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Hi all,
Books books and more books! Rain or sunshine, weekday or weekend, for those of us addicted to reading, reading is a tonic, a booster, an energizer, a refresher, a calmer, a “balm”er …… sad are those who do not enjoy the pleasure of books and do not get transported to magical lands !
For those who believe in this magic, here’s another world of books that presents itself week after week with a kaleidoscope of varied hues.
New Arrivals :
Inspiration:
“Three Cups of Tea” by Greg Mortenson and David Relin @ Rs.395/- (349pgs)
Greg Mortenson is a high altitude climber trying to summit K2. After 2 unsuccessful summit attempts, Mortenson finds purpose in life. Working with nothing but gut feel, energy and raw courage, this book shows us Mortenson's journey from being a dreamer to successfully setting up series of schools in inhospitable high altitude zones of karokarram. Through areas of complete civil non governance, inhospitable terrain, tribal codes, and high anti american feelings, Mortenson has successfully ploughed his way through innumerable obstacles, and it is a complete triumph for the human spirit. It reminds you a little of the Alchemist. Solo and self driven, it shows that one person can really move mountains. Brilliant book. Highly recommended. Don't borrow, buy it. It helps Mortenson's cause!
“One Life to Ride: A Motorcycle Journey to the High Himalayas” by Ajit Harisinghani @ Rs.195/-(224pgs)
Beginning with a beautiful cover page, the book continues with its tryst with capturing the rugged beauty of the roads leading to Khardung –la. An entrancing travelogue of a journey performed by a practicing speech therapist with a yen for the dugh ...dugh...dugh of a Royal Enfield bullet! Beginning with the description a trailer ride from Pune to Goa, the actual action begins with plans of a 4300 kms motorcycle journey, solo until New Delhi .Once the journey begins, the witty, incisive reflections gives the reader a feeling of actually being there with the author. The tea – stall encounters of digital camera entranced village folk, mysterious sufi saints, the pleasure of riding on silk smooth roads maintained by the Border Roads Organization and the brave faces of Indian soldiers guarding our border in hostile conditions ..are just not to be missed.
“The Greatness Guide 2: 101 Ways to Reach the Next Level” by Robin Sharma @ Rs.195/- (203pgs)
The Greatness Guide 2 excites with uncommon advice that energizes delights! ’Be so good that they can’t ignore you’,’ Ask to Get’,’ Live an Intense Life’ are just a few. It aims at helping you to get to world class at work and in life, discover happiness and make the most of it, have more fun, simplify your personal and professional life. Each of the 101 simple yet powerful lessons are the proverbial egg-ons, so any random page could bring about that 360 degree change you’ve been aiming for.
“More Notes From the Universe: Life, Dreams and Happiness” by Mike Dooley @ Rs.560/- (218pgs)
In this second book in the ‘Notes From the Universe’ trilogy, the author again acts as liaison for the Universe serving you reminders to help keep readers grounded, excited, smiling their way to enlightenment .Each of the few lines on the beautifully designed page gently prods one to contemplate and concentrate on oneself and our thoughts. ‘There is no predicament that can’t be turned into an advantage and no burden that cannot give you wings….’It’s this wise!
“An Hour to Live, an Hour to Love” by Richard Carlson & Kristine Carlson @ Rs.580/-(61 pgs)
A profoundly moving book that shows the importance of treasuring each day as the incredible gift that it is. Savoring each little joy that comes our way in life makes us realize that actually the things we love most never really cost much money! What if we were given just an hour to live? How would we spend it? Whom would we call? Whom would we want to be close to? What would we want to say? This book can ask some really meaningful queries which will make us sit up and pay good attention to the way our life is shaping up.
“Mental Resilience: The Power of Clarity- How to Develop the Focus of A Warrior and the Peace of a Monk” by Kamal Sarma @ Rs.670/- (194pgs)
From practicing spirituality to training for leadership, the author comes a long way and this book contains a fair amount of the skills and knowledge gleaned from such a momentous career span. Dealing with the scenario when every person encounters challenges, personal or professional, the author lays down a clear and succinct game plan to disallow stress to overcome calm. Simple techniques and proven skills to enhance mental resilience are drawn from age old wisdom of monks as well as warriors. The inclusion of an audio CD makes understanding and practicing these techniques easier and effective.
Philosophy:
“Pointers from Ramesh Balsekar” by Gautam Sachdev @ Rs.250/- (99pgs)
The author has been a keen follower of the preaching’s of the Advaita sage Ramesh Balsekar since February 2000 and this book describes the pointers with which life’s situations can be calmly dealt with, how to enjoy the little pleasures of this gift of life and how to convert each pain and sorrow to peace and a new treasury of knowledge and experience.
“Advaita on Zen And Tao: Insights on Huang Po & Lao Tzu” by Ramesh Balsekar @ Rs.300/- (194pgs)
Advaita sage Ramesh Balsekar, author of over 20 books discusses Indian Philosophy and aims to form a confluence of the eternal philosophies of the Advaita, Zen and Tao. He draws from the deep recesses of all three philosophies to find that common thread which weaves the truth of every life, the power of the mind and the basic concept that ‘All there is, is Consciousness’. Through the 90, brief chapters the author explores the theories of Zen Master Huang Po and Tao Master Lao Tzu.
Management:
“The Necessary Revolution: How Individuals and Organizations Are Working Together To Create a Sustainable World” by Peter Senge @ Rs.895/- (406pgs)
From a senior lecturer at MIT, author of several bestsellers like ‘The Fifth Discipline’,’ Schools That Learn’ and ‘Presence’ is this book, brimming with inspiring stories from companies across the globe and people at various levels who have shown a positive path towards tackling social and environmental problems all around the world. Expounding the necessity of cross boundary collaboration to create a sustainable world for the present and future inhabitants .Stories from archives of Alcoa’s water use reduction goals, GE’s eco imagination initiative and Seventh Generation’s decision to shift some of their advertising to youth –led social change programs reinforce the faith that ‘Yes! Good things can be made possible!’
“Toyota Culture: The Heart and Soul of the Toyota Way” by Jeffery Liker @ Rs.450/- (562pgs)
After The Toyota Way, and The Toyota Talent, now comes The Toyota Culture, also by Jeffery Liker. When Toyota spells success, it makes it worthwhile to peep into what lies beneath the Company’s policies. An inside scoop of the people centric culture that sustains consistent growth, innovation and profits, is what the author lets us have. From attracting an exemplary workforce to using top-down and bottom–up planning process to involve everyone in achieving break-through goals, this book is a mine of information on Toyota’s recipe for sustained success.
Fiction:
“The Chronicles of Narnia” by C.S Lewis @ Rs.595/- (766pgs)
A fine collection of seven original novels, this magnificent omnibus is a real treat for lovers of Narnia. Journeys to the end of the world, fantastic creatures and epic battles between good and evil rivet you to every page. Each of the seven novels is a masterpiece in itself, drawing the reader into a land where magic meets reality.
“Devil May Care: A James Bond Novel” by Sebastian Faulks writing as Ian Fleming @ Rs.395/- (294pgs)
Bond Is Back .He is also back in the swinging 60’s! With hashish and heroin doing rounds in Britain and France to reach out to the rest of the world, the plot unfolds in Paris with Bond on a three month sabbatical which is rudely interrupted when a British airliner goes missing over Iraq …but with a willing and able accomplice like glamorous Scarlett Papava, he is more than willing and able to take on his most dangerous adversary as yet -’Dr.Julius Garner’. A good, old fashioned ;) Bond thriller, just right for a weekend read!
“The Secret of Lost Things” by Sheridan Hay @ Rs.395/- (354pgs)
Finally! A bookstore who - dunnit with intrigue in every page and realization that words are money and deception is power. What lies beneath the façade of simple bookselling is a ruthless bidding and competition to secure rare books by well….rare means and make mounds of money. It’s all about ethics and copyrights and how effective they really are.
“The World According to Bertie” by Alexander McCall Smith @Rs.275/- (329 pgs)
A 44, Scotland Street novel, this is woven by one hundred short chapters which contain random observations, memories, conversations and run –ins between some really eccentric characters! An artist, a gallery assistant, an anthropologist, a mummy terrified young Bertie, an heiress in search of true love, a harangued pet dog and more! Interspersed are some amusing sketches and some really thoughtful prose. It makes one realize that it would be a good idea if - some times, grown ups had better act like children to resolve the problems they create for themselves and children had better be left to savour their childhood before they reach the stage of the inescapable commitments of adulthood.
