Sparsh

“To travel,” Aldous Huxley once quipped, “is to discover that everyone is wrong about other countries.” “That is the American Dream: to make your life into something you can sell. — Chuck Palahniuk” ~Highly Recommended~ ~Worth a Look~ The Lottery of Birth: On Inherited Social Inequalities - Namit Arora Execution Premium - Robert S. Kaplan ~Pleasure Reading~ Origin (Robert Langdon, #5) - Dan    Brown Sidney Sheldon's Angel of the Dark - Tilly Bagshawe The Legend of Virinara - Usha Alexander Fathers and Sons - Ivan Turgenev The Great Indian Obsession: The Untold Story of India's Engineers  - Adhitya Iyer The One-Straw Revolution Masanobu Fukuoka 3 ~Avoid~

In the brief prose piece, The Four Cycles, Jorge Luis Borges wrote that there are only four stories in the world: the story of war, the story of return, the story of search, and the story of sacrifice (Troy, Ulysses, Jason, Christ). If Borges is right, then literature is not a museum of endless novelty so much as a chamber of recurring forms. What changes is not the underlying plot of human life, but the cultural machinery that gives those plots their authority—what makes war feel righteous, return feel inevitable, search feel sacred, sacrifice feel meaningful. That machinery is very often myth. Rich cultures—with their myths, religious narratives, heroic histories, and rituals—offer especially thick symbolic resources to legitimize rule, sacralize authority, and frame dissent as betrayal of the civilization itself. Mythical stories such as these refuse to see the past as fundamentally different from the present. People accept and assimilate myths, they act on the myths, and the myths ...

Howard Marks once said that “I became famous overnight after writing for 10 years.” Mr. Raj Shamani shared a valuable insight that sometimes people who are less smart, less prepared, and less talented still succeed and achieve bigger things. He emphasized consistency as a key factor enabling such success despite lacking typical advantages like talent or preparation.  I got inspired by that short to write down this blog post. A truly self-aware person recognizes that their greatest strength lies not in constantly accumulating new skills, but in nurturing and deepening the qualities that already define their unique identity. By embracing and building upon what is innately mine, I can offer a piece of life to the readers and viewers.  Hence, I am looking to work behind this YouTube Channel with imperfection and consistency.  I am thrilled to reintroduce the What good is a life if it trails behind work?  YouTube channel, a unique space that has been cultivating a rich ar...

Sparsh: 50 Pointers - Medieval-Like Fantasy Worlds - First Part While the material foundations examined in Part 1 provide the scaffolding for mediaeval fantasy worlds, this second exploration with remaining 25 pointers delves into the intangible systems that actually hold societies together and tear them apart: 26. Weak Espionage and Intelligence : Inadequate spy networks left kingdoms exposed to manipulation, surprise attacks from rivals, and internal conspiracies, undermining state security. The Delhi Sultanate frequently fell victim to surprise invasions ( particularly Timur's 1398 raid ) due to inadequate intelligence gathering leading to entire populations killed or enslaved. 27.  Prostitution and Urban Underworld:  Prostitution is a common and tolerated feature of city life. The lives of sex workers intersected with the criminal underworld providing vital networks of information and serving as intermediaries for espionage, blackmail, and political intrigue.  28. ...

What is the key reason behind the recent surge in popularity of science fiction and fantasy genres? The authors can  reveal truths about society and politics when direct expression is  suppressed  by an unfavorable political and religious environment. S cience fiction genre is a mirror image of fantasy (sword & sorcery) established from current time reference.  The book is science fiction is when you're depressed about the future, fantasy is when you're depressed about the past, and literature is when you're depressed about the present.   Similarly, fantasy is when the technology the characters use is magic and sci-fi is when the magic the characters use is technology. Common fantasy themes that readers easily recognize include resistance to tyranny, prophecies guiding destinies, hero-centered stories, journey to distant land and rags-to-riches journeys. I will not help the readers on these familiar themes of struggle, hope, and love that form the backb...

