Book Review: Dream: Chaos and beyond

Dreams are always a source of motivation and inspiration for a person to live by and try for the better. They become a source of direction and guide a person to achieve unimaginable things.  But sometimes, dreaming and desire to fulfill them comes at a price. Devesh Kumar Krishdhan with his book, “Dream: Chaos and Beyond” talks about this price that the protagonist, Nandu has to pay for dreaming. The author covers his life and also the closest relations that he has. Their problems and their fates are also described by the author in a vivid and heart touching manner.

The title of the book suggests a lot and the readers get a clue of what the author is going to talk about. They know that there is going to be the talk about a dream and the consequences of dreaming. The cover also gives the necessary idea without giving any spoilers. The author begins the story with the central character and his desire but the readers have no clue of how far this desire will take him. But at the same time, Krishdhan also talks about other issues and perhaps, one of the most important themes is of poverty and lack of money. Through his story, the author proves that money may not be anything, yet it is everything. Apart from this, other important themes include happiness, responsibilities towards one’s family, marital happiness, love, domestic violence and many more. The author manages to cover and address these themes in the framework of “Dream: Chaos and Beyond” single-handedly and the readers only realize this after finishing the book. 

Although the air of gloom is there in the book throughout, but the readers feel the heart-wrenching effect towards the end seeing the poignant state of the characters. They feel Nandu’s pain and burden the whole time and can’t help but feel sorry for both his life and fate. The fact that he dreamt and desired and worked towards achieving his dream is praiseworthy. But at the same time, his pushing himself towards his doom is also anticipated. The readers may not exactly know what is going to happen, yet they know that something will happen. Krishdhan gives the book a touch of the stark realities of life that jolt the readers and make them have a reality check and also understand the life of the people who struggle every day to make their ends meet. The problems they face, the trauma they go through and the stress they have may not be mentioned directly but it is clear by looking at the lives of the characters. In the light of this, calling “Dream: Chaos and Beyond” a work of social importance will not be wrong.

Krishdhan divides the story into 12 chapters and titles them to the best suitability. He keeps the plot sharp and focused and using the forward and flashback technique which sustains the interest of the readers throughout the book. This technique also makes the following part in the book unpredictable for the readers and no one is able to guess what could happen next. They remain curious all the time and keep hoping that something better would turn up. The plot may be short but the author artistically explores a variety of themes and many years in the lives of the characters and also many layers of the society. He brings different people of the society together on one canvas and leaves it to the reader’s observations to understand and comprehend.

Nandu as the central character wins the hearts and sympathies of the readers through his miseries and tough life. The fact that he has to keep deferring his dream breaks the hearts of the readers and they keep hoping that one day, life will get better for him. Other characters like his father, mother, sister, wife, daughters, his music teacher and her briefly appearing husband also have their own positions but at the same time, they help in contributing to the development of Nandu and his personality and make him much more sharp and strong at his position. They all have their respectful fates but one thing that pervades the problems of Nandu’s family is the abject poverty they live in.

Readers who want to read hardcore realities of life and also see love and loss should read “Dream: Chaos and Beyond”. Krishdhan displays attributes of Dickens and Premchand here and there when he brings the extreme poverty conditions of the protagonist and the people associated with him and the problems that come as a package with it. Readers are also isolated from the luxury and fast life of the city and get to read a story which may be a reality of many who are not from the elite and well-off class of the society. Nandu’s story could be the story of any autovala on the road.

Book Review: Hindsight 2020

The year 2020 will be a year that no one will forget. The pandemic of Coronavirus brought people’s lives to a standstill and they got time to ponder over various subjects that had been in waiting for long. This historical time when people were instructed to stay inside their homes to save themselves gave them time to use it any manner they wanted. Sudip Banik has used the time to record this event in his book, “Hindsight 2020: Not a Political Satire” which is, in all circumstances likely to become a hstorical document and also a text of literary importance.

The title of the book may not give a lot of idea to the reader initially regarding the exact content of the book but the present day reader can easily understand what the book will be about with the mention of “2020”. The author gives the book an interesting beginning by talking about his philosophy of “I don’t want to be a photographer”. He explains and justifies his lack of interest in being a photographer and by the time he finishes sharing his viewpoint, the reader is convinced and agrees with his idea of not being the photographer rather the person in the photograph.