Indian Writing:
“The Sea of Poppies” by Amitav Ghosh @ Rs.599/- (515pgs)
The first of his new trilogy of novels, this master storyteller takes us on a journey of human interactions and bonding, of separation and confluence and a common urge...to reach their chosen destination. A vast ship Ibis sails through the Indian Ocean to the Mauritius and the people on board are a fancy motley array of sailors, stowaways, coolies and convicts. Set in the times of colonial upheaval of the mid nineteenth century, the intermingling of a bankrupt Rajah, a mulatto American, a widowed village woman blends a curious mix of jahaj-bhais. Between the Opium wars in the backstreets of China, from the poppy fields around the Ganges an epic journey begins.
“Families At Home” by Reeti Gadekar @Rs.295/- (266pgs)
A debut novel by Berlin based author, this is a book short listed for the Man Asian literary prize 2007.Set in turbulent ‘90’s, with Delhi as a backdrop, a story of murder/suicide, corruption, power play, ethical aberrations and human eccentricities that plague an upper-class ,politically connected business family .The difficult choices and dilemma faced by the investigating officer Nikhil Juneja, his own failings and the mind boggling interconnections and betrayals of the police force is brought to fore …so who can be trusted? Does truth ever prevail...intriguing tale.
“Neglected Lives” by Stephen Alter @Rs.225/-(182pgs)
A debut novel first published way back in 1978, this unerringly humane novel makes a comeback to reveal the otherwise veiled lives of an Anglo-Indian community in picturesque surroundings of Debrakot. When Lionel leaves behind a reckless love affair in Lucknow and reaches Debrakot, he is inescapably drawn into the lives of its inhabitants; only to discover troubling secrets, tragic emotions, fascinating characters, tenderness, affection and more heartbreak but finally, true love.
“Renuka” by Stephen Alter @Rs.250/-(224pgs)
The author’s fourth novel is set in the hill station (Landour, Mussoorie).It tells of the friendship between Renuka and Rachel two women from distinctly different backgrounds and their conversations and interactions reveal to the reader an entirely fresh prospective of each culture amidst a love –hate relationship between the local residents, Renuka and Rachel. Fifteen chapters, each beginning with a delicious recipe by an inhabitant of the hill station and involving that character make this an interesting presentation and a perfect backdrop for a plot involving women, women and women.
“T’Ta Professor” by Manohar Shyam Joshi, translated by Ira Pande @ Rs.299/-(139 pgs)
Set in a sleepy hamlet tucked away in the Himalayan climes of Almora, this is the brilliantly sketched story of Kashtivallabh Pant, ’dubbul MA ‘-his preoccupation with British habits criss cross his study of Hindi and History, thwarted ambitions, sly contention for power in the school where he teaches, forays into amorous relationships stifled by social inhibitions and a friend who also is a fierce contender for all that he covets! Humorous as well as touching this is proof that human traits know no boundaries of geography, culture or time. This classic from an iconic figure of Hindi literature who wrote the screenplays for serials like ‘Buniyaad’ ,’Mungerilal Ke Haseen Sapne’ and ‘Hum Log’ is effortlessly translated by Ira Pande, herself an established authoress and dedicated translator of Kumaoni literature.
Others:
“Young Rangers” by Sunjoy Monga @ Rs.350/- (144pgs) – Nature/ Environment
‘A way for today’s youth to come together for our Earth’ is the motto of this superbly crafted book, brimming with smart ways in which to sensitize youth about the importance of ecological conservation. From soil conservation to air pollution to global warming, the naturalist, writer, wildlife cinematographer author explains and explores each topic, bringing out the changes that human’s have brought about. Various innovative and simple methods are discussed to encourage young people to be more ware of the repercussions of their behavior on the environment. With sufficient picture plates, examples and a glossy set of pages, this is a fun way of learning all about what’s around you.
“Blackwater: The Rise of the World’s Most Powerful Mercenary Army” by Jeremy Scahill @ Rs.570/-(550pgs) – Socio Eco
Winner of the George Polk book Award, this fully revised and updated version of ‘Blackwater’ is the blood chilling account of the rise and success of the world’s most secretive, private mercenary army and its effect on today’s war on/of terror. From the gory streets of Baghdad to sleazy New Orleans, the U.S war machine’s sweeping orbit stuns and scandalizes one and all. With a chapter wise reference note at the end of the book, one can’t but wake up to the truth about today’s wars. They are all just mercenary.
“A to Z of Health Challenges after Thirty: A Practical Guide to Know Your Health Needs” by Ashok Jain @ Rs.225/- (290pgs) – Health.
As the title suggests this is a practical guide to correctly handle the physical and psychological changes that occur in our body after 30’s .With hectic lifestyles and nuclear families, often times one loses track of age (!) and with no voice of experience around, it could be easy to dither about some really common ailments or changes in the body; which could merely warrant a simple change in life style or maybe a good, thorough check up of the systems. The doctors tackle with gentle gusto almost every ailment that could visit a 30+ person and classify, describe and explain possible remedies .If not for the remedial measures, the fact that such afflictions are common to all persons at some point in their life can actually relieve one’s anxiety.
More new books:
“Discovering The Vedas: Origins, Mantras, Rituals, Insights” by Frits Staal @ Rs.495/- (419pgs)
“The Gravedigger’s Daughter” by Joyce Carol Oates @ Rs.295/- (582pgs)
“Sales Bible: The Ultimate Sales Resource” by Jeffrey Gitomer @ Rs.1005/- (291pgs)
“Happiness and Other Disorders” by Ahmad Saidullah @ Rs.299/- (255pgs)
“Super Crunchers: How Anything Can Be Predicted” by Ian Ayres @ Rs.350/- (260pgs)
“The Color Purple” by Alice Walker @ Rs.295/- (261pgs)
“Keep off the Grass” by Karan Bajaj @ Rs.195/- (259pgs)
“Zoom: The Global Race to Fuel the Car of the Future” by Iain Carson & Vijay V. Vaitheeswaran @ Rs.395/- (336pgs)
“Divide or Conquer: How Great Teams Turn Conflict Into Strength” by Diana McLain Smith @ Rs.935/- (289pgs)
“Smoke And Mirrors: An Experience of China” by Pallavi Aiyar @ Rs.395/- (273pgs)
“Rubbish Boyfriends” by Jessie Jones @ Rs.225/- (436pgs)
“A Journey Interrupted: Being Indian In Pakistan” by Farzana Versey @ Rs.295/- (279pgs)
“The Ghost” by Robert Harris @ Rs.255/- (400pgs)
“A House In The Old Style” by Ananda Mukerji @ Rs.295/- (311pgs)
“A Case Of Exploding Mangoes” by Mohammed Hanif @ Rs.395/- (295pgs)
“Bone China” by Roma Tearne @ Rs.295/- (400pgs)
“Redefining Global Strategy: Crossing Borders in a World Where Differences Still Matter” by Pankaj Ghemawat @ Rs.695/- (257pgs)
“Go Kiss The World: Life Lessons For the Young Professional” by Subroto Bagchi @ Rs.399/-(239pgs)
“A House in the Old Style” by Ananda Mukerji @ Rs.295/- (311pgs)
“Wolf Totem” by Jiang Rong @ Rs.525/- (527pgs)
“The Post –American World” by Fareed Zakaria @ Rs.499/- (292pgs)
“The Go- Giver: A little Story about A Powerful Business Idea” by Bob Burg and John Mann @ Rs.225/- (132pgs)
“The First 90 Days: Critical Success Strategies for New Leaders at All Levels” by Michael Watkins @ Rs.695/-(254pgs)
Happy Reading and see you at the Store!
From the team at
twistntales
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Monday, June 23, 2008
3 books of joy !
The last 2 weeks have been amazing... suddenly after a pause, i have read 3 brilliant books in a row ! And i have not even started with "Sea of Poppies" ... i need to breathe before i begin that.
First off the block was "Limping to the centre of the Earth" by Timeri Murari. This is an account of Murari's account of his Kailash parikrama and the walk to Tibet through the Indian Government ITBP route. The book is very good, extremely well documented, and one can actually live the journey. For those of us who have been through this journey before (I have in May, 2006), it is a re - living of every step. The Kailash yatra is easily one of the most ardous of all journeys. But its a journey also into the unknown, of cultures, of languages, of unpredictable weather and all this combined with the raw elements of nature make this a completely spiritual experience. Murari, though not religious has also felt and described the spiritual aspects of this journey. Its a brilliant book, if you enjoy mountains, cultures and Kailash. I do, and i loved the book. Highly recommended. This is a true twistntales bestseller.
Without a pause, i started on the Narmada book. This is another journey that i have been wanting to make, ever since i read "The Sacred Virgin" many many years ago. That was a journey done by Ambassador car. This one is Brilliant ! "The Narmada" by Amrit Lal Vegad is a recent translation, of a book originally written in Hindi.
