9 Non-Fiction Books I bought from Flipkart
Do you remember this post – ’13 things I plan to avoid in 2013′? I wrote it for a contest in our CBC (Chennai Bloggers Club), and it won a prize! I got a voucher that could be used to buy something from Flipkart. I should thank the sponsor Cuponation for giving the prize so fast. The below list shows what I bought from Flipkart – 9 Non-Fiction books (Well, all except one – Chanakya’s Chant). Non-fiction is what I read these days.
1. Impatient Optimist – Bill Gates In his own words (Lisa Rogak)
2. An Inspirational Biography – Saina Nehwal (T S Sudhir) [My review]
3. Siddhartha (Hermann Hesse)
4. Connect the Dots (Rashmi Bansal)
5. I Dare! (Kiran Bedi)
6. The day I stopped drinking milk (Sudha Murty) [My review]
7. Wings of Fire (APJ Abdul Kalam)
8. Chanakya’s Chant (Ashwin Sanghi)
9. Turning Points (APJ Abdul Kalam)
Except the first book (I wanted to buy Business @ The speed of Light by Bill Gates, but it was very expensive), I had already planned to buy all other books. But I was postponing it as I was not sure if I will read them now. But since I also bought some books at the Chennai book fair recently, the number of unread books have increased considerably! These days I have set a reading schedule – 1 hour per day. I have started reading the 6th book – The day I stopped drinking milk (Sudha Murty) – It’s a nice book.
I just finished reading another excellent book (that I brought from my lending library): Wild Wind – my stormy youth, an autobiography (Taslima Nasreen). I will shortly review that book, and other books mentioned here too as and when I finish reading them.
I am thinking of giving these books to my lending library. I did consider the option of giving them to my school library or an orphanage, but I am not sure how many people will read it there. There is one good lending library near my house with an exhaustive collection of books (fiction). But their non-fiction collection is very limited. Even if users have to pay a small fee, I am sure many will read these books. It’s better than keeping the books in the house uselessly or selling it to the waste-paper shop, no? What do you think?
Also, do suggest me some good non-fiction books to buy. Your recommendations will be useful to me in the future 🙂
Destination Infinity
Photo: Destination8Infinity. Photo published under this creative commons license.
Interesting list. I wonder if you have Ribeiro book, the policeman’s autobiography? I bought it a few years back but I think I lend it to someone because I can’t find it now! Worth reading.
Thanks for the reco. I want to read any book that says biography/autobiography! So, I will read this book once others are finished.
Destination Infinity
By the way, the photo is not appearing.
I am hosting photos in Wikimedia so that others can also use it anywhere with an attribution. But they have some guidelines. Photos of book covers are a copyright violation it seems. Have removed it now.
Destination Infinity
why dont you upload photos on WP?
My host does allow unlimited upload of photos, but the issue is – The size of back-up file (which I need to download regularly) can get very big if I host photos on WP with my host. My host will have back-up, but it’s our responsibility to take/store one back-up copy (of what ever is hosted in their server) with us.
Besides, Wikimedia foundation offers so much to us for free. Why not contribute some images back to them that can be used by other users?
Destination Infinity
I also downloaded few e-books from internet yesterday on some Indian leader’s biography and thoughtful stories in Tamil. Giving books to library could be the best idea of sharing books and knowledge… hope you do it.
eBooks is difficult to read for me, as I have to read it on the laptop monitor. Actually, I am buying books so that I can be away from the monitor for some time! If I can buy a device like kindle which does not hurt the eyes, then maybe I can consider eBooks.
Destination Infinity
Congratulations for winning the gift voucher and you have bought an enviable collection of books! Agree, giving the books to a lending library makes more sense!
That is what I plan to do, if no other better option is suggested by any of the commenters. I want these books to be read by as many people as possible.
Destination Infinity
Stephen Hawking books are good. One must have a grasp of relativity/ Pauli exclusion principle to understand. But no harm in reading.
