~~Book I read~~

I m writing this post after reading a great book based on a true story,a book which inspires you,a book which ascertains there are still wonderful people who make the world a better place .A book which thrashes all prejudice which Westerners had about Pakistan and Afghanistan. A book chosen as required reading by US military and Pentagon.



"Three cups of tea" is based on the life of Greg Mortenson who is on a mission to climb Mount K2 but it ends up in a failure,little he would have known he would be dedicating his life in climbing an even higher mountain- to keep bringing education hope and changes of better life to the children of Pakistan and then Afghanistan. While climbing down he loses his way and wanders into a poor remote village weak and tired.The village people take care of him and he rejuvenates there. Now he wants to do something back to the village.He finds that the village doesn't have any schools and he plans to build one. He goes back to America raises fund with great difficulty and comes back to village but finds that village people need a bridge first to connect to the world before a school.Now begins his journey between US and Pakistan,he builds 60 more schools in the region there by giving education to more than 10000 people in that part of the world. Once Taliban was overthrown in Afghanistan he moves there to continue his mission.

I got goosebumps at many places while reading this book,the time when the first educated woman from the village he built school comes out with flying colors and wishes to become a doctor,with a single goal to go back to her village and build a hospital in her area.Haji Ali,the desperate old man and Greg's mentor helping Greg despite all odds and getting things done for the sake of his village.Touching speech by Syed after New york attacks. The list goes on. A wonderful read altogether.

PS: When I ordered this book via flipkart, little did I realise I selected young readers edition of the same,anyways I enjoyed it a lot more with more pictures :)

~~Book I read~~

When I was in British Council last weekend ,a funky book cover caught my attention and went through few pages and my instinct said it should be a good book. I took it home and finished it at a stretch. "More than love letters" by Rosy Thornton is one the kind.



Its a story of an young woman Margaret who writes about the problems faced in her constituency to her MP. And incidents happen around that changes her life. The highlight of the novel its fully written in series of letters addressing to individuals.So the novel goes on describing series of events which had happened and how it happened. As the title says its not only the letters between the hero and heroine. Like there are letters from Margaret to her friend and vice versa ,to her granny and vice versa, MP's letter to his mentor and so on. Each letter is written from the character's own perspective and slowly adds pace to the novel. Some funny letters,some sarcastic,some telling the problem faced by men and some by women.For each letter we feel as if we fit on their shoes.

Margaret's granny enjoys reading her grand daughter's letter again and again saying , phone conversation cannot be recorded but letters can be reread at any time. There are times when one can make bold statements in the letter than talking with face to face.Finally novel end with letter on why letters are important in this electronic era as a hand written message will really touch the heart than a digital one. A different novel altogether,felt good after reading it.

~~Book I read~~

There will be treasures hidden inside the pile of garbage, same is true for books,last week I was driving via Egmore when a grand discount Sale board for books caught my eyes. I stopped and went inside ,there was a big pile was books and whatever we pick was 50 bucks. There were lots of books most of which of can be used to get good sleep once we read two or three pages and then use it as a pillow. I took two books keeping in mind that only when I finish those two I will get anyother book.



The book I read first was "A Golden Age" written by Tahmima Anam a Bangladeshi author and it was her debut novel. A golden age for a country is the time when it free from the clutches of foreign power and identifies itself individual country. A time where all her people are united with one goal one aim and one struggle. The youngster who drive the revolution from unknown parts of the country using some innovative techniques with little resources they have.

Golden Age wonderfully depicts a story of a woman who decides to settle in Dhaka after her husbands death,she is not interested to goto Pakistan where her sisters live but continues to live there and raise her children. Story goes on how her two children are affected by the events taking place in the country and joining the freedom struggle.How much efforts she had to make from her end to prove her loyalty to the place she lived. A good novel with touches our heart at many places also gives a Bangladeshi prospective of their freedom struggle and not just a Indo Pak war.

PS: I did check the price at flipkart later and was feeling lucky at the price I got it.

Book I read..

After seeing China from the Indian border at Nathu La, I was eager to learn more about it. A country which reinvented itself over the span of 25 years which takes enough care that negative things about it never reaches its own people.

KG sent me a mail two weeks back

Sri - i heard from one of my net-friend that this book is excellent. It's all about life in china, written by Pallavi Iyer. I knew the author and have read her columns regularly in Hindu. She was there for 5 years. Now i think she moved over to...(forget the country!).

“Smoke and Mirrors: An Experience of China”

Read it and tell me, how it is!“Smoke and Mirrors: An Experience of China”Read it and tell me, how it is!"

I immediately booked a copy from flipkart and got it delivered within two days. Flipkart has really changed the way I buy books making it much simpler easier and time saving one.

Coming to the book it broke all perceptions I had about China , there were lots of new information which were unique and thought provoking. The book had 12 chapters ranging from the makeover happened during the Beijing Olympics 2008 to train to Tibet launched in 2006. Apart from that the book was filled with funny perceptions Chinese have, common English errors people there make, the Chinese style of thinking,their devotion to work etc.

The chapter I liked the most was " The factory of the world" which gives a clear pictures on how industrialization took major leap during the later part of the 20th century. How all people in a unheard village called as Huaxi are millionaires only by depending on trade. In spite of the strict government regimes the people of the village found a way to come out of it and built their own empire. Its not a top down approach but rather a bottom up approach.

Reading about Tibet is something which I was looking forward and the author has dedicated a whole chapter to it.Finally a chapter comparing India and China, pin pointing the advantages and disadvantages both the countries has.Indians always use to compare themselves with China,its very difficult to reach their but not impossible,

A good,funny and informative read !

Book I read..