Banik has divided the book in 6 plots with a prologue in the beginning. The absence of the word “Chapter” and its being replaced by the word “Plots” is noteworthy. On reading the book, the reader can understand the applicability of plot instead of chapter.

The author picks up on the present day event of the nationwide lockdown imposed by the Prime Minister of the country and the resultant effects of the action taken by the government. Keeping this in the background, he weaves a plotline where there are the characters of Eishu, Ansh, Junaid, Fatima and Nandu who have had their own share of life and all it had to offer them and they all are united by the entwined destines and natural design. The ultimate unification happens because of the lockdown which brought everything to a standstill.

Through the lives of these characters, the author also brings out different aspects of our diverse country and merges them in the book to give the reader more clarity about the diversity of the Indian society and various lifestyles it has due to the difference of economy. He develops the major portion of the narrative in the prelockdown phase when life was in its normal mode and the pandemic was not in the picture. As the lockdown happens, life for many people other than the characters turns topsy turvy and those are the real stories that the author records in the book. This makes the book an eye-opener for those who are less aware about the ground realities of the economically backward section and the extent to which their daily fight for bread was extended. The author presents his view fairly without any bias or criticism and leaves it to the discretion of the reader to decide how and what can be done for the deprived section.

Apart from this, through the characters also, Banik addresses a variety of themes and issues that human beings face. The very first among them is the contrast between urban and rural life, the differences of city and village life, other than this, the all the communal violence of hindus and muslims which has been an endless thing and still continues. The other important theme he address is the issue of caste which is in the blood of the people and the violence and attrocities commited in its name. While pointing them out, the author also indirectly elaborates on the futility of these issues and how important is the universal message: the message of peace. 

Towards the end, the author gives his hindsight, his thoughts over what and how he sees the present time and leaves it to the discretion of the reader as to how they would see it. He also gives a Shellyean manner hope to the people and assures that the present time will also change and we can hope for a better tomorrow. On completing the book, the reader is likely to feel relaxed, enriched with knowledge or perhaps feel a brush up of facts and at the same time thinking about the characters and how different lives they had and yet unpredictable and unforessen circumstances brought them together. The readers living through the present time and the readers of future generations should give this book a try to have an indepth understanding of the pandemic of Corona, its origins and the worldwide impact it has had but also to understand India, excerpts from its history of casteism, communal violence, how generations have suffered and how people still suffer but for different reasons and also, to anticpate how this time will change the coming time.

Book Review: AIIMS

Publisher: Authorpress

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Book link: https://www.amazon.in/dp/B076KQZ7YD/ref=cm_sw_r_wa_apa_i_RCOgFb78XEWXS

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On looking at the title “AIIMS-Catch me if you can: A sensational thought” by Dr. Dewakar Goel, the reader gets a little confused as to what would be the contents of the book after all. But one thing becomes clear, it is something related to the medical field. The author begins the book and takes the readers on a journey in his past, in his college time.

The author through this journey touches the hearts of the readers and the book becomes a must read for aspirants of the medical field or even the students and also the ones who are already a part of the medical profession. Dr. Goel keeps the language according to the levels of every reader and people who do not belong to this field can also try reading it. 

The cover has a captivating power and holds the attention of the reader right away. Apart from that, the plot is not just a simple journey through medical school but also a series of learnings that can be useful for not just the characters but also the readers. Everyone should read the book once and also see the literary potential of Dr. Goel and can expect more from him in the future.

Book Review: जुबां ऐ कलम

The power of the pen has been accepted evey time it has been used. The poet Neha Singhal makes the readers realize the power of the pen once again in her poetry collection, “जुबाँ ऐ कलम”. The poet through her musings writes about her viewpoints and observations and at the same time, addresses a variety of themes and subjects in her collection of 40 poems.

The cover of the book may be a little abstract for the readers to understand. But the lovers of art will for once agree that the cover is more like an invitation from the poet to look at life through her eyes and try to understand her perspective of looking at things. 

Before beginning the poems, the author addresses the reader in the preface and talks about what was the reason that led her to take the pen. She clearly states that some thoughts are better expressed through the pen and her purpose of writing was to bring together the good and bad experiences that a person has in their life to give an enriched and first hand experience to the reader. The poet writes on a wide range of subjects in her 40 poems. Even though the poems are 40, the readers can just sit and go through them in one flow and by the time they reach the last poem, they are in tune with the author’s style, the way her mind works and also the manner in which she writes and expresses.

