Victory over Evil with good books!

Hi,

Greetings of Idd, Puja and Dassera.... As we celebrate the victory of good over evil, here's as good an opportunity as any to let you know about the team that operates behind the scenes in twistntales.

We are a small core team happy to bring you the latest happenings in the world of publishing and books. Different folks work different hours/ days, and they come from all backgrounds. This enables us to bring you a cross section of books, all handpicked for the Store. A combination of students and other professionals (on a break from their respective professions, but readers nonetheless), help us run this place. All of them work part-time, but their commitment to tnt is fulltime. On your visits to tnt, we have met you, spoken about your interests and (we hope) helped you identify books that suited your need on that particular day.

We have our own blog at twistntales@blogspot.com authored by a couple of us. You can catch up with happenings at twistntales through the blog too, and do leave your comments as well.

The team at twistntales:

Jahnavi

Jahnavi joined us in November last and has since then often been our Star performer. Truly in her element during our Harry Potter midnite mania, Jahnavi has an unerring eye for detail. She is a BCom student of Symbiosis, with her heart set on cinema, music and other liberal arts. Anything, even work, is "fun" for Jahnavi and truly amplifies the tnt spirit. Expressing herself well, through her reviews or her posters, Jahnavi intends scaling the corporate ladder through marketing or HR.

Shama

Shama is cool. Anything from spiked hair (maybe "pink spiked" in a while) to logical thinking is "hey cool" for her. "Shama is a sweetheart with a few sharp edges ..... in her hair!" But check her out for the craziest jokes in town (and other towns too!), and you will have the real Shama face to face. Painfully shy, Welhams will be proud of this alumni doing Mass Comm. from Indira Institute.

Sonali

Sonali is a scientist, and a "Farishta" fan on World Space. You will meet her on weekends @ the Store, with her own choice of old Hindi film music, playing softly in the background. Always thinking, the timely quips on the board outside the Store, are always invariably her contribution. A diehard Agatha Christie fan, her range of interests spans far and wide. Always planning her next holiday, you will spot her in Shillong Sarongs after her last hill holiday in June.

Poorva

Joined us a couple of months back, has very quickly learnt the ropes to be our "Star of the month" in September. Having had a helmet forced on her since last month, sensibly, she now attends college too, much to the surprise of her classmates! Gearing up to be an accountant, she hones her skills with tnt accounts.

Roopa

A software engineer on a family break, Roopa defines multi tasking to new levels. Besides a 4 hour slot @ tnt, she juggles her time with "work from home" projects and test paper correction, besides attending to 3 year old Harini.

Ravi and Nirmala take care of the Store, keep it clean, make us coffee, decorate it, run errands, do the banking and bring/drop books. They celebrate with us on a good day, and really cut loose on "their" days. The rangolis on Puja days are Nirmala's handiwork, when she has time from her "Church" meetings!

A few who have worked regular hours in the past, are always near tnt efforts. They come back to do short cameo innings to help cover for exam leave or other emergency situations. Tia /Reshma/ Indu/ Anushree/ Jyothi/ Aditya/ Shrikant have over the past few months often dropped in to help the tnt effort continue and maintain its excellent service quality to you, our customers.

We have our regular Saraswati Puja on Sat, 20th Oct @ 4.30 pm at twistntales premises. You are invited to attend the Puja alongwith family and friends.

And now onto books: Again, while a few have been reviewed, the newer ones have been listed, will be reviewed in the next mail.

"Journey Into Islam: The Crisis of Globalization" by Akbar Ahmed @ Rs. 525/- (323 pgs)

Islam has always been considered a very traditional and orthodox religion. What is the effect of globalization on Islam? Author Akbar Ahmed says that Islam and the West need to find a way past the hatred and mistrust that has been intensified by the war on terror and the forces of globalization. To establish dialogue and understanding between these two cultures, Ahmed and a team of Americans went on a journey, meeting Muslims from all walks of life- students, professors, presidents, cab drivers, prime ministers and sheikhs. The book destroys all stereotypes about Islam and Ahmed gives insight into how instead of waging war, the United States can improve relations with Islamic nations and people. Journey into Islam is an important book stating a powerful case for creating bonds across religion, race and tradition for lasting harmony between Islam and the West.

