Recently there is a Top 10 Impact Books challenge trending in Facebook. I was tagged by my cousin, Vicky to post my top 10 favorite books that has made impact in my life. This was my entry for the challenge:
Intelligent Investor by Benjamin Graham: This book is by far the
best book written on Value Investing and has influenced me in a great way to
take up Value Investing as a hobby. The book is one of the most important books
one should read early in your work life as it teaches you financial discipline
and on how to reach your financial goals.
God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy: I have a habit of writing in
the last page of the book just after finishing a book. Whenever you finish a
book, it leaves you with a hangover and whatever you write captures your
emotions in a great way. As I retrieved my copy of this book from my dust
ridden bookshelf this is what I had written at the last page dated 2012: “The
book is an eye opener and liberated me from the chains of customs which had
bounded me and blinded me till now. The book would be remembered in my journey
towards developing individuality”.
Our Moon has Blood Clots: The Exodus of Kashmiri Pandits by Rahul Pandita:
The book captures the violent ethnic cleansing of Kasmiri Pandit community by
Islamist militants in the Kashmir valley. The author has written a deeply
personal, powerful and unforgettable story his community has faced in the
Kashmir valley. Importantly, the book taught me why is history and home very
important and how painful it would be if you lose any of that.
One Piece by Eiichiro Oda: One Piece is not a single book but a Japanese
manga running from 1996. I have been reading One Piece manga for the last 5
years. The author is popular for bringing in large number of twists and turns
in the storyline and for the powerful characters and quotes which make the
storyline interesting. The manga has inspired me to live a life with no
regrets. Only people who had read the manga would understand my last sentence
Animal Farm by George Orwell: A satirical tale on Communism which
clearly depicts where communism will lead our world into. It has to be noted
that the book was written in 1945 when communism was largely popular. One of my
memorable quotes from the book: “All Animals are equal, but some Animals are
more equal than others”.
Nationalism by Rabindranath Tagore: The book contains a series of
lectures given by Tagore in Japan and United States. The author mainly
criticizes the concept of nation-state in both the East and West and offers his
vision of a society independent of it. It has to be noted that the book was
written in a time period when India was fighting for its independence from British
imperialism.
A Corner of a Foreign Field by Ramachandra Guha: The book is a
brilliant social history of Indian cricket. The author is one of the leading historians
of our country. Capturing key moments of cricket history in India, the author
has tried to answer some popular questions like: “Why a European game has such
deep roots in India?” It was memorable for me to read about the history of my
favorite sport.
Who Moved my Cheese? By
Spencer Johnson: The book is a motivational tale written by the author in
the style of a fable. Change is permanent: be it in your career, your
relationship or your family life. The book is all about how to face tough
situations in your life and change accordingly.
Seeing like a Feminist by Nivedita Menon: This is one book I would
recommend to most of the people as a must read in your lifetime. It helps you
to understand how the world appears to a feminist and learn what is meant by a
feminist stance. The book contains a lot of notable feminist cases which has
happened around the world and the consequences. Overall the book helps you in
opening up from the wretched male chauvinistic life many people live.
Long Walk to Freedom
by Nelson Mandela: The book is all about the man Nelson Mandela and his
life and more importantly the changes he has brought in the society as he
envisioned. As a person who would love to bring in change to our society, this
book has been included as a tribute to the legend who lived in this world.
