# Book Club: Ata Rahman
- Source: The Mancunion (https://staging.mancunion.com/books/book-club-ata-rahman)
- By: Phoebe Chambre
- Published: 2012-09-23T23:00:00.000Z
- Section: Books
- Topics: review, books, civilisation
**This week Ata Rahman, history student and co-editor of the Manchester Historian answers to Book Club**

Name: Ata Rahman
Age: 23
Occupation: Student and co-editor of the Manchester Historian

**Hi Ata!
What are you reading?**

Well, I managed two books over the summer, *Civilisation: The West and The Rest*, which serves as an accompaniment to Niall Ferguson’s Channel 4 documentary on the predicted end of Western civilisation and a book about the lives of five Afghan women under the Taliban regime called *The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul* by Deborah Rodriguez.

**Where have you been reading it (train, bus, beach, bath, internet, juice carton…)?**

Mostly been reading it on modes of transport - bus, train, plane. Its always easier to read when you’re in a tunnel (or up in the air) as for those moments you can’t turn to your phone to distract you.

**Is it a slow-burner or quick fire?**

*Civilisation* is definitely a slow burner, you have to fully engage with his theories and critiques before you can get the most from the chapters about Chinese dominance, decline and distention. *The Little Coffee Shop* is much more of a quick fire with a kidnapping opening the setting, but it’s only until the middle when the five women’s interplay becomes more humanised and the action takes off.

**Is it work or rest to read?**

Honestly, depends on my frame of mind and the situation. Give me a book on holiday when I’m far removed from the trials and tribulations of uni/work/life and its one of the most pleasurable experiences. However, the thought of dragging yourself to a coffee shop on a Sunday afternoon after you’ve enjoyed somewhat more than a tipple the night before to try and get yourself into a reading mood is pretty difficult, even though once you’re into the book, you know why you bothered in the first place.

**Paperback or e-book?**

As a student, I spend far too much of my time in front of a screen (albeit over 50% of it for catching up on Big Bang Theory and Gossip Girl rather than for Uni work), so if I am going to read a book, its paperback all the way. My eyes couldn’t hack it otherwise.

**Do you ever have time during the semester to read (for pleasure), or is free, unaccounted for time the unicorn of student life?**

In all honestly, I probably could squeeze in about 3 or 4 books per semester, but given most of the work you do as an Arts student is reading anyway, you don’t want to spend your free time doing the same thing. I definitely regret not making the most of my free time in 1st year; I certainly could have educated myself on many topics outside of History if I’d sacrificed all the thoroughly important lazing time.

**Any books that you’ve been meaning to read for ages, never quite mustering the strength to crack?**

Essentially most classics, I’m ashamed to say I’ve never read an Austen (despite watching the BBC Pride and Prejudice Drama series far too many times), or a Tolstoy either.

**What’s next?**

*Common Grounds*, a book on the history of coffee. I am rather addicted to the stuff, and after a lecture in 1st year on its history, I became quite fascinated with how it spread across the world. If I manage to read it alongside all the work this semester, I may even treat myself to a fancy espresso machine.