Book review: Perry Mason - The case of the Lame Canary

Name: Perry Mason and the case of the Lame Canary Genre: Murder Thriller Author: Erle Stanley Gardener Publishers: Master Mind books Price: Rs 75/- My rating: 3.5/5

A big fan of Perry Mason novels, I've read more than half the books in the series. I categorize these books I've read into just two categories - the top five, and the rest. This book, I can say, does not belong to the former category. :-)

A lady Rita Swaine comes to Mason with a lame canary belonging to her sister Rosalind, who is fed up with her husband and wants a divorce. The apparent divorce case turns out into a murder, when Rosalind's husband Walter Prescot is found dead. An accident on the road involving a coupe and a truck which occurs outside Prescot's house around the time of the murder adds another dimension to the murder. The other ingredients in the plot are Rosalind's boyfriend Driscoll, a snoopy neighbor looking into the house of murder Mrs. Anderson, the Weyman couple neighbors, a strange Carl Packard, Prescot's partner Wray, his secretary Rosa and Driscoll's maverick lawyer Rodney Cuff.

Mason, who would have otherwise dismissed the divorce case, which he is not interested in, takes it up, because of a hunch on the lame canary, and goes on to solve the murder. The ending is dramatic and sudden - typical of Erle Stanley Gardner's style - the narrative, grasping and the solution to the puzzle, absolutely breath-taking. Add to it the knowledge about court room hearings, autopsies, forensic science, guns and others that you get - its short crisp and very gripping. Go for it!

Book review: Name: How to get into the top MBA programs

Name: How to get into the top MBA programs Genre: Management education reference Author: Richard Montauk Publishers: Prentice Hall Pr Price: $27.95 My rating: 4.0/5

Ok. So you have decided to pursue your MBA from a foreign university. Or you are considering that as an option for your future plans. Presenting… a complete guide to your preparation for this goal of yours.

There are plethora of books and other resources to guide you in the arduous process of applying to an MBA program. The more you research, the more sources to consider, and the more information you collect, the better it aids you. Having said that, this book is a comprehensive one-stop reference for most of the guidance you will need.

The book consists of four major parts – The ‘context’, which helps you decide on why you would want to do an MBA, the types of MBA programs available and how to decide which program and college would probably best suit your aspirations. The second part touches on the aspect of ‘How to best market yourself’ – the nuts and bolts of the application procedure, including tips on writing essays, preparing your resumes, arranging for letters of recommendation, and handling the interview procedure. The third part ‘On road to the B school’ covers the post-application topics like handling wait lists and rejects, arranging for financial aid etc. The fourth last part consists of a huge collection of essays written by as many as twenty applicants, from various backgrounds, while applying to the various top MBA programs, and the analyses of these essays.

Along with the general advice that Montauk gives, each topic is fortified with quotations and excerpts regarding various facets of the topic, from interviews with various directors and other staff members from the admission committees of the best b-schools. While adding to the clarity of information given, this aspect also gives the differentiating factor about these various aspects of application, from the standpoint of the different b schools.

At over 700 pages, this book could intimidate you with its size. But you do not have to read the whole book if you are in a time crunch; you can read just the sections pertinent to your case. But, if you do have the time, this book provides you with a wealth of information and will be an ideal companion in your journey to the top b-schools of the world!!

Book review: Q & A

Name: Q&A Genre: Fiction Author: Vikas Swarup Publishers: Doubleday Price: Rs 395 My rating: 4.5/5 (Must read)

It starts with “I have been arrested. For winning a quiz show”

It ends with “I don’t need it anymore. Because luck comes from within”

And throughout the 300 pages in between, it keeps you riveted, and leaves you simply mesmerized. Whatever be the genre of books you naturally enjoy, this is one book, you will definitely enjoy.

This is the story of an 18 year old boy, from the slum of Dharavi in Mumbai, who goes on to win a billion rupees in a quiz game show called ‘Who will win a Billion’. The boy – Ram Mohammad Thomas – narrates the story of his life, and how he won the game show, and also found a wife, a life long friend and a sister – all this, despite being a poor, uneducated orphan.

Ram is arrested on charges of having cheated to win the game show, by the producers of the show, who cannot – and do not - believe, and feel that it is utterly preposterous, that he had won out of sheer luck. He is saved by a lawyer named Smita, to whom he reveals, how he was able to pull off that unbelievable stunt. For each question in the game show, he recounts an incident in his life, from which he gained the knowledge that helped him answer that particular question.

