The Shortest History of India by John Zubrzycki

This is actually the shortest histories of India, and like any other short history doesn't provide a lot of details. However, it does provide the framework on which a reader can build a better understanding about a topic of choice.

The book is very well written with a tight editing but it does follow a very streamlined structure following the changes from all directions in India. Which leaves a lot of room to fill in with the details but ultimately providing the details is not the goal of this book.

So, don't take it for a full picture but more like a map to follow.

Love

Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor by Yossi Klein Halevi

Letters are one of the oldest modes of communication. And then comes the open letters.

This one is more of a collection of thoughts but it comes with its own problems of being one sided. It doesn't offer any solutions but voice the thoughts. It has been long with the thoughts without much progress in resolving the conflict.

Even if it doesn't resolve anything, it is an important collective of thoughts, and hopefully there will be a similar attempt on compiling the thoughts from the other side. It is not much but it is something which has the potential to show the way in the future.

Peace

My Promised Land by Ari Shavit

How far anyone can go only with the faith? Seems if there are enough people who believe in it, it can end up building a country back from a scratch.

Israel as a country looks like a miracle what it is today. A burgeoning economy which is dedicated to entrepreneur, arts, music and what not. It achieved something by the sheer will of people what seemed to be impossible to others. It will be too difficult to say which contributed most but it is a collective force which made it what it is today.

It is full of contradictions where there are different views seem to be equipoised to confidently tell which way the majority swings but these contradictions bring the beauty of thoughts where everything is open for discussion.

Its better not to go into drill down here what Ari has discussed in the book, but it gives you enough food for thought which can help you understand how Israel came to what it is today, and what potentially lies ahead of it in these times of uncertainities.

Peace

The Worlds I See by Fei-Fei Li

Great to read this memoir from someone who went to great lengths to make something which changed the perception of our thinking about thinking machines.

This is also an important read to show that a lot of people are just waiting for a chance to prove their worth. Not everyone gets it but the one who gets it and make it worthwhile is worth cheering for.

AI is a buzz word today but imagining it 20 years back when nobody thought where it can potentially go is bizarre. But here we're with it today.

Maybe not too many thoughts on it for now but it did sound a bit incomplete.

Love