Feel, Deal & Heal by Nirmal Yadav (Book Review- 2.5*/5) !!!

It’s wonderful seeing Indian publishers bringing out non-fiction books regularly even in the era where popular fiction is doing better business than all the other genres. This time I put my hands upon a new book published by Fingerprint publication named “Feel, Deal & Heal”. Its 200-pages book written by the author, Nirmal Yadav, which quotes this on its cover page, “We aren’t born naturally Unhappy. We learn to be Unhappy. If we can learn to be Unhappy, We can Learn To Be Happy Too.” The whole book is about how should we ignore the factors of unhappiness and concentrate on activities that can lead us towards a happy and blissful life.

Author makes many cases and then gives her own opinion about the same and then the solution on how the specific case can be rectified from the To-do list that we have unconsciously prepared to stay unhappy. The book is a typical stuff to carry with you while traveling or reading it in one sitting on a weekend morning. The book isn’t handled like an intellectual speech but authoress, for most of the times, speaks about the basic things that can be handled by doing simple stuffs. It’s a light read that can be read even by the teenagers though some above-the-age scenarios will pass above their head but still, there are many things to take away from the book.

The whole book has been divided in three different parts. My personal favorite has been the part three where the authoress has discussed about what almost every human being is struggling with in today’s world. I liked how she has given wonderful examples and scenarios on how parents ruin their children’s life and how people spoil their old-age during their period of young age. The way teenagers are discussed in this book is worth applauding. Talking about the drawbacks of the book, I must say that the book isn’t any different from other non-fictions published on the same topic. There is nothing which I haven’t read before. It is the same stuff written in a simple and light language. The lack of real cases and scenarios and some serious/practical solutions makes this book an incomplete job. Author only discusses the short-comings and tells what we need to do about it. But how to do it and how others benefited by doing it is totally missing from the book. Hence, I will go with an average 2.5* out of 5.

Thanks.

ABHILASH RUHELA – VEERU!!! 

India’s Railway Man: A Biography of E. Sreedharan by Rajendra B. Aklekar (Book Review- 3.75*/5) !!!

Reading an autobiography/biography has always been my interest. There has been times when I had woken up all night to finish the book in this genre out of excitement to learn everything that the famous, successful or inspiring personality has done all over his life to maintain the discipline and integrity.  This time I picked up the book written by Rajendra B. Aklekar on the life of E. Sreedharan named “India’s Railway Man”. The cover page of the book showing E. Sreedharan folding his fans wearing a blazer with a smiling face yet determined tells about the person being discussed in the book. Sreedharan has many accomplished projects under his name; most popular being Konkan Railway and Delhi Metro. Due to his work in his stint while working for Delhi Metro and completing the project under the specified duration, he also got the name “Metro Man”.

Rajendra B. Aklekar’s passion for railway can be sensed through his style of writing. The way he discusses few projects in depth tells how much author has invested himself in this field. And that’s the reason when he writes about the most famous man in the history of Indian Railway, his enthusiasm and curiosity for the same can be deciphered. Rajendra has not only discussed the man but the development of Indian Railways during the same era in detail.

The book is nicely divided in section making it easy for the reader to understand every important project that the Railway Man has accomplished in his tenure. The few big decisions and challenges that the Man faced during his career is also described which no other person at his place would have questioned or initiated. The way he fought his own battle for gaining the amount of salary as per his designation and work is a wonderful part in the book. The chapter where few people talks both positive and negative about Sreedharan shows that the author has also tried to speak about where the Man did not do right through someone else’ voice.

Talking about the drawbacks of the book- As author discusses the whole book in terms of the special events, he sometimes repeats himself twice or thrice in the book making it irritable for the reader to go through the same stuff again and again. Also, this book is not much about Sreedharan but how the Indian Railway was getting changed and developed during that era. Just because it seems that Sreedharan has been a big part of it that he has been mentioned majority of the times. It would have been wonderful if author would have focused more on the life of Sreedharan than talking only about his professional accomplishments. But still, this book is a must-read if you need to know about the Railway Man and are interested about the railways. I give this book 3.75* out of 5.

Thanks.

ABHILASH RUHELA – VEERU!!! 

The Baba Ramdev Phenomenon: From Moksha to Market by Kaushik Deka (Book Review-4.25*/5) !!!

There has been many spiritual, religious and yoga gurus in our country who got the limelight but it dimmed suddenly after the 15 minutes fame of the guru. But since last decade, once guru who has always been there in the front row and always stayed in people’s mind and heart is Baba Ramdev. He does not need anyone else to endorse or promote him. He is a brand ambassador himself who does not shy away from speaking his mind on any issue about which he feels he is needed to give an opinion about. Through the power of yoga and avurveda, he has impressed millions of Indians who made his FMCG Empire an instant success. Patanjali is the one name which dominates the Indian market these days.

