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Rearview : My Roadies Journey
The story of a man who is equally hated and respected is one to be told. How is it that a boy, scrawny, weak and easily intimidated by society's darkness, becomes a singer, producer, editor, camera-man, singer and jammer? This is the story of Raghu Ram, notorious for his screen presence on MTV Roadies. The book takes readers through Raghu's life, and tells us the story of a man famous for the way he intimidates people by walking on stage.
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Stalin's Ghost
Once the Chief Investigator of the Moscow Militsiya, Arkady Renko is now a pariah of the Prosecutor's Office and has been reduced to investigating reports of late-night subway riders seeing the ghost of Joseph Stalin. Part political hocus-pocus, part wishful thinking - even the illusion of the bloody dictator has a higher approval rating than Renko. After being left by his lover for a more popular and successful detective, Renko's investigation becomes a jealousy-fuelled quest leading to the barren fields of Tver, where millions of soldiers fought, and lost their lives. Here, scavengers collect bones, weapons and paraphernalia off the remains of those slain, but there's more to be found than bullets and boots.
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Confessions of a Wild Child : Lucky - The Early Ye
Lucky Santangelo is a powerful and charismatic woman. But how did she become the woman she is today? Many people have asked and in Confessions of a Wild Child we discover the teenage Lucky and follow her on her trip to discover boys, love and how she fought her father, the infamous Gino Santangelo, to forget her own individual and strong road to success. Confessions of a Wild Child takes you on trip and navigates the teenage years of a wild child who will eventually rule an empire. Even at 15 Lucky follows her own path and it's a crazy ride taking the reader from a strict girls school in Switzerland to idyllic Greek island, a Bel Air estate, a New York penthouse and a shuttered villa in the South of France.
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A Dirge for the Dammed
It begins with a familiar story of displacement. The people of Jambhli have been ousted from their homes with promises of rehabilitation and compensation in cash and land, to make way for an irrigation project and the construction of a large dam. The Jambhlikars anguish at leaving behind everything they have known and resettling among hostile strangers - the beneficiaries of the dam project and their desperate search for alternative employment, for which they are neither trained nor qualified, are just the beginning of their troubles. In their search for a place to call their own, they must battle petty local politicians, scheming government officials strengthened by exploitative laws and self-serving social workers and face the ultimate betrayal at the hands of trusted leaders. Yet, even as the fabric of their social structure disintegrates, their courage, faith and innate goodness shine through in the face of unspeakable hardship. Heartbreaking, humane and utterly relevant to our time, this remarkable Sahitya Akademi Award-winning novel stands apart in giving a voice to those who pay the price for progress and development and in vividly encapsulating the struggles of the impoverished against a ruthlessly corporatized world.
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14 - Stories that Inspired Satyajit Ray
A wonderful way to introduce readers not only to some superb stories, but also to the genius of Satyajit Ray, who, from these very stories, created great cinema. Sharmila Tagore A rich zamindar dreams that his daughter-in-law is an incarnation of goddess Kali; a housewife steps out of her lower middle-class household into the big city to work as a salesgirl; Goopy and Bagha fight the evil plans of the king of Shundi to rescue the kingdom of Halla; a group of friends runs into a self-proclaimed sage who claims to have been friends with Plato, Jesus and Buddha. Nobles at the court of Awadh, the chess-addicts Mir and Mirza, move to an undisclosed location to play undisturbed as their kingdom falls aroundthem. Shorts stories were the inspiration for fourteen of master filmmaker Satyajit Rays movies, every one of them a classic Devi, Jalsaghar and Shatranj Ke Khiladi, among them. Fourteen brings together all of those stories in one volume. These tales, by the likes of Rabindranath Tagore, Tarashankar Bandopadhyay, Prabhat Kumar Mukhopadhyay, Rajshekhar Basu and premchand, are milestones in Indian literature quite apart from their cinematic glory. The anthology also contains two stories by Ray himselfAtithi and Pikoor Diarythat illustrate his own craft as a writer.From the dramatic to the starkly real, the humorous to the dark, the lyrical to the prosaic, Fourteen sparkles with narrative brilliance. Read together, these stories also provide us with the context for a new insight into the mind of one of Indias most loved and revered filmmakers.
