Standing on this side of the bridge, we're watching you cross, cheering you on every step of the way. You're building a life far away, but we're there with you.
Always.
Happy birthday!
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Monday, March 30, 2009
Folks who helped us make it happen !
Seven years is not too long a time to be writing your memoirs ! But b4 we get too big for our boots (hopefully, we never will) - i need to acknowledge some early support.
I write here about a few ULMs
1. Verghese. He is a marketing man, mainly in telecommunications, now pretty senior travelling the globe all the time. Back in 2002, he had quit one job, had 2 offers on hand and was wondering which one to take up.
He needed a break, came to Pune, stayed with us hoping for a quiet 2 weeks - when i was completely going berserk with bookstore idea. It was 3rd wk jan when he came. Poor guy ! he had no choice ! He postponed his joining date, stayed back, taught me about glow signs, neon, signages, went to visit a few bookstores with me to chk out shelving ideas and store decor ..... he stayed back almost for a month !
It was fun, and i had a bouncing board for all my crazy ideas !
2. Ajay Dasgupta : He walked into the Store yesterday ! He has been part of our journey and then suddenly vanished for 6 years only to re-appear yesterday. It was a complete moment of joy. Ajay was our first mascot for our karadi tales event, sweating it inside a thick bhaalu costume in April heat. He did all our street plays that year. We did quite a few workshops and reading sessions - he was our first Santa too ! Thanks Ajay, for coming back !
3. Vernen : our original vernie pooh ! Through his BSc course in India, Vernen was the South African who was more Indian than some of our guys ! Though initially he walked into the Store for the "airconditioning" on a hot summer afternoon, Vernen soon became part of the tnt family ! His bday comes up in a day, heres to Vernen in Johannesberg, happy bday from tnt.
4. And of course, the original ULM - it can't be said in a blog post.
I write here about a few ULMs
1. Verghese. He is a marketing man, mainly in telecommunications, now pretty senior travelling the globe all the time. Back in 2002, he had quit one job, had 2 offers on hand and was wondering which one to take up.
He needed a break, came to Pune, stayed with us hoping for a quiet 2 weeks - when i was completely going berserk with bookstore idea. It was 3rd wk jan when he came. Poor guy ! he had no choice ! He postponed his joining date, stayed back, taught me about glow signs, neon, signages, went to visit a few bookstores with me to chk out shelving ideas and store decor ..... he stayed back almost for a month !
It was fun, and i had a bouncing board for all my crazy ideas !
2. Ajay Dasgupta : He walked into the Store yesterday ! He has been part of our journey and then suddenly vanished for 6 years only to re-appear yesterday. It was a complete moment of joy. Ajay was our first mascot for our karadi tales event, sweating it inside a thick bhaalu costume in April heat. He did all our street plays that year. We did quite a few workshops and reading sessions - he was our first Santa too ! Thanks Ajay, for coming back !
3. Vernen : our original vernie pooh ! Through his BSc course in India, Vernen was the South African who was more Indian than some of our guys ! Though initially he walked into the Store for the "airconditioning" on a hot summer afternoon, Vernen soon became part of the tnt family ! His bday comes up in a day, heres to Vernen in Johannesberg, happy bday from tnt.
4. And of course, the original ULM - it can't be said in a blog post.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
We love you guys too !
Dear tnt,
Happy 7th Birthday Tnt!
Like I always say "you changed my life".
Sumitra--
Dr Sumitra Krishnan
Thank you Sumitra, for threatening us with a black flag demonstration everytime we let our spirits down and think it is better to shut ! Your black flag threat works ! Everytime !
Birthday celebrations !
the BIG birthday card from BIG customers !
the SMALL birthday card from our SMALL fans !
What's a budday w/o balloons ?
the SMALL birthday card from our SMALL fans !
What's a budday w/o balloons ?
Saturday, March 28, 2009
i feel like a new mother answering all calls and wishes on behalf of her kid !
chk this : http://www160.123greetings.com/card/03/28/01/52/ZQK80328015246713.html
chk this : http://www160.123greetings.com/card/03/28/01/52/ZQK80328015246713.html
and this :
hey Tnt,
happy birthday
Shama
and this :
Dear Janaki
Heartiest greetings on turning 7. Hope there will be many more birthdays, each happier than the previous. There are bookstores and bookstalls but twistntales has been different. To my mind, the difference has been the personal touch (none of the "Dial 1 for History, Dial 2 for Fiction....") and the interest and investment you have created in people - your customers. This is what makes me come all the way from near the airport to Aundh to pick up books. Not only do I collect my books but I also spend some time with you and the staff and this interaction is something that cannot be quantified or measured. You are doing business all right, but there is a genuineness in the gregariousness you display, which makes twistntales so endearing. My best wishes for this birthday and each birthday. Love.
Ravi
Thanks all of you !!!
Friday, March 27, 2009
The 7-year itch: How tnt crept into our lives, our schedules and our lingo
Who said there can be too much of a good thing? We disagree strongly. There can never be too much chocolate, too many hugs, too much gossip and laughter, shoes....and tnt. Yes, it helps that we're book fiends, that we're happier wandering through literary aisles than malls. But tnt has gone from being workplace to hang-out spot to home to simply a way of life.
Tia says: Tnt pops up in the most unexpected ways. I'm sitting with a glass of hot rasam right now as I write, and my first thought as I sipped was, 'Boss puts more ghee in hers.'
Jahnavi says: My exams are coming up, and full-fledged studying is on. Or at least supposed to be on. (Tia wrote that, Boss, it wasn't me!) Most evenings, after a day of swotting at my books, I would get in the car and drive to the Store, just to spend an hour there. Just because.
Tia says: Spikeyand I are chatting online most of our working hours. Or is it waking hours, Spikey??? Her first question to me when I log on isn't 'Hi', or 'How are you?' it's 'How's the Store?' Ok, maybe sometimes, she starts off with 'What's up?' and THEN says 'how's the Store?' but that's rare.
Jahnavi says: Two days ago, my friend and I were getting Cadbee's in Aundh. Now, everyone knows that you cannot have a Cadbee just anywhere. You can't have it while walking down any old street! A Cadbee has to be had someplace with a buzz, with atmosphere. But, a sign just outside the Store (which I made myself!) says 'No food and drinks allowed inside.' So I figured, what the heck, maybe we can sit on the steps outside the Store and have our Cadbees there. We didn't, ultimately, but it was the first place I thought of!
Tia says: Whenever we want to meet up, or are uncertain about where to meet, or are just generally uncertain, we go to the Store. I don't know if I should have a quiet birthday or invite everybody I know and have a huge bash. Uncertainty - head to the Store! Should I spike my hair today or wear it flat. Uncertainty - head to the Store. In fact, heading to the Store doesn't have to have a reason. We go to look at books, look at new employees (especially if they're male!) and just to feel wanted.
Jahnavi says: There are those who envied Tia and me while we were working at the Store. Some of them managed to edge us out and get our jobs, and now they envy us because they've moved to different citites while we continue to be within driving distance of the Store. They, on the other hand have to get onto trains (sometimes without a ticket) to get here. But they still come back.
Tia says: Initially, when we met Potential Guys, it was all about humour, height and dimples, not necessarily in that order. Now, it's all about 'Ooooh, he bought The Book of Nurturing , he's my type! Of course, in some people's case, it could be all about muscular legs and management books! Or it could be, 'Awwwww, he bought The Diary of Anne Frank, he's our kind of guy!'
Tnt has, in many ways re-affirmed my faith in That Gender Which I Do Not Understand aka men! The acronym ULM was coined at tnt. It stands for Utterly Lovable Man, and we have met quite a few of these, while at the Store.
Jahnavi says: There are umpteen stories and happenings which Tia claims are Insanely Important. But I think the fact that it is 1:08 in the morning and my exams are less than a week away and that Tia has been typing with her cell-phone wedged between her ear and her shoulder for the past hour is testament to how much tnt is a part of us.
And so, from two tireless tnt-ians (with a little help from Spikey in Mumbai) to all you wonderful people who made it happen, to a small slice of joy tucked away in a little pocket in Aundh, a very happy birthday!
Tia says: Tnt pops up in the most unexpected ways. I'm sitting with a glass of hot rasam right now as I write, and my first thought as I sipped was, 'Boss puts more ghee in hers.'
Jahnavi says: My exams are coming up, and full-fledged studying is on. Or at least supposed to be on. (Tia wrote that, Boss, it wasn't me!) Most evenings, after a day of swotting at my books, I would get in the car and drive to the Store, just to spend an hour there. Just because.
Tia says: Spikeyand I are chatting online most of our working hours. Or is it waking hours, Spikey??? Her first question to me when I log on isn't 'Hi', or 'How are you?' it's 'How's the Store?' Ok, maybe sometimes, she starts off with 'What's up?' and THEN says 'how's the Store?' but that's rare.
Jahnavi says: Two days ago, my friend and I were getting Cadbee's in Aundh. Now, everyone knows that you cannot have a Cadbee just anywhere. You can't have it while walking down any old street! A Cadbee has to be had someplace with a buzz, with atmosphere. But, a sign just outside the Store (which I made myself!) says 'No food and drinks allowed inside.' So I figured, what the heck, maybe we can sit on the steps outside the Store and have our Cadbees there. We didn't, ultimately, but it was the first place I thought of!
Tia says: Whenever we want to meet up, or are uncertain about where to meet, or are just generally uncertain, we go to the Store. I don't know if I should have a quiet birthday or invite everybody I know and have a huge bash. Uncertainty - head to the Store! Should I spike my hair today or wear it flat. Uncertainty - head to the Store. In fact, heading to the Store doesn't have to have a reason. We go to look at books, look at new employees (especially if they're male!) and just to feel wanted.
Jahnavi says: There are those who envied Tia and me while we were working at the Store. Some of them managed to edge us out and get our jobs, and now they envy us because they've moved to different citites while we continue to be within driving distance of the Store. They, on the other hand have to get onto trains (sometimes without a ticket) to get here. But they still come back.
Tia says: Initially, when we met Potential Guys, it was all about humour, height and dimples, not necessarily in that order. Now, it's all about 'Ooooh, he bought The Book of Nurturing , he's my type! Of course, in some people's case, it could be all about muscular legs and management books! Or it could be, 'Awwwww, he bought The Diary of Anne Frank, he's our kind of guy!'
Tnt has, in many ways re-affirmed my faith in That Gender Which I Do Not Understand aka men! The acronym ULM was coined at tnt. It stands for Utterly Lovable Man, and we have met quite a few of these, while at the Store.
Jahnavi says: There are umpteen stories and happenings which Tia claims are Insanely Important. But I think the fact that it is 1:08 in the morning and my exams are less than a week away and that Tia has been typing with her cell-phone wedged between her ear and her shoulder for the past hour is testament to how much tnt is a part of us.
And so, from two tireless tnt-ians (with a little help from Spikey in Mumbai) to all you wonderful people who made it happen, to a small slice of joy tucked away in a little pocket in Aundh, a very happy birthday!
Much love, from far away!
When I moved back to Bangalore from Pune, I missed tnt. Like a heartbeat. I wandered into bookstores, through long corridors of dusty books in some and swanky new ones in others. I felt helpless. I pulled books out of their shelves, turned them around to read the blurbs and put them back. I stared vacuously at rows and piles of books waiting to hear J's voice, waiting for inspiration, waiting for counsel. I was spoilt. By J. By everything tnt. Like Shankar said, it's hard to tell them apart.
