Books read in 2021

Just because some of us can read and write and do a little math, which does not mean we deserve to conquer the Universe. - Kurt Vonnegut

If you can do a half-assed job of anything, you are a one-eyed man in a kingdom of the blind - Kurt Vonnegut

  ~Highly Recommended~

  • Twilight of the Elites: America After Meritocracy Christopher L. Hayes
  • In Service of the Republic: The Art and Science of Economic Policy Vijay Kelkar
  • Black Box Thinking - Matthew Syed
  • Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World - Cal Newport

~Worth a Look~

  • Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future - Peter Thiel
  • Choices: Inside the Making of Indian Foreign Policy - Shivshankar Menon

~Pleasure Reading~

  • The Dragon Reborn (The Wheel of Time, #3) - Robert Jordan 3
  • The Great Hunt (The Wheel of Time, #2) - Robert Jordan 3
  • The Eye of the World (The Wheel of Time, #1) - Robert Jordan 3
  • Manifesto for a Moral Revolution: Practices to Build a Better World - Jacqueline Novogratz

~Avoid~

  • Lobster Is the Best Medicine: A Collection of Comics About Friendship - Liz Climo
  • Walking with Lions: Tales from a Diplomatic Past - K. Natwar Singh





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Kanpur Coaching Mandi

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For previous article on Kanpur coaching mandi, go through this label of Kanpur Series . Hot News:  IIT Entrance Examination (JEE) of the seven teachers together to prepare a joint platform sigma - IIT JEE is made. Students will get a place to preparing for the three subjects without straying around and meet all the facilities. In addition, due to the joint will reduce the fees too. Sigma of the joint forum of the physics teacher Anish Srivastava and Raj Kushwaha, Ashish Bishnoi and Anurag Bishnoi of mathematics and chemistry of Pankaj Agarwal, Nirmal Singh and Sanjay Chauhan's. Small - small batch (one hundred to two hundred) in the three subjects under the same roof will get a chance to prepare for. Three different subjects to students before a total of 51,300 rupees to pay the fees now total 45,000 fees will be charged. Sigma's head office 117 / N / 581 Raniganj (Kakadev) will be. Old Time:  Even after paying Rs 8,000 for each of the three different JEE subjects, most of the...
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Lyrics of Title Song from Bharat Ek Khoj

सृष्टी से पहले सत्य नहीं था, असत्य भी नहीं अंतरिक्ष भी नहीं, आकाश भीं नहीं था छिपा था क्या कहाँ, किसने देखा था उस पल तो अगम, अटल जल भी कहाँ था सृष्टी का कौन हैं कर्ता कर्ता हैं यह वा अकर्ता ऊंचे आसमान में रहता सदा अध्यक्ष बना रहता वोहीं सच मुच में जानता. या नहीं भी जानता हैं किसी को नहीं पता नहीं पता नहीं है पता, नहीं है पता........... वोह था हिरान्य गर्भ सृष्टी से पहले विद्यमान वोही तो सारे भूत जात का स्वामी महान जो है अस्तित्वमाना धरती आसमान धारण कर ऐसे किस देवता कि उपासना करे हम अवि देकर जिस के बल पर तेजोमय है अम्बर पृथ्वी हरी भरी स्थापित स्थिर स्वर्ग ओर सूरज भी स्थिर ऐसे किस देवता कि उपासना करे हम अवि देकर गर्भ में अपने अग्नी धारण कर पैदा कर्व्यपा था जल इधर उधर नीचे ऊपर जगह चुके वो का एकमेव प्रान बंकर ऐसे किस देवता कि उपासना करे हम अवि देकर ॐ ! सृष्टी निर्माता स्वर्ग रचायता पूर्वज रख्सा कर सत्य धर्मं पलक अतुल जल नियामक रक्षा कर फैली हैं दिशाएं बहु जैसी उसकी सब में सब पर ऐसी ही देवता कि उपासना करे हम अवि देकर ऐसी ही देवता कि उपासना करे हम अवि देकर......
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Kanpur Coaching Gurus

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Memories of coaching days at Kanpur are inseparable from me. I have done a separate post on Kanpur coaching mandi only. The most remembered image of my coaching days was the advertisement of Ankush Bhatia by Pran classes, and it was pasted on each wall of Kanpur. His photo was spread at distant corners of the city, showing All India Rank 51. Never seen any local marketing campaign like this. Sometimes, I recall the rush of students from one coaching center to another for seat capture, xerox copying of assignments, and 'out-of-course' study material. The JEE course was never completed on time in the Kanpur coaching mandi. At the end of March, the mad rush to complete the course began with various test series taking place simultaneously. I could not forget that pressure till now. I will never forgive Anish, Pankaj, and Vishnoi sir for combining their individual treats into 1 party for JEE-qualified students. For information on the pre-2000 AD days of coaching mandi, check this l...
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Bahadur Shah Zafar - Last Mughal King

Lagta Nahin Hai Dil Mera Ujde Dayar Mein Kiski Bani Hai Aalam-e-Napaidar Mein Bulbul ko baghban se na sayyaad se gila Kismat mein kayd thi likhi fasle-bahaar mein Kehdo In Hasraton Se Kahin Aur Ja Basen Itni Jagah Kahan Hai Dil-e-Daagdaar Mein Umr-e-Daraz Mang Ke Laye The Chaar Din Do Aarzoo Mein Kat Gaye Do Intezaar Mein Din zindagi ke khatm hue shaam aa gayi phaila ke paanv soyenge koonje mazaar mein Kitna Hai Badnaseeb “Zafar” Dafn Ke Liye Do Gaz Zameen Bhi Na Mili Koo-e-Yaar Mein English Translation: My heart is not happy in this despoiled land Who has ever felt fulfilled in this transient world The nightingale laments neither to the gardener nor to the hunter Imprisonment was written in fate in the season of spring Tell these emotions to go dwell elsewhere Where is there space for them in this besmirched heart? I had requested for a long life a life of four days Two passed by in praying/wishing, and two in waiting. The days of life are over, Its evening of death Now I can sleep w...
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Book Review: The Jihad Game: Inside Pakistan’s Dark War by Abhinav Pandya

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The Jihad Game: Inside Pakistan’s Dark War by Abhinav Pandya The Jihad Game: Inside Pakistan’s Dark War by Abhinav Pandya | Goodreads ⭐⭐⭐⭐✰ Worth Reading India-Pakistan conflict (wars) is a challenging mostly negative-sum game where both countries are often in escalation cycles with no easy solution. The roots of the conflict, particularly cross-border terrorism supported by Pakistan trace back strongly to Kashmir.  Pakistan has long used Jihad   (religious war against infidels)   as a strategic tool in Kashmir, now reinforced by a nuclear umbrella. Kashmiri Muslims were predominantly Sunni Hanafi , practicing a syncretic, Sufi-influenced Islam shaped by local traditions (Rishiyat), shrine culture and coexistence with Kashmiri Pandits. What has changed over the years? Religious followership has shifted toward a more orthodox, radical Sunni Islamist and scriptural orientation  especially among youth. The 'Jihad Game' written by Abhinav Pandya (counter-terro...
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