Tag Archives: book reviews

7 Secrets of the Goddess by Devdutt Pattanaik #bookreview

Book Reviews, Books Reading / Read, Spirituality, , , , ,

7-secrets-of-the-goddess

Publisher Westland
ISBN-10 9384030589
Edition 1st Edition
Book Type Non Fiction Book
Number of Pages 270 Pages
Publication Year 2014 October
Language English
ISBN-13 9789384030582
Binding Paperback

Once again the master mythologist, comes up with a great story telling with facts and illustrations that support every word that he writes on.

The third in the series of 7 secrets – of Vishnu, Siva and now the Goddess, the author takes us through the historical evidence that suggests how the society had turned itself from matriarchy to patriarchy.

Add to that the influence of islam and Christianity the need to be seen as a patriarchal in the context of subservient women characters and other factors when the invasion happened.

Perhaps it’s the keen eye to detail and the ardous task of seeking our definitive evidences which make Devdutt Pattanaik the man he is as he revels in his unravelling the myths and making meaning out of them.

The structure of the book and the layout should make it easy for the reader to assimilate each idea and also appreciate the way how things have turned around and the interpretations have started happening.

Quite a few times it is the story lost in translation and quite a few times its interpretation that mattered according to the context and the times they were in.

The way how the once fierce and independent womanhood has now given way to a submissive and more enslavend being is very well captured and the best part is all how they got into these submissive overtones simply because its in the nature of human beings to be seen as controlling rather than be the likes of animals which have just their wants and need fulfilled to the extent they are required not a penny more or a penny less in financial terms.

The journey into the grama devi concept is worth remembering since they give a nice understanding of folk way of celebrating womanhood and they are going strong day by day.

I think this was a long overdue in the way that he has put things in perspective the ideal situation of stories being a mirror to the context and how it has to be interpreted and how it has long lost it to chanting tradition and more so people just chanting them even without knowing their meaning.

Apart from that he also has taken on the Western philosophers for their very minimalistic view of the Hinduism that they talk of and never having tried to read the real meaning of the rituals and festivals.

A lot of specifics on the southern traditions being discussed is welcome addition and the Mahabharata character of Draupadi being accorded an Amman Devi status is an interesting one.

A must read for everyone interested to know the significance of Goddesses in the Hindu tradition. The many stories of Brahma not being accorded the temple status is a revealing one. The relationships with the trinity and the devis are a great read.

My only addition if I could suggest would have been the pointers  to look at the picture with a subscript when they are discussed in the opposite pages would have had a nice way to add to the flow, otherwise they pictures are read at my convenience and paragraph breaks.

As in all his works this will be read again and again for the insights that his subject revels on, and a one time reading of a topic is like the tip of an iceberg.

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

God is a Gamer by Ravi Subramanian – a book review #bookreview

Book Reviews, Books Reading / Read, digital, Internet, , , ,

go is a gamer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Publisher Penguin Books India
ISBN-10 0143421395
Imprint Penguin
Book Type Fiction Book
Number of Pages 324 Pages
Publication Year 2014 September
Language English
ISBN-13 9780143421399
Binding Paperback

Let me admit this, I am a fan of Ravi Subramanian, and happy that he keeps technology at the heart of his plot.

As the cover says this is a first – a novel with Bitcoin at the heart of the things, and author has been successful in creating a parallel world in this financial universe which in itself is a multi-layered economy.

Starting with the Washington blast the story travels across to India with a few interesting characters. The background of the internet as a business proposition and also how the online is seeping in the banking industry and how the security is exposed on many counts is a documentation that needs special mention.

The story line is well inter-linked and with short chapters keeps the readers abreast of the happenings, and successfully keeps the interest alive till the end.

The events in the plot are easily identifiable and you will see them happening across the story and the best part is you will be there in the midst of all these. The author successfully makes easy work of even the so called technological jargons and makes you understand how it works.

Bitcoin with its anonymity and the scale with which it is expanding is a nice setting especially when you know it can be used for anything negative than positive reason. Perhaps that is the crux of all those things which are anonymous and makes for interesting followups.

