Hack into your creativity by author Michael Burns

Book: Hack into your Creativity

Author: Michael Burns

Publisher: Penguin Books, Penguin Randomhouse, Penguin group.

ISBN : 978 0670090105

American Michael Burns is a university teacher, writing coach, actor, editor and storyteller. He has a BA from Georgetown University, an MS from UMass Amherst, and holds a PhD in documentary film history from the University of Birmingham in the UK. He has directed five films for international television and his work has been seen in over twenty countries. He moved to India in 2011, and founded Tall Tales, the country's longest-running, live storytelling event series. He also conducts popular writing workshops around India. 

Everyone of us has a tale, a story that only we know best and can tell it with emotions, humor, insights. And yet when we pick up the pen , our words are stymied. We are unable to put it into a coherent narrative, into a style, that tells the tale to a reader sitting far away, in a different country, in the same passion and style that we narrate it. You know this feeling well. I certainly do !!!

This book holds your hand and takes you through the initial jitters to how to get the narrative going, how to get the creative juices to flow through your pencil. How to get a story and its subplots to stick together.

This book is divided into various segments : Character building, Genre, Integration, What next , Everyday magic, and on and on. It literally teaches you how to build a story. That same story, that you know the best, all your life, and yet it is stifled inside you.

If you’re a veteran of writing prompts from the Internet or newspapers, you will find comfort in familiar formats right next to brand new ones. So challenge yourself with types of prompts that you’ve never seen before and discover writing interests and abilities that you didn’t even know you had! Whether you are a casual flash-fiction author, scriptwriter, non-fictioneer or branding executive, this book will set your creativity on fire. Be a story alchemist. Transform your writing. And above all, have fun doing it!

The biggest laurel for this book is, a young reader of 11 years of age, who helps me write the kiddy books on my blog, picked it up and read it for some minutes and said “Wow, just the way you are teaching me to blog, this book is teaching me how to write”. And that young budding author, has since then picked this book up thrice and sat down to read it !!!

The 80:20 Manager by author Richard Koch

Book: The 80:20 Manager
Author: Richard Koch (www.richardkoch.net )
Publisher: Hacehette (www.hachette.co.uk )
ISBN : 978-0-7499-5925-8

The book The 80:20 Manager is the latest by author Richard Koch. This is his sequel to his bestselling book The 80:20 Principle. This book is written for managers to better manage their professional as well as personal lives. As the author asks pertinently on the cover jacket:  Do you feel overwhelmed by an overflowing inbox? Are you constantly struggling to complete your to-do list? Do you stay at work loner than you would like and feel as though you never spend time on the things that really matter?
In the Part One  the author asks you to decide whether you fall into the category of a stressed overworked manager, with the help of a quiz. Then he goes on to name the 80:20 principle. Small number of events give rise to majority of the consequences. OR very few things matter at all but those that do matter enormously. Just 20% of the events in your work life matter at all but give rise to 80% of the outputs. The author goes on to show, how applying the 80:20 principle, Steve Jobs saved Apple from insolvency. The author also explains how the 80:20 principle evolved  and how the study of wealth distribution over 16^th to 18^th to present century revealed pretty similar patterns.

So the core of the book is: Focus on the really important 20% tasks that shall give you the 80% output.

In Part Two of the book the author goes on to define 10 guidelines/ways  that could help you become to 80:20 Manager. Way 1 : The Investigative Manager. Have a questioning mind, understand your product, understand your customer. Way2 : The Superconnecting Manager. In business, connections do matter. Increase your radius of influence…… and so on and so forth.

I shall not try and spoil your fun by revealing all the secrets of this book.

The 80:20 principle will help you: *Put in fewer hours, yet never be short of time *Learn to focus on the issues that really matter *Achieve exceptional results by working less hard * Feel successful everyday.

A must buy for our young generation of upcoming Managers and CEOs.

How to ruin your Love Life by author Ben Stein

Book: How to ruin your Love life

Author: Ben Stein

Publisher: Hay House (www.hayhouse.com )

ISBN 1-4019-0240-5

The book: How to ruin your love life by author Ben Stein can be classified as Black Humour, Satire, Wit.

