《披荆斩棘4》is the latest variety show that my spouse and I are “binge” watching. We enjoyed a few episodes and I would recommend it, especially if you are a fan of 李克勤, 韦礼安, or 胡夏.
As an introvert, this is the type of entertainment I gravitate towards, along with other pursuits such as reading, Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX) or nature walks.
These quiet activities have an unintended benefit: reduced spending, and that has positively impacted my finances.
But I am not writing about finances or investment for this post. After writing more than 80 posts on investment for the year, I’d like to share something different today.
Let’s explore some of the non-finance books I read this year. These are not book reviews but just my brief take on the books.
三体（刘慈欣）
I only came to know about this trilogy after watching the Netflix’s adaption: “3 Body Problem” in March this year.
I was captivated by the sci-fi saga, with its intriguing storyline. The plot is original and mind-blowing and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Upon further research, I then realised that it’s an adaption of a Chinese novel published in 2006 and became the first Asian novel to win a Hugo Award in 2015!
After some deliberation, I decided to challenge myself to read the original Chinese version rather than the translated version.
I probably took a longer time as I needed to look up on some of the scientific terms, such as 质子 (proton)，粒子(particle) and historical figures too. Beside this slight inconvenience, I was mesmerised by the novel.
The imagination is wild, yet I wonder if it is plausible in the future. Additionally, there is a philosophical slant to the story that challenges my thinking about intellectual beings.
If you are into sci-fi, this is a must read.
The Big Questions: Physics (Michael Brooks)
As a student, my first love was Maths rather than Physics. But as a teacher, I preferred teaching Physics than Maths.
Maybe my younger brain wasn’t ready for the abstractness of the subject, but as an adult I found it an interesting discipline to learn about our world.
Even if you’re not a science person, this book is a great introduction to the intricacies of our marvelous world. Written in simple language with few equations, it’s perfect for the layperson.
Do you want to find out more about the following? These are three of the twenty questions covered in the book.
- Am I Unique? The limit of our universe and the search for parallel world
- Can We Travel Through Time? Where relativity meets science fiction
- Do We Live in a Simulation? Human nature, the laws of physics, and the march of technological progress
An Attitude of Gratitude (Tan-Soh Wai Lan)
In this memoir, you can discover how this highly capable, determined, and humble leader has positively impacted the communities she’s been a part of.
Reading the later chapters, it brought back fond memories of the initiatives she brought to the school, such as Gratitude Moments, Cultural Intelligence and Mindfulness. The experience of delivering these has led to my personal growth.
Although this book may be particularly relevant to educators, it can also offer valuable insights into personal accountability, values, and life lessons for anyone seeking to improve themselves.
When Breathe Becomes Air (Paul Kalanithi)
I just completed this book two nights ago. It’s not on the bookshelf as I borrowed an ebook from the library.
The author shared how his life transformed when he was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer in his last year of neurosurgical surgery.
Eloquently written, it’s a page turner. The author’s candidness and his realistic approach to the negative news is both touching and inspiring.
These are some of the memorial lines from the book.
- “I can’t go on. I’ll go on.“
- “Even if I’m dying, until I actually die, I am still living.”
- “Science may provide the most useful way to organize empirical, reproducible data, but its power to do so is predicated on its inability to grasp the most central aspects of human life: hope, fear, love, hate, beauty, envy, honor, weakness, striving, suffering, virtue.”
- “Human knowledge is never contained in one person. It grows from the relationships we create between each other and the world, and still it is never complete.”
I’m grateful to learn from a stranger who despite his own struggles, generously shared his experiences.
The New Cold War: How the Contest Between the US and China Will Shape Our Century (Robin Niblett)
While not my usual genre, I picked up this book on a whim after browsing in Kinokuniya earlier this year.
Looking back, I think I might have been influenced by watching the Netflix documentary “Turning Point: The Bomb and The Cold War.”
Though unrelated, I probably hoped this book would complement what I learnt from the documentary. Even though I’m only halfway through, I’m glad I chose it.
It’s an easy read and provides a good overview of the factors that contributed to the current geopolitical tensions between the US and China.
Sleeping, Dreaming, and Dying (14th Dalai Lama)
This book has been on my bookshelf for more than a decade. When I I freed the book from its dusty prison, I was reminded why I did not finish it the first time.
Although the content is fascinating, the presentation is quite dry. It’s like reading a scientific paper, which I’ve never understood why they have to be so difficult to follow. It’s informative, but the writing style is challenging.
I do not know when I will go back to it again.
Discover more from Towards Financial Independence
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.