Tag: Book Review

Figmented Reality- Book Review

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

A word about the author first, Zuko a.k.a. Siddarth Sabari is a blogger and writer based in Chennai, Born in Mumbai he spent his growing years schooling in Mumbai and later in Chennai.
He was diagnosed with Dyslexia at an early age and found it difficult to follow language, but despite his limitations and the support of his mother he passed out from Vellore Institute of Technology in the year 2013 as Mechanical Engineer specialising in Energy. He was awarded the First Indian Dyslexic Writer by the K.L.University,Vijaywada.
He worked for a couple of years in a Public Limited Company before joining his father’s business in Chennai.


Figmented Reality is a psychological book which forces the reader to analyse answers to certain fundamental questions in our lives.
The protagonist is a boy who at a very young age is sexually abused by an elderly woman. He is unable to get over the pleasure he derives from that one sexual encounter so much so that it engulfs him completely.
The encounter leads him to ways of self attaining methods of sexual pleasure.
As he grows up he is always on the look out for elderly women to satisfy himself but fails and in the process he offends women his age as the only thing he seeks from them is sex.
He is generally perceived as a pervert and avoided.
He goes deep into the dark world of drugs and constant state of wanting sex which he is unable to get.
Then enters Veena, a mother of two, and he falls for her head over heels to the point of obsession.
But his mind has so degenerated by this time that all lines between a figment of imagination and reality have blurred.
The author has really woven a brilliant narrative taking us through the dark dingy world of addiction and hallucinations.
The climax of the book is most unexpected and shocking.
A must read, I just enjoyed reading my copy, you go grab your copy now!!!!

Available on Amazon for Rs 150

My Rating 4/5

Book Review- The Coffee and The Cola

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

A word about the author first,Kapil Muzumdar comes from the world of advertising and branding having been in the trade for over twenty five years crafting stories for brands,celebrities and corporate icons. He loves studying human behaviour and profiling people,mostly along psychographic outlines.
Presently he works as a creative philosopher and is often invited to speak at educational institutions and corporates.
He is deeply fascinated by women and the complexity of their nature.
The Coffee and The Cola is his first book.

The author relates to two kind of women whose traits he compares to Coffee and Cola. Two very different types of women.

The story revolves around the main protagonist Rahul and his tryst with these two women with diametrically opposite traits, The Coffee and The Cola as the author sees them.

It is the journey of love which Rahul goes through first with Radha and in a small detour with Nora.
Two women of diverse personalities which leave Rahul confused with the reality check; Who should he choose between the two for a life partner. The way author has characterised his leads is commendable. You can easily relate to Rahul who faces a confusion of choosing the one over second as we lot of times see in real life as well. The women leads are both portrayed very interestingly. The book has a dose of romance with reality thrown in beautifully. Some twists and turns keep you engrossed and curious all through

Will Rahul be able to decide? Will he really get what he wants or Will he lose it all? Grab a copy now and find out for yourself. I just loved reading my personally signed copy 🙂 As the author puts it: An Ordinary Narrative Built Around an Extraordinary Premise.

Available on Amazon for Rs. 199/- for paperback.

My Rating: 4/5

Selfienomics- Book Review

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

A word about the Author, Revant, for me a very unusual name;don’t know what it means and the name itself amused me.
Revant is a Certified Health Coach and a Graduate of New York University, Stern School of Business.
He is based in Kolkata and this is his first book.

Selfienomics as the name suggests is about the economics of oneself. The book in a very light humorous way tackles the very serious issue of ignored Self Improvement.

The book is full of humorous lines trying to teach you many serious aspects of your personal life.

Sample this for an example :To quit smoking is the easiest thing in the world.I have done it a 1000 times.

The author has made the process of self improvement which one tends to find boring in umpteen other books in the category look like a very simple fun filled journey. Its seldom we want to read books on self improvement, one because we all think we are perfect as it is, second those books sound too preaching types which end up being boring to the core, but trust me this one is different. It doesn’t preach you, it rather makes you familiar with the aspects of life that we don’t bother enough about but again in a lighter way. Because of humour being the front end of the book, it doesn’t loose its momentum till the very end.


