Ramachandra R

Even for those who have read the original book, this graphic novel presents new visual delights. Glad that Anne has not been prettified as the book has not mentioned that she was beautiful. Most of the key moments have been illustrated with some very unusual panels by Brenna Thummler. The full page & double page spreads are very impressive. The wordless small panels also provide variety & atmosphere. Overall a very attractive production with thick pages.

Pandit Ravi Shankar's only Symphony is a musical feast to aficianados of Hindusthani & Western Classical Music. Featuring solo sitar played by his daughter Anoushka, whose sitar sounds quite like her father's, the work features also a new Raga "Doga Kalyan" having both the Gandhars. London Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by David Murphy, rises to the challenge of playing unfamiliar music. The work has also more counterpoint compared to his earlier orchestral works.

A heartfelt tribute to the Golden Age of Hi-Fi by an authority, John Crabbe, Editor of "Hi-Fi News & Record Review", the iconic magazine in the field. He writes feelingly about an era when Hi-Fi enthusiasts were also lovers of Music, especially Classical. Penetrates into the fundamentals of audio, selection of suitable equipment & installation of the same in the home to get optimum enjoyment. Probably the definitive work on the subject.

Remarkable book on the experiences of 18 world class doctors & surgeons. First hand reports of working under Divine guidance. Their experiences not only in the Super Speciality Hospital here, but also in their native countries handling patients needing critical care. How following Gita's dictum of doing one's duty but leaving results in the hand of God always pays rich dividends. Truly inspiring work on recent events for these troubled times.

Superb book. The author uses his theological training to explore spiritual dimensions outside Christianity. The requirements of a Divine Personage is given a more comprehensive dimension. Inevitably he comes into conflict with the Church. But even at the end he does not lose his love for Mother Church as the evocative epistolatory chapter shows. The all inclusive love of Sri Satya Sai Baba for all humanity, irrespective of their professed religion, is highlighted.

This work was originally published in Kannada language, in 1941, under the title "Aalida Mahaswamigalu." This biography of an unusually benevolent & visionary king, attained the status of a cult classic. But it was not easily available. It became a labour of love for the translator, Prof.S.Naganath to rescue this classic from obscurity & offer it to the English reading public. That he has done so in English prose like the "luminous pages of Gibbon" as remarked by Richard Sheridan about Gibbon's "Decline & Fall of the Roman Empire" is a matter of delight to the readers.

This encyclopediac work is the best in its genre. Though Sigmund Spaeth's "Guide to Great Orchestral Music" & Anthony Hopkins' "Talking about Music" are its predecessors, they deal with the works briefly & use musical examples, which many music lovers may not be able to read. This work deals with 400 pieces in "heavenly length" & gets across to the readers without staff notation. So maximum reader friendliness & abundant analysis makes this book a treasure trove.

Delightful, beautifully produced volume on a branch of Western classical music, which is not heard as much as orchestral music, namely chamber music. Though omitting solo piano sonatas & violin sonatas, the rest of the repertoire is discussed in detail. As the author says, all readers cannot be assumed to be able to read staff notation nowadays. So, much to the relief of these readers, he has managed to describe in words the essential parts of the music. So for those who cannot follow Tovey's excellent analysis, this is a superb volume to read & treasure.

Hugely inspirational book for those who moan about lack of time. True story of the editor of Guardian, who in 2010, in the midst of hectic, long drawn working hours dealing with the Wikileaks scandal, among other things, managed to master the fiendishly difficult Chopin Ballade No.1, snatching moments to practice even in a Libyan hotel in the midst of a revolution. Proves decisively that there is no excuse to prevent doing what one sets their mind to.

Excellent in depth study of the background leading to the event, the event itself & the aftermath comprehensively presented. However, a shorter version comprising only chapters 1,7,8 & 9 of the present edition(about 100 pages in all) would be more reader-friendly for the average reader.