The Leader Who Had No Title by Robin Sharma

Title: The leader who had no title

Author: Robin Sharma

Publication: Jaico Books

Price: INR 195

This happens to be a pretty long one as this review was my semester project  for college.

‘The Leader who had no Title’, a beautiful book by Robin Sharma, the author famous for his book ‘The Monk who sold his Ferrari’, begins in a very similar fashion as the latter. 


This book tells the story of transformation of ordinary people into leaders.

The protagonist, Blake Davis, a war veteran and an employee at a book company has had a hard life. He lost his parents early, had an unsuccessful love life and looked back at his military days as a bad phase of his life and career. He described his pre transformation phase of life as: “I medicated myself to too much TV, too much food, and too much worry – all designed to avoid having to feel the pain that one feels at the recognition of one’s lost potential”. His biggest challenge in life was to re-orient himself to the world that had forgotten him, but this to him seemed an impossible task.

Amid all things mundane and inconsequential, one day, an old man with the name of Tommy Finn, came to meet Blake, describing himself as a friend of his father. A very quaint old fellow, Tommy tells him that he likes to have no flashy title, no big designation showing up on his business card, but is perhaps the most respected and prized employee of the organization, thanks to a certain LWT theory that he knows and now wants to share with Blake so that he is also successful in his life. Tommy goes on to tell Blake that any person need not have any formal authority or designation to lead others, in fact to lead you really need no title whatsoever. Blake, unhappy with his life that he is decides to follow Tommy and learn what he has to teach.

Tommy asks Blake to meet him at a cemetery next morning. At the cemetery, Blake realizes that Tommy drives his dream car and thus is a rich fellow. He further finds that the old man has dug up two graves, each contain a tablet, the first having “The 10 Human Regrets” inscribed on it and the other, a golden one, with “The 10 Human Victories”. The inscription on the first one, teaches Blake (as well as us), the ten most prominent regrets people die with. Ranging from not been able to detect their inner beauty, or not being able to help others just because they thought they were incapable to having wasted a life which was worth gold and so on. The second one reassures the faith in oneself and motivates both the protagonist as well as the reader about the ten things if done, can lead to one’s life being called super successful. These tips range from having spent your full potential, to the rich glory of the achievements of those whose lives you bettered, to see the success of the new roads that you built, to be a leader without a title and so forth.

All this really inspires Blake to continue his quest about the LWT theory. Tommy then takes him to meet the four great leaders that had inspired him to walk along this path of LWT.

First of all, he takes him to a one of the best hotels of New York, a favourite haunt of the fashionable people. Here, he introduces him to a housekeeper, Anna who is of Argentina origin. Anna tells him how she knows hers is apparently an insignificant job, but at the same time it the most crucial job in the functioning of the hotel. How, even though she is just a tiny housekeeper, she has carved a niche for herself in this field and how the great CEOs who come to stay in the hotel specially request her to be their housekeeper. Anna, for the first time in Blake’s life praises and recognizes his great good to the nation by being in the army. She gives him the crux of the LWT theory. LWT stands for ‘Lead Without a Title’. Her underline philosophy is that ‘You need no title to be a leader.’ She gives him the entire learning of her life in a five letter acronym: IMAGE. Here

•   I – Innovation. She believes that each and every day we spend on this earth has to be better than our previous day. There has to be innovation and repetition of any kind will lead to stagnation.
•  M – Mastery. Anna believed that nothing in this world deserves anything less than our very best and maximum potential.
•  A – Authenticity. In Robin Sharma’s words, ‘It has never been so important to be so trustworthy. It has never been so essential to be authentic.’
•  G – Guts. Anna tells Blake that people often do not have the courage to move the path towards getting greater vision. Thus one must have guts to attain much in life.
•  E – Ethics. As Tommy mentioned, one can never go wrong in doing something right. And as Anna elaborated, nothing is more precious than staying consistent with the values.

Next, Tommy took Blake to meet the second LWT teacher, Ty Boyd, a five-time world shalom skiing champion, who had had an unfortunate accident which had shattered his sports career. His main ideal was simple, ‘Turbulent times build great leaders’. He also gave him a five letter acronym that contained the nectar of all that he had learnt from his life: SPARK.

•     S – Speak with candor. He believed that it was actually communication that was the cradle of any kind of mistrust or misunderstanding and that the deliverance of nothing but the naked truth was the solution to get rid of such mishaps.
• P – Prioritize. As Ty put forth the point, ‘Focus on the best and neglect all the rest.’ He even believed that focusing obsessively on the things that matter most to you is not unhealthy.
• A – Adversity breeds opportunity. He explains that for every dream that has to be vandalized keeping in mind the changes in the scenario or any other reason, an another pristine, pure idea can take birth.
• R – Respond versus react. Ty told Blake that to keep grace under pressure and to respond in place of react was the great key to survive with the LWT theory.
• K – Kudos to everyone. Everyone for everything well done needs appreciation.

Then they went to meet the third teacher, a playful little Jackson Chan, an ex-CEO of a multibillion dollar technology company turned gardener. He believed that ‘The deeper your relationships, the stronger your leadership’. The acronym that he gave was HUMAN.

• H - Helpfulness. He believed that to be eternally happy, one must do more than he/she is paid to do.
• U – Understanding. Speak less. Listen more. To understand other person’s perspective was a soft skill you must have.
• M – Mingle. He believed that another important aspect of the LWT theory was that one must be the connecting link between people.
• A – Amuse. Fun makes you want to collaborate more, it makes work easy.
• N – Nurture. One must take care of the company, take care of the colleagues. Get more customers, get great business. Basically in pursuing the LWT theory, one must not forget the basic duties he/she has to undertake.

