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An Underground Walk
Terror. The word conjures up images of ghosts, monsters, half-creatures and phantoms. But terror doesn’t always stem from the paranormal. It can turn up in unexpected ways in everyday life, clutching at our heart with icy fingers! Feel the blind panic of Hansard, a young student of Forestry, when he finds himself in the grip of a maneating tiger; the desperation of a Navy officer and his comrades in a slowly flooding chamber of a sinking submarine; or the terror of two children stuck at the bottom of a cave, several miles under the earth, and unable to find a way out. Written by masters of the genre and compiled by Ruskin Bond, here are gems from Sylvia Green, R.L. Stevenson, C.A. Kincaid and Aubrey Wade, among others. An Underground Walk is a collection of stories sure to keep you at the edge of your seat.
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Calypso Christmas
Meet the enchanting and chaat-loving singer Gracie, for whom the narrator develops a one-sided affection; the delinquent youth, Sunil, with whom he forges an unlikely friendship; little Bisnu, who faces-off a man-eater that has claimed many in the village; and the lively West Indian, George. The novella is a favourite of Ruskin Bond, and this collection encompasses both humour and pathos. It also includes an excerpt from The Room on the Roof, for which Bond had won the John Llewellyn Rhys Memorial Prize. From the small towns of Mussourie and Dehradun to the teeming cities of Delhi and London, Calypso Christmas takes you to people and places you will remember long after the book is read.
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Airport
From traffic control to customs hall, from the airport manager's office to lay-over apartments in "Stewardesses' Row", an ordinary airport is filled with men and women whose private pressures and passions match the fury of the blizzard that sweeps across the runways outside. A blocked runway, a suicide, picketing, an aerial stowaway, pregnancy, smuggling, mass demonstrations and a psychotic with a home-made bomb turn the lives of all those in the airport upside down, as they unknowingly wait for a shocking climax.
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The Essential Social Media Marketing Handbook
It’s time to take the fear and frustration out of social media. In today’s crowded marketplace, it’s harder than ever to rise above the noise and clutter. For millions of businesses, a savvy approach to social media is the secret to creating sustainable engagement with a profitable niche audience. Social media marketing done right can build and strengthen your relationship with your customers, encourage brand loyalty, extend your influence and expand your credibility. Social media has changed the world—and the platform continues to evolve to meet the world’s changing needs. You’ve got more choices than ever before—online video, web audio, teleseminars and more. Plus, there newer ways now to attract more prospects, retain customers and reach a bigger audience. The trick lies in learning how to put the pieces together to create a powerful social media presence that draws in your ideal clients around the clock and around the world.
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Padmavat: An Epic Love Story
More than five hundred years after the Sufi poet Malik Muhammad Jayasi wrote his epic poem Padmavat, the story of Padmavati, princess of Simhal, and her lover and husband, Ratansen, the king of Chittor, continues to capture the imagination of readers everywhere. In Padmavat, we meet Padmavati’s friend, philosopher and guide—Hiraman—a parrot, as well as Nagmati—Ratansen’s first wife, and the brave Rajput warriors, Gora and Badal. This tale of two women and their husband who are tormented by Alauddin Khalji is a lyrical retelling of the story of Rajasthani bards, using idioms and metaphors from both the world of Islam and the Hindu Puranas. With Purushottam Agrawal’s deeply insightful commentary and Devdutt Pattanaik’s incredible illustrations, Jayasi’s epic love story is brought to life like never before and finally seen and appreciated for what it is—a remarkable ode to love, beauty and truth.
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100 Greatest Sportspersons
‘Faster, higher, stronger’ is the Olympic motto. But very often the real achievement of a sportsperson is more than breaking and setting records; it is as often about overcoming personal setbacks, changing cultural mind-sets and fighting gender stereotypes. This book brings together 100 such personalities from mid-twentieth century onwards who have not only excelled in their individual fields but more importantly, chartered a new course for others to follow. Through their lives, these men and women have given us a message of inspiration and hope—inspiration to remain committed to our passion and hope that anything is possible if we work hard enough and persevere.
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Kashmir: Glimpses of History and the Story of Stru
In Kashmir: Glimpses of History and the Story of Struggle, one of the most prominent voices of Kashmir, Saifuddin Soz takes a passionate and compelling look at the past, present and future of a vastly misunderstood people. Throughout its long, diverse, distinctive but scarred history, the beautiful and bountiful land of Kashmir has captured the imagination of travellers, kings, historians and nations. From its origins as an ancient civilization, to embracing Islam, to fighting invaders, to ruthless militancy, and the ensuing action by the Indian army; Kashmir has seen it all. Kashmiris fought the Mughals, the Afghans and the Sikhs in the past. However, it was their fight against Dogra autocracy that ultimately led to their disillusionment with the Indian establishment. With Pakistan feeding the emotions of deeply alienated and disenchanted people and the Indian government using force and taking a harder stand by the day, this unique culture now stands completely besieged. What is the future of Kashmir, then? What is the destiny of its people? Can there be solution to the weary problem confronting Kashmir? Can Kashmir reconcile with the past for a better future? Can the Valley return to a life of dignity, peace and development? How? Saifuddin Soz discusses these questions and provides credible and implementable solutions to end the grave crisis.
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Winning Like Sachin: Think & Win Like Tendulkar
Sachin Tendulkar achieved a lot more than victories, runs and records in a career that spanned nearly a quarter of a century. He was born with talent, but he proved that talent alone amounted to nothing in the long run unless it is coupled with hard work. His quest for perfection and commitment to his team and country ensured that he had an outstanding career as a cricketer, which culminated with the Government of India conferring the Bharat Ratna the country’s highest civilian honour on him. Winning like Sachin: Think and Succeed like Tendulkar offers the winning attributes that make Sachin an inspiration for generations. The book spotlights his penchant for taking initiative, utilizing opportunities, handling crises, perseverance and his knack of leading front the front. These qualities make him the ideal role model for all professionals wishing to make a mark in their field.
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Winning Like Sourav: Think & Succeed Like Ganguly
From being nicknamed ‘God of offside’ to charting the future of team India, Sourav Ganguly is undoubtedly one of the greatest captains to have played for the country. His records speak for himself: 18,000+ international runs and 11,000 runs in ODI matches including 22 centuries with an average of 41.02! Moreover, Sourav still has the highest win/loss ratio (even higher than M.S. Dhoni’s) and also holds the record of the highest number of wins overseas as a Test cricket captain. What makes Sourav Chandidas Ganguly, the ‘Prince of Kolkata’, such a winner? How did he motivate himself when everyone had written him off? And what can we learn from him? Winning like Sourav aims to unravel the sec
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The Code of Manavas: Part I
Book one of the Maha Vishnu Trilogy, The Code of Manavas, is set some two million years past ad 2050, when earth as we know it ceased to exist and so did mankind. A new race, the Manavas, now exists on Bhoomi, the erstwhile Earth, which is divided into two cities—Madhavpur and Ayudhpur. In the quiet and peaceful city of Madhavpur, a reclusive Krishna is busy with an immense task. He has to prepare a new abode for the Manavas before an impending apocalypse destroys them. He knows something that nobody else does—the Manavas are running out of time faster than they can imagine and there are no inhabitable planets to escape to. To make matters worse, there is someone in Madhavpur who wants to destroy Krishna and subjugate each Manava. The Manavas, it seems, are doomed. Yet Krishna knows there is a slim chance of survival for the Manavas, although there is a huge price to be paid for it. Will the various factions of the Manavas unite for the greater good? Will Krishna, who saved them during the turn of the last Yuga, be able to save them now? What will be the price to pay? Enter the mythical world of Maha Vishnu and get swept up in a fast-paced suspenseful narrative.
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River of Death
Hamilton knows the way to the ruins deep in the Brazilian jungle - and the secret they hold. The millionaire who calls himself Smith seeks the lost city to avenge a wrong from his hidden past. Their journey down the River of Death is an epic of violence and danger. But the secret that awaits them in the lost city is more dangerous still - as a legacy of theft, treachery and murder stretching back to war-torn Europe comes to a deadly climax beneath the ancient walls.
