Books

Spies in the Himalayas: Secret Missions and Perilous Climbs (Modern War Studies) by M. S. Kohli, Kenneth J. Conboy

I borrowed this book from a friend in 2004. I have always been amazed at people living and trekking in Himalayas. It's a world that I have not yet experienced, and it's very much in my wish list. Anyway, this book was more like a thriller and explained the hardships faced by the climbers. With international politics coming into play, it got more interesting. The climbing experience has been explained in such a great detail, that my craving to be a part of a climbing expedition has deepened.

"Before you are too weak or old you must meet and merge with the beloved Himalayas - it is my wish and my blessing." - Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev

God's Debris by Scott Adams
A very hilarious, but thoughtful book. At the outset, it seemed to be a very silly idea - God destroying himself and the resulting debris forming the Universe. Inspite of the disclaimer, it is very much possible to believe in his idea and accept it as a possibility. However, I liked the questions raised in the book and the way the whole existence has been explained. It just shatters some of the accepted ideologies and leaves you in a world where everything is unknown.

Code name God by Mani Bhaumik
A friend's father suggested this book when I was questioning a lot about God and Universe. I needed scientific explanations for many things that are happening around us. When Uncle suggested the book to me, I was not impressed with the name of the book. However, I knew that Uncle understood my situation and so I decided to try. I was surprised to know about the author - inventor of a kind of LASER rays that is used in LASIK. A Scientist author-- hmm...my interest in the book soared up.
The first part of the book did not impress me as much as I had expected. It was all about India's struggle for freedom and how the author's life was impacted by this. Little did I know that the early life of the author would help him to realise himself at later stages. The author's transition from being a poor boy to a student, researcher, Scientist, Rich man (sought after by Hollywood artists and politicians), lonely old Man and finally someone who understand so much about Life.
For the last one year, I have been hearing that E=mc2 and spirituality are related. However I had never understood theory of relativity as well as I should have, so I could not relate it to spirituality. This book helped me to understand Quantum physics and Theory of relativity a little more deeply. Some questions that have been troubling me throughout my life got answered, thanks to Mani Bhaumik. Here's one other person who achieved so much in the materialistic world, but experienced a big gaping hole in his life - there is something more in life than cars, houses, money, business, etc.

Albert Einstein and the Theory of Relativity by Herbert Kondo
After reading Code name God, I knew that my next stop would be at an Albert Einstein book. I think this is my 3rd attempt at reading a book on Einstein - and I was successful in completing this book. During my previous attempts, I was getting lost after reading couple of pages. Thanks to Mani Bhaumik for laying the foundation. This book is about the man, his life and his Theory of relativity. I wouldn't say that I understood the theory after reading this book - it'll be an insult to Einstein and to many other Scientists who are still struggling to understand what Einstein has found - but I am one step closer to understanding it.

"Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind." - Albert Einstein