The Way We'll Be: The Zogby Report on the Transformation of the American Dream by John Zogby is a great book on topical issues + provides interesting perspective on Americans’ thoughts and beliefs, now and in coming years. It's a fascinating story.
Division Chief Kosaku Shima by Kenshi Hirokane + Ralph McCarthy is an interesting comic book that chronicles Japanese business culture, its inclusions and blemishes. Great concept. I liked it.
Ahead of the Curve: Two Years at Harvard Business by Philip Delves Broughton provides an insightful glimpse of the institution and people. A well told story + an absolute must read.
(via Wiki) The Great Gatsby is a novel by the American author F. Scott Fitzgerald. First published on April 10, 1925, it is set in Long Island's North Shore and New York City during the summer of 1922. Having reread this book several times, I think it's one of the very best American novels. A must read.
(via Wiki) Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn was a Russian novelist, dramatist and historian. Through his writings, he made the world aware of the Gulag, the Soviet labour camp system, and, for these efforts, Solzhenitsyn was both awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1970 and exiled from the Soviet Union in 1974. He returned to Russia in 1994. That year, he was elected as a member of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts in the Department of Language and Literature. He is the father of Ignat Solzhenitsyn, a well-known conductor and pianist. He has passed away at the age of 89 (August 3, 2008).
Build the Perfect Survival Kit by John D. McCann is an excellent book with actual survival techniques. A must read.
The Canadian Gold Maple Leaf is the official bullion gold coin of Canada and is produced by the Royal Canadian Mint. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the Royal Canadian Mint's (RCM) 100-kg 99.999 percent pure Gold Maple Leaf coin has been certified as the largest gold coin (estimated value US$1 million) in the world. I think it's a worthwhile investment.
I like Wifredo Lam's art. The unique hybridity provides perpetual surprises. To me they are beautiful + natural + speaks the color and language of the world.
(via Bangkok Post, Friday August 01, 2008): A stolen stone, which the owner claimed was a 2,100-carat uncut diamond valued at 315 million baht has been found to be a fake worth just a few hundred baht. According to Somchai Pornjindarak, president of the Thai Gem and Jewellery Traders Association, said the stolen item was not a diamond, but merely a cubic zirconia, or artificial diamond.
North Korean Posters: The David Heather Collection by Koen De Ceuster + David Heather was interesting. A really lucky entrepreneur. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder!
