Category: Non fiction

  • Figuring

    Brain Pickings has been one of my favourite websites for a long time, and thus, this book automatically went into the wishlist. But as with many good things, it took a while to get into the cart! This is not a book that one can (or should) categorise easily, but as a reader, what I got was an appreciation of the essence and texture of life, and its interconnectedness. The book, I’d say, is poetry delivered in prose. A good thing for people like me who cannot appreciate the former! I read the title -“Figuring”, both as exploration and understanding, as well as mathematics being the language of the universe, but I am guessing it’s the first that the author intended. 

    The narrative is guided by the lives of many people. Some of them easily known, and some others not famous enough, unfortunately and unfairly. The book begins with Johannes Kepler, who would “quarry the marble out of which classical physics would be sculpted”. The stargazer, writer of science fiction, whose North Star was the discovery of truth, irrespective of what society thought of it. Including an insight far ahead of time – “The difference between the fates of the sexes is not in the heavens but in the earthly construction of gender.”

    Maybe the narrative was constructed with intellectual successors in mind too. And it’s probably through the years of sifting through content for the blog that the author found connections between the historical figures – events, mutual friends, pure chance, dates. And thus it is that we reach Maria Mitchell, “besotted with the splendour of the cosmos”, all of 12 years old, catching an eclipse, and beginning her journey towards becoming America’s first professional astronomer. She would hold Mary Somerville, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, and Caroline Herschel as examples of the era’s “few women of genius who have become the successful rivals of man in the paths they have chosen.” Ada Lovelace has a brief cameo here too. 

    In 1825, Margaret Fuller is fifteen, and writes that “I am determined on distinction”. In 1845, she would author “Woman in the Nineteenth Century” that “lit the Promethean fire of possibility for women”. Even as her intellectual life soared, there were very few highs in her personal life. 
    Much like Emily Dickinson, whose hundreds of poems were “verses of unambiguous beauty that thrill and taunt with their ambiguous meaning”. Though she was not well-known during her lifetime, she is now regarded as one of America’s foremost and unique poets. 

    Harriet Hosmer started her battles against expectation and convention fairly early in life, but with that also came the awareness that “everyone and everything we love is eventually swept away”. And yet she gave humanity a distinct perspective of what is possible as an artist and a human being. 

    The last recipient of the intellectual torch (in the book) is Rachel Carson, a relatively more contemporary figure. In another show of narrative mastery, the author links Carson’s story to its beginning – Lise Meitner, a pioneer in nuclear physics, whose scientific discoveries would have malevolent applications. A turning point for science and humanity. As Rachel Carson would observe years later, “We still talk in terms of conquest. We still haven’t become mature enough to think of ourselves as a very tiny part of a vast and incredible universe.. We’re challenged, as mankind has never been challenged before, to prove our maturity and mastery – not of nature but of ourselves.” Rachel Carson showcased and ignited the questions and fights that have now become global environmental movements. 

    The book forces us to ask the essential and existential questions – what makes a good life, what does it mean to live one that positively impacts humanity? And to me, whether it is worth it. Meanwhile, to note that along with these personalities, there are also giants in the periphery, who are probably more popular – Ralph Waldo Emerson, Charles Darwin, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Walt Whitman, and so on. 

    As I wrote before, the book is difficult to categorise not just because of its narrative style and content, but also because of the multitude of themes it covers – feminism, Transcendentalism, queer relationships, the stars in the sky and the life on the ocean floor – all from the perspective of “the pale blue dot” and its sentient beings. 

    P.S. With 100 pages to go, I had a visceral experience of the transience of life – a heart attack! Such is life.

  • Early Indians

    Before I get to how wonderfully interesting this book is, I have to say I am surprised it hasn’t been banned yet! It easily, and scientifically I would add, dismantles all of the Indigenous Aryans and Out of India Aryan migration theories that have been doing its rounds on not just WhatsApp but larger forms of media, and encouraged by the current powers that be! 

    Tony Joseph starts right from the beginning to answer the questions, “Who are we Indians? Where did we come from?” The beginning is about 65ooo years ago, when Homo sapiens decided to venture out of Africa, and subsequently entered the Indian subcontinent. Although if you ask an archaeologist, the answer would be 120000 years! They are referring to the first group of modern humans who left behind archaeological evidence. The 65000 comes from the geneticists who are talking of humans who left behind a lineage that is still around. 

