9th october reviews

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Hi all,

Here we go again with our review of new books .... and while we have been doing that, lots of new books have been happening @ the Store .... we have provided a list at the end ... and some books from Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai - not yet listed. So, do drop in for a fabulous selection of books.

“The Age of Turbulence: Adventures in a New World” by Alan Greenspan @ Rs.695/- (531 pgs)

When 9/11 happened, Alan Greenspan was the Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board, on his way back to Washington. What should have been a crippling shock to the economy was absorbed astonishingly quickly by the system. Alan Greenspan writes about his experiences in the command room of the global economy and the aftermath of 9/11- the new global economy which is more flexible, resilient, open, self-directing and fast-changing than ever before. Greenspan shares the story of his life, the individuals who made a strong impression on his life including every U.S. President and Prime Ministers like Thatcher and Blair and the crises and challenges that they faced. The Age of Turbulence is the intellectual and personal legacy of a person who held the global economy in the palm of his hand for the longest term of nineteen years and with the greatest effect than any other living figure.

“Romancing With Life: An Autobiography” by Dev Anand @ Rs. 695/- (438 pgs)

Romancing With Life is a full-fledged autobiography by one of the pioneering Bollywood actors, producers and directors- Dev Anand. Born in 1923, Dev Anand burst into Indian cinema playing the debonair romantic hero, started a production house Navketan banner in 1950 and turned director in 1970. he writes candidly of his youth in Gurdaspur and Lahore; his struggle to make a name for himself in Bombay; his friendship with Guru Dutt, romance with Suraiya and marriage with Kalpana Kartik. Full of bittersweet memories and rare pictures from personal archives, Romancing With Life is an unforgettable book.

"The Elephanta Suite" by Paul Theroux @ Rs. 395/- (278 pgs)

From the author of The Great Railway Bazaar and Blinding Light, is a book that captures the very essence of modern India. Containing three stories where the author’s characters risk venturing far beyond their well-worn paths to discover woe or truth or peace: a holidaying middle-aged couple veer heedlessly from idyll to chaos; a buttoned-up Boston lawyer finds relief in Mumbai’s slums; a young woman befriends an elephant in Bangalore. Paul Theroux’s characterization of people and places destroys all stereotypes, high-lighting the subtle ironies indicative of their country. Through each story the reader is catapulted towards a fresh and inspiring notion of India and its impact on those who try to lose- or find- themselves there.

"The Assassin’s Song" by M. G. Vassanji @ Rs. 450/- (375 pgs)
Karsan Dargawalla is the estranged elder son of the Sahib of Pirbaag, and of Nur Fazal, a mysterious thirteenth-century sufi saint. After the Gujarat riots of 2002, Karsan returns as the heir to the now destroyed Pirbaag. As he restarts his life, he recalls the rich history of Pirbaag and the journey that took him from his dusty Gujarat village to the ivy covered campus of Harvard. Drawn back into the circle of life, forging his own identity, rediscovering his faith, it is redemption he seeks. Described by Khuswant Singh as “An important book written impeccably”, The Assassin’s Song is a heartbreaking ballad of life revocably tainted by the bigotry of narrow thought and rigid faith. Vassanji is the author of 5 acclaimed novels and his The Gunny Sack won the Commonwealth Writers Prize.

"Buddha: A Story of Enlightenment" by Deepak Chopra @ Rs. 395/- (278 pgs)

Who is Gautama Buddha?
Is he fact blended into fiction? The story of the prince who became a living god?
Or is “god” the very thing he didn’t want to be?

Bestselling author Deepak Chopra writes the story of Buddha, from a prince Siddhartha to a monk Gautama to Buddha, the Compassionate One. Fictionalized at times, Chopra narrates how a young man in line to the Throne abandoned his palace and princely title. Now alone and face-to-face with his personal demons, he becomes a wandering monk. Eventually it is his ability to conquer his body and mind by sheer will that enables him to transcend his physical pain and achieve enlightenment. The author who wrote Ageless Body, Timeless Mind captures, in all his mystery, the one human being who ever gained enlightenment. As mortal as the next, he was raised to the rank of an immortal but he got there by following a heart that was as human and vulnerable as any one else’s.

