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The Competent Authority
A couple of decades from now, India is not shining the Chinese have nuked large parts of the country; Bombay has been obliterated; Delhi is in the throes of rigorous reconstruction; Bengal has seceded and is now a protectorate of China; the Maoists have taken over much of what remains. The southern states are a distant and tranquil place that nobody has visited in years. The most powerful person in the country is a deranged bureaucrat called the Competent Authority, who has used his official position as the head of the Bureau of Reconstruction, to subvert all forces of governmental authority. Cloaked in anonymity, his identity known only to his terrified minions, the CA rules the remnants of India with an iron fist. Although, in theory, the government and the armed forces still exist, the Prime Minister, who looks very familiar, and the General, who commands the Army, are mere puppets in the hands of the Competent Authority. All they can do is watch in horror as he tries to put in motion a fiendish plan to annihilate everyone in the country, for reasons that are completely logical. The only person who can stop him is Pintoo, a mutant twelve year old from Shanti Nagar, where all the poor people live. Determined to thwart the CAs plan and save the country from disaster, Pintoo employs three reluctant henchmen to help him: Pande, a corrupt and vicious policeman, Chatterjee, a pessimistic but determined CBI officer and Ali, the last surviving member of Al Qaeda. And then theres also the matter of the hand that has a mind of its own
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India in Love : Marriage and Sexuality in the 21st
India in Love: Marriage and Sexuality in the 21st Centuryis a ground-breaking look at the sexual revolution that is beginning to sweep through urban India. Bestselling author Ira Trivedi travelled from Shillong in the northeast to Chennai in the south, Konark in the east to Mumbai in the west, and over a dozen other cities and towns, in order to gain unprecedented insights into changing sexual mores, marriage and love in the 21st century. The book explores the mating habits of young Indians on college campuses and in offices; examines the changing face of Indian pornography and prostitution, probes Indias gay revolution; and delves into history, economics and sociology to try and understand how the nation that gave the world the Kamasutra could have become a closed, repressed society with a shockingly high incidence of rape and violence against womenthe dark underside to the greater sexual freedom that men and women in our cities have begun to enjoy today. Trivedi goes deep into one of the most enduring institutions of Indian society-marriage and investigates how it is faring in modern times. She interviews marriage brokers, astrologers, lawyers, relationship counsellors, love commandos, parents and nervous young brides and grooms, amongst others, to present a nuanced picture of the state of marriage in the country. She discovers that love marriages are skyrocketing and even the age-old arranged marriage is undergoing a transformation. Also on the rise are divorces, extra-marital affairs, open marriages, live-in relationships and the like. Supporting her eye-opening reportage with hundreds of interviews, detailed research, authoritative published surveys and discussions with experts on various aspects of sexuality and marriage, Trivedi has written a book that is often startling, sometimes controversial, but is always entertaining and original. India in Lovewill change the way urban Indians view themselves and one another.
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The King's Harvest
Just before midnight on New Years Eve, in a village above the Rangeet river in Sikkim, a woman called Kamala hacks her husband, Police Constable Puran, into forty-seven pieces, then walks to the nearby police station and turns herself in. At first, the murder seems an open-and-shut case to Dechen, the tough, foul- mouthed, prickly lady cop in charge of the investigation. But as she begins to delve into the lives of Kamala and Puran, she discovers a world of lies, deceit and love gone wrong, where nothing is as it seems, and the guilt of murderers is difficult to establish. On a day of endless rain, a man emerges from thirty-two years of isolation to meet his king, whom he owes a share of the harvest from his fields. Journeying across leech-infested forests and forbidding valleys, he tells his children the story of his life one that has been full of drama and magic. But the biggest miracle of all awaits him in Gangtok... These two novellas, united by their strong sense of place, showcase Chetan Raj Shresthas enormous gifts as a storyteller. Magical, gritty, nerve-wracking and stylish in equal measure, this is an exceptional debut.
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The Collected Short Storie
D.H. Lawrence is known for his deep sense of English provincial life, his understanding of the working class, his voluptuous language, and the brutal honesty with which he explores human psyche and relationships. This volume brings together the best of his short stories and includes classics such as ‘The Prussian Officer’, ‘Odour of Chrysanthemums’, ‘The Horse Dealer’s Daughter’, and ‘The Woman Who Rode Away’.
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The Kingdom of God and Peace Essays
The Kingdom of God and Peace Essays is one of Tolstoy’s most acclaimed works, published at a time when the great writer’s precepts were unacceptable to the Church, the State, the military and even the society to which he belonged. These essays are, in essence, messages of peace, denouncing war, and protesting against the curtailing of free speech, press and religion at a time when liberty was ignored by world leaders. A great work of literature in their own right, they reveal Tolstoy’s consummate skill as an artist, as well as his moral stature, courage and faith. The world has changed greatly since the first publication of these essays, but their meaning continues to be relevant in a world that is still caught in the midst of strife and conflict.
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The Solitude of Emperors
Unflinching. Unsentimental. Deeply moving. I loved it - Kiran Desa. We do not know what to do with one of our most precious resources, solitude, and so we fill it up with noise and clutter, Suffocating in the small-town world of his parents, Vijay is desperate to escape to the raw energy of Bombay in the early 1990s. His big chance arrives unexpectedly when the family servant, Raju, is recruited by a right-wing organization. As a result of an article he writes about the increasing power of sectarian politicians, Vijay gets a job in a small Bombay publication, The Indian Secularist. There he meets Rustom Sorabjeethe inspirational founder of the magazine who opens Vijays eyes to the damage caused to the nation by the mixing of religion and politics. A year after his arrival in Bombay, Vijay is caught up in violent riots that rip through the city, a reflection of the upsurge of fundamentalism everywhere in the country. He is sent to a small tea town in the Nilgiri mountains to recover, but finds that the unrest in the rest of India has touched this peaceful spot as well, specifically a spectacular shrine called The Tower of God, which is the object of political wrangling. He is befriended by Noah, an enigmatic and colourful character who lives in the local cemetery and quotes Pessoa, Cavafy and Rimbaud but is ostracized by a local elite obsessed with little more than growing their prized fuchsias. As the discord surrounding the local shrine comes to a head, Vijay tries to alert them to the dangers, but his intervention will have consequences which he could never have foreseen. The Solitude of Emperors is a stunningly perceptive novel about modern India, about what motivates fundamentalist beliefs, and what makes someone driven, bold or mad enough to make a stand. A master storyteller - Time. Brings the art of grand narrative back to the Indian novel India Today. David Davidar is one of the most remarkable people in publishing - Scotland on Sunday. In the best sense, he knows how to tell a good story Independent on Sunday. Davidars writing is a joy - Glamour
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Aamir Khan : Actor with a Difference
In the glitz and glamour of Bombay films, he is a very unusual film star. What makes Aamir Khan unique is the seriousness and the versatile talents that he brings to films. In the film industry where the safe formula product rules, Aamir Khan has always taken risks as an actor. A thoughtful, sensitive artiste, who gives audiences films they deserve. And what is more remarkable is that in spite of a huge fan following he has remained a simple, caring human being. In this book, you can discover the real Aamir Khan : An Actor With A Difference. Read about his evolution from an actor to the maker of Lagaan that became a phenomenon on the Hindi screen - winning an Oscar nomination for its vivid portrayal of India.
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Lokmanya Tilak : Symbol Of Swaraj
This the unforgettable story of a writer, orator and patriot whose outspoken and fearless writings led to long years of imprisonment but, till his last day, the Lokmanya never stopped his quest for freemdon.
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Raj Kapoor The Great Showman
He dominated the Hindi film industry like a titan. For his fans he was Raju, the common man. He called himself a joker, And he made classics like Awara, Sangam, Mera, Naam Joke and Boby. Contents : Introduction Mera Naam Raj Kapoor Early Years Coming into his Own Establishing R K Studies The birth of the Tramp Teh social reformer The actor The filmaker The Musician The man Interesting facts Filmography
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JFK
JFK ... A dying man’s last word ... A plea, an accusation or a clue? That’s what the police couldn’t figure out. What they did know was that they had serial murders in broad daylight, and just one suspect with little motive ... Jatin F. Karunamoi, the dead man’s best friend. Jatin is no hero; he’s an unemployed 50-year-old, desperate to find a job. But his only hope for a life of dignity lies in him finding the real killer. As he jumps headlong into the investigation he has little idea what he’s getting into ... a hunt for the faceless murderer. Each step Jatin takes to unravel the mystery brings him closer to insanity as he encounters unimaginable situations, devious characters, intrigue and ... death. In this fast-paced thriller set in Kolkata, debut ant novelist Jhangir Kerawala brings the reader face-to-face with the ugly underbelly that looms large beneath the bright lights of urban India.
