Tales from the Himalayas by Priyanka Pradhan (Book Review: 3.5*/5) !!!

 

44^th Book of 2020

 

There is something about anthologies that just doesn’t allow me to go towards it but I picked the book “Tales from the Himalayas” because of the word “Himalayas” in its title. It has been a long time since I wish to go to the mountain and explore the meaning of life like several yogis. This book is a collection of 17 short stories written by an award-winning authoress- Priyanka Pradhan in around 157 pages. To start with, I must say, Rupa Publications have surprised me with little elements that they have added to make this book look special. The title and first initial of all the chapters are represented in red font with attractive styling. Similarly, all the chapters have an artwork associated with it which gives power to your imagination.

 

Talking about the stories, they are of the kind which generally grandparents tell it to their grandchildren while sitting alone. And that is the reason, in every story, you will somewhere find the magic of Ruskin Bond or Sudha Murthy or Rudyard Kipling. The order in which the stories are arranged is done very wittingly as you will find the stories getting better with each of them with few exceptions. The stories are based in the mountains and some of them really make you feel as if you are there itself and enjoying the aesthetics of the location yourself. Even when the stories are sweet and simple, they are able to resonate with you and make you enjoy them.

 

As I started this review with, the stories are based in Himalayas hence there are chapters which specifically talks about factors such as fierce Himalayan predators, poisonous snakes, scorpion and even the hostile tribes in Tibet. Author also mentions the famous “Chipko” movement in a story which was initiated by Gaura Devi in the village of Reni in Garhwal, Uttarakhand in 1974. In the latter part of the book, in one of the stories, author throws a light on Choliya dancers about whom I wasn’t aware before reading this book. Similarly, there are many such elements which are covered somewhere here and there in most of the stories.

 

Talking specifically about few chapters, “The Snow Leopard” tells us how animals also gives back the kindness if we are kind to them. The “Mischievous Teeth” chapter is very funny and I really enjoyed reading it. The climax of it was such a surprise. “The Villain” is an eye-opener for few of us as it speaks about how body-shaming affects a school girl but the way author took it towards positive ending is commendable. “The Biggest Gift” is also a very inspirational chapter where author talks about greed along with ensuring that the culture of wearing “Nath” in the Himalayas also goes together with it. Finally, the chapter “A Night in the Dark Forest” talks about my favorite topic i.e. meditation and its power. My favourite chapter has been “Pilgrimage” which describes how a traveling experience can teach us things from small incidents which can shape our mindset and lifestyle.

 

Now, talking about the drawbacks, from the title of the book, I had expected stories on people who go to Himalayas and get fascinated by its beauty and spiritual aspect of it but this is more about the locale already residing up there. Hence, in few chapters, you will find few chapters which are just normal short stories which has almost nothing to do with Himalayas. I felt mainly why Himalayas is a fascinating topic for us is because of the yogis and power that gets developed there but except one chapter, none of them talks about it. Lastly, all the stories are predictable which didn’t go well with me.

 

Other than the above points, this book will be loved by all- children and adults as there are points with which everyone can relate with. I give this book a fine attempt 3.5 stars out of 5.

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Thanks.

 

WRITING BUDDHA 

The Disappointing 5 by Bobanga (Book Review: 3.5*/5) !!!

43^rd Book of 2020!

 

So, the festival of Diwali turned out to be great irrespective of the precautions and measures that we had to undertake due to the spread of pandemic around us. Every year, on Diwali, along with decorating my home, I also assure that I end up reading a little as this is the day when Goddess Lakshmi is expected to visit our home. And as we know, Goddess Lakshmi comes only where Goddess Saraswati is respected and adored. So, this time I completed reading the book named “The Disappointing 5” written by the debutante, Bobanga. This book is of around 240 pages and it is all about the teenage stories which are not published often these days.

 

The book talks about the lives of five teenagers who are also very briefly introduced in the synopsis of the book as well- Akash Malhotra, Dhruv Kapoor, Sunayna Mahapatra, Bindya Shah and Robin Alberto. All of them have some kind of secret or some pain that they keep hidden with themselves without sharing it with anyone – even with their best friend. This is what makes each of these characters interesting and make them protagonist in their own way. After a long time, I have landed upon a book which has characters formed and played so well that you will find each one of them having their own identity and none of them get overshadowed due to over exposure given to any other character.

 

I must say, characterization is the strength of this book which keeps you hooked to it as a reader. How all of them are fighting their inner battles talks about the kind of stress and mental health issues the modern kids have to deal with. This is more of a contemporary issue than just a story as every day, you will find teenagers and schoolkids taking extreme action due to the burden of their inner battles.

 

The book also talks about many issues or concerns towards which we should give our attention. The book starts with a girl describing her pain as to how everyone sees her just as an object and keeps her name only because she is beautiful and she has to say NO to multiple proposals she get in her school. How a boy gets bullied by a strong boy after his sexual orientation of being gay gets revealed. How painful it becomes for the person to live each day with a fear that what if this gets revealed. Also, the fight against parent’s view about this is another challenge which is also spoken in depth later on. The trauma of getting pregnant before marriage and legal age is also mentioned which I am sure must be happening with teenagers these days.

 

The book also highlights how children’s psychic gets affected because of the environment at home. How the role of parents and their toxic relationship among themselves or with child affects the whole mentality of the kid and shapes their character. In one of the chapters, we are also told as to how the patriarchy dissolves the whole aspiration of the women after marriage and she has to literally beg in front of her husband to be able to do something of her own will. The book also gives us light upon the issue of child trafficking and how it transforms the whole maturity level of the story in the book is applaudable. I am glad to see the author’s maturity in embedding this social issue with the story and basing the whole anti-climax and climax with it. Reading the whole part was such a roller-coaster experience.

 

The narration of the book is very simple and you won’t feel any difficulty in going through the story. The language is very simple and this shall be good choice for all the beginners to start their reading journey with. The 1^st half of the book is a completely teenage thing which school and college going crowd will surely like whereas the 2^nd half is more about the thrilling aspect which is interesting for people of all the age group. The latter part of the book is actually a page-turner and you would want to know what happens next. Author has written the same in very Bollywood-ish manner including the climax but as a desi, it worked for me as my imagination levels were breaking the roof time and again. Haha!

 

Now talking about the drawbacks of the book – I must say the biggest flaw of the book is its typos, grammatical mistakes and editing. You will find many such incidences which shall make your reading experience irritating at times. Secondly, the binding is done in such a way that you will find it tough to read the left-hand pages as last word of the sentences gets hidden in it. Story-wise, the book is fine and I believe author could have done more with the dysfunctional arrangements of the families which is not considered much even though it is one of the pointers in the synopsis.

 

Overall, this is a fine attempt and you can pick it up if you want to read something light yet effective. I give this book 3.5 stars out of 5.

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Thanks.

 

WRITING BUDDHA 

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.

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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.

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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.

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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