Tag: book review

Categories
Read

Review: ‘Something happened on the way to heaven’

Sudha Murty’s ‘Something Happened On The Way To Heaven’ is a must read if you are looking to reaffirm your faith in human goodness.
by Ritika Bhandari Parekh

When famous comedian Robin Williams died, his fans mourned the tragic news. But the shocking part was that he ended his life after a long history of depression. As a stand-up comedian and an actor, Williams must have been surrounded by his fellow colleagues most of the time. And yet, he chose to give up on life after making the world smile.

It is strange and confusing to understand that despite all the riches in the world, one only needs a fellow being’s hand, for comfort and support to survive. A YouTube video about a girl shaming her molester gets the highest likes because it echoes every youth’s stand against the wrong. So in a world where according to mythology we are living in the Kalyug era, it has increasingly become difficult to affirm and reaffirm our faith in humans and humanity. As consumerism becomes a way of life, finding life’s simpler joys is a treat in itself.

Book coverReading Something Happened On The Way To Heaven, edited by Sudha Murty, brings together the varied facets of the human mind and heart which leave us fascinated. Scanning over 1,000 real-life stories, Murty coherently puts together 20 inspiring tales for the reader to enjoy. She hopes the experiences of the individual writers’ reignites our passion for living the beautiful life we have inherited and are about to make.

The stories weave a tapestry of desi emotions from Kerala to Orissa. Just like the Mumbai local trains, it traverses South Mumbai to suburban Lokhandwala. The themes of the selected submissions ranges from understanding the true quality of unspoken love among elders, to finding the courage to speak the truth as it is. An Alzheimer’s-stricken grandfather, a morally right plastic surgeon, a Dhaka girl from the Partition era…these are some of the interesting people you will read about in this book.

With an easy style, the book is easy to devour in a single sitting. The stories in the book adhere to the saying that ‘Truth is stranger than fiction’. So while the rebellious youth will understand about life from the experiences of their seniors, the elders will take heart from the caring nature of the younger generation which lives in the mobile era but still believes in love and togetherness.

Murty has caringly put the 20 stories together, which to a dancer’s heart resonates the 9 rasas (emotions). From giving a new and subtle meaning to Shringara, the emotion of love to bringing an evolution-like tale from the boroughs of nature and making us feel Adbhuta, the emotion of surprise. My personal favourite is ‘The Dhaka Girl’ story, which has innuendos of our communal history and yet makes the saying ‘ What goes around, comes around’ ring true.

Rating: 4 out of 5. Buy a copy of the book here. 

(Picture courtesy www.amazon.in, www.thehindu.com)

Categories
Read

Review: ‘More Than A Mouthful – Adventures of a dentist’

This delightful, informative book by India’s foremost aesthetic dental specialist, Dr Sandesh Mayekar, reveals many secrets and truths about our teeth.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

Our teeth are actually our best asset, though we give more credence to our eyes and noses and even our smile, not realising that teeth in bad condition or with the wrong alignment often mar the symmetry of the face. We are guilty of neglecting our teeth till such time that we develop a dental problem so severe that it necessitates a visit to the dentist. Most of us don’t even brush our teeth properly.

More than a mouthful- CoverIn the light of this, Mumbai-based dentist Dr Sandesh Mayekar’s delightful book, More Than A Mouthful – Adventures Of A Dentist is an insightful look (literally) into our mouths to reveal many of our secrets. The good doctor has a thriving practice in Mumbai and is the dentist to many of the film industry’s stars, but he also treats economically backward patients at very low rates or even for free. Throughout his illustrious career, Dr Mayekar has discovered and treated myriad dental conditions that caused their respective sufferers days of agony – one even contemplated suicide due to a mysterious ‘clicking’ sound his teeth made for over 16 hours a day!

Dr Mayekar explains various diseases and situations in an easy, humane manner, employing humour without being condescending. For instance, in the chapter ‘Every breath you take’, he outlines some cases of severe halitosis with a nice blend of compassion and humour, easily explaining that bad breath can be a result of years of tartar build-up on the teeth, or an acidity condition, or even inadequate dental hygiene. Then there’s the chapter on ‘Supermodel Smiles’, Dr Mayekar gives the case of India’s first supermodel ‘U.R’ (we all know who that is), and explains how he corrected her dark gums and tiny teeth before she went on to bag major modelling assignments. There are also incidents of gaps in teeth being repaired, of buck teeth being caused due to children sucking on their thumb, of teeth being chipped away as they bit on nails during stressful moments, even of tissues undergoing change and not letting a person eat.

