Errors And Kaushal - A Blog by Kaushal Gupta

Book Review : Kaivalya - A Fire Within - Ekta Saigal Pandit

2021-02-12T18:52:00.002+05:30

There is only one life, how often do you hear that? Is there a truth behind that? Do we really have only one life? Or for that matter, what exactly is life? What is living it large or under the carpet? Can your version and definition of life be different from someone? Are all these questions relevant? Well, the answer to all these questions, depends on your perspective towards the human existence. Are existence and life the same thing? Do share your thoughts in the comments section below.

I recently read the book Kaivalya - A Fire Within, which is a gripping fictional tale about incarnations and the constantly moving karmic wheel by the author Ekta Saigal Pandit. Throughout the book, the emphasis is on actions that the characters take which piles on their karmic score for us to find out if it is a payback or a reward. Kaivalya - A Fire Within, is Ekta Saigal Pandit's second book, her first book was Let go of Me and you can read more about it at Book Review : Let go of Me - Ekta Saigal Pandit.

Book Review : Kaivalya - A Fire Within - Ekta Saigal Pandit

The story spans over a few hundred years offering variation in the context of time and actions that are relevant, then. There is love, hatred, greed, kindness, delusion, passion, moments and milestones. There are contrasting events happening throughout the story and this contrast keeps the narrative alive from different perspectives, from different characters and from different positions of power. It is about the journey between two extremes, Sufferings and Kaivalya.

Kaivalya - A Fire Within, is about individuals and the society at large, where the individuals become bigger than the society to control it. The story beautifully narrates how individuals in power shape up the society, tweak traditions, principals, ethics and morals for personal gains and stature keeping the impact on society at stake. It talks about pain and relief, struggle and success, becoming and unbecoming.

The author, Ekta Saigal Pandit, through her writings has brought out some very important reasonings behind how we are today versus how we should have been according to the so-called rituals and society system. Page no. 77 from the book is now imprinted in my head for life, I highly recommend reading this page with focus to understand the impact that it has brought in many lives. Another interesting perspective shared is about how a woman is different from a man, how both the genders reason or feel and exist.

Now coming to the title of the book Kaivalya - A Fire Within, it means achieving the ability or power to detach oneself from material belongings and attaining Moksha. While Moksha is the destination, Kaivalya is the journey and the book fantastically narrates this yet keeping it open to reader's perspective or interpretation.

Till now I haven't written about the characters in the book, not because the characters aren't interesting in the story, but because I felt Kaivalya - A Fire Within is driven by interwoven self-realization, relatability, conflicts and emotions. I would recommend reading Kaivalya - A Fire Within by author Ekta Saigal Pandit, to anyone interested in historical fiction or contemporary fiction.

Also, I haven't done justice to explain what "Kaivalya" means, Ekta Saigal Pandit does :-)

Other Details:

Publisher: Notion Press

ISBN: 978-1636067452

Genre: Fiction

You can order a copy of the book from Amazon.

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Shital Kakkar Mehra's book EXECUTIVE PRESENCE The P.O.I.S.E Formula for Leadership launched by HarperCollins

2020-10-27T18:36:00.000+05:30

In cricket, Sachin Tendulkar has ‘it’, football greats Pelé and Zidane display ‘it’, Apple Co-founder Steve Jobs embodied ‘it’ and most world leaders have ‘it’ in abundance. How to decode the mysterious ‘it’ factor in leadership? HarperCollins presents from India’s leading Executive Presence coach and bestselling author EXECUTIVE PRESENCE The P.O.I.S.E Formula for Leadership by Shital Kakkar Mehra.

Shital Kakkar Mehra, India’s leading Executive Presence coach and bestselling author, has trained numerous CEOs and star performers over the last two decades. In this book, she has shared her proven POISE formula for success; tools to help you maximize your potential and fast-track your career to the coveted role of a CEO. Executive Presence is the mysterious ‘it’ factor in leadership. How do you present yourself? Are you assertive? Do you inspire confidence? How do you engage with stakeholders? Crack the code for Executive Presence with:

Physical Presence: Refine body language skills

Online Presence: Build your global personal brand

Influencer Presence: Master executive maturity; learn to ‘speak up’

Stage Presence: Inspire teams with effective public-speaking skills

Engagement Presence: Build strong and diverse networks

Shital Kakkar Mehra's book EXECUTIVE PRESENCE The P.O.I.S.E Formula for Leadership launched by HarperCollins

‘Executive presence is important in both B2B and B2C businesses. First impressions make a difference as people judge you based on them.’ – Harsh Mariwala, Chairman, Marico Limited

‘Executive presence combines leadership qualities, communication skills and engagement expertise in a powerful mix that leads to continuous upward mobility.’ – C.P. Gurnani, CEO & MD Tech Mahindra

‘Executive presence helps inspire confidence and is instrumental in influencing the quality of business relationships.’ – Harsh Geenka, Chairman, RPG Group

About the author : Shital Kakkar Mehra is India’s leading Executive Presence coach. With twenty years of experience, she has trained over 45,000 professionals across industries, including numerous CEOs from leading multinational and Indian companies. Her book, Business Etiquette: A Guide for the Indian Professional, has sold over 50,000 copies and has been translated into several regional Indian languages.

You can order a copy of the book from Amazon.

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Book Review : The New Rules of Business: Get Ahead Or Get Left Behind - Rajesh Srivastava

2020-05-03T20:01:00.001+05:30

It is said that change is the only constant, and it is applicable in every aspect of life in some form or the other. Then, how businesses can stay away from this constant? They simply can't! Just as humans, who need to adapt to the ever-changing surroundings and circumstances, the businesses need to follow the suit. Is it different for different businesses? I don't think so, the only thing that would be different is the scale at which these changes need to be implemented. What do you think? Do let me know, in the comments below.

I recently read the book, The New Rules Of Business, authored by Rajesh Srivastava, who is an alumnus of IIT Kanpur and IIM Bangalore. He has decades of experience in leadership roles across industries as a change maker and has been a corporate trainer as well as an academician for years now. The New Rules Of Business, is his first published work as a book and has several articles to his names which have appeared in leading publications.

Book Review : The New Rules of Business: Get Ahead Or Get Left Behind - Rajesh Srivastava

The tagline of the book, The New Rules Of Business, is "Get Ahead Or Get Left Behind" which stands absolutely true in the current context of the world where consumers seek more of experiences with a business than only buying a product or a service. How often do you see a company offering a complete experience which is not limited to the product, but pre-sales and even post-sales? Small gestures go a long way in a building a great brand affinity and thus word of mouth. The book in a nutshell speaks about this.

The author Rajesh Srivastava has divided the book in eight major categories which are Customer, Employee, Leadership, Brand, Workplace, Communication, Supply Chain and Business Strategy. Each of these sections is further detailed into important rules, the new rules of business that is book is about, that will help you stay ahead. Each of these rules are explained not only with how they are the need of the hour and game changer but also with highly relevant examples.

Some of the Rules spoken about in the book from different categories to give you an idea of what to expect from the book are mentioned below.

Convert your customers into 'Employees'
Treat Your Employees As You Treat Your Best Customers
Transform Your Workplace into Fun Place
Embrace Omnichannel
Nudge Your Customers To Act Your Way

With approximately 350 pages, The New Rules Of Business, is a very simple to read book and at the same time offer some really valuable business lessons ready to implement. One of the most important things to take away for me was creating a product or a service so good that it does its own marketing through the experience that people gain out of it. You will save not only on the advertising part, but also attract brand loyalty. The new age companies are disruptive not because they have a unique business idea, but a unique way of operating the business.

The book, The New Rules Of Business, by Rajesh Srivastava may not unfold mysteries for you if you are a well read person, but it will definitely strengthen your belief in prioritizing customer experiences. Also, the book has praises from new age business leaders who second the rules shared.

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in reading about a good reference book filled with examples and minimal theory on the new business excellence.

Other Details :

Copyright : Rajesh Srivastava

Published By : Penguin Random House India

ISBN : 9780143446927

Genre : Business

You can order a copy of the book from Amazon.

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Book Review : I Don't Want To Meet Lord Krishna! - Yashaswini K

2020-04-06T11:39:00.000+05:30

I am sure that you would have heard about a devotee claiming to have had a conversation with the god in some form or the other and going gaga about it. Such claims are usually followed with more questions than curiosity, also doubts are raised about the claims being genuine. That's natural, right? Have you come across such a claim by a person that you know? If yes, do share in the comments below.

I recently read a book titled I Don't Want To Meet Lord Krishna!, a fictional take on meeting Lord Krishna and woven around the current affairs of India, written by author Yashaswini K. The author is post-grad in Botany and English with teaching experience and is currently a news editor for a website.

The protagonist of the story, Radha Srinivasan, is a crime reporter and an ardent devotee of Lord Krishna while her brother serves in the State Police. Radha gets invited as the chosen one to interview someone in person, finding the invite irrelevant at first she agrees to do the interview after security reassurances. Not knowing that she is being called upon by Lord Krishna to this Golaka.

Book Review : I Don't Want To Meet Lord Krishna! - Yashaswini K

The first half of the story is about the setup to this interview and the actual interview while the second half of the story revolves around the outcomes and consequences of the published interview.

Though the story is fictional in nature, it raises questions about the current geopolitical issues of India, the religious fanaticism, crime against women to Lord Krishna who presents his thoughts on them, if not satisfactory answer. Radha also questions Lord Krishna on righteousness, on the concept of eternity and his contradictory acts. To which there is a perspective shared by Lord Krishna in his answers.

The story further narrates the backlash of Radha publishing this interview, the instances when her life is at risk and somehow escaping them, being questioned and ridiculed by colleagues, and why she decides to not meeting Lord Krishna again.

I Don't Want To Meet Lord Krishna!, is a simple narrative of putting the author's perspective in place, as a reader, you may agree or disagree with the views presented, but the author doesn't digress from addressing them. It is a quick read with small chapters which are easier to understand for those who know or have read about Lord Krishna. For others the references could be a catch, but there is a glossary at the end.

The plot of a crime journalist meeting Lord Krishna for an interview in itself is interesting, but I felt that there were too many sub stories that were narrated which weren't directly related to the first half of the book. I, personally, would have loved to see the interview which was more of a conversation was related and shaped up one particular aspect of the story.

I would recommend the book I Don't Want To Meet Lord Krishna! by author Yashaswini K to anyone interested in a quick fictional read.

Other Details
Copyright: Yashaswini K
Published By: Notion Press
ISBN: 9781645469964
Genre: Fiction, Mythology
You can order a copy of the book from Amazon and Flipkart.

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Book Review : Irrationally Passionate - Jason Kothari

2020-03-22T20:46:00.002+05:30

I am sure, most of us, at some point or the other in our lives do get a thought to start something of our own, of being a businessman/businesswoman or the modern day term entrepreneur. Even if you wouldn't have thought of it, you would have been suggested so by the people around you as they see some great potential in you to set up some large business empire. Don't we? I think that's quite natural because that's innate to human to lead, especially lead in terms of minting money. But, is it always easy? Is there a process to it? Do share your thoughts in the comments below.

I recently read, Irrationally Passionate: My Turnaround from Rebel to Entrepreneur, a book by Jason Kothari on his journey that the tagline suggests. It is his autobiography of growing up in different parts of the world to present. In an overview, it is about his upbringing, the inquisitive quests, the odd jobs and the learning from all these things to lead some of the India's biggest business ventures. Was it all easy or too hard? The book is a narration to this question, but does it get answered? Let's find out.

Book Review : Irrationally Passionate - Jason Kothari

Irrationally Passionate is written in linear, chronological order about Jason's growing up days and the cultural challenges faced, the escape from those, the learning from those challenges and the implementation of the same in day to day life. From bargaining for a chess set to setting up a pizza counter for charity, from landing up a chance job on a film production set to leading India's well known startups, Jason candidly writes about them.

The book, Irrationally Passionate, has a few practical-ready to implement advises for aspiring entrepreneurs and my personal favorite is the ending chapter where the processes or pointers for an ideal startup are listed and described in detail with sub pointers. This chapter is an additional take away from the life lessons that Jason shares and also reaffirms why he was termed as a global turnaround leader and a business professional that would revamp and translate the activities to achieve business objectives.

The book is very simplistic in nature, advocates family, cultural and spiritual values. It is free of unnecessary business jargon, making it an effortless read and super easy to comprehend and I am sure that reading it will give you an interesting perspective to whatever you are pursuing right now. Irrationally Passionate is full of insights, non-bookish in its essence and I would recommend it to anyone interested in reading a good non-fiction that has some key takeaways and at least provokes you, if not inspire.

Other Details:
Copyright: Jason Kothari
Published By: HarperBusiness
ISBN: 978-9353572655
Genre: Non-Fiction / Memoir / Autobiography

You can order a copy of the book from Amazon.

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Book Review : Infin-Eight: Eight Principles for Infinite Professional Success - Prajeet Budhale

2019-09-23T13:49:00.002+05:30

Success, as we all would have read and to some extent experienced as well that it is a very relative term and would mean different things to different people. Instead of concentrating on the efforts one is putting in, they end up worrying more about the process and wonder if it would guarantee success.

I think that one should enjoy the entire process of aiming towards success and celebrating the journey. One shouldn't get bogged down by societal definition of success and only, specifically, focus on those as primary achievements. But, is there is a way to assure success while enjoying the process? Do share your thoughts in the comments below.

I recently read Infin-Eight a book about eight principles for infinite professional success authored by Prajeet Budhale. Prajeet is an experienced professional in various roles ranging from sales to customer service and consulting to many more. This experience is across nations and different organizations. Prajeet is also a certified coach. This book, Infin-Eight, is the outcome of his experiences, observations, learning and insights of over two decades.

Book Review : Infin-Eight Eight Principles for Infinite Professional Success - Prajeet Budhale

Infin-Eight isn't an autobiography or a self-help book and Prajeet makes this very clear, this book has an approach of "work with self" alongside eight principles clearly charted out for infinite success and that is how the book derives its name. The book has guided and non-guided exercises at regular intervals throughout the book which makes you think through while you are reading. I felt it has got more to do with how you implement skills rather than only learn about those skills, so a good approach by Prajeet.

As a book, Infin-Eight is a good mix of motivation, learning, professional outlook, building confidence and self-development. It follows a pattern that is defined yet fluid in drawing your attention and convincing you to align your strengths with your professional and career growth aspirations. It emphasizes on building emotional quotient which makes you bring relevance to your conversations and actions which in turn further help you build relationships, partnerships and friendships.

Infin-Eight is a practical guide and companion in the application of the approach to succeed with simple and easy to understand methods without sounding fancy. The book is not driven by jargon, but with your unidentified potential and the book, in totality, doesn't restrict itself at only giving you tips and ideas, but actually help you build an actionable plan to achieve desired success.

If you are someone who is just starting their career, this is definitely a good book to read. I am not sure, if this will help experienced professionals who already have great work experience, but I am sure that there is something or the other for everyone to take away from it and implement.

You can order a copy of the book from Amazon and Flipkart.

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Interview with author Janhavi Samant

2019-09-21T17:52:00.002+05:30

Janhavi Samant, author of the book Faaltugiri And Other Flashbacks recently spoke with me and answered the interview questions. To read more about her book you can visit Book Review : Faaltugiri and other flashbacks - Janhavi Samant.

-- Interview with author Janhavi Samant --

Note: The questions are in Red.

Q: A published book is all the hard work coming to life, how does it feel to hold a copy of your book “Faaltugiri And Other Flashbacks”?

A: To be honest, it feels really awesome. The feel and texture of the pages, the smell of the book, and to see all that effort and love poured into those 148 pages – it’s really something else. But it feels even better to see the book in someone else’s hands or bag, or social media feed or someone else’ posts or pics. The goal of writing that book was to reach out to as many people as possible and put a smile on their faces.

Q: How did you finalize the title, “Faaltugiri And Other Flashbacks” and the cover photo, did you have options?

A: All the time I wrote the book, the working title was Life at 1 Loukik. At the time I wrote it, it was meant to be a diary of my childhood. The writer in me was quite happy with it. But as the book got written and re-written and then edited, it seemed to me that Life at 1 Loukik didn’t quite capture all that the book was about it. In fact it was quite a dull title. The marketing professional in me wasn’t so happy.

I was a relatively unknown, first-time writer with a rather strange subject – that of childhood in the 80's. According to me, the title had to convey four important things:

1. That the book was direct, fun, timepass and not meant to be taken seriously

2. That the book was also about nostalgia, about warm beautiful memories

3. The book was about Bombay and my childhood but it was also about growing up in general and so it had to have a universal appeal

4. Most importantly, the book had to sell itself but also me as an author.

There is an interesting chapter about how I learned the word ‘faaltugiri’ and the role language plays in the parent-child dynamics. I thought it best encapsulated everything about the book and what it had to offer to the reader.

Interview with author Janhavi Samant

Q: What can we expect from you in near future? Any books lined up to be published?

A: Right now all my energy is consumed in promoting this book. I am playing with a few themes that I would like to write about in the near future. But I haven’t really sat down and started working on it yet.

Q: How did you plan for the book, “Faaltugiri And Other Flashbacks”? Was there a process that you followed or it just came to you?

A: It really just came to me. I got married after my dad passed away and after my son was born, he kept asking questions about my dad’s photo. So I used to tell him stories about my dad and about me as a child. Then I just started documenting my own relationship with my parents and all our funny family episodes. In its first few drafts, the book was just a series of funny episodes. It had no central narrative or writing style. I kept working on it and kept revising it. Subsequent versions gave me an idea of what I actually wanted to say through this book. Then I just kept showing it to friends and working on it till I arrived at a version I was most satisfied with. So the answer is although the thought of writing just came to me, there was a certain process I followed that helped me improve the original thought.

Q: What was the reaction of your friends or family members when you first told them that you wanted to be a writer? Can you tell us something about the support that you received from them?

A: To be honest, the full credit of the book and whatever success it enjoys and will enjoy is fully due to the support of my family and friends. I am truly blessed to have a family – including my children – who have been so invested in this project. Not only as readers giving feedback but also in motivating me to keep working at it through numerous rejections by publishers and even bookstores who refuse to stock authors who have no background. I would have been disheartened and given up long ago if it were not for my loved ones who would keep asking, “So how is your book coming along? You must publish it ha.” That kept reminding me that people found the manuscript enjoyable and therefore it was a story that needed to be told.

Q: The book is about the people you grew up with or saw, do they know that they are a part of the book? How is their reaction?

A: Yes of course. All the people in the book are aware that they are in the book. Not only that, they are super-thrilled about it. Besides this, people in the gully I grew up in and my relatives, have been reading the book to find out which one of them has been covered in it and have been having a good laugh over it. Over and above that, people are sharing their own faaltugiri kissas from their lives with me. It would not be immodest to say that whoever has read the book has found it thoroughly enjoyable. The book has moved its readers to go back into their own childhoods and reach into their happy memories.

Q: You took up writing as an intentional move or multiple sequences of events led to writing?

A: I am a former journalist and writing comes quite easily to me. However, writing a 500 word article on cinema is quite different than writing a 45000 word book. The process is completely different. Now that I have written something this long, the thought of another book is quite intimidating. But the journey of the book begins with a couple of words and I suppose it will happen soon enough.

Q: Being a published author is a different feeling altogether. How do you make sure that this feeling stays alive?

A: The purpose of the book is to remind people of the time we spent meeting each other, interacting with each other even if it were to argue and make people do the same again. The one sureshot way to keep this feeling alive is to do reading sessions that help me connect with people. I have come across so many interesting people who have read the book and shared so many special memories of their own childhoods. It makes me happy that Faaltugiri has made people happy and put a smile on their faces, even made them give a loud good hearty laugh. Trust me, that is enough to keep this feeling alive.

