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Applied Spirituality a Spiritual Vision for the Di
Swami Agnivesh is a swami with a difference, a holy man who is as much an untiring social worker as he is a political activist. In Applied Spirituality, he discusses his views on religion and spirituality from the vantage point of his religious learning, leavened by his decades-long work with the underprivileged sections of society. He reasons how religion and spirituality can be applied in our day-to-day lives so as to make them resonate in a more practical manner. Addressing issues as diverse as increasing religious intolerance, Naxalism and social injustice, human rights, world trade and women's empowerment, Swami Agnivesh calls for a transformation of society through a multi-pronged approach that involves extensive interfaith dialogue.
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Blood on My Hands Confessions of Staged Encounters
This anonymous confession by an army officer splits wide open the anatomy of staged encounters in India's northeast and explains how awards and citations are linked to a body count. Speaking to investigative journalist and conflict specialist Kishalay Bhattacharjee, the confessor tells of the toll this brutality has taken on him. An essay by Bhattacharjee and a postscript that analyses the hidden policy of extra-judicial killings and how it threatens India's democracy contextualize this searing confession. An explosive document on institutionalized human rights abuse.
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Three
A hero sets sail.An island is found. A nation is born. Early thirteenth century CE. The Srivijaya Empire, considered to be one of the world's greatest maritime forces, has been abruptly left powerless in a swift political exchange. With nothing but a meaningless crown, a once-lauded navy and the will to keep alive the name of Srivijaya against the endless onslaughts of old enemies and ambitious neighbours, Emperor Prabhu Dharmasena and his kin leave behind their island realm to traverse the seas, desperate and homeless. Among those who sail with him is th Emperor's youngest son, Nila Utama, for whom loyalty and honour have ceased to have meaning since he saw his father forsake their beloved land. Now, all that is left to do is survive or so Nila thinks, till a voyage across turbulent seas brings him to a fishing village, where the headstrong prince, so far insistent on keeping to the shadows, is forced to step up to his responsibility, face his old demons and discover what it truly means to be a king. Based on the founding legend of the island of Singapore, also known as Singapura or the Lion City, Three is an engrossing tale of love, self-realization and adventure on the high seas that marvellously conjures up an ancient world.
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Journey Under the Midnight Sun
A twenty-year-old murder A chain of unsolvable mysteries Can one detective solve this epic riddle? When a man is found murdered in an abandoned building in Osaka in 1973, unflappable detective Sasagaki is assigned to the case. He begins to piece together the connection of two young people who are inextricably linked to the crime; the dark, taciturn son of the victim and the unexpectedly captivating daughter of the main suspect. Over the next twenty years we follow their lives as Sasagaki pursues the case - which remains unsolved - to the point of obsession.Stark, intriguing and stylish, Journey Under the Midnight Sun is an epic mystery by the bestselling Japanese author of The Devotion of Suspect X.
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India The Crucial Years
During his long career in public service, T.V. Rajeswar witnessed several historic events at close quarters. He was part of the team that investigated the assassination of Bhutanese Prime Minister Jigme Dorji in 1964. He was deputed to Bangladesh in 1972 to advise the country's first President, Mujibur Rehman, on his security. And he was part of the Intelligence Bureau in the critical years of the Emergency imposed by Indira Gandhi. In his memoir, Rajeswar tells the stories behind the headlines and makes startling disclosures as it paints a compelling portrait of India over the last half-century.
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Red Maize
In the village of Morha Madana, overlooking the Chenab, the joys of harvesting ripe maize get sullied when, one summer,gun-toting militants of the tanzeem start swarming the hills. As the militants fight in the name of azadi, the villagers lives are shaken and torn apart. Charmed by the call of jihad, Shakeel, the second of the three sons of widow Kausar Jaan, becomes the first to turn a mujahid. Soon, the dreaded area commander, Major Rathore of the Indian Army, decides that Shakeel's decimation is his only way of regaining the respect of his fellow officers and his ticket back to a peace station. Thus begins the tale of woe of his mother and brothers. Eventually Kausar Jaan becomes the symbol of Kashmir caught in the crossfire between separatists and the army. Red Maize is the poignant tale of a mother's dilemma as she mutely witnesses the maize crops in her backyard get stained with the blood of her sons. It is also the chronicle of a paradise lost but never regained.