The power struggles, the startup syndrome, the losing of a client, the head start in a gaming company and a love affair are all mixed in a heady cocktail for you to sip and taste and gives you a high of the tallest order.

A super fast paced with suspense intertwined at necessary breaks the story moves seamlessly across the continents to connect the dots. Be it the FBI sleuths or the Indian CBI, the art of not taking things as they seem is very well read into, but would they know they are also being led to a conclusion, you go to read the story to find that.

The way technology especially the apps ecosystem works and the vulnerabilities associated with it or even the lap top batteries getting exposed are all real to a great extent and these are just the way the master crooks work their way to con the consumers.

In a digital world which has everyone leaving trails its but quite natural that the criminals here who are white collared will love to see the trails being erased or use things that may not be visible. But then there is always the to err is human thing and that plays spoilsport.

The characters that will stay with you are Varun and Tanya perhaps there is a little trait you might want to analyse in them. All the other characters add to the story and author makes you believe every little word and he has drawn the human emotions subtly to take you to the point where he leads.

Overall a great read, and you will want to know more about Bitcoin in case you haven’t read enough of it.

One more you could even tag this book under internet and digital!

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

Private India by Ashwin Sanghi & James Patterson – a book review

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private india

CONTRIBUTORS
Authored By Ashwin Sanghi, James Patterson
BOOK DETAILS
Publisher Random House India
Imprint Arrow / Random House India
Publication Year 2014
ISBN-13 9780099586395
ISBN-10 0099586398
Language English
Binding Paperback
Number of Pages 448 Pages

When Blogadda announced the Book review, I knew this is what I was waiting for – an author signed copy from Ashwin Sanghi was the best deal as always!

And when the book arrived it was big all of 448 pages and it did go fast!  Thanks Blogadda!

It is yet another title from Ashwin Sanghi, a collaboration of a different kind with one of the world’s detective best sellers James Patterson.

Santosh Wagh heads Private India and is challenged by a series of murders with a precision that involves a thinking serial murderer on prowl. The weapon used is a simple one and the murderer makes no mistake and leaves no trail for investigation authorities to take a call. Even if he leaves some its to mislead the process than help it to the see the logical end.

The challenge is no sooner Santosh starts the investigation in the first murder, they are faced with a series, with a pattern and it is for Santosh and his team to unravel them at the earliest since they have little time before the next one happens.

The story is a riddle which deconstructs the psychological attitude of the murderer and his relationship with victims. Santosh does his best to get to the trail using the best of technology and investigating minds helping him gets to the murderer.

There is this Ashwin’s stamp of the mythological thread to the events unfolding with every murder as it continues to happen at a regular interval within days. You cant be happy when circumstantial evidences point to some one in the organisation.

A very light and a fast read, this is page turner though the intensity of the plot is broadened with some instances pointing to multiple suspects at different points in the story.

Yet another best seller from Ashwin for his style sprinkled in ample measure – a bit of Bollywood, page 3 celebs, the gang war and the spiritual guru which helps you identify with Mumbai ofcourse.

Ashwin uses his innate ability to relate things and makes it easy for the readers to go on one rollercoaster ride. You could finish it off in the fastest time possible thats usually a sitting.

On a personal note this would have been an easy novel for Ashwin & James having read all the other three works with such a lot of research material that he is used to. Or is that he is making me think so.

A fast read and a page turner, Private India if you ask me might be poised for sequels and I am sure Ashwin and James sure can come up with many more cases that Private India can handle with Santosh still at the helm of affairs.  

So its time to get your copy:

Check here for Flipkart : http://www.flipkart.com/private-india-english/p/itmdxu6kshmpzmga?pid=9780099586395

Check here for Amazon: http://www.amazon.in/Private-India-8-James-Patterson-ebook/dp/B00JWVKWWO/

Happy Reading!

Senthilkumar

This review is a part of the biggest <a href=”http://blog.blogadda.com/2011/05/04/indian-bloggers-book-reviews” target=”_blank”> Book Review Program </a> for <a href=”http://www.blogadda.com” target=”_blank”>Indian Bloggers.</a> Participate now to get free books!