Q: Your book, Faaltugiri And Other Flashbacks, as you mentioned is real, however is there anything fictional in it? If yes, to what level?

A: There is nothing fictional in the book at all. Like the disclaimer I put at the start of the book: This book is a work of fact. Any resemblance to characters and incidences in real life is purely deliberate. Everything that I have mentioned in the book has actually happened – after the book is out, I realise that these incidents have happened in other people’s lives also! Although there are some small bits of exaggeration and observation that add masala to the stories to make them more entertaining.

Q: The book, Faaltugiri And Other Flashbacks, has received many good reviews, any particular review that made you go wow?

A: Many. Mainly authors I love reading.

“An engaging memoir set in the vibrant diversity of 1980s’ Bombay.” – Moni Mohsin.

“Hilarious and heartwarming memoir of Bombay childhood in the 80s. An netire generation that grew up on Doordarshan and Jeetendra movies will relate to Janhavi’s rib-tickling life story.” – Vir Sanghavi.

“The book made me really nostalgic. It took me back to my childhood when life was so simple.” – Filmmaker Rohit Shetty.

“What a lovely read!!! How beautifully you integrated and told into your story the stories of those who are always left on the fringes of our core stories.” – Cinematographer Malini Dasari.

Q: Tell us about, how writing is a part of your daily life?

A: Writing and content is my profession and passion both. So in that sense, writing is a part of my daily life in some form or another. After journalism, which is mostly deadline-based writing, I write more about subjects that interest me a lot.

Q: Apart from being a published author, what do you do?

A: I am a content marketing strategist for Adfactors PR and work on very culture-centric and nuance-led communications for interesting projects for our clients. The good thing about writing at will is that when the urge to write strikes, I do manage to find the time to do it right.

Q: How do you manage between your day job and writing? Is it easy, manageable or difficult?

A: It’s neither too easy nor extremely difficult. Finding time to write is that exact sweet spot between. Fortunately I manage to get things done.

Q: Tell us something about your experience of getting the books published?

A: An exercise in rejection and disappointment. Faaltugiri And Other Flashbacks has been rejected by more than 9-10 publishers – some rejected it outright without a read, some asked me to mail the manuscript and never read it or responded to my follow-up mails, one agreed to publish it but ghosted me for year and half while one self-publishing option gave me a quote to self-publish but strangely refused to read it at all. Till I put the idea across to Preeti Vyas of Fun Ok Please, which is now part of the Amar Chitra Katha family, and she took pity on me and asked to read the manuscript before taking a call. After she agreed to get on board, things were more manageable.

Q: Do you read as much as you write? Which are your favourite books?

A: Yes I do read a lot – thrillers, culture, mythology, feminism, religion. Kiran Nagarkar, Mario Vargos Llosa, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Haruki Murakami, Wendy Doniger, Geraldine Brooks, Karen Armstrong, Jeanette Winterson, and so on. So many authors have enriched my imagination with their words.

Q: You prefer reading e-books or the traditional paper back/hard cover? Why?

A: Paperback. I have not yet gotten used to reading on Kindle.

Q: What would your reaction be if you are told that your book, “Faaltugiri And Other Flashbacks”, will be made into a web series? Any preferences for directors, actors, leads?

A: I would be thrilled of course. In fact at the launch of the book filmmaker Rohit Shetty did mention that this could very easily be made into a web series. But these things take a lot of time and the book has to reach a certain critical level of popularity in order to get to that level. The Bhartiya Digital Party team could do a smashing job of directing and producing the show; they have the style and sensibility to understand the genre and humour. As for the actors, I think my dear friend Sonali Kulkarni who has so unstintingly and generously supported and launched my debut novel would be most suitable to play the part of my mum. While someone like Nana Patekar or Upendra Limaye could play the part of my dad very well.

Q: Two things that you like and dislike about being an author?

A: I like everything about it. Even if there was something to dislike, I am sure it’s too early for me to tell.

Q: If you have to give one reason to our readers to pick up your book, what would that be?

A: It is a sureshot formule to de-stress. It will put a smile on your face and warmth in your veins. Not to mention, Faaltugiri and Other Flashbacks will make you remember your childhood with a fond smile.

Q: Any message you would want to share with our readers?

A: Read the book. Gift the book. And always keep smiling….

Q: How can our readers connect with you?

A: On social media, one can contact me on Facebook @Faaltugiriandotherflashbacks, On Twitter @Faaltugiri_ and on Instagram @faaltugiri. Your readers can also email me on janhavi77 @ gmail . com.

-- End of Interview with author Janhave Samant --

You can order a copy of the book from Amazon and FunOkPlease.

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Book Review : The Pulwama Aftermath - Pratik Shah

2019-09-21T15:19:00.000+05:30

Who wouldn't remember the terror attack that happened on the CRPF convoy in early 2019 at Pulwama. It was one of those dreadful events in the valley that raised various questions about the security of our army personals, the ever growing turmoil of the localites, integrity of the people within the system and all this happening at a time when the general elections were to be held.

There were multiple viewpoints ranging from the staging of the event for political gains to narratives about the rebuttal against the terrorist. What was the reality behind this? All we know is that a form of revenge was taken.

The book, The Pulwama Aftermath, is not specifically about the above mentioned incident which I thought it may be considering the title.

Book Review : The Pulwama Aftermath - Pratik Shah

The Pulwama Aftermath is a fictional crime thriller authored by Pratik Shah, which is based on the current political and governance setup up in India and revolves around the plotting, planning and execution of an attack on the Prime Minister.

The story goes into details of how the attacked is planned, does it succeed, what are the repercussions, how the Prime Minister survives or does he survive at all and what happens to the attacker.

The Pulwama Aftermath is 250 pages long with very small chapters which makes it a quick page turner. The narration, I wouldn't say is simple, is complex initially as the build up to the characters, their thoughts, their background takes some time and soon you get involved in the story to unearth the entire conspiracy.

At some places the patriotism takes over while at some places you will observe pure play genius across agencies which brings in a new perspective or if I may say the "modern outlook" towards tackling various situations.

If you are someone who is really interested in politics or political drama, The Pulwama Aftermath is a must read. Though the book classifies into fiction, the places mentioned, the names used or agencies called out are all real and you may feel that you are actually reading something that happened yesterday as the realistic naming brings higher relevance to the story and I doubt the story would have had a similar impact on me if it had used alternate names and places to play safe.

In many places the story is also about the establishment of thoughts and justification to their deeds, irrespective of the character. This particular thing in the writing stood out for me. As I mentioned in the previous paragraph, if you are interested in politics, you will constantly assume that you know what happens next, but believe me, not until the end.

In totality, except for two things which are the cover of the book and the initial few chapters, I liked how the entire narrations turn out to be. The cover of the book could have been better or maybe it is me who isn't able to comprehend the message.

Considering the plot, there were high chances that the book could be biased, however it has a very balanced perspective in everything because today, even patriotism has different meanings. Do give the book The Pulwama Aftermath a read.

Other Details:
Copyright: Pratik Shah
Published By: Distinct Books
Genre: Fiction | Crime | Political Drama
ISBN: 9789353617332
You can order a copy of the book from Amazon.

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Book Review : Faaltugiri and other flashbacks - Janhavi Samant

2019-09-01T11:08:00.002+05:30

Unlike any other age brackets that we fall into, childhood has to be the most important one in shaping up our beliefs. If you disagree, do let me know in the comments below.

Faaltugiri And Other Flashbacks, a book written by Janhavi Samant, is a memoir about her growing up days in Dadar, a suburb of Mumbai aka the Bombay of the 80's and the sequential evolution of everything around her, from people to politics, from balcony to Bollywood and from errands to everyday.

As a fellow Mumbaikar from a generation decade older than the author, Janhavi Samant, I could relate to so many things being written about in the book, especially the people and their characteristics. Be it her parents, family or the neighborhood community. Someone, who isn't familiar with Mumbai would dismiss the thoughts shared, but you will definitely enjoy the characteristic burst. Being a first hand account of experiencing Mumbai, Faaltugiri and other flashbacks grows on you to stay clung.

Book Review : Faaltugiri and other flashbacks - Janhavi Samant

The writing of the memoir is very much factual and unapologetic, the wit and nuances of the mundane yet exciting life will make you laugh constantly. The usage of slang was so apt that I found the story was personalized for me! As a Non-Mumbaikar there is so much to pick up for you as a reader.

The language of the book is very simple and the sketches that appear frequently add more depth to the characters and you can actually see them instead of random reader's visualization. As a reader, the book took me on a nostalgia trip and relieve community watching, the only telephone connection in the entire building, the conversations with the small time shop owners and what not! I had a constant smile on my face while I kept flipping the pages.

The book, Faaltugiri and other flashbacks, is definitely a stress buster, which can be completed in a single sitting with ease. As soon as I had a look at the cover, my mind cracked a joke "Premachi Laat".. Ha-ha!

In a nutshell, Faaltugiri and other flashbacks has documented an entire era gone by! An era that everyone will fondly remember!

Other Details:
Published By: FunOKPlease Content Publishing Private Limited
Copyright: Janhavi Samant
ISBN: 978-93-81593-32-5
Genre: Story/Autobiography, Personal Account
Illustration By: Abhilasha S. Khatri
Book Design: Yogita Mhatre
Cover Design: Dhanashri Ubhayakar

You can order a copy of the book from Amazon and FunOKPlease,

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Book Review : Upheaval A Novel - Vijai Singh Mankotia

2019-06-17T08:46:00.000+05:30

Often, it is said that India is one of the largest democracies in the world and with almost zero resistance it gets accepted. Why does this need to be said over and over again? As a reminder? To prove? Or reinstate the same for political reasons? Well, that should be left to everyone's understanding and sanity. There are many stories that keep revolving around this, and one such story is written by author Vijai Singh Mankotia.