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KAUTILYA’S ARTHASHASTRA: AN INTELLECTUAL PORTRAIT
‘Kautilya who?’ In India itself, Kautilya is mentioned for reasons that are more sentimental and nationalistic than analytical and comparative with respect to the theoretical significance of his contributions to statecraft. In academic circles, Kautilya is labelled as the ‘Indian Machiavelli’, even though the Arthashastra was written some 1800 years prior to Machiavelli’s Discorsi and Principe, and is much broader in scope. This book brings the wisdom of Kautilya’s text—a tour de force in strategic thinking—to the present political discourse, emphasizing the relevance of this ancient text to contemporary world affairs. Brilliant scholarly analysis complemented with in-depth academic enquiry gives this work an edge over all that has been written on Arthashastra so far. Mitra and Liebig move beyond romanticizing Kautilya, and present to the reader one of the sharpest minds in history, unmatched in its knowledge of statecraft, and a theory unparalleled in strategic thinking. A must-have guide to understanding both Kautilya and the intricacies of governance.
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THE COALITION YEARS
The Coalition Years begins its journey in 1996 and explores the highs and lows that characterized sixteen years of one of the most tumultuous periods in the nation’s political history. It is an insightful account of the larger governance phenomenon in India—coalition politics—as seen through the eyes of one of the chief architects of the post-Congress era of Indian politics. From the inexplicable defeat of the Congress in the 1996 general elections and the rise of regional parties like the TDP and the TMC, to the compelling factors that forced the Congress to withdraw support to the I.K. Gujral government and the singular ability of Sonia Gandhi to forge an alliance with diverse political parties that enabled the Congress to lead the coalitions of UPA I and II, Pranab Mukherjee was a keen observer and an active participant in the contemporary developments that reshaped the course of the country’s political, economic and social destiny. Beyond the challenges, complications and compulsions of coalition governments, this book is also a recollection of Mukherjee’s journey as the Cabinet Minister in the key ministries of defence, external affairs and finance, beginning from 2004. He recounts each of these events with candour—the path-breaking meeting with Henry Kissinger in 2004 that altered the course of the Indo–US strategic partnership, his timely advice to Bangladesh Army Chief Moeen Ahmed in 2008 that led to the release of political prisoners there and the differing views with RBI Governor D. Subbarao on the structure of the FSDC. The third volume of Mukherjee’s autobiography is a sharp and candid account of his years at the helm. It offers the most authoritative account of
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LANKA'S PRINCESS
Surpanakha, Ravan's infamous sister-ugly and untamed, brutal and brazen. This is how she is commonly perceived. One whose nose was sliced off by an angry Lakshman and the one who started a war but was she really just perpetrator of war? Or was she a victim? Was she Lanka's princess? Or was she the reason for its destruction? Surpanakha, meaning the woman as hard as nails was born as Meenakshi-the one with beautiful, fish-shaped eyes. Growing up in the shadows of her brothers, who were destined to win wars, fame and prestige, she, instead, charts up a path filled with misery and revenge. Accused of manipulating events between Ram and Ravan, which culminated in a bloody war and annihilation of her family, Surpanakha is often the most misunderstood character in the Ramayana. Kavita Kane's Lanka's Princess tells the story from the vantage of this woman more hated than hateful... About the Author Kavita Kane is the best-selling author of Karna's Wife: The Outcast's Queen, Sita's Sister and Menaka's Choice. She started her career as a journalist and is now a full-time novelist. She is a post-graduate in English literature and mass-communications and a self-confessed aficionado of theatre and cinema. Married to a mariner, she is a mother to two teenaged daughters and currently lives in Pune along with Dude, the overfriendly Rottweiler, Chic, the friendly spaniel and Babe, the unfriendly cat.
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My Hanuman Chalisa
Reflecting on one of Hinduism’s most popular prayer for positive energy Acclaimed mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik demystifies the Hanuman Chalisa for the contemporary reader. His unique approach makes the ancient hymn accessible, combined as it is with his trademark illustrations. Every time we experience negativity in the world and within ourselves, every time we encounter jealousy, rage, and frustration, manifesting as violation and violence, we hear, or read, the Hanuman Chalisa. Composed over four hundred years ago by Tulsidas, its simple words in Awadhi, a dialect of Hindi, and its simple metre, musically and very potently evoke the mythology, history, and mystery of Hanuman, the much-loved Hindu deity, through whom Vedic wisdom reached the masses. As verse follows verse, our frightened, crumpled mind begins to expand with knowledge and insight, and our faith in humanity, both within and without, is restored.