BookMarks #133: The Answer Is No

Title: The Answer Is No

Author: Fredrick Backman

Genre: Fiction, Short

Published: 2024

BookMarks

"The Answer Is No", is a short book, originally published in Swedish. It is the story of Lucas, a loner living in an apartment, whose quiet and happy life is suddenly disrupted by seemingly innocuous events nearby.

The entire first chapter comprises of “It’s a frying pan that ruins Lucas’s life. We’ll get to that.” And this is when you realize what a hilarious roller-coaster ride this story is going to be. And yet it provides some great gems with quite deep meaning as we go along. Such as

• People aren’t supposed to be happy, they’re only supposed to want to be happy.
• All he did was to remove the one thing that makes almost all people unhappy: other people.
• Being smart is the worst thing one can be in modern society. All it ever means is more work.
• A funny thing about rule-loving people is that to them it seems more important to impose punishment than it is to actually solve problems, and a funny thing about rule-breaking people is that they seem to find breaking rules a lot easier to do if someone else has broken them first.
• “Responsibility” and “Commitment” are actually two of the easiest ways of ruining any perfectly good day.
• With the defeated manner of a sausage that dressed itself up as a carrot to avoid being eaten by a bear, only to be found by a rabbit.
• The truth about problems is that the problem itself is never actually the problem. It’s always the people involved who are the problem.
• Most people who want to be happy try to add things to their lives. But really what maybe they should be doing is taking something away.
• The easiest way to be happy is to think about time in about eight-hour increments, and to always have something to look forward to at the end of those hours
• Don’t look on the internet for someone who is exactly like you. Look for someone who isn’t.
• If you ask people what they think, they start thinking, and that’s how wars start.
• One day you’re a happy, whole person, and the next day you’re forced into the most horrible thing on earth: making decisions.

That’s quite a lot of deep insights into that basic human quest – the pursuit of happiness.

Previously on BookMarks: The Past As Present 

BookMarks #132: The Past As Present

Title: The Past As Present: Forging Contemporary Identities Through History

Author: Romila Thapar

Genre: Non-Fiction, History, Anthology

Published: 2014

BookMarks

History is a dialogue between the past and the present.

“The Past As Present” is a collection of essays by Romila Thapar on the study of history, how it has evolved, and how it is being interpreted in the present times and by different groups of people. The essays also cover the interpretation of history in creating a national identity and how that it has evolved from kings and dates to the study of wider society at different points in time. From purely political, history has also become

Some of the key takes/notes from the book:

On the subject of history

• The past is constructed by putting together a variety of evidence. All societies over the centuries have constructed their past, often in accordance with contemporary theories about the meaning of the past.
• The past does not remain static. The facts may not change, although sometimes they do as a result of fresh information or new ways of analyzing old information, but the interpretation of these facts can change. History is not just a directory of information; it also involves analyzing and interpreting this information.
• Knowledge does not consist of a body of information to be memorized and passed on. A modern education demands questioning, skepticism and an ability to think independently and to link information.
• Tribe refers to a community of people claiming descent from a common ancestor.

On History of India

• James Mill divided Indian history into the Hindu, Muslim and British periods, a periodization which is still the basis of Indian studies. Mill’s argument and that of many other colonial historians was that the Hindus and Muslims formed two distinct communities and that they were perpetually in conflict.
• Nations need identities. These are created from perceptions of how societies have evolved. In this, history plays a central role.
• Key function of nationalist history was to establish an Indian identity. This had to draw on the unity and uniformity of India throughout history.

On Civilization & Religion

• The hallmark of a civilization is not its rigid boundaries but its porosity, and that civilizations can only thrive when there is an inter-connectedness between them that enhances the communication of ideas and practices.
• Dharma became central to an understanding of the religion. It referred to the duties regarded as sacred which had to be performed in accordance with one’s varna/jati and sect and which were not identical for all. The constituents of dharma were conformity to ritual duties, to social obligations and to the social norms of family and caste as stipulated in the Dharmashastras.

