Between Life and Death by Dr Kashyap Patel (Book Review: 4.25*/5)

  

42^nd Book of 2020!

Any book that talks about life and death intrigues me because I believe knowing about these elements is far more necessary to live a great curious life than knowing about current affairs. And this is the reason I got attracted towards the newly released book named “Between Life and Death” written by Dr. Kashyap Patel. The book is of around 220 pages and is published by Penguin Random House. The book’s cover page and synopsis have such a good feeling that you just can’t move over without having this book in your shelf.

 

Now, talking about the book and its subject, it is based upon the emotions a human being goes through when he comes to know that his death is near. Author has been a doctor himself who has treated many Cancer patients and has ended up experiencing many deaths in his life closely. This gave him the perspective which he couldn’t have achieved if he would not have been in his profession for years and seeing so many souls leaving their temporary bodies. Kashyap has just utilized the same and mentioned how sensitive the patients become when they find death standing close to them.

 

The book starts with one of the doctor’s patient, Harry, who realizes that he might not live much due to the spread of Cancer and he asks the Doctor to prepare him to leave blissfully. And from here begins the book which takes you through many experiences the doctor had starting with a young patient like Annie till the last patient covered named John. Reading about all these patients is such an emotional experience that in few of the chapters I was almost on the verge of crying. The vulnerability that a human being starts feeling along with a panicky situation with a will to still live makes them so weak and demotivated that they start seeing their Doctor as God, Life Coach, Role Model and what not. The relationship between a Doctor and Patient is so very beautifully covered in this book.

 

Apart from these experiences, author also covers many other knowledge about things associated with death such as the belief different religion and culture has about death. Author has descriptively tried to explain all of it without comparing them with each other. Patel also gives disclaimer when he talks about other religions citing that he might be wrong as he has limited knowledge about it as whatever he knows is only through his patients. How Death and its rituals were given duly importance in history is explained by letting us know about the Egyptian concept of mummification. How embalming became a business scope in America after Civil wars for the purpose of funeral is nicely described. 

 

Then from the knowledge base, book gradually moves into the space of spirituality and I liked how author mentioned about Western culture finding the truth outwards whereas Eastern culture looking for the same inwards and the results turned out to be the same. The concept of meditation is given a light upon and author explains how it can lead to longevity as it actually does same structural changes with our organs. Along with this, author again explains what different religion and culture thinks upon the topic of resurrection, reincarnation and afterlife. It has so much information that you would be surprised to know such detailing. I had read Sadhguru’s Death few months ago where it covered only one practice but here author has talked about different rituals and beliefs which provides little more insights.

 

Talking about the climax of the book, the way Harry leaves us being the protagonist of the book will make you very sad. After reading this book, if you have never taken Cancer patient or any person who is aware of his death seriously, you will start taking so. You will become a big support for them. The kind of attitudinal change the author brings is phenomenal. You will also start seeing Death as just a part of your life rather than an end to it. Yes, this happens.

 

Now talking about the drawbacks- I actually couldn’t find much problem with the book as it only speaks what happens with us. But still I would like to point out few factors. I believe there was more potential for the author to cover when it came to a topic like this. Author could have gone into more spiritual depth in the later part of the book for which I was really looking forward to which I missed. Then, I believe author should have given more brief examples dedicating just one or two paragraphs to a patient and letting us know how many people decided to leave as here, we get to know about 3-4 patients specifically. Some photographs of the patients discussed would have added more personalized effect to the book.

 

Overall, this is a very feel-good book with great insights. I give this book 4.25* out of 5. Please do read it if you want to know what people go through after knowing that the death is closer.

PURCHASE THE BOOK HERE

 

Thanks.

 

WRITING BUDDHA 

The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel (Book Review: 4*/5) !!!

 

41^st Book of 2020!

 

I have always been very scared of anything that gets associated with the subject of Commerce as I couldn’t handle even the basic Accounting subject in my college days. It’s another story that I wasn’t good even in Science which I had got enrolled myself in with my own interest. Therefore, every time, I get a book which claims to make Finance and Money easy, I just grab it. This is what made me pick up the popular book these days about which everyone is talking named “The Psychology of Money” written by Morgan Housel and published by Jaico Publications.

 

The book is divided into 20 different chapters where author has taken us through the logic as to how making money is not only about knowing finance but it is more about the person’s psyche related to it. Author tells how each one of us see money and stock market from our own experiences rather than through Excels and statistics that the Fund managers throw at us. The initial chapters are all about that and I really liked this angle because every time I have gone through a finance-related book, I only get to read jargons and author’s view about them whereas here, author, rather than talking about money and his views is talking about our relationship with money.

 

Author has given many real-life references to keep his points which makes this book a biographical account in many of the chapters. I liked how author also speaks about these real-life figures’ failures as openly as he does about their successes. Author has written every chapter independently yet how he has mapped them with each other in an orderly fashion ties the whole book together very nicely. Another USP of this book is that it not only speaks about money and finances but also about how to lead happy and peaceful life along with it. The way author has clubbed these two different topics from Self-Help genre and put into one book is really appreciable.

 

I enjoyed how author busted many myths so cleverly in simple language that I couldn’t help adoring such lessons and quotes. Like how he says that a person is financially good can’t be determined by the valuables he/she possesses. The book also discusses how historical factors are not considered while forecasting future based on past results. It was an eye-opener for me when author mentioned all the major incidents that has happened in the past which has affected economy like anything which is not considered at all while making future forecasts. Similarly, author named 7-10 individuals who have changed so much for the world that our living style is completely different from the past.

 

In another chapter, author explains how dynamic the concept of money and dealing with it is. It is elaborated giving the example of the most popular book on investment named “The Intelligent Investor” and how author had to change many things he stated with each edition just because the things change and with it, our relationship with money also changes. In the 15^th Chapter, we are introduced to how tough it is for us to hold and sustain the long-term investments and how important it is to maintain it for a secured money gain. Another chapter on seduction of pessimism is my favorite chapter in the book. It discusses how we often overlook the positive news but get attracted towards the negative news which helps fund managers and channels to play with our money.

 

Overall, the book is like a podcast where a person is motivating us and explaining us to not take the money game very seriously as it’s not about the tough calculations but about our psychology how we want to live our life. Different person like and want different things in life hence one rule can’t be applied to all. Hence, author in the very last chapter, tells us simply about what he does with the money which is so easy to understand that you might feel if what we have been hearing all these days has been a false story altogether.

 

Now, talking about the drawbacks, I felt that author has spent most of the time telling us things and problems but not given as much solution as expected from the book from the reader’s point of view. Also, author has mostly given scenarios of USA which might not apply for someone like me based in India. Some chapters are just plain feelings of the author about what people think about something rather than giving some output from it. I believe the book is more about the psychology than finance whereas the cover page claims to talk more about money and the psychology related to it.

 

Overall, this is a very fresh read and I liked this new stuff. I give it 4 stars out of 5. Please read if you wish to know how to go ahead with savings and investment.

PURCHASE THE BOOK HERE

 

Thanks.

 

WRITING BUDDHA 

Main Aryaputra Hoon by Manoj Singh (Hindi Book Review: 4.25*/5) !!!

  

40^th Book of 2020!

 

I generally don’t read Hindi books because it takes me a little longer to finish it. I am a very impatient reader and just can’t see myself stuck with one book for a longer time. Haha! But because I had read one of the books written by Manoj Singh earlier named “Vaidik Sanathan Hindutva”, I thought of picking up another book written by him with a more interesting title and cover page named “Main Aryaputra Hoon”. As I have recently started reading a little more about my religion and culture, I prefer reading Manoj Singh because his contents on this topic are excellent with great insights.

 

Main Aryaputra Hoon can be said to be his best book till now due to its great content and the way he has handled the topic. There are many questions about who the Aryans were and what is their history. There are also many myths related with it which has almost become the true version of the story. Many of us tend to believe that they came from outside and were not primarily from our land. All these myths about Aryans is busted in this book very beautifully. Also, author has tried to take us to our ancient times and made us understand how Aryans are present since the stone age and were even the first civilization of the world. There are many such facts about Aryans which are eye-opening and insightful.

 

Author has chosen a concept like Bhagwad Gita where there are two characters where one seeks answers whereas another one is trying to help her with the facts, realities and answers. I liked this structure a lot as it helps you understand the context of the long explanations and sometimes there is co-incidence when the question asked is something you were also thinking at the same time. Author’s research is very well evident in each and every page. Author doesn’t skip any aspect of this topic and goes deeper into it with each chapter. I am glad that the chapters are small which makes it easy for you to read topic by topic without having to get confused with the length and seriousness of the book.

 

Author has regularly given references of our ancient texts such as Purans, Upanishads, Vedas, Geeta and what not which is again a good practise when you write on such topics as you get compilation from all these great books in one book itself as a reader. It is not easy for every person to go through all these texts hence the effort from the author does wonders for people who aspire to have knowledge from all these books on a specific topic. Author has also emphasized on the fact that the book is not a work of fiction but whatever spoken is a matter of fact which tells about his belief in his work. This 300+ pages book is a very difficult job to execute which I feel author has managed very vividly.

