It was the Independence Day weekend, and I went to a nearby hill station to get away from the mad pace of life in Mumbai. I love to read. And, what better time and place to do that than the solitude of mountains? It was only fitting, I suppose, that I brought along a fascinating book called “Just For Fun” – “the story of an accidental revolutionary”, written by Linus Torvalds (yes, the Linux guy) and David Diamond.

‘Just For Fun’ is a charming, witty and engaging account of how the phenomenon called Linux came about. (Yes, I would recommend it even if you’re not a geek!) In it, Linus covers the entire journey of Linux from “a messy bedroom in the University of Helsinki to the greatest collaborative project known to mankind”, all the time dispelling the many myths that surround Linux and Open Source. And while on the subject, he generously includes his answer to the Meaning of Life too ! No, really.

Written for non-geeks, the book is full of uncommon wisdom…

This is the place where I slip in my golden rules. Number One : “Do unto others as you would want them to do unto you.” If you follow that rule, you’ll always know how to behave in any situation. Number Two : “Be proud of what you do.” Number Three : “And have fun doing it.”

… not to mention insights into the “life of a nerd” and the “birth of an operating system”.

Linux had captured the planet’s heart like some improbable Olympic gold medalist from an unrecognizable third-world nation.

In addition, this book will explain to you the meaning (and significance) of the Open Source philosophy, highlight the ups and downs of ‘Intellectual Property’, give you a sneak peek at what ‘Fame and Fortune’ can do to a geek, and attempt to predict where the future of Technology lies.

Don’t miss this one. It’s simply delightful !