My first blog post of every new year is on the books I crunched in the past 1 year. Here is the list for previous years – 2010, 11, 12, 13, 14, 2015

For 2016 I had a target of 52 ( 1 per week ).

Science Fiction

Adventure stories on present earth life is boring. Drama is boring. Romance on Earth is boring. Only Science Fiction keeps me interested – it has all and much more.

1. Dark Forest by Cixin Liu

Remember Stephen Hawking? Recently he gave an interview in which he said something ominous – if Aliens contact us please do not respond – this book gives the why.

This is the 2nd part of the trilogy written by Chinese Author. Compared to first part it was a bit dull, and the story meanders through various attempts Humans make to fight with the advanced Alien species – through our primitive technologies.

Towards the end the story unravels beautifully.

2. The Heart Goes Last, Margaret Atwood

Margaret Atwood is a much acclaimed author who is good at painting Dystopian worlds. I heard her name mentioned during the US Election – on how a Trump world will be like Atwood’s so picked this one – was quite depressing at places, but loved the plot. Truly a great story teller. Regarding Trump’s new world – well even Atwood would not have imagined.

3. Red Rising ( Part 1 )
4. Golden Son ( Part 2 )
5. Morning Star ( Part 3 ) by Pierce Brown

Toooo good. As a Sci-Fi Lover lapped it up. The plot started like Hunger Games but got developed elaborately and loved how the story progressed. It is all about Strategy and how our Hero Darryl beats them all edging close to death all the time – everything is there betrayal, adventure,romance – heck they should make this as a movie.

6. Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card

This is the 2nd part of the Trilogy – the first part was Enders world which got made into a movie. Story starts with a mystery which gets unravelled at the end. Gripping through out – dull at a few places when the author takes pain to explain things in detail – but ending is really superb – how the aliens and humans come to an agreement to co-exist.

7. Survival Quest – Way of the Shaman by Vasily Mahaneko

In future prisoners are not put in Jails, but soaked in a virtual reality prison. And the prisoners have to mine day in and day out. Boring right – but they made an interesting story out of it. But you can skip.

Fiction

8. Animal Farm by George Orwell

Want to understand India’s Political Elite – read this book. I think when the Politicians kin enters politics, they present this book – on how to rule the masses.

9. Immortals of Meluha
10. Secret of Nagas
11. Oath of Vayuputras by Amish Tripathi

Somewhere in the middle of 2016 I acquired an Amazon Kindle and promptly signed up for the buffet plan. Read all these books in one trot. Superb imagination. Thoroughly Entertaining.

12. 2 States by Chetan Bhagat

The following criticism might apply to me when I write my own book someday. I once read somewhere that Jeffrey Archer rewrote his book 7 times before he was satisfied. He will also write his books double spaced, so he can make corrections below the lines. 2 States had a nice plot, but felt Chetan Bhagat could have rewritten at a few places. Felt as if the book was written in a hurried manner.

However, to give Chetan Bhagat credit – it was simple fast reading and entertaining. Can see why he is such a roaring success. Has created his own style – and it works pretty well.

13 Stranger by Albert Camus

Much acclaimed. Weird book. Man commits murder and what goes on in his head. Reason why I should stick to Science Fiction.

14. Colorless Tsukumi Tazoki by Haruki Murakami

Story moves slowly. The protoganist discusses Classical Music, describes the food in detail – typical Murakami fare. Interesting plot. Loved it.

Productivity

15. Mastery by Robert Greene

Wish I had read this in the early days of my career. Heck, I would be a writer giving Chetan Bhagat run for his money – if I had read this book some 20 years back. Book has many insights on how to become the master of any domain.

16. Deep Work : Rules for Focussed Success in a Distracted Word by Cal Newport

I had arrived at a conclusion that Social Media is useless. This book goes one step further and drives home the point that Social media is not only useless, but very much evil.

Point well made – this book is a must read for the millenails. – I am depending on you milenials to spend the last years of my life on flying cars, and visting Mars – but if you guys squander the time liking and retweeting inane things – I dread to think how my old age will be. Millenials – please log off Social Media – and go create something awesome.

Comics

17. Amar Chitra Katha’s Mahabaratha I,II and III

Superbly done. Enjoyed it thoroughly. It is such an easy way to read Mahabaratha. Do it.

18. Watchmen – DC Comics by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons

Had I been born in US, I would have been a nerd no doubt. And with dark rimmed thick glasses would have read all the comics. This one is dark, depressing at places, totally weird and didnt make any sense dialogues at many places – but gripping and held me glued to it. The book was written in the backdrop of cold war – and the influence of Super heroes on the outcome.

Now I am curious what the Batman, Superman comics are all about.

19. Perspepolis by Marjane Satrapi

Autobiography comic – depressing at many places. The author describes how she squeezes in happiness. We get a glimpse of how Iran went from a Great open culture to smithereens and how it is difficult for a open minded free bird like the author.

Sigh. Why? When we can use our collective intelligence to build space ships to go conquer the Galaxy – here we are mired in petty religious squabbles. Depressing really – how we are wasting the potential of Human brain.

Spritituality

20. Monk who sold his Ferrari by Robin Sharma

If you are curious on the Spiritual stuff, but do not want to sign into the Art of Living, Isha, Iskon etc.. camps – then read and follow this book. Has good simple tips for leading a good happy life – without being branded as a Spiritual guy. Liked the practical suggestions in the book.

21. Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom

Much acclaimed. Some of the truths we already know – nothing earth shattering for us Indians who are already half awakened. Some are true eye openers.

And for 2017 have again set a target of 52 – 1 per week.

Hi venkat2 – long time!

I am on a social media detox diet – has been a week since I bothered logging into Facebook or Twitter. I rely on good old newspaper for news and ask people around me what is going on in the world.

And during this week I realised – how the art of blogging is dead. Couple of weeks back I was researching on a trip to Pondicherry – and all travelogues were from 2013 or before. No one is blogging their experience any more – which is sad.

People are sharing on their Facebook page – that too just the photos – and get likes and the posts are lost. And the world cannot see it – this is lost for ever.

I can go to Team BHP or the thousand travel sites – but nothing can beat reading a blog post – no pesky ads or distractions – just the author and me.

Back to the topic – so I have made a resolution to revive my blogging. While my personal blog is still active ( http://kvrlogs.blogspot.in ) – this blog has been dormant for quite a while. Not any more – will be writing on my 2nd journey here – the one that feeds me – which has entered the 9th year.

Yes, I am still slogging like I was in year 1. I still earn lot less than what I made when I quit ThoughtWorks. My lifestyle is still the same. Loving the startup life even more.

But a lot wiser to how I was on running the company, building the product, handling angry customers, competition, hiring, firing, figuring out the time waster vendor/VC/partners… so on and on.

Till next time.

Ta.

Well thats my mind right now! Have deviated from the path the last few months – inspite of knowing the beautiful serene feeling I could be enjoying now – my mind is agitated and is all over the place, plotting many an evil plot, vengeful, hurt – messy.

My mind is similar to the parable of the boiling frog. It does not know it is slowly sinking into a mess and does not jump out.

Time to jump out of this rut.

Here is my interview of my mind.

Are you happy?

Nope. 

Why you are not happy?

I don’t know.

Are you happy at work and home?

Yes absolutely. At work – did I tell you I work on 2 large monitors now – one of the developers is on a long vacation and I have borrowed his. The apps are coming out good and some of the complex things we were doing all have been stabilised. 

At home – have a beautiful dog to cuddle anytime I want. P got into a bout of sickness + injury – and is back to his usual self. Also had procured Kindle – and have an unlimited supply of books. 

Then what is bothering you?

I want more. Like I want to go on a solo trip on my bike. I have been working constantly without a break for the last 6 months or so. Want to do something I have never done before.

But isn’t it dangerous?

Yes. Sitting at home I can contract dengue and die. Going around the layout on my bike, a water tank tractor can plough through me. Anything can happen any time – why stop from enjoying a long ride. 

So, why don’t you just do it?

