Weapons of Math Destruction: How Big Data Increases Inequality and Threatens Democracry by Cathy O'Neil, A Review

Assalamualaikum and greetings dear Bits and Pieces readers, 

I always view the combo of big data and artificial intelligence (AI) with askance. Despite its many pros that are evident in our daily life, big data can entice majority of humans, the possessors of authentic intelligence, to quickly jump to conclusions without so much of a thought. It's ironic actually, considering we have all the data. We may also become entirely dependent on algorithms to make  decisions for us. At least, this is my opinion.

Now from this book, I learn that this deadly combo can also cause imbalance between IQ (intelligence quotient) and EQ (emotional quotient/emotional intelligence); leading to acts of oppression. This issue was pointed out ever so simply by the author, Cathy O'Neil (Except the part where the author made a comparison with baseball to which, as a Malaysian, can't quite relate. To generalize, Malaysians don't play baseball 😁) 

O'Neil started the book by introducing the concept of mathematical model, a familiar topic for me. Basically, a mathematical model tries to express any complex phenomena like the economic system, an office day-to-day operation, the weather, basically anything, in mathematical terms. Mostly with the use of statistics and assumptions (together with big data), a mathematical model can provide you with outcomes, predictions, and explanations. The assumptions are of course, based on evidence. With big data and AI, a mathematical model can be built more complex than ever.

The issue arises when the assumptions were not changed despite evidence proving otherwise (repeated use of the same model) or the outcome/prediction seemed illogical (see now what happens when you abandon reason?).

One may ask, "How come these cause oppression?" To illustrate the harm these pose, allow me to present to you two case studies from this book.  

Case Study 1 -Modelling teacher's competency

A teacher had scored 6 out of 100 on a teaching evaluation test. It's a ridiculous score because he had been teaching for 26 years. We suspect that the score is ridiculous out of moral ethics (EQ) and human reasoning (IQ) i.e. we recognize the teacher's experience and contribution that he made in spreading knowledge to his students. Curiously the next year, he scored 96 out of 100 despite maintaining his teaching methods.

Upon investigation, it was learned that in the year he got 6 out of 100, the teacher was teaching high achieving students and low achieving students. You see, it's difficult for low achieving students to score higher than their average marks. As for high achieving students, they had already scored high marks so they simply couldn't get higher marks. Therefore on the evaluation test, the non-increase in marks indicate that the teacher's teaching methods is abysmal.

On the other hand, in the year that the teacher scored 96 out of 100, he was teaching middle achievers. Middle achievers can either score below or higher than their average marks. That year, most were able to obtain higher than average marks. Due to this increase in marks, the evaluation test captured this as the teacher possessing excellent teaching methods. 

What does this tells us? The mathematical model was inaccurate in evaluating the teacher's ability to teach! The model was practically useless! Allow me to emphasize here, the inaccuracy of the model was detected by recognizing the value of the teacher and applying human reason. This is something that AI and Big Data are incapable of.

Case Study 2 - The United States (US) subprime mortgage crisis

Using algorithms (AI) and data on home mortgages (Big Data), a mathematical model was developed to segregate these mortgages into tranches. These tranches are then packaged into securities before selling them off to investors. The mathematical model had predicted that profit can be generated this way. The thing is, the outcome/prediction was illogical because these mortgages are held by people who are not eligible for loan in the first place. As such, the securities will induce loss sooner or later to the investors (see again why you need to apply human reason?). The mathematicians had somehow forgot about human beings from the model and only saw potential profit (EQ vs IQ). Due to this, many people defaulted on their loans and US suffered a recession.

 

There are many other case studies that O'Neil mentioned in her book. O'Neil concluded that in order to avoid these acts of oppression, the mathematical model of any phenomena must constantly be revised to include recent information. The author also alluded to the importance of reason (authentic intelligence) and moral values before trusting the outcome/prediction of a certain model. Only by holding on to these two traits reason and moral values), we are able to execute justice in this lifetime.

 

Source: O'neil, C. (2017). Weapons of Math Destruction: How Big Data Increases Inequality and Threatens Democracy. Great Britain: Penguin Random House UK

Voltaire's B*st*rds: The Dictatorship of Reason in the West by John Ralston Saul. A Review.

Assalamualaikum and greetings dear Bits and Pieces readers,

I pray that everyone is safe 🙌. I recently discovered that emojis can be inserted in blog posts! These are only some discoveries that I made during this global pandemic... I pray that everyone is safe and sound. Ameen.

Alhamdulillah (all praise to God), after much brooding, I finally understood the crux of this book. It actually stems from these two schools of thoughts: Socrates's and Plato's.

To put it simply, Socrates believes in the societal well being through the establishment of an ethical system that is built upon human reason [1]. To arrive at that ethical system, Socrates would questioned and challenged people what true ethics actually is. When the assumption of ethics that people held are challenged, Socrates had instilled doubt; to which this book claims the Westerners' lack. This lack of doubt and attention towards the societal well being are the main causes for the degradation of the Western civilization.

On the other hand, the philosophy expounded by Plato attempts to answer what true ethics, or basically the truth of everything, is. According to Plato, everything has an ideal or form in another world that is unchanging. This is termed as the Theory of Forms [2][3]. Since there indeed exists a form or a true answer to the questions raised by Socrates in his dialogues with the people, little doubt is left. So, people just need to think critically, and use all the five senses (vision, hearing, smell, taste, touch), what is the closest ideal version or the closest form of something in this world is. Using the five senses also means taking reality (of this world) into account. As such, this book argues that the West is obsessed with finding the forms of this world through efficiency and professional methodology (employment of technocrats); and views reflection (arising from doubt) as inefficient and the well being of society as secondary (I will argue later why despite thought and the use of five senses, well being of society is not primary). As such, the opening of this book argues that Plato's philosophy has put less emphasize on humanism that his mentor, Socrates, has preached. I, however, humbly disagrees.

Plato did say to take into account reality. The reality is that majority of Westerners value individual freedom more than societal well being. In other words, the West views individual freedom as the form of ethics, and that translates as the reality of this world. Thus it is not that Plato's philosophy is wrong, but it is the people's thought process and the use of five senses that had led to the assumption that individual freedom is the form of ethics. This belief is so ingrained in Westerners so much so that there is no doubt about it. Yes, despite this issue, the conclusion to the problem is still lack of doubt, similar to what Saul (2013) have said in this book. Yet again, I will also show one crucial point from the philosophy of Plato that the book did not highlight.

