This book helped me during my BSS Monograph. I worked on the topic, drug, as a research interest. Although, I am still exploring different research interests before settling on to a specific genre, I love re-reading this book whenever I need to for academic purposes. This has been an observatory topic to me for the taboo and the interests surrounding drugs. So, I seeked help from Mr. Hari. 

The writer, Johann Hari did so much more than just educating me on the war against drugs. I met everyone involved in this war, from government officials to drug cartels and dealers to people on the cutting edge of legalizing and decriminalizing drugs around the world. Hari also introduced me to people who were still struggling with addiction and people who had been clean for a long time. This book covers all sides of an important topic, and I'm so glad I read it.

He starts in the early 1900s, when alcohol was illegal, and goes all the way up to the present day when many country accepts open alcohol consumption and law makers think about laws sitting in a bar having previously illegalized alcohol. In each time period, he talks about real people on both sides of a problem. 

As a reporter, Hari gave the facts without trying to hide the taboo-ed events. As a nonfiction writer on a mission, he often added his own thoughts to the facts too. I found this book a knowledgable and fair one for anyone who's interested in drugs and related crimes. But for the uninterested ones, this book might feel nerdy and boring.

Chasing the Scream

I first saw this book in a shelf at Batighar, with rediculous price. Having the habit of judging a book by its vibe, especially its cover, I have always avoided its glance. But due to the massive popped yellow and browns, I couldn’t ignore. My perceptions changed when Ali Abdaal included this book in a newsletter. I was curious. And gave it a read.

It’s about a busy manager named John who was in a post-burnout vacation to get away from his work pressure. while driving back home, he gets lost in the middle of nowhere. He runs out of fuel and ends up being in a cafe named “The Why Cafe.” There, he discovers three questions on the back of the menu. Three “whys.”

Behind a very simple narration, the questions resonate for quite a while even after closing down the book. The main character who isn’t the sharpest tool in the shed, soon starts to reflect you. And makes you question the same whys to your inner self.

After reading this book, I started viewing my life’s angels. We often don’t have an answer for why do we do what we do? It’s the most important philosophical question of our life, yet, we are not prepared to answer. We work to be busy, or for financial reasons. Rarely we ask ourselves, what makes us feel fulfilled, what makes our glasses half full, what would I do if I were to die tomorrow.

To live a fulfilled life, we need to find our purpose and manifest it.

The clearer we envision what we want out of life and manifest it, we WILL attract more luck.

Pros: Easy language, simple narrative, relatable discussion.

Cons: The discussion was unnecessarily prolonged. The book should have been ended sooner with less page. Presentation becomes monotonous.

The Why Cafe

This is one of those books that a lot of people say you MUST read, or that is literally life changing. It is a collection of what Naval Ravikant has said about money, happiness, and having a reason for living. Naval Ravikant's tweets are famous for a specific "wise" element, as many people wonder how he says so much with so few words. So, I picked this up because of the hype I saw for the book and the author on social media. I had so little knowledge of this book that social media made me believe it's written by Ravikant himself. But no, the author is Eric Jorgenson, who compiled the philosophies of Ravikant here.

The term, "almanack" refers to the yearly calendar with statistics about things like the phases of the moon, sunrise and sunset times, tides, anniversaries, and so on. In this book, this word has been used to describe Ravikant's life course; especially his ups and downs and ups again.

The author does a good job of putting together Mr. Naval Ravikant’s tweets, podcasts, and interviews to make this book. It is a collection of Naval Ravikant's most important lessons. Naval Ravikant shows people how to build wealth and be happy for the long term by working on a few essential skills and learning the secrets of living a good life. Ravikant's perspective on living a successful life was straightforward. He focuses on five mantras. And the effective practice of these five steps makes a person wealthy (not necessarily rich though). His advice is,

Finding out how you may generate wealth: Ravikant believes, renting out time will never lead to financial success. To gain financial independence, wealth must be continuously acquired, even when people are sleeping. So, 9-5 jobs are never going to work out. Rather, he suggests taking business risks as much as possible. Profit, share, and equity are what turn money into wealth.

