Most Enjoyed Book - Gang Leader for A Day

I saw the book in the New Books shelf at our local library, and dropped it into my book-bag not sure if I'd even open it. It was just that I had read that this book had come out and was curious.

I first came to know of Sudhir Venkatesh from the book Freakonomics -- he is the grad student mentioned in the chapter "Why Do Drug Dealers Still Live With Their Moms?" At that time, I wanted to learn about this person Sudhir.
One evening, maybe two years ago, driving around town, I happened to be listening to a piece on "This American Life" and Sudhir was narrating one episode. In that program, they also mentioned an upcoming book.

Anyway, late last Saturday night (technically Sunday 2am) I just couldn't go to sleep due to a persistent jet-lag so I gave up trying to sleep, got the book and started reading. And I was hooked. It was past 530am when I put down the book (and that was just so that I could watch an IPL 20-20 cricket game.)

I found the insights into the lives of the people he describes very fascinating and illuminating. The anecdotes were very interesting and so I guess I kept reading. It normally takes me anywhere from 10-20 days to finish a book, and this one has 290 pages but by Tuesday I was done.

If street-life fascinates you, then I think you will enjoy this book

Cambodia Calling

Cambodia Calling is Richard Heinzl’s book recounting a year that he spent in the town of Sisophon. But it is also a lot more than that. It is full of anecdotes and little details that serve to give us, the readers, a sense of what life in the frontlines of conflict is like. The harshness, hardship and the humanity of the town residents and the Cambodian doctors is rendered with wonderful little examples.

The author has made a great choice in not hitting the reader on the head with examples of violence or gore, and instead focuses on the many aspects of the lives of anyone volunteering in the frontlines. But this is Cambodia and the past does seep through from time to time – the doctors lose beloved patients, people temporarily lose their minds.

The book actually starts with the author wandering around in Uganda in 1985, a few years before his Cambodia stint. Then there is a small section of Richard’s life in Canada and then the bulk of the book is based in Cambodia. Because of this, I read someone calling this is a disjointed book – but the Uganda and Canada chapters served as background for me and I had no problems with the geographical shifts.

One reviewer points out that the author doesn’t go deep enough, doesn’t really try to assimilate himself into the lives of the Cambodian people and that he actually views these field trips as opportunities for travel. While all of this could well be true, it is not for us to make moral judgment on someone who did much more in one year than what most of us would do in our whole lives. I loved the fact that the author didn’t fit some preconceived notion of what a humanitarian aid worked should do.

While this book may not perhaps make you learn as much about Cambodia if you were reading it for that, the book is full of wonderful stories and serves to give us a flavor for what life in SE Asia was like, for this author. If you love travel books, memoirs and are curious about volunteering abroad, this book is a must read.

Amazing Journey: The Story of Who

This weekend, I watched this newly released DVD documentary and wanted to recommend it to any and all fans of classic rock. Though I own a few of the group’s albums, it is embarrassing how little I really knew of their back story. I was introduced to The Who while in college. All I knew until recently was that this basically was a Pete Townshend group, and that he made a show of breaking guitars onstage.

This DVD helped me see and understand a lot more. I didn’t realize that the other three were such key players each in their own way. Roger Daltrey (the singer) explains and elaborates on the history as well as the thinking behind what was happening. To me, the biggest surprise was how down to earth and articulate Pete Townshend is. The DVD did a pretty good job of summarizing 40 tumultuous years, which couldn’t have been an easy task.

Particularly eye-opening was the fact that even after listening to My Generation several dozen times, I hadn’t paid any notice to the use of stuttering as a stylistic device. Also, I noticed the bass solo by John Entwistle only when a number of people in the film sang its praises. (There’s got to be a big market in music appreciation classes for people like me who are essentially musically ignorant.)

Anyway, if you like Classic Rock and are able to get hold of a copy and watch the film, I feel it would be an evening well spent, and one that is sure to be full of nostalgia.

Ram

"Quake Books"

A list of books that 'woke you up.'

Here's a great list.

Stand-Up Diplomacy

I read this article in print in this week's Time magazine. The idea of comedy for diplomacy is a very appealing one, and James Poniewozik has written a great 1-page article. But the reason I am posting this is the pun in the ending which I liked a lot.

Four years into Iraq, the U.S. may finally be ready to meet a group of incisive Middle Eastern Americans who do anything but bomb. In fact, they kill.

Read the 1-page article here.


James Poniewozik, Time magazine, standup comedy,
middle east

Book - The Places In Between : Rory Stewart

If you like travel or travel books, and are even remotely curious about Afghanistan, this is the book for you.

Rory Stewart, the 'first tourist' to enter the country right after the Allied offensive in 2001, writes simple but compelling prose. Foolhardy yet inspiring, this book was a very easy read for me.

Try a few pages, I don't think you will be disappointed at all.

Check out the author's website.

You should also be sure to check out reviews by the NY Times and Powell Books.

Paul Theroux Interview - 57 mins video

I found this interview of Paul Theroux and wanted to pass it along. Those who have a read a few of his books, especially his travel books, are sure to enjoy it. It was given right after his Hotel Honululu book came out, though in the one hour he covers quite a bit of ground.

I especially like it that several years after the interview, we are able to enjoy an interview that we were not present for.