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Non-Fiction

Flow

Flow (by Mihály Csíkszentmihályi)

This is one of those books that I kept finding cited in a number of others that I have been reading, so much so that I had already got the concept of “flow” long before I read it. The author with the unpronounceable name – until you learn how to pronounce it – is a Hungarian psychologist who, about 70 years ago, moved to the USA and spent his career there. He died last year (in 2021) at the age of 87. Csíkszentmihályi‘s research and… Read More »Flow (by Mihály Csíkszentmihályi)

Evolve Your Brain

Evolve Your Brain (by Joe Dispenza)

Until about 50 years ago, scientists believed that the brain didn’t change after childhood. Now we know instead that the brain can and does change throughout our life. It keeps adapting and reconfiguring its structure, in response to new information, sensorial and environmental stimulation, thoughts and even damage. The brain’s ability to do all this is called neuroplasticity. The scientists who study it and its impact on people’s lives are called neuroscientists. The brain of a child is more plastic, which is why it’s easier… Read More »Evolve Your Brain (by Joe Dispenza)

The Mind in the Cave (by David Lewis-Williams)

What is art? The word art is used today to describe a wide variety of things from prehistoric cave paintings to those apparently nonsensical installations you find in modern galleries. Music and literature are also art but here we’re going to consider visual art only. Is visual art made to be looked at? Is it made for spiritual purposes? Is it made just as a creative outlet? Does art have as many meanings as the artists who make it? Should art be beautiful or just… Read More »The Mind in the Cave (by David Lewis-Williams)

Sapiens

Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind (by Yuval Noah Harari)

I was really looking forward to reading this book and I had high expectations given that there had been a lot of hype around it. Not only did it not disappoint, but it also even exceeded my expectations. The author, Yuval Noah Harari, is simply a genius. He’s a university professor of history in Israel, so the book is written by somebody who has qualified knowledge. He has made an entire course about the history of humankind too which is available for free on YouTube.… Read More »Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind (by Yuval Noah Harari)

A Wartime Memoir: Hungary 1944-1945 (by Alaine Polcz)

This is an autobiographical and historical account of the terrible experiences that the author went through during the Second World War in Hungary. It’s narrated in retrospective which I particularly appreciated as I could get to know the author’s thoughts from a point of view after the fact as well. It’s a raw, sad and often overwhelming read. It was difficult not to pause every few pages to take a break, breath and reflect on how horrifying war is. At a certain point, when I… Read More »A Wartime Memoir: Hungary 1944-1945 (by Alaine Polcz)

The Feeling of What Happens

The Feeling of What Happens

This book was, for me, revolutionary and revelatory as it significantly contributed to helping my quest for something I had been keeping asking myself for a very long period of time – who are we? Many self-help books out there say that we are our awareness – the ability to observe our body and what happens within it, including our thoughts and emotions. Thoughts and emotions are just products of our minds. Let’s explain this concept by adopting the opposite approach as these books do:… Read More »The Feeling of What Happens

I Think Therefore I Am

I found this book in the bookshop of the British Museum. I read the first two lines and I was hooked. It’s about the history and the thoughts of the most well-known philosophers. It does this following a chronological timeline, from the Presocratics, and specifically from Thales of Miletus (c. 624 – c. 545 BC) who, according to Aristotele, was the first real philosopher, right up until those of recent days. The very fact that this book ranges over some two and a half thousand… Read More »I Think Therefore I Am

Don't Sweat the Small Stuff

Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff

This book sets out to tell you how to relate to life’s adversities, especially to those little things that we let grow inside us until they become a big deal. For a good part of it, I was unsure whether I was going to give it three or four stars, the reason being that I mainly liked it, because I believe the advice is very effective and practical, but, at the same time I felt it was lacking something. In fact, this book helps you… Read More »Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff

This Book Will Make You Think

This Book Will Make You Think

While I was visiting the bookshop at the British Museum, I came across this book with such an intriguing and promising title. One of the things that makes me consider a book a good one is that it makes me think, so boom! I wanted it. It’s a very brief introduction to some philosophical thoughts. Each chapter starts with a famous quote, which is then followed by a short section that covers historical information and the background of the philosopher who came out with that… Read More »This Book Will Make You Think

The Diary of a Bookseller

The Diary of a Bookseller

As happens most of the time, I had some expectations when I started to read this book – I was expecting an engaging story to develop throughout the daily life of a bookseller. I don’t know, something like the film “Notting Hill” :-). However, it’s a work of non-fiction and I only realised this after having read the first few pages. Had I not had any such expectations, I’d have probably enjoyed it more. So, it’s not the author that disappoints, rather, it’s just that… Read More »The Diary of a Bookseller