The author Vijai Singh Mankotia has written a book titled, "Upheaval - A Novel", which is a fictional tale of belonging, love and the semblance that revolves around the premise of India's socio-political developments. Vijai Singh Mankotia is a former Major of the First Gorkha Rifles of the Indian Army. He was also an elected MLA to the Himachal Pradesh State Legislative Assembly for five terms. He also worked with Air India for a few years before entering into Politics. This is the background, probably, which gives him the understanding and functioning of the political world closely which he has brilliantly jotted down in the book.

Book Review - Upheaval A Novel - Vijai Singh Mankotia

The book, "Upheaval - A Novel", is about the superlatives of political power, blooming love, perennial drama, questionable existence and how all these shapes up the selfish narratives of many in the South East Asia region as well as globally. The author has done commentary on various political scenarios from the past and how all this has shaped up the existing scheme of things. Almost everything that you read seems real which will only make you believe in it, but also question the intentions of people behind it, though it is a fictional tale, it appears to be near the boundaries of reality.

The book is also like an overview that covers the cross border terrorism or the border related issues on either side of our land, the conflicts of the past between countries like India, Pakistan and Afghanistan, the internal power hungry politics and the conflicts that keep tainting the fabric of India.

The protagonist of the story, in the book "Upheaval - A novel", with two completely diverse backgrounds and idealism start falling in love, as a reader, you will be curious to figure out what is happening on that front as it is a regular love story. It is a story that will question many things and seek a resolve, but will it succeed or fail? Can the power of love, in any way, change the people associated with them, their backgrounds or will love change its interpretation?

It is not an out and out political write up, if you are interested in the global political scenario or at least the countries trying to attain the global supremacy and how India fits in between all this, then you may find this book to be interesting. In a few places, it may appear repetitive or boring depending upon your awareness about those incidents as there are multiple global events being spoken about and how they all relate and advance to the present.

Other Details:
Copyright: Vijai Singh Mankotia
Published By: Har-Anand Publications Pvt. Ltd.
ISBN: 978-93-88409-20-9
Genre: Fiction

You can order a copy of the book from Amazon.

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Crossword Bookstores hosts Juhi Chawla at Monk Gaur Gopal Das' book launch - 'Life's Amazing Secrets'

2018-10-09T15:17:00.000+05:30

The most profound truths in life are simple enough to be told without much strain. 'Life's Amazing Secrets’ is one such book, written in a light-hearted, thought-provoking style, by popular ISCKON monk, Gaur Gopal Das; who has a huge base of subscribers on YouTube.

The book, Life's Amazing Secrets, promises to take us on a relatable journey. In the rush of Mumbai’s ruthless traffic for hours on end, Gaur Gopal Das strikes up a conversation with his friend and young millionaire, Harry. Together, they explore the great frustrations of human condition in Harry's luxury sedan. Through their journey, Gaur Gopal Das shows you how to conquer your daily battles, align yourself with your purpose and win at life! The purpose of the book is clearly to help us find ‘balance & purpose in our life.’

Speaking to a rapt audience, Gaur Gopal Das said, "I think the art of living life is to find the right balance between being successful and feeling successful. People have mastered the art of being successful but we also need to master the art of feeling successful. Being successful is about having things but feeling successful is about living your life. Being successful is about what others think of you, feeling successful is about what you think of your own life. Being successful is about climbing up the stairs to the heights, feeling successful is about finding the key to your happiness."

Actress Juhi Chawla and author Gaur Gopal Das launched Life's Amazing Secrets ar Crpossword Bookstores

Unveiling the book, Life's Amazing Secrets, actress Juhi Chawla said, "Gaur Gopal Dasji, I have been watching your videos. You have become world famous. I had never met him and had no idea I would run into him in Italy, about 10 - 12 days ago. There he spoke very interesting things, about engagement, life and relationships and then I get this invitation of here. I replied I am really looking forward for reading Life's Amazing Secrets and not only that I am also looking forward to buy lots of copies for my friends and family because I'm sure we all want to know what's in there for a successful life. So thank you for unveiling them for us."

Maulik Desai, Head Crossword Bookstores welcomed the seer to Kemps Corner. “Crossword Bookstores is happy to host Gaur Gopal Das, one of the most loved & widely followed monks in recent times. His advice is very contemporary and relevant. I would definitely call this a treat for our customers.”

About The Author: Gaur Gopal Das graduated as an Electrical Engineer over 22 years ago, having studied at the College Of Engineering, Pune. After a brief stint with Hewlett-Packard, he decided to upgrade his career to be a monk and life coach. Gaur Gopal Das is a student of His Holiness Radhanath Swami and is a senior monk in the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). He has been speaking at various prestigious colleges in India and Globally for over 2 decades. He has been very actively involved in guiding leading doctors and medical professionals across the globe. Corporate firms like Infosys, Barclays, Bank of America, EY, Ford, Macintosh have not been an exception in his areas of continual help and guidance. He was awarded the 2016 Rotary International's Super Achiever Award for outstanding contribution in the field of spirituality and inspiration.

You can order a copy of the book from Amazon and Flipkart.

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Book Review : Dead to Them - Smita Bhattacharya

2018-10-07T21:50:00.000+05:30

As a famous quote says, live and let live, who is actually living and whom are we expecting to let us? Do we have an answer for this? Have we ever thought about it? Expect for a handful few, the answer is going to be a big no. Why don’t we? Probably because we haven’t understood what living means, living is limited to thinking of it as mere existence, we need to go beyond this and understand that it is about co-existence where you feel loved and your life matters.

For some, living means survival, but haven’t we been told that only the fittest survive and in that case, there is going to be only one in the end? What can the fittest do alone or prove it to then? Don’t we just need a coherent coexistence? It would be good even if it is chaotic and not peaceful. All in the process of setting up of our very own close knit of humans, are we handpicking for whom we wouldn’t matter in the long run, if not for personal interest? Your thoughts?

I recently read a book titled, Dead To Them, authored by Smita Bhattacharya who is based out of Mumbai and is a management consultant by profession. The plot of the book revolves around a group of friends, out of which one goes missing and the search is only for ulterior motives, not a genuine concern. However, this is just a premise to set your expectations, but in the hindsight will raise questions about your thoughts on living for something or up to something and is it only thing?

Book Review : Dead to Them - Smita Bhattacharya

The book, Dead To Them, is a psychological suspense thriller and totally lives up to the genre expectations. One of the most interesting thing about the book is the title, as you start expecting a certain way of narration, but then the author, Smita Bhattacharya, manages to take you on an exasperating journey of people, their mind and their intentions in an exceptional way. The narration, never superficially, will intrigue you to find out if someone is dead, then for whom, why and how! The language is authoritative and profound at places, yet it can be read lucidly and the author fantastically manages to keep the curiosity levels high.

There are two things which I think could have been better, first being the cover page and second being the number of characters in the book. The cover of the book, Dead To Them, somehow appears sluggish which the story isn't. The characters of the book including Moira, around whom the narration revolves, are well developed, but there are just too many characters. It may have been the need of the story, however it is a personal opinion. I would recommend this 268 page long thriller to anyone interested in reading a good, dark and multi-layered story.

Other Details:

Copyright: Smita Bhattacharya

Published By: StoryMirror

ISBN: 978-93-86305-91-6

Genre:Thriller

You can buy a copy of the book from Amazon.

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News : Aparna Jain stirs the soul at Crossword Bookstores

2018-10-03T20:48:00.001+05:30

Crossword Bookstores in association with Westland Publications Pvt Ltd has evolved into a centre for communities to connect with the literary world. It has pioneered the entire experience of attending interactive sessions with authors, bringing readers closer to them that ever before, and changing the way books are being consumed today.

The latest such offering was with Aparna Jain, author, gender and diversity champion, at Crossword Kemps Corner on the morning of 29th September. She was present for an interactive session based on her book ‘Like A Girl’; a book with a striking cover, beautifully illustrated by female artists, and powerful stories to match.

Author Aparna Jain & art director Ayesha Broacha at Crossword Bookstores Kemps Corner

The book features 51 women icons, who broke the rules to forge new paths for themselves and others. Adventurous and ambitious, they fought battles and legal cases. They won elections and matches. They climbed mountains and mastered science. Best of all, they never stopped chasing their dreams.

Speaking to readers, Aparna Jain said, “We have many Indian heroes that our children don’t know about, and I believe it is important for them to be aware of the difficulties as well as the niceties in our country. This book is a starting point for that.”

Art & Director of this book Ayesha Broacha said “Hold your head up high, succeed!!Like a girl!!!”

Maulik Desai, Head, Crossword Bookstores says, “Aparna Jain is not afraid to talk about the uncomfortable issues. In fact, she herself has said, that his book must be used by parents as a conversation starter, with their children, to seed open conversations and healthy parenting.”

The book covers a gamut of topics like rape, the devadasi system, the caste system, LGBTQIA, mental health - all an attempt to make parents start discussing things with their kids again. The conversation at Crossword Bookstores centred around these issues.

ABOUT CROSSWORD BOOKSTORES : In its 26th year, India’s leading bookstore chain, Crossword Bookstores which has pioneered the lifestyle bookstore concept in India, has evolved to emerge as a culmination of cultural and social interaction for customers as well as authors and poets. It currently operates 89 stores across the country.

Author Aparna Jain & art director Ayesha Broacha with kids at Crossword Bookstores Kemps Corner

ABOUT APARNA JAIN : Aparna Jain is a leadership coach and an advocate for diversity and inclusion in the workplace. She is also the author of Own It: Leadership Lessons from Women Who Do, which was awarded a Laadli Prize and was shortlisted for the Tata Literature Live Business Book Award 2016. ‘Like A Girl’ features 56 real-life stories of women achievers like Indira Gandhi, Bhanwari Devi, Razia Sultan, Chand Bibi, P V Sindhu, Dipa Karmakar, Mary Kom, mountaineer Poorna Malavath, transgender activist Gauri Sawant and Jaipur gharana vocalist Kishori Amonkar.