Saul (2013) had given countless real life examples where efficiency and professional methodology fails to solve a particular problem. He asserts that the current system that we have, politics, education, finance, economy, basically almost everything, are in shambles. The author pinpointed the source of the structural problems to the lack of humanism; where its foundation was built excessively on the Theory of Forms, the discouragement of doubt to permeate, and the inconsequential of societal well-being .

I feel that I need to tackle one particular system or two, in particular education, in particular social science, in particular finance and economics. These are two fields of study that I am familiar with. But this requires, God willing, another blog post for it will be quite lengthy.

Remember before I said that Saul (2013) had missed one important point about Plato's philosophy? That point is the form exists in another world that is unchanging and constant. So frankly, there is no perfect solution for this world. That world i.e. another world that Plato expounded, as to my belief, should be the afterlife. Plato himself was not able to arrive at that conclusion because his philosophical thinking, even Socrates's, does not take religion into consideration. They did not acknowledge, or was not able to arrive at the deduction, that there exists a Supreme Being that is All Knowledgeable.

By extension, try reflecting on this phrase:

Like most religions, reason presents itself as the solution to the problems it has created.

Saul (2013) had written this phrase in the opening vignette in Part I Argument of his book. Reading this statement in passing, one would think that the author views religion in askance for religion is the one who had created these problems in the first place and without shame, claims that it has the solutions.

Yet, notice that Saul (2013) said most religions. Meaning, one can also interpret that the author believes that there exists few religions that can provide answers to mitigate problems that these few religions did not create. Or perhaps Saul (2013) is simply being neutral? I would like to assume that he is in the former category.

In my humble opinion, we should combine doubt, the theory of forms, and religion (or ideas that you can get from it) to arrive at a solution that balances between societal well being and individual well being. When problems of each unit of society (individual/family) is addressed, consequently, the problems of society as a whole will be addressed too. In addition, one cannot be complacent but must constantly evaluate from time to time (stemming from the virtue of doubt), whether the solution presented before, is still practical for the present and future. It is worth emphasizing that ideas from religion is quintessential as human has limit to his/her thinking capacity. Thus, it is only reasonable to deduce that there exists a Supreme Being that is All Knowledgeable, constant, unchanging, and never dies. Plato indirectly said so in his theory of forms.

Before I end this post, I would like to address the other crucial point that the book did not highlight, or probably even consider. Our thought process should be guided by our heart. Sounds corny, I know. But ponder on this example:
You have only $10 and you come across a homeless mother with a child crying out of hunger. Nearby, there's a food stall that sells food for exactly $10. You are hungry yourself. But if your thought process is guided by your heart, there is a very high possibility that you will buy the food for the child instead of you eating it yourself.
Thus in religion, one's thought process is guided by the heart or "eye of the soul" where in Malay we termed it as "matahati". Perhaps, the deduction that individual freedom is the form of ethics comes from the disregarding of matahati.

It is important to be mentioned here that our matahati needs to be guided too. And that guidance can only come from the All Knowledgeable.

Main source: 
Saul, J. R. (2013). Voltaire's B*st*rds: The Dictatorship of Reason in the West. New York: Simon & Schuster Paperbacks.

Di Tepi Sungai Dajlah: Kembara ke Kota Baghdad, Iraq by HAMKA

Assalamualaikum and greetings dear Bits and Pieces readers,

On rare occasion, I would accidentally come across a book that is simultaneously unputdownable, on-point, well mannered in its words, and coincides with current world event. This is that book translated in English; On the Banks of Dajlah River: Travel to the City of Baghdad, Iraq.

Di Tepi Sungai Dajlah narrates HAMKA's travelings in Iraq with a backdrop of the region's history. Due to the fact that I had visited Iran last year, the never ending Sunni-Shiite quandary, and the assassination of Iranian General Suleimani, I immediately felt an affinity to this book.

For this post, allow me to concisely discuss the lessons that we can derive from the Sunni-Shiite quandary within the context of this book.

Let me first state one thing (lest I'll be judge in the social media tribunal), that I am a Sunni and disagrees with the Shiite doctrine. Yet, I feel the pure hatred that half, if not majority of Malaysian Sunnis, have on Shiite has caused a dangerous rift between Muslims. I am well aware that there are fatwas saying that Shiite are not Muslims, but I will reserve my comments on this matter. Instead, let me turn your attention to HAMKA's narration in pages 75 to 78 [1] (brief explanation in English is provided after):

Maka bilamana kami telah masuk ke dalam perkarangan makam Abbas itu, mulailah mutawwif kami mengajarkann bacaan-bacaan. Mula sekali mengucapkan salam pada Rasulullah, sesudah itu kepada Ali bin Abi Talib, sesudah itu kepada Hasan dan Husain, barulah langsung kepada Abbas ini. Bermacam-macam pujian diberikan kepadanya, dan kami turutkan. Kemudian mulailah bacaan berisi politik itu, iaitu mengutuk kepada orang yang membunuhnya dan mengutuk kepada orang yang menyuruh bunuh! Tentu saja Yazid!

Oleh kami adalah kaum Sunni, dan pasal kutuk mengutuk itu tidak ada dalam ajaran kepercayaan kami, maka di waktu bacaan sampai di sana, kami berdiam diri. Diulang oleh mutawwif kami itu sampai dua kali, kami tidak mahu menurutkan...mutawwif kami kelihatan agak kurang gembiranya...

Lalu di tengah jalan saya suruh mutawwif itu mendekat dan saya berkata: "Kami ini bangsa Indonesia, mazhab kami ialah Sunni, Syafie. Tetapi kami bukanlah membenci zuriat Rasul (keturunan Rasul). Kami ziarah kemari dari tempat yang jauh karena kami pun cinta kepada Husain... Sebab itu tuntunlah kami, tunjukkan kepada kami tempat-tempat yang penting, tempat berziarah. Cuma satu permintaan kami, janganlah dibawakan lafaz-lafaz yang mengutuk kepada orang yang telah mati". 

"Maafkan saya! Maafkan saya!" Jawabnya...

"Dahulu Imam Syafie difitnahkan orang di hadapan Raja Harun al-Rashid, dikatakan pembela Syi'ah, sehingga nyaris berbahaya bagi jiwanya" kataku pula. 

"Oh Tuan orang alim. Tuan banyak pengetahuan. Maafkan saya!"

Saya jawab pula: "Alim benar pun tidak, cuma tahu sedikit-sedikit saya kenal nama Ulama Syi'ah yang terbesar di zaman ini. Syed Al-Mujtahid Al-Akbar Syeikh Al Kasyif Ghita".   