    The author uses the metaphor of a pizza to show how we got here. The First Indians, from the previous paragraph, forms the base. The story of the next layer – the sauce- begins in the Levant (West Asia), where approximately 20000 years ago, hunter-gatherers were being stressed by the glacial period that turned many areas uninhabitable. Many centuries of experiments on gathering and processing food later, when plant and animal domestication began to see success, some Zagrosian (region of Iran) herders reached Balochistan, around 7000 BCE, mixed with First Indians and formed the basis of the Harappan Civilisation. 

    I don’t think we appreciate the Harappans enough. They were really advanced for their time, in their unique practices and outlook, across multiple facets of what we call civilisation. Public infrastructure, weight standardisation, jewellery and pottery, they excelled at many things. They were around for over 6000 years, created the Dravidian languages and were the ancestors of all Indians. There are some word examples that show the connection between Elamite – an extinct language spoken in a region that is part of present day Iran – and Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu. The occurrence of places ending with vali/oli in Western and Southern India is because of the Proto-Dravidian language connection as (some of) the Harappans started moving southwards when their civilisation collapsed. Fascinating stuff! 

    Back to the pizza. The Aryans were the “cheese” who arrived from the Steppe around 2000 BCE. It was the Aryans who brought in the Indo-European languages. They originated in the Kazakh Steppe and moved across Southern Central Asia and then South Asia. And yes, the earliest Vedas postdates the Harappan civilisation. So it’s not as if the Harappans were the Aryans! The present day Indian population is a product of the intermingling of two sets. ANI [Ancestral North Indians – made up of Harappans (First Indians + Zagros agriculturalists) + Steppe pastoralists] and ASI [Ancestral South Indians – Harappans + First Indians (south)] In addition we have toppings in the form of Austroasiatic and Tibeto-Burman language speakers as well as Greeks, Huns, Sakas, Parsis, Mughals etc. 

    There are three distinct areas of science that have contributed to our understanding (even if it is not complete) of the answers to the two questions. Archaeology, genetics and linguistics. They have their “little” differences, but collectively, they have provided substantial scientific proof. 
    And now, after everything that happened from then until the present day, if we ask who is the best representation of Indians at this point, the answer is a tribal woman, because she carries the deepest rooted lineage. Adivasi (first inhabitant). How ironical given the way we treat them! Civilisation and progress! 

    A must-read if you are even remotely interested in history.

  • The Psychology of Money

    Morgan Housel

    My job is at the intersection of marketing and personal finance, and that’s the reason why I appreciate this book even more. It is a difficult subject to communicate, but a job that needs to be done. What makes The Psychology of Money really good is that it views money not (only) through the technical lens, or the “get rich” advice, but explores the emotional aspects of personal finance, and then articulates in a way that is relatable. I might be a little biased because I subscribe to the author’s worldview, and apart from index fund investing, have exactly the same approach. But I think everyone should read this book, because, as the author quotes (Voltaire), “History never repeats itself; man always does.”

    I will try not to paraphrase the lessons because they need to be read in the author’s narrative style for them to (hopefully) sink in. He begins with calling out the fact that personal finance is well, personal, and while there are definitely rules in finance and investing might, one’s behaviour is based on one’s experiences and emotions. And some of it is very generation specific. For instance, the idea that one is entitled to a dignified retirement life took root only in the 1980s! 

    He then moves on to risk, and the role of luck, followed by the importance of knowing what you really want, and then, some excellent illustrations of the “magic pill” – compounding – at work. The next couple of chapters make some key points that are often ignored- the difference between getting wealthy and staying wealthy, and the importance of “tail events”.

    The definition of “freedom” is something I could completely relate to. I’d flip the original maxim for a quick understanding – “money is time”. The more agency over time I have, the happier I am. The next two chapters about wealth are extremely insightful – no one is as impressed as your possessions as you are, and spending money on showing others that you have money is the fastest way to lose it! Wealth is income not spent, and it increases optionality. And while, one cannot control externalities, what is possible is an efficiency in savings. “One of the most powerful ways to increase your savings isn’t to raise your income. It’s to raise your humility.” 

