Steve Jobs - Walter Isaacson (Book)

Steve Jobs - Walter Isaacson

I always wanted to read a good biography for quite a while till I told this to a close friend of mine who happens to be a voracious biography reader - result? Instantly he gifted me with half a dozen damn good ones, not disclosing the names right away as anyways you are going to read my briefs about them as soon as I finish them. Fortunately the first one I picked up was on a guy - I almost had no idea about - all I knew till last month about Steve Jobs was that he was the guy behind Mac / iPad / iPhone - none of those things that I ever used. But what I know about him now is a plethora of information, facts, figures and what not that this space will do no justice to it if I start listing them down here. Also, I find myself simply incapable of reviewing this superb book (if I may call it that) with such a limited vocabulary that I have. I am totally in love with this guy and the products that he has created (read invented), first thing I am going to do now is to get myself a MacBook and an iPhone as soon as the budget permits, as my little token of appreciation to the great guy. Although this book wasn't an easy read to start with as its almost 530 pages in thickness plus the copy that I got was quite a size bigger then the normal paperbacks we get, its almost impossible to hold it while lying down on the bed so I had to read it sitting on my couch with the book balanced on my lap (like seriously). Plus the story as it unfolds is so damn good and in great details that I had to actually take a break after every chapter to digest, adjust it in my brain and even brag about those points that I just read to my kiddo and wifey and let me say this that even they were amazed to know all that.

Steve Jobs was one heck of a man, I can say that now very well after reading all about him and like the Author says one will run out of adjectives - if you would start describing him in mere words. Like its no secret that he started his company from his parents garage and grew it into a multi billion dollar corporation now. Starting from the company's name to its logo - almost everything has a background story to tell. I had no idea that he was such a big fan of Alan Turing who he claims won the second World War single handed and died by eating a poisoned Apple to save his secrets from Germans. Not only that - the products that he wanted or actually made - he always wanted to make them out of this world and we all know how world class they are. He was actually one hell of a guy who wanted to make a dent in the Universe and now today we can very well agree that he indeed made one in his life time and left a company which will go on and on without him being present any longer. How he hired, fired, nurtured and behaved with his staff, friends, immediate family, kids, parents (adopted) as well as his own who abandoned him while he was a child - makes up for damn good read. His eating habits as he will call himself a Fruitarian (I had never heard of this term before this book - ever), there was this one time he ate so many Carrots that he turned Orangish in color :). Or not wearing shoes at all, turning barefoot for his job, not taking bath for days, not using a deodorant etc etc. Also, the crazy guy when they detected Cancer - tried doing his own therapy for almost a year before finally giving it all up and taking professional help. They could have saved him - if only he agreed with the doctors in timely fashion then following his own whims and fancies.

His personal life, first wife, divorce and an abandoned daughter - how and what he does for them at a later stage or can be said how he was forced to do for them is another superb chapter of his life. I could never believe that a Biography could be this interesting - or may be because the world was anyways in Awe with him that it makes up for a supremely interesting read. It actually made me laugh out loud so many times especially the way Walter described how frequently he will actually cry out in public once his wishes weren't full-filled. How he behaved with his friends and colleagues - totally unbelievable stuff. Also, his interaction with the CEO's of other companies and how he treated them at times - seriously unbelievable. But the best and my personal favorite will always be his love hate relationship with the then Microsoft CEO - Bill Gates (superb episodes). His hand behind the making, running and success of Pixar as well as the fallout with Disney is one damn good and inspiring episode. Another too good chapter(s) were his choice of movies, music, likes in the genre as well as his indifference with Beatles and the final outcome is simply too good, the guy will just not give up. And let me not even talk about the invention of iPod, iPad, iPhones and other fantastic products as that will stretch this write up further couple of pages if I do that.