The account of a journey by foot done 8 years back, in bits and parts (2 weeks at a time) all along the Narmada, is brilliant. I love rivers. Amrit Lal Vegad is an accomplished artist. His take on nature, on the river, on the peoples that inhabit by the banks, the cultural nuances are refreshing and are a delight to read. Another tnt bestseller !
The next is an international bestseller, making it to India now. "Three Cups of tea" has been eagerly awaited, and yes i picked the first copy in my store ! Greedy me ! But guys, it is truly a brilliant book. Books like Kite Runner and 3 cups of tea happen once in a while.
Greg Mortenson is a high altitude climber trying to summit K2. That's what drew me to this book in the first place. After 2 unsuccessful summit attempts, Mortenson finds purpose in life. Working with nothing but gut feel, energy and raw courage, this book shows us Mortenson's journey from being a dreamer to successfully setting up series of schools in inhospitable high altitude zones of karokarram. Through areas of complete civil non governance, inhospitable terrain, tribal codes, and high anti american feelings, Mortenson has successfully ploughed his way through innumerable obstacles, and it is a complete triumph for the human spirit. It reminded me a little of the Alchemist. Solo and self driven, it shows that one person can really move mountains. Brilliant book. Highly recommended. Don't borrow, buy it. It helps Mortenson's cause !
twistntales has often highlighted some lost but brilliantly written books, and these books come highly recommended at the Store. This post is a wider effort to do just that. Some of these books never show up in any bestseller list, but are honestly far far better than many that appear on the list. In the past, twistntales (tnt) has recommended "Book of Rachel" by Esther David, "Diddi" by Ira Pande, "The legends of Pensam" by Mamang Dai, "Moin and the monster" by Anoushka Ravishankar and so on... None of these made it to any list, but believe me, if you haven't read them yet, you have lost out.
First off the block was "Limping to the centre of the Earth" by Timeri Murari. This is an account of Murari's account of his Kailash parikrama and the walk to Tibet through the Indian Government ITBP route. The book is very good, extremely well documented, and one can actually live the journey. For those of us who have been through this journey before (I have in May, 2006), it is a re - living of every step. The Kailash yatra is easily one of the most ardous of all journeys. But its a journey also into the unknown, of cultures, of languages, of unpredictable weather and all this combined with the raw elements of nature make this a completely spiritual experience. Murari, though not religious has also felt and described the spiritual aspects of this journey. Its a brilliant book, if you enjoy mountains, cultures and Kailash. I do, and i loved the book. Highly recommended. This is a true twistntales bestseller.
Without a pause, i started on the Narmada book. This is another journey that i have been wanting to make, ever since i read "The Sacred Virgin" many many years ago. That was a journey done by Ambassador car. This one is Brilliant ! "The Narmada" by Amrit Lal Vegad is a recent translation, of a book originally written in Hindi.
The account of a journey by foot done 8 years back, in bits and parts (2 weeks at a time) all along the Narmada, is brilliant. I love rivers. Amrit Lal Vegad is an accomplished artist. His take on nature, on the river, on the peoples that inhabit by the banks, the cultural nuances are refreshing and are a delight to read. Another tnt bestseller !
The next is an international bestseller, making it to India now. "Three Cups of tea" has been eagerly awaited, and yes i picked the first copy in my store ! Greedy me ! But guys, it is truly a brilliant book. Books like Kite Runner and 3 cups of tea happen once in a while.
Greg Mortenson is a high altitude climber trying to summit K2. That's what drew me to this book in the first place. After 2 unsuccessful summit attempts, Mortenson finds purpose in life. Working with nothing but gut feel, energy and raw courage, this book shows us Mortenson's journey from being a dreamer to successfully setting up series of schools in inhospitable high altitude zones of karokarram. Through areas of complete civil non governance, inhospitable terrain, tribal codes, and high anti american feelings, Mortenson has successfully ploughed his way through innumerable obstacles, and it is a complete triumph for the human spirit. It reminded me a little of the Alchemist. Solo and self driven, it shows that one person can really move mountains. Brilliant book. Highly recommended. Don't borrow, buy it. It helps Mortenson's cause !
twistntales has often highlighted some lost but brilliantly written books, and these books come highly recommended at the Store. This post is a wider effort to do just that. Some of these books never show up in any bestseller list, but are honestly far far better than many that appear on the list. In the past, twistntales (tnt) has recommended "Book of Rachel" by Esther David, "Diddi" by Ira Pande, "The legends of Pensam" by Mamang Dai, "Moin and the monster" by Anoushka Ravishankar and so on... None of these made it to any list, but believe me, if you haven't read them yet, you have lost out.
Monday, June 9, 2008
The Fringe Benefits of Failure and the Importance of Imagination
Harvard University Commencement Address J.K. Rowling
Copyright June 2008
As prepared for delivery
President Faust, members of the Harvard Corporation and the Board of Overseers, members of the faculty, proud parents, and, above all, graduates,
The first thing I would like to say is 'thank you.' Not only has Harvard given me an extraordinary honour, but the weeks of fear and nausea I've experienced at the thought of giving this commencement address have made me lose weight. A win-win situation! Now all I have to do is take deep breaths, squint at the red banners and fool myself into believing I am at the world's best-educated Harry Potter convention.
Delivering a commencement address is a great responsibility; or so I thought until I cast my mind back to my own graduation. The commencement speaker that day was the distinguished British philosopher Baroness Mary Warnock. Reflecting on her speech has helped me enormously in writing this one, because it turns out that I can't remember a single word she said. This liberating discovery enables me to proceed without any fear that I might inadvertently influence you to abandon promising careers in business, law or politics for the giddy delights of becoming a gay wizard.
You see? If all you remember in years to come is the 'gay wizard' joke, I've still come out ahead of Baroness Mary Warnock. Achievable goals: the first step towards personal improvement.
Actually, I have wracked my mind and heart for what I ought to say to you today. I have asked myself what I wish I had known at my own graduation, and what important lessons I have learned in the 21 years that has expired between that day and this.
I have come up with two answers. On this wonderful day when we are gathered together to celebrate your academic success, I have decided to talk to you about the benefits of failure. And as you stand on the threshold of what is sometimes called 'real life', I want to extol the crucial importance of imagination.
These might seem quixotic or paradoxical choices, but please bear with me.
Looking back at the 21-year-old that I was at graduation, is a slightly uncomfortable experience for the 42-year-old that she has become. Half my lifetime ago, I was striking an uneasy balance between the ambition I had for myself, and what those closest to me expected of me.
I was convinced that the only thing I wanted to do, ever, was to write novels. However, my parents, both of whom came from impoverished backgrounds and neither of whom had been to college, took the view that my overactive imagination was an amusing personal quirk that could never pay a mortgage, or secure a pension.
They had hoped that I would take a vocational degree; I wanted to study English Literature. A compromise was reached that in retrospect satisfied nobody, and I went up to study Modern Languages. Hardly had my parents' car rounded the corner at the end of the road than I ditched German and scuttled off down the Classics corridor.
I cannot remember telling my parents that I was studying Classics; they might well have found out for the first time on graduation day. Of all subjects on this planet, I think they would have been hard put to name one less useful than Greek mythology when it came to securing the keys to an executive bathroom.
I would like to make it clear, in parenthesis, that I do not blame my parents for their point of view. There is an expiry date on blaming your parents for steering you in the wrong direction; the moment you are old enough to take the wheel, responsibility lies with you. What is more, I cannot criticise my parents for hoping that I would never experience poverty. They had been poor themselves, and I have since been poor, and I quite agree with them that it is not an ennobling experience. Poverty entails fear, and stress, and sometimes depression; it means a thousand petty humiliations and hardships. Climbing out of poverty by your own efforts, that is indeed something on which to pride yourself, but poverty itself is romanticised only by fools.
What I feared most for myself at your age was not poverty, but failure.
At your age, in spite of a distinct lack of motivation at university, where I had spent far too long in the coffee bar writing stories, and far too little time at lectures, I had a knack for passing examinations, and that, for years, had been the measure of success in my life and that of my peers.
I am not dull enough to suppose that because you are young, gifted and well-educated, you have never known hardship or heartbreak. Talent and intelligence never yet inoculated anyone against the caprice of the Fates, and I do not for a moment suppose that everyone here has enjoyed an existence of unruffled privilege and contentment.
However, the fact that you are graduating from Harvard suggests that you are not very well-acquainted with failure. You might be driven by a fear of failure quite as much as a desire for success. Indeed, your conception of failure might not be too far from the average person's idea of success, so high have you already flown academically.
