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Cryptonomicon
In 1942, Lawrence Pritchard Waterhouse-mathematical genius and young Captain in the U.S. Navy - is assigned to detachment 2702. It is an outfit so secret that only a handful of people know it exists, and some of those people have names like Churchill and Roosevelt. The mission of Waterhouse and Detachment 2702-commanded by Marine Raider Bobby Shaftoe-is to keep the Nazis ignorant of the fact that Allied Intelligence has cracked the enemy's fabled Enigma code. It is a game, a cryptographic chess match between Waterhouse and his German counterpart, translated into action by the gung-ho Shaftoe and his forces. Fast-forward to the present, where Waterhouse's crypt-hacker grandson, Randy, is attempting to create a "data haven" in Southeast Asia - a place where encrypted data can be stored and exchanged free of repression and scrutiny. As governments and multinationals attack the endeavor, Randy joins forces with Shaftoe's tough-as-nails granddaughter, Amy, to secretly salvage a sunken Nazi submarine that holds the key to keeping the dream of a data haven afloat. But soon their scheme brings to light a massive conspiracy with its roots in Detachment 2702 linked to an unbreakable Nazi code called Arethusa. And it will represent the path to unimaginable riches and a future of personal and digital liberty...or to universal totalitarianism reborn. A breathtaking tour de force, and Neal Stephenson's most accomplished and affecting work to date, Cryptonomicon is profound and prophetic, hypnotic and hyper-driven, as it leaps forward and back between World War II and the World Wide Web, hinting all the while at a dark day-after-tomorrow. It is a work of great art, thought, and creative daring; the product of a truly icon.
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Operation Mom : How I Got My Mother a Life and a M
When you try to set your moms life right, be prepared to have your own life turned upside down Seventeen-year-old Ila Isham has a lot to worry about. Theres the angst of being an Ali Zafar groupie, for one. Then there are the extra layers of fat she has inherited from her part-Punjabi lineage. Add to this parents who have separated, an enthusiastic best friend, Deepali, whose idea of variety means dating three guys at the same time and Aunty Maleeka, her moms best friend, whose good intentions and savvy skills throw up more problems than solutions and Ilas cup of woes runneth over. Her life takes an exciting turn when she decides to hunt for the perfect partner for her mother. With a little help from Deepali, Aunty Maleeka and Dev of the inviting chocolate-pool eyes, Ila will have to brave it all - from Shaadi.com and Ok-cupid profiles to handlebar-moustache colonels and middle-aged psychos, if she wants to succeed in her quest
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Three Dog Night
As Viva turns sixty-one, she decides to speed up the process of going jungle, as her husband once put it. But just as she has begun to back-pedal, de-clutter, disengage, go monochrome and all the other things people her age are supposed to do, life comes romping in again, with all its insistent, multi-coloured demands. Moni is dating someone whos just bad news. Perhaps Aidan, the vet with an interest in Indian mongrels, is the right man for her? What is Shrutis mysterious Nepal connection? How will her grandson Dhruv react to the arrival of Emanto? Should Viva be listening to the sinister Gautam-Gafoors suggestions about media and mandawli? Should she have gone on that date with Raghav? Viva deftly bats this googlys and doors that life throws at her, playing her second innings with an inventive grace. Three Dog Night is imbued with all the drama of a life passionately lived, a life lived with nerve and verve.
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Who Wrote the Bhagavadgita : A Secular Enquiry int
The Gita is an evolving response which deals with the conflicts between Veda and Vedanta and then with the challenge posed to Vedanta by Buddhism. Its shift to Bhakti is the climax of the battle between Brahmanism and Buddhism. There are probably multiple authors of the Gita as shown by stylistic changes and the frequent shift of subject matter. For Meghnad Desai, Gita is a secular text, a result of human creation over several centuries. He also contends that some themes in the Gita reinforce social inequality and lack of concern for the other and to that extent he finds Gita to be toxic.
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Idris : Keeper of the Light
The year is 1659. Idris, a Somalian trader, is in Kerala to attend the Mamagam festivities. By a strange twist of fate, he meets his nine-year-old son whose existence he had been unaware of. In an attempt to keep his son close to him, he embarks with him on a voyage that ends in the diamond mines of Golconda. Packed with passion, adventure and fascinating aspects of life in the seventeenth century in southern India, Idris is a page-turner that will intrigue and excite readers everywhere.
