June wrap up

And another month bids goodbye...My June has never been so splendid., even when I was a kid June were the month of school reopening though that meant new uniforms , bag and books (just loved the smell of the new book),still that meant end of 50 days of vacation getting back home from vacation were always a sad tale... Now that those school days are gone and my research life at its peak June means not even a single holiday other than sundays (which I end up working)..I felt this month to be super sprinted ..I remember the month start off as normal but then wooozh just swept away may it I had two weeks of super travel..Compared to last month's 21 review I did just 8 review this month., but the  good news is ., I realized that I could read really fast when I am travelling ..Be it flight, bus or car.. A cup of coffee and some soothing music and a book I am all set for any kind of travel , no matter how boring and long that might be...I read two new author's work which I liked...Though I am looking good for the schedule I jotted out to be completed for Jule's new author challenge, south asian challenge and short story reading challenge....I am hoping to have a great month ahead....

The Golden notebook by Doris Lessing

Book title: The golden notebook
Author: Doris Lessing
Publisher:Harper perenial
Price: Rs 638
Page: 635
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 007889429
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Source:Personal copy

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Summary:


Anna Wulf, quite a communist maintains four notebooks namely Black,Yellow, Red and Blue...Black book is on her published work her life is Africa, Red book is back in Britain about her communists interests, Yellow is her manuscript of a new novel she is currently working on, Blue is her personal diary where she describes about her friend Molly, her children, family and her personal and household chores...There is a fifth book that she calls the golden notebook were interweaves from all her four notebooks...

Review:

The book first published in the year 1962, during the cold war era.. These were the times when the society was a chaos...Her Red book with her communist interest would have been an obvious choice to have been flirted with the revolutionary communists principles....But she puts forth the details of the member's trepidation and disappointment after witnessing the ugly side of the party...Her maternal instinct towards her children which was the crucial part that kept her alive,though it was alarming truth it depicts the crisis of any mid age single woman trying to cope up with no steady relationship and life in itself..The mood shifts are too often that I missed them mostly...I thought her to be daring to discuss about menstruation and orgasm in a period when these things were considered to be a taboo to be in kitty parties let alone in a book...I read in an article that this particular Lessing's work was more of a feminist genre, as I read I understood why ,here goes Anna's thoughts about an Englishman she says that none are real, Those who are real end up to be unfaithful  and polygamous, but most men are unsatisfactory-rude to their wives, unable to give pleasure, bullying, selfish, indifferent to their children, eager to marry a younger secretary..But after a point I felt Anna to be irritating reading through her affairs with married men when she clearly knew how it would end up and her mood swing was so often that I ended up sighing....For me it was a let down by a strong character that of Anna  still making the same mistake over and over again getting hurt every time...As I started reading the book it picked up pace well but in the middle I lost interest , had to try hard to keep myself reading but then again the reading caught up with the earlier speed and I was glad that I finished reading it...The golden notebook is the "breakdown" of all events from other books.......
To express the inner anger and aggression of Anna so bluntly must have been so unfeminine in those days still she was daring enough to portray her feelings with honesty...Lessing's writing I found it both philosophical yet  practical at times...I found her alter ego Ella (one of the character of her novel who is also a writer) very interesting...Anna's life is too messy, too open, irritatingly honest to be loved , yet somehow I liked the freethinker in her .....For me her life in Africa as a writer appealed to me more than her life in Britain as a communist....
50's Europe with all its communism, sex and mental trauma one goes through have all been amazingly woven in her novel and kudos to her for penning an extremely feminine vantage to it..Writing as a book is achievement in itself considering the period when wrote...It is a kind of book I would love to discuss with my friends about Anna and her feelings...This book has made me to add her other work in my reading list...

                  Second entry for the Jule's new author challenge 2012 so 2 out of 10..

