Happy Birthday, Billo !

Welcome Sudhir to the twistntales family. Team tnt @ kshitzu engagement on 31st Aug.

An appeal to dog lovers !

Hello,

We are:

ResQ Charitable Trust (RCT) is an animal welfare organization that rescues, immunizes and facilitates adoption of stray dogs. Our work includes on-site first aid programs, running a full fledged rescue center for hurt and sick animals (in the premises of E-square Multiplex) and conducting education awareness programs in schools and colleges. We also provide facilities for re-homing dogs and puppies through a dedicated adoption program run through a network of volunteers and well-wishers.

Since inception in June 2007, RCT has impacted the lives of over 2500 dogs with its rescue program and found homes for over 800 homeless dogs and cats.

Our mission is to bridge the human animal divide and help solve the city’s stray problem in a humane, controlled and legal manner. We believe the stray dog problem can be solved faster and permanently with active citizen involvement.

Lend a PAW

1) Report an injured animal

Our Rescue helpline number is 9890334433. If you see an injured animal: we request you to call our helpline. Our volunteer & vet will co-ordinate and have someone come over and examine the animal. If critical, it will be admitted in our kennel for further treatment else treated onsite.
For more information, please log on to à http://www.resqct.org/resqwhatwedo.html

2) Volunteer:
The following are the areas that you can volunteer for:
· First Aid
· Fund raising
· Documentation, Photography
· Providing a temporary shelter for rescued animals
· Providing with material (bedding, newspaper, etc) required for rescue

We request you to kindly log in to our website (http://www.resqct.org/Jointheresqteam.html) and register as a volunteer for one/ more of the above.

3) Donate:
Any support whatever its size, is appreciated by us and all our four legged friends. You can either donate to our corpus fund (help us in the long term by building a source of steady income) or you can make monthly/yearly donations for specific causes.
Here are some of the programs you can donate towards:
a) Adopt/ Sponsor a Dog
b) Vaccinate à You can sponsor the Rabies (Rs. 300 for a year) and Distemper (Rs. 150 for a year) vaccines for 10 dogs.
c) Sponsor Food, Medical Treatment, Medical equipment
d) Sponsor the ResQ Van
e) Buy ResQ Merchandise which includes pens and ‘I support’ badges.

For more information, please log on to à http://www.resqct.org/makedonation.html

However, support is not just about giving money. The other ways you can support us are:

a) Donate in kind:

Contribute items that are required at the kennels. Please call us if you have something we can use. We will be all wags and send someone to fetch it as soon as possible.

b) Sponsor activities and events:
Fund raising events – Garage Sales, Concerts, Film premiers.
You can help by sponsoring these events or by buying tickets.

For any questions please call 9890334433 or visit www.resqct.org for more information.

ResQ Charitable Trust would like to thank you for your interest and support.

If we had a tail, we'd wag it!

The RESQ Team

Message posted to twistntales@yahoogroups.com on 24th Aug'09

Hi all,

With Ganesha entering our homes and city, we do hope that his benign blessings drive the flu away ….. and things return to normalcy. Our hearts go out to the affected families ravaged by the loss of young lives and we hope that Ganesha will give them the strength to re-build their lives.

A lot of happenings for us in twistntales. Reshma moves out to focus full time on her paintings and don’t be surprised if you hear of her paintings going up in Sotheby’s. She’s very much going to be in Pune, and like the others before her, you will see her around off and on! Vaishnavi has joined us recently and is getting suitably initiated into the “ways” of twistntales! Kshitija has found her soul-mate and is currently seeing stars in all the books @ the Store.

With many schools closed for over 3 weeks, and with kids having nothing to do, unable to venture out for fear of the flu, we in twistntales have started a blog where kids can write, draw and post their thoughts. It’s called http://www.tntkids.blogspot.com/. There is a link to it from the twistntales blog. A few kids have already started writing on it. If you think your kid writes or draws well, kindly send us your entries as attachments in Word or jpg files and we can post them on to the blog (only soft copies on email to twistntales@hotmail.com please). Please ensure that you send details of name, class and School). Kindly spare some time and check out the kids blog!

Ganesha has parked himself in our lane! You need to therefore park outside our lane (opp. Mantri Lawns) and walk down to the Store!

Lots of new books, including Jaswant Singh’s news-making one !

New Books:

Fiction:

“Swimsuit” by James Patterson & Maxine Paetro @ Rs.500/- (Pgs 407)

Hawaii, a paradise for beautiful supermodels to have photo shoots at the most glamorous hotel… Also, where Kim McDaniels goes missing. Ex-cop Ben Hawkins, now a reporter for the LA Times, gets the assignment. The ineptitude of the local police force defies belief, hence Ben has to start his own investigation and has the story of his life.
Swimsuit is about an unprecedented pattern killer who upped the ante to new heights, an assassin like no other before or since. A heart-pounding story of fear and desire, transporting you to a place where beauty and murder collide and unspeakable horrors are hidden within paradise.

“The Wish Maker” By Ali Sethi @ Rs.499/- (Pgs 406)

The Wish Maker is a confident and personal debut. Ali Sethi is a fresh voice from a new generation of Pakistani novelists.
Zaki returns to Lahore to celebrate the wedding of his cousin and childhood companion Samar Api. But home is not what it used to be anymore; with Musharraf in power and the flurry of wedding preparations, take him back to his past: his childhood as a fatherless boy growing up in a household of outspoken women, and his and Samar’s intertwined journeys from youth to adulthood. Inspired by American soaps and Bollywood films that they watched together, their world held the promise of all sorts of forbidden love. Then, when Zaki supports one of Samar’s romantic schemes, the family suffers the disastrous consequences. But as his fate diverges from Samar’s, he comes to understand the world around him better.
The Wish Maker is an engaging family saga, an absorbing coming-of-age story, a brilliant example of the new global novel and a sad but sometimes funny song about the way we live now.

“The Lost Diaries of Adrian Mole 1999-2001” by Sue Townsend @ Rs.350/- (Pgs 282)

These diaries were confiscated for 7 years by HM police – in the mistaken belief that they might incriminate the author – these diaries tell of Adrian Mole’s lost years on the cusp of the 2nd millennium. Adrian has become a martyr: a single father bringing up two young boys alone in an uncaring world. With the ever unattainable Pandora pursuing her ambition to become Labour’s first female PM; his over-achieving half-brother, Brett, sponging off him; and literary success as elusive as ever, Adrian tries to make ends meet. But little does he realize that his own modest life is about to come to the attention of those charged with policing The War against Terror…

“The Unbearable Lightness of Scones” by Alexander McCall Smith @ Rs.295/- (Pgs 328)

Here is a 44 Scotland Street novel…a joyous, charming portrait of city life and human foibles, which moves beyond its setting to deal with deep moral issues and love, desire and friendship. To the casual observer, the great enlightened city of Edinburgh, home of no-nonsense philosophers and cream teas, might appear immune to the rollercoaster of strong emotions. But at 44, Scotland Street, as Matthew and Elspeth embark on the risky enterprise of married love, the raffish portrait painter Angus Lordie has a premonition of disaster. And soon enough Irene Pollock is shocked to learn that her son Bertie harbours an unsuitable ambition; the gloriously vain Bruce discovers a wrinkle and confronts rejection; and Angus finds himself facing the consequences of unbridled bliss, not to mention a large Glaswegian gangster bearing gifts…

“Do You Suppose It’s The East Wind? Stories from Pakistan” edited and translated from the Urdu by Muhammad Umar Memon @ Rs.299/- (Pgs 296)
Muhammad Umar Memon is a professor of Urdu, Persian & Islamic studies at the Universities of Wisconsin, Madison. He has translated widely from English & Arabic into Urdu and from Urdu into English. His collection of short stories, Tareek Galee, appeared in 1989. “Do You Suppose It’s The East Wind?” is collection of short stories by best Pakistani writers, including Manto and Hasan Manzar. These stories unfold different emotions of people who have suffered because of Partition. This collection helps us to have a glimpse of Pakistanis in the act of living.

Indian Writing:

“Bringing Up Vasu: That First Year” by Parul Sharma @ Rs.250/- (Pgs 262)

Mira, a first-time mom, has her pregnancy all figured out. She’s attended all the pre-natal sessions, armed herself with postnatal planning and read all the books. But the road to being a model mommy is not that smooth: her baby thinks sleep is overrated, her boss shows her the door, and her pregnancy fat decides to stay put. Navigating between her colicky baby, finding a perfect maid, postnatal depression, freelance work, demanding fitness instructors, and friends who careen between inappropriate lovers and alcohol, Mira wonders if she will ever gain entry into the kingdom of chic moms, juggle a baby and work, and shed those twenty kilos?! Bringing Up Vasu is a true coming-of-age read with a funny yet tender peek into the pleasures and pitfalls of becoming a first-time mother.

“Deaf Heaven” By Pinki Virani @Rs. 295/- (Pgs 283)

This is Pinki Virani’s first work of fiction. Here comes a story through the 6 degrees of separation which thread together a story of a life-changing weekend. Pinki examines the crisis which underlies the façade of progressive modernity that is present-day India through a set of characters you may have met. Saraswati the main character dies among her beloved books and until her body is discovered, her spirit is free to play sutradhar and watch over all she holds dear. They are about a society where change has to be wrested from tradition, often with calamitous effects and where hope constantly chafes against the trepidation of socio-political chaos.

“Secrets & Lies” by Jaishree Misra @ Rs. 275/- (Pgs 406)

The letters arrived at their destinations almost 15 years after the death of Lily D’Souza. Anita is a top journalist working for BBC. Bubbles is the pampered but bored wife of a billionaire. Sam tries hard to be a trophy wife for her corporate lawyer husband and Zeba remains in India, living a life of unimaginable luxury as the reigning Bollywood queen. All four have a friendship that spans over 20 years-a friendship born out of their years at a girls’ school in Delhi. Beautiful, intelligent and secretive, they were the top clique, the girls everyone wanted to impress-until the arrival of 15 year old Lily who instantly threatens their superiority.
Coming together for a school reunion, the women must confront a secret that has haunted their adult lives…A secret that binds them which could also destroy them…

Personalities:

“Straight Drive” by Sunil Gavaskar @ Rs. 295/- (Pgs 239)

Sunil ‘Sunny’ Gavaskar is the idol of millions the world over. His magic with the bat created several records and won the hearts of as many. Even his severest critics had to concede that he was indeed the ‘Little Master!’
His transition from a cricketer to being a critic and a columnist, whom the entire media hankers after, has indeed been a welcome one. As he celebrates his sixtieth birthday, there could be no better tribute than an anthology of ‘sixty’ of Sunil Gavaskar’s best articles. They reflect the man and are like him – ‘no holds barred’! He minces no words and says it like it is. He talks about the greats of yesteryears, his heroes that include the late M.L.Jaisimha and Don Bradman amongst others. He talks about what ails the cricketing world and also how the Indian cricket team is truly a force to reckon with. Straight Drive is a timeless, quite like the man, and is a must read for all die-hard fans of Sunil Gavaskar…

“Laxman Rekhas” Times of India @ Rs.199/- (Pgs 127)

Celebrated cartoonist R.K. Laxman has gone to soaring heights in a career that spans six decades. No common feat of an uncommon man!
Playing with every shade of humour – wit, satire, irony, slapstick, buffoonery, tragicomedy – each cartoon featured a very alive issue and ranged from issues pertaining to a political event to a public person to socio-economic factors. The super success of a coffee-table book by the same name (brought out by the Times of India in 2005) has inspired them to bring out an abridged version for a wider reach. This current work has lots of reflections of Laxman’s genius

“The Thread of God In My Life” by R.M.Lala @ Rs.399/- (Pgs 194)

Editor, publisher, author, Russi M.Lala became a journalist at the age of 19 and entered book publishing in 1951, establishing and managing the UK division of Asia Publishing House, the first Indian publisher to be established in London. In 1964 he became co-founder of the newsmagazine Himmat Weekly, which he edited for the next decade. He was also the Director of Sir Dorabji Tata Trust, Tata’s premier charitable foundation, for 18 years. This is his autobiography…It speaks of his strength of belief which supported him through 2 serious illnesses, healed a broken marriage, taken him from financial adversity to financial security and guided him through four careers over 2 continents. His most recent work is The Romance of Tata Steel.

