Books (Non-Fiction)
When I do have spare time for personal reading, I find myself gravitating towards non-fiction books. Below are a listing of some of my favorites. If anyone has a good recommendation, please send me an e-mail!
Half the Sky, Nicholas Kristof
End of Poverty, Jeffrey Sachs
Globalization and its Discontents, Joseph Stiglitz
The Lexus and the Olive Tree, Thomas Friedman
The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid, CK Prahalad
The Moral Consequences of Economic Growth, Benjamin Friedman
The Clash of Civilizations, Samuel Huntington
One World, Peter Singer
The Republic, Plato
Africa Unchained: The Blueprint for Africa’s Future, George Ayittney
Vita: Life in a Zone of Social Abandonment, João Biehl and Torben Eskerod
Golden Arches East: McDonald’s in East Asia, James Watson
Life Exposed: Biological Citizens after Chernobyl, Adriana Petryna
Ties that Bind: A Social Contracts Approach to Business Ethics, Thomas Donaldson and Thomas Dunfee
La sociedad excluyente, Maristella Svampa
Books (Fiction)
As a Spanish minor in university, I had a chance to read many wonderful short stories, plays, and novels written by Latin American and Spanish authors. In general, I enjoy almost everything by Jorge Luis Borges and Miguel de Unamuno.
The Fountainhead, Ayn Rand
Ficciones, Jorge Luis Borges
Niebla, Miguel de Unamuno
Lazarillo de Tormes (The first picaresque novel!)
Cien Anos de Soledad, Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Poems, Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz
Judge Dee Mysteries, Robert Van Gulik
Music (Classical)
Having grown up playing violin and piano, I truly enjoy and appreciate classical music. Over the years, I have played many of the pieces listed below in various orchestras, chamber ensembles, or in private study. I also enjoy erhu and traditional Chinese classical music. Tchaikovski's Swan Lake is my favorite of all time - as a child, I would insist on listening to this ballet everyday!
Swan Lake Ballet, Tchaikovski
Piano Concerto No 1 in B-Flat Minor, Tchaikovski
Piano Concerto No 1, Chopin
Piano Concerto No 2, Chopin
Clair de Lune, Debussy
Piano Concerto No 5 (Emperor), Beethoven
Piano Concerto No 2, Rachmaninoff
Meditation from Thais, Massenet
Adagio for Strings, Barber
Concerto for Violin in G Minor, Bruch
Violin Concerto in E Minor, Mendelssohn
Rondo Capriccioso, Saint-Saens
The American Quartet, Dvorak
Oblivion, Piazzolla
Vocalise, Rachmaninoff
Gymnopedie, Satie
Brandenburg Concertos, Bach
Divertmento in D Major, Mozart
Favorite Classical Artists: Eroica Trio, Red Priest, Van Cliburn, Jacqueline Du Pre, Elizabeth Wallfisch, Joshua Bell
Music (Popular)
My tastes in popular music are very varied - I like almost everything from pop ballads to trance! The most important element, however, is a clear and compelling melody. Looking at the list below, I realized that I have a certain affinity for piano-driven rock, smooth voices, and catchy tunes. My little sister is very much into pop music from Asia - through her, I've been introduced to a lot of different artists and groups from Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and China.
Keane (Their first album is truly brilliant!)
Frou Frou (Must be Dreaming is one of my favorite songs)
Muse (I admit I am partial to melancholic, soulful songs)
Kent (Musik non Stop and Isola are extremely catchy)
Travis
Jason Falkner
Enya
The Cardigans
Queen
Jo Sung Mo (His voice is extraordinary - I don't think I can ever hit some of his high notes!)
Jay Chou
Arashi (My little sister got me hooked onto this band - what an interesting collection of personalities!)
W-inds (Kirei-da is perhaps my favorite J-Pop song ever)
Sarah Brightman
Favorite Quotes
“No hay más diálogo verdadero que el diálogo que entablas contigo mismo, y este diálogo solo puedes entablarlo estando a solas. En la soledad, y sólo en la soledad, puedes conocerte a ti mismo como prójimo; y mientras no te conozcas a ti mismo como a prójimo, no podrás llegar a ver en tus prójimos otros yos. Si quieres aprender a amar a los otros, recógete en ti mismo.”
-Miguel de Unamuno
“When one person hesitates because he feels inferior, the other is busy making mistakes and becoming superior.”
- Henry Link
“Our greatest glory is not in never falling but in rising every time we fall.”
- Confucius
“Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do.”
- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe