Newer and newer books

Message sent to twistntales@yahoogroups.com on 16th Nov, 2007


Welcome to a pile of November arrivals! Though post Diwali shopping ennui has set in for most, don't let that deter you from picking up some absolutely marvellous books. Again, lot of books reviewed for you, and the newer ones listed below:

"Bhagat Singh: The Jail Notebook and Other Writings" Compiled by Chaman Lal @ Rs. 150/- (191 pgs)
When Bhagat Singh spent two years in jail, awaiting his death sentence, he wrote four books. While they were smuggled out, they were destroyed and lost forever. But Bhagat Singh also kept a notebook in jail, full of notes and jottings from what he was reading. It contains quotes and sentences from books by Rousseau, Lenin and Hobbes. It also includes texts that Bhagat Singh wrote in jail- letters to a number of people including his comrade Sukhdev and his father as well as essays giving his opinions on a variety of topics. Published in the year of his birth centenary, this is a book to be cherished.

"Giving:How each of us can Change the World" by Bill Clinton @Rs. 840/- (240 pgs)
Giving is a book that inspires people to change the world. Bill Clinton writes about how people, regardless of their income, available time, age and skills, are trying to bring about a change. From Bill and Melinda Gates to a six- year old Californian girl named McKenzie Steiner, who organized and supervised drives to clean up the beach in her community, Clinton introduces us to heroes both well- known and unknown. He also writes about his own experiences, about men and women who gave up their unfulfilling careers and fulfillment they now experience through giving. It also reveals companies and organizations that are making extraordinary and innovative efforts to make a difference. This book is meant to inspire and make people believe in citizen activism and service.

"The Way to the Top: The Best Business Advice I Ever Received" by Donald Trump @ Rs. 640/- (253 pgs)
The Way to the Top compiles the best advice from over a hundred and fifty successful men and women. These include not only the upper echelons of the Fortune 500 listed companies such as Staples, American Airlines and Boeing but also family- run companies like Carlson Companies. Donald Trump asked some of these people to answer this question: what’s the best business advice you ever received? This book gives a range of inspiring and practical advice on making good decisions, conducting yourself appropriately, developing your career, communicating with others, leading a team effectively, and much more. Simple, intriguing, insightful and witty advice from people who are already at the top.

"Finding the Next Starbucks: How to Identify and Invest in the Hot Stocks of Tomorrow" by Michael Moe @ Rs. 595/- (374 pgs)
Michael Moe was one of the first research analysts to identify Starbucks as a huge opportunity in 1992 when its market cap was two hundred and twenty million dollars. Today its market cap is twenty- three billion dollars. In this book he shows how winners like Dell, eBay could have been spotted in their start- up phase and how you can find Wall Streets future giants. He forecasts areas with greatest potential for growth including nano technology and alternative energy and what goes into making small companies big- the four Ps, great people, leading product, huge potential and predictability. Including interviews with the biggest names in business- like Bill Campbell and Vinod Khosla- who offer their own insights, this is an indispensable book for growth investors and entrepreneurs.

"The Young Che: Memories of Che Guevara" by Ernesto Guevara Lynch @ Rs. 475/- (310 pgs)
Compiled from two separate books- My Son Che and A Soldier of the Americans, this is a book about a boy who grew up to be a revolutionary and an iconic hero. The book takes us through Che’s bourgeois but nonconformist childhood, the people, book and political events that shaped him, through to the moment he joined Castro to train for the invasion of Cuba. It also includes, published for the first time anywhere, Che’s diary of his bicycle journey around North Argentina in 1950 and letters he sent home as he traveled further and further into Latin America. Published for the first time in English, The Young Che sheds fresh light on the transformation of a compassionate boy into a revolutionary famous all over the world.

"Elizabeth" by J. Randy Taraborrelli @ Rs. 390/- (548 pgs)
Elizabeth Taylor has been known for her extraordinary beauty, surrounded by fame and notoriety. This book maps out her life, how she evolved from a gifted but manipulated child star to a screen icon. The author examines her eight marriages to seven men, including her abusive marriage to Nicky Hilton, her attraction to Mike Todd, and the complex, passionate Taylor- Burton love affair that never actually died. From an author who has written biographies of people such as Frank Sinatra, Michael Jackson, Madonna and Princess Grace, this is a beautiful and honest book about a woman nothing like her celebrity image.

