Hello Silk listers, I trust this email finds you well and in good literary spirits. 🌟
This is the perfect conversation for my current and fascinating intellectual pursuit—my first dissertation—which explores the profound relationship between literature and personal growth. Specifically, I am delving into how the philosophical journey of *The Alchemist* and the soulful exploration of *Eat, Pray, Love* influence our life choices and personal development. Intrigued? I certainly hope so! :) As discerning readers, I'm hoping some of you have read these literary works, and your insights would be invaluable to me. I invite you to partake in a not-so-brief survey to share your reflections and experiences with these books. Your contributions will add a touch of erudition to my research and help illuminate the intricate dance between literature and life. Here is the link to the survey: https://forms.gle/1ogJuGa5VuAa4TDu7 Your participation would be greatly appreciated, akin to discovering a hidden gem in the sands of time or savoring an exquisite literary feast. 🏺📖 Thank you for your generosity of spirit and intellect! Feel free to share this email with fellow bibliophiles who might be interested in contributing. If you have any questions or simply wish to engage in a lively discussion about books, I will be happy to come out of the woodworks and well-guarded introverted spaces. The books that have satiated my hunger this year include *Alan Joyce & Qantas *by *Peter Harbison and Derek Sadubin*, *Homi K. Bhabha *by *Bakhtiar K. Dadabhoy*, *The Proof, Uses of Evidence in Law, Politics, and Everything Else *by *Frederick Schauer*, and *Highway to Swades *by a dear friend *Bhairavi Jani*. Warmest regards and happy reading, Amitha On Thu, Nov 28, 2024 at 10:24 PM Venkatesh Rao via Silklist < [email protected]> wrote: > Nice lists. I’m not as heavy a reader as you folks looks like, but a > couple from me: > > Selection of Byung-Chul Han. I read Burnout Society, Psychopolitics, and > Transparency Society. (they’re short, monograph length, so 3=1). Kinda > hate-read since I’m averse to Heideggerian tendencies, but stimulating and > provocative in an evil-twin way. > > Thing Knowledge by Davis Baird. Brilliant development of a “material > epistemology” arguing that technical objects embody knowledge in ways > comparable to texts and theories. > > The Story of Southeast Asia by Eric Thompson. > > Old classic but new to me: The Evolution of Technology by Brian Arthur > > > On Wed, Nov 27, 2024 at 11:10 PM Ingrid Srinath via Silklist < > [email protected]> wrote: > >> This year I was blown away by *Barbara Kingsolver’s Demon Copperhead*, >> published in 2022. Like David Copperfield, this is a novel that brings to >> life conditions in Southern Appalachia - poverty, neglect, addiction - in >> ways that neither academic nor journalistic writing could. >> >> *H-Pop : The Secretive World of Hindutva Pop Stars by Kunal Purohit* was >> an eye-opening deep dive into the ecosystem that fosters cultural Hindutva. >> >> *No Presents Please : Mumbai Stories and Mithun Number Two *and* Other >> Mumbai Stories by Jayant Kaikini both translated by Tejaswini Niranjana* >> presented wonderfully nuanced evocations of life in Mumbai’s lower middle >> class. >> >> Mostly, however, 2024 was a year when my To Be Read shelf expanded way >> faster than I could deplete it. >> >> Kind regards, >> >> >> Ingrid Srinath >> >> >> On 25 Nov 2024, at 07:22, Thaths via Silklist < >> [email protected]> wrote: >> >>  >> It is coming up on Thanksgiving week in the US. And that means it is time >> for Silklist's annual tradition of sharing book recommendations. >> >> Please share your top reads of the year in this thread. >> >> Here are mine: >> >> *Other Rivers: A Chinese Education by Peter Hessler* >> Hessler weaves many threads (His students from when he taught at a >> Teachers college as a Peace Corp volunteer in the 90s, teaching at Sichuan >> University in 2019-2021, his experience sending his twin daughters to >> Chinese Public School, Hessler and his wife's family history of China-US >> encounters) into a beautiful tapestry that describes the China of today, >> and how it has changed over the 30+ years that the author has been going to >> China. >> >> *Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu* >> A novel in the style of a script for your average TV/Hollywood cop drama >> that explores the Asian-American