“Potpourri” by Ruskin Bond @ Rs. 95/- (163 pgs)

Potpourri is the new book by Ruskin Bond- a collection of short stories and poems. Their themes very from horror to romance, humour to crime and mystery. Through these varied stories and poems, he introduces a cast of family, friends and other characters who have left a lasting impression on his life. He regales us with tales of a murderous uncle in ‘He Said It With Arsenic’ and ‘Love and Cricket’ reveals his romantic side. Filled with warmth and humour, these stories have been handpicked by Ruskin Bond to paint a realistic portrait of his life.

“More than a game: The story of Cricket's early years” by John Major @ Rs.695/- (433pgs)
As the title suggests, this book goes beyond the boundaries of cricket. Ex-Prime Minister John Major not only outlines the evolution of cricket as a sport but also examines the social changes that affected it. He examines the spread of cricket through the British Empire, the role of wealthy patrons who would gamble and the expansion of the game from county cricket to the international level. The book is full of anecdotes and illustrations. More than a game is a book not just for cricket lovers.

“How To Get From Where You Are To Where You Want To Be: The 25 Principles of Success” by Jack Canfield @ Rs. 275/- (332 pgs)

Jack Canfield, co-creator of Chicken Soup For The Soul Enterprises, built his $80 million empire from scratch. He owes his success to twenty-five core principles, which he shares in this book. His insights will help the reader turn around every area of your life- at work, in your finances, socially or at home. These principles and techniques have worked not only for Jack Canfield but also for hundreds of thousands of his students who have now found success in their careers, greater wealth in their finances, greater joy in their relationships and greater fulfillment and happiness in their lives.

“India: A Journey Through A Healing Civilization” by Shashank Mani @ Rs. 295/- (213 pgs)

In 1997, Shashank Mani, an IIT alumnus, organized a train journey across India to get an idea of how the country has changed in the past fifty years of independence. Through a twenty-two day journey, two hundred Indians, men and women, from different walks of life, discovered development, discussed issues and came up with possible solutions.Now as India is in its sixtieth year of independence- and as the original 1997 team plans one more ambitious journey across India- this is a story reminding us where we were and where we need to be.

“The Bastard of Istanbul” by Elif Shafak @ Rs. 375/- (360 pgs)

On an afternoon that’s about to change her life forever, nineteen years old, unmarried Asya Kazanci walks into a doctor’s office for an abortion. Arya Kazanci lives with her extended family in Istanbul, in a house where all the Kazanci men die in their early fourties. A house of women, among them Asya’s mother Zeliha- beautiful and rebellious and runs a tattoo parlour; Banu, who has newly discovered herself as a clairvoyant; and Feride, a hypochondriac obsessed with impending disaster. Life is good, until Asya’s Armenian-American cousin Armanoush comes to stay and hidden secrets begin to surface The author is one of Turkey's most acclaimed and outspoken novelist.

“Entry From Backside: Hazaar Fundas of Indian-English” by Binoo K. John @ Rs. 95/- (214 pgs)

‘I am hopinjg all is well with health and wealth. I am fine at my end. Hoping your end is fine too’. – Gopal’s letter to his brother in Anurag Mathur’s The Inscrutable Americans

The language English was brought to India by the British Raj and since the days of the British Raj, India has evolved its own version of English. A hybrid form of English rules the land, flaunting its illegitimacy, brashness and popularity. Bad grammar, spelling mistakes and creative suffixes are seen in Indian-English. This book is a journey through a sub-genre, a language that closely resembles English that has evolved against all odds. It entertains as well as educates while weaving together a history of verbal patterns that reflect social and cultural trends.

“Playing For Pizza” by John Grisham @ Rs. 250/- (262 pgs)

Rick Dockery was the third-string quarterback for the Cleveland Browns and much to the dismay of everyone watching the finals, Rick actually gets into the game. And goes on to give the worst single performance of his life. Now a national laughing stock, dropped form the team, shunned by all other teams, Rick has no idea of what his future will be. Against enormous odds, Rick finally finds a team to play for. Only its in Italy! He knows nothing about the team, has never been to Europe and doesn’t speak or understand a word of Italian. John Grisham’s new book is a semi-fiction, based on a true story set in a small province in Italy where Italians play American football for free pizza

Other New Books @ the Store :

Fiction :

“Adverbs” by Daniel Handler @ Rs. 325/- (272 pgs)

Adverbs is a collection of short stories on love- all different kinds of love between different kinds of people. A high school crush; an adolescent’s first stirrings for his sisters boyfriend; a hopeless tryst between a taxi driver and his passenger.From the author of Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, comes a book that is witty, brilliant reminding the reader that there are a million different ways to love.

