Edgar Allen Poe Selected Stories

Book Name : Edgar Allen Poe Selected Stories
Author : Edgar Allen Poe

What is it about : A good coverage of the different short stories (more than twenty) Edgar Allen Poe wrote along the years. The stories can be broadly divided into the following genre - detective, horror, fantasy - all laced with Poe's unique brand of dark humour, exasperation and wicked imagination.

Some thoughts after having read the book : Each of the short stories although do not typically last more than 20 pages of a paperback, Poe did pack in a lot of jigsaws along the way and the reader is made to search and remember these "clues" and information to make up the puzzle - great fun but slow heavy reading, man ! Poe meant every word he used as he believed since short stories have limited grounds to cover, each story should give only one singular essential theme. The introduction presented by Julian Symons was most useful in understanding Poe's background and drivers.

Would I recommend this book to you : A most definitely YES ! A master craftsman in all the above genre. But don't expect an easy and straightforward ride; hey after all, he was one of the best and most influential writers in modern literature. Also, if you are the serious type, have a dictionary (American) handy.

Heavy Water

Book Name : Heavy Water
Author : Martin Amis

What is it about : This collection of short stories are set in the modern days with ordinary peoples having not uncommon problems and their efforts in facing up to their dilemma - a few examples are, how a disabled person was cared for on a cruise boat, a married man having exhausted and regained his mojo.

Some thoughts after having read the book : Each story is completely different in style and texture which to me, this shows the depth and wit of the author's pen. A plain old read but packed with good descriptions and directions by the writer.

Would I recommend this book to you : A bit of a hit and miss. I think you will love it if you are a fan and wishing to see what the author comes up with this time. But I cannot imagine myself reading the book, say, sitting at the airport lounge, under a palm tree or relaxing at home. I was just happy to have read it and experience this author's insight into human behaviours. Give it a go !

Night Train

Book Name : Night Train
Author : Martin Amis

What is it about : A female cop with a past drinking problem and a string of unhappy experiences with the opposite sex, tried to piece together the clues as to why a white female who seemingly had everything going for her, killed herself; or did she ?

Some thoughts after having read the book : I seem to got to know the female cop pretty well and could almost walk in her shoes as she carried out her detective works. That's a sign of the author's ability. The ending of the book seems to beg the philosophical question - can one's life be too perfect and thus have the tendency to self-destruct ? Having said that, the story however, was never the right vehicle to take me to the level that I began to reflect and contemplate on life's many philosophies.

Would I recommend this book to you : A bit hit and miss for me. Some clever detective works and insights and a taut setup; but it comes across that it is probably best written for a TV drama and as such best to have watched it on TV instead of reading it.

The Witches' Hammer

Book Name : The Witches' Hammer
Author : Jane Stanton Hitchcock

What is it about : A cat and mouse tale about a woman who was caught up in a web of deceit related to a secret woman-hating organisation. Just why did I borrow this book ? Don't ask...

Some thoughts after having read the book : The story read like a poorly-made B Movie destined for the archiving section of the TV channels. It was difficult to keep my eyes open at times but I was also made to wake with a start by the incredibly exasperating plot lines, good grief ! Only my patience and determination got me through; also the threat of being fined by the local library of losing the book stopped me from throwing it out the window.

Would I recommend this book to you : A rare occasion that I find no reasons to recommend this book at all.

The Gods That Failed : How Blind Faith In Markets Has Cost Us Our Future

Book Name : The Gods That Failed - How Blind Faith In Markets Has Cost Us Our Future

Author : Larry Elliott

What is it about : The dizzying heights of power the world's financial communities were able to wield against the national governments and the crazy bonuses being awarded for their excessive risk-taking (with investor's monies), are depicted vividly in this lucid and at times incredulous "news" summary in the days preceding the onset of the 2008 financial tsunami. Tales of these financial institutions taking on ridiculous gambles in an environment where seemingly they make their own rules haunt us with the question - just how did we (they) get into this mess ? In a nutshell, greed conquers all in its path.

Some thoughts after having read the book : Hey man, anything new under the sun ? From the tulip craze to the .com boom and bust, the road to riches and destruction are littered with good-intentions - pensions for your golden retirement, insurance schemes designed to reduce your exposure, immediate materialistic ownership; all these well-meaning designs and systems went out of control amidst the lethal cocktail of greed, power and blind faith - a cliche but how true. The end game - in this game of passing the grenade, those bigger fools left last holding on to the exploding grenade will be the casualties.

Would I recommend this book to you : Yes ! Even if you have not been a victim of financial losses in this once-in-a-lifetime crisis, your retirement future or the prospects of your siblings would forever be altered and affected as a result of the crazy doings of The Gods That Failed. The book puts into perspective and challenge all those treasured financial management philosophies as "make your money work harder", "don't put all your eggs in one basket". The question is how soon we will forget the lessons and bring on the next crisis. Read on.

