Book Review: The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch

Every now and then you come across a story that has to be shared, that is so extraordinary that you feel the emotions of the protagonist as the story goes along. One such story is that of Prof. Randy Pausch, now deceased due to pancreatic cancer. Prof. Pausch was a distinguished man of science; he was a professor of computer science and a consultant to various companies like Google, Disney, etc. His was a charming and dynamic personality that enthralled everyone who met. Unfortunately he was diagnosed with a serious disease and given a few months to live. Instead of brooding about what he could have achieved or what his family would go through, he decided to devote his remaining time on this planet to plan how his kids would remember him, how he could leave behind a solid legacy for them to follow, and tried to execute his plan, which he did admirably. The book under review, ‘The Last Lecture’ was the result of all these plans.

Book Review: Surely You're Joking Mr. Feynman

Can an extraordinary scientist be at the same time a really funny man? Can he be a trickster of the highest degree? Well, after reading Richard P. Feynman’s series of biographical anecdotes titled “Surely You’re Joking Mr. Feynman”, I am sure everyone will agree to it. Feynman was one of the greatest theoretical physicists of the 20^th century who got the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1965. Apart from being an excellent physicist, Feynman was at the same time an extraordinary teacher and a passionate human being. Feynman had a charm and wit that made the world seem so real, so easy. His rugged looks and an extraordinary sense of self-confidence made him a natural with anybody to talk to. This book is a collection of written our taped conversations that Feynman had with his long-time friend Ralph Leighton. The style of the book is not at all autobiographical, but we do see a trait of an autobiography in it.

Book Review: Chandra by Kameshwar Wali

We have all heard about Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar-the man who got the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1983. However, only a handful knows the legend of Chandrasekhar and almost of all them are from the scientific field. And it is in fact a tragedy that no one at all seems to know the man Chandrasekhar. So, it comes as a pleasant surprise to find Kameshwar C. Wali’s excellent book “Chandra”, a biography of the legendary astrophysicist quite a pleasant read. This book is an enthralling human document. It seems even more remarkable when we see that Wali has managed to write a book on the life of a physicist who is known for mathematical terseness without a single
mathematical equation.

Book Review: Perfectly Reasonable Deviations from the Beaten Track

A perfect book is a blend of rare joy, charm and wisdom. And a book that I recently read fits the exact description. “Perfectly reasonable deviations from the beaten track” is a collection of letters written to and by the Nobel Prize winning American theoretical physicist, Richard P. Feynman. The book also contains some articles written about Feynman. Meticulously edited and introduced by his daughter, Michelle Feynman, this book for the first time gives a peek into the human world of a person revered throughout the world for his scientific works.

Book Review: Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish by Rashmi Bansal

Ever wondered what’s the success story of naukri.com or for that matter Sintex? How does an entrepreneur manage to make his dream everything in his life and how he can walk that extra mile to make his dreams a reality? If you have wondered about these and many other similar questions then “Stay Hungry Stay Foolish” by Rashmi Bansal is the book for you. The book, whose title is borrowed from the words of one of the world’s leading entrepreneurs Steve Jobs, is about the inspiring stories of 25 IIM graduates who choose to travel a path carved by them rather than following the road usually taken by many such young men. Published by the Centre for Innovation, Incubation and Entrepreneurship (CIIE)of IIM, Ahmedabad this book aims at fostering innovation driven entrepreneurship through the stories presented therein.

Book Review: A Beautiful Mind by Sylvia Nasar

How many of us, who are not practising mathematicians or mathematics students know about any mathematician? The number would be very small. It has got nothing to do with the fact that mathematicians are not very famous, but its because there is a general perception that what mathematicians do has got nothing to real day to day life, its as abstract as anything in this world can be. Yet another thing can be the lack of biographies of great mathematicians. In this aspect Slyvia Nasar’s excellent book “A Beautiful Mind” later made into a movie of the same name starring Russell Crowe and Jennifer Conolley is indeed a great boon.

Book Review: Losing my Virginity by Sir Richard Branson

I am usually very fond of biographies and autobiographies, especially involving scientific or mathematical people. However, when, at of the spur of the moment, I decided to buy “Losing My Virginity”, the autobiography of Sir Richard Branson, the founder of the Virgin Group; I was not sure whether I would like it or not. Even at the Airport when I was sitting and waiting for my delayed flight, I thought perhaps it would be a waste of my money and time. But how wrong I was! When I started reading the book, I found I liked it a lot. Quite unexpectedly, that book has left me with a new sense of direction in my life. I am more resolute about a few things which I had never ever felt so deeply before. It truly is a remarkable document showing the path of a man driven by passion.
 

Book Review: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

The art of writing a scientific biography is a very difficult one and has been mastered by very few writers so far. The task becomes all the more difficult if the subject is somewhat controversial and non-conventional. However, all these factors didn’t deter Rbecca Skloot in her fabulous attempt at telling the story of an unsung hero of modern science, Henrietta Lacks. The name of Henrietta may not be so popular with us, but if you abbreviate her name to HeLa, then she becomes something which every biologist and every medical professional has not only heard about, but moist probably seen. HeLa is a cell line that was taken from Henrietta’s cervical cancer without her knowledge or consent. The book “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” by Skloot tries to tell this story of wonder, deception, anger, science and miracles.