(Also past of one post a day series 4/30)

Sita’s Curse by Sreemoyee Piu Kundu a Book Review

Book Reviews, Books Reading / Read, , , ,

sitas-curse-400x400-imadvb4mrxfawtb7

  • Publisher Hachette India
    Imprint Hachette India
    ISBN-13 9789350097809
    ISBN-10 935009780X
    Language English
    Binding Paperback
    Number of Pages 344 Pages
    Book Type Fiction Book

Sometimes there comes a time when you know the author has decided shes’ going to play rebel and revolt against emotions and stereotypes and cast  herself in a new mould and discover herself within that. Society is but a reflection of the individuals in harmony. So here we come across a character who we might have seen many a time in parts and some time not so overtly. I loved the narrative in the first person. Its a story of emotion, deceit, marriage, betrayal and more, a  fast read and a spicy one at that we see a significant lifetime over 30 years to be precise infront of us.

The character of this story Meera traverses from her not-so-happy childhood in a village to the city of dreams Mumbai. In thorough her eyes the author has tried to build up an emotional story of the girls in villages,  her instincts, her urges and the sexual exploits of some of the men she comes across, then getting married to a city dweller and the life at the matrimonial home.

She moves to Mumbai, a unhappy marriage and a husband who cant support her mentally, and the usual tantrums of the matrimonial home and the story takes a turn with Meera trying to get into what the author calls it being a free bird unleashing herself.

She gets introduced to the internet and then she learns a lot, not that her neighbourhood dance master is very far into teaching her some moves apart from the dance. She tries to learn English too. The internet part of the story is akin to what we normally is exhibited as how dissatisfied wives are all over the net. And you also find a man who sells his body named Yousuf. The narrative ends with the big rain that Mumbai ever had and how the characters live to tell the tale.

Now the author perhaps has a lot of potential but is getting wasted in trying to get to the sexual fantasies into words and it treads into soft porn and sometimes a little tad over.

While the character has her exultation at her adventures, I am at a loss to understand why should she get emotional at the loss of Yousuf to rain in the end, perhaps she could have done without that after all that’s what she has become at least we think the constraints that the character is not bound to be, the free bird not being attached to all these.

In a way it’s a story of the village belle getting to know the city and trying to live in it getting adapted and be modern and whatever. But along the way the definition lacks the purpose simply because she has to become the same woman she probably didnt want. A women on leash, living her world the way she wants and true to her whims and fancies but still has the emotional tag.

Sita’s curse starts off very well and goes off track a bit in the mid and I still feel could have been a tighter grip to the narration in the end. The characters except Meera dont stay with us for long.

My ratings: 3 /5 stars ( rated adult reading )  

“This book review is a part of The Readers Cosmos Book Review Program. To get free books log on to thereaderscosmos.blogspot.com“

No Man’s Land by Nilesh Shrivastava – a book review

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no-man-s-land-400x400-imadpzgbphyh9khp

Publisher Prakash Books
Imprint Fingerprint
Publication Year 2013 November
ISBN-13 9788172344825
ISBN-10 8172344821
Language English
Binding Paperback
Number of Pages 352 Pages
Book Type Fiction Book

I am reminded of the poem by Lord Tennyson on The brook where he says the following:

For men may come and men may go,  but I go on forever.

A little analogy of the river to land would be read like this, men may come and men may go but I stay on forever.

Vagaries of nature and the way it has affected us and the everlasting inspiration for man to control nature is always beset with troubles and problems which extends to generations.

Here in this novel, No Man’s Land the author Nilesh Shrivastava very vividly takes us through a myriad of relationship of the characters in the novel , the relationships between a father and a son, an estranged father to a bastard son and of a wife and a mistress and much more revolving all around a piece of land which today is valued at crores and crores of rupees. And as they say every land has a history and the story unravels with its past and a tumultuous present.

With a setting as real as the Gurgaon realty, it is but natural that the author makes a piece of land infact a farmland the central theme of the novel. Around the land are characters built with unique perspective to what it means to them and there you go a scintillating story of men and women who take you on the ride with their whims and fancies taking over them.

I also found the naming of the characters pretty telling especially Karan and the uncle Dushyanth. Not to miss Agastya the central character, Pranay the narrator of this tale, Shreya his girl friend et al. The characters themselves stand out for whatever they are good, bad and in between moderate voices. The story moves very fast and why not the life is fast as ever.