On Interpretation of history

• Life is not governed by an either/or choice in everything. There is always something else - the variant.
• Collective memories have to be deliberately constructed by a group of people consciously referring back to a particular event and remembering it in a particular way.
• Context is of central importance: who is narrating the story of the event and why; who constitutes the audience or the readership that the narrative is addressed to, and what is the purpose and meaning of the narrative.

On Mythology 

• What leads to problems is when the mythology associated with the history is claimed as history.
• Epic literature cannot be precisely dated for events merge into events and narrative slowly gets welded with commentary.
• In classical Sanskrit dramas, the women characters irrespective of whether their status was high or low, uniformly spoke the commonly used Prakrit, whilst the men spoke Sanskrit—the language of the educated.

Interestingly, the book was published in 2014. A decade down the line, the book’s interpretations seem more prescient. 

Previously on BookMarks: Liar’s Poker 

BookMarks #131: Liar’s Poker

Title: Liar’s Poker

Author: Michael Lewis

Genre: Non-fiction, Autobiography, Economics, Financial Markets

Published: 1989

BookMarks

Liar’s Poker is the story of Michael Lewis and his employer, the Wall Street firm Salomon Brothers. The story switches from how Lewis joins the firm, followed by a history of the firm and finally Lewis’s own work till he quits. The book is set in the 1980’s which are some of the most turbulent times in the financial markets.

The book is one of the more recommended reads in management colleges mostly for its insider account of the goings on at investment banks. The title itself refers to a game played by the traders at the firms. (Investopedia) 

Overall, quite an interesting and fun read with its insider account of the goings on in the global big money market and investment banks. The picture it presents isn't the rosiest and it also foreshadows the Global Financial Crisis.

Some lines and messages which stood out from the book

• Wall Street is a street with a river at one end and a graveyard at the other.
• In every market there is a fool. And any player unaware of the fool in the market is probably the fool.
• Good traders tend to do the unexpected. Their best work tends to go against conventional wisdom.
• Market rule of thumb - Those who say, don't know and those who know, don't say. [Or as the saying goes – empty vessels make most noise].
• Communications system sufficiently advanced and human relations sufficiently primitive. [This book was set in the 1980s, we have moved much further ahead/behind in the two in the past four decades].
• In the stock market, the higher the math, take it as warning signal that the operator was trying to substitute theory for experience.
• The 3-6-3 club - borrow at 3% lend at 6% and be at the golf course by 3 PM [for people who want to keep life simple]
• I'm now convinced that the worst thing a man can do with a telephone, without breaking the law, is to call someone he doesn't know and try to sell that person something he doesn't want. [How precisely the author has predicted the spammers of today – who are mostly trying to sell financial products]
• The reason why people believe in Charts - because everyone else does
• God gave you eyes…Plagiarise.
• On bonuses/raises - people react with relief, joy, anger or a mixture of three.
• You don't get rich. You attain new levels of relative poverty.
• Two ways of running a firm - as a business or as an empire?
• The money game rewards disloyalty. People who hopped from firm to firm secured large pays and performed better financially than the people who stayed on one place.

Previously on BookMarks: Predictably Irrational 

Road To Los Angeles: Episode 6

Back with the Episode 6 on the Road To Los Angeles 2028. The past few weeks have been quite happening on the sporting front with multiple World and Continental Championships going on across sports. Here is quick look at some of the goings on from an Indian perspective.

Badminton: The Men’s doubles duo of Satwik-Chirag won a Bronze medal, thus continuing India’s streak of one medal at the World Championships since 2011. A slight uptick from the Paris Olympics.

Hockey

• Men’s Asia Cup: India finished 1st and qualified for the 2026 Hockey World Cup
  
  
• Women’s Asia Cup: Indian finished runners-up and will play in the World Cup Qualifiers next year.

Archery World Cup: The Compound Mixed Team won the Silver medal

Boxing World Championships: Jasmine Lamboria & Meenakshi Hooda are now World Champions while Nupur Sheoran won Silver and Pooja Rani got Bronze medal. However, there were no medals for the men’s contingent.

