Amina Thajudeen Book Review, Indian Authors, Thriller

Unforeseen: A battle for his daughter’s life by Chandan Sen Gupta

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Name: Unforeseen: A battle for his daughter’s life

Author: Chandan Sen Gupta

Genre: Thriller

India became a medical hub for the past few years with quality services, treatments, and facilities which are comparatively cheap attract a large sum of people from foreign countries to avail these services. This thriller was written on the backdrop of this scenario.

Unforeseen by Chandan Sen Gupta is the story of  Yousuf, his wife Mariam, and their daughter Ayesha, who have traveled from Pakistan to a hospital in Gurgaon for a liver transplant for their daughter. She is been suffering from a congenital liver disease from birth, for which the only treatment left is a transplant of the liver. The donor is her mother itself.  Yousuf who is a teacher invested his all savings in this trip to make this surgery happen. But the unforeseen array of incidents which eventually makes the life of this family in a foreign land to suffering.

As they travel in Samjhauta express from Wagah near Lahore to Atari, Yousuf comes across Pakistani militants who are traveling on their own in an independent coupe. Yousuf accidentally witnesses their getaway and, thus, one of the infiltrators, warns him that he will come after Yousuf if he reveals this to anyone. Yousuf remains silent owing to the urgency of the trip as he has only one aim, which is the successful surgery of his daughter. However one of the infiltrators returns to silent the family forever as he cannot take any chances which will cause failure of his mission. Further to the horror of the family, Yousuf gets implicated for a murder in a hotel at Delhi. In addition to this, the family is accused of visa rule violation which causes a chase of local police and Pakistani militants for the lives of this family.

To clear his name, Yousuf travels to Kashmir to expose the infiltrators and the real culprits. But he gets caught by the conspirators instead. They drugged him and thrown Yousuf into the river Chenab to drown. Meanwhile Yousuf’s wife Mariam also gets attacked. The next part of this story answers the questions that whether this family survives this multiple attacks and whether the girl gets the treatment and live a healthy life.

Another good quality of this story is, despite Pakistan being imprinted as a hub of terrorism, the author describes it as just another country with common people who wants to live in peace. He also gives an insight into the historical facts which created unrest in Kashmir. The culture and lifestyle values of the people in different regions of India are also explored through the eyes of Yousuf.

The plot is cleverly woven with an accurate development of all the characters with adequate details. The emotions of the protagonist are explored to a next level by the author through the edge of his innocence. The hand of politics which turn the events to upside down are also described through this story. The way the story was told is enough to keep the reader on the edge of the seat all the time. After all, the author gives an optimistic message to reinstate humanity and love above all the hatred which will be the base of our co-existence and secular culture.

Amina Thajudeen Book Review, Self-Help

The Six Secrets of Success by Anthony Ashmore

 

1146953181.jpgName: The six secrets of success: A Psychotherapist’s study of successful people and what they believe

Author: Anthony Ashmore

Most of the so-called self-help books ever written are end up being bestsellers in the book industry. But this short book is a unique bundle of wisdom from a psychotherapist who has done an extensive study on more than 100 successful people. The primary principles describing by the author were derived from critical and ideological studies of common philosophies they shared.

The six secrets from the book are:

  • The secret of “Essence”
  • The secret of “Perspective”
  • The secret of “Appetite”
  • The secret of “Presentism”
  • The secret of “Totality”
  • The secret of “Spirituality”

Each secret of success is explained with hypothetical and real-life examples. The author himself giving his experiences and memories, which makes him shape his philosophy about life. The book is written in a deep spiritual background which will give us an insight into the difference between the material success and ideological success.

“We are not humans beings having a spiritual experience, we are spiritual beings
having a human experience.”

The essence of the human being is the soul, which is an undying, changing form and transitioned to other states of being. From this point of view, he is stating that Karma is not what you deserve, contrary to the popular belief but Karma is what you attract. In order to bring something into our life first, we’ve to be the source of it.

“God is the dimension of goodness in all situations.”

The perspective of life is what makes the outcome of life largely. The view of life as a multidimensional larger picture creates a positive outcome in life gradually.

“What you feed grows stronger and what you starve dies.”

The control of desires which will break the chain of addiction is another secret.

“all time must pass through our present moment, of which seems to be moving forward within itself.”

The present minded focus is another secret. This concept is presented with a huge relativity of the present moment which is what we have now. This total acceptance of the present moment will create a pathway of success.

The continuous learning to master the craft, accepting the gradual level of development and adopting an attitude of all events will contribute to the outcome of success.

“Without my deep-rooted spiritual ideology, which developed over a long period of time, I would not be able to practice psychotherapy”

The last secret is described on the grounds of personal experience of the author and how he shaped his belief in midst of negativity. But the essence of all his experience will point us to the belief in God and all the successful people he encountered believe in some form of higher power.

