Curious Random Thoughts

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/259031.Why_We_Buy Prior to reading this book, I was under the impression from the title that this book would completely be about human psychology and what makes humans buy more. I was very pleasantly surprised reading this book as there is a whole lot more of research in this area. Its fascinating to read how much time the author and his colleagues have spent watching thousands of hours of videos of shoppers shopping. Paco Underhill goes really in-depth into the art of retailing in the physical and online world. Even though this book was written around 20 years back, the observations and concepts are extremely relevant today. Paco really has a great eye about product placement and his observations really make this book a fascinating read. You will also be surprised by the predictions Paco makes in the book which have come true today. This book is a must read for all retailers and also shoppers. You will definitely be a much more informed seller or...

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/348067.Way_Off_the_Road Way off the Road by Bill Geist is a hilariously written journey about this CBS journalist's travels through charming small town United States of America. For those of us urbanites who are sometimes completely oblivious of off the beaten path towns and villages of America, the chapters in the book will completely come as a surprise. Bill Geist truly ventures into the quirky as well as weird and describes them in such funny detail. For those of you in search of the essence of America, this one is truly a must read.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22752295-this-divided-island This Divided Island by Samanth Subramanian is a very well written and researched book about the Sri Lankan civil war and its aftermath. Samanth traces the roots of the civil war, the problems between the majority Sinhalese and minority Tamil population over the course of Sri Lankan history. Samanth has really given a very even-handed treatment to the narratives of both sides of the civil war. Having travelled to Sri Lanka on numerous occasions before and after the civil war, he describes in very vivid detail about this gruesome chapter in Sri Lanka's history. He makes you realize on how humans can be self destructive in the name of religion and preservation of identity, often justifying the brutal killing of their own. With so much rancor, incendiary speeches and tweets present in our day to day lives, this book is a must read for all citizens of this world as it makes you realize how small little incidents can blo...

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1845.Into_the_Wild I had mistakenly avoided reading this classic book by Jon Krakauer all these years. I was very pleasantly surprised to read this gripping real life tale about a young guy named Chris McCandless who rebelled against his parents, disappeared into thin air after graduation and set out to live an unknown life in the wild criss-crossing the American west and finally ending up in Alaska only to meet an untimely death. Jon traces Chris's young life, with his sometimes troubled relationship with his parents, his many soul searching journeys to find his inner self, his quest to find how much he could stretch himself and (on many occasions) his eschewing of most modern trappings of life including money. Unfortunately Chris's biggest asset, his youth, proves to be deadly in the end due to his in-experience and under estimation of the Alaskan wild. Its really amazing how the author Jon Krakauer has traced Chris's journey ...

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/790171.Kon_Tiki This classic book by Thor Heyerdahl describes the amazing journey that he and his five other acquaintances took in 1947 on a primitive wooden raft from the coast of Peru to the south Pacific Ocean islands of Polynesia 4300 miles away to prove how ancient Inca people might have done the same journey over 1000 years ago to populate the Polynesian islands. This journey is a testament to how human ingenuity, perseverance and teamwork can achieve the unthinkable against all odds. This very well written journal is a must read for all people besides the adventurous on how amazing things can be accomplished.