The Golden Ratio

Book Name : The Golden Ratio
Author : Mario Livio

What is it about : The history, characteristics and applications of a seemingly simple equation: x squared - x - 1 = 0 that converges to the Golden Ratio 1.6180339887.... The book painstakingly explained that this ratio can be computed via many different ways e.g. The Fibonacci Numbers, Euclidean geometry or the logarithmic spiral etc. So, what's the big deal ? The book explains in terms that even I understood that this ratio represents "the most irrational of all irrational numbers" - a ratio least expressible as a fraction and the world as we know it, is full of behaviour based on this ratio. The book also gives insightful accounts of the lives of many "philosophers" such as Pythagoras and Kepler. The book rounds off with a philosophical debate / discussion on the very topic of MATHEMATICS.

Some thoughts after having read the book : I was a little apprehensive when I loaned out this book from the local library as I had left my maths days WAY BEHIND, like for the past 25 years, I had hardly encountered an equation. But I was rewarded by a patient author who peppered the book with outstanding and interesting examples which included even the way an eagle spirals down to attack its prey - yeh, amazingly, the Golden Ratio is deployed in the attack ! I was not overly keen on reading about painters, artists using this ratio in their final products as I am not much of an artist. I followed most of the neat but clearly detailed mathematical proofs in the appendices without too much problems.

Would I recommend this book to you : If you want to rekindle your passion and curiosity about your long-forgotten maths; or if you are intrigued by the magical properties of numbers / constants / ratio etc or if you are fascinated by the coherence of maths in explaining the universe's phenomena from plant growth, star formation or rabbit breeding; then this is your book !

Pincher Martin

Book Name : Pincher Martin
Author : William Golding

What is it about : The physical and mental journey of a shipwrecked seaman who was stranded on a desert island. Think Tom Hanks in Cast Away and you will get a pretty close picture of what the story is about; except that there is an eerie ending and of course Golding's master touches and tricks.

Some thoughts after having read the book : I struggled through two-thirds of the book before realising that I was beginning to think, talk and hallucinate like our Pincher Martin - will I be saved ? What must I do to be saved ? What's there to eat to keep me going ? I felt as Martin did that I was talking mad, thinking mad and wandering mad; the world became incomprehensible, myself confused and days went by in an dreamy haze. Yes - I was becoming insane.

Would I recommend this book to you : It is quite likely that you will not fully understand each scene and dialogue and will instead be very confused about where the plot is going; but stay with it and let Golding The Master take you through to the very end (in fact to the very haunting, very chilling last sentence) and you will be left stunned and the whole book will take on a completely different genre. Big words, eh ? But you will be rewarded if you stay with the maddening read.

The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time

Book Name : The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time
Author : Mark Hadden

What is it about : The book was "written" by the main character, a 15-years-old Christopher about his adventures and encounters with the world out there as he tried to solve the puzzle of who killed the poor dog, figure out the London Underground, was his mother still alive and the biggest riddle of them all - Life and People.

Some thoughts after having read the book : I identified with Christopher immediately after a few pages; in particular, the difficulties to make sense of the strange workings of this human world, the aloofness one needed to be away from peoples and in contrast, the pure ease of understanding the straightforward universe of physics and maths ! I figured after reading the book that we all have "Special Needs" in us - we may call it "personal space"; we all have our own construction (real and imaginary) of this world, our own superstitions of 4 red cars in a row meaning a good day etc. Essentially, our very own chemistry, interactions and rules in dealing with this world.

Would I recommend this book to you : Absolutely ! You may intend to pick out this book for an easy read at first, possibly thinking the book as a kiddy adventure in solving some mysterious events; but you will (as I did) get to know this world and about yourself better ! You may even rediscover the compassion in yourself to grant others the benefit of the doubt as others may find you and your world strange and difficult to understand.

British Decolonization 1946-1997

Book Name : British Decolonization 1946-1997
Author : W.David McIntyre

What is it about : The concise summary that you had always wanted to read about on the events and dynamics of the rather quick British "get-out-of-everywhere" between the years 1946 to 1997. Disappointing to the folks in Hong Kong (The Last Colony) that we were not mentioned other than on the Events List. More prominent countries such as India, South Africa and The Middle East took centre stage.