 

Talking about the drawbacks – there aren’t many of them but still there are few points I would like to mention. One, I feel author becomes too critical of people who speaks against the concepts he believes in. This is something I had noticed in the “Vaidik Sanathan Hindutva” and have noticed in this book also. Such great and beautiful topics should only spread positivity through the book. Secondly, few paragraphs that author writes continues for more than a page which makes it visually difficult for the readers to follow and understand the context. Author should work upon writing small paragraphs. Lastly, author’s command on Hindi language is remarkable. I have learnt many new good Hindi words and I must appreciate author for the same. But if author’s agenda is to ensure that his message and information about our culture reaches to as many people as possible, he should tone down his language a bit.

 

Overall, this is a very informative book which you would love reading and sharing the knowledge with your family and friends. I give this 4.25* out of 5.

PURCHASE THE BOOK HERE

 

Thanks.

 

WRITING BUDDHA 

The Accursed God: The Lost Epic by Vivek Dutta Mishra (Book Review: 4*/5) !!!

  

39^th Book of 2020!

 

I have read many books on Mahabharat- the biggest epic in the Universe and I must say that reading it always makes you think about a lot of things – right and wrong – in the epic itself and also about your actions in your life as there are many situations in this epic where you can corelate with your situations. Every book that I have read till date about Mahabharata always started from the birth of Pandu and Dhritarashtra or Pandavas and Kauravas. This is the first time where I got my hands upon a book named “The Accursed God: The Lost Epic” which is written on the character of none other than Bhishma.

 

Frankly speaking, I never knew about Bhishma much except that he was respected by all as I always read about the final War where other characters are dominant. This book speaks about Bhishma’s journey even right before his birth which gives us terrific insights about what all happens long before the war of Mahabharat takes place. This book also talks about how the seeds were planted long back which kept on developing roots of hatred across generations which finally made the world suffer the biggest War of all times. I didn’t even know about Bhisma being the accursed God and how he got the boon of choosing when to die which this book has made me know very well now.

 

The book is written by Vivek Dutta and I must say that the research that the author has gone through to ensure that the book covers several small details which plays prominent part in the epic is worth-applaudable. I don’t think that there are many documents available to know about Bhishma or Devbrata which speaks volume about the efforts that has been put into giving shape to this book.

 

Speaking about few segments specifically which really made me become one with this book:- the first thing that shall always stay with me is the battle between Bhishma and Parshuram- the way it has been narrated makes you imagine as if the same is happening in front of your eyes and you realize the power of the clash between the titans. Another scene that author does justice is with the character of Amba which tells a lot about how powerful women were even in those days.

 

The book finally comes into action when the character of Chitrangad becomes king and starts dominating the things which makes even Bhishma take oath which surprises everyone- even this scene has been handled very well by the author. The few initial conversations between Shri Krishna and Bhisma are mesmerizing as knowing and reading about Shri Krishna is always enjoyable. The last chapters which tells about how Mathura is conquered by Pandu which irritates kings from other regions is again a great read which gives the book a nice closure. Along with this, I am also glad about how author has been able to include the tale of other regions such as Anga, Yaksha, Gorkha, Magadh, Gandhar, Mathura, Apar Kunti etc. and their respective kings and generations.

 

Now, talking about the drawbacks- when a book is written about a story or epic which consists of more than 10 characters and speaking about this one, it has lot many characters- the first thing I expect is a family chart on the 1^st page for the ease of readers to recollect when they read book in breaks. Secondly, when the plot has battle between different regions etc., then the ancient Indian map shall also need to be the part of the book. Both these factors are missing from the book. I believe author has not given nice backdrop on Pandu and Dhritarashtra’s childhood days as you find them grown up quite soon. Similarly, a great character Amba is not discussed after a while at all.

 

I also feel as this is just first part of a big series, I believe the book should have been edited well as I believe author has gone into details even in those segments where it wasn’t needed that kind of elaboration. The book could have been easily 100-150 pages less as a book of 400-500 pages is tough for a reader to go through. Also, somewhere, I wanted the book to end with another conversation between Bhishma and Shree Krishna but I missed it. The book also consists of typos as even the names of characters are spelled differently at many instances.

 

Except the above few points, overall, this book is a great read in terms of knowing the character of Bhishma and how characters played with each other due to which the dynamics got built around them which led to certain scenarios later on in next generations which led to the War of Mahabharat. I give this book 4 stars out of 5.

