Tag: Bookstrapping

Bookstrapping – Age of Revolutions by Fareed Zakaria

As per Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta's review, author Fareed Zakaria goes on to emphasise that the state of the world today, is dispersed. There is a loss of faith in God, religion, politics, institutions, norms, and experts. Referencing Lee Kuan Yew’s work in Singapore, he asks, “How do we build a common civic culture?”

As per the review by Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta, among many other insights, the author Fareed Zakaria proposes that the first move to defy monarchy and form a republican government was in the late 16th century; viz. the revolution in the Netherlands. This was an important movement that also spread to Britain, which soon after also pioneered the industrial revolution.

Bookstrapping: From Ideas to Impact by Michael Sheldrick

Peppered with real life anecdotes, such as Coldplay powering an entire show with energy from repurposed BMW car batteries, the book humanises advocacy. Sheldrick asks you to humanise your story in the same way, when you set out to convert your ideas for a better world, into action, reviews Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta. (Image source: Amazon)

As per the review by Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta, the book ‘From Ideas To Impact’ offers an eight step guide to policy entrepreneurship. Policy entrepreneurship itself, is about people combining the visionary, diplomatic, and implementation approaches, to transform an idea into tangible impact.

Bookstrapping: Now that I have your attention by Nicolas Hamilton

What is worse, is that the first flush of success, after years of feeling left out, comes with its own challenges. The loneliness of exclusion can bring negative influences into your life, who now see your money and encourage you to be part of activities like gambling, reviews Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta. (Image source: Amazon)

As per the review put down by Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta, the book is structured into seven chapters, which are more like seven lessons from the author’s life. They stand out extremely relevant for parents raising kids with disabilities; as the author explains- people talk ‘about’ your kids but not ‘to’ your kids.

Bookstrapping: Mr. Einstein’s Secretary by Matthew Reilly

Another factual thread in the book is that the period before 1920 was one during which the European nations were fighting each other and America outgrew Europe. And Hanna saw this contrast in action, as everyone in America was getting ‘richer and richer, reviews Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta. (Image source: Amazon)

As per the review by Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta ‘Mr. Einstein’s Secretary’ is ‘historical fiction’ set around the 1920s to 1940s. So a few fictional characters meet a set of real characters at an important period in history and a story plays out from there. Our heroine is Hanna Fisher; a fictional character who escapes Berlin in 1919 after the death of her mother and the murder of her father!”

Bookstrapping: A tribute to a Nobel Laureate

‘Dear Life’, another collection released in 2012, was intended to be her last. Her stories are everyday stories of everyday people- those whom we don’t expect to encounter in books, writes Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta. (Image source: Britannica)

As per the review of Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta, the compilation, ‘Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage’, which was released in 2001 cannot be missed. A story from this compilation, ‘The Bear Came over the Mountain’, which spoke of Alzheimer’s disease, was made into a film titled ‘Away From Her’ in 2006.

Bookstrapping – The Trading Game: A Confession by Gary Stevenson

As per Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta's review, "Gary Stevenson gets really funny as well. While the constant refrain in every brokers' ‘sad and mad’ life remains, ‘will I get paid?’ and ‘can I leave?’, Gary tells you that about a curious Japanese belief- they mistake Santa Claus for the KFC guy!" (Image source: Amazon)

The author talks about himself as a character in the book. Gary reveals that while in school, he got expelled for drugs, realised that good grades alone don’t lead to great jobs, won a poker-like trading competition, made it to Citibank and then made out of it too, reviews Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta.

Bookstrapping: Eden Abandoned – The story of Lilith by Shinie Antony

The evocation of feminism, is dealt with in the most fascinating manner. The author brings Lilith alive in the most irreverent way, for she believes that it was Adam’s ‘contempt for himself that interfered with his joy in her!", reviews Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta. (Image source: Amazon)

The book puts an entirely new spin on the very idea of worship and dignity. With chapters numbered in reverse, from thirteen to zero and unnamed, the reader can make their imagination go wild, reviews Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta.

Bookstrapping: The Dirty Dozen by N Sundaresha Subramanian

The author’s track record as a hard-hitting journalist with award winning coverage in corporate and regulatory affairs, sets the tone foe the merciless, diligent number crunching in the book. (Image source: Amazon)

The chapter titled ‘Companies Cry but Owners Party,’ speaks about the nexus between the establishment and a category of defaulters. Subramanian also highlights the misuse of the ‘corporate debt restructuring (CDR)’ scheme by big organisations. Later, the book refers to how the the CDR cell shutdown overnight, after faithfully serving Indian lenders and letters for 17 years, writes Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta.

Bookstrapping: Letters to Hira by H.T. Parekh, founder, HDFC

The book stands testimony to what old timers at HDFC know- an intrinsically humble person, H. T. Parekh never consciously set out to create a business empire but by dint of hard work and a visionary mind, he went on to become a formidable force in Indian business, writes Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta. (Image source: Shri Modh Vanik Seva Samaj)

In the letters, H. T. Parekh offers information about life in London, where he was studying at the London School of Economics. The language of the letters is purposeful and detailed; its almost as if HT Parekh wanted to share every moment of his life, again with Hira, reviews Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta.

Bookstrapping: Ashoka – Portrait of a Philosopher King

Ashoka’s upbringing was multicultural- both Chandragupta Maurya and Bindusara had Greek wives. Naturally, Ashoka was a ‘universalist’ with an expansive vision, connections and influence all over the world. (Image source: Amazon)

Ashoka’s conquests were as bloody a those of his father and grandfather. The difference is that Ashoka acknowledged it and apologised for it. Ashoka speaks of an ‘offence’ committed by the state of Kalinga, because of which he ‘had to’ attack! And yet, he regretted it. He was a King with a conscience and that is why, we cannot get over him fully, reviews Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta.