Book Review: Digital Fortress

Book Review: Digital Fortress
Author: Dan Brown, in 1998
Verdict: 2/5, predictable ending, slow development, unworldly coincidences, and incompetent characters.

It might seem rather unfair to critique a book about technology written 20 years ago in a modern setting. But, one thing I seek out for and cherish, in stories, is timelessness. Many reviewers have criticised the portrayal (rather misunderstanding) of technology in the book, but these misrepresentations do not bother me at all. In my opinion, portrayal of technology in a book need not reflect reality at all. Why should it?

My first issue with the book is that it is a boring read. Even when the ending of a plot is obvious, the story is developed excruciatingly slowly. For example, a story line in which a killer is hunting down the protagonist of the book, which the protagonist predictably survives, spans over 50 pages(!) and that too with an aura of suspense! Rest of the story lines, which run in parallel, run at "normal pace" and seem rather out of place.

The story depends on a lot of coincidences to survive. Now, a good story only comes about due to coincidences. But, when the coincidences overrule the story line, something surely seems off to a reader. Furthermore, the story gives us an impression that the characters, in powerful and influential positions, are somehow incompetent. That is, when a reader places himself in the situation of character, it "seems" to him that he could have done better! Now, how could one take such a story seriously?

Lastly, the ending. Throughout the 510 page novel, author tries to build a serious story. However, the ending does not do justice to the buildup. It does not carry the weight of the book. The ending seems more like a hurried effort to wrap up a story that is already overfilling the pages. The twist in the end is surely unexpected, but it is petty. There are no incidents in the past alluding to it. Having completed the novel, a reader is left rather unsatisfied.

ARK

On Today's Homeopathy - Q&A

You're scientific, atheist, etc. Is Homeopathy OK for your parents, relatives, and friends who INSIST on taking them? How do you best safeguard them despite Homeopathy? Read on for my view.

Q1. Does Homeopathy work?

Yes and no. So drop your completely negative attitude. Homeopathy and other non-scientific medicines work on a principle called "placebo" [1] where the change (or effect) is due to body's response to the whole process rather than medicine itself. In some cases, placebo can be beneficial. That being said, it has been demonstrated scientifically that high potency versions of homeopathic medicines (the ones usually prescribed) are nothing but sugar water. Therefore, homeopathic medicine surely does not work, but the whole consultation process might work due to the placebo effect.

Q2. When is it OK to take Homeopathic medicine?

If one insists, homeopathic medicine might not be a problem or might even be beneficial under these circumstances:

1. If one is taking homeopathic medicine alongside modern medicine with knowledge of both the doctor (i.e. MBBS/MD) and the homeopath.

2. When the doctor has not prescribed any medication -- e.g. as in common cold.

3. When the doctor has deferred the medication for later or has advised against it -- e.g. surgery in very young or old people.

In any case, it is best to keep the doctor informed about the homeopathic medicine.

Q3. When is it NOT OK to take Homeopathic medicine?

Clearly, it is NOT OK if the conditions in the answer to question Q2 are not satisfied. Furthermore, it is also NOT OK when the prescribed homeopathic medicine is not truly homeopathic. "True" homeopathic medicines are just sugar water. But some homeopaths (the bad ones) might prescribe other non-homeopathic drugs and other unrelated (baby) products! One has to be careful and check the details of the prescription on the Web before beginning with the medication.

Q4. Is it OK to go to a Doctor with both MBBS/MD and Homeopathy degrees?

No, for two reasons. First, it is unlikely that the doctor prescribes both modern medicine and homeopathic medicine together (see answer to Q2 above). And second, a person truly invested in modern medicine is unlikely to endorse Homeopathy.

Q5. As Homeopathy has placebo benefits, shouldn't it be encouraged?

While it appears to be beneficial to encourage it, this would be the wrong direction. Conducting scientific research into understanding the placebo effect would be far better than cheating one into placebo like how Homeopathy does. So in the long term, Homeopathy does not seem to be a good idea. Hopefully scientific research on placebo catches up before it is too late (for us).

Q6. Should I recommend Homeopathy to others?

