[Book Review] Jasmine Builds on Shifting Sands: A Self-help Fiction

 

I recently bought this book copy for a read and review.

Name: [Book Review] Jasmine Builds on Shifting Sands: A Self-help Fiction

Author: Sanjay Desai

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanjaydesailink/

On the web you can find the book at the publishers site at https://theconsciousleap.com/JasmineBuildsOnShiftingSands

Front Cover Language: English

Publisher: ConsciousLeap Insights Private Limited

Length: 160 pages

Year: 2020

My Overall Rating: 4 on 5

About Sanjay: Author of this book is Mr. Sanjay Desai. He is an alumnus of IIM Bangalore and is the founder and CEO of ConsciousLeap, a life skills training company that helps people to guide through their pursuit of dreams and success by cultivating self-awareness through interactive programs and workshops.

About the Book from the author:

Who is the book meant for?

This book is suitable for all age groups. Anyone on a path to achieve their dreams should definitely read this book to spur self-reflection and contemplation about their journey. It is also meant for people who are looking to set their goals and overcome obstacles or failures.

How to use the book?

This is a unique interactive book that allows you to reflect on your own success journey through exciting interactive e-courses, while you immerse yourself with Jasmine’s life. When you read the story, look out for QR Codes to experience a parallel journey to your success and unlock your true potential by learning more about yourself.

Review – So moving on the review, the next book that I have could get both my eyes and hands on to was “Jasmine Builds on Shifting Sands: A Self-help Fiction”. These days indeed most titles are very catchy and this one definitely stands out!

Before I begin with the review, let me start by saying that I have read umpteen books on self improvement motivation etc. This is the first time I had a book written by Sanjay Desai in my hands. I started reading with mixed feelings not knowing what to expect.  

At the centre of the book is Jasmine's (chief protagonist) journey of making it as a successful model in the cut-throat world of fashion. This is her tale of victory and failure.  Through this journey of ups and downs one gets a realistic view on how life plays out for most of us. Sanjay has to his credit highlighted the need to have ‘anchors’ or ‘mentors’ or whatever else we may chose to call them.

Through a hybrid learning, Sanjay intends us to discover the following:

• Declutter your mind - Keep negativity at bay and gain more clarity
• Reach Clarity for your goals - Focus, prioritise, and keep your eye on the prize
• Take charge of your dreams - Become the master of your journey
• Learn to Configure Outcomes - Chart out your own path to success

All of the above is coupled with the following bottom line message from Sanjay:

As the world copes with the impact of a global pandemic, uncertainty continues to plague us. Despite it all, Jasmine is here to tell you that it is possible to rise to the top, even when everything seems to be going against you. Fulfil your dreams and manifest your desires - don’t let the world derail you from achieving your goals. Jasmine did it, and so can you

Overall, the book is an easy and a great read. The key message has been presented very clearly. I would recommend this to everyone.  As always, you read, you decide.

You can buy the book from the following links:

Amazon
Flipkart

 

[Book Review] Irrationally Passionate: My Turnaround from Rebel to Entrepreneur by Jason Kothari

Pic Credit-Publisher Website

I recently bought a Kindle eBook copy of this one for a read and review.

Name: [Book Review] Irrationally Passionate: My Turnaround from Rebel to Entrepreneur 

Author: Jason Kothari

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonkothari/

On the web you can find the book at the publishers site at https://harpercollins.co.in/product/irrationally-passionate/

Front Cover Language: English

Publisher: Harper Collins

Length: 268 pages

Year: 2020

My Overall Rating: 4 on 5

About Jason: Jason Kothari is an entrepreneur considered by many as a business turnaround leader. Jason to his credit has worked in many critical functions and roles across the globe and was responsible for multiple turnarounds. While still in college(Wharton), he acquired the bankrupt US-based Valiant Entertainment and led its transformation as the CEO to the third-largest superhero entertainment company after Marvel and DC and further went on to sell it for around $100 million.

Review: The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life by Mark Manson

I recently got a copy of this book for a read.

