'Jeeves can battle with the best of them'

Reading with Satish Kumar Menon, GM (Operations) at Esri R&D, Sharjah

What book(s) are you reading right now?
The types of books I read have changed tremendously as I advanced in life. Recent interests are in the areas of the brain, mind, and intelligence! The book I am engrossed in at present is on behavioural neuroscience. Titled The Source and written by Tara Swart, it deals with how our thoughts deal with our lives, attracting or repelling things, and how visualisation and manifestation play a significant role in shaping our lives. The Source brings forth the neuroscience behind this phenomenon, establishing how we harness the power of our mind. Visualise. Believe. Manifest. Achieve.

A book that changed your life, and why.
One book that has had a tremendous influence in my work life has been the one written by Prof Robert Kelley. How to Be a Star at Work: Nine Breakthrough Strategies You Need to Succeed.

Name one underrated book, and why you'd recommend it.
The Emerging Spatial Mind edited by Jodie M Plumert and John P. Spencer. Just as books like these may not find their way into our mainstream reading menus, enhancement of spatial thinking in our children and youth is underrated. So, it is no wonder the book itself may be underrated.

Your favourite literary character, and why.
Wodehouse novels and short-stories. Jeeves must be rated as my favourite, the valet that Bertie Wooster, his master, described as one who "can battle with the best of them". The Oxford dictionary lists this name as a generic word and has described Jeeves as "the perfect example of an intelligent and efficient servant who remains calm and can solve any problem".

A book quote that really stood out - and what it means to you.
 "The core of cognition is analogies" from Fluid Concepts and Creative Analogies by Douglas Hofstadter. It deals with the mysterious mental processes of the mind's capacity to notice similarities relying on pattern recognition, abstraction, and extrapolation, as well as selecting the most appropriate. For me, these thoughts have been a driving force in coming up with strategies for shaping and enhancing the creative thought processes of children.