A case of exploding mangoes by Mohammed Hanif

Book Title: A case of exploding mangoes
Author: Mohammed Hanif
Publisher: Random house India
Price : Rs 195
Page: 384
Genre: Fiction, Political comedy
ISBN: 46810975
Rating: 4 out of 5
Source: Personal copy

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Summary
General Zia ul-Haq the military dictator of Pakistan is killed in a plane crash..Now who is responsible for this? There are many serious doubts., the army generals growing old awaiting promotions.,The CIA., The ISI, RAW.,There are some quirky reasons too such as mechanical failure, A blind woman's (Zainab) curse, Overripe mangoes(can you figure out that) and of course Ali Shighri fictitious character and  the hero of the novel The what and who of the assassination is seen from a completely different angle..

Review
Its a bitter comedy of Ali Sighri Junior under officer in Air force who seeks out revenge for his father's suicide...The story moves around through the eyes of not just the protagonist Ali Sighri but from General Akhtar, the second in command., Major Kiyani,street sweeper Ali's cell mate,and the  general himself..The serious plot is handled with blithe lending to the actual event of General Zia ul-Haq's assassination..At times cynical at times serious at times darkly humorous ..It's a far cry from the other books that we come across all the time..Language is simple and the story with some Pakistani history easily follows..He is clever writer who superimposes the fictional story line with that of the assassination...

General Zia overthrows the elected government of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto subsequently executing him. General Zia was an attrocious dictator whose law included the convicted women (even a rape victim) to death...There are interesting space like the American embassy in Pakistan US ambassador for Pakistan's home, the life in armed forces of Pakistan..The story also revolves from the angle of the First lady's her stand on being The First lady of an Islamic country..General Zia leads a total complicated life where at one end he is THE MAN of the country with many cronies around him at the same time he is a kind of man who sheds violent tears during his morning prayer and all have learned to ignore him at the same time wondering the reasons behind it ., intensity of his devotion, the matter of state, or tongue lashing from the first lady to name it a few...He trusts none around him., leading a life of fear..He never left his house to the presidential house for the same fear...He eventually requests for red level security....Man who took control over the country by force was fearing the lose of it...

Through Shigri we are introduced into the illogical Pakistan;s daunting dictatorship its ongoing political bustle..In a party at the US embassy, Bin Laden is an invitee..Ali Sighri gets into trouble when his close buddy sneaks a small plane which he misses to report as he if found missing during the regular roll call..He is locked up in a prison with other political prisoners...My eyebrow raised through the muslim law on a rape trial, condition one the victim has to be testified as a virgin, condition two four men should allegedly be involved in it, condition three , the victim should be in a position to identify all of them., above all four men should hold witness pressing for her virtuousness...

All in all Hanif's writing is penetrating and I found the read  fast paced..This book may not be everyone's cup of tea.,grab your copy if you can stand dry humour, I enjoyed reading it though I would not recommend to everyone ..I liked it yet didn't love it...

This is my 9th book towards 30 book for the south Asian  reading challenge 2012

Sanctuary Bookshop and booklover's B&B

Browsing through various websites, I came across this place and instantly fell in love with it..I wish I could saty here..It's an absolute book lovers paradise were antique book to famous books are packed in together as though fighting for its place in it..It is a hotel in south coat of U.K run by Bob and Mariko..Just enjoy the pictures like I did..This hotel is on top of Sanctuary book store..In basement they also have a bargain section were books are sold less than  £1..Just for curiosity sake I searched in Trip Advisor for reviews and all were positive and makes me to wish for it even more...

I would just love to have books racked on in my bedroom just like these..

These book would be the guest's property for the period of stay wow isn't that cool..I was wondering how do they manage to keep the books so dust free ...

And there goes the stairway...I would love to climb up and down all the time if I owned something like these..

                                         There's something in for dining too or just to sit and relax...

image source 1, 2,3,4,5

I wish I just could back my bag and live here for ever....And this is the book shop which will lead you to these rooms the site says there are separated stairway as well..Its a great way of creatively stacking books...

image source

Roots by Alex Haley

Book Title : Roots
Author: Alex Haley
Publishers: Vintage
Pages: 704
Price: 399
Genre: Non-fiction
ISBN: 0099362813
Rating: 5 out of 5
Source: Personal copy


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Summary
This book is author Alex Haley's search for his family roots that leads him to find out his true roots that extends to six generation. Starting from Kunta kinte to Kizzy to George to Tom to Matilda and finally to Alex Haley., its all about black American's slavery, their anguish., their tormenting lives dating to an astonishing era where Negros were treated as animals and were sold like cattle in market till they attained their freedom...

