Hi all,
Thanks all of you for turning up for our X’mas event in Sassoon Hospital … the kids had a great time, so did we! The snaps taken will shortly be put up in www.twistntales.blogspot.com.
The year’s drawing to a close with a host of uncertainties on the National front…and the electoral scene looming large. Looks like 2009 will turn out to be landmark year! We hope and pray that you and your family and friends have a wonderful Christmas and a very safe and joyous 2009. And fill up your heart with abundance with all the lovely books that we have at twistntales!
Lots of new books, some reviewed, some listed:
New Arrivals:
"Imagining India" by Nandan Nilekani @ Rs 699/- (530 pgs)
Internationally lauded entrepreneur and co-founder of Infosys, Nandan Nilekani astutely, eloquently and accurately captures the whole gamut of India from, as he puts it, "the point of view of an avid amateur”; Examining the ideas that give India strength and the ones that inhibit it, how it’s multitudinous people arm it with great potential power, how legislative history created snarls in productivity and arguments on topics many and varied (reservations, rapid urbanization, the environment and even sustainable energy resources) it is an indelible and evocative read.
"Inside Ducker’s brain" by Jeffrey A Kames Rs @ 1025/- (274 pgs)
The inventor and quintessential guru of management Peter Drucker has penned over thirty books in a span of sixty years, each detailing a different one of his management tenets and business philosophies. "Inside Ducker’s Brain" collects the crucial essence of all his works and compiles them in one powerful and comprehensive volume. Business principles that could very well be mottos such as “opportunity favors the prepared mind”, the upholding of the Jeffersonian ideal of equality, the defining role of the leader, a short course on innovation are only some of the basic rules outlined in this chronicle that was polished by Drucker, himself!
“Understanding our Mind” by Thich Nath Hanh @ Rs 295/- (251 pgs)
”Understanding our Mind” was a finalist for the 2001 Nautilus Award and not for any small reason. The book delves into the nature of consciousness and rewards the reader with a comprehensive understanding of the subject. Thich Nath Hanh, Martin Luther King’s nominee for a Nobel Peace Prize, uses the metaphor of a careful gardening throughout this book; our mind is a field, seeds are of all kinds (joy, suffering, love, self delusion etc), flower and garbage etc. Though his teachings stem from the Buddhist school of thought their simple wisdom is all encompassing and universal. An inspirational book describing a valuable philosophy.
"Khairlanji- A strange and bitter crop" by Anand Teltumbde @ Rs 190/- (211 pgs)
"Khairlanji” is a book in the Holocaust series that, through the example of the massacre of a Dalit family at Khairlanji, captures the reality behind India’s veneer of development and progress. How has India’s modernist, republic encouraged inter-caste bitterness? Did the elitist mass media fail in its purported goal of objectivity and purposely portray the murderous mob sympathetically? A powerful treatise about the ongoing oppression and suppression of Dalits in a modern India.
"Our Bodies, Ourselves" by The Boston Women's Health Book Collective @ Rs 450/- (830 pgs)
Covering not just a woman’s bodily but psychological and emotional well being "Our Bodies, Ourselves” begins with a chapter on body image and continues to highlight various, crucial areas of women’s health; chapters on sexuality, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, eating well, mood altering drugs, abuse, relationships etc it covers the whole gamut of women’s issues with a bent towards South Asian women, providing not only a comprehensive guide but the tools for self help and resources for further reading as well.
"The Private Patient" by P. D. James @ Rs.695/- (395 pgs)
Here’s another Adam Dalglish mystery from the pen of P.D James (author of international bestseller “The Lighthouse”). The beautiful Dorset country comes to life as James weaves a psychologically stimulating plot around Mr. Chandler Powell’s private clinic where infamous investigative journalist Rhoda Gradwyn’s convalescence is rudely interrupted when she is murdered. James’ beloved creation Dalglish investigates when a second killing raises more complications than clues. A twisting and absorbing mystery that draws one in with its air of being so convincingly real, both in portrayal of people and places, James retains her masterful skill!
"You've been warned" by James Patterson and Howard Roughan @ Rs. 295/- (435 pgs)
Ambitious, neurotic (maybe psychotic?) Kristin Burns is a wannabe celebrity fashion photographer trying to make it big while working as a nanny for the children of a Manhattan based family and carrying on an affair with her boss’s husband. A bloody, recurring nightmare (that feels like it’s coming true), a long dead dad (isn’t he?), a loving boyfriend (doesn’t he?), receives collect calls and her paranoia starts to lead her mind astray. This collaboration between Patterson and Roughan produces a fast-paced page-turner that promises a quick, suspenseful and tumultuous read.
"Tales of Beedle the bard" by J.K. Rowling @ Rs 599/- (108 pgs)
A hopping cauldron, a foolish, power hungry king, a proud and prejudiced pure-blood wizard, princesses on a shared quest and, finally, the deathly hallows, "The tales of Beedle the Bard" is a collection of five 'fairy' tales popular among children in J.K. Rowling's wizarding world. Beedle was a progressive thinking fifteenth century Bard and this 'edition' of moral stories was translated from ancient runes by Hermionie Granger published with Albus Dumbledore's original footnotes intact. This inventive device allows Rowling to analyze and comment upon her own fables using Dumbledore's voice and wit. Typical Rowling but taking a leaf or two out of the books of Blyton and the brothers Grimm, it is an exceedingly delightful read!
"Story of Astronomy" by Uday Patil @ Rs 80/- (50 pgs)
Whacky artwork adds zing to an already fun script, though it makes no claims to covering every known aspect of astronomy. A select history of the subject is portrayed in the style of a comic book and prominent controversies steered clear of. A slim volume that promises a quick, zany and illuminating read, it has been both written and illustrated by Pune's own Uday Patil.
“The ghost of the mountains” by Sujatha Padmanabhan @ Rs 100/-
A simply told tale of a small Ladakhi village’s encounter with a feral snow leopard, and one boy’s determination to save the majestic creature from the villager’s wrath. A beautiful book, with lovely illustrations and nuggets of interesting facts about nature, a smattering of Ladakhi words gives it additional touches of warmth. Short, sweet and conveying the message of conservation, this is a one of a kind find.
New books:
"For Crying Out Loud! - The World According to Clarkson" by Jeremy Clarkson @ Rs 395/-
"Success Is Not An Accident - Change Your Choices, Change Your Life" by Tommy Newberry @ Rs 295/-
"You Only Think Twice - The Definitive Guide To Better Thinking Skills For Indian Executives" by K.Ravi @ Rs 195/-
“The Untold Charminar – Writings on Hyderabad” edited by Syeda Imam @ Rs 399/-
“The World Almanac and book of facts 2009” @ Rs. 595/- by Reader’s Digest
“Working with Earth Energies” by David Furlong @Rs. 595/-
“Rigmarole and Other Plays” by Sai Paranjpye @ Rs.199/-
“America America” by Ethan Canin @Rs. 875/-
“Breaking Dawn” by Stephanie Meyer @Rs. 550/-
“India- One man’s personal journey round the subcontinent” by Sanjeev Bhaskar @ Rs 295/-
“The Rumbling Island – True stories from the forests of India” edited by Zai Whitaker @ Rs.175/-“China: A history” by John Keay @ Rs 395/-
”The Power of Story – change your story, change your destiny in business and in life” by Jim Loehr @ Rs 685/-
“Wild City” by Ranjit Lal @ Rs 275/-
“Footprint India handbook 2009” by Annie Dare and David Stott @ Rs 875/-
“Branson” by Tom Bower @ Rs 495/-
“Destination moon” by Pallava Bagla and Subhadra Menon @ Rs 195/-
“The accidental theorist – and other dispatches from the dismal science” by Paul Krugman @ Rs. 500/-
“Outliers – The story of success” by Malcolm Gladwell @ Rs. 399/-
“The Business traveller’s guide to the World” @ Rs. 399/-
“Panic” by Michael Lewis @ Rs. 250/-
“Courting destiny” by Shanti Bhushan @ Rs. 650/-
“The Silver Donkey” by Sonya Hartnett @ Rs. 195/-
“The Cosmic Dectective – Explaining the mysteries of our universe” by Mani Bhaumik @ Rs. 199/-
“Tandoor Cinders” by Vilas Sarang @ Rs. 199/-
“The Woman who thought she was a planet and other stories” by Vandana Singh @ Rs. 275/-
“Twilight” by Azhar Abidi @ Rs. 399/-
Happy reading, enjoy your books, savour the pleasure of reading and re-reading a good book! Have a wonderful Christmas and a lovely 2009,
From all of us here at,
twistntales
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Monday, December 8, 2008
Recession - so learn new habits ? why can't we do so otherwise ?
Cost Cutting & Redeployment Measures By Wipro, TCS, Infy
Wipro has asked the recruits hired for the tech services arm to join the BPO arm instead to avoid a delay in joining dates. Currently, this is being offered in Kolkata and it could be replicated in Orissa and Hyderabad as well. This will be a time bound offer that could extend between 12 to 18 months after which they will be able to join tech services again. Also, there won’t be any change in salary structure for such employees. On the other hand, Infosys has urged its employees to save $10 each by cutting operation cost and controlling expenditure. The company has also set up a portal for employees to send in cost cutting measures and suggesting bigger business ideas. Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is planning a an austerity plan under which all capital expenditure will be re-examined.
Source: 03-12-08 www.ibnlive.com & Hindustan Times Business Compiled by www.naukri.com
This is a tragedy. When companies have to "tell" employees to save $ 10 by controlling exps. Why ? Becoz it is recession ? why not otherwise ? Because client is paying ? Now that clients are asking for 30% cuts, suddenly everybody is waking up.
Don't we need clean working habits always ? why can't we use both sides of A4s ? So much of printing stationery is wasted. So many cars - from the same organisation go from Pune to Sahar everyday. Can't we pool ?
Sometimes, you feel good about a recession ... its the only way we begin to value what we have.
At twistntales, we try to run our business with the economics of a marwari store, but at the same time give customers, the ambience of a Landmark. (we are not that big, but soon we'll get there !) Right from using re-cycled newspaper bags for our books. And when many of our customers return our bags to us, we accept them happily - to use them again.
All our telephone pads are made from one side used stationery. No Post-its in tnt, only for special occasions. We need to be this way always. Remember, we are in the books business ? We don't make too much money ?
But wasteful expenditure hurts. Anywhere and everywhere. In whichever form. Sometimes, midlle class virtues of saving every penny - and making sure each paisa goes a long way is best.
Wipro has asked the recruits hired for the tech services arm to join the BPO arm instead to avoid a delay in joining dates. Currently, this is being offered in Kolkata and it could be replicated in Orissa and Hyderabad as well. This will be a time bound offer that could extend between 12 to 18 months after which they will be able to join tech services again. Also, there won’t be any change in salary structure for such employees. On the other hand, Infosys has urged its employees to save $10 each by cutting operation cost and controlling expenditure. The company has also set up a portal for employees to send in cost cutting measures and suggesting bigger business ideas. Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is planning a an austerity plan under which all capital expenditure will be re-examined.
Source: 03-12-08 www.ibnlive.com & Hindustan Times Business Compiled by www.naukri.com
This is a tragedy. When companies have to "tell" employees to save $ 10 by controlling exps. Why ? Becoz it is recession ? why not otherwise ? Because client is paying ? Now that clients are asking for 30% cuts, suddenly everybody is waking up.
Don't we need clean working habits always ? why can't we use both sides of A4s ? So much of printing stationery is wasted. So many cars - from the same organisation go from Pune to Sahar everyday. Can't we pool ?
Sometimes, you feel good about a recession ... its the only way we begin to value what we have.
At twistntales, we try to run our business with the economics of a marwari store, but at the same time give customers, the ambience of a Landmark. (we are not that big, but soon we'll get there !) Right from using re-cycled newspaper bags for our books. And when many of our customers return our bags to us, we accept them happily - to use them again.
All our telephone pads are made from one side used stationery. No Post-its in tnt, only for special occasions. We need to be this way always. Remember, we are in the books business ? We don't make too much money ?
But wasteful expenditure hurts. Anywhere and everywhere. In whichever form. Sometimes, midlle class virtues of saving every penny - and making sure each paisa goes a long way is best.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Message sent to twistntales@yahoogroups on 3rd Dec
Hi all,
While our hearts and minds grieve for tragic events that our country is needlessly going through, our hope lies in “the thousand mutinies” (as Naipaul put it) that are happening across the Nation right now. While the TRPs go up on the Mumbai story, another 177 lives have been lost on the east coast of India due to a cyclone. We need to get more sensitive – not just when it affects people like us – and we can go a long way in making ourselves a Nation. While we seek answers, we need to do our bit as concerned citizens – we can start with making sure that our names are on the electoral rolls and go out to vote on D day.
J.K.Rowling can be credited with a lot of new desirable behaviour … getting kids back to reading, for example. And getting us to send this mail to you, after almost a 2 month gap!!! No wonder she is rich! She goads folks to action!
Yes, the “Tales of Beedle the Bard” will be available tomorrow (Thurs, 4th Dec), first thing in the morning. So, wake up early all you Rowling fans … as usual, twistntales decides to keep you awake!
And yes, thankyou for all your queries re. our welfare in these recessionary times… yes, we are doing fine, thanks again. We are using this opportunity to create some back office systems, computerize our records, stocks and inventory. We hope to be implementing our billing software shortly. All in all, we hope to bring you a better shopping experience at our Store.
Before we get on to new books, our Christmas party at Sassoon Pediatric Ward is scheduled for Sat, 20th Dec, 2 pm. For those of you who are new to this, we celebrate Christmas with Santa, Story telling, music and dance at Sassoon Hospital in the Pediatric Ward. A few volunteers like Saira Sikand and Nalini Ramachandran have been working there for many years and have created “Sunshine” for the kids. Every year twistntales carries goodies to Sunshine, sponsored by our customers. The requirement list for Sunshine will be put up at the Store in a couple of days.
Lots of new books have released in the past few weeks, few reviewed below and the others listed below!
New Arrivals:
"The parrot who wouldn't talk and other stories" by Ruskin Bond @ Rs. 125/- (106 pgs)
A fresh compilation of works by well beloved, Mussoorie-dwelling Bond, comprising fourteen short tales, both newly written and old favourites. Adventures and misadventures abound as young Ruskin, his grandmother, grandfather (constantly involved in fun-filled trickery), bumbling Uncle Ken and miscellaneous eccentric acquaintances and relatives go about their lives. Among other things they capture a ghost, have an encounter with a hungry tiger, listen to, tell and are part of many stories. Each is a small but wholesome nugget, nourishing with nostalgia, humour and charm in that style which is so inimitably Ruskin Bond.
"Same-sex love in India: A literary history" Edited by Ruth Vanita and Saleem Kidwai @ Rs. 450/- (479 pgs)
The aptly titled compilation not only chronicles homoerotic writings but in fact begins by explicating the significance of friendship in the Vedic tradition. Classified neatly into ancient/ medieval/modern Indian materials (Sanskrit and Perso-Urdu) it attempts to do away with the illusion that same sex love is a recent phenomenon in human history. It is not limited to homosexuality but explores all same sex love finally inclining toward the romantic and the sexual. Extracts from modern writers such as Ismat Chughtai, Bipen Khakhar, Vikram Seth juxtapose with stories from the Panchantantra, Kama Sutra , Bhagvad, Shiva, Padma Puranas, Amir Khusro and even the Baburnama. Varied flavours and shades of the subject are exposed for a time and given breathing room.
"AIDS sutra" by Various (Edited by Negar Akhavi with a foreword by Amartya Sen) @ Rs. 395/- (334 pgs)
Collected writings from eminent pens all exploring HIV/AIDS in some form or the other. Aspects of the disease from how it touches sex workers, how hijras in India deal with the increasing threat to how injecting drug users risk it every time they use are explored. Salman Rushdie, Kiran Desai, William Darlymple, Shobhaa De, Vikram Seth, Sunil Gangopadhyay and more contribute unique stories elucidating the suffering (mental, physical and social) the AIDS afflicted go through. Each piece casts a bit of light stilling a separate hue of the disease on paper.
"Moving out of the box" by Jana M. Kemp @ Rs. 255/- (168 pgs)
Brainstorming sessions often lead to very little action. Moving Out Of The Box details tools that will help management teams forgo futile arguing and ensure constructive thinking. This book provides methods essentially the "ChoiceMarks" way to enforce decisions. ChoiceMarks starts with AntiSurvival, Boxed-In, Neutral, Engaged Enthusiasm, and Extreme Excitement - all different stages of team decision making. A good process to follow to have result oriented meetings.
"Buy.ology: How everything we believe about why we buy is wrong" by Martin Lindstrom @ Rs. 525/- (240 pgs)
"Buy.ology" opens a new window into the consumer mind and serves us a fresh cross-section of what drives a consumer. An anti smoking law will unwittingly induce the opposite. Subliminal advertising ; banned but still everywhere. The reasons as to what advertisments appeal to us are as varied as religious beliefs, childhood memories, even our sense of smell. Prepare to have your established beliefs on consumer psychology skewered.
"The Tao of personal leadership - The ancient way to success" by Diane Dreher @ Rs. 195/- (288 pgs)
Tao, the ancient Chinese belief system accepts change and attempts to create harmony in concert with change. "The Tao of Personal Leadership" blends the ancient wisdom of Tao with recent successes in the world of leadership. With examples, questions and exercises Diane Dreher illustrates and then reinforces age old strategies to succeed in being a leader to yourself as well as challenging those surrounding you to reach their zenith.
"Belonging" by Sameem Ali @ Rs. 350/- (281 pgs)
This is the true story of Sameem Ali. Unwanted as a baby she was sent to a children's home where she grew into adolescence. When she was taken back by her family she was hurriedly married off at thirteen and quickly became a mother at fourteen. This simply recounted tale recalls Sameem Ali's struggle with abuse in both her own family and her husband's as she forges a way to a happier future.
"100 essential things you didn't know you didn't know" by John D. Barrow @ Rs. 525/- (284 pgs)
Brace yourselves for some flabbergasting mathemagic! A spectacular compilation of practical yet thoroughly fun mathematical applications shedding light on the six degrees of separation, why the other queue always seems to move faster, whether an army of randomly typing monkeys can produce the entire works of Shakespeare (yes!), how long things survive, chaos, infinity and everything in between. "100 Essential Things You Didn't Know You Didn't Know" proves undeniably that, yes! Maths is in fact very interesting!
"A girl like me" by Swati Kaushal @ Rs. 250/- (338 pgs)
An,Anisha,Ani ; This American born Indian adolescent, recently relocated from the U.S. to Gurgaon with her mum, and memories of a dear departed dad, is your typical tomboy turned bombshell but still too deep in denial to understand why the gorgeous guys are chasing her sometimes shorts clad, sometimes skirt clad derriere. Candidly chronicling her clueless confusion between Kedar, Kunal, quirky classmates, killer kisses, A Girl Like Me is choc-a-block with confessions of this confounded teen drama queen.
"The book of Ram" by Devdutt Pattanaik @ Rs. 250/- (215pgs)
In Hindu culture the love for Lord Ram is unanimous. Eka-vachani,Eka-bani,Eka-patni. He is the King who always keeps his word, the eternally devoted husband, brother, son, pupil, perfectly dutiful in every way. Through The Book Of Ram Devdutt Pattanaik examines Lord Ram and his relationships with various mythological greats; Dashratha, Valmiki, Sita, Lakshamana and more, to the end of asserting his relevance in the modern era.
"Girls of Riyadh" by Rajaa Alsanea @ Rs. 430/- (300 pgs)
The stories of four Saudi girls facing the usual trials and tribulations experiencing the very heartbreaks and heart's desires that are universal to modern young women all over the world. Told via email to a vast online audience, Girls Of Riyadh disillusions those among us who felt the cultural divide to be very great and reveals that under their Abayas - girls,even 'Girls of Riyadh' just wanna have fun!
"A director's mind" by Ujjal Chakraborty @ Rs. 995/- (351 pgs)
True to title "A Director's Mind" explores the methods and thought process of cinematic legends Chaplin, Ray, Kurosawa, Hitchcock (to name a few) Breathtakingly illustrated with stills from cinematic chef d'oeuvres it delves into the genius behind great works of cinema and literature (Graham Greene, Bertrand Russell, Leo Tolstoy, Shakespeare) grooming one in the directorial mindset.
"The partnership - A history of Goldman Sachs" by Charles D. Ellis @ Rs. 995/- (729 pgs)
Goldman and Sachs has weathered every financial crisis right from the Great Depression of the 1927 on. From creative entrepreneurial decisions to disciplined risk taking, intensive recruitment and those colourful individuals (a junior high drop out, powerhouse Gus Levy, two secretaries of the treasure to current CEO Lloyd Blankfein) who add spice to the variety, "The Partnership" lays out a comprehensive history of the firm's rise through time, cementing our admiration and understanding of how it scaled Wall Street to reach its peak.
"Ocean of wisdom - Guideline For Living" by The Dalai Lama @ Rs. 195/- (132 pgs)
Pearls of good, sound advice for all, from His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. Everyday matters as well as threats to modern world such as impending nuclear warfare and global warming are commented upon. Exceedingly humble and peaceful yet in complete awareness of the need of the hour, each page holds a wealth of wisdom applicable to anyone even those not inclined toward religion or worship.
"Mahatma vs Gandhi" by Dinkar Joshi @ Rs. 250/- (279 pgs)
A novelization of the life of Harilal Gandhi. Eldest of four Gandhi sons, Harilal was the black sheep of this family, with the media often reporting his drunken misbehaviour at the height of Gandhiji's quest for Swaraj. The struggle between the man and the Mahatma, unveiling an unprecedented aspect of Gandhiji as a struggling family man is what "Mahatma vs Gandhi" is about.
"Chandrakanta" by Devakinandan Khatri @ Rs. 199/- (252 pgs)
About a hundred years prior to the conception of Harry Potter, the world of Hindi literature was being vividly painted with the adventures of Chandrakanta. Puffin has now unearthed this treasure and translated it into English for a new generation of readers to enjoy. The love of princess Chandrakanta and prince Virendra Singh is fraught not just with political intrigue but by obstacles of a magical nature. Mustachioed Krur Singh, vying for the affections of the princess, employs the services of spies well versed in the dark arts and masters of disguise to thwart Virendra. Labrynths, mystery, murder and plot, Puffin sees no reason that "Chandrakanta" should ever be forgot!
"ABCs of parenting" by Gouri Dange @ Rs. 175/- (123 pgs)
A guide through an A to Z of phases and techniques of parenting. Gouri Dange uses her experience as a family counsellor to lay out some fundamental concepts that will help parents understand and better communicate with their kids. For parenting there is no short cut, no ABraCaDabra...it is once again a process of starting from the A B Cs.
List of other new books
"Looking Through Glass" by Mukul Kesavan @ Rs. 325/- (378 pgs)
"The Private Patient" by P. D. James @ Rs.695/- (395 pgs)
"The Snowball" by Alice Schroeder @ Rs. 995/- (960 pgs)
"You've Been Warned" by James Patterson and Howard Roughan @ Rs. 295/- (435 pgs)
"The Heretic's Daughter" by Kathleen Kent @ Rs. 520/- (332 pgs)
"Finding Keeper's: The Monster Guide To Hiring and Holding the World's Best Employees" by Steve Pogorzelski & Jesse Harriott with Doug Hardy
"Looking Beyond" by Hugh and Colleen Gantzer @ Rs. 295 (276 pgs)
"Netherland" by Joseph O'Neill @ Rs 295 (247 pgs)
"The First Patient" by Michael Palmer @ Rs 280 (450 pgs)
"Amazing Grace" by Danielle Steele @ Rs 240 (523 pgs)
"Broken Soup" by Jenny Valentine @ Rs 195 (249 pgs)
"Fireflies in the Mist" by Qurratulain Hyder @ Rs 350 (378 pgs)
"Khairlanji- A Strange and Bitter Crop" by Anand Teltumbde @ Rs 190 (211 pgs)
"Our Bodies,Ourselves" by The Boston Women's Health Book Collective @ Rs 450 (832 pgs)
"Inside Druker's Brain" by Jeffrey A Krames Rs @ 1025 (274 pgs)
"By Royal Command" by Charlie Higson @ Rs 350 (354 pgs)
"How Toyota Became # 1" by David Magee @ Rs 499 (236 pgs)
"Sex and Power - Defining History, Shaping Societies" by Rita Banerji @ Rs 450 (415 pgs)
"Closing the Innovation Gap" by Judy Estrin @ Rs 595 (252pgs)
"Performance Leadership - The Next Practices to Motivate Your People, Align Stakeholders and Lead Your Industry" by Frank Buytendijk @ Rs 595 ( 302 pgs)
"For Crying Out Loud! - The World According to Clarkson" by Jeremy Clarkson @ Rs. 395 (288 pgs)
"Success Is Not An Accident - Change Your Choices,Change Your Life" by Tommy Newberry @ Rs 295 (230 pgs)
“You Only Think Twice - The Definitive Guide To Better Thinking Skills For Indian Executives" @ Rs 195 (185 pgs)
"Not Springtime Yet" by Priya Sarukkai Chabria @ Rs 350 (129 pgs)
"Designing dynamic organizations" by Jay Galbraith, Diane Downey and Amy Kates @ Rs 450 (286 pgs)
"Story of astronomy" by Uday Patil @ Rs 80/- (50 pgs)
New Tulika books :
"High in the sky - A Korean folktale" retold by Cathy Spagnoli @ Rs 125/-
"The Tamarind tree" by Lata Mani @ Rs 100/-
"Crocodile tears" by Sandhya Rao @ Rs 125/-
Lots of new books in our Nature/ Wildlife section :
"Tiger and other game" by Colonel A E Stewart @ Rs 450 (308 pgs)
"Tiger! The story of the Indian tiger" by Kailash Sankhala @ Rs 450 (220 pgs)
"Maneaters and memories" by J.E. Carrington Turner @ Rs 350 (190 pgs)
"Jungle trails in Northern India" by John Hewett @ Rs 495 (278 pgs)
"Maneaters and marauders" by John Taylor @ Rs 395 (200 pgs)
"Jungle by-ways in India" by E.P. Stebbing @ Rs 450 ( 306 pgs)
"Mauled by a tiger - Encounters in the Indian jungle" by Arthur W. Strachan @ Rs 495 (279 pgs)
."Ten thousand miles on elephants" by Olive Smythies @ 395 (220 pgs)
We have added all CNBC titles to our Investment section:
1."Invest the happionaire way" by Yogesh Chabria @ Rs 499 (86 pgs)
2."Invest the happionaire way" (Hindi) by Yogesh Chabria @ Rs 299 (113 pgs)
3."The A-list of B schools" - Your definitive guide to the best in management education edited by Dirgha Sampat
4."What your financial agent will tell you and why you shouldn't listen" by Deepa Venkatraghvan @ Rs 499 (218 pgs)
5."Everything you wanted to know about investing" - The encyclopedia of investment and wealth creating intelligence by Kotak and CNBC - TV18
Lots of new books! Take time off and take your pick!
From the team at,
twistntales
While our hearts and minds grieve for tragic events that our country is needlessly going through, our hope lies in “the thousand mutinies” (as Naipaul put it) that are happening across the Nation right now. While the TRPs go up on the Mumbai story, another 177 lives have been lost on the east coast of India due to a cyclone. We need to get more sensitive – not just when it affects people like us – and we can go a long way in making ourselves a Nation. While we seek answers, we need to do our bit as concerned citizens – we can start with making sure that our names are on the electoral rolls and go out to vote on D day.
J.K.Rowling can be credited with a lot of new desirable behaviour … getting kids back to reading, for example. And getting us to send this mail to you, after almost a 2 month gap!!! No wonder she is rich! She goads folks to action!
Yes, the “Tales of Beedle the Bard” will be available tomorrow (Thurs, 4th Dec), first thing in the morning. So, wake up early all you Rowling fans … as usual, twistntales decides to keep you awake!
And yes, thankyou for all your queries re. our welfare in these recessionary times… yes, we are doing fine, thanks again. We are using this opportunity to create some back office systems, computerize our records, stocks and inventory. We hope to be implementing our billing software shortly. All in all, we hope to bring you a better shopping experience at our Store.
Before we get on to new books, our Christmas party at Sassoon Pediatric Ward is scheduled for Sat, 20th Dec, 2 pm. For those of you who are new to this, we celebrate Christmas with Santa, Story telling, music and dance at Sassoon Hospital in the Pediatric Ward. A few volunteers like Saira Sikand and Nalini Ramachandran have been working there for many years and have created “Sunshine” for the kids. Every year twistntales carries goodies to Sunshine, sponsored by our customers. The requirement list for Sunshine will be put up at the Store in a couple of days.
Lots of new books have released in the past few weeks, few reviewed below and the others listed below!
New Arrivals:
"The parrot who wouldn't talk and other stories" by Ruskin Bond @ Rs. 125/- (106 pgs)
A fresh compilation of works by well beloved, Mussoorie-dwelling Bond, comprising fourteen short tales, both newly written and old favourites. Adventures and misadventures abound as young Ruskin, his grandmother, grandfather (constantly involved in fun-filled trickery), bumbling Uncle Ken and miscellaneous eccentric acquaintances and relatives go about their lives. Among other things they capture a ghost, have an encounter with a hungry tiger, listen to, tell and are part of many stories. Each is a small but wholesome nugget, nourishing with nostalgia, humour and charm in that style which is so inimitably Ruskin Bond.
"Same-sex love in India: A literary history" Edited by Ruth Vanita and Saleem Kidwai @ Rs. 450/- (479 pgs)
The aptly titled compilation not only chronicles homoerotic writings but in fact begins by explicating the significance of friendship in the Vedic tradition. Classified neatly into ancient/ medieval/modern Indian materials (Sanskrit and Perso-Urdu) it attempts to do away with the illusion that same sex love is a recent phenomenon in human history. It is not limited to homosexuality but explores all same sex love finally inclining toward the romantic and the sexual. Extracts from modern writers such as Ismat Chughtai, Bipen Khakhar, Vikram Seth juxtapose with stories from the Panchantantra, Kama Sutra , Bhagvad, Shiva, Padma Puranas, Amir Khusro and even the Baburnama. Varied flavours and shades of the subject are exposed for a time and given breathing room.
"AIDS sutra" by Various (Edited by Negar Akhavi with a foreword by Amartya Sen) @ Rs. 395/- (334 pgs)
Collected writings from eminent pens all exploring HIV/AIDS in some form or the other. Aspects of the disease from how it touches sex workers, how hijras in India deal with the increasing threat to how injecting drug users risk it every time they use are explored. Salman Rushdie, Kiran Desai, William Darlymple, Shobhaa De, Vikram Seth, Sunil Gangopadhyay and more contribute unique stories elucidating the suffering (mental, physical and social) the AIDS afflicted go through. Each piece casts a bit of light stilling a separate hue of the disease on paper.
"Moving out of the box" by Jana M. Kemp @ Rs. 255/- (168 pgs)
Brainstorming sessions often lead to very little action. Moving Out Of The Box details tools that will help management teams forgo futile arguing and ensure constructive thinking. This book provides methods essentially the "ChoiceMarks" way to enforce decisions. ChoiceMarks starts with AntiSurvival, Boxed-In, Neutral, Engaged Enthusiasm, and Extreme Excitement - all different stages of team decision making. A good process to follow to have result oriented meetings.
"Buy.ology: How everything we believe about why we buy is wrong" by Martin Lindstrom @ Rs. 525/- (240 pgs)
"Buy.ology" opens a new window into the consumer mind and serves us a fresh cross-section of what drives a consumer. An anti smoking law will unwittingly induce the opposite. Subliminal advertising ; banned but still everywhere. The reasons as to what advertisments appeal to us are as varied as religious beliefs, childhood memories, even our sense of smell. Prepare to have your established beliefs on consumer psychology skewered.
"The Tao of personal leadership - The ancient way to success" by Diane Dreher @ Rs. 195/- (288 pgs)
Tao, the ancient Chinese belief system accepts change and attempts to create harmony in concert with change. "The Tao of Personal Leadership" blends the ancient wisdom of Tao with recent successes in the world of leadership. With examples, questions and exercises Diane Dreher illustrates and then reinforces age old strategies to succeed in being a leader to yourself as well as challenging those surrounding you to reach their zenith.
"Belonging" by Sameem Ali @ Rs. 350/- (281 pgs)
This is the true story of Sameem Ali. Unwanted as a baby she was sent to a children's home where she grew into adolescence. When she was taken back by her family she was hurriedly married off at thirteen and quickly became a mother at fourteen. This simply recounted tale recalls Sameem Ali's struggle with abuse in both her own family and her husband's as she forges a way to a happier future.
"100 essential things you didn't know you didn't know" by John D. Barrow @ Rs. 525/- (284 pgs)
Brace yourselves for some flabbergasting mathemagic! A spectacular compilation of practical yet thoroughly fun mathematical applications shedding light on the six degrees of separation, why the other queue always seems to move faster, whether an army of randomly typing monkeys can produce the entire works of Shakespeare (yes!), how long things survive, chaos, infinity and everything in between. "100 Essential Things You Didn't Know You Didn't Know" proves undeniably that, yes! Maths is in fact very interesting!
"A girl like me" by Swati Kaushal @ Rs. 250/- (338 pgs)
An,Anisha,Ani ; This American born Indian adolescent, recently relocated from the U.S. to Gurgaon with her mum, and memories of a dear departed dad, is your typical tomboy turned bombshell but still too deep in denial to understand why the gorgeous guys are chasing her sometimes shorts clad, sometimes skirt clad derriere. Candidly chronicling her clueless confusion between Kedar, Kunal, quirky classmates, killer kisses, A Girl Like Me is choc-a-block with confessions of this confounded teen drama queen.
"The book of Ram" by Devdutt Pattanaik @ Rs. 250/- (215pgs)
In Hindu culture the love for Lord Ram is unanimous. Eka-vachani,Eka-bani,Eka-patni. He is the King who always keeps his word, the eternally devoted husband, brother, son, pupil, perfectly dutiful in every way. Through The Book Of Ram Devdutt Pattanaik examines Lord Ram and his relationships with various mythological greats; Dashratha, Valmiki, Sita, Lakshamana and more, to the end of asserting his relevance in the modern era.
"Girls of Riyadh" by Rajaa Alsanea @ Rs. 430/- (300 pgs)
The stories of four Saudi girls facing the usual trials and tribulations experiencing the very heartbreaks and heart's desires that are universal to modern young women all over the world. Told via email to a vast online audience, Girls Of Riyadh disillusions those among us who felt the cultural divide to be very great and reveals that under their Abayas - girls,even 'Girls of Riyadh' just wanna have fun!
"A director's mind" by Ujjal Chakraborty @ Rs. 995/- (351 pgs)
True to title "A Director's Mind" explores the methods and thought process of cinematic legends Chaplin, Ray, Kurosawa, Hitchcock (to name a few) Breathtakingly illustrated with stills from cinematic chef d'oeuvres it delves into the genius behind great works of cinema and literature (Graham Greene, Bertrand Russell, Leo Tolstoy, Shakespeare) grooming one in the directorial mindset.
"The partnership - A history of Goldman Sachs" by Charles D. Ellis @ Rs. 995/- (729 pgs)
Goldman and Sachs has weathered every financial crisis right from the Great Depression of the 1927 on. From creative entrepreneurial decisions to disciplined risk taking, intensive recruitment and those colourful individuals (a junior high drop out, powerhouse Gus Levy, two secretaries of the treasure to current CEO Lloyd Blankfein) who add spice to the variety, "The Partnership" lays out a comprehensive history of the firm's rise through time, cementing our admiration and understanding of how it scaled Wall Street to reach its peak.
"Ocean of wisdom - Guideline For Living" by The Dalai Lama @ Rs. 195/- (132 pgs)
Pearls of good, sound advice for all, from His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. Everyday matters as well as threats to modern world such as impending nuclear warfare and global warming are commented upon. Exceedingly humble and peaceful yet in complete awareness of the need of the hour, each page holds a wealth of wisdom applicable to anyone even those not inclined toward religion or worship.
"Mahatma vs Gandhi" by Dinkar Joshi @ Rs. 250/- (279 pgs)
A novelization of the life of Harilal Gandhi. Eldest of four Gandhi sons, Harilal was the black sheep of this family, with the media often reporting his drunken misbehaviour at the height of Gandhiji's quest for Swaraj. The struggle between the man and the Mahatma, unveiling an unprecedented aspect of Gandhiji as a struggling family man is what "Mahatma vs Gandhi" is about.
"Chandrakanta" by Devakinandan Khatri @ Rs. 199/- (252 pgs)
About a hundred years prior to the conception of Harry Potter, the world of Hindi literature was being vividly painted with the adventures of Chandrakanta. Puffin has now unearthed this treasure and translated it into English for a new generation of readers to enjoy. The love of princess Chandrakanta and prince Virendra Singh is fraught not just with political intrigue but by obstacles of a magical nature. Mustachioed Krur Singh, vying for the affections of the princess, employs the services of spies well versed in the dark arts and masters of disguise to thwart Virendra. Labrynths, mystery, murder and plot, Puffin sees no reason that "Chandrakanta" should ever be forgot!
"ABCs of parenting" by Gouri Dange @ Rs. 175/- (123 pgs)
A guide through an A to Z of phases and techniques of parenting. Gouri Dange uses her experience as a family counsellor to lay out some fundamental concepts that will help parents understand and better communicate with their kids. For parenting there is no short cut, no ABraCaDabra...it is once again a process of starting from the A B Cs.
List of other new books
"Looking Through Glass" by Mukul Kesavan @ Rs. 325/- (378 pgs)
"The Private Patient" by P. D. James @ Rs.695/- (395 pgs)
"The Snowball" by Alice Schroeder @ Rs. 995/- (960 pgs)
"You've Been Warned" by James Patterson and Howard Roughan @ Rs. 295/- (435 pgs)
"The Heretic's Daughter" by Kathleen Kent @ Rs. 520/- (332 pgs)
"Finding Keeper's: The Monster Guide To Hiring and Holding the World's Best Employees" by Steve Pogorzelski & Jesse Harriott with Doug Hardy
"Looking Beyond" by Hugh and Colleen Gantzer @ Rs. 295 (276 pgs)
"Netherland" by Joseph O'Neill @ Rs 295 (247 pgs)
"The First Patient" by Michael Palmer @ Rs 280 (450 pgs)
"Amazing Grace" by Danielle Steele @ Rs 240 (523 pgs)
"Broken Soup" by Jenny Valentine @ Rs 195 (249 pgs)
"Fireflies in the Mist" by Qurratulain Hyder @ Rs 350 (378 pgs)
"Khairlanji- A Strange and Bitter Crop" by Anand Teltumbde @ Rs 190 (211 pgs)
"Our Bodies,Ourselves" by The Boston Women's Health Book Collective @ Rs 450 (832 pgs)
"Inside Druker's Brain" by Jeffrey A Krames Rs @ 1025 (274 pgs)
"By Royal Command" by Charlie Higson @ Rs 350 (354 pgs)
"How Toyota Became # 1" by David Magee @ Rs 499 (236 pgs)
"Sex and Power - Defining History, Shaping Societies" by Rita Banerji @ Rs 450 (415 pgs)
"Closing the Innovation Gap" by Judy Estrin @ Rs 595 (252pgs)
"Performance Leadership - The Next Practices to Motivate Your People, Align Stakeholders and Lead Your Industry" by Frank Buytendijk @ Rs 595 ( 302 pgs)
"For Crying Out Loud! - The World According to Clarkson" by Jeremy Clarkson @ Rs. 395 (288 pgs)
"Success Is Not An Accident - Change Your Choices,Change Your Life" by Tommy Newberry @ Rs 295 (230 pgs)
“You Only Think Twice - The Definitive Guide To Better Thinking Skills For Indian Executives" @ Rs 195 (185 pgs)
"Not Springtime Yet" by Priya Sarukkai Chabria @ Rs 350 (129 pgs)
"Designing dynamic organizations" by Jay Galbraith, Diane Downey and Amy Kates @ Rs 450 (286 pgs)
"Story of astronomy" by Uday Patil @ Rs 80/- (50 pgs)
New Tulika books :
"High in the sky - A Korean folktale" retold by Cathy Spagnoli @ Rs 125/-
"The Tamarind tree" by Lata Mani @ Rs 100/-
"Crocodile tears" by Sandhya Rao @ Rs 125/-
Lots of new books in our Nature/ Wildlife section :
"Tiger and other game" by Colonel A E Stewart @ Rs 450 (308 pgs)
"Tiger! The story of the Indian tiger" by Kailash Sankhala @ Rs 450 (220 pgs)
"Maneaters and memories" by J.E. Carrington Turner @ Rs 350 (190 pgs)
"Jungle trails in Northern India" by John Hewett @ Rs 495 (278 pgs)
"Maneaters and marauders" by John Taylor @ Rs 395 (200 pgs)
"Jungle by-ways in India" by E.P. Stebbing @ Rs 450 ( 306 pgs)
"Mauled by a tiger - Encounters in the Indian jungle" by Arthur W. Strachan @ Rs 495 (279 pgs)
."Ten thousand miles on elephants" by Olive Smythies @ 395 (220 pgs)
We have added all CNBC titles to our Investment section:
1."Invest the happionaire way" by Yogesh Chabria @ Rs 499 (86 pgs)
2."Invest the happionaire way" (Hindi) by Yogesh Chabria @ Rs 299 (113 pgs)
3."The A-list of B schools" - Your definitive guide to the best in management education edited by Dirgha Sampat
4."What your financial agent will tell you and why you shouldn't listen" by Deepa Venkatraghvan @ Rs 499 (218 pgs)
5."Everything you wanted to know about investing" - The encyclopedia of investment and wealth creating intelligence by Kotak and CNBC - TV18
Lots of new books! Take time off and take your pick!
From the team at,
twistntales
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Maximum city minimised by non-liberals
At the outset, i am hurt deeply. I come from Bombay, not mumbai - sorry that place i dont know.
My Bombay is that of Johnny Walker singing "yeh bombay meri jaan"
Bombay has been systematically ruined. I read Black Friday when it was released. I was not in Bombay in 1993. I had moved out 2 years before. But i wept when i read the book. The blasts affected most of us directly. A classmate and a few colleagues at work. I was then at Bank of Oman, with its office in Air India building. Almost the entire Bombay branch wiped out. I was at the Head Office in Dubai.
This was Deja vu. I don't like half baked pseudo mumbaites posing as Bombayites. Bombay was truly a liberal, extremely professional most happening place to be. "Dhanda" was its motto. I miss Bombay. It still miss it when i visit Mumbai.
My Bombay is that of Johnny Walker singing "yeh bombay meri jaan"
Bombay has been systematically ruined. I read Black Friday when it was released. I was not in Bombay in 1993. I had moved out 2 years before. But i wept when i read the book. The blasts affected most of us directly. A classmate and a few colleagues at work. I was then at Bank of Oman, with its office in Air India building. Almost the entire Bombay branch wiped out. I was at the Head Office in Dubai.
This was Deja vu. I don't like half baked pseudo mumbaites posing as Bombayites. Bombay was truly a liberal, extremely professional most happening place to be. "Dhanda" was its motto. I miss Bombay. It still miss it when i visit Mumbai.
Monday, December 1, 2008
twistntales - in the future ?
Books and bookstores are supposed to be dying. But despite the internet and the dire economy, new bookstores have just opened in Plano and Oak Cliff. KERA's Jerome Weeks says that the new shops are not your typical booksellers. Not in North Texas.
For one thing, Legacy Books in Plano is big. Located at Legacy Road and the Dallas North Tollway, it has 24,000 square feet, and it stocks some 110,000 book titles. That's the size of a Borders or Barnes & Noble superstore. But Legacy isn't a chain store. It's independently owned. And most independents aren't that big. Elsewhere in the country, major independents are considered some of the best bookstores around - places like Elliot Bay in Seattle or Book People in Austin. But in North Texas, Legacy is the first (therefore, only) major independent.
The store in the Shops at Legacy is the brainchild of Teri Tanner. She practically grew up in retail. She worked for both Barnes & Noble and Borders most recently as the regional director of sales for Borders.
TANNER: "I've been building this store in my head for 25 years - because you listen to a bookseller or a cashier or the cleaning crew that says, "I just wish this" or "I just wish that" - and that's what we've tried to do here."
Construction continues because although Legacy Books is open, the official grand opening is November 7. Deanne Teeter led the Legacy design team for the firm, Morrison Seifert Murphy. She points out the store's demonstration kitchen as one of Tanner's innovations.
TEETER: "She really wanted to have chefs that are signing their books, that they can actually cook. So this was a real design challenge and an opportunity for the space. There's a camera over there, and it displays over the cooking section on the TV, and it can be back there on the TV. So if you can't actually get into this space to see it, you can see it here as well.
Other highlights are a caf that serves beer and wine and a third-floor gallery that displays books on photography and architecture as if they were artworks. Speaking of artworks, sculptures and paintings are on display by area artists Tamara White, Elizabeth McDonald and Seth Schwaiger.
But what distinguishes successful independents is their book selection and customer service. With the right mix and the right diligence, an independent can become a favorite, local cultural institution like a museum or library. Meg Smith is marketing director for the American Booksellers Association.
SMITH: "What people look to an independent bookstore for is a sense of real personalization - in selling, in choices of reading material. And it really takes on the identity of the people that shop there. And very naturally, independent bookstores have been a center for a lot of community activity."
One survey has found that the top two kinds of stores that people hope will open near them are bookshops and bakeries. That's good news for Jorge Alvarez and Gilbert Barrola. They've just opened Dicho's in the Bishop Arts District (It's at the corner of Seventh and Bishop the former home of the Naughty Dog coffeeshop.) In the back of the bookstore is a caf run by Cretia's, the bakery on McKinney Avenue. At only 1300 square feet, Dicho's is cozy and smells of cookies.
Dichos is Spanish for "old sayings" and the store features both English and Spanish-language books. (Alvarez explains that the odd apostrophe, which suggests there's someone named Dicho involved with the store, came about because the word, dichos, was trademarked in California.) Alvarez started a bookstore in Pomona, California six years ago with his partner, and then opened a Dicho's in Gainesville, Texas, near the Oklahoma border, that the pair still run. They commute to Dallas.
ALVAREZ: "One of our goals is to make our store feel comfortable and home-like. In California, we were in an art colony, so we were surrounded by art galleries and culture. When we came to Bishop Arts, we felt we were at home again."
In Plano, Legacy Books aims to be a destination store, a shrine for booklovers all over Texas and beyond. Dicho's aim is much smaller. There isn't a single Borders or Barnes & Noble anywhere near Oak Cliff.
ALVAREZ: "There's no general bookstore that services the community. So we definitely found a niche where we feel that people are eager to have a bookstore."
Many people believe that bookstores are doomed because of online sellers like Amazon.com, even though Amazon sells less than 10 percent of all books. Actually, a much bigger threat is posed by big-box stores like Wal-Mart or Target, which skim off the bestsellers.
Yet if anyone understands the risks and the low-profit margin nature of bookselling, it's Tanner or Alvarez. And they remain optimistic.
TANNER: "I have to tell you, in some of the cities that I've been in with Barnes & Noble and with Borders, if you can do what they do in some of these locations, it's impossible for me to believe that we will not be successful."
For one thing, Legacy Books in Plano is big. Located at Legacy Road and the Dallas North Tollway, it has 24,000 square feet, and it stocks some 110,000 book titles. That's the size of a Borders or Barnes & Noble superstore. But Legacy isn't a chain store. It's independently owned. And most independents aren't that big. Elsewhere in the country, major independents are considered some of the best bookstores around - places like Elliot Bay in Seattle or Book People in Austin. But in North Texas, Legacy is the first (therefore, only) major independent.
The store in the Shops at Legacy is the brainchild of Teri Tanner. She practically grew up in retail. She worked for both Barnes & Noble and Borders most recently as the regional director of sales for Borders.
TANNER: "I've been building this store in my head for 25 years - because you listen to a bookseller or a cashier or the cleaning crew that says, "I just wish this" or "I just wish that" - and that's what we've tried to do here."
Construction continues because although Legacy Books is open, the official grand opening is November 7. Deanne Teeter led the Legacy design team for the firm, Morrison Seifert Murphy. She points out the store's demonstration kitchen as one of Tanner's innovations.
TEETER: "She really wanted to have chefs that are signing their books, that they can actually cook. So this was a real design challenge and an opportunity for the space. There's a camera over there, and it displays over the cooking section on the TV, and it can be back there on the TV. So if you can't actually get into this space to see it, you can see it here as well.
Other highlights are a caf that serves beer and wine and a third-floor gallery that displays books on photography and architecture as if they were artworks. Speaking of artworks, sculptures and paintings are on display by area artists Tamara White, Elizabeth McDonald and Seth Schwaiger.
But what distinguishes successful independents is their book selection and customer service. With the right mix and the right diligence, an independent can become a favorite, local cultural institution like a museum or library. Meg Smith is marketing director for the American Booksellers Association.
SMITH: "What people look to an independent bookstore for is a sense of real personalization - in selling, in choices of reading material. And it really takes on the identity of the people that shop there. And very naturally, independent bookstores have been a center for a lot of community activity."
One survey has found that the top two kinds of stores that people hope will open near them are bookshops and bakeries. That's good news for Jorge Alvarez and Gilbert Barrola. They've just opened Dicho's in the Bishop Arts District (It's at the corner of Seventh and Bishop the former home of the Naughty Dog coffeeshop.) In the back of the bookstore is a caf run by Cretia's, the bakery on McKinney Avenue. At only 1300 square feet, Dicho's is cozy and smells of cookies.
Dichos is Spanish for "old sayings" and the store features both English and Spanish-language books. (Alvarez explains that the odd apostrophe, which suggests there's someone named Dicho involved with the store, came about because the word, dichos, was trademarked in California.) Alvarez started a bookstore in Pomona, California six years ago with his partner, and then opened a Dicho's in Gainesville, Texas, near the Oklahoma border, that the pair still run. They commute to Dallas.
ALVAREZ: "One of our goals is to make our store feel comfortable and home-like. In California, we were in an art colony, so we were surrounded by art galleries and culture. When we came to Bishop Arts, we felt we were at home again."
In Plano, Legacy Books aims to be a destination store, a shrine for booklovers all over Texas and beyond. Dicho's aim is much smaller. There isn't a single Borders or Barnes & Noble anywhere near Oak Cliff.
ALVAREZ: "There's no general bookstore that services the community. So we definitely found a niche where we feel that people are eager to have a bookstore."
Many people believe that bookstores are doomed because of online sellers like Amazon.com, even though Amazon sells less than 10 percent of all books. Actually, a much bigger threat is posed by big-box stores like Wal-Mart or Target, which skim off the bestsellers.
Yet if anyone understands the risks and the low-profit margin nature of bookselling, it's Tanner or Alvarez. And they remain optimistic.
TANNER: "I have to tell you, in some of the cities that I've been in with Barnes & Noble and with Borders, if you can do what they do in some of these locations, it's impossible for me to believe that we will not be successful."
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Am proud of you, Divya
Put your hands together for the winner of Promax Asia Silver Award Winner!
The Promax Asia 2008 awards were announced in Singapore yesterday and Divya has won the Silver award for her promo film for Channel V in the category of BEST IN HOUSE STATION IMAGE PROMO. This category awards those promo films that have been made for promotion of the channel as a whole as against a particular show.
Her promo film was selected and entered into the competition by her company. Each category has at least 10 entries from all over Asia, vying for the top two prizes - Gold and Silver.
You can see the entire list of winners here (her promo film is on the top of the list):
http://www.promaxasia.tv/overview.html
The Promax Asia 2008 awards were announced in Singapore yesterday and Divya has won the Silver award for her promo film for Channel V in the category of BEST IN HOUSE STATION IMAGE PROMO. This category awards those promo films that have been made for promotion of the channel as a whole as against a particular show.
Her promo film was selected and entered into the competition by her company. Each category has at least 10 entries from all over Asia, vying for the top two prizes - Gold and Silver.
You can see the entire list of winners here (her promo film is on the top of the list):
http://www.promaxasia.tv/overview.html
Monday, October 13, 2008
Bankruptcy explained
Once there was a little island country. The land of this country was
the tiny island itself. The total money in circulation was 2 dollars
as there were only two pieces of 1 dollar coins circulating around.
1) There were 3 citizens living on this island country. A owned the
land. B and C each owned 1 dollar.
2) B decided to purchase the land from A for 1 dollar. So, now A and
C own 1 dollar each while B owned a piece of land that is worth 1
dollar.
* The net asset of the country now = 3 dollars.
3) Now C thought that since there is only one piece of land in the
country, and land is non producible asset, its value must definitely
go up. So, he borrowed 1 dollar from A, and together with his own 1
dollar, he bought the land from B for 2 dollars.
*A has a loan to C of 1 dollar, so his net asset is 1 dollar.
* B sold his land and got 2 dollars, so his net asset is 2 dollars.
* C owned the piece of land worth 2 dollars but with his 1 dollar
debt to A, his net residual asset is 1 dollar.
* Thus, the net asset of the country = 4 dollars.
4) A saw that the land he once owned has risen in value. He regretted
having sold it. Luckily, he has a 1 dollar loan to C. He then
borrowed 2 dollars from B and acquired the land back from C for 3
dollars. The payment is by 2 dollars cash (which he borrowed) and
cancellation of the 1 dollar loan to C. As a result, A now owned a
piece of land that is worth 3 dollars. But since he owed B 2 dollars,
his net asset is 1 dollar.
* B loaned 2 dollars to A. So his net asset is 2 dollars.
* C now has the 2 coins. His net asset is also 2 dollars.
* The net asset of the country = 5 dollars. A bubble is building up.
(5) B saw that the value of land kept rising. He also wanted to own
the land. So he bought the land from A for 4 dollars. The payment is
by borrowing 2 dollars from C, and cancellation of his 2 dollars loan
to A.
* As a result, A has got his debt cleared and he got the 2 coins. His
net asset is 2 dollars.
* B owned a piece of land that is worth 4 dollars, but since he has a
debt of 2 dollars with C, his net Asset is 2 dollars.
* C loaned 2 dollars to B, so his net asset is 2 dollars.
* The net asset of the country = 6 dollars; even though, the country
has only one piece of land and 2 Dollars in circulation.
(6) Everybody has made money and everybody felt happy and prosperous.
(7) One day an evil wind blew, and an evil thought came to C's
mind. "Hey, what if the land price stop going up, how could B repay
my loan. There is only 2 dollars in circulation, and, I think after
all the land that B owns is worth at most only 1 dollar, and no
more."
(8) A also thought the same way.
(9) Nobody wanted to buy land anymore.
* So, in the end, A owns the 2 dollar coins, his net asset is 2
dollars.
* B owed C 2 dollars and the land he owned which he thought worth 4
dollars is now 1 dollar. So his net asset is only 1 dollar.
* C has a loan of 2 dollars to B. But it is a bad debt. Although his
net asset is still 2 dollars, his Heart is palpitating.
* The net asset of the country = 3 dollars again.
(10) So, who has stolen the 3 dollars from the country? Of course,
before the bubble burst B thought his land was worth 4 dollars.
Actually, right before the collapse, the net asset of the country was
6 dollars on paper. B's net asset is still 2 dollars, his heart is
palpitating.
(11) B had no choice but to declare bankruptcy. C as to relinquish
his 2 dollars bad debt to B, but in return he acquired the land which
is worth 1 dollar now.
* A owns the 2 coins; his net asset is 2 dollars.
* B is bankrupt; his net asset is 0 dollar. (He lost everything)
* C got no choice but end up with a land worth only 1 dollar
* the net asset of the country = 3 dollars.
End of the story; BUT …
There is however a redistribution of wealth.
A is the winner, B is the loser, C is lucky that he is spared.
A few points worth noting -
(1) when a bubble is building up, the debt of individuals to one
another in a country is also building up.
(2) This story of the island is a closed system whereby there is no
other country and hence no foreign debt. The worth of the asset can
only be calculated using the island's own currency. Hence, there is
no net loss.
(3) An over-damped system is assumed when the bubble burst, meaning
the land's value did not go down to below 1 dollar.
(4) When the bubble burst, the fellow with cash is the winner. The
fellows having the land or extending loan to others are the losers.
The asset could shrink or in worst case, they go bankrupt.
(5) If there is another citizen D either holding a dollar or another
piece of land but refrains from taking part in the game, he will
neither win nor lose. But he will see the value of his money or land
goes up and down like a see saw.
(6) When the bubble was in the growing phase, everybody made money.
(7) If you are smart and know that you are living in a growing
bubble, it is worthwhile to borrow money (like A) and take part in
the game. But you must know when you should change everything back to
cash.
(8) As in the case of land, the above phenomenon applies to stocks as
well.
(9) The actual worth of land or stocks depends largely on psychology
(or speculation) .
Thanks, Bhu.
the tiny island itself. The total money in circulation was 2 dollars
as there were only two pieces of 1 dollar coins circulating around.
1) There were 3 citizens living on this island country. A owned the
land. B and C each owned 1 dollar.
2) B decided to purchase the land from A for 1 dollar. So, now A and
C own 1 dollar each while B owned a piece of land that is worth 1
dollar.
* The net asset of the country now = 3 dollars.
3) Now C thought that since there is only one piece of land in the
country, and land is non producible asset, its value must definitely
go up. So, he borrowed 1 dollar from A, and together with his own 1
dollar, he bought the land from B for 2 dollars.
*A has a loan to C of 1 dollar, so his net asset is 1 dollar.
* B sold his land and got 2 dollars, so his net asset is 2 dollars.
* C owned the piece of land worth 2 dollars but with his 1 dollar
debt to A, his net residual asset is 1 dollar.
* Thus, the net asset of the country = 4 dollars.
4) A saw that the land he once owned has risen in value. He regretted
having sold it. Luckily, he has a 1 dollar loan to C. He then
borrowed 2 dollars from B and acquired the land back from C for 3
dollars. The payment is by 2 dollars cash (which he borrowed) and
cancellation of the 1 dollar loan to C. As a result, A now owned a
piece of land that is worth 3 dollars. But since he owed B 2 dollars,
his net asset is 1 dollar.
* B loaned 2 dollars to A. So his net asset is 2 dollars.
* C now has the 2 coins. His net asset is also 2 dollars.
* The net asset of the country = 5 dollars. A bubble is building up.
(5) B saw that the value of land kept rising. He also wanted to own
the land. So he bought the land from A for 4 dollars. The payment is
by borrowing 2 dollars from C, and cancellation of his 2 dollars loan
to A.
* As a result, A has got his debt cleared and he got the 2 coins. His
net asset is 2 dollars.
* B owned a piece of land that is worth 4 dollars, but since he has a
debt of 2 dollars with C, his net Asset is 2 dollars.
* C loaned 2 dollars to B, so his net asset is 2 dollars.
* The net asset of the country = 6 dollars; even though, the country
has only one piece of land and 2 Dollars in circulation.
(6) Everybody has made money and everybody felt happy and prosperous.
(7) One day an evil wind blew, and an evil thought came to C's
mind. "Hey, what if the land price stop going up, how could B repay
my loan. There is only 2 dollars in circulation, and, I think after
all the land that B owns is worth at most only 1 dollar, and no
more."
(8) A also thought the same way.
(9) Nobody wanted to buy land anymore.
* So, in the end, A owns the 2 dollar coins, his net asset is 2
dollars.
* B owed C 2 dollars and the land he owned which he thought worth 4
dollars is now 1 dollar. So his net asset is only 1 dollar.
