Book Review - Once There Was Me : The Extraordinary Life Of An Unknown Indian

Title - Once There Was Me : The Extraordinary Life Of An Unknown Indian

Author - Bobby Sachdeva

Genre - Fiction

Publisher - Pan Macmillan India

ISBN - 978-9389109559

This is the book about the extraordinary account of an unknown Indian. Though this book is a semi-autobiography, most of the incidents were taken from the real life account of the author. He has changed the names of the characters to protect their identity and privacy. I did not read the synopsis and the blurb. I would suggest you to do the same. There is a reason behind it. You would understand once you finish reading the book.

However, the case that was put forth in this book by the author would make each and everyone to think twice about the presence of GOD! To all who do not know much about the author, please be informed that he is probably the first in the country who is looking to file a PIL(Public Interest Litigation) on couple of things which I found it unique. Though I am urged to mention the details here, I leave it to the readers because you need to buy the book to find out more as to what these PIL's are all about and what has forced him to think on these lines.

What I noticed while I was reading the book was the author did not take any stance favoring or against any political party or religion. He was certainly against the God men who in the name of The Almighty was enriching themselves at the cost of unsuspecting public by playing with their religion and beliefs.

This 400 odd page book is definitely a worthy read because it would help you in getting to know the reality and most importantly, it would also serve as a strong motivational factor for those who have failed in their life. Why I say is because author's family migrated from Pakistan to India during the migration which happened in 1947 and though they got good amount of land here in India in exchange of their lands in Pakistan, most of them were taken away by local militants and some of them were lost due to various circumstances including the loss in the business. He also witnessed the 1984 Sikh Riots first hand which had forced his family to flee to Delhi. The brutality of the incidents which happened during those days were recorded in a way which couldn't have been done better than this. His ambition to go to US and what happened there was another story of its own accord.

The struggle with the local militants couldn't have been explained better. The loss faced by the family on various occasion like boiler accident, fire accident in the factory apart from being cheated by the customers and the partner would make you feel real sad and those who had witnessed a similar kind of situation in their life would surely shed tears.

The book also has the flavor of family bonding and relationships, treachery, Love, First Kiss, School and College Life etc which would make you feel more connected with the characters in the book. It would be real apt to say that the author was no less than the King Bruce who achieved success despite failing initially after being inspired by a spider. Here the scenario is bit different wherein Bobby wanted to achieve financial freedom and how he achieved it is what that makes this book, a real special one.

This book is available on Amazon and on all leading stores, online and offline.

Growth Hack - How to Grow Instagram Followers Organically?

1. Research Your Audience

Content should be at the forefront of your strategy, but not every content can gain the traction you desire. Therefore, your content should respond to the demands and interests of the audience that you want to attract. This is where research comes in.

The accounts that currently follow and engage with you are a good point of departure. Take a look at the contents they like, their active time, and the accounts they follow. Then, take a look at accounts with high followers and engagements. These can be accounts that you aspire to be, your competitors, or influencers. Instagram profile analytics can give you a hand in finding the top posts, locations, hashtags, and other metrics that will guide you to gain more engagements and followers.

2. Interact with Instagram Profiles that Share Similar Brand Personalities

Chances are, you are not the only account on Instagram that adopts a certain style in speaking and posting, or targeting a certain market. These other accounts can be your competitors, but some of them can also be your partners. Do not be afraid of reposting artists that embody your brand and mentioning them for credits. Like and post clever comments on celebrities that post content you think your followers would also like. This small effort is a good way to get discovered by people who would like your content as they like these other accounts’ content that is similar to yours.

3. Use a Variety of Hashtags

Hashtags are an important element of discovery. The more impressions you receive from hashtags, the better your hashtags are at reaching new people. You can take advantage of Instagram hashtag analytics to analyze the performance of hashtags you want to choose and optimize your hashtag usage. However, do not stumble with common hashtag mistakes that raise your impressions without gaining followers or engagement. A mix of different hashtags can help you reach more audiences, especially those who are searching for content like yours.

