Reading Room: "The book reaffirms my belief in original thinking": Alpana Parida

Alpana Parida, president, DY Works loves to read books that open up a new perspective. She feels that it is for this reason, that fiction doesn't interest her much.

Currently, I am reading Genghis Khan: Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford. I feel that the book challenges the conventional understanding of the ruthless, blood-thirsty, barbarian conqueror to help understand a master strategist who set out to conquer the world with a relatively small army.

He vanquished lands and territories that Romans took 400 years to capture. The book reaffirms my belief in original thinking.

Apart from this, I also love reading classics since the time a friend pointed out Roland Barthes to me. I was mesmerized by the 1950s classic - Mythologies. It is an amazing and insightful way of looking at the world. As practicing semioticians, this one is an eye opener.

Some essays in the book talk about the Gladiators and Roman circuses and public crucifixions.

I also often re-read some interesting ones like Gujarat and the Sea by Makrand Mehta and Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond.