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Five Non Fiction Books to Read this Lockdown

Across the Globe, cities have been put under lockdown, cutting down on human movements to restrain the contagious COVID-19's spread. 

While some might grumble about their routines to be disrupted, this is an excellent time to spend time with books. I have been asked by many to suggest some reads which they can read digitally. Here is my list of Non-Fiction books you should read while spending time at home.

1. Never Lost Again - Bill Kilday

This book is about Google Mapping and the story behind an App that you use in routine. Increasingly our populace is being dependent on Google Maps, but do you know how it all began? Bill Kilday chronicles the journey very well, since the time John Hanke started Keyhole. Kilday himself was part of Hanke's team from Keyhole days and Google as well. 

It is also an inspiring read for thousands of you who are struggling to rise in their careers, entrepreneurship, or businesses. It was not a smooth path for Hanke and his team and look now, how big Google Maps has grown.


2. Ninety Percent of Everything: Inside Shipping, the Invisible Industry That Puts Clothes on Your Back, Gas in Your Car, and Food on Your Plate - Rose George

Through Ninety Percent of Everything, Rose George takes us to a Voyage aboard a cargo ship. It is the Shipping Industry that impacts our lives in ways we cannot even imagine, and yet we are so unaware of it.

George also explores the challenges facing the Shipping World like the Piracy issues, which have become a new normal for the ships.


3. Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End- Atul Gawande

This book is a refreshingly honest work by Atul Gawande, which was published way back in 2014. It approaches subjects like morality and how Physicians deal with it. He refers to his work in the book, bringing some unique perspectives.

In times of a Pandemic, such a book opens your mind to new ideas, answers a few unasked questions, and provides the comfort of the knowledge that Dr. Gawande shares with brilliance.

4. When Change Happens... a Story of Organisational Transformation by Lalit Jagtiani

Change Management is not a new concept, but it will never be as relevant as a time like this when the World is grappling with a perplexing health emergency. Lalit Jagtiani uses a fictional company to highlight the principles of Change Management. 

The wisdom imparted is like a textbook to understand how transformations need to be handled. The author has clearly sought inspiration from his own experiences and crafted a book that should be read to better your career and work style.

5. Bottle of Lies: The Inside Story of the Generic Drug Boom by Katherine Eban

Although this book was published last year, it is actually a product of a decade long research by the author. Generic Drugs have taken centerstage according to me in any healthcare system in the World. Eban shines a torch on this industry and reveals something we all should know. After all, our loved ones at some point or another or we do consume generic drugs as prescribed by Doctors. 

It might have been written by an author based in the United States, but this book has a Global appeal owing to the reach of the medicines. Especially for the Indian readers, it touches a chord as the author investigates the big pharma companies in India. The way systems are gamed, and processes manipulated will be an eye-opener for many of you. But it will also make you more aware when you head to the Chemist to replace your prescriptions.

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Of course you can pick a book written by me as well, here is my Amazon Author Link

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Do drop in a comment as to what are you reading this April Lockdown 

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