I owe you one by Sophie Kinsella

​"I owe you one" by Sophie Kinsella - Fairy tale?

This book is published by Black Swan in 2019 and has 432 pages. 

Fixy Fa runs a family shop with her mother. She is smitten with her brother’s friend Ryan, since she was teenager, who never reciprocated and eventually left for USA to make a career in Hollywood and is now returning to England. One day in a restaurant she ends up drenched while saving the laptop of a fellow patron. This handsome and rich looking guy literally gives her an IOU note scribbled on a coffee sleeve.

Will Ryan and Fixy be together? Will the rich guy respect his IOU? What will the IOU lead to? Will there be a fairy tale end?

Fixy is a capable girl but isn’t confident at all. She is understanding and compassionate but can’t stand up for herself. Nobody takes her seriously. As a result she doesn’t get what she deserves. She’s also has OCD.  She doesn’t like things that are not perfect. Ryan is smoking hot and self centered. He isn’t bad but can’t think beyond himself. He’s overconfident, all bluster and no substance. Jake, Fixy’s brother, keeps coming up with harebrained schemes. He always belittles Fixy and has grandiose ideas. Nicole, her sister, is lost in herself, doesn’t contribute in house or shop work. Sebastian Marlowe is the owner of investment firm. He is fair, confident, good looking and taken. He’s the IOU guy. 

Return of Ryan was expected to cause much consternation, even upheaval in Fixy’s life. But that doesn’t pan out on expected lines. While reading aboutFixy, you remember someone you know who always thinks of others, works very hard to make others happy but in the processes does injustice to himself / herself and is taken for granted.

The biggest question this book asks is: Is love transactional or is doing things for each other part of love?

The characters appear extreme and unreal. Fixy can’t see what’s evident but she can be excused as she’s in love. Ryan is the big mouth. All talk and no substance. How long can it last? Jake’s ideas are grandiose, impractical. He isn’t connected to reality. Nicole lives in kind of dream. Totally disconnected from reality, as if she’s high. So much so that she can’t even operate a coffee machine at home. Uncle Ned suggests things that won’t work. He too is far from reality. He likes to play the man of the house. Seb is all measured, logical and likable but transforms in an instant and runs back to Brainy. Thus although it’s a good story the characters appear to be from a fairy tale rather than real life. The end is predictable. 

Why did I read this book? Blurb. It was on hand. 

What I didn't like? Fairytale characterization. 

What did I like? Overall feel good effect. 

Recommend reading.

State of terror by Hillary Rodham Clinton and Louise Penny

​"State of terror" by Hillary Rodham Clinton and Louise Penny - Unusual protagonist! 

This book is published by Macmillan in 2021 and has 512 pages. 

Surprisingly, Newly elected President Douglas Williams offers the position of Secretary of State to Ellen Adams, his most vocal and vicious adversary. Even more surprisingly, she accepts. Sounds familiar? A coded message reveals three Bomb blasts, yet to happen. The atomic devices have reached America and the only person who can make a headway is Ellen. Name of a notorious Pakistani scientist and black marketer pops up.

Who is behind the threat? Where will Ellen have to go to get to the bottom of it? Can Ellen save America and possibly the world?

The characters are interesting. President Douglas Williams offers the position to Ellen to make her fail in international politics and to make sure that she doesn’t head the news organization that has been very critical of him. Ellen surprisingly accepts the position. She is determined to demonstrate her capabilities. Her character is obviously based on Hillary. Elizabeth Jameson, or Betsy, is Ellen‘s childhood friend and now a counselor. She is a true friend, and always thinks for the good of her friend Ellen. This character is based on author’s real life best friend Betsy. Barbara Stenhauser is President’s Chief of Staff, and Charles Boynton is Ellens chief of staff. Anahita Dahir is an analysts at Pakistan desk who receives the message. She has an affair with a journalist Gil Bahar, who happens to be connected. 

The story has only one hero, that’s Ellen. She travels from one place to another, one country to another, without sleep, without rest until she unravels the plot and saves the situation. in the process she manages to get information and cooperation from unlikely sources. She demonstrates courage, intelligence, wit and she isn’t afraid to fail. 

The story is interesting. It’s an unusual protagonist. Usually Secretary of State doesn’t do field work. There are operatives for that. Here she does all of it. So she is the strategist, enforcer and operator at the same time. There are many parallels with Hillary. 

It’s a good read for a change. 

Why did I read this book? Curiosity about thriller by Hillary. 

What I didn't like? The revelation at the end.

What did I like? Unusualness of the story. 

Recommend reading. 

Stone Cross by Marc Cameron

​"Stone Cross" by Marc Cameron - Cold!

This book was published by Pinnacle in 2020 and has 400 pages. This is Book 2 of Arliss Cutter series. 

Sarah, recently married to David, lives in Alaska on Chagan lodge with her husband with no habitation for miles. One day the couple is kidnapped. Judge Markum is to go to Stone Cross for hearing, but someone has sent him a threatening letter. Supervisory Deputy Arliss Cutter and Lola Tieriki are assigned to accompany the reluctant judge.