Ultimately, we all have to decide for ourselves what constitutes failure, but the world is quite eager to give you a set of criteria if you let it. So I think it fair to say that by any conventional measure, a mere seven years after my graduation day, I had failed on an epic scale. An exceptionally short-lived marriage had imploded, and I was jobless, a lone parent, and as poor as it is possible to be in modern Britain, without being homeless. The fears my parents had had for me, and that I had had for myself, had both come to pass, and by every usual standard, I was the biggest failure I knew.
Now, I am not going to stand here and tell you that failure is fun. That period of my life was a dark one, and I had no idea that there was going to be what the press has since represented as a kind of fairy tale resolution. I had no idea how far the tunnel extended, and for a long time, any light at the end of it was a hope rather than a reality.
So why do I talk about the benefits of failure? Simply because failure meant a stripping away of the inessential. I stopped pretending to myself that I was anything other than what I was, and began to direct all my energy into finishing the only work that mattered to me. Had I really succeeded at anything else, I might never have found the determination to succeed in the one arena I believed I truly belonged. I was set free, because my greatest fear had already been realised, and I was still alive, and I still had a daughter whom I adored, and I had an old typewriter and a big idea. And so rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life.
You might never fail on the scale I did, but some failure in life is inevitable. It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all – in which case, you fail by default.
Failure gave me an inner security that I had never attained by passing examinations. Failure taught me things about myself that I could have learned no other way. I discovered that I had a strong will, and more discipline than I had suspected; I also found out that I had friends whose value was truly above rubies.
The knowledge that you have emerged wiser and stronger from setbacks means that you are, ever after, secure in your ability to survive. You will never truly know yourself, or the strength of your relationships, until both have been tested by adversity. Such knowledge is a true gift, for all that it is painfully won, and it has been worth more to me than any qualification I ever earned.
Given a time machine or a Time Turner, I would tell my 21-year-old self that personal happiness lies in knowing that life is not a check-list of acquisition or achievement. Your qualifications, your CV, are not your life, though you will meet many people of my age and older who confuse the two. Life is difficult, and complicated, and beyond anyone's total control, and the humility to know that will enable you to survive its vicissitudes.
You might think that I chose my second theme, the importance of imagination, because of the part it played in rebuilding my life, but that is not wholly so. Though I will defend the value of bedtime stories to my last gasp, I have learned to value imagination in a much broader sense. Imagination is not only the uniquely human capacity to envision that which is not, and therefore the fount of all invention and innovation. In its arguably most transformative and revelatory capacity, it is the power that enables us to empathise with humans whose experiences we have never shared.
One of the greatest formative experiences of my life preceded Harry Potter, though it informed much of what I subsequently wrote in those books. This revelation came in the form of one of my earliest day jobs. Though I was sloping off to write stories during my lunch hours, I paid the rent in my early 20s by working in the research department at Amnesty International' s headquarters in London.
There in my little office I read hastily scribbled letters smuggled out of totalitarian regimes by men and women who were risking imprisonment to inform the outside world of what was happening to them. I saw photographs of those who had disappeared without trace, sent to Amnesty by their desperate families and friends. I read the testimony of torture victims and saw pictures of their injuries. I opened handwritten, eye-witness accounts of summary trials and executions, of kidnappings and rapes.
Many of my co-workers were ex-political prisoners, people who had been displaced from their homes, or fled into exile, because they had the temerity to think independently of their government. Visitors to our office included those who had come to give information, or to try and find out what had happened to those they had been forced to leave behind.
I shall never forget the African torture victim, a young man no older than I was at the time, who had become mentally ill after all he had endured in his homeland. He trembled uncontrollably as he spoke into a video camera about the brutality inflicted upon him. He was a foot taller than I was, and seemed as fragile as a child. I was given the job of escorting him to the Underground Station afterwards, and this man whose life had been shattered by cruelty took my hand with exquisite courtesy, and wished me future happiness.
And as long as I live I shall remember walking along an empty corridor and suddenly hearing, from behind a closed door, a scream of pain and horror such as I have never heard since. The door opened, and the researcher poked out her head and told me to run and make a hot drink for the young man sitting with her. She had just given him the news that in retaliation for his own outspokenness against his country's regime, his mother had been seized and executed.
Every day of my working week in my early 20s I was reminded how incredibly fortunate I was, to live in a country with a democratically elected government, where legal representation and a public trial were the rights of everyone.
Every day, I saw more evidence about the evils humankind will inflict on their fellow humans, to gain or maintain power. I began to have nightmares, literal nightmares, about some of the things I saw, heard and read.
And yet I also learned more about human goodness at Amnesty International than I had ever known before.
Amnesty mobilises thousands of people who have never been tortured or imprisoned for their beliefs to act on behalf of those who have. The power of human empathy, leading to collective action, saves lives, and frees prisoners. Ordinary people, whose personal well-being and security are assured, join together in huge numbers to save people they do not know, and will never meet. My small participation in that process was one of the most humbling and inspiring experiences of my life.
Unlike any other creature on this planet, humans can learn and understand, without having experienced. They can think themselves into other people's minds, imagine themselves into other people's places.
Of course, this is a power, like my brand of fictional magic, that is morally neutral. One might use such an ability to manipulate, or control, just as much as to understand or sympathise.
And many prefer not to exercise their imaginations at all. They choose to remain comfortably within the bounds of their own experience, never troubling to wonder how it would feel to have been born other than they are. They can refuse to hear screams or to peer inside cages; they can close their minds and hearts to any suffering that does not touch them personally; they can refuse to know.
I might be tempted to envy people who can live that way, except that I do not think they have any fewer nightmares than I do. Choosing to live in narrow spaces can lead to a form of mental agoraphobia, and that brings its own terrors. I think the wilfully unimaginative see more monsters. They are often more afraid.
What is more, those who choose not to empathise may enable real monsters. For without ever committing an act of outright evil ourselves, we collude with it, through our own apathy.
One of the many things I learned at the end of that Classics corridor down which I ventured at the age of 18, in search of something I could not then define, was this, written by the Greek author Plutarch: What we achieve inwardly will change outer reality.
That is an astonishing statement and yet proven a thousand times every day of our lives. It expresses, in part, our inescapable connection with the outside world, the fact that we touch other people's lives simply by existing.
But how much more are you, Harvard graduates of 2008, likely to touch other people's lives? Your intelligence, your capacity for hard work, the education you have earned and received, give you unique status, and unique responsibilities. Even your nationality sets you apart. The great majority of you belong to the world's only remaining superpower. The way you vote, the way you live, the way you protest, the pressure you bring to bear on your government, has an impact way beyond your borders. That is your privilege, and your burden.
If you choose to use your status and influence to raise your voice on behalf of those who have no voice; if you choose to identify not only with the powerful, but with the powerless; if you retain the ability to imagine yourself into the lives of those who do not have your advantages, then it will not only be your proud families who celebrate your existence, but thousands and millions of people whose reality you have helped transform for the better. We do not need magic to change the world, we carry all the power we need inside ourselves already: we have the power to imagine better.
I am nearly finished. I have one last hope for you, which is something that I already which is something that I already had at 21. The friends with whom I sat on graduation day have been my friends for life. They are my children's godparents, the people to whom I've been able to turn in times of trouble, friends who have been kind enough not to sue me when I've used their names for Death Eaters. At our graduation we were bound by enormous affection, by our shared experience of a time that could never come again, and, of course, by the knowledge that we held certain photographic evidence that would be exceptionally valuable if any of us ran for Prime Minister.
So today, I can wish you nothing better than similar friendships. And tomorrow, I hope that even if you remember not a single word of mine, you remember those of Seneca, another of those old Romans I met when I fled down the Classics corridor, in retreat from career ladders, in search of ancient wisdom:
As is a tale, so is life: not how long it is, but how good it is, is what matters.
I wish you all very good lives.
Thank you very much.
Thanks for sending this Shibani :)
I found the video for this here.
Copyright June 2008
As prepared for delivery
President Faust, members of the Harvard Corporation and the Board of Overseers, members of the faculty, proud parents, and, above all, graduates,
The first thing I would like to say is 'thank you.' Not only has Harvard given me an extraordinary honour, but the weeks of fear and nausea I've experienced at the thought of giving this commencement address have made me lose weight. A win-win situation! Now all I have to do is take deep breaths, squint at the red banners and fool myself into believing I am at the world's best-educated Harry Potter convention.
Delivering a commencement address is a great responsibility; or so I thought until I cast my mind back to my own graduation. The commencement speaker that day was the distinguished British philosopher Baroness Mary Warnock. Reflecting on her speech has helped me enormously in writing this one, because it turns out that I can't remember a single word she said. This liberating discovery enables me to proceed without any fear that I might inadvertently influence you to abandon promising careers in business, law or politics for the giddy delights of becoming a gay wizard.
