Book Review: The Rigor of Angels by William Egginton 

I’ve always been drawn to the meeting points between literature, science, and philosophy, and to the big ideas that shape how we understand the world. Egginton’s work centers on literature, intellectual history, and the intersections between literature, science, and philosophy. Those are areas I’m drawn to as well, which is probably why I decided to read, The Rigor of Angels. The book, written by William Egginton was first published in 2023.

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Book Review: Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood

Alias Grace is a historical fiction book by Canadian author Margaret Atwood. It was first published in 1996.  I like the storytelling technique of Atwood, the flashbacks and the narration takes the reader to contemporary times. The story of Alias Grace is based on a real woman named Grace Marks, who was from Ireland and moved to Canada in the 1800s. She was found guilty of helping to kill her boss, Thomas Kinnear, and his housekeeper, Nancy Montgomery. These murders were very violent and shocking. Grace was sentenced to death,…

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Why Energy Spreads: Rethinking Entropy from Rockets to Language Models

Whenever we read or understand entropy, we tend to generalize it as a tendency towards disorder or chaos. Although the idea in itself is not entirely wrong, one of the (other) most insightful ways of looking at it is, as the tendency of energy to spread out over time. This fundamental concept governs nearly everything, right from tiny molecular collisions to vast cosmic events, from the beginning of the universe to its eventual end. Btw, here is an engaging video on youtube if you want to explore it further –…

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Book Review: A Wild Sheep Chase by Haruki Murakami 

Have you ever felt like you’re dreaming with open eyes? If not, read A Wild Sheep Chase by Haruki Murakami. Last year, when I first read Kafka on the Shore, I remember closing the book and staring into nothing for a full minute. It was the kind of book that makes silence hum with meaning. Today, after finishing A Wild Sheep Chase, I felt that same humming.

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What Began as a Review of Murakami’s Running Memoir Became a Personal Meditation on Resilience and Movement

What would the writings of Murakami be if not fiction? That question caught my attention, kind of like a loose thread dangling from an old, comfy sweater. I kept thinking about it over and over. Because if you really sit with Murakami’s novels, Kafka on The Shore, The City and Its Uncertain Walls, Norwegian Wood, A Wild Sheep Chase (currently reading) to name a few, then you’re aware of how important cats, well, metaphysical side doors, rivers, clouds, flash-backs, memories, blurring effect of reality and dreams, music, solitude are these.…

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Book Review: Let’s Get Together by Isaac Asimov

I usually have three to four books on the go at any given time. There’s a rhythm to it, a kind of balance. Typically, it’s one work of literature, one non-fiction, something light for the in-between moments, and always, always a science fiction novella. This time, I picked up Let’s Get Together by Isaac Asimov, first published in 1957. I’m a huge, huge, and huge fan of Asimov’s works.

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The Anatomy of Resistance: We The Living, Revisited

I have this inherent pull towards classic literature that I try to read at least one classic every three months, else, something is missing in life. There’s something about them that I still can’t explain, the time-worn pages, the echo of old thoughts, the slow paced plotlines, and at times, the characters are also slow in terms of how they operate in their respective worlds.  Every revisit feels like a reunion with long-lost companions. I find myself re-acquainted with characters with a feeling that we might have when we meet…

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Book Review: Einstein’s Dreams by Alan Lightman 

What if time wasn’t just a constant, straight line moving forward, but a strange and flexible thing that can bend and change in ways we never expected? This is what Alan Lightman offers in his 1993 novel Einstein’s Dreams.  I love books that make me see the world, and ourselves, in a new way, and this novel has always been one of my favorites. It’s a small book packed with big ideas, and filled with creative worlds that stay in mind even after the pages of the book have run…

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Book Review: The Great Unknown by Marcus du Sautoy

Have you ever felt that curious while looking up at the night sky? The idea that we are so puny in the vastness of space doesn’t make you wonder sometimes about the mysteries that lie beyond our understanding? That’s exactly the idea Marcus du Sautoy explores in The Great Unknown: Seven Journeys to the Frontiers of Science, first published in 2016. He has tried to explore the limits of human knowledge. And somehow, it’s both humbling and electrifying, which makes the book so fascinating to read.

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Learning Together and Alone: How We Dynamically Adjust Our Strategies

Have you ever found yourself trying to solve a problem on your own, sticking with your gut and your own trial-and-error? But then there are times when you just can’t figure it out and end up watching what others are doing, hoping to pick up some clues? That back-and-forth between figuring things out solo and learning from others is what this study really dives into. It looks at how people balance learning on their own versus copying others depending on how well they’re doing.

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