Books read in 2009

I got 'new funda' about reading. Here it is: Watching, Hearing & Speaking is a natural talent inherited by each man to observe nature. But reading and writing are 'artificial' which humans inculcate to record their observed data and learn from them as case studies. Hence, we remember more from cinema, music and speeches delivered lively to us. Reading books is a tough process because it requires patience to understand answer to our curiosity. But, if not practised both cinema, art and literature will perish with the time of an individual.

I really want adaptation of the essence in the translation of books in different regions to understand their culture. Artificial and imposed culture will never survive, how homogeneous it may appear. Books fill this artificial way of life to inherited one, because they are reflection of society's dreams, emerging trends, ambitions, past and faults. I am enlisting the names of books read by me in 2009 with their background and my feedback. [Ratings are highly personal.]

Yugnayak Vivekanand (3 parts)- Swami Gambhiranand- Hindi- 7/10
Detailed biographic account of Swami Vivekanand and his thoughts.

I dare !- Parmesh Dangwal- English- 8/10
Biography of Kiran bedi and what makes her say, I dare !

Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish- Rashmi Bansal- English- 8/10
Collection of the inspiring tales of 25 entrepreneurs of IIMA with simplicity and wisdom lines.

India After Gandhi- Ramachandra Guha- English- 8.5/10
Very balanced contemporary history of India from 1947 to 1985.

A better India, A better world- N.R. Narayana Murthy- English- 8/10
Speeches delivered by author about his vision, corporates, economics, ethics and India coming through his lifetime experiences.

Everybody loves a good drought- P. Sainath- English- 10+/10
Jouranlism showing detailed daily picture of how people live under usury, drought, health and educational predicaments as a result of government mis-management in the name of development of poorest districts of India.

India Unbound- Gurcharan Das- English- 9.5/10
It is the history of India's economy transformation from Independence to Global information age.

An army free world

Is brutality committed in the name of patriotism more justified than violence committed in the name of parallel ideologies, be it Maoism, Jehad, communalism, or Hindu nationalism? The Army is doing the same atrocities everywhere, be it Afghanistan, Kashmir or Palestine. But what is happening currently in Iraq ia much more than that. Read Letter to Young Muslimis by Tariq Ali & Kissinger's fantasy is Obama's reality by Pankaj Mishra.

Tariq Ali's lecture in an American University on Afghan War --- “Obama’s Afghan-Pak Syndrome"
For me, Patriotism means loving people not land.

नीड़ का निर्माण फिर से

नाशाद रहे नाकाम रहे तक़दीर ही अपनी फूट गई जिस शाख पे हमने हाथ धरा वो शाख वही से टूट गई|

Human nature embedded that every time we need to force the pace of change we may have to invent a crisis. Crisis emerged if not invented. So in the time of change, its turning out to be Black December for me...

1- Not selected in the written examination of IRMA by 2 marks.
2- Working hours per week increased by the company.
3- A big escalation of the team (partner in the crime) [Full frontal effect on Appraisal in March]

Failure in IRMA was shocker for me. Once again, a dream was shattered. The grieving will continue for a few days at least. I will vow never to day dream again. But of course I will, and once the pain recedes, I will be grateful for being here at this moment of life. Never say die..

"If you fail to plan, means you are planning to fail.."