Review: Wabi Sabi: Japanese Wisdom for a Perfectly Imperfect Life by Beth Kempton

5 stars for Wabi Sabi: Japanese Wisdom for a Perfectly Imperfect Life by Beth Kempton.

I remember very well the day I finished reading this book. 9th January 2026. I told myself I will get down to writing my review that weekend. Days passed. Weeks passed. Months passed. The more I procastinate, the more I don't feel like sitting down to write. I justify myself with reasons for the delay. This and that. Excuses really. Ultimately, it boils down to priority. I make time for a newfound hobby, yet I did not set aside time for my all-time favourite pastime. But still, better late than never. So, here goes.

Wabi Sabi is a book that inspires us to find our own gentle rhythm to simplify, deepen our connection with nature, concentrate on what really matters to us, and discover happiness right where we are. It guides us to sense the essence of wabi sabi for ourselves and welcome it into our lives as inspiration for a new way of beholding the world.

In chapter three "Living with Nature", the author shares lessons from the Yamabushi. I am quietly pleased with it as I can totally relate to it having joined a mountain retreat in Yamagata Prefecture in May 2023. The guided Yamabushi Hike to Mount Haguro is a deeply empowering experience, one that heals me and one that I will never forget.

The book also shares useful tips for decluttering, soulful shopping, shinrin-yoku (森林浴 forest bathing) and the beauty of ageing. To quote "We have a tendency to look at the ageing process as something to be avoided, feared even. But everything about wabi sabi tells us that it is to be embraced - that we bloom and ripen with time; that our character develops and our wisdom deepens as we age; that we have more to offer the world with every experience we go through."

At the end of this book, my main takeaway is summed up in three words: imperfect, impermanent, incomplete.

Accepting that everything is imperfect, impermanent and incomplete guides us to living a simpler and more meaningful life. Wabi sabi is a state of the heart - experiencing the world not with the logical mind but with the feeling heart, and with all our sense. When we are able to let go of perfection and accept ourselves just as we are, we can be content with less, find beauty in everyday life simply by slowing down, reconnecting with nature and looking for things to appreciate.

This is a great book to start the year with. There are so many things to like that I found myself jotting down chunks and chunks of quotes. I know they will come in handy some day when I have need to refresh my memory and remind myself to "Wabi Sabi".

Review: The Most Important Thing for People is to be Happy by Zhang Jia Wei |《人嘛，最重要的就是开心》张佳玮著

4 stars for 《人嘛，最重要的就是开心》张佳玮著.

Since there is no English title provided for this Chinese book, for purpose of book review, I shall title it "The Most Important Thing for People is to be Happy".

The title "The Most Important Thing for People is to be Happy" |《人嘛，最重要的就是开心》reads like a casual, everyday phrase, yet it serves as a gentle reminder to everyone living under modern stress.

This book avoids complex theories or preachy advice. Instead it explores the nature of happiness in a relatable, heartfelt and human way. It does not teach you how to succeed in life, but rather, how to find contentment in the small details of daily life.

The writing style is lighthearted and humorous at times, with a small dose of self-belittling, making it down-to-earth and easy to read. The author uses slice-of-life stories to share his own experiences, telling readers that life's imperfections and setbacks are normal, and so, there is no need to be overly demanding of ourselves.

If you are looking for a book that can help you to relax and offer spiritual comfort, this is a great choice. It encourages one to let go of anxiety, embrace the present moment and remember that no matter what happens, maintaining a simple sense of happiness is the most important thing in life.

Review: Forest Bathing: The Rejuvenating Practice of Shinrin Yoku by Héctor García and Francesc Miralles

3 stars for Forest Bathing: The Rejuvenating Practice of Shinrin Yoku by Héctor García and Francesc Miralles.

Having enjoyed reading Ikigai, I thought I will have a whale of a time reading Forest Bathing since it is written by the same set of authors, but boy, I am so wrong. I like to believe the issue is not so much the content but the translation. I really want to like this Forest Bathing book, but it is hard to make myself enjoy it for two reasons. First, the sentences are long, often too long for my liking; by the time I finish reading those long sentences, I have mostly lost sense of what they are about and I have to read them all over again, and sometimes, the same repeats itself. Second, the sentence construction - sometimes, or should I say, most times - just doesn't seems right to me. As a result, I find myself struggling to pick up the book to continue reading from where I left off each time.

This is a book that shows us the ways to boost emotional well-being and improve overall health. It guides readers to finding the connection with the natural world, and the ways to replenish our body, mind and spirt among the trees. To put it simply, this is a book on how to practice the art of Shinrin-Yoku, translated literally as "forest bathing". The book shares with us the healing and rejuvenating effects of Shinrin-Yoku. It also delves into the science of how Shinrin-Yoku - a powerful therapy for relaxing the mind and reducing stress - heals patients.

What I like most about this book is that it is filled with lovely drawings and relaxing black and white pictures of nature, of mountain, trees and bamboos. These pictures let the reader in me feel at ease while reading and gives me the feeling that it is possible to recapture the healing magic of nature, that nature is actually much closer to us than we think. And this is exactly what Shinrin-Yoku is all about. Also, I am glad that I have read the book Ikigai first as Forest Bathing refers to Ikigai and some of its content more than once. If I have not read Ikigai first, I will not have any idea what the authors are referring to.

Finally, I want to say that I can attest to the benefits of Shinrin-Yoku. Because I am a living example. I wouldn't for the life of me, have believed in the logic and explanations of Shinrin-Yoku if it has not happened to me personally. I attended a 7-day retreat in Tsuruoka City, Yamagata Prefecture, Japan, in May 2022. Long story short, at that time, I thought my healing is due to meditation, the quality of the food and beverage I consumed, and the way of eating. Looking back (and having read this book), I believe it is a combination of factors - meditation, mindful eating, the quality of food consumed and on top of these, yes, Shinrin-Yoku.

Review: Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life by Héctor García and Francesc Miralles

5 stars for Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life by Héctor García and Francesc Miralles.

I have been eyeing this book for quite some time, but I only take action to buy it during a trip to Tokyo that was decided on a whim last November. The fact that "ikigai" is a Japanese concept makes buying this hardcover book in Japan even more memorable and meaningful to me.

I have no doubt that my choice to make this book my first read of the Year will turn out to be a life-changing decision. Even as I finish reading this book, I decide there and then, that this will be my go-to book should I - ever or again - lose sight of my purpose and meaning for living. Yes, this book is that inspirational!

Though the meaning of "ikigai" is explained by the authors in the book, I am still curious as to how a Japanese, any Japanese in fact, will exlain it, so I ask a close Japanese friend of mine what "ikigai" means. Below is what he says to me.

"Ikigai is a Japanese concept that means ‘a reason for being.’ It is about finding what makes your life meaningful and worth living."

There I have it - short and sweet.

This is a book about people searching for meaning in what they do and how they live. It shares with readers the tools to finding the purpose, meaning and satisfaction of living that will lead to a joyful journey through life. It provides insights from Japanese philosophy on the lasting health of body, mind and spirit. In a nutshell, this book is about discovering our ikigai.

Besides ikigai, this book also introduces two other Japanese concepts: ichi-go ichi-e and wabi-sabi. Again, I consulted the same Japanese friend and below is what was explained to me.

"Ichi-go ichi-e" means once-in-a-lifetime encounter.

"Wabi-sabi" means beauty in simplicity and imperfection.

He explains further by saying, “Wabi-sabi” is a Japanese aesthetic concept that values the beauty found in simplicity and imperfection. For example, it appreciates the quiet elegance of an aged teacup or the tranquility of nature, focusing on understated beauty rather than extravagance or perfection.

Each of us has our own ikigai. Though it is different for all of us, we are all searching for meaning. When we spend our days feeling connected to what is meaningful to us, we live more fully; when we don't feel the connection, we live with despair.

We can find our ikigai by doing things we enjoy, and get away from or change those we dislike. We can let our curiosity lead the way, and keep busy by doing things that fill us with meaning and happiness. It doesn’t need to be a big thing; we might find meaning in helping our friends or in pursuing a hobby such as learning a musical instrument or a new language.

There is no perfect strategy to connecting with our ikigai. We just need to remember to have something that keeps us busy doing what we love while being surrounded by the people who care for us. To put it simply, I think it is the little things in life that add up to make a big difference in living.