"Oh , Tuan kenal nama beliau? Wahai, itu adalah ulama besar kami, pimpinan besar kami. Tuan kenal namanya?"

"Selama orang Islam membaca bahasa Arab, tentu akan kenal buah fikiran beliau. Kenal cita-cita beliau yang luas dan faham beliau yang mendalam". 

Brief English explanation:

When HAMKA and his companion was in the tomb of Abbas, the mutawwif (guide) ask them to praise Muhammad the Prophet (may peace be upon him), then Ali, then Hasan, Husain, and finally Abbas. They did so. But when the mutawwif went into politics and ask them to curse/condemn the killer and the plotter i.e. Yazid, they refused to do so and just kept quiet. The mutawwif was not happy.

HAMKA then explains that they are Sunnis and Sunnis are not supposed to curse. Yet, they do love the lineage of the Prophet. The founder of the Syafie madhab, Imam Syafie himself was slandered in front of a king saying that he's the defender of Shiite. HAMKA proceeded in stating that he also appreciates the thoughts of one of the Shiite's ulama namely Syed Al-Mujtahid Al-Akbar Syeikh Al Kasyif Ghita.  

It is a known fact that Shiite originated from a political disagreement; the reason why I ardently believe the mutawwif had asked HAMKA and his companion to curse/condemn Yazid. Interested readers may read this book to know the exact account of this historic event.

To return back to our main purpose, we can certainly derive two important lessons from HAMKA's narration in pages 75 to 78:
(1) Politics combined with any supremacist ideology can lead to a treacherous schism
(2) Yet, a bridge can be built over the schism by speaking the truth kindly and wisely

Certainly, in this dark age where people defined freedom of expression as freedom to express crudely, it is refreshing to read how HAMKA stood firm on his faith and politely disagreed. At the same time, he had also been respectful and sought common ground to further diffuse the tension. Nowadays, this courteous manner is almost an art form. I give this book 5 stars.

[1] HAMKA. (2018). Di Tepi Sungai Dajlah: Kembara ke Kota Baghdad, Iraq. Kajang: Jejak Tarbiah Publication.

The Death Instinct by Jed Rubenfeld

Assalamualaikum and greetings dear Bits and Pieces readers,

Death is only the beginning; afterward comes the hard part.

Immediately I was sucked into the story and found myself at Wall Street in year 1920. I could almost hear the bomb exploded and swore my ears were ringing among the civilians. When the story reminisced on World War 1, it is as though I was transported to the war zone itself. When the author introduced me to Sigmund Freud, Marie Curie, and Thomas Lamont, I was intrigued. As the story evolved towards the United States Treasury, a building on Wall Street, I got a sense of how monetary based on gold had worked before the Bretton Woods system collapsed.

Indeed, for the first time in weeks my mind was able to wander and forget the mirage we call reality. 

Unlike any other historical fiction I'd read, this book seeped right into my soul. The choice of words that the author used and the scene he depicted, revived something in me that I thought had long abated. That something is the thirst to write placidly, without chains.

As the book has given back a piece of me, I in return, give this book 5+ stars.

I just hope that I won't lose this piece of me again.

Navigating Early by Clare Vanderpool

Assalamualaikum and greetings dear Bits and Pieces readers,

If you're an ardent follower of my blog posts, you'd notice that I've found a (not so) new hobby; hiking. The allure of hiking once a week, to admire nature and breath in the fresh air together with new and old friends, leaves me begging for solitude on another day. It is on this day, the pull of my introvert side would call upon a novel to be present. Navigating Early written by Clare Vanderpool is one such novel.

This novel is by actual fact, a children's novel. I was too proud to buy the novel at first. But the synopsis had helped me battle with my ego. The story takes place on the Appalachian Trail attempted by two friends, one of whom is obsessed with the number pi (3.14). The synopsis certainly piqued the hiker and fallen Mathematician in me. Its true what people say, passion can overcome anything.

Jack Baker, 13 years old, had lost his mother at the end of World War II and was sent to a boarding school by his Naval Seal father. There, Jack met with a peculiar boy, Early Auden. Early has a pet frog named Bucky, likes to colour code his jellybeans when upset, and will silently exit any classroom when he disagrees with what's been taught. Early especially disagrees with his Mathematics teacher who thinks that the number pi has an end because Early opines that the number pi does NOT have an end. Early somehow came out with a story using the pi numbers which he only shared with Jack.

Early had an elder brother who died during the war. But Early does not buy that. There's a black bear who is terrorising hikers on the Appalachian trail and Early believes that he'll find his brother when he finds this bear. Jack thinks this as nonsense of course, but seeing that he's alone during school break, Jack might as well join Early on his quest. Besides, Early reminds him of his mother so much.

As a reader, what fascinates me most is how Early sees the world. It's truly outlandish how people see things differently and get judged harshly for that. Anyway, I believe this is what a good novelist should acquire, a SENSE of his/her characters. Early, if you had not guessed yet, is actually a savant and has high functioning form of autism. I give this book 5 stars.   

A page from the book

Lessons on Writing: Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult (Spoiler Alert!)

Assalamualaikum and greetings dear Bits and Pieces readers,

It has been long since I post about a novel for one simple reason; I rarely have the time to read for leisure. But I needed to rest my mind so I skeptically bought Leaving Time. When I finish reading it however, I felt glad that I bought it. Not only that I felt refreshed, I also learned a few writing pointers.

But before I delve into those pointers, you need to know the story. Do read the synopsis here and let me fill in the ending later. Read the link, already? Alright then.

Jenna Metcalf and Virgil Stanhope are actually dead and living in the spirit world; of which they did not realise. Hence it's not that Alice didn't want to come back for Jenna but because she can't; she's alive and Jenna is not. Serenity Jones on the other hand, did not know that she was helping two spirits at first.


1. Introducing a riveting element of surprise

Photo credit: Christopher Michel

I find this to be extremely difficult to craft while Jodi Picoult exceeded expectations. Her trick was to make the life of Jenna and Virgil as mundane as possible by narrating the spirit world like our world, like the world of the living just so we do not suspect anything. For example, Jenna riding a bicycle, Jenna browsing the internet, Jenna living with her grandma, Virgil pretending to flirt with a lab attendant, and many others. To not make it look dull, the author added the element of mystery to the story. What I mean by mystery is, readers can't help but want to know why Alice left her daughter. From what Jenna describes her, surely Alice is in some kind of trouble. Maybe she's dead. Maybe she's in captive. So readers would just keep on reading and cling to their curiosity because they NEED to find out why. When the author dropped in casual (and some not so casual) hints throughout the story, the readers just read through them without giving much thought. Combining these three aspects: mundane, mystery, and casual hints will in the end have the awe effect on readers.    


