non fiction

03 Dec

Posted at 06:38h in non fiction
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The book talks about the different ancient and medieval cities in Indian Subcontinent. MY RATING : 5/5 ABOUT THE BOOK: I highly recommend this book for all including teens as the language and tone are simple and concise. The author makes sure he touches all the important cities prior to 1847 before finally there is a definitive Britain rule over the Indian subcontinent. The validity of the topics discussed is absolutely relevant as it helps the reader to get an outline of the history that was going on in that place and time. What impressed me most about the book is the practicality of his arguments and his findings which makes the reader also comfortable in reading the book at ease. The book has sections where it helps the reader to come back to certain key points of discussion. The photos and the brief notes in between all the chapters are quite helpful for the reader. This book is a must for all history lovers as well as those who want to start reading a nonfiction history novel. This book is quite handy to refer to the important dates and events that might have occurred in these cities. The cities mentioned are those in Harappan Civilisation, Mauryan Dynasty, cities in Sangam, early ones in Deccan, in Pallavas, Chalukyas and Pandyas, Chola Empire, new cities in Deccan and last but not the least cities in Mughal Empire. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Raghavan Srinivasan is a chemical engineer (Madras University) and MBA graduate from McMaster University, Canada. He currently...

26 Jan

Posted at 08:04h in non fiction
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Well written and even better researched, the author has done a tremendous job by not only bringing the harsh truth of the women in India where patriarchy plays a major role but also that they have to find solace in the songs and movies of a megastar, Shah Rukh Khan. The data and analysis of the working force of women in India spanning from 1919 to 2019 are terrible. Even though we live in an era where progressive men talk about equality, we know the truth! Our mothers, sisters and daughters cannot leave the house alone after sunset. It is so sad that we being in the 21st century are still so backward in our thinking. No, I'm not talking about ladies, it is the entire generation of both men and women. We as women should make sure that our sons and brothers understand work and status equality thus making the next generation of girls be safe and they could have equal pay and a good life. We have always seen the suffering of our mothers, grandmothers and our sisters! Now all this rubbish should stop so that our daughters should shine as bright as the sun and should be able to live their life as they wish! The book deserves all the appreciation and praise! I am indeed so proud of the author that it took her 15 years to come up with this. It takes a lot of courage to publish such a book and face the wrath of the...

19 Jan

Posted at 05:10h in non fiction
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The tale of an individual Charles Masson (James Lewis) who has an extraordinary adventurer of finding the lost city of Alexandria in the mountains of Afghanistan, Bagram. We see the life and times of this soldier/explorer/spy who doesn't believe in quitting just for the whims and fancies of the English East India Company. This biography is from the late 19th century. This book is tremendously researched and a pure artwork of literature. I am highly impressed by the author and his ways of convincing the reader of the plight of this man who does everything in his power to survive. But he fails to make a mark in the way it should have been. For the achievement and the trauma that he went through, he is actually supposed to be received with fame and grandeur. Instead, he is ridiculed and loses all the finds that he had discovered in Bagram. The English East India company have truly been a cruel animal to him and I think the death of certain individuals in the hands of the Afghans in Kalat and Kabul during the stay of those gentlemen is right. I know what I am saying sounds ridiculous but it is true. These men could've not only saved Charles Masson but also could've lifted his name and his findings to the next level. When he reaches back to his country, the people are still mean and cruel to him. He died a broken man with nothing in his possession other than two...

14 Jan

Posted at 17:04h in non fiction
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The book is truly inspiring and made me think about the privileges that we have now. Yet we have many restrictions and most of the women are under the shadow of their families. There will be a day when all women are either equal or above men. Yes, this may sound like a very feminist statement but I personally know how it feels to be trampled by men who think women are just meant to be indoors. Their earning is never sufficient for the family even if the woman is earning more than her male partner. After False Allies, I was very happy to read this book in fact highly recommended by Manu S.Pillai. There was an interview between Kavitha Rao and Manu S. Pillai which really intrigued me to read the book. Let's get into the details of the book. The author has meticulously collected all the events occurring in different parts of the world during that time and allows the reader not to get confused with any of the details. We have the life events of the lady doctors mentioned in the book. Those exhilarating women are Anandibai Joshi, Kadambini Ganguly,  Rukhmabai Raut. Haimabati Sen, Muthulakshmi Reddy and Mary Poonen Lukose. Though I am in awe of these individuals, my heart goes to two of the lady doctors. One is Kadambini Ganguly, who in spite of having 8 children and one among them being a special child, she did what her heart wanted to achieve. The other is Haimabati Sen,...

01 Nov

Posted at 07:17h in non fiction
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Rajaraja Chola or Arulmozhivarman was born to Sundara Chola in 947CE and that marked change of the entire Chola Empire. We see in this book the events that happened before the arrival of the great king Rajaraja Chola as well as his reign at the age of 38, his administration and his socio-political tactics. The victories and defeats of the chola empire have also been written and their sources have also been mentioned. The building of many Shiva temples including the famous Brihadeeshwara Temple at Tanjavur was a sign of Chola's legacy and they being ardent devotees of Lord Shiva. The book is not a smooth read as as a regular fiction reader I did find it quite tedious to attach the different kings and their conquests to the main focus of the book. (eventhough there is a map and a chronological chart). The author have done a tremendous job and I am quite impressed by the amount of work he has done gathering the information about a great king like Rajaraja Chola. It is quite difficult to find a complete genuine article of this king and there a few or none( if I can say that) about the king in detail. Do go in for the book if you are a history buff as the insights are quite marvelous. I have always been a lover of the Brihadeeshwara temple at Tanjavur and this book was a delight to read about the king who sanctioned the building of the 1011 year old temple!...

