Book Review:Seriously...I'm Kidding by Ellen Degeneres'

Title: Seriously....I'm Kidding
Author: Ellen Degeneres'
Pages:256
Genre:Non-fiction, memoir
Version: Audiobook
Source: library





Summary:
Sometimes the greatest things are the most embarrassing." Ellen Degeneres' winning, upbeat candor has made her show one of the most popular, resilient and honored daytime shows on the air. (To date, it has won no fewer than 31 Emmys.) Seriously... I'm Kidding, Degeneres' first book in eight years, brings us up to date about the life of a kindhearted woman who bowed out of American Idol because she didn't want to be mean. Lively; hilarious; often sweetly poignant.

Review:
Is there a book you read for a heart laugh? For me this is one such book.I  usually love a paper version over the digital version when I like a book but with this one is best enjoyed if you could listen to her voice.This book is not the usual celebrity memoir but her take on many different topic ranging from organizing, honesty, bucket list, having a dream, her talk show, making a pros and cons list, time management,environment, having a pet, losing focus. On a personal note she talks about the time she came out, instances of her moments with her wife, her decision of not having a baby hosting Emmys and not to give up easily, though they are described on a lighteernote with a sense of humor. Like her show the book is happy and positive just like her show.On a final note she says that life is all about balance , the good and the bad ,the highs and the lows .The thing everyone should realize is that key to happiness is by being happy by yourself and for yourself because sometimes you might lose it all so unless you are your reason to be happy ,there would always be something or someone to throw sadness on you.The audiobook has extra bites that you would miss on a print.

The book would never disappoint if you are her fan because her super fun spirit just brightens up the whole mood like magic.For me this book like a therapy on a not so great day.

Book Review: Guns, germs and Steel by Jared Diamond

Title: Guns, germs and steel
Author: Jared Diamond
Publisher:
Price: $26
ASIN: B004JLTPTI
Listening length: 16 hrs 20 minutes
Genre: Non-fiction
Version: Audiobook
Source: Library




Review:
You need to read the book with an open mind because it has a different take on history .Agriculture according to him was the deciding factor with farmer power and had it not been so then Africa with its diverse population  head start by their  early civilization would have dominated the world but on the other hand it did not give them any edge over European colonization while Africans were  still hunters and gatherers they were controlled by these giants with the help of  modern discoveries and lifestyle. He uses the same logic to prove his point on what happened with the native Indian being overthrown  by the immigrant Americans such similar comparisons are drawn across the globe from Eurasia to Australia then back to Indonesia ..

Describing all these he draw parallel with his own childhood working in a farm for an elderly man at Montana who had inhabited the land of native Americans land.the authors acquaintance with Levie a native American who otherwise sober and well mannered on an unfortunate moment cursed him to go back to his white land on the ship he came .This incident gave him a different perspective on the native Americans according to whom the white farmers had robbed  them  from their own land making them an outsider in their own place, while his school history taught him about the heroic wars his ancestors waged upon the land to make it their home while all of this on the other hand took away their heritage, warriors and a beautiful life.

The evolution of human from being hunters and gatherers to produce their own food and managing their own life stock., Authors emphasis that its foundation of moderns days guns germs and steel didn't depend on the geographical variation in  food production but that in turn gave few population an advantage over other.In other words availability of more consumable calories at their disposal meant that they could feed more number of people by going one step further by finding out the limited number of  vegetation and learning to grow their cattle that could be consumed. learning to cultivate his land man first found a way to get his needed energy at his arms length , was another big step towards Organising military coup which in turn gave them an upper hand over the tribe of hunters and gatherers that were always in a smaller number.All this domestication of animals and vegetation Prmoted denser population Which led in the invention of more sophisticated instruments to get on with their farming harnessing their animal force with instruments such as plough letting them live even on the uphills away from the riverside..This also gave away to smaller birth intervals in the settled population multiplying their number very fast.They also learnt the art of storing surplus food slowly paving way to political societies in terms of chiefdom and kingdom while most of the energy of the hunters and gatherers was consumed for their search for food.. He also brings out the direct and indirect results agriculture brought about in the society in building various classes in the form of priests, artists which laid the building blocks for the military conquests with horse and big mammals being used for transport.

Then he moves on to the importance of germs that according to him came from animals that after mutation and evolution became infectious diseases like smallpox , measles and flu to the human being resulting in epidemic killing many. Germs thus acquired from the animals evolved to cause severe damage to humans became an indispensable part in the civilization for the later years to come.following food surplus and energy in these denser area also gave these kingdoms to widen their horizon and paved way for further technological innovations..


Food production didn't kick start  in the major ecologically fertile land such as the pacific area of the united states at the beginning while it was on the seemingly sparsely fertile lands of Iran, China , Mexico things began hence author gives another point that the modern civilization didn't really start off as per the geographically superior land.He further asks questions on how independently certain places food production started while certain areas needed assistance from the outside world. Those answers might never be clear to us as the history is about the people who won and not by the ones who lose.

Author follows the slow evolution about the food production from the olden days to the production of nuts and cereals making up for a balanced diet that  we now follow. Being a person with life science background I developed a even more liking to the whole facts on why only  certain crops were domesticated that too in certain areas while some were not. he analysis the fertile crescent for their ability to cultivate certain crops over other..

He also emphasis the importance of open mind for adoption of innovation played an important role for the ultimate success of certain societies over others which he links to their earlier ability to domesticate certain wild vegetation to add on to their necessary energy.

Animals that could be domesticated according to author are all similar quoting Tolstoys  principle about marriage that is for a successful domestication which were few Eurasian terrestrial small animals those animals have to domesticable.  He refuses to acknowledge elephants to be a part of this group as according to him they are just tamed and not domesticated yet. Though humans might have tried many species they could only domesticate few as only they had certain qualities for being domesticated. Even though certain Indian prince had a stable of 1000 of cheetah it was just not possible to domesticate as later biologists found that cheetah do not mate in cage nor female ovulate under watchful eyes.So is the case of African wild buffaloes and Rhinoceros that's too wild and  large to control.So are Zebras that go wild when they go old and do not give up their grip on bite hence making then unsuitable for domesticating.

