Since I didn’t maintain such records before 2017, this list is incomplete. However, I try to recall and update this list to the best of my knowledge and memory. Also, sometimes I skip ins that I don’t find motivating. This list is biased.
I have usually been reluctant to reading comics, but the history of logic in the form of comics sounded interesting to me. The comic uses Bertrand Russell’s public lecture as a backdrop to discuss the history of logic, and how logicians, mathematicians, and philosophers during the industrial age pressed hard...
Probably one of the funniest non-fiction + fiction book I’ve read yet. The author also works on the XKCD comics, and the illustrations in the book are hilarious (and quite helpful often). The egregiously hypothetical questions are definitely fictional, but the answers are not, and I really like how this...
I found this book recommended in the Stanford Engineering reading list, and I thought it would be apt for me to learn more about how AI could impact future jobs, and how to adapt to the change. I liked that the book was direct and descriptive on higher education and...
Ambedkar talks about Gandhi’s influence and persona in this interview with BBC Radio. Watched this for the course ASIAN 2275: History of Modern India in Spring 2018.
Ambedkar is not a very popular mainstream nationalist of the Indian independence struggle in the current times, and I did not know about him a lot. Born in a lower caste Hindu family, Ambedkar struggled to mobilize through the social hierarchy of the Hindu society, and went on to challenge...
Although I have studied Indian history for a long time, I did not have a chance to read first-hand accounts of famous figures in the making of Indian history. Gandhi is undoubtedly one of the most popular Indian revolutionary who played a central role in Indian politics leading the 1947...
Although this 1884 book reeks of rampant sexism or appears to openly denigrate females even in a 2-dimensional world, it provides a comprehensive way to visualize vector spaces and subspaces. These mathematical abstractions form bases for higher studies in linear algebra and other relevant fields, and I was curious when...
Probably the most riveting political thriller/documentary I have seen in a while. Contrary to the hopeless Indian media coverage on Indian politics, this film provides a unique and unprecedented look on the insides of political drama. I remember how the Delhi elections between 2013 and 2015 stood out in the...
I am grateful to Conor Hodges for gifting me this book. The book discusses narratives from American young working-class adults who face challenges and opportunities in 21st Century United States. Silva creates a beatiful compilation of these narratives and binds them with context to showcase grave challenges that current-day United...
Just amazing! Though I have watched random episodes in the past, I regularly follow this agency — at least on YouTube. Sadly, I cannot find time to subscribe to full daily shows, but that’s okay. Vice covers many arenas from The White House to Climate Change to Marijuana in West...
Wherever I read about the 2008 recession, I always found a demeaning attitude towards all bankers and regulatory bodies. This book took a mostly neutral stance, talking about how the people at J.P. Morgan were enthusiastic about derivatives and BISTRO schemes, which were foundations for the disastrous innovations CDO and...
Although I don’t understand many concepts even after watching some videos multiple times, I like to watch how math transcends so many elements in our lives. Now and then I feel demotivated to watch videos on math due to the amount of focus I would need to understand the 10-minute...
Drinking alcohol is not harmful unless consumed in excess in a single go or even in regular but rampant spouts. It’s kind of a college-life culture in the United States to endlessly go to frat-parties on weekends and pass out in a bad shape, only to ruin the next day....
This was one of the first ins that got me interested in the unfolding of the 2008 financial recession. It’s quite thrilling at times and very informative — for a first impression of the financial crisis. However, I do think that some expressions about blaming the whole of Wall Street...
Edited by Joseph F.C. DiMento and Pamela Doughman, this book contains a number of articles on international policies, perception, coverage, and impact on our lives with respect to Climate Change. It higlights where the scientists fall short of delivering the truth, how governments and media warp facts in both ways,...
Started watching random episodes because it was computer scienc-ey, but I have mostly watched all episodes now. I usually watch some episodes on weekends to satiate my hunger of computing, and the fun that can be extracted out of transistor-powered mathematical powerhouses.
I am not a big fan of autobiographies; often they are mundane and too plain. Feynman’s was different though — it was intellectual, plain and funny at the same time. Innocuously, I tried relating to his experiences at Cornell, but often in vain as most of the landscape and people...
As depicted in this exhilarating TV series, Einstein had a tumultuous life, in times of both war and peace. Einstein’s was a brilliant mind, which he complemented with his tenacity and curiosity beautifully. The series is as interesting as Sherlock (Genius is less thrilling though), and quite moving. National Geographic...
As someone interested in Computer Science, I like this new playlist by PBS Digital Studios, even though the discussed topics are introductory (to some extent). PBS Digital Studios has always done a great job!
Climate Change is not funny, and a major part of it today is caused by Humans. If you’re reading this, you’re fortunate enough to be living, but amidst grave danger on nature and life on Earth. I do not want to sound ominous, but if we don’t change how we...
It’s dark, addictive, and thrilling; though I can control most of these feelings. The opinion may be affected by my interest in computers, but I’ll let you decide. Like other TV shows, I started watching random episodes, then completed a season, and then completely forgot about it — typical of...
Don’t judge a book by its cover. Also, I do not plan on using statistics to deceive people. This 1954 book is as relevant in 2017 as it was then. Using anecdotes, cartoons, and light humor, Darrell Huff does a great job explaining how easy it is to use phony...
I don’t even remember how many TED Talks I have seen till date. These are some off the top of my head: Inside the Mind of a Master Procrastinator by Tim Urban Your Body Language May Shape Who You Are by Amy Cuddy Do Schools Kill Creativity? by Sir Ken...
Should you donate? When should you donate? Where should you donate? Using concrete information and statistics complemented with moving rhetoric, MacAskill discusses how to make the most of your donation by contributing to best charities in the world. The book not just enumerates those charities, but also provides frameworks to...
Contrary to popular perception of this Hindu text, I did not find the Gita overtly religious. The Gita, which is a dialogue between Lord Krishna and Arjuna in an active battlefield, discussed more on what a human life should aim and espouse, and less on how central or important the...
This book was one of my first dive into analyzing algorithms and using computing concepts in real life. The authors skillfully explain how concepts in Computer Science like optimal stopping (the basic 37% rule), scheduling, cache, networking, sorting etc. can be juxtaposed to reality (deciding when to park your car,...
After procrastinating on reading the book for more than year in high school, I finally found time after graduating out of it. I was very excited to read the book, but my enthusiasm dwindled near the end of it. It is a good book, reflecting of Daniel Kahneman’s studies on...