Some thoughts after having read the book : How it must have been fun to work as a diplomat at the British Foreign Office during those times of de-colonization ! Such diplomat would have found an amazing array of countries and problems to work on and be very thankful that most of the phase-out were done peacefully as The Empire stretched from nothing too big (India) to nothing too small (Tonga). Having read the book, you would have no doubt that Britain was indeed the colonization as well as the de-colonization expert par-excellence ! Hey, imagine dealing with zealous nationalists from India, old hand Deng Xiao Ping, stubborn White settlers in Africa and Pacific island chiefs more or less during the same era, now that's interesting !

Would I recommend this book to you : A surprisingly easy read as far as a History book goes ! If you take out the emotional side of the cynical and brutal nature of Colonization itself and treat Colonization as a Subject, this book will be very interesting for you. But as it was repeatedly mentioned in the book - a Profit And Loss Account was carried out by the British Government and found that the Colonies weighed equally as assets and as liabilities, the British soon decided to quit - they were not here to do charity, it's all about maximising benefits and influence and avoiding those quagmires !

中國模式：經驗與困局 Chinese Mode : Experiences And Difficulties

Book Name : 中國模式：經驗與困局 Chinese Mode : Experiences And Difficulties
Author : 鄭永年

What is it about : A scholarly book based mostly on Professor Zheng's series of presentations on modern day China's experiences of the road taken so far and the hope and plight of the way forward. Topics covered in the book include political and economical reforms, power sharing between party, local authorities and the common people, village-level democracy and the relevance of the Singaporean model. NB. Professor Zheng is the Director of Research in East Asian Institute at National University Of Singapore.

Some thoughts after having read the book : A book with such a title raises eyebrows no doubt, in the current administrative climate of Hong Kong - Hong Kong is embroiled in an intense debate about the teaching of "The Chinese Model" in the education curriculum as some may refer such teaching as brain-washing. My own scepticism was put aside about 10 pages in, as I followed the logic and coherence the Author laid down, with no beating around the bush about the existence of corruption, wealth gap and hard line approaches the current ruling party has taken. The book made sense to me by highlighting the fact that no countries would follow the exact same path Western countries had taken, much less with such different culture, history and outlook, regarding political transformation, economic reforms and the nature of the civil society as a whole.

Would I recommend this book to you : At times, the book is laden with heavy academic-speaks but with an open mind, plenty of patience and an eagerness to participate in finding a way out for our fellow country men, I would not hesitate in recommending this book to you as you would feel like you are taking part in an important investigation ! But if you are the type who considers the Chinese Communists Party nothing but a selfish and self-justifying machine or you would like to see American style electioneering or European parliamentary type governance happening soon or even as we speak - stay away from the book would generate less grievances.

The Unbearable Lightness Of Being

Book Name : The Unbearable Lightness Of Being
Author : Milan Kundera

What is it about : The stories and adventures of mainly four people Tomas, Tereza, Sabina and Franz, set against the Russian invasion and occupation of Czech countries. These sad tales mainly concerned hopping into each other's beds, running away from the authority's attention and these guys' inner thoughts and philosophies toward Life.

Some thoughts after having read the book : Now that's out of the way, the book is really about the Author's stories, adventures, thoughts and philosophies toward Life. The gore and glory never got going in the book - no up-in-arms with machine guns, no torturing in prisons - nothing bloody like those, just expansion of thoughts and the Author using the characters and the scenes as platform and vehicles, to expound more of the seemingly pointless philosophies, I'm afraid. Perhaps because of the translation (Czech to English), the sections felt dislocated, the running of actions rough and I am really not sure about the Author's own interjection at places - you know, when you are reading a story, you are and you want to be transported to a space and time in the book and you try to live the characters, but all of a sudden the Author appears in the middle of the book, sidetracks you and snaps you back to the present. Ha Hum !

