What I read in 2017

Keeping the tradition of 2016, I would like to share my reading list for 2017. Following are the books, in no particular order, that I read in 2017.

Crime and Punishment (by Fyodor Dostoevsky): A timeless master piece of Russian literature and easily one of the finest novels ever to have been written. The story explores the moral dilemmas of a brilliant university student who is fascinated by the new Enlightenment inspired European ideologies. The astoundingly vivid illustration of Raskholnikov’s thought process keeps the reader on his edge. Be not mistaken though by the title, this is not a murder-mystery novel but rather a psychological vivisection of an ultra-rational mind.

AI: From Rationality to Zombies (by Eliezer Yudkowsky): The book has no particular topic. It is actually a collection of blogposts by the author. The unifying theme of the book is ‘applied rationality’. Author aims to expose and illustrate the flaws in our everyday “logical” reasoning and suggests ways in which we can improve our knowledge building and belief forming systems to avoid the common and not-so-common pitfalls. A fascinating read, but don’t expect that you can read it in a couple of days or weeks. The nature of content demands a lot of time and effort on the part of the reader.

A History of Islamic philosophy (by Majid Fakhry): This book briefly describes the beginning, zenith, and apparent demise of philosophical tradition in the Islamic world. Author discusses several schools of philosophy, their tenets and rivalries, relation philosophers and rules, influence of politics on philosophy and vice versa, role of sufis, Greek philosophy, and modern European philosophy on Islamic thinkers.

Schopenhauer’s Essays and Aphorisms (by Arthur Schopenhauer): This is a translated collection of excerpts from the works of German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer. The collection of excerpts is fairly self contained and the language is very accessible.

Farnood (by Jaun Elia): A collection of short articles by celebrated poet Jaun Elia. Topics cover philosophy, politics, history, and current affairs among other things. These articles also provide an insight into the mind of one of the most celebrated poets in modern Urdu literature. If it were not for his poetry, these articles would have been enough to establish him as a literary giant.

Marriage and Morals (by Bertrand Russell): A prophetic book by British philosopher Bertrand Russell describes how religion, tradition, economy, physiology, art, and technology has shaped the European morality in past and then predicts what is to come in the rapidly Industrialized societies after Industrial Revolution. He discusses how contraception, women emancipation, welfare states, and decay of religious authority will change ‘marriage and morals’ in the years to come.

Panama Papers Verdict and JIT Report: Judgement of Pakistan Supreme Court on the infamous Panama Papers case accusing then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his children of corruption, money laundering, tax evasion and fraud. Additional investigative report by a Joint Investigation Team was also prepared to probe the charges. It was an interesting read also because this was the first time I read a detailed court judgement and got to know about legal jargon and how a case is developed, and argued.

Sapiens (by Yuval Noah Harari): A passionately told story of the humankind as it develops language, agriculture, religion, and trade. Similar in theme (and sometimes in content) to Syed Sibt e Hasan’s Maazi ke Mazar.

Homo Deus (by Yuval Noah Harari): Developing on the legacy of Sapiens, in this book the author aims to trace a path towards the Future of mankind. The book contains many references to current ongoing research in information technology, social science, life sciences, artificial intelligence and aims to paint a picture of what the future might look like as Homo Sapiens transitions into Homo Deus.

Postcapitalism (by Paul Mason): The author describes how the ‘Financialization’ of daily life and commodification of everything has shaped the current markets and human relations. He discusses the financial crises in recent times as well as role of technology and innovation in sustaining economic growth. Finally author discusses how the rise of Data Economy is set to disrupt current economic system and what it means for markets, businesses, nations, and individuals.

The Prophet (by Khalil Gibran):  A collection of short poems by Khalil Gibran. Language is simple yet exquisitely beautiful and profound.

The Portable Nietzche (by Walter Kaufman): A collection of works of German philosopher Friedrich Nietzche. This translation contains ‘translations of the complete and unabridged texts of Nietzsche’s four major works: Twilight of the Idols, The Antichrist, Nietzsche Contra Wagner and Thus Spoke Zarathustra’. Kaufman also includes extensive commentary interspersed between the texts, which might be very enjoyable to some and distracting to others.

House of the dead (by Fyodor Dostoevsky): A chilling tale of the life in Siberian prison (no pun intended). The astounding detail and vivid imagery Dostoevsky manages to conjure up in reader’s mind is fascinating. It also describes at length the psychology of a prisoner, prison morality, and how prisoners manage to find meaning even in such a depressing place. An excellent book with many lessons to teach.

The death of Ivan Illych (by Leo Tolstoy): This short story explores the psychology of a dying man. Tolstoy dissects the thoughts of Ivan Illych who has been diagnosed with a terminal illness. What follows is a profoundly dark account of an ordinary person confronting his mortality and the absurdity of his endeavors hitherto. It also explores the reaction of people around Ivan first to the news of his illness then to his death.

The Trial (by Franz Kafka): One of the most celebrated stories of German literature, the Trail explores the proceedings of a seemingly absurd Trail of Joseph K – and you are not allowed to ask on what charges. The story is full of symbolism and if one is able to penetrate through the surface, it reveals a deep personal tragedy. Like Kafka’s another short story, the Metamorphosis, this story as well is not meant to be understood in first reading, or even several readings. The symbolism also encourages personal interpretations.

A Game of Thrones (by George R. R. Martin): Part 1 of A Song of Ice and Fire series.

A Clash of Kings (by George R. R. Martin): Part 2 of A Song of Ice and Fire series.

A Storm of Swords (by George R. R. Martin): Part 3 of A Song of Ice and Fire series.

A Feast for Crows (by George R. R. Martin): Part 4 of A Song of Ice and Fire series.

A Dance with Dragons (by George R. R. Martin): Part 5 of A Song of Ice and Fire series.

Surely You’re Joking Mr. Feynman (by Richard P. Feynman):  A collection of memories from the bright mind of Nobel Prize winning physicist, Richard Feynman. The books tells about his life in academia, his many pranks, his sharp wit, and gives an insight into the personality of one of the most celebrated thinkers of our time.

Anna Karenina (by Leo Tolstoy): The classic tragedy by Leo Tolstoy tells the story of Noblewoman wife Anna Karenina, and her struggles as she falls in love with the enigmatic Count Vronsky. The story is set against a background of Russian nobility, a society undergoing transition mainly inspired by “European ideas” as the characters say. It also draws upon the contrast between simple manner of living of  Russian peasants and the elaborate propriety manner of nobility.