Celebrity: Its changing face in India through the ages

Author: Perminder Singh Sandhawalia
Publisher: AuthorHouse, Bloomington
(Pp 165, ISBN 978-1-4685-7768-6)

Here’s a book on the changing perceptions of societies in different eras for celebrating achievements, right from the Epic era through the golden age of its civilization to the subsequent Mughal rule and the Raj years to modern times. The cover of the book is apt, you see not just Buddha, Shivaji, Swami Vivekananda but also Bollywood star Shammi Kapoor – all celebrities in their respective eras, yet so different from each other.

The author shows that the key factors that influence a society’s perceptions are its value systems and horizons of expectations at the time the accomplishment is presented. As these attitudes have changed over time, the meaning of the word ‘Celebrity’ has also changed. Today, celebs are more known for their charm, charisma and media-visibility rather than an outstanding meritocratic achievement.

- Varsha Verma

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50 Soul Stories: The Sagas of Management Monks

Author: Moid Siddiqui
Publisher: Prism Books Pvt Ltd, Bengaluru
(Pp 241, ISBN 978-81-7286-725-6, Rs 250)
Life is a learning process and one must learn and share his learning with others. Here, the author presents 50 lessons he learnt at work. He teaches us simple yet effective things each one of us should follow, not just in our professional life but also personal life. Some of the lessons are really simple – be transparent, nurture morality, get back to basics, etc.

The language of the book is not at all preachy. As a reader, you will actually enjoy reading as each chapter is a manifestation of author’s learnings, which he has presented as anecdotes from his life. The gist of each lesson is given separately at the end of each chapter.

The author Moid Siddiqui is rightly referred to as the management monk and has held senior and board level positions in premier public sector and private sector organizations like BHEL, NHPC, CCI, HMT, BEML, etc.

- Varsha