First impressions of CAT 2006 hours after the exam: 75 questions, five options, equal marks, and a verbal section that broke the usual pattern.
Author: Vivek
The Goal by Eliyahu M. Goldratt and Jeff Cox (Book Review 009)
A review of The Goal by Eliyahu M. Goldratt, on learning the Theory of Constraints through a story and where it still applies to supply chains.
The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell (Book Review 008)
A review of The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell, finished in three days, on its model of social epidemics and why he recommends reading it once.
The World is Flat by Thomas L. Friedman (Book Review 007)
A review of The World is Flat by Thomas L. Friedman, read over a month with a pencil in hand and kept afterwards as a reference rather than shelved.
Mushroom Rice: A novel view on international relations by M.J. Akbar
I came across this article Mushroom Rice by M.J. Akbar in Sunday (October 15th, 2006) issue of the newspaper Deccan Chronicle, under his famous editorial series Byline.
With the recent nuclear tests by North Korea and America’s ire over Iran’s nuclear enrichment programme, the international scenario has reached a potential dew point. Fuelling this is the widespread outcry (in U.S and U.K.) against the Iraq war, the recent Israel – Lebanon crisis, the statements about religious revolution in America (by Mr. Bush) and Pope’s accusations against Islam (for which he apologized later after the damage had already been done). So we have the superpowers riled up in the war act which has weakened them and various events which point to a further deterioration of world order.
But who stands to gain amidst all this? M.J. Akbar points to China. It is a new view to the world foreign-relations scenario for me. Interested? Read on…
“To India – My native Land” by Derozio
The text of Derozio’s sonnet To India – My Native Land, a note on the poet’s short life, and a line-by-line reading of its images of lost glory.
Anne Frank: The Diary of a young girl (Book Review 006)
A review of Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl, the 25 months in the Secret Annexe and the arrest that ended them. He finished the book feeling grief.
Freakonomics by Levitt & Dubner (Book Review 005)
A review of Freakonomics by Levitt and Dubner, on crime, estate agents, sumo wrestlers and drug gangs. He finished it craving a second volume.
Biological Weapons: Issues and Threats by Chari & Rajain (Book Review 004)
A review of Biological Weapons: Issues and Threats, edited by Chari and Rajain, on why bio-chemical arms are the poor man’s WMD and so hard to detect.
Eleven Minutes by Paulo Coelho (Book Review 003)
A review of Paulo Coelho’s Eleven Minutes, on Maria’s road from Brazil to prostitution in Geneva. Gripping throughout, but the climax is predictable.
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho (Book Review 002)
A review of Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist and Santiago’s journey to the Pyramids, which he calls a master-piece and a must read for all age groups.
India: Agenda 2020 for economic development
India: Agenda 2020, his 2004 research project on economic development covering the WTO, SEBI, RBI and capitalism, offered here as a free download.
Absolutism or un-absolutism? My Views
Nothing is absolute except death, because human intelligence and the systems it builds are imperfect, from parallel universes in the Gita to Kashmir.
Wings of Fire by Arun Tiwari and APJ Abdul Kalam (Book Review 001)
A review of Wings of Fire, APJ Abdul Kalam’s autobiography with Arun Tiwari, which he recommends for the man behind India’s missile programme.
Fantastic ancients
One phrase from a Prithviraj Chauhan serial connects Ekalavya, the killing of Shravan Kumar and Chauhan’s blind shot at Ghori: shabd-bhedi archery.