Wrestling World Championships: Antim Panghal won her second World Championships medal. However the rest of the contingent disappointed with Olympics medalist Aman Sehrawat failing to meet the weight which resulted in a one year suspension by the Wrestling Federation

Athletics World Championships: Sachin Yadav finished 4th in Javelin Throw and Sarvesh Kushare 6th in High Jump. However, the bigger story was Neeraj Chopra finishing 8th – thus missing a podium for the first time since 2018 and first time outperformed by an Indian thrower since 2016. What a phenomenal run this had been!

Cricket: An unbeaten run by Men’s Team to win the T20 Asia Cup.

Weightlifting World Championships: Mirabai Chanu wins Silver in 48 KG category, proving she is still very much the best lifter in the country.

Judo: Himanshi Tokas is now World Junior No. 1, the first Indian to achieve this ranking

At the Para-athletics World Championships hosted in Delhi, India recorded their best ever medal haul. But the event was also marred a little by stray dogs biting coaches!

Meanwhile India has successfully bid for the 2030 Commonwealth Games to be held in Ahmedabad.

That certainly has been quite a happening period for Indian Olympics sports Till next time!

Links

• Episode 5 
• Himashi Tokas: ESPN 
• Paralympics Report: ESPN 

BookMarks #130: Predictably Irrational

Title: Predictably Irrational: The hidden forces that shape our decisions

Author: Dan Ariely

Genre: Non-fiction, Behavioural Economics

Published: 2008

BookMarks

Predictably Irrational is a book on a study of human decision making. How most of our decision-making is predictable and can be influenced. And even decisions which may seem irrational and random have common guiding forces.

Following are a few takeaways from the book

• Relativity: Everything is relative, all the choices we make are in comparison with something not chosen. Most people do not know what they want unless they see it in context. Marketing companies use a decoy, similar but obviously inferior, for selling the products they want to sell. We look at our decisions in a relative way and compare them to the available alternative. The more we have the more we want. And the only cure is to break the cycle of relativity.
• Law of Human Action: to make a man covet something more, make it more inaccessible for him (Mark Twain in Tom Sawyer)
• Anchor price decides what price we are willing to pay for any product
• Free has a cost. Anything offered for FREE leads to heavily irrational decisions by the purchasers.
• Social Norms vs Money Norms: People are at times more willing to do something for free or a gift than if they were to be offered money for it
• We procrastinate, delay doing things we know we have to do. Choosing instant gratification over accomplishing something.
• Ownership has a higher price - we overvalue what we have.
• Options are a distraction
• Expectations decide the actual realization
• The pricier something is, more we believe in its efficacy
• More close to actual cash, more honest humans become.

Overall, quite an interesting read. I liked the way the outcomes of the behavioural research have been presented. Probably, the entire book was an experiment in nudging towards enjoying it! After all, as the author says, we humans are predictably irrational. 

Previously on BookMarks: The Indian Spy 

BookMarks #129: The Indian Spy

Title: The Indian Spy: The true story of the most remarkable secret agent of World War II

Author: Mihir Bose

Genre: Non-Fiction, History, Biography

Published: 2017

BookMarks

‘The Man called Silver’

Hats off to a man who deceived everybody and survived the War without being hanged

This is the story of Bhagat Ram Talwar a.k.a. Silver, a Hindu Pathan, who managed to spy for multiple countries during the Second World War with his primary operations center being Kabul.

Bhagat Ram Talwar, helped Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose in escaping from India to Germany, with the help of the Italian & German embassies in Kabul. However, a communist, once Germany attacked Soviet Union, he switched over to the Russians and later on to Russia's allies, the British. Somewhere down the line he was also working with the Japanese – thus becoming a quintuple agent.

This work is primarily based on Mr. Talwar’s autobiography, with additional information from the declassified archives of the period. The book narrates quite an interesting picture of Silver and his associates, and how they went about their business of spying & double-crossing, forging new connections and switching allegiances.

Overall, quite an interesting read. Although the tale does meander around a bit and the reader may get confused in some of the characters and the multiple visits to Kabul. Given that the book’s primary source is Mr. Talwar’s autobiography, this is the picture he wanted to be presented to the world.

The book also provides an interesting perspective on Netaji and his actions during the World War II. The lens with which one judges who can be a potential ally is quite varied. And most importantly perspective changes with time and new re-alignments. Its not always a case of black and white. Instead there are many shades of grey here.

