Senthil Kumaran (Posts about literature)

The Good Doctor

Senthil Kumaran — Sat, 19 Mar 2016 20:34:02 GMT

"Oh, yes," said Siddhartha, "I make one-off changes to simulations on Earth."

Govind adjusted his glasses and wondered, "Really?"

"I mean it. I make real people come to readings and discussions of their stories."

"And?"

"The characters themselves evaluate how they are understood. I introduced Asimov into a class that was discussing his short story 'The Immortal Bard.'"

"Oh wow, exciting."

"Asimov was excited too since it was his favorite subject. But then..."

"Hmm?"

"He quickly became dismayed. His original writing of 'The Immortal Bard' was meant to illustrate how, given enough time, experts in this world create their own interpretations of original sources. When creators themselves come face-to-face with these interpretations, the experts are so convinced of their own understanding that they fail to recognize the creator's intent."

"That's what happened to Shakespeare in that story. Yeah, I know, that was a hilarious one."

"Right, but what Asimov found was that the discussion wasn't about what he thought readers might enjoy from his story. Instead, everyone focused on proving why the immortal bard would fail if he were brought back."

"Amusing."

"Yeah, Asimov pondered how stories could be perceived and how readers change the intention when asked to prove something in an assignment. The Good Doctor that he was, he continued writing, thinking that someday readers would be able to enjoy his stories as he intended—perhaps with the help of an artificially intelligent agent."

Senthil Kumaran

The story is based upon The Immortal Bard by Issac Asimov.

The Agony and the Ecstasy

Senthil Kumaran — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 23:34:00 GMT

That night, as he lay sleepless in bed, he thought. "Life has bee good. God did not create me to abandon me. I have loved marble, yes and paint too. I have loved architecture, and poetry too. I have loved my family and my friends. I have loved God the forms of the earth and the heavens, and people too. I have loved life to the full, and now I love death as its natural termination. Il Magnifico would be happy: for me, the forces of destruction never overcame creativity"

From The Agony and the Ecstasy The Agony and the Ecstasy (1961) is a biographical novel of Michelangelo Buonarroti written by American author Irving Stone. Stone lived in Italy for years visiting many of the locations in Rome and Florence, worked in marble quarries, and apprenticed himself to a marble sculptor. A primary source for the novel is Michelangelo's correspondence, all 495 letters of which Stone had translated from Italian by Charles Speroni and published in 1962 as I, Michelangelo, Sculptor. Stone also collaborated with Canadian sculptor Stanley Lewis, who researched Michelangelo's carving technique and tools. The Italian government lauded Stone with several honorary awards for his cultural achievements highlighting Italian history.

Books I Could Read This Year

Senthil Kumaran — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 05:50:00 GMT