"Eight Lives Down: The Story of a Counter Terrorist Bomb Disposal Operator’s Tour in Iraq" by Chris Hunter @ 735/- (369 pgs)
Chris Hunter was a bomb technician working in one of the most dangerous places in the world. His job was to make the British sector in Iraq safe against some of the most hardened and technically advanced terrorists in the world. And just when he thought life couldn’t get any more dangerous, the stakes were raised once again. He became a personal target for the terrorists. Eight Lives Down is a powerful and haunting account of a man who used up eight of his nine lives protecting others.

"The Shadow of the Silk Road" by Colin Thubron @ Rs. 475/- (363 pgs)
When author Colin Thubron decided to travel the Silk Road, he knew his journey would be difficult, for to follow the Silk Road is to follow a ghost. It flows through the heart of Asia, but it has officially vanished. Colin Thubron traces the drifts of the first great trade route out of China into the mountains of Central Asia, across northern Afghanistan and the plains of Iran into Kurdish Turkey. From Xian to Kashgar, Kashgar to Meshed and Meshed to Antakya, on buses, donkey carts, trains, jeeps and camels, covering over seven thousand miles in eight months, the author recounts his extraordinary adventures. A fantastic work of non- fiction, Shadow of the Silk Road is captivating, rich in its writing and will have the reader spellbound.

"The 7 Rules of Success: Follow the Strategies, Experience the Results" by Fiona Harrold @ Rs. 260/- (246 pgs)
Author Fiona Harrold has talked to some of the world’s top achievers- who have found their passion and made it their career- and discovered the rules they live by. In this book, she shows how to apply these rules to your lives. From getting past your fear of failure to becoming a charming, effective individual who people want to do business with, this book coaches you on how to understand and use the techniques, tips, tricks and strategies. Fiona Harrold is the UK’s most successful life coach.

"The Book of Demons: Including a Dictionary of Demons in Sanskrit Literature" by Nanditha Krishna @ Rs. 325/- (268 pgs)
Nanditha Krishna writes vividly about creatures feared by people throughout time. She explains the various types of demonic beings and concepts that exist in Hindu literature, supplemented by a ready dictionary of individual demons for reference. Besides the well known rakshasas and asuras, the author also reveals a densely populated world of lesser- known but equally fascinating, demonic beings. Beautifully illustrated, well described, Nanditha Krishna brings to life the traits and actions of a host of complex, colourful, monstrous and intriguing demons that inhabit Indian religion and mythology.

"The Penguin Guide to the States and Union Territories of India" @ Rs. 199/-
"The Penguin Guide to the Countries of the World" @ Rs. 199/-
Incorporating all available figures till 15 August 2007, this second edition contains everything anyone would want to know about the various regions and their essentials. A useful guide for students, examination candidates, office executives and the general reader, the guide gives authentic information on all twenty-eight states, six union territories and the national capital territory of Delhi that constitute India. It includes the history of the region, political developments, geographic profile with a detailed map, cultural overview and economical data, its major educational institutions, airports and a lot more. Additionally it also has a full list of governors and chief ministers since Independence, current party positions in every state assembly and comparison charts across states. Similar is the version relating to Countries of the World.

Fiction:

"The Younger Gods" by David and Leigh Eddings @ Rs. 430/- (429 pgs)
The Elder Gods’ are being replaced by Younger Gods’ and the Land of Dhrall is in peril. The attacks of the dreadful Vlagh, ruler of the Wasteland, have been repelled in three of the Elder Gods’ realms. And now only one land is left for Vlagh to attack- the land ruled by Goddess Aracia who hates the idea of being replaced by a Younger God. With Aracia out of control the fate of the Land of Dhrall is questionable. The authors, David and Leigh Edding clearly have a vivid imagination making this modern fantasy novel a pleasure to read.

