Bookworm's Corner
Novels and classics, read closely.
A Jug of Wine and the Fleeting Hour: The "Rubaiyat" of Omar Khayyam
Omar Khayyam was an eleventh-century Persian polymath, a brilliant mathematician and astronomer who reformed the calendar and advanced algebra.
The Journey to the Self: Attar's "The Conference of the Birds"
Attar's The Conference of the Birds: the birds' excuses, the seven valleys of the spiritual path and the Simurgh pun that reveals the divine within.
Exploring the Depths of "The Incoherence of the Incoherence"
In the vast ocean of philosophical discourse, certain works emerge as guiding stars, illuminating the path to deeper understanding and critical inquiry.
The Spite of the Underground Man: Dostoevsky's First Existential Cry
Fyodor Dostoevsky's Notes from Underground is short, ugly, and astonishing.
The Self-Taught Philosopher: Ibn Tufayl's "Hayy ibn Yaqzan"
Hayy ibn Yaqzan, written by the twelfth-century Andalusian philosopher Ibn Tufayl, may be the most remarkable book most people have never heard of.
What I Learned from The Element by Sir Ken Robinson
Most of us have been asked, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" But rarely are we asked, "What are you good at, and what do you truly love doing?"
Unlocking the Depths of the Mind: Lessons from Freud's "The Interpretation of Dreams"
Lessons from Freud's The Interpretation of Dreams: the unconscious, dreams as wish fulfillment, symbolism and dream work, and their lasting influence.
Unveiling the Wisdom of "The Incoherence of the Philosophers"
In the realm of philosophical discourse, few works stand as towering monuments of intellectual inquiry like "The Incoherence of the Philosophers".
Cultivating Our Garden: Satire and Survival in Voltaire's "Candide"
Voltaire's Candide is short, fast, and very funny, which makes it easy to underestimate.
The Wolf and the Man Within: Reflections on Hesse's "Steppenwolf"
If Siddhartha is Hesse at his most serene, Steppenwolf is Hesse at his most tormented.
Facing the End: Tolstoy's "The Death of Ivan Ilyich" and a Life Well Lived
Tolstoy's The Death of Ivan Ilyich: a respectable life revealed as hollow, the lie of denying death, and the question of whether we lived rightly.
What "The Little Prince" Taught Me About Seeing With the Heart
What The Little Prince teaches about seeing with the heart: what is essential is invisible to the eye, taming and responsibility and keeping wonder.
What "The Alchemist" Taught Me About Life
What Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist teaches about life: following your Personal Legend, reading omens, embracing adversity and the power of love.
Guilt, Redemption, and the Divided Self: Dostoevsky's "Crime and Punishment"
Few novels live inside your head the way Fyodor Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment does.
Unveiling the Layers of Capitalism: Insights from Marx to Sen
Capitalism through three lenses: Marx on exploitation and contradictions, Schumpeter on creative destruction and Amartya Sen on capabilities.
The River of Becoming: Reflections on Hermann Hesse's "Siddhartha"
Hesse's Siddhartha: why wisdom can't be taught, why Siddhartha leaves the Buddha and what the river teaches about time, acceptance and peace.