The forth and the last teacher was Jet Brisley, one of the best known massage therapists in all of New York. One of the best lines he spoke was ‘Blood, sweat and tears are necessary to reach dreams, hopes and joys.’ To be great leader, one must first be a great person. One must be a leader of self. According to Jet, the seven fundamentals of personal leadership are: learning, affirmations, visualization, journaling, goal setting, exercise and nutrition. The acronym he gave was: SHINE.

• S – See clearly. One must perceive the conditions and circumstances clearly. One must have a clear view of the rules and ethics one follows.
• H – Health is wealth. Health is something we take for granted until we lose it. Good health is the foundation on which the pillar of our life stands.
• I – Inspiration matters. He explained that one must indulge in activities that rekindle our passion and open closed doors which hinder our performance.
• N – Neglect not your family. He believed that loved ones matter. Family was the ultimate thing we worked for.
• E – Elevate your lifestyle. Enjoy life. Never make a compromise with your own life for it is important. It is all about you.

The book finally closes with Tommy leaving for his heavenly abode, the very next day of their meeting the 4 teachers. He leaves behind a note for Blake and gives him his car as well. His last words in the letter read, ‘Dream boldly. Live beautifully. And to your last breath Lead Without a Title.’

 The book ‘The Leader Who Had No Title’ brings into the view that is not very commonly considered: one need not be a leader to lead. A very pleasant idea that I found towards the beginning of the book was where the author mentions that worrying for things beyond one’s control is a pretty good formula for illness. In general, we live in an environment where we find worrying intrinsic to our nature and that to lead, one needs to have a high flying designation or rank or else one may cease to be effective. But this book provides a very entertaining and interesting perspective to the same by proclaiming loud and clear that leadership needs to come from within.

The book gives numerous, in fact countless brilliant suggestions, even if we apply some on our lives, we shall surely be changed individuals altogether. The book gives a practical approach about creating a leader within ourselves, rather than being a stereotypical checklist on what effective leaders must do and what they must not. As Blake remarks, embracing uncertainty is a precious gift, if we challenge the odds and decide to lead without a title, I do not feel the positions expressed in the book are fictional. All of it can be lived, provided we become the fountainheads of genuineness and embrace this LWT theory that has been explained here wholeheartedly.

In a description about the four teachers, Tommy explains that ‘they have the discipline to do what they know to be important – and right – versus what’s easy and fun.’ Easy paths may be tempting, but very often they are superficial and do not lead to desired destinations, but most surely the thorny paths need an awful lot of internal motivation. Leadership is not something to be learnt or practiced at workplace, it needs to reflect in our persona, in every task we undertake, in every relationship we build, this leadership should be seen.  As Gandhi mentioned, “In a gentle way, you can shake the world.”

‘The 10 human regrets’ and ‘the 10 human victories’ described at the onset of the story go a long way in making us realize that we are literally living this life in darkness and that the things that actually matter are the ones we are unaware of.

A great piece of advice by Tommy that shakes the very foundation of our work style is that success is created through the performance of few daily disciplines that stack up together and produce a result that is much more than planned and expected. This is actually true, just as it is said drop-drop make the bucket fill, our daily routine of good turns and jobs well performed will ultimately lead to our successful professional career and thus a fruitful life.

The first teacher is Anna, a housekeeper. The author has used people from all walks of life to suggest that one need not belong to a particular class or creed to be successful, to use LWT or to be a teacher of something such as this. Even a seemingly ‘petty’ housekeeper can channelize her energies and become worthy of giving such intelligent piece of advice. The second teacher is a retired skiing champion. He had a lot of victories to his name. He had the world to himself yesterday, but today he was an ordinary man. Thus he spoke, ‘turbulent times make great leaders’.  The third was an ex-CEO who had now taken to gardening, a seemingly funny plan of action. The fourth was a massage therapist. The profiles of the four teachers remind me of a little couplet:

“If  I  were  a  cobbler,  the  best  of  all  cobblers  to  be.

If I were a tinker, no tinker beside should mend an old kettle like me”

Anna had a pretty tough childhood, but she seemed to have forgotten the pains of the past that might dampen her today. She seemed to exude so much positivity which was actually contagious. The acronym IMAGE for innovation, mastery, authenticity, guts and ethics seems so genuine. Innovation is indeed the need of the hour. When everything seems to have been ‘copy and pasted’, originality takes the crown.  Mastery over self, over the work, over the processes indeed gives us an upper hand in the task we pursue.  Authenticity is a kind of ripened stage of honesty. If one is right, one must have the guts, the confidence to speak it up. Courage is the ornament of leaders. The ethics are the final bunch of keys required to open the door to success.

In the acronym SPARK by Ty Boyd, the letters stand for speak with candor, prioritize, adversity breeds opportunity, respond versus react, kudos to everyone respectively.  To speak clearly to avoid any kind of misunderstanding is very important but this can happen only if you are fully aware of the actual situation and have the guts (the G in IMAGE) to prove your point and can prioritize what is good and what is not. Leadership is all about this. To respond to a situation calmly rather than reacting or overreacting is surely an important tip in self improvement. A leader needs to have the time and temperament to appreciate the beauty of the work done by others.

HUMAN by Jackson stood for helpfulness, understanding, mingle, amuse, nurture respectively. Who does not know helpfulness is a virtue. Or that mingling with others or an understanding nature is not the order of the day. This set of 5 virtues is a kind of reiteration of our duties toward those, we shall be a mentor, a leader to.

Jet gave his acronym as SHINE for see clearly, health is wealth, inspiration matters, neglect not your family and elevate your lifestyle.  His philosophy is that in a pursuit of being a leader and affecting other people’s lives, we mustn’t forget our duties towards ourselves and towards our loved ones. For above everything, if we are, our world is, else there is nothing.