This book concludes by sharing with readers "The ten rules of ikigai" that the authors learn from the long-living residents of Okinawa, Ogimi. Personally, I find these ten rules filled with much wisdom. At first glance, the rules may seem simple and easy enough to follow, yet it will take much determination for one to follow it through day by day. Ultimately, it all depends on how much value we place on what is important to us and making efforts to uphold the ten rules to make it our way of living.

What is your ikigai? Do you know it (or them)? If you have yet to find out what your ikigai is, as Viktor E. Frankl, author of "Man's Search for Meaning" says, your mission is to discover it.

Whoever reads this review post, I hope you will find your ikigai if you have yet to discover it. I wish you a long, happy, and purposeful life. 🙏

Review: The Diary of a Bookseller by Shaun Bythell

4 stars for The Diary of a Bookseller by Shaun Bythell.

It has taken me long enough to say this - I finish reading my first book of the year.

2023 was a difficult year. I am still trying to find back pieces of myself. It is not easy, but it helps with time. It is getting better now but I think it will be a long time before I can find back the balance that used to give me the strength and motivation to read. And I suspect, there may be a part of me, that is lost forever. Gone with the wind. I might never get it back.

I bought this book from a secondhand bookstore in Edinburgh, Scotland last November. I knew this book was meant for me the moment I entered Main Point Books, located just a stone's throw from Edinburgh Books, another secondhand bookstore and a big one too. This book was placed on top of a low shelf, obvious to anyone walking in. I was surprised that no one else had taken a fancy to it as the book is in an amazingly good condition considering a secondhand. So, I like to think it is meant for me as I have had this book on my reading list since August 2019.

The Diary of a Bookseller is the real life account of a year in the life of Shaun Bythell, owner and manager of a secondhand bookstore called The Book Shop, in a quaint Scottish town - Wigtown. He takes us with him on buying trips to old estates, auction houses and books deals. We also get to see the down side on the business of secondhand book trade such as internet downtime and grappling with a poor system that goes inoperable like a quarter of the time. I have been curious about this but the author never truly reveals about his stock acquiring - what factors determine the books he buys and the amount he offers to book sellers. He put it down simply as having no rules and that he makes his own. So, I gather it is all about experience and gut feel.

One thing that I certainly have not expected about secondhand book trade is the amount of time spent on the road - as many as thirteen hours of driving - to meet with booksellers. That and the amount of time and energy spent on carrying and moving boxes of book collections. To quote "... books dealers spend a good deal of time lifting boxes of books in and out of vehicles and off the floor in uncomfortable, awkward spaces. I calculated that I lift about fifteen tons of books every year, and those fifteen tons will be moved a minimum of three times."

This memoir is not just about the book deal business and interaction with customers, readers are also offered snippets of the author's life such as his hill-walking, sailing and mountain-biking trips with close friend Callum or his love for fishing. Though lighthearted and humorous, the book touches on a topic that I have never really given much consideration before, and that is, what happens to the books we own when we die. Some of the stories the author shares are sad in the sense that "One man's treasure is another man's trash". When the owner passed on, the books are also passed on as family members do not want to keep them.

I try listing down the books mentioned in this book to the best of my ability, but there are some, which I may have missed out or deliberately omitted due to one reason or another.

