The word hubris, in all likelihood is one of the most powerful words in the English language. It is also a word that is intriguing, introspective and influential on many counts and to many degrees. Hubris or ‘cockiness’ is derived from ancient Greek. The Greeks deemed hubris to be a fatal character flaw that was … Continue reading Hubris – Seeking and Realising Oneself

I happened to listen to a very interesting podcast bearing the caption “Runner’s High”. Aired as part of the very popular “Stuff You Should Know Podcast”, series on the 2nd of June 2021, the short episode (all of 13 minutes) had hosts Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant explore the phenomenon of “Runner’s High”. Every avid … Continue reading Runner’s High and its Equivalent Flow State

On the 5th of August 2021, NPR Pop Culture Happy Hour aired a podcast with the imaginative title, “Enjoying? The Tokyo Olympics On Your Own Terms”. The podcast more than lived up to its provocative caption. Hosted by Linda Holmes, and Stephen Thompson, the programme also featured Daisy Rosario, executive producer at Stitcher with the … Continue reading Tokyo 2020 – The Context, Conflicts and Contrasts

It was a unique experience to set foot inside the Premier Book Shop located on Church Street in Bangalore. I deliberately employ the past tense since the store itself was forced to shut down in 2009 due to a burgeoning increase in rent. And on the 5th of May 2021, the demise of the genial … Continue reading Do We Need to Support Independent Book Stores?

Approximately a week ago I finished reading a picture book written by Lindsay Leslie. The unnamed protagonist in the book attempts to construct a library. From the physical materials to real estate infrastructure, the author lets her imagination run wild and the result is a fulfilling laugh riot! And as Leslie warns her readers in … Continue reading Children’s Books – Why Do They Appeal to Adults

Chance and coincidence can sometimes contrive in the unlikeliest of fashion to produce experiences  notable and lasting. The most memorable book that I have read this year also happens to be a product of sheer chance. In a welcome interval between two forgettable and energy sapping meetings, I whimsically began surfing the net. Little did … Continue reading The Most Memorable Book that I have read this year

A work of fiction is made memorable by the characters populating it. From the abhorrent to the alluring, these protagonists and antagonists, themselves products of an extraordinary breadth of imagination have etched themselves into our memory. Some in a searing manner, yet some others in a soothing way. But despise or deify them, you just … Continue reading Strong fictional characters in books that have stayed with you

Somerset Maugham once said, “To acquire the habit of reading is to construct for yourself a refuge from almost all the miseries of life.” He could not have said it any better. Reading is a release that is real, tangible and perpetual. The art of reading has the power of even shaping character. Reading instills … Continue reading How to read more and slay your reading goals

The fulfillment one derives from writing about a book is as satisfying - if not more – as the delight one gets by reading it. In fact I personally feel that reviewing a book is just a natural corollary, an obvious extension of the reading process. The whole experience of having read a book is … Continue reading Why Write Reviews of The books you like (or don’t)

Alluding to the indispensability and inimitability of the medium of translation, German author and Nobel Laureate Günter Grass said, "translation is that which transforms everything so that nothing changes”, A piece of literature translated in a sangfroid fashion invests in the reader a lambent sense of perception – perception that is vital and acute. The … Continue reading Translated Literature – Window To Other Cultures