I'm unable to wax poetic on my love of Big Little Lies or Gone Girl without feeling self-conscious, so I went for a serious list. These tell-all accounts of opaque companies, quixotic leaders and a doomed ocean liner, are as hard to put down as any Gillian Flynn fiction.
Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by John Carreyrou (2018)
The gripping account of the meteoric rise, huge cover-up and swift fall of Theranos, a blood-testing company founded by Elizabeth Holmes, a former wunderkind of Silicon Valley who raised $1.4 billion to run what turned out to be a scam that put patients in grave danger.
Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania by Erik Larson (2015)
This is the gripping backstory of the sinking of the passenger ship Lusitania by a German submarine that ultimately drew the United States into the First World War. Larson weaves a story between the ocean liner and the German U-boat that torpedoed the ship on a sunny May day, sinking it in 18 minutes.
Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future by Ashlee Vance (2015)
Get to know the man behind some of the most exciting advances of our time. Musk went on the record for this one, and this portrait will get you all psyched about space, renewable energy, electric cars and yes, even in our troubled times, the future.
Private Empire: ExxonMobil and American Power by Steve Coll (2012)
From the Exxon Valdez disaster in 1989 to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010, Steve Coll includes tales of downed helicopters, kidnappings and Kremlin intrigue. You’ll come away from this page-turner deeply informed about the biggest, most secretive American corporation, which has major interests in the place we call home.
Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike by Phil Knight (2016)
A journalism school classmate published a book about Nike’s influence in collegiate athletics (University of Nike by Joshua Hunt). I haven’t read it yet, but I am sure it is a worthy counter-argument to worshipping at the Church of Nike. But what an epic Phil Knight has to share. The best sneaker salesman the world has known tells a pretty good story, too.
Kelsey Warner is assistant business editor for The National
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Read more:
My favourite reads: Chris Maxwell
My favourite reads: Michael Barnard
My favourite reads: Phil Trotter
THE BIO
Age: 33
Favourite quote: “If you’re going through hell, keep going” Winston Churchill
Favourite breed of dog: All of them. I can’t possibly pick a favourite.
Favourite place in the UAE: The Stray Dogs Centre in Umm Al Quwain. It sounds predictable, but it honestly is my favourite place to spend time. Surrounded by hundreds of dogs that love you - what could possibly be better than that?
Favourite colour: All the colours that dogs come in
The Gandhi Murder
- 71 - Years since the death of MK Gandhi, also christened India's Father of the Nation
- 34 - Nationalities featured in the film The Gandhi Murder
- 7 - million dollars, the film's budget
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
UAE central contracts
Full time contracts
Rohan Mustafa, Ahmed Raza, Mohammed Usman, Chirag Suri, Mohammed Boota, Sultan Ahmed, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Waheed Ahmed, Zawar Farid
Part time contracts
Aryan Lakra, Ansh Tandon, Karthik Meiyappan, Rahul Bhatia, Alishan Sharafu, CP Rizwaan, Basil Hameed, Matiullah, Fahad Nawaz, Sanchit Sharma
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
The Baghdad Clock
Shahad Al Rawi, Oneworld
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
More on animal trafficking
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
TO ALL THE BOYS: ALWAYS AND FOREVER
Directed by: Michael Fimognari
Starring: Lana Condor and Noah Centineo
Two stars
The specs: Macan Turbo
Engine: Dual synchronous electric motors
Power: 639hp
Torque: 1,130Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Touring range: 591km
Price: From Dh412,500
On sale: Deliveries start in October