“Gandhi & Churchill: The Epic Rivalry That Destroyed an Empire and Forged Our Age” by Arthur Herman @ Rs. 480/- (Pgs 721)

This is a powerful tale of the monumental clash between two of the giants of the 20th century – Mohandas Gandhi and Winston Churchill. India’s moral leader and Great Britain’s greatest Prime Minister. Born 5 years and 7000 miles apart, they became embodiments of the nations they led. Both are living icons, idolized and admired, they remain enduring models of leadership in a democratic society. Yet the truth was they were bitter enemies throughout their lives. For more than 40 years, they were locked in a tense struggle for the hearts and minds of the British public, and of world opinion. Although they met only once, their titanic contest of wills would decide the fate of nations, continents, peoples, and ultimately an Empire.

“No Limits; The Will To Succeed” by Michael Phelps with Alan Abrahamson @ Rs. 480/- (Pgs 228)

One of the greatest competitors the world has ever seen – Michael Phelps…from a teen sensation in Sydney, to bona fide phenomenon in Athens, after eight gold medals and seven world-record times – he is now a living Olympic legend. Raised by a single mother and diagnosed with ADHD, Michael’s success is imbued with defeating obstacles and earning one’s way. No Limits explores the hard work, commitment, and sacrifice that go into reaching any goal. Filled with anecdotes from family members, friends, team mates, and his coach, No Limits gives a behind-the-scenes look at the makings of a real champion, and reveals a step-by-step guide to realizing one’s dream.

“John Lennon the life” By Philip Norman @ Rs. 500/- (Pgs 853)

I thought, “I’m a genius, or I’m mad. Which is it?” – John Lennon

This masterly biography takes a fresh and penetrating look at every aspect of Lennon’s much-chronicled life, including the songs that have turned him, posthumously, into almost a secular saint. The book’s numerous key informants and interviewees include Sir Paul McCartney, Sir George Martin, Sean Lennon, whose moving reminiscence reveals his father as never before, and Yoko Ono, who speaks with sometimes shocking candour about the inner workings of her marriage to John. Honest and unflinching, as John himself would have wished, Norman gives us the whole man in all his endless contradictions – tough and cynical, hilariously funny but also naïve, vulnerable and insecure – and reveals how the mother who gave him away as a toddler haunted his mind and his music for the rest of his days.

“Mrinal Sen: Sixty years in search of cinema” By Dipankar Mukhopadhyay @Rs. 399/- (Pgs 317)

Mrinal Sen is one of India’s finest film-makers and one of its most renowned in international circles. Beginning his career as an audio technician in a Calcutta studio, Sen made a rather inauspicious feature debut with Raatbhore, a film he prefers to forget. In this classic biography, originally published as The Maverick Maestro, Dipankar Mukhopadhyay recounts the life and times of an iconic film-maker, from his association with the Indian Peoples’ Theatre Association, which shaped his world view, to his early experiences and frustrations as a film-maker. Warm and insightful, Mrinal Sen: Sixty Years in Search of Cinema is an invaluable portrait of an uncompromising artist who broke established norms of film-making and freely experimented with new styles and techniques of creative expression.

“I Will Survive” by Sunil Robert @ Rs.200/- (Pgs 191)

This is a journey from Sunil Robert’s childhood of battling poverty to support a family of six, to his becoming a global, award-winning communicator…here are comeback stories of a corporate warrior. A truly inspiring story to young people everywhere, who are seeking to achieve something in their lives, it speaks of how Sunil overcame adversity and lived boldly. His is a life story quite heart warming. His style is conversational, sharing his personal struggles and triumphs with disarming candour.

SocioEcoPol:

“In Defence of Food” by Michael Pollan @ Rs.325/- (Pgs 242)

In Defence of Food is a book about a problem that now faces people living in every modern industrial society: the problem of the Western diet, and how we might plot our escape from it. This book is also a celebration of food. By food, Michael Pollan means real, proper, simple food – not the kind that comes in a packet or makes nutritional claims about how healthy it is. More like the kind of food your great-grandmother would recognize.
If you’re prone to pondering the nutritional advice we’re spoon-fed by “experts”, this book is a very necessary antidote. Here is a groundbreaking book about the necessity of cherishing and preserving what’s left of our food culture.

“Liberty In The Age of Terror: A defence of civil liberty and enlightenment values” by A.C.Grayling @ Rs.599/- (Pgs 283)

This is a book about the war over civil liberties being waged in Western democracies. Because of the real and perceived threats posed by terrorism, many Western governments have been changing laws and introducing new laws that reduce civil liberties and citizens’ rights, in the hope of making their populations safer. This book is a reaction to this important development. Liberty, equality, justice, free speech, tolerance, privacy, identity and hope are the themes of this book, and so also is the question of the nature of the enemies of these things, and the dangers this tense age poses to them both from within and without. Grayling proposes a different way to respond that makes defending the civil liberties on which Western society is founded the cornerstone for defeating terrorism.

“Ecological Intelligence: Knowing the Hidden Impacts of What We Buy” by Daniel Goleman @ Rs.399/- (Pgs 276)

Most of us want to make the right choices as consumers. But can any one individual make a difference? And, more importantly, what are the right choices?...
This is an essential handbook for understanding the coming information revolution. It shows how the phenomenon of radical transparency – the availability of complete information about all aspects of a product’s history is about to transform the power of consumers and the fate of business. For the first time what they say will matter far less than what they actually do! In this provocative new book Daniel Goleman shows that everything about what we buy and why is set to change.

“A History of Economics” by John Kenneth Galbraith @ Rs.450/- (Pgs 324)

The Past as the Present – and the Present as the Future”. Economics as practised is obsessively concerned with the future. Yet the ideas are very much a product of their time and place. If we are to understand modern economics, we can do so only through an understanding of its past, including the powerful and vested interests that moulded the theories to their financial advantage. This is the message of John Kenneth’s brilliant account of the history of economics. This book puts economists and their ideas securely in the life of their times. Most important, it shows how some of those ideas shape not only our present but our future too. This book is packed with witty remarks together with a large number of facts that are new.

Management:

“The Penguin CNBC-TV18 Business Yearbook 2009” compiled and edited by Derek O’Brien @ Rs.399/- (Pgs 600)

This yearbook is the best one-volume guide to business and economy in India and the international arena, with a special focus on the past financial year, current trends and prospects. This remarkable reference book is equally useful to business executives, management students, exam candidates and the general reader. This 2009 edition of the Business Yearbook has two special features: a Talking Points section with detailed discussions of the topics everybody is talking about-from the global financial crisis and Barack Obama’s bailout plan to the effects of the economic slowdown in India and the Government of India’s stimulus package, job losses and farmer suicides, and a Special Focus section on the economies of China and Singapore. This edition of the Business Yearbook is fully updated till the end of the financial year-31 March 2009.

“Cats - The Nine Lives of Innovation” by Stephen C.Lundin @ Rs.250/- (Pgs 168)

The bestselling co-author of ‘Fish’, Stephen Lundin, brings your way a new book, which has the next big trend in business: “The Curiosity of Cats”. In the 21st century, any individual, company or country wishing to survive must develop the brain’s capacity to create and innovate. To develop these capacities, you need excellent guidance & your own application to the task. CATS will help you on this journey. The book gives us the “Basic Assumptions of CATS” and “A CATS Vocabulary”. The book guides you to the Nine Lives of Innovation. So read this book & be a creator, an innovator and pounce on every difficulty which comes your way. Become like a “CAT”, full of new ideas, and surprise everyone around you – including you.

“Welcome to Advertising; Now Get Lost” by Omkar Sane @ Rs.395/- (Pgs 230)

This book is a sharp-witted look at the advertising industry as it really is. It tells you why most of the time advertising agencies work so well and advertising doesn’t. The book is so realistic that you worry when you laugh at most of what’s inside. Written with flair, and with tongue firmly in cheek, it’s a must-read for all those who want to know what the hell goes on in an ad agency! A creative scrutiny, funny and insightful, the book poked a cheeky pin at the inflated egos that stuff the industry.

Others

“Why I Am A Believer: Personal Reflections On Nine World Religions” Edited by Arvind Sharma @ Rs. 450/- (Pgs 378)

Over time, Buddhism, Islam and Hinduism, among other religions, have travelled across continents and seekers moved East in search of truth and salvation. What does this presage for our religious life today?
In this collection of nine essays, prominent scholars share their experiences as followers of their religions, touching on such basic questions as why people believe and why they do not, how beliefs are affected by encounters with other traditions, and is it possible to be at home in two or more traditions? While celebrating their own faiths, these scholars appreciate how encounters with other traditions have enriched their beliefs. The contributions affirm that a plural perspective is the alternative to exclusiveness and is the path to the meaningful pursuit of religion in our troubled times.

“The Case For God: What Religion Really Means” by Karen Armstrong @ Rs.520/- (Pgs 376)

For the first time in history, many millions of people want nothing to do with God. In the past, individuals went to great lengths to experience a sacred reality that they described as God, Brahman, Nirvana or Dao; indeed religion has been one of the defining characteristics of homosapiens. Why has the modern God become incredible? Does God have a future in this age of aggressive scientific rationalism? Armstrong shows that until recently science and religion were not at war with each other, but science has changed the conversation. The meaning of words such as ‘belief’, ‘faith’ and ‘mystery’ has been entirely altered, so that atheists and theists alike now think and speak about God – and, indeed, reason itself – in a way that our ancestors would have found astonishing.

“Ghost Train to the Eastern Star: On the Tracks of the Great Railway Bazaar” by Paul Theroux @ Rs.850/- (Pgs 485)

That feeling about trains, for instance. Of course he had long outgrown the boyish glamour of the steam engine. Yet there was something that had an appeal for him in trains, especially in night trains, which always put queer, vaguely improper notions into his head. – Georges Simenon
Thirty years ago Paul Theroux left London and travelled across Asia and back again by train. His account of the journey – The Great Railway Bazaar – was a landmark book and made his name as the foremost travel writer of his generation. Now Theroux makes the trip all over again to discover the changes that have swept the continents, and also to learn what an old man will make of a young man’s adventure. Covering his journey through Eastern Europe and Asia, Ghost Train to the Eastern Star is a brilliant chronicle of change and an exploration of travel.

“The Undercover Scientist” by Peter J. Bentley @ Rs.340/- (Pgs 247)

Why do sparks fly when you put metal in the microwave? Why does it hurt so much when you get chilli pepper juice in your eyes? Why can cheese be kept for weeks but milk go off while your back is turned?....Have you found your answers to all that crap that pisses you off? Well, here’s the book that does just that!
‘Shit happens’, as the saying goes, but if you want to know why it does, The Undercover Scientist is on hand to explain all. Peter investigates the fascinating science that lies behind the most apparently mundane mishaps – from sleeping through the alarm to battling with immovable superglue – and shows you how to fight back against these everyday disasters.

“The Link: Uncovering Our Earliest Ancestor” by Colin Tudge @ Rs. 550/- (Pgs 262)

‘Ida’ – the most complete early primate fossil ever found, has been a secret until now. 47 million years old, Ida rewrites what we’ve assumed about the earliest primate origins. Her completeness is un-paralled. She lies inside a high-security vault, deep within the heart of one of the world’s leading natural history museums.
Colin Tudge, an award-winning science writer tells the history of Ida and her place in the world. This book offers a wide-ranging investigation into Ida and our earliest origins – and the cutting edge scientific detective story that followed her discovery. At the same time it opens a stunningly evocative window into our past and changes what we know about primate evolution and, ultimately, our own. Here is an astonishing new discovery that could change everything….