"Without Fear: The Life and Trial of Bhagat Singh" by Kuldip Nayar @ Rs. 395/- (240 pgs)

Bhagat Singh was one of the most inspiring youth leaders of the Indian Independence movement. The Hindustan Socialist Republican Association to which he belonged gained momentum when Gandhiji’s non-violent resistance movement began testing the people’s patience. He was executed at the age of twenty-three for his involvement in the Lahore Conspiracy Case and it was only years after his death that his jail writings came to light. And these writings prove that Bhagat Singh was more than just a defiant freedom fighter. An intellectual, he was inspired by Lenin, Marx, Bertrand Russell and Victor Hugo. The book, well researched by the author, explains the true ideology of Bhagat Singh and his comrades.

"Iran Awakening" Shirin Ebadi with Azadeh Moaveni @ Rs. 410/- (232 pgs)

Iran Awakening recounts the extraordinary journey of Iranian human-rights lawyer, Shirin Ebadi. She writes about her cases- cases that no one else would accept due to their volatile content. She speaks of her work, her faith and her experiences of braving imprisonment, assassination and her family’s humiliation, all for the dream of a peaceful and just Iran. The book is not a political memoir, but the memoir of a remarkable woman who still struggles to change Iran without the use of violence through its turbulent times. Shirin Ebadi received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2003 for her public career in defending Iranians’ rights.

"Echoes and Eloquences-The Life and Cinema of Gulzar" By Saibal Chatterjee @ Rs. 795/-(267 pgs)

This book is much more than a chronological record of Gulzar’s life. It’s a book that captures the essence, the philosophy and the reasons behind the sustained sensitivity of this last active link of Mumbai cinemas golden era. The many experiences that added to his becoming and being ‘Gulzar’from Sampooran Singh Kalra of Sabzi Mandi, Delhi are effortlessly interwoven to spin the tale of making of some exquisite lyrics, scintillating screenplays and some really memorable dialogues. Behind- the- scene snaps give us a rare insight into the warm and wonderful world cinema of top caliber.

"Fantasies of a Bollywood Love Thief: Inside the World of Indian Moviemaking" by Stephen Alter @ Rs. 295/- (280 pgs)

Author Stephen Alter tracks the making of the Bollywood movie Omkara in this highly insightful book. Director Vishal Bhardwaj has made an Indian adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Othello. Stephen Alter goes behind the scenes of this star-studded movie to give an account of the making of a highly praised movie. From the adaptation of the original Shakespearean drama to a script narration, Fantasies of a Bollywood Love Thief also includes interviews with India’s best-known directors, lyricists, producers and actors such as Gulzar, Javed Akhtar, Viveik Oberoi and many more. Stephen Alter is the author of best-selling travelogues like "Sacred Waters: A Pilgrimage to the Many Sources of the Ganga" and "Amritsar to Lahore"

"Autobiography of An Actor - Sivaji Ganesan" compiled by Dr.T S Narayana Swamy @ Rs. 300/-(250 pgs)

This autobiography is a uniquely compiled book. Interviews of noted actor Sivaji Ganesan were taped and then organized in a question and answer format so that the Actor's quotes and words are faithfully retained. The English version has been presented by Sabita Radhakrishna who succeeds in retaining the essence of the original Tamil expressions. Reflections, reminiscences and perceptions of the Actor are compiled in conjunction with abundant photographs to give the reader an insight into the life and times of Sivaji Ganesan.

"How To Have Creative Ideas: 62 Exercises to Develop the Mind" by Edward De Bono @ Rs. 295/- (180 pgs)

Creativity is not a talent with which people are born with. It is a skill and every skill needs to be developed. Creativity is the basis of brainstorming and other such activities, which lead to lateral thinking and innovation. In this book, Edward De Bono has given sixty-two different games and exercises to encourage creativity and lateral thinking. The purpose of these games is to provide training in creative thinking making it simple, practical and fun for anyone who wants to have great ideas.