The book published by Rupa Publication named “The Baba Ramdev Phenomenon: From Moksha to Market” written by Kaushik Deka speaks about all these qualities of Baba Ramdev and discusses how he changed his field from being the person known only for yoga to a person who is known for his marketing skills and entrepreneurship. The author has divided the book in appropriate sections and respective chapters which makes it easier for reader to understand Baba’s life and its timeline. The important events of Baba’s life are nicely covered giving all the important back story and relevant details about how he reached the respective stage.

The book not only claims about the achievement made by Ramdev but gives appropriate statistics mentioning the sources which makes this book credible and outstanding. How Baba Ramdev ends on speaking things which he shouldn’t that lands him into controversy time and again is elaborated brilliantly. Also how Baba changes his stance on many national issues is highlighted which makes us understand Baba’s personality. The way he treats his food industry lets us know about Baba’s passion to promote local business against foreign products.

Baba’s political friends are also covered in the book. The take on politics, corruption, black money, demonetization, his love-hate relationship with PM- Narendra Modi etc. are talked in a special section itself. Overall, this 180+ pages book is a must read as Baba Ramdev is a personality whom you cannot ignore at any cost. I give this book 4.25* out of 5. Kaushik Deka has managed to cover Baba’s life and his work in as brief words as possible which is hard to achieve when a book is been written on a controversial and famous personality like Baba Ramdev. The best part about the author is that he has been neutral throughout the book without being supportive or against Baba. This is the sole reason why this book is one of the prominent reads of this year.

Thanks.

ABHILASH RUHELA – VEERU!!! 

The Boy From Pataliputra by Rahul Mitra (Book Review- 4.5*/5) !!!

Not every 350+ pages book can be completed within 2 sittings. The book needs to be intriguing for a reader which compels him to leave everything else and keep himself engrossed in the book. And it becomes more difficult to keep the reader glued when it’s weekend. Rahul Mitra’s book named “The Boy From Pataliputra” manages to create this magic with its super-effective translation of history from a different perspective altogether. The way book has been written for the popular masses even though the whole periodic narration could have been tougher is commendable. The book can be read by any age group. It’s captivating and engrossing.

The book is about the protagonist Aditya who is kind of notorious boy because of which his elder brother Ajeet keeps on complaining. Still he loves Aditya more than anything else. Due to some political conspiracy, Ajeet gets killed by a group of people. Now Aditya wants to take revenge of his brother. But before even starting for it, he is termed criminal. He is been given in hands of Pandi who trains him overall- physically and mentally. And from here onwards, there are several twists and turns because of which there are many difficult decisions that Aditya has to make. Also, the whole war scenarios and political churn out is very well detailed. 

The pre-climax and climax section wins your heart after reading such a long story. The characterization of all the characters is very well created with good back stories and present condition. The integration of the battle in 326 BC with the contemporary settling of Indian political condition is commendable. You can imagine present day personalities in the characters discussed in the story. All the parameters that a reader needs in a book is very nicely imbibed in this book by Rahul- comedy, tragedy, romance, thrill, suspense, war, love, betrayal, twists, turns etc. Overall, this book is one of the best releases this year. Kudos to Fingerprint publication too. I rate this book 4.5* out of 5.

Thanks.

ABHILASH RUHELA – VEERU!!! 

Rafflesia- The Banished Princess by Gautam (Book Review-3.75*/5) !!!

When it comes to pulp-fiction, there is not much left by the Indian authors to try. It becomes very challenging for the new budding writer to try something which is very different from what has already been written in thousand of books that has been published. I am just done reading debutante Gautam’s “Rafflesia- The Banished Princess” which is almost of 400 pages published by Leadstart publication house. Reading the title of the book and seeing the cover page too, it seems as if it’s a historical fiction or fantasy stuff but it’s a family saga basically covering the friendship of two boys and the turmoil’s that both of them have to go through in their respective lives.

Gautam’s writing style is very addictive. Once you pick up the book, it becomes hard to keep it aside until and unless you are not done with it. Though I read the book with 40 pages per day but it’s written in such a way that you won’t forget the plot of the story as it has been kept simple yet twisting. Though I didn’t like the detailing made for few characters that doesn’t have such peculiar part in the main story. It only killed the momentum that was built around the main protagonists. But there are few cameos which are worth-remembering even after the completion of the book. 