Last week I went to landmark my usual hangout spot whenever I get bored, this time I was looking for books which were written with some amount of humour at the same time gives some useful info. I got four books titles given below.
a)Welcome to advertising now get lost
b)Project management-A comedy of errors (planning to give to my PL ;))
c)Rigged
d)The Mahatma and the Monkeys

Over this week I completed reading the book about advertising ,it was written by a young chap named Omkar Sane. What I liked was his style of writing Sarcastic and cruel to the core such that he ensures that he never gets ajob in Ad world again.

Book takes us through a normal process which happens in the ad world but how things get messed up in each and every stage and also how the designated people prove their authority over each other. There are places where you feel pity for the people working in the ad world. Its pretty difficult task to write a book with filled with humour from beginning to end,mocking each and every process,clients,managers,artist etc,I never felt bored at any stage.It really needs some guts to write a book like this .

I recommend this to people who really want to have some good laugh.

PS: Krishna if you by any chance read this Blogpost do get this book!!!

Book I read..

Last week I read a book titled True stories from India s BPO and call centers, which is a collection of incidents happened in that industry over the past few years. Even though IT revolutionised India during late nineties ,it was the BPO industry which created job opportunities in plenty at every levels from graduates,English speaking trainers,cab drivers,caterers,security guards etc .




Book deals about incidents happened during the wee work hours , office politics, wild parties, well networked cabbie drivers. Each one is different from other which makes it little interesting. I have linked a sample story here. All in all it was a good time pass.

The book I read...

Two weeks before I got this book in Landmark, with a catchy punchline 'a pleasure read for ages between 19-39'. Since I was searching for pleasure for sometime,I got the book. I read those chapters slowly and steadily one chapter per day ,so that my pleasure could last a long time. I finished this book today ,it was humorous and thought provoking one,giving bizarre suggestions on how to tackle some common problems which occur in day to day life.

All those ideas are narrated by Kuttapan according to the author was ruined by the over-engineered intelligence of our education system, who sees every situation in life from a completely different perspective. There were few funny suggestions on how to tackle forwards which spam your inbox or how to make use of credit card profitably,deal with girl friends. Apart from that good observation about how cricket sentiments are fluctuated in our country and how a product is marketed in the country. I enjoyed the last three chapters on how to tackle Indian traffic where Kutthapan challenges formula 1 drivers to drive in Mumbai traffic.
In one chapter detailed analysis is given why its better to watch first day first show of Rajini s movie instead of going to Tajmahal. description of the scene where is which Rajini lites the cigarette with throwing his match and cigarette is hilarious. Finally book ends with how to make your work life happy.
As suggested in the punchline its a pleasure to read it.

Book I read..

Last week I read 'A Thousand Splendid Suns' by Khaled Hosseini. This was his second novel Im reading after kite runner. Trademarks in his novels are the realism,bitterness,struggle involved in day to day life of the Afganistan people,a country which has been ravished by wars for more than 30 years.



This novel involves around two women from different parts of Afganistan. Their lives meet when get married to a same person due to different circumstances.Novel takes through 40 years of Afgan history where we see monoarchy getting thrown,Russian occupation,jihadis chasing away Russians,occupation of Taliban and finally overthrowing of Taliban.
The books title got its name from a famous 17th century poem of the Persian poet Saib-e-Tabrizi called Kabul.

Ah! How beautiful is Kabul encircled by her arid mountains
And Rose, of the trails of thorns she envies
Her gusts of powdered soil, slightly sting my eyes
But I love her, for knowing and loving are born of this same dust

My song exhalts her dazzling tulips
And at the beauty of her trees, I blush
How sparkling the water flows from Pul-I Bastaan!
May Allah protect such beauty from the evil eye of man!

Khizr chose the path to Kabul in order to reach Paradise
For her mountains brought him close to the delights of heaven
From the fort with sprawling walls, A Dragon of protection
Each stone is there more precious than the treasure of Shayagan

Every street of Kabul is enthralling to the eye
Through the bazaars, caravans of Egypt pass
One could not count the moons that shimmer on her roofs
And the thousand splendid suns that hide behind her walls

Her laughter of mornings has the gaiety of flowers
Her nights of darkness, the reflections of lustrous hair
Her melodious nightingales, with passion sing their songs
Ardent tunes, as leaves enflamed, cascading from their throats

And I, I sing in the gardens of Jahanara, of Sharbara
And even the trumpets of heaven envy their green pastures

(hope the good old time come back for that country)

Book will definitely melt one's heart and will make us look Afganistan from a different eye.

Book I read...

I got Six suspects by Vikas Swarup from the local library ,author of Q&A(popularly known as Slumdog Millionaire). Once again Vikas proved his extraordinary story telling which never makes you to keep the novel down.

One good thing about Indian authors is we can easily connect to what they are conveying,few words phrases can be cherished only if you are Indian.And coming back to the novel its about a murder and they have six suspects a politician,thief,actress,tribal,govt Officer and an foreigner. Each have their own story and it takes quality time and effort to complete that novel without any loose ends.
Hats Off to Vikas ,hope this will also be taken as movie!

The book I read..

If you were given one more day with your dead parent, would you be brave enough to accept it.For one more day by Mitch Albom is about it. It mainly deals with human emotions,what one has done with is life making us think in a different way.I have read two other books by him ,Tuesday with Morrie and Five people you meet in heaven.

In this book Charlie is on the verge of commiting sucide. When he goes to his old home where he used to live in the childhood, he meets his mother who supposed to dead eight years ago. The story unfolds about how his mother influenced his life and how he could not live upto her expectations.If he had one chance to talk to his mother what would it be. It was a good read ,relationship between the son and mum is well expressed.Its not as heavy as his other two books but still touches your heart!