Sunday, July 18, 2010
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Eureka Man
Book Review : Eureka Man
Author : Alan W. Hirshfeld
My Rating : 2 out of 5 stars
The complete title of the book is "Eureka Man: The Life and Legacy of Archimedes".
I visited Nehru Science Center as I high school student. I still remember my astonishment after seeing the "Archimedes Screw" to get water up from a low point. The simple ingenuity made me wonder, how could he think of that trick ? That was but one small achievement for the genius mind of Archimedes, who is considered along with Newton and Gauss as the greatest mathematicians ever.
But he was much more than a mathematician. Among many other things, he was a physicist, the greatest engineer of antiquity, an inventor and also a defense strategist for his native country Syracuse. His siege engines against the Roman army made him a legend for centuries. Galileo called him a super-human, Newton used his geometric diagrams to draw geeky graffiti, and countless other geniuses were awe-struck by the achievements of one man's mind.
So, when I saw a book on him, I had to pick it up and read. Unfortunately I was sorely disappointed.
The book has 2 parts. First part, talks quite dryly about the life of Archimedes and some of his achievements. Of course, the Eureka incident is mentioned, along with his work on levers, value of pi etc. His war engines and historical context also get a decent coverage. Little else is covered. Neither parabola, nor the spiral gets any mention. There are some nice pictures and photographs. The explanations here are OK, but what's missing is the passion.
A much bigger second half talks about the discovery of the Palimpsest - the copy from antiquity of Archimedes' original book. As interesting as the story is, it's way too much detail for me. For someone who is interested in the story of historical documents, this may be fun. Just maybe, as although it is informative, it's hardly gripping. I was bored.
It's a short book and it simply fails to respectfully treat the greatest polymath we have known. It's a shame.
Author : Alan W. Hirshfeld
My Rating : 2 out of 5 stars
The complete title of the book is "Eureka Man: The Life and Legacy of Archimedes".
I visited Nehru Science Center as I high school student. I still remember my astonishment after seeing the "Archimedes Screw" to get water up from a low point. The simple ingenuity made me wonder, how could he think of that trick ? That was but one small achievement for the genius mind of Archimedes, who is considered along with Newton and Gauss as the greatest mathematicians ever.
But he was much more than a mathematician. Among many other things, he was a physicist, the greatest engineer of antiquity, an inventor and also a defense strategist for his native country Syracuse. His siege engines against the Roman army made him a legend for centuries. Galileo called him a super-human, Newton used his geometric diagrams to draw geeky graffiti, and countless other geniuses were awe-struck by the achievements of one man's mind.
So, when I saw a book on him, I had to pick it up and read. Unfortunately I was sorely disappointed.
The book has 2 parts. First part, talks quite dryly about the life of Archimedes and some of his achievements. Of course, the Eureka incident is mentioned, along with his work on levers, value of pi etc. His war engines and historical context also get a decent coverage. Little else is covered. Neither parabola, nor the spiral gets any mention. There are some nice pictures and photographs. The explanations here are OK, but what's missing is the passion.
A much bigger second half talks about the discovery of the Palimpsest - the copy from antiquity of Archimedes' original book. As interesting as the story is, it's way too much detail for me. For someone who is interested in the story of historical documents, this may be fun. Just maybe, as although it is informative, it's hardly gripping. I was bored.
It's a short book and it simply fails to respectfully treat the greatest polymath we have known. It's a shame.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Is it all about Euro ?
Today the market broke many key levels (including the "devil's number") and is "officially" in the correction mode, at least according to CNBC. Every journalist is saying the reason to be the trouble with Euro - which not so long ago was touted as the new reserve currency of the world. And once in a while, you would hear the mention of the cute acronym PIIGS. But is it really just about the ClubMed countries ? How about ...
1. UK and US having similar debt burdens ?
2. A very real possibility that China may crash ? How many empty cities can you build to pump up the economy ? The commodity prices (see copper and oil for example) have gone down - and it's not because of Europe, but concerns about China.
3. Most states in US are effectively bankrupt, and personal debt levels still very high.
4. The entire multi-trillion dollar web of interlinked derivatives still needs a lot of unwinding.
All this points to deflation and almost no growth prospects, which means P/E ratios for US equities are still very high. That's the reason IMHO for the on-going crash. Of course you will not hear this on CNBC - which can only tell you to buy on the dip so that their real masters can make you the bagholders.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Anand retains the crown !
Today, Vishwanathan Anand won the 12th and final game of the match against Bulgarian Topalov, to retain the crown. This was an incredible match and deserved the dramatic finish it had today.
It didn't start that well for Anand. He first had trouble reaching the venue in Sophia, Bulgaria as the volcano eruption in Iceland had stopped all the flights. Then he lost the very first game due to a blunder. He bounced back immediately by winning the next game and equalizing the match. That was followed by very high level complicated chess by both the players - undoubtedly the 2 best players in the world today.
The match was tied before today's game. Anand won it as black. Today, he was definitely helped by Topalov, who committed a crucial blunder. But it wasn't all easy after that and Anand had to play precisely.
Overall, both players played terrific chess. The result is fair, as Anand definitely played better both technically and psychologically. His match strategy was generally better than his opponent. Even today, he avoided a draw in an equal position and kept on playing, applying pressure. This battle of nerves was over just 10 moves later, when Topalov self destructed himself. Then a desperate attempt to save the game simply did not work against the calm genius of Anand.
It's been 20 years since Anand has been at the top of the chess world. It's a phenomenal achievement. In the first half, he was second only to the greatest player in the history of chess - Kasparov. After Kasparov peaked and retired, Anand has been the overall best player. Kramnik and Topalov have had their peaks, but Anand's the only one to have the continuity.
The revolution he has caused in Indian chess is no less remarkable. He did it on his own, without any help from Indian Government, against the mighty coordinated schools of Soviet and Eastern European players, in spite of the dirty politics at the top of the chess world. And still, he is the same humble player with easy manners – which has won him fans all over the chess playing world. Just because of the inspiration provided by him, India now has a growing base of talented chess players. This game does not require strong physique and ton of money, like most other sports. It's all in the brain, of which there is no shortage in India. So one day, it's quite possible that India becomes the dominant country in chess. If that happens, Anand deserves the lion's share of the credit.
If you want to play over the games of this match, you can do so at http://www.chessbase.com.
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It didn't start that well for Anand. He first had trouble reaching the venue in Sophia, Bulgaria as the volcano eruption in Iceland had stopped all the flights. Then he lost the very first game due to a blunder. He bounced back immediately by winning the next game and equalizing the match. That was followed by very high level complicated chess by both the players - undoubtedly the 2 best players in the world today.
The match was tied before today's game. Anand won it as black. Today, he was definitely helped by Topalov, who committed a crucial blunder. But it wasn't all easy after that and Anand had to play precisely.
Overall, both players played terrific chess. The result is fair, as Anand definitely played better both technically and psychologically. His match strategy was generally better than his opponent. Even today, he avoided a draw in an equal position and kept on playing, applying pressure. This battle of nerves was over just 10 moves later, when Topalov self destructed himself. Then a desperate attempt to save the game simply did not work against the calm genius of Anand.
It's been 20 years since Anand has been at the top of the chess world. It's a phenomenal achievement. In the first half, he was second only to the greatest player in the history of chess - Kasparov. After Kasparov peaked and retired, Anand has been the overall best player. Kramnik and Topalov have had their peaks, but Anand's the only one to have the continuity.
The revolution he has caused in Indian chess is no less remarkable. He did it on his own, without any help from Indian Government, against the mighty coordinated schools of Soviet and Eastern European players, in spite of the dirty politics at the top of the chess world. And still, he is the same humble player with easy manners – which has won him fans all over the chess playing world. Just because of the inspiration provided by him, India now has a growing base of talented chess players. This game does not require strong physique and ton of money, like most other sports. It's all in the brain, of which there is no shortage in India. So one day, it's quite possible that India becomes the dominant country in chess. If that happens, Anand deserves the lion's share of the credit.
If you want to play over the games of this match, you can do so at http://www.chessbase.com.
Friday, May 7, 2010
Mendeleyev's Dream
Book Review : Mendeleyev's Dream
Author : Paul Strathern
My Rating : 4 out of 5 stars
The complete title of the book is "Mendeleyev's Dream: The Quest for the Elements", and frankly it's a bit misleading. This is neither a biography of Mendeleyev (that's how author chooses to spell his name) nor is it any introduction to the periodic table. It's a history of Chemistry that begins of course with Greek philosophers, takes interesting detours and ends abruptly without really talking about the periodic table.
As a book on history of Chemistry, it's quite fun to read. In a relatively short book, the author manages to cover many famous scientists, their life stories, their achievements and their impact. Most of it is touching and captivating. The personalities cover a wide range of spectrum. From many famous scientists like Lavoisier, Cavendish to not so well known (at least to a layman) Paracelsus and Scheele. The anecdotes about them range from weird to tragic. The zigzag development of theory covers "Earth, Fire, Air, Water", alchemy, phlogiston to near modern chemistry. This is a very broad scope.