Bookshop Memories by George Orwell (essay)
Black Books by Dylan Moran (sitcom)
Three Fevers by Leo Walmsley (thriller fiction)
The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon (history non-fiction)
Keep The Aspidistra Flying by George Orwell (literary fiction)
Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops by Jen Campbell (non fiction)
The Bankrupt Bookseller Speaks Again by William Young Darling (non fiction)
Why Is There Something Rather Than Nothing? by Leszek Kolakowski (Philosophy non fiction)
On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin (scientific non fiction)
Gay Agony by H. A. Manhood
Three Things You Need to Know About Rockets: A Real-Life Scottish Fairy Tale by Jessica A. Fox
Talk Dirty Yiddish: Beyond Drek: the Curses, Slang, and Street Lingo You Need to Know When You Speak Yiddish by Ilene Schneider (language non fiction)
Collectible Spoons of the Third Reich by James Yannes (historical non fiction)
Pebble Mill Good Meat Guide by Ken Hutchings (non fiction)
Other passports by Clive James (poetry)
Prospero's Cell by Lawrence Durrell (autobiography non fiction)
Sartre: Romantic Rationalist by Iris Murdoch (non fiction)
A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute Norway (romance fiction)
100+ Principles of Genetics by Anthony J.F. Griffiths and Joan McPherson (non fiction)
The Ascent of Rum Doodle by William Ernest Bowman (humor fiction)
Any Human Heart by William Boyd (literary fiction)*
Waverley by Sir Walter Scott (historical fiction)
Scott-Land: The Man Who Invented a Nation by Stuart Kelly (biography non fiction)
Dead Souls by Nikolai Gogol (literary fiction)
A Book of Silence by Sara Maitland (autobiography non fiction)
Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell (science fiction)
Orient Express: A Personal Journey by Ivan Fallon and James Sherwood (autobiography non fiction)
The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner by James Hogg (mystery fiction)
The House at Pooh Corner by A. A. Milne (children's fiction)
The Complete Guide to Starting and Running a Bookshopby Malcolm Gibson (reference non fiction)
The Hobbit by John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (fantasy fiction)
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (literary fiction)
Sexing Day-Old Chicks by William Percy Blount (reference non fiction)
Antiquities of Scotland by Francis Grose (historical non fiction)
Tam O 'Shanter by Robert Burns (poetry)
The First Statistical Account of Scotland by Sir John Sinclair (reference non fiction)
Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect (commonly known as the Kilmarnock Edition) by Robert Burns (poetry)
On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection by Charles Darwin (philosophy non fiction)
An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith (philosophy nonfiction)
Lady Chatterley's Lover by D. H. Lawrence (romance fiction)
Ulysses by James Joyce (literary fiction)
Where No Man Cries by Emma Blair (literary fiction)
Stalin: The Court of the Red Tsar by Simon Sebag Montefiore (biography non fiction)
Vamping Made Easy - For All Who Wish to Play by Julius Berne (music non fiction)
The Bookshop Book by Jen Campbell (humor non fiction)
Ethics by Baruch Spinoza (philosophy non fiction)
Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson (historical fiction)
The Places in Between by Rory Stewart (memoir non fiction)
Angry White Pyjamas by Robert Twigger (memoir non fiction)
A History of Orgies by Burgo Partridge (history non fiction)
Laughter: A Scientific Investigation by Robert R. Provine (psychology non fiction)
The dieter's guide to weight loss during sex by Richard Smith (humor non fiction)
The Busconductor Hines by James Kelman (general fiction)
Feersum Endjinn by Iain M. Banks (science fiction)
The Third Policeman by Flann O'Brien (literary fiction)
The Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio (historical fiction, short stories)
A Gambling Man: Charles II and the Restoration by Jenny Uglow (biography non fiction)
The Observer's book of Observer's books by Peter Marren (reference non fiction)
E. D. Morel, the Man and His Work by Seymour Cocks (biography non fiction)
The Surnames of Scotland by George F. Black (history non fiction)
The Kilmarnock Edition by Robert Burns (poetry)
The Diary of Samuel Pepys by Samuel Pepys (memoir non fiction)
The Book of Mormon by Joseph Smith Jr. (religion non fiction)
The Whisky Distilleries of the United Kingdom by Alfred Barnard (historical non fiction)
Whereabouts: Notes on Being a Foreigner by Alastair Reid (autobiography non fiction)
A Tour of Scotland in 1769 by Thomas Pennant (travel non fiction)
A Description of the Western Islands of Scotland by Martin Martin (travel non fiction)
A Tour Through the Whole Island of Great Britain by Daniel Defoe (travel non fiction)
Observations On a Tour Through the Highlands and Part of the Western Isles of Scotland by Thomas Garnett (travel non fiction)
A Journey from Edinburgh through Parts of North Britain by Alexander Campbell (travel non fiction)
The Winding Stair and Other Poems by William Butler Yeats (poetry)
The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham (science fiction)
The House of Elrig by Gavin Maxwell (memoir non fiction)
The Railway Man: A POW's Searing Account of War, Brutality and Forgiveness by Eric Lomax (autobiography non fiction)
The Intimate thoughts of John Baxter, Bookseller by Augustus Muir (books & bookstores fiction)
In Patagonia by Bruce Chatwin (travel non fiction)
The Bankrupt Bookseller by William Y. Darling (general fiction)
A Guide to the Orthodox Jewish Way of Life for Healthcare Professionals by Joseph Spitzer (non fiction)
Experiences of a Railway Guard: Thrilling stories of the rail by James Ferguson (non fiction)
Wigtown Ploughman: Part of His Life by John McNeillie (general fiction)
The Colliery Fireman's Pocket Book by Thomas Bryson (non fiction)
Seven Pillars of Wisdom by Thomas Edward Lawrence (autobiography non fiction)
Eleanor of Aquitaine by Alison Weir (biography non fiction)
The Reforming of Dangerous and Useless Horses by Mike Rimington (non fiction)
Sewage Disposal from Isolated Buildings by G. M. Flood (non fiction)
Atomic Structure and Chemical Bonding by J. G. Dawber and A. T. Moore (non fiction)
A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole (literary fiction)
Farthest North by Fridtjof Nansen (memoir non fiction)
The Worst Journey in the World by Apsley Cherry-Garrard (memoir non fiction)
South with Scott by Edward R.G.R. Evans (history non fiction)
South: The Story of Shackleton's Last Expedition 1914-1917 by Ernest Shackleton (memoir non fiction)
The Heart of the Antarctic: The Farthest South Expedition 1907-1909 by Ernest Shackleton (memoir non fiction)
He Was Born Gay: a Romance in Three Acts by Emlyn Williams (play)
Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes (literary fiction)
The Odyssey by Homer (poetry)
As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner (literary fiction)
Pomfret Towers by Angela Thirkell (historical fiction)
Doctor No by Ian Fleming (thriller fiction)
Martialis by Martial (poetry)
Henry: Virtuous Prince by David Starkey (biography non fiction)
The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells (science fiction)
Galloway Gossip Sixty Years Ago by Robert de Bruce Trotter (reference non fiction)
Working With Depressed Women: A Feminist Approach by Alison Corob (reference non fiction)
Daniel Deronda by George Eliot (literary fiction)
Fifty Shades of Grey by E. L. James (romance fiction)
Incontinence by Susan Hahn (poetry)
And the Ass Saw the Angel by Nick Cave (literary fiction)
Scotland's Lost Gardens: From the Garden of Eden to the Stewart Palaces by Marilyn Brown (non fiction)
Highways and Byways in the West Highlands by Seton Gordon (non fiction)
The collected poems of Kathleen Raine by Kathleen Raine (poetry)
Ring of Bright Water by Gavin Maxwell (autobiography non fiction)
Red Nile: A Biography of the World's Greatest River by Robert Twigger (biography non fiction)
Robin Ince's Bad Book Club: One Man's Quest to Uncover the Books that Time Forgot by Robin Ince (humor non fiction)
Araki: Tokyo Lucky Hole by Akira Suei and Nobuyoshi Araki (art and photography non fiction)
Scholar-gipsies by John Buchan (essays non fiction)
A Royal Passion: The Turbulent Marriage of Charles I and Henrietta Maria by Katie Whitaker (history non fiction)
The House of Elrig by Gavin Maxwell (autobiography non fiction)
The Tinkler-Gypsies of Galloway by Andrew McCormick (history non fiction)
An open letter by Seamus Heaney (poetry)
The Penguin Book of Contemporary British Poetry by Blake Morrison and Andrew Motion (poetry)
Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson (historical fiction)
Once a Customer Always a Customer: How to Deliver Customer Service that Creates Customers for Life by Chris Daffy (reference non fiction)
Biggles Takes It Rough by W. E. Johns (thriller fiction)
Alien Sex: The Body and Desire in Cinema and Theology by Gerard Loughlin (non fiction)
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad (literary fiction)
Lord of the Flies by William Golding (young adult fiction)
The Meaning of Liff by Douglas Adams and John Lloyd (reference non fiction)
King Charles II by Antonia Fraser (biography non fiction)
The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot (historical fiction)
The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling by Henry Fielding (historical fiction)
Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell (biography non fiction)
H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald (memoir non fiction)
Love in a Cold Climate by Nancy Mitford (literary fiction)
Ian Niall: Part of His Life by Andrew McNeillie (biography non fiction)
Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy (historical fiction)
Highways and Byways in Galloway and Carrick by Charles Hill Dick (non fiction)
Eyeless in Gaza by Aldous Huxley (literary fiction)
The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger (literary fiction)
Decline and Fall by Evelyn Waugh (literary fiction)
Blindness by José Saramago (literary fiction)
Pereira Maintains by Antonio Tabucchi (literary fiction)
The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner by James Hogg (mystery fiction)
A Toast Fag by Harold Avery (children's fiction)
The Restraint of Beasts by Magnus Mills (literary fiction)
A Young Man's Passage by Julian Clary (autobiography non fiction)
Donald McLeod's Gloomy memories in the Highlands of Scotland by Donald McLeod (history non fiction)
A Drug-taker's Notes by Richard Heron Ward (non fiction)
Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler (autobiography non fiction)
The Satyricon by Petronius (literary fiction)
The Flag in the Wind by John MacCormick (non fiction)
Cuckoo Problems by E. C. Stuart Baker (non fiction)
The Temple of Flora by Robert John Thornton (biography non fiction)
The Birds of America by John James Audubon (biography non fiction)
The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner by James Hogg (mystery fiction)
The Universal Singular: The Autobiography of Pierre Emmanuel by Pierre Emmanuel (autobiography non fiction)
Chattering: Stories by Louise Stern (short stories, fiction)
Georgian London: Into the Streets by Lucy Inglis (reference, non fiction)
British Trees: a Guide for Everyman by Miles Hadfield (reference non fiction)
The Cone Gatherers by Robin Jenkins (literary fiction)
The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky (historical fiction)
The Princes in the Tower by Alison Weir (biography non fiction)

Based on all the books mentioned in this book, I cannot help but feel that the world of books is deep and vast. There are so many genres and subgenres of fiction and non fiction out there. And what I have been exposed to so far is just a tiny fraction.

Besides books, this book also mentioned a book club. So curious am I that I actually did a Facebook search for this Random Book Club. And I dropped them a message asking if overseas people can join and how to go about making payment for the yearly subscription fee of GBP59. Sadly, to date, I still have not received a reply. I also checked out the website of The Bookshop at www.the-bookshop.com. Maybe, one day, I may order book(s) from them.

This is a book for all booklovers, and especially booklovers who wish to work in a bookstore.

Review: Calm Christmas and a Happy New Year: A Little Book of Festive Joy by Beth Kempton

3 stars for Calm Christmas and a Happy New Year: A Little Book of Festive Joy by Beth Kempton.

I bought two non fiction books in Scotland last month - yes, two out of sixteen books altogether. I have already read and reviewed the first non fiction Cider with Rosie. This is the second one. Priced at GBP7.79 for a hard cover, it is an absolute steal. And the best part is, I cannot find any visible damage on the book, the very reason it was marked down from GBP12.99.

This book shares with us what it means to celebrate Christmas. It is in fact, a book for life, not just for Christmas. Filled with personal stories, it offers good advice for slowing down and staying calm to enjoy the Christmas magic during the festive season.

Perhaps it is the timing or the season in one's life, I find that chapter 6 on honoring the melancholy resonates the most with me. Indeed, grief is a part of life, and sometimes life can be hard, and hard to understand. As quoted, according to Caroline Abrahams, charity director of Age UK, "Loneliness is a feeling people experience when the relationship they have do not match up to those they would like to have. When this feeling persists it can have a negative impact on wellbeing and quality of life."

On the theme of loneliness, the author shares some really good tips on how to deal with it. Loneliness is often invisible. Most people will not tell you that they are suffering. As such, we cannot tell someone else's emotional experience, and it is not just during the Christmas season, it could be any time of the year - the shadow of loss, the beating heart of sorrow, the searing pain of loneliness and the full ache of wishing things are different. We can only help to reduce the pain of loneliness and elevate spirits by being kind to one another.

If I ever read this self-help book a second time, I hope I will feel differently when I come to chapter 6 again.

Review: Cider with Rosie by Laurie Lee

4 stars for Cider with Rosie by Laurie Lee.

I bought a total of sixteen books from my vacation to Scotland last month, mostly from secondhand bookstores in Edinburgh. Cider with Rosie is one of them books that I lugged back home from afar.