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Yes My Accent is Real
A delightfully funny collection of essays by the Indian-American actor, Kunal Nayyar, who plays the loveable, sincere yet incurably dorky character Raj in The Big Bang Theory. In this revealing book, Kunal Nayyar traces his journey from a nervous little boy in New Delhi who mistakes an awkward first kiss for a sacred commitment, gets nosebleeds chugging Coca-Cola to impress the other students at his all-boys school to the confident guy on the set of one of television's most-watched shows who one day eve gets to kiss the woman of his childhood dreams- Winnie Cooper from The Wonder Years. Throughout, Kunal introduces us to the people who helped him grow, chief among them his slick moustachioed father. From his father, Kunal learned the most important lessons of life- treat a beggar as you would a king. There are two sides to every story. A smile goes a long way. And, when in doubt, use a spreadsheet. Full of heart, but never taking itself too seriously, this is a coming-of-age story about a young man trying to find his place in between cultures, growing into himself as a person and a performer, and of the many embarrassing incidents that somehow miraculously prepared him to land the role that would make his career.
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Nationalism
“And yet I will persist in believing that there is such a thing as the harmony of completeness in humanity . . .” A compendium of lectures delivered by Tagore during the First World War and the Swadeshi movement in India, Nationalism emphasizes Tagore’s political and philosophical views on human understanding and its weakness for power and material hoardings. Packed with erudition and analysis, it expounds the idea of a moral and spiritual growth for human welfare. The lectures—written in a lucid, metaphoric, poetic prose—are loaded with a piercing vision of the future and are a critique on his views on spirituality and humanity. Tagore was a farsighted visionary, whose forebodings on the lack of human values and the political role of the nation and the state in the East and the West are well articulated in these lectures. Tagore discusses the revival of the East and the challenge it poses to the Western reign, calling for a future based on tolerance, a future where tradition and modernity are balanced. Tagore’s Nationalism holds much relevance in today’s environment of violence and intolerance.
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A God Who Hates Women
For a woman in a male-dominated society, ‘choice' is an alien word. And inequality, violence, injustice, abuse, and discrimination a daily living reality. A God Who Hates Women is an emotional journey through a labyrinth of violence and civil war. It’s a journey through a battlefield riddled with archaic cultural demands and explosive emotions . . . where a mother and her son struggle to navigate through a cruel patriarchal society in an attempt to survive. To live. Will endurance and courage overcome daily abuse? Will a crumbling homeland deprive a young boy of his right to identity? Will it wipe away all dreams of a future? A myriad of memories and experiences are woven together in this riveting true tale of one family’s heartbreaking struggle through the mire of religion, politics, war and their unwavering hope for peace.
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Hari-A Hero for Hire
Terrifically entertaining read, it's one of the best crime novels set in India written by anyone� � Ashok Banker Hari Majestic is back with a bang and his own detective agency. When his first case of suspected marital infidelity goes from super boring to super dangerous in one giant leap, he lands in the Globalized Style Super Speciality Hospital with a broken leg. But trouble follows him when he wakes up after the operation to find that life will never be the same again. And can he really trust the very charming Nurse Diamond? Set in engaluru�s downmarket Majestic area, Hari�s adventures escalate as he with the help of his crazy friends a video pirate, a cybercafe owner and a macho autorickshaw driver goes deeper undercover than anybody�s ever been before in this spicy medical thriller.
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Rogue Lawyer
Sebastian Rudd is not your typical street lawyer. He works out of a customized bulletproof van, complete with Wi-Fi, a bar, a small fridge, fine leather chairs, a hidden gun compartment, and a heavily armed driver. He has no firm, no partners, no associates, and only one employee, his driver, whos also his bodyguard, law clerk, confidant, and golf caddy. He lives alone in a small but extremely safe penthouse apartment, and his primary piece of furniture is a vintage pool table. He drinks small-batch bourbon and carries a gun. Sebastian defends people other lawyers wont go near - a drug-addled, tattooed kid rumored to be in a satanic cult, who is accused of molesting and murdering two little girls, a vicious crime lord on death row, a homeowner arrested for shooting at a SWAT team that mistakenly invaded his house. Why these clients? Because he believes everyone is entitled to a fair trial, even if he, Sebastian, has to cheat to secure one. He hates injustice, doesnt like insurance companies, banks, or big corporations, he distrusts all levels of government and laughs at the justice systems notions of ethical behavior. Sebastian Rudd is one of John Grishams most colorful, outrageous, and vividly drawn characters yet. Gritty, witty, and impossible to put down, Rogue Lawyer showcases the master of the legal thriller at his very best.
