Book Reviewed: The Milky Way: An Autobiography of Our Galaxy by Moiya McTier

Lost in the Milky Way The author describes our home galaxy in an unconventional way where the narratives are in the first person, i.e., the Milky Way is speaking about itself to human beings using the term "I." The following examples illustrates this point: “I can get deeply honest about how it's felt to be your galaxy these last thirteen billion years. But don't pat yourself on the back for managing to read half of this book. I'm the one doing the onerous and, frankly, humiliating work of explaining myself to a hopelessly corporeal creature.” “For thirteen billion years, I've been making stars and waiting for them to die, some more gloriously than others.” “Because being a galaxy every day is exhausting. In addition to holding this entire neighborhood of at least fifty galaxies together, I also have my own gas to transport and mold, and over one hundred billion stars to supervise.” “Generally speaking, my body has three different regions: bulge, disk, and halo. So, allow me to introduce you to my hometown, which, by extension, is also yours.” This book does not have any photographs, illustrations, or graphics to connect with our home galaxy. The author does not fascinate the reader and gives limited information about the Milky Way galaxy.

Book Reviewed: Zelensky: A Biography by Serhii Rudenko

A Ukrainian hero There are thirty-eight chapters in this book which are written like essays. But the narratives are clear about an actor turned president of Ukraine. The Russia-Ukraine war goes down in the history as one of the biggest failures of NATO led by the United States, because NATO had the opportunity to make peace before the start of war. Washington is run by a coterie of incompetent leaders who do not understand international politics but are good at flexing muscles when threatened. Warsaw Pact countries became the allied countries of NATO at a tremendously fast pace, immediately after the fall of Warsaw Pact nations led by the former Soviet Union. This directly threatened the integrity and security of Russian Federation. Because Ukraine was one of the last countries of Warsaw Pact Nations rumored to become a NATO country, which is situated on the western boarder of Russia. Putin initially offered to make peace, but Biden administration flatly rejected it. The war has become one of the biggest tragedies for Ukraine. No one is more surprised by Zelensky's power to inspire and energize his compatriots than Vladimir Putin, who expected Russia's conquest of its neighbor to be a walk-through and an outright victory within few weeks. On February 24, 2022, Russian soldiers brought death, torture, rape, looting, and devastation into Ukrainian homes, which changed the lives of Ukrainians. On March 31, 2022, the brutality of Russian soldiers in two towns near Kyiv - Bucha and Irpin were revealed to the world. Shooting of civilian cars by Russian tanks, the mass murder of handcuffed adults and children who were shot in the back. In the small town of Bucha alone, the bodies of more than three hundred people were buried in mass graves. Zelensky is no longer playing the role of president. He is the leader of a nation that is defending its freedom and independence. A leader who has gained extensive experience in governing his country under wartime conditions. Not a single current European leader has this experience. Zelensky delivered one of his strongest speeches before the UN Security Council. In an online delivery, he spoke emotionally about the crimes of the Russian occupiers. He proposed to the Security Council deprive Russia of its veto, or else it should disband. Lamenting the helplessness and outmoded nature of the UN, Zelensky said what everyone in the world had known but was afraid to say. The sixth president of Ukraine has come a long way, from being an actor to the leader of the Ukrainian nation. He has the courage to lead a nation from certain defeat to victory. Putin is certainly scared, and the morality of Russian armed forces are dwindling.

Book Reviewed: The FIFTH MIRACLE: The Search for the Origin and Meaning of Life by Paul Davies