While holding the book and contemplating my purchase, I thought the author is a girl until I read the short introduction after the cover page. Then I started to wonder if author Lee's wife is someone by the name of Rosie. I decided there and then to buy the book, to read for myself and find out in good time.

The book is a recollection of early boyhood. Laurie Lee's account of his childhood is full of joy and gratitude for youth in a rich and sensuous world located in a remote Cotswold village. The writing is welcoming and fresh, of an era and landscape that has mostly vanished from today's world. Each sentence tells of first hand account mingled with the sense of hearing, touch, sight and smell. It is a heartwarming and wondrous record of a life lived.

Having finished Cider with Rosie, I can't help but consider if I want to pursue his two other autobiographies in the same series: As I Walked Out One Midsummer (1969) and A Moment of War (1991). But when I turn my head to look at my collection of books, I see the rest of those fifteen recently-bought books waiting for me, and I tell myself, I better read those first.

Review: Flash Boys: A Wall Street Revolt by Michael Lewis

5 stars for Flash Boys: A Wall Street Revolt by Michael Lewis.

A well written and compelling read.

As far as my memory serves me, this is the first time I am reading a Business book and attempting to write a review related to financial market, stock exchanges, big Wall Street banks, high-frequency trading and people from every corner of Wall Street. By myself, I will never have chosen to read such a serious, heavy-duty topic. I read it because it comes highly recommended by my mentor - David Wang, thank you! - at work. That and having worked in a stock broking firm before, this book piques my interest enough for me to have a go.

Having never dabble in U.S. stocks directly, I have no idea how the U.S. stock exchange works. I did not even know that the U.S. stock market has thirteen public exchanges and forty-four private ones (commonly termed as dark pools). So many! And this is just the tip of the iceberg - one of the many surprises in store for me - as I embark on my journey along Wall Street to uncover the ugly truths hidden within the inner workings of the U.S. financial markets.

This book is about a small group of idealistic, like-minded people who put together what they know collectively, in a bid to fix a financial system that has over the years become increasingly entrenched in unscrupulous monetary gains. The book provides details to the why, how, what, where, and the many challenges faced by the group as they set out to go against the majority. As it is oft said "A lie doesn't become truth, wrong doesn't become right and evil doesn't become good, just because it's accepted by a majority." This minority group, some of them, left their high-flying, high-paying jobs, to do what is right because that is the right thing to do.

If I am to sum this whole book with a single word, the first that comes to my mind is "speed". Here in this book, speed is not measured by the seconds. It is also not speed that is within the span of "in the blink of an eye" (on average, the human blink lasts a tenth of a second which is 0.1 seconds/100 milliseconds/100,000 microseconds). Instead, the unit of time that the author is talking about is roughly one-thousandth of the blink of an eye: 350-microsecond (0.3 milliseconds). That is the kind of speed where the stock market predator set its eyes on. After all, there is big money for those who have the resouces to create speed. So then, what is the thing about speed that makes it so important?

Well, the truth is that the stock prices that people see on the U.S. stock market and the numbers running across the bottom of the CNBC screen, are not reflective of market demand and supply. Traders are not able to execute their orders because someone else is able to identify what the traders/brokers are trying to do and race ahead of them to the other exchanges. The bottomline is, the U.S. stock markets are rigged. Opportunities have been created which enable high-frequency traders to front-run brokers. And that is where speed comes into the picture.

This book set out to reveal how loopholes in regulations are exploited by high-frequency traders to predict most accurately where brokers will send their customers' orders, and how high-frequency traders are ripping off the retirement savings of the entire country through systematic fraud without the people knowing it. As this small group of people digs deeper and deeper, they go back to earlier events leading to new regulations implemented to curb corruption on a certain loophole, and that loophole brings them back to even older events from 2013 to 2007, to 2004, to the 1987 stock market crash - which gave rise to the very first, though less sophisticated, form of high-frequency trading - and ultimately all the way to the late 1800s, where the history of Wall Street is nothing but scandals. To quote "Every systematic market injustice arose from some loophole in a regulation created to correct some prior injustice." Indeed, it is a never-ending vicious cycle where the man in the streets, small investors, ordinary Americans, are getting their life savings ripped off.

The interesting thing about this book is that not everything in it is about stocks and trading. Because this is Wall Street, the author includes some accounts of the event that shocked the world on September 11, 2001. There is a first-hand encounter by one of the Wall Street technologists who witnessed the explosion as the second plane hit the South Tower. Then there is the sound to be heard where bodies hit the ground, and papers fluttering down from above the World Trade Center, and people crying, people screaming and people puking.

After reading pages and pages of what is wrong and what feels right and all those big Wall Street banks such as Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, J.P. Morgan, Credit Suisse to name a few, I finally reach the end of the book. The ending is unexpected, not that I have any expectations to being with but I like the way the author ends off his book, by posing a riddle that does its job perfectly to bring across his message - if you care enough to find out, you will, since information is now easily available in cyberspace. Change will come only if you care enough to want the change, to find out, to talk about it and to push for the change.

To quote, Flash Boys closes with this paragraph:

"I noticed, before we left, a metal plate attached to the fence around the tower. On it was a Federal Communications Commission license number: 1215095. The number, along with an Internet connection, was enough to lead an inquisitive person to the story behind the tower. The application to use the tower to send a microwave signal had been filed in July 2012, and it had been filed by … well, it isn’t possible to keep any of this secret anymore. A day’s journey in cyberspace would lead anyone who wished to know it into another incredible but true Wall Street story, of hypocrisy and secrecy and the endless quest by human beings to gain a certain edge in an uncertain world. All that one needed to discover the truth about the tower was the desire to know it."

So, who owns the Pennsylvania tower with FCC license number 1215095? What is the answer to the author's riddle? I am sure most, if not all, of those who have read Flash Boys, will have done what I have done, by typing FCC license number 1215095 in any of the search engines. I get the answer easily enough from just a few taps on my keyboard. With that, the author has succeeded in concluding his book on a memorable and fitting note.

Sometimes ignorance is bliss. Having read this book that is on all counts, informational and educational, I'm not sure to be glad or worried or alarmed. The fact that the people who have the most to gain, to make the most money, want the least clarity possible in this deeply screwed-up of a financial system is totally not what I have expected when I start out on my journey with Flash Boys. The most scary thing is, this story can happen to anyone, you or me, him or her, as long as we have any contact with the market, directly or indirectly.

Review: After the Wind: 1996 Everest Tragedy - One Survivor's Story by Lou Kasischke

5 stars for After the Wind: 1996 Everest Tragedy - One Survivor's Story by Lou Kasischke.

In the last five years or so, it has become a practice of mine to read horror stories from around end September to end October. Though this is a non fiction and not a horror story of the supernatural kind, it gives me a chill that I will never have come to expect out of reading an Everest story. This book is horror story in its own right, a living nightmare, one that has things going horribly wrong resulting in people dying in the cold wind and frigid sub-zero air. Some people awake to escape their nightmares. But this is where the author awakes into one.

This book is published in 2014, eighteen years after the event. I have read two other books, Into Thin Air (published 1997) and The Climb (published 2001), both in relation to the same tragedy and highly popular due to controversy over certain issues, and I never will have imagined myself reading a third one as I thought the wind will have died down after so many years. But apparently not so, and especially not for the climbers who survived on that fateful day. 10 May 1996. To date, it is still known as the worst tragedy in Mount Everest history.

The author, Lou Kasischke, is a seasoned climber with decades of experience and one of the survivors of the 1996 Mount Everest disaster. For Lou, the memories do not fade away with time but continue to haunt him in his everyday life. His story of climbing Everest lives on, within him. But why did he choose to publish after close to two decades when in fact he wrote bulk of his story in the two years following the disaster? Because he is finally ready to let it go.

Lou Kasischke has two stories to tell in his book. The first is a story about his being there, bearing witness to the critical decisions made on that day which led to this historic event. The second is his personal story, a story that tells the reason as to how and why he survived the catastrophe.

After the Wind offers a different perspective and analysis to what I have read in the other two books. I do not know for sure which book presents the - whole - truth in the Everest story. I think it all depends on which book we read and who wrote the book. Here, author Lou worries about not having written well enough for readers to understand his story. I think he underestimates his writing ability. His worries are unfounded for his writing of the event and happenings are excellently worded with details and remarkably well organised and edited for a debut book. His thought processes, emotions and behaviour at that point in time, 400 vertical feet from the summit, are conveyed through heart wrenching language and vivid imagery. There is no finger pointing, no pushing of blame, no criticism or anything of that kind. There is only quiet inner thoughts of bad feelings, of intuitive fears, of troubling concerns, of safety, of risk taking, of decision making, of possible conflict of interest and of organisational weakness in his expedition leadership team. In short, the author simply lay down the facts as they are in his book, never exaggerating them.

