Five Reasons Why One Should Read - Rajinikanth a Life by Vaasanthi

Your taste needs to be special to read & enjoy biographies. Otherwise, you have to wait for special occasions it is about the character you follow or from the field of your interest. From time to time you may find some inspirational biographies which are adored by the larger group. Rajinikanth a Life by Vaasanthi is one such book. 

Five of my favorite reasons why one should read this book

1. Though the book is a biography, it is written as a story.
2. The story of a superstar covered in this book is an inspirational one.
3. Simple and fluid writing style makes the book the lightest read.
4. Language usage is simple and caters larger population.
5. The book not just covers the life of Rajnikanth sir, but the social and economical aspects of the southern states of India.

Coming to the content of the book, it started from the childhood of Shivaji a.k.a. Rajanikant sir. It shows his struggle throughout his childhood and his relationship with his brother & sister-in-law, his liking for stage, and theatrics. Then comes the portion of his life as conductor and side by side theater performances. Then comes the portion which I liked the most. It is the section explaining social, emotional factors which had helped Rajinikanth to get a fan following, even though till his entry Tamil film industry was majorly dominated by actors with a fair complexion. The author has a deep understanding of the industry and social scenarios of Tamilnadu which is prevalent in her writing. The remaining portion might be more common because that covers his life after he became a known celebrity & later superstar.

One can get much eye-opening Information not only about the film industry but about the whole culture through this book. A must-read for movie buffs. 

I can give 4.5 out of 5 stars to this information as well as an entertaining read.

Book links - Amazon and Goodreads 

Fitness Habits: Breaking the Barriers to Fitness by Amaresh Ojha, Subhra Moitra

There are millions of people who want to be fit and slim. And they all wanted to cultivate healthy habits. We all know that if you make a habit, it will last longer. But activities become a habit when one does it regularly. People who give advice may talk about habits and their benefits. But how to cultivate a habit that too also fitness-based is a bigger question.

The book is divided into 8 chapters. The book starts with the topic of why don't we find exercise as easy as other activities. The next two chapters cover how to convert fitness into a habit and how long efforts are needed to convert an activity into a habit. The last four chapters cover benefits and other important facts about fitness habits. 

The book is filled with many motivational quotes. The one that changed my view the most is "Fitness is a lifestyle to be lived, not a goal to be reached." The book is a short read but filled with proper exercises, theories, pointers, etc. The writing is simple and engaging. Most of the topics were explained with at least 1-2 real-life examples. The language is kept simple for readers to enjoy and cope with the content. You may need a marker while reading this book so that you can easily revisit points while implementing them.

The book deserves 4 out of 5 for sure.

Book links - Goodreads & Amazon

Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Power: 5 Battlegrounds by Rajiv Malhotra

I am a data scientist and working in this domain for the last 8 years. I have solved many data problems in past and I still do that. But the hard part of our job is, it removes manual labor which was there earlier. I mean every AI project we implement, we reduce our manual labor. Yes, that's true, it is a harsh reality. Those who are listening about the boom in automobile sales in the last 3 months but same time job cuts in that domain, were shocked by this contrasting behavior. My answer to those shocked individuals is AI, it's robot-driven manufacturing that is taking more space from human labor.

Through the book "Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Power: 5 Battlegrounds" the author Rajiv Malhotra has provided a basic understanding of AI and how it is affected our day-to-day life. His message is clear AI revolution is going on, we already gave our consent, it's just a matter of when not how. Even if you stay away from smart mobile, you use smart TV, fridges, AC, Home devices, all such things capture your unique signature. Leave all smart devices, you may not be aware that even by recording your driving sample I can make your unique signature. Somehow statistics fits everywhere in your routing as well as your life. 

Apart from personal life, the author has also given how as an economy and country we are lagging. India was and is an IT hub, but we were so busy counting BPO income that we forgot to check innovative solutions. We seldom invested in R&D. The results are in front of us, though China is still lagging in the IT industry, they dominate the Data domain and giving tough fights to the USA. Rajiv has mentioned India need a total revolution in thought process, from politician to businessmen to data engineers to the common man.

A wonderful book even for non-data science background people. Regarding content, you can read the blurb or review of other reviewers I have given my take and added my experience with this review.

I will give 4.5 out of 5 to this book.

Book link - Goodreads & Amazon

BEYOND COVID’S SHADOW: Mapping India’s Economic Resurgence by Sanjaya Baru

I selected this book in the last week of December 2020, hoping that Covid is totally in control. Little did we knew by the end of March it would resurface with vengeance. And I finished the book during the self-isolation period.

The book is not written by one individual, rather written in parts by various domain specialists. It is a collection of articles from different domains affected by Covid. It was not an easy decision to lockdown, but when it was taken Prime minister must have consulted as many experts as possible. The book is designed such that in segments like Economy, Financials, People management during pandemic, trade policies, employment, etc. Each article gives us ground reality and how it was affected. It also covers plans or the possibility of coming out of stress. Whenever possible articles were supported by charts and tabulated results. 

My observations

1) This is not your casual read. It is full of facts and figures.

2) Technical terms are explained so not to worry

3) If you find any chapter heavy you can skip it. No compulsion in reading sequentially

4) Each author has done proper justice to their work and visible in their article.

I liked the book in bits and pieces. I am giving 3.25 out of 5 to this book.

Book links - Goodreads & Amazon

BAAHUBALIS OF INDIAN POLITICS: From Bullet to Ballot by Rajesh Singh

Due to the positive image created by the movie series Bahubali, I was expecting a list of political heroes of Indian politics from "BAAHUBALIS OF INDIAN POLITICS: From Bullet to Ballot" by Rajesh Singh book. But this book gives us 11 real characters of Indian politics who reach on top using the wrong means. And then the actual meaning of the title made more sense to me.

The book is based on 11 notorious characters who used their power to the extreme that they reach mainstream politics. Many of these characters started as Robinhood or messiah of poor or Dalits or tribesmen. On another end, few were more deep-rooted in the criminal world. They knew staying mainstream crimes won't be a long-running game, they took use of their power or support of their follower and became MP or MLAs or higher up in political parties.

My observations

1) Author has gathered good information about each Bahubali. Each of them got around 15-25 pages. I knew looking at their life's events this is not even the tip of the iceberg, but the author has done a good job.

2) Language is easy and writing is smooth.

3) You can find many of these characters on Google as well, and probably more in-depth. This book can reduce your efforts of Googling. 

I found the book a one-time read. I will give 3.25 out of 5 to this book.

Book links - Goodreads & Amazon

The Crusader: How Modi Won 2019 Elections by Randeep Sisodia

As I am in quarantine due to Covid, I decided to take few serious reads now. The first book I took was about our Prime minister Modi Ji. The name is "The Crusader: How Modi Won 2019 Elections" by Randeep Sisodia. I had read how he won the 2014 election, so it was obvious I would read this book as well.

Before I start I would like to tell readers that the book is short and full of details and strategies. The total length of the book is 199 pages. Having said that book is the result of detailed research.

The author has started with the history of why there came a group of extreme power people (he called them darbari) into existence, who were more worried about not repeating Modi as PM. The way the author explained why this group hated Modi so much is eye-opening. Here author explained it was not the plan of political parties to have Mahagathabandha but this group. They planned to bleed Modi in 1000 small cuts. I liked the way in further chapters the Author explained how his leadership and willingness to improve India as a nation made him victor once again in 2019.

The book is a must-read for not only Modi supporters but also for those who wanted to explore politics as a career. It can also help people in their domain of leadership. I like the smooth and simple narration style of the author. I like the way every comparison or example gives us an exact idea of the context. Even if you are not interested in politics, you can enjoy this book.

I will give 4.25 out of 5 to this book.

Book links - Goodreads & Amazon

The Inside Story of Indian Banking by Sandip Sen

We used to use as much jargon as possible during MBA GD/PI. But once we landed in our jobs, we were faced with the actual implementation of those jargons. I feel the field or domain having maximum jargon must be the banking and financial domain, every year governing bodies introduce multiple laws and new jargons to follow. 

