Book Reviewed: Amateur Hour: Kamala Harris in the White House by Charlie Spiering

Harris is the best example for an incompetent and inept presidential candidate Author Charlie Spiering, an experienced journalist at the Washington Examiner and Breitbart News, gives an investigative report of Kamala Harris's rise in politics, from her time as a California prosecutor to her role as Vice President, and 2024 presidential campaign. Her ascent was rapid and highly problematic, because of her inexperience, incompetence, and focus on personal advancement. She will go down in the history of presidential campaigns for her incoherent communication and nonsensical statements. During her trip to Guatemala, Harris sat down for an interview with NBC's Lester Holt, stated that she never visited the US-Mexico border as a Border Czar and asked if she had plans to do so. She replied ''At some point, you know, we are going to the border”' Harris said, fumbling for the right words. "You haven't been to the border;' Holt noted again, Harris responded, with a laugh, saying, “I haven't been to Europe.” "And I mean, I don't understand the point that you're making.” Harris was shockingly unprepared for a question that Republicans and reporters had been asking her for months. What alarmed her staffers was that she had recently received comprehensive media training including a prepared answer in case she was asked why she had not visited the border. The "border czar" also treated border enforcement agents like garbage. Four days later on ABC network’s “The View,” Harris expanded her thoughts, comparing the border agents to slave owners, and them treating undocumented immigrants as slaves. Governor Abbott of Texas used the occasion to send more busloads of migrants to Harris's home in Washington, DC, reminding everyone how she was failing as a border czar. At one stage she said the immigration issue is the responsibility of the United States Congress. Harris prioritized her identity as a black woman over her Indian heritage, and none of her ancestors faced the horrors of slavery or racist codes of the civil rights era like many ancestors of African American politicians. She was difficult to work with, having high staff turnover rates, and relying on polling rather than political and economic principles to guide her through. She was artificial on stage, never willing to engage or risk her brand, and constantly playing defense. Her speeches lacked conviction and spiraled into word salads. This book looks back as how Harris began as the district attorney of San Francsico and moved into local San Francisco politics and high society after dating much older California State Assembly Speaker Willie Brown. She positioned herself carefully as a politician in California, threading her social connections, her personal biography, and law enforcement record to rise quickly in state politics until she became a United States senator and ultimately vice president of the United States. She went on to spend over one billion dollars during her failed 2024 presidential campaign. Her own internal poll suggested that Donald Trump was far ahead of her in many “swing” states.

Book Review: The Singularity Is Nearer: When We Merge with AI by Ray Kurzweil

The age of AI Kurzweil introduces the concept of the Law of Accelerating Returns, which states that the rate of technological progress accelerates exponentially over time. This law is based on the observation that each new technological innovation builds upon previous ones, leading to a rapid increase in advancements. Kurzweil identifies six epochs of evolution, each representing a significant milestone in the development of intelligence. Kurzweil’s ideas are based on unproven assumptions about the nature of intelligence and consciousness. It has overly optimistic predictions based on flawed assumptions about the rate of technological progress. The lack of discipline ventures into overly simplistic associations. The term "singularity" is borrowed from mathematics (like when a number is divided by zero), and physics (where matter, energy and physics laws fall into). The author uses the term as a metaphor because it captures our inability to comprehend with our current level of intelligence. But as the technological progresses, the author believes that it enhances our cognition quickly enough to adapt. He suggests that the Singularity will happen around 2045.

Book Reviewed: The Origins of Mathematics by V. Lakshmikantham and S. Leela

Mathematics and astronomy in ancient India This is a short book of ninety-two pages that focuses on Indian mathematics and astronomy very briefly. The account is not complete; the work of well-known Kerala School of Mathematics is largely ignored. The title of the book is somewhat misleading, but I recommend the authors review the material and include all important aspects to point the superiority of Indian mathematicians over Greek and European mathematics. The dates of several historical events in Indian math and astronomy are overestimated and not supported by archeological and historical evidence. Chapters 5 and 6 show a significant trigonometry which could be confusing to an average reader interested in learning about significance of Indian contribution to mathematics, astronomy, physics, cosmology, philosophy, economics, and architecture. Mathematics in ancient India has a rich and remarkable history, characterized by profound discoveries and developments that influenced mathematics worldwide. Ancient Indian mathematicians made significant contributions to arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and astronomy. Some the highlights include the decimal number system, including the concept of zero as a numeral; the Aryabhatiya by Aryabhata (476 CE) introduced techniques for solving quadratic equations, trigonometry, and approximations of π (pi); Brahmagupta (7th century CE) formalized the rules for operations involving zero and negative numbers; the Sulba Sutras (800-500 BCE) that described astronomical rules for constructing fire altars using geometric principles; Bhaskara I (7th century CE) and Bhaskara II (12th century CE) expanded algebraic understanding, solving complex equations and introducing concepts like cyclic quadrilaterals; and Bhaskara II’s Bijaganita ("Seed Counting") was a pioneering text in algebra. Indian astronomers integrated mathematics into their study of planetary motion and eclipses. The Surya Siddhanta, an ancient astronomical text, contains advanced calculations for planetary orbits. The Kerala School of Mathematics (14th–16th centuries) led by Madhava of Sangamagrama made early advancements in calculus, including power series expansions for trigonometric functions. Their work predated European calculus by centuries. Ancient scriptures like Rigveda contain mathematical ideas presented in philosophical terms: the hymn of Creation (Nasadiya Sukta) – Rigveda 10.129; The Cosmic Order Hymn Rigveda 1.164; and Purusha Sukta - Rigveda 10.90. These are the earliest philosophical concepts found in the ancient Vedic scripture that later led to six schools of Hindu philosophy culminating in Vedanta. The physical reality described by theoretical physics and is identical to Advaita Vedanta. The most fundamental entity of the cosmos is the Pure Consciousness out of which matter, and energy appears in spacetime. Guided by the laws of physics cosmos and life evolve.