Would I recommend this book to you : At first, I found the book entertaining with the bits of flirting, partner-swapping and hints of greater things to come (the Russkies had arrived !) but it got a bit tiresome after thirty pages with more and more pointless ranting and the action never got going. The book read like a close friend telling you his sad tales - I was a famous surgeon once but now I am a window cleaner but I still sleep with a different woman everyday; by the way let me tell you how my dog died the other day. Really, honestly, that was Tomas, the book's main dude, deep thinker and super stud !

The Inheritors

Book Name : The Inheritors
Author : William Golding

What is it about : Not quite "The Last Of The Mohicans" but close ! Let's call it "The Last Of The Neanderthals" and the story tells how our close relatives, came face to face with our more sophisticated ancestors, the Homo Sapiens and inevitably loosing out.

Some thoughts after having read the book : Few books I have read maybe considered an original, but The Inheritors made it my first - style and plot truly unique. As I read along, I felt that I was installed with a caveman mindset as well as the corresponding bungling and inflexible walking movements. The impact was of course the initial encounter between the two tribes : the Neanderthals dudes with the slow minds, inferior communications who were practically tool-less, pitched hopelessly against the bows and arrows, fermented honey drinks and tree trunk boats of our more technologically advanced ancestors. The Neanderthals once thought the arrow aimed their way was a flying twig and may even be a "present" from the Homo Sapiens ! Game over dudes !

Would I recommend this book to you : Yes ! But this was by no means a straight forward read as the author had an opaque style that was hard to filter through at first. But hey, here's a.n.o.t.h.e.r. Nobel Prize winner for Literature and he's not gonna hand-feed you ! Nevertheless, for sheer originality and quest for a challenge, you will not be disappointed at the end.

Light In August

Book Name : Light In August
Author : William Faulkner

What is it about : A pregnant Lena Grove from Alabama went in search for the irresponsible father, literally by hitching rides after wagon rides, encountered the four vivid characters (directly or indirectly) in this moving story that ultimately climaxed in high drama. The four dudes in question were : "You're Pregnant-I-Had-Better-Run" Lucas Burch, the love-me-do Byron Bunch, the fallen preacher Gail Hightower and the mixed-blood Mexican with an unusual start and end of life, Joe Christmas.

Some thoughts after having read the book : This is a story you are not likely to forget too soon. The lives of the four men and one woman interwovened as if fate had brought them together and the story was set at a time in the American States that had a major attitude problem - the great black and white divide. Racial over tones permeated the story which I imagine was a reflection of the time that was. The parts written about the arm-waving delirious preacher Hightower and how his stunned congregation diminished in size were hilarious and definitely my favourite.

Would I recommend this book to you : Yes ! Don't be put off by the daunting feeling that you are reading a Nobel Prize author at work, this story had a surprisingly ready-for-movie feel about it and hence very readable. You will be impressed upon and delved right inside the incredible characters; however, you will need a bit of patience at times as the story was told in a chronologically zig-zag fashion.

A History Of God

Book Name : A History Of God
Author : Karen Armstrong

What is it about : A comprehensive account of the history of the world's three main religions : Judaism, Christianity and Islam. All the relevant historical characters who had ever made any impact, said anything enlightening or caused any re-think or re-group, have been mentioned in this book. All the theology, insights and controversies over the years, since the dawn of the "conscious" mankind, have been mostly accounted for in this book. Buddhism has also been frequently mentioned to run interesting parallels with these three religions. 

Some thoughts after having read the book : A book to completely "wow" you over with the impressive range of topics and understanding the author has over these religions. I was amazed to read up on the human race's painstaking attempt to conjure up entities of the "Supreme Being" or the "Nothing" and the ways and practices to reach, feel, understand and join-up with these entities. The author stressed on numerous occasions that a religion has to be pragmatic and has to "work" - that is, to help us make sense of our world. Daunting at first to put up with the challenge of reading such a big book with such a big title, I actually came out feeling I have gained something.