“Stop The Excuses! How to change lifelong thoughts” by Dr Wayne W. Dyer @ Rs.295/- (Pgs 257)

How do you get past the little voice that says, ‘I can’t’?...We all have doubts and fears, and these often get in the way of us realizing our dreams and being able to achieve anything we want. But we also have the unique power of self-mastery – the power to do whatever we want and act however we want. In his latest work, Dr Wayne examines how our thoughts, feelings and behaviours cause us to act as we do and how they can be changed to provide inspiration, encouragement and a vital support system for our self-esteem. You can change and live your life how you want – just stop the excuses!

New Books:

“Beyond The Secret” by Brenda Barnaby @ Rs.395/- (Pgs 183)
“I heart New York” by Lindsey Kelk @ Rs.225/- (Pgs 307)
“The Man Who Sees Dead People” by Joe Power @ Rs.415/- (Pgs 246)
“The Last Oracle” by James Rollins @ Rs.295/- (Pgs 497)
“Bits of Me Are Falling Apart” by William Leith @ Rs.350/- (Pgs 202)
“The Return of the Economic Naturalist” by Robert H Frank @ Rs.340/- (Pgs 263)
“The Silent Man” by Alex Berenson @ Rs.495/- (Pgs 418)
“Extreme Measures” by Vince Flynn @ Rs.290/- (Pgs 515)
“The Crash of 2008 and What It Means: The New Paradigm For Financial Markets” by George Soros @ Rs.475/- (Pgs 258)
“Doctoring The Mind: Why Psychiatric Treatments Fail” by Richard Bentall @ Rs.599/- (Pgs 363)
“Business Stripped Bare: Adventures of a Global Entrepreneur” by Richard Branson @ Rs.340/- (Pgs 359)
“Making Breakthrough Innovation Happen: How 11 Indians Pulled Off The Impossible” by Porus Munshi @ Rs.295/- (Pgs 236)
“The Atlantis Code” by Charles Brokaw @ Rs. 299/- (Pgs 584)
“The Recipe For Success” by Blaire Palmer @ Rs. 399/- (Pgs 157)
“Girl Friday” by Jane Green @ Rs. 399/- (Pgs 400)
“The Kingdom Of Infinite Space” by Raymond Tallis @ Rs.580/- (Pgs 323)
“Final Salute: A Story of Unfinished Lives” by Jim Sheeler @ Rs.530/- (Pgs 280)
“The Adventures of Mowgli” by Rudyard Kipling @ Rs.199/- (Pgs 227)
“The Raft Is Not The Shore” by Thich Nhat Hanh @ Rs.195/- (Pgs 153)
“Mumbai Under Siege” by Nikhil S.Dixit @ Rs.195/- (Pgs 178)
“The Best XI:Cricket’s Most Outspoken Character Picks the Best Test Teams of All Time” by Geoffrey Boycott @ Rs.350/- (Pgs 394)
“Will Jellyfish Rule The World?: A Book About Climate Change” by Leo Hickman @ Rs.299/- (Pgs 227)
“Physics of the Impossible” by Michio Kaku @ Rs.325/- (Pgs 329)
“The Future of the Internet” by Jonathan Zittrain @ Rs.350/- (Pgs 342)
“My Father’s Tears & Other Stories” by John Updike @ Rs.499/- (Pgs 292)
“The Drunkard’s Walk: How Randomness Rules Our Lives” by Leonard Mlodinow @ Rs.350/- (Pgs 252)
“Waste: Uncovering the Global Food Scandal” by Tristram Stuart @Rs.325/- (Pgs 451)
“Letters From Burma” by Aung San Suu Kyi with an introduction by Fergal Keane @ Rs.325/- (Pgs 209)
“HRM Strategic Integration and Organizational Performance” by Ashok Chanda & Jie Shen @ Rs. 550/- (Pgs 384)
“Black House” By Stephen King & Peter Straub @ Rs. 399/- (Pgs 817)
“Mistress of the game” By Sidney Sheldon @ Rs. 250/- (Pgs 520)
“Drawing the right side of the brain” By Betty Edwards @ Rs .699/- (Pgs 291)
“Rupture” By Sampurna Chatterjee @ Rs. 350/- (Pgs 349)
“The Idea Of Justice” by Amartya Sen @ Rs. 699/- (Pgs 467)
“How Obelix Fell Into The Magic Potion When He Was A Little Boy” by Rene Goscinny @ Rs. 595/-
“We Are All Made Of Glue” by Marina Lewycka @ Rs. 399/- (Pgs 419)
“Cockroach” by Rawi Hage @ Rs. 399/- (Pgs 305)
“Faerie Heart” by Livi Michael @ Rs. 250/- (Pgs 181)
“Young Samurai: The Way Of The Sword” by Chris Bradford @ Rs. 295/- (Pgs 379)
“Cleopatra’s Daughter: Princess of Egypt, Prisoner of Rome” by Michelle Moran @ Rs. 399/- (Pgs 432)
“The Heretic Queen” by Michelle Moran @ Rs. 299/- (Pgs 383)
“For The Common Good: The Ethics of Leadership In The 21st Century” Edited by John C. Knapp @ Rs. 1010/- (Pgs 174)
“Listening To Grasshoppers: Field Notes On Democracy” by Arundhati Roy @ Rs. 499/- (Pgs 252)
“The World At Your Feet: Three Strikes to a Successful Entrepreneurial Life” by Saburul Islam @ Rs. 275/- (Pgs 116)
“Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Do-It-Yourself Book” by Jeff Kinney @ Rs. 195/-
“A Town Called Dehra” by Ruskin Bond @ Rs. 200/- (Pgs 218)
“The Sensualist” by Ruskin Bond @ Rs. 150/- (Pgs 103)
“Indian Cinema In The Time Of Celluloid” by Ashish Rajadhyaksha @ Rs. 995/- (Pgs 441)
“The Longer Long Tail” by Chris Anderson @ Rs.295/- (Pgs 267)
“Thank God for Evolution: How the Marriage of Science and Religion Will Transform Your Life and Our World” by Michael Dowd @ Rs.565/- (Pgs 411)
“Burnt Shadows” by Kamila Shamsie @ Rs.425/- (Pgs 367)
“Empire Of The Moghul: Raiders From The North” by Alex Rutherford @ Rs.495/- (Pgs 434)
“Reality Check: The Irreverent Guide to Outsmarting, Outmanaging, and Outmarketing Your Competition” by Guy Kawasaki @ Rs.599/- (Pgs 474)
“Young Men in Spats” by PG Wodehouse @ Rs.195/- (Pgs 258)
“The Magic Store of Nu-Cham-Vu” by Shreekumar Varma @ Rs.175/- (Pgs 132)
“Gind: The Magical Adventures of a Vanara” by Harini Gopalswami Srinivasan @ Rs.199/- (Pgs 205)
“Some Inner Fury” by Kamala Markandaya @ Rs.250/- (Pgs 223)
“Notes From a Small Room” by Ruskin Bond @ Rs.225/- (Pgs 171)
“The Character of Physical Law” by Richard P.Feynman @ Rs.590/- (Pgs 173)
“Unbordered Memories: Sindhi Stories of Partition” edited and translated by Rita Kothari @ Rs.250/- (Pgs 171)
“Like a Diamond in the Sky” by Shazia Omar @ Rs.250/- (Pgs 252)
“Even Buffett Isn’t Perfect” by Vahan Janjigian foreword by Steve Forbes @ Rs.499/- (Pgs 241)
“Pop!: Create the Perfect Pitch, Title, and Tagline for Anything” by Sam Horn @ Rs.499/- (Pgs 239)
“Jinnah – India-Partition Independence” by Jaswant Singh @ Rs. 695/-

Tulika new titles:
“The Rooster and the Sun” by Meren Imchen @ Rs. 100/-
“Sabri’s Colours” by Rinchin @ Rs. 135/-
“Upside Down” by T. R. Rajesh @ Rs. 95/-
“Aana and Chena” by Sowmya Rajendran @ Rs. 75/-

Happy Reading and see you at the Store!

From the team at
twistntales

For Kshitija

We hope there are flowers and jhhoolas and wonderful, quiet moments for you and your Chosen One. Wishing you every kind of happiness as you start on a new journey.

Congratulations!

P.S. I searched long and hard for the right image to go with this post. Then I remembered that with you, things don't have to be right - they must be absolutely right And I figured, what's more completely right than the couple in the image I chose.

Message sent to twistntales@yahoogroups.com on 23rd July,09

Hi all,

Greetings from the twistntales team. Lots of new books have been released in the past month, and some very interesting ones. Our mails are getting longer and longer, as it becomes a monthly newsletter. Our effort is in bringing information to your inbox, along with a little something about the book (our own very subjective but acceptable evaluation of the book). In this age of information overload, we try and highlight the really good ones, which we feel YOU should not miss!

Books are often hyped and attain publicity sometimes for the wrong reasons. In our own small way, we are trying to correct the situation. Books which are brilliantly written but not in the limelight will now feature in our “Book of the Month” (Books which are in the limelight are NOT necessarily disqualified from making it to the list!)

Our “Book of the Month” for July’ 09 is “Molly Fox’s Birthday” by Deirdre Madden. This book has been short-listed for the Orange Prize for Fiction 2009. A review of the book follows below, but just a few words on why this book has been chosen. Firstly, “Molly…..” is a very gentle book. Gentle – without being saccharine sweet. There is love, there is death, there is drama (the narrator is a playwright!), basically, it is both a celebration and a simple acceptance of life. It talks about relationships, without being judgemental, without taking stands. It breathes free, provides space and flows easily. It is written excellently, the craft is highly polished, no flab, edited well and is contemporary. YOU must read it!

New Books:

Management:

“Chaotics – The business of managing and marketing in the age of turbulence” by Philip Kotler and John A. Caslione @ Rs. 1280/- (Pgs 206)

Philip Kotler, the Strategy Guru has come out with another winner in Chaotics. This is all about coming up trumps in a volatile and turbulent economic environment. The Chaotics Management System outlined gives you the tools and techniques to minimise vulnerability and exploiting opportunities – and putting yourself way ahead of competition. Tools to develop early warning systems for identifying the first signs of upheaval, securing market share from core customer segments, compressing strategic planning into shorter, three month time cycles to keep a closer read on the pulse of the company are widely discussed with case studies. Makes for compelling reading for “Strategy” enthusiasts.

“How The Mighty Fall And Why Some Companies Never Give In” by Jim Collins @ Rs. 635/- (Pgs 222)

Great companies can stumble, badly, and recover. Anyone can fall and most eventually do. How do the mighty fall? Can decline be detected early and avoided? In this research, Collins confronts these questions offering leaders the hope that they can learn how to stave off decline and if they find themselves falling, reverse their course. Collins uncovered five step wise stages of decline:
Stage 1: Hubris born of success
Stage 2: Undisciplined pursuit of more
Stage 3: Denial of Risk and Peril
Stage 4: Grasping for Salvation
Stage 5: Capitulation to Irrelevance or Death.

By understanding these stages of decline, leaders can substantially reduce their chances of falling all the way to the bottom.

“Inside Steve’s Brain: Business Lessons from the Man Who Saved Apple” by Leander Kahney @ Rs.399/- (Pgs 294)

Steve Jobs gives almost as much thought to the cardboard boxes his gadgets come in as the products themselves. Here is a book that makes you understand how one man turned his personality into a business personality. One man…the pivotal figure behind the success stories of both Apple and Pixar.
In this book, the author distils the principles that guide Jobs as he launches killer products, attracts fanatically loyal customers, and manages some of the world’s most powerful brands. The result: A unique book; part biography and part leadership manual, a fascinating insight into one of the critical business and cultural figures of our time.

“The Genie in the Machine: How Computer-Automated Inventing is Revolutionizing Law & Business” by Robert Plotkin @ Rs.599/- (Pgs 270)

Inventing has been considered a uniquely human activity.
With artificial invention technology, we stand poised to see the emergence of the ‘digital renaissance artisan’ – a person who will have the ability to not only design new inventions at the touch of a button, but also to manufacture them from the comfort of home! Plotkin reveals in this book, how our decisions about these inventions today will dictate who gets to control this powerful technology tomorrow.
Should inventions designed by software be patentable?
This book offers the first-ever examination of the implication of artificial invention technology for patent law, along with practical advice for inventors, high-tech companies, and patent lawyers.