In addition there is a lot of trivia packed into this book, and I mean a lot. I tremendously enjoyed these additional tidbits of knowledge thrown at me.
For good or bad - (and IMHO more bad than good) - there is a lot of opinionated commentary thrown in. I cringed many times while reading the book. Some views get dismissed as religious hocus-pocus, while some are branded as "the biggest blunder in human thought" ! These are admittedly shallow comments. It's akin to dismissing ancient thinkers as stupid, because they thought the universe was earth centric. Without proper understanding of the prevailing social context, available tools for scientific experiments etc. it's simply wrong to make these judgments.
Another drawback is the lengthy detour about scientific revolution. I would have preferred a shorter discussion and more attention to actual periodic table, which was the topic suggested by the book's title !
Overall, this is a very fun book to read. It's also a very good book for high-school students who are really interested in Chemistry and want some historical context.
ShareAuthor : Paul Strathern
My Rating : 4 out of 5 stars
The complete title of the book is "Mendeleyev's Dream: The Quest for the Elements", and frankly it's a bit misleading. This is neither a biography of Mendeleyev (that's how author chooses to spell his name) nor is it any introduction to the periodic table. It's a history of Chemistry that begins of course with Greek philosophers, takes interesting detours and ends abruptly without really talking about the periodic table.
As a book on history of Chemistry, it's quite fun to read. In a relatively short book, the author manages to cover many famous scientists, their life stories, their achievements and their impact. Most of it is touching and captivating. The personalities cover a wide range of spectrum. From many famous scientists like Lavoisier, Cavendish to not so well known (at least to a layman) Paracelsus and Scheele. The anecdotes about them range from weird to tragic. The zigzag development of theory covers "Earth, Fire, Air, Water", alchemy, phlogiston to near modern chemistry. This is a very broad scope.
In addition there is a lot of trivia packed into this book, and I mean a lot. I tremendously enjoyed these additional tidbits of knowledge thrown at me.
For good or bad - (and IMHO more bad than good) - there is a lot of opinionated commentary thrown in. I cringed many times while reading the book. Some views get dismissed as religious hocus-pocus, while some are branded as "the biggest blunder in human thought" ! These are admittedly shallow comments. It's akin to dismissing ancient thinkers as stupid, because they thought the universe was earth centric. Without proper understanding of the prevailing social context, available tools for scientific experiments etc. it's simply wrong to make these judgments.
Another drawback is the lengthy detour about scientific revolution. I would have preferred a shorter discussion and more attention to actual periodic table, which was the topic suggested by the book's title !
Overall, this is a very fun book to read. It's also a very good book for high-school students who are really interested in Chemistry and want some historical context.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Pleasanton Murals
I pass this mural in Pleasanton every day on my way to work. There are always cars parked in front of it. On a Sunday morning, I got a chance to take a few photos of the complete drawing - just at the same time, when someone else was also taking a photo :-)
Look closely ..
The mural without the 3-D illusion effects is nice on its own ..
and
The mural without the 3-D illusion effects is nice on its own ..
Friday, April 16, 2010
Why is Goldman Sachs being sued by SEC ?
Of course I am cynical - I don't think this is going to result in any meaningful change. All that will happen is the main employee mentioned (Fabrice Tourre) will be let go, GS will not admit to any wrong doing, pay a token file and then it will be business as usual.
Some things are interesting.
- The announcement happened on an option expiration day. Why didn't the SEC do this over the weekend ? Or on Monday morning ?
- GS was the top contributor (over $1M) to the democratic party in 2008 elections.
- GS (not the company, but via employees and PACs) donated about $1M to President Obama's election campaign.
- This is an election year. Maybe the political gods need a sacrifice. Maybe. Most likely not. Most likely, it's just to improve perception.
- The Financial Reform Bill is on agenda. Maybe this is related.
So maybe I am cynical, or maybe not.
In any case, if you want to understand what exactly is the accused wrongdoing here, please see this video by my favorite news anchor Dylan Ratigan. He uses a simple analogy to explain and make this complex matter accessible to all of us.
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Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Tragedy in the backyard
I know it's overly dramatic to call this a tragedy, but I feel like my pet just died.
I had planted many cherry seeds in good soil and 5 of them germinated to give nice seedlings. I was excited and looking forward to grow them, but all of them died. Just like that. No sign of any insects, snails or decease. Just dead :-(
They looked fabulous when they were alive.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Afalaatoon
The word "अफलातून" - meaning extra-ordinary - comes to Indian languages like Hindi, Urdu and Marathi from Arabic and Persian word "Aflatoon" - with blended "F" and "L" sounds (अफ़्लातून). Where did this word come from into Arabic ? Any guess on the origin of “Aflatoon” ?