The book is educational and interesting without getting into jargon (if there are medical terms, they are well explained in simple language) or involving gross, tedious descriptions of signs and symptoms. A gamut of dental problems are covered in a conversational style, and it is a good handbook even for dental students as it highlights several cases where empathy and listening led the doctor to understand why a patient was facing a particular problem. Most of all, this book seeks to remove the fear most of us associate with dentists and emphasises the importance of keeping the teeth in good condition, even when they’re not painful.

An excerpt from More Than A Mouthful – Adventures Of A Dentist:

‘Brides go for facials and hair treatments before their wedding day. Rocky, a young man who was to tie the knot the following day, walked into my clinic at about 7.30 the previous evening, asking Dr Sandesh Mayekarfor a cleanup.

The first thing I noticed when I peered into his mouth was the immense gaps in his teeth. You could virtually drive a small car through them, I thought. I straightened up and asked him, “Do you want to get married with gaps this size?”

“There is nothing I can do about it. I am not willing to wear braces – where is the time?” he replied.

He was a good-looking guy, well built. As he spoke, the gaps were clearly visible. I imagined the wedding pictures, with him looking magnificent in his achkan, turban on his head, and the picture being spoilt by the gaps in his teeth when he smiled at the camera.

I could not help telling him what I imagined. “Well, is there anything that can be done about it?” he asked. His voice was a mixture of hope and anxiety. Suddenly he could see how people would react to his wedding photographs.

I suggested a cosmetic procedure.

“Is it possible in one day?” he asked, with hope now stronger in his voice. I nodded.

He thought about it for a moment, then shook his head. “Doc, let’s just stick to the cleanup for now,” he said. “Let’s leave this for another day. I don’t think I want any pain just now.”

At that time, my practice was small; I had just one chair and was working alone. While we were talking, I did a mock-up of how his teeth would look with the gaps closed using a material called LC composite resin. It is like a paste that hardens through the shining of light on it. The technique had come into the country around 1981-82, and I had had time to master it.

…When I showed Rocky the mock-up, the was very pleased. Even his friend, who had accompanied him, was impressed.

Then Rocky changed his mind, and asked me how long it would take. Since we didn’t have much time, I suggested working on the upper teeth first and leaving the bottom teeth for later. In a smile, the upper row is always more visible.

…One long, critical look in the mirror and Rocky was so happy that he invited me to join in the celebrations. He later sent me a photograph of him smiling with his wife and family with a note that read, ‘Doc, I never imagined myself without the gaps in my teeth showing! And it has made me so confident. A couple of friends even asked me about it.’

Subsequently, after six months, we closed the gaps in the lower teeth.’

Rating: 4/5. Available for sale on Flipkart.

(Pictures courtesy pages.rediff.com, www.iaacd.org)

Categories
Read

Review: ‘Beyond 2020 – A Vision For Tomorrow’s India’

APJ Abdul Kalam’s newest book raises several questions, but sadly, does not provide any answers, nor touch upon current realities.
by Humra Quraishi

Beyond 2020 – A Vision For Tomorrow’s India is the latest book written by ex-President APJ Abdul Kalam and YS Rajan. It focusses on India’s future progress in the backdrop of the existing facts and figures and the present-day situation in the country.

To quote from Dr Kalam’s introductory chapter, “Our book Beyond 2020 has fifteen chapters with extensive details on how to take the nation from progress to progress by pushing through missions on industries, services and agriculture. I feel the crying need in the country is not a shortage of plans, but arriving at the correct methodologies to implement the plans and figuring out how to reach the benefits to the people for whom the plans are intended. Today, the challenge before India and every nation is reaching the reforms and benefits to the targeted population…”

Beyond 2020He minces no words anywhere in the volume, often coming straight to the core of the issue with refreshing candour: “Based on my work in universities in India and abroad, during my teaching and research association, I have come to the conclusion that it is essential to evolve a sustainable development system framework, in the way the Providing Urban Amenities in Rural Areas (PURA) project has taken root in India. The major research and action needed is on how the benefits of sustainable development can reach the targeted population of our country.

“Hence, we have evolved two unique systems: one is called the ‘User Community Pyramid’ (UCP) and the other the ‘Societal Development Radar’ (SDR). The UCP is an integrated solution based on technologies and applications for sustainable development with possible users at the bottom of the pyramid. You have to ask yourself, what sort of research you can focus on in the areas of water, energy, waste, pollution, mobility and biodiversity, and how it is going to be connected to the user community. The second system, the SDR reviews and monitors how the user community has benefited from the UCP.”