Definitely no. The people who lose the most are the ones who are poor and cannot avail or have no access to modern medicine. When assessed that the conditions in the answer to question Q2 cannot be satisfied, recommending Homeopathy is a very bad idea to the extent that it should be (but isn't) considered an offence as it could result in life threatening conditions.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Placebo

Being The Reluctant Cook

Some find the experience of cooking "therapeutic." I guess they find getting bitten by a dog "therapeutic" as well. How unfortunate is a life that finds cooking and taking bath in a hot water spring or a cool mountain lake the same. It is only with sorrow and misery that one catches oneself cooking. The stress is unbearable -- watch the stove, don't forget the spices, time the preparation! Sadly eating outside everyday is unhealthy and expensive otherwise cooking would be for restaurants the same way repairing cars is for workshops.

It takes some skill to cook your own food and not fall ill every other week. But don't worry my fellow traveller in the journey of life... this "reluctant" cook has you covered with just a simple mantra:

Wash. Measure. Check. Cook.

Wash: wash your hands and utensils thoroughly before you begin cooking. Don't use that pan with "just a bit" of yesterday's food sticking to it. I know, you came home after a long day, you're tired... but did you begin cooking with the very hands that just touched your shoes? Rabies. You're getting Rabies my friend. Good luck with that!

Measure: measure each ingredient -- wheat flour, rice, whatever. Designate one of the cups lying around as the "measurement cup" and use it everyday. It not only helps control your portions but also helps you get those ratios right -- 2 cups of water to 1 cup of rice and 20 mins of Microwave at 600W. "Nah, my 'eye measure' is good enough" you say? Might as well drink sea-water instead of tasting that soup of yours. Bye.

Check: check every ingredient for spoilage, fungus, dirt. If you find them, clean or discard the ingredient, depending on the case. I'm not a fan of fungus at all -- fungal food poisoning causes unbearable head- and stomach aches. It's not enough to check them just visually, you'll also have to smell them a bit. Not classy, you say? OK. Good luck with that food poisoning.

Cook: cook the food so that EVERY part of it reaches 75C. Only then is the food safe. If it's too hot to eat after 75C (it usually is), let the food cool down before you cram it into your mouth. Heating and a bit of waiting is better than salmonella poisoning or burning the roof of your mouth.

That's it! 4 simple parts -- of 1 simple mantra! Good luck with your cooking -- from one reluctant cook to another. Peace.

Review of The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

It is a rather difficult feat to be a complete disgrace to the paper on which a book is printed. “The Alchemist” achieves this goal with such relative ease that you stand convinced its author has skills -- albeit the wrong kind. This mindless drivel reads like “Simple English Wikipedia” less the information. Its philosophies have the depth of a rainwater puddle and as one reviewer aptly noted “there is more literary richness on the instructions card of a microwave that this entire book”.

It is rather unbecoming of a man to shower this amount of hatred. But as I shall show you below, my judgement is well founded and perhaps compounded by the fact that this sorry excuse of a book is a bestseller.

It's not that I despise popular books. As a child I was inspired by “The Little Prince.” As a teenager mystified by the “Lord of the Rings,” and enticed by “The Prophet.” As an adult I was awestruck by “The Emigrants” and entertained by the stories of Saki -- all popular literature.

In contrast, this book is about the banal life of a simpleton who contrives a deep meaning in everything he sees. But sadly the book doesn't stop there. Rather, it engages in a pseudo-intellectual didactic session where it validates every neo-age feel-good woo that happens to exist. This is what makes the book cancerous.

This book is classified by many libraries as children’s literature which it is absolutely not. It would be a sad world where children grow up reading books endorsing the concept of fate, destiny, and soul; or the belief in alchemy, omens, and premonitions.

The recurring inconsistencies in the book make it a hard read. For example, a major theme in the book is ‘heart’, but in some paragraphs ‘heart’ is a metaphorical organ that has feelings and direction and in others it is an organ that pumps blood. So when the protagonist wishes for his heart to stand still, we are left wondering whether he longs for calm or for death.

Character development is nearly non-existent and lines of thought rarely extend beyond a few paragraphs. Characters and plot-lines go in-and-out of existence at the mercy of the author. For example, the protagonist conveniently finds a “friend” when he wants to sell his sheep in an otherwise unknown land! This one-shot-friend is never mentioned again.

As though this is not enough, the book is riddled with profound-sounding nonsense. The protagonist could “feel the vibrations of peace” or is given wisdom that “the darkest hour of night is just before dawn” (coldest maybe, but darkest?!) or the famous “when you want something the universe conspires in helping you achieve it” all of which are gibberish and carry no meaning.

When the content fails to deliver, one would expect the style to make up. But the book is prosaic even when describing the romantic plots that run rife through the story. A first love, who is reminisced in every other page in the first part of the book, is instantly forgotten when the protagonist meets the one ‘the Universe conspired him to fall in love with.’

The author's description of romance typically runs as “the boy wanted to take her hand. But Fatima's hands held to the handles of her jug.” Love appears lifeless. Also, for the not-so-spiritual amongst us, proposing marriage before time is rife is a polite way of asking the other person to leave one alone. But for the ‘spiritual’ it seems to be an instant recognition of a connexion!

The book goes out of the way to misinform its readers. A character claims “I know the science of the twigs” now what is the “science” of twigs if not pseudoscience? And yet another says “I learned the science from my grandfather” while referring to alchemy!

The book throws in a few sentences here and there with the sole intention of making the reader feel good. For example, “when you possess great treasures within you, and try to tell others of them, seldom are you believed” reassuring them when others disagree, they’re not the ones usually at fault.

It turns so bad that the author gives up even basics of writing. An oasis “looks like thousand and one nights.” An oasis cannot look like thousand and one nights because “Thousand and One Nights” is a novel not an oasis. Of course, it can look like an oasis that’s described in that novel.

In all, this book is not even worthy of being thrown into a trash can. If you own a copy of this book, do the “Universe” a favour and burn the copy right away lest, god forbid, you be bidden by the devil to lend it to another soul.

Make friends not enemies. Peace.

ARK

I'm A Someone Too

In today's world, especially in the large cities, there's so much pain and suffering around us that most choose to block themselves out completely, living in a world of their own. But what does this mean to one living on the other end?

I've been here since I was born
And I'm only a child by my age
Living next to this busy street
Peering out of my cage

I see delicious ice-cream cones
And chocolates being shared
Happy people with smiles
And children who're being cared

And I feel so happy.

But why don't they see me?
Me, the malnourished kid
The child beggar on the street
My father's in bed and will never get up
And my mother... she left us

Do they even know I exist?

I didn't choose this life
And neither did they choose theirs
So it's not my fault who I am
But yet nobody cares

Tell them the next time they go
Riding on the busy street
They don't have to give me money
Food, chocolate or sweet

But just look at me...
   and make me feel I exist.

Verse - 1

I've never understood why some things appeal me at certain times and at other times they just lose their appeal. What I enjoyed the most moments ago, I detest. I wonder if it's just the mind playing games,or whether it's meant to be  that way.

Waves of an ocean, or stillness of a pond,

Which of these does the mind really want?

Fine mist on the skin, or gentle showers

with the scent of rain,

Warmth of the sun, or the soothing shade,

Which to indulge, and which to evade?

Calmness of the dark, or brightness of the day,

Solitude and peace, or joyous friends,

Challenges, should I seek, or an easy way out,

Sometimes this appeals, and sometimes it's that,

Which of these does the mind really want?

A.R.K.

You, Reckless Driver, and What You Want To Be

You

When I look at you, I can see the beautiful features that Nature has gifted you: the sparkling eyes, the eyebrows, the hair, the hands, torso, legs -- all working in perfect unison to create the 'You.' Also, when I look at you, I can imagine the days of your childhood, you, like any other child, running around in your tiny legs, your parents panting to catch up with you, your innocent smile, the drooling saliva, the big eyes, the playful childishness. Also, when I look at you, I can imagine the beautiful moments of your life, the ones you will never forget -- I can see the marks left by these in your smile and in the sparkle of your eyes. Also, when I look at you, I can imagine the struggle, you, a person in the twenty-first century, are going through. I can imagine you dodge or solve your problems using your brain, struggle, be confused, and I'm amused imagining the look on your face when you attempt to comprehend what's a bit too much for you... My fellow being, knowing so much about you, how could I ever show contempt, envy, or hatred towards you? But I have a bad habit: I play with people.

Reckless Driver - You have been cursed!

Beware you reckless driver, you who doesn't care for my life, you who doesn't care for your fellow beings, BEWARE, you have been cursed! Whatever you drive, be it a lorry, a car or a motorbike, may you be most prone to accidents, meet them as often as the sun meets the horizon. May your vehicle give you the most of problems, may it give you starting troubles, engine troubles, may it break down frequently. May you step on cow dung, may you have all the misfortune piled up, one after another, may you taste each one of them. May you be the first the mad dog bites or the mad cow gores. May you be the first an animal bites, if such an occasion arises. May you be prone to diseases, may bad bacteria and virus make home in your body, give you many infections and bless you with bad health. May your house have the most electricity cuts and water cuts, may a branch fall on your telephone line every other week. May you have many misfortunes of this kind. May you have a bad work life, may you be the most unsuccessful, yet struggle like a donkey. May every step you take create trouble for you at work. May you earn the least, may you have to spend the most. May your life be in constant agony. May you and your brethren be wiped out of the face of earth in a thousand years, I pray, may this curse come true. BEWARE you reckless driver, you have been cursed; and you shall not go unharmed!

