Ullu Bhai Ki Jagmagati Barat by Swati Sinha (Book Review: 4.25*/5) !!!

  

36^th Book of 2024

Well, and finally I complete my reading target of 36 books by reading almost 22 books in last 2.5 months. After an unbelievable reading marathon, I chose to read Sonalika Publication’s Ullu Bhai Ki Jagmagati Barat which is a short Hindi story book for kids. This year I have read many books from their publications house which are meant for kids and I am jealous of the fact that I didn’t get such story books in my childhood to read.

 

This book is written by Swati Sinha with a great support from the illustrator, Sachi Shukla. Her illustrations and graphics bring life to the story. This book is perfectly designed for kids who have just started reading properly from the year of 5 and above. Swati Sinha’s story is about the King Lion announcing the marriage of an Owl which rejoices everyone. But it comes with a challenge wherein the owl’s marriage shall be performed during night when it becomes difficult to travel. A Small mongoose then comes up with an idea which helps them beat this challenge.

 

Any story meant for kids is incomplete if it doesn’t come up with a moral. Swati takes extreme care about this and involves a lot of lessons in this short story. It teaches about the teamwork as to how everyone can sit together and come to a decision. It also signifies the importance of considering everyone’s intelligence equal and allowing everyone to speak.

 

It reflects upon how even the smallest of insects can also help the whole group of animals in the jungle for which even the King Lion didn’t have any solution. Author emphasizes on friendship and how it helps everyone in the process.

 

The book further ends with few DIY exercises for children which will push their creativity. Overall, this is a good initiative Sonalika CSR group to spread knowledge among young kids and develop them into better and compassionate human beings. I give this book 4.25 stars out of 5.

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WRITING BUDDHA

The Heart of Understanding by Thich Nhat Hanh (Book Review: 4.5*/5) !!!

  

35^th Book of 2024

Well, there’s a tendency I have observed in my reading marathon where I always start and end my year with either spiritual or self-help books. And this is definitely not planned but a pattern that I have observed. After reading Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet, I picked up “The Heart of Understanding” written by Thich Nhat Hanh today and completed it within two hours with slow and mindful reading. This book by Aleph publication also comes up with a tagline that says “Transforming Suffering into Peace, Joy and Liberation”.

 

The book starts with a foreword by Shantum Seth who tells how he got intrigued by Buddha’s teachings and went through trainings like Vipassana etc. after which the teachings of Thich started inspiring him. The foreword gives the book a good start as you are first taken into confidence before starting with the real content. Then there’s a second foreword as well written by Peter Levitt. Here he introduces us with Prajnaparamita Heart Sutra which is one of the Buddhist teachings through which you can discover a way for peace to be realized. This Sutra is basically what this book is all about.

 

As I have myself been to Vipassana meditation recourse for 11 days, I was able to relate with the concepts being discussed in the book. The chapter starts with making us understand how all of us are tied together as Interbeing. None of us can survive without each other. Author helps us understand it with a great example of paper as to how a paper can’t exist without wood, cloud, water, sunshine, soil, time, space, the earth, the river, the heat etc. It gives immense clarity behind the logic that we have the whole Universe within us as well as being a part of the whole Universe as well.

 

Further, author explores the concept of emptiness and breaks down the concept of duality for us. It makes us comprehend how every positive thing exist because of non-positive elements and vice-versa. It realizes us of the fact that when we get the food, it is because someone else is not able to. That makes us understand the term called “Inter-are” where all of us are present because of someone’s absence.

 

The concepts are definitely new and gives the Buddhist vibes throughout. It helps us understand the law of nature and appreciate everything- good or bad – because the beauty of life is such. It also explores the fact that just life and death are not our starting and ending point but we continue even before and after that. It helps us understand that just as wave is water and water is wave, similarly we are just a wave which shall keep on occurring and dissolving.

 

Overall, the book is full of spiritual wisdom which is enjoyed by someone like me who has always believed in it. It ends with the topic on meditation and chanting as well. I never read anything by Thich Nhat Hanh before but after this, I am sure I am going to explore more of his writings and learnings. I give this book 4.5 stars out of 5.

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The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran (Book Review: 4.5*/5) !!!

  

34^th Book of 2024

It’s very rare when people gift me book or even exchange books for that matter. I have mostly been dependent on my own when it comes to books. Incidentally, someone gifted me a book when I met them on this Christmas and I ended up even finishing it today as soon as weekend began. The book is none other than the popular Kahlil Gibran’s most popular book called “The Prophet”. The book was originally written in Arabic which has been translated into many languages. Obviously, I read the one in English.

 

The book is a very short read which you can easily complete within an hour or two. More than its quantity, what matters is the quality it reflects. This is not just a one-time read but something you can read every now and then. Every time, you will find something new which you must have missed in your previous reads. Similarly, you’ll find new meanings to the same text with each read. Such is the philosophical outlook of this man, Kahlil Gibran!

 

The book seems like a blend of spirituality, philosophy, poetry, prose, wisdom etc. Though a prophet talks with the people of Orphalese in this book, I felt as if a soul talks in a similar fashion with our mind when we get enlightened or reach the Kundalini stage which all of us aspire for. There are few sentences which aren’t distinct as many authors or poets have spoken the same facts of life in different words but there are few of them which Kahlil has said a century ago but is yet so defining and transformative.

 

All the chapters are short but covers the philosophical and spiritual aspects on the topics such as love, marriage, children, giving, joy/sorrow, buying/selling, reason/passion, pain, reaching, friendship, talking, time, prayer, beauty, religion, death etc. I wish if I could read a detailed explanation to all of these which would help us explore more of Kahlil’s insights towards these social and internal issues.

 

This book is definitely difficult to understand in few sections but wherever it engages you, it teaches you something you didn’t know before. Even though it has been written a century ago, the ideology is very profound and modern which can be applied even in modern times. This is what makes this book special for being relevant even after the changes a human psyche has gone through.

 

Overall, I give this book 4.5* out of 5.

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WRITING BUDDHA

Murder in the City by Mayabhushan Nagvenkar (Book Review: 4*/5)!!!

  

33^rd Book of 2024

I have been reading murder mysteries this year but never thought that by the end of the year, I would also get a chance upon reading the real murder tales. I just completed reading Mayabhushan Nagvenkar’s “Murder in the City” which is published by Rupa Publications in around 192 pages. The book covers deadly crimes and murder from eight metropolitan cities of India. I liked the way this book has been narrated as author focuses upon those cases wherein the murder had relation with the city or the way city’s mindset got transformed after the murder case.

 

Author has deep-dived into the mindset of the perpetrators who enforced these crimes and tries to decode the human psychology with us. As a reader, it’s really challenging to read few scenes where the murder has been performed maniacally or a human’s body has been exploited violently. All these murder stories are based before 1990s and that’s where it becomes an exploration. Most of us are not aware of such big crimes which has been a part of its cities’ timeline defining them. Hence, reading these events are an eye-opener.

 

As the author has chosen cities as the theme of his book, he has very nicely described and explained all the cities and its certain locales. As I belong to Mumbai, I was able to relate a lot with the way South Mumbai has been represented. Similarly, I was able to enjoy the descriptions of other cities as well. The aesthetics are nicely visualized. Similarly, author has written all these real-events as short stories hence while reading, I would forget a lot many times that I am reading a non-fiction story. Mayabhushan has described all the characters, their families and their history quite vividly that it appears to be a story than reality.

 

There are few stories that I would like to mention below that really moved me:

The 2nd story about the death in Godrej family was such a nostalgic read as all of us are aware about d clock tower figure and charm of South Mumbai. The whole proceeding from molestation to murder to suicide is just mindboggling. The closing lines on Aredeshir on how he became the biggest brand of locks is just goosebumpy.

