The lockdown gave me the time to explore an old favourite. While I have read the strips online and offline, reading it in one stretch makes the contexts and narrative arcs clearer, and also allows one to dwell on personalities and their nuances. Just amazing stuff!
Ted Chiang is master of speculative fiction and the nine stories are an example of his abilities – not just the imagination, but the ability to articulate it. There is profound insight in all the stories, irrespective of its length, and across multiple streams – from artificial intelligence to free will. An absolute must-read.
An insightful and well-researched book that details how libertarian industrialists like the Koch brothers have (and continue to) systematically undermine America’s democratic system to impose their worldview. In a narrative that starts from the 1940s, it shows how, using the anonymity of charitable organisations, they have penetrated everything from academia to political activism, and have supplanted the Republican Party. A fascinating read.
In eleven stories and 150 pages, the author showcases how words are worlds. The subjects range from mythology, fantasy and social media influencers to murder, sexuality and horror. You’re sure to find a few favourites!
The printing press was once called the biggest source of distraction, but technology has come a long way since then, and made sure that it is extremely difficult to not get distracted! Nir Eyal provides a systematic guide, keeping things simple, to navigate our personal and professional lives and become “indistractable”.