“The Salmons of Narmada: Nest Returned Indians” Edited by Bhooshan Kelkar @ Rs. 195/- (Pgs 203)

We read about ‘brain-gain’ taking the place of the earlier brain-drain. However, there are mixed reactions to this change. Sensing this change that has occurred in the last 5 to 10 years and having listened to the reactions to it, Kelkar felt, let us ask our salmons to speak their mind, since they plan an important role in rebuilding India. There are, in all, people from 15 different professions in this book; not just from IT. They have returned from 10 different countries, not just from the US. These are the salmons of our river Narmada. The author has deliberately called them ‘We, the Marathi NRI’, rather to mean ‘nest-returned Indian’! Let them tell you their stories.

“Making It On My Own: 10 Inspiring Stories Of Your Entrepreneur-Next-Door” by Prashant Karhade @ Rs. 125/- (Pgs 252)

This book is a compilation of stories of ten real-life entrepreneurs who are into 10 diverse businesses: power plant equipment manufacturing, metal fabrication, software development, printing, IIT JEE coaching, private healthcare, stone crushing, IT training, international education consulting, and construction. The diversity in the businesses is by design, not by accident, to make the book as informative as possible, and also to highlight the fact that the underlying principles to succeed in any business are the same. But the stories are also quite entertaining as opposed to being just informative, dry, and emotionless. So this book is guaranteed to be a fun read!

Personalities

“A.R.Rahman: The Musical Storm” by Kamini Mathai @ Rs.499/- (Pgs 265)

His name is legend, but what is A.R.Rahman all about? Very few can claim to know the man behind the music as Rahman shies away from the public eye.
But this book tells A.R.Rahman’s incredible story: the tragic death of his father R.K.Sekhar, when Rahman-then Dileep-was nine; his desperate efforts as a teenager to keep the family afloat by playing sessions, missing school; his reasons for embracing Islam and turning to Sufism; his ‘discovery’ by Mani Ratnam and his subsequent ascent to fame. It also takes us to his compulsive need to ‘get it right’, his continuing fascination with electronic equipment; his relationship with his mother, his inspiration; and above all his religiosity.
Based on extensive interviews with Rahman, his family, and those who have worked with him and know him best, this marvellously readable, chatty and anecdotal biography will delight every fan of the man Chennai calls ‘isai puyal’ – the musical storm!

“Shane Warne’s Century: My Top 100 Test Cricketers” by Shane Warne @ Rs. 340/- (Pgs 317)

Shane Warne writes about 100 players from every Test nation who have had the most significant impact on his cricketing life. He has written this book taking friendship out of the equation as to be as objective as he can. In 2007, he had written an article in The Times of his top 50 players, and a brief summary of each, the feedback was amazing. The idea for this book came from all those emails and letters. He also talks about the serious issues affecting the cricket today as cheating, bowling actions, match-fixing, etc. A must read book for all fans of the sport.

“Burning Bright: Irom Sharmila and The Struggle for Peace In Manipur” by Deepti Priya Mehrotra @ Rs.275/- (Pgs 219)

In November 2000, 10 innocent people were mowed down by security forces in Malom, a village near Imphal. Irom Sharmila, a young Manipuri, who hails from a very ordinary family of Imphal, could not accept the situation. In response to this tragedy, she has been on indefinite fast for the withdrawal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act. The government arrested her later in the same month, and began force-feeding her through nasal tube. Been released and re-arrested innumerable times for over eight years now, she has still stood by her demand, refusing to eat and spent most of these years in jail alone.
Burning Bright is a moving portrait of a heritage under attack and of Irom Sharmila, ‘the Iron Lady of Manipur’, who has staked her life to bring peace to her ravaged land.

“Gandhi Speaks: The Mahatma’s Words for Children” foreword by Rajmohan Gandhi @ Rs.125/- (Pgs 106)

‘If we are to reach real peace in this world and we are to carry on a real war against war, we shall have to begin with children…’ - Bapu
Mahatma Gandhi arouses many opinions among adults. But what do children think about him? Is he anything more than a holiday on 2 October for them?
Mahatma Gandhi’s writings and speeches, hold as much relevance as they did during his lifetime and today, more than ever, they need to reach out to a new generation.
What did Gandhiji think about his own family and school life? What were his thoughts on the role of the youth in a nation’s life? Children will find this book inspiring, thought-provoking and pertinent. It is the perfect introduction to the thoughts and dreams that went into creating a self-reliant, independent India.

Indian Writing:

“Eunuch Park: Fifteen stories of love and destruction” by Palash Krishna Mehrotra @ Rs.250/- (Pgs 185)

Palash Krishna Mehrotra writes about prostitutes, cross dressers, murderers, drug addicts, students and stalkers, portraying their perversions and vulnerabilities with equal insight, taking us deep into the dark and seamy soul of India. The Author takes us for a walk on the wild side to dark places that few of us would dare to explore alone. Set in the murky underbelly of big cities and small towns, slums and dotcoms, college hostels and rented rooms, Eunuch Park is a collection like no other. Gritty, grim and depraved, these are candid vignettes of an India most of us are afraid to acknowledge.

“First Love” by Brinda Charry @ Rs.250/- (Pgs 211)

Ever wondered what happens when a young girl finds herself falling in love for the first time ever? Or…
What happens when a little boy and girl are fascinated with their neighbour, a eunuch; who finds excitement in marriage? Or…
What happens when the kuttichethans and Mohinis wander the streets of Thiruninravur at night?
Filled with many short stories in this unforgettable collection from southern India, Brinda Charry’s work engages the human condition and the personal with an intensity and authority that can only be explained by literary grace.

“Arzee The Dwarf” by Chandraha’s Choudhury @ Rs.325/- (Pgs 184)

Arzee is a man searching for the ingredients of a normal life – a job, love and dignity. And as doleful, he is just the most delightfully uncharacteristic hero you’ll meet. Arzee is a dwarf whose dream comes true. He gets crowned as head projectionist at the Noor, the Bombay cinema where he has been working since his teens. He thinks that the worst of his troubles are behind him, and that he can marry and settle down now. But not for the first time, Arzee has it all wrong!
Follow Arzee day and night, setting off the inner world of his jagged ruminations against the beating and pulsing of the great city around him.
Can Arzee find a place for himself in ‘the world of the fives and the sixes’? This bittersweet comedy, shuffling between hope and dread, between the yearnings of body and soul, is a book about the strange beauty of human dreaming.

Fiction:

“Molly Fox’s Birthday” By Deirdre Madden @Rs. 299/- (Pgs 221)

‘What we have to do with life is LIVE IT!’ – Molly Fox
Molly Fox is an actor, and is regarded as one of the finest of her generation. In the height of summer, she loans her house in Dublin to a friend while she is away in New York. Alone in the house on Molly’s birthday, her friend finds her thoughts turn to her relationship with Molly and their old university companion Andrew. She wonders why Molly never celebrates her own birthday and in this process contemplates on her own friendships and relationships that have evolved over the course of many years.
Here is a moving and truthful novel about identity, friendship and how the past informs the present in ways we might never have imagined.

“Six Graves to Munich” by Mario Puzo @ Rs.399/- (Pgs 200)

This addictive thriller was written only a year before Puzo completed The Godfather, and was published under a pseudonym as Mario Cleri and only recently brought to light. The story takes you through the torture of Captain Michael Rogan by seven senior Gestapo officers who also murder his pregnant wife and leave him for dead. After the end of the Second World War, they escape to new lives. But Rogan survives. He recovers from his appalling injuries and devotes the intervening ten years to planning how best to exact his revenge. In his journey to track down his Nazi targets – some of whom have new identities, he meets and falls for the beautiful Rosalie. Should Rogan continue to pursue vengeance or sacrifice it for the sake of happiness?

“Baking Cakes in Kigali” by Gaile Parkin @ Rs.399/- (Pgs 361)

This is a story about us …. Like us in twistntales selling books here in Pune, Angel in Kigali sells cakes! Angel Tungaraza has recently moved to Rwanda from her native Tanzania. While life keeps her busy with its own share of challenges, Angel finds time to pursue her passion: her small but increasingly successful business, baking individually designed cakes for the parties and celebrations of her friends. Much like Chocolat, people and their lives within the community are intertwined to create a uniquely charming, gently moving, deliciously funny novel about life, love and food.

“Something to Tell You” by Hanif Kureishi @ Rs.299/- (pgs 520)

“Secrets are my currency: I deal in them for a living. The secrets of desire, of what people really want, and of what they fear the most. The secrets of why love is difficult, sex complicated, living painful and death so close and yet placed far away”
Here is the voice of Jamal Khan, a psychoanalyst in his fifties living in London, is haunted by memories of his teens: his first love, Ajita; the exhilaration of sex, drugs and politics; and a brutal act of violence which changed his life for ever. As he and his best friend Henry attempt to make the sometimes painful comic transition to their divorced middle age, balancing the conflicts of desire and dignity, Jamal’s teenage traumas make a shocking reappearance in his present life.
From the same author of The Buddha of Suburbia, here is a novel that describes with such elegant seriousness the fear of ageing, the initiation of pleasure, the survival of love, the longing to understand and be understood.

“A Mercy” By Toni Morrison @ Rs. 280/- (Pgs 165)

By the same author of Beloved (made into a major film) here comes a book so enthralling, so powerful and elemental that you’ll want to read it over and over again! The issues Morrison explores here go to the root of what humanity is.
Little Florens’s life changes after Jacob agrees to accept a slave as payment for a debt. With her intelligence and passion for wearing the cast-off shoes of her mistress, Florens has never blended into the background and now, aged eight, she is taken from her family to begin a new life. The women in this book face the trials of their harsh environment as Jacob attempts to carve out a place for himself in the brutal landscape of the north of America.
This novel will leave you trembling at the sheer brilliance of its storytelling and the unassailable dignity of its purpose.

“B is for Beer” by Tom Robbins @ Rs.450/- (Pgs 125)

Once upon a time (right about now) there was a planet (how about this one?) whose inhabitants consumed thirty-six billion gallons of beer each year (it’s a fact, you can Google it). Among those affected, each in his or her own way, by all the bubbles, burps, and foam, was a smart, wide-eyed, adventurous young schoolgirl named Gracie; her distracted mum, her insensitive dad, her non-conformist uncle and a magical, butt-kicking intruder from a world within our world.
As charming as it may be subversive – B Is For Beer is a children’s book for grownups AND a grown-up book for children, taking you into the far-reaching investigation into the limits of reality.

“The Magic Thief: Lost Book Two” By Sarah Prineas @ Rs. 299/- (Pgs 392)

Connwaer, wizard’s apprentice, has developed a new experiment to save his city from the death of magic: making explosions! And his quest has become urgent: his power stone is lost and Shadows, ruthless assassins, are stalking the city’s people.
Conn’s experiments soon set him on a new adventure. He must travel to Desh, a glittering city in the desert, home to the Shadows and run by a mysterious Sorcerer-King…

Health/ Wellness/ Inspiration

“Jaldi Fit with Namita Jain: Your Complete Fitness Plan” by The Times of India @ Rs.250/- (Pgs 103)

Fitness is not a goal; it is an endless process that needs everyday efforts. And just like you diligently carry out your workout schedule, it is equally important to have a dedicated diet regime. Paving your way to a top-of-the-world healthy lifestyle with tips on nutrition and weight loss, follow Namita Jain on to your complete fitness plan...here is your 24X7 guide to good health which also comes with a follow-me strength workout DVD. This book is filled with workout pictures and training tips that one can follow everyday. Namita holds international certifications in several fitness-related disciplines. For over 20 years, Namita has kept pace with new trends and techniques in her field, offering holistic, hands-on guidance to wellness enthusiasts.