This Amazon exclusive, 30 minutes self-help book is a must read to everyone who wants to improve their life and ideology a bit. The coveted word of success is what makes this book to pick for reading. But after 30 minutes of reading, you will definitely get an insight based on real-life examples, what is actually meant by success.

Rating: 4.5/5

 

Amina Thajudeen Book Review, Indian Authors, Self-Help

The Little Book of Happiness by Ruskin Bond

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Name: A little book of Happiness

Author: Ruskin Bond

Publisher: Speaking Tiger

Ruskin Bond is one of the most beloved writers of all the time in India. In this anthology, he brings to the readers, a code for happiness. Happiness is the emotion for all of us thrive in life. We’re doing everything we can for achieving this coveted “happiness”. But in the midst of a quest for happiness, we all forgot so many things. Hence we end up in despair.

‘To find happiness, look halfway between too little and too much.’

Like most of his writings, this anthology begins with recalling an incident happened in his life which makes him think about what is the meaning of happiness. Later observing some of the people in his life, he arrives int he conclusion that happiness means different things to different people.

Happiness is not waiting to be found; there’s no use looking for
it. All we need to do is to find the barriers within ourselves that we have built against it. Trust in people, in life is a good way to begin.

For the beloved writer, it will be

I’m quite happy on a rainy day because then I can curl up on a sofa, visit Blandings Castle with P.G. Wodehouse, enjoy a village cricket match with Mr. Pickwick and his
Dickensian friends, or go rowing on the Thames with Jerome K. Jerome’s three men
and a dog. A good book on a rainy day is happiness for me.

As a writer, I am also happy when I have completed a story or poem or essay and feel pleased with it.

So he advises us to find the cause behind our happiness which will be a unique thing.

We all have to do something in life, and if our occupation or vocation or profession
gives us pleasure, well, that’s happiness.
So choose well, my friend. Before you launch out on the journey of life, make sure
that the career or lifestyle that you have chosen is something that you really want to
follow.

This is something we all want to hear for a long time. With so many memories on his life, he is recollecting the little joys in his life through the quotes and poems of his favorite authors.

This will brighten up your day

If we have never been unhappy, how will we know when happiness comes

This is must read for everyone. Truly a little book of old man’s wisdom worth sharing. As a gift to others, it contains all the qualities to be perfect. The book also leaves some pages to pen down all our thoughts after reading those thoughts at the end of each chapter. Ruskin Bond himself wants us to write down something inspired by his anthology!!

Rating: 4/5

Some of the honorable mentions are:

‘If a straw can tickle a man, it is
an instrument of happiness.’
—John Dryden

 

‘If a straw can tickle a man, it is
an instrument of happiness.’
—John Dryden

‘Don’t cry because it’s over, smile
because it happened.’
―Dr Seuss

‘For every minute you are angry
you lose sixty seconds
of happiness.’
―Ralph Waldo Emerson

If one day you should lose all
your money, who knows—you
may become a happy yogi!
(If not, make peace with
your misery.)

If one day you should lose all
your money, who knows—you
may become a happy yogi!
(If not, make peace with
your misery.)

He ends this little book with some beautiful lines:

Dear reader, may you have the wisdom to be simple, and the humour to be happy.

Amina Thajudeen Book Review, Self-Help

Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill

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“The starting point of all achievement is DESIRE. Keep this constantly in mind. Weak desire brings weak results, just as a small fire makes a small amount of heat.”

Think and Grow Rich has been called the “Granddaddy of All Motivational Literature.” It was the first book to boldly ask, “What makes a winner?” The man who asked and listened for the answer, Napoleon Hill, is now counted in the top ranks of the world’s winners himself. The most famous of all teachers of success spent “a fortune and the better part of a lifetime of effort” to produce the “Law of Success” philosophy that forms the basis of his books and that is so powerfully summarized in this one.

In the original Think and Grow Rich, published in 1937, Hill draws on stories of Andrew Carnegie, Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, and other millionaires of his generation to illustrate his principles. In the updated version, Arthur R. Pell, Ph.D., a nationally known author, lecturer, and consultant in human resources management and an expert in applying Hill’s thought, deftly interweaves anecdotes of how contemporary millionaires and billionaires, such as Bill Gates, Mary Kay Ash, Dave Thomas, and Sir John Templeton, achieved their wealth. Outmoded or arcane terminology and examples are faithfully refreshed to preclude any stumbling blocks to a new generation of readers.

-Source Goodreads

There is nothing much to say about this book. Because as true to the hype, it is a well-received, well-written book in the world. It is one of the best self-help business books ever written. Some find it is hard to follow the principles the author is mentioning, but I have one thing to say to them, ie, no pain no gain. If you follow these techniques correctly, you will surely land in success. It is a no doubt strategy.

Some of the ever loving quotes from the book are quoted here:

“You are the master of your destiny. You can influence, direct and control your own environment. You can make your life what you want it to be.”