So, I took to calling J every Monday from the confines of my car. Thanks to tnt being closed on Monday, I actually started looking forward to Monday because it meant I could talk to J. That was a welcome transformation. Monday morning blues? No. Monday morning oranges. And reds. And yellows. And sunshine. Life. Books. Empathy. Love. I got it all.
I went back to visit tnt every year after I moved back. And was comforted. Each time. By its colourful new umbrellas, midnight Happy Potter and magic, J and the elves I wrote of.
In all my travels, every time I walked into a bookstore, I waited to hear J's voice telling me what to do. When I don't hear it, I worry that I may not like the books that I'm buying. I'm almost surprised if I do. Now, in the land of Shakespeare and with bookstores on so many street corners, I still wait. To hear J's voice. Because there's nothing jumping out saying 'read me!'.
It's an addiction. tnt. It is. A happy one. And, one I can't wait to go back to as soon as I possibly can. Happy Birthday, tnt. I love you very much.
So, I took to calling J every Monday from the confines of my car. Thanks to tnt being closed on Monday, I actually started looking forward to Monday because it meant I could talk to J. That was a welcome transformation. Monday morning blues? No. Monday morning oranges. And reds. And yellows. And sunshine. Life. Books. Empathy. Love. I got it all.
I went back to visit tnt every year after I moved back. And was comforted. Each time. By its colourful new umbrellas, midnight Happy Potter and magic, J and the elves I wrote of.
In all my travels, every time I walked into a bookstore, I waited to hear J's voice telling me what to do. When I don't hear it, I worry that I may not like the books that I'm buying. I'm almost surprised if I do. Now, in the land of Shakespeare and with bookstores on so many street corners, I still wait. To hear J's voice. Because there's nothing jumping out saying 'read me!'.
It's an addiction. tnt. It is. A happy one. And, one I can't wait to go back to as soon as I possibly can. Happy Birthday, tnt. I love you very much.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Mail sent to twistntales@yahoogroups.com today.
Hi all,
Even as board exams begin, and the season for paying taxes is on us, we at twistntales have reasons to celebrate!
As small independent booksellers, we have hiccupped, struggled, and slowly but surely taken a foothold in the reader’s mind in our neighbourhood. This has been largely due to our now numerous friends in this area and around. Most of you have started as first time walk – ins, liked us, stayed on to chat …. And now we have this large circle of well wishers, who in times of recession gently enquire if we are doing ok ….
This is amazing and touching. A big "thankyou" comes your way. We complete seven years in March’09 and if there’s a itch (7 years!), it is only to spur us on to do better. As mentioned in one of our earlier mails, we are almost done in the process of computerising our stocks, and we hope to start our billing system in April this year.
This will enable us to offer you twistntales on the net, for you – all our numerous friends who have either moved out of Pune or work long hours and are unable to visit us frequently. That’s our project for the following year, helping us reach out better and service your requirements better and faster.
But in the meantime, we have delighted in the process of searching, finding and sometimes chancing upon some absolutely "wow" books. Sharing this joy with you has been absolutely special for me and all of us who have been part of twistntales since we started. Many of us write on the twistntales blog (www.twistntales.blogspot.com) and we ask you to also share this exciting journey with us. If any of you will like to write on books, authors, styles, service deficiencies (yes!) service delights (yes, definitely), we will love to hear from you!
As part of our celebrations, we are happy to announce our Seventh Anniversary Sale starting on the 5th of March through till 15th March ‘09. Do make time and drop in to pick out from a vast selection and take advantage of the discounts that we are happy to give to all of you
As usual, we are looking for summer trainees, requirements for which have also been posted on the blog. Please check it out if you think your kids (min. Xth class) will be interested.
A few reviews have been done below – but a larger set of new and newer books have been listed – and many more to come! While Grisham’s new book (The Associate) is already in the racks, next week will see new Jeffrey Archer, Robin Cook, Wilbur Smith titles – True joy comes in pocket sized original versions, help us fight piracy. Join us, buy originals only!
New books
"The Silver Donkey" by Sonya Hartnett @ Rs. 195/-
Can ever a ‘Donkey’ could be anybody’s ‘Good – Luck Charm.? But yes, the soldier, Lieutenant Shepard, believes so …! The soldier is found, blinded by war, by the two sisters. They help him to reach home. In return, the soldier tells them the tales of bravery, loyalty and sacrifice perfectly connected to his keepsake – the tiny Silver Donkey! As the time passes, the sisters too learn the truth behind the object – it’s the symbol of honesty, loyalty and courage…! This is an excellent and marvellous novel for all ages.
"The Woman who thought she was a planet and other stories" by Vandana Singh @ Rs. 275/-
"I have had a revelation. I am a planet", she said with great dignity. Vandana Singh, brings various stories of fantasy and her unique imagination. In one story the woman thinks she’s a planet and that she is inhabited by small alien creatures.In another, a girl comes across a mysterious tetrahedron: is it a spaceship? Or, a secret weapon? Each story in this fabulous collection takes the reader on the hilarious and horrifying journey of both outer and inner space.
"The Summer Of Cool" by Suchitra Krishnamoorthi @ Rs.199/-
The Summer of Cool is a hip, funny story about friends, family and finding true love. Aimed at 13+ aged readers, the stories within a bustling apartment complex, in the course of school summer holidays – the various characters etched by the author are those that we can all recognise in our own neighbourhood and apartment complexes.
"China : A history" by John Keay @ Rs. 395/- (pgs566)
History has never been more fascinating than when story tellers recreate the stories of the past in a contemporary voice. John Keay has presented another masterpiece. China, our fascinating neighbour and the world’s largest nation merits the grand treatment. Early Chinese history still awaits a convincing re-write. But John Keay has done justice to his ambitious venture. Informed by the latest research, enlivened by anecdote and enriched by provocative comparisons, China : A History spans 3000 years of stop-start integration and extraordinary achievement !
"The Canon- A Whirligig Tour of the Beautiful Basics of Science" by Natalie Angier @ Rs 399/-
"Science – Ugh! That’s why I took commerce! Haven’t we heard this before?" Here’s a book that gets you and your family really engrossed in the beauty that is science. Natalie Angier argues rightly so for an appreciation of the essentials of science just as much as Shakespeare or Beethovan. Written with remarkable wit and charm, it is a must read for science-phobes and science-philes alike! The Canon is an inspiring and imaginative tour through the basics of science, from astronomy to biology and beyond!
"A Mathematical mosaic – patterns and problem solving" by Ravi Vakil @ Rs. 250/-
Ravi Vakil is the winner of Canadian & American Olympiad. "Mathematical Mosaic" is really a mosaic containing math wonders and interconnected patterns, biographies of three greatest mathematician’s ever-Galois, Gauss, and Archimedes, portraits of young achievers of the past who had won the Mathematical Olympiads. It presents tiny tricks which help to solve big problems. It is a book to be read bit by bit and doesn’t require the perfect mathematical background.
"The 24X7 Marriage – smart strategies for good beginnings" by Vijay Nagaswami @ Rs. 250/-
Vijay Nagaswami, a psychiatrist, who has worked closely on Relations, writes on the ‘Smart Strategies’ of Marriages. In this book, he skilfully and humorously talks about some popular posed questions. He explains "Four Golden Rules" of clarifying expectations. In his opinion – "Marriage", as with any other field of endeavour, the trick is ‘Smart Work’, and not ‘Hard Work’. So whether you fall in love and get married or whether love comes to you after the wedding, it is the way you work on your marriage that determines how successful it will be…!
"The New Paradigm for Financial Markets – the credit crisis of 2008 and what it means" by George Soros @ Rs. 695/-
"This is the worst crisis since the Great Depression" writes Soros of the scale of the current financial distress. Moving from prevailing paradigms for financial markets and exploring a new conceptual framework of how markets really work, Soros makes an invaluable contribution in this concise essay. Soros is the founder of a global network of foundations dedicated to supporting open societies
"The Return of Depression Economics and the crisis of 2008" by Paul Krugman @ Rs. 399/-
Winner of the Nobel prize in Economics – Krugman shows why he can rightly be regarded as a true heir to Keynes. Lucidly describing the sequence of events in the money flows in the Asian crisis in 1990, this is a wake-up call for economically challenged policy makers. Brilliantly combining wit and clarity this is macro economics at its best. Taking on specific examples of countries, politics, speculators and currencies – Krugman writes an eminently readable and rattling good read.
"The Great Crash 1929" by John Kenneth Galbraith @ Rs. 399/-
Lending perspective to the daily headlines in the business pages is this book by Galbraith first published in 1954. Many of the companies on Obama’s bailout list have also starred in the earlier crash of 1929. This book is a remarkable account of those times, in turn lending perspective to recent events. Production, Unemployment, Money Supply and Currency are such strong market indicators and for those trying to understand what’s happening now in the current economic scenario, this book will serve as an excellent starter.
"Woodwinds of change – The authorized biography of Hariprasad Chaurasia" by Surjit Singh @ Rs. 600/-
One of the greatest and most important musicians of our times tells it as it was – and is- to long-time fan and music aficionado, Surjit Singh in this remarkable book, his only authorized biography. Eminently readable and brimming with anecdotes and memories, the book traces the long journey from wrestler’s son to music maestro, from AIR staff artiste to film studio sessions-man to music director to international guru. An invaluable document of music history from the man who turned the simple bansuri into a classical concert instrument par excellence.
"The Leadership Code: Five rules to lead by" by Dave Ulrich, Norm Smallwood, Kate Sweetman @ Rs.1380/- (Pgs. 190).
Another winner from Dave Ulrich. Published by Harvard Business Press, the authors have tried to synthesize large numbers of frameworks, tools, processes and studies of leadership to identify the essential rules that govern what all great leaders do. Through the process, they have discovered and validated the five essential rules that all excellent leaders must follow through a framework of knowledge, skills and values common to all effective leaders. Illustrated with various assessment methods, a strategic toolkit for leadership and for building tomorrow’s leaders, The Leadership Code is a valuable addition to the current leadership literature.
"Brands Under Fire" by Ivan Arthur & Kurien Mathews @ Rs.499/- (Pgs. 214)
Big brands, big companies, big budgets and yet things can go wrong. Major brand and marketing gurus from India come together in this Sumantra Ghosal foundation supported book. Case studies from the recent past including Coke, Cadbury’s have been discussed and deliberated upon. Contributions and fresh insights on brands of the 21st century come from Rama Bijapurkar, Pranesh Mishra, Shiv Visvanathan and other stalwarts.
