[joslicx]

One book that I read recently and can recommend wholeheartedly is Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely

Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces that Shape Our Decisions https://www.amazon.in/dp/0007368542/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_DvHPAb1ZGXB13

Prof Ariely is a professor of psychology and human behaviour at the MIT and one of foremost researchers in this area. This book is a synopsis of his research about how we make the kind of decisions that we make in our lives. It's a fascinating study and very well written as it is full of his research experiments that he did during his research.

Very highly recommended.

[Vitalstatistiks]

If there is one, just one, book that I can recommend- I'd suggest Sapiens- A brief history of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari.

Harari is an Israeli historian, and this book was first published in Hebrew in 2011. Translated into English in 2014, this is a remarkable book on how humans came to be as they are. Jaw-droppingly thought provocative book, which makes you linger over each page and keep thinking about it for days. Also puts a lot of what we are seeing in the world today (politics, religion etc) into perspective and helps one align his/her thoughts on why things are happening the way they are.

It is a beautiful piece of literature, please please please do read it !

[subraiyr]

Being an avid reader, i had put together some of the best non fiction that i have read. There are many more, but these are top of mind recall. Some are old, but then they are really good

1. From Pepsi to Apple - John Sculley
2. A long walk to freedom - Nelson Mandela
3. Into Africa - Martin Dugard (Story of Dr Livingstone)
4. Surely You are Joking, Mr Feynman
5. Losing my virginity - Richard Branson
6. M.S. Subbulakshmi: The Definitive Biography by T. J. S. George
7. Good to Great - Jim Collins
8. The Power of Habit - Charles Duhigg

[Indraneel Bhat]

While I don't read as much as I would like, some books that have made an impression on me are:

1. Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen - By Christopher McDougall
---- Explores the sub-culture of running barefeet and of running ultra marathons (any footrace which is longer than the standard marathon distance of 42.195 kms) through his discovery of and association with a Mexican tribe called the Tarahumara. These guys are able to run for days on end without injury whereas the author has injuries inspite of having the best shoes money can buy. A classic for barefoot running enthusiasts.

2. I am Jackie Chan: My life in action - by Jackie Chan and Jeff Yang
---My favorite movie star of all time. Enough said!!!

3. Sport Riding Techniques: How To Develop Real World Skills for Speed, Safety, and Confidence on the Street and Track - By Nick Ienatsch
When your book has a foreword by Kenny Roberts, you know you've written a good book. I cannot recommend this book enough!!! I had learned of this book on a Team-Bhp thread and had promptly ordered it. The first 3 chapters itself made a world of difference to my riding. A must have for all types of riders, who ride any kind of bike, this book is a treasure trove of knowledge for all riders

4. City of Djinns - by William Dalrymple
A history book shaped like a novel, which documents the journey of Delhi starting from it's earliest known (or believed) avatar as Indraprastha, the capital of the Pandavas down to it being the capital of India through historians, historic records and the people that call it home.

5. The Last Wrestlers: A Far Flung Journey in Search of a Manly Art - by Marcus Trower
The author explores the art of wrestling as not only a physical but also a spiritual experience. By travelling from his home in Britian to places as diverse and far flung as Nigeria, India, Mongolia and Brazil, he seeks to find a common thread among the practitioners of this art which in my opinion is the purest form of competition.

[shashanka]

Originally Posted by Vitalstatistiks

If there is one, just one, book that I can recommend- I'd suggest Sapiens- A brief history of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari.

Harari is an Israeli historian, and this book was first published in Hebrew in 2011. Translated into English in 2014, this is a remarkable book on how humans came to be as they are. Jaw-droppingly thought provocative book, which makes you linger over each page and keep thinking about it for days. Also puts a lot of what we are seeing in the world today (politics, religion etc) into perspective and helps one align his/her thoughts on why things are happening the way they are.

It is a beautiful piece of literature, please please please do read it !

Thanks Vital I shall keep the title on my list.

[speedguy]

I have following books on my list (These are my all time favorites & I can read them over & over again)
1. Papillon by Henry Charriere
2. Surely you are joking Mr. Feynman
3. Iacocca Autobiography (It's a must read for every team bhpian)
4. Fundamentals of Vehicle Dynamics (Thomas Gillespie)
5. Playing it my way (Sachin Tendulkar)

Happy Reading

[dk7729]

My non-fiction picks:

Adventure sport/ mountaineering:
No shortcuts to the top - Ed Viesturs
The ascent of everest - John Hunt
Into thin air - Jon Krakauer
Annapurna - Maurice Herzog

India history:
Freedom at midnight - Larry Collins
The Sanjay story - Vinod Mehta
The men who killed Gandhi - Manohar Malgonkar

Intelligence:
Mossad, greatest missions of the Israeli secret service

[Dieseltuned]

hi all,

I am surprised no one has mentioned 'Wings of Fire' a biography on Dr. Kalam in this thread

Regards
Dieseltuned

[rst89]

Hello all,

My reading pattern is that I read one fiction and then the next one is non fiction. Since this is a non fiction thread, here is the list of books I read starting from recently to older ones which my memory, Amazon and Flipkart orders recollect.

1. How to build a car by Adrian Newey
Still reading it and enjoying how he designed Indy cars and F1 cars.

2. K2 Life and Death on the Worlds most dangerous mountain by Ed Viesturs
I was always fascinated by K2 and this book gives full justice to my curiosity about this pyramid peak. Ed documents most of the attempts to this mountain including his own attempt. He tries to document where the things went wrong during the deadly seasons of 1987 and 2008 on K2. I like the way he writes and gives perspective from both sides. Since k2 lies in Pok, my is desire to see K2 is from Srinagar on a clear day or may be somewhere near Siachen. Any one seen K2 here with naked eye from Indian Kashmir?