12 Sep

Posted at 09:25h in non fiction
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Do you believe in Arranged or Love marriage, or in marriage itself? I would love to get your feedback on this! Before we dive into the review, let me thank the author for sending me this book via email and saying that my review is honest and unbiased! The author, Meryl Elizabeth Mathew, a master’s graduate in Global Business and a content writer, is also a freelance writer with Times -Kuwait since 2018 and Bazaar Magazine since 2019. To top it all, she also teaches creative writing to kids in Kuwait since 2020. A truly zealous person! Now let’s get into the review of the book. Just as the name suggests, the stories are short and simple. The main highlight of the book is that we get to read true stories! The author did change the names of the people whose stories we read to respect their privacy. The main subject is Arranged Marriage which is quite controversial among the millennials. Arranged or Love Marriage has its advantages and disadvantages. When we read this book we get to know the events that take place when a family decides their son or daughter should go for an arranged marriage. The book has 12 amazing stories that can cheer you up! Some are truly hilarious and some are worth using your grey cells! Living in the 21st century doesn’t mean we have to forget our age-old traditions and sometimes we find true love via matrimonial websites! The book is only 75 pages and it is...

03 Sep

Posted at 05:58h in non fiction
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Before we delve into the review of the book, we must talk about the author Manu S. Pillai. He is been my favorite author from the time I read this book. He is truly a gem in this era in the field of historical non-fiction novels. There are also many webinars that he takes part in and his knowledge about Indian History is mind-blowing. He has an Instagram account @waatcoconut where he posts most of his recent work and also historical paintings which is a delight for both his fans and followers. This is his first book and his two other marvelous books that is equally spellbinding. Now, let us start with a review of the book. The book is divided into 20 chapters: A Painter Prince The Queen of the Kupakas Three Consorts The Second Favorite Her Highness The Maharajah A Christian Minister Malice Domestique Tea and Troubles The Boudoir Dewan Black Magic In Letters of Gold Mother and Son La Revanche A Real Little Grande Dame A Palace Coup The Ultimate Eclipse The Villain of the Piece Rivers of Blood The Reluctant Princess Once I Had a Kingdom Each chapter is more interesting than the next one! Each page is wound into a wonderful marvel, too exotic to be true! The author has done absolute justice in the retelling of the extraordinary life of the last and forgotten queen of the house of Royal Travancore. The Kings and Queens of the Royal Travancore House is the epitome of class! So different...

29 Aug

Posted at 04:59h in non fiction
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It’s been quite a while since I published any reviews and I realized my last review was in May 2020. Well, that was the peak time of lockdown in my country and also when my life was changing tremendously. I started this book only this month when I was hospitalized for the pandemic that we all are facing now. Luckily, I did not have any symptoms mild or severe and the nurses took care of me. They are the true heroes during this pandemic. I am back home all negative, safe, and sound. I completed Shoe Dog and I must say I’m motivated to start a new business after reading this one. So, let’s get to the review of this amazing autobiography of the Nike owner; Phil Knight. In one word I can tell that this book is simple and candid. There are no big complicated words or any twists or turns in the autobiography. The main storyline is from 1962 to 1980. The book begins from chapter Dawn and ends with chapter Night. Quite clever I must say! The Dawn is in the year 1962 and the Night is in the year 2007. When we read the journey of Knight to most of the eastern world before reaching his true destination Japan, we too feel that we are traveling with him at that time. His writings are so simple and unique that you will want to keep on reading and find out what he did next! His idea of starting a business in running shoes and his rival against...

06 Apr

Posted at 08:03h in non fiction
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Before I talk about the book. let me give you a small idea about Patanjali. No, I am not talking about the Ayurveda company but the real Patanjali. He is the father of modern yoga and he is one of the 18 classical Tamil siddhars (sages and intellectuals). He distilled the essence of yoga into Yoga sutras. And we could rightly say that though he lived a thousand years ago his sutras were thousands of years ahead. Keeping this in mind though let’s move into the book review of LIVING THE SUTRAS -A GUIDE TO YOGA WISDOM BEYOND THE MAT compiled and written by KELLY DINARDO AND AMY PEARCE-HAYDEN The book offers an outlook to the yoga training for the mind and spirit by introducing a sutra or group of sutras on a related theme. If you think this book will explain in detail all the sutras of Patanjali then this is not for you. The book is divided into three parts; Samadhi Pada, Sadhana pada and Vibhuti Pada. The first part or Samadhi pada the authors introduce us to the awareness of self. Whether we truly understand what is our real need; materialistic or spiritual. The speciality of each chapter is that there is a section for reflection where we have to journal our thoughts on certain questions that the authors have asked us. To be frank it's not at all tedious because it is not necessary that we have to journal anything the first time. We could start once we...