I have been repeatedly asked, rather compelled, by some of my friends to present the list of my 10 favourite books. Initially I was reluctant because the gap between how much I read and how much do I crave to read, makes me feel humbled. Also, I have had different experiences with different subjects at different points of time. If I was a good student of science in my school days, it was because I fancied with the idea of becoming a scientist in the then-future. Similarly, I have tried to be a good learner though many a time, I believe, I failed. Today, I read for something different, today I remain in the earnest quest of liberating my soul and using that bit of liberation, I want to act for those who are in need of help. Im giving the reasons for these books being my favourites and in what sense did they benefit me. So, here is my list:- (1) Men, women and Rape by Susan Brown Miller ( It showed me how Pakistan and India are conjoint twins when dealing with dissent; it showed me the banality of vying for a particular nation-state ). (2) A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking ( For letting me develop interest in the study of universe. Kudos to the author, for presenting the whorling complexity of universe in such an easy and effortlessly-comprehensible way. My respect for the author has seen an exponential rise ever since he led the intellectual boycott of Israeli state ). (3) Orientalism by Edward Said (not just this book, but the entire Saidian philosophy has been one of the strongest influences in my life in the last couple of years ). (4) The Reconstruction of Islamic Thought by Sir Iqbal ( Too complex a book, and least understood by me, but it has given me the purpose to know the relationship between Islamic philosophy and wave mechanics ). ( 5 ) The Idea of India by Sunil Khilnani ( I loved this book because it has depth and width. Many of the phrases I use, have a source in the book ) ( 6 ) The God of small things by Arundhati Roy ( although I dont like to read fiction, but this book has been irresistible. I dont think any Indian author has bettered her. It allows one to see the strength of a feminine character ). ( 7 ) Paradise Lost by John Milton. ( Ive loved this book and have kept in my readings because of my my fascination for the words manufactured by the author ). ( 8 ) American Power and the New Mandarins by Noam Chomsky ( The book is one of the best expositions of how United States is chiefly responsible for the miseries of the world ). ( 9 ) The Assault on Reason by Al-Gore ( The author, former Vice-President of United States, has given details about hegemony, oil crisis and climate change in the book. In a sense, the book was my initiation into the environmental change ). ( 10 ) The Tipping Point by Malcom Gladwell ( The book is a notable contribution to know the importance of knowlege ). I have loved many other books but am keeping the list limited to only 10 books. I havent mentioned here Quran Shareef because I dont consider it as a mere book but as the full-scale guide to life. Over the years, I have found Maulana Abul Kalam Azads translation of Quran Shareef as very authentic. Unlike many of my friends, I have loved Maulana Maududi for his writings on environmentalism.
Posted on: Mon, 01 Sep 2014 16:42:42 +0000
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