4. Select Best Time to Post on Instagram

To amplify the impact of your content creation efforts, you should strategically select the best posting times to maximize reach and engagement. However, there is no one size fits all answer to that conundrum since it is usually industry-specific. The best way to find out the best posting time for you is a combination of analyzing your own, your competitors, and your industry’s activities. To do this, utilize Instagram profile analytics to find and cross-reference the best times to post and the best time for engagement. This way, you can have an edge over knowing when to capture the most attention from the audience you are targeting.

5. Collaborate

The easiest way to gain traction on your Instagram is by collaborating with other Instagrammers with larger audiences. This could be influencers, celebrities, experts, or other brands that do not directly compete against you. The method most often explored is by way of endorsements or social media campaigns, but this is not the only way. You can also collaborate by experimenting on other Instagram features, such as creating Instagram Live talk shows or co-creating content that focuses more on entertaining and educating the followers rather than promoting your Instagram Business.

NOTE: As I am a part of "Born On Instagram", I will also be coming up with my own post sometime by next month wherein I would be combining the experience and learning points of my 3 months training session with Instagram.

Article Credit : By Bradian Muliadi on Analisa.io

Book Review – SELF-PUBLISHING: EXPECTATION vs REALITY

Title — SELF-PUBLISHING: EXPECTATION vs REALITY

Author — Nataraj Sasid

Genre — Language, Linguistics & Writing

Publisher — Book Media

ASIN — B08C7KN587

Self-publishing is becoming a big industry in India and everywhere. It’s easy to publish and sell books via online retail stores. But most of the people ambitious to write books all their life want to know the hacks that can make them a successful earning author. Hardly books come that highlight the plight of struggling authors, in absolute sense books guiding about publishing and marketing are rare, and that published some years back need revised editions because online platforms are more diverse and versatile than we think.

Publishing a book on Amazon sponsored Kindle last year must have been different from now. I mean to say that authors out selling their books on their own need to keep abreast of all, and there is a need to refer timely helpful books from time and again.

This is my first book where I learnt about self-publishing and other strategies. By all means, it’s a must have for anyone starting out in self-publishing industry.

In the book, the author attempted to answer all questions that possibly fill new writers mind. This book is a great book for authors, it’s helpful, straightforward, and always have a little tinge of motivation. This newest book is going to be one of the most valuable ones for authors. Nataraj laid out relevant and straight pointers regarding marketing and publishing packages and other tales.

Anyone planning to publish books in nearby future can definitely refer this book as a handy guide. I think by reading this book it would be hard not to be successful if you have a good product and you follow the advice given here. Great book, great advice!

This book is available on Amazon.

Sembaruthi - only on ZEE5

This 3-month lock down has not affected me in anyway. Reason is simple. I had subscribed to ZEE5. You may ask what is special in it? First and foremost, this platform gives some of the most engaging contents across various genre and languages. I had spoken about few originals in Hindi in the past and now I am going to talk about my favorite serial – “Sembaruthi”.

Why this?

Firstly, it features some of the best actors in the industry including my favorite actor Ms. Priya Raman. She is portraying the role of a strict mother Akilandeshwari. The way she conducts herself as this character would make you feel that if there was a person in this name, it would be her. As a doting mother, she was always protective of her Son. When you have so much of wealth, you certainly wouldn’t want your offshoot to marry a person who doesn’t have any background.

                                                           Image Credit : ZEE5.com

The story is a perfect culmination of love, affection, family sentiments coupled with treachery and backstabbing which would keep you on the corner of the seats. The other two characters that perfectly compliment Priya Raman are Kartik Raj and Shabana Shajahan. While Kartik (portraying the role as Adithya) is the son of Akilandeshwari, Shabana who dons the role of Parvathi comes to their palatial house as a domestic help and through her selfless acts and innocence gets into the good books of all including Adithya who eventually marries her.

The plot is full of twists and turns which also takes you on the journey of beautiful love that blossoms between Kartik and Parvathi. They face turmoil from all the directions. How they face each and every one of them and emerge as a doting couple has made this tele-serial interesting so far.

All these while Akilandeshwari wasn’t aware of the love, let alone marriage. Since the marriage has taken place and that too without the knowledge of her who has kept everything in her hands by controlling the family members including finance, it would be really interesting to watch as to how the story would unfold.

There would be lot of scenarios which includes:

1.       How would the interaction go between Akilandeshwari and Parvathi?

2.       Will she accept her as her daughter-in-law?

3.       Will the married life of Kartik and Parvathi be smooth and safe?

4.       Would there be any other twist in the story?

5.       Would they face any trouble from their close relatives?

There are so many other originals which you can watch by visiting ZEE5 and last but not the least, by subscribing to ZEE5 OTT platform, a user can stream the contents on 5 screens simultaneously. This means there is no quarrel among the family members whatsoever since each one can stream their own content as per their wish and preference.

What are you waiting for?

Book Review - The Art and Science of Real Wealth : Earn Real Wealth

Title - The Art and Science of Real Wealth : Earn Real Wealth

Author - Dhyan Appachu Bollachettira

Genre - Business & Economics

Publisher - Amazon Kindle

ASIN - B08C7LT5DF

If you have read the previous book of the author, you would be able to connect well with the contents in this book as well. I was fortunate to read his first book “Arya Dharma” and before I could get over with the wisdom that the book is trying to spread all over, here comes the next one which is of a different genre but is very much connected with the first book. Hence if you are looking to read this book, which I would highly recommend, I would also suggest you to read his first book as well.

Having said that, I would also like to highlight that this book has some excerpts from Arya Dharma. There are only very few in the world who would accept their failure/defeat. Author Dhyan Appachu is one such soul. He has failed on few occasions which saw his fortunes dwindle but that did not stop him from going towards his ultimate destiny. I wouldn’t say that he has reached but he would surely be there sooner or later.

The book is way better than lot of self help books out there because it gives you a clear-cut idea about practical approach and the one that is coupled with Arya Dharma. How many of you have heard about Nikolai Kondratiev? He was one of the under-rated economists but in the opinion of the author, his theories were most suited in the long term and for this world in general.

He lost a staggering US$590,000 in 2006 in Options. Though he was successful in few instances, he lost out at crucial stages. In one of the bad days, he made a gain of US$15,000 though in reality it would have been more than 10 times, had he waited for one more day. Similarly, if had to invest in MRF back in 1990 as per the advice of his friend, that investment, which he did elsewhere, would have been worth INR590 Crores today.

Losing money is something which we all would want to forget, especially when the amount involved in huge, irrespective of how we lost it. Author lost his investments in Rasoya Proteins since he invested all in one stock instead of spreading over the risk in other companies which he identified that includes Morepen Labs, Confidence Petroleum, Mawana Sugars and Ludlow Jute. The INR 80 Lakhs which he invested this way in 2018 would have been INR 5 Crores by June 2020. He also openly admits of being addicted to Zyprexa and Risperidone but he could able to get rid of it by late 2018.

He removed the myth that exists in the larger society that Stock Markets are the only financial markets but in reality, it is only 15-20% whereas there are other less manipulated markets like Commodities Markets, Bonds, Currencies which offers immense opportunities. He also warns us of be aware about the bubble burst which may happen soon in India sending the value of the land prices to 1/10^th of what it is today.

My mother use to tell me one thing “Only put money that you can afford to lose”. I found the same statement in this book which made me feel really happy and even more connected. Author strongly advocates this “Never go for All or Nothing because most of the times you will end up with Nothing”.

Do you know about Jesse Livermore?

He made USD100,000,000 during the crash of 2019 which is valued at INR 9,100 crores in 2017 value. Read about the 23 rules that found its way in the book. How the scrupulous stock traders make money out of unsuspecting investors is given in this book. This should work as a caution for all of you out there who is planning to venture into investing. It is not to scare you but to make you aware of the existing situation that would enable you armed with knowledge which you could acquire only when you invest some good amount of time studying the markets. He also recommends Webull app which is providing valuable information for FREE when it comes to spotting a trend change in the stock follow the money flow. Some of the fallen multi-millionaires like Martha Stewart, Rajat Gupta also finds their mention in this book.