3. The first Indian by Dilip Dhonde
An Indian circumnavigating the globe in INS Mahdei for the first time. I learnt lot of technical terms in sailing the boat and it was eye opener for me. He recounts the struggle with the Indian Government and Navy to first build the ship and then embark on circumnavigation of globe.

4. Endurance by Scott Kelly
I follow International space station (ISS) a lot. This book is also interesting letting you know some facts about ISS you never knew. Also increased my curiosity of space missions. Actually this is my second book to be read on ISS.

5. Annapurna by Maurice Herzog.
One word riveting!

6. Thinking, fast and slow by David Kahneman
Changed my whole way of seeing the world. He has given good examples in the book about how human thinking affects the way we take decision. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone blindly. It was an Airport buy and still one of my best decisions to buy this book.

7. When Breath becomes Air by Pual Kalanthi
The epilogue written by his wife left me tear eyed. One of the best books I have ever read. I bought this book for my friend, read it myself and then gifted him. Judge me!

8. Surely you're Joking Mr Feynman: Adventures of a Curious Character
I loved this book as it was practical and most rational book I have read. Taught me important lessons.

9. The motorcycle Diaries by none other than Guevara, Ernesto 'Che'
That Norton bike and the ride of Che through South America. Still wonder to whom the royalties of this book go.

10. Zero To One by Peter Thiel
Don't forget to read this book why we should strive to build something from Zero to one and not one to 'n'.

11. Fooled by Randomness by Naseem Talib
This book also changed the way I think. He has conveyed through this book his ideas so clearly that it still rivets in my mind after so many years. I always try to give example about practical experiences to people through this book.

12. The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Flanagan, Richard
This book was mentally exhausting to read an account of POW in Burma building the railway line.

13. An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth by Chris Hadfield
This book got hooked me to ISS. One of best books on ISS, I rate it better than Endurance by Scott Kelly. Anyone interested in space or ISS can read this book. Also dream remains to watch Soyuz life off from Baikanour cosmodrome.

14. Who ordered this truckload of Dung by Ajahn Brahm
I edited this post just to include this gem of a book. 108 short and simple stories about life by this Buddhist teacher.

I have read many non fiction books. Above list is what Amazon helped me to recollect. I like the feeling of reading it with my hands.

P.S: Willing to share first six with folks in Pune. Rest all are in Mumbai somewhere in Carton boxes.

[shashanka]

A recurrent thought in today's world is the uneasy foreboding that the Vijay Mallyas, Mehul Choksis, Nirav Modis and similarly exalted outlaws will always get away, regardless of the govt in power. This foreboding perhaps has given rise to the idea of the Deep State.

A book I am reading at present - "The American Deep State," by University of California, Berkeley, Professor and Former Canadian Diplomat Peter Dale Scott - is one which I feel gives some substance to this kind of foreboding. The fact that it is happening in another country is, in a way, more re-assuring - that it doesn't just happen in our country alone.

His resume (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Dale_Scott) is enough to persuade one that the book is far from just hot air.

[pinin]

Nice thread GTO.

One book I would recommend to all - Stay Hungry Stay Foolish by Rashmi Bansal. It is about IIMA pass outs who have gone one to become entrepreneurs. Rashmi traces the journey of the these companies in short chapters. Makes easy reading.

Though the book was written some time back, its very relevant even today.

Happy Reading,
Pinin

[ninjatalli]

I'm a fan of biographies; there are a whole set of amazing books on this aspect. Top picks from the ones I have read are

1. Open - Andre Agassi : 5/5
2. Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson : 4.5/5
3. The Maruti Story - R C Bhargava : 4/5
4. The Polyester Prince - Hamish McDonald : 4/5
5. The Google Story - David A. Vise : 3.5/5
6. Losing My Virginity - Richard Branson : 3.5/5

Have found the GE books quite boring though.

[srikrishna717]

This is a great thread !
One book I recommend is "Good to Great " By Jim Collins.
Provides very good insights what that gives great insights to what leadership/Organizational practices take companies from being Good to Great and what makes them fail.

[shashanka]

Gerald Durrell's books about his colourful life (starting as an animal collector for zoos round the world) are a great escape for armchair adventurers like me.

Filled with hilarious episodes in various countries in his quest for exotic animals & his humane efforts on their behalf culminated in his founding what is now called the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust and the Durrell Wildlife Park on the Channel Island of Jersey in 1959.

His numerous books include the world bestseller "My family and other animals" about his boyhood spent with his family on the Greek island of Corfu.
Interestingly Gerald Durrell was born in Jamshedpur in British India in 1925, and later the family migrated to Corfu.

One of my all-time favourite authors.

[zaheer5776]

I read Non Fiction Books only, so it was a pleasant surprise to see a new thread about it. It has been a long time since I read a book. Now I can look forward to start reading recommendations from this thread. That reminds me of a few books which I read in the past:

Wings of Fire: An Autobiography of APJ Abdul Kalam (I would recommend this book to all and this remains one of my favourite books)
Mahatma Gandhi Autobiography: The Story Of My Experiments With Truth
Mein Kampf (“My Struggle”) Adolf Hitler
Straight from the Gut [Jack Welch, John A. Byrne]
Connect the dots by Rashmi Bansal (Stories of Non MBA entrepreneurs)
Stay Hungry Stay Foolish by Rashmi Bansal (Stories of MBA entrepreneurs)
I have a dream by Rashmi Bansal (Stories of Social entrepreneurship)