Having said all that I feel, the book does not address clearly, a problem faced by many of us: we know we are genuine and we are the leaders, we do only good, but what if the others don’t. As such we do not hold any formal authority and thus we cannot expect the others to behave the same as we do. What to do in a situation such as this?

The book closes at a very encouraging note, having shown the transformation of ordinary people into great leaders without a title. I personally feel this book is a must read for all as if we follow the simple guidelines given therein, we can definitely change a lot about our lives and as the book claims, better the lives of as many as 30 thousand people in a short span of time.

RUPA PUBLICATIONS: The Perfect Murder

Title: THE PERFECT MURDER
Genre: FICTION
Author: RUSKIN BOND and Others
Price: INR 195
ISBN: 9788129144973

Ever wondered if a perfect murder was possible?
Ever planned or thought of one?
Ever read about one? One that would give even Holmes or Poirot a real tough time..

Well this collection of selected short stories would sure give you an idea that a perfect murder was possible. A murder so perfect that even the murderer wouldn't know.

'The Perfect Murder' is a collection of 8 short stories, each a perfect suspense thriller, and each promising to take the reader on a spooky yet amazing journey.

The title story, the best of the collection, is short tale of two brothers plotting to kill an old aunt and how their planned murder turns out to be the perfect murder. Who murders whom eventually and who the beneficiary of the game ultimately becomes is the climax. A sure shot thriller that is bound to keep the reader at the edge of the seat.

Another story details how Ruskin Bond's uncle once tried to poison him and what happened next.

From being straight forward give away tales to open ended ones to keep the readers guessing, from simple Ruskin Bond to the ultimate mystery man - Edgar Allen Poe, the book has plenty to offer for all types of murder mystery lovers.

Although not all stories live up to the expectation set by the title of the book and the first story, it is a great collection on the whole.

A wonderful option for a one time read and well decided gift for a mystery lover. Bond doesn't let you down with this one.

Happy reading :)

RUPA PUBLICATIONS: Nick and Tesla's HIGH VOLTAGE DANGER LAB

Title: High Voltage Danger Lab
Author: "Science Bob" Pflugfelder and Steve Hockensmith
Price: INR 295
Genre: Sci-Fi
ISBN: Rupa Publications

This is only the second book I've ever read, having completed a sprint from the first page to the last, without using a bookmark. No, there was no way I could need one. Putting the book down was impossible. 

Adventure. Fun. Mystery. Family ties. Bold kids. Circuits. Pets. Mysterious neighbours. Mad scientist. Humour cropping up unexpectedly... and almost everywhere, this is the book Nick and Tesla's High Voltage Danger Lab.

A very racy read, the book opens with 11 year old twins being exported to their uncle's place for a summer since their parents would be away understanding how soybeans grew. But what awaits them at their uncle's place is almost totally unexpected and weird. Case in point - a compost pit for a bed and a TV that worked only when someone was exercising. A typical and classic Enid Blyton way of discovering friends and a lurking mystery in the neighbourhood during boring summer holidays, follows. But what lies beyond that is marvellous. Kids solving mystery, the scientific way.

The experiments the twins perform to solve the mystery and rescue a little girl and her dear Mr. Snugg from gory kidnappers, are well documented and the their inventions are all listed in the book. It sure is a cool concept, and you can try out the experiments for yourself, in case you are interested in coming up with your own handy gadgets.

Funny illustrations here and there, a very accurate mapping of the behaviour patterns of pre-teens, and a superbly unexpected ending are sure plus factors about the book.

Do take a tour inside the high voltage danger lab. If you are a middle grader bookworm, you totally deserve it.

A flamboyant 4/5 rating for this one wouldn't be inaccurate. Happy reading. :)

RUPA PUBLICATIONS: Man Eaters of Kumaon by Jim Corbett

Read a page from this book. Close your eyes for 2 minutes. Read another. Close your eyes again. Repeat this, until the chapter you've been reading is over. No wildlife based television show would ever be able to provide you with a better and more enchanting view of the life of hills and around of long ago, under the menace of dangerous man-eaters, like this one.

'Enchanting' be the one word, if I am to describe my thoughts upon reading this book.

This book is a compilation of ten tales of Corbett's various escapades, mostly spine-chilling, with tigers and leopards, who had gained notoriety due to being man-eaters. Having dealt with wildlife over a long period of time and having observed them from close quarters, Corbett has been able to outline the possible thought process or the reason for the beasts’ behaviours almost as deftly as he has been able to describe the human reactions and responses to the former’s threats.

As a reader, my personal favourite certainly is the story “Robin”, which in some sure sense resembles a typical work of Mahadevi Verma, delicately and lovingly outlining the life of a favourite pet. The protagonist of the story is Robin, Corbett’s faithful spaniel, who had accompanied and helped the author in many of his hunting adventures. In his own words, the canine was “the biggest hearted and the most faithful friend man ever had”. From how the pet came into the care of the author, to how he started training, to how his skill oftentimes became their savior, to how eventually, he bid adieu to his loving master, it is a beautiful story that leaves the reader yearning for more.

As Ruskin Bond aptly puts in the introduction, “Corbett’s exploits brought him fame as a hunter. His book turned him into a legend.”

If you consider yourself an adventure lover or are simply looking for some thrilling stories, here’s the deal. Just read this book. 

RUPA PUBLICATIONS: My Favourite Nature Stories by Ruskin Bond

Title: My Favourite Nature Stories

Author: Ruskin Bond

Price: INR 195

Genre: Non-Fiction

ISBN: 978-81-291-3768-5

The sure worst part of the book was that it eventually got over. Each word devoured and each page gulped. I am still in denial and start re-reading every now and then, and yes, coming back to it is one of the best feelings ever.

Brought out by Rupa Publications on the occasion of the author’s 82^nd birthday, this wonder of a book is a beauteous collection of 21 nature and daily life inspired pieces of prose by Ruskin Bond. To explicate why I refer to it as wonder of book, may I point that it had I, a self-proclaimed, hard hearted detractor of non-fiction genres, loving each of its stories and longing for more… and yet more.

Each of the stories is short, more like a compilation of penned down thoughts at different points in time during the author’s long association with the mountains and of brief periods away from them. The stories are straight from the heart pieces and the narrative is so real that as one reads them, one can totally imagine oneself as actually being in the place and situation described.  

From trees to insects to a walnut thief grandmother to the ancient wells of old Delhi to birds that sang and flowers that bloomed and snakes that didn’t kill to what humans are doing to the mountains to the tube train journey that could remind the author of mountain bears making away with ripe pumpkins, the book takes the reader though a variety of topics and places. And suddenly, somewhere in between the text, when you least expect, a funny line or two crops up. For instance, in the context of sweltering heat of the dusty lanes of Old Delhi, the reader gets to sample this:

“Shopkeepers nod drowsily beneath whirring ceiling fans. The pavement barber has taken his customer into the shelter of an awning. A fortune teller has decided there is nothing to predict and has fallen asleep under the same awning.”

There are some important lessons for us humans as well, case in point:

“While the green-backs took their plunge, the red-heads waited patiently on the moss covered rocks. I thought they showed more discipline than a crowd of people at a city water-tap.”

And some food for thought, like:

“For every time I see the sky, I am aware of belonging to the universe rather than to just one corner of the earth.”

The book also talks of how simple things like sweeping the verandah or meeting the river or the sound of some insects could be of importance and a source of happiness.

All in all, a very satisfying experience reading the book. A must read for all who’ve been to the mountains and cherish the calm inspired mountain life.

Although, I would request the publishers to get the book proofread as there are a few errors here and there, I would like to thank them for their praiseworthy endeavour in bringing out this book.

Stained Glass Summer by Mindy Hardwick

Title: Stained Glass Summer

Author: Mindy Hardwick

Type: e-book

The storyline of Stained Glass Summer revolves around a 12 year old girl, Jasmine, whose father is an artist and a photographer. Like her father, she is also obsessed by ‘art’ and dreams of being an artist like him. He in turn, fanatical about his ‘art’ and the awards he receives, is very distracted and does not care about his wife and daughter and does not give them much attention and freedom. He finally deserts them and goes looking for ‘art’ in Africa. Jasmine goes to spend her summer on her uncle’s island and finds the meaning of life there. She finds her true love- Cole, the importance of her existence – Sammy, a free environment and much more. There she tries to contact her father, who still seems to be existing only for his ‘art’ and awards and finally decides that she will stay on the island and mentor a 5 year old instead of going back to him. She also finds that true art is all about happiness and satisfaction and not only about awards.

It is basically a story of a little girl who does not receive much affection from her father, but instead does so in a clumsy 5 year old.

The author has used a 12 year old as her mouthpiece to expressively describe the events that happen in life. An adult narrator might have been more objective in the description. The book gives a profound report on what the average pre-teen feels about life.  I personally believe undue stress has been laid on the concept of ‘art’ and the little girl's attempts to be something other than what she actually is, has been stretched too far. But the emotional account of the happenings and the events gives a very deep insight of the minds of the characters and goes a long way in making the novel an interesting read.

A good one-time, leisure read indeed.

PALAZZO DEL GIGLIO: LOVE IN VENICE by JEROME D. OREMLAND

Title: Palazzo del Giglio : Love in Venice

Author: Jerome D. Oremlan

An old man (well, his age figures do suggest it, even though nothing else does) is often asked about his beautiful apartment in Venice. This takes him down a memory lane, the events of which find their origin in him, Jerry, the protagonist, losing his beautiful wife to cancer. The sadness attracted him to visit the place they had cherish the most together, Venice and that is how the apartment happened. 

Well, the apartment saga is just a base fabric the story is painted on to. The book is actually like a big painting depicting a good number of things including a husband's longing for his deceased wife and the beautiful moments they shared together, the casual and intense relationship that the author is able to build with the various people he meets along the journey of his life and majorly and importantly, a guide to the history, geography, life and culture of Venice, while bringing to the fore some different ways human nature manifests among different individuals.

Through the story, mostly autobiographical, the author, an American, takes us through the visual tour of Venice, a city which he loves and a city which loves him right back. A perfect guide for someone who plans on visiting the city soon, and yes, since there is story to back up the details, it won't be a bore like most travel guides. Additionally, the author being a psychoanalyst and an art historian, has provided many interesting insights into the many historically important things that the city of Venice brings up to you.

The various intellectual conversations that the protagonist has with the interesting people he has a chance to meet in Venice point towards the other books that the author has written and give additional insights to the various works of importance, for instance, Shakespeare's Hamlet. For those who read or plan to read this book for the pure pleasure of English literature would surely find this as a high point.

A nice and quick one time read, could be a delight for those who have any connections or have been to or plan to visit the city. At many places, the story gets really predictable and repetitive, and the reader longs for some some twists and surprises. And yes, if you do not understand Italian even a very tiny bit, a fair amount of guessing will also have to accompany your reading. But yes, the predictability does bring in the sense of mundane, giving a feel as if you yourself are living normal life in Venice.

Ah, if you are planning to visit Venice anytime soon, follow the book and cover the most important of all the city's offerings in flat three days, by being a copy-cat to the route followed by Jerry while he was almost a travel guide to Paul and Annya. Cheers!

