Book I just read - "The Alexander Trilogy"

I just completed the Alexander trilogy by Italian author Valerio Massimo Manfredi (the translated version, ofcourse!). If I were to sum up my experiencev in a few words - "What a book it was!!". I just lapped up the three volumes, in every sense of the word. I've always been facinated by medieval warfare, master strategists and bold adventure. 'Alexander' was all of this and more. The books describe in gripping detail the birth, meteoric rise and equally rapid end of a conqueror, who was considered superhuman and a demi-god by his contemporaries. For people (like me) who had just encountered Alexander in their history books at school or in other short stories, this tome would open up a world of interesting information not just about Alexander, but about the contemporaries, cultures and customs of his era.

The author has meted out a brilliant treatment to the subject and you get a feeling of watching the protagonist upclose and you get immersed in his day-to-day activities, his triumphs and also his dark moments. This has led me on a spontaneous quest to works of a similar genre by other leading authors and also of other famed works by this author.

More on this shortly...

'Expensr' - The Next Disruptor

Recently, CNN's Business 2.0 magazine had come up with a compilation of the Top 10 startups that are most likely to topple existing industries or create entirely new opportunities, named 'Next 10 Disruptors'.

One of them that caught my attention was a startup named 'Expensr', that has been co-founded by an Indian by the name of Shawn Gupta. The idea is unbelievably simple! Its a handy, free on-line tool that helps you manage your personal finances by tracking your budget and daily spending habits, with a very user-friendly GUI. One of the smart features that propels its popularity is social-network feature that helps you compare your spending habits against your peer group around the world. (https://www.expensr.com/)

At firsthand, I really couldn't believe that this concept could make it into the coveted list rubbing shoulders amongst other invention-based startups. But then, as has been rightly quoted in the magazine "Disruption can be hard to see, even when it's right in front of your face"!!