Lots of new additions to our collection. Some listed below:
Fiction:
"Tandoor Cinders" by Vilas Sarang @ Rs. 199/-
"Twilight" by Azhar Abidi @ Rs. 399/-
"Me and Kaminski" by Daniel Kehlmann and translated by Carol Brown Janeway @ Rs 425/-
"The Charlemagne Pursuit" by Steve Berry @ Rs 295/-
"The marriage bureau of rich people" by Farahad Zama @ 295/-
"Private Eye Anonymous – A graphic novel" by Tejas Modak @ Rs. 250/-
"The Wind from the Hills" by Sethu (trs. Prema Jayakumar) @ Rs. 250/-
"Countries of the Body" by Tishani Doshi @ Rs. 150/-
"I am a Special girl" by Amitava Banerjee @ Rs. 195/-
"Divine Justice" by David Baldacci @ Rs. 460/-
"Superstar Babes" by Narinder Dhami @ Rs. 150/-
"Bhangra Babes" by Narinder Dhami @ Rs. 150/-
"The Wedding Gift" by Poonam Rau @ Rs.150/-
"One Dozen Stories" by Satyajit Ray @ Rs. 199/-
"The Associate" by John Grisham @ Rs. 230/-
"Family Values" by Abha Dawesar @ Rs. 325/-
"Next Door: Stories" by Jahnavi Barua @ Rs. 250/-
"First Proof 4" @ Rs. 250/-
"Thanks For The Memories" by Cecelia Ahern @ Rs. 250/-
"Divya" by Yashpal @ Rs. 299/-
"Heroes Of The Valley" by Jonathan Stroud @ Rs. 450/-
"Fugitive Histories" by Githa Hariharan @ Rs. 450/-HB
"The Watchmaker" by Nanak Singh @ Rs. 250/-
"The Storyteller’s Tale" by Omair Ahmad @ Rs. 225/-
"Fated To Love" by Qaisra Shahraz @ Rs. 299/-
"Love’s Fury" by Qaisra Shahraz @ Rs. 299/-
"A Silence Of Desire" by Kamala Markandaya @ Rs. 250/-
"Chinnery’s Hotel" by Jaysinh Birjepatil @ Rs. 325/-
"The Lost Flamingoes Of Bombay" By Siddharth Dhanvant Shanghavi @ Rs. 499/-
""The Story Of My Assassins" By Tarun J. Tejpal @ Rs. 495/-
"Inkdeath" by Cornelia Funke @ Rs. 395/-
"Nose uncle" by Jaspar Utley @ Rs. 200/-
"the Imperial Agent" by Timeri Murari @ Rs. 399/-
"In the country of gold digging ants" by Anu Kumar @ Rs. 225/-
"Cappuccino Dusk" by Kankana Basu @ Rs. 295/-
"The portrait of a lady" by Khuswant singh @ Rs. 350/-
"Nothing is Blue" by Biman Nath @ Rs. 295/-
Management:
"Marketing Through Minefields" by Harvard Business Review Case Studies @ Rs. 670/-
"Leadership In The Era Of Economic Uncertainty: The New Rules For Getting The Right Things Done In Difficult Times" by Ram Charan @ Rs. 375/-
"Employment Personality Tests Decoded" by Anne Hart With George Sheldon @ Rs. 199/-
"Meatball Sundae – How new marketing is transforming the business world" by Seth Godin @ Rs. 295/-
"Enough – Breaking free from the world of excess" By John Naish @ Rs. 350/-
"Damodaran On Valuation – Security Analysis for Investment And Corporate Finance" By Aswath Damodaran @ Rs. 499/-
"Andy Grove: Intel, Leadership and Life" by Richard S. Tedlow @ Rs. 399/-
New titles from Wiley India :
"Overcoming The Five Dysfunctions Of A Team: A Field Guide For Leaders, Managers And Facilitators" by Patrick Lencioni @ Rs. 249/-
"Play To Your Strengths: Stacking The Deck To Achieve Spectacular Results For Yourself And Others" by Andrea Sigetich And Carol Leavitt @ Rs. 249/-
"Strategic Interviewing: How To Hire Good People" by Richaurd Camp, Mary E. Vielhaber And Jack L. Simonetti @ Rs. 329/-
"Kellogg On Integrated Marketing" by Dawn Iacobucci And Bobby Calder @ Rs. 399/-
"Seven Secrets Of Inspired Leaders" by Phil Dourado And Dr. Phil Blackburn @ Rs. 299/-
"The Portable MBA In Entrepreneurship" by William D. Bygrave And Andrew Zacharakis @ Rs. 429/-
"Energize Your Workplace: How To Create And Sustain High-Quality Connections At Work" by Jane E. Dutton @ Rs. 329/-
"Marketing Insights From A To Z: 80 Concepts Every Manager Needs To Know" by Phil Kotler @ Rs. 349/-
"Performance Driven C R M" by Stanley A. Brown & Moosha Gulycz @ Rs. 329/-
"Finance For Strategic Decision Making: What Non-Financial Managers Need To Know" by M. P. Narayanan And Vikram K. Nanda @ Rs. 329/-
"The Leadership Pipeline: How To Build The Leadership-Powered Company" by Ram Charan, Stephen Drotter And James Noel @ Rs. 399/-
"Executive Stamina: How To Optimize Time, Energy And Productivity To Achieve Peak Performance" by Marty Seldman And Joshua Seldman @ Rs. 349/-
Others:
"Say it like Obama – The power of speaking with a purpose and vision" by Shel Leanne @ Rs 375/-
"Girl ology – A girl’s guide to stuff that matters" by Melisa Holmes & Trish Hutchison @ 295/-
"The Book of Moinuddin Chishti" by Mehru Jaffer @ Rs. 250/-
"Delhi: Adventures in a megacity" by Sam Miller @ Rs.499/-
"Eicher Pune Road Map" @ Rs. 75/-
"Whistling in the Dark – Twenty-One Queer Interviews" by R. Raj Rao & Bibyajyoti Sarma @Rs. 375/-
"Nationalism" by Rabindranath Tagore @ Rs. 199/-
"A Time Of Transition: Rajiv Gandhi To The 21st Century" by Mani Shankar Aiyar @ Rs. 599/-
"Character Development : Beyond Academic Achievement" by Stephen Curtis @ Rs. 250/-
"Oneness With All Life (Treasury Edition) – Inspirational Selections From A New Earth" By Eckhart Tolle @ Rs. 450/-
"Goodbye To Gandhi? Travels In The New India" by Bernard Imhasly @ Rs. 425/-
"Michelle Obama: First Lady Of Hope" By Elizabeth Lightfoot @ Rs. 295/-
"Monster" by Allan Hall @ Rs. 225/-
"Rogue Agent" by Nandita Haskar @ Rs. 299/-
"Speaking for Myself – An anthology of Asian Women’s writing" Ed. By Sukrita Paul Kumar @ Rs. 650/-
"The Rice Cookbook" by Anuradha Ravindranath @ Rs. 250/-
"Binu and the great wall" by Su Tong @ Rs 325/-
"Fear and Forgiveness: The Aftermath of Massacre" by Harsh Mander @ Rs. 299/-
"My family’s favourites" by Marie Noelle (Chotti) D’Souza @ Rs. 600/-
Phew! And there’s more that’s not even listed! Do visit us and check it out for yourself!
Thanking you once again,
Janaki and the big happy team at,
twistntales
Even as board exams begin, and the season for paying taxes is on us, we at twistntales have reasons to celebrate!
As small independent booksellers, we have hiccupped, struggled, and slowly but surely taken a foothold in the reader’s mind in our neighbourhood. This has been largely due to our now numerous friends in this area and around. Most of you have started as first time walk – ins, liked us, stayed on to chat …. And now we have this large circle of well wishers, who in times of recession gently enquire if we are doing ok ….
This is amazing and touching. A big "thankyou" comes your way. We complete seven years in March’09 and if there’s a itch (7 years!), it is only to spur us on to do better. As mentioned in one of our earlier mails, we are almost done in the process of computerising our stocks, and we hope to start our billing system in April this year.
This will enable us to offer you twistntales on the net, for you – all our numerous friends who have either moved out of Pune or work long hours and are unable to visit us frequently. That’s our project for the following year, helping us reach out better and service your requirements better and faster.
But in the meantime, we have delighted in the process of searching, finding and sometimes chancing upon some absolutely "wow" books. Sharing this joy with you has been absolutely special for me and all of us who have been part of twistntales since we started. Many of us write on the twistntales blog (www.twistntales.blogspot.com) and we ask you to also share this exciting journey with us. If any of you will like to write on books, authors, styles, service deficiencies (yes!) service delights (yes, definitely), we will love to hear from you!
As part of our celebrations, we are happy to announce our Seventh Anniversary Sale starting on the 5th of March through till 15th March ‘09. Do make time and drop in to pick out from a vast selection and take advantage of the discounts that we are happy to give to all of you
As usual, we are looking for summer trainees, requirements for which have also been posted on the blog. Please check it out if you think your kids (min. Xth class) will be interested.
A few reviews have been done below – but a larger set of new and newer books have been listed – and many more to come! While Grisham’s new book (The Associate) is already in the racks, next week will see new Jeffrey Archer, Robin Cook, Wilbur Smith titles – True joy comes in pocket sized original versions, help us fight piracy. Join us, buy originals only!
New books
"The Silver Donkey" by Sonya Hartnett @ Rs. 195/-
Can ever a ‘Donkey’ could be anybody’s ‘Good – Luck Charm.? But yes, the soldier, Lieutenant Shepard, believes so …! The soldier is found, blinded by war, by the two sisters. They help him to reach home. In return, the soldier tells them the tales of bravery, loyalty and sacrifice perfectly connected to his keepsake – the tiny Silver Donkey! As the time passes, the sisters too learn the truth behind the object – it’s the symbol of honesty, loyalty and courage…! This is an excellent and marvellous novel for all ages.
"The Woman who thought she was a planet and other stories" by Vandana Singh @ Rs. 275/-
"I have had a revelation. I am a planet", she said with great dignity. Vandana Singh, brings various stories of fantasy and her unique imagination. In one story the woman thinks she’s a planet and that she is inhabited by small alien creatures.In another, a girl comes across a mysterious tetrahedron: is it a spaceship? Or, a secret weapon? Each story in this fabulous collection takes the reader on the hilarious and horrifying journey of both outer and inner space.
"The Summer Of Cool" by Suchitra Krishnamoorthi @ Rs.199/-
The Summer of Cool is a hip, funny story about friends, family and finding true love. Aimed at 13+ aged readers, the stories within a bustling apartment complex, in the course of school summer holidays – the various characters etched by the author are those that we can all recognise in our own neighbourhood and apartment complexes.
"China : A history" by John Keay @ Rs. 395/- (pgs566)
History has never been more fascinating than when story tellers recreate the stories of the past in a contemporary voice. John Keay has presented another masterpiece. China, our fascinating neighbour and the world’s largest nation merits the grand treatment. Early Chinese history still awaits a convincing re-write. But John Keay has done justice to his ambitious venture. Informed by the latest research, enlivened by anecdote and enriched by provocative comparisons, China : A History spans 3000 years of stop-start integration and extraordinary achievement !
"The Canon- A Whirligig Tour of the Beautiful Basics of Science" by Natalie Angier @ Rs 399/-
"Science – Ugh! That’s why I took commerce! Haven’t we heard this before?" Here’s a book that gets you and your family really engrossed in the beauty that is science. Natalie Angier argues rightly so for an appreciation of the essentials of science just as much as Shakespeare or Beethovan. Written with remarkable wit and charm, it is a must read for science-phobes and science-philes alike! The Canon is an inspiring and imaginative tour through the basics of science, from astronomy to biology and beyond!
