Books: Gandhi, Shashi Tharoor, Bob Allen, and a Lonely Planet

Recently I read:

  • An Autobiography: The Story of My Experiments with Truth by Mahatma Gandhi – I picked this up during my trip to India in early 2007, and finally got around to reading it. Highly interesting reading, his experiments and his teachings and thought process, plain simply rock. Documenting his strategies, etc. great reading.
  • The Five-Dollar Smile: An Other Stories by Shashi Tharoor – he’s a bit wordy in his fiction, and his plays aren’t fabulous (I think reading script like that is best left to Shakespearean works), but its a very compelling book with some of his earliest writings. Joining the UN at 22? Makes me feel old. I like the fact that each story has a note pre-pending it – its important to know what were thoughts in those times. I still prefer his non-fiction, so far.
  • Creating Wealth: Retire in Ten Years Using Allen’s Seven Principles of Wealth by Robert G. Allen – interested in purchasing real estate and turning it around? Want to know more about good debt? Realising that you really don’t need the latest whizzbang gizmo that is a depreciating asset? Most interesting reading, especially if you’re into the real estate market or planning on getting into it. Read this on my Vietnam trip mostly.
  • Lonely Planet Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos & the Greater Mekong – used this extensively to plan my trip to Hanoi. So much more to see, obviously. I also read the Cambodia section to see if it tallied with my previous trip (it did), and the Laos section, mainly because I had initially planned to go there, but forked the plans to go to Hanoi instead. No regrets, Laos can wait.

3 Comments

  1. Pia Waugh says:

    Thanks Colin , I’ve been meaning to read a good book by/about Gandhi, Thanks for the recommendation. I’m going to get it right now :)

  2. byte says:

    Glad I helped Pia. Read it yet? ;)

  3. byte says:

    Glad I helped Pia. Read it yet? ;)


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