“Motor Mouth” by Janet Evanovich @ Rs. 195/- (396 pgs)

Meet Alexandra ‘Barney’ Barnaby, aka Motor Mouth, a name given to her as she is the race-day spotter for NASCAR race-driver, Sam Hooker. Sam Hooker- the man Alexandra works for and lives with. When their massive St. Bernard, Beans, is dog-napped by the same guy they suspect of killing one of Hooker’s cheating rivals, Barney and Hooker get caught up in a chase around Florida and North Carolina, and doing a million crazy things like stealing an eighteen-wheeler…

“The Book of Air and Shadow” by Michael Gruber @ Rs. 295/- (561 pgs)

Jake Mishkin is an intellectual property lawyer and his latest case was to track a lost work of William Shakespeare. Employed to find Shakespeare’s last, lost play, embarks on a chase all over the world to find the missing masterpiece. He moves from New York to England to Switzerland only to find his every move being followed by an unknown person and realizes that no one is to be trusted in this dangerous match of wits’. Author Michael Gruber weaves a story that moves through the ages, a thrilling plot combining a brilliant seventeenth century writer and poet and a twenty-first century lawyer.

Indian Writing :

“I Take This Woman” by Rajinder Singh Bedi Tr. By Khushwant Singh @ Rs. 150/- (126 pgs)
Set in a village in Punjab, this is the story of a woman compelled to marry one whom she brought up as her own son. Written by Rajinder Singh Bedi, acknowledged widely as one the finest Urdu writers and translated by Khushwant Singh, the book explores sexuality, society and relationships.

“Around The Hearth: Khasi Legends” by Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih @ Rs. 195/- (154 pgs)

The Khasi tribe of North East India is master storytellers, even though their script developed as late as in 1842. Their stories always begin with “When man and beast and stones and trees spoke as one…” Combining myths and legends, bilingual writer and poet, Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih, writes how fables of love, hate, jealousy, forgiveness, evil, redemption inform the philosophy, morals and daily activities of his community even today.

History :

“The Great Partition: The Making of India and Pakistan” by Yasmin Khan @ Rs. 495/- (251 pgs)

Yasmin Khan writes a sobering analysis of the 1942 partition of India which, ironically, promised its people both political freedom and a future free of religious strife. The Partition being one of the first, most significant and bloodiest events of decolonization in the twentieth century, the author exposes the obliviousness of the small elite driving the division, uses new research, interviews and archival sources to illuminate the human cost, activism on both sides and the repercussions that resound even today.

“Emperors of the Peacock Throne: The Saga of the Great Mughals” by Abraham Eraly @ Rs. 495/- (555 pgs)

In Emperors of the Peacock Throne, the author presents the history of one of the world’s greatest empires. The Mughal empire laid its foundations in India December 1525 and went on to become one of the most influential of empires, shaping India fro over three centuries. Abraham Eraly writes of Babur, the pioneer; Humayun, the dreamer; Akbar, the greatest and most enigmatic of the Mughals; Jahangir and Shah Jahan, lovers of aesthetic beauty; the dour and determined Aurangzeb, last of the Mughal rulers. From a master storyteller, this is the new and revised edition of the book first published in 1997.

Inspiration :

“Khushwant Singh Treasury: Favourite Prayers, Poems, Proverbs and Profanities For Every Day of the Year”@ Rs. 299/- (201 pgs)
The Khushwant Singh Treasury is exactly that- a treasury of 366 (Khushwant Singh has also taken into account a leap year!) of prayers, poems, proverbs and profanities. From verses from religious texts to ribald limericks, this collection will inspire as well as entertain, making it a must-have.

“Absolutely Effortless Prosperity” by Bijan Anjomi Rs. 395/- (168 pgs)

Absolutely Effortless Prosperity is one of those books, which targets a large audience. It gives thirty simple yet profound lessons that will change your life in thirty days. The book helps the reader focus on thoughts of peace and spirit and by controlling these thoughts through a focus on lessons on love, peace, joy and prosperity the reader can notice a remarkable change in his life. Bijan Anjomi is the founder and president of Effortless Prosperity and also is world-famous author, healer, speaker, personal coach and visionary who is making a difference for world peace.

Young Adults :

“Curiosity Killed the Cat and Other Animal Idioms” by Bindia Thapar @ Rs. 175/- (Pgs.128)

Did you just have to do a ‘mammoth task’ or did you run away from the job like a ‘scaredy cat’? either way flip through this book to find out how these animal idioms originated. The humourous illustrations and brief explanations make the book a fun and interesting read.