DELHI MOSTLY HARMLESS by ELIZABETH CHATTERJEE

Title: DELHI MOSTLY HARMLESS - ONE WOMAN'S VISION OF THE CITY

Author: ELIZABETH CHATTERJEE

Publication: RANDOM HOUSE INDIA

Price: INR 299

An Indian with a Hitler-type moustache goes abroad and marries a Finnish Ice-hockey player twice his height. They have kids and the Indian surname is retained by the son, who passes it on to his two sons and a daughter. This daughter, Yorkshire born Elizabeth Chatterjee is the author of this book. Research work for her PhD brings her to Delhi frequently and this book is a collection of most of her experiences (read horrid experiences) in Delhi.

From the calm and quiet of Oxford to the sweaty wretched culture of Delhi and then back home, the book captures some of the most intimate experiences and feelings of the author. She has captured almost all of her feelings about Delhi, right from landing till the time of leaving for home back in Yorkshire. This journey for her has been a ruthless one and overflowing with hardships. She even managed to find some links into her very complicated ancestry. 

Delhi is much like a cruel step-mom and life for everyone here is difficult. It isn't a city that pampers you. Each step towards progress is a barefoot uphill journey here, but yes the ladder to progress is available here (for most people).

The book goes on to explain how each and every person you come across in Delhi is a cheat and just born to harm others. Almost every page of the book has some details that sting your self-esteem, understanding that in the eyes of an Englishperson, you as an Indian (and specifically as a Delhiite) and your very existence is a shame. The things that we consider the best, that which we pride upon are as wothless as we are (for instance, Sathya Sai Baba was a spiritual rockstar who used to wear orange prison jumpsuits, Akshardham is a big, glossy, self-congratulatory theme park obsessed with numbers and statistics, Chandigarh - the so called city beautiful of India is Le Corbusier's architectural psychosis and is a desert of slabs .. and many more). The part that I am yet to clarify as good or bad, is the fact that as the book progresses, you, as the reader, become addicted to these stings and by the time the book comes to a close, you are smiling from ear to ear. Atleast some accomplishment for a hopeless Indian (or a Dilliwaalah maybe). eh?

The author has supreme and complete knowledge about all things about Delhi, India and the world. Besides providing factual data and description of many many aspects related to the city (some unfortunately incorrect), the book also provides general knowledge about India and many of her related aspects. Before reading the book, I had no idea that Indians were colonized by the British precisely because Indians were just too lazy to fight back. How bad. I just realized, much of my education beyond the 4th standard is on farcical grounds. I also learnt that Diwali is nothing more than diabetes.Well.

Well, all is well till the book does not somehow reach those who take religion a little too seriously, for, any relation between 'Hari' and 'whorey', however small, IS offensive. 

So, much like my existence, my city, my festivals, my education - my religion too is worthless. Lesson learnt, Professor!

There are a few big consolations that the book provides. First, the title, 'Delhi mostly harmless' is an encouraging one, surprisingly positive for all that the book offers. Second, it is mentioned somewhere in the book that statistics show that it is unlikely that a resident of Delhi would be murdered. Yay!! Third, the fact mentioned earlier that the stings are addictive. For all this, you can actually read the book real quick and also manage to smile. Somehow. Fourth, any mention of any other city/country, even Britain, is in equal shade of contempt, so maybe the author's level of expectation from the world to just too high. Chalo theek hai!

I, having lived in Delhi for almost 2 decades, can say for sure that many of the tears and fears expressed by the author are held by most of the people. Life in Delhi is cruelly harsh. Not two words about it. But I fail to get myself to endorse the fact that if there were hell somewhere, it would be much better than Delhi (though this is not directly expressed by the author).

Go read this book, if you please. As for me, I shall happily feature in the author's next book, as just another example of the all-pervasive fiendishness that this city offers. 

SHORT STORIES FOR THE HOPEFUL AND THE WEARY by SCOTT ROLOFF

Title: Short Stories For The Hopeful And The Weary - A Collection of Four Short Stories
Author: Scott Roloff

After struggling with a particular book for over 8 month and still not moving at all, and doubting my reading skills and ability, I had almost thought my book reviewing career was about to terminate. 

But that was until this book came along. Power packed with emotions and reality, this little book 'Short Stories for the Hopeful and the Weary', like water released from a dam, washed away many of my doubts. Good books still exist and good stories still sell! And I thank God for it..!

Perhaps one of the shortest books I have read in ages, this little collection of four still shorter independent stories, happens to score, and score big, despite all odds. A little boy is too old to be a preferred choice of couples wishing to adopt kids. An old man looks back at his life and wonders if it was indeed well lived. A man busy in his own dreamy world realizes what life his wife might be living. And last, a complicated and confusing conversation with the Devil. 

In the first story, 'Nicoli's Birthday', in the hindsight of a war, a young couple wishes to adopt a little girl from an orphanage. There, a young boy touches their lives and they have, but to take a decision. Their decision in the positive would alter their lives and would totally change the destiny of the kid. Though it is a very simple story, the instinctive reactions of the characters have been captured so beautifully that one can just fall in love with the story. The idea of the war in the background could have been stressed more and made more prominent to include an element of contrast between love and war. Nonetheless, this story runs away with the sweeping 4 on 5 rating. A must read for the hopeful and the weary, I must say!

The second story, 'A Lifetime Until Dawn' captures the uneasiness of an iron willed army general, as he looks back at the life that he has lived and wonders if it was actually well lived or not? Well, of the given four stories, for me, this one takes the cake. The simplicity with which the whole scene has been narrated and how even minute details (like the fly, for instance) have been carefully handled, makes the story even more impressive. A massive 4.75 on 5 for this one. Undoubtedly a must read for one and all.

'Saturday's Crossroads', the third in line, is a typical dilemma faced by a person who is now used to seeking pleasures beyond the domestic ambit and is suddenly forced to think of his wife and their strained matrimony. The story plot is somewhere similar to O. Henry's 'The Pendulum'. A 3.5 on 5 for this one looks good!

