The Chronicler by Jvalant Nalin Sampat (Book Review: 4*/5) !!!

1822nd BLOG POST -->>

3^rd Book of 2020!

There are very few Indian authors who write thrillers in a way that makes you feel excited throughout your reading experience and therefore, someone like me, who loves reading Indian authors, find it very difficult to choose good thriller-genre books written by an Indian. But sometimes taking risk capitalizes which is what happened with me on my decision of buying “The Chronicler” from Amazon. The book is written by the second-time author- Jvalant Nalin Sampat in around 150 pages.

To start with, I will say a very wonderfully designed cover page which goes so perfectly with the theme of the story that after completing the book, I feel that I could have guessed the 40% of the story just through its cover graphics itself. Now talking about the author, I must say Jvalant is a very capable writer who knows what he is writing on and how much depth should he go in - in order to ensure the interest of a reader stays high rather than making him confused with the small detailing on the subjects. Jvalant keeps it very simple with this book regarding the concepts and geo-political scenario that he keeps discussing in the form of fiction. It becomes very easy to read the novel even when its subject allows complete liberty to the author to make it complicated and too intellectual to not be understood.

The way the current state of International relationships and politics is used as a base to create a fiction around it and how a Chronicler becomes a catalyst in ensuring that everything goes well for the innocent people makes the book interesting. The multiple characters in the book does make it difficult to read in pieces hence I completed It in two sittings itself which ensured that I am with the pace of the novel without getting riddled in the name of the characters. But still, the way author has handled multiple locations and sets/scenes running simultaneously to each other which keeps us thrilled is commendable. The last few pages are really a very good closure to this great fast-paced book.

Now talking about the drawbacks, I feel author should have used less characters in the book or given their references initially in a page itself for the readers to remember them. Secondly, though the book is fast paced but in the middle of the story, the things get slowed down which makes you wonder why things are not moving ahead. Author could have explored few scenes more which I believe in order to keep the story crisp, author kept it to the point rather than dragging it. I wished this book was 100 more pages with more stuffs happening among countries for power.

Overall, this is a good read and I give this book 4* out of 5.

Thanks.

WRITING BUDDHA 

Age of the Imperfect Leader by Pawan Verma (4.25*/5) !!!

1821st BLOG POST -->>

2^nd Book of 2020!

There are many books that are published on the nature of leadership and what can be done at an individual level to become a successful leader. Most of these books talk about the pointers or diagrammatic representation of the specified points where it is expected for all of us to follow the same rule. This becomes quite boring to read- one and the same thing repeatedly as no one is able to offer anything different than what is already discussed in our management books. Thankfully, I got my hands on a book which talks little differently than other books on leadership named “Age of the Imperfect Leader” written by the author, Pawan Verma. The book also carries the tagline which says “Leading from strength”.

The book is written in a very simple language which can be read by anyone in industry or even in college as along with leadership, the messages it conveys can be implemented in any work that you do and not only if you are a leader. In around 240 pages, the book is nicely sectioned into different categories and chapters within the same. I liked how author speaks practicality in each and every sentence. I am in an IT industry in a mid-managerial designation where I get a chance to observe the new guys stepping into the industry expecting things to be customized as per them rather than having a generalized rule for everyone. And this is exactly with what author starts talking about leadership in the book which grabbed my attention.

Author talks about how we should keep utilizing our strength to ensure that our leadership benefits everyone with it rather than us struggling with empowering our weaknesses- a state in which a leader is himself in a confused state post which any positive result can’t be expected out from him. This is a little non-conventional idea as everyone talks about working on your weaknesses but it is something which shall really be beneficial as I have myself tested it since sometime. Author also talks about how imperfect leaders have been able to conquer their vision even with their imperfections only by using their strengths and skills they were good in. Majorly, author discusses what successful leaders have actually done rather than what ideally a leader is supposed to be for achieving success.

I liked how author talks about the benefits on collaborating and co-creating along with the concept of agile jugglers. How having a diversity in your workplace can bring perspective to the goal towards which your organization is working is also very nicely explained. The word “inclusion” is generally used in the books based on spirituality but it’s great to find how author talks about including the people of our community who are not as much blessed as us and grab their specializations too as they have the same skill sets or even better than the people we assume to be the best. I liked how lastly, in the last 2-3 chapters author gives great hope on leadership with new people.

I enjoyed reading the real-life examples that author has given. There are even excerpts and directly statements taken from the speeches or statements from the leaders whom we know due to their popularity but author helps us in understanding their style of leadership deeply. There could be controversies on few perceptions author gave on popular leaders but still, author went ahead and talked about it which I loved experiencing.

Overall, the book is a great-read specially if you are in higher studies or in a job profile. I give this book 4.25* out of 5.

Thanks.

WRITING BUDDHA 

13 Years Back.... on 6th Feb, 2007..

1820th BLOG POST -->>

Some people ask how in this worst do you survive… How do you live the way you do.. Do I ever answer to back my lifestyle? Do I have arguments to make? I do but do I have time to explain? If I even explain it to them, will they understand me? Is my past of any relevance to anyone? Does anyone else’s past affects me? Temporarily, it does. But permanently, it is only our life that matters. A soul protected within these muscles, bones, skins with blood flowing all around with a cycle of air coming in and going out. This is all that we are and this is all we should be believing in. Some days in your life remain with you no matter how many years pass. They just don’t leave you at all. They want you to be reminded of your vulnerable self. They tell you where you were and what you are and what you can be.

Should these days be kept with yourself or left behind to be forgotten as many small moments of your life? I think not. 6^th February, 2007 – The day I was been called back home from hostel as I was portrayed by the nature of events as someone who is cheating onto everyone on the name of studies but doing everything apart studies. People see the prima facie and judge you. I was considered to be a bad son – a bad student – a bad individual. No one ever tried to get into what made me go to that level which took away my identity of a student and left me with unclear future. When you don’t know or you can’t comprehend what your next step would be or what you would like to become in life, it is such a dangerous event. No one should ever face it. I say it now because I faced it.

The city Pune from where I was brought back still remains to be a city where I wish like proving myself again and again. I am just not satisfied with whatever I have. I wish to do more. I wish to show it to the city that it deserved me. I deserved it. Life deserved me there. The world could have happened there. The city could have fallen in love with me. I could have fallen in love with the city. Alas! All that went into vain because I was termed to be someone who liked sleeping in hostel or surfing Internet in cyber café but not attend college. No one bothered to ask why I did what I did. There was just perception. The perception that took another 2-3 years for me to come out of the day that changed my life for worst.

But now on 6^th February, 2020- after 13 years, when I look back, I find that some days are meant to be bad to churn out good out of you. Some days are meant to be life-changing to make you realize what being a failure is. Some days are needed to be the days that turns out to be page-turners in the book of your life. These days needs to be kept cherished in your heart always. No one needs to be blamed for it. Because that’s how life unfolds itself. Some good! Some bad! But in the end, it leaves you more educated out of the decisions you yourself make- out of knowledge or out of ignorance. But it’s you. People can take away from me the days of success but I shall never give away the days of these kinds which have made me less vulnerable today and more educated of myself. I cannot guide someone else’s life but surely, I can manage myself with more maturity than before. This day and date shall always stay special in my heart no matter whatever I achieve and howsoever high I climb the ladder of success. That’s all I have to say on this day after 1.3 decade.

Thanks.

WRITING BUDDHA