There are times when it goes on expected lines and times when you get the twist at the unexpected times. There is romance, there is stalking, there is betrayal , treachery, deceit in optimum doses and these get played right in front of you as you turn the pages. Fast paced and well thought of plot this will leave you dazed and show a picture of what’s happening around you.

The author has succeeded to bring three generations in a seamless time frame with the change in perceptions and how ethics and things have changed and redefined themselves in the days they live.

May be sometimes the author’s been harsh on those characters but in the end he brings home peace suggesting that there are more things to life than those who value money or the land. If you think hard, probably every land is No man’s Land.

Pick this book for a fast paced read, you will finish this before know it. Some images will leave an imprint, sometimes you might see them in the realtor next door.

Thanks a lot to the publishers Finger Print for sending this review copy.

To pick up your own copy please visit:

Flipkart: http://www.flipkart.com/no-man-s-land/p/itmdppznhxysvhya?q=No+Man%27s+Land&as=on&as-show=on&otracker=start&as-pos=p_1&pid=9788172344825

Amazon: http://www.amazon.in/No-Mans-Land-Nilesh-Shrivastava/dp/8172344821/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1394957468&sr=1-1

Senthilkumar

The Hunt for Kohinoor by Manreet Sodhi Someshwar – a book review

Book Reviews, Books Reading / Read, , , , ,

the-hunt-for-kohinoor-400x400-imadqpggge4mhw2b

Publisher Westland Publisher
Publication Year 2013 October
ISBN-13 9789383260607
ISBN-10 9383260602
Language English
Edition 1st
Binding Paperback
Number of Pages 432 Pages
Book Type Fiction Book

I should admit that I am being introduced to Mehrunisa the protagonist of this wonderful story for the first time courtesy – Westland who sent this book for review.

After going through this novel – a 96 hour episode in as half the time given my relocation pangs, I am sure this is one of the racy pacy thrillers, call it a clean race from the lights to the chequered flag. A classical story with the background of a dad and a daughter in search of a secrets that could change the way the world is. What does it mean to see your father after 17 long years not knowing if he was alive or dead? And when you want to see him, you are assigned a mission impossible.

An extremely  well researched and well thought of plot carries the story with twists and turns as much as the geography and topography of the place it is happening across the border. The play of emotion and the characterization of the yearning daughter and the dad who has found his lovely daughter after 17 years and the motive to live the dream for both of them works very well. This takes them through the terrains, on the roads, and the hilly slopes, literally in between the bomb blasts and firing across the terrain.

Intricately woven story with the emotional tag of both the characters will get on you and that makes for a fast reading and a lucid writing narrative works like magical flow making you live the pages through.

The author has used a great deal of imagination with reality as she moves on with the saga and you can easily identify with the characters and their reactions. You have a best seller and a page turner in this book.

On another plane, I think we know very very less of our neighbouring nation  and in this story, the portrayal of the human connect and sanity is also well woven to suit the times and issues here.

It was a happy reading of the ways even in a fiction that some people stake their lives and family for the sake of the nation and it is being done without the fanfare that we are always used to.

I would consider these stories  as a celebration of the unknown men and women who are wide awake so that we could sleep without a second thought.

Read this and you will love the characterization, the human bonding especially the one with the family that drives people to heights and terrains that can best be described as geography in real.

Thanks Westland for sending in this book. This is a fast read, has the best twists and turns to keep you on the hook and get you racing till the end.

You would not take more than 96 hours I say! Literally! 

You can buy your copy here:   Amazon Click Here  |  Flipkart Click here

 

Senthilkumar

Baramulla Bomber (Svastik Trilogy – Eka) by Suraj Clark Prasad – a book review

Book Reviews, Books Reading / Read, , , ,

baramulla-bomber-400x400-imadn8wea4shzq5u

The Baramulla Bomber at the outset is a great attempt in the espionage genre if you ask me. The author has his homework done, with the intersection of quantum physics, the study of ancient scriptures Vedas and ofcourse human frailties.