It’s a name that comes from Greek ! Plato (the philosopher) becomes "Aflaatun" where the last N is sometimes pronounced as only a nasal sound. I have also seen it written as "FalatooN" in Urdu poetry.
Since Plato was indeed extra-ordinary, the word acquired that meaning in many languages.
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It’s a name that comes from Greek ! Plato (the philosopher) becomes "Aflaatun" where the last N is sometimes pronounced as only a nasal sound. I have also seen it written as "FalatooN" in Urdu poetry.
Since Plato was indeed extra-ordinary, the word acquired that meaning in many languages.
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Friday, April 9, 2010
The Camel Club
Book Review : Camel Club
Author : David Baldacci
My Rating : 3 out of 5 stars
David Baldacci has written one best seller book after another. This is the first time I read any book by him.
Camel Club in the book is a group of 4 very ordinary citizens, who want to know the truth. There are many other characters, far too numerous to list. Apart from POTUS, head of NSA etc. the main characters are a secret agent and his girlfriend. As busy as Washington DC is, almost everyone’s path crosses with everyone else. There are also Middle-eastern terrorist and their plot remains secret for most part of the book.
Like most thrillers, Camel Club is about a conspiracy against US. Most such books require a suspension of disbelief, and this one is no exception. That's fine by me. This is not a news report. This is supposed to be a page-turner. So apart from the far-fetched plot, how good is the book ?
Pretty good I must say. The book is gripping. It starts out slowly, introduces all the characters, builds their interactions and gives enough teaser glimpses of the terrorist plot. It's hard to put down once you start it. Baldacci undoubtedly has mastered the art well.
So why only 3 stars ? Not because lack of character development. I wasn't really keen on knowing any of these characters. But their dialogues feel very unreal at places. There is a quite a bit of preaching to the reader woven into these discussions.
Secondly, the plot depends a lot of coincidences - many many coincidences. Characters routines run into each other at appropriate moments.
But the biggest flaw is the end. The last few pages are so rushed that it simply ruins the whole build up. It's not that the suspense is bad. It isn't. Just that the characters do not really behave the way you expect them to behave. One of the main characters realizes some significant information in the end. But the reaction is so muted that it makes you wonder if the author was on a tight deadline to somehow finish the book.
Baldacci has followed up on Camel Club in 2-3 other books. I am not sure I will try them. But I might try his previous books.
This book is no match to even to sub-par attempts of Forsyth. Nor is it in the same league of Ludlum. Think of it like a typical Hollywood thriller and no more. Then you might enjoy it.
Camel Club in the book is a group of 4 very ordinary citizens, who want to know the truth. There are many other characters, far too numerous to list. Apart from POTUS, head of NSA etc. the main characters are a secret agent and his girlfriend. As busy as Washington DC is, almost everyone’s path crosses with everyone else. There are also Middle-eastern terrorist and their plot remains secret for most part of the book.
Like most thrillers, Camel Club is about a conspiracy against US. Most such books require a suspension of disbelief, and this one is no exception. That's fine by me. This is not a news report. This is supposed to be a page-turner. So apart from the far-fetched plot, how good is the book ?
Pretty good I must say. The book is gripping. It starts out slowly, introduces all the characters, builds their interactions and gives enough teaser glimpses of the terrorist plot. It's hard to put down once you start it. Baldacci undoubtedly has mastered the art well.
So why only 3 stars ? Not because lack of character development. I wasn't really keen on knowing any of these characters. But their dialogues feel very unreal at places. There is a quite a bit of preaching to the reader woven into these discussions.
Secondly, the plot depends a lot of coincidences - many many coincidences. Characters routines run into each other at appropriate moments.
But the biggest flaw is the end. The last few pages are so rushed that it simply ruins the whole build up. It's not that the suspense is bad. It isn't. Just that the characters do not really behave the way you expect them to behave. One of the main characters realizes some significant information in the end. But the reaction is so muted that it makes you wonder if the author was on a tight deadline to somehow finish the book.
Baldacci has followed up on Camel Club in 2-3 other books. I am not sure I will try them. But I might try his previous books.
This book is no match to even to sub-par attempts of Forsyth. Nor is it in the same league of Ludlum. Think of it like a typical Hollywood thriller and no more. Then you might enjoy it.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
In Dodd We Trust
If there is a journalist who understands the financial mess we created and our inadequate reaction to it, it's Jon Stewart, who on this aspect, is miles ahead of etire CNBC crew combined. Watch this ...