The story is told in a non-chronological fashion, and is sequenced, instead, according to the questions he was asked in the quiz. As such, there are some episodes of his life, which occur at further stages in his life, being presented earlier in the book. Each of the episodes is a short story in itself with a fresh starting, a problem coming in the middle and how Ram solves it heroically, or escapes by chance. This is followed by the question that he was asked in the quiz. This line of narration increases the charm of the story and will keep you interested and guessing. Towards the end, the there are several twists in the story, which increase the thrill-factor to a crescendo and finish it off with a beautiful flourish.

The author Vikas Swarup touches upon several evils in the Indian society like child abuse, exploitation, fraud, murder, prostitution, through which the hero goes through. The writing style is artistically brilliant. Vikas Swarup paints his characters, situations and events in a way akin to the screenplay of the movie. This adds so much of life to them, that you can actually “view” the story, and not just read it. It is a ready-to-make Bollywood movie story, complete with all the typical masala and one, you will thoroughly relish!

Book review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Name: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Author: J K Rowling Publishers: Bloomsburry Price: Rs 950/- My rating: 4.5/5

A search for ‘Harry Potter’ in Google would return you a staggering 394 million results. This review, is just one of the drops of the ocean out there on the net. This series has become such a legendary phenomenon, that the world now consists of just two types of people – those who know him, and those who want to. And it is no surprise, that the people from the latter category are moving over to the former, in thousands and millions by the day – considering that the series is the third highest selling book ever, in history, and that, it has made the author J K Rowling, richer than the queen of England, and the only billionaire author ever.

Coming straight to the point - The last book in the series, ‘The Deathly Hallows’ is my best amongst the seven books. It was really worth going in the wee hours of the morning of 21^st July, to the book store, where I had pre-ordered for it and enduring the serpentine queue, to lay my hands on it. J K Rowling has given the decade old saga, a befitting end – a wonderfully studded one, at that. She has closed several story threads, which remained open in the previous books, very artistically. Although, there are some small niggles which remain unanswered in the book, by and large, it gives a good satisfaction of having reached the end of a journey, which has held readers around the world riveted for years.

The story revolves around the quest of Harry Potter, and his friends Hermionie and Ron, to find the ‘Horcruxes’ of the evil Lord Voldermort, and destroy them, to kill him. What the ‘Deathly Hallows’ are, gets revealed somewhere in the middle of the story – and I wouldn’t rob you the suspense of finding it out for yourself. As for the question regarding whether the hero Harry, lives the war or not, I bet, almost everyone who has already read it, me included, would have definitely flipped through the last few pages, to find out the answer, before they got done with the entire book. The rest of them would know about it, from these people, who would nearly be celebrating the fact that Harry survives, as if he were a real hero, not just a fictional character.

The point is this. If you are a Potter fan, you would have already, or in will, in due course, read this book, irrespective of what I say here – be it in the form of a original copy borrowed from a friend, a pirated one picked up from a sidewalk on a street, or just the pirated pdf version which is doing the rounds in the emails. If you aren’t yet one, and if you like fiction and fantasy… or simply, are a lover of outstanding pieces of literary work… then... just don’t miss it!!

I love JKR…

Book review: Khazana of Indian Vegetarian Recipes

Name: Khazana of Indian Vegetarian Recipes Author: Chef Sanjeev Kapoor Publishers: Popular Prakashan Price: Rs 225 My rating: 4/5

Sanjeev Kapoor – I doubt there’d be any connoisseur of food, who’d not know this name. The name itself has been synonymous with mouth-watering food, in India, for quite some time now.

Sanjeev Kapoor is arguably the best Chef of India – not just for the thousands of superb recipes he has concocted over years, but more so, for the repute and esteem he has brought to the art and science of cooking, by his innovative efforts. The credit for invoking interest and charm in the profession as a Chef, to a great extent, goes to him, and his immensely popular TV cookery show “Khana Khazana”. Ask the hotel management grads of today, and many of them would prefer becoming the next SK, than just hotel managers.

This book was my birthday gift from my sister. She knows perfectly well, where my heart lies!! :-) And it definitely was one of my best gifts I have received in years! But this review is still, of the book, and not my gift!!

The book has recipes categorized under six sections – Soups and Salads, Snacks, Vegetables, Accompaniments, Rice and Rotis and Sweets. All of which, you’d definitely be tempted to try out, and eat. The style of explanation of the recipes, is trademark Sanjeev Kapoor – simple and articulate – that infuses confidence in even the novice cooks, to be able to make a good job of one of those complex-looking recipes.

I’ve tried just a few recipes from the book to date, and couple of them already top my all-time favorite list – Gobi musallam and Beetroot raitha… And I’m very sure, the rest would join that list soon.

