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The Swastika Killer
A HINDU FANATIC. A MANIC JEW. OR A NEO-NAZI... 2006, GERMANY, FIFA WORLD CUP. In Berlin, a killer begins targeting the most dangerous criminals and brands his victims with the symbol of the swastika. The day of each murder coincides mystically with the navagrahas, the days sacred to the nine planetary gods in Hindu mythology. And the dates correspond to hidden horrors of the historical past. Only one man can decipher and look beyond symbols — the unassuming Bala, the sharpest sleuth in the Indian Intelligence Bureau. The chase of a lifetime begins! 7/11, MUMBAI EXPLODES Three friends who were born and grew up in the city's brothels, thrown apart by riots, are brought together by the swastika. The killer takes them into the streets of Mumbai, to the den of underworld kings, inside prison complexes, terrorist cells and the snake pit called Bollywood. They will need more than friendship, love, and luck to survive. Is the swastika killer a self-proclaimed vigilante, out to end evil? To find out, and put an end to the killings, Bala will have to go to the beginning. The past that lies hidden in the streets of Old Delhi. KILLING FIELDS The killer moves through Afghanistan and Pakistan to target the world’s most guarded man. It will change the course of our history. Friendship will be tested with blood and death. Can Bala stop the killer? Can the blood-thirsty navagrahas be pacified?
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The Seeds of War
The book readers of The Forest of Stories have been eagerly awaiting Book Two in the unfolding saga of the world’s greatest epic - from Indias epic storyteller, author of the internationally- acclaimed Ramayana and Krishna Coriolis series. The Seeds of War, Book Two in Ashok Banker’s Mahabharata series, introduces us to the elder protagonists of the epic, as well as some of the great loves and lusts, friendships and enmities, politics and self-sacrifice that will lay the seeds that will eventually fester and erupt into the mother of all wars. At first it may seem that the journey is the reward, with seemingly unrelated love stories, fantastical tales of exploits in the heavenly realms, divine pacts and demoniac trysts. But it soon becomes evident that all these form a tapestry revealing the grandeur and glamour of the Kuru Bharata race itself, the growing descendants of the original tribe that established perhaps the greatest and oldest human civilization ever known in recorded history. Their loves and enmities are epic, their stories astonishing, their personalities mercurial. Every page you turn reveals magical new thrills and wonders. As one larger-than-life personality after another strides onstage, the drama ratchets up to thriller level, the arrow swarms begin to fly and conflicts turn ugly as the author of the Ramayana Series once again proves himself the master of epics. Ashok Kumar Banker’s internationally acclaimed Ramayana Series has been hailed by critics as a milestone (India Today) and a magnificently rendered labour of love (Outlook). It is arguably the most popular English-language retelling of the ancient Sanskrit epic. His work has been published in 56 countries, a dozen languages, several hundred reprint editions with over 1.1 million copies of his books currently in print. With the Ramayana Series Banker embarked on a massively ambitious publishing project he calls the Epic India Library. Returning to the roots of the great ancient tales that have inspired countless authors and filmmakers, Banker sought to reclaim the original stories through a series of multi-volume re-tellings as well as original fiction and non-fiction. The Krishna Coriolis series, of which the first three books have been published, and the Mahabharata Series (of which this book is the second in an 18-volume series) are part of this project.
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Face-Off
Hannah Montana, aka Miley Stewart, has been recruited as the face of Magic Glow skin Cream-everyone's favorite zit zapper! But when she sneaks a peek at their huge new billboard the night before it's unveiled, she's horrified. It shows Miley with a zit the size of an extra-large pizza! she tries not to freak out, but her spotty face is up there for the whole city to see! will Miley remember that it's what's inside that counts, or will she let her inner diva take control?
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Soldier & Spice
For Pia, regular life is a thing of the past. She is now an Army wife. From ‘just Pia’ to an Aunty, a memsaab and – her favourite words in the whole wide world – Mrs Pia Arjun Mehra. At twentysix, Pia finds herself having to suddenly be more ‘lady-like’; focus on themed ladies’ meets, high teas and welfare functions; and deal with long (unexpected) separations from her husband, extraordinary challenges, a little heartache, and, well, growing up. In the mysterious and grand world of Army wives, Pia learns that walking in high heels is okay as long as you don’t trip on combat boots. She learns that ‘civil’ is also a noun, that JCO and GOC are (very!) different, that snacks are ‘shown’ and WTF is better explained as Whiskey Tango Foxtrot. Yes, it really is a new world! Let this quirky, hilarious story of the first year of Pia’s Army-wife life show you that the spice to a soldier’s life is most definitely his better, very strong, bloody extremely elegant, never-cussing, witty, warm and passionate half, his Army wife.