The story is set in Kashmir, I am looking forward to see many more Kashmir related stories and it gives a pretty insight into the workings of the intelligence wings spanning the important players including some European Nations. The story happens across time lines and takes you through with the characters at ease. We find the characterizations very deeply knowledgeable and hinting at the possibility of extremes.

One other important link central to the story is well you guessed it – cricket. And when you have a cricketer from the valley rocking internationally, you know India has made a point. The title of the book is a dedication to a fast bowler hailing from the valley – Mansur, for his exploits in the field and the press giving him this title.

We have other characters, Aahana his girlfriend, Adolf the spy from Sweden and ofcourse the Indian Home Minister and negative characters in Dr. Nazir.

The narration is fast moving, cutting across the time zones, interconnected events that surprise and make it racy towards the end.  I think the time gap could have gotten shorter in my opinion.

You get streaks of mined information on a weapon which you won’t be able to see it nor feel it and when you start to feel it, it would be the end. That could be spine chilling in real. The possibilities of such a weapon is what makes the intelligence sleuths spend sleepless nights to understand the science and the people behind all this. The coming together of characters sees a commonality in professional and personal interests to unlock the mysteries that have eluded them.

Some parts took me back to my college days, (did graduation in physics) and some readings to my classes in Atma Bodha about the spiritual part.

The author has touched upon the human sensibilities in a portrayal at the UN General Assembly with speeches delivered by the Indian contingent in Agastya Rathore and Mansur. After all the nations are all but lines drawn by human beings themselves. The fact is known but the realization of this fact is not easy at all.

A brave attempt in a trilogy and hope the next one already has some more fireworks in the days to come.  Eka will keep you with doses of quantum physics, vedas and reality.

The cover gives you ample things to imagine and anticipate. The author is a wonderful addition in this genre.

This review is a part of the Readers’ Cosmos Book Review Program. Visit www.readerscosmos.blogspot.in for more details.  Thanks Nimi for the literally “gifted” opportunity

Senthilkumar

Click here to buy the book at flikart.com

The Homing Pigeons by Sid Bahri – a book review

Book Reviews, Books Reading / Read, , ,

The Homing Pigeons Cover -shashi tharoor

The Homing Pigeons by Sid Bahri is a great debut from a blogger turned author. The tale of two individuals who go through various paths ultimately come to roost to their nest. He takes the tale from the pigeons who fly the valleys and plains yet long for that coming home to the love that they have seen and can be always be sure of.

There’s a take on the middle class morals and ethics which the author casts aside in the way of making the life of individual the fulcrum of his story. The characters look surreal sometimes and also delve deep into the psyche which is formed in the childhood years. At one point I think this is the story of woman protagonist Radhika, because it is in her story that the author takes liberties in transforming the character with the aid of the situations that she is in.

The narrative is good and has a little bump towards the end, where Aditya’s take is a bit behind that of Radhika. The first person account is a nice revelation especially when some personal choices have to made by the characters.

This story is also that of the rising Indian consumer centric individual who is now pushed into material pursuit and makes a statement of choice, especially when you have the protagonist taking the road which would be impossible some decades ago.

As the narrative progresses there is a certainty to the story in the end, possibly that could have been avoided. Quite often the case of the characters is that of the real life where in the decisions could have been taken a little later. It’s a reflection of the life that we live.

A very fast paced read and very close to reality, and goes forth back in time without actually taking you off.

On the typos, for someone from Kerala the name of my state was wrong in the book.

Senthilkumar

“This book review is a part of The Readers Cosmos Book Review Program. To get free books log on to thereaderscosmos.blogspot.com“

Business Sutra – a very Indian approach to Management! – a book review

Book Reviews, Books Reading / Read, Just about it, Management, Spirituality, , , , , ,
Business Sutra by Devadutt Pattanail
Business Sutra

Business Sutra by Dr. Devdutt Pattanaik at first instance, is an exhaustive read I should admit, but in case you have seen the videos it should be easy to relate to.

In another plane, there was this evident need of unravelling the Indian Business, especially why is it the way it is. Dr. Pattanaik answers this unassuming but significant question in his book.

As always dotted with this unique and easy illustrations, Business Sutra comes with a nice interface if you ask me and also with a easy to go through format, in the sense that you can read anywhere, though it would be nice if you read it in the sequence presented.