He compares how animals live just as humans living in herd with their own hierarchy to submission to each other forming a leader and their own ranks in the herd. Social animals that can be put together imprints on humans and making it easy for them to be domesticated.Some animals like dogs are instinctively submissive while cats are not.

Ecologically suitable for food production The book takes an interesting take on how agriculture shaped the world that we see now.The book is thought provoking in terms of geography, flora fauna and the successive life that molded the course of mankind. The book is for anyone who love to know about the human history beyond just war and king.

Book Review:The Road to Serfdom by F.A Hayek

Title: The Road to Serfdom
Author: F.A Hayek
Publisher: 9780415255431
Pages: 272
Price: Routledge
Genre: Non-fiction
Source: Library
Rating: 4 out of 5




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Summary:
Addressing economics, fascism, history, socialism and the Holocaust, Hayek unwraps the trappings of socialist ideology. The Road to Serfdom remains one of the all-time classics of twentieth-century intellectual thought.

Review:
Hayek the professor in him has tried to put together his intellectual thoughts on the roots of the problem that European world suffered in WWII and how from the mistake of pasts through war they are given a chance to start over all over again in a better way...Yet they (U.S and Europe) are not willing to learn from their past mistake and built a better future..I skipped the introduction my Milton Friedman and I may not have any excuse to that..

This book is sort of a warning on how socialism can lead to autocracy..Published in 1940's the book is most sought for its theories and ideologies..His main focus is on how economic intervention to better a situation can finally lead to further intervention and finally resulting in autocracy for they replace the existing market and hence the whole bearings rest upon a few individuals, hence onto their freedom and thoughts and not the democracy..He attempts to elaborate on how the act to do good can calculatingly do bad..For example in a socialist society an individual assumes that he has the choice to make but then his choices depends on the current scenario of the market which in itself has limited scope.Planning that goes over in the market actually takes away the freedom with which they can work on with..The book is divided into 15 chapters..each chapter explains different angles of the same problem of the market and governing authorities...

He starts with the current state of affairs though it dates back very close to 70 years ..he explains through narcissism , how the whole world has feared  Hitler and how all the country put their effort, resource and energy to overcome the tyranny..Every country  trying  in its own way to explain the current situation that existed then and  there by trying come into terms which eventually failed unless all put their effort in a unified thoughts for a solid solution but there after and the big chaos of war, the schemes that supposedly put for development issues , brought the whole situation under single solid domain of autocracy..Even when people were warned by the evil of socialism people fail to notice the change and their lose of freedom..People are bombarded with the false hope of totalitarianism that they fail to see...They fail to realize that they are losing their basic rights to freedom..

According to Hayek Socialism that is figured as a way to total freedom by diluting the disparity among the difference in income across hierarchy prevailing in society is not what it seems to be..For this he quotes France as an example that fell as a pray and eventually most European countries saw the upcoming danger of the free world in the name of Socialism and its dangers...In other words Socialism sprouted to Fascism in a from the palette..Mussolini who started off as a socialist went on to be fascist..There are always competition among fascists and socialism as according to Hayek they are all fighting for the same position..

Hayek has tried to clear the doubts and the confusion that socialism evokes..As socialism is seen as an epitome of security and equality,..But as socialism works its way to abolish privatization and an individual holding the supreme but distribution of the benefit and profit among the group can bring about planning system that will in turn have control over everything which is the confusion that the socialist attitude can bring about but in turn they all try to control people to serve their own purpose...

The confusion is when common good and general welfare is a variable constant and such that there would be a set of people who might get together  with same thoughts and they form into a group of free thinking people while they supposedly think that they are the ones who can think for common good and their thoughts as a representation of the common wave while many a times this may not be the case..

The impairment  arises when these set of people start to make rules and all are bound to live within the limits of these law tagged in the label of freedom of choice when actually one is forced to choose among the choices...He quotes Nazi government for this who at the outset projected themselves to be a representation of mass and took a stand on many things in the name e of bringing out change for betterment to the very people who were later opppressed..

According to Hayek any planned economy is nothing about autocracy, a tyranny in a more sophisticated order that steals away the freedom of people...Even when it comes to the choice of job the freedom to choose are limited to the positions available in the market that the government provides, controlling them the way they want ., all in the name of socialism and common good with better planning and fiscal security...

In a planned economy competition is created in the market creating  a disparity among people who can afford distinguishing from the people who can't afford...This  leaves with just  one choice to the poor of becoming rich there by entitling themselves a chance to afford..The leaders are the one who decide the incomes and their outcome, leaving behind the very good motto of common good far behind ... they also fail  in the most important fact of freedom of people by controlling them indirectly...

Even security is relatively controlled to minimum standard of living where a particular income can guarantee only a certain kind lifestyle while a slight fluctuation in the market would in turn reflect in the same...A person makes a choice of his way of life based on the income, hence highly paid jobs becomes  lucrative while lowly paid makes a job unattractive..

The problem occurs when socialism take the state of oppression with many to follow and being oppressed by a leader or a group of leaders.. The group that follows  has no independent judgments or thoughts to oppose the oppressor..The situation goes to the extend that even people start to think the way their leader wants them to creating a  complete harmony in a convincing way..

According to Hayek, be it fascism or narcissism they all took their roots from socialism out of Marxist theory.. He quote how Sombart switched their stand from Marxist theory to the socialist ground while Plenge points out the problems of individual freedom in socialism..