His comparison of stock markets between USA and India is the highlight. I will not mention it here since you need to find it yourself in the book. He recommends investing in power sector.

Why Power Sector?

Out of all types of power generation, why Hydro Power?

Why you should be averse in investing in Solar and Wind Energy?

Why is the power sector known as “Widows and Orphans”?

Read the book to find out all the answers.

What is Fish Love and True Love?

The mention “Past performance is no guarantee of future results” is like a nail in the coffin since it holds very much true to the present-day situation where even biggies like Lehmann Brothers have gone bust. I liked this line in particular “Anyone who says that they have achieved things easily without much effort has not tasted true success at all”.

A perfect read, is all I can say!!

This book is available on Amazon.

Look at the brighter picture with TikTok

Social media platform has always been powerful since it could take the content to the end user in no time. We felt the actual power of it during this Covid19 lock down. This brought lot of brands and celebrities to come up close to their viewers/supporters. People who did not use social media that much in the past have also started using it for close to 8-10 hours a day. Information was passed effectively.

This is where I began to start using TikTok.

If you have heard about the brand earlier, which I am sure you did, you wouldn’t ask me the reason as to why I decided to start using it. I found this platform not only entertaining but at the same time was more socially responsible. For those who did not knew as to what they did during this lockdown, these were some of the activities they did which made a real difference during this testing times.

1.       #GharBaithoIndia – A one stop shop for all the information related to Covid19 which includes the likes of Prime Minister of India and other celebrities. When you have established a channel, which gives you only the genuine information, there is no way that you would be misled. This ensures that the users were always provided with the right information, all the time.

2.       Cash Donation – Yes. The brand has donated a staggering INR30 Crore to the PM Cares relief fund which would go a long way in fighting the virus in an effective way. Any donation be it in cash or kind is the need of the hour and they did that just at the time when it was crucial. This shows how much the brand loves our people and the country.

3.       The brand has also donated equipment to help fight the virus. This includes 400,000 hazmat medical protective suits and 200,000 masks to protect doctors and front line medical staffs in India. The value of this donation is pegged at INR100 Crore.

4.       The #MatKarForward activity which they did in by collaborating with Virat Kohli, Kriti Sanon, Ayushmann Khurrana and Sarah Ali Khan has also helped to a greater extent to stop the spread of misinformation.

5.       Their #FightTheDarkness campaign garnered close to 700 million views in less than 12 hours of being executed on 5^th April.

6.       The ‘Kheloge Aap, Jeetega India” quiz was launched to raise awareness and strengthen fight against Covid-19. This saw participation from all quarters with great enthusiasm.

So, when you get to sit at home and enjoy the content in the social media platform like TikTok, it is highly imperative that they did something out of the box for the greater cause. This is what they did that impressed me and made me to decide to continue using them. 

What did this lock-down taught us?

The lock-down which is going little over 2 months now may have brought the world to a stand still but it certainly hasn't paused our activities in the house. In fact, it has grown manifold. Staying put at home for our own safety and also for the safety of others has made us become even more closer to our family members. Social distancing may be the new norm outside but not within our homes. We feel more knit than ever before. This is the fact which no one can deny.

There were lot of good things that has happened during this time which I would like to put it forward. Most of the household would have witnessed similar activities, if not the same.

To start with, there is some discipline now. It may be surprising but would you believe, if I say that I wake up at 6AM and so as my family members? Yes. It starts right from early morning. After our morning chores, I help my mom to get the clothes washed in our washing machine. We do use Ariel detergent at home and it has been the norm for ages. I buy the bigger pack in order to save some money. I put up 2 scoops of detergent powder in the washing machine before I switch it ON. Once it is over - usually it takes about 30-45 minutes depending on the mode I select, I remove the clothes from the washing machine after switching it off and get them dried in the sunlight.