What kind of person do you want to be ?

"What kind of person do you want to be ?" is a question reserved exclusively for either the genteel well wisher or the presumptuous flatterer, both of whom are rare species. When confronted by this interesting question a few days ago, I had to, but, thank the few hours of free time up my sleeves last week when I was coincidentally meditating upon the same question. I have only an aspect of the answer, nevertheless, a good beginning to self-visualisation. "Imagine a victim of a car breakdown, stranded in the middle of a dense forest - anything but an hospitable place. Imagine after a few hours of shivering wait, a bus coming down the road, and stopping to get him in. I want to be the person who would bargain the bus-fare to be dropped at the nearest hotel, in such a situation." Impressive, isn't it ? - Aravindh

Medley - 4

A traveler has seen many beautiful sights and heard many melodious sounds -- but are these sights and sounds what he craves for? No -- these are easy to forget. He yearns to re-live the experience; an experience that comes from his involvement in the scene and not his mere presence. In the absence of this experience one needs an aid to remind himself of the visit - a picture or a souvenir perhaps? Should one pack in as many sights or sounds or as many experiences? Spare some pity for the one who chooses the former, working his way through the destinations as hastily as a pack of bees collecting nectar -- is his interest to visit this place or just to get away from his?

The sights I saw are now faded, The sweet music is mellowed, But the place where I held her hand, Is so fresh in my mind, There I want to visit a thousand times.

Mind is a mysterious thing at best -- what it will retain and what it will forget is hard to say. It never seems to give clues about itself, and a helpless being must guess and understand it slowly by himself.

I can look into my own eyes, By just staring at the mirror, But where shall I stare, For the reflection of my mind?

What drives one to do something? If one can answer this then he can be sure it won't continue for long. If one does it for money, it stops after he gets the money; if for fame, after he gets the fame; if for satisfaction, after he gets the satisfaction. But what if he does it just for the sake of doing it? -- then yes, it does not stop, ever.

He did it for money, and now he's dead, And all that he did, Is in ruins.

A.R.K.

Wanted: A life free from compromises

From the days of lone wandering men, who would only be subdued by raw strength, human beings have moved on to families and later to societies -- only to find themselves yielding in addition to emotions and societal forces. The ones who have fit themselves well into the familial and societal frameworks find no burden, but the ones who are yet to be molded, who still consider themselves free, and who laugh at "what's not good for a beehive isn't good for the bee either," and to whom individuality has a greater importance than society -- feel an increasing burden of emotional and societal restrictions. Who is ahead of whom, and who's in the wrong path, it is difficult to say. While on one hand the societal assurance, and the familial support is all but necessary, the compromises one has to make to keep them up is painful. Perhaps the need is for balance, but how and how much?

Art - 1 (abridged)

Art is a form of expression: of the thoughts and feelings of an artist. It is a medium by which an artist communicates with his audience; and to the audience art is what liberates him: causes him to lose himself in the same bliss as the artist. Art ties their thought-streams together. A primary ingredient of any artwork is an intricate and congruent thought structure. A good thought framework expressed as art clarifies the many questions that rise in the mind of the audience, and manifests itself in the artwork as: clarity, details, highlights, expressions, and so on. A thorough thought process is born out of a desire to express an idea. Hence, a clear intent is very essential: it is important for the artist to have a need and reason to produce the artwork. His intent, willingly or unwillingly, is manifested in his artwork. If his intent is shallow, the artwork turns out to be shallow, if deep, the artwork turns out to be a masterpiece. In my recent visit to Chitra Kala Parishad I found an increasing number of "modern artworks," a trend that greatly disturbed me. These modern artworks made no sense without their caption, burdened me to think for the artist to fill the gaping voids in the artwork, and were with no discernible intent. Art, a "form of expression" was stunted to the physical expression on canvas -- not beyond; it did not pierce the canvas into the heart of the audience. These artworks made me sad.