A(NU) Thought

Background: Varun N Rao's Spring Art Collection Suryavamshi: The Sun Kings of Rajasthan , authored by Late Abanindranath Tagore and translated by Sandipan Deb is published by Juggernaut .  The book traces the lineage of Suryavamshi dynasty based in Rajasthan. The stories, include – generations and generations of kings and their tales of protecting and ruling over their regions and people.  The author (and the translator) have woven the tales of generations with blend of human emotions such as love, ego, sacrifice, courage, anger, jealousy, fear and treachery, very common to any of us. 

  "An Uncommon Love" by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni illustrates the early life of Sudha and Narayana Murthy, as mentioned on the cover. We all know the couple: their stories of how they met, how Infosys was founded, and how the Infosys Foundation was established. But one might wonder, what's new in this book?

As a proud Bengalurian, I certainly am familiar with the city’s tech/IT industry, start-ups culture. However, reading ‘ Brandgaluru – Made in Bengaluru ’ by Devatha Sriram , got me intrigued about the rich entrepreneurial history of the city. Through this book the author delves into the stories of four iconic brands: P N Rao, Radel, William Penn, and Judge Press .  It shows how entrepreneurial culture has been in the city’s DNA even in its quieter days. Whether it is agility, innovation, or quality, these iconic brands in Bengaluru had it all.     I enjoyed the experience of reading about the ‘becoming of these brands.’ The narration painted vivid pictures, making their stories come alive . I felt as if I am watching a documentary on BBC, History, or Discovery channel. Despite being a non-fiction, the story-telling   transported me into the lives of these brands' founders, making their journeys feel as captivating as a well-scripted fiction narrative.

Book : Honey, I Lost All Our Money! Author : Anil Rego Publication: CNBC TV 18 In today’s time, we believe in earning money (and a lot of it) and spending it (most of all) lavishly, unlike our parents’ generation which believed in saving for the rainy day. Most of us today are either unaware of various saving schemes and the tax benefits they provide or disinterested in pursuing it at early stages in life. When we eventually realize the importance of saving, we do so hastily by investing in schemes that we don’t understand. There is a lot of information on the internet with respect to saving money through debt and equity related instruments. Almost all the information are represented in a monotonous manner and evokes little interest among the readers.

Book: Dev Saab - A journey with the legend Dev Anand Author: Vijay Kumar Publication: Notion Press   In his wonderfully articulated book, 'Dev Saab', Actor/TV Presenter/Author Vijay Kumar has chronicled his entire experience and cherishable moments with the legendary actor, Dev Anand. Vijay makes us look at Dev Anand through his eyes and takes us through his upbringing and circumstances that led him to dream of becoming an actor in Bollywood. Like million other die-hard fans of Dev Anand, he too is mesmerized by his mannerisms, charisma, style and his unparalleled acting skills that in turn fuels his acting dream.

Book: Letters from Kargil Author: Diksha Dwivedi Publication: Juggernaut Letters from Kargil takes you through an emotional rollercoaster where every word, every sentence leaves you tear-jerked and with a big lump in the throat. Diksha Dwivedi takes you through the lives of those brave warriors and their families who fought in the 1999 Kargil War and emerged triumphant. She beautifully balances the Kargil war narration throughout the book and the personal moments of each soldier who fought that war. Diksha lets us into her little world through various letters exchanged between her and her beloved father. She explains the fear that she, her sister and mother felt at each moment when her father was busy fighting the invading enemy at all times. The loving letters dripping in extreme affection and care, made her feel that he was not at the border but sitting next to her, sharing life lessons with her. She makes us feel the excruciating pain that she and her family had to g...