The book ends on two significant notes, in the last chapter titled ‘Can India do it?’ It reads, “This is our four-point action plan for the nation: Making ample water available for both urban areas and the 6,00,000 villages of the country, and for irrigation…creating an earning capacity for every family, particularly the middle class and people who are below the poverty line. This is about 150 million out of the 200 million families in the country. Working toward achieving sustainable economic prosperity of the nation with the generation of employment potential for India’s 600 million youth. Evolving great cities citizens of India.

Sadly, there is no mention of the communal strains that are once again taking root in the country and steadily spreading everywhere. I wish Dr Kalam had addressed this concern, since he speaks so movingly about the betterment of all Indians and their families.

This is a detailed and thick book, and readers would do well to be aware of recent developments in the country before reading this book. As I read it, I confess I was a little befuddled also by the scores of facts, figures and theories (many of them purely scientific in nature) laid out generously all over the book – maybe I am not of a scientific bent of mind, so I found the going a bit tough with these bits.

Also, I confess I was a little disappointed with the way several important questions and issues have been touched upon, even discussed, but not sufficiently addressed. I wonder why the author didn’t attempt to provide any solutions – even opinions – on these matters.

Get a copy of Beyond 2020 – A Vision For Tomorrow’s India here.

(Pictures courtesy www.livemint.com, www.flipkart.com)

Categories
Read

Review: ‘One Life Is Not Enough’

Natwar Singh’s book on his life and times as a bureaucrat-turned politician is a fascinating insight into a life well-lived.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

We rarely have any patience with politicians in India, and politicians over the age of 80? Let’s just say, Congress politician and famed Gandhi family loyalist Natwar Singh’s autobiography would ordinarily not have made any ripples on the Indian book scene.

Book coverBut, as with most book releases lately, when controversial details of Sonia Gandhi’s (mis)handling of affairs and spicy excerpts about the highs and lows of the Congress party began to make their way to publications, Singh’s book One Life Is Not Enough, suddenly acquired a must-read status.

Nor does Singh disappoint. Far from being a stodgy, self-righteous look at the life and times of pre-independent and post-independent India, One Life Is Not Enough is a frank, no-holds-barred account of life behind the scenes of Indian politics. It is also an illuminating look into the machinations of the External Affairs Ministry – imagine dealing with the Chinese Premier on an ill-fated trip to India ending with failure of talks with Jawaharlal Nehru, or being constantly on the ball on a posting to Karachi during President Zia-ul-Haq’s reign. The book also describes in detail the failure of the Rajiv Gandhi Government in effectively dealing with the internal affairs of Sri Lanka, and Singh’s part in the creation of the independent country of Bangladesh.

He also describes, in not very modest terms, his successful organisation of two high-profile, international summits in one year – the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting and the Non-Aligned Movement Summit, both in 1983. In between his role in several milestones in Indian political history, Singh also gives glimpses into his personal life – his education in England, his marriage to an Indian princess, his friendship and admiration for Indira Gandhi, and the thorny relationship he shared with Sonia Gandhi. In the preface, he writes about how Sonia sent her daughter Priyanka to ask him if he intended to write about ‘the events that took place in May 2004 before the swearing-in of the UPA Government’.

“I said I intended to,” Singh writes. “No one could edit my book. I would not skirt the truth, nor would I hit below the belt. Certain proprieties cannot be ignored. Just then, Sonia walked in. ‘What a surprise!’ I said. Her overly friendly and gushing greeting bewildered me. It was so out of character. It was a giveaway. Swallowing her pride, she came to her ‘closest’ friend to surrender her quiver. It took her eight-and-a-half-years to do so.

“My book has aroused unexpected interest. I am flattered. Also mildly worried. The expectations are sky high.”

See pictures from the book:

Expectations were bound to be sky-high, come to think of it. Singh has been present in the background, and several times, the foreground, as major events shook the country in independent India. He was witness to the events leading to the Emergency in the 1970s, the rout of the Congress thereafter, the assassination of Indira Gandhi and the anointing of Rajiv Gandhi as her heir, the killing of Rajiv Gandhi and the taking over of the Congress by his widow Sonia after eight years, and the subsequent rise and fall of the Congress under the Sonia-Rahul Gandhi combine. In this context, Singh’s account is a valuable one for chroniclers of Indian history.

Besides, he writes with charming candour and humour about situations both in his personal and professional life. Interestingly, he relays even politically incorrect comments and opinions. Sample some of the comments he mentions:

“I once asked Mrs Gandhi what she thought of Margaret Thatcher. She said, ‘What Iron Lady? I saw a nervous woman sitting on the edge of the sofa.”