"A Mathematical mosaic – patterns and problem solving" by Ravi Vakil @ Rs. 250/-
Ravi Vakil is the winner of Canadian & American Olympiad. "Mathematical Mosaic" is really a mosaic containing math wonders and interconnected patterns, biographies of three greatest mathematician’s ever-Galois, Gauss, and Archimedes, portraits of young achievers of the past who had won the Mathematical Olympiads. It presents tiny tricks which help to solve big problems. It is a book to be read bit by bit and doesn’t require the perfect mathematical background.
"The 24X7 Marriage – smart strategies for good beginnings" by Vijay Nagaswami @ Rs. 250/-
Vijay Nagaswami, a psychiatrist, who has worked closely on Relations, writes on the ‘Smart Strategies’ of Marriages. In this book, he skilfully and humorously talks about some popular posed questions. He explains "Four Golden Rules" of clarifying expectations. In his opinion – "Marriage", as with any other field of endeavour, the trick is ‘Smart Work’, and not ‘Hard Work’. So whether you fall in love and get married or whether love comes to you after the wedding, it is the way you work on your marriage that determines how successful it will be…!
"The New Paradigm for Financial Markets – the credit crisis of 2008 and what it means" by George Soros @ Rs. 695/-
"This is the worst crisis since the Great Depression" writes Soros of the scale of the current financial distress. Moving from prevailing paradigms for financial markets and exploring a new conceptual framework of how markets really work, Soros makes an invaluable contribution in this concise essay. Soros is the founder of a global network of foundations dedicated to supporting open societies
"The Return of Depression Economics and the crisis of 2008" by Paul Krugman @ Rs. 399/-
Winner of the Nobel prize in Economics – Krugman shows why he can rightly be regarded as a true heir to Keynes. Lucidly describing the sequence of events in the money flows in the Asian crisis in 1990, this is a wake-up call for economically challenged policy makers. Brilliantly combining wit and clarity this is macro economics at its best. Taking on specific examples of countries, politics, speculators and currencies – Krugman writes an eminently readable and rattling good read.
"The Great Crash 1929" by John Kenneth Galbraith @ Rs. 399/-
Lending perspective to the daily headlines in the business pages is this book by Galbraith first published in 1954. Many of the companies on Obama’s bailout list have also starred in the earlier crash of 1929. This book is a remarkable account of those times, in turn lending perspective to recent events. Production, Unemployment, Money Supply and Currency are such strong market indicators and for those trying to understand what’s happening now in the current economic scenario, this book will serve as an excellent starter.
"Woodwinds of change – The authorized biography of Hariprasad Chaurasia" by Surjit Singh @ Rs. 600/-
One of the greatest and most important musicians of our times tells it as it was – and is- to long-time fan and music aficionado, Surjit Singh in this remarkable book, his only authorized biography. Eminently readable and brimming with anecdotes and memories, the book traces the long journey from wrestler’s son to music maestro, from AIR staff artiste to film studio sessions-man to music director to international guru. An invaluable document of music history from the man who turned the simple bansuri into a classical concert instrument par excellence.
"The Leadership Code: Five rules to lead by" by Dave Ulrich, Norm Smallwood, Kate Sweetman @ Rs.1380/- (Pgs. 190).
Another winner from Dave Ulrich. Published by Harvard Business Press, the authors have tried to synthesize large numbers of frameworks, tools, processes and studies of leadership to identify the essential rules that govern what all great leaders do. Through the process, they have discovered and validated the five essential rules that all excellent leaders must follow through a framework of knowledge, skills and values common to all effective leaders. Illustrated with various assessment methods, a strategic toolkit for leadership and for building tomorrow’s leaders, The Leadership Code is a valuable addition to the current leadership literature.
"Brands Under Fire" by Ivan Arthur & Kurien Mathews @ Rs.499/- (Pgs. 214)
Big brands, big companies, big budgets and yet things can go wrong. Major brand and marketing gurus from India come together in this Sumantra Ghosal foundation supported book. Case studies from the recent past including Coke, Cadbury’s have been discussed and deliberated upon. Contributions and fresh insights on brands of the 21st century come from Rama Bijapurkar, Pranesh Mishra, Shiv Visvanathan and other stalwarts.
Lots of new additions to our collection. Some listed below:
Fiction:
"Tandoor Cinders" by Vilas Sarang @ Rs. 199/-
"Twilight" by Azhar Abidi @ Rs. 399/-
"Me and Kaminski" by Daniel Kehlmann and translated by Carol Brown Janeway @ Rs 425/-
"The Charlemagne Pursuit" by Steve Berry @ Rs 295/-
"The marriage bureau of rich people" by Farahad Zama @ 295/-
"Private Eye Anonymous – A graphic novel" by Tejas Modak @ Rs. 250/-
"The Wind from the Hills" by Sethu (trs. Prema Jayakumar) @ Rs. 250/-
"Countries of the Body" by Tishani Doshi @ Rs. 150/-
"I am a Special girl" by Amitava Banerjee @ Rs. 195/-
"Divine Justice" by David Baldacci @ Rs. 460/-
"Superstar Babes" by Narinder Dhami @ Rs. 150/-
"Bhangra Babes" by Narinder Dhami @ Rs. 150/-
"The Wedding Gift" by Poonam Rau @ Rs.150/-
"One Dozen Stories" by Satyajit Ray @ Rs. 199/-
"The Associate" by John Grisham @ Rs. 230/-
"Family Values" by Abha Dawesar @ Rs. 325/-
"Next Door: Stories" by Jahnavi Barua @ Rs. 250/-
"First Proof 4" @ Rs. 250/-
"Thanks For The Memories" by Cecelia Ahern @ Rs. 250/-
"Divya" by Yashpal @ Rs. 299/-
"Heroes Of The Valley" by Jonathan Stroud @ Rs. 450/-
"Fugitive Histories" by Githa Hariharan @ Rs. 450/-HB
"The Watchmaker" by Nanak Singh @ Rs. 250/-
"The Storyteller’s Tale" by Omair Ahmad @ Rs. 225/-
"Fated To Love" by Qaisra Shahraz @ Rs. 299/-
"Love’s Fury" by Qaisra Shahraz @ Rs. 299/-
"A Silence Of Desire" by Kamala Markandaya @ Rs. 250/-
"Chinnery’s Hotel" by Jaysinh Birjepatil @ Rs. 325/-
"The Lost Flamingoes Of Bombay" By Siddharth Dhanvant Shanghavi @ Rs. 499/-
""The Story Of My Assassins" By Tarun J. Tejpal @ Rs. 495/-
"Inkdeath" by Cornelia Funke @ Rs. 395/-
"Nose uncle" by Jaspar Utley @ Rs. 200/-
"the Imperial Agent" by Timeri Murari @ Rs. 399/-
"In the country of gold digging ants" by Anu Kumar @ Rs. 225/-
"Cappuccino Dusk" by Kankana Basu @ Rs. 295/-
"The portrait of a lady" by Khuswant singh @ Rs. 350/-
"Nothing is Blue" by Biman Nath @ Rs. 295/-
Management:
"Marketing Through Minefields" by Harvard Business Review Case Studies @ Rs. 670/-
"Leadership In The Era Of Economic Uncertainty: The New Rules For Getting The Right Things Done In Difficult Times" by Ram Charan @ Rs. 375/-
"Employment Personality Tests Decoded" by Anne Hart With George Sheldon @ Rs. 199/-
"Meatball Sundae – How new marketing is transforming the business world" by Seth Godin @ Rs. 295/-
"Enough – Breaking free from the world of excess" By John Naish @ Rs. 350/-
"Damodaran On Valuation – Security Analysis for Investment And Corporate Finance" By Aswath Damodaran @ Rs. 499/-
"Andy Grove: Intel, Leadership and Life" by Richard S. Tedlow @ Rs. 399/-
New titles from Wiley India :
"Overcoming The Five Dysfunctions Of A Team: A Field Guide For Leaders, Managers And Facilitators" by Patrick Lencioni @ Rs. 249/-
"Play To Your Strengths: Stacking The Deck To Achieve Spectacular Results For Yourself And Others" by Andrea Sigetich And Carol Leavitt @ Rs. 249/-
"Strategic Interviewing: How To Hire Good People" by Richaurd Camp, Mary E. Vielhaber And Jack L. Simonetti @ Rs. 329/-
"Kellogg On Integrated Marketing" by Dawn Iacobucci And Bobby Calder @ Rs. 399/-
"Seven Secrets Of Inspired Leaders" by Phil Dourado And Dr. Phil Blackburn @ Rs. 299/-
"The Portable MBA In Entrepreneurship" by William D. Bygrave And Andrew Zacharakis @ Rs. 429/-
"Energize Your Workplace: How To Create And Sustain High-Quality Connections At Work" by Jane E. Dutton @ Rs. 329/-
"Marketing Insights From A To Z: 80 Concepts Every Manager Needs To Know" by Phil Kotler @ Rs. 349/-
"Performance Driven C R M" by Stanley A. Brown & Moosha Gulycz @ Rs. 329/-
"Finance For Strategic Decision Making: What Non-Financial Managers Need To Know" by M. P. Narayanan And Vikram K. Nanda @ Rs. 329/-
"The Leadership Pipeline: How To Build The Leadership-Powered Company" by Ram Charan, Stephen Drotter And James Noel @ Rs. 399/-
"Executive Stamina: How To Optimize Time, Energy And Productivity To Achieve Peak Performance" by Marty Seldman And Joshua Seldman @ Rs. 349/-
Others:
"Say it like Obama – The power of speaking with a purpose and vision" by Shel Leanne @ Rs 375/-
"Girl ology – A girl’s guide to stuff that matters" by Melisa Holmes & Trish Hutchison @ 295/-
"The Book of Moinuddin Chishti" by Mehru Jaffer @ Rs. 250/-
"Delhi: Adventures in a megacity" by Sam Miller @ Rs.499/-
"Eicher Pune Road Map" @ Rs. 75/-
"Whistling in the Dark – Twenty-One Queer Interviews" by R. Raj Rao & Bibyajyoti Sarma @Rs. 375/-
"Nationalism" by Rabindranath Tagore @ Rs. 199/-
"A Time Of Transition: Rajiv Gandhi To The 21st Century" by Mani Shankar Aiyar @ Rs. 599/-
"Character Development : Beyond Academic Achievement" by Stephen Curtis @ Rs. 250/-
"Oneness With All Life (Treasury Edition) – Inspirational Selections From A New Earth" By Eckhart Tolle @ Rs. 450/-
"Goodbye To Gandhi? Travels In The New India" by Bernard Imhasly @ Rs. 425/-
"Michelle Obama: First Lady Of Hope" By Elizabeth Lightfoot @ Rs. 295/-
"Monster" by Allan Hall @ Rs. 225/-
"Rogue Agent" by Nandita Haskar @ Rs. 299/-
"Speaking for Myself – An anthology of Asian Women’s writing" Ed. By Sukrita Paul Kumar @ Rs. 650/-
"The Rice Cookbook" by Anuradha Ravindranath @ Rs. 250/-
"Binu and the great wall" by Su Tong @ Rs 325/-
"Fear and Forgiveness: The Aftermath of Massacre" by Harsh Mander @ Rs. 299/-
"My family’s favourites" by Marie Noelle (Chotti) D’Souza @ Rs. 600/-
Phew! And there’s more that’s not even listed! Do visit us and check it out for yourself!