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5 Russian Masters
A compilation of classic short stories by 5 great Russian writers: Anton Chekhov, Leo Tolstoy, Maxim Gorky, Fyodor Dostoevsky and Ivan Turgenev. Though not necessarily representative of the authors? complete works, the stories have been carefully chosen to showcase their versatility and skill as storytellers. The collection covers an extraordinary range of themes, styles and settings, allowing the reader to get a glimpse of another world gone by. Even though these stories seem timeless, the characters in them show the same foibles, fears and hopes as people in the brave new world of the 21st century.
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Banquet on the Dead
Kauveramma loved life. She was terrified of water. So why was her body found floating gruesomely, hair fanned out, limbs outspread, in the well of the family compound? Her sons, daughter, grandchildren-some of them resident, others far-flung-assemble at her death with expressions ranging from composed or confused to those of outright maniacal grief. Things don't quite fit, and one of them demands an investigation into the mysterious drowning. Enter a policeman, Inspector Valmiki Nagarajan, and a charming rogue, Hamid Pasha. The latter is an elderly Muslim and a reformed criminal who spouts ghazals, has exquisite manners, and it's clear he's the brains of the two. He and the policeman regard each other with reluctant admiration and gruff affection. They have been on opposite sides of the law and clashed in the past, and that has formed an unstated bond. The duo interrogates each member of the family and staff in turn, unearthing secrets of their past, and calculating the degrees of their love, hatred or loyalty to Kauveramma-and each other. As it happens, everyone had something to gain from Kauveramma's banishment from their lives.
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Flat-track Bullies
When the going gets tough, SCOOT. Its a world of flat-track bullies. I am Ravi Venkatesan. You can just call me Ravi. Vacation or no vacation I do two types of things. One: things that make me happy. Two: things that make mom happy. Playing with friends, video games, chatting with girls, dreaming, sleeping, Attending school, special classes and competitions I guess I dont need to explain which one of the above lists is mine. But then, who wants to go to the BANANA boring classes when I can play and go Jumping Japang with the gang? What starts out like a comedy film suddenly turns into a horror show when a game of marbles turns MANGO ugly I am JACKFRUIT scared now Should I stay or scoot?
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The Disappeared
When the film begins she has no idea what she is about to see. Nor does she realise what devastating consequences this f ilm and the decisions she then makes will have on the rest of her life.' The body of a young woman is found carved up and buried in a forest glade in an innocuous Swedish suburb. Alex Recht and his team in the Stockholm Police soon identify the body as belonging to missing student, Rebecca Trolle, but as his team continues to excavate the site, they soon find that someone has been returning to the same spot to bury their victims year after year, decade after decade. Investigative Analyst Fredrika Bergman is assigned the task of delving into Rebecca's private life. But little does she know that her enquiries are about to uncover evidence that will put her actions under scrutiny from Internal Affairs, and will throw her private life into turmoil. And what does the case have to do with the elderly children's author living in a care home . . . who has never spoken a word to anyone since she arrived years ago? Kristina Ohlsson has already sold more than 830,000 copies worldwide. Now discover for yourself what makes her Sweden's favourite crime writer. 'Kristina Ohlsson has managed to achieve what many before her have only attempted: to take the Swedish crime novel to a new and unexpected level.' Arne Dahl 'The writing is tense, dense and very atmospheric. The stories sharp and impossible to let go. Kristina Ohlsson is a true queen of scandinavian crime.' Mons Kallentoft 'Kristina Ohlsson is a rising star of Scandinavian crime fiction' Sunday Times 'Superbly crafted, and with a set of police detectives who are all too human, it seeps into your subconscious, as only truly good thrillers can do' Daily Mail
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Wisdom of the Ages
Bestselling author Wayne W. Dyer has crafted a powerful collection of writings, poems and sayings by some of the greatest thinkers of the past twenty-five centuries. In succinct original essays, Dyer sets out to explain the meaning and context of each piece of wisdom and most important, how we can actively apply these teachings to our modern lives. A beautiful and thoughtful gift, this book shows us a window to wisdom and a door to greatness.