“I was walking on my terrace one day when my servant came and told me, ‘The President is on the line.’ When I took the call, President Zia, after inquiring about my health, asked me if I was free to have dinner with him that night. I agreed. He said, ‘Could you also give me a list of names of your friends?’ I replied, ‘Sir, your intelligence agency already has the names of my friends. AS for the one or two who aren’t on the list, I would like you to spare them!”

“[Sonia’s] English is near perfect; Hindi is the problem – she cannot speak the language without a written script in front of her. To my suggestion that she learn by heart a chaupai or two of Tulsidas’s or Kabir’s dohas and use them in her speeches, she threw her hands up. ‘I go blank even with a written text. You want me to say something extempore? Forget it.'”

For those outside the corridors of power, One Life Is Not Enough is an essential read on events in Indian history that need clarification. Singh certainly sets the record straight on many points – on how Sonia was forced to give up her idea of assuming Prime Ministership after son Rahul categorically told her not to take up the job, on how strained relations with then PM Morarji Desai posed many roadblocks in his work, and also how his jump from bureaucracy to politics was a relatively simple progression.

Rating: 4/5. One Life Is Not Enough is available for sale on Flipkart. 

 (All images sourced from ‘One Life Is Not Enough’)

Categories
Read

Review: ‘The Diary Of A Reluctant Feminist’

This book is, without doubt, one of the most awful books to come out at the start of this year.
by Vrushali Lad | vrushali@themetrognome.in

Not all books one reads are good reads. Most of them are average, even tedious reads. But then you come across a book that is so bad, so futile, that every other bad book you’ve read in your life actually shines brighter in comparison.

Bhavna Bhavna’s The Diary Of A Reluctant Feminist is one such book. A look at the synopsis promised several good things, which prompted me to start reading it in the first place. The excerpt on the back cover goes thus:

‘The problem in my struggle for a divorce was in the small print – as with everything in my life it read “subject to my mother’s permission.” And since my mother was never going to allow me to divorce I was relegated to being an armchair divorcee…So I decided, after two years of being separated, to stop waiting for my parents’ elusive permission, and to take the initial steps in the painful journey myself. In this process, I was also branded a “feminist”, which in their view was marginally worse than being a “terrorist”…’

So far, so good. The problem actually began when I started reading it.

The problem with the book is: the whole book.

What could have been a (as promised by the publishers) “profoundly funny chronicle of a young woman’s attempt to get divorced…” is anything but. If anything, it is a whiny, outrageously cliched, lacking-in-the-essentials kind of book, with extremely lazy storytelling. In fact, subject to a few revisions and rewrites, this book could have been a bit closer to what it actually aims to be.

So the author brings out the entire jing bang of a large Punjabi family – a domineering matriarch heading the household, her obedient sons and their wives and children, how the arranging of marriages is a competitive sport, how traditions and customs set by the family’s elders are unquestioningly followed even after the elders’ deaths, how individual wishes of girls and women are never important, but the men get to exercise their rights, and so on. Unfortunately, the story does not rise about these elements at all.

I’m not saying nobody will like this book, it may find its fair share of admirers. Why I am not one of those admirers is because when I read a book, I want to be told something I don’t already know. I don’t mean I should be told an entertaining account of the Higgs Boson, for instance, but when I pick up a book about a woman wanting to tell her overbearing Punjabi family that she wants to get a divorce, I want to be a told the story that makes me 1) Sympathise with the protagonist, 2) See the (promised) hilarity in the several (often banal) exchanges between the woman and her strict parents, 3) Feel the woman’s tension as she tries and fails to save her marriage before deciding to separate from her husband, and 4) Most importantly, find a non-cliched representation of a loveless relationship of the kind we see often in the till-death-do-us-part milieu of Indian marriages.

Instead, all the reader gets is a series of cliches thrown at him one after the other, in a rambling account of the protagonist’s increasingly failing marriage, how her opinion has never been solicited even on matters affecting her life, how her family and indeed, all of society, gangs up on her once her singleton status is established, and how nobody gives her a chance at doing good for herself. Well, boo hoo. What is even more annoying is the sweeping assumption that this is what all girls in large Punjabi families go through – I’m not saying these things don’t happen, but since they do happen fairly regularly, what is the point of telling us just that? And while we’re on the subject, when will be stop caricaturing Punjabi families in this fashion? Aren’t there good, wholesome, uncliched stories about Punjabis to be told at all?

In short, I do not recommend this book at all. If you still want to read it, knock yourselves out here.

Rating: 1.

Rating scale: 1 = Awful; 2 = Slightly rubbish; 3 = Tolerable read; 4 = Good; 5 = Paisa vasool

(Pictures courtesy www.flipkart.com, www.theatlantic.com)

Exit mobile version