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Book Review : Que Sera Sera - Whatever Will Be Will Be - Kaasyapa

2018-06-17T21:26:00.002+05:30

Life is simple, but it is the us and the people around who strive to make it hard on a day to day basis under the pretext of our assumption that, such is life and it has to be made interesting. Are we really making it interesting or simply messing it up with various material expectations? We all will agree that "simple" is ordinary, but can't we make simple interesting? Do share your thoughts on this in the comments below.

I recently read a book titled, Que Sera Sera, written by debut author Kaasyapa. Kaasyapa is the pen name of Parsa Venkata Ramchandra Rao who is an avid bird watcher and interested in various art forms, now based in Hyderabad and is an active blogger. The tagline of the book Que Sera Sera is Whatever Will Be Will Be and that's the exact essence of the book. It doesn't fail to convey the same.

Que Sera Sera is a story set in the sixties and revolves around the life of Sagar from his younger days as a college graduate to his job search and the professional success that follows him. He sees betterment in personal life as well, finding the love interest that would last for a lifetime and his adventures even in an age that is perceived as an old age. The story is too close to everything that appears to be perfect or a desired life in simpler words.

Book Review : Que Sera Sera - Whatever Will Be Will Be - Kaasyapa

Overall, the book is very positive in its approach, the choice of words and the perception of life because whatever will be will be! Que Sera Sera is true to it's title and always keeps a smile on your face, it will make you surf through what we call the old world charm which we, the recent generation, could never experience. We have heard how the life in post-independence India was, Que Sera Sera just reaffirms the same. Young legs seeking a public sector job which assures job safety and respect, the glory of possessing a car back then and finding true love which existed in the non-existent tech gadgets.

Que Sera Sera is more about the values that persisted back then, the people and their needs, a modern outlook towards life and the constant hunger of success, but not at the cost of something else. The protagonist, Sagar, lands with a job at the Indian Oil Company, thus the majority of the story revolves around it and gives the reader on some insights about one of the public sector giant.

There are many good things about the book Que Sera Sera, one of which are the graphic illustration at crucial points which make the story appear realistic, though fictional. The writing is very simple, positive choice of words and no drama continuously maintain the uniformity. The book is devoid of too much detailing, which is a good thing and the minimal characters in the story keep it simple. But then, this simplicity is not something that everyone may like, so use for discretion while picking up the book.

Other Details:

Copyright: Kaasyapa

Published By: Notion Press

ISBN: 978-1-64249-379-5
Genre: Contemporary Fiction

You can order a copy of the book from Amazon and Flipkart.

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News : R. D. Tyagi, Former Police Commissioner, Launches His Book “Success Unlimited”

2018-06-17T14:31:00.002+05:30

Mr. R. D Tyagi, IPS (Retd), on June 15, 2018 presented his book Success Unlimited - Using Power of Subconscious Mind. This book contains basic principles of success, which if followed can propel any person to great heights of success. This book will guide you to think bigger, aim higher, get motivated and accomplish unlimited success. This book is a key for those who thrive to success.

The book, Success Unlimited - Using Power of Subconscious Mind, highlights the importance of spiritual power and a gateway to purify one’s thoughts and consciousness. It comprehensively defines success and parameters of success. In the absence of the spiritual base, purity of thoughts and feelings and values - the success tends to sustain for short span of time.

News : R. D. Tyagi, Former Police Commissioner, Launches His Book “Success Unlimited”

Mr. Tyagi has shared his personal life experiences in the book, Success Unlimited - Using Power of Subconscious Mind. While sharing more about the book he said that, the various principles towards success have been experienced by me and I thought of sharing my experiences with the youth of our country. This was the major reason, which motivated me to pen down all my thoughts on this topic. Mr. Tyagi also mentions that, “The success principles and ideas given in the book are inspired by the thoughts of Dr. D Y Patil." The launch of the book was hosted by Dr. D. Y. Patil, former Governor of Tripura, Bihar and West Bengal. He is also the founder of D. Y. Patil deemed universities.

Shri. Mohan Bhagwat, chief of RSS has stated that, "The language in the book is simple and easy and Mr. Tyagi's narrative directly hits at the principles which he has experienced to create milestones and lead a successful life. The book, Success Unlimited - Using Power of Subconscious Mind, is totally devoid of any attempt to project the name and personality of Shri R D Tyagi as an individual. The book shows you the path to not only be successful in life but also to lead a meaningful life."

Mr. Tyagi has taken to spirituality and meditation after his retirement and has published various books such as Happiness Unlimited, Yoga – The way to Divine Bliss etc. for the betterment of mankind. The present book of success is also written based on his personal experience in the life and the practice of spirituality.

About the Author: Mr. Tyagi joined ONFC after completing his post graduation in Physics. He joined Indian Army in 1962 as an Emergency Commissioned Officer and participated in Indo-Pak war of 1964-65, wherein he was awarded Raksha Medal and Samar Seva Starfor his services in the operations. He served the Indian Army for five and half years and therafter joined the IPS and spent 32 years in the Indian Police. He worked as Commissioner of Police, Greater Mumbai and Retired as Director General, National Security Guard (Black Cat Commandos), New Delhi. Mr. Tyagi was one of the most effective and successful Police Officers of the Maharashtra Cadre.

You can order a copy of the book from Amazon and Flipkart.

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Book Review : Keeping Up with Kaneda - Gaurav Kumar

2018-06-16T23:05:00.001+05:30

Traveling, what is the first thing that comes to your mind when you read this? Adventure? Certainly yes, however the form of adventure may vary and that’s completely alright. To travel, is to unravel. To travel, is to explore. To travel, is what not! There are many who dream about traveling as it opens up you to various cultures, people, heritage, history and umpteen other things.

Traveling within your country is fairly easier compared to a foreign location, starting right from the language to mannerisms, traveling to an unknown location has its own merits and demerits. What you need to visit a foreign country? Just one reason, and this reason is mostly dependent on the age group you belong to, I can see you smiling there! What was or would be your reason to visit to foreign country?

I recently read a book titled, Keeping up with Kaneda, written by debut author Gaurav Kumar. Gaurav, in his first book has written about his experience in Canada as a student who is always on the lookout various part time jobs to support his studies and keep himself occupied. During this balancing act of being a student and an employee, his life takes him on a roller coaster ride of varied experiences and adventures in a foreign land.

Book Review : Keeping Up with Kaneda - Gaurav Kumar

The cover of the book, Keeping up with Kaneda, is interesting enough to compel you to pick it up for a quick read as it has only 127 pages. Gaurav writes about his experiences with friends, acquaintances and strangers of different nationalities in a foreign land, he writes about the rescues and the breakouts, the discourses and discoveries, the survivals and the occasional reality strikes. The drama of the eventful life overshadows everything else in the book, Keeping up with Kaneda, but then this drama also puts you off at certain places either you expect more about the situation or it wasn't engaging enough. Though the incidences that Gaurav writes about are funny, eventful and interesting, but they appear like different set of short stories and not one story which was my personal expectation from the book.

The only things that saves the book, Keeping up with Kaneda, are the wit and humor in this simple straight forward write up, else as a reader there is very little to take away from the book. The first person writing is good and the author looks promising, but the experiences that have been shared in this book don’t serve any purpose, in case the author aimed to shed some light on the issues in a foreign country. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in a quick fun read, nothing profound to keep with you. However, looking forward to his next release.

Other Details:

Copyright: Gaurav Kumar

Published By: Srishti Publishers

ISBN: 9789387022041

Genre: Humor

You can order a copy of the book from Amazon and Flipkart.

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Interview with author Priyanka Baranwal

2018-06-05T19:42:00.002+05:30

Priyanka Baranwal, author of the books The Shadow Of Darkness and It's Never Too Late recently spoke with us and answered the interview questions. To read more about her book The Shadow of Darkness you can visit Book Review : The Shadow of Darkness - Priyanka Baranwal.

-- Interview with author --

Q: A published book is all the hard work coming to life, how does it feel to hold a copy of your book “The Shadow of Darkness”?

A: Holding your own book is always a great feeling. ‘The Shadow of Darkness’ has taken some time but it’s out and I can’t be more proud.

Q: Can you tell us something about the things or factors that made you write “The Shadow of Darkness”?

A: TSD is the sequel of It’s Never Too Late, my first book, however complete in itself in every sense. When I was writing INTL, the idea of its successor was already in my head but getting it into a shape was harder than I had imagined. INTL has seen Maya’s struggle but somewhere in that, the little Sejal has suffered too. Children when traumatized in childhood often grow up more sensitive and resilient. Memories fade but they can always have a strong foot onto your senses. We all know it. We all feel it every day, don’t we? While writing TSD, I had to push myself to learn a lot about childhood trauma and its various aspects. It’s quite a challenging subject to portray in fiction. I had to be careful because there are millions of people traumatized by a childhood incident. And my story should feel like it’s one of theirs, and not written for the sake of writing a book. INTL had seen Maya’s story and as an author, I felt it was my responsibility to showcase Sejal’s too.

Q: How did you finalize the title, “The Shadow of Darkness” and the cover photo, did you have options?

A: Thankfully, I didn’t have to struggle at all for the titles of my books. They drew me to them quite naturally and astonishingly. Also, they make quite a sense. Where you can relate with It’s Never Too Late on almost with daily struggles, The Shadow of Darkness pauses you to think about a subject which is taboo and thus, oozes a curiosity. And who doesn’t like a good curiosity to be satisfied? As for the cover of TSD, my team at Pothi worked diligently on it. I am quite happy with the outcome. It’s one of my favourite book covers. I am grateful to my team.

Q: Which of the two books that you have written is your personal favourite?