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| In Dodd We Trust | ||||
| ||||
Friday, March 26, 2010
Silly and Poor Jokes - 2
Heard this on "The Big Bang Theory".
Q: Why did the chicken cross the Mobius Strip ?A : To get to the same side.
I am thrilled to hear geeky jokes on a mainstream sitcom.A neutron went into a bar and ordered a drink. The bartender served it and said, "No charge for you".
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Hydrogen : The Essential Element
Author : John Ridgen
My Rating : 3 out of 5 stars
My Rating : 3 out of 5 stars
When I picked up this book, I was expecting a treatment more from the point of view of Chemistry than Physics. As it turned out, this book covers the role Hydrogen has played in theoretical physics with almost no mention of chemistry.
This is still an interesting premise. Hydrogen was formed in very early phases of creation of the universe and is still the most abundant element. Being the smallest element, with just one proton and one electron, many theories of atomic structure were tested against the hydrogen atom. So it's very fruitful to survey the history of Theoretical Physics with only hydrogen in mind.
In spite of this novel idea and good penmanship from John Ridgen, I came out a bit disappointed. It's most likely due to expectation mismatch. Ridgen focuses almost solely on 20th century physics. As interesting as this trip is, it gets very detailed at many places. From the introduction, we gather that Ridgen wrote a biography of physicist Rabi. This explains the detailed knowledge Ridgen has about that period in history. But overloading this book with exact dates and who said what to whom, distracted me. The plus side was the details about lab experiments that are often skipped by popular science books.
On the other hand, I would have loved to see more explanations of the theories. There is some discussion, but that's not enough as the focus seems to be on history.
It's a short book. I enjoyed it, but didn't learn a whole lot about science as I have from many other books on popular science. And all the historical trivia I read, was soon forgotten. If you read it with right expectations, you will enjoy it as well.
This is still an interesting premise. Hydrogen was formed in very early phases of creation of the universe and is still the most abundant element. Being the smallest element, with just one proton and one electron, many theories of atomic structure were tested against the hydrogen atom. So it's very fruitful to survey the history of Theoretical Physics with only hydrogen in mind.
In spite of this novel idea and good penmanship from John Ridgen, I came out a bit disappointed. It's most likely due to expectation mismatch. Ridgen focuses almost solely on 20th century physics. As interesting as this trip is, it gets very detailed at many places. From the introduction, we gather that Ridgen wrote a biography of physicist Rabi. This explains the detailed knowledge Ridgen has about that period in history. But overloading this book with exact dates and who said what to whom, distracted me. The plus side was the details about lab experiments that are often skipped by popular science books.
On the other hand, I would have loved to see more explanations of the theories. There is some discussion, but that's not enough as the focus seems to be on history.
It's a short book. I enjoyed it, but didn't learn a whole lot about science as I have from many other books on popular science. And all the historical trivia I read, was soon forgotten. If you read it with right expectations, you will enjoy it as well.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Friday, March 5, 2010
Proof
Released : 2005
Director: John Madden
Genre : Drama
Starring : Gwyneth Paltrow, Anthony Hopkins, Jake Gyllenhaal, Hope Davis
My Rating : 10 out of 10
Movies based on stage plays feel very different than other movies. Much of the story happens in limited settings, the focus is completely on characters and dialogues replace action. I have a strong bias towards such movies.
In addition, Proof is about mathematicians. Being in love with Math, I definitely was predisposed to liking this movie. But objectively, is this a good movie ? Yes, a strong resounding yes. In fact, in this genre, it's near perfect.
The story is simple. A famous mathematician Robert (Anthony Hopkins) - well past his prime, and suffering from dementia - has died. His daughter Catherine (Gwyneth Paltrow) gave up her career as a mathematician to take care of her father in his dying years. Catherine's older sister (Hope Davis), who stayed away for all this time to pursue her career, comes back to take care of practical matters. In the meanwhile, Robert's student Hal (Jake Gyllenhaal) goes over a pile of notebooks he finds in Robert's room, to see if there is anything worthwhile. And he finds a remarkable proof. Did Robert really write that ? Or was it Catherine ?
It's not much of suspense. But it's presented in a non-linear order and clues are offered via flashbacks, and hence there is a tiny bit of suspense for first half of the movie.
While the suspense if not the reason to watch this movie, Math is not the reason to avoid this movie. There is very little math-speak in the movie. There is almost nothing about the actual proof. Based on the very vague hints given in the movie, we can only speculate for fun about the topic. Could it be Goldbach's conjecture ? Riemann Hypothesis ? Doesn't really matter.
