Fantastic books for you !

Message sent to twistntales@yahoogroups.com on 16th July, 2008Welcome to another round of some very inspirational, hardly known books. Again, lovingly reviewed.

Just a word here about our reviewers. We have a few young folks, some students, all of them who work part-time at the Store, all of whom come from different disciplines of study.

Sonali, who works weekends is a science and math person, but with an insatiable curiosity for everything! From gardening to cuisines, she is the person who thinks up the quips for the blackboard outside. She writes with flair and élan.

Tia, who loves to read and write! Though she’s finished with us almost a year back, she keeps coming back to add love and flavour to our reviews! Jahnavi, who too finished with us last year, is back again for another short stint. While both love chick lit, and all genres of fiction, Tia particularly excels and writes with great sensitivity on femininst, hope, healing and nurturing books.

The others Shama, Shradha, Kshitija and yours truly, add our two bits when it comes to books of our choice. This month will also see a send-off to Shama (standing red hair? remember?), as she leaves Pune to go home after her graduation. We are going to miss Shama (and all her jokes), who has now been with us for little over a year. Good luck, Shama, we hope you do “the coming back” stints like the others as well! All these youngsters add a lot of joy and charm to our bookstore, and we hate to see them move away!!

Now we go to the main purpose of this mail!

New Arrivals:

Personalities:

“Unbowed: One Woman’s Journey” by Wangari Maathai @ Rs.360/-(295 pgs)

‘How I longed to able to write something and rub it out. When I finally learnt to read and write, I never stopped, because I could read, I could write and I could rub.’

Born in the Kenyan Highlands, Wangari Maathai was educated in the United States and became the first woman in East and Central Africa to gain a Doctorate, in 1971. Later, she founded the Green Belt Movement, Kenya’s famous environment and human rights campaigning group. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004.
“Unbowed” is the story of the woman behind the degree, the individual behind the organization. Maathai writes lovingly of her native Kenya, of listening to the birds around her home and a stream named Kanungu where she would gather firewood for the house. She writes of ‘taking America back to Kenya with her’:
‘There is a persistence, a seriousness, and a vision to America: It seems to know where it is going, and it will go in that direction, whether you like it or not.’
This perseverance and direction would be her backbone through a tenuous future.
Filled with fertility and charisma, spanning different worlds and changing times, Maathai’s writing is the story of planting and nurturing, in every way we can.

“The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream” by Barack Obama @ Rs.250/-(362 pgs)

Barack Obama is known in his public life as a US Senator and now as a Presidential hopeful. In “The Audacity of Hope,” Obama brings his personal to American politics. Writing on issues such as faith, opportunity, values and of course hope, Obama’s prose is frank and filled with humility.
He writes, not simply as a man of politics, but as a professor and a father, a Christian and a skeptic. He defines himself as ‘pro-choice’ above all else, and his writing is mostly shorn of ‘political language.’ His ‘hope’ is backed up by solid, humane solutions and a clear vision.
Perhaps the most striking factor of Obama’s writing is its empathy:
‘One thing about being a U.S. Senator – you fly a lot.
…but there are things you can’t see at 40,000 feet.’A dreamer, a doer, a man whose diplomacy is balanced with sincerity, one who is unabashedly in touch with his feelings, “The Audacity of Hope” is filled with Obama’s hope of what he might bring to his country.

“Barack Obama: In His Own Words edited by Lisa Rogak @ Rs.425/-(166 pgs)

‘I’m certainly black enough to have trouble catching a cab in New York City.’

Since delivering his keynote speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, Obama has been hailed as the clear saviour of not only the Democratic Party but also the integrity of American politics.
This book of quotes from the presidential candidate allows those who aren’t as familiar with his politics to learn quickly where he stands on a range of issues facing America, from abortion, Afghanistan, immigration and nuclear weapons to religion and the ‘war on terror.’

SocioEcoPol:

“Descent into Chaos: How the War against Islamic extremism is being lost in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Central Asia” by Ahmed Rashid @ Rs.495/-(404 pgs)

Since 9/11, the war in Afghanistan and the invasion of Iraq, the West has been fighting a ‘War on Terror’, through force, and through the building of new societies in the region. Having reported from Central Asia for a quarter of a century, Ahmed Rashid shows clearly why the war in Iraq is just a sideshow to the main event. Rather, it is Pakistan, Afghanistan and the five Central Asian states that make up the crisis zone, for it is here that terrorism and Islamic extremism is growing stronger. Rashid brings into focus the role of many regional issues in supporting extremism, from nuclear programmes to local rivalries, ineffectual peace-keeping to tyrannical rulers.
With unparalleled access and intimate knowledge of the political players, “Descent into Chaos” chronicles with chilling accuracy why Islamic extremism is now stronger than ever

“A Journey Interrupted: Being Indian in Pakistan” by Farzana Versey @ Rs.295/- (279 pgs)

‘You need not be deported,’ said the retired army general.

What follows is not deportation, but the beginning of an exploration that is nuanced by the identity of the narrator: an Indian Muslim woman travelling alone in a space notoriously difficult to negotiate vis-à-vis its history and politics.
In the course of her journey, at times interrupted, through the cities of Karachi, Islamabad, Lahore and Peshawar, Farzana Versey finds herself struggling with her own identity.
‘When I was on the soil of the land of the pure, my impurity struck me. I was the emotional mulatto,’ she writes.
The author weaves together vignettes of living and travelling in a complex society where the personal becomes the political, eventually painting a picture of a changing nation with a unique mix of religious tradition and barely-in-check liberalism.


“The Post-American World” by Fareed Zakaria @ Rs.499/-(259 pgs)

For Fareed Zakaria, editor of Newsweek International, the great story of our times is ‘the rise of the rest’ – the growth of countries like India, China, Brazil, South Africa and Kenya, which is generating a new global landscape. Global power is shifting, and wealth and innovation are bubbling up in unexpected places: the tallest buildings, biggest dams and top-selling movies are all being built or made outside the United States.
The current political debate in much of the first world is utterly out of touch with this broad development, obsessed with issues like terrorism, immigration and economic panics.
Zakaria draws on lessons from the two great power-shifts of the past 500 years – the rise of the Western world and the rise of the United States – to tell us what we can expect from the third shift.
As the political role of the US shrinks, Washington needs to move towards sharing power, building legitimacy and creating coalitions – for the future the world faces is the post-American world.

“Seeking Begumpura: The Social Vision of Anti-Caste Intellectuals” by Gail Omvedt @ Rs.400/-(275 pgs)

Emphasizing the continued relevance of the anti-caste intellectuals in the era of globalization, the author compacts the product of five years of research and writing in this book .With extensive studies on the subject of ‘Utopia’ as imagined by the visionaries spanning five centuries, the book unfolds the simplistic ideals that these visionaries earmarked for a society that would be a level playing field for one and all. With Dnyan and Bhaktibhav (reason and ecstasy) as the underlying themes in this book, the author packs in some wonderful translations of significant literary works of Chokhamela, Janabai, Kabir, Tukaram, Periyar Pandita Ramabai and Ambedkar.

Inspiration:

“The Go-Giver: A Little Story about a Powerful Business Idea” by Bob Burg and John David Mann @ Rs.225/-(127 pgs)

“The Go-Giver” tells the story of Joe, a true go-getter. Joe yearns for success, but feels as though the harder he works, the further he gets away from his goals. And so one day, desperate to land a key sale at the end of a bad quarter, he seeks advice from a legendary consultant known simply as the ‘Chairman.’
Over the next week, the Chairman introduces Joe to a series of ‘go-givers’: a CEO, a financial adviser, a real estate broker, and the ‘Connector’ who brought them together.
With them, Joe learns the Five Laws of Stratospheric Success, and how to open himself up to the power of giving.
Imparted with wit and grace, “The Go-Giver” is a tale about putting others interests first and continually adding value to their lives.

“Go Kiss the World: Life Lessons for the Young Professional” by Subroto Bagchi @ Rs.399/-(237 pgs)

‘Go, kiss the world’ were Subroto Bagchi’s blind mother’s last words to him. They were to become to guiding principle of his life.
On the strength of these words, he went from humble origins to extraordinary professional success. In “Go Kiss the World” he writes of the ‘personal-ness’ of his success. He attributes his sense of wonder, his desire for connectedness to a larger whole to his simple upbringing. He urges us to remember that it is the ability to include, and not merely intellect that makes a leader.
‘You build ingenuity in order to survive,’ writes Bagchi.
‘You trust strangers and, hence, strangers trust you.
You become an interesting person, because you have lots of stories to tell.
Finally, you learn to move on…’
With the simplicity and gentle teaching that characterized “The High Performance Entrepreneur,” Subroto Bagchi shares the warmth that he has put into each moment of his work.