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Prisoner, Jailor, Prime Minister
Siddhartha Tagore’s life is a result of conflict. He has worn many faces, been different men. He finds himself named the Prime Minister of India after explosive events put India on the verge of another terror assault and its very constitution stands to face revolt. A musical genius, and a prodigal son, Tagore’s views on China and Pakistan make him a very dangerous candidate for the job. But before his own inner conflicts can be resolved, he begins to find skeletons in the proverbial closet as terrible secrets unfold before him. This is a story of deceit, lust and politics of the very worst sort.
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After the Deluge
Meticulously researched, this fictionalized account of one of the most intriguing and mysterious periods of the nineteenth century is an un- put- detonable mix of adventure, mystery and suspense. Daniel, a French architect and Nora, his artist girlfriend, enter the world of Nikolai Roerich, the Russian artist who made the Himalayan foothills in India his home. While a painter of note, Roerich is also suspected to have been a double agent for the Americans and the Russians in India. Nora and Daniel meticulously reconstruct the many expeditions undertaken by the Roerich family in Central Asia and uncover astonishing details of the rivalry between the Russian and British Empires for the control of Central Asia and Tibet. Unfolding in the historical climes of the Great Game, After the Deluge throws up startling questions. What role did Nikolai Roerich, a Russian who was friends with both F.D. Roosevelt and Jawaharlal Nehru, have to play in the Great Game? And why does he remain such an important figure for numerous fringe groups and the government of the Russian Federation?
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The Avatari
A Mythical Kingdom: Legend has it that only those chosen by destiny can gain entry into Shambhala, the mythical kingdom believed to hold the ancient wisdom that humanity will need to resurrect itself from the inevitable apocalypse. They are the Avatari. An Ancient Artefact: When Henry Ashton, a retired British Army officer settled in the Yorkshire dales, receives a letter from a monk entreating him to prevent a hidden treasure stolen from a Laotian monastery from being misused, he finds himself honour-bound to respond. Assisted by a retired Gurkha Sergeant, a high-strung mathematician from Oxford with a Shambhala fixation of her own and an American mercenary on the CIAs hit list, Ashtons mission leads to an ancient map that dates back to the time of the great Mongol, Kublai Khan. A Secret that Must Not be Revealed: The group follows the trail, risking the perils of the inhospitable deserts of Ladakh, turmoil in Pakistan and the rugged mountains of Northern Afghanistan, where the Afghan War is at its height. But they are up against a deadly adversary with seemingly unlimited resources, who will stop at nothing to get possession of the anicent secret a secret that, if revealed, could threaten the very fabric of human civilization.
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On The Street Where You Live
MARY HIGGINS CLARK is the author of twenty-nine suspense novels; three collections of short stories; a historical novel, and a memoir. She is the co-author with her daughter, Carol Higgins Clark, of five holiday suspense novels.
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The High Heeled Guide to Spiritual Living
The High Heeled Guide to Spiritual Living is a passionate and funny account of how to bring the deliciously soulful into modern life. In a world overrun by rampant egos, consumerism and celebrity, Alice Grist demonstrates how you can spiritualize your sanity and revamp your life, all with a side dish of feisty feminine panache! She discloses fabulous spiritual secrets with warmth and buckets of love, whilst revealing how to manifest a multitude of mysteries into your everyday reality. A definitive guide for anyone who desires a fabulously spiritual life. Intimately written with warmth, intelligence and humor, it guides the reader through the chaos of everyday life. A real candle in the darkness. Jacky Newcomb, Best-selling author of An Angel Saved My Life A fiery book covering many areas of human experience. If you’re ready to ignite your inner spark this is the book for you. Gabrielle Bernstein, Author of Add More Ing to Your Life
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Salt Water
Rish returns home to Mumbai, halfway through his college in the US, unable to deal with the suicide of his friend Sahil a manic depressive with an uncontrollable drug habit. He touches down in a world of careless money and no rules. As he struggles to repair old friendships and rekindle old love, hes quickly sucked into the same old pattern of magic pills, endless parties and random sex. Rishs quest for redemption quickly degenerates into an unstoppable roller coaster into the nights of south Mumbai, tearing through exclusive nightclubs and sea facing penthouses. When it crashes no one will be left standing. Saltwater is the raw, uncut footage of an entire generation losing it, together, one shiny party at a time.
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Indis's Biggest Cover Up
India’s Biggest Cover Up is a sequel to Dhar’s previous book, Back From Dead: Inside The Subhas Bose Mystery, which was released in 2005. Following that, Dhar and his colleagues had begun their research to find out the reason behind Subhash Chandra Bose’s death, and requested extra information from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Indian Prime Minister’s Office, and the Ministry of External Affairs. They also sought information from foreign governments through the Freedom of Information Act and the Right to Information Act. This book comprises 13 chapters along with six appendices. It also has over 200 photographs, and 90 top-secret documents that provide a whole new perspective on the death of Netaji. Dhar presents the readers with insights into why he believes Pranab Mukherjee played a role in Bose’s mysterious death. Dhar explains that how Mukherjee allegedly flew to Germany, and attempted to bribe Bose’s wife into giving a written approval to take the ashes from Renkoji Temple, Japan, to India as Bose’s ashes. India’s Biggest Cover Up also provides the readers with an original copy of the document in which the Indian government states that Bose’s death occurred due to a plane crash. It also presents information about former IB Director B. N. Mullik, who lied under oath that the IB had never snooped on Shaulmari baba, who was considered Netaji by many. However, this book comprises certain top secret records of the Intelligence Bureau that Mullik had personally spoken to Jawaharlal Nehru about, concerning certain trivial matters about Shaulmari baba. He also throws light on the treasure of the Indian National Army, which includes diamonds, jewellery, and other valuables that were given by expatriate Indians. There were four men behind the looting, and Jawaharlal Nehru hired one of them even after knowing about his corrupt activities. Dhar explains that it can be regarded as the first scam that took place in Independent India. This book was greatly appreciated by its readers, and newspapers across the country.
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The Joy of Achievement : Conversation with J. R. D
An entertaining, intimate and deeply moving portrait of the legendary industrialist. For six decades J.R.D. Tata headed India’s largest industrial conglomerate with uncommon success. This was only one aspect of his life. He was also a man of great sensitivity who suffered at the loss of friends and was pained by the poverty he saw around him: a philanthropist who wanted India to be ‘a happy country’ and did all that he could to make it so: a man with a passion for literature, fast cars, skiing and, of course, flying. This book, by the author of the best-selling The Last Blue Mountain, records JRD’s thoughts on a variety of subjects. In these pages he speaks of the House of Tatas and his style of management, about how he nearly joined the freedom struggle in the early 1940s, about the ‘thrill of living a little dangerously’, his love of music and wine, and the writers he likes to read. He speaks also, with striking candour and insight, about the failures of socialism, the future of India and his association with stalwarts like Jawaharlal Nehru. Jayaprakash Narayan, Vallabbhai Patel, Indira Gandhi and Henry Kissinger. Towards the end of the book, in the final year of his life, we see him come to terms with death, God and the afterlife
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Making Breakthrough Innovation Happen: How 11 Indi
For long now, India has been seen as a country that is good at working on products and ideas that are already out there. Indian companies took up products that came in from the West and either replicated it or re-engineered it. Indians, when they went to other countries, were part of creative teams that came up with, and implemented great ideas. But, when in their own country, Indians do not have a reputation for coming up with innovative ideas. So, what is it that stops them? The author laments this situation in his book Making Breakthrough Innovation Happen: How 11 Indians Pulled Off The Impossible. He points out that even the Indian