The powers who love me aren’t letting me to go on this. I had made all arrangements for any eventuality – getting a dog tag with phone numbers printed, installed and tested apps to transmit my location ( perhaps this scared the people around me ). 

So that is frustrating you?

Yes.

So what are you going to do about it?

Going to reboot my life – yes lot of things are riding on me – so I cannot go riding on epic adventures. yet. 

Like?

Going to embark on an adventure of my mind – go deep. 

How?

Going on a Social Media diet. No more FB, Twitter. 
Going to crunch umpteen books. My target for 2016 is 52. I have completed 24 books till now.
Going to restart daily Sudarshan Kriya by waking up at 5:00 AM.
Going to pick one game ( Horizon chase – World Tour ) and complete all levels.
Going to break the 30 min barrier for 5k, 1 hour for 10k and  2 hour for half marathon. 

And this will make you happy once again?

Yes. I hope so. 

What if it does not make you happy?

Will buy an iPhone 7 then. Hehe 🙂

Today while running I was listening to a Chinese Science Fiction ( The Dark Forest ), translated to English, and recorded as an Audio book in a Studio in some corner of the world, that I downloaded from  Audible over airwaves using Cellular 4G – from a server in US or Singapore – to my iPhone.

And as I listened through my head phones, almost at the exact quality it was recorded, the phone was tracking my run with the help of  Geo Synchronous Satellites far up in the sky orbiting earth – I was wondering – man how lucky I am.

This is like living in a Future I couldn’t have imagined 30 years back.

Humans have progressed from Stone Age, Bronze Age, Iron Age, Medieval, Industrial to the current Information Age.

I can’t place if we are in the middle or just at the threshold of Information Era.

We were slowly cruising in the Information Age – from Mainframes to Laptops to mobile phones and having incremental improvements in every field.

Out of the blue, Steve Jobs, went ahead and revealed iPhone – 10 years back – and was a turning point in the Human History.

[ Stay low Jobs haters – Google’s Android did not look anything close to what iOS was. The day iPhone was released, head of Google’s Android project called his team on a Nokia phone ( or might have been Blackberry ) and told – scrap everything we are doing – we have to start over. And Nokia, Blackberry were just cruising filling up their coffers with incremental upgrades ]

Having portable computing power, with ability to communicate real time with anyone in the world – not just audio but pictures and video – has shrunk this world like never before.

Then Twitter got a new lease of life after it got into a Smartphone. Any event happening anywhere in the world is now just a tweet away. A Tsunami, a plane crash, Federer saving a Match Point, Messi missing the penalty – need not wait for the next day’s newspaper – it is right there for anyone in the world to read without a single second delay – they just need a Smart Phone with an internet connection. Meerkat and Periscope – lets anyone become a live TV reporter – unedited footage as and when it happens.

Then Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, ( damn I use all 3 – you Mark Z ) all these tools brought all of us closer and removed the physical distances between people.

Isn’t it amazing!

And you can summon a car with your watch. Google Car, Tesla – are making self driving main stream.

Perhaps in another 10 years – we will all be chauffeured by software. Who would have thought 10 years back – we will all be carrying a super computer in our pockets.

We are truly lucky to be living in the future!

This is my translation of Avalum Naanum by the legendary Tamil poet – Bharathidasan –  for the movie Acham Yenbathu Madamaiyada. Yet another masterpiece by AR Rahman – the music goes to the background letting the  lyrics shine.

[ Thanks to Mal for pointing out that this was not written by Madhan Karky, but by Bharathidasan ]

The movie name means – Fear is foolishness a phrase from a famous old tamil song by Kannadasan. The director of this movie – Gautam Menon, a Malayalee, names all his movie names with beautiful tamil phrases – and hard to pronounce too at times!

Vinnaithaani Varuvaaya ( Will you cross the sky to come to me )
Vaaranam Aaiyram ( 1000 Elephants )
Veetaiyaadu Vilayaadu ( Hunt and Play )
Pachaikili Muthucharam ( Green Parrot and Pearl Necklace )

The song is full of comparisons for She and I. Sounds beautiful if you understand even a little bit of Tamil.