This should be an authentic biography from all standards as it does line up his negative traits too and author does clear it before even starting the project with Steve himself that he is not going to like what is written about him to which he responds that in that case it wont be called an in-house book :). The book is in so much great details that I guess it covers everything he has done in his life and an outstanding effort by Walter Isaacson. I saw both the movies based on his life and this book - one with Ashton Kutcher in lead (Like Seriously what they were thinking?) who almost resembled a lot like real Steve Jobs and acted well too but that movie left so much expected with not so much delivered. The other that came last year with Michael Fassbender in lead too wasn't the best I would say as they made a lot of changes and took too many cinematic liberties - makes up for a good movie viewing but cannot be called an apt adaptation neither of the book nor of his real life.

I am definitely looking for more biographies by Walter Isaacson now after reading this and already got one more very interesting one already, which I shall be finishing soon. Do read it guys - if you haven't already and if you have - do let me know how you like it :). 

His Bloody Project - Graeme Macrae Burnet (Book)

His Bloody Project - Graeme Macrae Burnet

My second Booker (Nominee) book in the last six months and I am confused if I can call it a beautiful book or story or not as its based on the gruesome killing of three members from a family by a teenager way back in the late 19th century. This book although it was hardly 140 pages yet took me quite a while to read, digest and finish, also kept reminding me of outstanding book with almost similar story by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (Chronicles of a Death Foretold) where we are told at the very initial start what (and how it) is going to happen next still the reader is completely glued and engrossed with the narrative. Mind-blowingly chilling account of the killing but the situation leading the protagonist to the same and subsequent consequences leading to it and what happens afterwards - no way that I as a reader couldn't sympathize or empathize or even looked forward to an alternate ending then it can be presumed (very well). That was some story and some simply superb way of telling it - no wonder it made it to the Booker qualification - win or no win - its a winner all the way for the reader. It is indeed based on a real life incidence way back in time but the Author must be praised to have written it in a way that no way it can be considered something written in the 21st century and by that I mean the language and choice of words and sentences, totally amazing work.

Another thing that I like about these books based on a time couple of centuries earlier is mostly the gloomy background, the struggle of daily life, dreams and vision of a better future, simplicity, slow but developing pace plus no hurry to reach anywhere - they have so many qualities provided the writer is good and in this case - this guy is damn good in that and makes up with a completely satisfying account. The book is very smartly written in two parts - first is the boy's memoir of what and why he did what he did and second part narrates what happens afterwards. Even the courtroom drama associated with the story is too good and almost one of the best I have read so far in any of the books with fantastic twists and turn of events plus some good investigative research done by the various parties involved. The books makes up for a very compelling read - one that I couldn't put down without finishing yet couldn't read too fast too as it takes its own time in developing the story and then shocking the reader with simple yet great details - if you have read this you will know what I mean but if you haven't - you've got to read it. A book not to be missed by anyone as it is thrilling, chilling, have a damn good little love story too in between. Go for it guys - do not miss it at any cost.

Delirium - Lauren Oliver (Book)

Delirium - Lauren Oliver

A very dear friend mailed me this book and the title got me hooked to it. Imagine a world where "Love" is considered a disease and not only that - they have even discovered a cure for it too. The procedure of curing someone of Love will be done at a precise age and time when it hits the subject most. How they behave before the procedure is done on them and how afterwards - makes up for a superb read. It may get a little predictable for the over smart sorts but worked perfectly fine for me as I am unfortunately a hardcore romantic who takes all his decisions from heart rather then brain. It isn't a very small book but it races to the finish in no time as its written from the perspective of a teenager who has fallen head over heels unknowingly and later realize how cruel the world is for people like them. How they face their fate and what all secrets gets revealed about the people who had fallen in love earlier and had gone through the process of "Unloving" again makes up for a compelling read. I had no idea of the subject or the wild imagination of the author but as I finished this and read about it - guess she has written a trilogy of sorts - gotta get the other two books and see what happens to them in future - if there was a future for infected couple(s).

If you like romantic novels or love stories - this is a must read for you. A totally new concept I will say.