The book really really has a sensible, practical and as I keep mentioning , a hilarious outlook on how to make money, get the most out of your job, broaden your network as also enjoy your family and give back to the society and really enjoy doing so.

A real fun book on the serious issues we face in our day to day life and to enhance the quality of life we are living.

A ‘Mast Must’ read.

Grab your copy now and I assure you it will be difficult for you to put it down.

Happy,Hilarious Reading. Go for it.

My Rating: 4/5 Stars

Available on Amazon for Rs 209/-

Should I Hate or Love- Book Review

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

A word about the author first, Kisnaa is a 24 year old born and brought up in Delhi. An engineer by profession having done his B.Tech from a renowned college of Delhi/NCR is currently pursuing his M.Tech from MD University. He started writing poetry at the age of 14. Writing is his passion apart from his interest in cricket, movies and traveling.


Should I hate or Love, as claimed by the author, is based on a true story.
After reading the book, and if it is a true story; a very filmy one at that, I feel that whatever our Hindi films depict however audacious it may be seems plausible. Though hard to digest for me.
The book is beautifully penned with some really lovely poems interspersed artistically in the script just as we have songs in movies.
It is the story of the main protagonist Aayan and his journey of love from the adolescent years to his coming of age.
The whole gamut of emotions from his adolescent love to his pining for his love when circumstances force them to stay far from each other to his reverential love have been very well woven into the book.
Does Aayan get his true love or not.Does his unconditional love bear fruit? Grab a copy for yourself and enjoy this beautiful journey of love. Happy reading.

Available on Amazon for Rs 175/-

My Rating: 4/5 Stars

A SUCCESSFUL AUTHOR, BIKER & ENTREPRENEUR KAPIL PATHARE’S BOOK “A TALL ORDER” WAS UNVEIILED BY SRILANKAN CRICKET LEGEND SANATH JAYASURYA

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

The launch was a grand affair with Sanath Jayasurya launching the book. Author of book Kapil Pathare read Yuvraj Singh’s chapter where he spoke in depth about his journey. After the chapter reading Sanath Jayasurya addressed the media & spoke a few words about the book & Kapil Pathare.

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The launch saw the presence of- Sanjeev Kapoor, Munisha Khatwani, Jyoti Saxena, Aneel Murarka, Garima Pandey, DJ Sheizwood, Manpreet Arora, Hansa Singh & Harsha Bhatkal and many more. RJ Archana who anchored the show wore a beautiful gown by designer duo Bhumika & Jyoti.

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It isn’t surprising that a sport that goes on for days, often without result, inspires this much writing. “A book is your best visiting card” says Author, Biker & Entrepreneur Kapil Pathare who launched his book “A Tall Order” which traces the cricketing careers of ten best cricketers from India in the last 25 years. The book is an account of a golden era in Indian cricket. A galaxy of stars descended on the cricket field , shone like never before and left us with over lasting memories. Each of these men brought laurels to India in their unique ways “The book echoes about the lives of 10 extra ordinary cricketers. Their contribution to the sport has made the country what it is today. Together these 10 cricketers have fashioned the fortunes of cricket in the country. We have never been as blessed as we have been in the last 25 years thanks to these gentlemen. This truly is the league of extraordinary gentlemen for Indian cricket because it has raised the standards of the sport in the country and gained the country enough respect worldwide. The book is dedicated to my late father Mr. Jaykumar Pathare”

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Sanath Jayasurya says “I am so happy to be a part of this launch. A Srilankan cricketer who comes & launches a book which talks about ten cricket legends of the country & to really do this is overwhelming. I wish Kapil all the best for the book and his future“

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“These cricketers have impacted lives of us all as they have carved out a niche for themselves in the cricketing landscape. These cricketers have been at the forefront of a revolution that has engulfed world cricket thanks to their achievements. The fact that cricket is still surviving as a sport is because of the impact these gentlemen have made on cricket and helped create an economy. This book hopes to do justice to the work put in by these gentlemen in front of our eyes in the last 25 years” says Kapil Pathare whose moto is plain and simple – Live Life every day as if it’s your last. No wonder, his enigmatic personality attracts people and the limelight wherever he goes.

