Books That Have Impressed Me

The old ones are the Murakamis, and Ogilvy on Advertising, Maverick by Ricardo Semler. Umberto Eco's shorter essays are a new favourite. Comic stuff from Dave Barry or Woody Allen (he wrote too) is always welcome for an ATL (any time laugh).

Selfienomics, and The Art of Social Media (the latter by Guy Kawasaki), The 100-year-old-man who Jumped Out of a Window and Disappeared are some of the recently read books that were impressive. TED Talks by Chris Anderson was good also.

Naseeruddin Shah's autobiography, and Dev Anand's, were well-written. A biography of SD Burman that I got hold of at a concert in his honour was good, like a book about RD Burman I read earlier. I am a big fan of their music, making those reads all the more enjoyable.

This Way is Easier Dad by Harimohan, and Sreeram's Kalyug were ones from known people that I enjoyed reading. Attended the Pune launch of the former at Pagdandi, an offbeat book store.

Old favourites that I can re-read anytime are PG Wodehouse, Agatha Christie, Arthur Conan Doyle and Asterix. Liked the new Sherlock based on the classic. Just started re-reading some A.A. Fair books. I like Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe as a character too, in the mystery genre. Mr. Majestic is a fun detective story about a small-time Bangalore crook that I was gifted by Meghna, and liked.

My favourite Marathi author is the humourist P. L. Deshpande. Another teenage favourite was B.R.Bhagwat, who wrote the Faster Fene books- a movie was recently made with him as a hero.

Osho's books are also highly readable, and so are some of Jaggi Vasudev. J. Krishnamurti is also an old favourite.

Book Review- TED Talks

This is a book about what TED talks are, and How to be a TED talker if you want to be one- straight from the horse's mouth. Chris Anderson runs the TED franchise now, after the original founder.

There are a lot of pointers on how everyone has a unique story to tell, and is a possible TED speaker. But also on how to prepare for a talk, within the 18 minute limit.

Many Dos and some Don'ts are a part of this, but what makes it unique and useful are the examples from various TED talks, on subjects ranging from laughter to the nature of DNA and their impact on various things that matter. Or, How More Choice Makes us Unhappier! The talk must have a structure that is easy for the audience to follow, but you can also have suspense, humour, visuals or dreams about a better future to enthuse them. Being yourself, and connecting with the audience as a human are the most important. Most people in any audience want you to do well, and will respond, unless you are perceived as arrogant, or as selling something.

He has an engaging way of explaining things. And illustrating a thought process that could go into a TED talk, though he insists there is no single right way to do it.

Anyone with an iota of interest in speaking well would do well to read this book-whether you want to be one of the TEDs or not.

TED Talks

Many readers may be familiar with TED and an author called Alain De Botton who I have read recently and like. Here are links to two of his talks under the TED banner. One about success and the other about what atheists can learn from religion. Great stuff.

http://www.ted.com/talks/alain_de_botton_a_kinder_gentler_philosophy_of_success.html


http://www.ted.com/talks/alain_de_botton_atheism_2_0.html