Stock up on Books for Diwali weekend

Hi all,

With festivities happening all round, can good books be left behind? Welcome to another round of great books and reviews.... Again, we have listed a lot of new books towards the end.

New, Rare and Different books:

"Other Colours" by Orhan Pamuk @ Rs. 495/- (433 pgs)

A Book of Essays and a Story is a collection of pithy and eclectic write-ups focusing on writings on Life, Art, Books and Critics. Ranging from childhood memories to memories of time shared with his own daughter, classics that the author read to eminent personalities whom he met, politics, books and reading, different cities and civilizations-from Istanbul to New York-the topics spanned are amazing! Interspersed among these are Pamuk’s own black and white sketches as well as a short story ‘To Look Out the Window”. A Collector's book from the Nobel Laureate.

"The Elephant, The Tiger and The Cellphone: The Reflections on India in the Twenty-first Century" by Shashi Tharoor @ Rs. 495/- (387 pgs)

For those of us who read Tharoor religiously every Sunday, these writings are familiar. As India turns sixty, Shashi Tharoor reminds us of the paradox that is India. Comparing India with an elephant, a slow, plodding, slumbering elephant that in the early 1990’s seemed to rouse out of its slumber and morph into a tiger. Essays on a broad range of subjects, his writings are lucid, witty, insightful and as thought- provoking as ever. In 2007, Shashi Tharoor concluded a nearly twenty-nine-year career with the United Nations and has been awarded the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman, India’s highest honour for overseas Indians.

"Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Changed Everything" by Don Tapscott and Anthony D. Williams @ Rs.775/- (324 pgs)

This book is about mass collaboration changing the face of corporations everywhere. Banishing the age- old hierarchical system that was being used, companies now encourage everyone to share information and ideas. Interconnected and orchestrated through blogs, wikis, chat rooms, peer- to- peer networks and personal broadcasting, the internet is being reinvented to provide the first ever-global platform for collaboration. This book investigates how small businesses can achieve success.

"Writing a nation- An Anthology of Indian Journalism" Ed. by Nirmala Lakshman @ Rs. 795/- (718 pgs)

It’s a compilation of articles that have appeared in the leading national English dailies such as The Hindu, Indian Express etc. It encompasses a vast set of topics ranging from tackling corruption, riots, media, education and social issues and so forth. The press has always molded public opinion. This book shows that the tradition of independent Indian journalism is alive and well in India in the sixth decade after independence. The writers include celebrated journalists, politician’s academicians, activists and many others.

"A Princess’s Pilgrimage (Nawab Sikandar Begum’s “A Pilgrimage To Mecca”) Edited, Introduced and with an Afterword by Siobhan Lambert –Hurley @ Rs 350/- (180 pgs)

In 1870, Nawab Sikandar Begum of Bhopal became the first Muslim woman to publish an account of her Hajj Pilgrimage. Her unique and critical description unfolds an amazing vista of the colonial environment of Arabia. Replete with first hand accounts of shopping for Water (!), curios, fabric, condiments, slaves and enquiries about prices of building material, prevalent etiquette, the social and political scenario; the book brings to life a forgotten social and cultural era. The presence of a critical introduction as well as the after word goes a long way to encourage the generally curious reader, the researcher or historian to rethink what period travel writing is all about.

"Janani" by Rinki Bhattacharya @ Rs.280/-(197 pgs.)

This is a book about Mothers, daughters and motherhood. Autobiographical writings of women who are well known public figures are woven to stroll through accounts of motherhood, adoptive motherhood, step mothering, single motherhood and no –motherhood…all humane and compelling narratives. Interspersed with some inspiring verses, these intimate writings amaze us with the uniqueness of the most abundant and common: mother –child relationship

"Rudra –The Idea of Shiva" By Nilima Chitgopekar @ Rs 250/-(189 pgs.)

Through first person narratives of Vishnu, Sati, Daksha, Parvati and Ganesha, the author traces the diverse threads of history, philosophy, anthropology and faith to unravel the myth and mystery of the intriguing deity that is Shiva. The author has recreated the defining moments in Shiva’s life to uncover the deeper truths of the unmatched appeal of Mahadeva.

"Saadat Hasan Manto- Selected Stories" Translated and edited by Khalid Hasan @ Rs.295/- (309 pgs)

Often compared with Gogol, Manto, the supreme humanist shows how the essential goodness of people does not perish even in the face of unimaginable sufferings. This collection of superbly translated stories range from chilling accounts of Partition, touching stories of simplicity and the mysterious and dubious happenings of the underworld. Powerful and deeply moving, these stories have retained their relevance even though they were published more than half a century ago.