Review
Kunta Kinte born in a small African village, Juffure., From childhood  the slow transformation into adulthood revolves with African traditional training reflecting all the cultural heritage where he is given a house of his own , a piece of farm that lays a strong  foundation for his independence as an adult yet to be..All this gives a glimpse of African life..His life turns upside down when he is captured and sold to a plantation owner ripping him off his homeland ..His constant trial to escape for freedom is  heart rendering..Enter breezy character of Fiddler who teaches him English, this is when the whole lightens the otherwise grey shade of the storyline..Kinte marries Bella in a traditional African marriage that includes jumping over the broom..Kizzy is born..The plot again takes a tragic note as Kizzy is sold because she is caught trying to help her boyfriend's escape who eventually gets caught too..She is raped continuously by her new master..These incidents gives the reader a glimpse of how families are broken and how their life is shattered with no mercy and sympathy ..Kizzy's son George (called chicken George)who is amazing at chicken fight is unable to buy himself freedom by his greed..His eldest son Tom , a fascinating blacksmith and his story revolves around the civil war and where there is a sharp portrayal of how Black Americans fought their way to earn their much deserved freedom..Cynthia's daughter of Tom marries Simon Haley giving birth to Alex Haley author of the book...

Kunta kinte's character was the one I liked the most with all his African upbringing of going to school with his various training in company of his mates..Being captured  renamed as Toby he insists everyone to be called by his original name..His constant attempt to escape and his being captured every time finally leading to the whites cutting half of his foot his desperation and finally settling down choosing plantation life to death marrying Bell was all a great read to me..I was wondering how it be to lead a life with a feeling that you'll never go home and see your family..He tries hard to hold onto his African roots denying to take up Christianity still he is able to respect his wife Bell's belief in her religion..In slavery he is unable to voice anything he wants eventually  forced to take up a life of total despair, devastated at his daughter's sale he eventually dies with a heavy heart..

After reading the book I wondered how many of us have an idea of our ancestoral roots though many of ours may not be as transcendental like Haley's still we all must have a long family history that might be interesting..Parents helplessness as their only child being sold like a cattle was a strong tide that stroke a chord in me.. Sufferings of the slaves are so intense that the reader starts getting too personal with the sufferings of the characters..A graphic repersentation about the slave trade..The book is not pointed to any particular character it moves from generation to generations..

This book suffered a lot of setbacks due to various plagiarism and other historic facts and inspite of all this this book is by far a great book to read it to the soul....Just read and relish the muslim african culture move on to the tormenting slavery and its set backs to the pre- and post civil war till they breath free air.

The man by Irving wallace

Book Title: The Man
Author: Irving Wallace
Published by: Master mind
Price: I don't remember (got it in school days)
Pages: 751
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 8184681577
Ratings: 5 out of 5
Source: Personal copy
I first read this in my school days back in 90's..

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Summary
Douglas Dilman midwestern (like Barack Obama) black senator accedes as president of United states after the then President, vice- president and the speaker of the house die in queer accident in a quick succession.. Sixty one percent of the country disapproves him, worst part he himself doesn't think suitable for the job, yet in spite of all odds he slowly  raises to be "The Man" winning over impeachment concurring his own low conception about himself..

Review

President (who is black) by default  faces stiff opposition all over., when he himself is trying to cope up with the current situation in the hot seat...Dilman doesn't think high of himself nor he finds fault with the prejuidism around ..There are times when he himself  is unable to push forward the line., in an instance he clearly portrays that "I am a black man,"not yet qualifies for human being, let alone president." His being a senator was namesake as a token to make peace with the liberal wing....He is a widower with an estranged daughter (who tries to pass on as white for her lighter skin and a son who doesn't approve of him..Demure to the core even in a relationship he is reluctant to go ahead with his biracial lady friend for the fear of speculation and complication....His stand as a president is depressing at times, he is not even able to veto an unconstitutional bill...Impeachment trial at the prime of the story was a thriller in itself though the end was predictable......