The Verdict: A must have for your kitchen. A gem of a book!

PS: Sanjeev’s non-vegetarian recipes are published in another book. And I’d really love to get that book as a gift too. Is someone listening??! :-)

Book review: The High Performance Entrepreneur

Name: The High Performance Entrepreneur Author: Subroto Bagchi Publishers: Penguin Portfolio Misc: 244 pages, Rs 395 Highlights: Simple and straightforward, yet compelling - a practitioner’s guide to entrepreneurship. My rating: 4.5 /5

There’s nothing like hearing it from the horse’s mouth. Learning from someone who’s “been there, and done that” is a valuable asset to add to your wealth of experiences.

And when it comes from the Chief Operating Officer of a company which is the youngest in the world to become PCMM Level 5 certified, a SEI CMMi Level 5 certified in just 5 years, and has hit the $100 million mark in revenues in just six years since it has been founded, you bet… it can’t get better. The man is Subroto Bagchi, COO, MindTree Consulting – who started the company in 1999, with a group of some of his colleagues from Wipro, which recently had its IPO over-subscribed 27-28 times!!

To the common man, Subroto Bagchi would be known better, as the writer of the column “The Times of Mind” in Times of India. Many others, especially students, would have had the good fortune of hearing this terrific orator.

“The High Performance Entrepreneur” is slightly different from an autobiography of a great achiever, in the sense that, the narration and explanations in the book, is in the style of a handbook, a practical guide. Mr. Bagchi explains the stages in building an enterprise from scratch, step by step, in the order that it is supposed to be done, and which has worked so well for him and his company. And he supplements each of this with experiences drawn not from the journey of MindTree. He also cites examples and lore related to many other high performance achievers like Azim Premji, Narayana Murthy, Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, Lance Armstrong et al.

And despite the treasure trove of wisdom he has opened for the wannabe entrepreneur who reads this book, he firmly believes "You really do not need to read this book-for that matter any book-to start your own enterprise, just like "...no amount of reading about romance is equal to the act of falling in love...the actual experience (of starting a company) is in the enactment. So, go on and do it"

If you ever dream to become an entrepreneur, this book can help you to lots of things right… and right – the first time itself!! Worth every rupee it costs!!

My favorite excerpts from the book (few of them)

• “High performance entrepreneurship is not an accident. It has to be planned that way”
• “Building a company is not like planting one giant tree. It is about creating an entire forest some day. You may not know how… … Yet, you must live that thought… you must be exhilarated by the prospect of doing it.”
• “If you do not love to make money, do not start a business”
• “When you build a team, you do not start by looking at compatibility and sameness. You look for complementary skills and diversity.
• “Resilience – it is the one thing above everything else that makes an entrepreneur very different from everyone else.”
• “…Winners are invariably associated with their ability to think differently, act differently and deliver differently”
• “The no. 1 job of an entrepreneur is to sell his ware.”
• “Listen to everyone. But form your own opinion about things.”
• “Do not try to solve every problem that comes your way. See if you can change the rules of the game instead.”

Review: How to make money out of thin air

Name: How to make money out of thin air Author: Brian Sher Publishers: Penguin Books Misc: 212 pages, Rs 195 Highlights: Real life examples, statistically backed experiences, Decisive and authoritative narration My rating: 4 /5

One way of generating interest (read as: hype) around a book, is by giving it a catchy name – that generates enough curiosity, to convert those half-convinced into buying the book, and to grab attention of those, who might otherwise never have even cast their glance on it.

This book is FAR more than just that.

It isn’t any frivolous book on some quick rich scheme, or a bunch of rhetoric…as the name may suggest, on the face of it.

Brian Sher, an Australian, who is a specialist in marketing and business growth strategies, and has worked with hundreds of businesses, of various sizes, has delved into his decades of experience, to come out with this must read - atleast for those who ever had even a fleeting dream about starting his / her own enterprise. For most such people, it will well be a reality check about their ambitions.

The central theme of this book by Sher is the attitudinal shift, which he feels is very essential for every person who wants to become wealthy - from earning money to making money, from selling your time, and working for money, to making your money work for you.

He explains why, statistically, more than 90% of the start-up enterprises become failures - the common mistakes and follies, which lead them to their doom. He also gives valuable tips and insights, on how to go about building a business, which will be self-sustaining and saleable, and will keep improving its asset value, while making money for you, so that you don’t need to work for money! The secret, though, is not only to start a business, but to build a valuable asset that you can sell in the future for a profit, according to him. That’s the catch. You have to start with an exit plan in mind. That is, whatever you start, it needs to be of value to someone else.

