Reading list

It’s been more than six months I have posted anything on my blog (I blame twitter), life is been pretty sober for almost over a year now, nothing exciting or wicked happening to update here.
Well I have been reading a lot lately, more than what I used read as kid. Here’s list of books I am reading or on my reading list.

Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacon: It pretty simple, it’s biography of Steve Jobs. I’m few chapters away from finish reading the book, so far it made me realise that Jobs was a condescending jerk. Apart from discussing the Jobs personal life, it also talks lot about the process and the philosophy that goes behind building the great products and companies. One can draw lot of inspiration from the book, it’s full of positive vibe. By the time I complete reading this book, I hope till will change my opinion about Jobs. It’s one of those book you want pass on to the future generation.

Business Model Generation: This one is my favourite, it’s created by over 450 people. Talks lot about creating new business models and explains various successful models, very colourful and visuals like kindergarten story books. I just flipped through the book, just excited to have it with me.

Kavalu: This book is from one of my favourite novelist and writer in Kannada SL Byrappa. What make Byrappa’s writing great is that every time I finish reading the chapter, I couldn’t stop pondering about my perception towards the society, the people around me. I hope it’s going to be as good as his other books.

And finally, The Song of Ice and Fire: Short background, few months ago my room-mate asked me watch the series called the Game of Thrones, I vaguely heard on twitter it as an epic fantasy. As I’m not fan of fantasy genre I thought to pass. The more I ignored, the more heard about it from people I know and the internet is full of it. I couldn’t help it and ended up watching two seasons back to back on one weekend that is about 20 hours straight! I felt so dumb for ignoring all along, and now I’m counting days for next season to start.
There another eight months for new season to start on HBO, so I thought to catch up the story and decided to complete reading first three books of The Song of Ice and Fire by then. The story has over 240 character and point of view characters wonderfully written, it make me never put down the book. It’s truly is an epic fantasy.
If you got any book suggestions, please let me know.

Feel the pain!

Look at the picture, did you feel the sensation of pain or just freaked out?

Lately this picture appeared on my facebook wall several time, every time I see this picture I clutched my fingers like I’m protecting them from that sharp knife, even some of friends who saw this reacted in a very similar way, I was quite amused!
After doing a bit of research I found out that, all that sudden painful sensations aren’t caused by the picture, these are caused by kind of neurons called Mirror Neurons in our very own brain some where in premotor cortex (upper middle part of our brain).
These mirror neurons fires both when we act and we observe a same action performed by another person, quite interesting huh?
Apart from scaring you these neurons play very significant role in one’s ability to acquire new skills by imitating, and language development in kids.

Next time when you see your girlfriend crying during movie or a kid imitating your expressions think of Mirror Neurons.

Deal or No Deal–Applied Physics

We have games shows based on pretty much anything you can think of, we have game shows based on music, game shows based on general knowledge, game shows involving some self proclaimed celebrities living together in a house full of ads, and game shows where some looser ride the cool bikes and talk trash.

But never we have seen games show based on Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics, it is Deal or No Deal, outstandingly pointless afternoon quiz show aired on regional TV channels in south India, where dumb contestant try to guess what might or might not be in the sealed boxes, just like Schrodinger’s potentially dead cat, the contents of each box exist in a sort of theoretical super position fluctuates between pigeons and fortune until actually the box is opened, at that point reality assigns value to it in physical world, and the audience either go “Hurray!” (I just used the extinct word!) or “oooohhhhhhhhhhh”. In other words it’s just a guessing game, there on fucking physics involved, may be bit of probability math. Deal or no deal in many way the show that isn’t exist if you watch it you will simply stare at void. And I almost wasted an hour writing about it…

The BEST BOOK EVER

This morning I was watching a talk show on TV and they interviewing this writer guy (@chetan_bhagat) of best selling books. They are asking all these interesting questions and he would reply with interesting answers, so I decided that I was going to write a book too, except mine will be better than his, in fact I decided to write the BEST BOOK EVER. 

I don’t know what is BEST BOOK EVER ever going to be about, yet. But it will be one of those life affirming, culture-changing books that did some deep revelation of misunderstood humanity.

It should be instant classic and make world better place and everybody everywhere will agree that really is the BEST BOOK EVER. So, anyway, I’m going to call my friends to tell that I wont be able to go out for dinner tonight because I’m going to be writing. I’m not going to mention that I’ll be writing the BEST BOOK EVER because I wanted it to be a surprise, that way they can tell journalists in few years “Yeah, I still remember that night when he told me he is going to stay home to write, who would have thought he would end up writing the BEST BOOK EVER”.

I just think of public life after I write BEST BOOK EVER may be challenging but I determine to remain humble no matter how often I’m stopped for autograph and recognized on streets. In fact when I win Nobel Prize for literature it would be cool if they introduce me as remarkably down-to-earth author of BEST BOOK EVER. Well, OK enough of that it's time to sit down and start writing the BEST BOOK EVER.

"THE BEST BOOK EVER"

By Prashant

Chapter 1:

Well, I guess, I'm not feeling inspired today, so I’ll just practice authors pose for books back.

Diary

Her Diary:

Today I called him several time, after trying million times he showed the courtesy to answer the call but sounded like he is trying to ignore me. I asked him for out just to cheer him up, he was worrying about something.

He didn't even looked at me when other couples around park locked their lips. I thought Coffee would warm him up, thought he would at least start conversing about something, anything…

I know he is purposefully ignoring me… I know he into another girl… I need to break up with him…

Time to Move on…

His Diary:

Its been very disturbing, RCB lost the finals…