Contact by Carl Sagan

"Mathematics is the language with which God has written the universe." -- Galileo Galilei"

A question to all the atheists. What if Galileo was really right ? If scientists can give MATHEMATICAL proof of existence of a higher power throughout the Universe, will all the atheist change their allegiance ?

Carl Sagan was a distinguished astronomer who worked for making science popular with the masses. He is the author of multiple books like Cosmos, Contact, Comet etc.

Contact is not a novel about extraterrestrial intelligence in the strictest sense. What I mean by this is that it does not discuss UFOs, aliens coming to earth and abducting humans etc. It deals with the world wide response (religious, political) in case an alien civilization contacts humans. It ends with an example of the kind of proof that might make skeptics believe in existence of a higher power.

The largest radio observatory on earth in Mexico dedicated to SETI (Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence) starts receiving signal from a star system 26 light years away. The signals are not random atmospheric noise and do not correspond to any known signals (pulsars etc). After trying all possible explanations, scientists conclude that this can only be an alien civilization trying to contact us. After much analysis, scientists conclude that the signal contains blue print to build a machine to travel to the alien civilization. Debate rages across the world from from the point of view religious beliefs, political situations and defence. Finally, the machine is built and 5 ppl make the journey. They became the first humans to make contact becoming messengers of mankind. Rest of the novel is abt the journey, the contact and ends raising the question of existence of God.

Contact soes not belong to Michael Crichton school of sci-fi. It beautifully integrates social, religious questions with a scientific outlook. A very good read.

Batman Begins

*ing Christian Bale, Liam Neeson, Katie Holmes, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman

What separates Batman from all the other superheroes ? He doesn't have any superpower like all the rest and also (till now) he didn't have a good movie to his credit like the others.

Batman Begins is one of the better superhero movies and certainly the best in Batman series. All the previous movies (except Batman to some extent) did not do justice to the Dark Knight. Chris Nolan has shown that Memento, Insomnia were no fluke.
Ever had a few questions about Batman,namely

If Batman or Bruce Wayne did not have any special powers and loads of money, why did he decide to become Batman ?
Not out of a sense of duty but for revenge. Revenge for killings of his parents by a mugger. Later on, this need for revenge was replaced by protecting Gotham from the scum and bring justice.

Why the name Batman ?
Because as a child, bats were his worst fears.

You might have a few more questions but hey, I am not here to answer questions. I have a review to write.

Bruce Wayne(Christian Bale) is a man driven by revenge for the murder of his parents. His childhood friend, Rachel (Katie Holmes) shows him that justice comes above revenge. Bruce disappears from public eye to find answers to his questions and ends up in Bhutan living like criminals, participating in crimes understanding the criminal psychology ? There he runs into an ancient clan, League of Shadows headed by Ra's Al Ghul (Ken Watanbe) with Ducard (Liam Neeson) as his lieutenant. Ducard becomes Bruce's mentor teaching him skills to fight, overcome his fear making him a complete fighter.
At the last stage of his training, Bruce comes to know the real purpose of League of Shadows. Whenever crime & injustice in the world reaches a pinnacle, League of Shadows destroys one city as an example to what crime & injustice can do to the world. They were responsible for destruction of Rome, burning of London etc. Now its Gotham's turn to be destroyed. Knowing this, Bruce destroys the League of Shadows killing Ra's Al Ghul and saving only Ducard.
Returning to Gotham (where he is believed dead), he finds that Wayne Enterprises is about to be taken public, crime situation is even worse than when he left and Rachel has become Assistant DA. He decides people need a symbol to believe in justice and becomes that symbol as Batman. He firstly destroys the city mafia but finds out that someone else with more ulterior motives is working the mafia. See the movie to find out who he is & what r the motives.

Christian Bale has suits the role of Batman and Bruce Wayne as a perfection. Young, rich, playboy as Bruce and dark, sinister as Batman. Even his voice as Batman has been changed for the impact.
Michael Caine comes up with a wonderful performance as Alfred, the butler inserting humour in the story, picking up Bruce when he is down etc.
Liam Neeson as Ducard has given a good performance (as always) and his dual persona is relieved pretty late in the movie.
Morgan Freeman is Lucius Fox, a scientist/inventor with Wayne Enterprises who knows what Bruce Wayne is upto even though not told explicitly. He is to Batman what M is to Bond.
Gary Oldman is Sgt. Jim Gordon. He has to play the part of a sincere, honest cop. This is one of the key roles in the story showing that the movie is just beginning. If anybody remembers the other Batman movies, Jim Gordon is always shown as the Commissioner of Police.
Cillian Murphy plays the role of Scarecrow. He leaves an impact in the small role and looks menacing.
Katie Holmes as Rachel is the love interest of Bruce. She had to look beautiful and she has done that

Background score is pretty good. It has the potential to become something like the James Bond theme if used in subsequent movies.