2. Different ways to create awareness in story 

Photo credit: kikatani

More often than not, we write a story because we want to teach certain message(s), make the readers aware of certain issue(s), or provoke readers to think. As a result, we make these the main focus of our story. Take for instance the Hunger Games trilogy. We can easily see that the main message of the story is about political injustice (okay I didn't read the books but I watched the movie which is based on the books). We start to notice that this is happening in the real world.

Focusing back to Leaving Time, Jodi Picoult raised awareness on elephant exploitation and how we need to protect this majestic creature without making it the center stage. She does this by fashioning Alice as a scientist who studies elephant grief of which intertwines with Alice's own grief from losing her own daughter (of course the readers didn't realise it at first). Therefore, Jodi Picoult indirectly speaks to the readers' heart and conscience about the elephants, without making elephants the main focus.


3. The power of story that can reach minds and change hearts

Photo credit: ecooper99

I am an animal lover but now I have a special spot for elephants in my heart. All of this is because I read Leaving Time. So the fact that a book can do this to me becomes my motivation to work harder for my novelette and later writing projects. It made me realise more that writing is a gift from God and it should be used to impact the lives of HIS creatures on earth. Otherwise, we are just being ungrateful to HIM.

I also believe that bearing this in mind can help authors and bloggers to rise up to the grueling task of writing. The same can be said to those who dreams to be a writer. The possibility to change hearts can crush the wall of fear and lack of confidence that often surrounds a future writer.


I sincerely hope that you gain something from this week's post. I also hope that this post has touch or at least brush your lives. Until the next post...do take care! 
  

Tafseer Surah An-Nur Verses 6 to 10 by Nouman Ali Khan (Week 3)

Assalamualaikum and greetings dear Bits and Pieces readers,

Before I start, week 2 tafseer had supposedly covered verse 5. Typical me, loosing focus so easily. But don't be disappointed. Ustaz (teacher) Nouman repeated a bit.


Verse 5

Source: The Nobel Quran

This verse simply states that although a person is fasiq (misguided), ALLAH will still forgive if (s)he repents.

Now moving back to the main topic, verses 6 to 10 touches on the topic of adultery that is done by married couples.

Verses 6 and 7

Source: The Nobel Quran

Verse 6 states that if a husband can't bring forward witnesses of his wife's adultery, then he can swear four times by ALLAH that indeed it happened. After swearing, he must also make an oath saying that ALLAH shall curse him if he lies.

Verses 8 and 9

Source: The Nobel Quran

The same goes to the wife. The wife will not be punish if she swears four times by ALLAH that her husband is lying. Then she must make an oath stating that she will face ALLAH's wrath should her husband tells the truth.

This process describe in verse 6 to 9 is actually call li'an in the laws of Islam.

Verse 10 

Source: The Nobel Quran

Notice that "And if not for the favor of ALLAH upon you and HIS mercy..." is an unfinished sentence. Unfinished sentences almost always happen when we are extremely angry. You know like, 'If you do that again, I'll...ARGH!" Get the feeling? So this phrase actually portrays how ALLAH is extremely furious with a wife that cheats on her husband. But still ALLAH says, "and because ALLAH is Accepting of repentance and Wise". In other words, should the wife repents, ALLAH will still forgive her of this despicable sin.


Before I end this post, I would like you to observe something. Recall from week 2 that after narrating about adultery done by single (wo)men in verse 2 to 3, and after false accusations in verse 4, ALLAH says in verse 5 that HE will forgive should (s)he repents. Same goes in verse 10. ALLAH forgives the wife who cheats on her husband on the condition that she repents. Thus what we can derive here again is that Islam is a religion that is full of mercy; not harshness.

Tafseer Surah An-Nur Verses 2 to 4 by Nouman Ali Khan (Week 2)

Assalamualaikum and greetings dear Bits and Pieces readers,

Alhamdulillah (all praise be to ALLAH and thanks to ALLAH), I was given the opportunity to attend the tafseer (explanation) of certain verses from Surah An-Nur (chapter 24 of the Quran); presented by Nouman Ali Khan. The talk is organised every Saturday in August after Asar prayer until Maghrib prayer (about 5pm to 7.25pm) at the Wilayah Mosque, Kuala Lumpur. So should any of you live nearby, do attend the next sessions.

Back to the topic.

To be honest, the tafseer was until verse 5 (according to my husband) but I didn't jot anything down about it. But despite my obvious lack of focus, I was still able to collect valuable gems from verses 2 to 4.

Verse 2 

Source: The Noble Quran

One glance of this verse would portray that the religion of Islam is cruel and harsh but don't state your verdict yet. Let's first analyse my notes pertaining to the historical, cultural, and linguistic context of this verse.

During the time of Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him (pbuh), prostitution was out in the open. A prostitute would put a certain flag on her door signalling to men that should he want zina (sexual intercourse outside of marriage), then he can come to her. Obviously, everyone knows what that flag meant. Thus a public crime such as this deserves a public punishment. On top of that, it is to make certain without doubt that they have indeed being punished

These 100 lashes that should be done in public however, have certain conditions according to fiqh (laws in Islam). Scholars say that it cannot be done in a cold day or hit parts of the body that can cause major injury. The reason behind this is because they are being punish enough.

"...and do not be taken by pity for them in the religion of ALLAH, if you should believe in ALLAH and the Last Day" has dimensions of meaning to it. Firstly, the person who is carrying out this punishment should feel pity towards those who are going to be punished. If he doesn't feel pity, then there's something wrong with his heart. Secondly, the reason he should perform this punishment is because ALLAH commands it; nothing more.

Lastly, there is a very powerful reason behind the statement "...And let a group of believers witness their punishment". Believers should witness the crime because believers would make do'a (prayer) for them. Only believers would ask ALLAH to forgive their sins, only believers would desire good for them, and only believers would feel sad. If non-believers were to watch, they would assume the punishment as a show, they would see it for fun, and ridicule the ones who are being punished.

On a very important side note, take notice that this verse is condemning those who commit zina in public. This verse didn't mention about those done privately. When analyse carefully, this is proof of how Islam is such a rahmah (loving and merciful) that the religion doesn't punish acts of zina that are done in secret. Even if someone had seen and report this act, there are strict conditions for the one who reports (details will be given in verse 4). Islam instead urges the fornicator to do sincere taubah (the act of seeking forgiveness from ALLAH) and to know that ALLAH never punishes a person (even if HE seems to be punishing) after (s)he does taubah.