Author: Mark Manson

On the web you can find him at https://markmanson.net

Front Cover Language: English

Publisher: Harper Collins

Length: 224 pages

Year: 2017

So, the next book that I could get both my eyes and hands on to was the “The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life” by Mark Manson. What a catchy title! As it so happened this time too when I picked up the book, I said to myself that I will not be writing any book review. However, I will rate the reasons in the review as to why I decided to write this review and share with the everyone.

Before I begin with the review, let me start by saying that this is the first time I had a book written by Mark Manson in my hands. He is a well known personality.

The New Dewtas : The Rise of Rudra by Suraj Kothiyal - A Review

I recently got a copy of this book from the writer himself Suraj Kothiyal for a read and review.

On the web you can find him at https://surajkothiyal.com/.

Author - Suraj Kothiyal
Publisher - Leadstart Publishing Services Pvt Ltd (2018)
Pages - 222 pages
Price - 249/- INR

The author, Suraj Kothiyal, hails from Dehradun with his family roots belonging to the Himalya region. He has done his schooling from Dehradun. He has done his mechanical engineering and his MBA in marketing from Maharashtra. The blurb and sample chapters can be found here - https://amzn.to/2AuZmEb. You can also have a look at the book trailer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVzrBuJzt2I

This book is inspired by a popular folklore in Bali that talks of a Hindu saint namely, Maharishi Markandeya, who came to Bali from India and introduced Hinduism on the scenic island.

Moving on with the review: 

When i first heard of this book, the first thought that I had in my mind was "What!! Another book on Indian Mythology". I must say when I picked this up for a read I was of the opinion that this book may just bore me with things that I already know or donot want to know more about.

Parikrama By Radhika Vyas Sharma a Book Review

I recently got this book for review from Leadstart  Publishing. The link for the same on Leadstarts website is following:

http://www.leadstartcorp.com/short-stories/parikrama/

This book is also available on Amazon - http://amzn.to/2nBm8Ds

and Flipkart - https://www.flipkart.com/parikrama/


Pages: 181
Type: Paperback
Genre: Fiction
Author: Radhika Vyas Sharma
Price: INR 195

Radhika Vyas Sharma is the author of Parikrama. Radhika’s writing credits include The Santa Clara Review, The San Francisco Chronicle, The San Jose Mercury News, The SoMa Literary Review, The Times of India, The Economic Times, India Currents, Khabar, Rediff-India Abroad, Little India, In the Fray.com, KQED FM’s Forum, Perspectives and Pacific Time, Curled Up With a Good Book.com among others. Currently at work on a novel, Radhika has volunteered for several nonprofits in the San Francisco Bay area over the past decade. Radhika and her family reside in the San Francisco Bay Area. (source: http://www.radhikavsharma.com/index.php/about-us)

Review - God is a Gamer by Ravi Subramanian

Author: Ravi Subramanian

Language: English

Length: 324 pages

Publisher: Penguin Books India 

Price: INR 299

Genre: Mystery & Thrillers, Literature & Fiction
Teaser on Youtube:



Ravi Subramanian is considered to be one of new, young India's finest thriller writers. He has written six bestselling books till date and this book (God is a Gamer) is his seventh book. What a conincidence since Chetan Bhagat's latest book takes him to seven books in total and likewise for Ravi.

Anyways  to give a brief, he is an alumnus of Indian Institute of Management (Bangalore) and is currently the head of a leading financial institution.  A career banker and financial services professional, Ravi has worked with several multinational banks. As a result of his extensive background in banks, writing about banking comes quite naturally to Ravi. Each one of his books thus far have been set in the backdrop of a foreign bank and this book is again all about banking and money.


I say what better way to make money than to write fiction about others making money. :-)

Review Half GirlFriend - Chetan Bhagat

Author: Chetan Bhagat V
Language: English
Length: 268 pages
Publisher: Rupa Publication India
Link From Authors website: http://www.chetanbhagat.com/books/half-girlfriend/
Price: INR 176
Teaser Campaign on Youtube:


As far as my knowledge goes, this is the seventh book by Chetan Bhagat. A brief background about him as written on his website.