The timeline of the book is nicely managed by the author. As I read the book part by part, it did confuse me at times about what period is actually going on in the plot but after few pages, you remember the last few chapters automatically. The story goes on for 4 decades and 2 generations which is very well handled by the author. The family saga is also treated well by covering all the aspects of a family life. The chemistry between Appu and Rahul and the way their respective life moves on contemporarily is a worthy read and the USP of the book. The climax is also very well-handled for a book which is so lengthy. It becomes very necessary to give a proper ending to a long story which Gautam has managed well. I give this book 3.75* out of 5. 

Thanks.

ABHILASH RUHELA – VEERU!!! 

Demystifying Reincarnation by Chaitanya Charan (Book Review- 4.5*/5) !!!

It’s not always that you can freely recommend a book that is based upon spirituality or the world that is not so common among the majority to others. But as it is said that when there’s no great example to give, create one. It is in this line that the book written by Chaitanya Charan named “Demystifying Reincarnation” falls. How many of us consider reincarnation a possibility or a sensible stuff? None of us. But what will you do when a 240-pages book is only giving you real and true accounts of the cases and proving the point that reincarnation is a common phenomenon? We can only accept the truth silently. That’s what this book has been able to do with the readers who could not have ever believed that they will start believing in something like reincarnation and ghosts at the end of it.

The book starts with narrating different true incidents along with its sources to introduce us with the real examples around us where the individual claims to have a previous birth. Post narration of the incidents, author starts the debate if in any ways it can be proved that the stories are false. And then the way each and every point is put, discussed, debated and concluded, only makes you fall in love with each and every page of this book.

Later on, author discusses different scenarios like Near Death experiences, hallucination etc. to prove more points about how these things are also related with the reincarnation. The references of the Bhagavad Gita are made very aptly to make us believe in the concepts that the author discusses. Author has also quoted the Holy books of the religion other than Hinduism to let the reader know that almost all the religion endorses reincarnation either directly or indirectly. The diagrammatic representation to explain few complex theories regarding the soul, mind and body makes it very easy for the reader to interpret the virtual structure within us. 

In the end, the way ghosts are discussed is surely the best ending that this book could have ever had. Talking about any kind of drawbacks, I just didn’t enjoy Appendixes as it all went above my mediocre brain. Haha! Overall, this book is something you shouldn’t miss if you have always been skeptical about the concept of reincarnation and previous births. I give this book 4.5* out of 5. 

Thanks.

ABHILASH RUHELA – VEERU!!! 

Butterflies, Parathas and the Bhagavad Gita by S. Hari Haran (Book Review-4.25*/5)!!!

When spirituality becomes your interest, the first book that you wish to go through is The Bhagavad Gita. In Hinduism, as there aren’t much forcible rules to follow the religion, we do not read our Holy Books which has turned out to be the origin of many scientific evolutions and findings. With time my interest started diverting towards The Bhagavad Gita and the kind of life it introduces to us, I read many versions of Bhagavad Gita, Mahabharata and Ramayana. Not all of them are up to the mark. But there are few books which stay with you for a long time and if nothing, it at least make a little impact to your life. One such version of Gita is “Butterflies, Parathas and the Bhagavad Gita: A Quirky and Heartwarming Journey Through God's Instruction Manual for Life”. It is written by S. Hari Haran.

Being 400 pages, the book does not turn out to be boring and stretched at any point of time. The author has very well embedded the knowledge of Gita in a fictional story based on two friends: Venky and Sandy. They are assigned the last assignment by one of their favorite teachers, Bharath Sir to go through the Gita and scribble a write-up in the college magazine based on it. Venky takes up the task but Sandy keeps on doing the wrong activities. Venky goes through the Bhagavad Gita and keeps on sharing the write-up with Sandy in order to change his lifestyle as he feels bad seeing his friend following the unreligious path.

The best part about the book is the way author manages both the plots simultaneously that none of them sound stretched and boring. The Gita is also explained very nicely with examples. Author has tried to include all the major points mentioned in Gita to make sure that the reader does not miss any valuable stuff. The examples given along with the teachings are another booster for the reader as it makes understanding the complex concepts in an easy language. The reference to any point or concept is given on the same page itself which makes it easy for the reader to go through the same without going to the last section of the book and finding the same.

The way the fictional story is blended with the subsequent phases of Gita makes this book magical. Also, the climax is very well handled making it believable for the readers about the after-effect that Gita can make even upon a person who is following wrong and unreligious path in life. The way how Gita can be implemented in today’s personal and professional life is also discussed briefly in some topics which clear the doubt about its relevance in today’s fast paced life. Overall, this book is a must-read at least once if you want to go through the teachings of Gita. I give this book 4.25* out of 5.

Thanks.

ABHILASH RUHELA – VEERU!!!