Because of my earlier reading of two Everest books, I am already quite familiar with the different expedition teams, the team leaders as well as their climbing members. Reading this book feels like reliving the event all over again. I take such a long time - two weeks - to finish reading this book, not because it is not good, but because it is very good. It is so emotionally charged with ambition, sheer will, pressure to succeed, hardship, suffering, regrets, pain and human kindness that I simply have to read and reread each of the passages, sometimes more than twice. Also, the author makes good use of foreshadowing to manage expectations and build up his story. This is a book I enjoy reading through and through.

The author starts off by talking about his passion for climbing and the feeling of deep satisfaction derived from the accomplishment. He explains beautifully why in mountaineering, the destination - the summit - is not all that matters, but rather the journey getting to the top. To quote "Climbing is about the richness of living a story. A whole story. Standing on top of the mountain is only part of the story. And frequent not even the most important part. The climbing story I live is not one single moment. In the story of getting to the top, many moments are more meaningful and more worthy of memory." Slowly, the author proceeds to tell of his plan to climb Everest in 1996, the reason for joining Rob Hall's expedition team, the trip to Katmandu and Base Camp, and finally, the beginning of the nightmare that is to plague him for the rest of his life.

This book cannot be more different from the other two I have read earlier. Yes, all three books are basically about climbing Everest, about the dangers of deep snow, high winds, frostbite and life and death. But this book stands out among the three. Why? It stands out not because it is the latest in line that I have read and thus more memorable, but because the story goes deeper than what went wrong on that fateful day. The author talks about what went right, more specifically, the finer details of his promise to his wife that leads to this right, the life and death outcome, which is how I get to read his book today. This is not just a book about Everest and climbing, it is more. There is a whole lot of personal and interpersonal elements involved, all showcasing the power of relationships. And perhaps above all, is how the author comes to think differently about his passion for climbing after his close brush with death. He becomes a changed person, definitely a better family man. To quote "When you have so many people that need you and depend on you, you can't think only about what you want and your passions. Your goals and actions are not just about you. Life is not, and never will be, just about you."

After reading this book, I have a clearer and better understanding of the 1996 deadly event, whereas upon finishing the earlier two Everest books, I have many unanswered questions as to what exactly happened, what went wrong and why. I feel muddled by the many whys then; I only remember reading that there was overcrowding at the South Summit that led to delayed in turnaround time and climbers getting caught in the open after dark, and climbers died because of bad weather.

Author Lou manages to piece together the puzzle to give an excellent overview as to the cause of the delay - with experienced climbers waiting and doing nothing, burning daylight, losing two hours - that led to the disaster. He shows that he is an astute observer of human behaviour and has the unusual power to see through and understand what is puzzling or hidden as he breaks the parts down for examinination. From his perspective and analysis, we know that it is no single factor that leads to the 1996 Everest story but a whole slew of factors and events and decisions made collectively as a team, by the expedition leader and by the individual self. He summarises it nicely in one passage. To quote "When things go wrong, rarely is the cause a force of nature. Almost always the cause is climber error. Even what might appear to be the result of an act or force of nature can be traced back to a mistake in decision making that unnecessarily exposed the climber to nature's dangers. On Everest, this decision making risk was especially true on summit day."

There is an interesting quote the author shares in his book which I feel says everything about climbing and especially so for climbing the highest mountain in the world. To quote "Someone long ago coined a great saying about mountain climbers: There are old mountaineers and there are bold mountaineers; but there are no old, bold mountaineers. If you gave everything you have to get to the top, or if getting there was the only thing that mattered - you might stay there." He explains that at some point in climbing Everest, the challenge is about the need for inner strength, about drawing the line, about knowing one's limits. The inner strength is not just the sheer will to persevere to get to the top, but also to get back down alive. The summit is only half way. Descending is often the hardest part of the climb. To quote "On summit day especially, the dilemma you face was to be ambitious, but not greedy; to be bold, but not reckless; to be confident, but not arrogant." Author Lou describes how his challenge changes from climbing a six-mile high mountain to himself; to keep going or to turn around. To quote "Mere moments later, physical toughness and sheer will to climb a mountain of rock, snow and ice meant nothing. What meant everything was what it would take to overcome a mountain of ambition and pressure to succeed, and to make a hard choice." And then, after the wind, after the silence, he found his answer. To quote "What would I hear - after the wind - when I listened to the sound of sheer silence? I didn't know. But I was about to find out. What I heard saved my life."

In the book, there is death and the deadly cold, but there is also life and the heartwarming human touch. As the author looks back on the event, he recalls not just the bad but also the good which he is eternally grateful for. He says though there is lack of leadership, bad teamwork, bad judgement, bad decisions, there is also kindness, concern, compassion and thoughtfulness by others who come together to offer their help to prevent further injury and loss of life. He is amazed by the huge physical undertaking and sacrifice from climbers of other expedition teams because in rendering their help to rescue other climbers above 26,000 feet, they give up their summit attempt.

At the end of the day, this is a story about time and decision making. It is also one about running out of time, the whole point behind the 1996 Everest story. To quote "The late afternoon storm wasn't a cause of the outcome. The storm came after the casual mistakes and set the price to be paid for those mistakes." And here, we learn that he who remains faithful to the team turnaround time agreement and who maintains mountaineering good judgement for safety, lives to tell his story. His Everest story.

Now that all is said and done and reflected upon, I am thinking that it will be nice to read Into Thin Air and The Climb all over again. Well, maybe not right now. But some day again in the future.

Review: With the End in Mind: Dying, Death, and Wisdom in an Age of Denial by Kathryn Mannix

4 stars for With the End in Mind: Dying, Death, and Wisdom in an Age of Denial by Kathryn Mannix.

This is a book about end of life, palliative care and making the most of what remains of life in comfort (rather than trying to cure of cancer and illnesses). Within are real-life stories that illustrate the journey of shrinking horizons and final moments. The author hopes that through her sharing, the knowledge that is common to all when death takes place can be a guide and comfort to people contemplating death.

What I like most about this book is learning to recognise the beginning of the process of dying that leads to the thing that happens at the end of every life. Whether it is anticipated or unexpected, the truth is, we are all walking towards death from the day we are born. There are many books written on the topic of living and dying and what to expect towards the end of life. But this is the first book I have read that actually walks us through the finer details of the process of dying towards the final moment.

Also, I agree with the author that the more we understand about the way dying proceeds, the better we can manage it. When death is being discussed, talked through and prepared for, it will not be unbearably sad or frightening. In fact, the well-being of the patient, caregiver and family members will be taken care of physically, emotionally, socially and spiritually. To quote "Open discussion reduces superstition and fear, and allows us to be honest with each other at a time when pretence and well-intentioned lies can separate us, wasting time that is very precious."

The author has written this book with the end in mind, to prepare people with the process of dying and to provide food for thought. I think she has achieved what she set out with, at least with me. One thing I know for sure is, where I want my end to happen, that is if I get to choose. To quote "Instead of dying in a dear and familiar room with people we love around us, we now die in ambulances and emergency rooms and intensive care units, our loved ones separated from us by the machinery of life preservation."

This book can help us to live better and die better by keeping the end in mind. To quote "Living is precious, and is perhaps best appreciated when we live with the end in mind." And so, I recommend reading this book. Because in the end, the story is about us.

Review: Auschwitz and After by Charlotte Delbo

4 stars for Auschwitz and After by Charlotte Delbo.

Auschwitz and After is a finely translated masterpiece that encompasses three volumes - Volume I None of Us will Return, Volume II Useless Knowledge and Volume III The Measure of Our Days. The entire book holds within itself one of the saddest accounts of living and breathing in the concentration camp in the history of mankind, and yet, the unique blend of prose and poetry gives a lyrical feeling of poignancy that stretches from sadness to beauty.