Thanking you once again,
Janaki and the big happy team at,
twistntales
Monday, February 16, 2009
Series of (un) fortunate events - 2
Some are not posting stories... but they are coming on mail ....
so i shall have to do it for them !
"Hey Boss...whats up??
The whole documenting stories idea is very cool but I think we may have a problem.
Firstly, there are those stories where I have messed up...hehehe ...those I would obviously not mention.
Then there are so many controversial stories, how are we going to pick???
Like we could mention the "you must be joking" story but then, what if Tia was joking???...We can never be too sure right?
Then we could write about the whole HK story..but there are so many of those..and I may be unnecessarily dragged in..also I dont think we'll ever see either of them around..hmm ;-)
or we can mention how Billo sneaks out during work to meet her friends near the corner bench ...but then..Billo is going to beat us up sooo badly...not a good idea
can we mention Akash dancing?...isnt that supposed to be top secret..our marketing strategy??...
Tripuri and Neha danced in the store also..but I think they chased away the customers
And Twisty..how he helped us get customers...We cant tell them that can we??
I wonder if Anushree would always want to be known as the Colin girl..maybe she'll become famous like the liril add..hehehe
Ohhh..and the customer (Kuldip Joshi??..I think) who thinks there's some magic in the store cuz we recognize him when he asks for ordered books..we cant tell him our secret
Ah Ha!!! I've finally got it.We do have stories we can tell.
We can tell people how our staple diet is chips and naturals. Then maybe they'll drop by with some food.
And the coolest story...My hair on the bus stop.Boss, you do realise that was the only thing that made people look at the hoarding....See i can use my head sometimes.
Bye
tc
Shama"
so i shall have to do it for them !
"Hey Boss...whats up??
The whole documenting stories idea is very cool but I think we may have a problem.
Firstly, there are those stories where I have messed up...hehehe ...those I would obviously not mention.
Then there are so many controversial stories, how are we going to pick???
Like we could mention the "you must be joking" story but then, what if Tia was joking???...We can never be too sure right?
Then we could write about the whole HK story..but there are so many of those..and I may be unnecessarily dragged in..also I dont think we'll ever see either of them around..hmm ;-)
or we can mention how Billo sneaks out during work to meet her friends near the corner bench ...but then..Billo is going to beat us up sooo badly...not a good idea
can we mention Akash dancing?...isnt that supposed to be top secret..our marketing strategy??...
Tripuri and Neha danced in the store also..but I think they chased away the customers
And Twisty..how he helped us get customers...We cant tell them that can we??
I wonder if Anushree would always want to be known as the Colin girl..maybe she'll become famous like the liril add..hehehe
Ohhh..and the customer (Kuldip Joshi??..I think) who thinks there's some magic in the store cuz we recognize him when he asks for ordered books..we cant tell him our secret
Ah Ha!!! I've finally got it.We do have stories we can tell.
We can tell people how our staple diet is chips and naturals. Then maybe they'll drop by with some food.
And the coolest story...My hair on the bus stop.Boss, you do realise that was the only thing that made people look at the hoarding....See i can use my head sometimes.
Bye
tc
Shama"
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Series of (Un?)Fortunate Events
First Story of this Series is titled: Shama and the card machine
Shama had been working for quite a while at the store when this incident occurred. She had been working at the till, was used to the card machine and was struggling to remember Team tnt members.
One evening it was just Shama and me at the store when one such Team tnt member walks in. As usual, he selected a huge stack of books and plonked them down on the counter. Shama made the bill and was thrilled that she remembered his name and wrote it on the bill with a flourish. He gave his card to swipe, and Shama was so thrilled that she remembered his name that she forgot the policy!
After that there was complete mayhem for the next 15 seconds when she realised what had happened. What I remember is her jabbing at the red Cancel button on the card machine, saying "Oh shit! Cancel! Cancel! Cancel!!s"
Of course I shouldn't be one to say anything. Apparently when I started and Tia taught me how to work the card machine, I asked if I should swipe the other side as well.
Shama had been working for quite a while at the store when this incident occurred. She had been working at the till, was used to the card machine and was struggling to remember Team tnt members.
One evening it was just Shama and me at the store when one such Team tnt member walks in. As usual, he selected a huge stack of books and plonked them down on the counter. Shama made the bill and was thrilled that she remembered his name and wrote it on the bill with a flourish. He gave his card to swipe, and Shama was so thrilled that she remembered his name that she forgot the policy!
After that there was complete mayhem for the next 15 seconds when she realised what had happened. What I remember is her jabbing at the red Cancel button on the card machine, saying "Oh shit! Cancel! Cancel! Cancel!!s"
Of course I shouldn't be one to say anything. Apparently when I started and Tia taught me how to work the card machine, I asked if I should swipe the other side as well.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Looking for Summer Trainees !
Every year we have had smart students who have interned with us in the summer break. Apart from gaining a little pocket money (and to think of it, most of it gets spent in the Store itself), it gives them tremendous confidence, a sense of discipline and an understanding of the business process.
We have had Samar, Jharna, Neena (twice), Sharmista, Anushree, Apoorva and a few others.
We are looking now for Summer of 2009.
"Posts : two or three
Morning : 10 am to 2 pm (all days except mondays)
Evening : 4.30 pm to 9pm ( - do -)
Duration : April, May, June
Minimum Xth std (for morning slot) and XIIth std (for evening slot).
Good Spoken and Written English Language skills, PC skills, should love books and enjoy interaction with people.
If you are interested, please write a note on who you are, what you want to do and where we can reach you (adds./ ph.nos) and drop it off at the Store !
We have had Samar, Jharna, Neena (twice), Sharmista, Anushree, Apoorva and a few others.
We are looking now for Summer of 2009.
"Posts : two or three
Morning : 10 am to 2 pm (all days except mondays)
Evening : 4.30 pm to 9pm ( - do -)
Duration : April, May, June
Minimum Xth std (for morning slot) and XIIth std (for evening slot).
Good Spoken and Written English Language skills, PC skills, should love books and enjoy interaction with people.
If you are interested, please write a note on who you are, what you want to do and where we can reach you (adds./ ph.nos) and drop it off at the Store !
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
"Where's your book ?" they say....
Often i have been asked this.... when are you going to write a book .... on the "twisted tales" of tnt ! Of course, i have a standard answer. Most author profiles describe the authors living in a house tucked away in the hills.... or beach houses living a tranquil life writing a few hours a day...
Sigh ! Till i have a house in the hills and a Ramu Kaka to look after my chai needs.... well, my book can wait. But my stories can't ! We have many stories here @ tnt and most of them worth re-telling. Almost prompting me to steal the line from another famous store - "We are not a store, we are a story!"
Since tnt staff is scatterred all over and each one of them know a few stories of their time - i ask you all to help ! please write the stories here - in this blog ... so we can start documenting them. I think i know many, but i also realise that i do not know many ! which i'm discovering !
To start with, i started putting a sequence to - who worked when, what shift @ the store, and realised that i was starting to get dates/ years/ months wrong ! So, please help !
We started with Tejal and Mridula, both part-time, plus Dhiraj and Sanjay and Nirmala. Tejal and Mridula started in Mar 2002, Dhiraj (weekends), Sanjay (thrice a week). Nirmala started in May 2002. Through that year we had Rina, Nandana, Shefali and Shradha - correct ? Shradha - u and tejal need to confirm this.
2003 saw Ashok, Nisha, Samar, Jharna, Saroj and Sameer. Nisha was our first full time employee - joined us in Apr 2003 ? Saroj with Samar and then with Sameer worked on for a year till June 2004 ?
2004 saw Shefali (2nd stint), Rekha, Aarti and Geetanjali.
then i'm little lost. Tia - July 2005 to Mar 2007 ? Now fit the others - Alisha, Akash, Shrikant, Rahul, Sharmista ? the 2 physics boys - friends of shrikant - the 2 Ashishs ?
Now i'm truly lost - Samar, tia, weed, anushree- please put a sequence to this !
Sigh ! Till i have a house in the hills and a Ramu Kaka to look after my chai needs.... well, my book can wait. But my stories can't ! We have many stories here @ tnt and most of them worth re-telling. Almost prompting me to steal the line from another famous store - "We are not a store, we are a story!"
Since tnt staff is scatterred all over and each one of them know a few stories of their time - i ask you all to help ! please write the stories here - in this blog ... so we can start documenting them. I think i know many, but i also realise that i do not know many ! which i'm discovering !
To start with, i started putting a sequence to - who worked when, what shift @ the store, and realised that i was starting to get dates/ years/ months wrong ! So, please help !
We started with Tejal and Mridula, both part-time, plus Dhiraj and Sanjay and Nirmala. Tejal and Mridula started in Mar 2002, Dhiraj (weekends), Sanjay (thrice a week). Nirmala started in May 2002. Through that year we had Rina, Nandana, Shefali and Shradha - correct ? Shradha - u and tejal need to confirm this.
2003 saw Ashok, Nisha, Samar, Jharna, Saroj and Sameer. Nisha was our first full time employee - joined us in Apr 2003 ? Saroj with Samar and then with Sameer worked on for a year till June 2004 ?
2004 saw Shefali (2nd stint), Rekha, Aarti and Geetanjali.
then i'm little lost. Tia - July 2005 to Mar 2007 ? Now fit the others - Alisha, Akash, Shrikant, Rahul, Sharmista ? the 2 physics boys - friends of shrikant - the 2 Ashishs ?
Now i'm truly lost - Samar, tia, weed, anushree- please put a sequence to this !
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Mail sent today to yahoogroups.
Message sent to twistntales@yahoogroups.com on 21st Jan, 2009
Hi,
Welcome to another round of some really wonderful books and do stock up for the long weekend ahead. Lots of new releases happening again, and we let you know of them as soon as it happens. The latest from Grisham releasing early next week …. And many many more!
“Outliers – The story of success” by Malcolm Gladwell @ Rs. 399/- (pgs 309)
A new offering by best-selling author of “The Tipping Point” and “Blink”, Malcolm Gladwell takes us on a behind the scenes tour of success, breaking it down through statistical analyses. Environment, where one comes from, affords advantages and disadvantages that determine a flourishing future. Through chapters that uses a wide range of examples such as exceptional hockey players, virtuoso musicians, computer programming whizzes, top corporate lawyers and many more, Gladwell makes it plain that its culture, not genius that maketh a successful man.
“Chasing the rabbit – How market leaders outdistance the competition and how great companies can catch up and win” by Steven J. Spear @ Rs 695/- (404 pgs)
High velocity organizations, always leading the race, apply their magic in the fields of cost, speed, service and innovation. “Chasing the rabbit” details self improvement techniques aimed at weeding out problems and inconsistencies, attacking to solve those problems, learning from the solving process and constantly aiming at innovation. Not merely a book on business theory, aimed at organizations, it is a sound source of practical advice for anyone looking to better themselves.
“Panic” edited by Michael Lewis @ Rs. 250/-
With the help of articles, interviews, commentaries and insights from financial gurus such as Jeffery Sachs, Noble prize winning economist Paul Krugman, Joseph Stiglitz and many of his own writings, trader Lewis of Liar’s Poker fame portrays the bipolar nature of the world’s markets. The frenzied, manic phase before a market disaster and the deep depression after, chronicled with opinions from the horses’ mouths.
