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My India Ideas For The Future

My India: Notes for the Future contains excerpts from Dr A.P. J Adbul Kalam's speeches in his post presidency years. Drawn from Dr Kalam's addresses to parliaments, universities, schools and other institutions in India and abroad, they include his ideas on science, nation building, poverty, compassion and self-confidence. Dr Kalam draws on the lives of stalwarts such as Marie Curie, Dr Vikram Sarabhai to encourage and inspire his young readers. Through these speeches, he shares many valuable lessons in humility, resilience, and determination and leads children to think, grow and evolve. A project very close to his heart, Dr Kalam's last book for children is a road map for every child to pursue their dreams, to be the best they can be, leading to the realisation of a better India.

The Village of Pointless Conversation

It doesn't matter where you go, I tell them. 'Travelling just means getting out of where you were.' Which is my halfassed way of saying, if they have stumbled through my doorway, they are lost as hell. Off the guidebook grid. Bumfuck nowhere, in other words. Pocolim is a little village somewhere or nowhere in Goa. It is home to Ferdie, the postman, who sets out to find his longlost love, Millie. Along for the ride in a recently repaired vintage car are the most unlikely companions: his friend Angie, the sweet, virginal widow, her motherinlaw, the extraordinarily corpulent and bossy Rosalina Eucharistica, renowned painter Don Pedro who finds lost inspiration in the vastness of Rosalina's body, and Savio, friend of Angie's late husband and once contender for her love. On the road, resentments, ambitions, bitterness and desires come to a boil, as disturbing secrets tumble out, redemption strikes where they least expect it. The Village of Pointless Conversation is a sensuous, funny, fullbodied affair, shot through with quiet gloom that peels off the thin skin of pretence under which lie all our human absurdities.

Flame Tree Road

1870s India. In a tiny village where society is ruled by a caste system and women are defined solely by marriage,young Biren Roy dreams of forging a new destiny. When his mother suffers the fate of widowhood�shunned by her loved ones and forced to live in solitary penance - Biren devotes his life to effecting change. Biren's passionate spirit blossoms as wildly as the blazing flame trees of his homeland. With a law degree, he goes to work for the government to pioneer academic equality for girls. But in a place governed by age-old conventions, progress comes at a price, and soon Biren becomes a stranger among his own countrymen. Just when his vision for the future begins to look hopeless, he meets Maya, the independent minded daughter of a local educator, and his soul is reignited. It is in her love that Biren finally finds his home, and in her heart that he finds the hope for a new world.

The Peshwa

It is the 18th century and despite the dominant Mughal rule, the Maratha Confederacy has established itself as a force to be reckoned with in the Indian Subcontinent. The fragile peace between the two powers is threatened when Balaji Vishvanath Bhat, Peshwa of the Confederacy, foils the plans of Nizam Ul Mulk of the Mughal Empire and asserts the power of the Marathas. However, little does the Peshwa know that he has dealt the Nizam an unintended wound - one with roots in his mysterious past and one that he would seek to avenge till his last breath. When the Peshwa surrenders his life to a terminal illness dark clouds gather over the Confederacy as it is threatened by a Mughal invasion as well as an internal rebellion. All the while a passive spectator, the Peshwa�s son, Bajirao Bhat, now needs to rise beyond the grief of his father�s passing, his scant military and administrative experience, and his intense love for his wife and newborn son to rescue everything he holds dear. Will the young man be able to protect the Confederacy from internal strife and crush the armies of the Empire all while battling inner demons? Will he live up to his title of Peshwa?

Being Mortal

Is it time the medical profession rethought its approach to the old and terminally ill? In what way? Should doctors be trained to prepare people to die rather than simply be kept alive as long as possible? In Being Mortal, Atul Gawande addresses these questions and argues that an acceptance of mortality must lie at the heart of the way we treat the dying. Questioning, profound and deeply moving, Being Mortal is a must-read.

Pretty Baby

A chance encounter, She sees the teenage girl on the train platform, standing in the pouring rain, clutching an infant in her arms. She boards a train and is whisked away. But she can't get the girl out of her head. An act of kindness Heidi has always been charitable but her family are horrified when she returns home with a young woman named Willow and her baby in tow. Dishevelled and homeless, this girl could be a criminal or worse. But despite the family's objections, Heidi offers them refuge. A tangled web of lies As Willow begins to get back on her feet, disturbing clues into her past starts to emerge. Now Heidi must question if her motives for helping the stranger are unselfish or rooted in her own failures.