The author shows the combined traits and potential of writing on different themes which include love, nature, humanity, women and the different roles they play, the importance of time with self, life, and many others. This makes it difficult to categorize Singhal in any one category of poets. Time and again, she also writes lines that readers would want to mark and keep with them so that they could refer to them time and again to not just appreciate the beauty of words but also to understand the depth of thought of the poet. Some of these lines are:

“तेरी झील में चलते शिकारे में बैठ मैं नज्म गुनगुनाती हूं 

पानी में चलते चप्पू  के साथ ताल मिलती हूं" (जन्नत)

“बंद दरवाजों बैठा बीते वक्त के मोती चुनता है

डरा-सहमा सा हर ददन नई उम्मीद बुनता है” (कुदरत)

"काश मिल जाए किर र्ही रहगुज़र

जहां यह शहर अंजाना ना लगे 

फिर मिले कुछ दोस्त ऐसे जिनसे मिल बेगाना ना लगे" (यह शहर"

and many others.

There are different poems that address different issues and subjects but the poet does not wander off in abstract subjects and prefers to keep her themes limited to the ones that any person can easily relate to and can also identify themselves at one level or the other. In poems like “बेटियाँ", "नारी", "गृहणी", she talks of the different roles women play in different phases of their life. In “सरपत दौड़ते कदम", Singhal writes about the transformation of the life of a woman after getting married and at a certain level there is a comparison of life before and after marriage. The interesting thing to notice is the fact that the poet does not restrict herself to womenfolk but also writes from the viewpoint of men in poems like “फौजी" and "पिता". 

Perhaps, the most interesting poems for any reader would be “यह शहर", “आखिर क्यों”, “एक सत्य", “मुलाकात” and "आईना". All these poems are concerned with subjects concerning people in one way or the other. They touch unique themes like city life, degrading humanity and people becoming more and more insensitive, the truth of life and a conversation with the mirror (more like a conversation with self) which would for once remind the reader of Sylvia Plath’s “Mirror”. Other than all these, “ख्वाबों का गांव" seems to be like the poet’s definition of Utopia or how she dreams of the world to be.

The length of the poems vary but none of them seem to let the reader go away from the book even for once. They hold the reader throughout. All readers should read this collection of poetry to not just understand the views of the poet but also to begin seeing life in a different manner with an entirely different perspective.

Book Review: What if Rainbows were your shadows?

Poetry is the genre of literary writing where the poet gets the freedom to express all the he feels through little words and leaves most to the reader’s thoughts. “What if rainbows were your shadows?” by Anusha Veluswamy is a collection of poems which are a testimony to the changing moods and different ideas the author has in mind.

The diversity of her work is such that for once, she sounds wordsworthian in her nature poems like “Play of Light” or “The Plan” or even “Passing Through the Heavens”. At the same time, she comes across as a representative of the womenfolk in her “A Tribe of Warriors”. Her literary talent as a poet is further hihglighted in “What if Rainbows were Your Shadows?” (part III) and the poems written in this part.

The lovers of poetry should read this collection and understand the different shades of Veluswamy as a poet and an artist. The author uses a language friendly to the reader through her simple language, attempts to convey her thoughts through a diversity of themes that she talks about in her collection.The title, “What if Rainbows were Your Shadows?” also has a kind of paradoxical touch to it. It makes the readers wonder about the thoughts that the poet is going to present and on the surface it seems like she is going to talk about the different sides and situations that come in a person’s life. That makes the book like an all round need making reading a memorable experience for the readers.

Book Review: A Collection of Relatable Thoughts

Artists are known to write what they feel and give the best words with which many people can easily relate and many others can understand and agree. Everlyne Nyambura with her poetry collection, “A Collection of Relatable Thoughts” invites the reader to a journey of not just self discovery but also the discovery of the fact that everyone is in the same boat.

The cover of the book features a lion which is a symbol of elegance, grace, royalty and most importantly, courage to face and fight anything. This makes sure that the reader is psychologically prepared to read the book and feel the positivity that the book is going to give.

The author’s division of the poems into five categories with broad titles only gives a brief idea about the kind work she has written and only on reading them, the readers understand the depth of her thoughts and the things she wants to share with the readers. Poems in “Battleground” are like lifelessons which every person must read to learn and the effects of negative thoughts. “Them Vs You” is a section which should be read by all young readers as they are bound to have gone through all that Nyambura has written about. The title says a lot when it comes to “Relationship”. This is also something all young and mature readers shouls read. “Learning Curve” and “Soaring” are like the author sharing her philosophy of life and all that she has learnt so far. These five phases also give a slight idea about the growth in the pesonality of the poet and her evolving as a mature individual.

All readers from different genres or even prose should give “A Collection of Relatable Thoughts” a try and feel the difference the book can bring  even in a single read. 

Book Review: The Cryptic Clutch

When words like mystery or suspense or secret come into play, a reader’s interest is drawn to a book quite naturally. Perhpas A.M. Rain was well aware of this fact while choosing the title, “The Cryptic Clutch: Pari and Nakul Book I”. 

The blurb of the book is more or less enough to reveal a few things here and there and the lovers of the genre of mystery will be drawn automatically towards it.

The author brings an innovative and creative plot which may not feature too many characters but it is enough to keep the reader close to the book and the fact that it is short makes sure that young readers who are not into reading voluminous sized books would also read “The Cryptic Clutch”. The book is highly recommended for mystery fiction lovers and also the people who want to explore this genre or find it new can try reading. The fact that it is short will keep all readers entertained and on their toes throughout.

Book Review: 10 keys to attain happiness

Being happy is everyone’s desire and aim behind all their actions. In today’s busy life and run for a comfortable lifestyle, everyone does everything to be happy but somewhere that universal dream goes down the drain and people become victims of various psychological problems. In the light of this, Rajat Khatri writes the book, “10 Keys to Attain Happiness”. On the surface, the title may suggest a simple overview of the ways to be happy but there is a lot more to it and the readers understand this only when they sit through the book and read it.

Khatri defines happiness in the following words, 

“Our happiness depends upon just one thing, our prospective towards the problems.”

The author begins his book by sharing about the circumstances that led to his writing the book. He  shares his personal experiences which impacted his life and personality and most importantly, which led to his unhappiness and thereafter, his pursuit to be happy. He describes those episodes of his life as “The 4 Dark Phases”. He defines the purpose of writing the book,

“Through this book, I want people to understand that being cheerful is a choice...”

Clearly, he suggests that happiness is a choice for every person and it is all about attitude towards the situation that is the difference maker. In a very pragmatic manner with a scientific approach, the author talks about the different definitions of happiness as given by the people. This is interesting to read as although the reader may have observed this at some point of time or not, but the author’s observation is much more minute and psychologically relevant. Khatri does not choose to jump into describing or lecturing on the keys to happiness, rather he takes up things with a proper basic explanation and builds up on that. 

The author uses different psychological approaches to keep the readers involved by using the technique of keeping exercises at different intervals. The readers are bound to enjoy and also learn many things about themselves and also about being happy in this manner. He leaves spaces in the book so that the readers can fill up the answers and the book more becomes like a workbook.

Coincidentally, the book attains relevance owing to the present time where most people are unhappy or depressed due to a variety of reasons and this kind of makes the book a recommended read for all. If there ever is a time in the future which is the same as present, this book will prove to be a lifesaver even then. It is bound to become in an instant popular among the lovers of self-help books or motivational literature. 

Khatri keeps the language simple and explains things with the help of examples, practical experiences, stories and also quotes from a variety of authors and thinkers. This also highlights how well read and knowledgeable the author is. He also mentions the common mistakes people do in their day to day life which leads to their lack of happiness. The techniques that the author talks about are the ones that can be easily applied in life without much thought and effort. The reader is likely to feel the effects much better in the long run by following them continuously.

“10 Keys to Attain Happiness” is not a book that can be restricted to any particular group of people or any one age. The content of the book is universal and so are the 10 keys. This universal relevance opens the book to reading to all those who are unhappy and want to be happy and also those who are happy and want to be happier. Also, the fact can not be ignored that human happiness is a universal subject which will be the concern of every generation. Hence, “10 Keys to Attain Happiness” is bound to stand the test of time and remain popular for many generations. 