Would I recommend this book to you : Yes ! If you want to get a real grip on these religions or you want to understand why the historical figures made such impacts - then this is your book. What this book will NOT tell you however, are - the meaning of Life, why are we here and just who and what is God. You will need to figure that out yourself. Please e-mail me if you are close to an answer.

Rat Race

Book Name : Rat Race
Author : Dick Francis

What is it about : A laid-back, sometimes bitter ex-BOAC pilot with a not-too-clean flying record, became involved in an insurance scam in the horse racing circle. In the end of the story, became the hero with an almost-fatal stab wound, got the girl, took the cash and hobbled off to the sunset (something like that).

Some thoughts after having read the book : A hark back to the distant past where people actually sat by the phone awaiting news from missing family members; when books were less commercial and followed no known familiar formula; when heroes were reluctant and flirting was subtle - think Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn in BW movies - that's my impression of the book. An overall feel-good book and the reader would feel happy for the characters at the end of the book, without much Hollywood-hype fanfare, just no-fuss, comfortable Middle-England pleasantness.

Would I recommend this book to you : If you enjoy sitting by the radio listening to an exciting episode being read to you by a well-spoken Englishman, this is your book - a nostalgic old-timer. Take the book to a beach; or just read it to gain insights into a slice of England (horse racing, private jet business, esoteric airport locations ...); or just read the book for its good use of English - a good choice for extra-curricular reading material for say a student going on to Secondary School Form 1.

新疆两千年

Book Name : 新疆两千年
Author : 新疆維吾爾族自治區對外文化交流協會

What is it about : A comprehensive, colorful and interesting account of the region and now Province : Xinjiang. This is an "official" version of the events that happened in this area and covered many other fascinating aspects such as the famous jade mines (和田玉), the silk road, the hardships and prestige of the Buddist monks as well as the religious interchanges throughout the turbulent times of the past 2,000 years.

Some thoughts after having read the book : Having read this book, I wanted to get my rucksack out from the attic and explore this immensely interesting region asap. The region had been described as the crossroads between the world's 4 ancient cultural roots : Islamic, Chinese, Indian and European - just feel the cultural depth of the Province by following the adventures of the Buddhist monks, the rise and fall of the many kingdoms, the military might of the Chinese Emperors as well as the ambitions of the more recent Russian Tsars.

Would I recommend this book to you : Yes. I found the book very informative as I tried to read it without any political bias and took the events as stories and accounts of the "surviving few". The book could definitely do with a detailed map as well as translations of the figure heads and the geographical places. Otherwise, a fine read !

Catcher In The Rye

Book Name : Catcher In The Rye
Author : J.D. Salinger

What is it about : The story of a bored, grumpy and dissatisfied teenager, Holden, flunked yet another school with only his English subject passed, made his way (in a period of a couple of days) through New York's smoky bars trying to get an alcoholic drink, dubious hotels, gid-me-a-break taxi drivers, ex-teachers, ex-girlfriends, pimps, call girls and an adorable younger sister; building up to a finale of agreeing to attend "another" school in Autumn; that is instead of, heading west and build himself a log cabin and live an isolated life. Ha Hum...

Some thoughts after having read the book : Am I NOT feeling the pulses and emotional ups and downs of Holden because I am reading this novel WAY-PASSED my teenager days ? Or has the book outlived its place in the world in the current "modern", "liberal", "Facebook-era" space age ? The book was captivating insofar as I kept turning the pages expecting the "real" drama or climax to unfold but they failed to turn up ! The book was one long babbling monologue telling the reader what a loser, nowhere man Holden really is. At the end of the book, I tried to reflect what messages, philosophies or images did the Author convey over; unfortunately, none of these other than a reverberating down-and-out voice of a pain-in-the-butt chain-smoker telling you his sad tales.

Would I recommend this book to you : Hey, Man, this has been billed as, wait for it : "... one of the 100 best English-language novels in the 20th Century ... " but I beg to differ. Read it so you can claim that you have read "one of the 100 best English-language novels in the 20th Century". Have a few aspirins ready to kill off the headache caused by that annoying teenager ranting voice.