Books I Could Read This Year

Books

Men Who Made New Physics It is the story of the physicists who heralded the new era of physics.
Five Dollar Smile One of the early writings of Shashi Tharoor Shashi Tharoor (Malayalam pronunciation: [ʃɐʃi t̪ɐɾuːr]; born 9 March 1956) is an Indian politician, author, public intellectual, and diplomat. A member of the Indian National Congress, he has represented Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, in the Lok Sabha since 2009. He was formerly an Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and ran for the office of Secretary-General in 2006, coming second. , perhaps when he was in college. Stories feature subjects that occupy adolescent minds. Subjects like friendship, love, sex, and politics are dealt with in a very comical way.
How I Taught My Grandma and Other Stories
Old Man and His God Both books by Madam Sudha Murty Sudha Murty (née Kulkarni; born 19 August 1950) is an Indian educator, author, and philanthropist. She is the Founder-Chairperson of the non-profit charitable organization Infosys Foundation. She is married to the co-founder of Infosys, N. R. Narayana Murthy. Murty was nominated as Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha on 8 March 2024 for her contribution to social work and education. Murty was awarded the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award in India, for social work by the Government of India in 2006. In 2023, she was awarded the Padma Bhushan, the third highest civilian award in India. . Most of the stories uphold values, virtuous nature in human beings, human dignity, and many ethical and philanthropic subjects.
It's Not About the Bike It is all about strength and courage by the cyclist and marathoner Lance Armstrong Lance Edward Armstrong (né Gunderson; born September 18, 1971) is an American former professional road racing cyclist. He achieved international fame for winning the Tour de France a record seven consecutive times from 1999 to 2005, but was stripped of his titles in 2012 after an investigation into doping allegations found that Armstrong used performance-enhancing drugs over his career. Armstrong is banned from all sanctioned bicycling events. , who defeated cancer to get back to racing and win the Tour de France five times.
Just Do It Very practical advice from Sir Richard Branson Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson (born 18 July 1950) is an English business magnate who co-founded the Virgin Group in 1970, and, as of 2016, controls five companies. . He just built the Virgin empire and encourages everyone to just do what one wants to do.
Bridges of Madison County A very romantic book. In fact, the best romantic book I have read so far. The writing is very good, and it is a subject that lies on the borderline of love and infidelity, but the author has dealt with it in a wonderful way that the reader can understand and sometimes agree with the borderline it portrays.
Guide to Earth, Moon, and Space Isaac Asimov Isaac Asimov ( AZ-im-ov; c. January 2, 1920 – April 6, 1992) was an American writer and professor of biochemistry at Boston University. During his lifetime, Asimov was considered one of the "Big Three" science fiction writers, along with Robert A. Heinlein and Arthur C. Clarke. He wrote or edited more than 500 books. He also wrote an estimated 90,000 letters and postcards. Best known for his hard science fiction, Asimov also wrote mysteries and fantasy, as well as popular science and other non-fiction, including guides to the Bible and William Shakespeare. 's non-fiction writing. His writing is very lucid, and it tries to bring back the questions that a curious child wonders when standing outside and looking at the night sky. Questions like, "What are those shiny things? Why are they there? Why are they not falling? Why are so many of them there? Why is it dark now? Is the sun asleep? When we travel on a scooter, how come the moon is also traveling along with us? Can we race ahead of it?" Those are just fun and very valid questions. Asimov tries to answer them all in a way that can be understood by the child who asks those questions. The book is simply too good. I really loved it.
The Theory of Everything Stephen Hawking Stephen William Hawking (8 January 1942 – 14 March 2018) was an English theoretical astrophysicist, cosmologist, and author who was director of research at the Centre for Theoretical Cosmology at the University of Cambridge. Between 1979 and 2009, he was the Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge, widely viewed as one of the most prestigious academic posts in the world. explains science as it evolved from the times of Galileo to string theory. It is easy to read and presented in a very concise manner.
Revenge of the Baby-Sat
Calvin and Hobbes Calvin and Hobbes is an American daily comic strip created by cartoonist Bill Watterson and syndicated from November 18, 1985, to December 31, 1995. The strip centers on Calvin, a six-year-old boy characterized by his imagination and behavior, and Hobbes, his stuffed tiger, whose status alternates between a toy and a sentient companion depending on perspective. Set in the contemporary United States, the strip includes a recurring cast such as Calvin's parents, his classmate Susie Derkins, his teacher Miss Wormwood, and his babysitter Rosalyn. (1st Book) Both of them feature lovable Calvin and Hobbes adventures.
Asterix Asterix (French: Astérix or Astérix le Gaulois [asteʁiks lə ɡolwa], "Asterix the Gaul"; also known as Asterix and Obelix in some adaptations or The Adventures of Asterix) is a French comic album series about a Gaulish village which, thanks to a magic potion that enhances strength, resists the forces of Julius Caesar's Roman Republic Army in the time after the Gallic Wars. Many adventures take the titular hero Asterix and his friend Obelix to Rome and beyond. Series
- Asterix the Gaul
- Asterix and the Golden Sickle
- Asterix and the Goths
- Asterix and the Chieftain's Shield
- The Mansions of the Gods
- Asterix and the Soothsayer
- Asterix and Caesar's Gift
Fantastic Voyage Asimov's fiction, which is, in fact, based on the screenplay of a movie by the same name. The book came much earlier than the movie. Three men and a woman miniaturize themselves and enter inside the human body in a miniaturized submarine to perform an operation. They must complete the operation and get out of the body within a time limit; otherwise, even as their goal fails, everyone stands in danger of losing something very valuable—the information available with the person they are trying to save at any cost. Asimov has taken care to write fiction in a very logical way. For example, the team experiences "Brownian Motion" as they enter inside the body.
Out of My Comfort Zone Steve Waugh Stephen Rodger Waugh (born 2 June 1965) is an Australian former international cricketer and twin brother of cricketer Mark Waugh. A right-handed batsman and a medium-pace bowler, Waugh is considered one of the greatest cricketers of all time. Waugh was a part of the Australian team that won their first world title during the 1987 Cricket World Cup. As Australian captain from 1997 to 2004, he led Australia to fifteen of their record sixteen consecutive Test wins, and to victory in the 1999 Cricket World Cup. Waugh is considered the most successful Test captain in history with 41 victories and a winning ratio of 72%. 's biography. While reading this, I had many fits of laughter, moments of amusement, and wonder at this simple guy with a lot of character. Steve is definitely one of my favorite sportspeople. He is very plain and direct and a very bold person too, as we can see in his autobiography. Good lessons on leadership and management are presented in his book.
Krishna and Gopal
Savitri
Buddhist Tales From the Amar Chitra Katha Amar Chitra Katha (ACK Comics) is an Indian comic book publisher, based in Mumbai, India. The company was founded in 1967 by Anant Pai. Most of its comics are based on religious legends and epics, historical figures and biographies, folktales and cultural stories. series, based on folklore, mythology, and ancient Indian stories. They deal with moral values, justice, ethical leadership, and administration. I have more Amar Chitra Katha books to read.
The Hound of the Baskervilles
The Sign of Four
A Study in Scarlet These showcase the brilliance of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle (22 May 1859 – 7 July 1930) was a British writer and physician. He is best known for his four novels and fifty-six short stories about the fictional consulting detective Sherlock Holmes and his assistant Dr. Watson, which are milestones in crime fiction, and for his first work featuring Professor Challenger, The Lost World (1912), which gave its name to a subgenre of speculative fiction. He was a prolific writer who produced over 200 stories and articles, four volumes of poetry, and a number of works for the stage. He was knighted by King Edward VII in the 1902 Coronation Honours. through Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a "consulting detective" in his stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with observation, deduction, forensic science and logical reasoning that borders on the fantastic, which he employs when investigating cases for a wide variety of clients, including Scotland Yard. and Dr. Watson. I read these for the second time, as I had completed the Sherlock Holmes series a long time back.

Many of these books, like Guide to Earth, Moon, and Space, The Theory of Everything, and the Sherlock Holmes series, I read along with my friend Avinash, and we both enjoyed them together.

Technical Books

Apart from these, there are a few technical books I could lay my hands upon. Note, technical books are not meant to be read; they are to be studied thoroughly and worked upon a number of times. So, I cannot put them in the "read" category.

I could get a chance to work with: - Version Control with Subversion by Ben Collins-Sussman, Brian W. Fitzpatrick, and C. Michael Pilato - Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis - Cryptography and Network Security by William Stallings

Final Thoughts

My friend and I had thought at the start of the year to compete for the 50 Book Challenge. While that was my list of books, I am glad that we got started, and next year, I plan to read at least 50 books.

Let me know if you would like to read any of these books; I would be glad to share them with you. You can also have a peek into my online library at books.google.com.

Happy New Year 2008 to all!

Good list of books.If you have time watch the movie "Bridges of Madison Country".It starrs Clint Eastwood

Anonymous

Great Post this time, i have seen quality of books you read.The Buddhist tales from amar chitra Katha Books made me to think about it, as i have not been through it.I like the ack series the much.

geet_jain

Recent Books

Senthil Kumaran — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 00:40:00 GMT

My friend and I are participating in the 50bookchallenge and I have started enjoying reading one book after the other.

After Men who made new physics, I started reading Shashi Tharoor Shashi Tharoor (Malayalam pronunciation: [ʃɐʃi t̪ɐɾuːr]; born 9 March 1956) is an Indian politician, author, public intellectual, and diplomat. A member of the Indian National Congress, he has represented Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, in the Lok Sabha since 2009. He was formerly an Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and ran for the office of Secretary-General in 2006, coming second. 's "5 Dollar Smile". This is a compilation of early writings of Shashi Tharoor in his adolescence. So, you might find him attracted towards pretty girls, interest in sex topics and many things which disturb young adults. His writing style is good and it's really funny. He in his college days might be a kind of leader who must have been along with friends teasing, having fun, understanding junta and yet a leader, not the all prefect high standards that comes in book definitions.

The last one act play of a "Life of a Kutta" was amazing, it's set in the period of The Emergency (India) The Emergency in India was a 21 month period from 1975 to 1977 when prime minister Indira Gandhi declared a state of emergency across India by citing internal and external threats to the country. when forced sterilization was done on males. This presents the time from the eyes of a dog who is converted to a man.

The title "5 Dollar Smile" refers to UN Post card featuring photo of a child from India, which seeks to donate 5 dollars and make him smile. It's a simple story of a boy with a charity. The stories are not conclusive, but many of them are thought provoking and sometimes reflecting with real world incidents as they happen and pass by.

Next book I read was Sudha Murty Sudha Murty (née Kulkarni; born 19 August 1950) is an Indian educator, author, and philanthropist. She is the Founder-Chairperson of the non-profit charitable organization Infosys Foundation. She is married to the co-founder of Infosys, N. R. Narayana Murthy. Murty was nominated as Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha on 8 March 2024 for her contribution to social work and education. Murty was awarded the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award in India, for social work by the Government of India in 2006. In 2023, she was awarded the Padma Bhushan, the third highest civilian award in India. 's "How I taught my Grandma and Other stories."

A very good book stressing on moral values and principles in life. Sudha Murty has narrated the incidents in her life in a very simple style for others to understand and follow.

The title refers to the story of her youth, when she used to say featured monthly story to her grandma and once in her absence her grandma felt helpless with her inability to read. Her grandma took a resolve to start learning and made young Sudha Murty as her guru. This has a very emotional touch at the end which relates to a student respecting her guru.

Another thing imprinted in mind is, she learnt from a charity work of not delaying things when helping people as help at the right time is proper and delay with it is not good.

Her story about meetings with J. R. D. Tata Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata (29 July 1904 – 29 November 1993) was a French-born Indian industrialist, and aviator, who was the chairman of Tata Sons and Tata Group from 1938 to 1991. and A. P. J. Abdul Kalam Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam ( UB-duul kə-LAHM; 15 October 1931 – 27 July 2015) was an Indian aerospace engineer and statesman who served as the president of India from 2002 to 2007. was very inspiring.

Re: Hi

Thanks, Vijay. Senthil

All the best for your quest! Anonymous