A line which stood out - ‘It is impossible, or at any rate, highly dangerous, to tell a lie until you know what the truth is going to be.’ 

Previously on BookMarks: How the World Really Works

BookMarks #128: How the World Really Works

Title: How the World really Works: A Scientist’s Guide to Our Past, present and Future

Author: Vaclav Smil

Genre: Non-fiction, Science, Society, Future

Published: 2022

BookMarks

“We have never had so much information at our fingertips and yet most of us don't know how the world really works.” This is the premise of the book as it explains the seven fundamentals of how our world really works and offers a glimpse of what the future holds. Following are a few key messages from the book

The Four pillars of modern civilization - Ammonia, Steel, Concrete & Plastic

On progress - In two centuries, the human labor to produce a kilogram of American wheat was reduced from 10 minutes to less than two seconds. An average inhabitant of the Earth nowadays has at their disposal nearly 700 times more useful energy than their ancestors had at the beginning of the 19th century.

Energy conversions are the very basis of life and evolution. However, to quote Richard Feynman – “In physics today we have no knowledge of what energy is”. Energy Studies need understanding of physics, chemistry, biology, geology with history, social, economic and political factors.

Despite all the talk of decarbonization, the high relative share and the scale of our dependence on fossil carbon make any rapid substitutions impossible.

Haber-Bosch synthesis of Ammonia can be considered the most momentous technical advancement in the world. Fifty percent of humanity is dependent on ammonia as a fertilizer for food production.

Human activity with the largest impact on the Earth's ecosystem - food production. Overall, the world loses one third of the food supply. This is a significant area to manage.

Some Interesting Facts

• A gear lever knob in the 1916 Rolls Royce was the first industrial application of plastics.
• Portland cement is thus called because it resembles the limestone found in the Isle of Portland in the English Channel in colour.
• KLM was the first airline company set up in 1921

Water is the most universally mismanaged resource

On models & extrapolations

When constructing long range scenarios, we can plug in any arbitrary assumptions in order to meet preconceived outcomes. History does not unfold as a computerized academic exercise with major achievements falling on years ending with zero or five. It is full of discontinuities and unpredictable departures.

Projections involving complex systems that reflect interplays of many technical, economic and environmental factors and which can be strongly affected by a number of arbitrary decisions such as unexpectedly generous government subsidies or new laws or policy referrals remain highly uncertain. Even near-term Outlook results in a broad range of possible outcomes.

More complex models combining the interactions of economic, social, technical and environmental factors require more assumptions and open the way for greater errors.

On scientific temper

De omnibus dubitandum (doubt everything) must remain the foundation of scientific method. Unlike what the average internet user who likes to believe in everything they see on social media.

On Future

Asking for a risk-free existence is to ask for something impossible. While the quest for minimizing risks remains the leading motivation of human progress. Crises expose realities and strip away obfuscation and misdirection.

The future, as ever, is not pre-determined. Its outcome depends on our actions. The most likely prospect is a mixture of progress and setbacks.

Overall, quite an interesting read. Also, it helps that the book is written in a post-Covid world. I especially liked the fact that the author has directly named and countered the utopian future ideas (Human 2.0 and colonizing Mars etc.) 

Previously on BookMarks: 1962 The War the Wasn’t

Road To LA: Episode 5

Today, August 29th, marks National Sports Day—and there's no better way to commemorate it than by examining India's ongoing journey toward the LA Olympics. While fans experience a rollercoaster of emotions watching the performances, imagine the journey for the sportspersons who persist despite administrative lapses and official apathy.

We are re in that familiar phase of the Olympic cycle: the surge from Paris 2024 has settled, while momentum for LA 2028 has yet to build. Meanwhile, competitions continue in relative quiet, away from the spotlight.

Here is a rundown of Indian sports in the last few months - the highs, the lows, and everything in between.

The Neeraj Chopra Phenomenon

When a second-place finish at the Diamond League finale barely registers as news, you know an athlete has truly transcended expectations. He has breached the 90m mark and maintained a remarkable four-year streak of top-two finishes globally. But perhaps his greatest achievement this year was launching the Neeraj Chopra Classic - tournament that could reshape India's athletics landscape.  Now comes the real test: can our sporting administration build on his foundation?