"Chetan Bhagat is the author of six blockbuster books. These include five novels—Five Point Someone (2004), One Night @ the Call Center (2005), The 3 Mistakes of My Life (2008), 2 States (2009), Revolution 2020 (2011)—and the non-fiction title What Young India Wants (2012).
Half-Girlfriend, his seventh book and sixth novel, releases in October 2014.

Private India - A Review

Author: James Patterson & Ashwin Sanghi

Language: English

Length: 480 pages

Publisher: Random House

This book is a continuation of the popular ‘Private’ novel series by James Patterson. He has chosen to make India his next destination of choice to appear in the ‘Private India’ (possibly the first of the series with many more to come). The one thing that surprised me and got me down to reading this book was James teaming up with Ashwin Sanghi. Most of the people who have read Ashwin, know him as someone who creates great scripts with good narration but gets inspired by mythology. However, this book is not mythology but, is all current times. So, it indeed is a bit surprising. But, what matters is the final product, if it is digestible, believable, comprehensible, follow able, cry able, laugh able all at some point then it will be a good product. I read through the book at rapid pace to put this book to the above test and see what comes out. Read on to know how the book fares.

India in Shambles - Only The Judiciary Can Save Us - Book Review

Book:  India in Shambles - Only The Judiciary Can Save Us
Publishing Year - 2013
Author: K.C. Agrawal
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: BecomeShakespeare.com
Price: INR 370

I recently laid my hands on the the book "India in Shambles - Only The Judiciary Can Save Us" by KC Agarwal. When i laid my hands on the book, i had my doubts, but believe me they were all dispelled by the depth of the research and the simple yet novellness of the ideas presented in this neat book.

The Book is written in two parts. Part one talk about diagnosing the maladies ailing our nation and to determine their tangible cures. Part two of the book talks about Building the nation. Here ther author provides the roadmaps and guidelines to place the nation amongst the most prosperous and powerful nations in the world by making optimum use of our resources.

The Bankster – A Review

Book: The Bankster
Author: Ravi Subramanian
Publishing Year: 2012
Number of Pages: 364

Language: English

List Price: Rs. 250 INR

Ravi Subramanian, an alumnus of IIM Bangalore, has spent two decades working his way up the ladder of power in the amazingly exciting and adrenaline-pumping world of global banks in India. He lives in Mumbai with his wife Dharini and daughter Anusha.

Ravi Subramanian maintains his online presence at the following addresses: 

·         Website: http://www.ravisubramanian.in

·         Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Authorravisubramanian

·         Twitter: https://twitter.com/SubramanianRavi

·         Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/AuthorRavi

Other Books written by Ravi Subramanian (not necessarily in the same order):

1.  If God was a Banker 
2. Devil in Pinstripes 
3. The Incredible Banker 
4.  I bought the Monk's Ferrari

This is the third book written by Ravi Subramanian that I have now read. I started reading Ravi Subramanian  with “If God was a Banker”, then moved on to “The Incredible Banker” and now finally onto “The Bankster”. The reason I stuck with Ravi Subramaniam was because in each of the two predecessors he brought out the schemes and scams of the Indian Banking sector in the most remarkable way. 

Theme and the Plot have always been the strength of all Ravi Subramanian novels. This is again somewhere he does not disappoint. The way he has done that is through an incredible exposure of India’s banking sector. India is touted as one of the world’s safest places to bank and the plot of this book with its potential & possibilities is a revelation, if not startling. I am sure for people working in the Banking sector in India would get nostalgic going through this piece of fiction.  Also, corporate employees from any background will be able to relate in one way or the other to the story. And at one point everyone reading will ask himself/herself ‘how much of this is fiction’. But that is up to the reader again.  The overall ‘Plot’ of the book and the tight suspense seem very convincing. The way the plot deepens, darkens and destroys the seekers is remarkable and must’ve taken a lot of effort from Ravi. My 5on 5 for it.

The narration and storytelling is typical Ravi Subramanian style and it is not bad at all, infact it goes very well. The very first thing that captured my imagination was the first few paragraphs. The mention of an Indian CIA agent operating deep within enemy lines caught my mind’s eye.  It is an unlikely area that not too many Indian fiction authors explore. The genre that has sadly caught the fancy of Indian authors is ‘love, romance’ and this book comes as a great overall package breaking that monotony and moving away from the conventional to the unchartered. Ravi has yet again done a great job at this. My 5on 5 for it.