There is a sharp portrayal of goodness portrayed by the characters of Doughlas Dilman, Natan Abraham.. While Eaton's character is that of pretense of goodness... While reading I felt the frustration and anger that tribulation Dilman is subject to and I was too elated when everything settles down in a good note, I would say that is the beauty of Wallace's writing...Character of Dilamn is something loved and admired for his adroitness and critical vantage ,while I was equally frustrated at the extend of goodness in him...His dread of his competence comes froth time and again..Slowly and steadily he attests and I am sure readers would be happier against the anger of his enemies..It is a compelling read, long but worth every page.Thumbs up for the pat portrayal of the vicious rascim penned down through a congressman's rude remark, he says ., that he likes the white house to be white.... 

Novel end on a positive note ., Dilman celebrating New year with his lady friend with no more apprehension making peace with his children...An advisor comes with a news that two third of public have shifter into undecided column to the contrary of negative column , which means even he isn't likes , but isn't disliked either...First published in 1964 the books truly was well ahead of its times....Black President, impeachment it seems Wallace had made a prophecy.....755 pages and its all worth it..The book has aged with dignity..Its still as fresh as years ago........

City of Djinns by William Darymple

Book Title:City of Djinns

Author:William Darymple

Published By:Penguin books India

Date Published:  2004 

Price: Rs 250 (got it for 150 from homeshop18.com)

Pages: 350

Genre: Non-fiction, Travel

ISBN : 9780143417972

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Source: Personal copy

Summary:
This is Darymple's one year stay and experience in the Delhi with his wife.This book is a memoir and a travelogue.His everyday life through the city's alley, ride in taxi, his acquaintance with people such as survivors of British empire,anti Sikh riots, last of direct descendants of Mughal dynasty.His search takes him to some dead cities and current (say some nineteen years ago)  life.

Review
India with its great historic backdrop , cultural heritage is becoming every author's delight for a travelogue. How different and engaging the history and travel makes all difference...I am a great fan of Darymple reading his work starting from "Age of Kali"  this book was long pending ..I decided to give it a shot before my visit to  Delhi....

Djins(pronounced as gins) are genie that are believed to perform magical task, though its existence is still a myth.... In an effort to know the city better Darymple goes to the old city discovering the history long forgotten ..
The city once so splendid with its rich architecture lavish gardens, palaces, courtroom and bungalow many of them as I visited were in ruins, looted by many past kings, then British yet manages to stand tall with dignity...The book has a mix of history and myth...History when it comes to bygone days of city and its people, myth ,existence of of djinns.. That is the engaging part of the book.. The book was  published in 1993 and  many aspects of the city has changed drastically..His love for the city is quite apparent and unlike others he hasn't pulled up the grayer side of the city too much...Though this book offers nothing to rediscover the city it unveils all the past with its splendid glory...His experience starting with Mr and Mrs Puri their landlord  and landlady who are survivors of  anti Sikh riot ..Amusing tale of Mrs Puri who shuts off the water supply after counting their tenant's flushing, Mr Jeffery who is battling all alone for the likes of Presian and urdu poetry...With much ease Darymple takes us back in time showing us the majestic history of the city and in a blink shows us the current state with startling speed...At the age of 25 he was in a foreign land exploring the city's historic heritage, culture and people, I wonder  how many of us can do that this beautifully...Unlike other books of Darymple this hasn't aged well, in that aspect the book disappointed me..Otherwise the book is a great read even for a person who is less interested in a historic travelogue..Every corner right from the sultanate to mughals to partition post British era then onto the anti sigh riot is put in a breezy flow ..Chandini Chowk, the moonlight bazar is indeed its congested state through its a great place for shopping, I kept wondering how alluring it would have been in its good old days..His acquaintance in Karachi with Delhi exiles and with Ahmed Ali author of "Twilight in Delhi" who describes pre- partition city of Delhi (Iam looking forward to read it) with great passion are Darymple's trademark of work that sets him apart from other authors..Balvinder Singh his friendly taxi driver makes us flint a smile across our face more than once with his getting mixed up with words like Handicraft for handicap, smell for smile...