Book Review: The Bedside Book of Life

Francis Bacon once said, "Some books should be tasted, some devoured, but only a few should be chewed and digested thoroughly." Jal Patel's book, "The Bedside Book of Life: Secrets to finding your missing pieces and living to the fullest" is just an accurate example if Bacon would have given.

“The Bedside Book” is not just about the learning of the author but all those who are going through the phase of struggle and striving for better. This makes the book a source of motivation and guide to everyone. He begins with an introduction which is on a very personal note and the readers can understand the philosophy of Patel, not to squander life. 

The 3 parts of the book divided into 51 short chapters attempt to provide answers to the questions of every possible reader. “The Bedside Book” is not something the readers can just read and forget. As the title suggests, its about keeping the book at bedside and returning back to reading it back and forth. Reading the book again and again will leave a stronger and lasting impression on the readers and would also have a positive impact on their lives. 

Book Review: Self Publishing: Expectations Vs Reality

Writing has been one of the most powerful ways of expressions since the discovery of writing as an art form. As time has changed, book publishing grew into an industry and as everyone is aware, two different forms of publishing have evolved in the world of publishing till present. But as they say, knowledge is endless, not everyone is aware of everything in the publishing sector. In the light of this, Nataraj Sasid has written his book, “Self Publishing: Expectations Vs Reality”.

The author divides the book into 15 chapters and in addition a foreword, preface and afterword. For once, the title may seem to be a critique of the form of self publishing but that would not be a complete evaluation of the book. There is much more to it. Herein, the readers will get to learn not just about the systems of publishing but by the time they finish the book, they will have a good understanding of the things involved in publishing and will have clarity too.

In the foreword, Sasid talks about his experience in the field of publishing which has made him a veteran and also at the same time he talks about  the ingredients of a good book. He also talks about the reasons and circumstances that led him to write the book and as he declares his intentions, to make everyone aware of the mechanics of the world of books.

The author keeps “Self Publishing: Expectations Vs Reality” short and the content focused on explaining the differences between traditional and self publishing and also does not let his bias or judgement interfere or influence the mind of the reader. He explains everything in a very pragmatic and clear manner without any diverging or wavering from the subject in focus. He seems to be talking to the reader directly which almost feels like a live conversation where he knows what question would come in the reader’s mind and he is ready with the answers. Keeping this in mind, it is interesting to note how the author has given titles to his chapters. For example, “How to sell your book” or “The lure of Package” or simple questions like “What is Print on Demand”. These and many others are very common questions that perhaps every novice would be having. 

Sasid keeps “Self Publishing: Expectations Vs Reality” neatly structured. He does not jump in to the concepts of publishing or anything related to it and initially, he talks about the process of becoming a writer. This in a way, is an indicator of the fact that anyone can be a writer as the author says,

“... start writing for yourself, feel the emotion, relate with it, and if you cannot, then reject it and write again, but never give up.”

He gives ideas of not just how to become a writer but also what things and points are to be kept in mind while writing, how to publicize and market a book and also how to use media to the benefit of book publicity. Only after explaining the basics of becoming a writer does the author venture in to the subject mentioned in the title. In this manner, the book becomes an overall guide for all those who plan to become a writer or the ones who are in the process of writing or the ones who are looking forward to get their work published in the future.

The author keeps the language easy to understand for any reader, young or old as there is no age defined for any writer after all. He avoids and jargon throughout. Since the book is not long and the chapters are very foused and clear,  any person who has time constraints can easily read this book in one sitting. Towards the end of the book, the author also shares his vision about the future of the field of publishing and what changes writers can 

expect. 

For budding writers or for the ones waiting to be published soon, “Self Publishing: Expectations Vs Reality” can be equal to a bible in the field of publishing as it not only simplifies the concepts and ideas involved in publishing, the author also gives practical examples to demonstrate his point. Every aspiring writer should read this book to enhance their knowledge and also save themselves from the pain of research as the author has already done it for them. Also, every reader should read this book as writers are born from readers only and knowledge is always a boon. It may or may not be helpful for one person but another person can certainly be helped with it. “Self Publishing” is perhaps the first book of its kind, which suggests that the book is bound to become a milestone for the coming time as writers will always be there and new ones will always keep adding.

Book Review: The Quantum Cartographer

“The Quantum Cartographer: Book of Cruxes” by Kristen Keenon Fisher is one of the few books that has an amalgamation of different genres and at the same time explores all of them at length. On reading the blurb. a reader would categorise the novel being in the category of science fiction but on reading the work the reader understands that there’s a lot more to it. Apart from well built characters, there is also the description of their conflict, worry and the results of their decisions on the basis of their circumstances.

The fact that the book is based in the future is an introduction to the vision of the author and if the reader reads between the lines, he will understand that the author also suggests that uman nature is always going to remain the same in any time or any year. The readers who are looking for something that has a mixture of futuristic elements and also characters that seem more universal in terms of nature should try reading this book.

Book Review: Retrospective Wellness Series

The pandemic of Coronavirus has made people conscious and concerned about their health and well being. In such a time, Sripremraj Sinnaiah’s “Retrospective Wellness Series: Your Guide to a Long and Healthy Life” becomes a guide to survive and get through the tough conditions and also stay fit and healthy for a longer and better life. 

The reader is bound to find answers to various questions that may have been bothering readsrs for a long time and also many facts they may be unaware of. The book gains importance owing to the fact that people are less aware about the measures to be taken to ensure fine health and this makes the book a must read for readers of all ages, young or old. "Retrospective Wellness Series" is not a kind of book that can be limited to its time. Since human health will always be a subject of concern, the relevance of the book will not be increased rather, the book may become an important guide for people in the long run. Also, the author avoids any jargon and keeps the language simple and makes efforts to keep as close to the understanding of the reader as far as possible.

Book Review: Skeins

Travelling makes a person more learned and wiser as he/she gets the first-hand experience of things. But since there has been a boom of technology and people’s lives got busier, new travelling concepts have evolved. One of them is solo travelling. Based on this concept, Richa Gupta has written her book, “Skeins”. How one journey can change someone’s experience and perspective to see things is what the book is about. The title may sound a bit confusing to the reader but on closely understanding the meaning of the word (loosely coiled length of yarn or thread) and connecting it to the lives of the characters, it makes absolute sense and by the time the readers finish the book, they agree with it.

The book featuring women of varying ages who get to know each other during their travel experience in itself sounds like an adventure and holds the interest of the reader in the first place. Despite there being a good number of characters, Gupta has written the story in a smooth manner and keeps the readers engaged throughout. Women of all ages, young and old will definitely like to read the novel as there are a variety of characters of varying ages and they will be able to identify themselves with one character or the other. Men would also find the book interesting as the book is also a sort of a study of the natures of different women.

Book Review: A State of Decay

Health has been a subject of concern for some time now but the awareness of health and health related problems is comparatively less. The field specialists are well aware but not common people. One of the major issues begins with lack of dental hygiene awareness. Ronni Brown’s book, “A State Of Decay: Your Dental Guide to Understanding and Treating “Meth Mouth” comes out as an important guide for dental hygiene and also in raising awareness.

He begins to develop his idea and goes on to discuss at length as the book progresses. He gives a step by step guide to find and understand how meth affects the teeth of a person and the extent to which it can affect.

As praised and appreciated by the team of renowned dentists, this book is a must read for all those who are associated with the dental profession or intend to pursue this profession some day. Owing to the fact that knowledge is endless and research in all fields goes on always, this book can also be read by people who are not associated with dental profession and they can have their share of learning too.

Book Review: Cordially Yours

Samuel Richardson had got the idea of epistolary form of writing and hence his "Pamela: A Virtue Rewarded" was written and the letter form of literary writing was developed. Years later, the epistolary form got favour in the pen of Simran Munot in her writing, "Cordially Yours: Where letters tell a tale". The candid form in which the author pours out her heart and writes the book gives it a personal touch and brings the readers close to the book as soon as they begin reading it.

The title for once, may mislead the readers but it makes absolute sense by the time they finish the book and feel a stronger connect not just with the author but also themselves as they are able to identify themselves with the situations presented by the author at some point of time or the other. The message conveyed by the author is about having a connect with self. Such kinds of books are not written very often which makes the book a recommended read for all who want to see how beautifully the author has addressed herself without any intention of her letters being read by anyone else.