“Light on Astanga Yoga” by B K S Iyengar @ Rs. 225/- (Pgs 198)

Astanga Yoga is an ancient wisdom, the greatest and noblest gift that Sage Patanjali has offered to man. Light on Astanga Yoga provides lucid explanation on the exposition and application of the principles of Sage Patanjali’s Astanga Yoga.
B K S Iyengar has been teaching and demonstrating yoga throughout the world for over 75 years. Having several million students, and having established many centres, his Yoga courses are included in the curricula of many universities around the world. He has authored twenty books and his magnum opus Light on Yoga has been translated into 18 languages.

“Pran Oorja – Raho positive hamesha!’ by Dr.Surakshit Goswami @ Rs.350/- (Pgs 116)

This book unfolds the goodness of Yoga in two packages of yogic practices and comes with a free DVD. Pran Oorja Yog which is a series of various yogic-kriyas, aasanas and pranayam, especially designed for the corporate world. The practices take only 30 minutes of your day, and are highly effective. Pran Oorja Kriya: 3 simple breathing exercises of one minute each, can be practiced anywhere, anytime! It increases positive attitude, creativity and understanding power of an individual. Give into Pran Oorja daily…it is the key to wholesome wellness.

“When Everything Changes, Change Everything” by Neale Donald Walsch @ Rs.295/- (Pgs 299)

Many changes are occurring now in the lives of all of us, but does ‘change’ have to equal ‘crisis’? NO. Not if you have the means with which you can change your experience of change – and that is what you are holding in your hand.
The author of the Conversations with God series presents a fresh and startling perspective on something that will never change: Change.
This is more than a book about change. It’s about how life itself works. It is about the very nature of change – why it happens, how to deal with it, and how to make it be ‘for the better’. On these pages are Nine Changes That Can Change Everything.
Is it possible that what you are about to read has come to you at the right and perfect time…?

“Life’s Missing Instruction Manual’ by Joe Vitale @ Rs.179/- (Pgs 158)
“What you do now creates your future” – Dr.Joe Vitale
How rare it is in life to discover a book in which every idea is sound and every word rings true! To read a little book and learn lessons about life you wish someone had told you sooner.
Here is a guidebook that you should have been given at birth. In simple, digestible form, using humour and anecdotes, Vitale presents practical steps to take control of you life, overcome obstacles, and find happiness. Vitale presents a real-life example of each lesson, followed by steps on how to put each lesson into practice. This book offers what no other does: Extraordinary wisdom put in simple terms that are practical enough to use everyday.

“Escape from Cubicle Nation: From Corporate Prisoner to Thriving Entrepreneur” by Pamela Slim @ Rs.1060/- (Pgs 340)

‘I have a fancy title, steady pay check, and good benefits. Why am I so miserable’? Does this sound like you? Then here’s a book that provides everything you’ll need to consider for a major change-not just the nuts and bolts of starting a business, but a full discussion of the emotional issues involved. Pamela Slim knows firsthand that leaving corporate life can be very scary, especially if you have a family and other obligations. Fears and self-defeating thoughts often hold people back from pursuing an extremely gratifying solo career.
Get ready to learn your real options, make an informed decision, and maybe, just maybe, Escape from Cubicle Nation.

“Play: How It Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul” by Stuart Brown, M.D. @ Rs.1025/- (Pgs 229)

What enables us to innovate, problem-solve, and be happy, smart, resilient human beings...Our ability to Play!
We’ve all seen the happiness in children’s faces while they play in the school park. Or the blissful abandon of a golden retriever racing with glee across an open lawn. THIS is the joy of play! Dr. Brown explains, even the lowest creatures on the evolutionary spectrum have a play mechanism. Play offers an inside look at new research suggesting the direct role of three-dimensional object play in shaping our brains and at animal studies showing the startling effects of the absence of play. This book is a blend of cutting-edge science and inspiring personal stories.

SocioEco

“Amen: The Autobiography of a Nun” by Sister Jesme @ Rs.225/- (Pgs 178)

“This is just an attempt to disclose the hitherto hidden life inside the enclosures of the convents; to enable society to have a peep into the panoramic but veiled ocean”
– Sister Jesme
Sister Jesme left the Congregation of Mother of Carmel on 31st August 2008. There have been repeated attempts to have her declared insane. The authorities left her no other option, but this book, a first of its kind in India, that speaks of the life of a nun growing inside the convent and being forced to remain silent about many ills that distressed her. Corruption, sexual relations, class distinctions…many more that Sister Jesme speaks about in this book. This is not just an autobiography!
Amen is a plea for a reformation of the Church and comes at a time of its growing concern about nuns and priests.

“The Great Divide: India and Pakistan” edited by Ira Pande @ Rs.495/- (Pgs 379)

At a time when India and Pakistan are both reeling under terror attacks and hysterical talk of an impending war, it is important to take stock of where we have reached, individually and as part of the Indian subcontinent, sixty years after the two nations were carved out as two distinct entities. This volume of essays by writers from both sides of the border attempts to do just that.
Lived experience, shared concerns, food and travel, nostalgia and analysis, and an extraordinary selection of previously unpublished photographs from the ‘40s and ‘50s make this an unusual compilation on the subject of two nations forever in love and hate with each other

“Welcome to the Urban Revolution: How Cities Are Changing the World” by Jeb Brugmann @ Rs.399/- (Pgs 330)

Brugmann shows how India’s continued rise is inextricably linked to its success in becoming an urban nation. He takes his readers on a street-level tour of the world’s cities, challenging conventional thinking about globalization and revealing cities as the medium for revolutionary change, arguing that the 21st century’s greatest challenges can-and must-be met through improved approaches to city building. India’s productivity, economic efficiency, and political stability, he explains, depend upon a renewal of Indian forms of urbanism. Brugmann proposes a transformation in the way we view our cities which goes way beyond globalization.

Others

“Hoshruba: The Land and the Tilism” by Muhammad Husain Jah @ Rs.495/- (Pgs 447) - History

Long, long ago, a group of sorcerers created a tilism or magical land. It is a world of spirits and talismans, where mountains change shape, fairies spring from the earth, dragons’ heads dart out of flowers, and things are rarely what they seem. But it has a limited lifespan for its destruction is preordained. Hoshruba is its name, and it is ruled by the bold sorcerer Afrasiyab. Prophecies claim that Hoshruba will someday fall to a hero who possesses the key to the tilism. But the key has been lost, and Afrasiyab, with his invincible army of sorcerers, has remained the unchallenged ruler of the land.
Full of magic, adventure, romance and fantasy, the Tilism-e Hoshruba is the Indian subcontinent’s greatest Urdu epic. Composed by two rival storytellers in late 19th century Lucknow, this classic of world literature has never been – until now – translated into English.

“The Rest Is Noise: Listening to the Twentieth Century” by Alex Ross @ Rs.599/- (Pgs 695) - Music

Alex Ross is a music critic for the New York Times. More importantly, though, he is a listener and a maker of connections. And that’s exactly what he does throughout The Rest is Noise. Ross gives twentieth century’s classical music an all-inclusive background. As far as he is concerned, there is no historical happening, no cultural movement that was isolated from classical composers and no piece that was left untouched by the socio-political changes of its time. From Hitler’s Germany to Stalin’s Russia, from Mao Zedong to the charged hippie sounds of the 60’s, Ross incorporates all the world into what was previously looked upon as an Euro-centric art. Without getting technical or running down other musical forms, Ross manages to give contemporary classical music its due without isolating it in its importance.

“Dad Rules” How My Children Taught Me to be a Good Parent” by Andrew Clover @ Rs.525/- (Pgs 284) - Parenting

Here is a book for to-be-dads, must-be-dads, and already-dads. And it’s not just about being a dad, but also, about being a husband after being a dad.
Kids have rules, but there are parenting rules too…How do parents cope with issues like sibling rivalry? Or choosing a school? Or getting them to eat something that’s not a fish finger? Then there are other big issues like Will you ever see your friends? Will you turn into your dad? Will you ever have sex again? So, this book, in its own mad way is curiously complete; it covers almost everything a modern parent might think about. You will laugh out loud even if you don’t have children of your own!

“The Book of the Vedas” by Virender Kumar Arya @ Rs.295/- (Pgs 128) - Philosophy

A concise, clearly written introduction to the world’s most complex religion, The Book of the Vedas provides an inspirational and easily followed guide to the mysteries of the Hindu faith. With colourful illustrations on every page, this enthralling volume provides explanation and inspiration for everyone who wants to find out more about one of the world’s greatest religions. This book explores the Hindu pantheon, it examines the cultural backdrop to Hinduism and identifies the philosophy at the heart of Hinduism.

“The Wild Life” by John Lewis-Stempel @ Rs.995/- (Pgs 293) – Inspiration !

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if one could live on what Nature provides for free? Here is John Lewis-Stempel’s account of 12 months eating only food shot, caught or foraged from the fields, hedges, copse and brook of his forty-acre Herefordshire hill farm. Nothing from a shop and nothing raised from agriculture. Could it be done?
In this book we witness how the author survives on Nature’s larder and get closer to it, because, after all, one is never closer to Nature than when one is trying to kill it or pick it.
The Wild Life is an extraordinary celebration of our natural heritage and a testament to the importance of getting back to one’s roots – spiritually and practically.

“What On Earth Happened? …In Brief: The Planet, Life & People From The Big Bang To The Present Day” by Christopher Lloyd @ Rs. 399/- (Pgs 328) – Popular Science

How did the universe form? How did humans evolve as hunter-gatherers whilst living in a state of nature? What happened to the dinosaurs? How was the moon created? Are humans really superior to other living things? AND how can you fit the complete history of the planet into one pocket-sized book...Well, this book does just that! In this thrill-ride across millennia and continents, the complete history of the planet unfolds. From the Earth’s fiery birth to the Triassic period…from the first signs of humanity to the tentative future of a world with a burgeoning population and a global warming crisis, What On Earth Happened? covers a wide range of topics including astrophysics, zoology and sociology, and is complete with maps and illustrations. This book is the endlessly entertaining story of the planet, life and people.

New Books:

“The Khufra Run” by Jack Higgins @ Rs.250/- (Pgs 338)
“Ghost Train to the Eastern Star: On the Tracks of The Great Railway Bazaar” by Paul Theroux @ Rs.850/- (Pgs 485)
“You’re Hired- How to get that job and keep it too” By Nasha Fitter @ Rs. 199/- (Pgs 434)
“I heart New York” by Lindsey Kelk @ Rs.225/- (Pgs 307)
“The Man Who Sees Dead People” by Joe Power @ Rs.415/- (Pgs 246)
“How to Instantly Connect with Anyone” by Leil Lowndes @ Rs.250/- (Pgs 314)
“The Penguin CNBC-TV18 Business Yearbook 2009” compiled and edited by Derek O’Brien @ Rs.399/- (Pgs 600)
“The Last Oracle” by James Rollins @ Rs.295/- (Pgs 497)
“Bits of Me Are Falling Apart” by William Leith @ Rs.350/- (Pgs 202)
“The Unbearable Lightness of Scones” by Alexander McCall Smith @ Rs.295/- (Pgs 328)
“Liberty In The Age of Terror: A defence of civil liberty and enlightenment values” by A.C.Grayling @ Rs.599/- (Pgs 283)
“Laxman Rekhas” Times of India @ Rs.199/- (Pgs 127)
“Ecological Intelligence: Knowing the Hidden Impacts of What We Buy” by Daniel Goleman @ Rs.399/- (Pgs 276)
“Beyond The Secret” by Brenda Barnaby @ Rs.395/- (Pgs 183)
“Pygmy” by Chuck Palahniuk @ Rs.495/- (Pgs 241)
“The Return of the Economic Naturalist” by Robert H Frank @ Rs.340/- (Pgs 263)
“The Undercover Scientist” by Peter J. Bentley @ Rs.340/- (Pgs 247)
“I Will Survive” by Sunil Robert @ Rs.200/- (Pgs 191)
“Welcome to Advertising” by Omkar Sane @ Rs.395/- (Pgs 230)
“Bringing Up Vasu: That First Year” by Parul Sharma @ Rs.250/- (Pgs 262)
“Swimsuit” by James Patterson @ Rs.495/- (Pgs 407)
“The Silent Man” by Alex Berenson @ Rs.495/- (Pgs 418)
“Extreme Measures” by Vince Flynn @ Rs.290/- (Pgs 515)
“The Crash of 2008 and What It Means: The New Paradigm For Financial Markets” by George Soros @ Rs.475/- (Pgs 258)
“Doctoring The Mind: Why Psychiatric Treatments Fail” by Richard Bentall @ Rs.599/- (Pgs 363)
“The Case For God: What Religion Really Means” by Karen Armstrong @ Rs.520/- (Pgs 376)
“My Friend Sancho” by Amit Varma @ Rs.195/- (Pgs 217)
“Business Stripped Bare: Adventures of a Global Entrepreneur” by Richard Branson @ Rs.340/- (Pgs 359)
“Dark Summit” by Nick Heil @ Rs.375/- (Pgs 271)
“Making Breakthrough Innovation Happen: How 11 Indians Pulled Off The Impossible” by Porus Munshi @ Rs.295/- (Pgs 236)
“Bryson’s Dictionary for Writers and Editors” by Bill Bryson @ Rs.480/- (Pgs 453)
“The Atlantis Code” by Charles Brokaw @ Rs. 299/- (Pgs 584)
“Gandhi & Churchill: The Epic Rivalry That Destroyed an Empire and Forged Our Age” by Arthur Herman @ Rs. 480/- (Pgs 721)
“The Recipe For Success” by Blaire Palmer @ Rs. 399/- (Pgs 157)
“Why I Am A Believer: Personal Reflections On Nine World Religions” Edited by Arvind Sharma @ Rs. 450/- (Pgs 378)
“Perfect Persuasion: All You Need To Get It Right First Time” by Richard Storey @ Rs. 450/- (Pgs 234)
“Girl Friday” by Jane Green @ Rs. 399/- (Pgs 400)
“The Kingdom Of Infinite Space” by Raymond Tallis @ Rs.580/- (Pgs 323)
“Final Salute: A Story of Unfinished Lives” by Jim Sheeler @ Rs.530/- (Pgs 280)
“The Adventures of Mowgli” by Rudyard Kipling @ Rs.199/- (Pgs 227)
“The Thread of God In My Life” by R.M.Lala @ Rs.399/- (Pgs 194)
“Financial Intelligence: Get A Financial Life” by Nic Cicutti @ Rs.399) (Pgs 226)
“Financial Intelligence: Saving and Investing For Your Children” by Moira O’Neill Rs.399/- (Pgs 228)
“In Defence of Food” by Michael Pollan @ Rs.325/- (Pgs 242)

Enjoy your books. See you at the Store!

From the team at,

twistntales

What a fool ! He left the books behind !

twistntales was broken into on the night of 16th July. Aditya said, "What a fool ! He left the books behind!"

We are Ok now and back in business !

Message sent to twistntales@yahoogroups.com on 16th June

Hi all,

With Schools re-opening and T 20 out of the way, guess parents can now breathe free and find time for reading. We have this huge list of books reviewed and huger pile listed. Do drop in and browse and make your selection.

Indian Writing

“The Hotel At The End Of The World” by Parismita Singh @ Rs.350/- (Pgs.139)
Drawing from various oral storytelling and folklore traditions, and with influences ranging from Commando war comics to World War II history and Buddhist art, Parismita Singh creates a world that’s magical yet very real. Exquisite in terms of both narrative and artwork, The Hotel at the End of the World marks a new height in graphic fiction in India.
In The Hotel at the End of the World its business as usual, as Pema dishes up rice and pork curry to travellers who stop by for a drink and refuge from the rains. Everyone there has a story to tell, and at times they end up revealing more than they want to.
On their journey to China, Kona and Kuja, bound together by fate, stumble upon the trail of the Floating Island, promised land of plenty. Pema’s story is about lost love, while her husband speaks of homesick Japanese soldiers in Manipur and the Naga hills during World War II. The Prophet takes us back to the quest for the Floating Island, leading us to the little girl’s story as she sets out to fetch water and chances upon something quite unexpected…

“The Strike” by Anand Mahadevan @ Rs.299/- (Pgs.274)
Hari, a 12 year old living in the 1980s trying to make sense of his tumultuous and complex world. He experiments at eating fish which only leads to the accidental death of his grandmother; he prefers Hindi over his mother tongue Tamil which leads to slanderous graffiti against his family in Madras; and his friendship with the household help lands him in trouble with Vishu, a militant Tamil film fan and political functionary.
When MGR, the film star turned politician, dies and his supporters led by Vishu declare a strike, trapping Hari and his mother in a train bound for Madras…matters come to a head. Oblivious to the cross currents of tension pulsating outside the train, Hari experiences the first stirrings of his adolescent sexuality in the company of an aspiring actor and a loquacious transsexual. Hari’s attempt to help has devastatingly tragic results when protestors try to take over the engine of the train and the driver fights to keep them out. This is a wonderfully accomplished debut, and a tender story about childhood and family that is also evocative of a whole era.

“The Orphan Diaries” by Shashi Warrier @ Rs.299/- (Pgs.465)
At 38, feeling ancient and used up, Colonel Rajan Menon knows his best years as a commando are behind him. But he is soon tested as never before. The Prime Minister’s granddaughter has been abducted, and the kidnappers want some sensitive diaries in the possession of the CBI, the contents of which, if made public, can throw the country into turmoil. Raja works out a meticulous rescue plan, but the raid ends in a disaster – the girl is killed, not a single kidnapper is captured and the diaries disappear. And all the evidence points to Raja’s complicity.
Hounded by the police and, inexplicably, a ruthless psychopath, Raja is on the run, determined to clear his name. As he makes his harrowing journey towards the truth, a sinister plot unfolds an astounding account that began in 1947…

“Atlas of Unknowns” by Tania James @ Rs.660/- (Pgs.319)
It’s a tale of two sisters, Anju and Linno, who are set out on their journey of life… They have been raised in Kerala by their father after their mother’s mysterious death.
Linno is a type of a girl, who can’t promise herself, the way other girls do – I want a house and two children, boy and girl. She wants smooth weighted paper, a new set of soft pencils, a room in which to draw, a window of time… Whereas, Anju is a girl who wishes her family could know of her hardships, which are mostly hardships of heart and to know her loneliness without having to say the word ‘lonely’… Tania James, has beautifully painted the two worlds of the novels – India & America, and has told the story of two sisters whose bonds are powerfully tested

“The Middleman” by Sankar (trs. by Arunava Sinha) @ Rs.200/- (Pgs.192)
This particular story is based in Calcutta of the 70s. Somnath Banerjee is one of the young men who queue up at the employment exchange everyday. This book basically portrays the journey of Somnath Banerjee from an idealistic man into a corrupt businessman and how the city changed his morals and values and made him a totally money driven person. After the hugely successful Chowringee, this translation was much awaited. This was made into the film “Jana Aranya” by Satyajit Ray.

“If It Is Sweet” By Mridula Koshy @Rs.295/- (Pgs 283)
Here is a collection of short stories that are lovely, dark and deep…In these stories, families are seen in their whole corrosive element, and the poor and disenfranchised are returned to history – in language that’s affecting, tender, unexpected, like translations from a tongue infinitely superior to our own.
Her writing is deeply attentive and fearless, telling us the stories other writers overlook, or do not wish to tell: the household thoughts that must always remain silent, the disavowed dramas of the city, the heartbreaking proximity of opposite emotions.
This is a book of savage, beautiful writing, when empathy and curiosity flood over the usual barricades of the imagination – and remind us, indeed, what real writing is.

Fiction:

“The Thing Around Your Neck” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie @ Rs.299/- (Pgs 218)
A medical student hides from a violent riot with a poor Muslim woman whose dignity and faith force her to confront the realities and fears she’s been pushing away…
A woman unlocks the devastating secret that surrounds her brother’s death…
The choking loneliness of a Nigerian girl who moves to an America that turns out to be nothing like the country she expected…
From the author of The Purple Hibiscus and Half of a Yellow Sun, come twelve dazzling stories in which the author turns her penetrating eye on the ties that bind men and women, parents and children, Nigeria and the West. Searing and profound, suffused with beauty, sorrow and longing, this collection is a resounding confirmation of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s prodigious storytelling powers.

“The Paris Enigma” by Pablo De Santis @ Rs.295/- (Pgs.324)
Pablo De Santis was born in Buenos Aires, studied Literature at the Universidad de Buenos Aires and subsequently worked as a journalist and comic strip creator, becoming Editor- in chief of one of the Argentina’s leading comics magazines, Fierro. De Santis is also the author of many books for young adults. He lives in Buenos Aires.
Introducing the twelve detectives, the greatest sleuths in the world, gathered together for the first time at the 1889 world’s fair in Paris. See the wonderful new work of engineering genius by Gustave Eiffel. Marvel at Buffalo Bill’s world famous show. Witness the sewage tribes of France’s colonies gathered here for the first time! But beware a killer is at large who will test the genius of the twelve to their limits. Secret societies, strange puzzles and seemingly impossible crimes wait within the pages of this book.

“The Secret Fire” by Martin Langfield @ Rs.250/- (Pgs.461)
The world is under threat…from a weapon launched in 1944.
A paper by Sir Isaac Newton is sold at auction to a bookseller’s agent and within minutes of leaving the auction house, he is killed and the paper stolen. The Nazis get their hands on Newton’s formula that will unleash The Secret Fire – a weapon beyond all imagining that can wipe their enemies off the face of the earth. And this document is the key…unless the French Resistance and SOE operatives also on its tracks can stop them.
New York, 2007, Katherine Reckliss learns her grandmother’s SOE radio has started picking up disturbing messages from occupied France, warning that a VI containing The Secret Fire is being launched by the Nazis. It’s target? Present day London. So begins the desperate race to halt The Secret Fire – both in 1940’s Nazi-occupied France and modern day London. The clock is ticking as history starts to re-write the future in a new and terrifying script…

“Daemon” by Daniel Suarez @ Rs.499/- (Pgs.432)
‘We are all connected…There is no escape’
What is Daemon? A computer program that runs continuously in the background and performs specified operations at predefined times or in response to certain events.
Recruiting acolytes from the dispossessed and disaffected, the Daemon grows stronger with each passing day. We face a stark choice: confront a faceless, formless monster or learn to live in a world we are no longer in control. An infernal web of autonomous computer programs, Sobol’s Daemon feasts on the lifeblood of our hyper-connected society viz: information. Gathering secrets and stealing identities, it soon has the power to change lives as well as the power to take them. Those who serve the Daemon are rewarded; those who defy it are eliminated.

“The Split Second” by John Hulme and Michael Wexler @ Rs.299/- (Pgs.301)
‘When time is running out, ever second counts’
Becker Drane is just like every other 13-year-old…trying to live a normal life…But what makes his different than other 13-year-olds is that he has got the best job in the world! - being a fixer in The Seems – the organisation responsible for making our world work! And shuffling between his job and being a normal 13-year-old is sometimes just impossible!
One day, on the way to a family holiday, a bomb explodes in the department of time and Becker is called in to mend the damage. It’s his toughest mission yet, and Becker finds himself going to places in The Seems he never knew existed, and meeting people long thought dead.
Can Becker repair the split second before he runs out of time for ever?