PURCHASE THE BOOK HERE

Thanks.

 

WRITING BUDDHA 

Past Dwellers by Samridh Seth (Book Review: 3.75*/5) !!!

 

38^th Book of 2020

 

I have read two thrillers – psychological and romantic back to back after which I needed a non-fiction book to open my perspective again. It happens when you read too much of fiction you start behaving like those characters sometimes hence it’s necessary to get back to reality as soon as possible. And what a nice light motivating and self-help book I landed upon- the book is named “Past Dwellers” written by a first-time author, Samridh Seth, who has just touched 20 years of age. A tagline also goes along with the title of the book that says “Change your mindset to change your life”. The cover page is very attractive with neurons working in a human brain over a white cover page with the title of the book shining in the black font.

 

This 110-pages book is a short self-help book which you can complete within 1 to 1.5 hours. It is divided into short chapters of around 3-4 pages along with diagrammatical representations which makes it interesting for the readers as we get a chance to get into the author’s mind completely. Samridh has used his own past experiences in order to share with us how he was wrong at that point of time and what he learnt from it. He also shares several real-life examples and also quotes wordings of some popular personalities in order to prove his points. You will acknowledge everything the author says. There are many mature statements in the book which really moved me even when the author is just 20 years old and me having experience of reading so many books in this genre.

 

Author talks on various topics such as humility, importance of time management, trying various activities to be prepared to get into any of them in bad times, money management, stock marketing, dreams, goals, body management – working-out, meditation – working on the mind, friendships etc. I liked the approach of the author the way he has used references and metaphors to make his concepts interesting and distinct such as Palm trees, pyramid etc. One can talk on any topic that Seth has included in the book for 100 pages but he stays focused on the topic by only mentioning worthy sentences and ensuring that he covers the most within 3-4 pages itself.

 

Samridh has written this book in a very easy language which can be read and understood by a school-going kid as well as an adult. Another USP is that every age-group shall be able to learn something out of the book irrespective of the author’s age. I also liked the flow of the chapters where author didn’t spend much time in talking about himself or his experiences but immediately moved on to the topic. You can easily finish this book within a sitting itself. There are many quotes that you would want to keep with you which can definitely motivate you.

 

Now, talking about the drawbacks- the first one is the pricing of the book which is around 345 INR. I doubt if many readers can afford a 100-page book for such a big amount. Secondly, I felt that author cut-short many topics where there could have been more elaboration or explanation. For e.g. Author talks about managing mind but how it needs to be done is not helped with. There are many such instances.

 

Overall, this is a fine and positive read. I give this book 3.75* out of 5. Such an experienced writing from the author at this young age was really a surprise for me.

PURCHASE THE BOOK HERE!!!

 

Thanks.

 

WRITING BUDDHA 

You Never Know by Akash Verma (Book Review: 4.5*/5) !!!

  

37^th Book of 2020!

 

Reading books back to back by the same author sometimes can be an excellent or worst experience. It also depends on the sequence in which you pick up the books. I am just done reading Akash Verma’s “You Never Know” whereas I had completed one of his other books 2 days back itself. This 216-pages book is published by Penguin and hence I had little more expectations than usual. And I am glad that I really loved the story and so much that I woke up till 2 AM last night after a hectic day at office just because I couldn’t keep the book aside. And luckily, this book was far better than the book of Verma I read before this.

 

“You Never Know” is a romantic thriller and I must say it completely does justice to the genre. I liked how the author keeps the balance of everything – the family life, the extra-marital affair, the thrilling part, the sexual scenes, the professional discussion etc. that each of them is put in the right amount in the book. I must also applaud the editing team as well for this. In 216 pages, writing a story with 3 prominent characters and able to do justice to all of them along with the thrilling aspect of the story is done very crisply and up-to-the-mark. Not even once did I feel that any sentence has been framed out of the context.

 

The narration can’t be called fast-paced but it’s at a pace where you feel convenient but still, there’s a feeling that you are on a roller-coaster ride. Author has used 3 people who speak in their own voices- the protagonist, Dhruv, his extra-marital girlfriend- Anuradha and her ex-bf, Sid. It is so very well done that you relate to all of them and can feel the genuineness and darkness in each of them. You don’t know if what they are doing or what they did was actually wrong or the societal morality makes one feels so. I also liked the romance part of the book where Dhruv and Anuradha simultaneously displays their emotions from man and woman point of view considering that one of them is already married. This dilemma is very well played by the author throughout the book.

