This Unquiet Land

      Author                        Barkha Dutt

      Country                      India

      Genre                          Non Fiction

      Publication Date        Dec 2015

      Pages                          297





Barkha Dutt has always been one of my favourite journalists. Like everyone else in her profession, there is much said about her, but to me, her personality, her attitude and just her ability to stand her own in a world of men has been inspirational! Hence, it's no surprise that with absolutely no background, l impulsively picked up this book as soon as it was published and infact, especially ordered my copy through India.

An interesting commentary on India is what this book provides. But unfortunately, it does nothing beyond. Written by someone like Barkha, it's a let down that the book has traded opinions for pure factual commentary. For anyone who has kept up to date with what's hot and happening in the Indian media, this book has nothing unique to offer. However, for the others it's a succinct accumulation of all that has happened in India over the last few years!

One of my favourite reflections from the book is the issue of feminism and how most women do disservice to this by trying hard to mimic male behaviour attributes in order to fit into a largely male dominated society. In the bargain, they unknowingly tend to forget their individuality and hence, go against the very reason, gender diversity is valued.

Another interesting discussion is the fact that terror attacks on India are becoming common place and we are at our most vulnerable position with two nuclear powered countries as our neighbours. Life carrying on post an attack is inadvertently attributed to the spirit of people, but in reality, it's really a combination of compulsion and fatalism.

Another key theme is the responsibility and the evolution of media; which Barkha has quite skilfully touched upon through the numerous topics of terrorism, riots, religion, feminism and others.

In summary, I would say that this is a fine book but is not what I had expected of Barkha!



 

Americanah

     Author                     Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche

     Country                   Nigeria

     Genre                       Fiction

     Publication Date     May 2013

     Pages                        477








I have been looking for a good book to read for a while now. Recommended by a dear friend, this award winning book did meet that basic expectation but didn't go much beyond. An interesting and insightful read, but not one of my best books ever!

Set in Nigeria under military dictatorship, this is the story of a young girl, Ifemelu who falls in love with Obinze, while studying and spending most of their childhood time together. As time passes, their lives choose different paths and Ifemelu finds herself in America while Obinze, desperate to get out of Nigeria and unable to get a visa to his most admired and fantasised country, America, finds himself in London. Through her struggles with racism and her efforts to establish herself successfully in the tough American world, Ifemelu snaps her ties with Obinze and with the rest of her past. As time progresses, both of them once again find themselves in their homeland, faced with one of the toughest decision of their lives. Torn between right and wrong, between passion and commitment, they try to ask the questions and seek the answers.

It would be fair to say that Chimamanda has done a remarkable job at stringing together a passionate story about love, relationships and race in the new globalised world. What have particularly stayed with me are her reflections on racism and the complexity and beauty of human relationships as portrayed through the book.

It would be suffice to say that Americanah has been a welcome entrant into my reading and blogging club and I am happy for it!


 

An Empty Room

     Author                        Talitha Stevenson

     Country                      United Kingdom

     Genre                          Fiction

     Publication Date        2005

     Pages                           218








An interesting and fairly quick read is how I would describe this not very well known book. I happened to pick this up on a chance at a random bookstore while on holiday and it turned out to be a pleasant surprise.

The book traces the life of a young girl, Emily who is busy spending her time with her handsome and charming boyfriend, Tom while getting wasted in bars. Coming from slightly broken and disconnected families, both Tom and Emily seem to be pretty similar in their approach to life and hence get along well. As the story progresses, Emily happens to fall for Tom's married cousin, Simon. Talitha then traces the illicit relationship between Emily and Simon and the consequences it would have for both families.

While the storyline is not particularly unique, some of the themes espoused through the book are powerful and make for a meaningful read. One of the themes that stands out for me personally is how each of us is a product of the circumstances and experiences of our formative years. Complex childhoods very easily make for insecure and complex adult lives. Another powerful thought that stays with me is how we are all prone to quick judgements and  we would do ourselves and each other much service if we don't judge the choices others make in their life. Pure acceptance (the absence of judging) is a goal we should all aspire to achieve!

Some of my favourite quotes from the book are:

'Promises matter, but happiness matters more'

'If you give your heart to someone and they choose not to take it, you never really get it back'

I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a quick and meaningful read!


