2022 in Books
25 December 2022
A continuation from 2021 in books.
Best in Fiction
Malazan Book of The Fallen series
by Steven Erikson
Not for beginners, but a mind wrecking piece of literature in the fantasy genre. The philosophical prose is immaculate. You will not read these books, you will work on them. At times, you will have to slog through, but you know that it will be worth it, and you move each foot forward. Even if I tell you the core idea of the books, that would be a spoiler. You have to arrive at it on your own. Take it from me that a theme exists.
Best in Memoir
A Rude Life
by Vir Sanghvi
In general, I like prose written in a bold voice, with courage. Since he has been a journalist for a long time in India, it felt like watching a Forrest Gump of post-Independence India.
Most memorable idea: People can be quite different in person to as perceived on television.
Best in Textbook
Causality: Models, Reasoning, and Inference
by Judea Pearl
These are fundamental concepts for science.
Most memorable idea: If I gave you data on my lawn humidity and rain, will you tell me that watering my lawn causes it to rain?
Best in Philosophy
Did the Greeks Believe in Their Myths?
by Paul Veyne
Short answer is probably not. More thought will push you to define belief. Then you may question the ethical implications of our actions driven by our beliefs. Our beliefs did not stem from facts purely. What are facts, even? Are there more than one type of beliefs and do we consciously recognise them?
Fin