Guns, Germs, and Steel, The Fates of Human Societies by Jared Diamond (2006). This book is somewhat controversial, at least from my perspective, as it seeks to explain why some cultures became significantly more developed than others, arguing that the disparity in development among cultures is largely due to environmental differences. Although several people have […]

Crime and punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky. This is my second book of Dostoevsky and I decided to read it  after reading  ‘The House of the Dead’, which I have already reviewed in this blog. Incidentally I feel there is some connection between these two books, in  the sense that at the end of C&P Raskolnikov

Leadership Principles for Project Success by Thomas Juli (2010). I just noticed I read this book some time ago. I remember I chose it because I saw a lot of good reviews about it but I did’t write my own personal assessment and I think it deserves one because it is a good book on

Ham on Rye by Charles Bukowski (1982). I am writing this review a week after finishing the book because I was both angry and depressed after completing it. I wonder if Bukowski knew he would have this impact on his readers. He is one of those rare authors with the power to transcend time and

The fifth child by Doris Lessing. I got interested in this book after watching an interview with the author (Nobel Prize in Literature, 2007 ) where she said her original idea was to explore the possibility of hobgoblins living among people. Hobgoblins are mythical creatures in the British folklore. The book is about a family

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson. This is a strange book. The fact that it has so many new readers even after 50 years has passed since it was written is outstanding. I realized this book has quite a lot of unfavorable reviews, particularly from young readers. It is clear there

Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut. The Children’s Crusade Jr. An alternative title of this book is “The Children’s Crusade”. The reason of the name come from a medieval kids army that supposedly was sent to Jerusalem 800 years ago to fight along christians during the crusades. Billy Pilgrim, the main character in this novel, goes to

Introduction to psychology by Paul Bloom (2007). This is an extraordinary course on psychology. Prof. Bloom uses an evolutionary point of view to understand the human mind. He explains very well complex subjects like religion or love. One of my favorite parts is when Bloom uses the concept of parental investment to explain physical and

The Miracle of Self-discipline by Brian Tracy (2010). This book focuses on advice on business, finances, family and relationships. This is not so much about techniques of self-discipline. But it presents several compelling reasons why you need to be focused in all aspects of your life. Self-discipline is to know what you should do and