The book consists of an unequivocal (and pretty comprehensive) list of the “twenty habits of the most / (and) least valuable businesses”, “twenty-eight habits of the world’s least successful business people”, forty-two habits of the world’s most successful business people, “how to make money out of (figuratively of course!!) thin air”, and finally, a checklist, which indicates “will you become a millionaire”.

This book will help you remove a lot of cobwebs of myths that your mind houses. But mind you, don’t try to take an intersection set of all that he suggests, coz you’ll invariably get a null set, and may feel that, you could never start your own business!!

Go for it!!

Excerpts from the book:

• “There is a big difference in being rich and being happy. Being rich is ‘Getting what you want’. Being happy is ‘Wanting what you get’.
• “Be daring… or be nothing at all…”
• Never build just a ‘business’. Build a valuable asset to sell.
• "For your business to become a saleable asset, it needs to be highly tradable, and for it to be tradable, it needs to be fully systemized – able to run without your personal effort – or, better yet, without you being needed at all.
• “We spend thirteen years at school and leave knowing how to do little more than survive financially. Since the majority of us become employed and have ‘jobs’, the majority of us will simply sell our time for the whole of our lives” (Familiar, eh??)
• The worst possible decision you could take to be financially independent, is to sell your time.
• People don’t succeed because they are lucky, or make all the right decisions at the right times. They realize one thing, that others don’t – that there’s nothing like a perfect decision – they take quick decisions, understanding the consequences of their decisions, and always have a back up plan, in case this decision does not give them the desired outcome.

Review: How to Win Friends and Influence People

Name: How to Win Friends and Influence People Author: Dale Carnegie Misc: 304 pages, Rs 125 Genre: Self-improvement My rating: 5 /5 Highlights: The ENTIRE book!!

For a book that I consider holy, ardently swear by, and have gifted to more than 20 people to-date, and suggested to almost every other person I’ve met, and for an author I consider my idol, and remember, every time his principles have impacted my day-to-day life this review comes very late. My apologies to the spirit of the book and Dale Carnegie.

If you feel, that the above lines are an exaggeration, I can bet you one thing – Read this book, and try and follow, if not fully, atleast, a part of what he suggests, and see the results for yourselves. Then you will know that this book has not sold more than 20 million copies in 90 years, and continues to be one of the all-time favorite self-improvement books, for nothing.

Ok! Enough of rhetoric. Let me tell you something about the essence of the book…

The thing that makes Dale Carnegie and this book so different from most other books of the same genre is his style of explaining concepts. Dale does not preach at lengths, or speak in vague terms. Rather, he just explains his point briefly, and then gives a slew of real life examples, to endorse his technique. And these examples are related to different people – ranging from the common man on the street to the Who’s who of all time, which depicts that the simple principles of influencing people is the same for everyone. And for all these people, the result is the same – they tend to profoundly impact the people around them when they implement these principles in their life.

The following, are the salient principles as mentioned by Dale Carnegie, in this book:

Fundamental Techniques in Handling People

1. Don't criticize, condemn or complain.
2. Give honest and sincere appreciation.
3. Arouse in the other person an eager want.
   

Six ways to make people like you

1. Become genuinely interested in other people.
2. Smile.
3. Remember that a person's name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.
4. Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves.
5. Talk in terms of the other person's interests.
6. Make the other person feel important - and do it sincerely.
   

Win people to your way of thinking

1. The only way to get the best of an argument is to avoid it.
2. Show respect for the other person's opinions. Never say, "You're wrong."
3. If you are wrong, admit it quickly and emphatically.
4. Begin in a friendly way.
5. Get the other person saying "yes, yes" immediately.
6. Let the other person do a great deal of the talking.
7. Let the other person feel that the idea is his or hers.
8. Try honestly to see things from the other person's point of view.
9. Be sympathetic with the other person's ideas and desires.
10. Appeal to the nobler motives.
11. Dramatize your ideas.
12. Throw down a challenge.
    

Be a Leader: How to Change People without Giving Offense or Arousing Resentment

A leader's job often includes changing your people's attitudes and behavior. Some suggestions to accomplish this:

1. Begin with praise and honest appreciation.
2. Call attention to people's mistakes indirectly.
3. Talk about your own mistakes before criticizing the other person.
4. Ask questions instead of giving direct orders.
5. Let the other person save face.
6. Praise the slightest improvement and praise every improvement. Be "hearty in your approbation and lavish in your praise."
7. Give the other person a fine reputation to live up to.
8. Use encouragement. Make the fault seem easy to correct.
9. Make the other person happy about doing the thing you suggest.