experience. The novel wields Hollywood >> tropes about Asians brilliantly to great effect while getting to the truth >> about the complexities of Roles we think we're playing. >> >> *The Sun Walks Down by Fiona McFarlane* >> Using the canvas of a 6-year-old boy being lost in The Bush of Southern >> Australia, and the community that is looking for him, McFarlane paints a >> beautiful picture of the multi-faceted life of a small, Outback town in >> Colonial Australia. There is a cacophony of characters through whose eyes >> we witness the world. >> >> *Mina's Matchbox by Yōko Ogawa* >> I loved reading this book about the years young Middle Schooler Tomoko >> from Okayama spends with her Aunt's family in Ashiya. Tomoko develops a >> binding friendship with her Asthmatic cousin Mina (of the book's title). >> It is a coming of age story of sorts. I loved the evocative descriptions, >> and the painting of the life of a rich, eccentric, and loveable household >> in Ashiya. >> >> *James by Percival Everett* >> A brilliant alternate narrative of Huckleberry Finn. >> >> *Fourteen Years with Boss by Ashokamitthiran* >> A brisk read. Popular modernist Tamil writer's memoir about his years >> working in PR for Chennai's Gemini Studios in the 50's and 60's. >> >> *Congo: The Epic History of a People by David Van Reybrouck* >> Ever since I read King Leopold's Ghost in the early 2000s I've been >> fascinated by the history of Congo. I've consumed a couple of dozen books >> about the region, and dream of visiting some day. I thought I was pretty >> steeped in Congolese history. This book was refreshing. The author covers >> the usual stations of the cross of Congolese history (Stanley, King >> Leopold, Belgium, Independence, Lumumba, Mobutu, corruption, mining, >> Kabila, Hutu-Tutsi conflict, Complex wars,...), but brings fresh >> perspective (and the voices of many Congolese). I really liked the last >> chapter about how Congo-China trade is a ray of hope for a much abused >> nation. >> >> *The Liberation of Sita by Volga* >> A look at some incidents/characters in the Ramayana looked at through a >> Feminist lens. Highlights the patriarchy that pervades the popular >> narrative of the Ramayana. >> >> *Sakina’s Kiss by Vivek Shanbhag* >> I loved Perur's masterful translation of Shanbhag's previous book. This >> one didn't disappoint either. I like the ambiguity in the book. If I were >> to only pick two books for the entire year, I would book-end the year with >> Sakina’s Kiss and The Liberation of Sita. >> >> *The Upstairs Delicatessen: On Eating, Reading, Reading About Eating, and >> Eating While Reading by Dwight Garner* >> A memoir and a meditation on a life of Eating and Reading. I loved the >> author's erudition about both his chosen subjects. >> >> *Chasing Venus: The Race to Measure the Heavens by Andrea Wulf* >> I watched the transit of Venus in California in 2012. It was beautiful >> seeing this tiny dot (Venus) move across the face of the sun. Back then I >> had not known about the importance of measuring the transit of Venus in the >> 1700s. Some years later I read about Cook and Bank's voyage on the >> endeavor. One of my favorite pieces of art is Lisa Reihana's In Pursuit of >> Venus (Infected). This wonderful book is the story of (some of) the >> scientists from around the world to measure the transit of Venus so that >> the distance between the earth and the sun could be more precisely >> calculated. The book covers both expeditions in the 1760s (Transits of >> Venus occur in pairs separated by a few years). >> >> -- >> Homer: Hey, what does this job pay? >> Carl: Nuthin'. >> Homer: D'oh! >> Carl: Unless you're crooked. >> Homer: Woo-hoo! >> >> >> -- >> Silklist mailing list >> [email protected] >> https://mailman.panix.com/listinfo.cgi/silklist >> >> -- >> Silklist mailing list >> [email protected] >> https://mailman.panix.com/listinfo.cgi/silklist >> > -- > Silklist mailing list > [email protected] > https://mailman.panix.com/listinfo.cgi/silklist > -- Connect with me on LinkedIn <https://www.linkedin.com/in/amithasingh/> Start a conversation on Twitter <https://twitter.com/amithasingh> *Explore some of my writings <http://amithasingh.blogspot.com>* *"Hesitating to act because the whole vision might not be achieved, or because others do not yet share it, is an attitude that only hinders progress." -- MK Gandhi*
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