    The following chapters get deeper into the how emotions play a large role in financial decision making, how it is better to be reasonable than trying to be coldly rational, and also, how important it is to leave room for error. I really loved the Benjamin Graham quote – “the purpose of margin of safety is to render the forecast unnecessary.” This is also important because our own desires and notions of happiness change with time. There are also some nuanced perspectives on optimism, and my views about it have changed now! 🙂

    Another extremely important lesson is not taking financial cues from others without really understanding what game they are playing – what are they optimising for, and why. e.g. day traders vs long-term investors, at a transactional level. The author uses the final chapter to show what he is aiming for, and therefore the rationale behind his own investments. 
    As I mentioned earlier, the author’s goals resonate with me – “..you only do the work you like with people you like at the times you want for as long as you want.” But at the risk of repeating myself, I think this book will help you frame your relationship with money, irrespective of where you are in your thinking and understanding of personal finance. So I insist you read it! Now!

    P.S. The postscript is an excellent read on how the US economy and its people got to where they are, both in terms of macro economic events and trends, and expectations. It’s superbly insightful in terms of understanding consumer psyche. Wonder if someone has done this for India.

    The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel

  • Political Order and Political Decay

    Francis Fukuyama

    The first volume – The Origins of Political Order – went straight into my favourites, and so does this one. While the former was about the components of a stable state, and how political institutions developed differently in various parts of the world, this book begins at the dawn of the Industrial Revolution and shows how state, law and democracy developed to their current state, by (also) considering three additional dimensions of socioeconomic development – social mobilisation, idea legitimacy, and economic development. The industrial revolution and the economic growth that followed caused a movement to urban areas, where new social groups were formed based on fluid identities. This mobilisation serves as a foundation for changing political institutions with new ideas. The book also throws light on the various reasons for the decay of institutions, and offers directional thoughts on fixing them. 

    The author frames the development of the stable state by asking how a country can “get to Denmark”, which is the benchmark for an ideal state. While there is some specific focus on the US, also warranted by its early and unique path to democracy, the depth of analysis that has gone into many countries, across Asia, Latin America, Africa, Europe, is just astounding! History, economics, policy, geography, (with critique and usage of content from another favourite book – Guns, Germs & Steel), culture and many other facets, all going into understanding the state of politics in a particular country. There are many routes to modern government, including the necessities that war creates (“unfortunately”, Latin America never had its share, and Europe had plenty of it – both have class stratification, national identity, and geography to thank) and peaceful political reform. And once there, the principle of effective government is meritocracy, the principle of democracy is popular participation, effective states operate through law, but law can be an obstacle to appropriate levels of administrative discretion – how is balance achieved? The material is phenomenally complicated, and bringing it to this level of accessibility is something the author should be credited for. 

    The first part of the book focuses on parts of the world that experienced liberal democracies first – Europe and the US. It also analyses why Germany has an uncorrupt administration while Italy and Greece are plagued by corruption. In the former, how is state strength related to organised crime? How does cynicism and social distrust get culturally embedded? How were Britain and the US able to reform themselves from patronage-led public sectors? And why was Britain able to get there faster than the US? An active middle class accelerated Britain while US got a unified business community and middle class professionals only in the late nineteenth century. At a broad level, we learn early that the sequencing of events matters greatly. Countries where democracy preceded state-building (US) have had higher problems in achieving high-quality governance than those who inherited modern states (Germany, through some excellent civil service reform and an educational system) from absolutists. And that democratic societies without a strong national identity have trouble unifying the population with a common narrative. 

    The second part deals with parts of the world that had been colonised – Latin America, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. When the imperial powers left, many of these nations were neither fully Westernised nor able to retain their traditional political organisation. However, there are success stories like Costa Rica, which according to many frameworks should have become a banana republic. There are also disasters, like Argentina, which, blessed with climate and resources, should have become a model country. The reasons are complex, and Sub-Saharan Africa vs East Asia is a great example of different development paths. In both areas, as well as Latin America and the Middle East, states that had strong institutions were able to reestablish them, while those that didn’t struggled. Interesting to note that African ethnic groups are largely a modern phenomenon, created or at least consolidated in postcolonial times! The specifics of the Japanese system and how their military-led nationalism has evolved until the present day is also fascinating. The problem that East Asia now faces is making the state accountable. The nuanced difference between rule by law (state using law for its ends) and rule of law (law binding on the state) is superbly explained. In the Middle East, the threat is that popular mobilisations risks being hijacked by religion. 