branches of MNCs do not see their Indian operations as centers of innovations. They just work on things that have already been conceived elsewhere. In this book, Munshi tells the true stories of 11 breakthrough ideas conceived and executed by Indians. These ground-breaking examples show that if someone dares to think out-of-the box and follows their dream, then seemingly impossible things can be achieved. The examples cover a wide range of industries. from public sector to private sector, and from MNCs and huge Indian companies to startup firms. The book talks about 11 ideas that had a deep impact, and achievements that were original and influential. The examples include the creation of the slimmest water proof watches by Titan, and the business model of Cavinkare - a small company that took on giants in the field of personal care products and succeeded. It includes the story of how Aravind Eye Hospital came up with an idea - assembly line surgery - to improve the productivity of its surgeons. Today, the hospital treats 70% of its patients free of charge and yet manages to make a good profit. Then, there is the case of the Hindi daily, Dainik Bhaskar, that combined intensive in-house marketing surveys and research with innovative marketing ideas to capture a large segment of the market in each new city they entered. The book throws light on the innovative strategies of Trichy police to turn around a city that was crime prone and known for communal clashes into one of the safest in the country. He further talks about the power backup company Su-kam that succeeded by creating its own niche, and Shantha Biotech that launched a low-cost Hepatitis B vaccine. The other success stories include Surat City’s transformation after the plague outbreak into one of the cleanest cities in the country, and Chic shampoo’s innovation of introducing sachet packs, which revolutionized the retail market. Making Breakthrough Innovation Happen: How 11 Indians Pulled Off The Impossible further elaborates how Bosch India came up with a new cost-effective pump that meets the Euro standards, ITC’s e-Choupal marketing model, and Chola Vehicle Finance’s innovative business model. All these real-life examples in Making Breakthrough Innovation Happen: How 11 Indians Pulled Off The Impossible give an insight into the ability of Indians to go beyond conventions and create innovative products and strategies that could turn their respective industries on their heads.
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Vernon God Little
Vernon God Little, published in the year 2003, is the winner of the Man Booker Prize. The story revolves around a 15-year-old American teenager, Vernon Little, who lives in a small town in Texas who is the narrator of the story. Vernon’s best friend, Jesus Navarro, shoots down sixteen high school students and then kills himself. The cops suspect that Vernon is an accomplice and take him into custody. Deputy Vaine Gurie questions Vernon and the latter completely cooperates with the police. However, it soon becomes clear to him that he might be given the death penalty despite being innocent. Like any other frightened teenager, he decides to run away to Mexico. His plan is to live on the beach, in a cabin, just like he had seen in a film titled Against All Odds. However, the cops and the media run after him and they manage to track him down. Vernon is brought back to Texas and is put on trial. The teenager is now labeled as the state’s most notorious serial killer. What will the protagonist do to get out of this mess? Will he be able to do anything at all or will he be prosecuted for a crime he did not commit? Vernon God Little has been written in beautiful and lucid language. The author has added elements of dark comedy to this novel. He also throws light on controversial topics like school shootings, media turning tragedies into entertainment, and the death penalty for those under 18. This book shows readers that just for the sake of sensationalism, more often than not, innocent lives are jeopardized forever. Vernon God Little has also won the Bollinger Wodehouse Everyman Prize for Comic Fiction, and also the Whitbread Awards. The book was adapted into a stage play in 2007.