"Joker in the Pack: An Irreverent View of Life at IIMs" by Ritesh Sharma and Neeraj Pahlajani @ Rs. 195/- (195 pgs)

On the lines of Five Point Someone and Everything You Desire, comes yet another book on the journey through an IIM. Shekhar Verma has been born and brought up in a typical Indian middle class family. His favourite pastimes were cricket and television and eventually he goes to IIM. This is his story of his life at IIM and of life beyond. The authors are from IIM and the storyline will evoke a sense of nostalgia amongst the alumni.

Fiction:

"Rant" by Chuck Palahnuick @ Rs.520/- (319 pgs)

Friends of Buster ‘Rant’ Casey get together to build up an oral history of Rant’s short, spiced up, shocking life. From the author of Fight Club this is another book in which to expect hilarity, horror and deep insight into the desperate and surreal lives of a pack of highly charged youth! The multiple answers by different people about a single situation bring up some really interesting points.

"The Key Of Chaos" by Payal Dhar @ Rs. 295/-(324 pgs)

The sequel to ‘A Shadow In Eternity’ is an amazingly concocted bizarre and exciting plot where the protagonist ‘Maya’ is forced to defend the security of an ancient artifact of the "Warriors of the Shadow" Adventure and excitement await the readers who are taken on a journey of safekeeping and escapades from dangers from totally unexpected corners.

"Artemis Fowl: The Graphic Novel" by Eoin Colfer @ Rs. 225/-(56 pgs)

Artemis Fowl, the young crime-solving prodigy, in a graphic novel captures the imagination of all his fans. The neat and well-laid graphics make it a fast paced pleasurable journey across fictional lands and fantastic encounters…all for the cause of victory over the evil forces!

Newer Books:

"Other Colours: Essays and a Story" by Orhan Pahmuk @ Rs. 495/-
"Mr. And Mrs. Dutt: Memories of our Parents" by Namrata Dutt Kumar and Priya Dutt @ Rs. 695/-
"Writing A Nation: An Anthology of Indian Journalism" Ed. by Nirmala Lakshman @ Rs.795/-
"Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything" by Don Tapscott and Anthony D. Williams @ Rs.775/-
"Living Pictures: Perspectives on the Film Poster in India" Ed.by David Blamey and Robert D’ Souza @ Rs. 995/-
"Murderous Maths: Codes- How To Make them and Break Them" by Kjartan Poskitt @ Rs.195/-
"The Style Bible: The 11 Rules For Building A Complete And Timeless Wardrobe" Ed. by James Bassil @ Rs. 542/-
"King Khan" by Deepa Gahlot @ Rs. 495/-
“Matchbox” – Indian Matchbox labels @ Rs. 650/-

Other Noteworthy books:

"Bhagat Singh: The Jail Notebooks and Other Writings" compiled by Chaman Lal @ Rs.150/- (Left Word - published from National Archives of India)
"Bhagdad Burning: A young woman’s diary from a war zone" by Riverbend @ Rs.350/-
"A Princess’s Pilgrimage: Nawab Sikander Begum’s ‘A pilgrimage to Mecca’" edited by Shobhan Lambert - Hurley @ Rs.350/- (of a journey done in 1870) - Women Unlimited)
"A Very Strange Man: A novel" by Ismat Chughtai translated from the original by Tahira Naqvi @ Rs.250/-
"Theatre of the streets: The Jana Natya Manch Experience" edited by Sudhanva Deshpande @ Rs.120/-
"The Crooked Line" by Ismat Chugtai @ Rs. 250/- (Women Unlimited)
"Clarinda - A Historical Novel" by A. Madhaviah @ Rs. 175/- (Sahitya Akademi - Rare Book Reprint series)
"And the World Changed" - Contemporary Stories by Pakistani Women @ Rs. 350/- (Women Unlimited)
Kalhana's "Rajatarangini" - translated by R. S. Pandit @ Rs. 200/- (Sahitya Academy)

New Books in Tulika, kids.

"Picture Gandhi" by Sandhya Rao
"My Gandhi Scrapbook" by Sandhya Rao
"Elephants Never Forget" by Anushka Ravishankar and Christiane Peiper @ Rs. 350/-
"Poorva: Magic, Miracles and the Mystical Twelve" by Lakshmi Devnath @Rs. 195/-

Some great books, some rare …. Do drop in to the Store and check it out,

From the team at tnt !