A: Now don’t make me choose. Both books of mine are my favourite. Where Maya stands true to the calling of survival instincts, Sejal stands for all of us who have been dealing with their hidden monsters in daily life. Maya has her family to cope up with the repercussions of the night of October 23rd whereas Sejal has taken it upon herself to do it. Does it not show how strong as a girl she is? Sejal is as inspiring as her mother, Maya.

Q: What can we expect from you in near future? Any books lined up to be published?

A: I am working on my next. It’s a different take on life that readers will certainly find refreshing. Let’s see what happens next.

Q: You took up writing as an intentional move or multiple sequences of events led to writing?

A: If you read the section in It’s Never Too Late – From the author’s heart – you will know how I picked up to writing novels. I had been a freelancer prior to that but it was my husband who urged me to write a story and since then, there is no looking back.

Q: Being a published author is a different feeling altogether. How do you make sure that this feeling stays alive?

A: I keep writing stories and push myself to think differently each time I sit to work. Besides, published books keep the writer in me in place. Also, I play guitar. Along with author pages on social media, I also have a Facebook Musician page and YouTube channel dedicated to my guitar. Music is an integral part of me and possibly the biggest motivation to go on, apart from writing. I also play Dholak. It’s an Indian traditional instrument and i enjoy tapping it away too. In short, being focused and un-focused helps the feeling to stay alive.

Q: Your book, “The Shadow of Darkness” is about trauma, thrill and darker shades of the society mostly, why did you only pick these topics to convey your story?

A: First of all and quite frankly, I did not choose Crime against women (It’s Never Too Late) and Childhood trauma (The Shadow Darkness) as the themes of my books deliberately. It was simply the demand of my ideas. But as I explore myself more through these, I have actually come to realize that writing thriller is enthralling for me. It’s exhilarating, puts you up at nights, makes you day dream. Writing and reading thriller actually create fire works within my brain network than any other genres. And that’s exactly how alive I would like to feel with my work.

Interview with author Priyanka Baranwal

Q: Your book, The Shadow of Darkness, is inspired, real or completely fictional?

A: It’s a complete fictional book however there are facts about childhood trauma and how to deal with it at the end of the book. I just felt I should take the subject in more real form before the reader closes the book.

Q: Your book, The Shadow of Darkness, has received many good reviews, any particular review that made you go wow?

A: Each one of them makes me smile. A very unique plotline, a powerful book, a unique way of how fiction can be written...it’s out of my hand to select one. One reader, Aman Mittal, has said something about the blurb succeeding it with a positive view on the book. Quoting his words – The blurb of the book is so well written with the ease of simplicity, that I am going to share with you since I cannot express it with more clarity. I myself have written the blurb. Now TSD being a self-published book, this particular section of his review is quite encouraging. As coming to yours, you have said – It is an excellent combination of thriller, crime, trauma and how all of this plays with your mind, both conscious and subconscious. Such good positive reviews work as a gentle pat on your back. They encourage you to write more, do better, be better... You also said - The dark side of the story might scare you. Though it’s another WOW review but I’d like to satisfy my curiosity now that I have the chance. Did you get scared while reading The Shadow of Darkness? Tell me later for sure. :-)

Q: Tell us about, how writing is a part of your daily life?

A: Apart from being an author, I am also a blogger. I have two blogs – Pages from my life (English) and Pages from my life in Hindi (Hindi). It’s a blogspot domain. I also help my father with writing his speeches on various occasions. I also do some poetry. Though I am not an expert yet I try to thread the current loop of emotions to my best. Have an example. It’s one of my favourites which you can read at The Wine of Loneliness..

Q: Tell us something about the mental transformation you had to while writing for the two books?

A: It’s a question that asks for quite a magnificent answer. In simpler words, it needs a lengthy answer. When you write a book, you change. On various fronts. You don’t stay the same person as you were before penning down that first word. First, you come to believe that you can create something. That you have the power of god (at least i feel this way. No offense, please). Creating a story equals making several characters come to life. It’s a heavenly feeling but also a huge responsibility. You have to do justice to each one of them. It was not easy being in Maya’s shoes when i was writing INTL. It was not easy either drawing little Sejal grow up with trauma induced habits and allow her to deal with the past quite unexpectantly. You see, you too born, grow, die and resurrect with your characters. And that’s the biggest and hardest process to go through while writing fiction.

Q: If you get a chance to live one of your characters, which would that be and why?

A: That’s an interesting question but i don’t think I’d like to be a character from my stories. I am quite satisfied with being their creator.

Q: Do you read as much as you write? Which are your favourite books?

A: Yes. I read. Every day. Or almost every day. There is no perfection in anything. My favourite is Coelho. The simplicity in his writings takes me off guard. It’s inspiring at the same time. He has way more wisdom as an author than I’d ever achieve because one of his books – Aleph - went way over my head but I am sure he writes with heavy inspiration drew from some mystical power. He is my all-time-favourite. Next is Jodi Picoult. A few months back I read Small Great Things and instantly became a fan of her. The way she writes and keeps the reader stay till the end, it’s astonishing. I simply love her. I follow Coelho and Picoult on social media and love to read about their activities and thoughts. I also like John Grisham. Grisham is responsible for getting me interested into law and trials and other courtroom things. I read him religiously. John green. I remember I cried at some points while reading The Fault in Our stars. It may sound silly but I don’t mind. If an author can touch a reader through his words, it’s magical. I also read his other works. I also love reading Hindi novels and my favourites are – Premchand and Shivani. While neither of them are alive but they have created works in time when literature was not as greatly appreciated as it is today. They are still alive through their books. And it’s a fact astounding enough for me to be motivated. I would also like to be remembered for my achievements after I close my eyes forever.

Q: You prefer reading e-books or the traditional paper back/hard cover? Why?

A: I own a Kindle and quite happy with it. By heart, i love hard books. The feeling of holding a book is unparalleled but by head, I prefer e-books. It’s eco-friendly and you can carry thousands of books at once in a simple sleek device. Where hard books need light in darkness, you don’t have to worry with Kindle/mobiles. So e-books, definitely. My current read is actually on Kindle – Nineteen minutes by Jodi Picoult. Last e-book I finished was – The woman in the window by A. J. Finn. I believe this one is being made into a movie.

Q: If your book, The Shadow of Darkness, is made into a Bollywood movie, who do you think should the lead actors be?

A: Let the time come and then we will see.

Q: Two things that you like and dislike about being an author?

A: Likes – The flexibility. You can write from any corner in the world. All you need is a laptop, good health and a peaceful mind. Another thing I like very much about my work is the kind of control i can have over it. If not written in day, I can always do it at night. Or vice versa. All I need is some discipline.

Dislikes – No personal space to write. It would be really amazing to have a personal dedicated space where I can write without any kind of interruption. It’s at-home job which is helplessly jewelled with several other responsibilities. Another thing that i dislike about being an author is, that people don’t take it up as an actual job. You say you are a writer and their faces go blank for a minute. Or may be, I have been dealing with the wrong crowd. But i truly hope this changes soon.

Q: If you have to give one reason to our readers to pick up your book, what would that be?

A: They are good stories you won’t forget.

Q: Any message you would want to share with our readers?

A: Just a promise. To deliver a better story each time.

Q: How can our readers connect with you?

A: Here are the links to connect on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Goodreads, YouTube and my Blog.

-- End of Interview with author --

You can order a copy of the book Amazon, Flipkart and Pothi.

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Interview with author Saumya Kaushik

2018-06-03T21:41:00.004+05:30

I recently interacted with author Saumya Kaushik who has written the book Daughter of a Drunkard Monk. She has written several books and proudly says that, "My mother inspires me to write".

-- Interview with author Saumya Kaushik --

Q: “Daughter of a Drunkard Monk” made you a published author, how did it feel holding a copy of the same in your hand?

A: I am extremely grateful, that my first book came out right after I had finished my 1st year at college. I devoted all my time to writing while studying English Literature at Delhi University. When I first got the book in hand, my eyes were all teary and I had nothing to say for a few minutes to my publisher. When I look back on those memories, it feels surreal!

Q: Tell us about the three books that you have published?

A: Actually, they are not 3 solo books penned down by me. I have written Daughter of a Drunkard Monk, Minds at Work 3, Miles Apart, Meri Kalam and Life beyond Expectations. Out of which 3 are anthologies and 2 are full-fledged novels.

Q: What can we expect from you in near future? Any books lined up to be published?

A: Two of my books are coming out this July and November. Life beyond Expectations is set out to release in July-August and the other one will be launched in November. I cannot give away the details yet for the latter one.

Q: How do you plan for your books? Is there a process that you follow?

A: I plan a book for about a year. I plan out the plot first and pen down the ideas that spring up during the outlining procedure.

Q: What was the reaction of your friends or family members when you first told them that you wanted to be a writer? Can you tell us something about the support that you received from them?

A: My family never gave a strong reaction about me becoming a writer because my father was a voracious reader and so was my grandfather. My mother reads a lot of magazines and writes poetry so, I have inherited this articulation of words from her. My mother is my biggest inspiration to write. My friends however, always saw me as an artist. So, everyone around me was all cool!

Q: You took up writing as an intentional move or multiple sequences of events led to writing? Or you think you were destined to be a writer?

A: I don’t think I was destined to be a writer, it did not fell on my lap, and I worked hard for it. It was not at all an intentional move, I got myself published first when I was 10 years old in my school’s monthly newspaper. I only write when I feel too much, I wrote extensively when a dear friend passed away back in 2012 and later I began writing again when my father wasn’t keeping good health.

Q: Being a published author is a different feeling altogether. How do you make sure that this feeling stays alive?

A: There was a time when I did not want this feeling to stay but in the later course of events I came up to the inference that if I do not write, I might go insane. So, I make sure to write every day, even if it is for 10 minutes in 24 hours. Hence, the feeling stays alive.

Q: Your books, stories mostly revolve around females and their viewpoint, why is it so?

