The Paris Architect

Author: Charles Belfoure


Charles Belfoure's debut novel is set in Nazi occupied Paris in the early 1940s. Lucien Bernard is a brilliant architect who is desperately looking for work, when an interesting proposition comes his way. A rich Parisian,  Manet, offers him a regular architectural gig, in return for his help in designing a hiding space for Jews. Lucien is loath to take this on, but his desperate situation tips the balance and the rest is history, albeit fictional. The book is a true thriller with lots of architectural detail thrown in. The description of the Nazi brutality has been repeated so often that you feel that you have read it before. Nevertheless, the book is a page-turner and builds up to a nice climax.

Going clear: Scientology, Hollywood and the Prison of Belief

Author: Lawrence Wright


I picked up this book at the Boston Airport, to entertain me on my long flight back to San Francisco. Going into the book, the only thing I knew was that Scientology was a religion of Hollywood movie stars. However, on reading this book, I was shocked and amazed to learn its gory inner workings. 

Lawrence describes Ron Hubbard's early years and how he got started into things that potentially influenced the Scientology religion. The book can be characterized as an exposé and I found it hard to digest that in this day and age people could be brainwashed and forced to a life of hardship in the name of religion. Maybe this quote sum’s up the reason: "Religion supplies a commodity that is always in demand: salvation. "

Floating city : A Rogue Sociologist Lost and Found in New York's Underground Economy

Author: Sudhir Venkatesh


More than the book, I am fascinated by the author Sudhir Venkatesh. He seems equally at ease with scholarly professors, high society, drug dealers, prostitutes, porn video store owners, etc. On reading this book, I wanted to befriend Sudhir as I am sure that he has a treasure trove of interesting stories and experiences that he can entertain with. This book will open your eyes and debunk any pre-conceived notions that you might have of drug-dealers and prostitutes.