* C has a loan of 2 dollars to B. But it is a bad debt. Although his
net asset is still 2 dollars, his Heart is palpitating.
* The net asset of the country = 3 dollars again.
(10) So, who has stolen the 3 dollars from the country? Of course,
before the bubble burst B thought his land was worth 4 dollars.
Actually, right before the collapse, the net asset of the country was
6 dollars on paper. B's net asset is still 2 dollars, his heart is
palpitating.
(11) B had no choice but to declare bankruptcy. C as to relinquish
his 2 dollars bad debt to B, but in return he acquired the land which
is worth 1 dollar now.
* A owns the 2 coins; his net asset is 2 dollars.
* B is bankrupt; his net asset is 0 dollar. (He lost everything)
* C got no choice but end up with a land worth only 1 dollar
* the net asset of the country = 3 dollars.
End of the story; BUT …
There is however a redistribution of wealth.
A is the winner, B is the loser, C is lucky that he is spared.
A few points worth noting -
(1) when a bubble is building up, the debt of individuals to one
another in a country is also building up.
(2) This story of the island is a closed system whereby there is no
other country and hence no foreign debt. The worth of the asset can
only be calculated using the island's own currency. Hence, there is
no net loss.
(3) An over-damped system is assumed when the bubble burst, meaning
the land's value did not go down to below 1 dollar.
(4) When the bubble burst, the fellow with cash is the winner. The
fellows having the land or extending loan to others are the losers.
The asset could shrink or in worst case, they go bankrupt.
(5) If there is another citizen D either holding a dollar or another
piece of land but refrains from taking part in the game, he will
neither win nor lose. But he will see the value of his money or land
goes up and down like a see saw.
(6) When the bubble was in the growing phase, everybody made money.
(7) If you are smart and know that you are living in a growing
bubble, it is worthwhile to borrow money (like A) and take part in
the game. But you must know when you should change everything back to
cash.
(8) As in the case of land, the above phenomenon applies to stocks as
well.
(9) The actual worth of land or stocks depends largely on psychology
(or speculation) .
Thanks, Bhu.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Message sent to twistntales@yahoogroups.com on 6th Oct'08
Hi all,
Greetings of Navratri, Pooja and best wishes on the festive occasion of Dasera. As we herald the festive season, we in twistntales as usual will be celebrating our Saraswati Pooja on Dasera day (Thursday, 9th October) at 11.30 am. All of you are invited to share with us the joy of this festive occasion.
Lots of new books have been happening in the past few weeks (apart from the much awaited “Brisingr”) and we have been lagging behind in our reviews. Sorry about that and we are putting our best efforts in clearing that backlog. We have listed below lots of new titles that have been recently released. Do drop in and have a look.
Another reason to do so quickly over the next 2 week-ends, is because twistntales will be closed for a while due to some planned renovation work during Diwali. We hope to open with a slightly changed new look, with more space for books, by the 1st of Nov. So, please note that twistntales will be closed from the 21st of October to the 31st. We will re-open for business from the 1st of November. So, please do pick up your books in advance and stock up for the holiday season!
And now on to books:
New Arrivals:
Management:
“The Game- Changer: How Every Leader Can Drive Everyday Innovation” by A. G. Lafley and Ram Charan @ Rs.399/-(305 pgs)
A.G. Lafley and his leadership team have integrated innovation into everything Proctor & Gamble does - creating new customers and new markets. Through eye-opening stories, Lafley and Ram Charan show how P & G and companies such as Nokia, Lego and GE have become today’s game-changers. Through their own learning, they will help you achieve higher growth and higher margins, tap into the abundant creativity outside your business, manage risk and integrate innovation into your decision-making.
“A Sense of Urgency” by John P. Kotter @ Rs.495/-(194 pgs)
You know your organization needs to change. You may even know what the change needs to be: a new strategy, a new IT system or reorganization. But somehow, change comes too slowly, or it feels like you’re pushing a boulder up a hill.
What’s missing?
As change guru John Kotter shows in this eye-opening book, what’s missing in most organizations today is a real sense of urgency – a distinctive feeling and gut-level attitude that lead people to constantly shed low-priority activities to move faster and smarter, now.’ Raising urgency’ is the first step in his enormously successful eight-step-framework, first articulated in Leading Change. Moreover, as we transition into a world where change is continuous – not just episodic –Kotter shows how urgency must become a core, sustained capability.
“Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish” by Rashmi Bansal @ Rs. 125/- (325pgs)
The inspiring stories of 25 IIM A graduates who chose to tread a path of their own making and chose the rough road of entrepreneurship. They are diverse in age, in outlook and the industries they made a mark in. But they have one thing in common: they believed in the power of their dreams. Published by the Centre for Innovation Incubation and Entrepreneurship.
Indian Writing:
“Private Life of an Indian Prince” by Mulk Raj Anand @ Rs.395/-(389 pgs)
Maharaj Ashok Kumar of Sham Pur asserts complete independence for his small hill-station rather than join the Indian Union. A febrile romantic, who has inherited more of the vices than the virtues of his ancestors, he is encouraged by his nymphomaniac mistress Ganga Dasi, a powerful and illiterate hill-woman. To feed his mistress’s greed, he exhorts large sums of money from his starving peasantry; this is enough to provoke a revolt in Sham Pur and incur the extreme displeasure of the Indian Government in Delhi.
Anand’s most profound study of human nature, Private Life of an Indian Prince is the story of one man’s compelling love for a woman. It is at the same time a historical novel of unusual power, showing the demise of the princely states with the birth of a free India.
“You Are Here” by Meenakshi Reddy Madhavan @ Rs.199/-(255 pgs)
At twenty-five, life’s innumerable entanglements are getting to Arshi. Her blonde American stepmother is trying too hard, welcoming all guests with a traditional aarti. The gorgeous guy who has Arshi all flushed and dreamy is an Ice Prince who thaws at his own convenience. Her best friend Deeksha is getting married. And her normally unruffled, cocktail-concocting flat mate Topsy is getting testier by the day because her conservative family will never approve of the guy she wants.
A hilarious, sharply observant and surprisingly wise story about dealing with life’s quandaries while keeping your sense of humor intact…and your alcohol consumption just right. So if you’ve ever wondered where the crisis-crossing lines of your life converge, you are here! Maybe.
“The Healing” by Gita Aravamudan @ Rs.295/-(288 pgs)
The Babri Masjid falls on the day Ramanujam, patriarch and freedom fighter, is rushed to hospital after suffering a cardiac arrest. As his wife and children stand vigil by his bedside, a second demolition is about to throw their lives out of gear. Shanti Nivas, their sprawling family property is about to be transformed into modern apartments where all the members of the family will live in different homes, and possibly a different way of life.
Told from the perspective of Ramanujam’s younger daughter Bharati, this evocative novel set in Chennai maps the memories of Shanti Nivas and its residents. Delving deep into the sometimes fractious bonds that make up a family, The Healing is a meshing of stories woven into a gentle narrative.
“My Family and Other Saints” by Kirin Narayan @ Rs.295/-(339 pgs)
In 1969, Kirin Narayan’s older brother Rahoul announced that he was dropping out of school and leaving home to seek spiritual enlightenment with a guru.
Kirin’s sari-wearing American mother Didi enthusiastically embraces ashrams and gurus, adopting her son’s spiritual quest as her own. Her urban Indian father, Narayan, however, coins the term ‘urug’ – guru spelled backward – to mock these seekers.
Young Kirin, bewildered by the departure of the brother she adores, sensing her parents drifting apart, and observing waves of Westerners turning to meditation, Kirin is left to find her own answers. Vivid, sharply farcical and portraying the clash of culture in an Indian-American family with wonderful wit, this is the story of family, growing-up and finding one’s way.
Others:
“Empires of the Indus: The Story of a River” by Alice Albinia @ Rs.550/-(309 pgs) – (History)
In a land where it seldom rains, a river is as precious as gold. Water is potent: it trickles through human dreams, permeates lives, dictates agriculture, religion and warfare…
One of the largest rivers in the world, the Indus rises in the Tibetan mountains, flows west across northern India and south through Pakistan. For millennia it has been worshipped as a god; for centuries used as a tool of imperial expansion; today it is the cement of Pakistan’s fractious union.
Five thousand years ago, a string of sophisticated cities grew and traded on its banks. In the ruins of these elaborate metropolises, Sanskrit-speaking nomads explored the river, extolling its virtues in India’s most ancient text, the Rig-Veda.
Journalist, editor and audacious traveler Alice Albinia follows the river upstream and back in time, taking the reader on a voyage through two thousand miles of geography and more than five millennia of history redolent with contemporary importance.
“Freedom’s Child: Growing Up During Satyagraha” by Chandralekha Mehta @ Rs. 199/- (182 pgs) – (History)
Writing about her growing-up years, author Chandralekha Mehta, Pandit Nehru’s niece, sister to Nayantara Sahgal, gives us a peek into the momentous years of the freedom struggle. This was the age of Satyagraha, when India was awakening to new realities and inching her way towards freedom. The author, and her family, the Nehrus in Allahabad, were prominent participants in the extraordinary events of the time.
Inspiring, personal and filled with intimate stories of birthdays, family vacations, picketing, wearing khadi for weddings and much more, Freedom’s Child is an evocative portrait of the dynamic years of the freedom struggle, suitable for all ages.
“Mike’s Election Guide 2008” by Michael Moore @ Rs.250/-(155 pgs)
Democracy. It’s easily the best system in the world, ever. Which is why so many countries are desperate to have it enforced on them by soldiers!
Michael Moore is back to give you the low-down on the ins and outs of free elections, such as:
Why should I vote? It only encourages them!
Can my vote be bought? (And what’s the starting price?)
And the most pressing question of all – who would Jesus vote for?
If you thought voting was just a load of ballots, this is the no-hold-barred truth about democracy. Enfranchisement has never been so exciting…
“DK Eyewitness Travel: India” @ Rs. 895/- (823 pgs)
It is improbable that a travel guide could live up to its claim of ‘covering everything,’ but DK Eyewitness Travel has come rather close to it. Color coded according to area, covering everything from festivals to wildlife, hotels to trekking routes, this is a beautifully illustrated and diligently organized book. So if you are planning a weekend away, or that long-awaited family vacation, this is a guide that will direct you without taking up too much of your time.
“The Folklore of Discworld” by Terry Pratchett & Jaqueline Simpson @ Rs.905/-(372 pgs)
A child once asked, ‘Why does the Turtle swim?’
A wise man replied, ‘Child, there is no Why. IT…IS…SO.’
And that could be said of many things.
Legends, myths, fairy tales: our world is made up of the stories we told ourselves about where we came from and we got there. It is the same on Discworld, except that some beings which are imaginary on Earth, such as vampires, trolls, witches and possibly, gods – are real, alive and in some cases kicking on the Disc.
In The Folklore of Discworld Terry Pratchett teams up with leading British folklorist Jaqueline Simpson to take an irreverent yet illuminating look at the living myths and folklore that are reflected, celebrated and affectionately libeled in the uniquely imaginative universe of Discworld.
Other new books :
“Attila the Hun: Barbarian Terror and the Fall of the Roman Empire” by Christopher Kelly @ Rs.540/-(230 pgs)
“Kkrishna’s Konfessions” by Smita Jain @ Rs.250/-(369 pgs)
“Femme Fatale: Love, lies and the Unknown Life of Mata Hari” by Pat Shipman @ Rs.395/-(375 pgs)
“Indignation” by Philip Roth @ Rs.775/-(233 pgs)
“Girls of Riyadh” by Rajaa Alsanea @ Rs.295/- (300 pgs)
“The Snake Stone” by Jason Goodwin @ Rs.295/- (308 pgs)
“Star Wars: Street of Shadows” by Michael Reaves @ Rs. 250/- (308 pgs)
“Alternative Cures” by Bill Gottlieb @ Rs. 250/- (796 pgs)
“White Man Falling” by Mike Stocks @ Rs.250/-(302 pgs)
“Silks” by Dick Francis and Felix Francis @ Rs.395/-(368 pgs)
“The Book of Craft” by Shahnaz Arni @ Rs.199/-(103 pgs)
“Outlook Traveller: New York” @ Rs.445/-(343 pgs)
“The Evil Seed” by Joanne Harris @ Rs.355/-(443 pgs)
“Tales of Wit and Wisdom: Riddles, hilarious escapades and facts for young and old alike”
“Savvy Networking: 118 Fast and Effective Tips for Business Success by Andrea R. Nierenberg @ Rs.195/-(109 pgs)
“The Chase” by Clive Cussler @ Rs.250/-(487 pgs)
“Corporitual” by Raj Bhowmick @ Rs.195/-(138 pgs)
“It’s All In Your Head: Change Your Health” by Mark Pettus, MD, FACP @ Rs.345/-(309 pgs)
“The Exile” by Navtej Sarna @ Rs.450/-(251 pgs)
“Sahibs Who Loved India” Compiled and Edited by Khushwant Singh @ Rs.325/-(191 pgs)
“The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life” by Alice Schroeder @ Rs.995/-(838 pgs)
“Kissing the Frog; The Magic that Makes Your Money” by The Brothers Middleton @ Rs.295/-(225 pgs)
“Moving out of the Box: Tools for Team Decision Making by Jana M. Kemp @ Rs.255/-(155 pgs)
“India Express: The Future of a New Superpower” by Daniel Lak @ Rs.499/-(295 pgs)
“Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do (And What It Says About Us)” by Tom Vanderbilt @ Rs.395/-(286 pgs)
“The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Writing Business Plans and Proposals” by K. Dennis Chambers @ Rs.275/-(168 pgs)
“The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Managing Growth and Handling Crises” @ Rs.275/-(154 pgs)
“Hot, Flat and Crowded: Why The World Needs a Green Revolution – And How We Can Renew Our Global Future” by Thomas L. Friedman @ Rs.595/-(412 pgs)
“Chicken Soup for the Shopper’s Soul: Celebrating Bargains, Boutiques & the Perfect Pair of Shoes” @ Rs.275/-(289 pgs)
“Solving Health and Behavioral Health Problems from Birth through Preschool: A Parent’s Guide” by Roy Benaroch, M.D. @ Rs.245/-(181 pgs)
“Looking Through Glass” by Mukul Kesavan @ Rs.325/- (378 pgs)
“Diary Of A Wimpy Kid: A Novel In Cartoons” by Jeff Kinney @ Rs.195/- (217 pgs)
“Captain Cool – The M S Dhoni story” by Gulu Ezekiel @ Rs. 150, (128 pgs)
“The Bourne Sanction” by Robert Ludlum @ Rs.275/- (484 pgs)
“The Weave of my life – a Dalit woman’s memoirs” by Urmila Pawar tr. from Marathi by Maya Pandit @ Rs.375/- (348 pgs)
“Dosa” @ Rs.70/- and “Jalebi Curls” @ Rs.70/- both Tullika bilingual.
“Diary of a Wimpy Kid” – novel in cartoons by Jeff Kinney @ Rs. 195/- (217 pgs)
Happy Reading and see you at twistntales on Saraswati Puja (Thurs, 9th Oct’08) @ 11.30 am.
From the team at twistntales
Greetings of Navratri, Pooja and best wishes on the festive occasion of Dasera. As we herald the festive season, we in twistntales as usual will be celebrating our Saraswati Pooja on Dasera day (Thursday, 9th October) at 11.30 am. All of you are invited to share with us the joy of this festive occasion.
Lots of new books have been happening in the past few weeks (apart from the much awaited “Brisingr”) and we have been lagging behind in our reviews. Sorry about that and we are putting our best efforts in clearing that backlog. We have listed below lots of new titles that have been recently released. Do drop in and have a look.
Another reason to do so quickly over the next 2 week-ends, is because twistntales will be closed for a while due to some planned renovation work during Diwali. We hope to open with a slightly changed new look, with more space for books, by the 1st of Nov. So, please note that twistntales will be closed from the 21st of October to the 31st. We will re-open for business from the 1st of November. So, please do pick up your books in advance and stock up for the holiday season!
And now on to books:
New Arrivals:
Management:
“The Game- Changer: How Every Leader Can Drive Everyday Innovation” by A. G. Lafley and Ram Charan @ Rs.399/-(305 pgs)
A.G. Lafley and his leadership team have integrated innovation into everything Proctor & Gamble does - creating new customers and new markets. Through eye-opening stories, Lafley and Ram Charan show how P & G and companies such as Nokia, Lego and GE have become today’s game-changers. Through their own learning, they will help you achieve higher growth and higher margins, tap into the abundant creativity outside your business, manage risk and integrate innovation into your decision-making.
“A Sense of Urgency” by John P. Kotter @ Rs.495/-(194 pgs)
You know your organization needs to change. You may even know what the change needs to be: a new strategy, a new IT system or reorganization. But somehow, change comes too slowly, or it feels like you’re pushing a boulder up a hill.
What’s missing?
As change guru John Kotter shows in this eye-opening book, what’s missing in most organizations today is a real sense of urgency – a distinctive feeling and gut-level attitude that lead people to constantly shed low-priority activities to move faster and smarter, now.’ Raising urgency’ is the first step in his enormously successful eight-step-framework, first articulated in Leading Change. Moreover, as we transition into a world where change is continuous – not just episodic –Kotter shows how urgency must become a core, sustained capability.
“Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish” by Rashmi Bansal @ Rs. 125/- (325pgs)
The inspiring stories of 25 IIM A graduates who chose to tread a path of their own making and chose the rough road of entrepreneurship. They are diverse in age, in outlook and the industries they made a mark in. But they have one thing in common: they believed in the power of their dreams. Published by the Centre for Innovation Incubation and Entrepreneurship.
Indian Writing:
“Private Life of an Indian Prince” by Mulk Raj Anand @ Rs.395/-(389 pgs)
Maharaj Ashok Kumar of Sham Pur asserts complete independence for his small hill-station rather than join the Indian Union. A febrile romantic, who has inherited more of the vices than the virtues of his ancestors, he is encouraged by his nymphomaniac mistress Ganga Dasi, a powerful and illiterate hill-woman. To feed his mistress’s greed, he exhorts large sums of money from his starving peasantry; this is enough to provoke a revolt in Sham Pur and incur the extreme displeasure of the Indian Government in Delhi.
Anand’s most profound study of human nature, Private Life of an Indian Prince is the story of one man’s compelling love for a woman. It is at the same time a historical novel of unusual power, showing the demise of the princely states with the birth of a free India.
“You Are Here” by Meenakshi Reddy Madhavan @ Rs.199/-(255 pgs)
At twenty-five, life’s innumerable entanglements are getting to Arshi. Her blonde American stepmother is trying too hard, welcoming all guests with a traditional aarti. The gorgeous guy who has Arshi all flushed and dreamy is an Ice Prince who thaws at his own convenience. Her best friend Deeksha is getting married. And her normally unruffled, cocktail-concocting flat mate Topsy is getting testier by the day because her conservative family will never approve of the guy she wants.
A hilarious, sharply observant and surprisingly wise story about dealing with life’s quandaries while keeping your sense of humor intact…and your alcohol consumption just right. So if you’ve ever wondered where the crisis-crossing lines of your life converge, you are here! Maybe.
“The Healing” by Gita Aravamudan @ Rs.295/-(288 pgs)
The Babri Masjid falls on the day Ramanujam, patriarch and freedom fighter, is rushed to hospital after suffering a cardiac arrest. As his wife and children stand vigil by his bedside, a second demolition is about to throw their lives out of gear. Shanti Nivas, their sprawling family property is about to be transformed into modern apartments where all the members of the family will live in different homes, and possibly a different way of life.
Told from the perspective of Ramanujam’s younger daughter Bharati, this evocative novel set in Chennai maps the memories of Shanti Nivas and its residents. Delving deep into the sometimes fractious bonds that make up a family, The Healing is a meshing of stories woven into a gentle narrative.
“My Family and Other Saints” by Kirin Narayan @ Rs.295/-(339 pgs)
In 1969, Kirin Narayan’s older brother Rahoul announced that he was dropping out of school and leaving home to seek spiritual enlightenment with a guru.