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Kapil Pathare has penned his success story not just by his sheer corporate skills but quite literally as an established author. His first book was ideated on a cricket pitch when he saw the Indian cricket team in a huddle “What if cricket and management can be interlinked. After all, cricket is more of a mind game and strategy sport. If one draws the right strategies from cricket, they can be used on the corporate pitch as well. More so, for budding entrepreneurs, start-ups and women in the corporate world who did not watch cricket but were really good at their management skills”

The book features- Sachin Tendulkar, Anil Kumble, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Harbhajan Singh, Virendra Sehwag, Zaheer Khan, Yuvraj Singh, MS Dhoni. You can read the review here .

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Testimonials-

Our history of overseas record actually saw a positive turn in the era that we all played together. What we seeing now is progression of what our era achieved – Zaheer Khan.

I have been fortunate as a player and as chairman of selectors for having seen from close quarters there extraordinary cricketers – Kiran More.

It was really great for Indian cricket that we all were at the peak of our powers at the same time – Harbhajan Singh.

Tall Order by Kapil Pathare-Book Review

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

A word about the Author first.

Kapil Pathare (Director – Maxwell Industries Ltd.) was a young and dynamic leader introduced to the Board ofvDirectors, of this VIP Group Company.He impressed the whole company with his situational leadership style, spot decision making abilities and asan effective communicator of management decisions. With his innovative marketing strategies and a global vision he has taken the Company to being the leader in the inner wear sector. He earlier wrote a book Cricket to Corporate in 2014 which was launched by India’s Ex- wicket keeper Kiran More, who said “Cricket is not just a game,but a field where corporate strategies are planned and executed live”
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Now about the book, Tall Order

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It is a compilation of Ten of the Star Indian Cricketers of the Golden Era of Indian Cricket.
Each of these stars namely: Sachin Tendulkar, Anil Kumble, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Harbhajan Singh, Virender Sehwag, Zaheer Khan, Yuvraj Singh And M S Dhoni, brought laurels to India in their own unique ways.
The book is a humble tribute to these demigods of Indian Cricket.
The book takes you through the trials and turbulations of each from the budding start of their careers to the sad end of the careers of some of these greats.
I on the personal front feel, the book could have been made more interesting with a few personal anecdotes or not commonly known features about these greats.
All in all a commendable effort and a treat for cricket lovers.
Buy your copy and enjoy.

Available on Amazon for Rs 200 for a paperback

My Rating: 3.5/5

Kashmir 90- Book Review

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

A word about the Author first, Vineet started his journey from Dehradun having done his schooling there before moving to Bangalore for his engineering from B.M.S.College. Having completed his engineering he joined the Corporate World and since then has been working at various locations in India n Abroad. He completed Executive Program in Business Management from IIMC and is also a PMP certified professional. He is presently settled in Mumbai and is working in the field of Project Management. This is his second book having written,Vinu, I am getting married earlier and working on his third book titled Twin Trouble.
Apart from writing fiction, Vineet Mishra has other hobbies including his passion for riding.
He is also a proud HOG (Harley Davidson Owner) and enjoys long rides.

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Now about the book Kashmir 90 ,as the name suggests it relates to that horrific period in our modern history which is really a shame on our country.
The book traces the the journey of its main protagonist Shiv Pandit, a Kashmiri Pandit who lives a carefree life in the Jannat of our country Kashmir.
His life from the age of 18,living in a well to do family, loved by all and popular among his friends to the devastation. He and the family go through that darkest of dark periods forms the crux of this book.
The book has been beautifully written and the life n journey of Shiv Pandit unfolds in a simple but riveting manner.
The life in College with friends, the faint sensibility of finding love to the kindness and love of the family to losing it all in a sweeping series of events that follow the unrest and subsequent exodus of the Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley.
How he goes through all the losses and almost losing his sanity to again joining the mainstream of the society with some semblance of success with the one regret of losing his college crush/love Maya.
Does Shiv manage to find Maya? Makes for a fascinating read. Highly recommended.
Go grab your copy and feel the trauma of the in numerous people who went through this sad ordeal of being outcaste from your own land n people.

My Rating 4/5

Available on Amazon for Rs. 225 for paperback.