 

Dealing with People you Can't Stand

    
     Author                    Rick Brinkman & Rick Kirschner

     Country                  United States

     Genre                      Management

     Publication Date    1994

     Pages                       224







I am not a huge fan of management books and hence more often that not, I end up staying away from them. Having said that, I sincerely want to and try to read them once in a while but unfortunately, I don't really get the same motivation for them as I do for my beloved fiction!

And hence its no surprise that I had no plans to pick this up till a friend literally gave me the book and told me to read it!

But I have absolutely no regrets at blindly following her advice!

This was a quick read with some interesting insights. And in my view, the best part of this book is its name. Being what it is, it is hardly discreet and it's amusing to see how those around you get worried with you reading this! (For the longest time my husband was insecure with this book on my bedside!)

As the title suggests, at various points of time in life (more often than we would like to), we have to deal with people whom we don't necessarily like. And through this book, the authors help us identify who these people are, why they are behaving the way they are and what really can be done in order to deal better with them. The categorisation of people really rings a bell for me personally and as I read through the descriptions, I couldn't help but think of different people for each categorisation. Moving on from categorisation, the book then helps us identify the intent behind each of the behaviours and how depending on which intent is threatened, one tends to take on a different role. And the crux of dealing with such situations really lies in identifying this intent. The better we are at pulling ourselves back from the real situation and at identifying the intent, the better will we be at dealing with the situation. And while this sounds simple and obvious, it is indeed very powerful when conscientiously implemented.

In summary, I would suffice in saying that this is an interesting read and really worth one's while. For anyone who is interested in learning about how to deal with people, this would be a highly recommended read.

If you are thinking of purchasing a copy of this book, try out my favorite site: www.lafalafa.com; an online shopping portal which brings together some awesome deals from all large e commerce sites (Flipkart, eBay, Snapdeal and the likes) while also offering additional cash back; which you only get if you go through Lafalafa and shop at any of your e commerce sites!  

You could use the link: http://bit.ly/1MJ4Fh5 to shop.

So, do check it out and Happy Reading! 

Why Should Anyone be Led by You?

     Author                      Rob Goffee & Gareth Jones

     Country                    United States

     Genre                        Management

     Publication Date      2006

     Pages                        217

    





If you are looking for a management book that's real and authentic, then this could easily be your pick! The fact that this is far removed from any standard leadership theories makes it easily relatable; thereby striking an instant chord. And the title of the book: 'Why should anyone be led by you?' triggers enough curiosity to make one pick up the book.

The authors have done a commendable job in very simply defining true leadership. And this statement of mine is really an oxymoron since the very essence of the book is that there is really no definition of leadership and one has to do what works best for him. 'Being yourself' is a powerful theme in the book. Managing inherent tensions like 'being authentic while conforming enough'; 'establishing intimacy while maintaining a distance' is another core theme espoused by the book.

While there are a number of key messages, personally for me what has been a huge insight is the fact that while it's important to retain one's authenticity, one really does need to conform enough, especially in the beginning to  establish oneself in an organisation.

Another interesting insight for me was the entire concept of work life balance and how according to the authors, it's not just about spending more time at home but rather about transforming workplaces into arenas that allow for the display of authenticity. That, to me, is a really fresh way of looking at the concept of work life balance.

Like I have shared before, I am definitely not a fan of management books but reading this one has definitely been a fresh and enriching experience!

If you are thinking of purchasing a copy of this book, try out my favorite site: www.lafalafa.com; an online shopping portal which brings together some awesome deals from all large e commerce sites (Flipkart, eBay, Snapdeal and the likes) while also offering additional cash back; which you only get if you go through Lafalafa and shop at any of your e commerce sites!  

So, do check it out and Happy Reading! 

The Cairo Trilogy

     Author                      Naguib Mahfouz

     Country                    Egypt

     Genre                        Historical Fiction

     Publication Date      1957

     Pages                        1325







'One of the best books I have read in recent times': that's how I would like to describe this book. With some 1300 plus pages, its crazily long but honestly, that's one of the best parts of the book! I have never been a huge fan of short stories and now I know why. Novels or books that are as long as this grow on you and absorb you as an insider. And that is what, it my view, makes the reading experience truly intense and powerful!

The Cairo Trilogy traces the life of a traditional family in Egypt across three generations. Al-Sayyid Ahmad Abd al-Jawad is the tyrannical patriarch who rules his household with a strict hand while leading a secret life of self indulgence. The story of this family and it's upheavals  is beautifully interspersed with that of Egypt and its turbulent times.