You see? If all you remember in years to come is the 'gay wizard' joke, I've still come out ahead of Baroness Mary Warnock. Achievable goals: the first step towards personal improvement.
Actually, I have wracked my mind and heart for what I ought to say to you today. I have asked myself what I wish I had known at my own graduation, and what important lessons I have learned in the 21 years that has expired between that day and this.
I have come up with two answers. On this wonderful day when we are gathered together to celebrate your academic success, I have decided to talk to you about the benefits of failure. And as you stand on the threshold of what is sometimes called 'real life', I want to extol the crucial importance of imagination.
These might seem quixotic or paradoxical choices, but please bear with me.
Looking back at the 21-year-old that I was at graduation, is a slightly uncomfortable experience for the 42-year-old that she has become. Half my lifetime ago, I was striking an uneasy balance between the ambition I had for myself, and what those closest to me expected of me.
I was convinced that the only thing I wanted to do, ever, was to write novels. However, my parents, both of whom came from impoverished backgrounds and neither of whom had been to college, took the view that my overactive imagination was an amusing personal quirk that could never pay a mortgage, or secure a pension.
They had hoped that I would take a vocational degree; I wanted to study English Literature. A compromise was reached that in retrospect satisfied nobody, and I went up to study Modern Languages. Hardly had my parents' car rounded the corner at the end of the road than I ditched German and scuttled off down the Classics corridor.
I cannot remember telling my parents that I was studying Classics; they might well have found out for the first time on graduation day. Of all subjects on this planet, I think they would have been hard put to name one less useful than Greek mythology when it came to securing the keys to an executive bathroom.
I would like to make it clear, in parenthesis, that I do not blame my parents for their point of view. There is an expiry date on blaming your parents for steering you in the wrong direction; the moment you are old enough to take the wheel, responsibility lies with you. What is more, I cannot criticise my parents for hoping that I would never experience poverty. They had been poor themselves, and I have since been poor, and I quite agree with them that it is not an ennobling experience. Poverty entails fear, and stress, and sometimes depression; it means a thousand petty humiliations and hardships. Climbing out of poverty by your own efforts, that is indeed something on which to pride yourself, but poverty itself is romanticised only by fools.
What I feared most for myself at your age was not poverty, but failure.
At your age, in spite of a distinct lack of motivation at university, where I had spent far too long in the coffee bar writing stories, and far too little time at lectures, I had a knack for passing examinations, and that, for years, had been the measure of success in my life and that of my peers.
I am not dull enough to suppose that because you are young, gifted and well-educated, you have never known hardship or heartbreak. Talent and intelligence never yet inoculated anyone against the caprice of the Fates, and I do not for a moment suppose that everyone here has enjoyed an existence of unruffled privilege and contentment.
However, the fact that you are graduating from Harvard suggests that you are not very well-acquainted with failure. You might be driven by a fear of failure quite as much as a desire for success. Indeed, your conception of failure might not be too far from the average person's idea of success, so high have you already flown academically.
Ultimately, we all have to decide for ourselves what constitutes failure, but the world is quite eager to give you a set of criteria if you let it. So I think it fair to say that by any conventional measure, a mere seven years after my graduation day, I had failed on an epic scale. An exceptionally short-lived marriage had imploded, and I was jobless, a lone parent, and as poor as it is possible to be in modern Britain, without being homeless. The fears my parents had had for me, and that I had had for myself, had both come to pass, and by every usual standard, I was the biggest failure I knew.
Now, I am not going to stand here and tell you that failure is fun. That period of my life was a dark one, and I had no idea that there was going to be what the press has since represented as a kind of fairy tale resolution. I had no idea how far the tunnel extended, and for a long time, any light at the end of it was a hope rather than a reality.
So why do I talk about the benefits of failure? Simply because failure meant a stripping away of the inessential. I stopped pretending to myself that I was anything other than what I was, and began to direct all my energy into finishing the only work that mattered to me. Had I really succeeded at anything else, I might never have found the determination to succeed in the one arena I believed I truly belonged. I was set free, because my greatest fear had already been realised, and I was still alive, and I still had a daughter whom I adored, and I had an old typewriter and a big idea. And so rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life.
You might never fail on the scale I did, but some failure in life is inevitable. It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all – in which case, you fail by default.
Failure gave me an inner security that I had never attained by passing examinations. Failure taught me things about myself that I could have learned no other way. I discovered that I had a strong will, and more discipline than I had suspected; I also found out that I had friends whose value was truly above rubies.
The knowledge that you have emerged wiser and stronger from setbacks means that you are, ever after, secure in your ability to survive. You will never truly know yourself, or the strength of your relationships, until both have been tested by adversity. Such knowledge is a true gift, for all that it is painfully won, and it has been worth more to me than any qualification I ever earned.
Given a time machine or a Time Turner, I would tell my 21-year-old self that personal happiness lies in knowing that life is not a check-list of acquisition or achievement. Your qualifications, your CV, are not your life, though you will meet many people of my age and older who confuse the two. Life is difficult, and complicated, and beyond anyone's total control, and the humility to know that will enable you to survive its vicissitudes.
You might think that I chose my second theme, the importance of imagination, because of the part it played in rebuilding my life, but that is not wholly so. Though I will defend the value of bedtime stories to my last gasp, I have learned to value imagination in a much broader sense. Imagination is not only the uniquely human capacity to envision that which is not, and therefore the fount of all invention and innovation. In its arguably most transformative and revelatory capacity, it is the power that enables us to empathise with humans whose experiences we have never shared.
One of the greatest formative experiences of my life preceded Harry Potter, though it informed much of what I subsequently wrote in those books. This revelation came in the form of one of my earliest day jobs. Though I was sloping off to write stories during my lunch hours, I paid the rent in my early 20s by working in the research department at Amnesty International' s headquarters in London.
There in my little office I read hastily scribbled letters smuggled out of totalitarian regimes by men and women who were risking imprisonment to inform the outside world of what was happening to them. I saw photographs of those who had disappeared without trace, sent to Amnesty by their desperate families and friends. I read the testimony of torture victims and saw pictures of their injuries. I opened handwritten, eye-witness accounts of summary trials and executions, of kidnappings and rapes.
Many of my co-workers were ex-political prisoners, people who had been displaced from their homes, or fled into exile, because they had the temerity to think independently of their government. Visitors to our office included those who had come to give information, or to try and find out what had happened to those they had been forced to leave behind.
I shall never forget the African torture victim, a young man no older than I was at the time, who had become mentally ill after all he had endured in his homeland. He trembled uncontrollably as he spoke into a video camera about the brutality inflicted upon him. He was a foot taller than I was, and seemed as fragile as a child. I was given the job of escorting him to the Underground Station afterwards, and this man whose life had been shattered by cruelty took my hand with exquisite courtesy, and wished me future happiness.
And as long as I live I shall remember walking along an empty corridor and suddenly hearing, from behind a closed door, a scream of pain and horror such as I have never heard since. The door opened, and the researcher poked out her head and told me to run and make a hot drink for the young man sitting with her. She had just given him the news that in retaliation for his own outspokenness against his country's regime, his mother had been seized and executed.
Every day of my working week in my early 20s I was reminded how incredibly fortunate I was, to live in a country with a democratically elected government, where legal representation and a public trial were the rights of everyone.
Every day, I saw more evidence about the evils humankind will inflict on their fellow humans, to gain or maintain power. I began to have nightmares, literal nightmares, about some of the things I saw, heard and read.
And yet I also learned more about human goodness at Amnesty International than I had ever known before.
Amnesty mobilises thousands of people who have never been tortured or imprisoned for their beliefs to act on behalf of those who have. The power of human empathy, leading to collective action, saves lives, and frees prisoners. Ordinary people, whose personal well-being and security are assured, join together in huge numbers to save people they do not know, and will never meet. My small participation in that process was one of the most humbling and inspiring experiences of my life.
Unlike any other creature on this planet, humans can learn and understand, without having experienced. They can think themselves into other people's minds, imagine themselves into other people's places.
Of course, this is a power, like my brand of fictional magic, that is morally neutral. One might use such an ability to manipulate, or control, just as much as to understand or sympathise.
And many prefer not to exercise their imaginations at all. They choose to remain comfortably within the bounds of their own experience, never troubling to wonder how it would feel to have been born other than they are. They can refuse to hear screams or to peer inside cages; they can close their minds and hearts to any suffering that does not touch them personally; they can refuse to know.