While people are still surprised on how narcissism came into being in Germany, but  as per Hayek it was quite predictable as German opposition to British liberalism was the reason for the German state of affair..
However, the complication started when the current generation oppose market hence indirectly pave way for the individuals or the governing authority to take over that leads  to further suppression..Further planning shifts the hands on labor in a different way at the outset while the core remains all the same...

As we cannot achieve international peace for serving one country's economic end sacrificing their fellow countrymen and not coming into terms for common good .. Hence we will never let anything bring a positive solution for the common good..

My favourite quote is "The coming of socialism was to be the leap from the realm of necessity to the realm of freedom"..(page 25)
Hayek's language may not be easily understood but once your onto it things become clear to the extend that you start nodding to his way of expressions..

According to me socialist way of society gives us with a way to pursue a path away from labor work  or non-economically  productive way life, living a life of ones passion on arts, science and education itself while in times of scarcity the very same members might be the cause of disability and much of chaos..Many a times lack of incentives itself might contribute for unwanted competition that itself make the situation quite unstable with low standard of living and poor health...While I might be naive at pointing out the only advantage of capitalism as the least governmental interference while the very same advantage could act as a dagger with the situation being unchecked leading to a much of impairment of the people at the working class..Hayek theories has been much sought for for its own good and deeper thoughts while to me his thoughts were like the philosophy that people come up with their own version of  interpretation..

Book Review: The beauty Myth by Naomi Wolf

Title:The beauty Myth
Author: Naomi Wolf
Publisher: Vintage books
Pages: 348
Price: Rs 405
ISBN:0099861909
Rating: 4 out of 5
Source: Personal
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Summary:(from the back cover)
In the struggle for women's equality, there is one subject still shrouded in silence - women's compulsive pursuit of beauty. The myth of female beauty challenges every woman, every day of her life. The author exposes the tyranny of the beauty myth through the ages and its oppressive function today, in the home and at work, in literature and the media, in relationships between men and women, between women and women. With examples, she confronts the beauty industry and its advertising and uncovers the reasons why women are consumed by this destructive obsession

Review:
This book falls into the third wave of feminism..The female Eunuch reminded me of this one by Wolf and  its been there in my folder for sometime now..The book is about  beauty myth that women fall prey to, the false believes and impression that is been around the world all over the century... Wolf explores the extend of women running fast, inviting pain to attain the flawless face and imprint the airbrush touched images of the celebrities....Seriously there would be very few women who wouldn't bear pain at least for the sake of  wonderful eyebrow or to get rid of those white black heads..Though there were certain instincts that pricked me for the facts she has put forth openly I would  only wish if the book to sustain the tempo throughout...The chapters "culture" and "sex" appealed to me the most...According to her it all starts with the  pre-conceived notion on beauty that goes with the fair skin tone , perfect waistline, fuller lips, longer legs and so on and failing to achieve leads to depression in many..Though it is important to be healthy, what happens as a result of diet plans are often unhealthy too much of wrong type of exercises without considering a person's physique, capacity  leads to extortion  mounting on mental agony...

This book is a result of years of research and countless interviews by Wolf..Though she is onto feminist mode, certain figures can slap you on face...In spite of all this, to me the reading went slow still it was all worth it...Woman want to change everything that nature has bestowed upon her, right from her hair color to texture to size of breast and bust, color of eye, even to the extend to go under the knife in the name of cosmetic surgery to get those perfect size of nose,chin, lips, jaw ,etc etc..Though some do end up looking better but many others end up looking just a shadow of their older selves for which we have names of celebrities to add to the list..I have always felt that people are bit harsh towards the to so called perfect image of a celebrity in a show bizz where they are always expected to look in shape no matter of their physical state be it pregnancy or any other ailment failing which, media creates a hype going far on creating a collage of their photos that has their older self with that of current state, based on which they are thrashed severely for not looking in shape while lucky men are not treated in the same light, but why is that so??.

 I have many wonderful women around me who are battling their way with their self image and the image, the  beauty industry is trying to commercialize...To be honest I too have my moments though off late I have learnt my to clearly distinct between beauty, health, and self image..For me beauty is not just the thing that one can see in mirror but something that carries more shades and meaning on how one feels about oneself...

Wolf covers violence , sex, culture parallel to beauty and how the problems are often interconnected to women..She accuses the advertising companies, the corporate world  and media who cast a kind of image that often creates insecurity in the mind of women who don't fit into the terms the industry is trying to project... Selling their product at the expense of stakeholders who do things in vain...She explains how the concept of beauty is often misinterpreted giving a whole new wrong dimension to it...

The problem is that these images of celebrity images are unattainable for many as those image are a collective effort a group of people who are working towards the looks of this particular person, while this does not hold good for a normal girl who tries hard to to attain her so called size zero image failing which leads to a lower self esteem..

Only problem I had with this book was the opinions which were quite generalized..Not every woman feels the same way towards beauty and looks so it would have been great had she given the benefit of doubt to that creamy layer...Wolf  takes are bit harsh upon certain religious projections which could spoil  the mood of reading..

In spite all these problems the book does paints a clear picture on the perception of beauty and the danger it poses on women who push themselves to much to look beautiful...In spite of being a social critic she has exaggerated and generalized many beauty myth but then it could have been the case back  in 20 years..But the funniest part is many women want to look like an image of a celebrity who don't look anything like the image that the magazine carry.. That being said, when and how  can we really break free from all these and begin to be proud of  looks, nature has blessed  with!!! Well that is another topic of discussion entirely...