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The Emperor's Riddles
More terrifying than the savage murder of historian Ram Mathur on the ghats of the Ganga are the questions that follow. The letter carved on his face, the cryptic mail he sends his daughter Sia after he dies, more murders piling up. Desperate for answers, Sia turns to esoteric writer and friend Om Patnaik. But what begins as a hunt for the killer, becomes an extraordinary trail of riddles strewn across the country, that must end at the gates of an enigma. Patnaik and Sia race from one riddle to another, towards a royal secret that has remained alive for centuries.
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48 Creative Meditations to Enrich Your Life
Exciting new scientific studies reveal the brain's life long capacity to change its structure and function depending upon how we use it. Yet similar studies tell us that the mind is more than the sum of the brain's physical parts. With our mind, we create our world. It is our mind that regulates our present and our future. Do you imagine a happier world with better health? More vitality? More success with the ability to fulfill your potential when it comes to sport, business, relationships, healing and peace of mind? Modern research is confirming ancient wisdom. Truly it is The Mind That Changes Everything and this book tells you how to do it. Full of evocative stories, practical wisdom and 48 techniques that range from the simple to the profound, Ian Gawler is an authority on the mind and its potential.
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7 Habits of Highly Fulfilled People
Presenting simple processes that bring lasting fulfillment in all aspects of life, this book underscores the vital difference between success and significance. Drawing upon the time-tested principles of wisdom traditions from all over the world, the gifts presented in this book are devoted to leaving something behind in order to enrich ones existence. Illustrating that where success is external, significance is internal, and where success aims to acquire external objects, significance aims to harness inner qualities, this book teaches that replacing self centeredness with other centeredness increases a persons contentment in the community, the workplace, the family and ultimately the self. Through stories, anecdotes and powerful quotes, the guide shows that the key to abiding fulfillment lies in changing engrained mental models rather than fixing the outer environment.
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Face Reading Quick & Easy
Based on ancient Chinese wisdom similar to palmistry and acupuncture, face reading teaches us to really see the faces we look at every day. Learn how the zones of the face reveal personality characteristics and how meaning is hidden in our features. Read the fortune written on your own face and those of friends, family, colleagues and business contacts. Also included are helpful tips for reading emotional cues during important meetings like job interviews, as well as tips for recognizing when a person is lying. Better relationships and a more successful life can be yours when you learn to read faces.
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Halfway Up the Mountain
A simple and gripping story of a village girl who tries to find out whether happiness is accessible to the ordinary too. Being born in a traditional Indian family, she fights her fate and faces immense hardships and heartbreaks with courage and conviction. Abandoned and undone by the men closest to her, this is the story of Maya, who still manages to emerge as an independent, successful and good human being in a society that places no value on a woman who is on her own. The narrative is simple and full of beautiful imagery. What stands out in this novel is that the author, a man, tells the story of the coming of age of a young woman. In the process of telling Mayas story, the novel throws light on issues like homosexuality and how it is treated in India, sexual politics, the world of poetry, painting and music etc. The story captures the essence of modern India that is still trying to get rid of its traditional shackles.
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Poison Roots
Poison Roots is the story of a young man, Kesavan, who is a college student studying in pre-independent India. Critical of traditional religious practices, he scorns symbols of his high caste roots, especially the rather orthodox, autocratic attitude of his father. To overcome the shackles of his orthodox Brahmin background, he seeks intellectual interaction with erudite elders as well as a group of young Communists in his college. National award winning author Indira Parthasarathy has traced the journey of Kesavan, from being a disillusioned adolescent in a nascent nation, to one who accepts his destiny as a member of the educated upper caste. Etched with an idiom of everyday language along with shades of superior word-craft, this novel has a universal taste of the process of growing up.