He explores through the dead city and comes alive with the now Delhi (the dead city is well described the now part is bit out dated because the city has grown in plentitude for the past 15 years) ...Spirit of Delhi is so lively all through...New Delhi designed by Lutyen who hated the traditional Indian architecture created marvels like that of Rashtrapathi Bhavan (then Viceroy's house), the majestic Rajpath also known as the King's road , my favourite Janpath marg which connects Connaught place in the heart of the city, all of these are beautifully detailed with Darymple's scoop many often.....In Trilokpuri were the worst massacare of anti sikh riot killing many sikh families took place, the family of Sohan Singh Sandhu who lost his two sons leaving is only son with some mental instability are unable to live the place not only moves Darymple but moved me where his family feels their children still alive around....He gives a whiff of fresh air into the giant structure that we stand and marvel..In search of British survivors he travels to Simla I couldn't smile reading his experience with the sisters..Through all his experiences with many people Chaman Guru chief of Eunuchs, his words "we were called Khawah sarah and not Hijarah " was special ..Reading about Jahanara Begum sister of Aurungazeb made my utter ignorance in history..Though British built masterpiece in the city they also did their part in destroying heritage work such Mughal garden..

Reading this respect for the much neglected ASI(Archeaologucal survey of India) who have done a wonderful job in resurrecting everything destroyed, there by restoring many ruins to their level best..
Though this book is not my favourite of Darymple's work I loved the book especially as it helped me a lot in understanding the history and marvel at the wonder city called Dilli....
I have always admired the way he has been able blend in with the country to get the maximum out of it portraying it very beautifully..I must say Darymple has been able to paint a fine picture of city with its grand past ..How many of us know our city and  its history?? When I get to see so many people from north India coming to Tiruchirapally (or just Trichy for me) (this is the city , I still call home rather than Kerala) I  used to wonder what's big deal about it.. That's how i guess most of Dilli-wala feel about their city as well , at least thats what according to the few I met ..But if we take sometime to look beyond just the usual irritation of pollution, crowd, we would realise what great history one's city holds in its labyrinth ... I am glad I read it before I left for the city of Djinns..

Wisha wozzariter by Payal Kapadia

Book Title: Wisha wozzariter

Author:Payal Kapadia

Published By: Puffin

Price:Rs 125 (got it for 109 from flipkart.com)

Date Published: 2012

Pages: 84

Genre: Fiction -Young adult (9-12 yrs)

Rating: 4 out of 5

Source: personal copy

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Summary
It is an amusing tale of a 10-year old Wisha who wishes to be a reader.How she accomplishes makes up wisha wozzariter.

Review
At very young age I loved reading for they took me to places that only book could take  from Alice in wonderland ...to happy ending disney tales.. adding a dash of Indian myth and culture by Panchatantra to Jataka tales, Moral witty tales of Tenali Raman as children I was exploring world full of fantasy...Most were illustrated  classics that I loved to browse and discover the world with them..These illustration helped me to take with me all those characters even after I had done with the books...Images of book worms were so alluring to me..

I wanted  to get my niece a book and thats how I bumped to this one.Before giving it to her I ended up reading..Wisha loves reading that she reads all the time ..She constantly wises to be a reader..Everytime she reads a good book (which she hates) she sighs feeling she could have done it better wishing to be a reader all the time.Enter bookworm who takes her through a journey in Thought express to Market place of ideas..The tale is amusing with Grand idea auction, Superhero salon and Bargain bazar making your good old days of creativity come alive..Wisha says "I write in confusion and crisis" raised my eyebrow, thinking what and all a10 year old can feel..This novel has illustration by Roger Dahl is very cute just like the tale itself..

 I hope my niece enjoys it as much I did..

                    And this makes 8 out of 30 for the south asian reading challenge

My featured review

My book review on The edge of desire by Tuhin A. Sinha got featured in his website..click to read on..