“The Accidental Theorist and other despatches from the dismal science” by Paul Krugman @ Rs 500/- (pgs 204)
A collection of essays, devoid of economic jargon, math and graphs, and presented in comprehensive English, to appear as non-threatening as possible to the reader. It is aimed at eliminating fallacious depictions of economics as it has often been portrayed. Noble prize winner Krugman wishes to help the layman grasp the beauty and complexity behind economics and to put to rest the propagated erroneous and simplistic beliefs that pervade in popular culture’s portrayal of economics.
“Blood and rage – A cultural history of terrorism” by Michael Burleigh @ Rs 495/- (545 pgs)
A thoroughly complete examination of terrorism, tracing the phenomenon from it’s infancy to its current stage, helping one grasp the answers to the questions “How?”, “When?”, “Why?” Terrorism had its beginnings in the Irish Republican Brotherhood who created for their ends a cult of Fenians, the first terrorists. With support, asylum and funding from benign foreign hosts, a feature it still retains today, terrorism was inaugurated and carried forward by red Russian Nihilists. Burleigh follows the conflict between Jews and Arabs in Palestine, before and after its partition into Israel and the current jihadi dominated nature of terrorism. Entering the terrorist psyche, Burleigh goes through convoluted modern history with a fine tooth comb, weeding out the events and repercussions that fuelled terrorism, gave it character and led to its growth and spread.
“India with Sanjeev Bhaskar” @ Rs. 295/- (pgs 277)
In this volume Bhaskar, one of the chief propagators of British Asian humour in the UK, comes to terms with an India that has consistently baffled him. Travelling through Bombay, Pune, Calcutta, Rishikesh, pens his individualistically poignant yet hilarious observations on India. A rich heritage, but a mostly poor poverty stricken population, mixing Bollywood masala and traditional fervor with equal zest. A recently partitioned, post Independence India, hurtling into a software boom but where cows still walk (most of) the streets. Here is India from the point of view of a Punjabi NRI, born and brought up in working class London, by a family that fondly remembered a pre- partitioned India, where fish and chips reigned over his heart as opposed to the okra, mangoes and spicy curries of his motherland.
“Memories Gold- Writings on Calcutta” @ Rs. 699/- (pgs 538)
“Memories Gold” is a lovely compilation of poetry, prose, essays and stories that capture the thriving complexities of a pulsating, vibrant city. Each piece in this collection portrays a special facet of the multi-dimensional metropolis humming with so much culture, passion so many people and so much rich history. Gurudeb Rabindranath Tagore’s childhood smritis intermingle with Jug Suriya, Amitav Ghosh, Moti Nandi football, Marxists and Durga Poojo. A gold tome the size of two ingots and filled with treasures on that civilization called Calcutta.
“The Business traveller’s guide to the World” @ Rs. 399/- (527 pgs)
A concise checklist of things to do, items and documents you need while travelling to any corner of the globe. The inner cover of the book is a map of the world that indicates what’s to follow. Whether you’re in a quandary regarding the languages spoken in Cambodia or whether you’re wondering if you need a yellow fever vaccination certificate to visit Paraguay this is the book to consult! Histories, geography, sex ratio, GDP, lists of time zones, Internet codes and ISD codes, currencies, capitals (and anything else that’s even remotely relevant to business travel) all packed into one rather wonderful 500 paged volume (that will fit into any carry all or pocketbook!)
Indian Writing
“Slumdog millionaire” by Vikas Swarup @ Rs 270/- (382 pgs)
An elaborately descriptive book that recalls the writing manner of Arvind Adiga in his “White Tiger”, Slumdog Millionaire is narrated by a Dharavi dwelling waiter who has ostensibly hit the jackpot by winning a reality quiz show. Life in Dharavi is always bizarre but his miraculous win ejects the eponymous Ram Mohammad Thomas into an unprecedented realm of the uncanny. Recounting in ascending order, how he knew the answer to each of the twelve questions we infiltrate the heart of Mumbai and bear witness to a one time tiffinboy’s foray into numerous professions and his brushes with Bollywood glitz, brothels, orphanages and finally the police as he is jailed on suspicion of cheating the show.
“Escape” by Manjula Padmanbhan @ Rs 295/- (419 pgs)
In a futuristic era where women have been all but wiped out, one young girl feels the stirrings of adulthood within herself. Initially considered frozen in childhood, she is now seen as dangerously vulnerable in the General controlled world and turns fugitive with her Youngest uncle. On this premise does Onassis award winner Padmanbhan base her richly textured, philosophy-laced metaphorical examination of the coming of age of a young girl. Beautifully written and intensely gripping with lovely manipulation of the language “Escape” is an out of the ordinary read.
“Indian memsahib” by Suchita Malik @ Rs 195/- (195 pgs)
First offering by Dr Suchita Mehta, “Indian memsahib” opens a window into the world of Indian bureaucracy seen through the inexperienced and naïve eyes of a bureaucrat’s wife. Suchita Malik captures the innocence of a wife so obviously yoked to her husband’s livelihood yet longing to make something of herself, with simple language and everyday incidents that give us both an insight into the complex realm of babudom as well the mind of an introspective woman.
“Indian by choice” by Amit Dasgupta @ Rs 395/- (93 pgs)
Endearing illustrations and a story that will strike a chord with many, this is the story of Mandy coming to terms with his identity as an essentially Indian Mandeep, and Indian by choice. Taking the graphic novel approach to the ABCD (American Born Confused Desi) syndrome that hits many of our NRI cousins “Indian by choice” combines story and satire in a fun way. A rapid read with a moral at the end, it retains a gentle irony and a sense of fun all the while!
“Daughters of Shame” by Jasvinder Sanghere @ Rs 295/- (304 pgs)
“Death before dishonor” being the family motto of most Asian families, even in Britain, they fail to acknowledge that many of their daughters would rather choose death than be married of to strangers and give up the right to choose their suitors. Exposing the torturous domestic hardships experienced by numerous Asian women across Britain, Jasvinder Sanghere pens their silent and hitherto secret sufferings hoping to create a wave of change in their deplorable conditions. Forced into a marriage, she escaped and started a life of her own but not before being disowned by her own mother for wanting to be free. Each of these stories will bring a greater understanding of the value of freedom and the value of empowering our womenfolk.
Nature
“Rumbling Island – true stories from the forests of India” by Zai Whitaker @ Rs. 175/- (pgs 111)
Every writer muses, observes, and has beliefs and morals. What sets the contributions in this assortment apart is that they are all the musings, observations, beliefs and morals of fervent naturalists. Mention must be made about the striking cover art depicting a variety of gorgeous fauna. Zai Whitaker (author of “The Boastful Centipede”) compiled and contributed to this collection, which is as diverse and rich as the Indian wildlife it portrays. From a conservationist wanting to discover the social habits of tigers to another following the survival games played by otters, langurs and tiger cubs this book covers everything from reptiles, amphibians big and small birds, mammals and of course the ever present homo sapiens!
“Wild City – Nature wonders next door” – by Ranjit Lal @ Rs. 275/-(pgs 282)
Wild City penetrates the steel girders of our concrete jungle towns to take a closer look at the urban wild life. We city dwellers too share out space with much undomesticated animal life. From the raptors soaring predatorily overhead to pigeons nesting in our AC ducts to survival tactics of cunning urban monkeys and insects galore, Ranjit Lal profiles each and portrays them as spirited individuals, perhaps as human as you or I.
Young Adults:
“Rigmarole and Other Plays” by Sai Paranjpye @ Rs.199/- (pgs 172)Padma Bhushan awardee, director and writer Sai Paranjpye comes out with a collection of three idiosyncratic and delightful plays each with underlying nuances. The Emperor of the United Kingdom of Feathered Friends decrees a poetry competition but to what end? A bug in the Royal throne? Impossible! Suitable for ages 10+ to read, enjoy and perform !
“The Cosmic Detective – exploring the mysteries of our universe” by Dr Mani Bhaumik @ Rs. 199/-(pgs 92)
Dr Mani Bhaumik enlists the sleuthing skills of his young readers to find solutions to cosmic mysteries. How is it that the area around a black hole is very bright even though not even light can escape its gravitational pull? How many mythological characters populate our skies and why do they reside there? Using gorgeous photos and simple descriptions Dr Bhaumik illuminates the often abstract aspects of space and its wondrous wonders.
New books:
“The Untold Charminar – Writings on Hyderabad” edited by Syeda Imam @ Rs 399/-
“America America” by Ethan Canin @Rs. 875/-
“Breaking Dawn” by Stephanie Meyer @Rs. 550/-
“China : A history” by John Keay @ Rs. 395/-
“The Silver Donkey” by Sonya Hartnett @ Rs. 195/-
“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/-
“Me and Kaminski” by Daniel Kehlmann and translated by Carol Brown Janeway @ Rs 425/-
“The Canon- the beautiful basics of science” by Natalie Angier @ Rs 399/-
“The Charlemange pursuit” by Steve Berry @ Rs 295/-
“The marriage bureau of rich people” by Farahad Zama @ 295/-
“The Gaudi Key–Unlock the secret of the century” by Esteban Martin &Andreu Carranza @ Rs 195/-
“Say it like Obama – The power of speaking with a purpose and vision” by Shel Leanne @ Rs 375/-
“Girl ology – A girl’s guide to stuff that matters” by Melisa Holmes & Trish Hutchison @ 295/-
“The 24X7 Marriage – smart strategies for good beginnings” by Vijay Nagaswami @ Rs. 250/-
“(Un)settled: Notes from a shifting life” by Kamini Karlekar @ Rs. 295/-
“Private Eye Anonymous – A graphic novel” by Tejas Modak @ Rs. 250/-
“The Wind from the Hills” by Sethu (trs. Prema Jayakumar) @ Rs. 250/-
“The New Paradigm for Financial Markets – the credit crisis of 2008 and what it means” by George Soros @ Rs. 695/-
“Countries of the Body” by Tishani Doshi @ Rs. 150/-
“My family’s favourites” by Marie Noelle (Chotti) D’Souza @ Rs. 600/-
“I am a Special girl” by Amitava Banerjee @ Rs. 195/-
“Divine Justice” by David Baldacci @ Rs. 460/-
“A Mathematical mosaic – patterns and problem solving” by Ravi Vakil @ Rs. 250/-
“Woodwinds of change – The authorized biography of Hariprasad Chaurasia” by Surjit Singh @ Rs. 600/-
“Superstar Babes” by Narinder Dhami @ Rs. 150/-
Bhangra Babes” by Narinder Dhami @ Rs. 150/-
“The return of Depression Economics and the crisis of 2008” by Paul Krugman @ Rs. 399/-
“The Book of Moinuddin Chishti” by Mehru Jaffer @ Rs. 250/-
“The Great Crash 1929” by John Kenneth Galbraith @ Rs. 399/-
That’s a long list of books that have already arrived in the last couple of days …. Do rush in and pick your favourites. See you at the Store,
From the team at,
twistntales
Hi,
Welcome to another round of some really wonderful books and do stock up for the long weekend ahead. Lots of new releases happening again, and we let you know of them as soon as it happens. The latest from Grisham releasing early next week …. And many many more!