A: I have met some amazing women in my life at different times and events. I have learnt a lot from them, I draw anecdotes and their behaviour from their lives and pen them down. I’ve been friends and still am, with a lot of men too. But, I believe my feminine side can express more than the other one. Someday, I might pen down as a male narrator too.

Q: It would be a difficult choice, but out of the three books that you have written which is your personal favourite?

A: Ummm.

Interview with author Saumya Kaushik

Q: Your stories are inspired, real or completely fictional?

A: My stories are inspired and drawn from real-life incidents. Some of it is fiction – keep guessing, which part it is! *Laughs*

Q: Your books have received many good reviews, any particular review that made you go wow?

A: Yes, it was from my high school teacher, Ms. Anjali Sareen, she dedicated a facebook post to me saying “proud to have taught you once, honoured to receive an autograph book”.

Q: Tell us about, how writing is a part of your daily life?

A: I write what I feel and I don’t care what exactly the content is about. A lot of my written work is not published – it is out there in different forms by my pen name. I have a day job where I write advertorial copies and for my personal growth – I write my personal diary, blogs and guest posts for different leading sites.

Q: Apart from being a writer, is there anything else that you do professionally?

A: Yes, I work as a food reviewer for Zomato.

Q: Tell us something about your experience of getting the books published? Is there a change from your first book to third?

A: There hasn’t been much change from publishing point of view, but the feeling of holding a new book fresh out press is still incomparable.

Q: If you get a chance to live one of your characters, which would that be and why?

A: I don’t want to live any of my characters – they are a part of me, I can never be a whole lot of them!

Q: Do you read as much as you write? Which are your favourite books?

A: I read a lot. A lot! I read books recommended by my professors, friends from college and literature fraternity. My favourite books are: The Unabridged journals of Sylvia Plath, Train to Pakistan, Eleven Minutes and The Fundamentals of Caregiving.

Q: You prefer reading e-books or the traditional paper back/hard cover? Why?

A: I read e-books when I commute long hours to work but I prefer paper back, any day! Paperbacks make one feel as though you are personally attached to the prose and with the one who has penned it down.

Q: If one of your book should be made into a movie, which one should it be?

A: I don’t think, I am ready to sell my script for a movie.

Q: Two things that you like and dislike about being an author?

A: I like the fact that everyone I meet, greet and observe becomes a part of my art and obviously the royalty pay check aside from my day job! I dislike the fact that if you’re an Indian author, especially as a commercial one you’re stereotyped as a scribbler of bad prosed! That’s crap! Also, I am not available on digital media for answering “how to get published?”

Q: If you have to give one reason to our readers to pick up your books, what would that be?

A: Dear Reader, I am no extra-ordinary woman, so aren’t my books. You might find what you can relate with your life as you continue to unravel my made up stuff!

Q: Any message you would want to share with our readers?

A: I am grateful and thankful to all of them! I feel naked before people when they come up to me and relate me with my main characters. This feeling is like the ocean – you feel insignificant when you stand in front of the ocean. I feel the same, simple woman when a reader asks me, ‘Who is Naina, Anjali or Tanya’?

Q: How can our readers connect with you?

A: My e-mail id is: kaushiksaumya05@gmail.com. They can write to me, if and only if they’ve read my work. I am available on the digital world as “isaumyakaushik”

-- End of Interview with author Saumya Kaushik --

You can order a copy of the book from Amazon and Flipkart

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News : Notion Press publishes ‘My Binoculars 36 Conversations with Your Soul’ written by Tushar

2018-05-19T11:07:00.002+05:30

My Binoculars 36 Conversations with Your Soul is a book written by Tushar and published by Notion Press, one of India's fastest growing self publishing company. The book consists of 36 conversations that attempt to zoom into the past in order to assist a person to analyze himself better.

People deal with several issues on a daily basis; sometimes they handle them smoothly while sometimes they stumble. Everybody has that moment in life when they look back at certain incidents they feel, "If I had known this earlier, would my life have been much different?" It is not really possible for one to understand the challenge and deal with it gracefully because life does not give any opportunity to be prepared. In order to assist the readers, the author has penned down this book which captures present-day life challenges that one faces during various stages of the life and view them with our own binoculars to understand the reasons why such challenges arise, the impact they generate and the ways to handle day-to-day emotions.

News : Notion Press publishes ‘My Binoculars 36 Conversations with Your Soul’ written by Tushar

The book, My Binoculars 36 Conversations with Your Soul, has three chapters such as 'Conversation with Self', 'Conversation on Love & Relationship' and 'Social Challenges' that convey many simple yet significant messages which will surely help the readers enhance their personal and social relationships.

Speaking about the same, Tushar, the author of the book said, "I have been conducting various personal development sessions for corporate employees and while interacting with them I understood most of the problems happen because people do not know how to react or respond in critical situations. Hence, I decided to write this book. This book discusses about 36 conversations that almost everyone faces in their life and through the various chapters I have tried to provide solutions to them. I am sure the readers will relate to these conversations and try to make change in their lives.

The book My Binoculars 36 Conversations with Your Soul is currently out and available on Amazon and Flipkart..

About the Author: Tushar comes from a corporate background, running a successful software consultancy company. His passion for teaching led him to build and conduct various programs in the corporate world about increasing personal effectiveness. As a prelude to this book, he started writing and posting on his blog www.mybinoculars.net. The idea of this book came much later, and he decided to publish it to help many others who face such situations. He is compassionate, soft-spoken, and away from the glamour, with a deep analytical approach in all his work. He loves teaching, mentoring and writing.

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Book Review : The Last Nomad - Heramb Sukhathankar

2018-05-17T20:45:00.001+05:30

There are struggles, there are beliefs and then there are successes. In no particular order, if one strives, one would succeed. Is success only relevant for your corporate life? Does success mean comfort and easy life? Is success relative? How does one define success? Most of us would agree on, accomplishment of a particular aim. The question is, will you still consider it a success when you knew that you were aiming for something wrong? Do share your thoughts in the comments section below.

I recently read a book titled, The Last Nomad, written by author Heramb Sukhathankar. The book is a fictional tale that speaks about the growing up days of Rahul Gite and Ryan Davis, two different 'identities' who once in their lifetime, by chance, come across each other only to comprehend and get acquainted with each other's identity. Do they let go this or cherish it? As a reader, that is for you to find out.

Book Review : The Last Nomad - Heramb Sukhathankar

While the life of Ryan Davis is set in the comforts of Japan, Rahul Gite's is from a slum in Mumbai and the story of the book The Last Nomad is somewhere about the intersection of the these two lives and somewhat about the distinct features yet common characteristics of their lives too. In life, sometimes you have aspirations to be achieved while sometimes life wants you to give up what you have already achieved, is there a common ground for both or everyone is a nomad in this life constantly seeking what they don't have? The book may not be an answer to this question, but has a perspective for the same.

There are a certain good things about the book which make it very simple yet interesting at the same time. The Last Nomad has a narration that leaves with certain food for thoughts and emotions that don't become baggage on you as a reader. The lives of both the identities in the narration are well written and bring forth the realities from different horizons of life from hope, myths and legends to dark, canny and cons. It is vastly about the civilizations and how they bloom for the good or the bad, it is about the journey of life. Is it conclusive with the topics it deals with? That is all for you to find out :-)

Other Details:
Published By: Heramb Sukhathankar
Copyright: Heramb Sukhathankar
ISBN: 978-9352684748
Genre: Fiction

You can order a copy of the book from Amazon.

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Book Review : One Enduring Lesson - Jamal Merchant

2018-05-06T22:44:00.003+05:30

A coin has two sides, isn't this quite obvious? I can see you nodding your head in a yes. Then why am I even saying this? Usually the two sides of the coin are right and wrong, but what happens when both the sides of your coin are only wrong? How do you survive the toughest thing called life? Only a handful survive, but only when they are supported unconditionally by others in altering or correcting the wrongs.

I recently read a book titled, One Enduring Lesson, written by debut author Jamal Merchant who is based out of London and a property finance broker by profession. To read more about the book launch you visit News : Jamal Merchant launches his debut novel ‘One Enduring Lesson’. The book is published by Rupa Publications and is around the theme of survival of love and life against all odds.

Book Review : One Enduring Lesson - Jamal Merchant

The story of the book, One Enduring Lesson, revolves around the protagonist Rahul Saxena, a twenty seven year old who heads to Mumbai all the way from London to pursue a course in film making, but before he could even take an admission in his desired college, his life takes unwanted turns and twists only to leave him devastated and in a constant search to recover himself psychologically, emotionally and financially and how he manages to do it is his journey from London to Mumbai to Amritsar to Mumbai.

The book, One Enduring Lesson, is too many things in one as it talks about a story of love, a story about trust, a story about the desires of different sections of the society, a story of redemption, a story of spiritual awakening and probably this things makes the book a bit longer than it should have been. Another thing that makes the story a bit lengthy than it should have been are the multiple sections about Radium and his professional encounters, though these would be necessary from the writers point of view as he wanted to convey the different issues pertaining to different people and society, but India at large. What or who is Radium? Well, that's an interesting and important part of the book One Enduring Lesson.

There are other good things about the book, all the characters that are introduced in the book are there for an actual reason and serve a larger purpose in the story. The narration of the story is simple and straightforward with detailed descriptions of the characters and their surroundings. The story uncovers different shades of Mumbai, all shades being truest to themselves right from the dreams of a graduate beggar to the desires of wealthy households, from the compassion of strangers to the risk of life and almost everything under the sun possible in the "Maya Nagari" Mumbai.

One Enduring Lesson speaks volumes about the struggles that the city has to offer only to reward you later, it talks about different cultures and the micro cultures within the city to some extent as well. It is a good attempt at writing on a realistic plot. The story also takes a spiritual angle and leads up to All’s Well That Ends Well, but does the story have a happy ending? That is for you, as a reader to find out. I would recommend this 274 page long book to anyone interested in reading a simple fictional tale.