Kirin’s sari-wearing American mother Didi enthusiastically embraces ashrams and gurus, adopting her son’s spiritual quest as her own. Her urban Indian father, Narayan, however, coins the term ‘urug’ – guru spelled backward – to mock these seekers.
Young Kirin, bewildered by the departure of the brother she adores, sensing her parents drifting apart, and observing waves of Westerners turning to meditation, Kirin is left to find her own answers. Vivid, sharply farcical and portraying the clash of culture in an Indian-American family with wonderful wit, this is the story of family, growing-up and finding one’s way.
Others:
“Empires of the Indus: The Story of a River” by Alice Albinia @ Rs.550/-(309 pgs) – (History)
In a land where it seldom rains, a river is as precious as gold. Water is potent: it trickles through human dreams, permeates lives, dictates agriculture, religion and warfare…
One of the largest rivers in the world, the Indus rises in the Tibetan mountains, flows west across northern India and south through Pakistan. For millennia it has been worshipped as a god; for centuries used as a tool of imperial expansion; today it is the cement of Pakistan’s fractious union.
Five thousand years ago, a string of sophisticated cities grew and traded on its banks. In the ruins of these elaborate metropolises, Sanskrit-speaking nomads explored the river, extolling its virtues in India’s most ancient text, the Rig-Veda.
Journalist, editor and audacious traveler Alice Albinia follows the river upstream and back in time, taking the reader on a voyage through two thousand miles of geography and more than five millennia of history redolent with contemporary importance.
“Freedom’s Child: Growing Up During Satyagraha” by Chandralekha Mehta @ Rs. 199/- (182 pgs) – (History)
Writing about her growing-up years, author Chandralekha Mehta, Pandit Nehru’s niece, sister to Nayantara Sahgal, gives us a peek into the momentous years of the freedom struggle. This was the age of Satyagraha, when India was awakening to new realities and inching her way towards freedom. The author, and her family, the Nehrus in Allahabad, were prominent participants in the extraordinary events of the time.
Inspiring, personal and filled with intimate stories of birthdays, family vacations, picketing, wearing khadi for weddings and much more, Freedom’s Child is an evocative portrait of the dynamic years of the freedom struggle, suitable for all ages.
“Mike’s Election Guide 2008” by Michael Moore @ Rs.250/-(155 pgs)
Democracy. It’s easily the best system in the world, ever. Which is why so many countries are desperate to have it enforced on them by soldiers!
Michael Moore is back to give you the low-down on the ins and outs of free elections, such as:
Why should I vote? It only encourages them!
Can my vote be bought? (And what’s the starting price?)
And the most pressing question of all – who would Jesus vote for?
If you thought voting was just a load of ballots, this is the no-hold-barred truth about democracy. Enfranchisement has never been so exciting…
“DK Eyewitness Travel: India” @ Rs. 895/- (823 pgs)
It is improbable that a travel guide could live up to its claim of ‘covering everything,’ but DK Eyewitness Travel has come rather close to it. Color coded according to area, covering everything from festivals to wildlife, hotels to trekking routes, this is a beautifully illustrated and diligently organized book. So if you are planning a weekend away, or that long-awaited family vacation, this is a guide that will direct you without taking up too much of your time.
“The Folklore of Discworld” by Terry Pratchett & Jaqueline Simpson @ Rs.905/-(372 pgs)
A child once asked, ‘Why does the Turtle swim?’
A wise man replied, ‘Child, there is no Why. IT…IS…SO.’
And that could be said of many things.
Legends, myths, fairy tales: our world is made up of the stories we told ourselves about where we came from and we got there. It is the same on Discworld, except that some beings which are imaginary on Earth, such as vampires, trolls, witches and possibly, gods – are real, alive and in some cases kicking on the Disc.
In The Folklore of Discworld Terry Pratchett teams up with leading British folklorist Jaqueline Simpson to take an irreverent yet illuminating look at the living myths and folklore that are reflected, celebrated and affectionately libeled in the uniquely imaginative universe of Discworld.
Other new books :
“Attila the Hun: Barbarian Terror and the Fall of the Roman Empire” by Christopher Kelly @ Rs.540/-(230 pgs)
“Kkrishna’s Konfessions” by Smita Jain @ Rs.250/-(369 pgs)
“Femme Fatale: Love, lies and the Unknown Life of Mata Hari” by Pat Shipman @ Rs.395/-(375 pgs)
“Indignation” by Philip Roth @ Rs.775/-(233 pgs)
“Girls of Riyadh” by Rajaa Alsanea @ Rs.295/- (300 pgs)
“The Snake Stone” by Jason Goodwin @ Rs.295/- (308 pgs)
“Star Wars: Street of Shadows” by Michael Reaves @ Rs. 250/- (308 pgs)
“Alternative Cures” by Bill Gottlieb @ Rs. 250/- (796 pgs)
“White Man Falling” by Mike Stocks @ Rs.250/-(302 pgs)
“Silks” by Dick Francis and Felix Francis @ Rs.395/-(368 pgs)
“The Book of Craft” by Shahnaz Arni @ Rs.199/-(103 pgs)
“Outlook Traveller: New York” @ Rs.445/-(343 pgs)
“The Evil Seed” by Joanne Harris @ Rs.355/-(443 pgs)
“Tales of Wit and Wisdom: Riddles, hilarious escapades and facts for young and old alike”
“Savvy Networking: 118 Fast and Effective Tips for Business Success by Andrea R. Nierenberg @ Rs.195/-(109 pgs)
“The Chase” by Clive Cussler @ Rs.250/-(487 pgs)
“Corporitual” by Raj Bhowmick @ Rs.195/-(138 pgs)
“It’s All In Your Head: Change Your Health” by Mark Pettus, MD, FACP @ Rs.345/-(309 pgs)
“The Exile” by Navtej Sarna @ Rs.450/-(251 pgs)
“Sahibs Who Loved India” Compiled and Edited by Khushwant Singh @ Rs.325/-(191 pgs)
“The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life” by Alice Schroeder @ Rs.995/-(838 pgs)
“Kissing the Frog; The Magic that Makes Your Money” by The Brothers Middleton @ Rs.295/-(225 pgs)
“Moving out of the Box: Tools for Team Decision Making by Jana M. Kemp @ Rs.255/-(155 pgs)
“India Express: The Future of a New Superpower” by Daniel Lak @ Rs.499/-(295 pgs)
“Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do (And What It Says About Us)” by Tom Vanderbilt @ Rs.395/-(286 pgs)
“The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Writing Business Plans and Proposals” by K. Dennis Chambers @ Rs.275/-(168 pgs)
“The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Managing Growth and Handling Crises” @ Rs.275/-(154 pgs)
“Hot, Flat and Crowded: Why The World Needs a Green Revolution – And How We Can Renew Our Global Future” by Thomas L. Friedman @ Rs.595/-(412 pgs)
“Chicken Soup for the Shopper’s Soul: Celebrating Bargains, Boutiques & the Perfect Pair of Shoes” @ Rs.275/-(289 pgs)
“Solving Health and Behavioral Health Problems from Birth through Preschool: A Parent’s Guide” by Roy Benaroch, M.D. @ Rs.245/-(181 pgs)
“Looking Through Glass” by Mukul Kesavan @ Rs.325/- (378 pgs)
“Diary Of A Wimpy Kid: A Novel In Cartoons” by Jeff Kinney @ Rs.195/- (217 pgs)
“Captain Cool – The M S Dhoni story” by Gulu Ezekiel @ Rs. 150, (128 pgs)
“The Bourne Sanction” by Robert Ludlum @ Rs.275/- (484 pgs)
“The Weave of my life – a Dalit woman’s memoirs” by Urmila Pawar tr. from Marathi by Maya Pandit @ Rs.375/- (348 pgs)
“Dosa” @ Rs.70/- and “Jalebi Curls” @ Rs.70/- both Tullika bilingual.
“Diary of a Wimpy Kid” – novel in cartoons by Jeff Kinney @ Rs. 195/- (217 pgs)
Happy Reading and see you at twistntales on Saraswati Puja (Thurs, 9th Oct’08) @ 11.30 am.
From the team at twistntales
Friday, October 3, 2008
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Laments of an employer !
When folks are students, their minds are free and uncluttered. They are willing to do anything, work at anything to dirty their hands to get the "experience" of it all !
What happens when they get qualified and educated ? They lose their ability to think, the fear of failure grips them hard, they get into conditioned responses and attitudes and invariably, become unemployable ! No qualification today, bar a CA or an IIM, MBA demands a rigorous grind frm the students. Any other degree is a easy route to the degree itself. If folks have made it with lesser degrees, it is because of the grind that they have put in - in their early years. Folks are increasingly unwilling to work on the grind anymore. They know it all. If at all, then they need to work in "corporate" jobs. In the meantime, they would rather be "umemployed" - small businesses, where you may end up doing a more meaningful role, are not in consideration at all ! And this is happening in "retail" - a complete sunrise industry.
Both my husband and me have been working for almost 22-25 years now, and can hardly remember "non-grind" years. If today we have a surplus both of time and money, its directly attributable to that grind. I do not see others younger do it anymore. Either they have too much money, or they rationalize things for themselves. Its sad.
This is a generation born when India has been booming for a consistent period. They do not know "want"
So, i find as i look around to employ people, that there a whole lot of folks un or underemployed, but not employable anymore.
What happens when they get qualified and educated ? They lose their ability to think, the fear of failure grips them hard, they get into conditioned responses and attitudes and invariably, become unemployable ! No qualification today, bar a CA or an IIM, MBA demands a rigorous grind frm the students. Any other degree is a easy route to the degree itself. If folks have made it with lesser degrees, it is because of the grind that they have put in - in their early years. Folks are increasingly unwilling to work on the grind anymore. They know it all. If at all, then they need to work in "corporate" jobs. In the meantime, they would rather be "umemployed" - small businesses, where you may end up doing a more meaningful role, are not in consideration at all ! And this is happening in "retail" - a complete sunrise industry.
Both my husband and me have been working for almost 22-25 years now, and can hardly remember "non-grind" years. If today we have a surplus both of time and money, its directly attributable to that grind. I do not see others younger do it anymore. Either they have too much money, or they rationalize things for themselves. Its sad.
This is a generation born when India has been booming for a consistent period. They do not know "want"
So, i find as i look around to employ people, that there a whole lot of folks un or underemployed, but not employable anymore.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Message sent to twistntales@yahoogroups.com on 15th Sept'08
Hi all,
We let a whole month go by without sending you a mail on our new books ….. we have been a little understaffed :( …. But lots of books have been happening nevertheless! :). And good books at that !!! :) :) :)
Again we have loving reviews of the new books – yes, Tia is back! Some of these guys never leave us! But thank god for them, else we will be struggling to bring these lovely reviews to you!
New Arrivals:
Fiction:
“The Looters” by Harold Robbins & Junius Podrug @ Rs.250/-(422 pgs)Museum curator Madison Dupre takes a wild ride in the rarefied atmosphere of the lives of the superrich when she buys an ancient mask that has a history of spawning evil and murder. Stalked by killers, betrayed by people she thought were friends, she struggles to stay alive in a growing whirlpool of intrigue as rumours rage that the mask has been looted from the Baghdad museum. Can Madeline protect her own life, prove her innocence and return the fabled death mask to the museum?
“Loose and Easy” by Tara Janzen @ Rs. 250/- (406 pgs)In Denver bookie Franklin Bleak informs art recovery private investigator Esmee Alden that her father Burt owns him over eighty thousand dollars in gambling debts that is due now “or else”. She knows what ‘or else’ means to someone as bleak as this vicious bookie is. So the story of her life repeats itself with “Easy Alex” risking everything to bail her dad out of trouble.
Indian Writing:
“The Homecoming” by Shashi Warrier @ Rs. 299/- (304 pgs)
Javed Sharif returns home to Srinagar for his father’s eighty-fourth birthday. He returns with a sense of well-being, despite troubles, the violence and the bitterly cold weather. Unexpectedly, his dreams of retiring and settling in Kashmir again are shattered by a knock on the door on the day of the birthday party and, as he watches his life unravel, his world will never be the same again. The Homecoming is the story of one family, but also of the many families in Kashmir whose lives have been destroyed by decades of violence and uncertainty. Deeply moving and disturbingly honest, this is a haunting tale that is political yet profoundly personal, and tells of the pain and suffering that is a result of the cruelty – and the ultimately the indifference – of the State.
“When Dreams Travel” by Githa Hariharan @Rs. 299/- (276 pgs)
Night Falls Again. It is a soft night, willing to nurse a wounded soul with memories, fingers, words…
The curtain rises on four figures, two men and two women. There is the sultan who wants a virgin every night; his brother who makes an enemy of darkness and tries to banish it; and there are the ambitious brides, the sisters Shahrzad and Dunyazad, aspiring to be heroines – or martyrs.
With its sharp and lively blend of past and present, its skillful reworking of the historical tradition, Gita Hariharan’s multi-voiced narrative travels in and out of its characters lives in a range of dark, poetic stories, spanning medieval to contemporary times.
“Once Upon a Time in Aparanta” by Sudeep Chakravarti @ Rs. 250/- (220 pgs)
Goa is Aparanta of old – the Land at the Horizon. The tale of Dino Dantas, protestor and self-appointed guardian of Aparanta, and his innkeeper cousin Antonio begins here, in the sleepy village of Socorro Do Mundo by the Sea, where time holds little meaning and the haze of nostalgia is as binding a force as faith in the benevolence of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour, ‘Perpet’ to familiars. In prose that is part lyrical, part brutal satire, yet always passionate, Sudeep Chakravarti evokes the essence of a paradise on the verge of losing its soul.
“A Situation in New Delhi” by Nayantara Sahgal @ Rs. 250/-(189 pgs)Shivraj is dead and with him the values with which he had governed the country for over a decade. While his successors destroy the idealistic world he had built, Shivraj’s circle of intimate friends – his sister Devi, the education minister, the vice-chancellor of Delhi University and Michael Calvert, an English writer – struggle to find order in the chaos, even as Rishad, Devi’s son, loses himself in it.
First published in 1977, Nayantara Sahgal’s writing juxtaposes personal relations with the larger canvas of corrupt politics and remains fresh and relevant even today.
Additional titles released recently after a long time.
“The Day in Shadow” by Nayatara Sahgal @Rs. 250/- (236 pgs)
“Storm in Chandigarh” by Nayantara Sahgal @Rs. 250/- (222 pgs)
“Bandicoots in the Moonlight” by Avijit Ghosh @Rs. 250/- (237 pgs)
Teenage boy Anirban Roy grows up in a small town in 70’s Bihar where his policeman father is posted to pick up information on the looming Naxalite menace. Ganesh Nagar possesses neither village simplicity nor urban slick, but observes a line of ethics that defies codification. It takes time for Anirban to learn to juggle adolescent angst and ping-pong hormones, loyal friends and part-time criminals, a bewildering succession of topsy-turvy lessons in life and lust, yet manage to keep them all afloat. Avijit Ghosh’s earthy account of boy-to-manhood in fictional Ganesh Nagar is simple, prosaic and unadorned.
“Nightmare Academy: Charlie’s Monsters” by Dean Lorey @ Rs. 295/- (330 pgs)Charlie’s imagination is so strong that when he has a nightmare, the nightmare creature gets portaled right into the room where he’s sleeping. This caused a lot of problems for Charlie, until he joins the Nightmare Academy, a school that trains children with imagination to fight the monsters from the Netherworld. Charlie is one of the most powerful people at the academy, and he still doesn’t fit in – but he gains a few good friends and starts his training. He ends up having to fight powerful monsters, work to save his family, and deal with bullies. Through this, Charlie finds that he can use his imagination and self-doubt for good – and he can find his own place to fit in, after all. Don’t let the cover fool you – this is a funny, light-hearted fantasy.
Inspiration/ Healing :
“What I Talk about When I Talk about Running” by Haruki Murakami @ Rs.495/-(180 pgs)Haruki Murakami is best-known as the author of books such as Sputnik Sweetheart, Kafka on the Shore and Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman.
What is less known is that Murakami has been a dedicated runner longer than he has been writing.
In 1982, having sold his jazz bar to devote himself to writing, Murakami began running to keep fit. Now, after dozens of races and triathlons, he reflects upon the influence the sport has had on his life and his writing.
Equal parts travelogue, training log and reminiscence, this revealing memoir covers his four-month preparation for the 2005 NYC Marathon and settings ranging from Tokyo’s Jingu Gaien gardens to the Charles River in Boston, among young women who outpace him!
Through this revelatory lens of sport emerge a slew of memories and insights: the eureka moment when he decided to become a writer, his passion for vintage records amongst others.
“Voices in the Family: A Therapist Talks about Listening, Openness and Healing” by Daniel Gottlieb @Rs. 250/- (294 pgs)Author of ‘Letters to Sam’, psychotherapist Gottlieb who is a quadriplegic dedicates this book to the human spirit in all of us. He speaks to us about how to understand the ties that form our family, the different aspects of relationships-as father, mother, sons, daughters and siblings. To each reader he explains the importance of bonding and empathy- through real life anecdotes and thought provoking examples. A book in four parts, this is advice about making peace with ourselves, our parents, children and partners in a no nonsense, amiable, adult manner.
Management:
“HRD Score Card 2500; Based on HRD Audit” by T.V. Rao @ Rs.450/-(293 pgs)Prof. T. V. Rao is one of the early gurus of the scientific HR systems in India. Most of his earlier books have been the first literature on the relevant HR topic in the Indian context. So too, with HRD Score Card 2500.
HRD Scorecard presents for the first time a systematic and scientific way of measuring the maturity level of HR, its systems and strategies, competencies, culture and values, and business impact through a score card.
This book provides a set of easily usable guidelines for converting HR Audit findings into measurable scores and helps provide timely information for interventions as necessary. This is a useful guide for CEO’s and HR managers to evaluate and improve their human resources.
“The Peter Principle: Why Things Always Go Wrong” by Dr. Laurence J. Peter and Raymond Hull @Rs.275/- (179 pgs)‘In a hierarchy, every employee tends to rise to his own level of incompetence.’
This dangerously simple maxim of organizational dysfunction, first spelled out more than 33 years ago, has wormed itself into everyday managerial vocabulary. The Peter Principle is rife wherever hierarchies exist –and is required reading for all those now setting their feet on the first rung of the promotional ladder. Do they really want to scale a peak from which their fate can only be a dismal shunting into oblivion?
A classic masterpiece of management humor, aptly illustrated with wickedly barbed cartoons.
Socio Eco Pol / Current Affairs/ History:
“The Way of the World: A Story of Truth and Hope in an Age of Extremism” by Ron Suskind @Rs. 625/- (415 pgs)In a sweeping, propulsive and multilayered narrative, The Way of the World investigates how the West relinquished the moral leadership it now desperately needs to fight the real threat of our era: a nuclear weapon in the hands of terrorists. Suskind shows where the most neglected dangers lie in the story of ‘The Armageddon Test’ – a desperate gamble to send undercover teams into the world’s nuclear black market to frustrate the efforts of terrorists trying to procure weapons-grade uranium. Finally, he reveals the explosive falsehood underlying the Iraq War and the Blair-Bush coalition.
Simultaneously following an ensemble of characters around the world, including a striving 24-year-old Pakistani émigré́, a fearless UN refugee commissioner, and Benazir Bhutto, who discovers days before her death, how she’s been abandoned by the US, The Way of the World is a test of Western values at a time of peril.
“187 Lives: A Remembrance” by The Indian Express Team @ Rs.395/-(225 pgs)A week after the Mumbai train blasts on July 11, 2006, in which 187 people dies, The Indian Express began a series documenting each of the lives lost, their dreams, their doubts, their hopes and struggles. This volume seeks to consolidate their memory in the form of a book.
Equally, this book is a tribute to the indefatigable spirit of Mumbai and its citizens who worked tirelessly through the night to help the wounded, the stranded and the missing, but for whom it was business as usual the next morning, as sixteen hours later, the Mumbai Locals rolled out again and a grieving city went about its business. In addition, 187 Lives looks at the major leads that helped resolve this case and zero in on the accused. Proceeds from this book will go to The Indian Express Citizen Relief Fund and will be used to aid terror victims.
“The Siege of Mecca: The Forgotten Uprising in Islam’s Holiest Shrine” by Yaroslav Trofimov @Rs.360/- (300 pgs)20 November 1979: As morning prayers began, hundreds of hardline Islamist gunmen, armed with rifles smuggled in coffins, stormed the Grand Mosque in Mecca. With thousands of terrified worshippers trapped inside, the result was a bloody siege that lasted two weeks, caused hundreds of deaths, prompted an international diplomatic crisis and unleashed forces that would eventually lead to the rise of al Qauda.
Journalist Yaraslov Trofimov takes us day-by-day through one of the most momentous – and heavily censored – events in recent history, interviewing many direct participants in the siege and drawing on secret documents to reveal the truth about the first operation of modern global jihad.
Personalities/ Memoirs :
“The Mighty and the Almighty: Reflections on Power. God and World Affairs” by Madeline Albright @ Rs.360/-(300 pgs)From the bestselling author of Madame Secretary comes a provocative look at the role of religion in world affairs, through the lens of history and of her own personal experiences in office. Does America, as Geroge W. bush has proclaimed, have a special mission derived from God, to bring liberty and democracy to the world? How much influence does the Christian right have over US foreign policy?
Madeline Albright offers a sharp critique of US policy, condemnation for those who exploit religious fervour for violent ends and praise for political, cultural and spiritual leaders who seek to harness the values of faith to bring people together.
“Hugo! The Hugo Chávez Story” by Bart Jones @ Rs.520/-(483 pgs)In December 2006, when Hugo Chávez declared at the UN that ‘the devil came here yesterday…the President of the United States,’ it was clear that one man was taking the most powerful nation on Earth head-on.
The ruling elites in Venezuela and the United States are keen to paint Chávez as the heir to Castro. From Jones’s account however, he emerges as far more complex; a master politician and an inspired improviser, a Bolivarian nationalist and an unashamed socialist.
Jones tells the story of Chávez’s impoverished childhood his military career and the election campaign against a former Miss Universe that finally won him the Presidency.
Dramatic and superbly described, Hugo! brings to life a charismatic leader whose stories extend ‘from mud hut to perpetual revolution.’
“An Outsider in Politics” by Krishna Bose @ Rs.599/-(256 pgs)Writer, educationist and three-time Lok Sabha MP from Kolkata, Kirshna Bose gives a compelling account from the time she was a schoolgirl witnessing some of the tragic scenes that accompanied Partition to her stint as chairperson of the parliamentary standing committee on external affairs.
Married into the family of Subhas Chandra Bose, Bose’s acute yet sympathetic observations combine to form an elegantly written intimate history as well as a gripping political memoir.
Travel:
“Higher than the Eagle Soars: A Path to Everest” by Stephen Venables @ Rs.495/-(353 pgs)
High, wild places have dominated Stephen Venables’ life and now he has written a full autobiography which explores how and – more importantly – why he became a mountaineer. Venables reveals a series of never-recorded adventures on four continents. At its climax he revisits his dramatic success without oxygen on the Kangshung Face of Everest, described by Reinhold Messner as the most adventurous in Everest’s history. As Venables writes: ‘Although we didn’t go seeking deliberately an epic near-death experience, it did turn out that way – the ultimate endurance test for which all the previous adventures seemed, retrospectively, to be a preparation.’
“Outlook Traveller: 45 Weekend Breaks from Hyderabad” @Rs.295/- (415 pgs)Sail on the Vasishta Godavari in Konaseema, search for the nine Narasimhas in Ahobilam and sample the chepala pulusu of Warangai. Soak your feet in the soothing waters of the Kailashnathakona falls and explore the former capitals of ancient kings that lie in the shadow of Hyderabad.
This book tells you how…and much more.
Others:
“Sarama and her Children: The Dog in Indian Myth” by Bibek Debroy @ Rs. 350/- (243 pgs)
The written proof of an economist and research professor’s love for both-Indology and dogs, this book is a one-of –a- kind narrative of the attitude towards the dog in Indian myth and history. Tracing the Indian attitude towards the dog in a chronological manner with pre-Vedic Indus valley civilization, he incorporates 29 ancient as well as modern short stories to prove his point! He traces how although initially dogs were treated with ‘respect’, their tribe soon had to bear negative connotations by the time of the Mahabharata, only to regain their lost dignity in later times through the Jataka and Hitopadesha tales, as well as the doctrines associated with Shiva. In a light hearted manner, the author ensures that the Indian dog finally has its day!
Other new books at the Store:
DK Eyewitness Travel: India @Rs. 895/- (823 pgs)
The Game- Changer: How Every Leader Can Drive Everyday Innovation by A. G. Lafley and Ram Charan
Mike’s Election Guide 2008 by Michael Moore @ Rs.250/-(155 pgs)
You Are Here by Meenakshi Reddy Madhavan @ Rs.199/-(255 pgs)
A Sense of Urgency by John P. Kotter @ Rs.495/-(194 pgs)
Empires of the Indus: The Story of a River by Alice Albinia @ Rs.550/-(309 pgs)
Silks by Dick Francis and Felix Francis @ Rs.395/-(368 pgs)
Outlook Traveller: New York @ Rs.445/-(343 pgs)
The Evil Seed by Joanne Harris @ Rs.355/-(443 pgs)
The Folklore of Discworld by Terry Pratchett & Jaqueline Simpson @ Rs.905/-(372 pgs)
Attila the Hun: Barbarian Terror and the Fall of the Roman Empire by Christopher Kelly @ Rs.540/-(230 pgs)
Freedom’s Child: Growing Up During Satyagraha by Chandralekha Mehta @Rs. 199/- (182 pgs)
Girls of Riyadh by Rajaa Alsanea @Rs. 295/- (300 pgs)
The Snake Stone by Jason Goodwin @Rs. 295/- (308 pgs)
Star Wars: Street of Shadows by Michael Reaves @Rs. 250/- (308 pgs)
Alternative Cures by Bill Gottlieb @Rs. 250/- (796 pgs)
White Man Falling by Mike Stocks @ Rs.250/-(302 pgs)
The Healing by Gita Aravamudan @ Rs.295/-(288 pgs)
My Family and Other Saints by Kirin Narayan @ Rs.295/-(339 pgs)
Private Life of an Indian Prince by Mulk Raj Anand @ Rs.395/-(389 pgs)
Tales of Wit and Wisdom: Riddles, hilarious escapades and facts for young and old alike
Enjoy your books and HappyReading,
From the team at,
twistntales
We let a whole month go by without sending you a mail on our new books ….. we have been a little understaffed :( …. But lots of books have been happening nevertheless! :). And good books at that !!! :) :) :)
Again we have loving reviews of the new books – yes, Tia is back! Some of these guys never leave us! But thank god for them, else we will be struggling to bring these lovely reviews to you!
New Arrivals:
Fiction:
“The Looters” by Harold Robbins & Junius Podrug @ Rs.250/-(422 pgs)Museum curator Madison Dupre takes a wild ride in the rarefied atmosphere of the lives of the superrich when she buys an ancient mask that has a history of spawning evil and murder. Stalked by killers, betrayed by people she thought were friends, she struggles to stay alive in a growing whirlpool of intrigue as rumours rage that the mask has been looted from the Baghdad museum. Can Madeline protect her own life, prove her innocence and return the fabled death mask to the museum?
“Loose and Easy” by Tara Janzen @ Rs. 250/- (406 pgs)In Denver bookie Franklin Bleak informs art recovery private investigator Esmee Alden that her father Burt owns him over eighty thousand dollars in gambling debts that is due now “or else”. She knows what ‘or else’ means to someone as bleak as this vicious bookie is. So the story of her life repeats itself with “Easy Alex” risking everything to bail her dad out of trouble.
Indian Writing:
“The Homecoming” by Shashi Warrier @ Rs. 299/- (304 pgs)
Javed Sharif returns home to Srinagar for his father’s eighty-fourth birthday. He returns with a sense of well-being, despite troubles, the violence and the bitterly cold weather. Unexpectedly, his dreams of retiring and settling in Kashmir again are shattered by a knock on the door on the day of the birthday party and, as he watches his life unravel, his world will never be the same again. The Homecoming is the story of one family, but also of the many families in Kashmir whose lives have been destroyed by decades of violence and uncertainty. Deeply moving and disturbingly honest, this is a haunting tale that is political yet profoundly personal, and tells of the pain and suffering that is a result of the cruelty – and the ultimately the indifference – of the State.
“When Dreams Travel” by Githa Hariharan @Rs. 299/- (276 pgs)
Night Falls Again. It is a soft night, willing to nurse a wounded soul with memories, fingers, words…
The curtain rises on four figures, two men and two women. There is the sultan who wants a virgin every night; his brother who makes an enemy of darkness and tries to banish it; and there are the ambitious brides, the sisters Shahrzad and Dunyazad, aspiring to be heroines – or martyrs.
With its sharp and lively blend of past and present, its skillful reworking of the historical tradition, Gita Hariharan’s multi-voiced narrative travels in and out of its characters lives in a range of dark, poetic stories, spanning medieval to contemporary times.
“Once Upon a Time in Aparanta” by Sudeep Chakravarti @ Rs. 250/- (220 pgs)
Goa is Aparanta of old – the Land at the Horizon. The tale of Dino Dantas, protestor and self-appointed guardian of Aparanta, and his innkeeper cousin Antonio begins here, in the sleepy village of Socorro Do Mundo by the Sea, where time holds little meaning and the haze of nostalgia is as binding a force as faith in the benevolence of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour, ‘Perpet’ to familiars. In prose that is part lyrical, part brutal satire, yet always passionate, Sudeep Chakravarti evokes the essence of a paradise on the verge of losing its soul.
“A Situation in New Delhi” by Nayantara Sahgal @ Rs. 250/-(189 pgs)Shivraj is dead and with him the values with which he had governed the country for over a decade. While his successors destroy the idealistic world he had built, Shivraj’s circle of intimate friends – his sister Devi, the education minister, the vice-chancellor of Delhi University and Michael Calvert, an English writer – struggle to find order in the chaos, even as Rishad, Devi’s son, loses himself in it.
First published in 1977, Nayantara Sahgal’s writing juxtaposes personal relations with the larger canvas of corrupt politics and remains fresh and relevant even today.
Additional titles released recently after a long time.
“The Day in Shadow” by Nayatara Sahgal @Rs. 250/- (236 pgs)
“Storm in Chandigarh” by Nayantara Sahgal @Rs. 250/- (222 pgs)
“Bandicoots in the Moonlight” by Avijit Ghosh @Rs. 250/- (237 pgs)
Teenage boy Anirban Roy grows up in a small town in 70’s Bihar where his policeman father is posted to pick up information on the looming Naxalite menace. Ganesh Nagar possesses neither village simplicity nor urban slick, but observes a line of ethics that defies codification. It takes time for Anirban to learn to juggle adolescent angst and ping-pong hormones, loyal friends and part-time criminals, a bewildering succession of topsy-turvy lessons in life and lust, yet manage to keep them all afloat. Avijit Ghosh’s earthy account of boy-to-manhood in fictional Ganesh Nagar is simple, prosaic and unadorned.
“Nightmare Academy: Charlie’s Monsters” by Dean Lorey @ Rs. 295/- (330 pgs)Charlie’s imagination is so strong that when he has a nightmare, the nightmare creature gets portaled right into the room where he’s sleeping. This caused a lot of problems for Charlie, until he joins the Nightmare Academy, a school that trains children with imagination to fight the monsters from the Netherworld. Charlie is one of the most powerful people at the academy, and he still doesn’t fit in – but he gains a few good friends and starts his training. He ends up having to fight powerful monsters, work to save his family, and deal with bullies. Through this, Charlie finds that he can use his imagination and self-doubt for good – and he can find his own place to fit in, after all. Don’t let the cover fool you – this is a funny, light-hearted fantasy.
Inspiration/ Healing :
“What I Talk about When I Talk about Running” by Haruki Murakami @ Rs.495/-(180 pgs)Haruki Murakami is best-known as the author of books such as Sputnik Sweetheart, Kafka on the Shore and Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman.
What is less known is that Murakami has been a dedicated runner longer than he has been writing.
In 1982, having sold his jazz bar to devote himself to writing, Murakami began running to keep fit. Now, after dozens of races and triathlons, he reflects upon the influence the sport has had on his life and his writing.
Equal parts travelogue, training log and reminiscence, this revealing memoir covers his four-month preparation for the 2005 NYC Marathon and settings ranging from Tokyo’s Jingu Gaien gardens to the Charles River in Boston, among young women who outpace him!
Through this revelatory lens of sport emerge a slew of memories and insights: the eureka moment when he decided to become a writer, his passion for vintage records amongst others.
“Voices in the Family: A Therapist Talks about Listening, Openness and Healing” by Daniel Gottlieb @Rs. 250/- (294 pgs)Author of ‘Letters to Sam’, psychotherapist Gottlieb who is a quadriplegic dedicates this book to the human spirit in all of us. He speaks to us about how to understand the ties that form our family, the different aspects of relationships-as father, mother, sons, daughters and siblings. To each reader he explains the importance of bonding and empathy- through real life anecdotes and thought provoking examples. A book in four parts, this is advice about making peace with ourselves, our parents, children and partners in a no nonsense, amiable, adult manner.
Management:
“HRD Score Card 2500; Based on HRD Audit” by T.V. Rao @ Rs.450/-(293 pgs)Prof. T. V. Rao is one of the early gurus of the scientific HR systems in India. Most of his earlier books have been the first literature on the relevant HR topic in the Indian context. So too, with HRD Score Card 2500.
HRD Scorecard presents for the first time a systematic and scientific way of measuring the maturity level of HR, its systems and strategies, competencies, culture and values, and business impact through a score card.
This book provides a set of easily usable guidelines for converting HR Audit findings into measurable scores and helps provide timely information for interventions as necessary. This is a useful guide for CEO’s and HR managers to evaluate and improve their human resources.
“The Peter Principle: Why Things Always Go Wrong” by Dr. Laurence J. Peter and Raymond Hull @Rs.275/- (179 pgs)‘In a hierarchy, every employee tends to rise to his own level of incompetence.’
This dangerously simple maxim of organizational dysfunction, first spelled out more than 33 years ago, has wormed itself into everyday managerial vocabulary. The Peter Principle is rife wherever hierarchies exist –and is required reading for all those now setting their feet on the first rung of the promotional ladder. Do they really want to scale a peak from which their fate can only be a dismal shunting into oblivion?
A classic masterpiece of management humor, aptly illustrated with wickedly barbed cartoons.
Socio Eco Pol / Current Affairs/ History:
“The Way of the World: A Story of Truth and Hope in an Age of Extremism” by Ron Suskind @Rs. 625/- (415 pgs)In a sweeping, propulsive and multilayered narrative, The Way of the World investigates how the West relinquished the moral leadership it now desperately needs to fight the real threat of our era: a nuclear weapon in the hands of terrorists. Suskind shows where the most neglected dangers lie in the story of ‘The Armageddon Test’ – a desperate gamble to send undercover teams into the world’s nuclear black market to frustrate the efforts of terrorists trying to procure weapons-grade uranium. Finally, he reveals the explosive falsehood underlying the Iraq War and the Blair-Bush coalition.
Simultaneously following an ensemble of characters around the world, including a striving 24-year-old Pakistani émigré́, a fearless UN refugee commissioner, and Benazir Bhutto, who discovers days before her death, how she’s been abandoned by the US, The Way of the World is a test of Western values at a time of peril.
“187 Lives: A Remembrance” by The Indian Express Team @ Rs.395/-(225 pgs)A week after the Mumbai train blasts on July 11, 2006, in which 187 people dies, The Indian Express began a series documenting each of the lives lost, their dreams, their doubts, their hopes and struggles. This volume seeks to consolidate their memory in the form of a book.
Equally, this book is a tribute to the indefatigable spirit of Mumbai and its citizens who worked tirelessly through the night to help the wounded, the stranded and the missing, but for whom it was business as usual the next morning, as sixteen hours later, the Mumbai Locals rolled out again and a grieving city went about its business. In addition, 187 Lives looks at the major leads that helped resolve this case and zero in on the accused. Proceeds from this book will go to The Indian Express Citizen Relief Fund and will be used to aid terror victims.
“The Siege of Mecca: The Forgotten Uprising in Islam’s Holiest Shrine” by Yaroslav Trofimov @Rs.360/- (300 pgs)20 November 1979: As morning prayers began, hundreds of hardline Islamist gunmen, armed with rifles smuggled in coffins, stormed the Grand Mosque in Mecca. With thousands of terrified worshippers trapped inside, the result was a bloody siege that lasted two weeks, caused hundreds of deaths, prompted an international diplomatic crisis and unleashed forces that would eventually lead to the rise of al Qauda.
Journalist Yaraslov Trofimov takes us day-by-day through one of the most momentous – and heavily censored – events in recent history, interviewing many direct participants in the siege and drawing on secret documents to reveal the truth about the first operation of modern global jihad.
Personalities/ Memoirs :
“The Mighty and the Almighty: Reflections on Power. God and World Affairs” by Madeline Albright @ Rs.360/-(300 pgs)From the bestselling author of Madame Secretary comes a provocative look at the role of religion in world affairs, through the lens of history and of her own personal experiences in office. Does America, as Geroge W. bush has proclaimed, have a special mission derived from God, to bring liberty and democracy to the world? How much influence does the Christian right have over US foreign policy?
Madeline Albright offers a sharp critique of US policy, condemnation for those who exploit religious fervour for violent ends and praise for political, cultural and spiritual leaders who seek to harness the values of faith to bring people together.
“Hugo! The Hugo Chávez Story” by Bart Jones @ Rs.520/-(483 pgs)In December 2006, when Hugo Chávez declared at the UN that ‘the devil came here yesterday…the President of the United States,’ it was clear that one man was taking the most powerful nation on Earth head-on.
The ruling elites in Venezuela and the United States are keen to paint Chávez as the heir to Castro. From Jones’s account however, he emerges as far more complex; a master politician and an inspired improviser, a Bolivarian nationalist and an unashamed socialist.
Jones tells the story of Chávez’s impoverished childhood his military career and the election campaign against a former Miss Universe that finally won him the Presidency.
Dramatic and superbly described, Hugo! brings to life a charismatic leader whose stories extend ‘from mud hut to perpetual revolution.’
“An Outsider in Politics” by Krishna Bose @ Rs.599/-(256 pgs)Writer, educationist and three-time Lok Sabha MP from Kolkata, Kirshna Bose gives a compelling account from the time she was a schoolgirl witnessing some of the tragic scenes that accompanied Partition to her stint as chairperson of the parliamentary standing committee on external affairs.
Married into the family of Subhas Chandra Bose, Bose’s acute yet sympathetic observations combine to form an elegantly written intimate history as well as a gripping political memoir.
Travel:
“Higher than the Eagle Soars: A Path to Everest” by Stephen Venables @ Rs.495/-(353 pgs)
High, wild places have dominated Stephen Venables’ life and now he has written a full autobiography which explores how and – more importantly – why he became a mountaineer. Venables reveals a series of never-recorded adventures on four continents. At its climax he revisits his dramatic success without oxygen on the Kangshung Face of Everest, described by Reinhold Messner as the most adventurous in Everest’s history. As Venables writes: ‘Although we didn’t go seeking deliberately an epic near-death experience, it did turn out that way – the ultimate endurance test for which all the previous adventures seemed, retrospectively, to be a preparation.’
“Outlook Traveller: 45 Weekend Breaks from Hyderabad” @Rs.295/- (415 pgs)Sail on the Vasishta Godavari in Konaseema, search for the nine Narasimhas in Ahobilam and sample the chepala pulusu of Warangai. Soak your feet in the soothing waters of the Kailashnathakona falls and explore the former capitals of ancient kings that lie in the shadow of Hyderabad.
