Of late, I have been reading ‘The story of my experiments with Truth’, the autobiography of Gandhiji. There is one passage in it that summed up world, life and its purpose.

I think it is wrong to expect certainties in this world, where all else but God that is Truth is an uncertainty. All that appears and happens about and around us is uncertain, transient. But there is a Supreme Being hidden therein as a Certainty, and one would be blessed if one could catch a glimpse of that Certainty and hitch one’s wagon to it. The quest for that Truth is the summum bonum of life.

Truth or God is uncertain.

I would like to add a parallel thought to it. Einstein’s theory of relativity too states the same uncertainty as

All uniform motion is relative, and that there is no absolute and well-defined state of rest

At the quantum level, Science meets Philosophy. That is why Einstein is known to have said

Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind

Great men think alike.

I just completed reading ‘The White Tiger’, a novel by Aravind Adiga. It is really fast. Interesting point about the book is the way Adiga had portrayed India, Delhi and Bangalore. There are controversies surrounding the way he had treated Nepalis, Tamilians in his novel. Forgiving those, I found it to be entertaining.

The story is about a person moving from rags to riches, in a crooked way. It is written as a narrative by a person living in the backyard slums of Delhi, moving to Delhi to become a car driver and then a entrepreneur in Bangalore. He discusses the pitiful state of the drivers, the poor in the towns and cities of India.

‘Anything is possible, provided you find a way’, is the gist of the book.

I had read a lot of books since childhood. In this post, I would recommend some of the nice titles that I had found interesting.

Disclaimer: I had read most of the books when I was in the class 6th to 10th. So it may not be interesting to all audiences.

Following are the list of book, in no order of importance

• Sherlock Holmes, Complete 4 novels and 52 short stories

  My most adored character in all the books I have ever read. His intelligence, sense, analytical skill all impress me.

• The Black Tulip – Alexander Dumas

  One of the good and short books I have read long back. I don’t remember much about the book. But it was an interesting read.

• The Scarlet Pimpernal

  A nice book to read. A superb storyline.

• Enid Blyton’s – Mystery Series

  Stories for children. The Five Found Outers. This is one of my favourite series of children novels.

• Five Point Someone

  A nice and wonderful book to read and have a nice time. It might take you to your college days.

• One night @ a call center

  Again from the author of Five point someone. This book made me think.

• Why Men can’t listen and women can’t read maps

  A good book.

• Code Name God – Mani Bhaumik

  A definite book that will change your outlook on life.

• The Da Vinci Code

  Superb, racy, fast and interesting. You can’t put the book down once you have started reading.

• Angels and Demons – Dan Brown

  Another interesting title. Wonderful, fast paced. Takes one through a complete journey of Rome. Must read.

• Deception Point – Dan Brown

  Not so good as the previous two but okay.

• Tao of Physics – Frijtof Copra

  Still reading.

• Phantom

  A complete series of Phantom adventures from Rani comics

Happy reading!

Among all the detective stories read worldwide, there is one character that remains on top. Sherlock Holmes. A tall, lean man, with a smoking pipe and used to cocaine and playing solo on violin from Baker Street in London that is how Sherlock Holmes is described by Arthur Conan Doyle. Doyle’s tells the adventures of Holmes in the voice of his roommate Dr. Watson.

I started reading from the novel ‘The Study in the Scarlet’, where Watson, Holmes are all introduced to the readers. I liked ‘The Hound of the Baskervilles’ the most among all other stories. The style in which Doyle narrates the stories make the reader believe that there was a man Holmes who lived and solved the mysteries.

The approach is analytical and logical. Holmes was such a character that when Doyle decides to put an end to the character, he was forced by his readers to bring the character back to life. The address No.7, Baker Street in London where Holmes was told to reside has become a landmark.

Holmes still lives in the minds of his readers.

I got to read this book as it was prescribed as an English supplementary reader in my secondary school. This is one book I will never forget. The plot is simple. Scarlet Pimpernel resembles Robin Hood.

The title character is the elusive Scarlet Pimpernel, Sir Percy Blackeney’s alter ego. (I see a lot of movies… so this term.). The story is told as a narrative in the voice of Lady Blackeney with the French revolution as the time.

Sir Percy Blackeney is described to be a comical character with little intelligence and bravery. On the other hand, Scarlet Pimpernel is daring rescuer of the masses. The story has Chauvlein as the enemy of Scarlet Pimpernel. He drops a drawing of the red flower scarlet pimpernel whenever he rescues someone.

It is an interesting adventurous read.

Cogito, ergo sum – translated to English means ‘I  think, therefore I am’. This phrase is popularly connected to Descartes who used it in one of his works.

I came across this phrase when I was reading through a book ‘Code Name God’ by Mani Bhaumik. It was an inspiring read. It changed the very way I look at life.

The book centers around finding a parallel between Science and Religion. Authored by Mani, who is a scientist and a spiritual person, it clearly reflects his thought. He also describes about his road to success in the book. He was born in a very poor family in Bengal hearing to inspiring and spiritual lectures of Gandhi. He became one of the millionaires in United States with the help of his scientific pursuit by inventing laser used in medical sciences such as LASIK.

According to him, all that is in the World is ‘Energy’. All activity, process, things are all different manifestation of the same energy which we call by a different name. This is what his quantum research shows.

In the Hindu philosophy, we the people, cattle and all things are seen as different manifestations of ‘God’ himself.

Some words that inspired me are those lines in which he says about how he became a millionaire.

“I had an advantage over all others in the real estate investments. I was daring to take risks because I had nothing to           lose for initially I had nothing”

And one more, the title of this post, ‘I think, therefore I am’.