    Part 3 focuses on democratic accountability and goes back in time to the period after the French and American revolutions to see how democracy spread. The timing in various countries vary depending on the changing relative positions of social classes – middle class, working class, elites, and peasants. The rise and growth of middle class was a great catalyst to democracy. While doing this, it raises a question extremely important for the current times – with increasing globalisation and technological advances, the middle class is getting hollowed out. What happens to democracy then? 

    The final section of the book is on political decay, and there is a heavy focus on the US, which has now gotten tied up in the very checks and balances it had set up to protect democracy. In the author’s words, “there is too much law and too much “democracy” relative to the American state capacity”. It has now become a vetocracy, with economically powerful special interest groups and the judicial arm having hijacked the system and preventing reforms. No modern book can avoid China, and this is further proof. The author sees the Chinese model as the biggest nondemocratic challenge to the idea of liberalised democracies. How will the Chinese middle class behaves in the next few decades? Even as it grows, will it be content to live under a “benevolent” one-party dictatorship? 

    I think I will re-read both volumes, they are such treasure troves of information. If you like books that explain the system of the world, this is a set you most definitely should pick up. 

  • Logicomix

    Apostolos Doxiadis, Christos H. Papadimitriou, Alecos Papadatos (Illustrator), Annie Di Donna (Colorist)

    I have to confess I gamed this a little. This is my 300th review on goodreads, so I wanted it to be a special. So I chose a unique book – a graphic novel whose title also includes “an epic search for truth”. And thankfully, it was a fantastic experience. 

    While the story is based on the life of Bertrand Russell, it is presented through the different perspectives of its makers too. In a sense, we get to see the debates they had and how they progressed on the storytelling. Self-referential is a multi-meta when we’re talking of logic, and paradoxes! Russell is a mathematician but mathematics is also his language to engage with philosophy and thus “the truth”. Indeed, it is difficult to draw clear lines between the two deep subjects, and it only gets deeper when you add logic into the mix. The journey is as spiritual as it is scientific. And many believe it is solvable. To quote Hilbert, “In Mathematics, there is no Ignorabimus (Latin for “we shall not know”). As Russell continues to work on his Herculean task of establishing a logical foundation for all mathematics, he crosses paths with some of the foremost thinkers of the era, and probably of all time. Kurt Gödel, Ludwig Wittgenstein, Alfred North Whitehead, Henri Poincaré and so on. (the creators note that some instances have been created for narrative purposes)

    The story is rendered in flashback mode, as Russell is asked to lend his voice to those who oppose US involvement in WW2. I found it a perfect setting as he practically narrates his life thus far, and in the end, his response to the protesters pretty much summed up what he learned from his life and his quest. Though the novel is primarily about Russell’s pursuit, it also gives the reader a view of his life in the real world – his lonely childhood, his many marriages, his friendships, his relationship with his student Wittgenstein, his passion to bring a sense of order, the connection between madness and logic, and his stance on the two world wars. All of this makes it a deeply layered book with some wonderful thoughts. “The tragic loneliness of every human being. The finiteness and profound futility of life”

    But I think the reason why I loved this book was also because it resonated a lot with my perspectives, my affection for logic, and the lessons I have learned when I have tried to bend reality to fit it. (“Sure, Frege, Russell, Whitehead were excellent map-makers, but maybe eventually they confused their reality with maps” “All the facts of science are not enough to understand the world’s meaning“) This also leads to a lot of over analysis. (As Russel writes, “Like me, he was constantly analysing everything, a habit deadening to the emotions“). And something about the genesis of it all – “Maybe what brings them to logic is a fear of ambiguity and emotion“. But of many moments, I think my favourite is when Wittgenstein survives a near-death experience and understands that”The meaning of world does not reside in the world“.

    Even if you’re not into graphic novels (I am not), this one is a must read.

    P.S. If you have read similar books, do share.

    Logicomix : An Epic Search for Truth