somedayillseetheworld:

Langkawi, Malaysia

(by mdkhai)

The Tunguska Mystery by Vladimir Rubtsov

In 1908, a mysterious object flew through the sky over the forests of Siberia, lighting the sky and releasing a wall of heat for miles. While previously chalked up to a meteorite, modern research suggests otherwise. Actually, modern research raises more questions about this enigma than it answers. This book really opened my eyes to astronomy and physics. While not an easy read (lots of science jargon and mathematics), it was thoroughly worth the additional effort. After reading this, I was shocked to find how few people in the world knew about this unsolved mystery. This unexplained phenomena in the science world is absolutely fascinating. 

The Travels of a T-Shirt in a Global Economy by Pietra Rivoli

Who knew t-shirts could be so interesting! From the rise of the American cotton industry, to the ever-changing “sweatshops” of southeast Asia, to the American consumer’s closet. But it doesn’t end there! After a used shirt is donated to charity, it is either given to needy individuals, resold in your local Salvation Army, purchased by African individuals to feed the mitumba market, or scrapped to be recycled into new products. I recommend this book to business students interested in globalization.

bookstairs:

Thinking, Fast and Slow

Author: Daniel Kahneman

A book by Daniel Kahneman, Nobel Prize winner in Economic Sciences. With Thinking, Fast and Slow, Kahneman explains the two systems of the way we think. The fist system is fast. We use it for intuitive and emotional decisions. On the other hand, the slower system two is responsible for more logical decisions. Learn more about how choices are made and how you can use this knowledge for your next decisions.

Available on Amazon.com

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(via bookstairs)

That Used to Be Us: How America Fell Behind in the World It Invented and How We Can Come Back by Thomas Friedman and Michael Mandelbaum

This book currently lives on my “Preparing for my MBA” wishlist. 

Here’s what Amazon has to say about it: 

“In That Used to Be Us, Thomas L. Friedman, one of our most influential columnists, and Michael Mandelbaum, one of our leading foreign policy thinkers, offer both a wake-up call and a call to collective action. They analyze the four challenges we face—globalization, the revolution in information technology, the nation’s chronic deficits, and our pattern of excessive energy consumption—and spell out what we need to donow to sustain the American dream and preserve American power in the world. They explain how the end of the Cold War blinded the nation to the need to address these issues seriously, and how China’s educational successes, industrial might, and technological prowess remind us of the ways in which “that used to be us.” They explain how the paralysis of our political system and the erosion of key American values have made it impossible for us to carry out the policies the country urgently needs.”

Genghis: Bones of the Hills by Conn Iggulden

I finally finished the last of the Genghis trilogy, and I have to say, the last book wasn’t as good as the first two. In closing the story of Genghis Khan, Iggulden follows the great Khan in the conquest to bring Arab enemies under Mongol reign. It was still very exciting: bloodshed, politics, jealousy, vengeance, etc. But the most intriguing character in this book is not Genghis; the power struggle between his two eldest sons makes them the most riveting characters. The plot was a little lacking, as Genghis seems to be caught in a blind vengeful massacre, but the conflicts between characters framed the mindless bloodshed nicely, adding some depth to this historical fiction. 

Scandinavian Folk & Fairy Tales: Tales from Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, & Iceland by Claire Booss and Mary McBride

I can’t wait to find time to read these. I’m fascinated by Scandinavian culture and I would love to visit any of the aforementioned countries. 

Genghis: Lords of the Bow by Conn Iggulden

This is the second book in Iggulden’s Conqueror series, and it was just as exhilarating as the first book. In this historical fiction, Genghis Khan turns his rage toward the Chinese through a genius display of battle tactics. Khan’s demeanor continues to grow colder, more proud, and more gruesome as his people build their own culture in a wave of victory, albeit not without extreme struggles of course. 

I’m about halfway through the third book and expect a positive review of that one soon.

Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart, and books

List of Books from “The Daily Show” with Jon Stewart - Current Season

List of Books from “The Colbert Report” with Stephen Colbert - Current Season

Lost in the Meritocracy: The Undereducation of an Overachiever by Walter Kirn

I bought this book during a bout of frustration with the university I attended. Kirn’s experiences were vastly different from my own (he attended an Ivy League school, I went to a lowly local school; he was miserable, I was fairly irritated; etc), but I do believe we see eye-to-eye on the underlying message: American university standards of success are incredibly flawed. Both of us walked away with our corresponding degrees with a feeling that we hadn’t actually learned anything other than how to satisfy professors and appear intelligent. Kirn’s memoir depicts moments of broken innocence and disappointment, masterfully intertwined with intriguing anecdotes.