The last, 'God and the Devil' is a complex and confusing piece from the point of view of an average reader who would want to read for the sake of reading and for being temporarily influenced by the charm of the story. This story is quite deep and would require long hours of pondering upon. The plot of the story is a conversation between a devil and a journalist. From a layman's perspective a 2 on 5 for this one should be alright, but then for those willing to delve down deeper, well..!!

Overall, a very interesting and a insightful book, looking at life from different perspectives and angles, it leaves you yearning for more. The author's style of writing is very addictive, with the narration being profound and most of the stories ending in an amazing twist.

A wonderfully tiny book, it wont take more than a day to complete. Go ahead. Read. Enjoy.

:) 

THE DEPOT by CARMEN DESOUSA

Title: THE DEPOT: WHEN LIFE AND DEATH CROSS TRACKS
Author: CARMEN DESOUSA

Though I am not a big fan of downloading random books from the net and reading them, but there were several factors that prompted me to get this one and read. The newly downloaded Kindle app on my Windows 8, the fact that this was available for free, had a four and a half star rating, and the most important two factors - it was estimated by Amazon to be a kind of novella of hardly 44 pages, and it was in the 'mystery' category, all worked in its favor.

A young homicide detective gets to decode the case of an apparent suicide of a very wealthy, handsome young male. His experience as a detective had taught him to make no assumptions on the case till the culprit (if any) had been caught. He goes about searching for clues and hints to resolve the case, until he comes across an arcane tale of a very similar murder that had happened here itself, many years ago. He also sees the video coverage (or CCTV coverage tape) of the day previous to that of the crime, and lo! there, the book begins to stink of a large filthy twist that lies ahead. The detective suddenly finding himself in midst of a rush of emotions for the lady who was the most likely culprit, if (and only if) it was a murder of some sort, and not a suicide.

The good things about the book are quite a few. Well, the story progresses super fast, and the various events do not take very long. It is a simple two hour read and yes, if the suspense part interests you, you would not be disappointed. If weird twists in the plot is what you cherish, go ahead! And yeah, there are ghosts here too... (trust me, the ghost part IS the best part).

Additionally, if you are the one who believes in 'art for art's sake' or you want to become a writer yourself someday, this is the book you must read. You can almost feel the characters around you. 

But, the story being too short, the mystery part has not been appropriately elaborated and ends too soon. It is a little book after all.

A spooky, crisp read but leaves much to be desired. It would only get a 2.5/5 from me.

THE DEADLY ROYAL RECIPE by RANJIT LAL

Author: Ranjit Lal

Publisher: Duckbill

Price: INR 225

ISBN: 978 93 81626 94 8

Everyone is living a perfectly normal and happy life. Everything is going as it normally must for three friends, a little boy and a little girl. Only so long as the little girl, a princess of one of the still surviving royal families in India, decides to join a school, where she meets the three friends and the little boy. And from there on their lives go an a roller coaster ride. Only, not in an actual roller coaster, but on some of the most exquisite, expensive yet rashly driven cars.

These five kids decide to go on a tour along with the princess' uncle. There they are kidnapped and their attempt to run away from captivity only leads them into further danger. The only thing that can save them is the kids' quick wit and the princess' excellent culinary skills, which she has inherited.

The parts of the story are linked to one another so beautifully and the story literally keeps you at the edge of you seat. It is not so easy a task to put it down once you begin reading. There are times when all seems perfect and peace seems close, and... it is only the beginning of what would eventually turn out to be a real crazy sequence of events. 

From underage driving to dishes called 'sharabi suar ka bachcha' and 'angoothe ke beech ka murabba' to the most mouth watering aromas to the murky rivalry between the blue blooded families to the most dangerous car rides to sweet poisons to kind beasts and beast faced madmen to horse racing to a heartwarming homecoming, this book gives you an experience of everything. And this 'everything' revolves around a book. A single book. Well!

It isn't the regular kind of book you would like to read, review and put away. It is the kind you would want to read as fast as possible, finish up all your nails in the process, wonder, smile, close your eyes, imagine the scenes, smile again and go to a happy sleep.

Go ahead and read it if you are not afraid of scary adventures and scary captors. Not to mention that this book will be a very special delight for the foodies and those who generally believe in eating for a happy life.

CHARLEY by DONNA MARIE SEIM

Publication: Pete E. Randall Publisher

Author: Donna M. Seim

Illustrator: Susan Spellman

Rating: ****1/2

The best part of being a reviewer is that you get to read a lot of good books. The better than the best part is that sometimes you get to read a great book that takes you by a storm.

Well, to put in a nutshell, Charley is a simple story of a little boy, who, along with his siblings is abandoned by their father, their mother being long dead. Charley being second of the four siblings, is not yet fourteen so he is also sent to an orphanage where he is picked up by a farming family. The family is mostly kind to him, but there are some members that give him a bad time.

One fine day, more bad news reaches him. His father had died. He was now an orphan.

It is not so much with the story line that make it good, it is the narration that changes the entire look about it. The gentle way by which the emotions are expressed, the immaturity of a little kid, the angst, the troubled feelings finding their way out, the very character that does not waiver even in the face of adversity, the trust of human on fellow humans, the acceptance, the hurt of rejection, the kindness of some and the the heartlessness of others, the human want of something that you haven't tasted and then the longing to run back to the old setup, and so much more, have been described so beautifully and artfully that they appear to cast a kind of spell on the reader. The chapters are crisp and the story progresses fast.

Another character that caught attention was Charley's elder brother George, who was well aware of his own position, circumstances and sorrows and did his best to shied his younger siblings from the same plight. The altruistic nature he possessed, though still being a kid, made him act in ways that cast a shadow over his character.  But eventually, we find that he was ready to bear all that just to see his siblings happy. Not often can we find such maturity from kids.