"Screenwriting is Storytelling: Creating an A- List Screenplay That Sells" by Kate Wright @ Rs. 350/- (264 pgs)

From an Emmy award winning producer and screenwriter, senior instructor at UCLA ‘Coach Kate’ comes a book, which reveals some effective screen writing formulae, defines story sequencing and explores the mysteries of story telling. With special features like tips on breaking in, Industry organizations, websites for screenwriters and screenwriting competitions, a novice or an experienced writer stands to gain a lot from this lucidly written book which draws ample examples from many contemporary, successful films.

"Living Pictures Perspectives on the Film Poster in India" edited by David Blamey & Robert D’Souza. @ Rs. 995/- (259 pgs)

This book makes an interesting attempt to go beyond evaluating merely the visual charm of the Indian Cinema’s posters. It delves into the meaning within a broader cultural context and goes beyond appearances to examine the society that produces this unique visual ideology. Living Pictures reveals how Indian film vernacular, its artifacts and aesthetic principals, are circulated and contested in the everyday world. The brilliant array of posters takes one on a delightful stroll down memory lane too.

"Murderous Maths – Codes" by Kjartan Poskitt @ Rs.195/- (157 pgs)

For those confused by ciphers and codes, Murderous Maths aims at relieving the agony of cryptanalysis by explaining ingenious ways and means to decode complex word codes, number codes as well as those related to time and dates. Number messages, double codes, substitution codes etc are demystified in an entertaining and lucid manner indeed.

"Match book- Indian Matchbox Labels" by Shahid Datawala @ Rs.650/- (75 pgs)

This sleek and slick book is a wonderful, first ever, collection of Indian Matchbox labels .It showcases over 500 colorful brands such as ‘Cheetah Fight’. ‘Judo Deluxe’, ‘Tip Top’ and ‘New Shit’! Curious, hilarious and visually stunning it makes a perfect gift for artists, graphic designers, pyromaniacs, smokers non –smokers and anyone with an affinity for the quirky.

"King Khan- SRK" by Deepa Gahlot @ Rs. 495/- (128 pgs)

With a career story that colors movie lore, Shah Rukh Khan has trail blazed into the Hindi Film Industry. He personifies the media- savvy, money-smart focused professional that today’s world idolizes and blockbuster movies created the SRK brand. With a career milestone of sixty films, the author makes a mid career assessment by analyzing the various phases of SRK’s life and career and putting them in perspective. Interspersed with quotes from the Superstar are photographs that capture him and his various moods.

"A Certain Ambiguity- A Mathematical Novel" by Gaurav Suri & Hartosh Singh Bal @ Rs.450/- (281 pgs)

To show readers that mathematics is ‘beautiful’, authors Gaurav Suri+ Hartosh Singh Bal who have degrees in Mathematics and share a childhood friendship have weaved fiction, maths and philosophy into this interestingly authored novel in which a grandfather and grandson struggle with the question of whether there can ever be absolute certainty in maths or life. Their explorations lead us into the realms of the development and study of geometry and infinity .The narrative and characters are compelling, complex, moving yet enlightening.

"Penguin Guide to Countries of the World" @ Rs.199/- (295 pgs)

The Penguin Guide to Countries of the World gives the most current information on, as the title suggests, countries of the world. This being the second edition it incorporates information as available on thirty- first Aug 2007 of the 193 nations of the world, which are members of the United Nations. The information spans a concise history of each nation, detailed map, economic profile, a note on its administrative systems, transport and communication data etc. The book also features a separate listing of capitals, currencies, GDP’s, Life expectancy, demographic studies as well as the countries with largest road and railway networks. It makes a handy one-volume guide to everything one would like to know about any given country.

"The Genius of Dnyaneshwar - An English Translation" by Ravin Thatte @ Rs.750/- (1034 pgs)

From an interesting personality- a plastic surgeon-comes an equally evocative book about the most famous religious literature in Marathi, The Dnyaneshwari, originally authored by the renowned saint Dnyaneshwar. A beautiful translation of the commentaries on ‘The Geeta’, the book makes a riveting read all through its 123 chapters. The translation of the poetic and profound Marathi Dnyaneshwari to English is also lyrical and entrancing. Not only has it effectively presented the rich version of the original book but also guides readers through a glossary of English words. The book ends with a brief biography of Saint Dnyaneshwar.

