Ashrut Arya

Rating: 5/5 I don't really have words to describe how beautifully the author has narrated the book in the most simple and concise manner possible. An eight year old might read the book and take away a happy story, and at the same time, a 28 year old would take away the meaning of morality, life, and everything surrounding these things. Some of my favorite excerpts: 'It is only through your heart that you can see clearly. The eyes do not see that which is most important.’ ‘The eyes do not see that which is most important,’ the little prince repeated, so that he would remember. ‘It is the time you have spent with your rose that makes your rose so important.’ ‘People on this planet,’ said the little prince, ‘grow five thousand roses in the same garden and yet do not find what they are looking for.’ ‘They do not,’ I replied. ‘Still, what they are looking for could be found in one single rose, or in a little water.’ ‘Then you must judge yourself,’ said the king. ‘It is the hardest thing to do. It is much more difficult to judge oneself than to judge others. But if you succeed, then you are indeed a wise man.’

The story is written in really simple language, and as said, depicts love and friendship in the time of emergency. The characters are so well developed, a proper turn around the mid is given, and a truly emotional ending! The only part I don't understand is about the justification for book title. Even though Nawab is a primary character, there are other primaries as well... Also, the book blurb could've been better! PS. The "Nation wants to know..." towards the end cracked me up bad!

The story is written as a narrative by Arjun (the protagonist), about how he is selected into IIT, then joins the Indian Army with the support of his family, and how the events turn out thereafter... (read the blurb already!) Really liked the writing style of the author, and the chapter titles! Also, for a change, this book was free of errors!! Won't go into the details, but the plot is binding, and the character development is really strong. And that's all it takes sometimes.

Rating: 5/5 If you're a die hard fan of logical puzzles or if you want to gain the knowledge in that area, only and only then, this is the book for you. The puzzles get harder and harder at each step... Sometimes you might get frustrated for taking up the same things from a bit variation, or the monotony of the scenes, but still, a great collection of variations of Knights and Knaves and Portia's Caskets' puzzles. A couple of things I noticed which would really help: 1. Try to take it up with a clear mind. Apart from the couple of initial chapters (that too only if you have a basic knowledge of logic), the puzzles are not something you'd be able to do while otherwise occupied. 2. A little at a time would be much fruitful. If you have extra time in your day, take up another book on the side. 3. Try not to get to the solutions immediately. If you can't figure out the solution in your mind, take a pen and paper, but avoid solutions as much as you can. 4. Even if you get the solution right, try to read the explanation given in the solution part. It helps to a great extent. Also, at some parts, you get to know that your solution was a mere guess, and the process given there is correct to arrive at it.

There are books which you finish in hours, there are books which take even some days, and then there are books which take months to complete. I started this one around the latter half of last year and got to finish this one today. Millions of people have read it already, and hundreds of thousands of people have reviewed it before. It's hard to contemplate that I would be able to write anything that's not been written before, but here's a try... From a management perspective, this book is pure gold. And I can say this because, throughout the months that I invested in reading it, I actually applied many principles at my workplace, and saw the results visibly. Even though this book was written a century ago, and most of the political examples look like just stories without much context, the principles are still relevant in today's time as much as any time before. However, if you're going for real, personal friendships, IMO, the times have changed, and in that regard, this book just tells you how to be a people pleaser rather than gaining a true friend, so to speak. If you're still asking whether or not this book is worth reading, please just turn away and leave. For the rest, if you've not read it and are planning to, here's one advice - If you truly want to get something out of it, take the advice from the initial section! Don't just turn the pages away in a day or two, apply the principles as you read, slowly. Observe the effects, and decide what works best for you. If you have previously done it the former way, just for once, take my advice and do it this way now. Thank me later. :) Ciao Ash

Rating: 5/5 "The class met on Tuesdays. No books were required. The subject was the meaning of life. It was taught from experience." These few lines probably describe the book in the most apt manner possible. Tuesdays with Morrie is the kind of 100 page novel which takes you a week to go through. Just reading doesn't do it justice. One of the most incredible stories that I've ever come across.

The book is written in the form of a play containing two parts. Now, apart from a bit of Shakespeare, this was the first one of this type that I came across. The characters are well defined, but a bit dragged, which can make it less interesting in the start. The story picks up pace after that, and from there, it manages to keep you on your toes. Since it's just dialogues all over, the thought processes of the characters isn't that clear, but then again, it's the form of the book itself. The ending makes up for most of the parts in the book which lag. All in all, worth for a quick read.

One more by Sabrna Roy, though this was a long one! A collection of 14 short stories and 21 poems. As in the previous one, the stories were not that engaging for me, but the poems make up for it. The writing style of the author is good throughout, and the way the thought processes shown are something that's not everyone's cup of tea, but the stories have a lot of scope of improvement. As an overall view, an average read.

A short read consisting of one long story and four poems, this book would take more time for you to think upon it after completion, rather than completing the book itself! Really liked the writing style of the author, and even though the story wasn't that engaging for me, the poems compensated very well. Worth the while.