Management :

“Butterflies Be Gone: A Hands-On Approach to Sweat-Proof Public Speaking” by Arthur H. Bell @ Rs.250/-(122 pgs)

Speaker’s nerves!
For many of us, those words spell disaster. Whether it’s giving a speech to a conference room full of colleagues or socializing at a party, speaker’s nerves can be uncomfortable at best, and career-damaging at worst.
An accomplished speech coach to thousands, Dr. Arthur Bell uses tested techniques, probing quizzes and real-life anecdotes from fellow sufferers to teach you how to get over that churning stomach and those sweaty palms.

“Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking when Stakes are High” by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron Mcmillan and Al Switzler @ Rs.275/-(228 pgs)

“Crucial Conversations” gives you the tools to handle life’s most difficult and important conversations, say what’s on your mind and achieve positive outcomes.
You’ll learn how to:

• Make it safe to talk about almost anything
• Be persuasive, not abrasive
• Turn crucial conversations into the action and results you want

So pick a relationship, a crucial conversation today, and put your best into it.

“Redefining Global Strategy: Crossing Borders in a World Where Differences Still Matter” by Pankaj Ghemawat @ Rs.695/-(230 pgs)

In our supposedly globalized economy, businesses are advised to charge across borders as if the whole world were one seamless, flat marketplace. Ghemawat argues that the world is ‘semiglobalized.’ Through accessible, fact-driven analysis, he explains how the global business environment is defined by the differences that arise at borders.
“Redefining Global Strategy” offers a reality-based view of globalization – and practical tools to help your business cross borders profitably.

“The First 90 Days: Critical Success Strategies for New Leaders At All Levels” by Michael D. Watkins @ Rs.695/-(240 pgs)

You’ve just been promoted to a new leadership position. You’re not sure of the challenges or how you will meet them. All you know that you have three months to get on top of the job – or fail.
This book is your road map for taking charge quickly and effectively during critical career transition periods.
Written by noted leadership transition expert Michael Watkins, “The First 90 Days” outlines proven strategies that will dramatically shorten the time it takes to reach what Watkins calls ‘breakeven point’: the point at which your organization needs you as much as you need the job.
Whether you are charged with launching a start-up or sustaining a high-performing unit, this book will help you to develop a transition acceleration plan that is tailored to your situation.

“The Execution Premium: Linking Strategy to Operations for Competitive Advantage” by Robert Kaplan and David Norton @ Rs.1810/- (320pgs)

Tackling the issue of developing a system to manage and execute important strategies bang on, this book ,by its six step process aims to teach us how to (a)Develop a strategy by clarifying goals and conducting strategic analysis,(b) Plan your strategy by selecting theme based measures, targets and initiatives, (c) Align organizational units and employees to your strategy, (d)Plan operations through priority setting and resource allocation,(e) Monitor and learn from operations and strategy and (f) test and adapt your strategy.
To oversee all these processes, the authors introduce the ‘Office of Strategy management’-which serves as a sort of a orchestra leader to result in an organization that gains a real execution premium by being able to quickly and reliably execute its strategy.

“Financial Planning: A Ready Reckoner” by Madhu Sinha @ Rs.345/- (270pgs)

“Financial Planning” is meant for lay investors, financial planners and students pursuing courses on financial planning. The book includes solved problems on retirement planning and over 350 questions and answers of the time value of money. Besides these, it dwells on mutual funds and other investment products currently available.
Madhu Sinha has been counselling numerous investors on financial planning and brings to her book a distillate of her ‘rich’ experience.

“Cases in Entrepreneurship: The Venture Creation Process” by Eric Morse and Ronald Mitchell @ Rs.495/- (427pgs)

“Cases in Entrepreneurship” is the first book to be based on a cognitive framework of entrepreneurship. From searching for venture opportunities to financing to harvesting the value created in the business, this is a canny and systematic study of the steps towards a successful venture creation.

Fiction:

“Chasing Harry Winston” by Lauren Weisberger @ Rs.195/-(278 pgs)

From the author of “The Devil Wears Prada” comes the story of three best friends and their pact to change their lives over the course of a year. Over raspberry mojitos one night, Emmy vows to find a man on every continent for some no-strings fun while Adriana is determined to secure a five-carat Harry Winston diamond on her fourth finger. Leigh on the other hand, has a gorgeous boyfriend and a great job. So what needs to change? Maybe literary bad boy Jesse Chapman can help her to figure it out. Sassy and insightful, this is the perfect pick-me-up for blue days.

“A House in the Old Style” by Ananda Mukerji @ Rs.295/-(311 pgs)

‘Caught between tradition and the new ideas from the West, our behaviour could be quite unpredictable, the queer, tangential outcome of the pulls and pushes of our inner tensions.’
Youngest-uncle, octogenarian and master-storyteller, is the cherished eldest member of his deceased brother’s family, and lives with his large extended family in an old colonial mansion in Allahabad. The stories of his youth are a great hit with the children of the house.
Then Swapan, his corporate son, comes home for the Durga Puja festivities and feels duty-bound to take his father away with him, into the tightly nuclear confines of his own family.
But can stories survive away from the comfort and courtesies of a traditional Prabashi household?
“A House in the Old Style” is a gently humorous novel about the pleasures and disappointments of an old-fashioned family with old-world values. Most of all, it is about stories and storytelling, and how the stories within us grow with every human life that touches our own.

Young Adults:

“Teen Ink: Our Voices, Our Visions” edited by Stephanie H. Meyer and John Meyer @ Rs.250/-(323 pgs)

Edited by the founders of The Young Author’s Foundation, “Teen Ink” has been showcasing the work of more than 25,000 teens since 1989. This collection of poetry, prose and artwork brims with the enthusiasm, anxieties and challenges that the teenage years bring. From first love to first loss to highest achievement, this book celebrates teenager-hood in the tradition of the Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul books.

“Double Click: A Foxy 4 Adventure” by Subhadra Sen Gupta @ Rs.195/-(169 pgs)
At St. Teresa convent, in the bustling heart of NewDelhi, reign the foxy four. Mandy –with fashion as her passion, Padma-the computer nerd, Jahan-the mobike loving racing queen and Charu-who considers her presence in the group is totally essential because they’re all so crazy! The favourite extra curricular activity of this daring foursome is solving mysteries and in this book they’re bang on the trail of the cruel schemers who have abducted their classmate Simran. Weird phone calls, cryptic entries in a diary, searches in the bylanes of Old Delhi, run –ins with different sort of people add adventure to this read…catch up gals!

Other new books at the Store:

“A Bear for Felicia” by Jerry Pinto @ Rs.150/-
“A Blue Hand: The Beats in India” by Deborah Baker @ Rs.499/-
“The Words of Gandhi” Selected and with an introduction by Richard Attenborough @ Rs.175/-
“Ping: A Frog in Search of a New Pond” by Stuart Avery Gold @ Rs.95/-
“Self Portrait Che Guevara” by Ernesto Che Guevara @ Rs.695/-
“Percy Jackson and the Battle of the Labyrinth” by Rick Riordan @ Rs.350/-
“Learning from the Heart: Lessons on Living, Loving and Listening” by Daniel Gottlieb @ Rs.395/-
“A Golfer’s Logbook” by Lee Pearce @ Rs.750/-
“Stage Directions: Writing on Theatre 1970-2008” by Michael Frayn @ Rs.1335/-
“Why is God Laughing?” by Deepak Chopra @ Rs.445/-
“The Five Rules of Thought: How to Use the Power of Your Mind to Get What You Want” by Mary T. Browne @ Rs.520/-
“Diamonds, Gold and War: The Making of South Africa” by Martin Meredith @ Rs.600/-
“Tree of Smoke” by Dennis Johnson @ Rs.535/-
“Inheritor Industrialists: Secrets of their Success” by Raghu Palat @ Rs.175/-
“The Star Principle: How It Can Make You Rich” Richard Koch @ Rs.595/-
“Gay Bombay: Globalization, Love and (Be) Longing In Contemporary India” by Parmesh Shahani @ Rs.395/-
“Bombay Rains, Bombay Girls” by Anirban Bose @ Rs.195/-
“The Zoya Factor” by Anuja Chauhan @ Rs. 295/-

Happy Reading, and see you at the Store,

From the team at,

twistntales