Book reviews published

Tick-Tock We’re 30 Author: Milan Vohra

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Publisher: Westland Ltd
(Pp 402, ISBN 978-93-82618-22-5, Rs 250)

Thirty…considered a deadly age for women…well….when will women understand that age is just a number? Tick-Tock We’re 30 is a story of a bunch of friends, who have reached the milestone in their life – 30. To celebrate, Lara’s 30th birth anniversary, the whole gang arranges a get-together…honouring the pact to meet when all of them turned 30.

The book narrates the lives of these young men and women, who fall in and out of love and much more. Since all the characters are Indian and the story is based in Delhi, many Delhites would surely find some instances picked up from their own life.

The only thing I found bothering was sometimes, too many details were given, which could have been avoided. Else, it is an entertainer…a light read for young people.

Leading from the Front

Author: Col. SP Wahi (Retd)
Publisher: Crossbill Publishing Co, New Delhi
(Pp 222, ISBN 978-93-82297-34-5, Rs 699)

This book is a treatise on management by a world-renowned technocrat- Col SP Wahi- a legend with over 58 years of hands-on-experience, within the country and abroad, in a variety of industrial manufacturing units, both in the public and private sectors, Army (corps of EME), management and technical institutes and professional associations.

Though partly an overview of management practices, this guide is invaluable for its information on recruiting and training former military officers for corporate management, particularly in the oil industry. Topics covered include leadership development, the importance of human psychology, maintaining morale, developing a long-term vision for growth, and the importance of safety and security - this last being a major problem for which oil and other energy-producing companies are seeking solutions. 

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The Marvels of Palmistry

Authors: Pt Gopal Sharma, Shastri Bhori Lal Kala
Publisher: Lotus Publishers, New Delhi
(Pp 164, ISBN 978-81-8382-126-1, Rs 125)

Palmistry has always enchanted people…the thin lines on our hands intrigue us to know what they say. Palmistry is a method of counseling that originated in India over 3,000 years ago.

The book The Marvels of Palmistry is like a drop in this vast ocean….but a drop which gives an insight into it! Written in an easy-to-understand format, the book will be helpful for novices who wish to know more about it.

21 Things Every Girl Should Know

Author: Sneha Mehta
Publisher: Grapevine India Publishers, New Delhi
(Pp 260, ISBN 978-938-184-1297, Rs 125)

An interesting book for all girls and for all boys who wish to know more about girls! The book details simple things like why are girls allergic to mathematics to complex things like why do women seek commitment. Readers of all ages would something or the other which relates to them.

In this practical, humourous and easy-to-read guide, readers can get new solutions to the age-old problems. To make it more reader-friendly, the book contains funny anecdotes and fascinating insights into the world of women.

The author Sneha Mehta is a majors in psychology and she loves to write. This book is her peek into the life of women from a women’s perspective – how they can live a life which is more fulfilling, by understanding the traps and reacting to a situation wisely. A must-have for girls and boys of all ages!

- Varsha Verma

merce…

- Jyaneswar Laishram

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Oleander Girl

Author: Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
Publisher: Penguin Books India, New Delhi
(Pp 289, ISBN 978-06-70086-73-3, Rs 499)

When it’s a book from Chitra Banerjee Devakaruni, you can be sure that you will get to read an insight into a girl’s mind. Author of sixteen novels like The Mistress of Spices and The Palace of Illusions, Chitra knows where and how to click the right chords in the reader’s mind.

Oleander Girl is a story of a young girl Korobi (meaning oleander) who takes on a quest to know more about her ‘dead’ parents. What she learns on her journey to her truth shatters her completely…but like her name oleander which is capable of surviving drought and frost and the loss of love, Korobi emerges as a mature and confident young woman. There are moments of despair, shock…then there are moment of love, cheer and ultimately happiness. The emotions shown in the book are so real…you feel sympathy when the girl is in shock and you love her when she emerges strong. A beautiful book from the acclaimed author!

- Varsha Verma

Fida-e-Lucknow Tales of the City and its People

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Author: Parveen Talha
Publisher: Niyogi Books, New Delhi
(Pp 197, ISBN 978-93-81523-70-4, Rs 250)

One look at the cover of the book and you are bound to pick it up for its very-Urdu like English font and its very Lucknawi-style design. This book is a collection of 22 short stories, each set in the city of Lucknow in the post-independence period. The stories recall the plight of Nawabs and other ordinary people of Lucknow who were affected by the India-Pakistan partition in 1947.

Each story has a hero who is a typical Lucknow-wala, whose affection and loyalty are not restricted to relationships between equals, and religion never comes in the way. The book is also about Lucknow’s women who were liberated in the truest sense of the world.

In all, it is a beautiful blend of history, relationships and vignettes of city life.

- Varsha Verma

Yoga for Daily Life

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Author: Krishan Kumar Suman
Publisher: Lotus Press, New Delhi
(Pp 296, ISBN 978-81-8382-108-7, Rs 295)

Yoga has always been a part of Indian lives. It is the science of right living and is important for all aspects of a person – physical, vital, mental, emotional, psychic and spiritual. It is our Indian cult and way of spiritual life.

The book is divided into 11 main chapters like Yogi Postures, Controlling the life force, What is concentration, Yoga in office, etc. Each chapter describes various yogas for our betterment. Sketches and pictures simplify the yogas further. The book emphasizes on a routine daily practice for a healthy and spiritual well-being.

An easy-to-follow book, it would be a great help for people wishing to adopt yoga in their day-to-day-life.

- V Verma

Aziz’s Notebook at the Heart of the Iranian Revolution

Author: Chowra Makaremi
Translated by: Renuka George
Publisher: Yoda Press, New Delhi
(Pp 149, ISBN 978-93-82579-02-1, Rs 250)

Written by pious and non-political man and a desperate father, the notebook sheds new light on the events leasing from the Iranian Revolution to the Islamic Republic, through a vivid account under a regime of terror, the plight of women in prison, and the prison massacres of 1998. This notebook was found by Aziz’s granddaughter Chowra after his death.

In the book, Aziz has recounted the life of his daughters, who despite supporting the Iranian revolution, were arrested after the Shah was deposed and Khomeini became supreme leader, and were ultimately executed in prison.

Reader can actually feel the pain and agony Aziz must have undergone during that time, struggling to make his ends meet, besides going through the pain of his daughters in jail. A grim yet riveting book that questions the history.

- Varsha