“Chicken Mama And Other Stories” by Margaret Bhatty @ Rs. 175/- (125 pgs)

From penguins to the world’s last dinosaur, from a freedom fighter whose main weapon is his chappal to a spiky-haired medicine woman, this selection will make you laugh out loud and introduce children to a whole new range of characters.A wonderful collection of short stories for children, this book is perfect for anyone over the age of ten.

“Switcheroos! Topsy-Turvy Mysteries of Markiposa” by Swati Chanda @ Rs. 195/- (135 pgs)

Deep in the forest of Markiposa lives Rinzin, a friendly but misunderstood green dragon. Until a little rabbit becomes her friend, Rinzin lives all alone in the forest. And then a winged unicorn comes to Markiposa and the world turns upside-down. The lion loses his roar, the crow turns multi-coloured, wolves and vultures become vegetarian and the elephant does what an elephant never, ever does- she forgets!Now its up to Rinzin to solve all these mysteries of the forest.

“President Pratibha Patil- India’s First Woman President: The Story of the Journey from Jalgaon to Raisina Hill” by Ritu Singh @ Rs. 95/- (111 pgs)

In its sixtieth year of independence, history was made once again when, on July 25, Pratibha Patil became the first woman to hold the highest office in the country. Shattering the illusion of a glass ceiling, Pratibha Patil was used to winning elections. In the thiry-four years of her political career, she has never once lost an election. Besides a politician, she is also a grandmother, table tennis champion, qualified lawyer and social reformer. This book through anecdotes, gives us a glimpse into her life and what it is to be Pratibha Patil, first woman President of India.


Other new books, yet to be reviewed :

“Iran Awakening” by Shirin Ebadi with Azadeh Moaveni @ Rs. 410/-
“Elvis by the Presleys: Intimate Stories From Priscilla Presley, Lisa Marie Presley and Other Family Members” Ed. by David Ritz @ Rs. 410/-
“How To Have Creative Ideas: 62 Exercises To Develop The Mind by Edward De Bono @ Rs. 295/-
“Without Fear: The Life and Trial of Bhagat Singh” by Kuldeep Nayar @ Rs. 395/-
“Self Esteem: The Key To Your Childs Future” by Tony Humphreys @ Rs. 195/-
“Fantasies of A Bollywood Love Thief: Into The World of Indian Movie Making” by Stephen Alter @ Rs. 295/-
“Against The Day” by Thomas Pynchon @ Rs. 430/-
“Rant” by Chuck Palahniuk @ Rs. 520/-
“Joker In The Pack: An Irreverent View of Life At IIMs” by Ritesh Sharma and Neeraj Pahlajani @ Rs. 195/-
“Artemis Fowl: The Graphic Novel” Adapted By Eoin Colfer and Andrew Donkin @ Rs. 225/-
“India Booms: The Breathtaking Development and Influence of Modern India” by John Farndon @ Rs. 520/-
“Resumes For Professionals: High Powered Tactics For High Earning Executives” by Marshall A. Brown and Annabelle Reitman @ Rs. 295/-
“Skullduggery Pleasant” by Derek Landy @ Rs. 295/-
“The Music Room” by Namita Devidayal @ Rs. 395/-
“Please, Mr. Einstein” by Jean- Claude Carriere @ Rs. 410/-
“Boeing Versus Airbus: The Inside Story of the Greatest International Competition in Business by John Newhouse @ Rs. 850/-
“India: Colours and Shadows of Spirituality” by Adrien Mayer @ Rs. 795/-
“The Encyclopedia of Golf Techniques” by Chris Meadows with Allen F. Richardson @ Rs. 695/-
“H.R.H” by Danielle Steel @ Rs. 250/-
“Journey Into Islam: The Crisis of Globalization” by Akbar Ahmed @ Rs. 525/-
“Outdoor Fun and Games for Kids: Over 100 Activities For 3-11 Year Olds” by Jane Kemp and Clare Walters @ Rs. 250/-
“Echoes and Eloquence: The Life and Cinema of Gulzar” by Saibal Chatterjee @ Rs. 795/-

And Phew ! .... lots more ! With “Mr and Mrs. Dutt” arriving tomorrow, Bollywood cinema history fans never had it so good !

So here's wishing all a great reading time and splendid festivities at dandia nites !

From the team at,
twistntales.