Character has never been Ravi’s forte. He unfortunately does not do much here. I would agree that at most times you would feel that the characters are underdeveloped. The characters apart from one or two of them will never grow on you. You will feel a lack of depth and flatness of characters which is unwelcome and definitely could have been better. My 2.5 on 5 for it.  

The Good news: The book still cruises through because of the thick plot and despite the shortcoming of the characters. The suspense is well-balanced. This and the overall pace of things picks up steam as we keep reading making this a compelling read.

To sum up, this book is a good read. As always, you read and decide! My final verdict: 4 on 5.

You may read the first five chapters as a free preview at http://slidesha.re/MDC5iT

You may order 'The Bankster’ at any of these online retailers:

Indiatimes: http://shopping.indiatimes.com/books/miscellaneous/the-bankster/UMISC/p_U9788129120489
Flipkart: http://www.flipkart.com/the-bankster-8129120488/p/itmddehgcsy2bydc?pid=9788129120489
Infibeam: http://www.infibeam.com/Books/bankster-ravi-subramanian/9788129120489.html?track=india_bookstore
Crossword: http://www.crossword.in/books/bankster/p-books-9788129120489.html

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The Krishna Key – A Review

Book: The Krishna Key
Author: Ashwin Sanghi
Publishing Year: 2012
Number of Pages: 475

Language: English

List Price: Rs. 250 INR

Ashwin Sanghi is an entrepreneur by day, novelist by night. Ashwin lives in Mumbai with his wife, Anushika, and his eight-year old son, Raghuvir.

This is the third book written by Ashwin Sanghi that I have now read. I started reading Ashwin Sanghi with “The Rozabal Line”, then moved on to “Chanakya's Chant” and now finally onto “The Krishna Key”.  Needless to say that the reason I continued to read Ashwin Sanghi’s work was because I liked what he wrote and the overall scripting, narration, storytelling and suspense were binders. This is what made me eagerly await his works. 

Right from his book 1 - “The Rozabal Line”, I’ve felt that he has in one way or the other adopted, refined, tweaked Dan Brown’s way of writing especially from ‘The DaVinci Code’. There are heavy parallels that may be drawn here, of course with the caveat that these are my thoughts and have no ill intention.

Coming back to “The Krishna Key “, the very first thought that crossed my mind was how much if this is facts and  fiction. This is a remarkable way of writing and presents a superb way of storytelling. I for starters was completley engrossed in the facts that were presented in a straight ‘matter of fact’ manner that I was spell bound. Three pages more of reading and I was searching on the internet for the mentioned facts. This did two things; one: kept my mind completely occupied with the book; two: made me aware of our rich cultural heritage which most Indians (at least the younger generation) either discredits as fantasy or not even acknowledges. With books like the ones written by “Amish Tripathi” and “Ashiwin Sanghi” becoming popular, we never know one day most of us Indians might just start becoming proud of being who we are rather than aping the west. A lot of bloggers have mentioned Aswin Sanghi as copying other popular authors works. I on my part would not write anything to take the credit away from Ashwin who has done a superb job again with this latest book. 

This book talks about Krishna – the God, a young man who thinks himself as the reincarnation of Krishna and a professor. Here is the synopsis of the book:

Five thousand years ago, there came to earth a magical being called Krishna, who brought about innumerable miracles for the good of mankind. Humanity despaired of its fate if the Blue God were to die but was reassured that he would return in a fresh avatar when needed in the eventual Dark Age—the Kaliyug.

In modern times, a poor little rich boy grows up believing that he is that final avatar. Only, he is a serial killer.

The overall ‘Plot’ of the book seems very convincing. Yes, there are parallels to other works, but, the way the book grows on you is remarkable and call for a lot of effort. My 5on 5 for it.