Building judgment and judge every decision: The ability to exercise good judgment is necessary to make good decisions. It is the knowledge required to make the most appropriate decision in order to make the most of one's activities. In this day and age, where leverage is prevalent, one move can make people win or lose everything. There, you need good judgment to always make the best choice, preferably before other people.

Acquiring the skill of making choices: In life, there are a lot of choices to be made with lots of options and opportunities. We must learn, how to make a hard choice. Ravikant advises taking the path that hurts more in the short term. Because he believes, easy choices lead to a hard life. Tough choices, easy life. And if you can't decide on anything with 100% assurance, you should always say "no."

Getting in the habit of reading for pleasure: Ravikant believes, books should be interesting and absorbed slowly. But books that make only one point, should be flipped ahead and speed read until that one point is clear to the reader.

Recognizing that your happiness is a choice you can make for yourself: People have 3 choices in every situation. They can change it, accept it, or just leave it. So, in any situation, being happy has these 3 options. People can change the situation if it contradicts their being happy, or they can accept the situation and try to be happy by conforming to it and leaving the situation that is not letting them to be happy. But remaining happy, is always possible.

Apart from the philosophical discussions, the author mentions Ravikant's idea of the future of work and jobs. He thinks, it will be hard to get rich in jobs where your inputs and outputs are closely linked. For example, in a corporate 9-to-5 job, the worker exchanges the exact number of work hours for his hourly salary. So, if being wealthy is the dream, this is a big No. You need to find ways to make a difference in the world while spending little time or energy on it. Here, the input and output are not equal. Instead, the impact of the output is greater than the input. This is the only way to be wealthy, and by wealth he doesn't mean riches and fancy stuff; he means the life of a dream. I found this book extremely realistic, even in a cut-throat way in some pages. If you are a realist, you will love this book; if you are an optimist, you will love this book; if you are an individualist, you will love this book. But for conformists, observers, and philosophers, this book may be confusing and create a dilemma between your id and superego. But a good read anyway.

The Almanack of Naval Ravikant 

I started reading this book simply because I had it in my university library and the title seemed interesting. Although it did not match how I thought it would turn out, I learned something new. 

So, the book argues that metaphors (how one perceives something) shape the way people think about politics. It talks about the idea of the country as a family and how this idea shapes all political views. The ideal family for liberals and conservatives is different. Liberals think "nurturing parents" are the best, while conservatives think "strict fathers" are. 

The "strict father" morality represents the traditional nuclear family, in which the father provides for and protects the family. He teaches the children strict rules. Their children need to learn how to take care of themselves, be independent, and treat adults with respect. People will only help other people get what they want or avoid what they don't want if it helps them get what they want or avoid what they don't want. 

A "nurturing parent" is someone who cares about their child, is fair, and makes things easy for the child. This paradigm is based on feeling cared for and being cared for, having your needs for loving relationships met, living as happily as possible, and finding meaning in caring for and being cared for. Children do what they are told not because they are afraid of getting into trouble, but because they love and respect their parents and other people. Good communication is important because kids will only respect their parents if they understand why the choices, they make are safe and healthy. 

Both liberalism and conservatism have moral and political worldviews that are broad enough to allow for a lot of different variations. The metaphors used by each moral system affect how they run politics; especially the government. Most people get their ideas about politics from what they were taught at home (or from their environment). These rules fix what to do and what not to do. These ideas are important for things like equal rights, abortion, education, and making sure the country is safe. So, the book gives a good insight on how political views are formed and how it affects a person's level of independency. It draws a distinction between liberalism and conservatism, which was interesting to me. 

A good political read. Won't give this a rating.

Moral Politics

Another day, another WW2 book! I know, I am exaggerating my love for war books, but these are actually interesting. Very interesting. Exaggeratably interesting. So...here I go again with a beautiful memoir of a WW2 survivor, Eddie Jaku. The man considers himself "the happiest man on earth" and this book is about the reasons behind his beautiful vow. The book was written as a means of paying respect to the departed through sharing his experiences and insights.