डॉ. विकास दिव्यकीर्ति  एक प्रतिष्ठित शिक्षाविद् और यूपीएससी परीक्षाओं के विशेषज्ञ हैं, जिनकी सरल और प्रभावी व्याख्या लाखों छात्रों को समर्पित है, और उनकी पुस्तकें न केवल विषयों की गहरी समझ प्रदान करती हैं बल्कि नैतिकता, इतिहास, दर्शन एवं सामाजिक चिंतन में भी मार्गदर्शन करती हैं, जिससे छात्रों का संपूर्ण व्यक्तिगत एवं अकादमिक विकास होता है। विकास दिव्यकीर्ति द्वारा सुझाई गई पुस्तकों की सूची इस प्रकार है: एनसीईआरटी पाठ्यपुस्तकें (कक्षा 6-12) सोफी का संसार - जोस्टेन गार्डर —  यह एक रहस्यपूर्ण दार्शनिक उपन्यास है जो पश्चिमी दर्शन के इतिहास, विचारधाराओं और मानव अस्तित्व के गहन प्रश्नों को सरल हिंदी में प्रस्तुत करता है। गोदान - मुंशी प्रेमचंद — ग्रामीण भारत की झकझोर देने वाली कहानी जो गरीबी, असमानता और सामाजिक अन्याय के बीच किसान होरी की जीवन यात्रा के माध्यम से देश की ग्रामीण समस्याओं और स्वाभिमान की गूढ़ भावनाओं को जीवंत करती है। सत्य के प्रयोग - महात्मा गाँधी — गांधीजी का आत्मकथा जो सत्य और अहिंसा के आध्यात्मिक, नैतिक और राजनीतिक प्रयोगों का विस्तारपूर्वक वर्णन...

लल्लनटॉप पर एक साल पहले, सौरभ द्विवेदी ने प्रशासनिक सेवा तैयारी कर रहे उम्मीदवारों के लिए अपनी दोस्त की लाइब्रेरी से कुछ महत्वपूर्ण किताबों की सलाह दी थी।  इनमें संस्कृति, इतिहास, राजनीति, समाजशास्त्र और आर्थिक विषयों से जुड़ी गहन जानकारी वाली किताबें शामिल हैं। इस ब्लॉग में उन किताबों के साथ-साथ उनके अमेज़न से खरीदने के लिंक भी दिए गए हैं, ताकि आप सीधे सही किताबें खरीद सकें और समय बर्बाद न हो। * कभी-कभी ज्यादा सोचने-समझने से किताबें हाथ में नहीं आतीं, इसलिए बिना ज्यादा देरी किए किताबें खरीद लेना ही सही होता है।  अपनी लाइब्रेरी खुद  बनाइये, धीरे धीरे जोड़िये.... Hindi Books Sanskriti Ke Char Adhyaya by Ramdhari Singh Dinkar Kashi ka Assi & Upsanhar by Kashinath Singh "अभ्युदय (राम-कथा)" श्रृंखला ( दीक्षा , अवसर , संघर्ष की ओर , साक्षात्कार, पृष्ठभूमि, अभियान, युद्ध -1 , युद्ध - 2 ) और  "महासमर" श्रृंखला ( बंधन, अधिकार, कर्म, धर्म, अन्तराल, प्रच्छन्न, प्रत्यक्ष, निर्बन्ध, आनुषंगिक ) by नरेंद्र कोहली Swang by Gyan Chaturvedi Awara Bheed ke Khatre by Harish...

 Continuing from the previous blog post , let’s delve further into the books: ~Highly Recommended~ 1.  Beyond A Boundary - C.L.R. Jame 2.  A Corner of a Foreign Field: The Indian History of a British Sport  - Ramachandra Guha ~Worth a Look~ 1.  The Country Without a Post Office - Agha Shahid Ali 2.  The Hobbit  - J.R.R. Tolkien 3.  Prisoners of Geography  - Tim Marshall 4.  Missing In Action: Why You Should Care About Public Policy  - Pranay Kotasthane Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

I read the books for perspectives aesthetics not much bothered about aesthetics, political orientations, and reviews. Good books who present realistic complexity and ambiguity with clarity are captivating and satisfying reading experience. Sharing the review of brilliant books read in 2024: ~Highly Recommended~ 1.  Time of Parting  - Anton Donchev ( Alternate ) 2.  India's Wars: A Military History, 1947-1971  - Arjun Subramaniam ~Worth a Look~ 1. Indians: A Brief History of a Civilization - Namit Arora 2.  The Sources of Social Power: Volume 1, A History of Power from the Beginning to AD 1760 - Michael Mann 3.  Absolute Power - Inside story of the National Stock Exchange’s amazing success, leading to hubris, regulatory capture and algo scam - Sucheta Dalal 4. The God Delusion - Richard Dawkins Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