Book Review: Cacophony to Symphony

The present time in one where there has been quick and remarkable improvement in technology. As a result, the technology users have become more evolved and aware of the changes in technology and demand better and better everyday. This has led to the companies and organizations in this field to become more competitive and work with more zeal and resilience to provide the best of the best to the consumers. But amidst all this, there are flaws and problems which Ankit Khemka alks about in his book, “Cacphony to Symphony: Proven Guide to Transform Your Software Product Dvelopment from Chaos to Order”.

The author makes an interesting play of words in choosing the title which does not give the slightest clue or idea about what the book is going to talk about. But the subtitle gives a fair idea of the book being a guide to better software product development and making sure that everything remains fine and intact throughout the process.

The author gives a preface and an introduction to the book where he explains his idea of writing the book and the cicumstances which made him rsort to his pen. He clearly states that he intends to keep the book as a guide to readers in order to help the fellow people in his field and guide them through on the basis of his experienece and learning over the years.

Khemka begins “Cacaphony to Symphony” by an introduction wherein he presents a properly analysed data infront of the readers. This presentation of data adds weight to the venture that he is to take up in the coming pages. Thereafter, he goes to the root of the problem in a scientific manner. He makes the readers inquisitive by asking them a series of questions in between the text which also makes them wonder and question things while answering him at the same time. Thereafter, he begins to enrich the knowledge of the reader regarding how cacaphony can be avoided and how things can be run in a smooth manner. He gives various ideas to understand the dynamics in the current scenario, what is it that the customers really want, time to time brainstorming sessions, decision making and the things to keep in mind when deciding and last but not the least, the importance of communication. In this manner, the author covers a variety of aspects and trying his best to cater to whatever needs may come in the working of anyone.

Experience gives birth to wisdom and the author exercises his wisdom in “Cacaphony to Symphony” to explain his ideas on the basis of the probable situations and circumstances he could think of. The creation of such situations and inocroporating them into the space of the book makes “Cacaphony to Symphony” more of a practical experience for the readers instead of being a mere thereotical set of thoughts and ideas. Even through reading, the readers are able to understand the situations like they are being explained to them in person and soemtimes it sounds like attending a class amd learning things from a teacher. At times he takes up explaining things in a step by step form in “Cacaphony to Symphony” so when the readers begin to apply the techniques and ideas, it becomes easier for them to remember.

Khemka keeps the content focused and to the point. He talks about the question he raises without beating about the bush.The focused nature of “Cacaphony to Symphony” also gives a clue to he clarity of thoughts in the mind of the author. At the same time, he also explains his matters in a concrete form which makes it convenient for the readers to understand things.

The author opts for an easy and fine written language to make sure that the book becomes a friendly and comfortable read and language does not become a barrier in restricting anyone’s learning through this guide. He also keeps the address in first person directly to the reader which makes sure that the reader gets involved on a persoanl level. It also makes sure that the reader begins to respond to the situations created by Khemka and also responds to the questions he raises here and there in “Cacaphony to Symphony”.

All the readers who are involved in the field of software development and the students of the same subject should definetly read “Cacaphony to Symphony” for a better understanding of the ideas. Since the book is a first person account from a person who has been in the field for a good time and has paid attention to understand the intricacies and technicalities involved as the years have rolled by, this book becomes a treasure to be kept for learning and a guide who would be there for help and support from time to time.

Book Review: मेरे कितने चेहरे

A literary artist is the one who can reflect on the time he/she is living in and show them as clearly as a mirror infront of the readers. Due to its richness, and the presence of gifted artists, Indian history finds a lot of expression and reflection in the writings of not just renowned writers like indigenous Premchand or Mulk Raj Anand or Narayan or even Indian writers on foreign lands like Raja Rao  but also political figues like Tagore, Gandhi or even Jawaharlal Nehru. Amit Tiwari in his path-breaking debut “मेरे कितने चेहरे" also takes up the same task of representing his time at a subconscious level and presents his thoughts without tampering the facts.