1959 拉薩 !

Book Name : 1959 拉薩 !
Author : 李江琳

What is it about : The author (a Chinese) pieced together numerous interviews with the Tibetan exodus and "official" historical references from the Communists Party as well as the Author's own description about the events before and leading up to the Dalai Lama's exile in India. The Author tried to clarify countless confusions and happenings about the interplays between the main characters : Mao, Dalai, Zhou Enlai and Nehru et al. The book also shed interesting lights on the long history between China and Tibet and about the important significance of the many Tibetan temples.

Some thoughts after having read the book : I tried to read this book with only History in mind and the book allowed me to fully immerse in the events as if Live ! I experienced through the reading of this book, the inevitability of conflicts and human instincts played out on another world stage. What are these instincts : might is right; winner takes all; ideology trumps. Just how many times have you seen similar events played out in our species' brief history ?

Would I recommend this book to you : A major YES ! You will not be unmoved by the feeling and experience of the sadness and desperation of War. You will gain an understanding of the steamrolling Communists of their ruthlessness to achieve their ideological objectives. You will be touched by the then young Dalai Lama's dilemma of entering and maneuvering around a tight historical cul-de-sac.

Shutter Island

Book Name : Shutter Island
Author : Dennis Lehane

What is it about : Two US Federal Marshalls sent to this remote island to figure out how a female inmate escaped bare feet, passing dozens of security barriers and later turned up at the prison front door without a scratch. Plenty of drugs, clever psychology and dreamy dialogues. And oh yea, all this happened with hurricane-grade winds howling at the background throughout most of the book - thrown in with power failure (including the backups) and psychotic prisoners roaming free on the island - just can you believe the setting ?!

Some thoughts after having read the book : Let's face it - if it weren't for Leonardo diCaprio's dramatic trailers and the mind-boggling settings, it would have been difficult to convince me to pick this book off the shelf. Actually I still had doubts in my mind as to what happened at the end of the book and I had to sort opinions in Barnes and Nobles Reviews etc. to confirm my suspicions. Now, that sounds like an incredible ending.

Would I recommend this book to you : Yeh, bring it to a beach or something. However, the author can do better or is my expectation too high after reading Mystic River ? This book did get me involved in thinking and feeling the way Teddy (Leonardo as the main Fed Marshall) did and it was kind of drug-induced, dreary and foggy. Is this a world I constructed and populated with characters I created ? Other films come to mind - A Beautiful Mind, Sixth Sense, The Others ... Add this one to that genre.

Becoming Human - Evolution And Human Uniqueness

Book Name : Becoming Human - Evolution And Human Uniqueness
Author : Ian Tattersall

What is it about : Interested in how you and I are related to some of the famous archaeological characters like the Turkana Boy, Lucy and the "First Family" ? Interested in a good old philosophical debate about where the human race is heading ? Interested in the clues as to why we can never be the 100% logical Spock of Star Trek fame ( ... there's life form, Jim, but not as we know it ... ) ? This book attempts to offer a few tantalising glimpses to these questions.

Some thoughts after having read the book : An ocean worth of knowledge in the topics of Humanity, Archaeology, Anthropology, Evolution and Philosophy. The author's immense details and insights in these topics, will in turn illuminate and delight but yet leaving the reader somewhat dissatisfied; because he freely admits there are still many "missing links" before a more complete picture can be formulated to answer the questions he poses : How we came about ? Are we that different to other species ? What happened to the other branches of Hominids ?

Would I recommend this book to you : Yes. After a hard slog (be patient ... ) reading through the cranium sizes, the different branches of Hominids, the significance of each important dig - the book enters the second half with interesting insights into the differences between Homo Sapiens - Man The Wise (that's us by the way; geez such vanity ... and really, not sure I am that wise ... ) and The Neanderthals ( ... sorry guys, but we beat you to it ...). Right on the back straight, the author finishes with a flourish, debating the future of our species. The second half of the book was a breeze and will make you put on your "Contemplation" hat.