“Rogue” by Danielle Steel @ Rs.240/- (Pgs.480)
Rogue: a mischievous person, a scamp, a rascal, an impish or playful young person – Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary.
Maxine Williams was very happy when she got married to Blake a beautiful, charismatic but very irresponsible and unpredictable person. As an entrepreneur he is earning millions but fails to perform as a husband. Now when they are separated and getting settled in their own lives, Blake wants Maxine in his life again – as a partner in a humanitarian project. She finds him changed from a carefree playboy to compassionate, responsible grown-up.
Here comes a new novel for all Danielle Steel’s fan’s… ‘Rogue’

Socio-Eco-Pol / Current Affairs:

“From Fatwa To Jihad: The Rushdie Affair and Its Legacy” by Kenan Mallik @ Rs.399/-
‘A thorough and highly readable history of the politics of the Rushdie affair and an important intervention in the current debate on freedom of expression’ – Monica Ali
It was in 1989, where a thousand Muslim protestors paraded through a British city displaying a copy of The Satanic Verses before ceremoniously burning the book. It was an act motivated by rage and offence as well as one calculated to shock and offend. It did more than that: images of the burning book become an icon of Muslim anger. These images of protest announced the birth of a new world. The ‘Rushdie Affair’ raised many questions twenty years later – of Islam’s relationship to the West, the meaning and value of multiculturalism, the limits of tolerance in a liberal society – have become defining issues of our time.
By taking the Ayatollah Khomeini’s fatwa condemning Rushdie as his starting point, Kenan Malik examines how radical Islam gained hold in Muslim communities, how multiculturalism contributed to this process, and how the Rushdie affair has transformed the very nature of the debate on tolerance and free speech.
Here is an original and vividly insightful account of one of the major historical punctuation marks of the last twenty-five years.

“Hegemony or Survival” by Noam Chomsky @ Rs.275/- (Pgs.301)
America’s quest for global dominance…
Here is a compelling analysis of America’s pursuit of total domination and the catastrophic consequences that are sure to follow. In Hegemony or Survival, Chomsky exposes the real motives behind America’s quest for power, from US funding of repressive regimes to the current ‘war on terror.’ Insightful and brave, this towering polemic reveals him to be one of the radical heroes of our time.

“Branding India: An Incredible Story” by Amitabh Kant @ Rs.499/- (Pgs.267)
How do you bring a magnificently diverse country – with twenty-eight states, seven union territories, eighteen official languages and 1.12 billion people – under one brand?
How did a sleeping giant like India get its act together? How did government departments not normally known for their speed, dynamism or flexibility build and nurture a brand? How did infrastructure keep pace with the demand so that what was promised to tourists could be delivered?
In what was a complex and massive exercise, this is exactly what the author, Amitabh Kant, former joint secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, and his colleagues cutting across various government departments achieved as they put India on the World Tourism Map with their ‘Incredible India’ campaign.
Launched in 2002 when travel to India was down in the dumps – in the wake of the destruction of the World Trade Centre, the war on Afghanistan and the attack on Indian Parliament – the ‘Incredible India’ campaign triggered a take-off of Indian tourism. This fascinating success story, written by an insider, becomes even more relevant today as the Indian tourism industry again faces a slowdown because of the economic downturn and the attacks on Mumbai in November 2008. Scholarly as well as personal, the book is essential reading for the travel and tourism industry as well as the layperson, and an inspiring business case study that shows how even the bureaucracy can be as dynamic as anyone in the private sector.

“Common Wealth: Economics for A Crowded Planet” by Jeffrey Sachs @ Rs. 350/- (Pgs 386)
Common Wealth explains the most basic economic reckoning that the world faces…Despite the rearguard opposition of some vested interests, policies to help the world’s poor and the global environment are in fact the very best economic bargains on the planet. Jeffrey Sachs is one of the world’s leading thinkers and activists in economic development. In this inspiring new book he sets out a realistic, practical plan for solving the most severe crises our world faces – population growth, climate change, extreme poverty – in a way that will ultimately benefit all of us.
By harnessing new technology and a new ethic of global co-operation, he shows we can find common ground in our crowded world, leaving a healthy, healed planet for future generations. It is a book appealing equally to the head and the heart.



“Malicious Medicine – My experience with fraud and falsehood in infertility clinics” by Anitha Jayadevan @ Rs.150/- (Pgs.105)
A simple slim book, but one that highlights/ brings to light the malpractices and cover-ups indulged by unethical medical practioners and clinicians. Assisted Reproductive Technology or ART is big business today – and a lot of clinics in every big or small town offer the entire range of treatment from intrauterine insemination (IUI), in vitro fertilization (IVF), intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) to surrogate motherhood. This book, though coming from a harrowing personal trauma has questions to ask of the medical world and the society that allows unethical practices go unchecked.

Management:

“The Power Of Four: leadership lessons of crazy horse” by Joseph.M.Marshall III @ Rs.399/- (Pgs.168)
The author was born on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota and raised by his maternal grandparents. He is a historian, educator, motivational speaker, and Lakota craftsman, and has worked as both technical advisor and actor in television movies including the award-winning Into the West.
In 1876, the warrior Crazy Horse led a hundred riders in a spectacularly courageous charge against Custer’s last stand. What can his example teach us about true leadership today? The best selling author of the Lakota Way retells the great chief’s story to reveal the four principles that made Crazy Horse a dynamic and compassionate leader, not only in battle but in life lessons that all of us can use whether we lead or follow.

“Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us” by Seth Godin @ Rs.375/- (Pgs.131)
In this book, Seth Godin argues that today everyone has an opportunity to start a movement to bring together a tribe of like – minded people and do amazing things. And yet too many people ignore the opportunity to lead because they are ‘sleepwalking’ their way through their lives and work, too afraid to question whether their compliance is doing them – or their company any good.
Tribes is for those who don’t want to be the sheep and instead have a desire to do fresh and exciting work. If you have a passion for what you want to do and the drive to make it happen, there is a tribe of fellow employees, or customers, or investors, or readers, just writing for you to connect with each other and lead them where they want to go.

“Nudge” by Thaler & Sunstein @ Rs.299/- (Pgs.396)
Are you looking for a book that changes the way you think about choice? A book showing how you can influence people and improve decisions about health, wealth and happiness…
Here is a book using eye-opening real-life examples, having the authors show that no choice is ever presented in a neutral way.
Now the question is: When do we need a nudge in the right direction?
This book fundamentally changes the way you think about the world and its bigger problems, but also about yourself. Just as surprising, it is fun to read, drawing on examples as far as a field as urinals, organ donations and marriage.
This book won’t just nudge you – it will knock you off your feet!

“Radical Trust: How Today’s Great Leaders Convert People to Partners” by Joe Healey @ Rs.350/- (Pgs.224)
In this engaging and hard-hitting guide to leadership, using inspiring case studies and stories of real leaders, Healey reveals a simple yet powerful method for teaching the four competencies necessary to build performance enhancing trust that form the foundation of financial success in this age of global competition. Radical Trust is a practical, proven guide that actually shows managers how to create the kind of trust that makes a difference.
Once you discover the four competencies inside, you’ll know how to engage the full potential of all your people. Whether you’re a senior-, middle-, or supervisory-level manager, the practical ideas and examples will enable you to quickly modify and expand the way you lead so you can produce tangible results. You’ll learn to generate a radical trust that fuels passion and creates energizing focus. People simply work harder and better for people they trust and admire.

Personalities:

“The Mahatma And The Monkeys”: What Gandhiji Did, What Gandhiji Said” By Anu Kumar @ Rs. 150. Introductory Price Rs 125/- (Pgs 181)
This book, for today’s kids with an introduction by Anupam Kher, brings together the most interesting incidents that shaped Gandhiji’s life and his most important sayings. From his quest for truth, non-violence, equality and freedom, from the lessons he learned, and from his powerful words, you too can learn to be a little bit like Gandhiji.
Through what he did and what he said Gandhiji inspired millions of Indians and made one of the mightiest empires in the world bow to his dream: freedom for India. That’s what made him an uncommon man and the greatest leader of the millennium. And that’s why, even decades after his death, his work and his words matter in today’s world. Mahatma Gandhi never said, “What can I do, I’m only one person.” Instead he said, “In a gentle way, you can shake the world.” And he did.

“A Life of Change” by Noshir H. Antia @ Rs.299/- (Pgs.189)
Antia’s autobiography tells in a delightful style, laced with humour, the story of an extraordinary individual who distinguished himself in many fields and adorned whatever he touched. Noshir H. Antia became a doctor by accident. He wanted to be a forest officer like his grandfather and uncle. But life took a different turn once he chose medicine as his profession. From a modest beginning in Hubli, he became a pioneer of plastic surgery in modern India and established one of the earliest burns units in the country. He realized that ‘health’ could not be the domain of medical science alone, but needed to be framed by the social, cultural and economic perspectives of the common people. He and his team began training women volunteers – an experiment that became the blueprint for the Community Health Workers’ Scheme. In this candid and critical account, Antia is unsparing of the medical profession and laments the emergence of the ‘health industry’ at the cost of ‘health for all.’

“Noon, with a view: Courage and Integrity” by Gulam Noon @ Rs.499/- (Pgs.205)
This is a candid story from a man who values highly his family, friends and country – both his birthplace and his adopted home. Throughout his life, Sir Gulam has made many friends and helped innumerable people, and when the Noon Products factory was destroyed by fire, both friends and clients were there to help him recover. After the Noon Foundation was established and he was awarded an MBE, his time was spent working with many different charities and, in 2002, the Queen honoured him with a knighthood. Sir Gulam accepted nomination for a peerage but the ‘cash for honours’ storm erupted which he related the incident from his personal perspective – his anger, humiliation, frustration and depression.
Reflecting upon the tough questions facing Britain today, such as education, immigration, terrorism, and the role of the government and private citizens, he pulls no punches and his indomitable spirit commands respect – his story demands to be read!

“A Taste of Life: The Last Days of U.G.Krishnamurti” by Mahesh Bhatt @ Rs.225/- (Pgs.161)
‘Those who talk about death don’t want to die. I don’t want to go and I don’t want to stay’
Here is a bare, intensely personal account of a bedside vigil with the dying, A Taste of Life records the final days that well-known film-maker Mahesh Bhatt spent with U.G. Krishnamurti, narrating how, in death, U.G. shows the author and us a way to live life.
It was on the afternoon of 22 March 2007, U.G. Krishnamurti passed away in Vallecrosia, Italy. Known as the ‘anti-guru’, the ‘raging sage’ and the ‘thinker who shuns thought’, U.G. spent his life destroying accepted beliefs in science, god, mind, soul, religion, love and relationships – all the props man uses to live life. And when U.G. knew that it was time for him to go, he refused all attempts to prolong life with medical help. He let nature, and his body, take its course.

History:

“The Ascent of Money: A Financial History of The World” by Niall Ferguson @ Rs.595/- (Pgs.442)
Niall Ferguson, famed for his clarity and verve, reveals financial history as the essential back-story behind all history…that sooner or later every bubble will bursts, and that’s why, whether you’re scraping by or rolling in it, there’s never been a better time to understand the Ascent of Money.
In this book, Ferguson shows that finance is in fact the foundation of human progress. Bread, cash, dosh, dough, loot, lucre, moolah, readies, the wherewithal: call it what you like, money matters. To Christians, the love of it is the root of all evil. To generals, it is the sinews of war; to revolutionaries, the shackles of labour. But what exactly is money? Is it a mountain of silver, as the Spanish conquistadors thought? Or will mere clay tablets and printed paper suffice? How did we come to live in a world where most money is invisible, little more than numbers on a computer screen? Where did money come from? And where did it all go?
He explains why the origins of the French Revolution lie in a stock market bubble caused by a convicted Scots murderer. He shows how financial failure turned Argentina from the world’s sixth richest country into an inflation-ridden basket case – and how a financial revolution is propelling the world’s most populous country from poverty to power.

“The Legend Of Sigurd & Gudrun” By J.R.R Tolkien @ Rs. 899/- (Pgs 377)
Many years ago, Tolkien composed his own version, now published for the first time, of the great legend of Northern antiquity, in two closely related poems to which he gave the titles The New Lay of the Volsungs and The New Lay of Gudrun. Deriving his version primarily from his close study of the ancient poetry of Norway and Iceland known as the Poetic Edda (and where no old poetry exists, from the later prose work the Volsunga Saga), Tolkien employed a verse-form of short stanzas whose lines embody in English the exacting alliterative rhythms and the concentrated energy of the poems of the Edda.

