Geetanjali Mukherjee

Monday, July 31, 2017

What I'm Reading - July



I'm really grateful to get an advanced reader copy of this book from Net Galley. I didn’t know how badly I needed to read this book! I recognized a lot of myself and my journey in the story of how Kaia Roman lost her joy, confidence and sense of self, and how she went about regaining it one step at a time.

There were moments while reading the first couple of chapters where I wondered whether this was just another self-indulgent, privileged person trying to be happy and writing about it. But the book surprised me - and I found myself racing to complete it and then wanting to talk to everyone I met about it. I learned a lot about myself from reading this book, and realized how much I could benefit from the advice in the book.  I decided to start to apply some of the principles and could immediately see changes. I am excited to see what else I can implement, and have already shared some of the insights with my family and friends.

What I enjoyed about the book is that the author not only shares her own story, she presents lessons from psychology and research into happiness, and provides a step-by-step plan, that while doesn’t guarantee a total transformation, can set you on the path to finding your own joy. I highly recommend getting a copy for yourself (and all your friends) and starting your own Joy Plan today!

Nilofer Merchant - The Power of Onlyness





I received an advanced reader copy of this book from NetGalley, and overall, really enjoyed it. I would definitely recommend it, especially for recent graduates. 

In Nilofer Merchant's new book, "The Power of Onlyness", she shows you how to bring forth that which only you can do, bring out your unique gifts and talents, your 'onlyness', and share it to make a dent in the universe. I really enjoyed reading the book and the stories of individuals from around the world who have found a way to tap into their own uniqueness, embraced their 'onlyness' and have made a difference in their corner of the world, which then rippled outward.


Reading the book makes it clear that it isn't easy or inevitable that each of us can do this, but it is possible. Each of us have something that only we see, only we care about and only we can contribute. And the most important takeaway for me from this book was that it is not only possible, it's absolutely imperative for both our sake and that of humanity that we seek that out.

Michael Fossel - The Telomerase Revolution



This was another book that I got an advanced copy of, and was looking forward to reading. I am trying to increase my scientific and medical knowledge, and I definitely succeeded on that score. 


This book was incredibly eye-opening and both depressing and hope-giving at the same time. "The Telomerase Revolution" describes the current theories of what causes aging, debunks several myths and describes the role of telomeres in most aging-related diseases. Although at times the book uses more medical and scientific jargon than is palatable in a book aimed at a lay audience, the basic arguments and facts are easy to grasp. The detailed explanation of the havoc that aging can wreak on a person wasn't exactly pleasant to read. However, the optimism of the author in regard to slowing and even reversing many of these aging effects through the use of new medical breakthroughs felt contagious enough that by the end of the book I was feeling incredibly hopeful about the future of humanity's health. 

Some of the claims of the author felt like science fiction, but then we are living in a world where technology is upgrading so quickly that yesterday's science fiction is today's reality. And that is the point that the author makes as well - that some of the worst aging-related diseases that people suffer from could be curable in the next few decades.



This is the second book by Jenny Colgan I read, and I loved both, but especially this one. The characters were interesting, really well-developed and the setting itself felt like an additional character. I had to stop myself from reading it all through in one sitting! If you're going on vacation soon, I would highly recommend it!

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