“Outliers – The story of success” by Malcolm Gladwell @ Rs. 399/- (pgs 309)
A new offering by best-selling author of “The Tipping Point” and “Blink”, Malcolm Gladwell takes us on a behind the scenes tour of success, breaking it down through statistical analyses. Environment, where one comes from, affords advantages and disadvantages that determine a flourishing future. Through chapters that uses a wide range of examples such as exceptional hockey players, virtuoso musicians, computer programming whizzes, top corporate lawyers and many more, Gladwell makes it plain that its culture, not genius that maketh a successful man.
“Chasing the rabbit – How market leaders outdistance the competition and how great companies can catch up and win” by Steven J. Spear @ Rs 695/- (404 pgs)
High velocity organizations, always leading the race, apply their magic in the fields of cost, speed, service and innovation. “Chasing the rabbit” details self improvement techniques aimed at weeding out problems and inconsistencies, attacking to solve those problems, learning from the solving process and constantly aiming at innovation. Not merely a book on business theory, aimed at organizations, it is a sound source of practical advice for anyone looking to better themselves.
“Panic” edited by Michael Lewis @ Rs. 250/-
With the help of articles, interviews, commentaries and insights from financial gurus such as Jeffery Sachs, Noble prize winning economist Paul Krugman, Joseph Stiglitz and many of his own writings, trader Lewis of Liar’s Poker fame portrays the bipolar nature of the world’s markets. The frenzied, manic phase before a market disaster and the deep depression after, chronicled with opinions from the horses’ mouths.
“The Accidental Theorist and other despatches from the dismal science” by Paul Krugman @ Rs 500/- (pgs 204)
A collection of essays, devoid of economic jargon, math and graphs, and presented in comprehensive English, to appear as non-threatening as possible to the reader. It is aimed at eliminating fallacious depictions of economics as it has often been portrayed. Noble prize winner Krugman wishes to help the layman grasp the beauty and complexity behind economics and to put to rest the propagated erroneous and simplistic beliefs that pervade in popular culture’s portrayal of economics.
“Blood and rage – A cultural history of terrorism” by Michael Burleigh @ Rs 495/- (545 pgs)
A thoroughly complete examination of terrorism, tracing the phenomenon from it’s infancy to its current stage, helping one grasp the answers to the questions “How?”, “When?”, “Why?” Terrorism had its beginnings in the Irish Republican Brotherhood who created for their ends a cult of Fenians, the first terrorists. With support, asylum and funding from benign foreign hosts, a feature it still retains today, terrorism was inaugurated and carried forward by red Russian Nihilists. Burleigh follows the conflict between Jews and Arabs in Palestine, before and after its partition into Israel and the current jihadi dominated nature of terrorism. Entering the terrorist psyche, Burleigh goes through convoluted modern history with a fine tooth comb, weeding out the events and repercussions that fuelled terrorism, gave it character and led to its growth and spread.
“India with Sanjeev Bhaskar” @ Rs. 295/- (pgs 277)
In this volume Bhaskar, one of the chief propagators of British Asian humour in the UK, comes to terms with an India that has consistently baffled him. Travelling through Bombay, Pune, Calcutta, Rishikesh, pens his individualistically poignant yet hilarious observations on India. A rich heritage, but a mostly poor poverty stricken population, mixing Bollywood masala and traditional fervor with equal zest. A recently partitioned, post Independence India, hurtling into a software boom but where cows still walk (most of) the streets. Here is India from the point of view of a Punjabi NRI, born and brought up in working class London, by a family that fondly remembered a pre- partitioned India, where fish and chips reigned over his heart as opposed to the okra, mangoes and spicy curries of his motherland.
“Memories Gold- Writings on Calcutta” @ Rs. 699/- (pgs 538)
“Memories Gold” is a lovely compilation of poetry, prose, essays and stories that capture the thriving complexities of a pulsating, vibrant city. Each piece in this collection portrays a special facet of the multi-dimensional metropolis humming with so much culture, passion so many people and so much rich history. Gurudeb Rabindranath Tagore’s childhood smritis intermingle with Jug Suriya, Amitav Ghosh, Moti Nandi football, Marxists and Durga Poojo. A gold tome the size of two ingots and filled with treasures on that civilization called Calcutta.
“The Business traveller’s guide to the World” @ Rs. 399/- (527 pgs)
A concise checklist of things to do, items and documents you need while travelling to any corner of the globe. The inner cover of the book is a map of the world that indicates what’s to follow. Whether you’re in a quandary regarding the languages spoken in Cambodia or whether you’re wondering if you need a yellow fever vaccination certificate to visit Paraguay this is the book to consult! Histories, geography, sex ratio, GDP, lists of time zones, Internet codes and ISD codes, currencies, capitals (and anything else that’s even remotely relevant to business travel) all packed into one rather wonderful 500 paged volume (that will fit into any carry all or pocketbook!)
Indian Writing
“Slumdog millionaire” by Vikas Swarup @ Rs 270/- (382 pgs)
An elaborately descriptive book that recalls the writing manner of Arvind Adiga in his “White Tiger”, Slumdog Millionaire is narrated by a Dharavi dwelling waiter who has ostensibly hit the jackpot by winning a reality quiz show. Life in Dharavi is always bizarre but his miraculous win ejects the eponymous Ram Mohammad Thomas into an unprecedented realm of the uncanny. Recounting in ascending order, how he knew the answer to each of the twelve questions we infiltrate the heart of Mumbai and bear witness to a one time tiffinboy’s foray into numerous professions and his brushes with Bollywood glitz, brothels, orphanages and finally the police as he is jailed on suspicion of cheating the show.
“Escape” by Manjula Padmanbhan @ Rs 295/- (419 pgs)
In a futuristic era where women have been all but wiped out, one young girl feels the stirrings of adulthood within herself. Initially considered frozen in childhood, she is now seen as dangerously vulnerable in the General controlled world and turns fugitive with her Youngest uncle. On this premise does Onassis award winner Padmanbhan base her richly textured, philosophy-laced metaphorical examination of the coming of age of a young girl. Beautifully written and intensely gripping with lovely manipulation of the language “Escape” is an out of the ordinary read.
“Indian memsahib” by Suchita Malik @ Rs 195/- (195 pgs)
First offering by Dr Suchita Mehta, “Indian memsahib” opens a window into the world of Indian bureaucracy seen through the inexperienced and naïve eyes of a bureaucrat’s wife. Suchita Malik captures the innocence of a wife so obviously yoked to her husband’s livelihood yet longing to make something of herself, with simple language and everyday incidents that give us both an insight into the complex realm of babudom as well the mind of an introspective woman.
“Indian by choice” by Amit Dasgupta @ Rs 395/- (93 pgs)
Endearing illustrations and a story that will strike a chord with many, this is the story of Mandy coming to terms with his identity as an essentially Indian Mandeep, and Indian by choice. Taking the graphic novel approach to the ABCD (American Born Confused Desi) syndrome that hits many of our NRI cousins “Indian by choice” combines story and satire in a fun way. A rapid read with a moral at the end, it retains a gentle irony and a sense of fun all the while!
“Daughters of Shame” by Jasvinder Sanghere @ Rs 295/- (304 pgs)
“Death before dishonor” being the family motto of most Asian families, even in Britain, they fail to acknowledge that many of their daughters would rather choose death than be married of to strangers and give up the right to choose their suitors. Exposing the torturous domestic hardships experienced by numerous Asian women across Britain, Jasvinder Sanghere pens their silent and hitherto secret sufferings hoping to create a wave of change in their deplorable conditions. Forced into a marriage, she escaped and started a life of her own but not before being disowned by her own mother for wanting to be free. Each of these stories will bring a greater understanding of the value of freedom and the value of empowering our womenfolk.
Nature
“Rumbling Island – true stories from the forests of India” by Zai Whitaker @ Rs. 175/- (pgs 111)
Every writer muses, observes, and has beliefs and morals. What sets the contributions in this assortment apart is that they are all the musings, observations, beliefs and morals of fervent naturalists. Mention must be made about the striking cover art depicting a variety of gorgeous fauna. Zai Whitaker (author of “The Boastful Centipede”) compiled and contributed to this collection, which is as diverse and rich as the Indian wildlife it portrays. From a conservationist wanting to discover the social habits of tigers to another following the survival games played by otters, langurs and tiger cubs this book covers everything from reptiles, amphibians big and small birds, mammals and of course the ever present homo sapiens!
“Wild City – Nature wonders next door” – by Ranjit Lal @ Rs. 275/-(pgs 282)
Wild City penetrates the steel girders of our concrete jungle towns to take a closer look at the urban wild life. We city dwellers too share out space with much undomesticated animal life. From the raptors soaring predatorily overhead to pigeons nesting in our AC ducts to survival tactics of cunning urban monkeys and insects galore, Ranjit Lal profiles each and portrays them as spirited individuals, perhaps as human as you or I.
Young Adults:
“Rigmarole and Other Plays” by Sai Paranjpye @ Rs.199/- (pgs 172)Padma Bhushan awardee, director and writer Sai Paranjpye comes out with a collection of three idiosyncratic and delightful plays each with underlying nuances. The Emperor of the United Kingdom of Feathered Friends decrees a poetry competition but to what end? A bug in the Royal throne? Impossible! Suitable for ages 10+ to read, enjoy and perform !
“The Cosmic Detective – exploring the mysteries of our universe” by Dr Mani Bhaumik @ Rs. 199/-(pgs 92)
Dr Mani Bhaumik enlists the sleuthing skills of his young readers to find solutions to cosmic mysteries. How is it that the area around a black hole is very bright even though not even light can escape its gravitational pull? How many mythological characters populate our skies and why do they reside there? Using gorgeous photos and simple descriptions Dr Bhaumik illuminates the often abstract aspects of space and its wondrous wonders.
New books:
“The Untold Charminar – Writings on Hyderabad” edited by Syeda Imam @ Rs 399/-
“America America” by Ethan Canin @Rs. 875/-
“Breaking Dawn” by Stephanie Meyer @Rs. 550/-
“China : A history” by John Keay @ Rs. 395/-
“The Silver Donkey” by Sonya Hartnett @ Rs. 195/-
“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/-
“Me and Kaminski” by Daniel Kehlmann and translated by Carol Brown Janeway @ Rs 425/-
“The Canon- the beautiful basics of science” by Natalie Angier @ Rs 399/-
“The Charlemange pursuit” by Steve Berry @ Rs 295/-
“The marriage bureau of rich people” by Farahad Zama @ 295/-
“The Gaudi Key–Unlock the secret of the century” by Esteban Martin &Andreu Carranza @ Rs 195/-
“Say it like Obama – The power of speaking with a purpose and vision” by Shel Leanne @ Rs 375/-
“Girl ology – A girl’s guide to stuff that matters” by Melisa Holmes & Trish Hutchison @ 295/-
“The 24X7 Marriage – smart strategies for good beginnings” by Vijay Nagaswami @ Rs. 250/-
“(Un)settled: Notes from a shifting life” by Kamini Karlekar @ Rs. 295/-
“Private Eye Anonymous – A graphic novel” by Tejas Modak @ Rs. 250/-
“The Wind from the Hills” by Sethu (trs. Prema Jayakumar) @ Rs. 250/-
“The New Paradigm for Financial Markets – the credit crisis of 2008 and what it means” by George Soros @ Rs. 695/-
“Countries of the Body” by Tishani Doshi @ Rs. 150/-
“My family’s favourites” by Marie Noelle (Chotti) D’Souza @ Rs. 600/-
“I am a Special girl” by Amitava Banerjee @ Rs. 195/-
“Divine Justice” by David Baldacci @ Rs. 460/-
“A Mathematical mosaic – patterns and problem solving” by Ravi Vakil @ Rs. 250/-
“Woodwinds of change – The authorized biography of Hariprasad Chaurasia” by Surjit Singh @ Rs. 600/-
“Superstar Babes” by Narinder Dhami @ Rs. 150/-
Bhangra Babes” by Narinder Dhami @ Rs. 150/-
“The return of Depression Economics and the crisis of 2008” by Paul Krugman @ Rs. 399/-
“The Book of Moinuddin Chishti” by Mehru Jaffer @ Rs. 250/-
“The Great Crash 1929” by John Kenneth Galbraith @ Rs. 399/-
That’s a long list of books that have already arrived in the last couple of days …. Do rush in and pick your favourites. See you at the Store,
From the team at,
twistntales
Congratulations !
