Recent Reads

It's been a while since I updated recent reads. The pace of reading has slowed down considerably owing to being very busy, however, I've managed to read:

• How Much Should a Person Consume -- Ramchandra Guha. A history of the environmental movement across the world, and the ways in which it plays out in different countries. I found details of the Indian environment movement very gripping. Although the book turned out to be quite different from what the title leads one to believe, it was a thought-provoking read, and has definitely forced me to be aware of the consequences of each lifestyle choice that we constantly make.
• Banker to the Poor -- Muhammad Yunus. The autobiography of the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize winning pioneer of micro-credit. A very powerful, very inspiring read. The author makes a compelling case for lending to the poor.  
• Shogun -- James Clavell. Very interesting read -- a fictionalized account of Japanese (and European) culture at the time of the Japanese Shogunate.
• The Lord of The Rings -- J. R. R. Tolkien. Good read, and it certainly seems like the Harry Potter series has been very liberally "inspired" by this epic. I would have liked to get to know the dark lord Sauron a bit better :-P
• Emperors of the Peacock Throne -- Abraham Eraly. *Very* gripping read about the life and times of the Mughal era. Highly recommended.

I am currently reading:

• The Snowball: Warren Buffet and the Life of Business -- Alice Schroeder. I almost two thirds done with the official biography of Warren Buffet. Reading it along with "How Much Should a Person Consume" has been interesting -- the life of a guru of the capitalist way, read alongside with what naked corporate greed unleashes on the native population of a country.
• Fast Food Nation -- Eric Schlosser. I've just started this book about the history of fast food in America. So far, it's a good read.

I've also read aloud the first six books of the Will Solvit series (trashy IMO), books of the Mr Men/Little Miss series (funny), At Least a Fish by Anoushka Ravishankar (very nuanced and a good read), Tales of Danger by Ruskin Bond (vividly written -- the words paint pictures), and am currently reading aloud Tales and Legends from India -- also by Ruskin Bond.