The movie is definitely about Catherine. And her interactions with 3 people in her life. Her father, her sister and her boyfriend. This is the core of the movie, and it shines brightly there. I was also particularly happy about the way her sister's character is portrayed in the script and played admirably by Hope Davis.
Gwyneth Paltrow gives an unbelievably breathtaking performance to bring out so many shades of Catherine's personality. She is strong at times, but very vulnerable at other times. She knows she is a genius, but sometimes wonders if she is mad. She knows her sister means well, but she is frustrated by the lack of understanding. Her acting is just perfect. Director John Madden teamed up with her before ,in "Shakespeare in Love", and although that movie is far better known, I think Proof is way much better for both of them.
Why are there so few women mathematicians ? That's a controversial subject. Proof does not really address it directly. But keep the question in mind, and you will understand Catherine better.
I haven't watched the Pulitzer winning play on which this movie is based. To me this is as perfect as movies can be. This is a must see movie for every serious fan of this art.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Carmel and 17 Mile Drive
One of the standard tourist stops near Bay Area is Carmel and the near-by 17 mile drive. The Carmel town is very cute, but I find the 17 mile drive good but a bit overrated. Both offer numerous opportunities for photography.
I found a nice alley in Carmel downtown.
Carmel also has a mission.
The 17 Mile drive takes you via many famous spots. One being the Restless Sea.
And other picturesque locations.
Some of the beaches are easily accessible, with interesting habitants.
And
On that particular day, a squirrel and a bird were completely unafraid of the humans. Even without a decent zoom, I managed to take these pictures.
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and
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And of course, the drive is not complete without the famous Lone Cypress tree
Sunday, February 21, 2010
They Really Said It ! [8]
Author : John Kenneth Galbraith
My Rating : 5 out of 5 stars
Most of the previous articles I wrote in this "They Really Said It" series were about criticizing people for denying the existence of the housing bubble. All my objections may seem as just another instance of 20/20 hindsight. Was it possible to identify the bubble before ? Were most of the people who warned about the imminent crash like a broken clock that's right twice a day ? Well, how about a book that was written in 1993, that analyzed historical bubbles and gave clear reasoning as to why these phases routinely repeat !
John Kenneth Galbraith was one of the most influential economist in 20th century. He was born in Canada, but lived most of his life in US. An adviser to President Kennedy, he was appointed as The US Ambassador to India. There, he often advised India's 1st Prime Minister Nehru on economic matters. For his service, he received 2 Presidential Medal Of Honors from US, the "Padma Vibhushan" from India and also Order Of Canada.
In "The Short History Of Financial Euphoria" he covers all the well-known bubbles and even some smaller ones - from the "Tulip Mania" to the Crash of 1987. It's a very short book and written in a witty style. Instead of merely reviewing, I would prefer to quote entire passages that I absolutely adore.
How does it start and how does it end ?
Galbraith argues that bubbles always begin on sound fundamentals. Then there are basically two types of participants. Majority are the ones, who believe in a new paradigm and a small minority who is there just for the ride, hoping to get off before the fall. But ...
For built into this situation is the eventual and inevitable fall. Built in also, is the circumstance that it cannot come gently or gradually. When it comes, it bears the grim face of disaster. ...... the speculative episode always ends not with a whimper but with a bang.
Galbraith is saying only disaster is assured in aftermath. Now, does anyone remember that Fed was going to engineer a soft landing ?
What about those who manage to not fall in above two categories ?
Given the pressure of this crowd psychology, however, the saved will be the exception to a very broad and binding rule. They will be required to resist two compelling forces: one, the powerful personal interest that develops in the euphoric belief, and the other, the pressure of public and seemingly superior financial opinion that is brought to bear on behalf of such belief.
He does not shy away from describing the groups as he sees it.
Those involved in the speculation are experiencing an increase in wealth - getting rich or being further rewarded. No one wishes to believe that this is fortuitous or undeserved; all wish to think that it is the result of their own superior insight or intuition. ... Speculation buys up, in a very practical way, the intelligence of those involved.
There are of course some who recognize the "mass insanity" as Galbraith calls it. How are they received ?
There are, however, few matters on which such a warning is less welcomed. In short run, it will be said to be an attack, motivated by either deficient understanding or uncontrolled envy, on the wonderful process of enrichment. More durably, it will be thought to demonstrate the lack of faith in the inherent wisdom of the market itself.
Yes, any critic of the euphoria was trivialized as just sour for "having missed the run". Galbraith gives more detailed account of this elsewhere in the book. He himself was accused as "Galbraith doesn't like to see people making money" !