"Theatre of the Streets: The Jana Natya Manch Experience" Ed. by Sudhanva Deshpande @ Rs.120/- (160 pgs)

The Jana Natya Manch (Janam) was co- founded by Safdar Hashmi in 1973 and has done about eight thousand performances in over a hundred and forty towns, cities and villages of India. On January first 1989, Safdar Hashmi was killed in performance in a working class locality in Delhi. This book, dedicated to his memory, gives an insight into his life and his work. It contains writings and interviews by Janam activists, by writers and directors who’ve worked with Janam, and academic researchers. Janam is a voluntary amateur theatre group and this book will be interesting for anyone interested in theatre in connection to politics, society, history and culture.

"The Style Bible" Ed by James Bassil @ Rs. 542/- (208 pgs)

From AskMen.Com comes a handbook filled with fundamentals that every man can use to improve his dress sense and lifestyle. Conveniently divided into 8 rules, this book helps to build a versatile wardrobe, co -ordinate different colors, patterns and accessories and tread surely in the world of shoes too. With instructive illustrations and lots of tips it makes the book an educative and interesting read.

Management:

"Strategic Human Resource Technologies" by Ashok Chanda, B.Sivarama Krishna and Jie Shen @ Rs.720/- (524 pgs)

In recent years technology has transformed HRM. The authors bring together 40 strategic HR technologies and explain how and where these technologies can be defined for various HR subsystems. They include tools for measurement and scorecard comparisons. Using models, charts and clearly defined terminology, this book lays out the practical steps in implementing HR technologies.

"The Art Of Business Leadership - Indian Experiences" by S Balasubramanian @ Rs.395/- (304 pgs)

This extremely interesting book proposes a new look at the complex world and characteristics of Indian Business leadership. It is based on the author’s personal interactions and painstaking research on some of India’s leading businessmen and businesswomen, who have been successful in transforming the organization and the people they lead, into vibrant and growing entities. Presenting a unique perception of business leadership in India it explores this complex subject and its dynamics in today’s challenging global business environment.

"Leading with Wisdom-Spiritual based leadership in Business" by Peter Pruzan and Kirsten Pruzan Mikkelsen @ Rs.495/- (408 pgs)

This path-breaking book offers the experiences and perspectives of 31 top executives from 15 countries in 6 continents. They are executives who express from their first hand experience what it is like to lead a business from a spiritual basis. They tell amazing, down to earth, real life stories about how spirituality and rationality can go hand in hand in leadership and life. It may provide a fundamental shift in the way we look at the very purpose of business. This book is a trendsetter and a refreshing contrast to conventional success literature.

"Mergers, acquisitions and corporate restructuring" edited by Chandrashekar Krishnamurti and Vishwanath S R @ Rs.495/- (468 pgs)

An acknowledged method of staving off hostile takeovers is through mergers and acquisitions (M&A). In the first half, the author deals with the various aspects of and processes involved in M&A. In the rest of the book he focuses on emerging trends in M&A activities and likely future directions. It covers the entire spectrum of activities in a typical merger transaction starting from searching for candidates to closing the deal. The book also covers various forms of corporate restructuring like spin offs; carve outs, targeted stocks, and reorganization of debt contracts, lay offs and downsizing. It contains numerous real life examples and summarizes much of the research done in the last 20 years. This is an invaluable book for CEOs, investment and financial managers, merchant bankers, corporate planners, management consultants and promoter- entrepreneurs.

"Total management by ratios - An analytical approach to management control and stock market valuations" by Hrishikes Bhattacharya @ Rs.395/- (420 pgs)

This is a pioneering book that integrates functional analysis of a business enterprise with stock market valuation. It moves beyond the convention of financial statement analysis to first evaluate every function of management and then integrate this into the total corporate functioning of an enterprise, leading to its valuation in the stock market. All the ratios are explained and worked out with live examples.

"The Indian CEO: A Portrait of Excellence" by Signe M Spencer, Tharuma Rajah, S A Narayan, Seetharaman Mohan, Gaurav Lahiri @ Rs. 295/- (204 pgs)

The book, The Indian CEO, chronicles the results of the study and identifies a set of leadership qualities that has enabled the CEOs to lead their companies to the top. Based on in-depth interviews and case studies, the book covers different situations the CEOs had to tackle. It describes the consistent characteristics and behavior of the best Indian CEOs at this time. It examines the key things that Indian CEOs do, and are doing to create socially responsible business excellence. As India develops and businesses become more integrated into the economy, this is a book not for future leaders, but today’s managers.