I might be tempted to envy people who can live that way, except that I do not think they have any fewer nightmares than I do. Choosing to live in narrow spaces can lead to a form of mental agoraphobia, and that brings its own terrors. I think the wilfully unimaginative see more monsters. They are often more afraid.
What is more, those who choose not to empathise may enable real monsters. For without ever committing an act of outright evil ourselves, we collude with it, through our own apathy.
One of the many things I learned at the end of that Classics corridor down which I ventured at the age of 18, in search of something I could not then define, was this, written by the Greek author Plutarch: What we achieve inwardly will change outer reality.
That is an astonishing statement and yet proven a thousand times every day of our lives. It expresses, in part, our inescapable connection with the outside world, the fact that we touch other people's lives simply by existing.
But how much more are you, Harvard graduates of 2008, likely to touch other people's lives? Your intelligence, your capacity for hard work, the education you have earned and received, give you unique status, and unique responsibilities. Even your nationality sets you apart. The great majority of you belong to the world's only remaining superpower. The way you vote, the way you live, the way you protest, the pressure you bring to bear on your government, has an impact way beyond your borders. That is your privilege, and your burden.
If you choose to use your status and influence to raise your voice on behalf of those who have no voice; if you choose to identify not only with the powerful, but with the powerless; if you retain the ability to imagine yourself into the lives of those who do not have your advantages, then it will not only be your proud families who celebrate your existence, but thousands and millions of people whose reality you have helped transform for the better. We do not need magic to change the world, we carry all the power we need inside ourselves already: we have the power to imagine better.
I am nearly finished. I have one last hope for you, which is something that I already which is something that I already had at 21. The friends with whom I sat on graduation day have been my friends for life. They are my children's godparents, the people to whom I've been able to turn in times of trouble, friends who have been kind enough not to sue me when I've used their names for Death Eaters. At our graduation we were bound by enormous affection, by our shared experience of a time that could never come again, and, of course, by the knowledge that we held certain photographic evidence that would be exceptionally valuable if any of us ran for Prime Minister.
So today, I can wish you nothing better than similar friendships. And tomorrow, I hope that even if you remember not a single word of mine, you remember those of Seneca, another of those old Romans I met when I fled down the Classics corridor, in retreat from career ladders, in search of ancient wisdom:
As is a tale, so is life: not how long it is, but how good it is, is what matters.
I wish you all very good lives.
Thank you very much.
Thanks for sending this Shibani :)
I found the video for this here.
New New books !
Message sent to twistntales@yahoogroups today.
Hi all,
When schools begin, parents too can return to a routine! Phew! Welcome back to sanity, early mornings and more time to work!
Yes, at twistntales, activities revolve around the school calendar, and though the books come in fast and newer and newer books keep happening all the time, the reviews slow down a bit. But for those of you who have continued to drop in, I’m sure you have been delighted, everytime.
And hey, thankyou …. To all those who have kept enquiring about our well-being, every time a mail gets delayed! Feels good.
We have 3 books making the news in recent times. One of course, is Amitav Ghosh’s “The Sea of Poppies”. It is bound to be a superhit, Amitav Ghosh easily taking top honours amongst Indian writers.
But its about the other 2 books, that we will like to inform you about. One of them is Gauri Dange’s “3, Zakia Mansion” (reviewed below). Many of you know Gauri, both as an established writer with her byline in the erstwhile Maharashtra Herald, and as a family counselor. Her debut novel, 3, Zakia Mansion recently released, is now available at the Store.
The other book is “One Life to Ride” by Ajit Harisinghani. Ajit is an Enfield Bullet enthusiast, and at 54, had the longest ride of his life. This book is an account of his journey from Pune to Khardungla Pass. No travel/ road/ bike buff should miss this! This book, (yet to be reviewed) is also available at the Store!
And now for other new books:
“Barack Obama: The New Face Of American Politics” by Martin Dupuis and Keith Boeckelman @ Rs.295/- (167pgs)
Inaugurating a series on women and minorities in politics, this book gives an exciting view of the American political landscape. Teamed with the tale of the meteoric rise to political fame by Barack Obama- only the fifth African American to serve in the US Senate, this book reverberates with the compelling thoughts of the Presidential candidate about issues like justice and social security. Obama gives more meaning to the American dream- clearly.
“The Shape Of The Beast: Conversations With Arundhati Roy” @ Rs.499/- (271pgs)
Fourteen interviews, conducted between Jan 2001 and March 2008 bring out the views of Arundhati Roy about matters closest to her heart. People displaced due to dams, Gujarat genocide, Maoist rebels are just a few topics. Unabashedly political, with typical candour the authoress shares her feelings and convictions with the reader.
“Under Her Spell: Roberto Rossellini in India” by Dileep Padgaokar @ Rs.550 (263pgs)
In India by the invitation of Prime Minister Nehru, Roberto Rossellini, the renowned neo-realist film director concentrated on the newly emerging, metamorphosing India and it was here that his life changed. His meeting Sonali Dasgupta, wife of a documentary film maker and mother of two children. Dileep Padgaokar traces sale of a remarkable man who fell under the spell of a woman, a Country and its people.
“The Other Indians” by Vinay Lal @ Rs. 295/- (159pgs)
In the era when Indians have made known their presence notably in the field of medicine, engineering, software, hospitality and other service sectors, the author gently traces this exodus and settlement of Indians abroad as well as the impact on India and the host country. Phenomena like the Ghadr movement, struggles over the rights of citizenship, the emergences of ‘temple culture’ are well described and analyzed.
“Groundswell” by Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff @ Rs.1270/- (286pgs)
Defined as a spontaneous movement of people using online tools to connect, gain experience and scourge information, support and ideas- The Groundswell phenomenon is what the authors deal with in this book.
“Chicken Soup For The Indian Soul” by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen and Raksha Bharadia@ Rs.275/- (302pgs)
This special edition featuring outstanding stories by stalwarts like Tanuja Chandra, Shiamak Dawar, Arun Gandhi, Sanjeev Kapoor, Narayan Murthy and many more makes an inspiring read and also gives one a rare insight into the background and backdrop struggles and tribulations that these people who are successful today had to overcome yesterday.
“The Last Lecture” by Randy Pausch @ Rs.295/- (207pgs)
A computer science professor at the Carnegie Mellon, the author had been diagnosed with terminal cancer. What ensued were a series of heartwarming , sensible lectures which underlined the importance of overcoming obstacles, enabling the dreams of others and making the most of every precious moment in life. He writes unhesitatingly about his tough old-school English teacher mother, his auto insurance selling dad, the journey to becoming a computer science professor and in general about all those things he did to make life work for him.
“Viva Santiago” by Colin Fernandes @ Rs.199/- (137pgs)
The heavenly locales of Goa combined with an erratic Delhi University student’s life make this fun filled, kaleidoscopic novel with a strange twist in its tale a charming holiday read. The encounters of Alonso Gonzalez in Goa come replete with the sounds and flavours, sleaze and social intrigues of the land of forever holidays. Snapshots of young kids, an old home, a favourite lighthouse increase the appeal of this book and one can’t but helplessly get totally involved in this plot.
“The Girl With The Golden Parasol” by Uday Prakash @ Rs.250/- (205pgs)
From one of contemporary Hindis’ most important voices comes this novella revolving around the love between Rahul and Anjali and the cultural malevolence that surrounds them. How politics and power can bring ordinary people on the brink of devastation is brilliantly depicted here. Clearly indicating the undercurrents of social divide prevalent in society, the story sends across a message of how, true emotions can triumph even amidst adverse conditions.
“The White Tiger” by Aravind Adiga @ Rs.395/- (321pgs)
A darkly humorous story about the struggle for success and lucre- this details the life and ever changing morals of small town Balram- son of a rickshaw puller who begins work in a tea-shop and dreams of a high-flying well paid job. With a break into the realm of vehicles- as a chauffeur, Balram’s re-education commences and the tiger now seeks escape from the cage of servility to become his own master. This journey to entrepreneurial success does raise eye brows-the way is not too simple and the plot evermore amoral and totally irreverent!
“3, Zakia Mansion” by Gouri Dange @ Rs.200/- (163pgs)
A first novel from an editor and practicing family counsellor, this is a story of a young girl’s journey from adulthood to a family life, motherhood and the rude realization that just having a family does not ensure having warm relationships, a sense of belonging and an independence of personality. Shaheen’s turbulent marriage, her emotional estrangement from her only daughter, her search for a life of dignity brings together unlikely characters and yes.. a happy ending.
