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Book Review: The Great Indian Rope Trick by Ruskin Bond
The Great Indian Rope TrickAuthor: Ruskin BondPublisher: Rupa PublicationsRating: 3/5 Ruskin Bond is known for his simple writing style yet quite impactful imagery that lends the readers a much-desired virtual vacation to the mountains and valleys that bloom with the fragrance of daffodils and roses. ‘The Great Indian Rope Trick’ is an anthology of 29 stories-both long and short- that elicit emotional overflow of nostalgia of those golden old days when people were simple and knew how to find happiness in the littlest things. Whether it is about his trip to Badrinath or vast collection of plants that Ruskin Bond holds so dear, each story presents a figment of his…
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Book Review: Perfect Parenting by Sushant Kalra
Perfect ParentingAuthor: Sushant KalraPublisher: Rupa PublicationsRating: 4/5 Parenting is more challenging when one embarks on this journey. For the ones who are just armchair critics, parenting might seem exciting and fun but seldom do parents share the nitty-gritty of the complex web of judgements, peer pressure and parenting problems so openly. Hence, it becomes all the more overwhelming for the new parents to choose the ‘right way’ of parenting and execute the role in the ‘perfect way’. Perfect Parenting is more like an oxymoron, for there is no sure shot or foolproof way of parenting. Every child is different and so is every set of parents. A lot of methods…
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Book Review: Yoga for Beginners by Ntathu Allen
Yoga for BeginnersAuthor: Ntathu AllenPublisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing PlatformRating: 3.5/5 Exercise is known not only to change our body but also our mind and soul. It forms an imperative component of our daily lives. The best part is that exercise has different forms and it depends on one’s choice which form of exercise one chooses. Yoga is also a form of exercise which has been known to provide long term health benefits. Yoga for Beginners is a comprehensive guide for people who wish to make yoga a way of life. It comprises the asanas and the right technique to perform all those asanas. An added bonus in the book is…
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Book Review: Inflection Point by Disha
Inflection PointAuthor: DishaPublisher: Rupa PublishersRating: 4/5 Inflection Point refers to a breakthrough in a situation that changes the curve for good or bad. Collating experiences, strategies, modus operandi and growth curve of 22 different organizations, institutions, ventures and startups, Inflection Point presents before us a blend of hardships and survival stories. Even though the times were/ are tough, people who have the will, go a long way. Citing examples of new ventures like Zerodha, UrbanClap and established organizations like Manipal Hospitals, ITC and Emerson, the author, with her fool-proof research and easy-to-grasp narrative, brings forth the journeys of these leaders who fought tooth and nail during the pandemic. Battling with…
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Book Review: Venus Mars by P. Khurrana
Venus Mars: Love and MarriageAuthor: P. KhurranaPublisher: Rupa PublishersRating: 3.5/5 Knowing or learning astrology is an incredibly challenging art. In ‘Venus Mars: Love and Marriages’, celebrated astrologist, P Khurrana, discusses the role of planets and stars in love and relationship. This book is not meant for the sceptics. It will serve as a guide for the willing and help them understand how Venus, the planet symbolizing love, sex and cordial relationship, and Mars, the planet symbolizing passion, assertion, discord and anger, affect the eventual fruition of any relationship. This book gives an insight into the importance of matching horoscopes and eliminating the negative elements by using simple methods. The author…
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Book Review: The Gut by Payal Kothari
The GutAuthor: Payal KothariPublisher: Rupa PublishersRating: 4.5/5 Just like how it’s said that ‘it is all in the brain’, most of the times, we forget that our ‘gut’ acts as our second brain. There is a reason why the ‘gut feeling’ should be believed! The gut or the gastrointestinal tract is the tract that connects our mouth to our anus. Hence, whatever happens midway, governs how smooth the journey of the food particles is going to be. Often we miss out on taking care of our gut as we think it isn’t important. ‘The Gut’ by Payal Kothari is just ‘the book’ that’s needed to make people realize the importance…
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Book Review: The Diwali Party by Leena Saldanha
The Diwali PartyAuthor: Leena SaldanhaPublisher: Leadstart PublishersRating: 3/5 “Find a group of people who challenge and inspire you; spend a lot of time with them, and it will change your life.” — Amy Poehler The Diwali Party is quite literally a joy ride on which four women in their thirties embark. Rekha, Maya, Tilly and Zoya- the four pillars of friendship! These four women, while being caught up in the whirlpool of life and its nuances, decide to relive the precious moments they had spent when young. Hence, they decide to gather and group to gloat over their new-found energy and enthusiasm. The story is fast-paced but at times, it…
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Book Review: A Halfway Celebrity Actor Without a Home Naren Weiss
A Halfway Celebrity Actor Without a HomePoet: Naren WeissPublisher: Half Baked BeansRating: 3/5 Collating his experiences and stories, Naren Weiss puts together a poignant collection of poems in A Halfway Celebrity Actor Without a Home. Weaving words with the help of literary devices, he brings forth the pain and the apprehension that life often brings along. Touching upon the decisions that often take an unprecedented turn, the poet mentions how a single event can transform the way one thinks and understands things. Most of the poems are free verses and they do not fail to leave a mark. Short yet impactful, the poems have an allegorical approach to situations that…
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Book Review: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Power by Rajiv Malhotra
Artificial Intelligence and the Future of PowerAuthor: Rajiv malhotraPublisher: Rupa PublishersRating: 3.5/5 The advent of Artificial Intelligence has definitely augmented the way humans work. Not only have the machines become smarter but also more dependable. But the debate on how will AI shape our future still continues to invite opinions and counter-arguments. Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Power is an earnest attempt to decipher how prepared the common people are to allow AI to take over their lives without knowing the actual impact it would make. Dependent and unaware, Indians rely on their leaders to tackle the complicated matters. Hence, their unawareness about the development in technology and its…
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Book Review: Born a Muslim by Ghazala Wahab
Born a MuslimAuthor: Ghazala WahabPublisher: Aleph Book CompanyRating: 4.5/5 Ghazala Wahab’s Born a Muslim is a compelling account that describes the plight of every Muslim who has to bear the brunt of his/her identity and pretend to be someone else in order to become a part and be treated as an equal, not an outcast. Even though Muslims live across the world, the countries which have the majority still do not promise democracy to the Muslim population. Probably this is how the strict beliefs and norms are perpetuated into their minds and they are made to follow the unidirectional faith without having the courage to question the right and the…