There is a Hadith (tradition of the Prophet Muhammad pbuh) about a woman who had committed zina and felt such remorse that she asked the Prophet pbuh to punish her. But the Prophet pbuh said that she should just go. She came to the Prophet pbuh a few times and he told her the same thing. Take notice that the Prophet pbuh was reluctant to punish her. Thus this is again another proof of how Islam is a religion full of rahmah. But after that, she told the public that she had committed zina; leaving the Prophet pbuh with no choice but to punish her.

Verse 3

Source: The Noble Quran

This verse is quite a direct one; believers are not to marry a fornicator. In the present context, believing men and women should not marry those who love going to night clubs, who has multiple partners, and the likes. Besides, if we think about it, (wo)men who goes to night clubs etc would choose a husband/wife that's alike. Same goes to believing (wo)men; they would also choose someone alike. But bare in mind that should a fornicator makes sincere taubah, then (s)he can indeed marry a believer.

Here, Nouman Ali Khan had made a small comment on what has pornography done to us. Pornography had turned intimacy that is supposed to be an act of love, an act that brings husband and wife closer to each other like never before, into an act of animals. According to him, 80% of pornographic content are violent. Plus Islam teaches us that intimacy is like clothing for the husband and wife which symbolises protection and love; not pain, and definitely not a thing that can be turned into a profitable industry. 

Verse 4

Source: The Noble Quran

Picking up from the paragraph before last in verse 2, the one who complains must bring forth 4 witnesses that had also saw the fornication happening. On top of that, these witnesses must clearly see that the man's organ went inside the woman's. This of course, is impossible to prove hence shows how Islam is full of rahmah; Islam doesn't want to punish.

If the one who complaint can't produce the above, then (s)he should be punished instead and his/her testimony can never be taken. Ever. Unless if (s)he does sincere taubah.

There are four or five reasons why this said person is punish so harshly and his/her testimony can never be trusted. But I only managed to jot down two because I lost my focus! Sorry for that. Anyway, the two reasons are (1) this sort of person loves to destroy people's dignity and, (2) they love to insinuate. Those who loves to insinuate are clearly fasiq (definitely misguided).


Before I end this post, I would like to present to you a sort of summation from the tafseer of these verses:

1) The reason for hudud is to get rid of the extreme in society, to protect the society, and not to punish
2) The most important thing for a Muslim is iman and it is protected by doing taubah
3) Islam is a religion of rahmah.

God willing, I will post week 3 of Tafseer Surah An-Nur next week.

Sunan - Nanggroe Sang Kembara by Ramlee Awang Murshid

Assalamualaikum and greetings dear Bits and Pieces readers!

I had spent my last weekend by reading this novel:

For those who follow my blog knows that books written by Ramlee Awang Murshid (RAM) is the only Malaysian book that I ever read.

Truth be told, this book was published months back but the worries and fear of embarking on a new phase of life (read PhD studies) had hindered me from purchasing it immediately.

This book narrates the life of Laksamana Sunan when he was still a young boy and a teenager. He is known as the "miracle boy" because he was still born; no cries, no movement, no nothing. But after minutes pass, he suddenly wailed like a normal baby.

Laksamana Sunan, or his real name Saifuddin, lives happily with his family at Kampung Punggor for a little over a decade. Then an unfaithful incident occurred; Orang Kaya Seman desired to be the chief of Punggor. He had set up a devious plan to overthrow Saifuddin's father who is the current chief. He remorselessly slandered Saifuddin and forced four other people, including his own daughter, to become false witnesses to implicate Saifuddin. As a result, Saifuddin was lashed with a cane in front of the villagers. Ashamed and felt betrayed by his own father, he ran away to Malacca. But misfortune still chased him; he was caught by pirates and sold as a slave at the port of Malacca, the very place he had hoped to find peace.

To understand why I love this novel, you must first know that this novel is a prologue to Sutera Bidadari, Cinta Sufi and other Laksamana Sunan series. In those series, Laksamana Sunan is already portrayed as a pious warrior, a perfect man to be precise. On the other hand, Sunan - Nanggroe Sang Kembara portrays his imperfect side, which is the person he is before he became a great warrior; much like Anakin Skywalker only he's the opposite.

I must say that I drank in this novel patiently, so as to really appreciate the hardships that Saifuddin went through. It is almost analogous with the PhD journey that I am currently in. Indeed, it is the hardships that make a person stronger and wiser.

Only one thing that disappoints me, RAM had left me hanging! There will be a continuation. So typical of him. Anyway, I award this novel 4.7/5

The House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz

Assalamualaikum and greetings,

I've just finished reading The House of Silk written by Anthony Horowitz. This book is among the 2012's four select editions of Reader's Digest. I purchased it very cheap from the Big Bad Wolf last year.

I am currently in a state in which every mystery or crime fiction reader will find herself in after finishing a magnificent book of this genre. If you are one yourself, I'm sure you know how I feel. The characters and atmosphere of the novel remain, the exhilaration of the chase lingers, the feeling of revelation when the mystery's been solved stays and there is a longing for certain characters to be alive and real. It is overwhelming.

You might think that I am exaggerating. But I assure you, a fan of Sherlock Holmes will not see it that way.

In the preface of the House of Silk, there's a paragraph that got me completely hooked:

It is a year since Holmes was found at his home on the Downs, stretched out and still, that great mind forever silenced. When I heard the news, I realised that I had lost not just my closest companion and friend but, in many ways, the very reason for my existence. Two marriages, three children, seven grandchildren, a successful career in medicine and the Order of Merit might be considered achievement enough for anyone. But not for me. I miss him to this day and sometimes I fancy that I hear them still, those familiar words: "The game's afoot, Watson!" They serve only to remind me that I will never again plunge into the swirling fog of Baker Street with my trusty service revolver in my hand. I think of Holmes often, waiting for me on the other side of that great shadow that must come to us all, and in truth I long to join him. I am alone. My old wound plagues me and, as a terrible and senseless war rages on the continent, I no longer understand the world in which I live.

With only this paragraph, Anthony Horowitz had fill the void inside of me from not knowing how Holmes died. It's like a closure for me. And in knowing that fact, I can rest my mind. But I wish to read just one more, one more story of Holmes and Watson; and this is where the brilliance of Horowitz strikes the most; he gave me the story:
There he is, with pipe in hand. He turns to me. He smiles. 'The game's afoot...'