Athletics

Indian athletics is showing visible progress with National records tumbling frequently. Yet we remain decades behind in most events. The gap is closing, but slowly - progress that demands patience.

Football

Indian football presents a study in contrasts. The women's team has qualified for the next Asian Cup despite all the off-field challenges. Meanwhile, the men's team appears to be in free fall, compounded by uncertainty around the Indian Super League's future. With no clear path forward, the free fall looks set to continue.

Our Shooters and Archers continue their stellar run at World Cups, consistently bringing home medals and breaking records. Yet these performances need to translate into Olympic success. 

The inaugural Rugby Premier League marked an important milestone for a relatively nascent sport. While rugby's Olympic prospects remain distant, any step toward professionalization needs to be applauded.

Looking Ahead

Away from the cameras and commentary, Indian sports continues its relentless march forward. The LA 2028 event lineup is set, but qualification pathways are yet to announced. But the sporting journey continues.

Until next time.

Links:

• Episode 4 
• Rating India’s sporting Federations performance: ESPN

India @ 78

Image generated via AI

Happy Birthday India!

Continuing the personal tradition of a small blog post on the occasion of Independence Day, now in its 18th edition. (2024 edition Link)

What a crazy journey it has been since the last edition. The past year has seen India living through the very definition of a VUCA world.

We witnessed a major terror attack, were briefly at war, a deadly plane crash with a single miraculous survivor, are currently subject to Tariffs with ever-changing rates, are seeing renewed calls for Swadeshi, have been caught in a geopolitical cross-fire with friends/foes alike in a state of flux, have overtaken Japan to become the 4th largest economy (by GDP), while stock markets have soared despite overhanging clouds, watched internal political chaos with Vice-President resigning and Election commission being questioned, and organized the Mahakumbh featuring the largest gathering of humankind at a single place… Quite an action-packed journey around the Sun.

During Operation Sindoor, the TV news jingoism reached new depths. While it is understandable that media is used for controlling the global narrative and what is happening at the ground doesn’t come out in the open. But the TV news channels instead of providing an assuring note, were pulling out narratives out of their own fantasies! Only satisfactory note - the other side was no better. We discovered during the course of those 4 days that amongst other things, not only was there a port in Patna, but it had been destroyed by Pakistani drones!

Meanwhile life in India continues to be cheap – stampedes at cricket victory parade, railway stations & festivals, manmade & natural disasters, a messed up infrastructure– all reduced to a mere statistic.

Worst of all has been the rise of the Ugly Indian Image outside – Indian tourists & diaspora doing if not illegal, simply cringe-worthy activities across the world. Although, is this case also, the spin doctors are doing their best/worst to paint this outburst of such news items as is simply a coordinated attempt by jealous foreigners to malign India’s shining image globally.

And finally in the battle of species, the Hon. SC is hearing the matter of removing dogs from the national capital streets while the financial capital is becoming a battleground for feeding pigeons!

But amidst all the doom and gloom were a few rays of shining light

• Subhanshu Shukla became the second Indian to go to space.
• Chess is home – Team Olympiad Golds, Open World Champion, Women’s World Cup Winner, More Grandmasters than squares on the Chess board - we are witnessing the start of an era of sporting domination.
• Bids have been submitted for the 2036 Olympics and the 2030 Commonwealth Games. While a great initiative, whether this will result in grassroots initiatives as well remains to be seen.

In other news, the registered post will cease to exist as will the post boxes. A practical decision to move on with times. Which is what many folks need to do in various other matters as well!

So that was a little post featuring a tiny sliver of events from the perspective of the world's largest populace! Hoping for quieter times in the coming year!

Happy Independence Day!

Jai Hind!

