Forgotten Blade is a fantasy story set in the land of Five Rivers. It is a tale of a female magician who enlisted the help of a mercenary to topple a theocratic government in revenge for the curse placed on her two children.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THIS BOOK
Forgotten Blade is a beautifully drawn book. The uniqueness and style of the art stand out in the midst of a tale that seems familiar.

DISLIKES
The plot is predictable and holds little or no surprise.

WHO IS IT FOR
Fans of epic fantasy may enjoy the art and possibilities Forgotten Blade has to offer.

Many thanks to TKO Presents for providing a review copy.

Going into a new career as a middle-aged person can be disorienting or empowering, depending on your circumstances or outlook on life. One thing that cannot be dismissed is the insight and understanding a new career or employment gives. It has the potential to open us to a side of life we may have overlooked or never noticed before.

Yellow Cab is an autobiography (graphic novel) of a filmmaker called Benoît Cohen who, devoid of inspiration for his next film, decided to become a New York City taxi driver. What follows is his insights and documentation about the streets of New York - its people, its prejudices, and its politics.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THE BOOK
The characters in the book are interesting and mysterious. Even though some of them appear for a brief time, there is a liveliness to them that makes me hang on to their every word. The art has this kind of depressing quality to it... I expect it to bum me out but I quite like it actually as it fits the mood of the book.

DISLIKES
None.

WHO THIS IS FOR
Whether you are familiar with the work of Benoît Cohen or not, I think this is a non-fiction most fans of the genre will appreciate.

Many thanks to IDW Publishing for providing an advance copy.

The Bogle Effect is about Jack Bogle, the founder of The Vanguard Group, an American investment management company. The book explores Bogle's life as well as his financial and trading philosophy. This is a book that delves into the betrayal that made Bogle start his own investment management company. It details the company's (Vanguard) growth, challenges, and the influence it has over present-day investors.


WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THE BOGLE EFFECT
The book is expansive and included some of Bogle's own words, giving us not just a third-person view but a first-person's as well. Also, the author did not paint his subject as some kind of saint. This is a book that did not only focus on Bogle's accomplishments - it does examine his dark side and its influence on his work.

DISLIKES
None.

WHO THIS IS FOR
The Bogle Effect is for those who know the man and want to know a bit more about his early days and the way his investing philosophy came together. Those not familiar with the man might be the ones to benefit most from this book as there are many tips about efficient investments and what made Bogle one of the best in the world.

Many thanks to Matt Holt for providing an advance copy.

History is messy and complicated. Every country has skeletons in its cupboards and will give you different justifications or reasons as to why they are there. The Way Forward is the fifth volume of the Understanding China Through Comics series. The series seems to be aimed at simplifying the history of China as a country, without losing the essence and vital details of the events that formed the country into what it is today.


WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THIS BOOK
The Way Forward makes effort to explain the nitty-gritty of macro-events, especially how it affects the common man or woman in China. We are not just told who or what made a decision at the highest level of government, we are shown how it impacted the citizens and the ramifications for the common man. This level of detail kept me engaged and invested.

DISLIKES
While this book does not shy away from some uncomfortable subjects, there is an element of excuse for most mishaps or ill-actions caused by China. In my opinion, history books ought to stick to facts and not be apologists for any country's ideology.

WHO IS IT FOR
This is a good introductory book for those interested in the history of China. It serves as a good entry material for those willing to learn more about one of the modern-day world powers.

Many thanks to Stone Bridge Press for providing a review copy.

Navigating Ambiguity is an attempt by a group of artists to share their perspectives on how we can thrive when we don't have a full picture of what is in front of us or what to do next in our lives and endeavours. This is a book that tries to help manage life uncertainties and ambiguities by teaching us the right kind of mindsets to adopt and how to adopt them.

WHAT I LIKE IN THIS BOOK
This is a book by designers and it shows. The graphic designs enhance the understanding of the subject matter. It makes reading the book easier and fun to navigate. More importantly, this is a book with lots of real-life examples of ambiguities and how to live with them.

DISLIKES
None.

WHO IS IT FOR
This is a self-help book by designers for everyone. These are professionals with something to say about life and their experiences are worth listening to by every adult grappling with the unknown.

Real-life stories sometimes have the disadvantage of not being fluid or neatly packaged narratively. Having said that, such kind of stories does hold valuable lessons for those who can sift through its ambiguities to find what they need. Regrets of the Dying is such a book. It is a book that contains stories of people who, like us, have made lots of mistakes and, given the chance, ponder on what they could have done better.