Chris Nolan's direction is simply superb. He has been able to portray what Batman is from inside - Dark, brooding superhero. This darkness can be seen throughout the movie with almost no scenes in bright light. There is a scene with Batman using bats as allies which is my favourite scene from the movie. Also, he leaves a hint for the sequel with Joker as the villain in the last scene of the movie. Can't wait for the next Batman to come out.

Dude, Where is my country by Michael Moore

' They kill 3000 of our countrymen and its terrorism.

We kill 6000 of their countrymen and its liberation ! '

Everybody must have heard the name of Michael Moore. The guy who on winning the coveted Oscar used the stage to denounce his own President and his policies, the one man army trying as hard as John Kerry to remove Bush from office. Michael Moore is easily the biggest critic of George W Bush. He is the maker of documentaries like Bowling for Columbine and Fahrenheit 9/11. I was surprised to find out that he is an author with a few bestsellers to his credit.

The book will seem similar to Fahrenheit 9/11. Like the documentary, this book is also concentrated on questioning the drama leading to Bush's election in 2000, policies of Bush administration and the War on Iraq. It also presents the commercial relations between Bush family, Saudi Royal Family and Oil Tycoons. I guess everyone is familiar with most of the facts, figures, incidents in the book but still there are few facts that I did not know e.g. Many of us are aware that Dick Cheney, Vice President was CEO of Haliburton Corporation but atleast I was unaware of the fact that Zalmay Khalilzad, US Ambassador to Afghanistan and Hamid Karzai, the President of Afghanistan were Unocal employees.When such facts check out on the net, it makes you wonder.

You still might disagree with me on the reason to read this book. For such people, the reason is FUN. The book is outrageously funny full of sarcasm coupled with a satirical style. It has chapters titled How to Stop Terrorism, Stop Being a Terrorist! and Jesus W Christ.

Initial chapters present various facts and figures, central chapters are purely comic and the last chapters concentrate on US politics and the upcoming US elections (this book was written b4 the Presidential Elections). These last chapters can be skipped.

Michael Moore goes a bit overboard criticizing not only Bush (in my opinion) but almost every commercial entity in US. He also tries to show the hardships he had to face while trying to get this book printed. However, the point that he was able to get his books published and present his movies/documentaries, itself is a tribute to democracy and will of the people. There are worse ways to pass your time than reading this book e.g. watching Mr & Mrs Smith.

PS: Atleast read the chapter Jesus W Christ under any circumstances

Executive Orders by Tom Clancy

Executive Orders is the sequel to Debt of Honor and I believe this is
the last book in the Jack Ryan series.
At the end of Debt of Honor, Jack Ryan becomes President of the US,
the most powerful man on earth. The country was faced with a
leadership crisis and there was no one but Jack Ryan to step in. If
you have read any Jack Ryan book, you would know that he is not a
politician/bureaucrat but a hard hitting analyst. The infamous US
press aided by an ex-Vice President attacks his life, policies and
every decision.
The world also takes note of this, assumes Jack to be a wimp instead
of a hawk and many nations start taking liberties in international
matters. An assassination in Middle East leads to flaring of matters,
China-Taiwan issue comes up again and there is a huge domestic crisis.
Can Jack deal with all these matters alongside the fact that his
family life and every step he takes invite public scrutiny and
criticism from the press? Will he be able to return USA to previous
status quo in world matters? This is the central idea around which the
story evolves.
I thought I knew what to expect from a Tom Clancy novel but here he
has surpassed my expectations.The details regarding the Presidential
Security, various crisis occuring around the world, the operation of
Press in US etc have never seemed truer. At the end of the novel,
there is a war that USA has to fight. Descriptions of army vehicles,
tanks, soldiers, their feelings, strategies employed in the war etc
are as close to reality as a civilian like me can hope for.
I think after Executive Orders, there has been one more Tom Clancy
novel which features Jack Ryan's son. Haven't read that yet but should be
good. At 1358 pages, this book is the thickest book I've yet read
(more than Atlas Shrugged or LOTR) and I don't see any book close
enough to break this record yet.