The book tells of the price the women from the French Resistance paid for their daring contributions in World War II. Of the 230 women sent to Auschwitz in January 1943, only 49 returned. Besides the daily struggle to stay alive in the concentration camp besieged by hunger, thirst, fatigue, abuse and despair, these women have to contend with debilitating diseases such typhus and dysentery that come about due to terrible living conditions. To survive against the odds, these women form groups and avoid being separated from one's group. The temptation to give up is high when one is alone, but when surrounded by others, one is able to endure and dare to hope. Members of the same group give support and take care of one another. However, there are still those who stop believing they will return home and these women are as good as dead. To stay alive, one has to make plans about going home. Hope keeps one alive.

After Auschwitz, those who survived continue to struggle. These survivors, yes, they return, they live and they are alive. Everything about them is the same, yet nothing is. Because nothing will ever be the same within those who survived Auschwitz for they carry the weight of the dead in their arms, in their heart and in their memories. These survivors, though liberated from their captors, are imprisoned by their memories of the dead. They find it difficult to talk to the living. And having conversed with death, they find everything pointless and grapple with the meaning of living. Through the author, we learn that surviving and returning is not the end. In fact, it is the beginning to living again. No one survives Auschwitz and returns unscathed. For those who return, it is a must to learn to endure their horrid past and adjust to living anew, otherwise they cannot move on.

This trilogy of a book is written for us to learn from the past so that history will not repeat itself ever again. Reading this book makes me appreciate even more for being born and living in a part of the world where there is peace and harmony.

Review: Night SparkNotes Literature Guide (Volume 48) (SparkNotes Literature Guide Series) by SparkNotes and Elie Wiesel

4 stars for Night SparkNotes Literature Guide (Volume 48) (SparkNotes Literature Guide Series) by SparkNotes and Elie Wiesel.

Having graduated from school, it never once crosses my mind that one day, I will of my own accord, read a literature study guide again. But after reading Night, I find myself wanting to learn more about this historical event that rock the world, one that resulted in the greatest act of genocide known to mankind. And so, instead of regarding Night as one among many that I read for pleasure and enjoyment, I want to approach Night as a work of literature. I hope Night SparkNotes will allow me to see more, to see beyond what I have managed to glean by myself in my reading of Night.

Just as Wikipedia is highly consulted for general information, SparkNotes is highly regarded as one of the most helpful study guides to Literature, Math, Science and more. Many students regard SparkNotes as a good resource to turn to because it not only offers clear and concise explanations, it also provides important information for writing papers and studying for tests. Since Night is now one of the most widely read and taught accounts of the Holocaust, it does not surprise me that Night SparkNotes is readily available. In fact, I will be taken aback if the reverse is true.

Night SparkNotes starts off by examining the various literary devices that Night's author uses to make his story effective. Two that stand out well enough for me to remember even after I finish reading SparkNotes is the explanations given for author Wiesel's use of a boy named Eliezer as his stand-in and representative throughout the book and his choice to change some of the minor details in the story as opposed to what had actually happened.

For those who have already read Night, you will have known that it is a story that is narrated from the limited first person perspective, with no account of events that take place outside the narrator's direct observation, thus giving readers a deeply personal impression of the horrors of the Holocaust. Understanding the why and the how by which the author makes his personal story effective in its intended delivery is paramount because the book was written not only to document historical truths but also emotional truth as experienced by Wiesel himself.

Though SparkNotes views Night as neither a record of facts nor an impartial document, it refers to Night as a memoir, as the writing is a mixture of testimony and emotional truth telling. Taking the stand that Night is the author's attempt to recreate thoughts, feelings and experiences as a teenage prisoner in the concentration camps, SparkNotes analyses the major characters and explores the major themes in the book.

SparkNotes gives a concise summary of Night, a good explanation of the important quotations in the book and teaches the reader the importance of breaking a work of literature down into smaller parts and examining how those parts - plot, characters, setting, tone, narrator, themes and imagery- work, both individually and collectively, for literary analysis. It also provides a step-by-step guide to writing a well-constructed literary essay and even offers a list of suggested essay topics. The study guide finally concludes with an example of a A+ student essay.

All in all, Night SparkNotes is a handy literature guide. Viewed simply, it acts as a supplement to existing text or even like a friend explaining a particular chapter of the book. Though I am reading it to further my interest and not for purpose of studying for test or examination, I have benefited greatly in my understanding of Night through the interpretation and analysis of SparkNotes. With that, I can understand how useful this study guide can be for students taking Night as part of their school curriculum.

Review: Night (Night Trilogy #1) by Elie Wiesel

5 stars for Night (Night Trilogy book 1) by Elie Wiesel.

I have always thought Night is a non fiction, a wartime memoir written by Elie Wiesel, that is until I search the genre for this book as confirmation for purpose of labelling my review. Some sites list it as a novel while Wikipedia says "it remains unclear how much of Night is memoir". It seems strange to me that there can be much controversy as to whether Night is fiction or non fiction. After all, the author himself said in interviews that the book is factual and is never portrayed as a novel. Yet some scholars who studied holocaust memoirs have raised questions about how much of the book can be verified.

Well, in any case, both Barnes & Noble.com and Amazon.com have made changes to certify Night as non fiction (way back in 2006). The former has removed the book from its fiction list, while the latter has changed the categorization of the new edition of Night and revised the editorial description of a previous text edition to make clear that it considers the book a memoir, not a novel.

For me, having read Night, I regard it as a memoir, one with a trauma narrative that is true in its call to readers to remember the Holocaust and the millions of Jews who died, to learn from those who survived, and most importantly, never to allow such an event to happen again.

Elie Wiesel wrote the book because he believed it is "his duty to bear witness for the dead and for the living". And true enough, Night preserves the lives of the dead as a constant reminder to the living of what was suffered and lost and could go through again if the memories are not etched in ink and the past is allowed to be forgotten. Taken verbatim from the preface to the new translation, this is what Elie Wiesel wrote "For the survivor who chooses to testify, it is clear: his duty is to bear witness for the dead and for the living. He has no right to deprive future generations of a past that belongs to our collective memory. To forget would be not only dangerous but offensive; to forget the dead would be akin to killing them a second time."

In the opening of the very same preface, Elie Wiesel says it all, that Night is the foundation of all his literary works, without which the rest cannot be fully apprehended. To quote "If in my lifetime I was to write only one book, this would be the one. Just as the past lingers in the present, all my writings after Night, including those that deal with biblical, Talmudic, or Hasidic themes, profoundly bear its stamp, and cannot be understood if one has not read this very first of my works."

Indeed, Night is Wiesel's masterpiece, a sad, shocking and horrific account of his personal experiences with his father as prisoners in the Auschwitz, Buna, and Buchenwald concentration camps in 1944-1945, towards the end of the Second World War in Europe. Though haunting and appalling in its directness, humanity shines from every page of his book as Wiesel bears witness to the Jews taking solace in caring for one another in the face of atrocities in the Nazi German concentration camps. He was 15 years old then.

Ultimately, Night is a story about death and survival. To quote "Listen to me, kid. Don't forget that you are in a concentration camp. In this place, it is every man for himself, and you cannot think of others. Not even your father. In this place, there is no such thing as father, brother, friend. Each of us lives and dies alone." As prisoners of war, the Jews are subjected to horrific living conditions and the constant threat of death. To survive, they can only do what is best for themselves. Many eventually only concerned themselves with personal survival. Even so, many do not live through the concentration camps, the "selections" and the death marches. Though Wiesel withstood it all and lived to see liberation from Nazi occupation, he carried with him a corpse of memories that haunt him for the rest of his life. To quote "...I decided to look at myself in the mirror on the opposite wall. I had not seen myself since the ghetto. From the depths of the mirror, a corpse was contemplating me. The look in his eyes as he gazed at me has never left me."

Night is such a harrowing and engrossing read that before I know it, I have reached the end of the book. Truly, it is a book of great historical importance, albeit one with terrifying power. Night has since been translated into thirty languages and sold millions of copies since its first publication. I am glad to have joined the millions who have read this memoir.

Review: Moods, Emotions, and Aging: Hormones and the Mind-Body Connection by Phyllis J. Bronson and Rebecca Bronson

4 stars for Moods, Emotions, and Aging: Hormones and the Mind-Body Connection by Phyllis J. Bronson and Rebecca Bronson.

This book reads very much like a Science textbook. It reminds me of the days where Biology was part of my school curriculum. I have always enjoy my Biology lessons but without a doubt, where exams are concerned, it takes the reading enjoyment level down a notch or two. Well, I am glad that exams are a thing of the past now and I can read this book without the anxiety of having to sit for the paper at the end of it.