“A Golden Age” by Tahmima Anam @ Rs.295/- (276pgs)
Set against the backdrop of the Bangladesh War of Independence, this is an eye opening story of revolution, hope and courage which springs from unexpected quarters and the great lengths that that can be traversed in the name of love. Short listed for the Costa first novel award, the book has an effortless narrative; the story of Rehana, married to Iqbal at the toss of a coin, widowed after she had two children, separated from them when her childless brother in law vied for their custody, re united after much struggle only to be torn apart in a war for an independent new country… her struggle to reunite her family and live her own life makes an inspiring read.
“Limping To The Centre Of The World” by Timeri N Murari @ Rs.350/- (287pgs)
Mount Kailas is the most difficult pilgrimage in the whole world. But the author, with a bandaged knee made the ardous journey and back moving purely on a spiritual, not religious faith. Kailas calls, and when He calls, there is no chance to rethink. Circumstances and situations in life re-align themselves to help you make it to the top, inspite of the most excruitiating circumstances. He set out on a 200km trail up to Lipu Lekh pass into Nepal and the Dolma La pass on the parikrama. In freezing cold. The author’s interactions with fellow travelers and random encounters with Tibetan monks, French backpackers, German anthropologists and more such interesting people enliven the rigours of his tedious journey undertaken for one reason- Bhima his ‘temporary’ son is about to undergo a major surgery.
“Narmada: River of Beauty” by Amrit Vegad @ Rs.250/- (187pgs)
The personal travelogue of award winning artist and writer captures the geography, sociology, culture and economics of the river Narmada’s course from its source to the final flow. A travel/pilgrimage undertaken from 1987 onwards-times when there were no well laid roads and no cell phones, the author narrates his encounters with the villagers who live on the banks of the river, their simplicity, generous hospitality, his nerve racking journey through rains, sun and forests as well as incidents like encounters with a pair of cobras and a run-in with ants. Simple language and evocative sketches make this an authentic peek into the real India with the river Narmada as a lifeline.
“Travels with Herodotus” by Ryszard Kapuscinski @ Rs.295/- (275pgs)
From a much acclaimed and awarded Polish author is this rare literary treat…a superb translation of his final book which is a travelogue spanning continents and cultures. His traveling companion is but a copy of ‘The Histories’. The thoughts of the author and Herodotus, though separated by twenty –five centuries intertwine to produce this unique work of reportage an insight .While Herodotus’s reports were based on interviews and intelligent surmises- with no help from maps (non existent in those times), or the weatherman, Kapunscinki’s reportage effortlessly mingles with myth and aberrations and succeeds in bringing out a more correct and true picture of the cultures and histories of the places that he visited.
“Seeing Is Believing: Selected Writings On Cinema” by Chidananda Das Gupta
@ Rs.499/- (295pgs)
From the founder of the Federation of Film Societies of India and an authority par excellence in the world of cinema, comes this book which brings together some of his finest writings on the subject of cinema. Articles about origins and history of parallel cinema, the national film awards, portrayal of women, politics and films and of course the heart beat of every movie- the song! Spanning the past six decades, he ventures to study the works of five of the Nation’s best film-makers – from Satyajit Ray to Shyam Benegal.
“Complete Book of the Olympics” @ Rs.1200/- (1181pgs)
This 2008 edition is a mine field of lore, information and anecdotes from 112 years of Olympic history. It contains full descriptions of rules and scoring for every event included in the Beijing Olympics as well as names and a brief introduction of the top eight finishers in every summer event since 1896.The inclusion of vintage photographs and relevant statistics make this a true sportsperson’s cherished copy!
“Allie Finkle’s Rules For Girls” by Meg Cabot @ Rs.299/- (198pgs)
Allie Finkle’s parents are on the move. From a house with her own pretty pink room to an old home in town, Allie’s world is altered- but what about her rules? Allie explores how much she loves rules and why! Young ladies, check them out!
Newer Books:
“Young Rangers” by Sunjoy Monga @ Rs.350/- (144pgs)
“One Life to Ride: A Motorcycle Journey to the High Himalayas” by Ajit Harisinghani @ Rs.195/-(224pgs)
“The Chronicles of Narnia” by C.S Lewis @ Rs.595/- (766pgs)
“The Necessary Revolution: How Individuals and Organizations Are Working Together To Create a Sustainable World” by Peter Senge @ Rs.895/- (406pgs)
“The 12 Bad Habits That Hold Good People Back: Overcoming the Behavior Patterns That Keep You from Getting Ahead” by James Waldroop and Timothy Butler @ Rs.425 (325pgs)
“Toyota Culture: The Heart and Soul of the Toyota Way” by Jeffery Liker @ Rs.450/- (562pgs)
“Mental Resilience: The Power of Clarity- How to Develop the Focus of A Warrior and the Peace of a Monk” by Kamal Sarma @ Rs.670/- (194pgs)
“Pointers from Ramesh Blasekar” by Gautam Sachdev @ Rs.250/- (99pgs)
“Advaita on Zen And Tao: Insights on Huang Po & Lao Tzu” by Ramesh Balsekar @ Rs.300/- (194pgs)
“Blackwater: The Rise of the World’s Most Powerful Mercenary Army” by Jeremy Scahill @ Rs.570/-(550pgs)
“More Notes From the Universe: Life, Dreams and Happiness” by Mike Dooley @ Rs.560/- (218pgs)
“The Greatness Guide 2:101 Ways to Reach the Next Level” by Robin Sharma @ Rs.195/- (203pgs)
“The Sea of Poppies” by Amitav Ghosh @ Rs.599/- (515pgs)
“A to Z of Health Challenges after Thirty: A Practical Guide to Know Your Health Needs” by Ashok Jain @ Rs.225/- (290pgs)
Happy Reading and see you at the Store,
From the team at twistntales
Hi all,
When schools begin, parents too can return to a routine! Phew! Welcome back to sanity, early mornings and more time to work!
Yes, at twistntales, activities revolve around the school calendar, and though the books come in fast and newer and newer books keep happening all the time, the reviews slow down a bit. But for those of you who have continued to drop in, I’m sure you have been delighted, everytime.
And hey, thankyou …. To all those who have kept enquiring about our well-being, every time a mail gets delayed! Feels good.
We have 3 books making the news in recent times. One of course, is Amitav Ghosh’s “The Sea of Poppies”. It is bound to be a superhit, Amitav Ghosh easily taking top honours amongst Indian writers.
But its about the other 2 books, that we will like to inform you about. One of them is Gauri Dange’s “3, Zakia Mansion” (reviewed below). Many of you know Gauri, both as an established writer with her byline in the erstwhile Maharashtra Herald, and as a family counselor. Her debut novel, 3, Zakia Mansion recently released, is now available at the Store.
The other book is “One Life to Ride” by Ajit Harisinghani. Ajit is an Enfield Bullet enthusiast, and at 54, had the longest ride of his life. This book is an account of his journey from Pune to Khardungla Pass. No travel/ road/ bike buff should miss this! This book, (yet to be reviewed) is also available at the Store!
And now for other new books:
“Barack Obama: The New Face Of American Politics” by Martin Dupuis and Keith Boeckelman @ Rs.295/- (167pgs)
Inaugurating a series on women and minorities in politics, this book gives an exciting view of the American political landscape. Teamed with the tale of the meteoric rise to political fame by Barack Obama- only the fifth African American to serve in the US Senate, this book reverberates with the compelling thoughts of the Presidential candidate about issues like justice and social security. Obama gives more meaning to the American dream- clearly.
“The Shape Of The Beast: Conversations With Arundhati Roy” @ Rs.499/- (271pgs)
Fourteen interviews, conducted between Jan 2001 and March 2008 bring out the views of Arundhati Roy about matters closest to her heart. People displaced due to dams, Gujarat genocide, Maoist rebels are just a few topics. Unabashedly political, with typical candour the authoress shares her feelings and convictions with the reader.
“Under Her Spell: Roberto Rossellini in India” by Dileep Padgaokar @ Rs.550 (263pgs)
In India by the invitation of Prime Minister Nehru, Roberto Rossellini, the renowned neo-realist film director concentrated on the newly emerging, metamorphosing India and it was here that his life changed. His meeting Sonali Dasgupta, wife of a documentary film maker and mother of two children. Dileep Padgaokar traces sale of a remarkable man who fell under the spell of a woman, a Country and its people.
“The Other Indians” by Vinay Lal @ Rs. 295/- (159pgs)
In the era when Indians have made known their presence notably in the field of medicine, engineering, software, hospitality and other service sectors, the author gently traces this exodus and settlement of Indians abroad as well as the impact on India and the host country. Phenomena like the Ghadr movement, struggles over the rights of citizenship, the emergences of ‘temple culture’ are well described and analyzed.
“Groundswell” by Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff @ Rs.1270/- (286pgs)
Defined as a spontaneous movement of people using online tools to connect, gain experience and scourge information, support and ideas- The Groundswell phenomenon is what the authors deal with in this book.
