Book Of Questions
by Gregory Stock.

I saw this book for sale for 10 Rs(less than 30 cents Australian) on a footpath junk store in Mumbai. One of my favorite places in those cash poor times to buy books dirt cheap. Rummaging through other old books, outdated catalogues , medical journals and Mills & Boon novels, I saw this pocket sized book with an odd title which was in surprisingly good condition . A sort of a misfit among other books there, on a whim I bought this and walked on to meet another friend who was to see me in a little while.

As I flipped through its pages filled with one line questions, I knew I had picked a gem. That day on the train back home and later that night I and my friend discussed and debated the questions in this book till early hours of the morning with sleep nowhere in sight. The same pattern was to be repeated over all these years that I have had the book. It sparked so many intellectually stimulating conversations that for a long time I used to always carry it around in my backpack to read in public places, and then use the questions in it to strike up conversations with strangers.

The book as the title claims is made up of questions. Questions that will bring you closer to yourself, your ideas, thoughts, feelings, morals and opinions. This is another excellent review of the book. You can also browse through a few questions here. Have a look here to see how many people consider this book an excellent conversation starter.

I sat with an acquaintance one evening with this book and some snacks and by late night and we were friends by the time we finished the book. The same guy would then go on to borrow this book and use it to know more and get close to his potential girlfriends. I myself would eventually use this book to know more about my life partner. I have had countless exciting conversations with family members, roommates, friends, friends to be, strangers, co travelers on trains, waiting halls and in short anybody who would talk to me, all because of the book.

If there is such a thing called "ENDURING VALUE" for a book, this book has plenty of it. Of all the over 300 books that I have at my place in India this is one of the few that I chose to bring with me when I came to Australia. My only regret is that the a couple of weeks after this book I had a chance to buy "The Book of Questions: Love and Sex," again by Gregory Stock, and I didn't buy it as I was a little short of cash, and I have regretted it ever since.

Gregory Stock, If you ever read this page, Thanks for writing the Book of questions.

Tuesdays With Morrie: An Old Man, a Young Man, and Life's Greatest Lesson

Mitch Albom

This is one of those few books that I have read more than 50 times now in the past 2 years, and every time I read and re read it it makes me think. It makes me enjoy the little things in life so much better, I feel when I am reading or thinking of it , I take time to look around and marvel at everyday sights around me. Life becomes slightly more enjoyable, I feel grateful that I have a healthy body and for all the little things that I don't notice normally.

I remember the last time I was reading this book at a bus stop early in the morning peak hours. For some reason there was a delay in buses and we were waiting at the stop for more than 25 minutes without a bus in sight. I was so engrossed in reading the book that I didn't notice the delay. And after a brief gap when I looked up the delay showed on the commuters faces, Everyone was alternatively looking at the road and back at their watches. It was not the perfect way to start a day 25 minutes late, and it showed on people's faces.

Me, Oh I was just glad it gave me more time to read this book the fiftieth time, and think about bigger things, not just sweat about mundane things like bus delays and work meetings. I was perhaps the only guy with a smile on his face in the bus that day, and all because I picked the right book that morning.

When I get lost in the mid numbing rat race of work-eat-sleep-work, this is the book to put things back into perspective, to keep track and bring back focus into the things that matter most. It becomes a lot easier to accept your own mere troubles when you read about a man whose body is freezing from the foot up but who still faces death with a smile on his face.


The books draws a very vivid image of the Morrie's personality as to how different and interesting he was. Here is a man who enjoys dancing, friends, conversations, teaching, relationships and who couldn't care enough about what are today established social norms and lived life by his heart. The Book is filled with his discussions with his student (the author Mitch Albom) when they talk about a wide range of topics like family, love forgiving, culture etc.

One particular example demonstrating Morrie's character struck me hard and I remember it distinctly and will reproduce it here as it gives an idea of what kind of a person he was.

Morrie goes to a local College's Basket ball game and is enjoying the game as it gets increasingly competitive. A group of students sitting in the stands supporting one team start shouting " We are number ONE! We are Number ONE!" and slowly with the game the shouting gets louder.
Morrie who is watching all this sitting near the kids is a bit ruffled by all this, Suddenly in between the chanting of "We are number ONE! " Morrie gets up and shouts "What's wrong in being number two ?"
Suddenly giving his question a little thought and having no answer to him everyone becomes silent, and Morrie sits down triumphantly, smiling .

The book is full of instances (like his funeral held before his death, the way in which he teaches classes, his interactions with patients in mental asylum, etc) and others like these which create a personality that you can't stop liking, and feel sorry for as you know here is a man who can see literally see and his life draining out of his body like sand passing through an hourglass. The Disease ALS, kills the patient bit by little bit starting from the feet going upwards, first cutting off motion / lower bods and then slowly progressing upwards as one by one the body is rendered useless from bottom up. The end comes when the disease reaches the lungs making each breath an ordeal till finally when the the person gives away. In spite of all this the way in which Morrie faces the situation should teach us all something about facing adversity.

In general its a very emotionally moving and well written book. I personally bought it 2 - 3 years ago and have recommended it time and again to friends. Best part of this for non readers is that this is a relatively short book i.e. less than 200 small size pages.

Also the very fact that I have read it more than 50 times tells something to you about it doesn't it ? read it I am sure you will come back and thank me ! Try this for a good preview and summary, but if you have read so far, do yourself a favor buy this book.

Hannah's Gift
Lessons from a life fully lived

Maria Housden

People who know me would not believe if I say I ended up crying while I read this book. But believe it or not, this is the truth. I haven't read such a emotionally captivating and moving book in a long while and I doubt if anything I have ever read or will ever read, will ever come close to this. This is a true story written by a mother of four, of how she faced the tragedy of seeing her daughter die and feeling helpless to do anything about it.

How can you not love the little three year old girl with the red leather shoes, Who thinks when she goes to heaven , she will become a butterfly.

What do you say to a child, who tells you she is not going to have birthdays after 4 ? What do you say as mother, when a child knows she is going to die and asks you , "Mommy, do children die?"

What would you feel for a mother, who has had her 3rd miscarriage in the morning and later in the day her three year old daughter is diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of kidney cancer? How would a mother feel when she sees her daughter's body go limp and pale with every passing day ? When the inevitability of death wins over all the love and prayers in this world?

Death, something we all know awaits us sooner or later but we don't want to think or talk about it, as if by not talking we are pushing it further away. If ever there was a book which could cut through the layers we build up over the years and touch us where it feels this is it.

The books presents a vivid story of a little playful girl and her mother and how they face cancer. How the daughter courageously accepts the reality and makes the most out of the time left and the mother and family weep and suffer through.

Though the mother later comes to terms with her daughter's death and moves on in life with a deep scar in her heart and an even stronger belief in god. For an atheist like me, this just gives another reason to question God's logic, if at all there is any in this? God, I have another Axe to grind.