It isn't everyday you get to read a book, a non-fiction especially, that has complete control on your emotions. Charley, the book, ends just when it must, else it would look like a Dickens' recast. The sad parts have not been over exaggerated and neither have the happy parts, though few, been overshadowed.

The culture of the early twentieth century America has been described well, the reader does not feel the absence of some information that might have been useful in the complete understanding of the story.

Yes, this book is going to find a place in my private library. It has just made a good memory that I will cherish for a long time to come.

THE REDEEMERS by SURESH TANEJA

Author: Suresh Taneja

Publication: Frog Books

Editor: Vibha Sharma

Price: INR 145, $6
Rating: ***3/4

A bunch of youngsters (G4, as they call themselves)  have a long vacation at hand. They plan a mischievous party, only that they are forced into a bizarre situation. A situation that causes them to think. To think about things that their tender brains and hearts are not yet trained for. 

The situation, or the sequence of events, as I can put it, changes their lives altogether. From carefree teenagers, almost overnight, they grow into flag-bearer of one of the largest mass movements that modern India has seen.

Their creativity, thinking, resolve, determination, never say die attitude, situation handling skills, friendship, integrity, honesty, even a fair amount of good luck, all are put to hard tests, time and again, and almost always, the G4 comes out victorious. Do read the book to find out what happens eventually.

It is heartening to see how a topic that has impacted almost all the people of India, be dealt with, so easily. The book definitely gives a whole new perspective to the problem of rampant corruption in India, and a novel solution to it. The book will see its ultimate success, when people get inspired by the story, take hints and eventually shake the soul of the nation with a similar mass movement, thus cleansing the nation of this ill that has ailed her for so long.

Though the narration is quite excited, rather than being subtle and does not come across as natural, I think it is a good start for the author. It would have been better, had the story also dealt with some moments of the G4 where they actually failed, or did not succeed as per expectations. This would only make the story more real.

Additionally, I think, it would have been better had the part with the PM be reduced to him releasing a formal letter or something similar, as the G4 attending meetings had, by that time, become too commonplace and routine. Joking with the PM, PM crying and even an anchor crying on screen is too much to imagine. 

It is reassuring that time and again the emphasis of the story has lain in the fact that truthfulness must be achieved. One must walk the righteous path to glory as only that path has the power to sustain. The goodwill and trust you earn over time is bonus.

Another brilliant thing about the book is the family tree right in the beginning of the story, its absence would have made life really difficult for the reader.

As for me, I would love to see this book scale heights of fame as the time passes... Just for a reassurance that the literary world still acknowledges those who want to write a clean story, devoid of all that was once considered cheap, but has now become the selling point of many books.

Do read the book, for there is still hope for a better world.

THE WITCHES by ROALD DAHL

And just what does a paradoxically avid kid-lit reader, who already has some three big books banging hard due to their upcoming review submission deadlines and who is barely and that too, rarely getting any time to do anything sane off late, do, when she unexpectedly gets a day- forcibly away from work??

Yes! Read a Roald Dahl. What else.

And I mentioned 'paradoxically' basically because, although I believe myself to have read 'kidlit' the most, among all the reading that I have chanced upon, the book I picked up today is only the second of Roald Dahl. And all that, because of an autobiographical extract of the author, that we were made to understand at school, and which had become torturously boring due to repetition.

Anyway, past is past. All I understand today is the simple fact that eventually and finally, my roads have lead me to Roald Dahl, the king of kidlit.

And here's the review of the book for you... Enjoy...

Title: The Witches

Author: Roald Dahl

I can bet that you would not agree that old grandma's bedtime tales of witches and fairies, of lands far away and their kings could ever have been true. Yes, I can bet on it. Because so did I believe - or rather not believe in the truth behind the tales grannies told. Until I stumbled upon this book.

A little boy gets to live with his grandmother after he loses his parents to a road accident. The grandmother, or grandmumma, as the boy calls her, is a retired witchophile - someone who has studied witches and knows a lot about them. She tells him tales about how she has seen witches take little children away, what do the witches look like, how can they be spotted, what they like and what they want and so on.

The little child does not believe all this, until he is approached by a lady - who tames snakes and has all the signs of a witch that grandma has told him. Luckily he escapes this time. But not the next time. The next time he is the unfortunate victim of not one, but rather, some 84 witches tall and strong. Or so to say, all the witches of England and their overall administrative head put together. Poor boy! But no longer a boy. He gets transformed into a mouse!

The good thing, however is that incomplete magic allows him to communicate and he has already understood properly, the reality of witches and all the evil plans they have, for finishing all the kids of England.

One must surely read the book and find out whether the transformation into a mouse causes a sense of revenge to bloom in the little one, or he plans to embark on adventures that only mice can. Do read the book and find out what happens to the boy-turned-mouse eventually! Trust me, the book ends exactly as it must.

I love to read kid-lit mainly because it is a delight reading what grown-ups write for kids, what kids actually derive from it, what they are supposed to derive, and most importantly, what obvious lessons these books give that we generally overlook.

It is strange that simple things reveal so much. Through this book, aren't the kids being taught to try overcome their greed and not accept offerings by strangers. Aren't the kids being taught that it is okay if some misfortunes strike you. You must pick your pieces and move ahead.

Well, one thing that caught my notice was the behaviour of witches. Whatever may be the case, the evil wants to hide behind the garb of normalcy! Often, what appears to be the sweetest, may be the most evil thing around. Something like a sugar coated poison. But nonetheless, the good thing is that there is, more often than not, some good always working to undo the wrong. History illustrates, that ultimately in the long run, it is the good that can sustain.

So, Goodbye Witches!