This book tells you how…and much more.
Others:
“Sarama and her Children: The Dog in Indian Myth” by Bibek Debroy @ Rs. 350/- (243 pgs)
The written proof of an economist and research professor’s love for both-Indology and dogs, this book is a one-of –a- kind narrative of the attitude towards the dog in Indian myth and history. Tracing the Indian attitude towards the dog in a chronological manner with pre-Vedic Indus valley civilization, he incorporates 29 ancient as well as modern short stories to prove his point! He traces how although initially dogs were treated with ‘respect’, their tribe soon had to bear negative connotations by the time of the Mahabharata, only to regain their lost dignity in later times through the Jataka and Hitopadesha tales, as well as the doctrines associated with Shiva. In a light hearted manner, the author ensures that the Indian dog finally has its day!
Other new books at the Store:
DK Eyewitness Travel: India @Rs. 895/- (823 pgs)
The Game- Changer: How Every Leader Can Drive Everyday Innovation by A. G. Lafley and Ram Charan
Mike’s Election Guide 2008 by Michael Moore @ Rs.250/-(155 pgs)
You Are Here by Meenakshi Reddy Madhavan @ Rs.199/-(255 pgs)
A Sense of Urgency by John P. Kotter @ Rs.495/-(194 pgs)
Empires of the Indus: The Story of a River by Alice Albinia @ Rs.550/-(309 pgs)
Silks by Dick Francis and Felix Francis @ Rs.395/-(368 pgs)
Outlook Traveller: New York @ Rs.445/-(343 pgs)
The Evil Seed by Joanne Harris @ Rs.355/-(443 pgs)
The Folklore of Discworld by Terry Pratchett & Jaqueline Simpson @ Rs.905/-(372 pgs)
Attila the Hun: Barbarian Terror and the Fall of the Roman Empire by Christopher Kelly @ Rs.540/-(230 pgs)
Freedom’s Child: Growing Up During Satyagraha by Chandralekha Mehta @Rs. 199/- (182 pgs)
Girls of Riyadh by Rajaa Alsanea @Rs. 295/- (300 pgs)
The Snake Stone by Jason Goodwin @Rs. 295/- (308 pgs)
Star Wars: Street of Shadows by Michael Reaves @Rs. 250/- (308 pgs)
Alternative Cures by Bill Gottlieb @Rs. 250/- (796 pgs)
White Man Falling by Mike Stocks @ Rs.250/-(302 pgs)
The Healing by Gita Aravamudan @ Rs.295/-(288 pgs)
My Family and Other Saints by Kirin Narayan @ Rs.295/-(339 pgs)
Private Life of an Indian Prince by Mulk Raj Anand @ Rs.395/-(389 pgs)
Tales of Wit and Wisdom: Riddles, hilarious escapades and facts for young and old alike
Enjoy your books and HappyReading,
From the team at,
twistntales
Monday, September 8, 2008
Bihar Flood Relief
An appeal sent by my cousin, Chandra Vishwanath, who heads AID India in Chennai
Bihar has been hit by a terrible flood. It is one of the worst disasters to strike the country. It is worse than the Tsunami, worse than the Gujarat Earthquake. Several million people have been affected. Entire districts - villages and towns - have been washed away. The number of people dead is not even known.
There are over 6 lakh people living in 200 relief camps. In Saharsa district alone there are 2 Lakh people in 68 relief camps. Similar numbers are living in camps in Madhepura, Supaul, Araria, Purnia and Katihar districts. And many more (those who are better off and have relatives and friends outside) have fled these districts.
This is NOT the usual Bihar flooding.
Usually the Kosi river overflows its banks and floods the villages nearby. The people in these villages are prepared for it.
This year, the Kosi completely changed course - sweeping across several districts. Thousands of villages that never had experienced flooding before are now submerged in water. The people living there were completely taken by surprise. Many have died. Others have lost everything - they are without clothes, food, homes, money.
The scale of the disaster is much bigger than the Tsunami. But because it is Bihar and people think this is like the usual annual flooding, there has been very little coverage of the flooding and very little support pouring in for relief. There is an urgent need to inform people about the nature of this disaster and to mobilize support.
For a week now, AID INDIA’s Bihar team has been on the field organizing rescue and relief efforts in the affected districts. So far we have been able to organize some rescue operations and have provided food, milk for children, and medical support for children in several camps.
But this is not enough - the scale of the disaster is very large and the need is a lot more. Pratham teams in Bihar have also started working with us and we will now be scaling up the relief efforts significantly.
After the initial shock, the government has been taking a lot of steps to organize rescue and relief operations. The army has rescued people from most of the places. The immediate focus needs to be on food, clothing and health needs of the people in relief camps. Some food is being provided at the camps - but there is a severe shortage and lot of rioting to get at the food.
Children are the most affected.
Our immediate focus is on children - there are about 2 lakh children in all the camps. Milk, biscuits and food for children is the first priority now. We are trying to ensure that milk and food reaches all the children in all the relief camps.
The second need is clothes. Most people left their homes with what they were wearing.
We need children’s clothes, saris for women, undergarments, lungis and lots of blankets. Disease outbreaks are becoming a serious threat and we need medicines.
After the immediate phase, the need will be to focus on health, education, shelter and livelihood needs.
But at present, given the scale of the problem, getting past the immediate relief and survival needs are the most critical issues to address.
AID INDIA and Pratham field teams need a lot of support at this time. We need:
1. Funds: You can donate online at www.eurekachild.org/biharflood or you can send a check payable to AID INDIA (mention Bihar Flood Relief) to:
AID INDIA
Post Box No: 4903, Gopalapuram, Chennai - 600086, India.
Phone: +91-44-42636125/ 28350403
2. Food: Milk Powder and Biscuits
3. Clothes: Children’s clothes, saris, lungis and blankets
4. Volunteers: To raise awareness and mobilize support, help with collection and packaging. We also need volunteers to work with our relief teams at the field (but for that you must spend at least 10 days in the affected areas and must be very healthy and ready to work in difficult circumstances.)
To keep everyone updated on what’s happening at the field level, we have set up a separate website for the relief efforts:
www.eurekachild.org/biharflood
Please direct your friends and others you know to this site. We will keep posting new updates, reports, photos and other information from the field at this site.
For more information please contact: eurekachild@gmail.com or
Chandra: +91-97909-20752(chanvish@yahoo.com)
Prabha: +91-98403-51132 (prabha.balaraman@gmail.com)
REACH OUT FRIENDS, SHOW THAT YOU CARE.
Bihar has been hit by a terrible flood. It is one of the worst disasters to strike the country. It is worse than the Tsunami, worse than the Gujarat Earthquake. Several million people have been affected. Entire districts - villages and towns - have been washed away. The number of people dead is not even known.
There are over 6 lakh people living in 200 relief camps. In Saharsa district alone there are 2 Lakh people in 68 relief camps. Similar numbers are living in camps in Madhepura, Supaul, Araria, Purnia and Katihar districts. And many more (those who are better off and have relatives and friends outside) have fled these districts.
This is NOT the usual Bihar flooding.
Usually the Kosi river overflows its banks and floods the villages nearby. The people in these villages are prepared for it.
This year, the Kosi completely changed course - sweeping across several districts. Thousands of villages that never had experienced flooding before are now submerged in water. The people living there were completely taken by surprise. Many have died. Others have lost everything - they are without clothes, food, homes, money.
The scale of the disaster is much bigger than the Tsunami. But because it is Bihar and people think this is like the usual annual flooding, there has been very little coverage of the flooding and very little support pouring in for relief. There is an urgent need to inform people about the nature of this disaster and to mobilize support.
For a week now, AID INDIA’s Bihar team has been on the field organizing rescue and relief efforts in the affected districts. So far we have been able to organize some rescue operations and have provided food, milk for children, and medical support for children in several camps.
But this is not enough - the scale of the disaster is very large and the need is a lot more. Pratham teams in Bihar have also started working with us and we will now be scaling up the relief efforts significantly.
After the initial shock, the government has been taking a lot of steps to organize rescue and relief operations. The army has rescued people from most of the places. The immediate focus needs to be on food, clothing and health needs of the people in relief camps. Some food is being provided at the camps - but there is a severe shortage and lot of rioting to get at the food.
Children are the most affected.
Our immediate focus is on children - there are about 2 lakh children in all the camps. Milk, biscuits and food for children is the first priority now. We are trying to ensure that milk and food reaches all the children in all the relief camps.
The second need is clothes. Most people left their homes with what they were wearing.
We need children’s clothes, saris for women, undergarments, lungis and lots of blankets. Disease outbreaks are becoming a serious threat and we need medicines.
After the immediate phase, the need will be to focus on health, education, shelter and livelihood needs.
But at present, given the scale of the problem, getting past the immediate relief and survival needs are the most critical issues to address.
AID INDIA and Pratham field teams need a lot of support at this time. We need:
1. Funds: You can donate online at www.eurekachild.org/biharflood or you can send a check payable to AID INDIA (mention Bihar Flood Relief) to:
AID INDIA
Post Box No: 4903, Gopalapuram, Chennai - 600086, India.
Phone: +91-44-42636125/ 28350403
2. Food: Milk Powder and Biscuits
3. Clothes: Children’s clothes, saris, lungis and blankets
4. Volunteers: To raise awareness and mobilize support, help with collection and packaging. We also need volunteers to work with our relief teams at the field (but for that you must spend at least 10 days in the affected areas and must be very healthy and ready to work in difficult circumstances.)
To keep everyone updated on what’s happening at the field level, we have set up a separate website for the relief efforts:
www.eurekachild.org/biharflood
Please direct your friends and others you know to this site. We will keep posting new updates, reports, photos and other information from the field at this site.
For more information please contact: eurekachild@gmail.com or
Chandra: +91-97909-20752(chanvish@yahoo.com)
Prabha: +91-98403-51132 (prabha.balaraman@gmail.com)
REACH OUT FRIENDS, SHOW THAT YOU CARE.
As a retailer/ customer !
I write this as a consumer and retailer.
Many are our needs and requirements as customers. But the way we get serviced is pathetic. But the problem is we are beginning to accept shoddy service - if this is from small kirana merchants, it may still be ok.... But our/my experience shows they are damn good in service. Its the large format Store that's the issue. And this inspite of big Corporates with advanced systems running it. And they get away becoz we let them do it.
I have not got my card slip printout at "Bombay Store" because the machine ran out of paper. Its such a simple thing to load/ chk paper in card machine before a transanction. "Pulse" has misplaced my membership form 3 times. Now i am too tired to fill another form. I would rather pay a little more. Ditto with the big branded bookstore ! At "Reliance fresh", yesterday i was told, you get 1 kg sugar free, but we are out of sugar. In "More", when my husband didn't have membership number, coolly the points got added to some other member. We have the bills, and my husband has written to Aditya Birla Group, highlighting the corruption.... but no response.
My f-in law passed away in April, still my mom-in law is not receiving her pension (6 months), because "SBI" has misplaced papers TWICE ! Ditto with "ICICI bank" for demat. The less said about "Airtel" and "Reliance telecom", the better. And i'm not talking about the Subikshas and Big Bazaars of the world, where u are told clearly that this is a bargain hunt, do not expect service !
Phew, the list is endless ! I have got good service at Pankaj Varieties. And at Hanuman. And at Dhanashri. Everywhere else, i think we can teach a thing or two. I like to believe that we give good service. And that's why i am happier taking enthusiastic students rather tan "regular" employees.
Comments ?
Many are our needs and requirements as customers. But the way we get serviced is pathetic. But the problem is we are beginning to accept shoddy service - if this is from small kirana merchants, it may still be ok.... But our/my experience shows they are damn good in service. Its the large format Store that's the issue. And this inspite of big Corporates with advanced systems running it. And they get away becoz we let them do it.
I have not got my card slip printout at "Bombay Store" because the machine ran out of paper. Its such a simple thing to load/ chk paper in card machine before a transanction. "Pulse" has misplaced my membership form 3 times. Now i am too tired to fill another form. I would rather pay a little more. Ditto with the big branded bookstore ! At "Reliance fresh", yesterday i was told, you get 1 kg sugar free, but we are out of sugar. In "More", when my husband didn't have membership number, coolly the points got added to some other member. We have the bills, and my husband has written to Aditya Birla Group, highlighting the corruption.... but no response.
My f-in law passed away in April, still my mom-in law is not receiving her pension (6 months), because "SBI" has misplaced papers TWICE ! Ditto with "ICICI bank" for demat. The less said about "Airtel" and "Reliance telecom", the better. And i'm not talking about the Subikshas and Big Bazaars of the world, where u are told clearly that this is a bargain hunt, do not expect service !
Phew, the list is endless ! I have got good service at Pankaj Varieties. And at Hanuman. And at Dhanashri. Everywhere else, i think we can teach a thing or two. I like to believe that we give good service. And that's why i am happier taking enthusiastic students rather tan "regular" employees.
Comments ?
That's my book !!!
"NONFICTION: McMurtry recounts life as reader, writer, bookseller
Sunday, Aug 03, 2008 - 12:02 AM
By JAY STRAFFORD
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER
NONFICTION
For the true bibliophile, books are as essential to life as air. No book-lover would be caught in a doctor's waiting room, or an airport lounge, or even a traffic standstill, without something substantial to read. Pruning a collection that threatens to overflow one's home can be as painful as watching a child leave the nest, but spending hours in a bookstore -- new, used or specialty -- can be blissful (and never mind the coffee).
OK, so we're a bit obsessive. But as Virginia's own Renaissance man, Thomas Jefferson, once said, "I cannot live without books."
Neither can the distinguished American author Larry McMurtry, whose "Books: A Memoir" is the captivating story of his nearly lifelong devotion.
McMurtry's story, which begins on the ranch in northern Texas where he spent his early years (he was born in 1936), does not start with promise: "I don't remember either of my parents ever reading me a story." On the ranch, he writes: "Of books, there were none."
But one day in 1942, a cousin on the way to enlist in the military for World War II "stopped by the ranch house and gave me the gift that changed my life. The gift was a box containing nineteen books."
And the rest, as they say, is history -- and fiction, and screenwriting, and the eventual accumulation of a personal library of 28,000 volumes, and a sideline (although the word may not convey the depth of McMurtry's passion) as an antiquarian bookseller.
The focus of "Books: A Memoir" is on McMurtry's life as a bookman, but he gives us some insights into the worlds of reading and writing, too.
Reading, he says, gave him a window onto the larger world: "The reason is that, in our country isolation, I came to reading before I came to American popular culture generally."
And reading led to writing. His first book, 1961's "Horseman, Pass By," became the revered movie "Hud" with Paul Newman, Patricia Neal, Melvyn Douglas and Brandon De Wilde. But the prolific McMurtry (28 novels, two collections of essays, three memoirs and more than 30 screenplays) is probably best known for 1985's "Lonesone Dove" -- a book he rightly calls the "Gone With the Wind" of the American West -- and its successors, both sequel and prequels.
Still, the heart of this latest memoir is bookselling, complete with descriptions of the eccentric scouts who keep the antiquarian business alive. His main store is now in his hometown of Archer City, Texas, but he owned Booked Up in Georgetown with Marcia Carter for more than 20 years. The stories he tells of some of Washington's swells are priceless:
Janet Auchincloss, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis' snobbish mother, wanted to sell some of the library of her late husband, Hugh D. Auchincloss. But she knew Carter and her mother socially, and she was horrified to find Carter "in trade" and couldn't bear the thought of doing business with her. It was left to the grande dame's latest fiancé to deal with the buyers.
Diplomat David K.E. Bruce owned substantial libraries at his Georgetown house and his family estate, Staunton Hill, in Virginia's Charlotte County. McMurtry's account of acquiring Bruce books in fits and starts is a lesson in diplomacy itself. But mediation was unnecessary in dealing with Bruce's widow, a social lioness in her own right. "Evangeline Bruce could not have cared less that we were in trade. She happily took our check, and banked it."
Despite Washington being a book-lover's dream town, only once, McMurtry writes, did he and Carter sell a book to a member of Congress: then-Sen. Charles McC. Mathias, R-Md. Then-Sen. Gary Hart, D-Colo., browsed from time to time but, to McMurtry's recollection, never bought.
As entertaining as "Books: A Memoir" is, though, at its heart lies sadness -- an elegy for the many independent bookstores that have closed, as well as a lament for reading: "Today the sight that discourages book people most is to walk into a public library and see computers where books used to be. . . . Computers now literally drive out books from the place that should, by definition, be books' own home: the library."
But as long as writers such as McMurtry can string together words such as those, reading will not die, and books will live on. Put this engaging memoir on your summer-reading list, and revel in the stories McMurtry tells of the lovable eccentrics known as bibliophiles."
Am looking for this book ? anyone ?
Sunday, Aug 03, 2008 - 12:02 AM
By JAY STRAFFORD
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER
NONFICTION
For the true bibliophile, books are as essential to life as air. No book-lover would be caught in a doctor's waiting room, or an airport lounge, or even a traffic standstill, without something substantial to read. Pruning a collection that threatens to overflow one's home can be as painful as watching a child leave the nest, but spending hours in a bookstore -- new, used or specialty -- can be blissful (and never mind the coffee).
OK, so we're a bit obsessive. But as Virginia's own Renaissance man, Thomas Jefferson, once said, "I cannot live without books."
Neither can the distinguished American author Larry McMurtry, whose "Books: A Memoir" is the captivating story of his nearly lifelong devotion.
McMurtry's story, which begins on the ranch in northern Texas where he spent his early years (he was born in 1936), does not start with promise: "I don't remember either of my parents ever reading me a story." On the ranch, he writes: "Of books, there were none."
But one day in 1942, a cousin on the way to enlist in the military for World War II "stopped by the ranch house and gave me the gift that changed my life. The gift was a box containing nineteen books."
And the rest, as they say, is history -- and fiction, and screenwriting, and the eventual accumulation of a personal library of 28,000 volumes, and a sideline (although the word may not convey the depth of McMurtry's passion) as an antiquarian bookseller.
The focus of "Books: A Memoir" is on McMurtry's life as a bookman, but he gives us some insights into the worlds of reading and writing, too.
Reading, he says, gave him a window onto the larger world: "The reason is that, in our country isolation, I came to reading before I came to American popular culture generally."
And reading led to writing. His first book, 1961's "Horseman, Pass By," became the revered movie "Hud" with Paul Newman, Patricia Neal, Melvyn Douglas and Brandon De Wilde. But the prolific McMurtry (28 novels, two collections of essays, three memoirs and more than 30 screenplays) is probably best known for 1985's "Lonesone Dove" -- a book he rightly calls the "Gone With the Wind" of the American West -- and its successors, both sequel and prequels.
Still, the heart of this latest memoir is bookselling, complete with descriptions of the eccentric scouts who keep the antiquarian business alive. His main store is now in his hometown of Archer City, Texas, but he owned Booked Up in Georgetown with Marcia Carter for more than 20 years. The stories he tells of some of Washington's swells are priceless:
Janet Auchincloss, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis' snobbish mother, wanted to sell some of the library of her late husband, Hugh D. Auchincloss. But she knew Carter and her mother socially, and she was horrified to find Carter "in trade" and couldn't bear the thought of doing business with her. It was left to the grande dame's latest fiancé to deal with the buyers.
Diplomat David K.E. Bruce owned substantial libraries at his Georgetown house and his family estate, Staunton Hill, in Virginia's Charlotte County. McMurtry's account of acquiring Bruce books in fits and starts is a lesson in diplomacy itself. But mediation was unnecessary in dealing with Bruce's widow, a social lioness in her own right. "Evangeline Bruce could not have cared less that we were in trade. She happily took our check, and banked it."
Despite Washington being a book-lover's dream town, only once, McMurtry writes, did he and Carter sell a book to a member of Congress: then-Sen. Charles McC. Mathias, R-Md. Then-Sen. Gary Hart, D-Colo., browsed from time to time but, to McMurtry's recollection, never bought.