Through this Nobel prize winning trilogy, Naguib Mahfouz brings to life the themes of family values, traditions and religion, to name a few. Another key theme that is subtly conveyed through the book is the superiority of man over woman. And it's refreshing to see how this is not presented with any judgement, but is rather factually conveyed as a mere reflection of the times. Some quotes that really bring this to life for me are:

'You're just a woman, and no woman has a fully developed mind'

'Zaynab was asking for a divorce. Which of them was the man and which the woman? There was nothing strange about a man casting away a pair of shoes, but shoes were not supposed to throw away their owner'

How women don't even consider most of these circumstances as derogatory since they have not known anything better is another interesting insight for me.

Another powerful and beautifully portrayed theme in the book is the passage of time and how that influences and moulds us along the way. As time passes and Al-Sayyid Ahmad matures from a young man with a secret life of indulgence into an old man, he becomes very different. His wife, Amina who loses her beloved son at a very young age also learns to accept fate and to allow time to take its due course. And this passage of time and its reflection on us as individuals is portrayed through each character and their independent journeys.

In short, The Cairo Trilogy is filled with drama, humour, reality, traditions, history and most essentially a flavour of having been crafted by an excellent artist. And it's no wonder that this won the Nobel Prize.

Personally, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves fiction and has the courage to take on a 'massive' book!

If you are thinking of purchasing a copy of this book, try out my favorite site: www.lafalafa.com; an online shopping portal which brings together some awesome deals from all large e commerce sites (Flipkart, eBay, Snapdeal and the likes) while also offering additional cash back; which you only get if you go through Lafalafa and shop at any of your e commerce sites!  

You could use the link: http://bit.ly/1MJ4Fh5 to shop.

So, do check it out and Happy Reading! 

An Artist of the Floating World

     Author                          Kazuo Ishiguro

     Country                        United Kingdom

     Genre                            Historical Fiction

     Publication Date          1986

     Pages                             206








I have read a few books by Kazuo Ishiguro but the most memorable amongst those have been 'Nocturnes' and 'Never let me go'. On account of my extremely positive experience with these books; this Booker prize winning author has been a little special to me: his unique style with a little stroke of Japanese is something that has always stayed with me; way beyond the written word!

And it is with exactly these expectations that I picked up another one of his books: 'An Artist of the Floating World'. But as they say, high expectations lead to disappointments and that's exactly what happened here. There is no denying that this is a good book of its own accord but it surely falls short of the Kazuo Ishiguro league! I recognise that this may not be fair to the author or to the book, but such is life and the trap of expectations that it lays for us.

Set in post war Japan (1948), 'An Artist of the Floating World' traces the life of the celebrated painter, Masuji Ono and his coming to terms with the reality of the new Japan. What should have been a tranquil retirement with tasks such as attending to the garden, house repairs, his daughters and grandson, drinking with old friends; turns into an unsettling phase with constant reflection on the past and the beautiful times gone by.

Through the course of the book we see how Masuji can't help but reminiscence about the past and this constant going back is indeed one of the central themes of the book. Our inability to snap completely free from our past is what binds us down and keeps us from moving ahead. And that's perfectly portrayed through the character of Masuji. I can't help but reflect that life would have been so much simpler if we had the ability to just snap free but guess; its this inability that makes us human vs machines.

One of my favourite quotes from the book on the above theme is:
'That little world has passed away and will not be returning. The old district was dear to her heart - much of her life and energy had been invested in it - and one can surely understand her reluctance to accept it has gone forever.'

Another significant focus of the book and my personal take away is how the world of art plays a pivotal role in formulating public opinion; esp. in an evolving society. Masuji's reflection on his pieces of work and those done by his peers, students and others and how they influenced a maturing Japan bear testimony to the above.

In summary, while the book is not a perfect Kazuo Ishiguro book, it does have some interesting and insightful themes and what I have particularly liked is the fact that it ends on a rather optimistic note:
'To see how our city has been rebuilt, how things have recovered so rapidly over these years, fills me with genuine gladness.'

In summary, while this is not as good as I had expected it to be, I would encourage you to read it to find out for yourself!

If you are thinking of purchasing a copy of this book, try out my favorite site: www.lafalafa.com; an online shopping portal which brings together some awesome deals from all large e commerce sites (Flipkart, eBay, Snapdeal and the likes) while also offering additional cash back; which you only get if you go through Lafalafa and shop at any of your e commerce sites!  

You could use the link: http://bit.ly/1MJ4Fh5 to shop.

So, do check it out and Happy Reading!