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Rajinis Punchtantra --Business And Life Management
ABOUT THE BOOK Coolie to CEO, small-time entrepreneur to business magnate, teenage student to retired grandparent-Rajinikanth's punchlines hold a special place in the hearts of a wide spectrum of people. The memorable dialogues of Rajini have, in fact, acquired cult status among his fans as sayings that encapsulate many significant universal truths. And so, in this book, P.C. Balasubramanian and Raja Krishnamoorthy attempt to interpret some of Rajinikanth's most famous punchlines and demonstrate how each of them can be adapted as a motto for any business organization or in any life situation. A management guide with an innovative twist, Rajini's Punchtantra gives you a unique perspective on thirty of the most fundamental and effective mantras for both business and life management.Key Features Highlights the relevance of Rajini’s punchlines in areas such as governance, leadership, motivation, reputation-building, responsibility, commitment etc. Instructive and edifying, while entertaining at the same time. Simple yet insightful, these lines can be used by anyone to communicate his or her views in a forthright and effective manner. A delightful and distinctive handbook for everyone.
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Chanakya Neeti: Verses of Wisdom
Chanakya Neeti is a compilation of the belief system of Kautilya, an Indian theorist, teacher, philosopher, economist and renowned mentor to Chandragupta between 350–275 BC. His role was foundational for the creation of the Mauryan Empire. He was one of the pioneers in the field of economics and political science in India and his work is acknowledged as an important precursor to classical economics. This text lays out his primary ideas first in Sanskrit, followed by the transliteration and translation in English for better comprehension. This is a treatise on the archetypal Indian way of life. He also developed Sutras (aphorisms) which talk about how people should build their personality. These Sutras were fundamental for grooming Chandragupta and other chosen disciples in the art of ruling a kingdom successfully.
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The Girl On The Train
‘I thought of running away with Kamla. When I mentioned it to her, her eyes lit up. She thought it would be great fun. Women in love can be more reckless than men! But I had read too many stories about runaway marriages ending in disaster, and I lacked the courage to go through with such an adventure. I must have known instinctively that it would not work. Where would we go, and how would we live? There would be no home to crawl back to, for either of us.’ Seldom do we come across a person who leaves behind an impression on our very being. Call it being enamoured or moved, the memories we shared with them can catch us unawares even years down the line. It is not for the world to decipher what bond we shared and nurtured with them, or how real or surreal it was. This is our secret alone, meant to be kept close to the heart. In The Girl on the Train, we see tales of longing and lost bonds being traced again in Ruskin Bond’s simplistic narration. With these stories, you might once again walk down the memory lane of all those cherished moments gone by.
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Inked In India-Fountain Pens and a Story of Make a
The exchange of the reed pen for the fountain pen is part of India’s economic transition and is reflected in the attitudes of these two great leaders, Gandhi and Ambedkar.’ In the early 1900s, a Bengali doctor created the first Indian fountain pen in Varanasi. Despite this early start, foreign-made pens dominate the Indian market, with no notable Indian brand available to customers. Inked in India traces this journey of make and unmake, from a pre-Independence India with a strong manufacturing base for pens, nibs and ink, to the post-Independence economic policies which eroded that competitive advantage and led to economic churn and the exit of foreign firms from the country. Going beyond the nostalgia and lost sheen of fountain pens, it tackles economic transition and the impact of policy on local enterprise. Just as there has been exit, post-liberalization, there has been entry too, in what is often perceived to be a sunset sector. The book takes stock of what it will take to transform the unmake in India to make in India, so that Indian fountain pens have a global presence. The first-ever documentation of all known fountain pen, nib and ink manufacturers, Inked in India will be of great interest to fountain pen aficionados and economic enthusiasts alike.
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Teen Machine
Why did everything seem so demanding, all of a sudden? And why did it seem to be easy for everyone else? Those Shark people were actually laughing at the difficulty level of the test. Was I even made for this? The 1 per cent that I was trying to fit into, how would I ever get there? I could finally feel the dread catching up. The dread that had been following me all throughout tenth grade, and I’d ignored it throughout. The dreadful feeling of knowing that I wasn’t actually smart. Avani, a tenth-grade student, has been living in a bubble—she gets top grades at school, loves to read and spends way too much time on her laptop, despite her mother’s disapproving glares. Her life seems perfect—until she is faced with the consequences of a life-altering decision: she decides to prepare for one of the most competitive entrance exams in the world. Thrust into the cut-throat world of IIT JEE coaching in eleventh grade, she is determined to disprove her mother’s doubts about her abilities, live up to her father’s expectations of being a ‘smart kid’ and be on a par with her peers or even better. Will Avani be able to balance exam stress, her interests, new and old friendships, crushes, her parents’ expectations andstill be the ‘best’?
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The Path-Breakers
We seem to notice only to types of success. Those achieved by people who have attained demi God status and others from the West, who we blindly try to emulate. How many times do we look at people, close home, who are much like us? People living a life like one we live, with dreams like the ones we have, facing challenges like the ones we do. These people no different from us, are yet, far ahead of us. They have lived a life, which although very similar, is quite different from ours. This book is a collection of real life stories of some extraordinary achievers. They come from all walks of life, from every corner of India, cutting across all age groups. They dared to defy the trend and refused to join the rat race. They have moved away and walked ahead. They have path breakers. Their life and work should serve as an assurance and source of motivation to those who desire to follow their instinct and take the road less travelled.
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Not Just A Nightwatchman - My Innings In The BCCI
‘It is a great honour for me to have been chosen by the Supreme Court. I see my role in the BCCI only as a nightwatchman.’ When Vinod Rai humbly commented about his appointment as the head of the Supreme Court-mandated Committee of Administrators (CoA) on national television on 30 January 2017, little did he know that he would stay at the crease for 33 months! In the next few days, the CoA came to grips with their onerous responsibility—that of overseeing the administration of one of the richest sports bodies in the world, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Notwithstanding his ardent support for the game, Rai refused to be blind to the flaws in its governance. And so the nightwatchman decided to play on the front foot; a characteristic style that he carries forward as he describes his innings in Not Just a Nightwatchman.
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The Making of The Greatest : Sony
Innovation has been the cornerstone of Japanese legend masaru ibuka’s business philosophy. Starting from a small radio-repair Unit in a bombed-out store in post-war Tokyo, he and his lifelong business partner akio morita built a staggering business empire straddling all seven continents. Right from its early days, Sony, as the company came to be called, continued to shock and surprise the world by coming out with one innovative product after the other: commercially successful transistor radio when even the inventors of the transistor didn't think of its use beyond creating hearing aids; a colour TV that redefined entertainment; the ‘walk man’, a new market phenomenon, that got the young generation all excited and revved up. All these in addition to a vast variety of products that became the Gold standard for the industry! Drawing on the vision of the founders, Sony has fortified their business unimaginably—with gaming PlayStation, blockbuster Hollywood movies, hit music albums and critical components for futuristic technologies, including robotics and artificial intelligence. This book is as much a tribute to the Sony founders, as it is to the dynamism and spiritedness of their successors who are proud to carry their legacy and innovations forward.
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50 Greatest Detective Stories
IT IS THE HOUR WHEN CRIME, VICE AND WICKEDNESS REIGN… The speck of dust on the carpet Half-smoked cigar Blood stains and a corpse Welcome to the crime scene and feel free to cross 50 Greatest Detective Stories is an unparalleled treasury of detective fiction that every fan will cherish. Offering the finest examples from writers across varied generations, this collection charts the detective stories, making the reader’s adrenaline rise and fall as the episodes unfold. Each story takes one into the labyrinth of the unfamiliar within the familiar. Now it is your turn to be the detective as you read on and decode the mystery. Do enter the labyrinth!
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Decoding Business Minds
This is a manifesto to change a country where a Master of Business Administration (MBA) is primarily to get a job, and not to start a business! Serial entrepreneur Ajay Gupta is the quintessential Indian businessman. He has spent more than three decades in businesses creating companies that have grown despite numerous obstacles and challenges that came from within the entrepreneurial ecosystem, but more so from a societal mindset that has origins in the British Raj. Thinking of a business as a lifelong career does not come naturally to most Indians. In fact, in Indian middle-class families, business is not seen as a secure source of income. Many of the myths surrounding business and businessmen are the reason why even those who have an innate talent for enterprise eventually suppress their dreams. This book debunks many of these myths and looks at how India can become truly aatmanirbhar and create limitless wealth for all. Decoding Business Mindsis a break from a stereotypical business book and is a practical guide to overcoming fears, creating the right attitude and working consistently towards an actionable vision. Ajay takes on the role of business coach, mentor and storyteller to look at everyday examples and real-life stories that will inspire everyone to emerge out of the herd mentality that sees business as risky, unstable and stressful. He deciphers the unique DNA of Indians that can make them world-beaters in the future. He also reveals some of the innovations, strategies and formulae that can help create wealth and scale up businesses.
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Wrist Assured An Autobiography
Wrist Assured traces the cricketing journey of wristy genius G.R. Vishwanath from the dusty by-lanes of erstwhile Bangalore to the most iconic venues in the world. It gives deep insights into the mind of a champion, and of the trials and tribulations of an international career that saw both despair and delight in his very first Test. Vishwanath followed up a first-innings duck with 137 in the second against Australia in Kanpur in 1969. The same crowd that had hurled matkas on his way back in the first innings rose as one to celebrate his century, providing him his first important lesson—nothing succeeds like success. His solid middle-class upbringing instilled in Vishwanath a clear sense of right and wrong which he harnessed throughout his 91-Test career.Wrist Assured provides a ringside view of what made Vishwanath tick and why he is one of the most adored and respected cricketers to have graced the cricketing stage.
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The Blue Umbrella
?The Umbrella was like a flower, a great blue flower that had sprung up on the dry brown hillside.' In exchange for her lucky leopard's claw pendant, Binya acquires a beautiful blue umbrella that makes her the envy of everyone in her village, especially Ram Bharosa, the shop-keeper. Ruskin Bond's short and humorous novella, set in the picturesque hills of Garhwal, perfectly captures life in a village, where both heroism and redemption can be found.
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Veer Savarkar
If India looks forward to its 75th year of Independence, it is also looking at 75 years of the country’s partition. Perhaps the biggest human tragedy of the twentieth century, it was marked by unparalleled violence that was suppressed by interested parties for their own political and ideological reasons. In the analysis of the real factors that led to Partition lies the lesson to protect India’s unity and integrity, as exemplified by the relentless but unsuccessful attempt by Veer Savarkar to prevent the birth of Pakistan. Arguably the greatest symbol of India’s national integration, Savarkar’s warnings on the threats to India’s security have come true in the past seven decades. Veer Savarkar: The Man Who Could Have Prevented Partition uncovers Savarkar, the thinker and the father of India’s national security who has shown the best possible pathway towards one nation that rises above religious, caste and regional feelings. It also proves the falsity of charges levelled against Savarkar from time to time and exposes the motives behind them. It reveals, for the first time, the manner in which the Narendra Modi-led government has implemented Savarkar’s national security and diplomatic vision.
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Boys Will Be Boys
But Miss Gamla did not like small boys. Or big boys, for that matter. She placed us high on her list of pests, along with monkeys (who raided her kitchen), sparrows (who shattered her sweetpeas) and goats (who ate her geraniums). We did none of these things, being strictly fun-loving creatures; but we did make a lot of noise, spoiling her afternoon siesta.’ We often look back at our time as children and think about them as the good old days—days full of mischief, wonder, curiosity and adventure. These are the days when we form lifelong bonds and make memories that become our balm on the hard days that life throws at us. These are the carefree days of galivanting, letting your imagination run wild and formulating grand plans. In Boys Will Be Boys, Ruskin Bond puts together a collection of stories and personal essays that capture the magical days of childhood. From adventures with wild animals and running amuck in ponds to finding ways of surviving algebra, a world of adventure awaits!
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The Very Best Of R.K. Narayan: Timeless Malgudi
Over a career spanning seven decades, R.K. Narayan, easily one of the most influential and important writers of India, populated the fictional town of Malgudi with a host of unforgettable characters: Swami and his gang of friends, the Talkative Man, Raju the guide and Sampath the printer, among many others. These characters have carved out a place for themselves in popular imagination and live on, still fresh and endlessly entertaining, many decades after they first appeared.Timeless Malgudi brings together a selection of the best and the most enduring of R.K. Narayan's fiction and nonfiction. The Guide examines, with wit and irony, how a man becomes a godman. The story 'A Horse and Two Goats' describes an attempt at crosscultural communication which goes haywire, with hilarious consequences. The excerpt from My Days, Narayan's autobiography, paints a poignant picture of the author's childhood while the 'Misguided Guide' is a cynical, sharply written chronicle of the making of the film.
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Indias Parliamentary Democracy On Trial
India is the world s most vibrant and stable democracy. This is largely because of Nehru s vision and firm commitment to parliamentary democracy and his carefully nurturing of it in the formative years. But there is a widespread disenchantment in the country today about parliamentary democracy. Nehru had described the parliament as the highest temple of democracy and the grand inquest of the nation. However, over the years it has been marginalized, devalued and made dysfunctional beyond recognition. The downhill journey began during the Indira Gandhi regime and has continued since then. India s Parliamentary Democracy on Trial analyses these disturbing developments. It takes a close look at the experiences of Western democracies on issues relevant to India. The book provides comprehensive analysis of critical issues and concerns, and suggests well-considered and sound reforms with a view to improving the functioning and time management of parliament and its public image, credibility and relevance. The author argues that this will not be possible unless a stake is created for all political parties in orderly functioning of Parliament. This perceptive, analytical and penetrating book is a must read for parliamentarians, politicians, academics, researchers, media persons, opinion-makers, bureaucrats and civil society
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Tiger in the Tunnel
For decades now, Ruskin Bond has been charming us with his captivating stories about life in the hills. For this collection, India’s favourite storyteller has rummaged through his archives and fished out a compilation of some of the pithiest short stories written on the Indian wildlife. From tigers, elephants, mongooses and leopards to jackals, panthers, snakes and cats—Bond covers them all, humble and mighty, in this collection. Bringing together the finest writing by authors such as Rudyard Kipling, C.A. Kincaid, John Eyton, Hugh Allen, among others, this collection will enchant the Bond aficionado and initiate alike.
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Didda The Warrior Queen Of Kashmir
Ashish Kaul is a trailblazer and a maverick business leader across media and entertainment spectrum. He is also the representative of a brave new breed of multilingual writers. Ashishâs Hindi novel on Kashmir titled Refugee Camp has been extremely well-received.
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Straight to Normal
A communications consultant and former journalist, Sharif D. Rangnekar uses every possible platformâtalks, writing and musicâto advocate change and garner support for the LGBTQ community. He is the frontman of Friends of Linger, a band that is credited with Indiaâs first dedication to the gay communityââHead Held Highâ. He curates the platform âEmbrace: Music Justice Artsâ, which blends art with social justice. He held senior positions at The Economic Times and The Pioneer, before leading Integral PR as its CEO and later as its chairman. He was named PR Professional of The Year 2013 by IPRCCA. Sharif provides counsel in the area of diversity and inclusion in workplace, specific to the LGBTQ community. He is also associated with Open For Business, a global forum that promotes such policies.
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Sanath Jayasurya
Very rarely in history does one man shape the sporting fortunes of a nation. Sanath Jayasuriya quite clearly achieved that with just his forearms, but after a prolonged delay. He used his forearms to just whip the ball at will and then turned his arm over with the ball to leave behind a legacy that will be hard to emulate. For a nation yearning to break into the big league, it required just the unorthodoxy of Sanath to break away from the past. When lights shone brightly over Sri Lanka at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium in the 1996 Cricket World Cup, it was all down to the brilliance of this young man from Matara. While he made a name for himself as a rebel with a cause, he did change tracks later to take on roles quite alien to his nature as captain, chairman of selectors, politician and minister. But while success proved easier as a foot soldier, the rise in the ranks was not always that profitable. This is the story of that man.
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Mann Ki Baat A Social Revolution on Radio
Mann Ki Baat’, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popular and ubiquitous monthly radio address has developed into a tour de force in itself. The programme that began on Vijaya Dashami in 2014 (3rd October) has gone on for more than fifty episodes and counting! Given its stupendous success, there has been considerable curiosity about the origins of ‘Mann Ki Baat’, the idea behind it and the mind of the man behind the inspiring voice that has been reaching millions every month. In times when visual content dominates communication, ‘Mann Ki Baat’ has become one of the most popular programmes in the history of radio, not just in India but also worldwide. How did this happen? What are the behind-the-scenes stories that made this happen? This book answers these questions and more. This book displays the common thread of positivity and optimism that Prime Minister Modi has woven through his ‘Mann Ki Baat’ and how this thread has been picked up by common Indians and turned into a mass movement. This is a rare and exclusive opportunity for readers to discover the unknown facets of the Prime Minister’s thinking and beliefs related to ‘Mann Ki Baat’, revealed by him to the authors of the book. The insights that emerge from the transcripts of the radio address are the most important contribution of this book. The interesting anecdotes shared by the members of the Prime Minister’s core team and people from All India Radio and MyGov quench people’s curiosity about the minute but interesting details of how the idea of a radio programme came up, how the name and frequency were decided and how the format was chalked out, among other things.