Aakash - our "yin"ful guy and Sneha have tied the knot ! and are happy to be a weekend couple :-)) Congratulations Aakash and Sneha, as you set up home over many weekends .... in the meantime, home is always @ tnt !
Monday, January 19, 2009
A few online petitions that seem like just causes - forwarded by friends
Petition 2 :
http://www.PetitionOnline.com/sue4000/petition.html
Please open the above and sign petition against mining in Goa while also adding a strong comment. Please also pass this around to your friends in Goa and elsewhere. It would be nice if we could get about 4000 signatures. Maybe that will make the Chief Minister and the goons in the mining industry sit up and take note! To know more about just what mining is doing in Goa
please also visit http://mandgoa.blogspot.com/ You could also visit http://www.savegoa.com/ You may also like watching the film on mining in Goa made late last year by Kurush Canteenwalla at http://infochangeindia.org/Infochange-documentary.html
Thanks and kind regards, Hartman
http://www.PetitionOnline.com/sue4000/petition.html
Please open the above and sign petition against mining in Goa while also adding a strong comment. Please also pass this around to your friends in Goa and elsewhere. It would be nice if we could get about 4000 signatures. Maybe that will make the Chief Minister and the goons in the mining industry sit up and take note! To know more about just what mining is doing in Goa
please also visit http://mandgoa.blogspot.com/ You could also visit http://www.savegoa.com/ You may also like watching the film on mining in Goa made late last year by Kurush Canteenwalla at http://infochangeindia.org/Infochange-documentary.html
Thanks and kind regards, Hartman
Thankyou Saira !
Dear Janaki
Wish you and the family and all at Twist n Tales a very happy New Year. Thank you for a lovely afternoon at Sassoon. The kids enjoyed the program as usual and so did we. Please convey a special thank you to Santa and to Sonali, Geetanjali and Riaz for the story-telling. And Santa's little reindeer for the carol singing. To Kimi for her song and the CD player, blackboard and to all who helped in yet another memorable event.
With love,
Nalini and Saira
Wish you and the family and all at Twist n Tales a very happy New Year. Thank you for a lovely afternoon at Sassoon. The kids enjoyed the program as usual and so did we. Please convey a special thank you to Santa and to Sonali, Geetanjali and Riaz for the story-telling. And Santa's little reindeer for the carol singing. To Kimi for her song and the CD player, blackboard and to all who helped in yet another memorable event.
With love,
Nalini and Saira
A few online petitions that seem like just causes forwarded by friends
Petition 1
Some days ago NCP inducted a person with a criminal record into its party as someone who was considered reformed because of a good track record for the past one year. A reaction from the public forced them to withdraw his name. Read the front page article in the DNA dated Jan 14...
FACED BY MEDIA, PUBLIC CRITICISM, BODKE QUITS NCP.
WE MUST SPEAK UP!!!
Friends
Here's a sharp response to the Tata/Airtel/Reliance Telecom Chairmen's endorsement of Narendra Modi as a future PM of India. I would urge you to read and endorse the statement. While we may have objections to some aspects of the letter, the significant part is it may just work to show India Inc that they cannot take everyone's complicity for granted.
The kernel of this protest is: All those who sign this petition will switch off their Tata Indicomm, Airtel and Reliance cellular phone and broadband connections from midnight (00:00 hours) of January 30th 2009 for 24 hours to observe Gandhiji's assassination anniversary as Cellular Silence Day. This will show up as a gap in billings in the accounts of the brand owners.
A powerful gesture, spread it to all you know!
Dear Friend
The collective amnesia of the captains of Indian industry, Messrs.Tata, Mittal and Ambani embracing Narendra Modi and endorsing his candidature as future PM of India, disturbed me immensely.
This petition is my humble effort to engage the conscience of corporate India and make it known to them that the Indian citizen is not to be trifled with.Just as we can vote for or against the poitician, we can pinch the corporate bottom-line in order to engage their attention to mend their ways.
It is not an easy task for us to keep our cell phones and Blackberries switched off for an entire day on January 30th,- the 61st anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi's assassination.
However, it ought to be sufficient to get the message across to corporate India that we will not tolerate the endorsement of fascists as future Prime Ministers.
May I request you visit the link below to sign and thereafter circulate the petition below, if you feel as strongly about this matter
The petition title is: Cellular Silence Day_30th January 2009.
The petition URL is:
http://www.PetitionOnline.com/30JAN09/petition.html
The petition is directed to: India Inc.
The start date is: ..January 15th, 2009
The end date is: ..January 30th, 2009
The petition statement says:
Dear Messrs, Ratan Tata, Sunil Mittal and Anil Ambani
I am one of a billion Indian citizens.
I am somewhere in the middle of that pyramid that you wish to give voice - from bottom to top - through wealth creation.
I am proud of the brands you represent that have made India proud.
I am one of the burgeoning Indian middle-class that share your aspirations of mutating India from indolent elephant to thundering tiger.
It ends there...
I have hitherto been accused of being indifferent and apathetic, simply because I am overawed and felt overwhelmed in a system replete with Goliaths.
But when I saw you embrace the fascist mastermind of state sponsored genocide as a future Prime Minister and endorse the Modi-fication of India, it was disappointingly apparent that the brands that aspire
to make India rich shall continue to languish in ethical poverty.
While I am filled with revulsion at your endorsement of Narendra Modi, I must respect your right to do so as a fellow citizen. In writing this petition I am a mere David amongst the mightiest corporate Goliaths but I feel empowered to address your collective amnesia - through recollection of the Gujarat pogrom of 2002 by the true Goliath among Gujaratis in particular and Indians in general -
Mohandas Gandhi.
All those who sign this petition will switch off their Tata Indicomm, Airtel and Reliance cellular phone and broadband connections from midnight on January 30th 2009.
It is eminently possible that I might be the one voice in a billion who will observe the 61st death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi on as Cellular Silence Day.
Then again, there might be close to a billion who could join me on
January 30th, 2009 expressing their solidarity and silently insisting that the captains of India Inc adopt an ethical, compassionate path to wealth creation rather than the single-minded pursuit of the bottom-line.
We shall know that by the end of 30th January, 2009.
Some days ago NCP inducted a person with a criminal record into its party as someone who was considered reformed because of a good track record for the past one year. A reaction from the public forced them to withdraw his name. Read the front page article in the DNA dated Jan 14...
FACED BY MEDIA, PUBLIC CRITICISM, BODKE QUITS NCP.
WE MUST SPEAK UP!!!
Friends
Here's a sharp response to the Tata/Airtel/Reliance Telecom Chairmen's endorsement of Narendra Modi as a future PM of India. I would urge you to read and endorse the statement. While we may have objections to some aspects of the letter, the significant part is it may just work to show India Inc that they cannot take everyone's complicity for granted.
The kernel of this protest is: All those who sign this petition will switch off their Tata Indicomm, Airtel and Reliance cellular phone and broadband connections from midnight (00:00 hours) of January 30th 2009 for 24 hours to observe Gandhiji's assassination anniversary as Cellular Silence Day. This will show up as a gap in billings in the accounts of the brand owners.
A powerful gesture, spread it to all you know!
Dear Friend
The collective amnesia of the captains of Indian industry, Messrs.Tata, Mittal and Ambani embracing Narendra Modi and endorsing his candidature as future PM of India, disturbed me immensely.
This petition is my humble effort to engage the conscience of corporate India and make it known to them that the Indian citizen is not to be trifled with.Just as we can vote for or against the poitician, we can pinch the corporate bottom-line in order to engage their attention to mend their ways.
It is not an easy task for us to keep our cell phones and Blackberries switched off for an entire day on January 30th,- the 61st anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi's assassination.
However, it ought to be sufficient to get the message across to corporate India that we will not tolerate the endorsement of fascists as future Prime Ministers.
May I request you visit the link below to sign and thereafter circulate the petition below, if you feel as strongly about this matter
The petition title is: Cellular Silence Day_30th January 2009.
The petition URL is:
http://www.PetitionOnline.com/30JAN09/petition.html
The petition is directed to: India Inc.
The start date is: ..January 15th, 2009
The end date is: ..January 30th, 2009
The petition statement says:
Dear Messrs, Ratan Tata, Sunil Mittal and Anil Ambani
I am one of a billion Indian citizens.
I am somewhere in the middle of that pyramid that you wish to give voice - from bottom to top - through wealth creation.
I am proud of the brands you represent that have made India proud.
I am one of the burgeoning Indian middle-class that share your aspirations of mutating India from indolent elephant to thundering tiger.
It ends there...
I have hitherto been accused of being indifferent and apathetic, simply because I am overawed and felt overwhelmed in a system replete with Goliaths.
But when I saw you embrace the fascist mastermind of state sponsored genocide as a future Prime Minister and endorse the Modi-fication of India, it was disappointingly apparent that the brands that aspire
to make India rich shall continue to languish in ethical poverty.
While I am filled with revulsion at your endorsement of Narendra Modi, I must respect your right to do so as a fellow citizen. In writing this petition I am a mere David amongst the mightiest corporate Goliaths but I feel empowered to address your collective amnesia - through recollection of the Gujarat pogrom of 2002 by the true Goliath among Gujaratis in particular and Indians in general -
Mohandas Gandhi.
All those who sign this petition will switch off their Tata Indicomm, Airtel and Reliance cellular phone and broadband connections from midnight on January 30th 2009.
It is eminently possible that I might be the one voice in a billion who will observe the 61st death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi on as Cellular Silence Day.
Then again, there might be close to a billion who could join me on
January 30th, 2009 expressing their solidarity and silently insisting that the captains of India Inc adopt an ethical, compassionate path to wealth creation rather than the single-minded pursuit of the bottom-line.
We shall know that by the end of 30th January, 2009.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
For Shibani
...and when she landed, she was out of breath, and everything around her was different. Strange, bittersweet and filled with joy so sharp it was almost frightening.
Dear Shibani,
Some of us tnt-ians are fiercely possesive of our bathrooms and for fear of having to share them, decide never to get married. We are so glad you found The Man who makes even this fear seem trifling.
Sending you all our love and the warmest of wishes...
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