Arranged Marriage - Chitra Lekha Banerjee Divakaruni (Book)

Arranged Marriage - Chitra Lekha Banerjee Divakaruni

Usually when I read a book from a writer whose works I have never read earlier - I tend to pick up more stuff from them to know them a bit better, guess this time it was a big mistake. I read her latest book (Draupadi's version of Mahabharat) and decided to pick up her earlier books too - this one's title too was temping and especially coming from an Indian author I was inclined to anyways like it for humor, Indian background, our own been there done that stuff thinking and all. But this one unfortunately turns out to be a frustrating account of a female stuck in a loveless marriage with an NRI (preferably someone working in California, USA) almost against her wishes in an Arranged Marriage. It isn't a big book as it had a little less then 200 pages with almost a dozen odd stories, written all from the perspective of the girls involved, all of them from Calcutta and Bengali's. Not that I have any issues from their being Bengali's but I seriously have issues with all of them shouting out loud in all their accounts that "All Men Are Dogs", I was like C'mon, this is 21st century we are talking here, where the women are fiercely independent, educated and take their lives head on now a days. There was a time when this used to happen - I would have still lived peacefully with these stories, mostly agreeing that yes it does happens but unfortunately not one story had anything positive to say about any of the husbands.

Even if you look around yourself in today's time - it is quite possible that we do see a lot of unhappy couples going on with their loveless married life just for the heck of living in a society where we think of what others will think of us but still there are (some) good husbands who do love their wives, care about them, treat them as equals - what I was shocked about the book was that the writer couldn't find one husband out of the dozen accounts she had written to be that good man. That was a little heartening for me. Even couple of stories with the typical patriarchal background (though convincing) but there too the villain was the Husband only treating his wife as a sex object, with no rights, live a life of maid and when he cant have her i.e. when she is expecting - he will happily find an alternate - I am like WTF, seriously. An utterly frustrating book that I will not recommend (after a long long time this became one of those very few books that I will have to rate low). I guess I will try her other Mythological Fictional works - in which she is too good. This was an epic disaster.

This Was a Man - Jeffrey Archer (Book)

This Was a Man - Jeffrey Archer

7/7 of The Clifton Chronicles

Last year when I picked up the first Harry Potter book when it came highly recommended by my couple of friends and a cousin - until that moment I always thought it was a case of "Much ado about nothing" and today after finishing another series of 7 books from yet another British writer - I post this review having a "Severus Snape" like hair style, wearing a Harry Potter T shirt. Imagine what impression these books leave on my fragile soul :). Another friend told me that she cried while ending the seventh book and it wasn't any different for me too as a tear actually almost rolled down my eye (twice) as I finished the last chapter "The End" and as the German wall came crashing down and at the very end - WOW!. Fantastic, Mind-blowing and just terrific was this book series which will be on the back of my head for a long long time. Amazon yet again goofed up the delivery of the last book as I always wanted to read the last book as a paperback but had to settle finally for a kindle version as just couldn't resist waiting another couple of days for the delivery to arrive and I am glad I did that. And if I didn't mention earlier - even in this series one of the main character happens to be named "Harry (Clifton)", couldn't just be a co-incidence you see.

Much against the general opinion of people who read the series and claimed that the last book was underwhelming - I would like to counter that because I totally loved it and will call it a perfect ending. Yes, it doesn't comes any closer to the first two for sure but is certainly way better then the last four and a perfect finale I will say. Here too Lady Virginia bounces back with a vengeance and her story takes an amazing (hilarious) turn as we expect no less then what actually happens to her - Karma at its best. The way Jeffrey has covered the seven decades in the life of the trio of Harry, Emma and Giles progresses in life and achieves what they achieve together against all odds is simply commendable, from kids at a primary school to great grandfather and grand fathers respectively plus the added important episodes from history make it a damn good read. Also as Harry's last book comes to an end (book inside a book) - I guess all the fans will definitely look forward to the same booking coming to stands this year some time soon by Jeffrey Archer named "Heads You Win", what a superb idea. I wish I could come across Jeffrey Archer in real life so I get an opportunity to take out my pen and raise in respect - if you know what I mean.