Goddess of Fire

The day after her husband died, all that Moorti's brother-in-law and his son had on their minds was pushing her into her husband's funeral pyre. Years later, she would remember how she had told Bipin, her brother-in-law, to take her husband's land but to let her go. Seventeenyear old Moorti's only fault was she hadn't paid any dowry. Will Moorti be able to escape from the clutches of her brother-in-law or will she become the goddess of fire?

Woodsmoke and Leafcups

Bastar remained outside the country I knew and with which I was familiar: the scent of sal hinting at something more refreshing than the goals to which India aspired. Madhu Ramnath spent thirty years with the Durwa peoples in Bastar. What began as impulsive travel to a swathe of land that had no roads crisscrossing it soon turned into a homecoming: each stint in the forest compelled him to return and, finally, to stay. Over the years he became a student of Durwa life, living in the forest, tending cattle, working a hillslope in the village. He immersed himself in the Durwa world while indulging his passion for devising a botanical classification that would be accessible to a layperson Woodsmoke and Leafcups is a firsthand account of life in Bastar: the routines of communal life and the interactions of the Durwas with the State machinery. He writes of a culture where energy and laughter are currency, although of no value to anyone else. He draws a portrait of friends and teachers, threats and ways of eliding them, and the lure of politics for those long indifferent to it. At a time when 'there are few places in which to lose oneself', Ramnath writes of a people and a place that exist outside, sometimes counter to, known narratives.

Making of Babaji Inc

In an era, where the self-appointed Godmen / women are making headlines and very often for all the wrong reasons, Making of Babaji Inc. is a satirical take on the rise of one such Godmen. In a witty way the story showcases circumstances where superstitions win over logic and ridiculous solutions, often termed as Upaay, given by the Godmen, become the last resort for their devotees. Billu, a middle-class bank cashier, loses a bag containing lakhs of rupees belonging to a high-end customer. His superstitious wife convinces him to seek the advice of a Babaji she knows. Billu undergoes a change of faith. His mediocre life takes a humorous turn and sets off for a distinctly accidental journey called�Making of Babaji Inc.

Sheroes

Even as Kangana Ranaut or Rani sparkled in Queen as a single woman honeymooning in distant Paris and Deepika Padukone convincingly managed her cantankerous father obsessed with constipation in and as Piku, it would be safe to assume that the average Hindi film heroine has come unshackled. But that assumption is brilliantly challenged by Deepa Gahlot in this book when she asks - Why has there never been another Fearless Nadia in Hindi cinema? Sheroes: 25 Daring women of bollywood is a stellar account of heroines in roles that debunk the traditional slots in an industry orchestrated by men and obsessed with the 100 crores phenomenon. From the fiercely independent Rosie (Waheeda Rehman) in Guide, the endearingly impish Manju (Rekha) in Khubsoorat, The feisty Damini (Meenakshi Sheshadri) in the eponymous film, The beauteous yet tenacious Zeenat in Dor, to the ambitious wedding planner, Shruti (Anushka Sharma) in Band Baaja Baarat, these and other actresses in the book took paths that were least travelled yet managed to create benchmarks in Hindi cinema. A mandatory read for every lover of Hindi cinema, Sheroes is pathbreaking as it showcases heroines who explode the stereotypes in a male bastion with incredible chutzpah.

Mind Over Matter

Hollywood agent Aurora Fields kept her personal life strictly separate from her professional one, until she met TV producer David Brady. He might be working with her biggest client on a documentary,but that didn't mean Aurora trusted him. She'd be on hand to protect her celebrity star from exploitation and if that meant spending more time with David then so be it! David had always considered himself a good judge of character, so why did each moment he spent with Aurora leave her as enigmatic and enticing as before? Fall under the spell of New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts!

The Marble Collector

A forgotten childhood. A discovered life. What if you only had one day to find out who you really were? When Sabrina Boggs stumbles upon a mysterious collection of her father's possessions, she discovers a truth where she never knew there was a lie. The familiar man she grew up with is suddenly a stranger to her. An unexpected break in her monotonous daily routine leaves her just one day to unlock the secrets of the man she thought she knew. A day that unearths memories, stories and people she never knew existed. A day that changes her and those around her forever.The Marble Collector is a thoughtprovoking novel about how the most ordinary decisions we make can have the most extraordinary consequences for how we live our lives. And how sometimes it�s only by shining on a light on someone else, that you can truly understand yourself.

The One That Got Away

What are school friends for? Shared lunches, secrets, movies and studies. And if there is a best friend, you want to share everything with him. But do things really work out the way you want them to? Is life really fair? Shyamita and Jai know they have to go different ways once school is over. Shyamita is going to pursue dance and Jai is off to Cardiff for further studies. What happens when they meet after several years? Sparks fly, shocking them both. Before they can figure out what is happening, love strikes.

Chicken Soup For the Soul Readers Choice

We're 20! And as part of our 20th-anniversary celebration, we asked our readers to tell us how their favorite Chicken Soup for the Soul stories affected them. You�ll find the stories in pairs in this volume - a new story written just for this book, followed by the story or poem that the reader found so inspiring in one of our past 250+ titles. You�ll read about the military wife who was mentally prepared for "the phone call" the morning after she read a story about a soldier who lost his limbs. You'll read about the Vietnam vet who discovered that one of the soldiers he rescued went on to win the Super Bowl four times, which he learned decades later in a Chicken Soup for the Soul story. You'll read about a birth mother whose 23-year-old found her through one of our stories. All in all, you'll read 100 stories about epiphanies, attitude adjustments, great advice, motivational tips, doing good, and the amazing connections that people made as a result of these stories.

Dial D for Don

March 1993. Mumbai was rocked by a series of bomb blasts. Unknown to most, Dawood Ibrahim, the mastermind behind the terror attack, had made several calls to the CBI. The don was desperate to prove his 'innocence' by giving himself up, but with conditions. October 1999. The world's very first case of cricket match-fixing led to the banning of six top Indian cricketers, including the then team captain. It was only in 2013, after the then commissioner of police revived the case, that a charge sheet was filed in a court of law. January 2002. Aftab Ansari - a notorious Dubai-based don responsible for kidnapping a shoe baron in 2001 with the help of Jihadi groups in Pakistan was arrested just as he was about to escape Dubai on a forged passport to Pakistan. All these cases of life-threatening moments and unbelievable relief, involved the sharp investigative skills of an Indian Police Service officer then serving in the CBI. In his thirty-seven years of service, Neeraj Kumar neutralized several terror modules and decimated insidious organized crime syndicates spanning continents, working closely with Interpol, FBI, Scotland Yard and several national and international agencies. Much decorated and feted, he hung up his boots in 2013, after his last calling as Delhi's police commissioner. He has now decided that the inside details of what have been some of the most fascinating crime stories of our times must not go unheard and untold. The book covers several high-profile cases cracked by him in recent years, including the arrest and deportation of Aftab Ansari, the main accused in the shooting at the American Center in Kolkata, the nabbing of Jagtar Singh Tara, the man behind Punjab CM Beant Singh's assassination, and the arrest of Romesh Sharma, a Dawood henchman masquerading as a politician based in Delhi.

The Patriot Attack

An attack on a Japanese warship brings Japan and China to the brink of war. Meanwhile, top Covert-One operative Colonel Jon Smith is sent on a mission to recover mysterious material from the wreckage of the Fukushima nuclear reactor. When Smith fails to return, CIA agent Randi Russell heads off on an unsanctioned mission to find him. She quickly discovers that the missing samples may be evidence that Japan, led by hawkish military chief of staff Masao Takahashi, has been secretly developing next-generation weapons systems in preparation for a conflict with China. If the Covert-One team can't prevent General Takahashi from provoking a war, the entire world will be dragged into a battle certain to kill tens of millions of people and leave much of the planet uninhabitable for centuries.

Complete Book of the Human Body

An introduction to the human body and how it works. It explores from allergies and brain waves to x-rays and zits. It allows readers to look at scans of the inside the human body take a 3-D tour of the brain make an edible model of a DNA molecule and more.

Triple

Triple is the riveting story of the most successful espionage coup - and best-kept secret - of this century. It is 1968. Israeli intelligence has learned that Egypt, with Soviet help, will develop atomic bombs within months - an untimely end for the young nation unless a source of uranium for Israeli bombs can be had in complete secrecy. Impossible, of course, unless someone as improbable as the plan can be found to steal it... Working alone, Israeli agent Nat Dickstein concocts an ingenious scenario for the biggest, and quietest, hijacking in history. Against him are the Russian KGB, Egyptian Intelligence and the Arab extremist Fedayeen. With him is a half-English, half-Arab young woman of uncertain allegiance, who discovers Dickstein's Achilles heel.

Daring To Dream

Raised together, Kate, Margo, and Laura are as close as real sisters, despite their differing backgrounds. Laura Templeton is the beloved daughter of the wealthy Templetons, Kate Powell is her orphaned cousin, and Margo Sullivan is the housekeeper's daughter. Margo has achieved fame and success far away from home, but her world comes crashing down when the man she thought she loved loses all her money and involves her in an international scandal. Devastated and broke, Margo has no choice but to return home to try to rebuild her life. Laura's older brother, Josh, has been in love with Margo for years. He's always disapproved of her lifestyle, but her unexpected return heats up the long dormant passion between them. But is Margo just on the rebound, or could she really be falling for Josh?

Outwitting the Devil

After the publication of Think and Grow Rich, Hill wrote this book to show what prevents people from achieving what they want in life. However, the book languished in the original manuscript form, unpublished for more than 70 years. The reason being that Hill wrote Outwitting The Devil: The Secret To Freedom And Success as a conversation with the Devil. Many, including his wife Annie Lou, were uneasy about that concept and did not want it published. Hill uses the Devil in this book to show people that negative ideas and attitudes are the devil’s tools to keep humans from progressing. Progress is positive, and happiness, courage, and working to achieve one’s goal are all positive attributes that could help a person be happy. The Devil uses the opposite emotions and attributes to prevent each person from achieving happiness and progress. His tools are all negative, like fear, indecision, jealousy, anger, and procrastination. These effectively prevent a person from realizing their full potential, from living a useful and productive life that makes use of all the gifts they were born with. Outwitting The Devil: The Secret To Freedom And Success is presented in the form of an interview with the Devil. Hill is Mr. Earthbound, who interviews the Devil who insists on being addressed as Your Majesty. This interesting premise is what prevented this book from being published for over seven decades. Now, this book has been brought out with annotation by Sharon Lechter, who is the co-author of the Rich Dad Poor

Brain

Breath Go Away And Other Stories

Endearing, humorous and thought-provoking, Breath, Go Away is a collection of true and near-true stories. 'Breath, Go Away' is a true story of requited but tragic love, 'Kisses to God' is a tale of love with an unforeseen twist. 'A Shiver of Joy' is mischievous story, describing a moment of ecstasy experienced by the protagonist. In 'Momentous Emotions', Venkat is attracted to Sheila but something holds him back from professing his feelings. 'Tears in the Bathroom' highlights the strength and grace with which women cope with life's adversities. In 'Heights of Height' Kris and Kavitha make a great start to their romance but the outcome is unexpected. 'Priceless Conversations' is about the innocence and artlessness of children. Bringing together tales of romance, wit and suspense, told with a touch of philosophy, Breath, Go Away is a delightful and heartwarming read.

My Gita

In My Gita, acclaimed mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik demystifies The Bhagavad Gita for the contemporary reader. His unique approach thematic rather than verse-by-verse makes the ancient treatise eminently accessible, combined as it is with his trademark illustrations and simple diagrams. In a world that seems spellbound by argument over dialogue, vi-vaad over sam-vaad, Devdutt highlights how Krishna nudges Arjuna to understand rather than judge his relationships. This becomes relevant today when we are increasingly indulging and isolating the self (self-improvement, self-actualization, self-realization even selfies!). We forget that we live in an ecosystem of others, where we can nourish each other with food, love and meaning, even when we fight. So let My Gita inform your Gita

On My Terms

Sharad Pawar is one of India's key public figures. Through his five-decade-long career, during which he has never lost an election, he has served as chief minister of Maharashtra four times and as India's defence minister and minister for agriculture. On two occasions he came close to becoming the country's prime minister. He has often bucked the trend, preferring policy and pragmatism over populism, and won admiration for his administrative acumen and consensual politics. Eyewitness-at the highest levels-to India's and Maharashtra's history since the 1960s, he shares in this memoir his reflections on coalition politics, the loss of democracy in the Congress Party (with which he began his political life), the state of agriculture and industry in the country, and the absolute necessity of social harmony and a liberal, inclusive ethos for India's future. As he does this, he also gives us rare information about many crises and turning points: Emergency and its impact on national and regional politics; the fall of the Chandrashekhar government in 1991; the signing of the Punjab Accord between Rajiv Gandhi and H.S. Longowal; the Babri Masjid demolition; the Mumbai bomb blasts of 1993; the devastating earthquake in Latur; the controversy over the Enron power project; and Sonia Gandhi's dramatic decision to give up the chance to occupy the country's highest office