This book is Not to ruin your love life, but to improve your love life. But what the author does is gives your prime examples of what you should do, how you should act, how to behave like a total ass in various scenarios IF you want to end your love life, break your relationship.  And then the author sardonically exhorts you to avoid these pitfalls and to improve your love life in 44 steps. For example some of the chapters of “how to ruin your love life” are : “Know that your wishes are the only ones that matter in any situation”, “Compare your lover with lovers you’ve dated in the past”, “Talk about yourself exclusively”…..

You get the gist? ….Right? …..If you don’t, then you are a prime example of that group of  Homosapiens that should Not be reading this book.

So if you hate your girlfriend, think your boyfriend is a nerd, your love life bores you, then go ahead and buy this book and learn how to ruin your love life……or not.

Introduction to Vedanta by Swami Dayanand Saraswati

Book: Introduction to Vedanta

Author: Swami Dayanand Saraswati

Publisher :Vision Books & Shri Gangadhareshwar Trust (Phone :Rishikesh : 0135-430769)  ( www.sastraprakasika.org )

ISBN 81-7094-289-6

Swami Dayanand Saraswati is a living enlightened human being. He is well versed in the Vedas and Upaniishads and also has a grasp of the modern world, sciences and society. His discourses are structured to suit the modern life and individual and yet adhere to the immutable fundamentals of atma and moksha.

Vedanta is a Sanskrit word and means the Knowledge of the self, found in the Upanishads at the end of the Vedas. Hence the term Vedanta.

Man is continuously in pursuit of some mirage and chasing some unspecified ‘happpiness’ which always eludes him, even after attainment of object of lust …. Or the happiness is impermamnent. And yet there are moments and instances of happiness without bounds and limitation.

This limitlessness and completeness is called moksha or the realization of the atma. This is the basis of Sanatana Dharma ( a philosophy) which is loosely (and falsely) called as Hinduism.

All pursuits of security and pleasure by man are bound to fail as they are directed to the attainment of an object which in itself is ephemeral and temporary or flawed. Plus there is an inherent misunderstanding or ignorance of the fundamental problem or the ever existent solution. Therefore the result of an ignorant and misdirected effort is bound to meet with disappointments.

Vedanta introduces you to the vast subject of Veda and Sanatana Dharma. First you have to understand your malady to understand and accept the cure.

Swami Dayanand Saraswati is very lucid and precise with his words and thoughts and is able to convey the intricacies of our Upanishads in a very clear fashion and language.

A must read for any person wishing to understand the basis of Sanatana Dharma ……. Or Hinduism.

In fact I recommend each and every book of Shri Dayanand Saraswati for his clarity of thought and his precise knowledge about your quest towards finding Moksha or Atma.

With much humility and taking the excuse of my ignorance, I find some of his books and thoughts very repetitive. But the Truth is just one and hence is bound to be repetitive.   Please persevere in your quest for ultimate truth. 

The discourses of Swami Dayananda Saraswati are in English. Available on audio CDs.

How to ruin your life by author Ben Stein

Book: How to ruin your Life

Author: Ben Stein

Publisher: Hay House (www.hayhouse.com )

ISBN 1-56170-974-3

The book: How to ruin your life by author Ben Stein can be classified as Black Humour, Satire, Wit.

This book is Not to ruin your life, but to improve your life. But what the author does is gives your prime examples of what you should do, how you should act, how to behave like a total ass in various scenarios IF you want to ruin and debase your life, break your security.  And then the author sardonically exhorts you to avoid these pitfalls and to improve your life in 35 steps. For example some of the chapters of “how to ruin your life” are : “Criticize early and often”, “Use drugs and alcohol freely..you are macho”  “Fight the good fight…over everything”…..

You get the gist? …..Right?..... If you don’t, then you are a prime example of that group of  Homosapiens that should Not be reading this book.

So if you hate your life, think your life sucks, your life seems dreary and lonely, then go ahead and buy this book and learn how to ruin your life……or not.

Vivekacudamani by Swami Dayanand Saraswati

Book: Vivekacudamani

Author: Swami Dayanand Saraswati

Publisher : Shri Gangadhareshwar Trust (Rishikesh : Phone: India 0135-430769) ( www.sastraprakasika.org )

Swami Dayanand Saraswati is a living enlightened human being. He is well versed in the Vedas and Upaniishads and also has a grasp of the modern world, sciences and society. His discourses are structured to suit the modern life and individual and yet adhere to the immutable fundamentals of atma and moksha.

Vivekacudamani is an ancient treatise. Vivekacudamani is a book addressed to the jignasu (one seeking knowledge) who desires to become a mumukshu (one seeking liberation) and desires to attain Moksha (liberation) which being an attribute of atma (soul) is therefore already attained and just to be understood.

Vivekacudamani is a collection of 108 verses selected from the Upanishads. The Lord was the creator of the 4 Vedas. The Upanishads are the treatises of various saints upon what they thought was relevant or important from these Vedas. Hence each Upanishad usually carries the name of its creator saint. This is the basis of Sanatana Dharma ( a philosophy) which is loosely (and falsely) called as Hinduism.

Any Indian sage or spiritual Guru worth his salt has written a treatise upon the Vivekacudamani.

Swami Dayanand Saraswati is very lucid and precise with his words and thoughts and is able to convey the intricacies of our Upanishads in a very clear fashion and language.

A must read for any person wishing to understand the basis of Sanatana Dharma ……. Or Hinduism.

In fact I recommend each and every book of Shri Dayanand Saraswati for his clarity of thought and his precise knowledge about your quest towards finding Moksha or Atma.

With much humility and taking the excuse of my ignorance, I find some of his books and thoughts very repetitive. But the Truth is just one and hence is bound to be repetitive.   Please persevere in your quest for the ultimate truth. 

The discourses of Swami Dayananda Saraswati are in English. Available on audio CDs.

Talks with Shri Ramana Maharshi

Book: Talks with Shri Ramana Maharshi

Author: Shri Ramana Maharshi

Publisher:Shri Ramana Ashrama (www.shriramanamaharshii.org)

ISBN 81-88018-07-4

For me to talk about Shri Ramana Maharshi is like holding a candle to the sun. Ramana Maharshi is my Guru and guide.

Shri Ramana Maharshi is one of India’s greatest sages and seers, who lived in the early 19^th century near his beloved Arunachala in Tiruvannamalai, India.

Though I call him India’s greatest sage, Shri Ramana Maharshi had no great thesis or discourses to his name. This is because the basis of Maharshi’s teaching was silence and contemplation. It is folk lore of Indian mythology and history that the great sage Sri Sri Adi Sankaracharya taught his 4 disciples through silence.

This book “Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi” is a record of the conversation and discussions that Maharshi had with his disciples and visitors between 1935 and 1939.

The basis of Shri Ramana Maharshhis teaching was : Why are you so confused? Whenever any doubt or question arises, find out who is asking the question. And is he different from who he is asking the question about. Discard all that is not you and find out, who or what defines the you. Anything that is common to mankind, easily accessible, an adjective or a vice, discard that. Find out what remains….. And yet, why are you so impatient about finding out? You are HE. You just have to find yourself out……. Self Inquiry.

Losing It, making weight loss simple by authors Dhruv Gupta and Prachi Gupta.

Book: Losing It, making weight loss simple.

Author: Dhruv Gupta & Prachi Gupta

Publisher : Pan MacMillan India ( www.panmacmillan.co.in ) (twitter :@PanMacIndia )

ISBN 978-93-82616-03-0

We have weight loss and diet books a dime a dozen. Then what sets apart this book: Losing It .

What sets it apart is that the book is the result of 2 authors: Dhruv Gupta and Prachi Gupta who are talking from practical experience and not just platitudes or research conclusions.

The entire book is systematically divided into an entire gamut starting from “Why lose weight?” to exploring the various facets that add to the entire scenario of weight gain to exercise.

The initial chapter defines what exactly is healthy weight and explores weight vis a vis fitness. It then talks about is there really a need to lose weight.