So it starts with Business is Yagna, the description from the Hindu scriptures. We can easily compare every business activity to a Yagna where in the Yajaman initiates the ritual and makes offerings into agni and hopes to please his deity so that he gets what he wants from the devata.

The explanations are extensive taken from all the Hindu scriptures and quoted widely to impress upon a point. Our outlook to business has been moulded unknowingly by the our early formative years and also by what we have seen and experienced, but the whole point is that the Western and Eastern philosophies have different take on how business is run.

It is quite possible to see the Trinity in action – Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva and also the three devi’s of Saraswati, Lakshmi and Durga in all the activities of the business. So we are taken on a trip across Indra’s heaven to the Vishnu’s abode to days of sages as we see how their actions and relationships depict the way the business is done.

Then you have a modern day decription of what is said and you can easily relate to our own business or the way the corporate corridor behaves or works.

This book is like the churning of the milky ocean and then you get so many things coming out of it. We need the devas and asuras in realty to make things happen for the businesses.

On a personal note, I have always wanted someone to give this outlook on management from Indian perspective in a way that it gets to the layman’s idea and am happy it is clearly achieved in this book.

A beautiful read and an exhaustive mythological resource in a way almost 400 plus pages of sheer storytelling, he has a nice ending with a ‘How to reject this book’ which has this ideas why you should reject this book. One which left me laughing loud was this – This is a right wing propaganda!

On the book design it was a designer’s delight and a reader’s delight combined into one. Perfectly crafted and presented in a neat manner, is sure to be a great handy resource for management.

R Senthilkumar

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

PS: My sincere apologies to Blogadda, since I had some problems with my blog and took long time to get this review up.

I am not 24… by Sachin Garg Book Review

Book Reviews, Books Reading / Read, Just about it, , , ,

As the book arrived, I was looking at the cover, already familiar with the image, I was expecting a college fest and a romantic saga and may be some fashion statement to be made. To start with this is a story of a girl and slice of her first career spanning over 3 months or so.

As I started reading the first few pages, it was a bit different in the sense the narrator of the story herein Saumya lands up at a Steel Plant, for her first job after her MBA. Thus the setting had gone for a toss for Saumya who had thought of a corporate career in a five star setup or atleast in a city environment. So welcome to Toranagallu.

Once there, she is taken by surprise at the being so rural and has no choice but to appreciate the positives wherever she could think about. She has no other go but decides to make amends and starts liking the place on some of the most appreciable things she comes face to face in life.

At her age and in a male dominated workplace, she is a sort of out of place. She takes the challenge head on and makes head turn literally at all places so much so at one instance a worker fatally falls in Sulphuric acid.  The storyline also has some characters in Malappa, Amit and her boss.

Another character who influences Saumya is one Shubro who she accidentally meets when she is on her leisure trip to Hampi. Though we get to see some glimpses of Shubro at their meeting and a bit of his past, it is not until he comes into her life while she decides to quit the company.

What we see in the rest of the story is a blossoming and untold love between these two and may they think the other would make the first move.

In all this there are characteristic display of wantonness of being the person they are, the author takes liberty in portraying their weakness too.  On the other side he makes it up with some of the most positives we tend to normally ignore because we take them for granted or may be we see it as we already knew this person was going to be so.

Saumya gets a chance to impress her peers as also Shubro in his time at the social club when he changes the life of almost 10,000 people in this tiny village in Karnataka.

Shubro lives by what he calls ‘Lets move on’ theory a fascinating aspect in reality because we would love to do it, and it keeps him from staying at one place, but as we see it it clear in the later part, he is there to make the change that he wants.

So we get to see how they were so close yet far.

In the end we get to see Saumya make up her mind and taking off to live what Shubro had believed in as his dream and reality.

Its a fast paced book, but then there are breaks which the reader doesn’t quite expect, the blog at the end is a bit long, and thats too late for the reader to say something so important about the character.

A nice read and I dont know if the readers think the characters are different from who they are since all the youngsters, given a chance could tread Saumya’s path without blinking an eye.

This review is a part of the Book Reviews Program at BlogAdda.com. Participate now to get free books!