As I journey with Holmes and Watson, I came to a conclusion that Anthony Horowitz could possibly be the reincarnation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Hell, you can even say that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle had possessed Anthony Horowitz while writing this novel. I am awestruck at how Horowitz has followed Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's writing style closely. The scenes he described, the words and phrases he used, the way Watson narrated Holmes's investigation methods...it was a strong resemblance! For me personally, all of these combined has filled my ache for Holmes and Watson as pictured by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

As all these feelings and thoughts washed over me, I find that I am also learning and analyzing writing styles and powerful story telling method from Anthony Horowitz. I hope that I can write a story that will leave my readers at a state I am right now. I hope that these feelings of mine which I had put down in this post have reached out to you so that you too, can make something out of them.

Elysium - A Reality Shrouded in Ignorance

Assalamualaikum and greetings dear readers,

Walking through the Masjid Jamek subway to hop on to another train, I caught sight of a movie poster. That movie was Elysium. Matt Damon was featured in the poster, obviously the main character looking like Robocop.

Putting Star Wars and Star Trek aside, I'm not a fan of sci fi movies. I like Star Wars because I grew up watching it and I like the movie Star Trek because Benedict Cumberbatch was in it. The Star Trek series on the other hand, is not my type of series at all.

So I don't know why I IMDB-ed Elysium. I then read the synopsis and I said to myself that I must watch this. And today finally, I got a chance to do so.

To me, Elysium is an almost perfect depiction of the kind of economy that we live in. In the movie Elysium, the Earth is overpopulated and diseases are rife. Those who are wealthy moved out to Elysium, a man made planet which is clean, hygienic, beautiful, peaceful and in order. The poor on the other hand, is stuck leaving on ruined Earth where medical attention is lacking and Los Angeles is basically a slum. Working conditions are terrible and  the lives of people there meaningless.

Meanwhile up in Elysium, dirty politics are taking place. It's typical how greed for power can easily be assumed as good intention. And it's puzzling how politicians can assume themselves as the upholder of justice when what they do is only speak pretty words and campaigning without dirtying their hands. I assumed this is what Neill Blomkamp, the writer and director of Elysium had characterized in Delacourt and President Patel. And I think this is what Neill sees in many real life politicians and leaders nowadays.

But what I'm really interested in is, being a student of Finance and having a modest knowledge in economy, is the fact that in year 2154, which is the year this movie takes place, the gap in inequality is very wide. If you have been reading or paying some attention to the news, this is actually happening in reality. Look at the figures of homeless people in the United States (US), the rural poverty of US's rival in economy - China and the world's environment index.

All of these clearly shows that the present economy and financial system are flawed. In Elysium, Max whom had acquired the code of Elysium's system, had managed to rewrite it with the help of Spider. Spider had ensured that in the current system, all the poor citizens on Earth will be given the citizenship of Elysium thus closing the gap in inequality.

Before I end this post, I would like to bring your attention to Max. Max was involved in grand theft auto and went to prison before working at a factory where he was exposed to extreme radiation. When I watched him, I see that he's just a low life criminal but this low life criminal was the one who made equality possible and gave new lives to the poor people on Earth. Thus, I'm pretty sure that we, mere normal human beings, can bring about change too; no matter how small it is.  

The Great Disruption by Paul Gilding

Assalamualaikum and greetings fellow citizens of Bits and Pieces!

I've been meaning to write this post for a long time and today, alhamdulillah, I finally get to write it.

Environmental economics. I've been interested in this field ever since I enrolled in my Master's programme. We were talking in the cafe when a friend of mine was saying this. I was intrigued.
"Environmental Economics? I thought economics doesn't care about the environment," my judgmental and foolish self spoke inside.
So I begged my friend to explain. What he told me in simple terms was how can men build the economy in such a way that the environment can still be sustained? That is environmental economics.
I thought to myself, "wow!" This is something realistic. Human beings need economics and we sure need the environment. And truthfully, people will get more serious about saving the environment when they know that economy will be in jeopardy too.

I am a student of Finance. Having to take courses and writing a dissertation, I don't have much free time to indulge myself in Environmental Economics at that time.

But then the Big Bad Wolf came and being a book worm, I can't resist. I went there with a friend, both of us bringing our wheeled travel bags to put in the tonnes (hyperbolic here) of books we were going to buy. And during that faithful event, I found this book:  

Paul Gilding wants us to realize that we are experiencing what he called "Scream Crash Boom".

"In summary it argued that the Scream - the call to action that had been under way since the late 1950s, was coming to an end; the Crash - of the ecosystem and economy, was beginning; and the Boom - a response to extraordinary speed and scale, was not far behind."

Let me explain a bit. 

Paul Gilding argued that humanity, the economy and the planet's ecosystem operate as a single interdependent system and that this system is in deep trouble. Quoted from this book, many scientists have given their warning:

"The broad conclusion they all come to is that we face a significant risk of major change that undermines society's prosperity and stability, we are a substantial contributor to the risk, and to reduce the level of risk we should dramatically reduce emissions of the pollution that causes the problem and the solutions is really very simple".

I'll get back to you on the solution. Now, I want to explain how is it that the economy can impact the environment and vice versa; and how all these will in turn affect us. To do so, I will again use Paul Gilding's own words:

Goldman Sachs has another set of data and predictions that reach similar conclusions. They forecast that while per capita GDP will approcimately double in the G7 developed countries by 2050, the real growth in per capita income will occur in the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) and N-11 (Next Eleven, the large developing economies that along with BRIC have the potential to overtake the G7 as the world's largest economies in this century). In these economies, Goldman Sachs sees per capita income increasing on average by almost ten times between 2006 and 2050...

When we add population increases to per capita income increases, we can see a world in 2050 where the economy is many times the size of today's. According to IMF and Australian Treasury figures, it will be five times larger. According to accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), we can forecast an average global growth rate of 3.2% a year in purchasing power terms until 2050, which over forty years means an economy more than 3.5 times larger than today's.

That's a planet now running at 140% of capacity that will subsequently run at somewhere between 500% and 700% of capacity. Yes, it is true, that there is potential for significant efficiency gains that will decrease resource use and pollution per dollar of output, but that has a natural limit - we can make things lighter and cleaner but in the end we still have to make them. This combined with the fact that we keep making more of them means efficiency gains will not even come close to compensating for the growth we plan for...

Putting the numbers together, including continued efficiency gains, we plan to create an economy which in 2050 is running at somewhere between 300% and 400% of capacity. Based on their own data sets and projections, the Global Footprint Network has warned that we are on course to be running at 200% of capacity by the early 2030s - two planet's worth. Having only one planet makes this a rather significant problem...