"Blind Men and the Elephant: Demystifying the Global IT Services Industry" by Was Rahman and Priya Kurien @ Rs.395/- (334 pgs)

Though the IT industry is a trillion dollar industry, it remains one of the least understood industries on the world. Drawing vivid comparisons from everyday life and other industries, this book makes complex concepts accessible to the general reader, giving them for the first time an in-depth insight into the IT industry.

"The New Sales Manager: Challenges for the 21st Century" by Walter Vieira @ Rs. 295/- (204 pgs)

The lucid style is extremely engaging and will appeal to everyone involved in selling. The cartoons are very apt and suited to the matter for easy understanding. “The sales managers I have known, met or heard about...” at the end of each chapter are case studies that are extremely useful. A bullet point reference for the Sales function.

"Towards Personal Excellence: Psychometric Tests and Self- Improvement Techniques for Managers" by Seema Sanghi @ Rs. 475/- (296 pgs)

This book has simplified the various concepts and theories in the form of practical hints for increasing excellence of various personal and interpersonal skills. With a lot of techniques to assess with rating scales and assessment sheets and scorecards, it is an invaluable tool for anyone keen on building a step-by-step self-assessment plan. Compelling aid to Career progression and defining a path.

"8 Steps to Building Innovating Organizations" by Manu Parashar @ Rs. 250/- (152 pgs)

The book breaks the manager’s myth that innovation is something outside the organizational framework, and shows how the capability to innovate can be built into the fabric of an organization in eight steps. It explains the nuances of the process of innovation in an easy- to- understand style, making it reader- friendly. Also included are examples and case studies of well-known firms from India and abroad and personal examples. The author, Manu Parashar is the CEO of Gone to Fish, an innovation consultancy at Bangalore.

A new series of "Instant Books" by Tata McGraw Hill priced: Rs. 299/- Titles listed below:

Instant Advertising
Instant Cash flow
Instant Leads
Instant Profit
Instant Promotions
Instant Referrals
Instant Repeat Business
Instant Sales
Instant Systems
Instant Team Building
Instant Successful Franchising
Instant Business Coach
Instant Real Estate Coach
Instant Billionaire in Training

New Books:

"Penguin Guide to the States and Union Territories of India-2nd edition" @ Rs. 199/-
"The Book of Demons- Including a Dictionary of Demons in Sanskrit Literature" by Nanditha Krishna @ Rs. 325/- (268 pgs)
"The World According to Clarkson- Volume 2" by Jeremy Clarkson @ Rs. 260/-
"Vikramaditya’s throne" by Polie Sengupta @ Rs. 175/-
“The Way to the Top: The Best Business Advice I Ever Received” by Donald Trump @ Rs. 640/-
“The Younger Gods” by David and Leigh Eddings @ Rs. 430/-
“Shadow of the Silk Road” by Colin Thubron @ Rs. 475/-
“Gandhi: A Spiritual Journey” by M. V. Kamath @ Rs. 195/-
“Elizabeth” by J. Randy Taraborrelli @ Rs. 390/-
“The Righteous Men” by Sam Bourne @ Rs. 295/-
“A Girl and a River” by Usha K. R. @ Rs. 295/-
“The 7 Rules of Success: Follow the Strategies, Experience the Results” by Fiona Harrold @ Rs. 260/-
“Jinx” by Meg Cabot @ Rs. 399/-
“Molly Moon, Micky Minus and the Mind Machine” by Georgia Byng @ Rs. 390/-
“Making Money” by Terry Pratchett @ Rs. 495/-
“On Ugliness” Ed. by Umberto Eco @ Rs. 1380/-
“Chetan Anand: The Poetics of Film” by Uma Anand and Ketan Anand @ Rs. 895/-
“A Writer’s People: Ways of Looking and Feeling” by V. S. Naipaul @ Rs.395/-
“The Young Che - Memories of Che Guevara” @ Rs. 475/-
“Eight lives down” by Chris Hunter @ Rs. 735/-
“Stalin’s ghost” by Martin Cruz Smith @ Rs. 475/-
“Bridge of Sighs” by Richard Russo @ Rs.540/-

Enjoy your books, enjoy your reading!

And here’s wishing all of you a very happy and safe Diwali. twistntales shall be closed on the Diwali weekend of (9th, 10th and 11th), so do kindly stock up on your reading delights for your holiday season !!!

From the team at,