The Pregnant King by Devdutt Pattanaik

Book Title:The Pregnant King

Author: Devdutt Pattanaik

Published By: Penguin books

Price : Rs 299

Date Published:2008

ISBN:9780143063476

Pages:349

Genre:Fiction, mythology

Rating: 3 out of 5

Source : Personal copy

Summary

Set up during the time of Mahabharatha, King of Vallabhi Yuvanashva, is unable  to join forces in war because he is childless,Inspite of being born as a king., he is unable to rule because he has no son..Worst part he has three wives.His mother Shilavati who rules the kingdom as a governor and not as a king because she is not a man.. All this takes place in a kingdom with the main deity who lives like a man for 14 days and as a woman for the rest of the days of the month..What happens when the king drinks a magic potion meant for his wives to make them pregnant forms the rest of the story...

Review

In Hindu  mythology theres a story about Mandatri who was born from his father Yuvanshva..This forms the basic canvas for Pattanaik who adds colours building up a wonderful portrait through his novel "The pregnant King".

It was the title that made me to pick up the book..I loved the cover and after reading the book I assume that  the woman on top is the mother and queen  Shilavati..Below is son Yuvanashva with the magic pot in his hand, on both side are his sons and down are his three wives (correct me if I am wrong)..All human emotions of  happiness, pleasure, desperation, empathy, love, sacrifice, duty, responsibility  is well established through various characters throughout the story..Shilavati mother of Yuvanashva rules Vallabhi trying to do justice to her role as a regent yet being a good mother whenever a need arise, planning  for son's future as a king and making a good man in him imbibing aristocratic thoughts and style.Three queens Simantini (by Swayamvara), Pulomi (bought for three hundred bullocks and a dozen bulls) and Keshni (Daughter of a potter to bear the king's child)..The friendship between the three sharing their husband's and the way they look at life and their husband is also good to read ... The myth and old tradition where the story of Mahabharatha run side by side is interesting...There are old hymns, culture and lifestyle, society's hierarchy portrayed that may not go well with many readers but for me who loved to watch Ramayana and Mahabharatha when I was a kid in Doordharshan was a total delight..Old society's constraint is well built in the novel..Through the story Pattanaik raises many questions such what is dharma, whats right and  wrong..Characters like Pruthlashva ., Yuvanashva's grandfather who doesn't want to be a king, Shilavati ., Yuvashnva's mother who cannot rule the kingdom are well done.. The plots of Mahabharata where Pandava lose their Kingdom in the play of dice, the consecutive events  undressing Draupadi in front of the whole court form as apart of gossip in Vallabhi is amusing..

Pattanaik,  has taken few liberty to play around with the actual epic adding few characters along Mahabharata makes it all an interesting read...I love Indian mythology and so I really liked it, though I wouldn't read it over and over again..What I liked most is Pattanaik uses myth to answer questions of dharma....

             This is my first entry to the book challenge New author challenge that makes 1 out of 10

                   and my seventh entry to the south asian reading challenge that makes it 7 out of 30

New author challenge 2012

I try to read something new breaking from my regular genre just to go out of my happy shell of reading...Most often I end up with new authors and and that how I have learnt many things and enjoy my love of reading something new most often from new authors..Signing up for Jules short story challenge 2012 I had made up my mind not to get into another challenge.. But then I just couldn't resist with this one..So here I'm signing up for New author 2012..This time I would like to start with just 10 authors.. Rule says that the author need not be a debutant but new to me...Again good luck to me...

Jule's 2012 short story challenge

This year I would like to explore various horizons of reading..Short story is one such horizon that I would like plunge into... I am participating in Jule's 2012 short story challenge..There are various levels

• Tell me a story: 1 to 3 books
• Stories Abound : 4 to 6 books
• Tales Galore : 7 to 9 books
• Anthology supreme : 10 to 12 books

I am going for the level two "stories abound" good luck for me...