The story of Billa and Ranga was such a horrific tale which happened around d same time as Indira Gandhi’s assassination where they kidnapped two children of an Indian navy officer and killed them brutally. The same person who hung Gandhi’s killer hanged both these criminals as well.

The Bangalore story where a rich woman leaves her family for a conman just because of his trust of giving her a baby son and in return gets all her property and eventually kills her tells how desire and superstition can target anyone- rich, poor or middle-class.

 

Jakkal’s story of moving to different towns of Maharashtra from Pune to Kolhapur to other cities is just chilling. How he targeted one murder after another just to feel empowered tells a lot about destructive mindset that a person gets into after doing one wrong act.

 

Overall, this is a very unique book and could be a cult or classic after years to go. Mayabhushan’s theming and storytelling skills make this book unforgettable and recommendable. I give this book 4 star out of 5.

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Badge and the Bullet: Memoirs of a Super Cop by Rajesh Pandey/Rakesh Goswami (Book Review: 4.25*/5) !!!

 

32^nd Book of 2024

 

Every time we see a man in uniform, we wish to understand how they lead their life and what are their day-to-day activities at their workplace. It is just that we as normal citizens are intimidated by their power and don’t develop courage to go up and speak with them. Books, again, becomes a great medium for them to tell their lives to us and for us to consume and understand them better. I read 2^nd book in row which is written by a cop about their work-life and I am in a different thought process altogether after the experience.

 

I read “Badge and the Bullet” written by Rajesh Pandey who retired as IG of Bareilly Range in May 2022. He has been a part of nearly 70 police encounters and has been one among the founding members of the elite UP STF – Special Task Force. The book has also been co-written with a journalist, Rakesh Goswami, who has always been fascinated by crime reporting. This 170-pages book published by Rupa Publications is an adventurous one-sitting read as I thoroughly enjoyed reading it completely on a Sunday.

 

As a memoir, the book has been very well edited by keeping it short and crisp where the Cop tries to highlight only the main events of his life by giving us insights upon the kind of cases he was dealing with and the background of all those events which made them such big crimes. He touches base on various incidents such as kidnapping cartel in his initial posting, La Martiniere Murder, Raj Bhavan siege, dacoits tales, the Kota kidnapping case, Sanjarpur ecosystem and lastly the fight against ceasing fake currencies.

 

He keeps his chapters short yet manages to help us understand the whole process of nabbing the criminals. He has very intelligently spoken about the governments as well who were in power during certain events. He manages to let us know which of the Chief Ministers empowered him whereas few phases where he felt overpowered by the Government.

 

There’s a chapter where he tells how he was transferred from one place to another for almost six times within ten months itself. The reason for which has been commitment towards resolving a case which a minister wanted to be stopped right at the moment. He tells about how his personal life would get impacted due to the transfers as the children have to change their schools as well.

 

Author helps us understand the world of small gangs which existed few decades ago and the way police benefitted from the tips they got from the informers or intelligence department. He also tells how STF got formed and how he led one of their initial missions and kept on contributing for the same. I liked the author’s narration where he doesn’t boast about himself much but talks about the crime and the way police got the hold upon them. Even though it’s a memoir but the way the author-duo handled it needs to be appreciated. Overall, I would recommend IPS aspirants and others who would like to know about the real life of policemen read this book. I give it 4.25 stars out of 5.

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Did I Really Do All This? by Vijay Raman (Book Review: 4.5*/5) !!!

  

31^st Book of 2024

I am almost in the last leg of completing my reading challenge of 36 which is making me pick up some interesting books before I take a break of a week or two at the end of this year. This made me pick up a non-fiction this time named “Did I Really Do All This?” written by Late. Vijay Raman. The book published by Rupa Publications in around 250-pages comes with a tagline “Memoirs of a gentleman cop who dared to be different”. The author who lived a life being a cop serving the nation lost his life in the last phases of writing this book. The rest of the book was completed by his wife, Veena Raman, who has ensured that we don’t feel the difference at all while reading.

