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Book Review: Laugh With Me

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Book Name: Laugh With Me Author: Ruskin Bond Publication: HarperCollins Children’s Books Genre: Humour Laugh with Me by Ruskin Bond is a nostalgic collection of anecdotes from his life. He begins the book with: “When we are young, we laugh at everyone except ourselves. When we are a little older, we discover that others are laughing at us. Not so funny. But if you learn to laugh with them you will be happier than most. And when you grow old, like me, you will learn to laugh at yourself. Then you won’t feel angry or defeated.” He literally shares the funny moments from his life that made him laugh. Review The writing style of Laugh with Me is unique and leans heavily on illustrations that meticulously support each incident and anecdote. Even the quotes feel like the kind of posters we buy to decorate our rooms. From sharing his school days, when cane punishments were common, to narrating a train journey to Mumbai via Vadodara where his spectacles met with an unfortunate mishap dur...
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Book Review: The Chanakya Playbook: Ancient Wisdom for the Modern Entrepreneur

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Book Name: The Chanakya Playbook: Ancient Wisdom for the Modern Entrepreneur  Author: Abhiraj Gupta Publication: Rupa Genre: Non-Fiction (Business) The Chanakya Playbook by Abhiraj Gupta bridges the gap between the timeless wisdom of the Arthashastra and modern corporate realities. It portrays how principles relevant in ancient India can still be implemented in today’s corporate culture, where everyone is constantly chasing something new that captures the market, often without much thought. The book talks about three transformative pillars needed for companies and brands to sustain in a competitive and trend-driven market: Internal Mastery: It covers the importance of self-discipline, foresight, and ethical grounding. Structural Resilience: It unfolds the Saptanga framework for organizational strength. Strategic Agility: It focuses on the art of intellectual inquiry. Review When I first saw this book, I thought it might be like other self-help books written long ago and not...
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Book Review - Buildit: Building Blinkit in An Evolving India

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Book Name: Buildit - Building Blinkit In An Evolving India Author: Albinder Singh Dhindsa Publication: HarperCollins (Harper Business) Genre: Non-Fiction (Business) Build It: Building Blinkit in an Evolving India by Albinder Singh Dhindsa, the one behind this e-commerce giant, the one who made our lives easy and brought groceries to our phones delivered within minutes, is not a guide or a step-by-step structure to build a brand or become an entrepreneur. Rather, it is the making of the brand itself, Blinkit. How it transitioned from Grofers to Blinkit is what readers will explore in this book through the lens of the founder, who has not only been on the business side but also experienced the consumer front when he noticed one day how his mother had been using his own brand for her daily needs at her fingertips. Review “They left not because we were failing, but because they didn’t believe we could succeed.” This statement by Albinder shows how he tried to dig into the delivery par...
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Book Review: Aali & The Avathars of Primordials

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Book Name: Aali & The Avathars of Primordials Author: Manick Publication: Self-Published Genre: Mythological-Fantasy-Thriller Aali and the Avathars of Primordials by Manick is a mythological fantasy thriller that explores multiple themes across different worlds, where the primordials travel on a journey to master the five elements: air, water, fire, astral, and earth. Review Aali and the Avathars of Primordials follows the journey of six primordials as they move from the human world to the golden metropolis of Kumeru, where Bhagwan Parshuram and other teachers await them. They are trained in elemental bending and the four Vedhams. What begins as a transition, when teachers from Aali set out to find the incarnated primordials on Earth, soon turns into a gripping adventure. The incarnations not only learn different forms of bending but also prepare themselves to become protectors when evil rises. Much like a university, the Mystical Academy at Kumeru is structured into semesters,...
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Book Review: A Tale of Two Kitchens

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Book Name: A Tale of Two Kitchens Author: Lata Gwalani Publication: Amaryllis Publishing Genre: Non-Fiction/Memoir “In two households where the aroma of curry leaves mingled with the gleaming hue of pureed tomatoes, a Tamilian mother and a Sindhi mother embarked on a journey that transcended the boundaries of language, culture, and geography. It began with an exchange of recipes, a casual sharing of spices and techniques, but eventually blossomed into a profound friendship forged over simmering pots and sizzling pans.” A Tale of Two Kitchens by Lata Gwalani is a heartwarming memoir of two mothers and their legacies, passed on and shared through food and traditional dishes from Sindhi and Tamil kitchens. Review This book is a blend of anecdotes, illustrations, pictures, and recipes, brought together through the author’s storytelling about her mother and mother-in-law, and how the two came together through food. From trying to put their dishes above the other to eventually looking f...
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Letter To My Younger Self : Zeal

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  You can read all A To Z Blogs  here    Dear younger me, I feel a little overwhelmed as this is the last letter of this series. It feels like there is still so much more I could have shared with you. Maybe I will return to this series someday, when I have grown a little more and can see the difference between who I am now and who I will become, just as I have been writing to you from your future. You know, life has never been easy for you, and even today it is not always easy for me to feel free. There are many trigger points. Sometimes, I feel like I am overreacting and that my anger is unnecessary. But at the same time, I also feel that it is justified. I had my own way of doing things, and when things do not go the way I expect, I react. Even now, I struggle to understand what is right and what is wrong. I question myself often, and it becomes difficult to find clarity. There is one thing I keep reminding myself of. I should not lose my fire while trying to fit i...
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Letter To My Younger Self : You

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  You can read all A To Z Blogs  here    Dear younger me, I hope you are doing well. Selflessness has always been a part of who you are, but it often led you into trouble without you even realising why. Instead of choosing yourself, you gave priority to others, even when it was not necessary. You know, you have been one of the best students of moral science. I say this because of how sincerely you learned and practiced every virtue taught in class. But while following those lessons, you forgot to choose yourself. There was never a direct lesson that told you to do so. The irony is that every value you learned started with you. Kindness begins with you. So does respect, care, and empathy. But somehow, we learn what we want to learn and miss the deeper meaning behind it. That is where we often go wrong, and the same happened with you. Instead of choosing yourself, you allowed others to take more than what was yours. I may sound repetitive, but I want you to remember th...
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