After letting the clothes dried for 2-3 hours, I get them inside. Mom and I fold them neatly and stack it up in our wardrobes. I can proudly say that I #ShareTheLaundry and when you #ShareChoresMultiplyLove is the natural phenomenon that happens. Try this and see the magic unfolds in front of your eyes.

Me using the Ariel then(2015) and now(2020).

Take a look at this to see as to how one could help their family/parents during this testing times

My work doesn't and here. I order groceries online. I purchase fruits/veggies from the street vendors and also get home the water can. I avoid going outside as much as I could. I urge my readers to follow the same because it is always better to be safe than sorry.

I will #ShareTheLoad and help in household chores in association with Ariel India and BlogAdda

Kehne Ko Humsafar Hai - Season 3 on ZEE5

When it comes to refreshing content on the OTT platform, ZEE5 has always had a special place among the viewers. They reached the pinnacle in a short time. Thanks to the overwhelming support by the viewers. We must note here that it did not happen overnight. The tireless efforts put in by various people collectively coupled with great content has made this possible. Needless to say, that I am one of the patronizers for little over 2 years. I have also talked about various programs from time to time since I could not desist to write about them for letting my friends and followers know about it.

As of now the platform is available in 11 display languages namely Hindi, English, Marathi, Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam, Bengali, Gujarati, Punjabi and Bhojpuri. Once you are done with the language selection, you would enter the landing page where you could select from the options as per your choice which includes Movies, News, Free Movies, Show, Premium, Play and Kids.

Today, I am going to speak about the  “Kehne Ko Humsafar Hai” - Season 3. The first and second season was a runaway hit and needless to say, this season has already evoked interest among the viewers including me. This story is a perfect story that talks about relationships in detail which is appreciated by the viewers. I am sure that those who have watched it earlier would have closely followed Ananya and Rohit. You could surely expect more in this season.

I just finished watching the trailer and I must say that I was mightily impressed because it is the story like this which will connect with us much easier. The story revolves around the dysfunctional family where everyone has moved on. This is nothing less than a movie and has all the ingredients for a mega entertainer soap – be it love, passion, anger, romance among other emotions. The trails left in the previous season has made one point clear – “Broken hearts don’t mend. It kills your soul and leaves you empty”.  #RishtonKiUljhan 

                                     

Image Courtesy: ZEE5

I loved the way the lead character presents himself – as a masculine and smart guy coupled with flamboyance and style who is desired by all. Though he looks like partying most of the times, there is some bitterness left in him which was pretty evident from his face which brings out the emotion in a perfect way. The hardships faced by the couple in day to day life has been portrayed in a very beautiful way. The struggles that the lead characters face to keep themselves going is certainly a delight to watch. Agreed that life is full of ups and downs and isn’t a cake walk, always. When you see them portrayed on the screen by your favorite artists by embracing the characters and live them, makes you feel happy and satisfied. These reflect our life, in reality. This is what makes them ticking.

Image Courtesy: ZEE5

They aren’t exaggerated but a true account of real-life happenings in the form of a web series. When the couple becomes strangers, it is the most devastating situation which the life has to offer.

How would Rohit and Ananya overcome this?

Will they or would they remain strangers?

What was once a sweet poem becoming a poison. How would they tackle this crisis and emerge out as a loving couple, yet again?

Just because something happened in the past, will it be the same – will he be the cheater?

Most importantly, the trailer shows that Rohit was behind the bars. What made him to get arrested? I just cannot stand this suspense and wanted to find out what exactly had led him to this situation. Aren’t you having the same mindset as well? I am sure, you would.

                                         

Image Courtesy: ZEE5

Kehne Ko Humsafar Hai is all about Love, Relationships and Marriage. This trailer though it runs for little over 3 minutes has already evoked interest in me to watch the first episode of third season which will be out on 6^th June. Do I need to say that I am looking forward to catch up with the other episodes as well? I am sure that I can expect much more twists and turns in the story involving Rohit and Ananya which would keep me hooked to the screens, during this lock down period.

