The Happiness Hypothesis

The title of the book caught my attention because it signalled a scientific approach. And somewhere in the book, the author does offer a formula that does seem logical. Somewhere in the book, the author shifts to meaning without a clear explanation. But barring that, it’s a very interesting book that introduced me to new concepts, nuances and ways of framing.

Other Minds

Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection is a subject that continues to fascinate me, and that’s largely why I picked up this book. The author does start off well, pitching cephalopods as an independent experiment by nature in the evolution of large brains, and there are some very interesting bits – subjective experience, sentience and consciousness. But the detours on octopus and cuttlefish are likely to put you off unless you’re an ardent fan of the creatures.

Success measures

Kaamyaab, a movie that I immensely liked for many reasons, once again brought up thoughts on how one defines success. Even when one has moved past societal notions and is only locking horns with self-image, the path is reasonably unclear. I thought I had moved ahead by a step, but came upon a bunch of challenges there too!