But why do these bubbles keep happening ?
There can be few fields of human endeavor in which history counts for so little as in the world of finance. Past experience, to the extent that is part of memory at all, is dismissed as the primitive refuge of those who do not have the insight to appreciate the incredible wonders of the present.
That's a classic quote ! Another reason, he argues, that people have blind reverence for those who have a lot of money. "Money is the measure of capitalist achievement" !
Finally and more specifically, we compulsively associate unusual intelligence with the leadership of the great financial institutions ...
Really ! Often in such episodes there is "financial innovation" involved.
The rule is financial operations do not lend themselves to innovation. ... The world of finance hails the invention of wheel over and over again, often in a slightly more unstable version. All financial innovation involves, in one form or another, the creation of debt assured in greater or lesser adequacy by real assets.
This is simply my most beloved quote in the entire book ! I wish Greenspan had read this book before arguing against any bubble due to financial innovation :-)
What happens after the crash ?
This, invariably will be time of anger and recrimination and also of profoundly unsubtle introspection. The anger will fix upon the individuals who were previously most admired for their financial imagination and acuity. ... There will also be scrutiny of the previously much-praised financial instruments and practices ... There will be talk of regulation and reform. What will not be discussed is the speculation itself or the aberrant optimism that lay behind it.
Now, did he have a time machine in 1993 ? This above does not seem like having been written before, does it ?
Now knowing all this and more, the obvious question is why can't the warnings be taken seriously ? Can these bubbles be avoided ? During the foreword, Galbraith offers his pessimism.
Recurrent speculative insanity and the associated financial deprivation and larger devastation are, I am persuaded, inherent in the system. Perhaps it is better that this be recognized and accepted.
Go read this book ! You will fee like reading Nostradamus.
GaDiMa - 1
One of the hallmarks of great poets is to take any situation and write a great poem about it. There are many famous songs in "गीत रामायण" and rightfully so. But even those that are not equally famous are a proof of GaDiMa's poetic prowess.
Before the war starts, Sugreev sees Ravan and unable to control his impulses, suddenly starts a duel with him. Seeing he is not a match for Ravan, he escapes with his life. Shri Ram delicately explains Sugreev how unthoughtful these actions were.
Now, this is not as solemn a situation to write "पराधीन आहे जगती", but GaDiMa still comes up with perfect words to describe the advice given by Sri Ram - the delicate balance between pointing out the stupidity without hurting feelings. The art of giving feedback !
Before the war starts, Sugreev sees Ravan and unable to control his impulses, suddenly starts a duel with him. Seeing he is not a match for Ravan, he escapes with his life. Shri Ram delicately explains Sugreev how unthoughtful these actions were.
Now, this is not as solemn a situation to write "पराधीन आहे जगती", but GaDiMa still comes up with perfect words to describe the advice given by Sri Ram - the delicate balance between pointing out the stupidity without hurting feelings. The art of giving feedback !
Here is one stanza from it.
काय सांगू तुज, शत्रूदमना
नृप नोळखती रणीं à¤ावना
नंतर विक्रम, प्रथम योजना
अविचारें जय कुणा लाà¤à¤²े ?
नृप नोळखती रणीं à¤ावना
नंतर विक्रम, प्रथम योजना
अविचारें जय कुणा लाà¤à¤²े ?
I especially like the word 'नोळखती'. I haven't seen/heard it anywhere else.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
3 Idiots
Released : 2009
Language : Hindi
Director : Rajkumar Hirani
Genre : Comedy
Starring : Aamir Khan, Sharman Joshi, R Mahadevan, Kareena Kapoor, Boman Irani
My Rating : 9 out of 10
Vidhu Vinod Chopra has had an illustrious career. When he has teamed up with director Rajkumar Hirani, absolute wonders have happened in the Indian Comedy genre. Both "Munnabhai" movies had a refreshingly unique style of presentation. Now add to this team actor Aamir Khan who has made himself synonymous with movies that are fresh, different and worth watching. This definitely raises the expectations of their combined venture. Judging by the box office response to this movie, both in India and abroad, it's clear that the movie has met or surpassed the expectations of most.
There is not much point writing the synopsis of the story which is based on a popular book by Chetan Bhagat ("Five Point Someone") . Most must have already watched the movie. The story as such is minimal. The focus is on characters and their interactions. So let's just skip the formality of capturing the story.
Most of the movie is about what these 3 idiots - "Rancho" (Aamir Khan), Farhan (R Mahadevan), Raju (Sharman Joshi) - their classmate "Chatur", the faculty chief "ViruS" and his daughter Pia (Kareena Kapoor). Much of it happens during their years together in a fictitious Imperial College (which is based on of course IIT), and this is presented in the form of numerous flashbacks. Right out of the gate, the movie sets its tone with a nice opening scene and maintains it till the very end.
The movie will be remembered for the relentless comedy. It should be. The director and writer do not shy away from using absolutely any situation to infuse with sudden jokes. Nothing is sacred and every character is a fair game. Sensitive viewers, take note. This style is refreshingly different in Indian cinema. Be prepared to feel surprised for laughing in what is otherwise a melodramatic scene. Even the deliberate use - I think its deliberate - of common devices like the bride running away, is full of hilarious punch lines.
But it's more than that. There is significant social commentary tucked in between the fabric of comedy. The comedy doesn't arise from some forced situations or impossible characters. The entire premise is firmly grounded in reality. The carefree crazy acts are common in numerous colleges and hostels all over India. The pressure to excel and its sometimes tragic consequences are real. The aspirations of parents and their sacrifices for their kids are real. Hence this movie touches you and strikes a chord, while making you laugh loud at the same time. The combination of realism and comedy is presented here with near perfection.
The movie is just a little bit on the longer side for my taste. Some trimming to keep it below 2:30 wouldn't have taken anything away.
This is correctly rated as U/A in India - which is PG13 in US. I do not recommend this for young kids. There are adult situations. For others, this is a movie you have to watch.
Language : Hindi
Director : Rajkumar Hirani
Genre : Comedy
Starring : Aamir Khan, Sharman Joshi, R Mahadevan, Kareena Kapoor, Boman Irani
My Rating : 9 out of 10
Vidhu Vinod Chopra has had an illustrious career. When he has teamed up with director Rajkumar Hirani, absolute wonders have happened in the Indian Comedy genre. Both "Munnabhai" movies had a refreshingly unique style of presentation. Now add to this team actor Aamir Khan who has made himself synonymous with movies that are fresh, different and worth watching. This definitely raises the expectations of their combined venture. Judging by the box office response to this movie, both in India and abroad, it's clear that the movie has met or surpassed the expectations of most.
There is not much point writing the synopsis of the story which is based on a popular book by Chetan Bhagat ("Five Point Someone") . Most must have already watched the movie. The story as such is minimal. The focus is on characters and their interactions. So let's just skip the formality of capturing the story.
Most of the movie is about what these 3 idiots - "Rancho" (Aamir Khan), Farhan (R Mahadevan), Raju (Sharman Joshi) - their classmate "Chatur", the faculty chief "ViruS" and his daughter Pia (Kareena Kapoor). Much of it happens during their years together in a fictitious Imperial College (which is based on of course IIT), and this is presented in the form of numerous flashbacks. Right out of the gate, the movie sets its tone with a nice opening scene and maintains it till the very end.
The movie will be remembered for the relentless comedy. It should be. The director and writer do not shy away from using absolutely any situation to infuse with sudden jokes. Nothing is sacred and every character is a fair game. Sensitive viewers, take note. This style is refreshingly different in Indian cinema. Be prepared to feel surprised for laughing in what is otherwise a melodramatic scene. Even the deliberate use - I think its deliberate - of common devices like the bride running away, is full of hilarious punch lines.
But it's more than that. There is significant social commentary tucked in between the fabric of comedy. The comedy doesn't arise from some forced situations or impossible characters. The entire premise is firmly grounded in reality. The carefree crazy acts are common in numerous colleges and hostels all over India. The pressure to excel and its sometimes tragic consequences are real. The aspirations of parents and their sacrifices for their kids are real. Hence this movie touches you and strikes a chord, while making you laugh loud at the same time. The combination of realism and comedy is presented here with near perfection.
The movie is just a little bit on the longer side for my taste. Some trimming to keep it below 2:30 wouldn't have taken anything away.
This is correctly rated as U/A in India - which is PG13 in US. I do not recommend this for young kids. There are adult situations. For others, this is a movie you have to watch.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Ciabatta !
Ciabatta is a favorite of all bread lovers ! It's wonderful light, airy crumb just invites breaking and biting. I started using the bread machine about an year ago, and has been quite successful with it. But baking a crusty rustic bread has always been the real goal. So recently, I have started experimenting with oven baking.
Ciabatta requires a starter and a very wet dough. I found a quite straight-forward recipe and was delighted at the result. The outside was uneven but with proper crust.
The inside, was a near perfect crumb.
And a close-up.
This was delicious and simply melted the mouth.
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