Will the judge be harmed? Who has kidnapped the couple? Why? Can Arliss Cutter help?

Arliss Cutter series is set in Dark, cold, desolate wilderness of Alaska. Arliss is a US Marshall who gets a transfer to Alaska to help his recently widowed sister-in-law, Mim, and her three children. Arliss loves Mim, has always loved her, but his big brother swooped in and married her years ago. In the mean time Arliss has had four marriages. 7 years old Twin nephews of Arliss are adorable. His relationship with them is also special. 

At Stone Cross, they meet various people. There’s a lady who has grudge against the judge. There is a school headmistress, a Clinquet (Tlingit), woman who has suffered a lot but stands tall. Her daughter, a typical teenager. A wife beater. A convicted felon. Although Arliss is a US Marshall, not investigator, he ends up investigating as there aren’t many law enforcement personnel in remote Alaska. 

Alaska means snow and cold. So there is the paraphernalia of sledges, dogs, snow bikes, hypothermia, Caribou etc.

Note about the story, well there isn’t a story as such. That is the weakest link. So the story ambles along and keeps you just about interested. You don’t read late into night. 

In the first book Lola was divorced. I thought it has some significance. But doesn’t look like. Then why divorce her?

Why did I read this book? It was on hand.  

What I didn't like? Story or the lack of it. 

What did I like? Characters of Arliss and Lola

Give it a miss.

Critical thinking by Simon Bradley and Nicole Price

​"Critical thinking" by Simon Bradley and Nicole Price - Its a start!

This book is published by Createspace Independent Publishers in 2016 and has 106 pages.

This book is divided into 15 chapters and covers the aspects of critical thinking. 

1- Understanding critical thinking

A critical thinker has a great body of knowledge to tap into as well as the competence to analyze issues and make sense of the information. 

2- Historical details of critical thinking

While analyzing any idea Socrates traced out complete implications and traced the actions accompanying them. Socratic questioning thereby becomes the basis for critical thinking. Plato and Aristotle underlined the fact that everything suffered from their external manifestation. St. Thomas Aquinas, Sir Francis Bacon and Descartes are also mentioned. However middle eastern, Indian and Chinese are conspicuously absent. 

3- Thinkers who fashioned critical thinking

Sir Thomas Moore, Niccolo Machiavelli, Robert Boyle, Isaac Newton, Comte, Summer, Darwin etc. made checks& balances, inquisitive reasoning, positivism, criticism, sociology part of critical thinking. 

4- Skills and procedure

To develop correct stance towards situations, you need to think critically and act decisively. Use Socratic questioning in professional environment. 

5- Inductive and deductive reasoning

Clarity of thought, Fair-mindedness, Intellectual courage, Confidence, Insight, Integrity, Curiosity, Intellectual humility, Perseverance and Independence are attitudes important to critical thinking. 

6- Reasons to adopt critical thinking

Critical thinking improves standards, incorporates professional experience, is useful in knowledge based society, makes you a better orator, develops your personality. Foremost quality of critical thinker is the ability to discard conventional thought patterns and re-examine logical reasoning of evidence of new knowledge. 

7- Difference between reading and thinking

The critical reader does not jump to conclusions. He or she is willing to take notes and analyze the text in an unprejudiced way. Critical thinking will work only when you have adequate exposure to events of life. 

8- How critical thinking solves problems

Identify the problem, analyze the problem, come up with plausible solutions, pick the best option and take action. 

9- Get logical thinking

Importance and use of conditional statement, converse statement, inverse statement, contrapositive statement, necessary and sufficient conditions. 

10- Improve your decision making skills

Try something you never thought you would do, it activates brains. Write down Pros and Cons. 

11- How to make better decisions

Look for cost benefit, narrow options, Evaluate significance, stop sweating the small stuff, research, obtain well informed opinions. 

12- Strategies to help improve critical thinking

Making conscious effort to focus on the challenge, learn to ask critical questions, logical thinking, analyze, interpret matters in depth, learn to synthesize, break down complex questions, keep learning, be open, respect other people’s ideas, evaluate possible repercussions, collaborate, observe.

13- Group decision making skills

Conflict management, plan ahead, take charge, never dwell in mistakes.

14- Applying questions in critical thinking

Ask questions that enhance your knowledge, comprehension of situation, enable you to analyze and evaluate facts, help synthesizing. 

15- Exercising the brain

Make exercise fun, exercise the mind, ask why, laugh, eat omega 3, remember, cut out fat, puzzles, Mozart effect, improve existing skills, watch your drinking, play, sleep, concentrate, make love, cycles of consciousness, learn something new, write to be read, aromatherapy, drugs, brain trust.

This book has the theory for critical thinking but lacks practical examples. It would have been nice if the author demonstrated with examples how critical thinking lead to a better and winning decision, using either examples from corporate world or history. That way the book would have become more enjoyable and acceptable. 

This book sets course for critical thinking. It’s only the beginning of a long road. Each one has to make the journey on his/her own because every person and the situations are unique. 

Why did I read this book? Topic

What did I like? Topic.  

What I didn't like? Lack of practical examples. Mainly western oriented. 

Read if the topic interests you.