The next chapters explore in details the small aspects of our daily life and our food that add to our weight. They also talk about the various health food myths and diet fads.

A chapter is particularly devoted to debust the myths about some “weight gain foods” and one about “weight loss foods”, and in detail is explored the "supposedly healthy foods".

What is unique about this book is that after these chapters talking about ‘health food and diets and myths” it goes on in the next chapters to talk about various unavoidable aspects of our life and that is “healthy eating out”, “why weight loss fails” and “what other aspects can make you lose weight”.

And what really endears this book to me is that its concluding chapters talk about “exercise”, “exercise myths” and importance of “exercise for fitness”, plus the fact that like any scientific paper, the authors have listed the sources of research. This makes the book all the more scientifically credible.

Please visit www.losingit.fitho.in/

   

Book: No Sugar Please by author: Dr Nirav Panchmatia

Author: Dr Nirav Panchmatia
Book: No Sugar Please, I am Diabetic
Publisher: Times Group Books. ( www.tgb.indiatimes.com )
ISBN code: 978-93-82299-26-4

Diabetes. It is set to be an an edemic in India. One out of every 8th Indian will be a Diabetic. India is the world Diabetes Capital.

And yet most of us have a very vague understanding of Diabetes. All that we know is that it involves some blood sugar. We realise it is more than that when it starts affecting various organs, piles up hospital bills or severely curbs our lifestyle. And yet our understanding of this disease is very vague and patchy.

Now luckily we have a doctor, Author: Dr Nirav Panchmatia, who himself is a Diabetic and who faced a near death scenario due to Diabetes and who then dissected this disease enough to put it in plain and simple language for a layman.

The initial chapters deal with his personal horror story with Diabetes and its complications.
The next chapters deal with whhat exactly is Diabetes.
The remaining chapters are very wholly divided into the 4 facets of a Diabetics life: Insulin, Food, Exercise, Lifestyle.

This book is a blessing for Type 1 Diabetics (on Insulin) and Type 2 Diabetics (usually on oral medications) . This book also explores the false beliefs and myths that the people on Oral anti-diabetes medication like to fool their own selves.

The Book: No Sugar Please, I am Diabetic is a must read for every person who is a Diabetic, has a Diabetic in the family, has a family history of Diabetes.

The Bottom Line by author Sonu V C

Life and its perennial question: Does this Life have a purpose or is it a flash in the pan- one time journey?

The West has always seen this life as an isolated incident and hence to be enjoyed to the hilt with all materialistic and sensual pleasures. The East has an almost inbred-into-blood culture of Karma-Rebirth-Soul theology.

Author Sonu V C tries to bridge the gap between these two philosophies in his book “The Bottom Line”  ( ISBN code:,978-93-82417-19-4)  and published by World Book Company Pvt Limited (www.worldbookcompany.com). The author writes from the perspective of a born Eastern and educated in the Western outlook. He clearly states that he is not a ‘Guru’ and so this book is not a know it all solution to your grief and angst.

Usually Self Help and Philosophy genre books come with a step by step guide on how to change your life pattern. Not so with this book. Here the author poses the questions, points to his experiences and encourages you to do your own introspection.

First Section: Why Birth?, The author starts the book with questioning the purpose of our births and the absence of a definitive answer to the same.  Along with the perennial question of purpose of life, the author also juxtaposes the futility of all the various frenzied activity a human being indulges in through a life time, without understanding the end goal.

Second section: Avatar or Angel, flounders around trying to amalgamate the philosophy of East with the practical approach of west. Needs more exploration.

Third section: Practical lines, tries to put the solutions towards resolution of the angst into a MBA type terminological approach.

Fourth section: Bottom Line, further divided into 4 subsections, tries to give you a practical approach life style analysis and rearrangement encouragement.

This book is a definite must read for the youngsters of today, especially our educated ones…. And if possible the message be spread via the practical approaches suggested in the book. This book seriously encourages you to introspect.

Author Sonu V C

Book: “The Bottom Line”

ISBN code:,978-93-82417-19-4

Publisher: World Book Company Pvt Limited (www.worldbookcompany.com).