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281 And Beyond
A stylish batsman who could score against any kind of bowling, VVS Laxman played over a hundred Tests to aggregate more than 8,000 runs. Cricket fans still remember with awe his game-changing knock of 281 against Australia in 2001 at Eden Gardens. But playing for India was never easy. He was dropped as often as he was picked, and despite his vast experience and unimpeachable skill, he never made it to a World Cup team. All through his playing years, Laxman was known to be a soft-spoken man who kept his distance from controversy. Which is what makes this autobiography truly special. It’s candid and reflective, happy and sad by turns, and deeply insightful. He writes of dressing-room meltdowns and champagne evenings, the exhilaration of playing with and against the best in the world, the nuances of batting in different formats and on various pitches, the learnings with John Wright and the rocky times under Greg Chappell. In 281 and Beyond, Laxman lays bare the ecstasy and the trauma of being one of the chosen XI in a country that is devoted to cricket.
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Keepers Of The Kalachakra
A seemingly random selection of heads of state are struck down like flies by unnamed killers who work with the clinical efficiency of butchers. Except that they leave no trace of their methods. Welcome back to the shadowy and addictive world of Ashwin Sanghi. After The Rozabal Line, Chanakya’s Chant, The Krishna Key and The Sialkot Saga, Ashwin Sanghi returns at last with another quietly fearsome tale—this time of men who guard the ‘Kalachakra’ or The Wheel of Time. Sanghi describes a world of people at war with one another—a boomeranging conflict of faiths that results in acts of such slow and planned human cruelty that they defy human imagination. Caught in the midst of this madness is Vijay Sundaram, a geek scientist who is only dimly aware that the wider sky outside his laboratory is stretched taut and close to being torn apart by forces that he wants simply to have nothing to do with. But events conspire to propel Vijay into the labyrinth of Milesian Labs, a centre of research deep in the forested hills of Uttarakhand. What he stumbles upon is a primordial clue to a galactic secret that could accelerate the downward spiral of humankind. Trapped and wholly unaware of his actual foe, Vijay races against time to save humanity—and himself. Zigzagging from Rama’s crossing to Lanka to the birth of Buddhism; from the origin of Wahhabism to the Einsteinian gravitational wave-detectors of LIGO; from the charnel-grounds of naked tantric practitioners to the bespoke suits of the Oval Office; and from the rites of Minerva, shrouded in frankincense, to the smoke-darkened ruins of Nalanda, Keepers of the Kalachakra is a journey that will have you gasping for breath—but one that you cannot abandon till all the pieces of the jigsaw come together. Till you come up gobsmack against an end that you simply did not see coming.
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Touch The Sky
I’ve got the Power. The power to change my world. To speak up. To stand out. Leap forward. And break out. Give me a football, give me a pen. If I fall down, I will stand up again. This book is a tribute to the courage and confidence of the Indian woman, from Korba to Kashmir. In each personal triumph lies a larger story. Of boldness, of transformation. Of women rising, to take their place in the sun.
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The Heart Truth
In The Heart Truth, Dr Aashish Contractor, the leading authority in cardiology, describes how you can treat, rehabilitate and prevent heart ailments. From problems of the heart, to tests that one can do, the risk factors, surgery, recovery, reversal of heart disease, medication, nutrition and exercise this is an exhaustive guide specifically for the layperson. Written in a simple, lucid manner with real life examples, this book will empower you with the knowledge required to take care of your heart. As Dr Contractor who has over eighteen years of experience and has helped over ten thousand patients says, taking care of the heart is not rocket science, rather, it's all about simple steps done consistently. Whether you have suffered from a heart condition, are at high risk, want to prevent heart disease, or just want to keep your heart fit and healthy, this book is a must - read. Dr Aashish Contractor walks the readers through the goings - on in their hearts in an easy - To - read manner, detailing the steps that one can take to prevent, treat and reverse heart disease. With an arsenal of non - pharmacological preventive strategies that include yoga, nutrition, stress management and alternative therapies, you can really go the distance to make your heart stronger! A definitive book on the subject and a must - read!
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Breaking The Mould
Understanding Alternative Schools India's education system has attracted bouquets and brickbats in equal measure. On the one hand, there are the IIT success stories many of whom go on to head MNCs and found successful businesses in India and abroad. But on the other hand, the rote learning which is de rigueur in most schools has been blamed for the lack of creativity and innovation that the Indian education system is said to suffer from. The system has its supporters and its detractors. Into this hugely contested space are a handful of alternative schools that seek to go against the grain. In recent years, these schools have attracted a great deal of attention as many parents seek a more relaxed and humane education system for their children. But doubts and questions about whether what they are doing is right for their child persist. In Breaking the Mould, Kalpana Pathak unpackages the world of alternative schools. She delves deep into their philosophy, practices and curriculum. Extensively, researched, this book will satisfy all doubts that one might have about alternative schools. A directory at the end of the book lists all the alternative schools in the country with their addresses and contact details. All in all, a must-have on the bookshelf of every parent.