The fact that Tiwari writes in hindi which is the mother tongue of a lot of readers makes the poetry collection is easily relatable for the reader which at the same time results in the reader getting closer to both the poetry written and also the houghts of the poet. As an artist, he writes on contemporary bruning issues isn poems like, "वायरस", "देशप्रेम में मैं", "देशभक्ति कटघरे में" and other poems like "जनसंख्या" and even "भीड़तंत्र का इंसाफ" and also, "चार रोटी". "चार रोटी" comes as a hard-hitting reality which the present state of India faces and the readers can not help but agree with the thoughts of the poet. Likewise is the poem, "आज़ादी क्या है?" where he raises the issue of the oppressed folks irrespective of caste or gender. He comes across not only as a reflector of the social scenario but also a thinker and commentator who shares his views without distorting the opinion of the readers or imposing his ideas on them.

He talks of the struggle of an ordinary Indian from middle class or lower middle class family who struggles to make ends meet in his poem, “स्कूल के दोस्त और दिल्ली, बम्बई"or in "रायसीना हिल्स" who talks of city glamour from the viewpoint of an outsider.. Poems like these put Tiwar in the category of people’s poet where he does not talk about the comforts that life gives rather the hard realities and the tough life people live and their everyday struggles which is perhaps the story of almost every second houshehold if one was to go beyond the metropolitan city life.

He also takes up the Wordsworthian theme of nature writing and talks about it in “प्रकृति की गोद” but he diffentiates himsefl from the fact that he is not lost in nature but addressing the reader and talking to him. Another interesting trait about his writing is that the poet does not have any limited or decided style that he follws. His style in length of poems is as diverse as the themes he takes up. This diversity and variety of themes saves his work from any sort of monotony and makes the reader want more of his writing.

Sometimes, Tiwari reminds the readers of Pablo Neruda due to the simplicity of the subjects he chooses which would otherwise be ignored from the observation of a person in poems like “कोठरी", "शब्द", "सत्ता", "रात", "मशाल", "सड़क", "रंगमंच" and many more. Even though the subjects of the poems are serious and close to reality, yet the reader finds them comfortable to be read without getting disturbed at any mental or emotional level. Still, the poet does achieve his purpose by making the reader think and this is merely an introduction to his artistic ability.

This combined impression of many writers on one mind clearly indicates how well read the peot is and the kind of writing he chooses for himself. The nature of the content in the volume is more or less serious and close to reality, that is why the readers with practical life experience will easily be able to connect and identify themselves with one poem or the other. Also, readers who want to understand the realities of life in a subtle yet clear manner can take up reading the collection of “मेरे कितने चेहरे" and explore life closely by being at the audience seat.

The readers who like poetry or are even having the slightest inclination towards reading hindi writing are likely to get held by the book and get captivated by its powerful writing.In the volume of 89 poems, there is something or the other for every reader and they are most likely to pick up favourite poems. The poet may have chosen to keep his style simple but as the title is “मेरे कितने चेहरे" is all about the different shades of the author as an artist and as a poet.

Book Review: Jean Angel

A few authors have performed the feat where they mix up different styles and themes and explore them together at one platform. “Jean Angel: The Child Of The Prophecy” by Atul Ajun Mohite is one example in this regard. The book has the touch of fairytale aspects and at the same time talks about the consequences of actions in a person’s life which meets the standards of realistic content.

The idea of prophecy for a moment reminds the readers of Sophocles’ “Oedipus Rex” and because of the presence of the King and his bearing the consequences of his actions, to some extent “Jean Angel” does make the reader recall “Oedipius Rex”. The title is absolutely relevant as it centres around the life of Jean and all the events of his life.

This story can be read by all kinds of readers as it deals with the elements of fiction, real life, fantasy, morality and perfectly developed and well built characters.

Book Review: What Goes Into A Butterfly?

Rajagopal with his poetry collection, “What Goes Into A Butterfly?” expresses different moods and different thoughts he had at different junctures in his life. His divides his collection into 8 parts which ensures his not being restricted to any particular category. 

His poetic style is such where he may write poems of a longer length like “A Song Stuck in My head” or really short poems like “Children on the Beach” or “Thar” or “Dara Shikoh’s Tomb”.

These different poems depict the poetic talent and skill of the poet to give words to different ideas that he has. He can write on nature in poems like "Frangipani Flowers", "In the End, The Sea" or "A Quiet Morning" etc. His division of the poems in different categories talks about his states of mind while writing and how far he can go if it about experimenting. 

The ones who love the romantic poetry or modern or post modern poetry can try reading this collection as it has a collective influence of all of them.