BookMarks #127: 1962 The War That Wasn’t

Title: 1962 The War That Wasn’t

Author: Shiv Kunal Verma

Genre: History

Published: 2020

BookMarks

We died, unsuccoured, helpless

We were your soldiers, men of bravery and pride

Yet we died like animals, trapped in a cage with no escape

Massacred at will, denied the dignity of battle

With the cold burning flame of anger and resolution

With the courage both of the living and the dead,

Avenge our unplayed lives

Redeem the unredeemable sacrifice In freedom and integrity

Let this be your inheritance

And our unwritten epitaph

The book is a tale of how the India-China war/conflict of 1962 was lost, not on the battlefield itself but much before through a combination of blind belief, lack of planning, poor co-ordination, and at times sheer incompetence of some of those in command. It is also a harrowing tale of bravery of the soldiers at the frontier who despite all odds - a well-prepared enemy, lack of supplies, incoherent leadership, kept fighting till the last breath. The sheer absurdity of the situation is highlighted by the fact that the Indian side wasn’t even aware of the unilateral ceasefire announced by the Chinese for more than a day!

A few interesting facts gathered from the book in no particular order

• Henderson Brooks-Bhagat Report - a detailed study commissioned by Army Headquarters to document the events of October-November 1962 in NEFA still remains classified despite multiple government changes
• The Indian soldiers referred to the Chinese as afeemchis [opium smokers]
• Hari Pal Kaushik, then twenty-eight years old fought in the war, was part of Gold Medal winning Hockey team at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. (he would win another gold at the Tokyo Olympics in 1964).

On Politics & Indian Top brass

    Many countries that had become independent after World War II fell prey to military coups (the most pertinent example being Pakistan). In view of this, India’s politicians and bureaucrats pushed through mindless measures that systematically downgraded the status and influence of the army.

    In an interview with the Times of India in 1968, while discussing the Chinese invasion, Krishna Menon said: ‘We did not realize that whenever China had had a powerful government she has been expansionist. Secondly, China had come into power through violence and force and nothing else; she had been at war for thirty or forty years, and the bulk of the world’s people were in sympathy with the exploits of the Red Army. Thirdly, China wanted to show both us and the world that she was the largest nation.’ On the other hand, Menon was to admit that during this period ‘the pressure upon me from all sides was not to increase the Army efficiency and strength but to cut it down’

On China

• At the time of independence, India’s official position was that it recognized Tibet as an independent country while also recognizing the fact that it was under Chinese suzerainty.
• As per the author India grossly over-estimated Chinese military power. Gen. Thimayya (the first and only Indian officer to command a fighting brigade during the World War II) is quoted as “Whereas in the case of Pakistan I have considered the possibility of a total war, I am afraid I cannot do so in regard to China. I cannot even as a soldier envisage India taking on China in an open conflict on its own. China’s present strength in manpower, equipment and aircraft exceeds our resources a hundred-fold with the full support of the USSR, and we could never hope to match China in the foreseeable future. It must be left to the politicians and diplomats to ensure our security.”
• The Chinese knew everything, Indian deployment almost to the section and platoon level was known to them. Sometimes they knew what the Indians were going to do even before the decision was taken.
Even according to Chinese records, at no stage had there been any action that pitted more than an Indian infantry company against at least four to five times the number of Chinese troops.

On Warfare

It must be appreciated that in the early stages of any war the attacker will always have the initial advantage over the defender because he can choose the time and place for the attack and can therefore apply all his strength at any given point. Therefore, he will get into the defender’s territory and make penetrations. If this happens the defender must not lose heart because he will have his say when he has located the main thrust and moves his reserves to meet it -very likely on ground of his choosing. There he will give battle, stabilize the situation, and then steadily push the enemy back. This process may take a long time, but there is no other answer to it when one is on the defensive.

The fear of the unknown plays a great part in conditioning the behaviour of men, even if as soldiers they are meant to be able to face uneven odds at times. Those who had earlier combat experience were perhaps even more tense, with images of past encounters in their minds, knowing that they must put up a brave front. Patriotic ideals recede into the background, what now counts is the next man and JCOs and officers. They’re in it together and while fear has a numbing effect, a conscious effort has to be made to conceal it.

Overall, not an easy read – politicians dilly-dallying, generals not taking decisions, local commanders moving away from the field of battle, soldiers battling it out till the last breath. As the book concludes “No amount of post-war rationalizing can cover up the fact that there was a total collapse of command and control.” 

Previously on BookMarks: The Bhagavad Gita for Millennials