India's answer to the Godfather

D completes the trilogy of movies on Mumbai Underworld made by RGV. To me, its India's answer to the Godfather trilogy. No movie has been able to capture the essence of American Mafia like the Godfather and so does the trilogy.Unlike Godfather, this trilogy is not continuous i.e. no character appears in two movies and no two movies are sequels. Satya shows the functioning of Underworld at grassroot levels, Company shows the ppl who control the Underworld and D connects these two as to how ppl from grassroot levels become the rulers of the underworld. Like Godfather series, this trilogy was packed with amazing performances, tight storyline, gr8 background score etc. Manoj Bajpai as Bhikhu in 'Satya', Chakravorty as 'Satya', Ajay Devgan as 'Malik Bhai', Vivek Oberoi as 'Chandu' and Randeep Hooda as 'Deshu' shall count as one of the best performances of these actors ever. Like Godfather Series, this trilogy boasts of strong performances by the supporting cast e.g. 'Kalu Mama' in Satya, Mohanlal as ACP in Company, Chunky Pandey as Raghav in D. My order of excellence for Godfather is Godfather II, The Godfather and Godfather III(which was one of the worst sequels ever made, completely destroyed the credibility of the series) and for the Indian trilogy is Company, Satya and D. So will D do the trilogy what Godfather III did to Godfather ? Read ahead to find out

D is supposed to start before 'Company' and show the rise of character of Malik played by Ajay Devgan. D is for Deshu, a mechanic from Dubai who comes to Mumbai because of some family problem. One day he witnesses a gang killing and is caught in the crossfire between police and underworld. understandably, he does not identify the killer and is tortured by the police. Realizing that a commoner has no future in this city, he consciously decides to become a gangster and joins the underworld. Slowly, slowly using his brains and working as a modern day CEO i.e. using incentives, motivation, mergers & acquisitions etc. He becomes No. 2 man of the group. After this, jealousy creeps up in the top echlons of the group. Finally, Deshu has to kill every man opposing him and take control of the group.

The storyline of the movie is very good but there are some fatal flaws. Many scenes in the movie have music superimposed over them allowing you to hear only the punchlines. The total duration of the movie is 1 hour 45 min including intermission (in PVR, where intermissions are longer than ususal) and this includes one and a half song. So there is almost nil character development. Everyone's character is known from the start and a serious viewer can accurately predict what's gonna happen next. The dialogues are good with every character having some good dialogues. Deshu's character has got some pretty good punch lines and he is delivered them as a gangster is supposed too, coldly without showing emotion in a businesslike manner.

All and all a good movie and a fitting end to the trilogy (much better than Godfather III to The Godfather). But I won't advice ppl to go and watch the movie in a theatre, instead wait for the CD/DVD. Its not a masterpiece like Satya or Company but still a decent watch.

1984 by George Orwell

"Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. If that is granted, all else follows"

Quite a few people will consider this statement as hilarious or maybe childish but not after reading 1984, George Orwell's masterpiece. The novel was written in 1949 and is the story of Winston Smith, a simple person living in London in 1984. In 1984, there were only three large countries left - Eastasia, Eurasia, Oceania which were constantly at war with one another. London was a part of Oceania governed by The Party with Big Brother at its helm. It is a totalitarian government which controls not only people's actions but also their minds. Everywhere there are huge posters of Big Brother staring down with the caption Big Brother is Watching You. Every home has a telescreen, a gadget similar to television. Telescreen is the most important propaganda machine of The Party. It cannot be turned off and continuously plays patriotic music, songs and news. Moreover, it is two way transmit i.e. it can transmit images and voices from one's home to the Thought Police.Thought Police is the security arm of The Party as even a thought against the Party is a crime (Thought Crime), the Thought Police exists to punish such criminals identified through their gestures, facial expressions etc.

Another more potent instrument is the language NEWSPEAK instead of English (OLDSPEAK). The purpose of NEWSPEAK was the constraint the thinking of people by not allowing them words to think rebelliously. This was done by limiting the vocabulary of the language through elimination of undesirable words. This shall be further clear by the following example

A word contains its opposite in itself. Take 'good' for example. If you have a word like good, what is the need for a word like 'bad'. Instead we have 'ungood'. Similarly, for a stronger version of 'good', instead of 'excellent','splendid' we have 'plusgood' or 'doublyplusgood'. The complete spectrum of good and bad can be covered in a single word itself.

Here, I won't be discussing the worst instrument of The Party and allow future readers to experience the shock themselves.

I went through a range of emotions while reading this book from comic in the beginning to disbelieving in the middle to pure horror in the end. This book is supposed to be a satire on totalitarianism but the fun disappears once you consider if such a society is truly possible. Just 250 pages of this book are enough to shake a person's belief in system, society and written history. I request fellow readers to treat it not as a satire but as a non-fiction to experience its complete impact.