“In Our Time: the speeches that shaped the modern world” by Hywel Williams @ Rs.550/- (Pgs.215)
In Our Time brings together 40 of the most memorable, eloquent and influential speeches since 1945. From stark warnings against the threat of totalitarianism to celebrations of independence long fought for, and from rallying calls for political change to passionate defences of moral principle. Hywel William’s choice of speeches is richly eclectic in scope. This is an anthology with many voices: dictators and democrats, liberals and conservatives, nationalists and internationalists, soldiers and peace-makers, statesmen and entrepreneurs. Each speech is accompanied by a biography of the speaker, a concise introduction setting it in historical context, and a brief account of its impact and consequences. Every major speech of the post-war era can be found within these pages, including some of the most important and memorable orations ever given.
Both rousing and thought-provoking, In Our Time offers a unique and fascinating perspective on world history since 1945.

“Nefertiti” By Michelle Moran @ Rs.295/- (Pgs 424)
“To speak the name of the dead is to make them live again” – Egyptian proverb
It has been a long journey for the author into Nefertiti’s ancient world… a journey that began with a visit to the Altes Museum in Berlin, where her iconic bust is housed. The bust itself has a long and detailed history, beginning with its creation in the city of Amarna and continuing to its arrival in Germany, where it became an instant draw in its first exhibition in 1923.
It is 3000 years after her death…Nefertiti’s allure still captivates tens of thousands of visitors each year. She is one of the world’s great legendary beauties.
This novel takes you into the life of Nefertiti. At the tender age of fifteen, she marries Akhenaten, the Prince of Egypt, and her dreams of face and fortune begins unfolding. Her natural beauty is so enhanced, where she is bathed and decorated by a team of body servants, she soon becomes the darling of the people and her husband’s closest confidant. But when the Prince breaks with a 1000 years of tradition, defying the priests and the military, it takes all of Nefertiti’s wiles to keep the nation from being torn apart. She’s prepared to sacrifice her sister to strengthen her power and this act will lock the two women in a feud…
Seen through her sister’s eyes, she is vividly brought to life in this heartbreaking story of celebrity, ambition, love and loss.

Timeless Cuisine-Recipes from Harrisons By Latha Kannan @ Rs.250/- (Pgs 105)
Harrison’s of Broadway goes back to the era when George Town – in fact, to the era when it was still called Black Town – was ‘The City’, and virtually all business activity in Madras was centred there. It was in 1891 that G Varadarajulu Chetty founded Harrison’s on what was Black Town’s ‘Main Street’, Popham’s Broadway. The ground floor of its two-storey building was stocked with goodies as beautiful as they were tasty. It was a veritable showroom of confectionery imported from England and the Continent, but competing with what Harrison’s itself produced.
There were chocolates in plain and fancy boxes…crystallised fruits and cream caramels…Turkish Delight and almond-rich marzipan coloured like the fruits, flowers and vegetables they were shaped into. But what always caught the eye were the wedding cakes waiting for delivery, from small ones to towering, ornately decorated ones, but every one as fruit-and-brandy-rich as only Harrison’s could make!
Harrison’s, in its heyday, specialised in what is called ‘Butler Cuisine – fusion cooking at its best, Western food flavoured in a way that has made Curry king in Britain. To their recipe books were added the fare that Ethiraj Naidu and his wife, Thulasiamma, experimented with at home. And together that team made Harrison’s meals amongst the tastiest in mid-20th Century Madras.

Others:

“In The Valley Of Mist” By Justine Hardy @ Rs.475/- (Pgs 271)
Mohammad Dar is many things. He is a patriarch who loves his children, a house-boat owner who has had to leave his beautiful lakeside home, a carpet-seller who became an aid worker but, through all, he has been a devout Muslim and a passionate Kashmiri.
In the Valley of Mist is an intimate portrait of one family’s extraordinary story living in a conflict zone and adapting to their changed world. This book shows the reality of trying to stay sane, keep children safe, arrange weddings, and seek solace in religion while being attacked by those acting in its name – all the time, living in a tension-filled pocket of land that is at the heart of the conflict within and beyond the Muslim world. Kashmir, once praised by poets as an earthly paradise has become deeply scarred by bloodshed and political unrest. Justine Hardy has known the Dar family for many years, sharing their lives, their hopes and their shattered dreams. As a journalist and writer, their home has been her Kashmiri base.
Through the experiences of Mohammad, his relatives and friends, Justine reveals what it’s like for an ordinary household to survive raids, street fighting, religious persecution and military oppression.

“Outlook Traveller Driving Holidays Across India” @ Rs.295/- (Pgs 542)
The romantic suggestion that the journey can be as exciting as the destination oftentimes seems out of place in the Indian context. Air travel has little charm in itself, our trains can be crowded or beset with delays and our roads are full of potholes. But, as the writers who travelled for Outlook Traveller Getaways’ latest title Driving Holidays Across India discovered, there are still plenty of reasons for taking the long road to a good holiday. Detailed information is provided in each drive has a route guide that shows places, railheads and airports en route, and nearby water bodies and wildlife parks to help you plan detours. A front-of-the-book section with information on what to pack, getting the car ready, handling accidents and tips for driving on various terrains in different seasons. In the pages that follow, you’ll rediscover the magic of the road. It may be a bumpy ride ahead but it’s well worth your time!

“What to Expect When You’re Adopting…” Dr Ian Palmer @ Rs.655/- (Pgs.260)
Adopting a child can be one of the most rewarding experiences anyone can have – for both the parents and the child. But making the decision to adopt can be daunting and often overwhelming.
A practical guide to the decisions and emotions involved in adoption, Dr Ian Palmer is very well placed to look at the psychological and emotional issues relating to adoption. Adopted himself, he is also a psychiatrist with particular interest in family medicine and psychological trauma. Dr Palmer has wide experience of dealing with individuals and couples attempting to come to terms with difficult experiences and decisions, including going through IVF and contemplating adoption.
In this unique guide, Dr Palmer does not gloss over the realities of the adoption process, but rather leads you through the many stages and emotional aspects involved and offers practical guidance on making crucial decisions, building a strong foundation, separating the myths about adopted children, and dealing with issues of single-parent adoption, infertility and the option of remaining childless.

“Endal: How one extraordinary dog brought a family back from the brink” by Allen & Sandra Parton @ Rs.275/- (Pgs 308)
The book Endal is about a cute golden Labrador that comes into Allen and Sandra lives and changes it in many ways that they could never repay him for. As Allen goes to the Gulf war he returns with a serious head injury that makes him forget everything about his past life. He also forgets about his wife and two children. This causes various problems in their lives. Mostly pain, that is caused by Allen’s war injuries.
As Sandra is a nurse she always thought that she could take care of her husband but eventually she realises that his injury will not allow her to do so as he had no memory of her. He and she could not cope up with daily life. Sandra is determined to take care of her family and keep them together. That’s when Endal enters their life and with his joyous nature brings the family together and gets them closer to one and another.
Endal is a heart-warming journey of Family and the connection they hold with one and another and how a dog with affectionate actions brings a broken family together and gets love back into his family.

“7 Secrets From Hindu Calendar Art” by Devdutt Pattanaik @ Rs.295/- (Pgs.175)
Here is in fact the most democratic expression of a mythic imagery that was once restricted to temple walls and palm leaf manuscripts. Portraits of the Hindu pantheon of gods and the stories that surround them can be found on the walls and puja rooms of almost every Hindu household in India. Rich in symbols, each image is a piece of an ancient metaphysical jigsaw puzzle.
Attempts to explain the ‘fantastic’ imagery are usually defensive, apologetic or chauvinistic, as one tries to legitimize the content using logic or comparisons with other religions. To best appreciate Hindu art, one has to enter a new paradigm, a new way of explaining things. One has to explore new notions of perfection and possibility.
Dr Devdutt Pattanaik, India’s renowned mythologist, decodes these symbols to reveal a wisdom that has nourished India for thousands of years.

“The Rapids of a Great River: The Penguin Book of Tamil Poetry” edited by Lakshmi Holmstrom, Subashree Krishnaswamy and K.Srilata @ Rs.499/- (Pgs.222)
This magisterial collection, the first of its kind, presents to the modern reader chronologically arranged translations from the rich tapestry of the Tamil poetic tradition.
The Rapids of a Great River begins with selections from the earliest known Tamil poetry dating from the 2nd century CE. The writings of the Sangam period laid the foundation for the Tamil poetic tradition, and they continue to underlie and inform the works of Tamil poets even today. Breaking free from prescriptions, the new voices – which include Sri Lankan Tamils, women and Dalits, among others – address the contemporary reader, the poems underscored by a sharp rhetorical edge, grapple with the complexities of the modern political and social world.
The selection is wide-ranging and the translations admirable echo the music, pace and resonance of the poems. This anthology links the old with the new, cementing the continuity of a richly textured tradition. There is something in the collection for every reader and each will make his or her own connections – at times startling, at other times familiar.

“Two Measure of Bhakti” by Puntanam and Melpattur translated by Vijay Nambisan @ Rs.150/-
For four centuries, Jnana-paana and Narayaniyam have been touchstones of faith in Kerala. Puntanam’s Jnana-paana may claim to be the first original modern poem in Malayalam; simple and innocent, it still speaks directly to the reader. Melpattur’s Narayaniyam is ‘the last great hurrah of classical Sanskrit’ in India; the poem excerpted here, majestic in its humility, describes a vision of the Lord. With his elegant verse translations, Vijay Nambisan brings these poems to a new audience. Also translated is a poem by Mahakavi Vallathol which relates the story of Melpattur and Puntanam’s meeting and how the Sanskritist scorned the vernacular poet. Nambisan has explored the dynamics of Malayali culture in his incisive ‘Translator’s Apology’.

New Books:

“The Rest Is Noise” by Alex Ross @ Rs.599/-
“007 For Your Eyes Only: Ian Fleming + James Bond” by Ben Macintyre @ Rs.399/-
“Eunuch Park: Fifteen stories of love and destruction” by Palash Krishna Mehrotra @ Rs.250/-
“Pran Oorja – Raho positive hamesha!’ by Dr.Surakshit Goswami @ Rs.350/-
“Something to Tell You” by Hanif Kureishi @ Rs.299/-
“Six Graves to Munich” by Mario Puzo @ Rs.399/-
“Movers And Shakers- Prime Ministers Of India 1947 To 2009” By Scharada Dubey @ Rs.150/-
“Change We Can Believe In- Barak Obamas Plan To Review Americas Promise” by Barak Obama
Karadi Tales “Little Vinayak”, “Monkeys on a Fast”, “The Lizard’s Tail”, “The Monkeys and the Capseller” with the voices of Vidya Balan and Sanjay Dutt @ Rs.145/- each
“Hoshruba: The Land and the Tilism” by Muhammad Husain Jah @ Rs.495/-
“Play: How It Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul” by Stuart Brown, M.D. @ Rs.1025/-
“Percy Jackson and the Last Olympian” by Rick Riordan @ Rs.350/-
“The Khufra Run” by Jack Higgins @ Rs.250/-
“The Adventures of the Missing Girl” by Sunila Gupte @ Rs.195/-
“Fallout” by Usha Ananda Krishna @ Rs.295/-
“A Nice Quiet Holiday” by Aditya Sudarshan @ Rs.250/-
“How The Mighty Fall And Why Some Companies Never Give In” by Jim Collins @ Rs. 635/-
“A Mercy” By Toni Morrison @ Rs. 280/-
“Molly Fox’s Birthday” By Deirdre Madden @Rs. 299/-
“Chaotics – The business of managing and marketing in the age of turbulence” by Philip Kotler and John A. Caslione @ Rs. 1280/-
“Hunting Bin Laden: How al-Qaeda is Winning the War on Terror by Rob Schultheis @ Rs.295/-
“The Princess Diaries- Ten Out Of Ten” By Meg Cabot @ Rs. 399/-

Happy reading and see you at the Store,
From the team at,
twistntales