This paperback is a wealth of information on the impact of hormones and nutrients on mood and emotion. It is very much based on the study that brain chemistry and hormones play a major role in mood problems. Readers get to learn about the differences between synthetic and bioidentical (natural) hormones.

The research conducted by the author herself showed that there are significant chemical differences between synthetic hormones and natural ones made by the human body or compounding pharmacies. From her research findings, it is obvious that the author is an advocate of natural hormones as she repeatedly stressed the importance of using bioidentical hormones to support women, both emotionally and physically. She also shares some case studies that illustrate how balancing hormones can help individual women deal with traumatic issues in their lives.

There are two things I like much in this book.

One is the revelation of Western's medicine dark side. I have always been skeptical of the drugs promoted by the profit-driven pharmaceutical industry, so in a way, it is reassuring to see the reproval on print. The author says that the drugs produced by the pharmaceutical companies are not the same as those hormones produced naturally in the female body. But because the hormones produced by these companies are not natural, they are patentable. So there it is. The potential for huge financial gains for these pharmaceutical companies is way too tempting to ignore. Therefore, women need to be aware that their best interests may not be the same as that of the company making the product that they are taking.

The other thing I like has less to do with hormones but more to do with the belief that calcium in milk is good for our bones. Once again, I have always challenge the belief that cow's milk is good for us. Why should humans go about drinking cow's milk? Shouldn't cow's milk be for their calf, just as breast milk is for the human baby? Well, humans are the only known species on Earth that drink the milk of another species. The way I see it, it always boils down to the same thing which is the money making business. However, it is not the pharmaceutical but the dairy industry this time. Here I will quote a passage from the book as below:

"One of the biggest myths about osteoporosis has to do with calcium. While the dairy industry would have people believe that dietary calcium is critical to bone formation and that the best way to get that calcium is milk products, there is mounting evidence that this is not so. Yes, calcium is an important component of healthy bone, but diary products may not be the best way to get that calcium. Calcium from milk is in the form of calcium lactate, which is not as easily absorbed as other forms that can be found in green, leafy vegetables."

The author proceeds to back her statement with statistics.

To quote "Milk consumption in Greece doubled from 1961 to 1977 (and was even higher in 1985), and from 1977 to 1985 the age-adjusted osteoporosis incidence almost doubled, too. In Hong Kong, twice as much dairy products were consumed in 1989 as compared to 1966, and incidence of osteoporosis tripled in the same period. Americans consume large amounts of dairy products, and thus take in extremely high levels of calcium, but they also sustain high rates of osteoporosis and osteoporosis-related fractures."

The author also states that there is not enough data currently to support claims by the dairy industry that the more milk women drink, the stronger their bone will be.

To quote "While calcium is surely an essential part of bone formation, there is currently no substantial data showing that increased consumption of dairy products prevents or slows down the development of osteoporosis. In fact, according to a 1985 study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the more milk women drank, the more bone loss they experienced. Current recommendations from the Harvard School of Public Health are that women should get calcium as much as possible from green, leafy vegetables rather than from dairy products."

And then, there is also the question of profit-driven motives leading to conflict of interest.

To quote "The Osteoporosis Foundation and American Dietetic Association both receive money from the dairy industry. According to the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), there is a lack of credible research showing a deficiency in calcium is to blame for current osteoporosis epidemic!"

Once again, the author substantiates her statement with numbers.

To quote "In fact, one study tracked eight-one girls ages twelve to eighteen for six years. Their calcium intake was controlled by supplementation (using calcium supplements rather foods), and the conclusion was that increased calcium supplementation was not associated with hip bone density at age eighteen or with total body bone mineral gain at ages twelve through eighteen."

It is stunning indeed to read about the ugly side of Western's medicine as well as the conflict of interest that so often lead to misleading information to end consumers.

Perhaps then, this book holds the secret to aging with grace, health and happiness? After all, the author believes in finding balance for women as they age and her aim is to help girls and women with orthomolecular medicine and nutrient biochemistry. From a few taps on my keyboard, Google tells me that orthomolecular medicine is a form of alternative medicine, with a purpose to maintain human health through nutritional supplementation. And nutritional biochemistry is an integrative form of science that incorporates sciences such as physiology, medicine, microbiology, endocrinology, chemistry and biology, and applies these specifically to the study of health, diet, nutrition, disease, and the connections that exist among them. All of these seem complicated to me, but from what the author shares in her book, she sounds confident and comes across as one knowing what she is doing.

Personally, I feel that a woman's health is not just about hormones. It is a whole lot more. And that includes sleep, food and nutrition, and social connection. This book may not have gone (deep) into these topics but nevertheless, it provides useful information and insight to the overall well-being of women where hormones such as estrogen (estrone, estradiol and estriol) and progesterone are concerned.

Review: Sorted: The Active Woman's Guide to Health by Juliet McGrattan

Did Not Finish Sorted: The Active Woman's Guide to Health by Juliet McGrattan.

I was rather excited to get started on this book when I checked it out from the library some weeks ago. After all, this is a book that focuses on women's health and I definitely am one member of this community.

The book starts off by explaining the risks of not moving and that being sedentary is bad for us as it causes damage to our body. It goes on to share the positives of being active and how regular exercise will make us healthier and reduce our risk of getting different types of diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer. In short, the author tries her very best to motivate all women to get moving; to sit less and to move more.

Sadly, this guide book does not work out too well for me. Perhaps it is the font type, or the font size, or the layout, or the wordings, or even my mood, somehow, the content while I know applies to every woman, does not resonate with the inner me. What I mean to say is that this book did not manage to sustain my interest.

While I believe this book is written with the best intention of the author for all female readers, it is not the right one for me. Yes, I am interested in topics like health and exercising and lifestyle generally, but this book somehow does not cut it. I tried. I really did, but at the halfway mark, I decide that it is in my interest to part amicably with this book. So there.

Review: The Longevity Book: The Science of Aging, the Biology of Strength, and the Privilege of Time by Cameron Diaz and Sandra Bark

5 stars for The Longevity Book: The Science of Aging, the Biology of Strength, and the Privilege of Time by Cameron Diaz and Sandra Bark.

This is a book about aging (more specifically, cellular aging) - what it means to age, how the aging process works and how time will affect us physically and emotionally. I am so glad that such a book has been written to share with us the finer details on how to age with health. After all, aging is a topic that will evade none of us. At some point in our lives, all of us will start to contemplate this - what will happen to us when we get older. And this book provides us with a wealth of information and insight on staying healthy and strong in the years to come.

We all want longevity. But how many of us can live healthily enough to enjoy old age? What is the secret to living well, staying healthy, and having the vitality as we age and enter our twilight years? By attempting to better understand our lifestyle choices and how they affect our health at the cellular level, this book helps prepare us for the changes that lie ahead, to make choices that support our health, and to maintain the well-being of our mind, body and spirit. In short, this book reveals the answer on how to live better, longer and stronger so that growing old can be less scary.

In understanding cellular aging, we need to broaden our view that biological age (how healthy we are on the inside) is a more accurate indicator of health than chronological age (the number of years we have been on this planet). Because the aging of our cells is the true measure of how old we really are. Indeed, the way we live will affect the way we age. It is important to work as hard as we can, for as long as we can, if we want to age with health and strength. Because ultimately, how we age and how long we live is not influenced solely by the genes that we inherit from our parents, but also by our lifestyle choices, our environment, and our attitudes.

Equipped with a better understanding of what aging really is, the science of it, the biology of it, and with the passing of time, we can become empowered to live well and healthy and strong in the years to come. The longevity book is a must-read for women of all ages.

Review: Opening the Door of Your Heart: And other Buddhist Tales of Happiness by Ajahn Brahm |《Reread》

5 stars for Opening the Door of Your Heart: And other Buddhist Tales of Happiness by Ajahn Brahm.

I read this book more than fifteen years ago. Due to recent events, I go in search of this book. I know it is sitting somewhere, untouched through the years, on one of my bookshelves. Aha, there it is. My treasure of a book, with Ajahn Brahm's writing and signature, dated 8 August 2004. To this date, I still find it weirdly ironic that out of so many of my favourite authors, I have gotten a Buddhist monk to autograph my book; though not just any monk, but Ajahn Brahmavamso! As strange as it may seem, not only is this the first, it is also my one and only book to date, that is signed by the author, and witnessed by yours truly.