WHAT I LIKE
This is a book that reflects the messiness of life and the ways in which life situations can spiral out of control. Regrets of the Dying contains a lot of stories that might not resonate with everyone, but there is no doubt that it has something for everyone.

DISLIKES
None.

WHO IS IT FOR
A few of the stories are depressing and aren't for those with a particular set view of life.

Many thanks to Welbeck Publishing UK for providing a review copy.

The Struggle Bus is a short illustrated book that acknowledges the inevitability of life struggles and proposes ways of coping.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THE STRUGGLE BUS
The light-hearted nature of the book brings fresh clarity to a dark topic.

DISLIKES
None.

WHO IS IT FOR
Anyone.

Many thanks to Kind World Publishing for providing a review copy.

Power Law is a recollection as well as observation of how venture capital works, its impact on the modern economy, and the psychology of the people who have made a success of it. This is a book that tells us stories about how a lot of the most successful companies today got their start and the profile of those who funded them.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT POWER LAW
A lot of Power Law's contents contain quotes and interviews from the power players themselves - the venture capitalists - thus we are not relying on hearsay or third-party quotes.

I also love the background stories and the improbabilities of some of the encounters. They add a conspiratorial flavour to the book.

DISLIKES
This isn't necessarily a criticism but I felt the book was a bit too long. Still, it was a good read.

WHO IS POWER LAW FOR
Anyone with interest in investment, whether it is in form of venture capital, stock trading, ETFs, or otherwise will love the insights Power Law has to offer.

Many thanks to Penguin Press for providing a review copy.

How To Profit From Bitcoins After 2021 is an introductory text to Bitcoin - its history, nature, and how to profit from it. This is a book for beginners. It delves into the early days of Bitcoins, its mechanics, how it is mined, why it has become popular, and how to make money investing in it and other similar cryptocurrencies.

WHAT I LIKE
If you dislike technical jargon and heady financial phrases, then this is the book for you. It is one of the simplest and straight-to-the-point manuals I have ever read on cryptocurrencies. Reading the whole book would give you a solid foundation on cryptos and how to start making money from them.

DISLIKES
None.

WHO IS IT FOR?
How To Profit From Bitcoins After 2021 is for those who want to understand cryptocurrency and probably would like to invest in it.

Many thanks to BooksGoSocial for providing a review copy.

Desiderius Erasmus wrote In Praise of Folly in 1509 as a Christian satire that pokes fun at everyone, especially ridiculing those who take life too seriously.

In the book, Erasmus presents Folly (idiocy or foolishness) as a god who dishes out admonitions, criticisms, and other observations of humans. Most of the lessons in the book are timeless and would benefit most of us today. Here are a few I've found:

THE BEST OF HUMANS IS AS SIMPLE AS A CHILD
Folly claims she loves children because they take nothing seriously, hence, the weight of this world does not stick to them. She observes that most people want to play with children because their joy is infectious.

BE WHAT YOU ARE
Folly dismisses philosophers and priests with stern faces and other superficial layers which cover up who they really are. According to Folly, all these trappings contribute to personal suffering and, in the long run, take humans far away from joy.

FRIENDSHIP
Folly says she is essential to long-last friendships because she is the reason some people are able to overlook occasional slights. She explains that fools, by nature, find it difficult to hold on to grudges because it interferes with their happiness.

FUN AND FESTIVITIES
Folly says wisdom is a buzzkill at parties because no one can really have fun without allowing themselves to be silly and forgetful. Also, women are more fools than men, which is why festivities are much fun with them around. Folly believes the ability to let go and enjoy the moment is what makes women possess more common sense than men and hence, better off in terms of quality of life.

SELF CONFIDENCE
Folly believes that at the centre of many words is a lack of confidence. She thinks people's desire to find the 'truth' in everything points to some sort of anxiety about life and a lack of direction. Folly declares that fools do not take on such burdens as they love themselves fully.

In Praise of Folly sold lots of copies and was translated into many languages. Its popularity astounded Erasmus so much that he partly regretted its publication. Pope Leo X found the book amusing, but his successor was not happy with it and thus banned the book for many years.

In Praise of Folly is one of the few books from the 1500s that still enjoys modest popularity today. It is a work in a long tradition of religious satire that seeks to entertain, chastise, and educate - a rarity, by today's standards.