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How to Fall in Love
Adam Basil and Christine Rose are thrown together late one night, when Christine is crossing the Halfpenny Bridge in Dublin. Adam is there, poised, threatening to jump. Adam is desperate but Christine makes a crazy deal with him. His 35th birthday is looming and she bets him she can show him that life is worth living before then. Despite her determination, Christine knows what a dangerous promise she's made. Against the ticking of the clock, the two of them embark on wild escapades, grand romantic gestures and some unlikely late-night outings. Slowly, Christine thinks Adam is starting to fall back in love with his life. But has she done enough to change his mind for good? And is that all that's starting to happen? A novel to make you laugh, cry and appreciate life, this is Cecelia Ahern at her thoughtful and surprising best.
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Dogfight: How Apple and Google Went to War and Sta
The rise of iPhones, smartphones and tablets has changed the world. At the centre of this are Apple and Google, two companies whose philosophies, leaders and commercial acumen have steamrolled the competition. In the age of the Android and the iPad, these corporations are locked in the feud of a generation, a battle that will play out not just in the marketplace but in the courts and on screens around the world. Fred Vogelstein has reported on this rivalry for more than decade and has rare access to the offices and boardrooms where company dogma translates into ruthless business behind outsize personalities like Steve Jobs and Eric Schmidt and inside the deals, transactions, lawsuits and allegations that mold the way we use the internet and communicate with one another. Apple and Google are brazenly poaching each other's employees. They bid up the price of each other's acquisitions for spite and they forge alliances with major players like Facebook and Microsoft in pursuit of market dominance. Dogfight reads like a novel, it's vivid nonfiction with never-before-heard details. This is not just a story about what devices are going to replace our TVs, phones, laptops and music players. It's about who will control the content we see on those devices and where that content will come from about the future of media, entertainment, communication and information around the globe
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Seventh Heaven
Ten years ago Joe Lakota had left behind his small Oregon town and the only woman he'd ever truly loved for the empty promises of the big city. Now he's returned, seeking to raise his young son with values you can only find at home, and longing to rekindle the passion he'd once had with beautiful Marilee Nelson. But Marilee isn't anything like the gentle yet self-assured girl he'd left behind. In her place is a woman tormented by a secret she refuses to share, even with Joe. Marilee never wanted to see Joe again; their parting had been too painful. And though his strong arms and powerful body could protect her, she knew only too well the harm they could also bring. Her head tells her to resist Joe's persistent advances, her heart is telling her something very different. And then he makes her the sweetest proposition of all: become his wife and mother of his child. But how can she agree to a marriage, even in name only, when she can't stand to tell him the truth?
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A Tale Of Two Vikings
Has an eye for the ladies, loves a good fight. Splits his sides over rude jokes. Won't ask directions no matter how lost he is . . . even in a longship, for the love of Odin! Sound like anyone you know? Maybe every man you know? Toste and Vagn Ivarsson are all that and more—a lot more. Identical Viking twins, they came squalling into this world together, rode their first horses at the age of seven, their first maids during their thirteenth summer, and rode off on longships as untried fourteen-year-old warriors. And now, having seen only thirty and one winters, they are about to face Valhalla together. Or maybe something even more tragic: being separated. For even the most virile Viking must eventually leave his best buddy behind and do battle with that most fearsome of all opponents—the love of his life.
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Devil Of The Highlands
They call him the Devil . . . He is the most notorious laird of Scotland: fierce, cold, deadly . . . and maybe even worse. Yet Evelinde has just agreed to wed him. Anything, she thinks, is better than her cruel stepmother. Though Evelinde should be wary of the rumors, she can't help but be drawn to this warrior . . . for the Devil of the Highlands inspires a heat within her that is unlike anything she has ever known. They may call him whatever they wish, but Cullen, Laird of Donnachaidh, cares only for the future of his clan. He must find a wife, a woman to bear him sons and heed his commands. He has no need for beauty or grace, but one taste of his lovely bride's sweet lips and the sultry feel of her skin arouse an untamed passion. Perhaps there's more to marriage than he thought . . .
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The Viking Takes A knight
The Viking Is a Princess . . . All Ingrith wants is refuge for herself and a group of orphans from a vicious Saxon commander who would harm the children and destroy her honor. At her age, she no longer expects to find a husband, or even a lover, especially not the arrogant Lord of the Bees! John of Hawk's Lair longs for peace and quiet, not a nagging wife and noisy children. As a knight in the king's service, he spends his cherished time at home working on his beekeeping experiments. So when an irksome Viking princess comes barging into his castle with a horde of orphans, he does everything he can to get rid of her. But then a sexual attraction sparks between them, despite their differences, one that soon has them making honey, rather than war . . .
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The Seduction Of An English Lady
Lady Rosalyn''s life has had too much passion. Her mother and father were both destroyed by it, and she has no intention whatsoever of succumbing to it herself – it is much too dangerous. Safe in the Lancashire village she has always known, everything in her world is under control – until one day she learns she is to have a new neighbour, and the outside world is about to intrude on Rosalyn''s carefully ordered society...
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Scandal Of The Year
One tryst was all she wanted . . . From their very first meeting, Julia knew that Aidan Carr, the oh-so-proper Duke of Trathen, had a bit of the devil in him, a devil who secretly yearned for what he could not have, a devil who harbored a desire for her. So when she needed to be caught in a compromising situation, Aidan was the answer to her prayers. One tryst just wasn't enough . . . Aidan is supposed to be looking for a bride, yet his scandalous liaison with Julia is all he can think about. Hot, erotic memories of kissing her skin, falling into her bed, pulling her naked body on top of his own continue to torment and tempt him. What is it about this brazen seductress that he finds so hard to resist? And how can he stop himself from falling into her bed a second time?
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When Seducing A Duke
Enchant. Tempt. Entice. Beguile. Just a few things a woman must do when seducing a duke . . . Rose Danvers charms her way into the glittering masked ball with only one man on her mind. She would risk certain scandal for a kiss from Greyden Kane, Duke of Ryeton—though she lusts for much, much more . . . The ravishing woman in burgundy takes Grey's breath away. She reminds him of the sheltered beauty entrusted to his care, the only one who has ever touched his icy heart. But Rose would never allow herself to be so indiscreet, so ruled by passion . . . Believing their forbidden embrace a terrible mistake, Grey knows he must do the honorable thing and find Rose a husband. But Rose will not be pawned off for propriety's sake. She will not rest until her seduction is complete and she has the duke bedded, wedded, and deeply satisfied. All he has to do is say yes .
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The Earl Claims His Wife
She'll be his perfect wife . . . Preoccupied with fighting Napoleon and making love to his mistress, Brian Ranson has ignored his wife since their wedding. But now that he's become the Earl of Wright, he's ready to fetch his bride back to London. He's shocked to find she's become a bold, beautiful woman, exactly the kind he lusts after . . . and she wants nothing to do with him. Gillian, Lady Wright, is desperate to seize the love she's been denied . . . but not with her rakish husband! So she makes a bargain—for thirty days she'll be the perfect wife, then he'll set her free. But no matter how she hardens her heart against her damnable earl, her body begs her to surrender . . .
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Healing Words : The Power of Prayer and the Practi
Proving prayer to be as valid and vital a healing tool as drugs or surgery, the bestselling author of Meaning & Medicine and Recovering the Soul offers a bold integration of science and spirituality.
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Deeply Odd
Later that morning, when I walked downtown to buy blue jeans and a few pairs of socks, I met a guy who offered to neuter me with a .45 pistol. In a sinister encounter with a rogue truck driver, Odd who has the gift of seeing the dead and the soon-to-be dead has a disturbing vision of the slaughter of three innocent children. Across California, into Nevada and back again, Odd embarks on a road chase to prevent the tragedy. But he is to discover that he is not up against a single twisted sociopath but a mysterious network of evil men and women whose resources appear supernatural. Luckily, in this world that Odd finds so beautiful and full of wonders and deeply odd as well, he meets a collection of likeminded eccentrics who will help him to take the next giant step towards his destiny.
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I Swallowed The Moon : The Poetry Of Gulzar
Gulzar is arguably the most well known contemporary poet writing in Hindustani. As a poet he occupies a unique place being a Progressive poet in a popular culture. His poetry appeals to all strata of society, without compromising either on literary merit or on its ability to convey the most exalted thought in an accessible idiom. In He Swallowed the Moon, Saba Bashir attempts to analyse what makes Gulzar the poet he is. What is his signature style? What are the issues that concern his poetry and what are the recurrent images in it? She also draws a parallel between the poets film and non-film poetry and points out how they are used interchangeably. Including the most comprehensive list of all Gulzars poems, film and non-film songs, this is a valuable addition to the corpus of work on a great poet.
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1857 – The Real Story Of The Great Uprising
1857 The Real Story Of The Great Uprising is a first hand account of India's First War of Independence. In 1857, a mutiny by the sepoys of the East India Company lead to the dissolution of the organization, and India came to be governed by the British crown. This book is Vishnu Bhatt Godshe Versaikar’s eye-witness account of the 1857 war. Bhatt, a poor Marathi Brahmin boy, travels to the north with his uncle to make a living by performing in religious rituals. However, the two of them are absolutely unaware of the bloody revolution unfolding in the rest of India. Expecting to face the usual travel issues like bad accommodation, pick pocketing, diarrhea, and bad roads, the Brahmins are shocked to learn that the army is planning a revolt over the use of cartridges greased with cow and pig fat. They try their best to steer clear of clashes, but are caught up in the Bundelkhand rising, and Rani Lakshmi Bai’s fight to defend Jhansi. 1857 The Real Story Of The Great Uprising, writing in the form of a travelogue, tells the tale of ordinary people caught in the middle of complex situations. The simple language used makes it easy to understand the author’s experiences. This book is not burdened with statistics and dates, thus giving readers an opportunity to understand the 1857 revolt from a new perspective. Bhatt’s stories are not what is found in official records or textbooks, instead it is a vibrant account of his first hand experiences of one of India’s most historic years. 1857 The Real Story Of The Great Uprising was written in Marathi, and titled Majhaa Pravaas- 1857 Chya Bandachi Hakikat. It was published in 1903, four years after the death of Bhatt. It has now been translated into English by Mrinal Pande, who deserves credit for having made Bhatt’s travelogue reachable to a much larger audience. She has also added the fascinating tale behind the publication of this book.
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The Winds of Hastinapur
My hair is white and thin, now. In a few moons, the Goddess will claim me and I do not have a fresh young virgin by my side to absorb my knowledge and take my place once I am gone. The Mysteries of Ganga and her sight will vanish with me and the great river will become nothing more than a body of life lesswater. It is my intention, therefore to tell you the story as it happened, as I saw it happen. The Mahabharata is the story of women, even though men have focused far too much on the Great Battle. It is women who have set events in motion, guided the action and measured the men. The Winds of Hastinapur begins at the point that Ganga was cursed and sent to Earth. She lives among the mortals and bears Shantanu, the King of Hastinapur, seven children, all of whom she kills. With the eighth, she leaves. That boy, who returns to Earth, will prove to be the key to the future of Hastinapur. The story, as told through the lives of his mother ganga and step mother Satyavati, is violent, fraught with conflict and touched with magic. A lady of the river who has no virgin daughter to carry on her legacy, Celestials who partake of a mysterious lake they guard with their very lives, sages overcome by lust, a randy fisher princess these and other characters lend a startling new dimension to a familiar tale. Sharath Komarraju does not retell the epic as rewrite it.
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After - Noon Girl : My Khushwant Memoirs
A brief encounter between a young gynaecologist and aspiring writer and one of the most celebrated and enigmatic authors of her time sows the seeds for an unusual friendship which is fuelled as much by their meetings over a few dacades as the letters and ribald jokes they exchange. Afternoon Girl celebrates a friendship that swings between love and loathing, adoration and indifference, support and abandonment, but stood the test of time and circumstances. It looks back on a world where nurturing a friendship took much more effort than putting fingers to screen or keyboard, she shares with him her most intimate secrets, he writes to her about his preoccupation with growing old and possibly infirm. With disarming honesty, the book builds and busts a few myths and offers unexpected insights into Khushwant Singh: good and sometimes ill-humoured mentor, garrulous yet grumply friend and saintly but outspoken old man. About Author Amrinder Bajaj is currently a gynaecologist with AIIMS Hospital, New Delhi. She writes in her capacity as a gynaecologist and has several columns, short stories and books to her credit.
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The Mountain of Light
By the time Queen Victoria slipped the kohinoor on her wrist, the gem had travelled around the world, changing hands over the centuries from one ruler to another in Persia, Afghanistan and India. The fascinating story of this 105 carat diamond opens in 1830, when the Indian Maharaja and founder of the Sikh empire, Ranjit Singh, takes possession of the massive jewel that has been passed from man to man, king to king and emperor to emperor, through blood shed and destruction, since the 1200s. When Ranjit Singh dies, four of his sons are slaughtered in wars with the British and the diamond is left to Prince Dalip Singh, a six year old child. The British governor general orders that the mountain of Light be secreted out of India in 1850 and the teenage king Dalip Singh follows the diamond to London to officially present it to the queen as a spoil of the Sikh War. He is feted and petted by the British monarchy for a long while until he realizes that all that Britain gives him cannot make up for the loss of his country and its celebrated diamond. Told in her inimitable trademark style, Indu Sundaresans The Mountain of Light is a wondrous and historically rich tale, as clear and as dazzling as a diamond itself.