Recent Reading List

Book: ‘The Business School’ by Robert Kiyosaki

‘The Business School’ by Robert Kiyosaki is a book written to promote and sell network marketing business - pyramid scheme businesses where you acquire another customer who acquires another and the chain goes on, each member in the chain earning a little commission while trying to make some ROI on the initial investment done. I am not much of a fan of the network marketing business. Although the book started by trying to address the concerns of people like me, at the end of it I was still unconvinced. So I shall leave it at that.

Book: ‘Fools Die’ by Mario Puzo

‘Fools Die’ is a novel by legendary Mario Puzo revolving around the business of casinos and gambling. The story is by and large set a Las Vegas in USA. Apart from gambling this novel also touches publishing and the film industry. 

After reading many of his novels I have observed that each of his novels is a commentary on some business area or the other. In this respect Mario Puzo has created a niche for himself. 

I loved the way the story started – by introducing four friends each a different than the others. But afterwards the story moved into a lot of things and connection was broken. 

Main characters in the novel are John Merlyn, Cully Cross, and Jordan Hamley and the initial portion tells their gambling plays at the legendary Hotel Xanadu. One night Jordan kills himself in his room and then the story takes a turn. 

In the later parts of the book several other characters die in different fashion. 

This book is relatively new as it was published in 1978. 

After reading most of his books I can say that this is the weakest of all others. I had to turn pages in ‘fast forward’ mode later on in the book. 

The author has tried to get into too much of technicalities of the business of gambling as well as of show business in later sections; forgetting that not all may be equally interested. 

But like all other classics, this one is also a Mario Puzo classic and hence I recommend it to all of his fans.

Book: ‘The Last Don’ by Mario Puzo

'The Last Don' is one of the masterpieces from the brilliant novelist Mario Puzo. I found this one equally chilling like The Godfather. 

After reading almost all of Mario Puzo novels I have observed that each of his novels is in the backdrop of some profession or the other. In this novel the author brings to us the background of movie industry. Along with that it also touches casinos (in Las Vegas) and of course the mafia. 

The story starts with Don Domenico Clericuzio who is a mafia boss now in old age planning legitimacy for his family. Then story gets into life story of his grandnephew Cross or full name Croccifixio. 

There are several parallel side-stories going on, a lot of which I did not find too interesting, but the central story is amazing one and really brilliant. 

A warning: the novel, like other mafia stories from Puzo involves violence. Chilling ones to be specific and hence you should read it only if you like reading crime or mafia stories. 

This novel is also the basis of Mini-series on Television. 

Book: ‘Omerta’ by Mario Puzo

This is a mafia story and competes with The Godfather in brilliance as per my opinion. 

Book: ‘The Forth K’ by Mario Puzo

"K" stands for Kennedy and this is a story based on presidency race of a Kennedy and the tragedies involved. A very different line of story from other books of Mario Puzo, but as brilliant as it could get. 


- Rahul