I bought three books on Bollywood music from Flipkart. RDBurman, Times Bollywood Music history and one by Bharathan. (The titles are not exact).
Bill Gates is interesting. I want to buy AR Rehman book. He is awesome.
Old books need to be disposed I think. No point in keeping them. I have about 300 books with me. I will do that this weekend.
I read stephen hawkins book – I think it was theory of everything. OMG, beyond the third chapter I did not understand anything! In Flipkart, the price is good and the delivery is fast – I got all these books in 2 days.
I didn’t know that A R Rehman’s biography is available. I will read it later. Instead of disposing old books, why don’t you give it to a lending library or school library near you. It might be useful for others.
Destination Infinity
Rajesh, our CBC Meet and Book Exchange Mela is coming up on the 24th, you can exchange your books with someone else’s books. Visit CBC for more details.
Joy always,
Susan
Yes, I saw that announcement in the group. But I am not sure how many members might want to exchange non-fiction books with me. Or bring non-fiction books. I have a few fiction books too. Let me see what to do about this.
Destination Infinity
You might like Motorcycle Diaries, if you havent already read. I own Chanakya’s Chant too.. yet to read it.. As soon as you finish a book, put up a review so that we will also get to know some good books 🙂
I recently donated my books to local library. I guess that’s a good thing to do.
Yes, I will review these books. I think it’s a very good thing to do – donating books to our local lending libraries. Let me plan for it. Also, thanks for the recommendation – I want to read Motorcycle Diaries too.
Destination Infinity
Congrats on the gift voucher.. put to good use. I have read Connect the Dots and its good. btw, what bt the review of that Taslima Nasreen book??
In one word – EXCELLENT. Don’t miss that book jas, I am sure women can relate to it more and enjoy it more too. I will review it shortly.
Destination Infinity
Though I read a lot of fiction, I hand-pick and choose some rare and interesting non-fiction books too, that comes after reviews and recommendations. There’s always something inspiring when we read the real stories that it actually makes us cry eventually at one point during the read. And at the same time, it brings out that fire to do something like them. That’s the best thing I love about reading bio or autobios. I will wait for your reviews on these books. To your list, definitely add ‘The Diary of a young girl’ by Anne Frank – the most moving, and unarguably the best non-fiction till date! If you want a bit more lighter read, try “Eat, Pray, Love” by Elizabeth Gilbert.
Thanks for the reco. I think that Anne Frank’s book is there in my library. It was so small, that’s why I didn’t pick it up earlier.
Biographies/Autobiographies are my favorite genre. We get so much info and we can learn so much about what is going on in the world around us.
Destination Infinity
Interesting post…
thanks
Yeah, I hope it is also useful to others…
Destination Infinity
First of all congrats for the prize! Try reading ‘The Story of Philosophy’ by Will Durrant. It is one of my most fav non-fic books.
That’s an interesting title. I should read this book.
Destination Infinity
I do not prefer Rashmi Bansal now, after reading her first book, I was quite disappointed.
I have read ‘Poor little rich slum’. I thought the book did justice to the subject. It was not exhaustive – that is a complaint, but it did convey the overall situation in dharavi, quite well. I thought why not try another book from this author, let me see how this is.
Destination Infinity
I will give it a try for sure
Congrats !!
Its a great collection you know.
Though I am totally over paper books now, ebooks are so much better to manage..especially because I don’t have to carry them anywhere 🙂
eBooks are ok if I had a Kindle. But reading them on computer monitor is very difficult.
Destination Infinity
i wish i was in Chennai , i could have borrowed each book from you to read 🙂
You could have given me some books from your collection too 🙂
Destination Infinity
WOW ! That’s an exhaustive list. I woudl also suggest a very different diary entries of women from pre- and post- world war era. Have you read Anne Frank?
All the best reading DI ! 🙂
Many people seem to suggest Anne Frank’s diary. It is must read then! 🙂
Destination Infinity