We will face the Great Disruption. First, the economy will simply not grow. The earth is full; there is nowhere to put an economy that is twice the size of the earth, let alone five times the size. We will try hard to grow it; indeed, we will throw everything we have at the task, as we did when growth stalled in 2008. We will have some success, and growth will occur in individual countries and companies, and at different times it will occur globally for periods. But it will not happen on a significant scale of for sustained periods, for any decades to come. It will be prevented from doing so by the physical constraints of resource availability and the physical response of the global ecosystem, particularly the climate, on which our economy depends.

However, we are not doomed. There is still hope to stop this. Paul Gilding did not leave us with these frightful facts without any proposed solutions. So here you are, the solutions that we can adopt:

1. Cut deforestation and other logging by 50%

2. Close 1000 dirty coal power plants within 5 years

3. Ration electricity, get dressed for the war, and rapidly drive efficiency

4. Retrofit 1000 coal power plants with carbon capture and storage

5. Erect a wind turbine or solar power plant in every town

6. Create huge winds and solar farms in suitable locations

7. Let no waste go to waste

8. Ration use of dirty cars to cut transport emissions by 50%

9. Prepare for biopower with CSS

10. Strand half of the world's aircraft

11. Capture or burn methane

12. Move away from climate-unfriendly protein

13. Bind 1 gigaton of CO2 in the soil

14. Launch a government-and community-led "shop less, live more" campaign

I know, we are just normal people with no position in the government. We don't have any power.

Well people, we need to stop with the excuses and inferiority. We need to grow up and be strong! At the very least, we can do no. 7, 8,12 and/or 14. We should recycle and stop wasting, walk to the shops or class or to prayers instead of hopping on motorbikes and cars, cut down on climate unfriendly meat and lastly, I know this is tough girls, but cut down on your shoppings!

Thus this ends my post. I sincerely hope now that you've read and realize the reality; and that you will do something even if it is a little.

Good day to you :)

Crisis Economics: A Crash Course in the Future of Finance by Nouriel Roubini and Stephen Mihm

Assalamualaikum and greetings dear readers

Today, I have finish reading this book by Nouriel Roubini and Stephen Mihm, Crisis Ecnomics: A Crash Course in the Future of Finance:

This is my first book about Economics and Finance that I have properly read and finish. I bought it only for RM8 from the Big Bad Wolf book sale a few months back. The knowledge that I gain from this book is far more expensive in value than that RM8, alhamdulillah (all praise be to ALLAH)

Basically, this book explains the financial crisis that had hit the United States in 2008 and how deadly it was. The authors had highlighted the effective steps that should be taken in order to arrest the crisis. Roubini and Mihm also explains why we must expect future crisis and how the capital system that we are in now are prone to crisis.

This book to me, is a must read for all economics and finance student, practitioners, pundits and academicians alike.

p/s: If you know me personally, you can borrow this book from me if you like :)

Aku Terima Nikahnya: Edisi Istimewa

Assalamualaikum and greetings Bits and Pieces readers!

I have recently finished reading the book below and only today did I find the time to make this entry. Do bear in mind that this is NOT the Malaysian movie Aku Terima Nikahnya. My close friends would know that I am not a fan of my local movies.

Aku Terima Nikahnya: Edisi Istimewa is actually a compilation of three books written by Ustaz Hasrizal namely Aku Terima Nikahnya, Bercinta Sampai ke Syurga and Murabbi Cinta. All is written in Malay and I don't think there's a translation in English.

Actually, the first book in the compilation, Aku Terima Nikahnya, has long been published. A friend of mine had read it and recommended it to me before but I don't feel like reading it that time. But now, trying to understand what marriage is, to get a glimpse of the role of a wife and a mother, I was compelled to read it.

After reading the first few paragraphs, I was mesmerized. As I kept on reading, my eager face turned into a serious one. Then I got worried. Then I felt joy. Then I cried. As a whole, I experienced a rush of different feelings.

What I learned is that, marriage is not all about preventing you from zina (sex out of marriage), its not all about bearing children, about getting "happily ever after", about "I'm already 25 so I should get married" and other typical reasons. Instead, it is about finding a companion to grow together, to learn the religion together and to bring forth an ummah of quality, all for the sake of ALLAH. Then God willing, the family would achieve mawaddah (the highest level of love).

I would highly recommend this book to be read by those who are eager to marry, who are skeptical about marriage, who intends to marry, to parents and to teenagers who are madly in love. In short, this book is for everyone.

The Fracture Zone: A Return to the Balkans by Simon Winchester

Since the final year (if I'm not mistaken) of my undergraduate studies, I started to develop an interest in history, culture, people and writing. I soon buy books like Legends of the Samurai, novels like The Calligrapher's Daughter and currently, has just finished reading this book.

The Fracture Zone is what I would call, a kind of traveler's journal. Simon Winchester had journeyed through Croatia, Bosnia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey to uncover the underlying cause behind the civil war that had pillaged some of the countries. He produced this book based on this journey. Among others, he interviewed refugees, a scholar, priests, ordinary people and museum visitation; and also, his personal observation of this catastrophe.

I end this post with an excerpt from The Fracture Zone. This was when Simon Winchester was at Turkey; and during the end of his road:

But then it was a little before eight o'clock, and the sun had set over the Sea of Marmara, and unseen, from one of the slender minarets above the Blue Mosque, a muezzin began to call. His voice, amplified by electronics, echoed and boomed around the square, and for a moment all at the cafe tables, and all the people passing by outside, were stilled, enchanted and respectful of this ancient and poetic cry. I picked up my telephone as quietly as I could, and dialed the number of a woman I knew, and had once loved, in New York, where it was still the middle of the afternoon. She answered, and I held the telephone up into the soft air, and let her listen to a sound she knew well, and that I knew well that she would like to hear.
And as I played the sound of the Ottoman call to her all those thousands of miles away, I gazed up into the purple of the Turkish evening sky, and I watched the seagulls circling, illuminated by the floodlights like tiny ghosts, as they glided endlessly around the very tips of the four minarets, and over the huge dome under which, even now, scores of the faithful were kneeling towards Mecca. The force of Islam, unchanging and unchanged, seemed then of a power and majesty like no other.
Silence fell, suddenly and thunderously. I put the telephone back to my ear, and in the distance I could hear the thin sirens of a police car making its way up to Madison Avenue. The ancient and the modern, the eternal and the fleeting, briefly connected in a flicker of electronics.
'That was enchanting,' said the voice at the distant end.