In India no matter from which age group you belong, you must have heard at least one scam in this domain every five years. With so many rules and regulations, with so many audits to follow, and even with such a digitized state how people are still fooling around authorities. It is a big question. I had many such doubts when I picked up this book.

If you are not aware of the history of Indian banking, then how you can judge current regulations. To bring you to the same level, the author has started with all basic details on how banking started in India. Then the author takes us to a post-independence era where banks started facing real problems, following which nationalization came. The author has properly covered those details. Then comes post-1991 liberalization, and the country started getting competent banks from private sectors. Through this author has covered many big scams and how they happened. The last segment of the book covers the solution accumulated by the author from his experience and experiences of various stalwarts of the domain.

My observations

1) Though the book is non-fiction the writing style makes you feel it like a fiction one

2) There was an order in which content is prepared and that can keep readers interest intact

3) Author has made all efforts to keep the book less academic and keep it reader-friendly (not student-friendly)

4) Language and wording are easy and smooth. One can finish this book in 3-4 sittings. 

5) Minimum use of jargons and if they are used, they are explained in layman's terms.

Overall a good attempt to bring facts of the financial domain. I will give 3.75 out of 5 to this book.

Book links - Amazon & Goodreads

Brand New Start - the Power of Personal Branding By Mainak Dhar

I selected "Brand New Start" by Mainak Dhar due to following reasons

1) Author Mainak Dhar

2) Attractive cover giving confidence of Superpower

3) long subtitle "Fast-Start Your Career with the Power of Personal Branding"

4) Chances of learning something new

I took this book in the morning. I read the first few pages where the author describes why one should read this book. And that's it, 160 pages were finished in the next 3-4 hours. The section I liked the most is "Three reasons why you should listen to me and one reason why you shouldn't". Here I liked the frankness of Mainak over the acceptance of his limitations. In a very friendly manner, he tells us that he is not a counselor but a direct or indirect person in the decision-making of things discussed in this book.

As the blurb suggests, the content of this book is all about personal branding. Yes, you heard me right. Though our world works on product and personality branding, we mostly fall on the consumer side. This book tells us the supplier side. I mean it shows what a brand for a person is. The initial section tells us all about personal branding by removing myths and by answering general questions. The later section discusses how to make a brand out of us. The material is good.

My observations

1) Very good content creation. Text, charts, and figures were proper. Even larger than normal font size helps in reducing bored-ness in reader

2) Kind of good topic for a self-help genre

3) For new entrant a good read, for those who have read already established book, this book may not give too much novelty

4) I found fewer examples and cases. I feel those are the heart of self-help books. Else self-help will be an academic book for me.

I would like to thank Writersmelon for providing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Nice self-help deserves 3.75 out of 5.

Book links - Goodreads & Amazon

50 Desi Super Drinks by Lovneet Batra

I have started reading and collecting support for books, and to my surprise, most of them are easy to cook compared to most of the recipes. When I saw 50 Desi Super Drinks by Lovneet Batra, I wanted to take the maximum out of it during summers. With 50 damn easy recipes, none of which takes more than 20 minutes to prepare, I loved the book.

Talking about the content, you will find 50 chapters, one chapter per drink. Each chapter starts with the benefits of that drink and ingredient, not just a basic introduction, but the author has emphasized giving an elementwise scientific description (don't worry is not academically detailed). Then comes ingredient requirement and how to make it. As mentioned below most of these drinks can be made by even 14 years old kid. Each recipe covers the exact serving size and ideal serving state. 

Taking about some very basic drinks like coconut water which are readily available, I tried Aam Panna, Jal Jeera (made myself), Sattu, etc. They were delicious, I think I can have a comferting, healthy and delicious summer. 

Full marks to this wonderful book, 5 out of 5.

