Friday, August 13, 2004

“Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman!”


This book, written by Richard Feynman, a Nobel Laureate in Physics, is one of the most popular books written by a scientist and undoubtedly one of my all-time favourites. Here, Feynman recounts his capers from the years spent at Princeton, Cornell, Caltech as well as anecdotes in connection with work on atom bomb (the Manhattan Project) at Los Alamos.


Throughout the book, Feynman comes across as an extraordinary combination of high intelligence, sharp mind, unlimited curiosity about every aspect of life, and above all, a fine sense of humour.


Vivid, lively and unpretentious, this is one book that you return to time and again!

Thursday, August 5, 2004

ManWatching




Hi,
Well, I just read a book on a bit off-the-beat subject and liked it immensely.
ManWatching
Author : Desmond Morris

The book is about human actions, how actions become gestures, and how gestures transmit non-verbal messages. In short, the book is about the "Body Language."
In a clear, lucid way, the author describes a whole range of our day-to day actions, gestures, movements, signs & signals-- most of which we perform sub-consciously. He explains how people from different communities behave in public and in private, and also analyzes the fundamental patterns which govern typical actions-reactions.
Packed with almost a hundred diagrams, sketches and photographs, the book makes us
aware of the fact that as a species we may have advanced technologically, but we have not yet entirely shed our 'animal' traits of being bodily active.