WilfridWong.com

Where Good Things Are Meant To Be Shared

WilfridWong.com header image 5

Entries Tagged as 'Non-Fiction'

Lion’s Honey The Myth Of Samson By David Grossman – A Mostly Imaginary Piece Of Work

June 11th, 2011 2 Comments

After reading “Lion’s Honey”, I did some research on the author.  He is an Israeli, an established writer as well as a political activist.  This explains quite a few queries lingered in my mind after reading his book.  There are only very few places when Grossman subtly touched onto modern politics.  Here is one.  I [...]

Tags:  

The Grand Design By Stephen Hawking – Is There No Room For God’s Existence?

November 13th, 2010 16 Comments

I could not help but to feel somewhat devastated after reading “The Grand Design”.  There is nothing wrong with the book.  In fact, it is one fine book.  A concise yet accessible read on the scientific theories and models from the past all the way to what we have today in an attempt to answer [...]

Tags:   ·

Nothing To Envy By Barbara Demick – A Look Inside North Korea Through 1 City, 6 Main Characters

September 28th, 2010 15 Comments

This is indeed an outstanding work of journalism, the second of the two books I bought at the airport.  The book title “Nothing To Envy” is taken from one of the frequently used propaganda messages in North Korea.  Due to the restricted media access, much of what life is like inside North Korea is sealed [...]

Tags:   ·

3,096 Days by Natascha Kampusch – A Moving Story Of Human Survival

September 18th, 2010 1 Comment

It is hard not to be moved by this incredible story of survival.  I weeped reading it.  Natascha Kampusch was abducted at the age of 10, in Austria on 2nd March 1998.  In 2006, she managed to escape and shortly after, her kidnapper has committed suicide.  It is a tragic story with a relatively happy [...]

Tags:  

How To Read Novels Like A Professor – Thomas C. Foster – Be Inspired As A Reader Or A Writer

August 31st, 2010 14 Comments

This book is a heavy read for me, despite the amiable effort by the author to make it as readable as it can be.  The tone is friendly, the style is classroom instructional, and there are humours in the book too.  But unless you are trained in literature and are well read, you are going to [...]

Tags:  

The Cloud Revolution By Charles Babcock – If You Need To Know What Cloud Computing Is As Of Today, This Is It

June 6th, 2010 No Comments

If you happen to fall under the category of someone who has heard of the term “cloud computing”, may have some ideas of what it is, but cannot quite pinpoint what it does and how we can benefit from it, “The Cloud Revolution” written by editor-at-large of InformationWeek Charles Babcock will get you acquainted with [...]

Tags:   · · ·

Neon Angel, A Memoir Of A Runaway By Cherie Currie – Heart Wrenching and Heart Warming At The Same Time

May 31st, 2010 2 Comments

I seldom read memoirs.  But I was curious about the life story told from Cherie Currie’s perspective after watching “The Runaway” played by Dakota Fanning and Kristen Stewart.  “Neon Angel” has enough dramas that can pass as a great fiction.  The rise to stardom, the crash, substance abuse, brutal rapes, exploitation by the management, constant struggle [...]

Tags:   · ·

Happiness At Work By Dr. Srikumar Rao – Parables And Advice That Could Be Life Changing

April 24th, 2010 4 Comments

By now, I have joined the workforce for a decade and a half and I consider myself – after years of learning and finding my way - pretty happy at work.  I manage to maintain a good level of work life balance, I have built good rapport with my colleagues, and I take pride in my [...]

Tags:   · ·

Numbers Rule Your World By Kaiser Fung – With Depth, And Figures To Support

March 29th, 2010 3 Comments

It is hard not to make the comparison between “Numbers Rule Your World” and “Freakonomics”.  Even the book has made a reference once.  Ten real life case studies are used, paired up in five chapters, to illustrate how different aspects of statistics affect our lives.  Blogger statistician Kaiser Fung has made the topic surprisingly accessible, narrated [...]

Tags:   ·

Superfreakonomics By Levitt And Dubner – Good Conversational Materials (And It Stops There)

December 27th, 2009 1 Comment

Although this book is not going to change the world – at least I do not think so – like its predecessor “Freakonomics”, “Superfreakonomics” is an entertaining read, full of good conversational materials.  That is, if you can remember the numbers and details. Backed by numerous reports (the note section alone takes up 36 pages) [...]

Tags:   ·