Wednesday, June 13, 2007

Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki

The book emphasises the value of financial intelligence and the significance of money in our life. It explains how to make your money work hard for you instead of you working hard for money.
Some really interesting concepts are explored in the book. The most interesting ones were the distinction in working to learn and working to earn and the one between assets and liabilities. How the fear of money makes us react to situations rather than confront and think. Money makes us fall in a trap. More money, and the emotion of joy and desire and greed takes over, and people tend to react, instead of think.

The book beautifully expalins the small little ways in which you can come out of this trap and make yourself financially secure and sound. Exploring opportunities which are just around but you never thought of taking..
For me the book, opened up a thought on a value system "Money". A lot of people don't want to admit that money can be a value, but it is. In the age in which we live, we must instill this value of value for money in ourselves and generations following. Running away rather than being aware makes us fall more into the rat race and the trap around.

Catch the story and lets share the takeaways...

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

It happened in India - By Kishore Biyani

It happened in India is a candid and close book by Kishore Biyani, the king of retail as often called by lot many with every growing day. This book which is sort of a young biography of Kishore is co-authored by Dipayan Baishya.

Kishore or KB as often referred to in the whole book starts with the Big Bazaar story esp the 'Sabse Sasta Din' campaign of 26 January 2006 and it reads like one hell of a fiction.

Read the whole story at

http://jhaji.blogspot.com/2007/06/it-happened-in-india-by-kishore-biyani.html

Sunday, June 10, 2007

A Hard-bound World...

Ever wondered why with such an expanse of land waiting to be tread and felt, we choose the shelter of two hard-bound covers occupying a few square-inch of the earth? No.. it has nothing to do with laziness! Hamlet once said " I can bound in a nutshell and still consider myself the king of the Universe". Do we consider ourselves the I-know-all in the limits of a page?
Any regular reader would differ out-rightly to the thought, an so do I.
As an Indian I was well-versed with my nations struggle for Independence and it's struggle for interdependence post-Independence. Yet, it was not my history book that connected me to struggles beyond those defined by those permeable borders. We all read about communism in history alongwith the political history of different nations. Honestly, I hardly know anyone who cares much after reading the chronologicaly narrated synopsis of an event. When I came across European writers like Turgnev, Dostoevesky and Kundera, however, my definitions and chronology changed. Somehow I did care what they went through n the side of the world.
The novels may be fiction stories, but instead of focussing on changes in the imaginary border-lines, they concentrate on how human lives and emotions were affected and developed through events. It is knowing that human-side that makes you care about an event in history and not how the presidents name changed from one after another.
Just a few pages thick and I get to familiarise myself with the psyche of new people and the development of places hitherto unfamiliar. Even if visited personallly, I doubt if a location can be appreciated any better than by taking a peek into its past time-zones & wondering what all it has witnessed just by being there.
Thats enough in favour of the Word, but incase you wish to evade the tag of a 'lazy reader"... just walk & read !

Thursday, June 7, 2007

Of Authors who think they can write..

"What would you do to save the world?" by Ira Trivedi..
Rating: 0/5
Final recommendation: Just Stay Away from it

Read this book few days back and I've to admit this book deserves a prize for being one of the crappiest book of century.. It seems she has written it from her own experiences, but does that mean you would torture readers like this. Book is about Miss India contest & the contestants.. Which means it could've been a really interesting novel.. gossipy, bitchy.. perfect chick-lit. But, by trying to convince readers that she wasn't one of the Bimbos who take part in such contests, that she was too good for it.. too brainy.. She has atleast convinced me that she's reallllly tooo goood to be ever read again..
Thank you very much. Now I would like my money back please.

Disclaimer: This review has already been posted on my personal blog before. Also, opinions expressed here are mine, no offense meant to anyone :)

The space between us and millions like us

"The space between us" by Thrity Umrigar.
Rating: 3.5/5
Final recommendation: a good read

The novel revolves around two women in Mumbai. One called Sera, an upper-middle class widow, another is called Bheema, her maid. While one faces the hidden brutality of her husband while he was alive, the other silently suffers through her husband's treachery and children's loss. Both women comfort each other, yet never crossing the line of class that divides them. When Sera's daughter and her son-in-law comes to live with her, both women see their love as something they wished for. Sera supports Bheema's family through tough times - Bheema's husband's accident, daughter's death and grand daughter's education. Yet she cannot get herself to treat Bheema at equal level. She feels guilty about it, chastises herself but can't break the society's bonds.
It reminds me of us at a certain level. The bit of hypocrisy which is inherent in all of us but we never let go of it.
The book is sad. Pessimist to major extent, but then again, that's what life is, unfair.

Disclaimer: This review has already been posted on my personal blog before. Also, opinions expressed here are mine, no offense meant to anyone :)

Good Omens

Rating: 4/5
Verdict: Must Read for 2 hours of unparalleled fun.

What happens when Angel and Serpent become too cozy in their earthly lifestyle and apocalypse is near, threatening an end to this comfortable life? Do they simply resign themselves to their fate and help God and Satan in final war or is there a way out of it? This is what we read and explore in ‘Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch’ by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett.
Some of you would already be familiar with Neil Gaiman, courtesy Sandman. For those feeling but left out, Neil Gaiman is author of many science fiction novels, comics and graphic Novels. And Terry Pratchett is also a fantasy author, more known for his Discworld series.

Moving back to Good Omens, Book starts with angel Aziraphale and demon Crowley, both of whom are representing God and Satan respectively on earth and are quite used to life style on earth. Crowley is proud owner of Bentley whereas Aziraphale has his books collection, quite rare ones at that. Apocalypse is near and son of Satan has been born (omen, anyone??). Both angel and demon realize that if final war happens, they would have to leave all materialistic things behind and would have to go back to heaven and hell. For them, this is beginning of life full of boredom. Now, after centuries of working against each other, they have developed mutual respect and are good friends. So, together they decide to thwart the war with plain logic of “freedom of choice” given to humans. Their plan, very simple, influence son of Satan with both good and evil. So, he doesn’t turn out to be fanatic for either side, cannot decide on a side and in the end postpone the war. Just one small glitch, the boy they had been watching wasn’t son of Satan. Due to small mix up in hospital, they ended up focusing on wrong kid. Result, son of Satan had a very normal life uninfluenced by both good and evil and unaware of his powers. Now, time has come for him to gain the throne. Add to this, 4 horsemen of hell (War, Famine, Pollution (Pestilence having retired in 1936 following the discovery of penicillin), and Death) searching for boy to serve him, and you’ve got perfect recipe of roll-on-floor-while-laughing book.
Oh, did you ask why Agnes Nutter in title? Well, because she wrote the prophecies leading to final doom day which are very accurate And it’s up to her descendant to figure them out. Slightly confusing you see 

Disclaimer: This review has already been posted on my personal blog before. Also, opinions expressed here are mine, no offense meant to anyone :)

ALL-TIME 100 Novels

Source: TIME

The Complete List
In Alphabetical Order

A- B

The Adventures of Augie March

Saul Bellow

All the King's Men

Robert Penn Warren