Despite his Jewish ancestry, Eddie Jaku always identified as himself as a "practising" German. But his love for the country changed when his countrymen saw him as a Jewish only and this identity made him a victim of the Holocaust. From 1938, he was beaten, arrested, and sent to a concentration camp for torture while spending the following seven years in Buchenwald, then Auschwitz, and finally a Nazi death march. There he endured unspeakable horrors which he describes in this book with passion. He saw his family dying after years of torture, he saw his country dying after years of destruction. Still, he hoped for survival, he hoped for happiness.

In his book, he vividly describes the horrible experienced he lived in and the cruelest things people did. He only made it through the war because of his strong will of being happy, being alive.

"Tomorrow will come if you survive today." My favourite quote from the book summarizes the zest of the book perfectly. This book is a rundown the memory lane of Mr. Jaku, reminiscing his life during world war 2 and how he survived because of his thirst for...surviving. And he was successful because at time of certain deaths, surviving was his definition of happiness. And he became happy when he survived.

A good book for Holocaust addicts like me. 9/10

THE HAPPIEST MAN ON EARTH

Where constant busyness is often glorified to keep the modern world running, the concept of slowing down might feel like you are losing time or lagging behind everyone else. It seems counterintuitive. However, as Haemin Sunim, a Buddhist monk and former professor, eloquently conveys in his 2013 book “The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down,” slowing down is not about being idle or unproductive; it is about intentionally directing our attention and energy towards the present moment, allowing us to experience life with greater clarity, appreciation, and resilience.

Sunim's teachings emphasize the profound connection between our minds and our perception of the world. He asserts that our minds, when cluttered with unnecessary thoughts and worries, distort our view of reality, often leading to feelings of dissatisfaction, stress, and anxiety. Conversely, by cultivating mindfulness, we can cultivate a sense of inner peace, allowing us to navigate life's challenges with greater equanimity.

One of the key principles Sunim highlights is the importance of spiritual intimacy, the recognition of our inherent oneness with our being. By recognizing our interconnectedness with the world around us, we can cultivate a sense of compassion and understanding, both for ourselves and others.

Sunim also emphasizes the power of perspective. He reminds us that our perception of events and situations is often subjective, and that our emotional responses to these events stem from our own interpretations. By cultivating a more optimistic outlook, we can transform negative stimuli into opportunities for growth and learning.

In addition to these core principles, Sunim provides practical guidance on incorporating mindfulness into our daily lives. He encourages us to be mindful of our emotions, acknowledging and accepting them without judgment. He also suggests taking time each day to reflect on our blessings, fostering a sense of gratitude for the positive aspects of our lives.

Finally, Sunim emphasizes the importance of self-acceptance. He reminds us that true happiness stems from embracing our authentic selves, rather than conforming to external expectations. By accepting ourselves for who we are, we create a foundation of self-love and resilience that enables us to navigate life's challenges with greater grace and equanimity.

In essence, Sunim's teachings offer a profound and practical guide to cultivating mindfulness in a fast-paced world. By slowing down, embracing the present moment, and accepting ourselves for who we are, we can cultivate inner peace, enhance our relationships, and experience life with greater clarity, appreciation, and resilience.

The things you can see only when you slow down

I have been fascinated by the events of Holocaust ever since I was introduced to the worst event of human history; WW2. The Novel, Tatooist of Auschwitz hits you with thoughts, you live the emotions of the people affected by a mad war. This is an incredible story of the Auschwitz-Birkenau tattooist, Lale Sokolov and the woman he loved.

Lale Sokolov was 26 when the Nazis came to his hometown in Slovakia to take the men away. When he arrived at Auschwitz, he was given the identity number 32407. A fellow prisoner, a French man named Pepan, took care of him and eventually made him his assistant as a tattooer, or a tetovierer. Eventually, he was assigned as the head tattooist in the camp due to his knowledge of many languages. He met a young girl, the 18-year old Gita, whose arm he tattooed as she braved the pain. Her tattoo number was 34902. He fell in love with her that day. Despite the harrowing conditions, Lale believed that he would survive prison camp. Gita, however, was less hopeful. Will Lale and Gita survive Auschwitz? That's the question the novel answers beautifully.