Opening the Door of Your Heart is a collection of stories, 108 of them. Though the stories are all short, they are long in wisdom, insight and inspiration. They are heartwarming, touching and funny. They are there for a reason; to help us change our lives for the better, to guide us towards meaningful and purposeful living, to realise contentment and to find true happiness.

As I reread this book, I am astounded once again by the timeless wisdom inherent in the stories. This book was first published in 2004, way before the massive influx of smartphone such as iphone and android phone, and social media with the likes of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Watsapp and YouTube to name a few, dominating our everyday life. Regardless of the timeline, the tales that Ajahn Brahm shares in his book cleverly encompass everything. It does not matter when the stories are written or if they pertain to technology or social media, so long as you are willing to open the door of your heart, this book will give you what you need - hope, forgiveness and freedom from pain, guilt and fear.

One cannot tell much just by looking at the title of each short story. You will need to go one step deeper by reading each story, sometimes even twice, to gain the moments of insight, love and compassion that flow through Ajahn Brahm's stories. What I like most of all is that the teachings in his book do not impose. In fact, they feel mostly like a way of living instead of a religious belief. And so, I feel thoroughly at ease reading and digesting this collection of timeless stories of which many are true to life.

The book starts off with a story on two bad bricks. Ajahn Brahm draws an analogy between the bad brick and the mistake we humans make. Because of our mistakes, we become blind to everything else. We focus exclusively on the faults, the two bad bricks, and we fail to notice the rest of the good bricks, the perfect bricks. To quote "We've all got our two bad bricks, but the perfect bricks in each one of us are much, much more than the mistakes. Once we see this, things aren't so bad. Not only can we live at peace with ourselves, inclusive of our faults, but we can also enjoy living with a partner." Who knows there can be so much wisdom in a simple wall of bricks, of 2 bad bricks and 998 good bricks.

Many meaningful and interesting stories follow after the two bad bricks. I shall not expand on them but leave it to readers to find out for themselves. But I do feel the need to say something about how the book ends off cleverly with a tale on the worm and his lovely pile of dung. Why, you may ask, is it that the book ends with such a story? Well, the way Ajahn Brahm put it across, it is because some people do not want to be free from trouble. They are too attached to their burdens and do not want to be happy. To quote "One hundred and eight times the deva (a heavenly being) tried to lead the poor worm out from his miserable dung pile, but the worm was so attached to his lovely pile of dung that he always wriggled back! So eventually, the deva had to go back up to heaven and leave the foolish worm to his 'lovely pile of dung'." With that, we come to the end of the 108 stories as told in this book. What a brilliant way to wrap up the stories!

There is a season for everything. When I was young (not that I am that old now) and well and carefree, I remember feeling nonchalant when I first read this book. Now, years later, burdened with life's worries, the indifferent feeling is completely absent when I read this book again. In its place however, is the feeling of richness as the stories resonate powerfully with me. I feel as if these tales are written and tailor-made just for me and for whoever I share my book with.

Once again, I read this book from beginning to the end. Though I have finished reading it, I know in my heart that this will not be the last time I am going through the book. How wonderful will it be, when one day, in the future, when I read this book, I can feel indifferent all over again. Till then..

Review: Happily Ever After & Everything In Between by Debbie Tung

4 stars for Happily Ever After & Everything In Between by Debbie Tung.

This cute graphic novel is a welcome change from my previous read, The Bell Jar. It is lighthearted, adorable and quietly touching. It offers a glimpse into the lives of a newly married couple, that of an introvert and an extrovert, and the lovely and mundane moments that come with marriage and commitment.

I take my time to slowly enjoy this collection of comics about married life. But all too soon, I come to the end of the book. Based on the last few sketches, I can guess what to expect in the next collection by this same cartoonist and illustrator. I can't wait for the next book to be published and made available.

I quote below a comic strip from this book. It is short on words but the meaning it brings across is so sweet.

Review: My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist's Personal Journey by Jill Bolte Taylor

3.5 stars for My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist's Personal Journey by Jill Bolte Taylor.

This book is a personal account, as seen through the eyes of a neuroscientist, about what it feels like to experience the deterioration of the left brain and then gradually recover it over the years. The author hopes that her book will offer insight into how the brain works in both wellness and in illness, and that it will help to give direction and hope to stroke patients and their families and caregivers.

Author Jill Taylor suffers from a rare form of stroke in the left hemisphere of her brain when she was thirty-seven years old. This stroke rendered her completely disabled; unable to walk, talk, read, write or recall any aspects of her life. In her book, she gives a step-by-step explanation into the deterioration of her cognitive abilities and what she experiences in that unforgettable morning of the stroke. The chapter on "The Morning of the Stroke" is informational and helpful in that it tells us the symptoms of an impending stroke, and what and when to look out for it. The later chapters on recovery are equally useful. They include more than fifty tips for the road to recovery. One only needs refer to Appendix B for a bird's eye view on recommendations for recovery.

Though this is a book about stroke, it is ultimately not a book about stroke itself but insights gained from the traumatic event in which the author is very kind and generous to share with us. It is also about the beauty, resilience and adaptability of the human brain - its ability to repair, replace, retain and recover. Not only do we get to know the pre and post-stroke author Jill Taylor, readers also have a better understanding of the human brain, the right hemisphere and the left hemisphere and the asymmetries of the two cortical hemispheres.

I have no doubt that this book can help people in recovering from neurological trauma. But first, the book needs to be read, from beginning to the end, to have a good understanding of the human brain, and then, the insights gained from the author's journey and experience. This book is not, what I will say, an easy to read book altogether, especially the portion after the surgery. Maybe it is due to the dry facts of the matter, or repetitive narrative at times, I have a tendency to drift off into my own la-la land while reading. Don't get me wrong. I do not mean to say that this book is not a good one. It is just that, well, the stars of this book are not so well aligned with my attention for reading.

Overall, the insights the author gained from her stroke is amazing. Perhaps the most significant insight of it all, at least it seems to me, is the inability of the medical community to know how to communicate with someone who has suffered a stroke, especially one in the left hemisphere of the brain, impairing language. This is surely something that the medical community can work on.

Review: Extraordinary Hearts: A Journey of Cardiac Medicine and the Human Spirit by John A. Elefteriades, MD

3 stars for Extraordinary Hearts: A Journey of Cardiac Medicine and the Human Spirit by John A. Elefteriades, MD.

This book is about the human heart and the human spirit that dwells within. The author is a medical doctor and heart surgeon. In this book, he shares ten of the cases that have touched him the most and leave a deep imprint on his being.

Besides getting to know the daily life of this cardiac surgeon and some of his patients, readers also learn about the different heart conditions such as coronary artery disease, aortic aneurysm, aortic dissection, and cardiac reparative procedures. I especially enjoy the author's sharing of real-life clinical application of suspended animation in cardiac surgery under Still Life in chapter 5. It is also interesting to learn about the two nurses, the scrub nurse and the circulating nurse, in any operating room, their responsibilities and importance.

Though there are shortcomings that still exist in modern-day medicine, it is amazing to see how science and medicine have advanced to the stage where the heart-lung machine has been invented to enable heart operations to take place smoothly. It is an eye-opener to see how modern surgery offers solutions and treatments in a bid to prolong life.

Extraordinary Hearts is a good to know book. It is informational as well as educational. However, I cannot help but wonder if it is also about fame and wealth and riches. Almost all the cases mentioned involved patients who are well-known and in all likelihood, well-to-do. I wonder if the author will remember a patient enough to want to share his or her story if it is the average man in the street. I doubt so. Also, I feel that the doctor gets carried away by the background of the patients he chooses to share in his book. He delves too much into the specifics of these patients' careers, what they do, and how famous or popular or well-liked they are by their community.

Finally, what I cannot stand the most in this book, is the author's constant reference of his cases in relation to his religious belief. Yes, we never know what will happen to those patients with severe heart and health issues, both during and after the heart operation. They may not survive. Or they will pull through to be long-term survivors, and if they do, they are not miracles but statistical outliers. They have a chance to continue living because of the surgery performed by the good doctor.

As I mentioned above, Extraordinary Hearts is a good to know book. However, it is not a book suitable for all. Half of the book is dedicated to knowing the human heart and open-heart surgery, the other half to the human spirit and whatever else. So, depending on one's worldview and religious beliefs, this can either be an enjoyable read or an annoying one.