Book Review: The Female Eunuch by Germaine Greer

Title:The Female Eunuch
Author: Germaine Greer
Pages: 431
Rating: 4 out of 5
Source: Online
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With international woman's day gaining much of global recognition, the word feminism is undergoing a whole radical shift in our thoughts and outlook..Now days being a feminist can  lead to be labelled into certain class whose thoughts are largely ignored as being mental frustration.. but then what is really being a feminist mean??? In early days when women where refused their share of right, a group of women with similar thoughts, theories and philosophy on women decided to fight for themselves, though largely shunned away in a male dominated society, women of today should be thankful to them...According to the history of feminism , feminism itself is divided into three waves..First wave was during the nineteenth and early twentieth century, second during the 60's and 70's the third and final wave began in 90's extending till date...The book The female Eunuch  was one of the major work during the second wave of feminism..

The female Eunuch  is  one of the classic feminist literature..I was specially interested in this book to learn how things were back in 70's  being a woman from a feminist angle...A time when gender equity was absent, women didn't dream of career and an independent life..This book is a comprehensive outlook on how women where looked upon in the despotic time when a woman's position in family was invisible and her status at work place was nil...A time when marriage and love  were looked upon as a mode for financial  and mental security rather than for companionship,she quotes from famous authors to support her arguments...Even today teen girls dream of  magical  kiss and romance when they should be thinking of lot many important things in life...Somehow women are sidelined as weaker sex and noticed for their beauty and glamour than for the essence of it, there are even quotes that say beauty and brains don't go together which is just not true......Even when a man is not good looking he always expects his wife to be glamorous and beautiful which he eventually succeed to find and that is  because of the society that believes that women are supposed to look good with tonnes of make up products brimming up every single day...

Though certain things went over the head for me, she does point out the sexual difference created by force  of society than by nature are all around us...Her skepticism on women buying expensive cosmetics and apparel to look beautiful stands true even  for today...He writing is fierce when fighting for equal legal rights for women...I can imagine the kind of stir it would have caused in those time. She even goes to the extend of nailing down the bestselling romantic fiction for instilling crazy, silly ,magical theme about love and status of women in family and society...According to her right from the day when a woman  is born she is chained under the security of father later on oppressed by a husband.. She speaks about the psychological shaping brought in the upbringing that forces a woman to accept them without any question or regret and be happy in it living a life of an epitome of sacrifice and perseverance..No intellect in woman is appreciated, accepted leave alone valued but admired...I believe she is not speaking for women but also for men to make them look  at women beyond the external texture and nurture the  person in her for a better living..But at times I felt her take where too harsh on men, going too far generalizing her theory I'm sure that could have been avoided to strike a balance of her contemplation...I'm sure there were times when degree were just a better qualification for women in order to find a good  husband..Education and academic degree  really didn't serve the purpose of  enlightening or enriching the lives ..In spite of having in depth knowledge and being a visionary Greer has never stated on how things could be changed..You might feel the heat of too much of blaming and cornering of men all through but  I would like to appreciate her brilliance in it, she hasn't written the book to impress anyone or to mellow down her critic but hers is a solid work of her fearlessness clear and loud...

This book also serves as a historical reference for the feminist outlook for reader of modern age ...Her views and points are clear and  she doesn't waste her writing beating on the bush..Her insights are quite revealing yet witty at the same time..Though I may not be the right person to comment on the reality of the situations back then,  but the very fact that the book is been celebrated over the years is the living testimony of the authenticity (really??)...There are boxed quotes which I didn't find it relevant to any particular subjects. Though many issues discussed by Greer just doesn't fit into the world we live now..I'm so glad that we live in this present era where I don't have to strive hard for my basic rights nor I'm discriminated because of being a woman...Though the contents seems quite outdated for people like us, still  they make you think, some might  hate it or love it ...

Food for thought after reading is the need for clarity of thought and thinking as a woman upon most things around me..

From being bound to a male all her life , life of a woman has been through a long road of transformation. Today she has her own thoughts and ideas according to which she leads her life, at a time evenhandedly taking over an entire household keeping a good career front and a high social life with her friends and acquaintances..Though there are instances of cases were women are oppressed, we can say that things are on a positive note...I would strongly recommend this book for its historical significance and the revelation that makes us appreciate the life we are leading now...

Book Review: 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff

Title:84,Charing Cross Road
Author : Helene Haniff
Publisher:Penguin Books
Pages:112
Price:Rs 498
ISBN:0140143505
Genre: Non-Fiction
Rating: 4 out of 5
Source: Borrowed



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Summary
It is an anthology of letters between Helene Hanff and Frank Doel buyer of Mark & Co in 84, Charing Cross Road, London from 1949  over 20 years..This book explores how love for book and reading can develop bring close to you friends transcending the distance..

Review
Hanff reads a newspaper advertisement by Frank Doel chief buyer of by Mark & Co, specialist in procuring out of print book...Going by it and with no background knowledge of the company she encloses a letter about her pressing problems of book, initially she gets a formal reply from Frank addressing her issues, but quickly Hanff's sense of wit, humor and open mindedness loosen up Frank's formal stature and it blossoms to a wonderful friendship not only with Frank but also other staffs of the store, when war bring pressing problems to the staff in the store,she even sends parcel containing food, thank you notes and gifts..They all write and slip notes along bill..She even ends up developing friendship with Frank's wife and neighbor, his neighbor sends her gift too..But the sad part is she never makes it to the store until Frank's death, and the book store is closed down when she makes it...

Its so wonderful to know how much reading and love for book can contribute  positively building up friendship around..Helene Hanff is a struggling writer , she loves to read, but her only problem is all books around her place are expensive...That is how she ends u befriending Frank...Her kindness come across as we read..The strength of the book is its style, everything is in letter format and I would say it becomes its weakness too....The letters speak about varied subjects and people not just about books... At times there are boundaries to which the reader get to know the character, there were times when I wanted to know more of things and wanted them to talk more openly though Hanff's unique style did cover up more still, there were those moments when I wanted more...For all those who love books and reading, this book would be a good read..I am looking forward to read her next book..

Fatwa Living with a death threat by Jacky Trevane

Title: Fatwa living with a death threat
Author:Jacky Trevane
Publisher: Hodder and Stoughton
Pages:256
Rating: 4 out of 5
Source: online

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Summary:
Jacky was young and so full of life with lot of dreams for her Mr Right, luckily she met Omar her prince charming during a vacation in Egypt, in spite of the language barrier they ended falling for each other..Against her parents advices she went back to Omar , little did she know then that she was stepping on to hell..Now she has to escape from Egypt with her two daughters...With a death threat and only courage to support she sets on flee for her daughter's safety...

Review:
The book opens with Jacky trying to escape from Egypt with her two children, T told myself that I shouldn't have given up the habit of reading the end before really starting to read the book itself but somehow I felt that it kills the book if you read the end, and so very rightly for this book, this book runs like a suspense thriller... Jacky is physically abused by her husband, she doesn't want to escape alone leaving back her two daughters, there are other book were I have read about mothers abandoning children for getting a life and here she is acting like a true parent..She expected a life to be a fairy tale with married to handsome Omar she fell in love with and to live happily ever after., but it turned out to me more than a nightmare...This book was in my list for ages..Jacky took a huge risk in plunging into the unknown territory by marrying Omar against her parents advice..She blindly makes up her mind to blend into a culture she has never been part of, she thought that love would conquer horizon and would transcend beyond cultural differences, but her life turned out to be worser than the worst...The fact that the whole episode happened back in early eighties when there were less media access to gain support and help., makes Jacky's tale even more enduring...She faced it all with quite determination, it took all persistence to wait for a year to make that precious $50 funding herself to escape from Egypt through desert to Israel.....Only trouble is that she is haunted till date with the hard tale...This book was an interesting page turner, I just can't say how much I was fascinated by Jacky's toughness to cruise through all....

The Imam's daughter by Hannah Shah

Title: The Imam's Daughter
Author: Hannah Shah
Publisher: Random house group
Pages: 288
Price: Rs 399
ISBN:1846041481
Genre:Non-fiction
Ratings: 5 out of 5
Source:Personal


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Summary:
Hannah is born and brought up in England raised as an orthodox Muslim in a family, her father being an Imam ..The family hold on to extreme religious believes,her life becomes a living hell as her father rapes and abuses her home as all in the family conveniently turn a deaf ear...To save herself from further miseries she escapes from home when she finds out about her father's plan for an arranged marriage in Pakistan..With the help of a friend and a social worker she is left with no option but to fight for herself inorder to survive...


Review:
Family is the greatest asset to a person, it comes as a warmth for a mother, affection of a father,togetherness of siblings , and its through a family one perceives the world around..IWorld's shabbiness is given a shade of beauty by family's support and a beautiful shade is further magnified..What if the beginning itself slumbers??? What if the people who were meant to protect turn around ruining life, then your becomes something like Hannah's..Hannah is a Muslim and obviously this name doesn't resemble anything Muslim, original names are not used for the security reasons..Raised as a Muslim Hannah's life is nothing short of a whirlpool , like someone stuck in it she is unable to escape ..Hannah's father is an Imam  who hates British calling them "Gorey" meaning white..She is abused and raped repeatedly by him  and none in the family resist or call for help.. This is done for holding the honor of the family high..Everything is done in the name of family's honor..She points out one dig , that as per Muslim religion no actions are bad or wrong unless one is caught during the act, come on can you believe that?? I thought all religion discourages any such actions...Her neighbors ignore her cry., even her mother turns a blind eye on the bruises that she walks with, her mother is relieved from the fact that she has no longer  to bear the physical assaults..In her desperation Hannah turns to a social worker for help and he in turn turns to her family , all that resulting into further sufferings..Her family sounds like a pack of evil than anything like a family, Her smiles watching a cartoon is retorted with  hard treatment..Her mother tells her that she is not suppose to be happy, reading all this made me wish if they were only an exaggeration... One can not go on with all the horrendous actions of the family, its such a tormenting life to live by..She reaches her breaking  when she happens to know about her arranged marriage to a Pakistani Muslim and her eventual shift from England..She escapes home, this time finding the right person, he not only helps her out but lets her stay at her home..The family drama continues as the Imam comes with other religious people crying for help..Her mother asks her to come back for the sake of  family honour.. Come to think of it, the person who never bothered a string about her daughter had come with something like this...It would have been easy for anyone to collapse falling apart..I am in awe for this woman who faced things head on till she achieved peace..Adapting Christianity she is leading a life away from her parents in the hope to get that someday things would be better..This book would impel you to question many things,its an agonizing tale of a woman that would leave you dazed...

My 14th book to south asian reading challenge

The beautiful tree by James Tooley, Nandan Nilekani

Title: The beautiful tree
Author: James Tooley
Publisher:Viking Penguin India
Price:Rs 499 (got it for 324 from Flipkart)
Page:320
Genre:Education
ISBN:0670083739
Rating:4 out of 5
Source: Personal

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Summary
James  Tooley's journey to China, Ghana, India, Nigeria to study on how poor people are trying to educate themselves against all odds...His research on private school gave him a startling insights about its standard and a complete picture about the psychology of poor on education...

Review
If I got my hands on a great book in spanish what would I do with it?? Just flip through the pages unable to decipher a word..But I would enjoy and relish if it had been in English or any other language I am well versesd with...But what would be the case of a person who could read nothing??? A person with no education not by his fault, what are they to do ?? I was questioning myself reading this book..As it says its James Tooley's personal journey into how the world's poorest people are educating themselves...His research for the world bank on private schools in third world countries India, China, Ghana, Nigeria  gets an insight about struggle of education...What happens education becomes too costly to afford , a strong will is all that takes to pursue the same...All his research makes three points clear-1)  Private schools are performing better in terms of quality than the public schools funded by government..2)The parents do everything they can to educate their children by all means..3) Quality of education is not in terms of infraustructure of the schools nor in the certificates the teachers but the standard of education they are able to give the students in the private schools...In India even when government has opened many schools with free education, Tooley found that parents were not ready to send them there., but prefer much costly private school over public school which the family is unable to afford..Many interviews with parents, children and the people running the private school and few visits to the deserted public schools under the government funding, he found that.,  in spite of financial deficit the quality of education the private schools were able to provide were good enough for the parents to take the risk....
Everytime he visits a country side or backward area in a new country he  expects not to find a private school and very predicatbly he ends up discovering a good private school in narrow alley, under a tattered tached roof with hand written nameboard providing a passerby about a school next by..Tooley is surprised at the state of experts and their take on education while working for the government., conveniently they are unaware of all this plight, Tooley is saddened as of why the government has turned on a blind eye on all these...Tooley argues that as these private schools exist outside the governments' helping hand ., it is left with no choice but to charge higher fee for their survival...Agony of a poor parent, corruption of the government administration are well pinned out..NGOs too are conrtibuting well in brininging about quality education to poor in underdeveloped areas..
Though I agree with Tooley with private schools educating poor, there are schools in city were the education has been developed into a lucrative buisiness,  everything made so attractive that every parent aspires to find a place even when they charge money big time...
Your brain might get crowded with many facts and figures yet its worth a read atleast to realise the blessing of education that we have...

This is my 10th book towards my 30 books South Asian challenge

The motorcycle diaries by Ernesto Che Guevera

The book title: The motorcycle diaries
Author:Ernesto Che Guevera
Publisher: Harper Collins India
Pages:165
Price: 299
ISBN: 0007272901
Rating: 4 out of 5
Source: Personal copy

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Summary
The book is personal journal of Ernest Che Guevera as he set on an expedition with his biochemist friend Alberto Garnado in motorcycle of course..The book is a tale of slow transformation of Che as he comes faces the plight of poor that later leads him onto a global iconic revolutionary..
Review
Che Guevera is a marxist revolutionary and a global icon famous for his guerrilla warfare along with Fidel Castro throwing away the Cuban government..What made him stand apart from the rest of the revolutionaries is that he was not a Cuban but an Argentinean , he fought not his and his people but cruelty against humanity..Though the book was written in a period when he was still an adventure seeking medical student in early twenties whose spirit for different experience made him to take a trip with his friend Alberto Granado in Granado's motorcycle Norton 500 cc 'La Pedrosa'...Their plan was to volunteer themselves at the San Pablo Leper colony in Peru..The travel traverses through Latin American countries starting from Argentina through Andes to Chile to Peru  to Ecuador to Columbia to Venezuela to Miami...


The journey is not completely on motorcycle as they had to abandon it halfway after it refuses to come to life.. Like any other travelogue the journey takes off like a good adventure...The two go onto an extend, introducing themselves to the press as international experts on Leprosy , they also use this paper clip to buy meals and shelter ..The turning point is when they travel through copper mine in Chile... Things starts to changes for Che at a conscious level as he goes along experiences that stirs him completely for example people going in search of work in mine where the working conditions were utterly poor with meager wage,  people suffering from leprosy, tuberculosis without any aid dying in a devastating state..His bravery and his complete dedication to his profession is seen more than once, one night he swims to reach a village to visit a patient..His observations about life and its experiences are crisp..He is lyrical when he describes a farewell from a girl whom he meets along the travel..

They say journeys have a strength to change people,that really stands right for Che., From a fancy free traveler to politically,socially conscious person this book is a beautiful journey I loved to read...Granado is equally seen all through the book and he too stands out with his strong will power and this social responsibility towards the downtrodden..Their journey is not an easy one from the beginning as they are short of funds many nights living without food and shelter and a problematic bike..The narration is full of humour , Che is successful in depicting a clear picture of from a beautiful landscape to dreadful storms to the later experiences with people.....I read this book after reading Reminiscences of Cuban Revolutionary war, to know from where did it all began from..After reading this the picture becomes clear and complete.. You might have come across better travelogues and writing but this book is significant from the vantage what made Ernesto Che Guevera to the iconic Che...

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..

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..

The black Swan : The Impact of the highly improbale by Nassim Taleb

 Price 399 (got it for Rs 279 from Flipkart.com)
                                 Non-fiction

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Before the discovery of Australia  every one around the globe thought that all swans where black, but then they  realised the existence of Black swans everyone was took by surprises and now  their number has steadily...  Essence of the book is the bottom line of uncertainty and its done and he is pundit to to it form different vantage...
Our mind is used to witness the usual not the unexpected, and these unexpected events are the one that has extreme  effect upon us...  Unexpected events like Hitler rise and war, dissemination of Soviet union now on 9/11 is one such event.. That essentially is what the book deals with ...But this book was a difficult read for me as I had to google certain theories time and again ... Major part deals with  distinguishing and explanations between Mediocristan and Extremistan..The book is divided into three parts..If you don't understand well he helps us with examples of famous names.. Mediocristan is the regular guy whose earning is proportional to his work done that moves in Guassian Distribution (I told you  I had to brush up my basics of school) with a bell curve.While extremistan are those of celebrities such as J.K Rowling, book authors and rock stars who earn more beyond their proportion of work and energy spent, he puts certain cases also into extremistain that of the black Monday and Tuesday when the stock crashed in 1987 that resulted in 22% decline of US stock market..For a technically ignorant person like me it was real enlightening but a heavy dose of book..
He quotes several anecdotes from the lives of many scholars who are not famous..There is an amusing tale of a turkey..Turkey lives in a fantasy thinking that its life is great having been well fed for almost thousand days, but its only on the 1001 day it fatally realises that the farmer is going to cut its head out, and that precisely how we live under the wrong impression that everything is well unless we are hit with the reality..Black swan events are the ones that are rare and difficult to predict in all fields such as science, finance and mathematics.. These events might be good or bad...
He advice to invest 85% of the investment on very safe T-Bills and then use the rest of 15% on high risk but high payoff devices and make adjustments as per once ability to take risk..At times I felt the book to be repetitive..His work is scholarly 19 pages of notes and 18 pages of bibliography explains it..He boldly comes across with the pitfalls of many statistical data which according him were meant to fail than help in extreme situation..I don't think the book will go down well with the management experts, statistician and academicians..
Taleb (he calls himself NNT) puts  that the success of a author is when a reader reread him work, to me to get to know certain facet of his vantage I indeed had to reread...
the quotes that I loved are:
"What matters is not how often you are right , but how large you're cumulative errors are.."


"Problem with expert is that they don't know what they don't know.."


"Information is bad for knowledge..Worry less about embarrassment rather than missing an opportunity.".

Go for the book If you are looking for an unusual hard subject...

Does he know a mother's heart by Arun Shourie

Price 599(got it for 419 from flipkart.com)

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Does god exists? If yes, does he care..This book is to anyone who has confronted with this question in life..Its an all personal quest of spiritual exploration of Arun Shourie ...The following excerpt is going to be long but its well done..This book is to all who have confronted with the omnipresence of god and his way of trialing mortal souls like us ...
"Your neighbous have  ason.. he is now thirty-five year old..Going by his age you would think of him as a young man , and ,on meeting his mother or father ,would ask,almost out of habit, 'And what does the young man do?' That expression,'young man',doesn't sot well as he is but a child.He cannot walk ,Indeed, he cannot stand. He cannot use his right arm. He can see only his left. His hearing is sharp, as his memory. But he speaks only syllable by syllable...The father shouts at him.. He curses him:'You are the one who brought misery into our home... We know no trouble till you came.Look at you-weak,dependent,drooling ,good for nothing..' Nor does the father stop at shouting at the child, at pouring abuse at him, at cursing the child. He beats him.He thrashes him black and blue..As others in the family try to save the child from the father's rage, he leaps at them.Curses them, hits out at them.What would you think about the damned father? Wouldn't you report him to police or some such authority that can lock him up?Wouldn't you try everything you can to remove the child from the reach of the father? But what if the father is The Father- the 'T' and 'F' capital .both word italicized? That is what is the 'father' in question is 'God'?Why so the reaction and answer change for so many of us?" (Page 1)
I read the above from an exclusive excerpt and ordered my copy right away...

Shourie is stunned beyond horizon when he learns about his son's cerebral palsy as a result of insufficient oxygen in incubator few days after his premature birth.. He is perplexed about his son's suffering and future of the family..Like all he is confronts the cliche question, WHY ME? It's been thirty four years with his son Adit who doesn't have an independent life; worst he can't carry any of his basic chores of life, adding to the anguish, his wife Anita has been diagonised with Parkinson's disease..
This book tears you apart several times through his personal journey fathering a child with cerebral palsy, his heart felt worry of  future about his only son as he himself is stepping onto old age..His love for his son is evident in every word that he pens down.. He describes spirit of his son that inspires to be the person he is through many anecdotes,one which readily comes to my mind is when Adit fell off wheelchair as the caretaker forgot to cling the seat belt that left him hurt  with two frontal teeth knocked off, at the dentist's inspite of all the pain Adit called him close blowing kiss that leaves the doctor stunned..His wife's courage, is another startling point , her support and love to keep him afloat through all these years of life is beautifully portrayed where in spite of Parkinson's gruesome clutch been able to support him all through taking care of the house letting Shourie all time for work...But unlike other he has been able to set his personal trauma aside in later part of the chapters  to reason out things logically and justify his point completely..He describes that his son has taught many things in life, like finding happiness in simple things, non-attachment, living life for  the moment, sense of gratitude etc etc...According to him, even with Adit's mental state his son is quite lucky to be surrounded with all love and joy ..

Through all these odyssey he pondered upon all religion's unfailingly teaching that god is merciful and not even a leaf moves without his will. If so  why there are so much suffering around the globe..He quotes from bible about Abraham,God tested Abraham by commanding him to sacrifice his son Isaac, but God spared him when Abraham indeed was all set for the sacrifice for a ram instead..bible says that this a Abraham's faith is a perfect example of faith , affirming that the promises God made to Abraham extends to all who believe in him...He questions the discrepancies of all religion's anomaly to sufferings ..In Hindu religion everything is connected to 'karma' one's sins  in the past birth.For Shourie "Karma is a convenient fiction" ..There's no credenda of heaven for innocent, but he sees laughter for sinners then asks why so? When Christianity believes that the whole world is the result of bad deeds of adam disobeying him, why all the innocents thereafter are condemned?? Islam promises life for eternity and death is a journey to god if that's the case what about a spastic ???

He says all religion for that matter are self contradictory this time ... Every aspect is thoroughly researched at times, glimpses of  personal anguish sparkles throughout...Oddity of religious preaching and theory is questioned through many examples from bible to Quran to Gita ..Shourie has also borrowed many phrases and philosophies of many writers and thinkers to build up his own vantage..In Hindu religion where everything good and bad is attached to karma which Shourie aptly borrows from the quote of PV Kane that "our sense of fairness and justice would be shocked by the inequalities in the world"  which implies that linking every deed and it consequences to karma is an intelligent and creative invention..

He quotes Gandhi  that  a child is subjected to pain so that parents learn about demure and kindness but Shourie questions., to start with why all pain upon the an innocent child ,that too by a God who is supposed to be all merciful..If the child's suffering is by the karma of his past then it was God's plan to make him do all that..Now why blame the boy..He adds ,when a plane crashes,how can God be cruel  killing all 300 on board  except for a 5year old..He comes with the logical reasoning why to complement good things to his mercy and the bad upon the person himself..

He says borrowing from Buddhist philosophy that sufferings are the basic truth of life which one cannot escape..To overcome this one should conquer his prejudice and the cultural upbringing and the myth about god and world..

I am sure no parent can get used a child's sufferings, it only goes over and over gain, living through this  is the most difficult thing a parent live by ...I feel this is what made him write on all this. All the confusions and question, frustrations he was confronted with made him question  every thing that included life and fate..This indeed formed the very essence of this book, which would help emotionally  any one who is onto such situation every single day of life, or anyone who has compassion in one's heart...His vivacity for religion and spiritual life is based on his own experiences..He says Buddhism doesn't require belief in god but belief in life and that seems to be convincing to Shourie than any other religion... He quotes from Andre comte-Sponville that "The belief in God is so strikingly congruent with our longings that it seems to be invented to fulfill them." Humans created God rather than vice verse..He argues that people should learn to accept what ever circumstances they are onto and react to things in a matured way rather running up and down in haste cursing life,god and fate...And that's exactly what he does in his own life, he takes his son everywhere with full pride and not hiding him away from society and living with hope and love than worrying about the future...

Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom

Price Rs 225.
Non-fiction

The book cover says "an old man, a young man and life's greatest lesson"..and the book stays honest to this plot..

Its a compact book, and still I didn't finish it off in one read ..I slowly read it through beacuse I wanted the emotions to sink in completely page after page...After the usual acknowledge page  the book goes to whooping start with "the curriculum " starting with "The last class of my old professor’s life.......and when I come across "Kissing him good-bye earned you extra credit" , I could't help but smile...Lines like ".A funeral was held in lieu of graduation","The last class of my old professor’s life had only one student, I was the student", made me sigh...

The chapters are named The curriculum, syllabus, the student and not just numbered  is a author's vantage to write for his favorite professor , Morrie Schwartz college professor in philosophy at Brandeis University.. In spite of all this after graduation Mitch becomes too busy to keep in touch with his professor until he (author is currently a newscaster and sports journalist) finds out in an interview that his old professor is dying  battling ALS (Amyotropic lateral scelerosis). Morrie is happy to hear from Mitch again and invites him and there begins the journey of an old man, a young man and life's greatest lesson...They meet every Tuesday extending to fourteen weeks, all their conversations are taped..They discuss topics on life like whats love, life , death, relationship..Even when topics deal with death aren't uneasy to read along.. Every single aspect of life is discussed with simple ease yet striking the right chord..I found myself reading in again and again for the sheer elegance they had been put forth to..My favorite quotes are :
"So many people walk around with meaningless life. They seem half asleep, even when they are busy doing things they think are important. This is because they are chasing the wrong things . The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning." 


" I don’t mean you disregard every little rule of your community. I don’t go around naked, for example. I don’t run red lights. The little things, I can obey. But the big things - How we think, what we value - These you must choose yourself. You can’t let anyone- or any society - determine those for you".

"The culture we have does not male make people feel good about themselves. And you have to be strong enough to say if the culture soesn't work, don't buy it.."


"We need to forgive ourselves..For all the things we didn't do..All the things we should have done.. You can't get stuck on the regrets of what should have happened."


During the college days unlike being addressed as professor , Morrie is addressed as coach by Mitch..The book ends with "A teacher until end" is heart rendering.. Even at his death bed Morrie's spirit is inspiring and true to his nickname coach he taught how to keep one's head up facing things head on at every situations and for Morrie death was just another situation considering himself lucky for a happy life till now...

Do find time to read this and you'll never  be disappointed...

Eat Pray Love by Elizebeth Gilbert

Price Rs 359 (Its available at 175 in homeshop18.com)
Non-fiction

Now of all books that I have  why am I starting with this one????..Recently I happened to watch this movie Nth time of course while browsing through various movie site...Need i mention that Julia Roberts was awwwwweeeeeeeeeeesssssssssssooommmeee...I love her so much..For me she is a true star..The way she fitted in as Liz mmmm wow...Did I say I love her..ok now back to subject I got this book to read it again..As I snuggled with my book DING!!!!..I wanted to write about the all books I have read...

And so here I am..

I picked up this book which carried the slogan "One woman's search for everything"...That seemed to strike a chord ,I picked it instantly....True  to its words this book indeed is a journey of self discovery of Elizabeth,  Liz... After traumatic divorce at 32 from six years of marriage ,she takes up a journey to Italy,India and Indonesia , four months in each country  after realising that shes been missing singular balance of the good  and the beautiful ..I decides on harmony amid extremes in short worldly enjoyment with divine transcendence...

Her journey is truly enlightening..In Italy she masters the art of seeking pleasure ..At any given time she is either eating ,reading or learning Italian because she finds the language beautiful...Through Florence ,Venice Naples she rediscovers herself overcoming  her loneliness...

Next in India through the amazing grace of Sanskrit and  yoga ,begins her spiritual journey..She learns meditation  with the help of a mantra... Initially she is unable to concentrate but eventually she finally gets into the swing....Not a word about the whereabouts of the ashram is given in the book but for few vague whereabouts...After her Kundalini, experience she moves on to Indonesia.

Bali her final destination is the point where the whole journey starts and she comes back to complete the circle..Her meeting with a ninth generation medicine man who asks her to teach English who in return would teach all things known to him..He also foretells her happy future from her palm at a time when her life was in all tatters..This time her visit sheds away her depression ....She gets to meet many interesting people  all along most importantly  Felipe's love of her life ,his focused love for her makes one wish for that kind of guy in one's life....As in fairy tales,Eat pray love ends in a happy note with an epilogue of the couple's struggle to keep up with life and distance...

Elizebeth Gilbert's pathetically honest approach with a dash of humour makes it a super read....Her travelogue about three different country is a real inspiration who carry a travelling bug in them ...
For me this book was a pleasurable read...