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Hero Vol 2
While Volume 1 covered the period from the silent era to the legendary Dilip Kumar, this volume depicts the evolution of the Hindi Film hero from Amitabh Bachchan to the present. The author contends that the development of Hindi Cinema as a powerful expression of popular culture has been largely centred round the frontal figure of the hero. Beginning with the Transition from Dilip Kumar to Amitabh Bachchan, Ashok Raj focuses upon the latter, whom he considers a colossus in Bollywood. He projects Bachchan as the dominant hero (mainly in the form of the angry young man) in the late 1970s and 1980s, along with the Political and socio-economic scenario then prevailing that lent authenticity to such an image. Bachchan’s foray into a variety of genres (such as romance, comedy and crime) is then described as also his roles as a senior artiste. Next, his contemporaries come into the picture. For instance: the macho and versatile Dharmendra (who entered Bollywood as a hero almost a decade before Bachchan), the reliable Vinod Khanna, the charming Shashi Kapoor, the ‘explosive’ Shatrughan (Shotgun) Sinha, the cuddly but highly talented Rishi Kapoor, the debonair Feroz Khan and his brother Sanjay Khan. The author then moves on to other heroes such as the ‘cute’ Biswajit, the strapping Joy Mukerji, the jaunty Jeetendra and the nimble-footed Mithun Chakraborty. Next in line are Raj Babbar, Amol Palekar, Vinod Mehra, Vijay Anand, Randhir Kapoor, Rakesh Roshan, Parikshat Sahni, Anil Dhawan, Navin Nischal, Deepak Prashar, Sachin, Kiran Kumar, Vijay Arora, Raj Kiran and Kumar Gaurav. Lesser known faces such as Sudesh Kumar, Ashok and Dilip Raj are also mentioned. Next appear the ‘durable’ heroes such as Anil Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt, Sunny Deol and Jackie Shroff who are followed by the new-age heroes: the Khans (Shahrukh, Aamir, Salman and Saif Ali) as well as Ajay Devgan, Govinda, Akshay Kumar, Akshaye Khanna and Bobby Deol. In the new Millennium emerged a new brand of heroes – including Hrithik Roshan, Abhishek Bachchan, Viveik Oberoi and John Abraham, apart from Shahid Kapoor, Tusshar Kapoor, Riteish Deshmukh, Ranbir Kapoor, Imran Khan, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Zayed Khan, Abhay Deol, Shreyas Talpade, Emraan Hashmi and Jimmy Shergill – on whom the spotlight then falls. The author rounds off the text by finally bringing into the limelight ‘misfit’ but highly accomplished and proficient heroes such as Kamalahasan, Naseeruddin Shah, Om Puri, Nana Patekar, Manoj Bajpai, Kay Kay Menon, Arshad Warsi, Rahul Bose and Irfan Khan. The riveting narrative, which covers a broad Canvas from the 1970s onwards, also presents an incisive analysis of the current trends in mainstream Hindi cinema. This is a work that no one (film buff or not) can afford to miss.
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Hero Vol 1
This volume traces the growth of the indigenous Hindi film hero from the silent era up to Dilip Kumar. The film hero is depicted as a credible representative of the social, cultural and political milieu of his era. The author contends that the development of Hindi cinema has been largely centred round the frontal figure of the hero. In the course of the narrative, the subject matter presents a compact history of mainstream Hindi cinema by placing personalities, events and trends in specific time frames.
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The Butcher of Benares
The shocking and brutal murder of a young American woman rips apart the peace of the ancient city of Benares. She is found to be a research scientist working with the Vatican Observatory, one of the oldest astronomical research institutions in the world. Hawa Singh, a senior inspector from Delhi crime branch on a visit to Benares, gets embroiled in the case. He finds that the murdered woman had been researching the Bhrigu Samhita, an astrological classic dating back to pre-vedic times, believed to be lost. The FBI sends in Ruby Malik, a Pakistani American to investigate the murder. Soon, more bodies are found with bizarre connections to both the Bhrigu Samhita and Christian orthodoxy. The Vatican seems to be carrying out a clandestine operation, seeking the secrets of Hindu astrology in the city most sacred to it. Secrets that the Vatican would kill to know. Hawa Singh, hardened by many gunfights and with a bullet already lodged near his brain in a previous encounter, teams up with Ruby Malik to unravel the mystery. Nothing is the same any more. The temple bells fade in the perpetual winter fog. There is blood on the streets of Benares, which becomes a battleground where faith and science collide. The worlds of astronomy and astrology come. Hawa Singh and Ruby search the opium dens and the domains of Naga sadhus, Aghoris and Doms in the cremation grounds, hunt a cannibal lurking in the maze that is Benares and clash with the figurehead king of the city, Kashi Naresh Maharaj Abhay Narayan Singh. The killer could be anyone. Only Hawa Singh and his beautiful co-runner on the chase, Ruby Malik, possess the mindset and the indomitable courage to find the murderer at the heart of this mystery and in the process, find themselves.