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Career of Evil-A Cormoran Strike Novel
The third book in the highly acclaimed crime fiction series by J. K. Rowling, writing under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith. When a mysterious package is delivered to Robin Ellacott, she is horrified to discover that it contains a woman's severed leg. Her boss, private detective Cormoran Strike, is less surprised but no less alarmed. There are four people from his past who he thinks could be responsible - and Strike knows that any one of them is capable of sustained and unspeakable brutality. With the police focusing on the one suspect Strike is increasingly sure is not the perpetrator, he and Robin take matters into their own hands and delve into the dark and twisted worlds of the other three men. But as more horrendous acts occur, time is running out for the two of them... A fiendishly clever mystery with unexpected twists around every corner, Career of Evil is also a gripping story of a man and a woman at a crossroads in their personal and professional lives. You will not be able to put this book down.
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See Me
Colin Hancock is giving his second chance his best shot. At twenty-eight, he's focused only on walking in a straight line - getting his teaching degree and avoiding all the places and people that proved destructive in his past. The last thing he's looking for is a relationship. But when Maria Sanchez, a hardworking lawyer and daughter of Mexican immigrants, crosses his path one rain swept night in North Carolina, the foundations of his carefully structured life are completely upended. Before the couple has a chance to envision w hat a life together might be, ominous reminders of events in Maria's past begin to surface. And as the threat of violence begins to shadow her every step, she and Colin will be tested in increasingly terrifying ways. Will their respective demons destroy the tentative bonds they've forged or will their love protect them, even in the darkest hour? The new epic love story from the multi-million-copy bestselling author of The Notebook, The Lucky One and The Longest Ride.
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My Life-An Illustrated Autobiography
The story of my life has become intertwined with the story of this country. And somewhere along the way, as I met a million children across this land, I too learnt from a million minds. This book was not written to only tell my story. I want every young reader to think that this book is his or her story too. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam has been one of the most iconic figures of Independent India. A scientist, leader, thinker, teacher and writer, he achieved remarkable success in various fields. Yet, what endeared him to so many was his dedication to the idea of a developed India, his simple and direct way of interacting with people and his deep love for his fellowmen. In My Life Dr Kalam writes his life story starting from his days growing up at Rameswaram, about working on India�s space and missile programmes, his years as the eleventh President of India; and about his life thereafter. Full of anecdotes that demonstrate the importance of hard work, commitment, courage and innovative thinking, this autobiography is a wonderful introduction to a remarkable life. Beautifully illustrated and simply written, My Life will inspire readers of all ages.
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Chandrakanta
Chandrakanta, Devaki Nandan Khatri�s extraordinary novel, first published in 1888, is set in the courtly world of princes and princesses, magnificent palaces and gardens. The beautiful Princess Chandrakanta is imprisoned in an ancient tilisma, and waits to be rescued. Her lover, the valiant Prince Birendra Singh, battles jealous rivals and tries to break the ancient enchantment in order to reach her. The real protagonists of the story, however, are not the prince and the princess, but their secret agents, the �spy-magicians� known as aiyaars.Written in the spoken Hindi of northern India rather than in any difficult literary idiom, Chandrakanta became an instant hit upon publication and was modern India�s first bestseller. Over the years its appeal has remained intact through various translations and adaptations, both in the printed form and in the visual medium. Now in a sparkling new translation by Rohini Chowdhury, this fantastic classic will enchant a fresh generation of readers and entice them into an unforgettable realm of magic and bravery
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City of Dreams
Buildings, roads and bridges made up the city, Kanti knew that. So did trees, rivers and hills. But he had never quite thought about people. He was told that they, too, were integral parts of a metropolis; if Kathmandu were an organism, people were its red blood cells, navigating busily through road-veins and street-arteries. City of Dreams is set in the multifaceted, fast-changing Nepali capital, Kathmandu. And through a series of deftly woven short stories, it exposes the interaction of city-dwellers with this teeming, schizophrenic metropolis, caught in the tussle between tradition and modernity. In the title story, a Kathmandu native wanders the streets of his hometown and encounters a deep secret. In �The Presence of God�, a couple bickers about faith and ambivalence, only to be confronted with an event so inexplicable that it changes the very foundations of their argument. In �Dashain� a young man�s attempt to leap into adulthood goes horribly awry. And in �The Smoker��the only story set outside Kathmandu, in New York City�a writer begins his quest to craft the perfect narrative; yet, even here, the Nepali city is a shadowy presence. As Kathmandu becomes the protagonist of the collection, what we see emerge is not just the skeletal outline of the metropolis, a cartographer�s map, but a capital of stories. City of Dreams is one of the most startling literary debuts in recent times.