 

The way author plays with timelines and brings some old characters back into the tale is done so seamlessly that you don’t feel that you are moving back and forth with the timeline. I liked how author just didn’t mention few things from a high-level point of view but went deeper into it. For e.g. the marketing team’s job where they have to give a demo to crack a client, the pressure one feels after being promoted, the curiosity for the 1^st task given in a new job irrespective of your previous experiences, the guilt when one is in extra-marital affair, the toughness of building a start-up in India where you have to get funds from others, the parent’s view regarding their child who unlike their peer are questing to be an entrepreneur than a corporate employee etc. Many such factors are beautifully discussed and handled.

 

Now talking about the drawbacks of the book- Well, to be frank, the last book of Akash that I completed 2 days back was been rated 3.25* by me which disappointed me as I have earlier rated him as high as 4.5*. But this time he has again delivered well up to his best capabilities hence there isn’t much that I have to say. I only have to make an observation that when author moved back to the timeline he mentioned the year whereas when in the next chapter, he again comes to the current time, it isn’t mentioned which I think should be mentioned. Though it’s self-explanatory after reading but still. Again, I feel that the thrilling part needs to be little more tough with great twists and turns which is again missing though I still believe that the book is a great page-turner where you want to know what happens next and as well as in the end.

 

Overall, this is a very well-written book and it can be read by anyone- beginners or people deeply into reading. I give this book an excellent 4.5* out of 5. Though this book is complete in its own sense but the sequel of the same is about to release in early 2021 for which I am equally excited to know what more happens with these characters. Well done, Akash!

PURCHASE THE BOOK BY CLICKING HERE ON DISCOUNT

 

Thanks.

 

WRITING BUDDHA 

The Best Friend by Akash Verma (Book Review: 3.25*/5) !!!

 

36^th Book of 2020!

 

Akash Verma has been in the literary space since last 10 years. Out of the 5 books that he has written till date, I had read the 2 of them long back and really liked his writing skills. This made me purchase another book written by him in the Amazon e-book sales named “The Best Friend” which I have ended up reading within a day. The 184-pages book is the first by the author which has been published in the Kindle edition only. The book is based on a thriller concept which involves the story of two friends – Nakul and Samir – a secret that binds them together and changes their lives forever – and then a Murder which brings them back together after 30 years.

The plot chosen by the author is a great premise on which a promising thriller can be designed. Akash does the same but rather than keeping the book purely on an investigation-based format, he is keener to tell us the story in his own old ways than keeping the book focused on the murder and bringing with it- multiple twists and turns. Author takes the two timelines – the childhood of both the main characters and their present life after 30 years simultaneously. It becomes confusing initially but later on, you start enjoying both the plots. The real aggravation to the plot of the story begins with the introduction of the character- Sandhya. The way she has been handled gives a boom to the story that was needed as it becomes boring after sometime knowing about the regular life of Nakul and his daughter- Anna.

 

Author talks about many factors in this book which needs to be understood between the lines. How the psychic of a child gets affected for life with just one event of bullying in school that it never leaves him/her even after they are in their adulthood. Author has portrayed this very well through the story which is a very critical topic that needs to be spoken about. Akash also concentrates upon how friendship is a two-way handshake and one shouldn’t end up stooping down for a one-sided friendship - rather move on.

 

Verma also tries to establish the lifestyle of a single father and how parenting becomes difficult without the support of both the partners. How a married woman has to suffer for her husband’s past is also conveyed very appropriately which is what gives this book a high point at many junctions. Author has spoken in different voices throughout the story which makes it easy for us to understand the perspective of everyone. It has also made the story exciting along with making us realize how each and every character is flawed but yet genuine.

 

Now talking about the drawbacks of the book – I felt that the childhood part becomes very boring after a while due to the same thing happening in every chapter – Samir trying to get closer to Nakul whereas Nakul using him only for his selfish means. Also, why Nakul does so is never explained. Secondly, I felt that the relationship between Nakul and his daughter Anna could have been written with little more charm where there are jokes and friendly bonding between the two but what father actually feels when the child talks immaturely isn’t described in the way I was expecting.

 

Thirdly, the author couldn’t create the thrilling moments whenever he reveals any secret or brings some twist and turns. It has been done quite plainly. Similar goes for pre-climax when the truth is out. As a story, this book does fine and makes you smile and even feel lump in your throat but as a thriller, it couldn’t achieve the jackpot that it should have with the kind of plot it was based upon. I give this book 3.25* out of 5.

PURCHASE THE BOOK HERE

 

Thanks.

 

WRITING BUDDHA