As entertaining as "Books: A Memoir" is, though, at its heart lies sadness -- an elegy for the many independent bookstores that have closed, as well as a lament for reading: "Today the sight that discourages book people most is to walk into a public library and see computers where books used to be. . . . Computers now literally drive out books from the place that should, by definition, be books' own home: the library."
But as long as writers such as McMurtry can string together words such as those, reading will not die, and books will live on. Put this engaging memoir on your summer-reading list, and revel in the stories McMurtry tells of the lovable eccentrics known as bibliophiles."
Am looking for this book ? anyone ?
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Me me me me
My article on Indian Writing in English is up on Chillibreeze. Tis but a sample, but it's there...and has bee rated pretty well.
I'm excited :) :) :)
And of course Boss....twas all the Store that did it!
Go see.
I'm excited :) :) :)
And of course Boss....twas all the Store that did it!
Go see.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Akash, Our head stands tall
Often I write about our girls who have done us proud. But the boys ?
For one, there have not been many. But the few who have been there have made us proud. Very Proud indeed.
Akash Dopeshwarkar, who has been with us in many stints and different avtaars.... has truly shone. Working with Nishikant Kamath in Dombivili Fast was his first break. But the big break has happened and the film has opened on Friday to rave reviews. "Mumbai Meri Jaan" is a good film. And our Akash is the Assistant Director of the film. Need i say more ? Congratulations Akash. We are truly proud. Like Dombivili Fast which made it to Cannes, we hope "Mumbai Meri Jaan" will make it to the Oscars.
Of course, there are others who are also well known personalities and stars in their own right. They all started right here, in twistntales. Like RJ Shrikant - who roped in Akash later !
We need more boys in our team. Bright Sparks all !
For one, there have not been many. But the few who have been there have made us proud. Very Proud indeed.
Akash Dopeshwarkar, who has been with us in many stints and different avtaars.... has truly shone. Working with Nishikant Kamath in Dombivili Fast was his first break. But the big break has happened and the film has opened on Friday to rave reviews. "Mumbai Meri Jaan" is a good film. And our Akash is the Assistant Director of the film. Need i say more ? Congratulations Akash. We are truly proud. Like Dombivili Fast which made it to Cannes, we hope "Mumbai Meri Jaan" will make it to the Oscars.
Of course, there are others who are also well known personalities and stars in their own right. They all started right here, in twistntales. Like RJ Shrikant - who roped in Akash later !
We need more boys in our team. Bright Sparks all !
Saturday, August 23, 2008
I cannot ask for more !
Our Infy exhibition finished yesterday. I could not have asked for more ... met our targets and more.
And that's thanks to the wonderful team that i had with me. Tia, Shama and kshitija were outstanding in their effort. To see some of these kids come out with such superlative effort testing physical and mental endurance, stamina time and again and coming out tops is extremely satisfying. I am extremely proud of them. Extremely proud is an understatement. Tia and Shama have done this before. To have these kids move from that experience to another level of experience, and though we were one hand short, we managed very well because of their previous experience.
Thankyou girls. I am really going to miss working with you.
Ofcourse, there was shradha and jahnavi who backed up very well. Rupali who dropped in in early stages to help with coding. Every bit helps.
But Tia, Shama and Kshitija - you were truly outstanding. I could not have asked for more !
And that's thanks to the wonderful team that i had with me. Tia, Shama and kshitija were outstanding in their effort. To see some of these kids come out with such superlative effort testing physical and mental endurance, stamina time and again and coming out tops is extremely satisfying. I am extremely proud of them. Extremely proud is an understatement. Tia and Shama have done this before. To have these kids move from that experience to another level of experience, and though we were one hand short, we managed very well because of their previous experience.
Thankyou girls. I am really going to miss working with you.
Ofcourse, there was shradha and jahnavi who backed up very well. Rupali who dropped in in early stages to help with coding. Every bit helps.
But Tia, Shama and Kshitija - you were truly outstanding. I could not have asked for more !
Monday, August 11, 2008
The School of Life
I'm a big fan of whacky educational spaces. I loved the classrooms in college mainly because of the totally inane graffiti that covered the walls, the high, high ceilings, the etchings on the desks....
Last night, while surfing for some information on philosopher and author Alain de Botton, I chanced upon a little line that stated that he had helped to found a university called 'The School of Life.'
Classes are held in an underground classroom in the back of a bookshop. The shop is part of the university and has shelves for 'those who want to change the world,' 'those who have recently fallen in love,' 'those with a short attention span' and so on. The five taught courses are family, work, play, love and politics.
How I would love to nonchalantly tell people I study in the School of Life, majoring in Love!!!
Aaaaaand....they have Bibliotherapy! Actual sessions where you outline your requirements and get a reading prescription. Doesn't that sound like us????
Go explore for yourselves!
Tis all very exciting!
Last night, while surfing for some information on philosopher and author Alain de Botton, I chanced upon a little line that stated that he had helped to found a university called 'The School of Life.'
Classes are held in an underground classroom in the back of a bookshop. The shop is part of the university and has shelves for 'those who want to change the world,' 'those who have recently fallen in love,' 'those with a short attention span' and so on. The five taught courses are family, work, play, love and politics.
How I would love to nonchalantly tell people I study in the School of Life, majoring in Love!!!
Aaaaaand....they have Bibliotherapy! Actual sessions where you outline your requirements and get a reading prescription. Doesn't that sound like us????
Go explore for yourselves!
Tis all very exciting!
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Thursday, July 24, 2008
The non-mistakes of his life !
Inaugural Speech for the new batch at the Symbiosis BBA program, Pune - 23rd June, 2008 – Chetan Bhagat Writer of 3 Mistakes of my life
Good Morning everyone and thank you for giving me this chance to speak to you. This day is about you. You, who have come to this college, leaving the comfort of your homes (or in some cases discomfort), to become something in your life. I am sure you are excited. There are few days in human life when one is truly elated. The first day in college is one of them. When you were getting ready today, you felt a tingling in your stomach. What would the auditorium be like, what would the teachers be like, who are my new classmates - there is so much to be curious about. I call this excitement, the spark within you that makes you feel truly alive today. Today I am going to talk about keeping the spark shining. Or to put it another way, how to be happy most, if not all the time.
Where do these sparks start? I think we are born with them. My 3-year old twin boys have a million sparks. A little Spiderman toy can make them jump on the bed. They get thrills from creaky swings in the park. A story from daddy gets them excited. They do a daily countdown for birthday party – several months in advance – just for the day they will cut their own birthday cake.
I see students like you, and I still see some sparks. But when I see older people, the spark is difficult to find. That means as we age, the spark fades. People whose spark has faded too much are dull, dejected, aimless and bitter. Remember Kareena in the first half of Jab We Met vs the second half? That is what happens when the spark is lost. So how to save the spark?
Imagine the spark to be a lamp's flame. The first aspect is nurturing - to give your spark the fuel, continuously. The second is to guard against storms.
To nurture, always have goals. It is human nature to strive, improve and achieve full potential. In fact, that is success. It is what is possible for you. It isn't any external measure - a certain cost to company pay package, a particular car or house.
Most of us are from middle class families. To us, having material landmarks is success and rightly so. When you have grown up where money constraints force everyday choices, financial freedom is a big achievement. But it isn't the purpose of life. If that was the case, Mr. Ambani would not show up for work. Shah Rukh Khan would stay at home and not dance anymore. Steve Jobs won't be working hard to make a better iPhone, as he sold Pixar for billions of dollars already. Why do they do it? What makes them come to work everyday? They do it because it makes them happy. They do it because it makes them feel alive. Just getting better from current levels feels good.If you study hard, you can improve your rank. If you make an effort to interact with people, you will do better in interviews. If you practice, your cricket will get better. You may also know that you cannot become Tendulkar, yet. But you can get to the next level. Striving for that next level is important.
Nature designed with a random set of genes and circumstances in which we were born. To be happy, we have to accept it and make the most of nature's design. Are you? Goals will help you do that. I must add, don't just have career or academic goals. Set goals to give you a balanced, successful life. I use the word balanced before successful. Balanced means ensuring your health, relationships, mental peace are all in good order.
There is no point of getting a promotion on the day of your breakup. There is no fun in driving a car if your back hurts. Shopping is not enjoyable if your mind is full of tensions.
You must have read some quotes - Life is a tough race, it is a marathon or whatever. No, from what I have seen so far, life is one of those races in nursery school, where you have to run with a marble in a spoon kept in your mouth. If the marble falls, there is no point coming first. Same with life, where health and relationships are the marble. Your striving is only worth it if there is harmony in your life. Else, you may achieve the success, but this spark, this feeling of being excited and alive, will start to die.
One last thing about nurturing the spark - don't take life seriously. One of my yoga teachers used to make students laugh during classes. One student asked him if these jokes would take away something from the yoga practice. The teacher said - don't be serious, be sincere. This quote has defined my work ever since. Whether its my writing, my job, my relationships or any of my goals. I get thousands of opinions on my writing everyday. There is heaps of praise, there is intense criticism. If I take it all seriously, how will I write? Or rather, how will I live? Life is not to be taken seriously, as we are really temporary here. We are like a pre-paid card with limited validity. If we are lucky, we may last another 50 years. And 50 years is just 2,500 weekends. Do we really need to get so worked up? It's ok, bunk a few classes, goof up a few interviews, fall in love. We are people, not programmed devices.
I've told you three things - reasonable goals, balance and not taking it too seriously that will nurture the spark. However, there are four storms in life that will threaten to completely put out the flame. These must be guarded against. These are disappointment, frustration, unfairness and loneliness of purpose.
Disappointment will come when your effort does not give you the expected return. If things don't go as planned or if you face failure. Failure is extremely difficult to handle, but those that do come out stronger. What did this failure teach me? is the question you will need to ask. You will feel miserable. You will want to quit, like I wanted to when nine publishers rejected my first book. Some IITians kill themselves over low grades – how silly is that? But that is how much failure can hurt you. But it's life. If challenges could always be overcome, they would cease to be a challenge.And remember - if you are failing at something, that means you are at your limit or potential. And that's where you want to be.
Disappointment's cousin is frustration, the second storm. Have you ever been frustrated? It happens when things are stuck. This is especially relevant in India . From traffic jams to getting that job you deserve, sometimes things take so long that you don't know if you chose the right goal. After books, I set the goal of writing for Bollywood, as I thought they needed writers. I am called extremely lucky, but it took me five years to get close to a release. Frustration saps excitement, and turns your initial energy into something negative, making you a bitter person. How did I deal with it? A realistic assessment of the time involved – movies take a long time to make even though they are watched quickly, seeking a certain enjoyment in the process rather than the end result– at least I was learning how to write scripts, having a side plan – I had my third book to write and even something as simple as pleasurable distractions in your life - friends, food, travel can help you overcome it. Remember, nothing is to be taken seriously. Frustration is a sign somewhere, you took it too seriously.
Unfairness - this is hardest to deal with, but unfortunately that is how our country works. People with connections, rich dads, beautiful faces, pedigree find it easier to make it – not just in Bollywood, but everywhere. And sometimes it is just plain luck. There are so few opportunities in India , so many stars need to be aligned for you to make it happen. Merit and hard work is not always linked to achievement in the short term, but the long term correlation is high, and ultimately things do work out. But realize, there will be some people luckier than you. In fact, to have an opportunity to go to college and understand this speech in English means you are pretty damm lucky by Indian standards. Let's be grateful for what we have and get the strength to accept what we don't. I have so much love from my readers that other writers cannot even imagine it. However, I don't get literary praise. It's ok. I don't look like Aishwarya Rai, but I have two boys who I think are more beautiful than her. It's ok. Don't let unfairness kill your spark.
Finally, the last point that can kill your spark is isolation. As you grow older you will realize you are unique. When you are little, all kids want Ice cream and Spiderman. As you grow older to college, you still are a lot like your friends. But ten years later and you realize you are unique. What you want, what you believe in, what makes you feel, may be different from even the people closest to you. This can create conflict as your goals may not match with others. . And you may drop some of them. Basketball captains in college invariably stop playing basketball by the time they have their second child. They give up something that meant so much to them. They do it for their family. But in doing that, the spark dies. Never, ever make that compromise. Love yourself first, and then others.
There you go. I've told you the four thunderstorms - disappointment, frustration, unfairness and isolation. You cannot avoid them, as like the monsoon they will come into your life at regular intervals. You just need to keep the raincoat handy to not let the spark die.
I welcome you again to the most wonderful years of your life. If someone gave me the choice to go back in time, I will surely choose college. But I also hope that ten years later as well, your eyes will shine the same way as they do today. That you will Keep the Spark alive, not only through college, but through the next 2,500 weekends. And I hope not just you, but my whole country will keep that spark alive, as we really need it now more than any moment in history. And there is something cool about saying - I come from the land of a billion sparks.
Thank You.
Good Morning everyone and thank you for giving me this chance to speak to you. This day is about you. You, who have come to this college, leaving the comfort of your homes (or in some cases discomfort), to become something in your life. I am sure you are excited. There are few days in human life when one is truly elated. The first day in college is one of them. When you were getting ready today, you felt a tingling in your stomach. What would the auditorium be like, what would the teachers be like, who are my new classmates - there is so much to be curious about. I call this excitement, the spark within you that makes you feel truly alive today. Today I am going to talk about keeping the spark shining. Or to put it another way, how to be happy most, if not all the time.
Where do these sparks start? I think we are born with them. My 3-year old twin boys have a million sparks. A little Spiderman toy can make them jump on the bed. They get thrills from creaky swings in the park. A story from daddy gets them excited. They do a daily countdown for birthday party – several months in advance – just for the day they will cut their own birthday cake.
I see students like you, and I still see some sparks. But when I see older people, the spark is difficult to find. That means as we age, the spark fades. People whose spark has faded too much are dull, dejected, aimless and bitter. Remember Kareena in the first half of Jab We Met vs the second half? That is what happens when the spark is lost. So how to save the spark?
Imagine the spark to be a lamp's flame. The first aspect is nurturing - to give your spark the fuel, continuously. The second is to guard against storms.
To nurture, always have goals. It is human nature to strive, improve and achieve full potential. In fact, that is success. It is what is possible for you. It isn't any external measure - a certain cost to company pay package, a particular car or house.
Most of us are from middle class families. To us, having material landmarks is success and rightly so. When you have grown up where money constraints force everyday choices, financial freedom is a big achievement. But it isn't the purpose of life. If that was the case, Mr. Ambani would not show up for work. Shah Rukh Khan would stay at home and not dance anymore. Steve Jobs won't be working hard to make a better iPhone, as he sold Pixar for billions of dollars already. Why do they do it? What makes them come to work everyday? They do it because it makes them happy. They do it because it makes them feel alive. Just getting better from current levels feels good.If you study hard, you can improve your rank. If you make an effort to interact with people, you will do better in interviews. If you practice, your cricket will get better. You may also know that you cannot become Tendulkar, yet. But you can get to the next level. Striving for that next level is important.
Nature designed with a random set of genes and circumstances in which we were born. To be happy, we have to accept it and make the most of nature's design. Are you? Goals will help you do that. I must add, don't just have career or academic goals. Set goals to give you a balanced, successful life. I use the word balanced before successful. Balanced means ensuring your health, relationships, mental peace are all in good order.
There is no point of getting a promotion on the day of your breakup. There is no fun in driving a car if your back hurts. Shopping is not enjoyable if your mind is full of tensions.
You must have read some quotes - Life is a tough race, it is a marathon or whatever. No, from what I have seen so far, life is one of those races in nursery school, where you have to run with a marble in a spoon kept in your mouth. If the marble falls, there is no point coming first. Same with life, where health and relationships are the marble. Your striving is only worth it if there is harmony in your life. Else, you may achieve the success, but this spark, this feeling of being excited and alive, will start to die.
One last thing about nurturing the spark - don't take life seriously. One of my yoga teachers used to make students laugh during classes. One student asked him if these jokes would take away something from the yoga practice. The teacher said - don't be serious, be sincere. This quote has defined my work ever since. Whether its my writing, my job, my relationships or any of my goals. I get thousands of opinions on my writing everyday. There is heaps of praise, there is intense criticism. If I take it all seriously, how will I write? Or rather, how will I live? Life is not to be taken seriously, as we are really temporary here. We are like a pre-paid card with limited validity. If we are lucky, we may last another 50 years. And 50 years is just 2,500 weekends. Do we really need to get so worked up? It's ok, bunk a few classes, goof up a few interviews, fall in love. We are people, not programmed devices.
I've told you three things - reasonable goals, balance and not taking it too seriously that will nurture the spark. However, there are four storms in life that will threaten to completely put out the flame. These must be guarded against. These are disappointment, frustration, unfairness and loneliness of purpose.
Disappointment will come when your effort does not give you the expected return. If things don't go as planned or if you face failure. Failure is extremely difficult to handle, but those that do come out stronger. What did this failure teach me? is the question you will need to ask. You will feel miserable. You will want to quit, like I wanted to when nine publishers rejected my first book. Some IITians kill themselves over low grades – how silly is that? But that is how much failure can hurt you. But it's life. If challenges could always be overcome, they would cease to be a challenge.And remember - if you are failing at something, that means you are at your limit or potential. And that's where you want to be.
Disappointment's cousin is frustration, the second storm. Have you ever been frustrated? It happens when things are stuck. This is especially relevant in India . From traffic jams to getting that job you deserve, sometimes things take so long that you don't know if you chose the right goal. After books, I set the goal of writing for Bollywood, as I thought they needed writers. I am called extremely lucky, but it took me five years to get close to a release. Frustration saps excitement, and turns your initial energy into something negative, making you a bitter person. How did I deal with it? A realistic assessment of the time involved – movies take a long time to make even though they are watched quickly, seeking a certain enjoyment in the process rather than the end result– at least I was learning how to write scripts, having a side plan – I had my third book to write and even something as simple as pleasurable distractions in your life - friends, food, travel can help you overcome it. Remember, nothing is to be taken seriously. Frustration is a sign somewhere, you took it too seriously.
Unfairness - this is hardest to deal with, but unfortunately that is how our country works. People with connections, rich dads, beautiful faces, pedigree find it easier to make it – not just in Bollywood, but everywhere. And sometimes it is just plain luck. There are so few opportunities in India , so many stars need to be aligned for you to make it happen. Merit and hard work is not always linked to achievement in the short term, but the long term correlation is high, and ultimately things do work out. But realize, there will be some people luckier than you. In fact, to have an opportunity to go to college and understand this speech in English means you are pretty damm lucky by Indian standards. Let's be grateful for what we have and get the strength to accept what we don't. I have so much love from my readers that other writers cannot even imagine it. However, I don't get literary praise. It's ok. I don't look like Aishwarya Rai, but I have two boys who I think are more beautiful than her. It's ok. Don't let unfairness kill your spark.
Finally, the last point that can kill your spark is isolation. As you grow older you will realize you are unique. When you are little, all kids want Ice cream and Spiderman. As you grow older to college, you still are a lot like your friends. But ten years later and you realize you are unique. What you want, what you believe in, what makes you feel, may be different from even the people closest to you. This can create conflict as your goals may not match with others. . And you may drop some of them. Basketball captains in college invariably stop playing basketball by the time they have their second child. They give up something that meant so much to them. They do it for their family. But in doing that, the spark dies. Never, ever make that compromise. Love yourself first, and then others.
There you go. I've told you the four thunderstorms - disappointment, frustration, unfairness and isolation. You cannot avoid them, as like the monsoon they will come into your life at regular intervals. You just need to keep the raincoat handy to not let the spark die.
I welcome you again to the most wonderful years of your life. If someone gave me the choice to go back in time, I will surely choose college. But I also hope that ten years later as well, your eyes will shine the same way as they do today. That you will Keep the Spark alive, not only through college, but through the next 2,500 weekends. And I hope not just you, but my whole country will keep that spark alive, as we really need it now more than any moment in history. And there is something cool about saying - I come from the land of a billion sparks.
Thank You.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)