Avalum Naanum
Amuthum Thamizhum
Avalum Naanum
Alaiyum Kadalum

She and I
Amrit and Tamil [ Tamil is as sweet as Amrit – the oldest comparison for Worlds oldest language ]
She and I
Waves and Sea

Avalum Naanum
Thavamum Arulum
Avalum Naanum
Vaerum Maramum

She and I
Penance and Boon
She and I
Root and Tree

Aalum Nizhalum
Asaivum Nadippum
Aniyum Panivum
Avalum Naanum

Banyan and  Shade
Action and Acting
Soldiers and Obedience
She and I

Avaiyum Thunivum
Uzhaippum Thazhaippum
Avalum Naanum
Alithalum Pugazhum

Meeting among Intellectuals and Boldness
Hard work and Tiredness
She and I
Donate and Appreciation [ This is a very weak translation – not having the impact ]

Meenum Punalum
Vinnum Virivum
Vetpum Thotramum
Velum Koorum

She and I
Amrit and Tamil

Dad was lying on the terrace, at peace watching the stars. The sky was the typical red because of the city lights diffusing into the sky. The clouds that night were moving very fast. There was a star – might be a planet – overhead, and this was giving an illusion that it was moving.

The son and dad debated whether it is a plane or a planet. Then the son ran away.

He had to go play with Sufi. Yes, Sufi 2.0 has joined their lives once again after 6 months [ Sufi 1.0 ]

Sufi was on her night stroll on the terrace. The mom had her on a leash and newspaper in the other hand – running behind the energy ball – as Sufi finds the perfect place to pee and poo – after her night dinner.

Sufi came back to smell Dad lying on the terrace, putting her wet muzzle on his face and hands and feet and went away to explore the terrace.

Life for a moment is perfect once again. Might melt away someday, but for now will just enjoy these moments and live in the present – how this Sufi lives moment to moment – and the family is learning this from her.

Thank you God. Not angry with you anymore.

I was wrongly made to believe that we humans are superior and we have conquered this planet and we have dominion on the lesser animal species. We told lies to ourselves, oh we have the 6th sense which animals don’t have. They just have the instinct – to procreate and survive. They do not have wishes or taste or wants or love. Put them in a cage, they will just sit there eating their food.

How grossly wrong was I / we are.

Animals are not just human, but more than human. In fact I don’t think we should measure animals in the human yardstick. We have pillaged this planet and extinguished beautiful creations of God. We humans are not good.

Animals are better than Humans.

Animals are kinder than Humans.

They do not destroy the environment. They enrich it.  They kill, but only for their survival – not for pleasure.

I am sick of our race.

You might wonder – why this sudden outrage Venkat?

3 news items in succession triggered this in me. 2 Beautiful Lions shot dead because a guy tried to commit suicide by jumping into their habitat in a zoo. A Beautiful Gorilla shot dead to protect a kid that fell into its cage. In China right now as we speak for a festival millions of beautiful lovable dogs are being slaughtered for meat.

And the daily carnage that is happening all over the world – millions of Chickens, Turkey, Cows, kind goats, baby goats, gentle Buffaloes, camels, Sharks, billions of fishes and crabs  – all being slaughtered in cold blood – some with bare hands, most by automated machines – not to satiate our hunger for our survival, but for feeding our sensory buds.  Recently saw a day or two hatched chickens being put into this horrible machine, and red minced meat was coming out on the other side. ( Will not share these videos here ).

I am sick of the lies being peddled – oh you need Protein – as if our humble Daal does not have enough. I am sick of the torture these beautiful animals have to go through daily to be beefed up and finally killed in an instant mechanically. Thousands languish in cages ( oh no cannot be millions – as we have destroyed them all ).

I am feeling helpless and angry and sad.

Anyway – here are a few videos I saw where animals act unlike humans.. but with love. It is what God intended.

I will keep adding to the videos here.. whenever I come across.. reminder to myself that we don’t know anything of these lovely neighbours who co-inhabit this planet – and will respect them,  love them, and wonder at them.