PS:- Please go through the appendix on NEWSPEAK before reading the book

Clear and Present Danger by Tom Clancy

Tom Clancy is known for his novels exploring various possible international conflicts. In 'Clear and Present Danger', Tom Clancy has targetted the Colombian Drug Mafia threatening to overrun Colombia and become a law onto itself. American youth were the ones most adversely affected by these drugs. As it was an election year and the President had promised a crackdown on drugs, the problem of drugs was labelled as 'Clear and Present Danger' and FBI & CIA given a go-ahead to control it. The problem begins when the drug cartel hits back killing three important US officials and FBI,CIA go berserk. Rest of the novel consists of CIA & FBI operations against drugs and how election considerations overweigh one's duties and conscience.
Once again, the protagonist is Jack Ryan but his role is more of a side role. The novel shows one more step of his illustrious career and the only reason why anyone should read this novel.
Frankly speaking, this book let me down after the brilliance of 'Debt of Honor' and 'Sum of All Fears'. As much as I am against drugs, America's shady war on drugs fail to interest me. This novel is more of a Robert Ludlum novel than a Tom Clancy one, if you get my meaning.
Tom Clancy has used his protagonist, Jack Ryan in a way similar to Harry Potter by JK Rowling. Ryan has the same friends, same associates throughout the series starting from 'The Hunt for Red October' and ending with 'Executive Orders' with new characters being introduced now and then. I would recommend this book only to Tom Clancy/Jack Ryan fans as it is similar to reading Harry Potter V . There is no major connection to the actual story but still you have to read it. Thankfully at 660 pages, this has been the thinnest Tom Clancy book I've read so far

Animal Farm by George Orwell

"All animals are equal but some are more equal than others"

'Animal Farm' is George Orwell's most celebrated work alongside '1984'. In its first reading, Animal Farm seems like a 'Panchtantra' story with animals who can speak, read, think and communicate with each other but there are hidden meanings and metaphors throughout the book.

The story starts in an English farm 'Manor Farm' with a Mr Jones as the owner. One day, the oldest and wisest animal on the farm a boar tells his fellow animals about his dream. His dream was to establish Animalism on earth with animals taking care of themselves and their needs without any human masters. He also warns them about not adopting the vices of man e.g. drinking, smoking, trading money etc. After his death, one day the animals revolt and take over the farm which is renamed as 'Animal Farm'. The pigs become the decision makers as they were the most intelligent with two pigs, 'Snowball' and 'Napolean' having the reins. Animalism also had seven commandments, namely

1. Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy

2. Whaterver goes upon four legs or has wings is an enemy

3. No animal shall wear clothes

4. No animal shall sleep in a bed

5. No animal shall drink alcohol

6. No animal shall kill other animal

7. All animals are equal

What happens afterwords is a classic example of 'Power corrupts and Absolute Power corrupts absolutely'. I will refrain from revealing any more facts about the novel.

The book was written in 1943-44 and is a satire on USSR and Communism. There are incidents throughout the novel resembling Russia's I War of Independence, II War of Independence, Stalin's coming to power and his ruthless execution of opponents, Russia and Germany signing a treaty before II World War and Germany betraying Russia etc. I will explain this with an example: 'Animalism' in itself had good intentions and was perfect for animals. But with time its interpretation was faulty to suit the ruling pigs. Also the flag of Animal Farm is similar in design to the flag of USSR.

The book is a light and easy read at 150 odd pages.

Sum of All Fears by Tom Clancy

"Why, you may take the most gallant sailor, the most intrepid airman or the most audacious sailor, put them at a table together - what do you get ?
The sum of their fears
-Winston Churchill

What has been the world's greatest collective fear since World War II ? A nuclear conflict with USA and allies on one side and Russia on the other. In this book, Tom Clancy brings us as close as possible to realization of this nightmare.
Jack Ryan, Tom Clancy's chief protagonist is now the Deputy Director of CIA with an irresponsible drone as his boss. Adding to his misery is the current President of USA and his National Security Advisor who consider Ryan to be a relic of the Cold War and ignore him. Hence, Ryan is totally isolated. His work hours have affected his health and family life to further compound the problem. What happens in such a situation if USA and Russia are at each other's throats and one step away from pressing the nuclear button? This is the question this novel answers.
This is the only novel I have read with a nuclear device exploding inside the USA and shows the repurcussions on the current administration. Once more Tom Clancy shows a realistic, logical way in which things could deteriorate between the two major superpowers. The biggest plus point is the way in which individual, unconnected incidents add further fuel to the hostilities taking world closer to nuclear annihilation. The only flaw is the US President not asking support or views from NATO and other allies and taking decisions on such matters alone.
The novel is another behemoth from Tom Clancy at 900+ pages. It has been made into a movie starring Ben Affleck and Morgan Freeman and also into a game. But the story has been completely messed up for the movie as is the case with most movies. See the movie before reading the novel or you might end up cursing the director