Author Archive
Book Review: The Elements of Computing Systems
I do not fear computers. I fear the lack of them. – Isaac Asimov Introduction Computer programming is a passionate hobby for me from my school days. But I ended up taking a degree in electrical engineering. Almost everything I know about computing is self learnt. This is true for a lot of programmers out […]
Book Review: Sapiens, A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari
Introduction When I read non-fiction books these days, I get a nagging feeling that the author could have communicated the idea in a much shorter book. Many books these days, especially in the self-help category, are bloated works converted from one or two blog posts. But very rarely you come across a masterpiece book and […]
Book Review: The First 20 Hours, How to Learn Anything Fast by Josh Kaufman
Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. – Henry Ford Introduction I consider myself a learning junkie. I have a wide variety of interests such as chess, model railways, reading, DIY, programming, photography, travel, writing etc. Even the title logo of this blog is a […]
How to Improve Your Programming Skills
Talk is cheap. Show me the code – Linus Torvalds Introduction I have been programming professionally for over 16 years. My first language was Java 1.1 and these days I work primarily with Java 7 or Java 8. One of the interesting side effects of a being a programmer is that you are learning new […]
Book Review: Zero to One by Peter Thiel
Never invest in a tech CEO that wears a suit. Introduction Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future by Peter Thiel is a very popular book in India these days. This is hardly surprising since Startups and their crazy valuations are prime time news these days. I recently picked up […]
Book Review: The Art of Thinking Clearly by Rolf Dobelli
“I don’t make predictions. I never have, and I never will.” – Tony Blair Introduction Rolf Dobelli’s book, The Art of Thinking Clearly briefly explains common human behaviors which can be interpreted as illogical behaviors. This book is a database of human biases, fallacies and illusions. The title of the book is misleading since people […]
Book Review: Freakonomics by Steven Levitt
Introduction Freakonomics is a collection of interesting problems and a look at how statistical methods lead to surprising answers to these problems. Since the author (Steven Levitt) is an economist, he looks at them with an economist’s eyes focusing on the incentives that drive people behind these problems. It obviously helps to sell the book […]
Gavi Ecotourism
Introduction to Gavi Ecotourism Gavi Ecotourism – Contents Introduction Getting There Activities Gavi Wildlife Gavi Trip Report – Nov 2013 Travel Tips Historical Background Summary Online Resources Gavi Ecotourism is a tourist program conducted by Kerala Forest Development Corporation (KFDC) near Gavi village in Periyar Tiger Reserve forest. This program consists of multiple events conducted […]
Book Review: Wings of Fire by APJ Abdul Kalam
Introduction APJ Abdul Kalam is a renowned Indian scientist who went on to become 11th President of India (2002-2007). He is very well known across India and is a recipient of India’s three highest civilian awards – Padma Bhushan, Padma Vibhushan and Bharat Ratna. Wings of Fire is an autobiography of APJ Abdul Kalam written […]
Book Review : The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch
"We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand." – Randy Pausch Introduction It was sometime in 2007 that I first came across Randy Pausch’s "The Last Lecture" video in which Randy talked about about "Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams". It has been an influential talk in my life and […]