Bookstrapping – storyboard18

Bookstrapping: Of Sita, Rama, Dharma and Love

What if ‘Dharma’, was not just duty, but an alignment with the higher forces of love, that make the preservation of our world possible? Author Dena Merriam talks about this, in her book 'The Untold Story of Sita: An Empowering Tale for our Time'. (Image Source: Amazon)

In this week’s Bookstrapping, our reviewer Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta lists down five books which touch upon the unique love stories alive within the Ramayana and the bond that Rama and Sita shared.

Bookstrapping – Enlightenment: In conversation with Sadhguru

"If you want to know what this life is about, you have to look inward, because the life that you are, is a book written by the Creator. I want you to learn the language of reading this book, so that you don't have to depend on anyone else's words, whether it is someone from the ancient past or myself here now," stated Sadhguru

Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta highlights how Sadhguru explains that ‘enlightenment’ is not a quest, but a homecoming. Its the process of coming back to one’s original nature.

Bookstrapping: ‘The Art of Her Deal’ by Mary Jordan

Melania’s biggest advertising campaigns followed, including the British GQ feature in the year 2000. While Mary Jordan speaks openly about Donald Trump promoting Melania, she must be given credit for not taking anything away from Melania’s professionalism, as she worked her way through these opportunities, adds Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta in her review. (Image Source: Amazon)

Melania Trump’s journey from Slovenia (as Melanija Knavs) to the United States happened via Milan, Paris, Vienna and Germany. The first lady is projected as a modestly successful ‘commercial’ model, who operated in a very competitive environment, highlights Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta in her review.

Bookstrapping: Five books to know India better

The masterful Shashi Tharoor describes the many humiliations and hurdles that Ambedkar had to overcome in a society that stigmatized the community he was born into and what he made of himself in the process in 'AMBEDKAR: A LIFE BY DR SHASHI THAROOR', states Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta. (Image Source: Unsplash)

Ahead of the Republic Day weekend, our reviewer Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta lists down five books to read to know India better.

New age podcasters, old world reading?

"Before podcasts became so big, we had show hosts like Larry King, "a voracious reader who was exceptionally well-informed” as per his colleague Wendy Walker. Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky is known to be one of his favorite books," states reviewer Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta. (Image Source: Bookish - NetGallery)

In this week’s Bookstrapping column, Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta highlights what the learning plan between traditional print reading and digital consumption looks like through the lens of well-known personalities.

Bookstrapping: A conversation with Zahaan Bharmal of ‘The Art of Physics: Eight Elegant Ideas to Make Sense of Almost Anything’

“I'm not an expert but I believe that the number of people studying the subject, at least in the UK, has seen positive momentum. In the 1990s, when I was a student, the UK physics departments faced declining student numbers, with some even contemplating shutting down courses. The 2000s saw a resurgence," Zahaan Bharmal highlighted in a conversation with Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta. (Image Source: Curious Minds and Amazon)

Zahaan Bharmal in a conversation with Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta explains that Physics can make sense of very human problems. Though he cannot assure that physics holds all the answers to life, the universe and everything, but it does teach one to embrace the questions.

Bookstrapping: Tech Savvy but what about depth?

In 2022-23, the digital economy accounted for 14.67 million workers, or 2.55% of India’s estimated work force, according to MeitY.

Scrolling, skimming – as opposed to long form reading – may lead to shallow processing and forming convenient conclusions. This is the barrier to deep productive work that identifies and solves the problems of the world, states Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta.

Bookstrapping: SERVE by B.S. Nagesh & Ritu D Ferrao

"The book says that they ‘had to do one week in housekeeping, one week in toilet cleaning, one week in security, one week guarding outside the store, one week in the storehouse, one week in the warehouse and thereafter they had to work in other functions within the business like accounting, administration, sale and merchandising.’ These experiences grounded each person and gave birth to several leaders who went on to become CEOs of retail companies in India," stated the book SERVE. (Image Source: Crossword)

This is a book for those who want to understand the business principles behind the ‘cultural and process orientation’ that is needed to deliver exceptional customer service, highlights Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta in her review.

Bookstrapping: A conversation with author Deepak Jayaraman of ‘Play to Potential’

(Image Source: Amazon & Website)

Deepak Jayaraman says to reviewer Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta that this is a book for leaders who seek work-life balance. “The seed of this book and the classification of people into Type 1 and Type 2 was inspired from ‘Give and Take’ by Adam Grant,” he adds.

Bookstrapping: Think Like a Minimalist by Chirag Gander and Sahil Vaidya

Authors of the marketing book ‘Think Like a Minimalist’, Chirag Gander and Sahil Vaidya are your classic Forbes 30 under 30 achievers.

The authors outline four steps to achieve minimalism and add that ‘if the designer has to explain his work, probably something is wrong with it!’ states Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta in her review.