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The Secret Of The Druids
"55 B.C. & 54 B.C. Julius Caesar invades Britain twice�only to leave empty handed. 60 A.D. The Romans single-mindedly target the extermination of the Druids and the destruction of their sacred sites. What fear drives them to do so? PRESENT DAY Who were the Druids? Were they priests or astronomers? Scientists or sorcerers? What is the ancient and terrifying secret from the Mahabharata that links the megalithic sites of Britain to the Druids, Julius Caesar and a mysterious Queen who lived 4000 years ago? These are the riddles that Vijay Singh and the task force must answer if they are to save the world from a fate worse than death. But time is running out� Explore the science behind the Mahabharata in this explosive thriller packed with action, puzzles and mysteries from the past."
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Brutal
Quick Overview Two journalists find themselves in grave danger when they uncover links between a present day massacre and an incident which had occurred eight years ago. Summary You are in real, real danger a school teacher gets a creepy warning in his mailbox. Seven days later, he massacres eleven of his own students. Two months later, he is gunned down in broad daylight by an obscure militant outfit. Justice served. The nation pacified. Case closed -- the police say. But, two crime reporters think otherwise. Seeking redemption through this case are Prakash and Seema, ace journalists in their professional lives, but broken individuals in the darkness of their personal hells. As they dig deeper into the mystery, they are led into the ominous forests of Bandhavgarh where an eerily similar massacre had occurred eight years ago. They never see it coming what hits them next. One by one their leads start turning up in body bags and they are chased by assassins at every corner. Soon they would realize that they are pitted against evil powers pervading the business and political DNA of the country, with an unbelievably sinister agenda. Always one step ahead of them, there is no place to hide for the two journalists. The only way is to fight back. But, to do that, Prakash and Seema will first have to survive.
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BITS- Leading Changes
Today, Birla Institute of Technology & Science (BITS) - Pilani is one of the leading deemed to be Science and Technology Universities of India. An institution that has seen thousands of students pass out from its portals to take up brilliant careers. A testament of the commitment of the House of the Birlas towards giving back to society. The story of the growth and change of BITS as an institution is a saga of the unyielding commitment and effort of many good men. The early development of BITS was on account of the work of a number of people who served willingly in the harsh desert terrain. People like SD Pandey, V. Lakshminarayanan and D. Upadhya were the few leading spirits of institution building in those days. The commitment and vision of the Birlas was forever an inspiration and guiding light. In later years, some of the countrys leading academics steered BITS through its fruitful collaboration with Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the Ford Foundation ensuring that it was able to rise up to match the high academic standards and expectations of its collaborators. BITS - Leading Change provides a wonderful account of the struggles and challenges of the early years, the defining moments of change and discerning glimpses into the future of this marvellous institution.
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In Search Of The Obvious
This book could upset a lot of people! This is the first book to state the obvious. Marketing is a mess. Marketing guru Jack Trout intends to make a lot of people, who made the mess, very uncomfortable Advertisers are criticized as people who look for the creative andEdgy, not the obvious. They will not be happy. Marketing people are criticized for getting hopelessly entangled in corporate egos and complicated projects. They will not be happy. Research people are criticized for generating more confusion than clarity. They will not be happy. Some big companies are criticized for their ill-fated marketing programs or lack of proper strategy. They will not be happy. Wall Street is criticized for putting too much emphasis on unnecessary growth that can be destructive to a brand. They will ignore this criticism and continue trying to make as much money as they can. This book is not written to make people happy but to explain to marketers what their real problem is. Only then will they begin to look for the obvious solutions that will separate their products from their competitors-in a way that is equally obvious to customers. All this comes with no jargon, no numbers, no complexity and a great deal of common sense.
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Arise,Awake
Saurabh Bansal did it. Shashank N. D did it. Eshwar Vikas did it. Arise, Awake is the story of young-entrepreneurs who started a business while studying in college or right after graduation. Turning their backs on lucrative placements, to pursue dreams of their own. The ability to start a business is not defined by age or education. It takes energy and passion, an idea and an Internet connection. Your first office could be your very own hostel room. About the Author Rashmi Bansal is a writer, entrepreneur and youth expert. Her 5 books on entrepreneurship - 'Stay Hungry Stay Foolish', 'Connect the Dots', 'I have a Dream', 'Follow Every Rainbow', 'Take - Me Home and Poor Little Rich Slum' have sold over 7,50,000 copies and been translated into 10 languages. Rashmi is a motivational speaker and mentor to students and young entrepreneurs. She is an economics graduate of Sophia College, Mumbai and an MBA from IIM Ahmedabad.