Book links - Amazon & Goodreads

MATINEE MEN: A Journey through Bollywood by Roshmila Bhattacharya

I selected "MATINEE MEN: A Journey through Bollywood" by Roshmila Bhattacharya, simply based on its cover. In the last 3 years, I have read many books based on Bollywood, these books take me through the journey of Indian celebrities. From the cover, I judged that I would come to know at least 6 different personalities in this book. But the book has more to offer.

Coming to the content, there are 13 great actors discussed in this book. I know each of these actors has painted a bigger canvas to cover them all under 250 pages. But the author has covered a few of their important moments in this book. Each chapter also contains part of the interview that the author has covered for that celebrity. The tone of the interview is smooth and interesting. The language used is simple and easy, written for all age groups. It is a perfect read for movie buffs. 

The chapters I liked the most are

1) Ashok Kumar - Decoding Dadamoni

2) Dev Anand - Evergreen at Eighty

3) Dharmendra - Hero with a Heart

4) Farooque Shaikh - The Extraordinary Actor

5) Irrfan Khan - The Warrior

With the attractive hardcover design, one cannot ignore this book. Giving 4 out of 5 to this interesting book.

The Battle of Belonging: On Nationalism, Patriotism, And What it Means to Be Indian by Shashi Tharoor

How can you judge a person just by prejudice passed on by others? In the same way, I heard a lot about Shashi Tharoor and his writing style. I wanted to have a first-hand experience of the same. And though I strongly believe in the need for strong leadership and think a persona like our current Prime minister must be there on top, I wanted to read the veteran's thoughts. So I took the book to know his views. 

Frankly speaking, the book changed hands twice before it came back to me. After reading a few pages, I became reluctant to review the book, so I gave it to my teammate. She returned the book with the same feedback, so the ball again fell in my court. So here I am to give you a brief of the book.

As per the title, one may feel that Mr. Tharoor has tried to present his thoughts of Nationalism and Patriotism, and his dream of being a true Indian. But I found content more of a collection of editorials. Also some topics he beautifully (also with vocabulary) explains and shows how the current government fails in achieving so. Those who don't know about Mr. Tharoor's political affiliation may find the book a good work that presents underlying problems of government. 

But for those who are aware of his alliance with the Congress party, can easily identify his use of this book as a platform to loathe the current government. I don't mind if his allegations are just opposed to BJP, but by doing so he became forgetful of his party's misdeeds in the last 50 years. Also, I found it difficult to digest when he bombarded the country at large because it is not in line with his idea of freedom and Nationalism.

As usual, the language of the book is at a higher level. It demands full attention. And the book is not on a neutral note. You can find bias.

Overall I will give 2.5 out of 5.

Cyber Privacy: Who Has Your Data and Why You Should Care by April Falcon Doss

I selected "Cyber Privacy: Who Has Your Data and Why You Should Care" by April Falcon Doss because I am a data scientist myself and I wanted to see to what extent the author shares the power of data. After reading the book I can say the author has done a pretty good job.

I don't want to share much about the content, for that you can refer blurb or others' review. But the author has taken proper ways including historical importance and implementations to explain things. Starting from most common and more specific I.e. individual data theft (I.e. financial information), to more information-driven such as your likes & dislikes. Everything can be derived easily. 

But it is also equally difficult not to leave a trail behind. Every damn digital thing we do leave footprints behind. Let's say you don't use a smartphone or even a phone. But the content you watch on your television leaves a trace behind. Examples are many I have quoted only one. Many such examples and few steps to reduce risk at your side were quoted in this book. As the author is a lawyer you will also find many citations of cyber law.

Am sure opening the book, language is somewhat semi-technical at places. But enjoyable read which deserves 4 out of 5.