Negeri 5 Menara by A. Fuadi

Alhamdulillah, I have finish reading Negeri 5 Menara. Since my friend borrowed it to me in the end of November last year, I only managed to complete it yesterday; a highly unusual long period of time for me who is a book worm.The reason: MY JEDI MASTER TRAINING! I'll share my experiences later in another post, insyALLAH.

Negeri 5 Menara tells of a story about Alif Fikri. Alif dreamed of going to SMA, a school that can realised his ambition of becoming a pilot. However, his mother wants him to go to a pondok school, a school that teaches knowledge about Islam. Alif's mother said that she wishes that her son can learn about the Islamic knowledge for at present, Islamic scholars does not practice Islam as it supposed to be. He rebelled against this but in the end, Alif agreed; although he wants to be schooled at Pondok Madani, a very far place from his hometown, Danau Maninjau. According to his uncle, Pondok Madani has produced many excellent individual who are currently studying in Mesir.

Never underestimate a mother's wishes for her children. After all, paradise lies underneath a mother's feet.  Alif soon found out that he really enjoys learning there. Pondok Madani translates Islamic application in all forms; beginning from studies, sports, theater performances, journalism to becoming a leader and preparing to be a follower. The Arabic saying, 'man jadda wa jadda', basically meaning you sow what you reap, coursed through him, acting like a powerful medicine that makes him study harder and harder in order to achieve his dream.

When I read this novel, I felt jealous of Alif. I've never learned about the journey of Ibnu Batutta. How can I not know when I too would want to be a traveler one day? The knowledge of Arabic language too was made so interesting (I did took the Arabic subject when I was in Matriculation but I only learn in order to pass :D). The Arabic sayings. Photography, writing.. I think this is one of the reason that I had chosen to take MSc Finance instead of pursuing a more 'truer' branch of Mathematics; and also why I love to read, hehe. I also admire the teachers' spirit in teaching the Pondok Madani students. They are very sincere in delivering knowledge.

All in all, I give this book a 4/5. Although I must say here, I didn't give 4.5 or a 5 because I tend to compare writers. Like now, I'm comparing A. Fuadi with Andrea Hirata, hehe.

Do view the Negeri 5 Menara website. And Nuurraihan, you MUST read this novel. Everyone MUST read this novel. And Andrea Hirata's too, hehe :D

I will end this post with a profound quote that I found from this book:

Jangan pernah takut dan tunduk kepada sesiapa pun.Takutlah hanya kepada ALLAH. Sebab yang membatasi kita atas dan bawah hanyalah tanah dan langit


Never be afraid nor bow to anyone. Fear only ALLAH. Because the only thing that limit us above and below are only soil and sky.

Nota Fikir untuk Zikir by Pahrol Mohd Juoi

First off, let me tell you that Ustaz Pahrol, the author of this book, is one of the first Muslim Malaysian author and da'i(one who spreads the beauty of Islam) that I look up too. To me, the way he thinks, the way he talks about Islam and the way he performs da'wah(spread the beauty of Islam) is comprehensive and whole. He always based his da'wah upon the Quran and sunnah, really knows how to approach people from different stages, can relate to what these people must feel and think, and how to make people think critically. MashALLAH!

This book, Nota Fikir untuk Zikir (Thinking Notes on how to Perform Zikr[zikr meaning remembrance of ALLAH]) is one of his excellent books that I've read. Ustaz Pahrol teaches us how to look things on different perspective. He shares with us how a person can stimulate his brain and heart to remember ALLAH in everything that we see, heard and feel.

The author tells us that we can actually gain and analyze the moral and Islamic contents that a person can acquire from fairytale and children stories; such as Si Luncai and the Emperor's New Clothes. He also asks us to ponder upon the creations of ALLAH; for instance how the lizard who despite couldn't fly, eats food that are flying. And also how the grasses, whom often are stepped upon, can always stand up tall, just the way they use to be before being stepped upon.

In short, this book will help you to think out-of-the-box and definitely encourage you to think critically. A warning from me though; your views of everything, anything; will never be the same again. My rating: 5/5

p/s: do read on my views on Naruto :D And nuuraihan, thank you for letting me borrow this book :)

Sutera Bidadari by Ramlee Awang Murshid

Sutera Bidadari is a Malay novel written by Ramlee Awang Murshid. It is the fifth novel that tells about Laksamana Sunan's adventure in battling evil. As of now, there are five novels in this series: Bagaikan Puteri, Cinta Sang Ratu, Hijab Sang Pencinta, Cinta Sufi and Sutera Bidadari.

Laksamana Sunan had recuperated. He had also practiced silat and other techniques in fighting with Hang Tuah in the depths of the Chinni Lake. Now, he must go to Transylvania in order to fight and kill Taghut. Without Sunan's knowing, he will also face another menace in Romania: Vlad the Impaler.

Ramlee Awang Murshid has yet again portrays his powerful imagination and his effort in writing an Islamic novel. Not only did the scenes take place in Tanah Melayu, but RAM had also ventured to India and Transylvania. Sutera Bidadari is definitely an unputdownable novel! My rating: 4.7/5

Below is a trailer about Sutera Bidadari. Watch this and you'll now know what you've been missing ;)

Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella

Remember Me? tells of an unfortunate girl named Lexie. She's plain looking, with an ordinary job, has an unfaithful boyfriend and recently, she didn't get any bonus whilst her friends do. One day after an accident, she woke up to be a complete opposite of herself. She is gorgeous, has a gorgeous husband too and she's the head of her department!

Although this novel seems to be a chick lit novel which I seldom read (but I will watch if it's adapted into a movie), it was really really funny and entertaining. I can't barely put it down! My rating: 3.7/5

p/s: This novel was given to me as a present from my two juniors who I've always thought as my sisters =) Tq so so much, girls. xoxo

Deception Point by Dan Brown

NASA made a new discovery at the Arctic circle. They had successfully proven that there are indeed extraterrestrial life from outer space. The President of the United States has ask intelligent analyst, Rachel Sexton and scientists to verify the authenticity of this discovery, never realizing the deception that they are involve in.

Dan Brown is a story teller who had successfully blurred the line between truth and fiction. This novel is definitely a suspense ride from beginning to end. I would never have guessed the original perpetrator in this novel. However, I have a problem in picturing the description given by Dan Brown on some parts of the novel; unlike in Angels and Demons. So my rating is: 3.8/5.


p/s: I bought this novel for RM10 only! :D