Lateral Thinking

Book Name : Lateral Thinking
Author : Edward De Bono

What is it about : A book for the laymen and teachers alike who are interested in gaining the know-how to begin, nurture and utilise lateral thinking. The book also painstakingly explains in details the differences and characteristics between vertical and lateral thinking.

Some thoughts after having read the book : I was very much amused and enlightened by the author's explanation of this very interesting topic. During the reading of the passages in the book, I was constantly trying to analyse the various industries and fields of professions in our day-to-day life such as the advertising agents, historians and physicists to check if they require more of the non-linear (lateral) or the building-block (vertical) modes of thinking approaches.

Would I recommend this book to you : Yes. The reader is made fully aware of how the mind functions and what are the triggers in initiating, and eventually making good use of the art of lateral thinking. The exercises in the book although at times, seem heavy-going, actually introduce the readers in to thinking effectively outside the box and beyond the boundaries. One word of note, the book is intended to be read over time of say, 3-6 months in order to gain a fuller appreciation.

Schindler's List

Book Name : Schindler's List
Author : Thomas Keneally

What is it about : A WWII businessman perfecting the art and craft of feeding off the evil's hands, at the same time negotiating the rescue of as many as he could, a seemingly doomed race.

Some thoughts after having read the book : Can you imagine in the present 2009, racial genocide is some nation's agenda ? Yes, there still are such lunatics out there, I'm afraid. I feel I got to know this Schindler character pretty well on his dilemma, business acumen and flamboyance. I was so unsettled during the reading of this book, at the random violence dished out by the shoot-easy manic depressing German Officers. At the same time, the book initiated my curiosity to visit Poland in the future, the land where the book was mostly based and where most of the blood was spilt.


Would I recommend this book to you : Definitely; especially if you want an account and a slice of WWII drama with real peoples with distinct characters - the good, the bad and the ugly. The mindless violence may disgust you and Oskar Schindler's repeated dealings with the Germans can drag on a bit.

Dead Heart

Book Name : Dead Heart
Author : Douglas Kennedy

What is it about : A man got drunk one night in a bar in a nowhere town in Western Oz, kidnapped to the Australian Outback after being drugged by an Aussie woman with biceps the size of his thighs; climaxing in an escape from the gun slinging in-laws. Yep, he even got married to the mob !

Some thoughts after having read the book : I couldn't put the book down for its break-neck pace and the frightening thoughts of being trapped in the remoteness of the Oz Outback- I was in this nowhere land for a month some years back - the isolation and dimensions of the place just do not give hope a chance.

Would I recommend this book to you : Definitely; the dark humour, the desperation in this straightforward tale of escape drama, would make you think twice about saying G'day to a Sheila in the Australian Outback !

Rumpole a la Carte

Book Name : Rumpole a la Carte
Author : John Mortimer

What is it about : A collection of legal tales and cases our good-nature English solicitor had to contend with, almost always accompanied by a glass of the finest claret and the whining of his over-bearing missus at the background.

Some thoughts after having read the book : As always, reading an English author penning life in England brings immense gratification and memories of my days in this now far-away land with glorious countryside and polite, humorous and often eccentric peoples. With the retiring Rumpole reaching out for his bottle of Claret at every convenient opportunity, the reader is instantly reminded that problems in life cannot be solved all at once and in a rush - so why not just sit back and contemplate a bit.

Would I recommend this book to you : If a spot of the English humour is what you want, this is the book for you. Laced with hilarity and happenings, this book paints a solicitor's colorful (my opinion) life in suburban England with an ingenious pen; colors by the way, are not always what you will find in suburban England; a testament to the power of the author's expressions.

Travels With My Aunt

Book Name : Travels With My Aunt
Author : Graham Greene

What is it about : A reluctant, laid-back middle-age fellow was forced to get off his cosy comfort zone and embarked on a journey with his un-predictable and adventurous Aunt with a colorful past, whom he hardly knew.

Some thoughts after having read the book : The tale was populated with such interesting characters like the disabled old bloke who rented a 100-bedroom villa, each room with its own decorations; he changes room everyday so that he feels he is constantly on the move and resulting in him feeling satisfied with his "travels". The intriguing and charming past of The Aunt, comes peeling off layer by layer as the book storms ahead and the reader was left to feel he too needs to get back to his comfort zone, away from all this tiresomeness.

Would I recommend this book to you : Most definitely ! Graham Greene is one of my favourite writers. Depth, strength, complexity and humour are all his trademarks; but most of all, he has a keen eye into human frailty and frequent madness.