Every Gift Matters- Book Launch Event

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

November 4th, 2016 a book launch was organized by FLO, Ficci Ladies Organisation.
The book Every Gift Matters has been authored by Carrie Morgridge, Vice President,Morgridge Family Foundation.
Amitabh Saha and Parth Vasavada Of Yuva Unstoppable, were mainly responsible for bringing Carrie to India for a hands on experience and an indepth insight to the needs of our society to which her organisation could provide funds through various non profit organisations and help improve conditions in various sectors.
Carrie is a Renowned philanthropist and works tirelessly to give leverage to the money funded by her organisation so as to create maximum impact of every dollar spent.
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Her first gift in this step, in India, was a funding of $10,000 to Yuva Unstoppable.
To their credit Yuva Unstoppable surprised Carrie by showing how much more they achieved by that funding which was used to provide toilets in schools and provide much cleaner healthier atmosphere.
The book, Every Gift Matters also reflects Carrie’s vision of funding wisely to maximize the benefits to a larger section of society.
The book makes for a fascinating read underlining the need for wise funding.(Read the review here)

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Carrie was kind enough to share a lot of interesting moments from her life, some of which she has incorporated in the book too, which made for an interesting talk.

Talking at her debut book Carrie Morgridge said, “The smallest donation on the planet can transform a life – I have this first hand. And, the best part is, it transforms two lives: the one who receives and the one who gives. Through my book Every Gift Matters, I have shared real-life stories of how having a hands-on approach to giving has transformed lives including my own. I believe that anyone and everyone can make a difference in their community, no matter what the size of the gift. The first step is believing you can – are you ready to change the world?”

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I also managed to have a one on one conversation with Carrie and tried to understand what it takes to become an author. Here is the excerpt from my interview with her

Ikreate: Which books have made an impact in your life?

Carrie: Jim Collins – Good to Great

Malcolm Gladwell – All books, but in particular, Outliers and The Tipping Point

Adam Grant – Originals

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Ikreate: What was the hardest part of writing a book on philanthropy?

Carrie: Editing down the great stories worth sharing

Ikreate: Which was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why?

Carrie: All the chapters to me were pretty darn great. I had the hardest time writing chapter two, as I never like to talk about myself and it took weeks for me to write. What I love, is not what I think is the best chapter, but how people share with me their personal stories of how they related to the book or the story.

Ikreate: What were your learnings while writing this book?

Carrie: I was very surprised when I asked the people in the book to help me proof what I had written about them. All the people in the book, jumped at the chance to help me. I had at some pointed helped them, and they all felt that helping me in return was an honour. Their help was a beautiful way to say Thank You.

Ikreate: Do you think someone could be a writer if they don’t feel emotions strongly?

Carrie: A person writing a technical book would be very successful without emotion. However, if you are writing a story about love and compassion the author must have that in their own heart.

Ikreate: What other authors are you friends with, and how do they help you become a better writer?

Carrie: I have had the pleasure of becoming friends with authors who are changing the world. Dr. Jane Goodall, Amy Newmark Salmon Kahn, Marc Turcek, Dr. Kirk Johnson, Dr. Pamela Cantor and Rick Hess all share the same passion about the world as we do. They want to help others help themselves, and make our planet a better place to live.

Ikreate: What is the key message in your book that you hope readers will grasp?

Carrie: You have to find your passion to really make a difference. Once you find your passion, you have to do something with it.

Ikreate: How did publishing your first book change your process of writing?

Carrie: Being my first book, I enjoyed the process immensely. I did catch the bug for writing, and I enjoy writing blogs. My first major blog was written this summer as my husband and I mountain biked across the country, unsupported. You can find it at morgridgefamilyfoundation.org/blog

Ikreate: What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?

Carrie: My style of writing is not based on research; I share stories that I personally live. As for book two, it is still mulling around in my heart and head.

Ikreate: Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with bad or good ones?

Carrie: I do read the book reviews, and I also now write book reviews. Once I was a published author I realized how important they are. I have one bad review, and to be honest it hurt, but I learned from it, and I hope I will be a better writer in the future. On this trip to India, I am asking the good people of India to write a review. Since I only have 24 reviews on amazon, it will be really easy to see the impact I have on India, and I hope a way to hear from people in this wonderful country who are making a difference. This is not a time to ask for money. I will not fund projects from book reviews, just to be clear.

Ikreate: What would you like to suggest to other aspiring authors?

