, Sunir who had lent me for reading.

I have now refreshed my absorption of the content of the book.   The book is structured as a  study guide for American democracy with some “classroom Activities”. A well illustrated book and fun to read.

 

In my opinion, this book is a must for those who are democrat in heart and enjoy satire for the workings  of a democratic government.

 

Pravin Shah

Book Reading – Collapse by Jared Diamond

General Comment:As mentioned earlier on my April 19 2007 post, I have embarked on writing a few words on all the books that I may read in my retirement. I will reread few books which I read over last few years – this to allow me to capture some good essence from the readings.

The recent book I have completed reading is a book by Jared Diamond titled  Collapse . This book is a follow up book to his earlier  one titled                                         ” Guns, Germs, and Steel”. This book I read a couple of weeks ago.    

I read the present book “Collapse” in Toronto at my son’s apartment when we visited  him for a few days   (starting on 03 November 2007). This is   the second book by Jared Diamond as a follow-up to his earlier book  ” Guns, Germs, and Steel”.

For his book ” Guns, Germs, and Steel”, the author was awarded the Pulitzer Prize.

The second book “Collapse” is quite a read re: what happens to societies who do not care for environmental degradation – brought on by deforestation, population explosion and general over indulgence . The author provides many examples of collapse of earlier human societies  including overlapping in our times.

It is in our interest to learn from  neglect of devastation of environment and resulting collapse of existing societies  when resources become scarce .   The scarcity of resources leads to wars and those with more advanced weapons do overpower the others with lesser weapons.

This book together with earlier book by the author “Guns, Germs & Steel” make     one to stop and think about the lifestyle that one can afford and which could lead to long survival of the human society.

Pravin Shah

Book Reading – Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond

General Comment:As mentioned earlier on my April 19 2007 post, I have embarked on writing a few words on all the books that I may read in my retirement. I will reread few books which I read over last few years – this to allow me to capture some good essence from the readings.

The recent book I have completed reading is a book by Jared Diamond titled  Guns, Germs, and Steel . This book is a big book  (some 471 pages long).

I borrowed the book from my son, Sunir, during my last visit to Toronto. Sunir completed reading this book and he is already on to the second (follow-up book by Jared Diamond).

It is very well written, easy to read and covers the human development since historic times   spanning from some 13000 years of history on all continents.

He provides why there was differing development at various locations   and continents and how food production ( based on domestication of wild plants and mammals) helped some human groups to get a head start on development and thus manage to engulf the remaining low developed societies over few thousands of years.

There is lot of information and inferences based on logical arguments

I am bit surprised that the historic development in the Indain sub-continent is considered secondary compared to Iraq area –   Known as “Fertile Crescent” ( Mesopotamia) , China   and Europe.     India is not known for much archielogical finds as Indians never believed in posterity and there are no burial places or graves  . Even writing came late in the Indian sub-continent.

It is a great read.

Pravin Shah

 

Book Reading – Before and After by Rosellen Brown

General Comment:As mentioned earlier on my April 19 2007 post, I have embarked on writing a few words on all the books that I may read in my retirement. I will reread few books which I read over last few years – this to allow me to capture some good essence from the readings.

The recent book I have completed reading is a book by Rosellen Brown titled  Before and After. This book is paperback (some 420 pages long).

This book is about small town American family – wife, Carolyn Reiser is a medical doctor and her husband, Ben is a sculptor who stays home raising two children. The son – Jacob (17 years old) and the daughter -Judith is younger sister.   A lovely home , every thing is going right but one day the door bell rings with the Police Commissioner at the door. He brings the news of shattering crime of killing of a young girl – the suspect being their son- Jacob. The whole life of each member of the family turns upside down.

The family goes thru trauma of keeping their love of their son intact but also to be aware of  pain of the deceased girl’s parent.   The book makes the reader aware that one event can change everything – the family has to confront the society – lose friends , fight the legal battles for the acquittal of the son who admits killing the girl but unintentionally. There is a fine line betweeen guilt and innocence.

This is another book I discovered on an obscure shelf in my office room. These are my son”™s books who became avid reader of books when in middle and high schools. So now I am joyful to discover these books and enjoying reading them

A gripping book.

Pravin Shah  

Book Reading – Cold Fire by Dean R. Koontz

General Comment:As mentioned earlier on my April 19 2007 post, I have embarked on writing a few words on all the books that I may read in my retirement. I will reread few books which I read over last few years – this to allow me to capture some good essence from the readings.

The recent book I have completed reading is a book by Dean R. Koontz  titled Cold Fire. This book is paperback (some 421 pages long). Dean Koontz   has written many books with paranormal mental gifts as the main element in his stories. Cold Fire is the book about a person (Jim Ironheart) who had been gifted in paranormal /psychic abilities – he seems to have inherited this ability from his father (& grandmother).    He lost his parents (from a random shootout at a restuarant) at the age of 10 years and within a year  lost his Grandmother – by an accidental fall – brought on by a paranormal happening in the family windmill (abondoned).  The windmill is the  central  area around which  the story  is weaved.

I enjoyed the book as to the description of light, shadows, colors and general atsmospheric happenings at various times . It provides shocking suspense & reveting terror.

This is another book I discovered on an obscure shelf in my office room. These are my son”™s books who became avid reader of books when in middle and high schools. So now I am joyful to discover these and enjoying reading them.

Pravin Shah

Book Reading – Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens

General Comment:As mentioned earlier on my April 19 2007 post, I have embarked on writing a few words on all the books that I may read in my retirement. I will reread few books which I read over last few years – this to allow me to capture some good essence from the readings.

The recent book I have completed reading is a book by Charles Dickens titled Oliver Twist. This book is paperback (some 419 pages long).Charles Dickens  is famous English writer who was born in 1812. He wrote the book in 1837 and thus this book is a classical book and bears witness to life in London at that time. It is painful book to read – most parts- Howevre there is humour in it all along. Young Oliver meets with calamities one after another but Oliver comes thru life   by help from good people (who incidently  were related to his mother  as unfolded in the story). It is a thriller in that the spy and detective work is required to unrevel the mystery of Oliver’s background. All in all a pleasant book to read.

This is one of the books I discovered on an obscure shelf in my office room. These books   are my son’s who became avid reader of books when in middle and high schools. So now I am joyful to discover these and enjoying reading them.

Pravin Shah

Book Reading – Harry Potter and Goblets of Fire – 4th book

General Comment:As mentioned earlier on my April 19 2007 post, I have embarked on writing a few words on all the books that I may read in my retirement. I will reread few books which I read over last few years – this to allow me to capture some good essence from the readings.

The recent book I have completed reading is the fourth book in a series of books titled   ” Harry Potter” written by  J.K Rowling. The books  are about wizardary and witches   – a fiction theme (under English milieu).

The fourth  book is titled “Harry Potter and the  Goblets of Fire“. It is hard cover  book (more than 600 pages) but  easy to read as it is written for young people. I completed the reading in ten days. The book is very captivating and thus it becomes very difficult to put down.

The book is about a contest between three champions (each from three well known international Wizard schools). However, fourth champion was spitted out by the Goblet of Fire – of course he was Harry Potter. Someone had entered Harry’s name (without his knowledge) even though he did not qualify  due to his age (only those who were 17 years or older could enter and represent their school).

Harry could not get  out of the contest as it was the rule any names spitted out by the Goblet would have to compete. This was facilitated by  an act of a Death Eater (who is loyal to  Lord  Voldemort – a Lord of Dark Ages)  who wants to  kidnap Harry so the Lord Voldemort could be revived into a human form – by using Harry’s blood into the potion for such revival. Eventually Lord Voldemort did get revived but Harry managed to escape death and back into the school. The Ministry of Magic was all in uproar from all the happenings and thus in turmoil.

I managed to complete this book within 10 days  even though it was competing with the other book I am currently reading . This book is Oliver Twist by David Copperfield.     I will wrote about this book soon.

Pravin Shah