A ghost in the living cell This book is a little outdated since it was published in 1999. Significant advances have been made in the last two decades in the fields of astrobiology, biological evolution, paleobiology, physics and philosophical arguments about the origin of life. Nevertheless, Paul Davies is still one of the leading scientists who is still active in this field. In this book, he addresses basic questions about life such as, is life a byproduct of the laws of physics? And consequently, life could evolve elsewhere in the cosmos, perhaps on earthlike planets. If they exist, do they evolve toward greater complexity and intelligence? What were the earliest mechanisms when molecules (in disorganized state) assembled to form complex molecules (organized structures) that assembled to form a living cell (highly organized self-regulating structure). Molecules (Non-life) becoming self-regulating living cells (life) is creating order from disorder that appears to violate the second law of thermodynamics. But life doesn't break this law. It merely creates a local low-entropy system by shifting excess entropy to its environment along with other waste products thus increasing the entropy in the universe. Some physicists believe that laws of nature are rigged to favor life, and consciousness is probably an integral part of the spacetime fabric that contains matter and energy. This idea depends on the properties of the four fundamental forces of nature, and with a slight tinkering of the nuclear forces, the universe would have little or no carbon, and hence no life. This is known as "the anthropic principle," According to this, our existence is a dicey affair, a consequence of some happy coincidences in the underlying mathematical structure of the universe. This principle has been criticized by many biologists and physicists which the author discusses in some detail. Physicist Fred Hoyle suggested that life may have come from comets that showered earth with viruses, which may have helped to evolve life on earth. But author Paul Davies speculates that life came from another planet like Mars. Chapter 8 is devoted to the issue of Martian meteorites like ALH84001 containing fossil Martian microbes. Since then, due to the efforts by NASA, we have learnt that there is still no evidence of any form of life on Mars, but mere speculations. Research on extra-solar planets and life elsewhere in the solar system has revealed Saturn’s moon Enceladus has a subsurface ocean, and it may be coated with complex organic molecules that could be stepping-stones to life. Jovian moons, Europa, and Ganymede are also known to have oceans that may harbor primitive forms of life. The book, despite the fact it is dated, still has great ideas that you will find interesting.

Book Reviewed: The Saffron Path: Trekking the Globe with The Walking Monk by Bhaktimarga Swami.

The pilgrimage of Bhaktimarga Swami The journey of Bhaktimarga Swami distills the timeless wisdom of a practitioner of Krishna consciousness into a meaningful life. This is an inspiring and empowering book in which Swamiji shows us how we can clear the hurdles to our potential. Combining ancient wisdom of India and his own rich experiences in life helps us to overcome negative thoughts and access the purpose that lies within all of us. The Maharaj is not only known for inspiring kirtans, clear expression of love to Lord Krishna is also a marathon walker who walked across Canada four times, Israel, Ireland, Guyana, Trinidad, Mauritius, Fiji, and the United States. He is like a superman for a mission, known for teaching bhakti-yoga, mantra meditation, kirtan, and a passion for the performing arts. He walks to exercise his thoughts, connect with nature, meet new people, experience life, share his knowledge and life experiences. He is known to carry meditation beads and chanting along lonely roads; he discussed the wisdom of Bhagavadgita and the Srimad Bhagavatam with people around the world. He spoke at some of the biggest temples to highly educated devotees and spiritual students. There is no dearth of well-wishers during his long trek. The locals excited about a monk visiting their town, the motorists honking their horns and passersby wishing him well. Swamiji recalls that there was an envy of a free spirit. Of course, there were many days when human interaction was minimal, and when the elements and the wilderness were the raw reality. Much of the trip involved pitching a tent at night, and the land is sparsely populated, the Swami was confronted with all kinds of wildlife and pests. However, the sight of bears, moose, elk, wolves, and birds compensated for the austerities. He also recalls the companionship of his disciples like Garuda Vahan, Daruka, and Jamuna Jivana (as well as a parrot named Billy). While on the great trail, he covered the sideroads, backroads, short-cuts, and lots of highways. Meteor showers in the night sky, temperatures reaching 107-degree Fahrenheit, and walking on salt flats were some of the highlights in the deserts of Nevada and Utah. A documentary produced by the National Film Board of Canada “The Longest Road,” details the remarkable feat of Bhaktimarga Swami and his path to bhakti and devotion. The message of the book is simple, open your mind, open the door, open the world, walk on. Energize your thoughts, and reflect on life, because you are a pilgrim.