The book makes you feel blessed to have loved ones in your life. It shows you a mirror of your negligence. It affects your soul and your love for your loved ones. I loved reading it. 

Tatooist of Auschwitz

The book starts with the idea that the subordination of one gender to the other, (which is the basis of the current social relationships between men and women in a patriarchal setting), is wrong and it is the main reason behind a slowed down progress of our societies. It should be changed to a principle of equal treatment for everyone, regardless the gender. The writer, John Stuart Mill's reasons for this are uniquely explained. He discusses where the idea that women should be submissive came from. By comparing how women are treated to slavery, he shows that a society where men are in charge has severe moral problems. Mill also disagrees with the traditional view of women by saying that history doesn't show that their subjection is right, nature did not create women as "subordinate" to men. Then why do societies do this? Why do people go against the nature?
He looks at the laws about marriage and shows how men and women have different amounts of power, but none of it is unequal. He agrees that the powers are different; but are incomparable within the same scale. He tries to establish that marriage laws are more fair to men than to women. For example, people think that women are responsible for the behavioral growth of her children and when a child becomes deviant, the women is lebelled as a bad mother who could not raise her child well. Mill sees marriage as a partnership where the "equal division of power" is the key to be successful. 
He then goes into more detail about what he thinks women should do when they are not married. He says that they should be able to vote, work, and run for political office. 

So, basically, it was one of the modern books of 1800s where equality has been focused rather than women supremacy or men supremacy. The fact that a non modern book acknowledged women's role in the society and the need for equal rights made me happy. Problem arised when I found some problematic thoughts that may have been very relevant and just during that era. The bad thing about the book is, after all these equality talk, Mill conclude his discussion with arguments on why public jobs do not suit women! Some of these are bad ideas about how smart, cunning and emotional women are. Though I found the book progressive enough considering its time and era, I would enjoy it more if certain ideas didn't indicate gender biasness. Overall, this was a good knowledgable read and I can rate it at 7/10 at best. Plus one for being one of the most revolutionary books of modern history of feminism.


The Subjection of Women

In the first volume of his presidential memoirs, Barack Obama talks about how he went from being a deprived teenager to being the most loved leader of the world. He talks about his historic first term. From his early interest in politics to his election as the 44th President of the United States and the first African-American to do so on November 4, 2008, Obama took me on a political journey. While describing his this journey, he actually emphasizes on the "journey" part of it. Obama took me to places like Moscow, Cairo, Beijing, the Oval Office, and the Situation Room. I heared his deepest thoughts as he chooses his cabinet, deals with the global financial crisis, judges Vladimir Putin, gets the Affordable Care Act passed despite strong opposition, talks with generals about U.S. strategy in Afghanistan, tries to change Wall Street, deals with the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and gives green signal to the raid that kills Osama bin Laden.

Obama is aware of the moral problems that come with high-stakes actions and of the hopes of a generation that grew up with the slogan "hope and change." He was honest to me; about his self-doubt, disappointment, and the things he did, both right and the wrong ones. This is what I loved about the book. The sheer transparency of it; the honesty of it. 

Obama claims that writing a book was “hardly a financial plan” and the book delivers the message pretty well. Besides, a president does not need to earn financial stability through a book duh! If he wants, that's a different discussion. Rating the book is tough as it only shows one side of the coin from one man's perspective. It does not talk about the American hegemony; neither it mentions its cruel past. This is one lacking I though Obama could have touched on pretty well I felt.

Barack Obama is definitely a knowledgeable writer. His sentences and large array of opinions and analysis give his stories of bureaucratic fights and boring senate sessions imagery and life. His imagination and conveying those through words were clear, prompt and convincing. Overall, I loved reading A Promised Land, and appreciate Mr. Barack Obama for his honest writing. 

A Promised Land

I loved it, hated it, and loved it again. I loved this book because it has questions I am interested in, hated it because it lacked depth in some points and again loved it because it make me answer my own thoughts. 

In this book, the writer, Warren Berger showed how powerful every single question can be. We can get answers, learn more, and move forward if we ask questions. We can figure out what to do in almost any situation by simply asking. But we need to make sure we're asking the right questions, ones that will help us find the answers we want or shed new light on an old known answer.

The Book of Beautiful Questions has more than two hundred questions. I am not going into detail about those. Beside containing a lot of insight generating questions for the reader, the book talks about how to ask good questions to help make good decisions; especially, when it's a difficult situation. A question can literally save lives. Questions give the brain something to think about and can be used right away to make a positive (or a negative) difference. The book helped me figure out my own answers to life's most important philosophical questions. A fun read.

The Book of Beautiful Questions

I love reading about the wars and traumatic history that today's world had to go through to make it a peaceful place to live. And I consider World war 2 to be the saddest of those. I love to cry reading about it, wondering if I would be a brave survivor or an unfortunate victim of pathetic people if I lived in that time. My favourite book on WW2, however, is not a direct war book. It's an autobiography—the Anne Frank story. Her diary and her days.

On her thirteenth birthday, her parents gave her the diary. Anne Frank called it "Kitty." Before we move on to the review, let me paint a picture of the situation then. Who doesn't know Hitler? Out of sheer hatred for people of a particular religion, the Jews, Hitler started eradicating people without any logical reason. He was mad, as famously said by everyone. Just because you were a jew, you could not live. This was the simple Nazi motto behind Holocaust, where more than 6 million people were killed simply because they were Jews! Unfortunately, Anne Frank was one of them.

Anne's family was from the Netherlands. When Hitler invaded her country, she and her family and a few other people went into hiding. They hid in the annex at the back of Anne's father, Otto Frank's office building in Amsterdam for almost two years. They did not believe the call-up was about work and decided to go into hiding the next day in order to escape persecution. In the spring of 1942, Anne's father had started furnishing the hiding place. Anne talks about how close she felt to dying at that time. Instead of talking about how scared she was, she says that she was ready to die at any time because she has been afraid of being caught and killed for all those hiding years. On November 8, 1943, Anne wrote the perfect words to describe the waking nightmare of fear. Saying, "At night when I'm in bed, I see myself alone in a dungeon. Or I'm wandering the streets, or the Annex is on fire, or they come to take us away in the middle of the night, and I desperately hide under my bed."

When the Dutch police found out about them in 1944, they were sent to concentration camps. Anne's mother, Edith Frank was kept in the concentration camp till her death due to severe starvation. While Edith Frank's deadbody was left behind, the sister, Margot and Anne were transferred to Bergen-Belsen concentration camp on 30 October, where both contracted typhus fever in the winter of 1944. Both of them died of the illness in 1945 right before the years of war ended.

Anne's father, was the only person who made it through the world war being hidden, found, and sent to a concentration camp. The diary of Anne Frank was later given to him. He was the only person from that annex to make it out of the concentration camp alive.

The diary of Anne Frank elaborates the lives of these people. The fates of these people. The experience and the littlest moments of happiness among the anxious times. I could feel their anxiety, the panic, the countdown of days; for death or freedom. I could feel a young girl's emotions through the book. How she anticipated her first kiss, first love and first war. I got to know the people who lived in that annex, all becoming deadbodies at the end, except Otto. I felt bad wondering how the only survivor of the building, Anne's father Otto Frank could have gotten through the rest of his life with those scary memories weighing on him. How anyone who lived through the Holocaust must have felt of their fate; just because of a religion! It made me think, how Hitler and the Nazis slept peacefully after planning new ways to torture and kill innocent people! How can you live with that much guilt! It made me tear up thinking about how war is so easy to spread, yet people hope for love, for life; they hope for the wars to end, and they die hoping. Till their last moments, their last tears and their last breaths. This book will remain forever in my heart for its raw simplicity and pure emotion. For the brave young girl, Anne Frank.

Book Notes