Carrie: Never give up. We all have a story to tell, so keep at it. It you work hard, and don’t take the comments from people in the business to hard, you can become a best seller. What my agent and publisher said was such a gift, was my willing to learn to perfect writing and to accept all changes without having my feelings hurt.

Ikreate: What are your future project(s)?

Carrie: I am about to turn 50 this year, and in celebrating this big birthday with an zero, I have asked 50 friends to join me on 50 islands. The Island is their choice, and I have a year to complete the goal. The catch is that we have to “do something philanthropic while on the Island”. I think this will inspire me to go more, see more, do more.

Do read the book and I am sure it will change your mind set towards Philanthropy as it changed mine.

Every Gift Matters- Book Review

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

A few words about Carrie Morgridge, the author of this really magnificent book, Every Gift Matters.

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She is the Vice President of the Morgridge Family Foundation and diligently alongside her husband working for the past fifteen years to put the foundation’s funds to their ultimate use, spark innovation and generate transformation. She graduated summa cum laude from International Academy of Design and Technology, thus giving her a cutting edge on design innovation. She is an aggressive athlete having finished nine ironman competitions. She and her husband split their time between Colorado and Florida.

The Foundation has taken up leadership funding in various projects with Non profits at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, National Jewish Health, Mile High United Way to name a few.
She conceptualised and founded the Student Support Foundation creating philanthropy clubs to teach students how best to deal with financial gifts and put them to optimum use.
She also founded the Share Fair Nation, a notional event designed to train thousands of teachers in integrating technology to teach.
Recipient of the distinguished Frances Wisebart Jacobs Woman of the Year in 2010 from Mile High United Way.

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Now about the book,to be honest I thought it would be a drag continuing about philanthropy vis a vis donations, donations and more donation stories. But what a pleasant surprise the book is really engaging and truly captures the spirit and character of its author. Gives us great insight into her humble stumbling beginning into philanthropy to her real capturing of the essence of philanthropy, as she says no gift is too small and if you work at it you can really make your $1 gift the power of $3.

Absolutely superb acumen ably assisted by her various acquaintances turned friends and the ever present support of her husband John.
An enchanting read which really gives you an indepth knowledge of how to go about putting your donation to good use.
Philanthropy is not just about writing a cheque and feel that you have done your bit.
No it is much much more than that as Carrie so beautifully illustrates with numerous big and small anecdotes.
Philanthropy is a responsibility where by giving you make sure your money is put to its right use and brings about a change in the lives of many.
An absolute must read book for everyone.
Kudos to Carrie for sharing her experiences and showing how to keep learning from your mistakes and keep going.

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You can log on to http://morgridgefamilyfoundation.org to know more about the foundation and Carrie.

The book is available on Amazon for Rs 1325/- for hardcover and Kindle version is available for Rs 66/-

Super Women- Book Review

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Super Women is a compilation of inspiring stories of 20 women entrepreneurs.The author is Prachi Garg,a Mirandian and an inspiration herself.She is co-founder of Ghoomophiro.com and Anmoluphar. An alumni of Great Lake Institue of Management, she is a passionate writer and fond of traveling. In many ways she herself is an entrepreneur and a successful one at that and a great role model for women.

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Super women brings to light the stories of twenty women entrepreneurs who have by their sheer hard work and will to succeed have found the right balance in their personal and professional lives, managing to hold fort on both fronts with equal dedication and love.

These women have foraged into a vast range of services like extending support to acid attack victims to providing free skin care solutions; online retail of lingerie, handmade bags and fashion accessories.
They have also found a niche in providing eco friendly utility products; some awe inspiring quirky merchandise; another very inspiring service has been to empower folk artists and showcase their art to the world to providing clinical assistance those suffering from depression and allied problems; image consulting to house hunting, arty solutions, to innovative marketing and corporate communication; from creating happy readers to making religious ceremonies simpler.
These super women have opened doors to some yet unexplored avenues.

The author very beautifully traces the journey of these women from their baby steps to finally realising their dreams and in the process providing us with various services.

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Kudos to these super women and Prachi, a super woman herself for bringing together this inspirational book.
Grab a copy and live the lives of these super women. A salute to Women Power.

Available on Amzon- Price Rs 123/-