The narration and storytelling is typical Ashwin style and it is not bad at all, infact it goes very well. With its un-complicated terminology/Sanskrit phrases, the book never felt like a burden or a history lesson. One can also clearly visualize things happening. This and the overall pace of things picks up steam as we keep reading making this a compelling read. The suspense is well-balanced, and character development efficient and effective.

To sum up, this book is a good read. As always, you read and decide! My final verdict: 4 on 5.

You may read the first five chapters as a free preview at http://slidesha.re/MDC5iT.

Also you may watch the trailer here:

http://youtu.be/Yyiz7okQx8I

You may order 'The Krishna Key' at any of these online retailers:
Indiatimes: http://bit.ly/PsDifu
Flipkart: http://bit.ly/NSB1ah
Infibeam: http://bit.ly/M6R71O
Crossword: http://bit.ly/PRAedG
Indiaplaza: http://bit.ly/Leu2Gt
Landmark: http://bit.ly/N5mkEj
HomeShop18: http://bit.ly/ShQlzX
uRead: http://bit.ly/M6RedT
Amazon: http://amzn.to/MqvUMa
Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/OiHBol
Junglee: http://bit.ly/MlR5VP
BookAdda: http://bit.ly/LUpVAN
MySmartPrice: http://bit.ly/PRB4r0
Dial-a-book: http://bit.ly/P64dgI
SapnaOnline: http://bit.ly/N7Rw5U
Om Books: http://bit.ly/NsmqU0
SimplyBooks: http://bit.ly/SnIpxk

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The Devotion of Suspect X – A Review

Book: The Devotion of Suspect X
Author: Keigo Higashino
Publishing Year: 2011
Number of Pages: 305

Language: English (original Japanese)

List Price: Rs. 350 INR

This is a book that comes with a lot of baggage. Everywhere you would look on the web, you would see only positive reviews and positive superlative praise for this book. Also, claims of 2 million plus readers, etc etc. had made this one of the most backed up book. Add numerous awards and the fact that since its first publication (in Japanese language) in 2005 it has already been adopted into two films.

Infact, to be honest, what really attracted me to this book was the quote on its cover "The Japanese Stieg Larsson - The Times". I am a self proclaimed fan of the writing of Steig Larsson and finished his last series on the trot. This is why I was very very apprehensive before I laid my hands on this book. I had too many questions like “whether it would be able to do justice to the tag”, “if it would be half as good as Steig Larsoon, that’s goona be great” and then some more.  I also harbored certain doubts on a Japanese author being able to produce a thriller that will appeal to the global audience and not just to Japanese people.

To summarize my thoughts and feelings, I would say, that Keigo Higashino laid all my apprehensions to rest and in what a way! After I was through the first 50 pages, I could just not put the book down and take a break. I finished the book pronto (less than 4 hours for a 300+page book, my fastest so far :-) ).

I am usually a stickler for thrillers, military, action, suspense kinds of books. Hence, I lapped this straight up. Reading this book was like riding a Roller Coaster. The initial few pages are slow paced and a challenge to read probably because of new names, places etc. But, once the first 50 pages are read, there is no turning back. There is going to be no way by which one can get oneself to stop reading this book.

Coming back to the book, it opens with an amazingly crisp yet ‘full’ description of the life of a teacher – Ishigami, a divorced, single mother- Yasuko, her errant husband – Togashi, and a brilliant ‘Professor’ - Yukawa. A classic tale with a femme fatale, a genius mathematician, a brilliant physicist and his detective friend.

If you think on, then you would understand how the story might proceed. The single mother would be working very hard and supporting her daughter. The single mother is troubled by her ex-husband and the professor saves day. If this is what you thought then you are only partially correct. The best part of this book is that it is a crime thriller where we – readers are already aware of who the killer is and yet it had enough to lead readers on.

In doing so Keigo in a subtle manner introduced us to a extremely graphic style of writing. One can clearly visualize things happening. This and the overall pace of things picks up steam as we keep reading making this a compelling read. The suspense is well-balanced, and character development efficient and effective.

To sum up, this book is a good read. As always, you read and decide! My final verdict: 4.5 on 5.

This book can be bought from the following:

 

Indiaplaza
Flipkart
Homeshop18

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