India Unbound by Gurucharan Das

 Price Rs 425 (got it for 255 from flipkart.com)
                      Non-fiction

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This book is a precise thoughts of Gurcharan Das former CEO of P&G, Hope, a business consultant,venture capitalist about India's economy and state of affairs..
He points out that India’s economy has been on the passive front until the information technology plunged India to forefront…Companies like Infosys and schools like NIT have a big hand in shaping up this image of better India thus adding  to 9.2% growth every year.. Now it seems as though India has a promising potential to become of the major economic power…Its sad that it took more than fifty years after Independence for the country to see the dawn of economic progress..Worse India never saw the Industrial Revolution neither the “Asian miracle that swept countries like Japan, Korea, Singapore and Taiwan..When compared to those countries India’s state cuts a sorry figure.. 


He feels that government is actually hampering the growth of the country in the name of bringing about development and new policies that never see the light of execution…He has given a personal account in chapter one where his grandfather feels, had India been under British raj there would have been more progress to the country ..But I still doubt that though..


 India’s politician battled against poverty that instead of rubbing away poverty from the face of India i ended up adding more to the statistics by poor policies and legislature stand…Its adverse effect is still born by all citizens even today..He says that Indian are skeptic about the reforms on a global front for the basis irregular cultural views and in turn has resulted in depleted state of affairs in the rural part of the country which forms the larger junk of India..In spite of all the technological progress brininging about $388 billion in 1996 as compared to $912 billion in 2006 bringing about larger fiscal benefits the literacy rate is still 61% as per 2006 reports is  still a major concern ..The social status is not evenly distributed resulting in a disarrayed social hiatus ..Though British invested upon good railway system and laying the base for democracy, things haven’t much changed till now..

Economic reforms didn’t come until 1990’s but unfortunately they came from not that good reformers hence failed to be appreciated by the public. International monetary fund forced India to bring about changes that is explained well in the book.. Das says that India's future is all about knowledge this will help India y to move ahead many folds…He says as Information technology and the private companies is not bound by politics  is the reason why  that’s making the progress that we see today..He gives practical and logical strategies for the development..He highlights the  importance to build on one’s strength rather focusing upon correcting the weakness, watch the market and there by strategise rather than moving as per one’s will, Its better go for a focused way rather diversing with many goals, one should  compare with international standard rather fighting with local competition..he gives his views through every aspect with diligence and conviction..Das backs P.V Narasimha Rao's policy to open up Indian market for foreign investment and trade...By the end of world war I predictably India had everything to move forward with Industrial revelution unfortunately that never happened, he reasons out that Agriculture and the industry never went hand in hand which let out the other..Inspite of the green revelution without the back up from industry failed misery in the path of development... 


Even now because of poor policies its difficult for the country progress inspite of high investments.By denying foreign investments India has deprived itself from the benefits cutting edge technolgy and world class competition..Indian generations were betrayed by its rulers by advocation of wrong methods of development thereby ruining its future prospects.. Education ia another aspect that India didn't pay attention ,especially to girls ...


India went wrong Firstly by advocating wrong design for brininging about development with nothing really been done for development , next in the name upliftment of the poor  couldn't work much on the contrary they were left as such..While even China did a better job inspite all the civil problems in improving the standard of living...I was wondering when the leaders knew that nothing much was happening for the country's progress why did none dared to put an end to those strategy and planning and thinking about something new..By reading all these I was wondering okay now what to be done, that's when Das optimistically points out that India has realised that economic progress is the only way to bring change in the face of the country to go ahead in facets of the generation...Now  the country has realised that its all about the revolutionary ideas that will help the country to think out of the box rather following the outdated policies, Many private entepreneurs are on the move slowly but steadily building up India in a good way...According to him the Liberal revolution , opening up to new foreign trade and investment and boom in Information technology is the key that should be put in level for the country to go ahead ..India has failed bigtime in building up the human quotient in terms of harnessing their abilities which would bring about the needed outcome..He says its high time that India stops battling between the conservative Nehruvian socialist caste ridden views and new global capitalism..I do not think that an overnight change that he has described is  feasible but like his optimism for  a change is definitely on the card...


He has written the book in an autobiographical style, reflecting upon the policies of the government like a common man might feel when he reads about the policy by the leaders..Sometimes  thinking about its implications and future..In that aspect the book is been able to built the intimacy with the reader..Even for a person with less knowlede in economy and politics nothing seemed jargon..