Other Details:
Published By: Rupa Publications
Copyright: Jamal Merchant
ISBN: 978-81-291-4767-7
Genre: Fiction
You can order a copy of the book from Amazon and Flipkart.

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Book Review : From Quetta To Delhi - A Partition Story - Reena Nanda

2018-05-03T18:53:00.000+05:30

The post-independence partition of India was not only the partition of a great landmass with geographical features and prominence, but it was also a partition of the emotional attachment that people had towards their motherland. Many people, across different age groups, who had to migrate from one side of the border to the other brought almost nothing with them and had to start everything from zero. How would it feel to be a refugee on a land that was your own country? Well, we may not be able to even think about it, those migrants had experienced and lived through it.

I recently read a book titled From Quetta To Delhi, and as you would have got some hints, it is about a journey, but this journey is not only from one place to another. It is the journey from one from culture to another, a journey from loved homeland to an unknown territory, the book is about the journey of escape and survival. The book is written by author Reena Nanda as a part biography of her mother, Mrs. Shakunt Nanda and part socio-political account of pre-partition India. As the author, Reena Nanda, mentions From Quetta to Delhi is a partition story that talks not only about the partition, but also almost everything that revolved around it from an individual's point of view and that individual being her mother.

Book Review : From Quetta To Delhi - A Partition Story - Reena Nanda

The book, From Quetta To Delhi, talks about the various aspects of human life in the pre-partition India and how people from different caste, cultures, creed and thoughts lived together in harmony and appraised of each other. It may not be a detailed account on what led to the partition of India, but it clearly gives you a background about how the people on both the sides of the border perceived it and what exactly led to the migration of hundreds and thousands of people. The book basically discussed people and their viewpoints across different cities, age groups, culture and how it always kept humanity above everything else except during the partition phase.

The writing in the book, From Quetta To Delhi, is simple and has many Punjabi words with explanation in English. I learnt few Punjabi words and what they actually meant in the songs that we have been hearing. The beautiful detailed narration actually had me transported to the era gone by wanting to stay and explore more of it. The only thing that I didn't like about the book was repetitive emphasis on how peaceful things were in pre-partition India and Mr. Sawan Mal's modern thoughts.

Another thing that I liked the most about the book, From Quetta to Delhi, was the detailed explanations and the reasons behind a lot of traditions followed till today, for example the concept of buri nazar, untouchability, girls hitting puberty, the punjabi folk tales, multi linguism. It may appear to be a short read with only 170 pages to read, but it way deeper for someone engrossed in reading it, it scares you at places while you laugh it off at certain places. It is actually a 'meaning'ful book and I would recommend it to anyone interested in reading non-fiction.

Other Details:
Published By: Bloomsbury India
Copyright: Reena Nanda
ISBN: 978-93-86643-82-7
Genre: Non-Fiction | Biography
You can order a copy of the book from Amazon and Flipkart.

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News : Notion Press Publishes "Que Sera Sera" Kaasyapa's Debut Book

2018-04-30T22:32:00.002+05:30

Notion Press, India’s largest self-publishing platform, has published author Kaasyapa’s debut novel Que Sera Sera, a work of a fiction that emphasizes the importance of family, values, and morals.

The story revolves around protagonist Sagar – a young graduate who joins a public sector enterprise to pursue his dream. As the narrative proceeds, the readers get to know more about his dreams, passions, romance, struggles and travel adventures. After a certain point, Sagar realizes that the basic realities of life are more important than materialistic possessions. He understands the significance of family bonding, which shapes the life of a human being, and how joint families are crucial in inculcating strong values among everyone.

The book, Que Sera Sera, discusses many events that carry great insight into the values that are cherished and followed to a great extent by the people who believe in them.

News : Notion Press Publishes Que Sera Sera Kaasyapa's Debut Book

Kaasyapa is the pen name of Parsa Venkata Ramachandra Rao from Hyderabad. He is an active birdwatcher and loves listening to music. Apart from this, he is also interested in politics, reading books and participating in literary and cultural activities.

When asked about his book, Kaasyapa said, “Today, I see nuclear families everywhere, but I personally believe joint families teach us many important life lessons. It inculcates strong values in us; it teaches us to give importance to each member of the family, understand and stand beside them. Also, I think it is important to understand that we work for the people whom we love and not for materialistic possessions. I hope readers will enjoy Sagar’s story.”

The book, Que Sera Sera, is out now and currently available on Amazon and Flipkart.

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Book Review : And So Can You - Dr. Roopleen

2018-04-30T16:51:00.000+05:30

There are various professions that one can opt for in this world, but only a few of them are considered "noble" and being a "Doctor" is one of them. Being a Doctor is not an easy job, you are entrusted with faith and hope of not only the patients but their immediate relatives as well. It is a job full of responsibility and there is absolutely no scope of error or confusion. Isn't a difficult task for an human to be error free? I can see you nodding your head in a yes!

I recently read a book titled And So Can You which has seventeen successful doctors sharing their inspiring stories. The author of the book is a doctor herself, Dr. Roopleen, who is a motivational counselor, speaker, super specialist eye surgeon and author of several other books. The seventeen inspirational stories are about the struggles, overcoming the obstacles, facing the challenges and still making it through with sheer self belief. All the stories talk about where these seventeen doctors are today, how they have reached where they are and what keeps them still motivated.

Book Review : And So Can You - Dr. Roopleen

The book, And So Can You, had "A Book Every Doctor And Medical Student Must Read" written on it and being from a non medical student I had certain apprehensions about the language that may have been used and how relevant would it be someone like me, but since non fiction is a genre that I personally like very much, I started reading through it.

Does the book inspire you and motivate you? Well the answer to this would be based on your perspective when you read through and the medical students would definitely relate to it, but for people with non medical background like me, the book had seventeen different life experiences and how one can overcome the internal and external protests and be victorious in the test of time. The book, And So Can You, talks about the importance of dedication and integrity that one has and preserves. The stories are not only limited to the achievements and accolades of these doctors, but their overall journey, personality and how they shape not only their careers but also the personalities that they become.

The seventeen doctors that are talked about in the book, And So Can You, are as follows

Virendar Sarwal
Ashok Khurana
Lingam Vijaya
Muralidhar V. Pai
Krishna R. Murthy
Suresh K. Pandey
Jyotirmay Biswas
Barnali Das
Mahipal S. Sachdev
Praveen R. Murthy
Anita Panda
Jas Kohli
Dhanashree Ratra
Sarbjit Singh
Vidushi Sharma
Vinay R. Murthy
Sundaram Natarajan

The narration of these stories is very comprehensive, writing is simple and straightforward and it is not only for medical students, but for anyone in general seeking any form of inspiration to accomplish and flourish in their own profession. All the seventeen stories are different with only one thing in common which was the love and dedication towards their profession and almost every story had some or the other take away.

A few important learning from the book, And So Can You, are about the implication of good practices in day to day life. Seek help when needed without hesitating, never be complacent with what you know as there is always something or the other to learn and implement in your own field of work and the most important your self admiration should never come across your work life as it may affect you in a negative way.

I would recommend this 261 page long book to anyone who loves non fiction and personal accounts especially to those seeking encouragement in different walks of life as this book has the capability to do so.

Other Details:
Copyright: Dr. Roopleen
Published By: Power Publication
Genre: Non Fiction | Real Account | Biography

You can order a copy of the book from Amazon.

This review is a part of the biggest Book Review Program for Indian Bloggers. Participate now to get free books!

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News : Thus Spoke Chanakya, Author Dr. Radhakrishnan Pillai's Next Released By Jaico

2018-04-21T18:54:00.001+05:30

Jaico publishing house recently announced the release of Thus Spoke Chanakya, a book by Dr. Radhakrishnan Pillai at an event in Mumbai. From the title it is obvious that the book revolves around the ideas and concepts of Chanakya, which the author Dr. Radhakrishnan Pillai has already mastered.

In the path to success, both the biggest hurdle and the biggest support is your own mind, depending up on how you have trained it, says Chanakya. No school or university teaches us how to make friends, how to have a successful career, how to maintain a healthy married life, how to run a family or how to live life in general. How many times have we wished for a roadmap to navigate the confusing landscape of life, to have a guidebook to show us the way?

News : Thus Spoke Chanakya, Author Dr. Radhakrishnan Pillai's Next released by Jaico

In his much-awaited book Thus Spoke Chanakya, bestselling author Radhakrishnan Pillai decodes ancient texts from the illustrious Kautilya’s Arthashastra within the context of modern times and doles it out in short, crisp passages for everyday practice and use. Perfect for those who yearn to master the teachings of Chanakya and incorporate it in their routine for overall success.

Dr. RadhaKrishnan is the bestselling author of Corporate Chanakya, Chanakya’s 7 Secrets of Leadership, Chanakya in You and Katha Chanakya. He has researched Kautilya’s Arthashastra extensively and has a Master’s degree in Sanskrit. With 20 years of experience as a management consultant and speaker, he heads the Leadership Center in University of Mumbai.

Jaico was proud to announce the release of Dr. Radhakrishnan Pillai's remarkable book Thus Spoke Chanakya. You can order a copy of the book from Amazon or Flipkart.

To read an interview with the author and a review of his book, click on the links below.

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News : Notion Press publishes ‘My Binoculars 36 Conversations with Your Soul’ written by Tushar

Book Review : The Last Nomad - Heramb Sukhathankar­

Book Review : One Enduring Lesson - Jamal Merchant

Book Review : From Quetta To Delhi - A Partition Story - Reena Nanda

News : Notion Press Publishes "Que Sera Sera" Kaasyapa's Debut Book

Book Review : And So Can You - Dr. Roopleen

News : Thus Spoke Chanakya, Author Dr. Radhakrishnan Pillai's Next Released By Jaico

Book Review : The Last Nomad - Heramb Sukhathankar