Book Review - THE MOST NOTORIOUS JAILBREAKERS: Untold Stories of Escaped Convicts by Abeer Kapoor

"THE MOST NOTORIOUS JAILBREAKERS: Untold Stories of Escaped Convicts" how can I say no to this title? I was so intrigued with the title, I took the book within a week of its delivery and finished it in 2-3 sittings. I read it around 6-7 weeks back and unfortunately, I forgot to write a review of the book. So I am trying my best to give you a full review (even though I read 3-4 more books in between)

You may consider this book as a collection of non-fiction short stories. Each dedicated to one notorious jailbreaking. But storytelling is different, it is not mere documentation. Those who have seen the prison break series must have seen the level of planning required to escape from jail. You may think the Indian system is corrupted but most of these prisoners were famous enough to escape just by paying bribes. Each chapter describes how meticulous planning and patience helped them.

Well, those who wanted well-documented articles may find content shallow. But for those who are satisfied with a newspaper like stories or short articles will find the book very entertaining. The language used is simple to follow and easy for the 14+ age group. As the book is hardly 200 pages long and content divided into 16 chapters, the content demands a very very fast pace narration style. If you get bored or dislike any chapter you can easily skip it. You will find many interesting villian's name that you might have heard in movies, for example I thought Natvarlal was a fictitious character only. 

Overall I will give 3.5 out of 5.

21 Fantastic Failures by Sonali Misra

The title "21 Fantastic Failures" is the lone reason for me to select this book by Sonali Misra. And as the title suggests, the USP of this book is lessons for readers from 21 successful personalities. 

Every self-made man/woman has his or her experience. It's a common fact that a single failure teaches us more things than multiple successes can. One of the most famous teachings of Chanakya was "Smart people learn from their mistakes, but the real champ learns from mistakes of other." ( I haven't used exact wording, so spare me from your wrath). In short, this book allows us to learn from these great people's failures.

Coming to 21 stories, let me warm you. If you are looking for some unheard stories of these personalities then you might feel disappointed. Because much is said and written about the life of these celebrities. Your next question would be "then what is new in this book?". Well, it is structured such that you will get an idea of what steps these people have taken (which in turn you may take) to get out of dire situations. 

One chapter is dedicated to each celebrity. The structure of these chapters go like this

1. Paths that the person could take.

2. Lessons learned.

3. ‘Extra mile’ that the person in question chose to go

Overall, a good motivating book. If you have read many books in this genre, then you may find it about average, but for once-in-a-while or first-time readers will find the book good.

The cover of the book can be improved, you may consider that as a weak point from my point of view.

Overall 3.75 out of 5 stars to this book.

Manmatha Nath Dutt: Translator Extraordinaire by Bibek Debroy

There were three main reasons why I selected "Manmatha Nath Dutt: Translator Extraordinaire" by Bibek Debroy

1. The author Bibek Debroy 

2. Wonderful cover design in a hardcover edition

3. Wanted to read a biography as the last I read was around a year back.

Due to a positive case in the family, reading of the book was delayed. I am happy to share the review now.

As I mentioned, it is a kind of biography, of Manmatha. But the author had not personally met or interviewed Manmatha to write the memoir-style biography. It is more of documentations-based biography, I mean, the author has taken various references and cross-references related to Manmatha and given the shape to this book. Taking just an example of how biography started, the author has taken a reference from Manmatha's grand daughter's autobiography. The tone of the book is neutral, you may feel like following a documentary. The author has tried to stick only and only the professional life of Manmatha. It is like reading a complete work-life journal of a translator. Bibek had taken all major and minor references when Manmatha's is mentioned. 

Coming to the overall feeling, for me, the book is more of historic records than a biography. You will find an exhaustive list of books translated or written by Manmatha. It also covers a list of patronage for some of his major works. The language used in the book is pretty simple. You can easily read it within 1 day of the subject interests you.

Not completely up to my expectations, but I liked to know about this forgotten personality. Overall I will give 2.75 out of 5 to this book.

Book links - Goodreads & Amazon

 

Fix it with food by Kavita Devgan - Book Review

The author Kavita Devgan is a nutritionist and her books are not mere some textual content, but properly designed training material. I have read and reviewed both of her past books "Ultimate Grandmother's Hack" and "Don't Diet". She preaches healthy habits and nutritional food and strongly opposes dieting and other harsh measures. Her books are like a pedagogy where she covers every aspect of a said topic using only food. Starting from the selection of food to prepare and schedules etc. In our home, many of her suggested recipes are taken under regular food items. So when I saw the book, "Fix it with Food" I didn't wait for a moment and I selected it.

As usual, Kavita has divided the book into segments. There are three segments in this book

1. 40 superfoods to get super insights. List of superfoods, their nutrition level, benefits, and usage. Not just the myth of fasting, in this part author, has also explained myth around these foods. These chapters cover more than 75% of the book. The good part is "fun facts" and "at glance" pointers. If you feel lazy to read the whole book, you may point down these pointers and that's also enough. This segment also contains mini-chapters and covering 100 fixing tips for various conditions.

2. 10 Tools - I would say confusing titled but cleared with the subtitle "foods to become healthier" Again eye-opening section for me.

3. 40 quick and healthy recipes that you should add in your daily diet plan. This section will be found in most of Kavita's books and one for which I look forward the most.

Not just physical ailment that Kavita has covered, but problems related to mood swings, mental stress, hormonal imbalance, fighting pollution, and the hottest topic immunity boosting. Read the book to know more.

The ingredients covered in this book don't burn your pocket instead most of the ingredients are available to the majority of the population with minimal cost. The language is simple and straights. Advice is practical and easy to use. The structure of the book will make you engaged until the last page, rarely a self-help book deliver such content.

I will give 5 out of 5 to this book.

Book links - Goodreads & Amazon

Must-read Scientific Book in Layman's Language - Clues to the Cosmos by Shohini Ghose

Shohini Ghose that was the word I catch when I saw this books detail. I googled about her and came to know she is a TEDx speaker. Then I went through the blurb of the book and I came to know that this book is an effort to explain facts of the universe in simple language, something that a normal person can understand, something which is full of both the equations and theories. So I had high hopes when I received this book. Unfortunately due to lock down the book review was delayed and I am really sorry for the delay. Unlike normal fiction where my expectation from the book was to entertain me or lighten my mood, from this book, I was expecting more information that I can understand or grab faster. I am from a science background and I have been introduced many of these theories during the studies, I always wanted an easy explanation of the concepts so that if someone, who is not from a science background, asks me about them then I can explain it with ease.

The content of the book is divided into eight chapters. Each chapter covers the aspects of the proper methodology. The author has started with early beliefs about the existence of the universe. And how those beliefs were broken down by different theories with different methodologies with different measurement tools how everything unravels to your mankind. It explains how a various scientist has explored these facts and brought us the modern day's knowledge to us. If you want to read these points from the scientific view you will find a book on each of these topics and a lot of theorems but when it comes to getting crux in layman language then this is the book. The author has taken chronological order of various inventions and facts. She has also shared many hidden faces behind these discoveries whose recognition is still due or recognized after years of the invention. 

Those who are reading this book, take my advice and give time to read this book. Don't rush towards the end. If you like to write down facts then take a marker and keep noting points after each chapter as there are many things to note down. The author has used plain English to reach the maximum audience. Still, the topic related scientific discussions so maybe many souls find it difficult to digest, not due to complexity but due to the nature of readers. 

I will give 4.5 out of 5 to this book.

Book links - Goodreads & Amazon

An Inspiration Book Read - Be Your Own Sunshine by James Allen - Book Review

"Be Your Own Sunshine - Towards a Better Tomorrow" is another book I have been gifted by one of my friends in the publishing industry. It became my companion for almost one and a half-day during the lockdown. The book is written by James Allen one of the Pioneers in the field of motivation.

Talking about the content, the book is an amalgamation of four booklets. You may read these sections independently or in a sequence of your own. These four segments are: 

• As a man thinketh 
• From passion to peace
• Man: King of mind, body, and circumstance
• Foundation stones to happiness and success

Each of the segments starts with a nice pair of lines that you can ponder upon followed by the foreword of that segment. Then comes 5 to 8 chapters of each of the segments. Topics covered in these segments are passion, happiness, power of thinking & visualization, mental stability, habits, spiritual quest. 

If you are looking for a dose of positivity or some inspirational read supported by a proper field expert than this is the book for you. 160 pages of this book are more than enough for a reader to give a good company. If you are reading for self-improvement then I suggest take a notepad & a pen and start noting down the important points given in the book. I am sure that will help you greatly. The language used in the book is simple, even a beginner can read it without any problem. You will find a proper mix of examples and theory (or I would say philosophy) in the book which can entertain you or keep your interest quotient till the last page

I'll give 3.5 out of 5 to this wonderful book.

Book Links - GoodReads & Amazon

Pilgrim Nation: The Making of Bharatvarsh by Devdutt Pattanaik

Devdutt Pattnaik is among my favorite Indian authors. Along with Amish Tripathi, Devdutt belongs to the group of authors who made me bookworm that I am today. Unlike other authors, especially Indian authors who are writing books on mythology-based fiction Devdutt has created his own genre. His books are more of explanations of various Hindu cultures, gods, Vedic ways, etc. When I got the "Pilgrim Nation" book's mail in my inbox, I was overloaded with review copies, but I put aside all other tasks and took the book. I stood like to thank team Aleph books for providing this lovely review copy.

Before I talk about the content of the book, let me tell you what was my first impression of the book. It is a hardbound book with the cover designed by Devdutt himself. It shows Shravan taking his blind and weak parents to various pilgrims around India. I was thoroughly impressed by the cover.

As the name suggests, this book covers various pilgrimages across India. But what is new? Devdatta has divided these locations as per the time frame/age. I mean to say he started with places covered in Vedic age then went to Puranic age from there he came to Islamic age,  European age and finally temples of today's time. In each of the sections, he has covered many temples & shrines that are of importance in today's world or in previous years. Each chapter is dedicated to one location, which covers where it is located, what are its historical/religious importance, folklore about Temple & duties, and the current state of these temples.

As common with books of Devdutt, chapters are accompanied by various drawings and artworks dedicated to temples and gods residing in those temples. Each of the sections that I mentioned earlier starts with reasoning why the following chapters are combined together. Devdatt has tried to give an explanation of various concepts in and around temples.

I would say Good read for any age group. I would like to give 4 out of 5 to this wonderful book.

Book links - Goodreads, Amazon & Flipkart

No Limits by Mukesh Bansal- A Book Review

Black background, infinity symbol & subtitle "art & science of high performance", these three things were captured by my bookish mind when I first saw the cover on the WritersMelon site. Initially, I was unimpressed, maybe cover was giving me a feeling of an academic look to the book, but I am a staunch believer of "never judge a book based on its cover". So I searched about Mukesh Bansal, and that's when I came to know he is the guy behind two famous brands Myntra & CureFit. So my perception of an academic book was changed to an inspirational one. I applied for the book and luckily I got a chance to review it. I know I took around 15-17 days to bring the review but the length and depth of the book expect dedication from its reader.

I will the book is no less than a jackpot for me. The velvety black cover and inspiring childhood sorry of Mukesh became instrumental for me to keep this book on the priority that other currently-reading shelf.

The best part of the book is the content design. The book is divided into four segments. Just like a practical teacher, Mukesh has covered his journey from childhood to the latest addition to his portfolio CureFit. This part his inspiring and exemplary in many ways. From that segment, Mukesh took readers through the fundamentals & technicalities of talent, smart/hard work, habits, physical & mental health. Once the reader is properly informed, Mukesh took them a tide of practical examples and showed how the topics explained in the book can be taken in practical use. Read the book to know more.

The book is written for everyone. Its simple language & easy explanation can increase readers' curiosity for more. Ample examples & anecdotes support terminologies & topics covered in the book. There are many incidents in the book which you can relate to your life or the people around you. The balance between theories & practicality has been maintained wonderfully. Overall a wonderful read.

The book deserves 5 out of 5 for the awesomeness of its coverage.

Book links - Goodreads, Amazon & Flipkart