Rohit Writes: 2024

Tuesday, December 31, 2024

Review: The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder

The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder by David Grann
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

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Sunday, December 22, 2024

Review: Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster

Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster by Jon Krakauer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

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Sunday, December 1, 2024

Review: Conclave

Conclave by Robert Harris
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This one deserves a 5-star because it gives a detailed account of the process by which a cardinal becomes a Pope of the Catholic Church (or Universal Church as described in the book). Fabulously written, the author details the election process, the practice followed and the finer details of the Vatican Church. To provide a gist, the Pope is dead and invitations are sent out to 118 cardinals the world over and they congregate at Vatican to elect the new Pope. There is mystery, intrigue and intense lobbying by the cardinals that follows for electing the Pope. The main character Jacopo Lomeli has to preside over the ballot process and he is made privy to secrets and corruption among the cardinals which makes his job difficult. Aspersions are also cast on the mental health of previous Pope and the circumstances that led to his final few hours on deathbed. Overall, a fine work of fiction and an engrossing book that kept me on tenterhooks. Probably the shortest time I have taken to read a book this year.

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Review: Conclave

Conclave by Robert Harris
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

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Sunday, November 24, 2024

Review: "Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!": Adventures of a Curious Character

"Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!": Adventures of a Curious Character by Richard P. Feynman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is one quirky book by Professor Richard Feynman who is a Nobel Prize winner in physics. It is a collection of anecdotes compiled into a book explaining the different facets in the life of the author. It is engaging and sometimes funny. The author is a genius as compared to other laymen, in the sense that he is multi-talented - a musician, painter and even a safe-cracker, to name a few of his talents. An easy read, the book does not elaborate the theories, equations and expert opinions of his subjects and at the same time explaining the science behind each of his interests.

However, a couple of chapters were outright boring (like the one on mathematics) and I could not grasp it. Sometimes it feels like the author is blowing his own trumpet and it does get a bit monotonous.

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