“Chicken Soup For The Indian Soul” by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen and Raksha Bharadia@ Rs.275/- (302pgs)
This special edition featuring outstanding stories by stalwarts like Tanuja Chandra, Shiamak Dawar, Arun Gandhi, Sanjeev Kapoor, Narayan Murthy and many more makes an inspiring read and also gives one a rare insight into the background and backdrop struggles and tribulations that these people who are successful today had to overcome yesterday.
“The Last Lecture” by Randy Pausch @ Rs.295/- (207pgs)
A computer science professor at the Carnegie Mellon, the author had been diagnosed with terminal cancer. What ensued were a series of heartwarming , sensible lectures which underlined the importance of overcoming obstacles, enabling the dreams of others and making the most of every precious moment in life. He writes unhesitatingly about his tough old-school English teacher mother, his auto insurance selling dad, the journey to becoming a computer science professor and in general about all those things he did to make life work for him.
“Viva Santiago” by Colin Fernandes @ Rs.199/- (137pgs)
The heavenly locales of Goa combined with an erratic Delhi University student’s life make this fun filled, kaleidoscopic novel with a strange twist in its tale a charming holiday read. The encounters of Alonso Gonzalez in Goa come replete with the sounds and flavours, sleaze and social intrigues of the land of forever holidays. Snapshots of young kids, an old home, a favourite lighthouse increase the appeal of this book and one can’t but helplessly get totally involved in this plot.
“The Girl With The Golden Parasol” by Uday Prakash @ Rs.250/- (205pgs)
From one of contemporary Hindis’ most important voices comes this novella revolving around the love between Rahul and Anjali and the cultural malevolence that surrounds them. How politics and power can bring ordinary people on the brink of devastation is brilliantly depicted here. Clearly indicating the undercurrents of social divide prevalent in society, the story sends across a message of how, true emotions can triumph even amidst adverse conditions.
“The White Tiger” by Aravind Adiga @ Rs.395/- (321pgs)
A darkly humorous story about the struggle for success and lucre- this details the life and ever changing morals of small town Balram- son of a rickshaw puller who begins work in a tea-shop and dreams of a high-flying well paid job. With a break into the realm of vehicles- as a chauffeur, Balram’s re-education commences and the tiger now seeks escape from the cage of servility to become his own master. This journey to entrepreneurial success does raise eye brows-the way is not too simple and the plot evermore amoral and totally irreverent!
“3, Zakia Mansion” by Gouri Dange @ Rs.200/- (163pgs)
A first novel from an editor and practicing family counsellor, this is a story of a young girl’s journey from adulthood to a family life, motherhood and the rude realization that just having a family does not ensure having warm relationships, a sense of belonging and an independence of personality. Shaheen’s turbulent marriage, her emotional estrangement from her only daughter, her search for a life of dignity brings together unlikely characters and yes.. a happy ending.
“A Golden Age” by Tahmima Anam @ Rs.295/- (276pgs)
Set against the backdrop of the Bangladesh War of Independence, this is an eye opening story of revolution, hope and courage which springs from unexpected quarters and the great lengths that that can be traversed in the name of love. Short listed for the Costa first novel award, the book has an effortless narrative; the story of Rehana, married to Iqbal at the toss of a coin, widowed after she had two children, separated from them when her childless brother in law vied for their custody, re united after much struggle only to be torn apart in a war for an independent new country… her struggle to reunite her family and live her own life makes an inspiring read.
“Limping To The Centre Of The World” by Timeri N Murari @ Rs.350/- (287pgs)
Mount Kailas is the most difficult pilgrimage in the whole world. But the author, with a bandaged knee made the ardous journey and back moving purely on a spiritual, not religious faith. Kailas calls, and when He calls, there is no chance to rethink. Circumstances and situations in life re-align themselves to help you make it to the top, inspite of the most excruitiating circumstances. He set out on a 200km trail up to Lipu Lekh pass into Nepal and the Dolma La pass on the parikrama. In freezing cold. The author’s interactions with fellow travelers and random encounters with Tibetan monks, French backpackers, German anthropologists and more such interesting people enliven the rigours of his tedious journey undertaken for one reason- Bhima his ‘temporary’ son is about to undergo a major surgery.
“Narmada: River of Beauty” by Amrit Vegad @ Rs.250/- (187pgs)
The personal travelogue of award winning artist and writer captures the geography, sociology, culture and economics of the river Narmada’s course from its source to the final flow. A travel/pilgrimage undertaken from 1987 onwards-times when there were no well laid roads and no cell phones, the author narrates his encounters with the villagers who live on the banks of the river, their simplicity, generous hospitality, his nerve racking journey through rains, sun and forests as well as incidents like encounters with a pair of cobras and a run-in with ants. Simple language and evocative sketches make this an authentic peek into the real India with the river Narmada as a lifeline.
“Travels with Herodotus” by Ryszard Kapuscinski @ Rs.295/- (275pgs)
From a much acclaimed and awarded Polish author is this rare literary treat…a superb translation of his final book which is a travelogue spanning continents and cultures. His traveling companion is but a copy of ‘The Histories’. The thoughts of the author and Herodotus, though separated by twenty –five centuries intertwine to produce this unique work of reportage an insight .While Herodotus’s reports were based on interviews and intelligent surmises- with no help from maps (non existent in those times), or the weatherman, Kapunscinki’s reportage effortlessly mingles with myth and aberrations and succeeds in bringing out a more correct and true picture of the cultures and histories of the places that he visited.
“Seeing Is Believing: Selected Writings On Cinema” by Chidananda Das Gupta
@ Rs.499/- (295pgs)
From the founder of the Federation of Film Societies of India and an authority par excellence in the world of cinema, comes this book which brings together some of his finest writings on the subject of cinema. Articles about origins and history of parallel cinema, the national film awards, portrayal of women, politics and films and of course the heart beat of every movie- the song! Spanning the past six decades, he ventures to study the works of five of the Nation’s best film-makers – from Satyajit Ray to Shyam Benegal.
“Complete Book of the Olympics” @ Rs.1200/- (1181pgs)
This 2008 edition is a mine field of lore, information and anecdotes from 112 years of Olympic history. It contains full descriptions of rules and scoring for every event included in the Beijing Olympics as well as names and a brief introduction of the top eight finishers in every summer event since 1896.The inclusion of vintage photographs and relevant statistics make this a true sportsperson’s cherished copy!
“Allie Finkle’s Rules For Girls” by Meg Cabot @ Rs.299/- (198pgs)
Allie Finkle’s parents are on the move. From a house with her own pretty pink room to an old home in town, Allie’s world is altered- but what about her rules? Allie explores how much she loves rules and why! Young ladies, check them out!
Newer Books:
“Young Rangers” by Sunjoy Monga @ Rs.350/- (144pgs)
“One Life to Ride: A Motorcycle Journey to the High Himalayas” by Ajit Harisinghani @ Rs.195/-(224pgs)
“The Chronicles of Narnia” by C.S Lewis @ Rs.595/- (766pgs)
“The Necessary Revolution: How Individuals and Organizations Are Working Together To Create a Sustainable World” by Peter Senge @ Rs.895/- (406pgs)
“The 12 Bad Habits That Hold Good People Back: Overcoming the Behavior Patterns That Keep You from Getting Ahead” by James Waldroop and Timothy Butler @ Rs.425 (325pgs)
“Toyota Culture: The Heart and Soul of the Toyota Way” by Jeffery Liker @ Rs.450/- (562pgs)
“Mental Resilience: The Power of Clarity- How to Develop the Focus of A Warrior and the Peace of a Monk” by Kamal Sarma @ Rs.670/- (194pgs)
“Pointers from Ramesh Blasekar” by Gautam Sachdev @ Rs.250/- (99pgs)
“Advaita on Zen And Tao: Insights on Huang Po & Lao Tzu” by Ramesh Balsekar @ Rs.300/- (194pgs)
“Blackwater: The Rise of the World’s Most Powerful Mercenary Army” by Jeremy Scahill @ Rs.570/-(550pgs)
“More Notes From the Universe: Life, Dreams and Happiness” by Mike Dooley @ Rs.560/- (218pgs)
“The Greatness Guide 2:101 Ways to Reach the Next Level” by Robin Sharma @ Rs.195/- (203pgs)
“The Sea of Poppies” by Amitav Ghosh @ Rs.599/- (515pgs)
“A to Z of Health Challenges after Thirty: A Practical Guide to Know Your Health Needs” by Ashok Jain @ Rs.225/- (290pgs)
Happy Reading and see you at the Store,
From the team at twistntales
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