 

From the outside, we view all the policemen just as security personnels walking on the streets in their uniform. Very rarely do we get a chance to talk with them and understand how challenging their life could be. Books are a great medium for us to read about them and learn what goes behind the scenes in keeping us safe and crimes in check. It is wonderful initiative of people like Vijay Raman who are coming forward and reiterating their life in such forms for us to get familiar with their tough working lifestyle.

 

The book starts with his initial days where he tries to get into IAS service but lands up into IPS. His resolution to get his medical test clear by restricting his salt intake talks about his commitment right from the formative years. Vijay Raman’s narration style is very friendly and while reading you can feel a very senior retired person telling you all about himself to read between the lines and learn the said and unsaid life lessons from it.

 

This book wouldn’t have been interesting if Vijay would have been associated only with police functioning of a similar nature or at the same location. What makes his journey and this book incredible and memorable are the different kind of challenges he took in his tenure. Right from encountering a long wanted Paan Singh Tomar, making other harmful and dangerous dacoits like Phoolan Devi, Malkhan Singh etc. surrender, breaking Guinness world record of driving maximum kilometers in minimum duration, protecting four different Prime Ministers being in their first circle of security force, being deployed near the location of Bhopal Gas tragedy, making the Indian border secure by installing wall and wires, Vyapam case, how he ensured that Ghazi Baba, the mastermind behind 2001 parliament attack was killed etc. – all these different tasks associated with one Supercop is hard to believe and amazing to read.

 

Vijay has told all these stories in the right proportion by directly moving to the next story before the one starts boring the readers. I liked how he didn’t let emotions get into him and get biased with one tale over others. The chapter on his driving adventure which made him register his name in Guinness world record is a very uniquely written chapter where you will enjoy it more like a fiction story. Vijay has ensured that he adds humour as well wherever required which keeps the mood relaxed despite reading such stressful encounters of the author.

 

It's obvious for anyone to get a bit obsessed with themselves after achieving so many fates but it shows quite often in Vijay’s writing. He has kept self-admiration going on in almost every 3^rd page which can annoy some readers. This is evident from the title and tagline of the book itself. It is filled with self-appreciation. Secondly, I wished author could have talked about his family life and members in details as well. He just introduces his family and doesn’t discuss about them at all. In the first half, there are still few sections where he talks about his communication with his wife through letters or calls etc. but nothing after that.

 

There are fillers in between where Veena Raman has also scribbled few words for her husband or told some incidents from her perspective. It was a great fun reading her version as well. The photographs featured in between the chapters make us explore Vijay Raman a bit more closely and understand how he looked or aged during the particular milestone of his life. Overall, I enjoyed reading this book. I give it 4.5 stars out of 5.

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WRITING BUDDHA

Quills: The Hungry Little Porcupine by Shibani Alter (Book Review: 4*/5) !!!

  

30^th Book of 2024

After reading 3 books back-to-back by Stephen Alter, I finally got a chance to pick up the book written by his daughter, Shibani Alter was well. The name of the book is “Quills: The Hungry Little Porcupine” which is published by Aleph in around 30-pages. The book has almost the same aesthetics as the books written by Stephen in the same section for Aleph publications. The illustrations adding up to the story are created by Shruti Hemani.

 

Shibani has narrated this story in a very simple flow wherein the same loop repeats as the group of animal friends keeps getting increased one by one. Starting with a porcupine who has left his home in search of food gets scared every time he feels leopard is around him and ends up meeting one of his friends. The set of animals introduced in the story are pig, money, mongoose and goat.

 

The authoress has ensured that she helps the young readers understand the nature of each of the animal and their different skillsets using which they move to the distinct places for survival. Similarly, they bring back different kinds of food produced of different type of plants and lands. She has shown intelligence and presence of mind while scripting the story. The main feature of porcupine which is its quills which hides one of its important features that it can use to protect against harmful animals is revealed in the climax.

 

Overall, this is a well written simple story which the young readers would love to read repeatedly and share with their friends. I give this book 4 stars out of 5.

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WRITING BUDDHA