In 2024, I read four original Hindi books and two Hindi-translated Urdu books. This was more an effort to stay connected to my mother tongue and culture.  ~Highly Recommended~ 1. पतरस के मजमीं  (हिंदी संस्करण) – पतरस बुख़ारी  पतरस बुखारी प्री-पार्टीशन के वक्त के एक प्रसिद्ध उर्दू साहित्यकार थे, जो अपनी चतुर, सूक्ष्म और सूफियाना शैली के लिए जाने जाते थे। "पतरस के मजामीन" पुस्तक का कालखंड 1920 का दशक है।  पतरस के मजमीं केवल ग्यारह कहानियों वाली एक छोटी-सी, दिलचस्प और हास्यपूर्ण किताब है, जिसमें हर कहानी का विवरण अलग है और उनकी ताजगी एक सदी बीत जाने के बाद भी जस की तस बनी हुई है। पाठक इसमें कई चीजों को खुद से जोड़ पाएंगे, जिससे कहानियों का आनंद और भी बढ़ जाता है। लेकिन इसे इस तरह लिखा गया है कि पाठक हर वाक्य पढ़ते समय हँसेंगे और हर कुछ पंक्तियों के बाद मुस्कुरा उठेंगे। 2. खोया पानी (हिंदी संस्करण) – यूसुफ़ी मुश्ताक अहमद "खोया पानी" पाकिस्तानी लेखक मुस्‍ताक अहमद यूसुफ़ी की एक उल्लेखनीय पुस्तक है, जो 1947 के विभाजन से पहले के अविभाजित भारत और नवगठित पाकिस्तान ...

“When you read a great book, you don’t escape from life, you plunge deeper into it. There may be a superficial escape – into different countries, mores, speech patterns – but what you are essentially doing is furthering your understanding of life’s subtleties, paradoxes, joys, pains and truths. Reading and life are not separate but symbiotic.” ― Julian Barnes, A Life with Books Beliefs acquired by reading fictional narratives are integrated into real-world knowledge. I am addicted to surfing news articles and watching movies.But the internet has this addictive quality, and it’s one thing I am unable to control. I had less time to read, but I still enjoy a good book now and again. I discerned my love for spiritual reading from early age as our problems are on the enigma of life. The joy of reading comes from entertainment, enjoyment, education, enrichment, escape, and the way it eases life in a stressful world. But a deep reading always increase the insight in tragic world and the esc...

Annus mirabilis is a Latin phrase that means wonderful year or "year of miracles". This year was wonderful in more nihilistic sense. I was able to complete only three books despite of ample time. I remain connected to Facebook and whats-app. That is clear symptom of distraction by technology. I need to create tech free zone around me in the era of techno-utopianism. Personal reform is always an active choice. It involves doing something that isn't default and must be applied with rigor in disciplined way. I might have been victim of the slow kind of destruction due to many days & nights of loneliness. It just erodes enthusiasm and put reading habit in demise. The anxiety due to monotonous life became irrepressible leading to mental frailness. Even if I was doing everything right to read books but not able to progress beyond few pages. When I don’t read books or watch movies– always having stock of them – and then I “surf” them. I have wasted a lot of time in surfin...

“Why is America so rich and we are so poor?” I posed the question to my father in the summers of 1998. My father answered me as best he could: “India is a young democratic country of 50 years with huge population while America is almost 200 years old." I nodded in agreement, satisfied with the explanation. One answer unearthed a dangerous way to more questions.  I was a nationalist, theist and a more enthusiastic supporter of RSS version of India at that phase of life. I had complete trust in their claim of ancient knowledge and glory of Hindu India. So, why we failed to defend our country from foreign culture and invaders ? Why Hindus were treated like slave for thousand of years in their own country ? How to solve Islamic and Christian problem? That started an active engagement with history books. Yet, I haven't touched NCERT books. I studied history books to have an idea of India. My grip on history was weak because, half-truths and myths are intermingled as historical...

Literature demands something, not just from the reader but from society at large. It demands not just that we watch or cheer together, play or dance together, but that we take the time to understand one another. It demands that we create the institutions and the time to make this possible. It demands that we put in the effort. And it demands, most of all, that we agree that it is worthwhile to do so. - Hasan Altaf History has shown us that leisured aristocracies tend to become bored, hedonistic, and eventually decadent. This proves that power is not enough. One must set goals to excel in them, even if done slowly. I had set such a goal and polished my mental agility through the habit of reading. Reading books is an exercise in self-knowledge and carries risk. These thought-provoking books estrange our familiar landscape of settled beliefs into a strange wonderland (maybe dystopia) through new viewpoints. Good books open windows through mysterious ways. I had already listed down books ...