Take my word. Read this book once. And try and follow it. You will thank me for this!

To read more on Dale Carnegie, visit: www.dalecarnegie.com

Review: The Power of Six Sigma

Name: The Power Of Six Sigma Author: Subir Chowdhury Misc: 126 pages, $12 (Amazon.com) My rating: 4.5 /5 Highlights: Short, Concept explained through a conversation between friends, nicely paced, good narration.

Two Words for this book: MUST READ!

WHY READ?

“Process” – A thing, that an average engineer in the software industry does not think very highly about. For him, its all about filling loads of excel sheets on metrics, and reams of documentation which he feels, if not all useless, is atleast, way above what would be “required”!

Had I not read this book, I too might fit the above description, but luckily, I have come to believe, that it is otherwise atleast when it came to this methodology called Six Sigma.

It all started with this book, about six years back, when I was suggested this, in my second year of engineering, by my friend Smash. I had never even heard about the concept until I read the book, except for the words “sigma” which I, being a statistics student, knew, had to do something with Standard Deviation. I decided to give it a shot, primarily because it was like a short story – spanning just 126 pages, which would take me 2 ½ hours for me at max.

I liked the book right then, and even absorbed the concept very well, thanks to the great narrative. But it sunk in better, after I took up Statistical Quality Control as one of my electives in final year of engineering. And since I have joined Honeywell, which pursues this methodology actively, the concept has begun coming into practical everyday use.

You must read this book, because, One – As I feel, it is the best way to understand a new concept – thorough a nice little story. Hats off to the author Subir Chowdhury for this. It is one of the best books for beginners on Six Sigma.

Two – It is ‘n’ times better than the normal training sessions which make it look like a monster, and make you resent it, before you know its power and innate simplicity.

Three, it is a concept which has revolutionized companies from Motorola, GE (under Jack Welch), and is the backbone of all companies in chip design and avionics and many many others – So it must be a really good idea.

Four – It is not just a methodology for the workplace, but once you absorb the details well, it can change your attitude and thought process in all the things you do, and help you do them, more efficiently.

A GLANCE INSIDE…

Joe Metter, a manager at American Burger is laid off after 20 years. Being too distraught to go home with this bad news, he calls up his old buddy Larry Hogan, who long back, used to work with him in the mailroom at American Foods, but now, is a top executive at American Pizza, which is a great success story.

Joe meets Larry over lunch, where Larry shares with him the reason behind the phenomenal success of American Pizza – the Six Sigma methodology.

For a second opinion, you might want to check some other user reviews on Amazon.com

MY BEST LINE

A memory peg Larry mentions, to remember the process flow in Six Sigma – DMAIC – Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve Control – being - Dumb Managers Always Ignore Customers. (How true, and easy to remember!!)

Review: That thing called love

Name:That thing called love
Author: Tuhin Sinha
Publishers: Srishti Publishers & Distributors
Misc: 238 pages, Rs 100

My rating: 2.5 /5

Disclaimer: (although redundant) The review of this book, you may feel is biased based on my interests, outlook towards fiction and previous books which i've read (with which i may be subconsciously comparing). I don't disagree. That might be the case

I'll keep this short. Basically, i wasn't very impressed by this book. It definitely was very close to reality - the theme around which it revolves is the face of changing relationships, in urban India - that's why that caption "An unusual romance" along with that title of the book.

The protagonist of the story (based mostly in Mumbai, during the monsoons) Mayank works in an ad agency. He has two other friends Anil - a person who is patient enough to let his wife come out of a broken past relationship, and Vishal - a playboy, who tries to lay every single pretty girl he sets his eyes on. Mayank falls in love with the head of his client agency - Revathi - who he must win, to prevent his boss from firing him. Revathi is married, and her intimacy with Mayank begins to affect her relationship with her husband - and this intensifies to the point when they break up, after 10 years into their marriage.

The story is essentially weaved as three threads of the three friends - Mayank's story being in the limelight most of the times.

If you ask me, i'll tell you, this book is just timepass.

Statutory warning: (especially to girls): If you ever read this book, Please (Please!!) avoid reading page numbers 222, 223, 224. There is an account of intimacy between Mayank and Revathi, which even I - a person who has read such things n times in many books - felt embarassed while reading and swore "what the f***!!" . Explaining something in a sensous manner is something. This one borders on vulgarity - more like a lesson in anatomy!!

So, if you still want to try the forbidden fruit (which the devil in a human being's mind cant resist), don't say i didn't warn you!!