MURDER UNDER THE MICROSCOPE

Author: Jane Bennett Munro

Publication: iUniverse Inc.

ISBN: 978-1-4502-9862-9

Rating: ****

Dr. Day, better known as Toni, is a young pathologist working at a local hospital at Twin Falls, Idaho. All is going very smoothly in her life. She is happily married, settled in her job and comfortable with her friends. But enter Dr. Shore, a surgeon at the hospital Toni works and re-enter Robbie, Toni's stalker ex-boyfriend and her life is thrown off the tracks.

Robbie has threatened to kill Toni's husband and Dr. Shore, having caused enough trouble to Toni, to last her a long time, dies mysteriously. It is really interesting and entertaining how Toni tries to bring her life back to normal after her husband is kidnapped and she is accused of Dr. Shore's murder and also, how she discovers so many unknown facts about the people around her when she tries to decode the mystery behind the death.

The sequence of events, the truth behind many a rich person, the warmth of friendship, the undying love of a parent for her child, the understanding of a close one, and of course, two full fledged mystery cases running parallel in a single story, everything is described so beautifully in the book, that it makes a compulsive read once you begin. Moreover, though the main mystery plots are solved there are some tiny aspects left unanswered for the reader to imagine and guess.

Only when you feel that it was a dud ending to the mystery that you realize that all was far from over and what lies ahead may be really murky and dark. A real must read for mystery lovers looking for a suspense thriller of a different kind.

The medical jargon used in the book gives it a different feel altogether, much like a green garnishing on a red colored dish, but it does get a little too much at places, given that an average reader would not have a pathology background.

The closing of the book leaves the reader awestruck, by answering an apparently silly question that remained unanswered during the book, giving further insight into the psychology of the people, in general.

Overall, an awesome piece of work by author Jane Bennett Munro, MD, a pathologist by profession. Having read this book, I would obviously want to read her other book, 'Too Much Blood' with a hope that it lives up to the level similar to that of this book.

INTERVIEW WITH KERRY LETHEBY

Meet KERRY LETHEBY, the author of a wonderful suspense fiction novel, MINE TO AVENGE (reviewed here). Read on to find out more about the book and the brain behind it... 

ZR: Did you always have this story, 'Mine to Avenge' in mind before you put it down on papers? What inspired you to come up with this beautiful story line?

KL: No, the story was something that more or less evolved. It began with an idea - a ‘What if?’ thought, triggered by the disaster of September 11, 2001. As I watched the drama unfolding on the television during those first few days after the event, I was struck by a thought that gradually became an obsession. Unfortunately I can’t reveal this thought, as it is one of the major plot elements of the story, and it would spoil the enjoyment of the story for those who haven’t yet read it. This thought often came to me over the next few years, and I eventually began to wonder if there might be a story lurking in their somewhere. I eventually sat down in January 2010 to see what I could do with it, and Mine to Avenge was the result.

ZR: Which parts of your own book do you like the most?

KL: I think I like the revelation of Spyridon’s character - finding out about his background and how this impacted his life, his personality and his choices. I also like the part where the protagonist, Alcandor, finally discovers the truth about what is happening to his family, and something dramatic happens to prevent him warning his family of the danger they are in.

However, I think my favourite part is a passage toward the end of the book, where one of the main characters is reunited with his family after an absence of many years. When he returns he is a changed man, and very broken after his experience, and his reunion with his family always makes me teary.

ZR: At the first sight, it appears that the book might have been written by someone who might have had a Greek origin. Is it actually the case with you? 

KL: No, I have absolutely no Greek heritage or background at all, so this aspect of the book required significant research. My heritage is mainly Cornish, with a dash of French in there. However, I grew up in the 1960s in South Australia’s Riverland area, area, which had a high percentage of Greek immigrants at the time. I drew on my knowledge of this area and of the Greek families I knew personally for some of the background to the book. I also interviewed several older Greek people who had some knowledge and personal experience of Greek village life and customs, but most of the Second World War and Civil War information was gleaned through research.

ZR: How much time did the whole process take - from inception of the idea to the final product in hand?

KL: The idea for Mine to Avenge began, as I said earlier, with September 11, 2001, and I had the finished product in my hand in October 2012 - so that is eleven years and one month. The writing process took up almost three years of that time.

ZR: What, according to you, are the greatest works in suspense fiction till date?

KL: I’m ashamed to admit that I don’t have much knowledge of current suspense fiction, as my tastes tend to lie in the older classic favourites. There are so many of them, but these are the first few that came to mind - Daphne du Maurier (Rebecca/ Jamaica Inn), Lew Wallace (Ben Hur), Norah Lofts (How Far To Bethlehem), Dickens (A Tale of Two Cities), James Cain (The Postman Always Rings Twice), Len Deighton (The Ipcress File), and Geoffrey Household (Rogue Male).

ZR: You had mentioned about a sequel to this book. By when should it be out and what would it be like?

KL: I would like the book to be out sometime in 2014 but I am not making any promises at this time. As I work full-time, I am finding it difficult to give my writing the time I would like to. The book will be part sequel and part companion volume to Mine to Avenge. In Mine to Avenge, we read of two characters by name only, Christina and Anna, but they don’t come into the story at all. This work in progress is their story. The first half of the story is a companion volume to Mine to Avenge, with the events running parallel in time to some of the events in Mine to Avenge. I have already written most of this part, which will make up the first half of the book. However, the second half is proving to be the most difficult. This part will be the sequel part of the story, with Linus, one of the main characters from Mine to Avenge, attempting to find Christina and Anna as they are his aunt and grandmother. I have some of this part worked out, but not enough to bring it all together yet.

Thanks Ms. LETHEBY!!
It was a real delight getting to know more about you. We are all eagerly waiting for your next book.