"Jinx" by Meg Cabot @ Rs. 399/- (254 pgs)
Jinx’s real name is Jean. A name she hates almost as much as Jinx. She has been named so due to her uncanny ability to jinx what ever comes her way. She is sent to her relatives in New York until the trouble she’s caused back home dies down. Her sophisticated cousin Tory doesn’t care much for Jinx, but when Jinx’s chronic bad luck starts to disturb Tory’s perfect life, Tory starts making life difficult for Jinx. To add to this, Jinx is told that she has special powers, not a jinx. But will these special powers save Jinx from Tory? And then the unthinkable happens… her past catches up with her. Right on the night of her prom.

"A Girl and a River" by Usha K. R. @ Rs. 295/- (324 pgs)
Spanning a period of fifty years, A Girl and a River is the story of Kaveri, a girl from a liberal, prosperous household, during the freedom struggle. Unlike her father, who believes that the family is protected from such delusions as ‘Swaraj” and takes their privileges for granted, Kaveri is profoundly affected by Gandhiji’s visit to their town. She defies her father and participates in the Quit India march but is betrayed by her brother, Setu. When their small town faces a police firing for the first time, Kaveri’s family is torn apart. What happens to Kaveri, her fate, remains shrouded in mystery. Until fifty years later in 1857, Setu’s daughter tries to come to terms with her uneasy upbringing and begins to ask about the past and her parent’s refusal to talk about it. Seamlessly blending the lives of Kaveri and Setu’s daughter, this book is a work of art.

"Vikramaditya’s Throne" by Polie Sengupta @ Rs. 175/- (144 pgs)
Long after King Vikramaditya had died, King Bhoja found his throne and decided to make it his own. But every time he set foot on it, one of the angels holding the throne would come alive and narrate a story of King Vikramaditya’s kindness. When Upa’s father gets kidnapped, Upa and her mother move to her grandmother’s village to recover from the shock. There they are befriended by an odd- looking stranger who tells them the tales of Vikramaditya’s good deeds. And as Upa and her mother listen to these magical stories they begin to see the goodness in the people around them and recognize the relevance of the tales of King Vikramaditya in their lives today. Written in simple language, these thought- provoking tales come alive under Polie Sengupta’s penmanship.

Newer Arrivals:

"Gandhi: A Spiritual Journey" by M. V. Kamath @ Rs. 195/-
"Molly Moon, Micky Minus and the Mind Machine" by Georgia Byng @ Rs. 390/-
"Making Money" by Terry Pratchett @ Rs. 990/-
"On Ugliness" Ed. by Umberto Eco @ Rs. 1380/-
"Chetan Anand: The Poetics of Film" by Uma Anand and Ketan Anand @ Rs. 895/-
"A Writer’s People: Ways of Looking and Feeling" by V. S. Naipaul @ Rs.395/-
"Stalin’s ghost" by Martin Cruz Smith @ Rs. 475/-
"Bridge of Sighs" by Richard Russo @ Rs. 540/-
"God explained in a taxi ride" by Paul Arden @ Rs. 195/-
"Raj Kapoor" by Ritu Nanda (Hindi) @ Rs. 95/-
"Darlingiji –true love of Nargis & Sunil Dutt" by Kishwar Desai @ Rs. 395 /-
"Heights of madness" by Myra Macdonald @ Rs. 395/-
"Monty’s Turn" Monty Panesar with Richard Hobson @ Rs. 700/-
"Jet City Woman" by Ankush Saikia @ Rs. 195/-
"Nineteen minutes" by Jodi Picoult @ Rs. 260/-
"Power, Freedom and Grace" by Deepak Chopra @ Rs. 195/-
"The Almost Moon" by Alice Sebold @ Rs. 515/-
"The Six Sacred Stones" by Matthew Reilly @ Rs. 795/-
"The Gathering" by Anne Enright @ Rs. 325/-
"High School Musical - Battle of the Bands" by N. B. Grace @ Rs. 150/-
"High School Musical - Wild Cat Spirit" by Catherine Hapka @ Rs.150/-
"Sham e Awad - writings on Lucknow" ed. by Veena Talwar Oldenburg @ Rs. 395/-
"Breaking Barriers - Stories of 12 Women" by Parvathy Menon@ Rs. 95/-
"The Penguin Fiction Collection - 20 years of Penguin India, vols. 1, 2” @ Rs. 395/- each

Happy Reading and drop in to the Store!

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twistntales