 

“When defeat comes, accept it as a signal that your plans are not sound, rebuild those plans, and set sail once more toward your coveted goal.”
― Napoleon Hill, Think and Grow Rich

 

“The way of success is the way of continuous pursuit of knowledge.”
― Napoleon Hill, Think and Grow Rich

 

 

“More gold had been mined from the mind of men than the earth itself”
― Napoleon Hill, Think and Grow Rich

Amina Thajudeen Book Review, Self-Help

The Power of Your Subconscious Mind by Joseph Murphy, Ian McMahan

 

 

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“Just keep your conscious mind busy with expectation of the best.”

The Power of Your Subconscious Mind has been a bestseller since its first publication in 1963. It is one of the most brilliant and beloved spiritual self-help works of all time. It promotes various techniques to improve or cultivate positivity, happiness, achievements what not. The techniques they are advocating is quite easy. That is the main reason for the popularity of the book. Through this book, you can get techniques to engineer relationships, finances and physical well being.

Blurb: Dr. Joseph Murphy explains that life events are actually the result of the workings of your conscious and subconscious minds. He suggests practical techniques through which one can change one’s destiny, principally by focusing and redirecting this miraculous energy. Years of research studying the world’s major religions convinced him that some Great Power lay behind all spiritual life and that this power is within each of us.

“The only path by which another person can upset you is through your own thought.”

This remarkable book has already helped readers the world to achieve seemingly impossible things just by learning how to bring the force of the subconscious under their control. When we can control the subconscious mind, nothing will be impossible. It is a way of life. This is not just a book, but a treasure.

“Prayer is the soul’s sincere desire. Your desire is your prayer. It comes out of your deepest needs and it reveals the things you want in life.”
― Joseph Murphy, The Power of Your Subconscious Mind

Amina Thajudeen Book Review, Sports fiction

Selection Day by Aravind Adiga

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Name: Selection day
Author: Aravind Adiga
Publisher: HarperCollins

“Revenge is the capitalism of the poor: conserve the original wound, defer immediate gratification, fatten the first insult with new insults, invest and reinvest spite, and ke waiting for the perfect moment to strike back.”

Selection Day is the coming-of-age sports fiction by Booker prize winner Aravind Adiga. This novel is entirely centered around the passion of a sport, which is obviously the cricket. Being set in Mumbai, the novel explores the journey of two brothers Manju and Radha in the backdrop of cricket. It is a mix of a hierarchy of injustices, rags to riches dreams, sibling’s pressure, mutual jealousy and lastly the parental pressure. These are some points makes this book very special to every Indian reader. Because each and every one of us can relate these things in their life.

The story is about Mohan Kumar, a father who believes that his sons, Radha and Manju will one day become very successful cricketers and change their financial status. For this, Mohan relocates his family from Karnataka to Mumbai. He starts learning every aspect of cricket and starts to teach his sons cricket, based on his theories. Eventually, they caught the attention of a journalist who gets them a sponsorship. The true dilemma starts here. This new found ground leads them to disobey extremely domineering father, jealousies, competitions and what not. The web of purest emotions that are weaved in a way that makes us so deeply involved throughout the end of the novel. This plot tells us how heroes are made in India and how they are dropped at a single mistake. This is obviously something that we came across in our daily lives. We have seen too many stars being made and broken down from time to time, sometimes may be due to a single mistake. The book is beautifully written by Adiga which makes each and everyone to fall in love with. The complexity of emotions are narrated in an extraordinary style makes this book a must pick in your life.
Rating: 4/5

“O, I do read Indian novels sometimes. But you know, Ms Rupinder, what we Indians want in literature, at least the kind written in English, is not literature at all, but flattery. We want to see ourselves depicted as soulful, sensitive, profound, valorous, wounded, tolerant and funny beings. All that Jhumpa Lahiri stuff. But the truth is, we are absolutely nothing of that kind. What are we, then, Ms Rupinder? We are animals of the jungle, who will eat our neighbour’s children in five minutes, and our own in ten. Keep this in mind before you do any business in this country.”

Amina Thajudeen Book Review, Fiction, Indian Authors

If God was a Banker by Ravi Subramanian

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The book ‘If God Was a Banker’ is a nice little corporate story. It was written in simple language and can be like one in the genre of Chetan Bhagat’s books. The story mainly revolves around two characters, Swami and Sundeep who works at New York International bank. Both are IIM graduates and they joined at the bank same day. We could say that Swami is the epitome of humbleness and honesty. But Sundeep is just opposite to Swami. Sundeep aspires to be successful in much shorter time and he is cunning for achieving it. But he hides his true personality behind a nice little mask. Because of that, he got promotions also. Swami was just opposite to this and he fails in this race initially. The question is, will the evil always win at the end? No. Sundeep eventually gets punishment but there is a good suspense element was awaiting for readers at the end. It was worth of time and a good read. The end of the tale takes all credit.
Furthermore, the author was good at depicting the Banker life and job circumstances. I can much relate to this story because we all have an ambitious heart. But unscrupulous means and dishonesty never win. The way you walk to the success is equally important.
Rating: 4/5