Book Review - Office Break: An Attempt on Image Based Poetic Snippets to Provoke Laugh & Thought during Office Break

Title - Office Break : An attempt on image based poetic snippets to provoke laugh & thought during office break
Poet - G K Esitha
Genre - Poems
Publisher - Umayavel
ASIN - B088DKZ27L

A collection of real thought provoking poems. I would say this is a novel attempt since this is the first time, I am coming across a genre which is filled up with fun coupled with some great imagination. A story can be written on these lines but not the poems since it is real difficult to conceive the wordings and most importantly, the flow.

Each and every poem has a picture which would make you think otherwise because our human brains are designed in such a way that we always try to connect the dots. I did the same trying to connect the title with the picture but I realized that I was incorrect, each and every time.

Do not miss the foreword for sure. Each of the title were intriguing. I loved all the poems but would like to highlight some of them in particular which includes "Cappuccino with..", "The Fire Fight", "The New Car", International Calls", "Screen Sharing", "Work From Home"among others. These poems were very much drawn from our day to day activities and if you are a employee, irrespective of what job you do, I am sure you would be able to connect most of these poems with your day t day life and these poems will surely make you smile, if not laugh. 

I would certainly recommend this book. It is worth your time and money.

This book is available on Amazon in the kindle format.

BookArt101 - A perfect book listicles blog

Image Credit : BookArt101

Are you a book lover? 

Do you splurge on books?

Do you love various genre?

If your answer is yes, do you know where you need to go to for the books which are highly recommended?

Your search ends with BookArt101. This is a book blog which takes pride in informing its readers that all the reviews and descriptions of the book listed here are bona fide and penned by seasoned writers, critics and readers.

I happened to came across this listicles by chance and immediately fell in love with it. Though they have limited categories, each and every one of them gives you an array of books to choose from. These categories include:

• Authors, Writers and Poets
• Best Books
• Books Of The Century
• Indian Authors
• Indian History
• Indian Novels
• International Authors and 
• Uncategorized

You could find the best of Munshi Premchand, Vikram Seth, Jeffrey Archer and Salman Rushdie's books. The 20 best books of the 20th Century has certainly captured by attention. Opinions differ from person to person. However, the list of the books covered in the best books category would surely find more takers than the others.

The 10 books on Indian History and 10 Best Books by Indian Authors ever wouldn't come as a surprise. These were well known names and titles which had won accolades throughput the world bringing laurels to India in the field of Literature.

If you are confused about the titles, this blog would help you choose the best ones which are out there. Most of the times, it is these books which we would tend to forget by oversight.

Last but not the least, there is a section for books on Pandemics and Epidemics. Do not forget to catch a glimpse of it too. The 8 ultimate benefits of reading books is something you should not miss out on. I felt the content was so appealing. I am sure after going through this book, you would book mark it for sure and recommend it to your bookish friends too :-)

Make the best use of this lock down period!!

Author Focus - Dhyan Appachu Bollachettira of Arya Dharma : The Noble Dharma

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1.What motivates you to write?

Dhyan:  God has blessed me with a life where I have been able to travel the world and live among different kinds of people and have gained a lot of life experiences both good and bad.  I wish to enlighten people of a better way based on my life's insight and experiences into our heritage and the state we are in today. 

2. How did you feel after publishing your books?

Dhyan:  I feel good after publishing my book. It has come out well.  It is a  lengthy book, but each chapter is a story by itself and so it can be read in bits.  There is a lot I have left out that can be found in my Medium page (https://medium.com/@dhyan.ba) and also in  my blog at https://aryadharma.world/articles.  I feel good when I get feedback from readers as can be seen at https://aryadharma.world/index/feedback-from-readers/ .  My aim is to reach as many people as I can.  Money is not the main motivation, reaching people with a better way is my main motivation and  there is a free ebook that can be downloaded from my website for those who cannot afford my book.

3. What are some of your favourite novels and authors?

Dhyan: Growing up as a teen I used to like Hardy boys, Amar Chitra Katha, Arthur Conan Doyle and Stephen King.  But my Dad also had a good library of Swami Vivekananda's works and as I grew up I liked to read the works of Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, Jiddu Krishnamurti,Adi Shankaracharya,Alan W. Watts and Roald Dahl.  I also like to read economists like Hernando De Soto, Hayek, JC Kumarappa, Nicolas Taleb and others.

4. Is there a specific reason for naming your novel?

Dhyan: Arya means noble in Sanskrit.  Dharma is a way of virtuous living.  My book is about a way of noble and virtuous living hence the name Arya Dharma 

5. Where do you write from? Do you go to some specific place, like beachside or the hills?

Dhyan: I write from my home office in Bangalore which is owned by my father to whom I am especially grateful for letting me use it.  I also like to write in our family farm in Kodagu. 

6. What inspired you to write the books(in general)? Any tales to tell…

Dhyan:  My book only has about 70% of my work.  My blog was my main inspiration to enlighten people that there is a better way.

7. What was your biggest learning experience throughout the writing process?

Dhyan:  Writing on a blog has no limits you can go on forever.  However writing in a book has size limitations and even though I tried to condense my work, it still came a bit lengthy.

8. Looking back, what did you do right that helped you break in as a writer?

Dhyan:  I always had a gift for writing.  What I did write was develop interest in a wide selection of authors who I have mentioned, that form the basis for my work. 

9. Any best piece of writing advice that you would like to share with new or struggling writers? 

Dhyan: Dont hesitate to put your words to paper or in these times in a blog.  You never know how your words may change and influence others. 

10. Something personal about you people may be surprised to know?

Dhyan: Though I am usually very calm, sometimes I have a short temper.  I am not a serious person at all even though my book is so serious.

11. Any future books that you would like to discuss now?

Dhyan:  Based entirely on my life's experience and insight from experts I am following, I am working on a  book on how to manage money wisely and also a book on natural farming which is the only sustainable method of farming.

12.What other profession excites you the most?

Dhyan: Natural farming and investing also interests me.  You can never get excited and impulsive in these sectors, you have to approach it in a devoted, patient and disciplined manner and manage risk wisely.

13.Any special mention about your reader (be it with reviews/feedback or anything else)

Dhyan:  Most of the good feedback I have received is at   https://aryadharma.world/index/feedback-from-readers/

14.Do you write the story at a stretch or you take your time to complete it? If you take a longer time, wouldn’t you be forgetting the story? How do you tackle it?

Dhyan:  I write the main underlying essence first without editing.  This hardly takes me about 2-3 hours.  Then I flesh it out and edit it.  I dont write at a stretch, I write in blocks and always email or make notes about my work on my mobile.  This way I remember the trail of thought. 

15.Traditional or Self-Publishing? Why?

Dhyan: I chose self-publishing because I wanted editorial control.  Also it is an easier route to get your book out than having to approach multiple publishers for interest to publish. 

16.How is the response so far for the book?

Dhyan:  Most people who read the book and know me, cannot believe I wrote it because it is so enlightening, insightful and serious and personally I am a clown always making fun of things and not taking things seriously.  Even strangers have appreciated my book.  Due to the Covid sales of the book is slow since online sales are available only for the ebook version.  I hope with more active promotion and lifting of the covid lockdown, response to my book should improve.

Book Review— The Real Wani—Kashmir’s True Hero: A Definitive Biography of Lance Naik Nazir Ahmad Wani

Title—The Real Wani—Kashmir’s True Hero: A Definitive Biography of Lance Naik Nazir Ahmad Wani

Author—Sonal Chaturvedi

Genre— Biographies & Autobiographies

Publisher— Bloomsbury India

ASIN—B084GVXKJQ

I have read quite a number of books on Kashmir–based on insurgency, migration of Kashmiri Pandits, Pakistan-India Kargil war, or a simple love story against the verdant backdrop of the earth’s heaven. But never came across a story of a soldier that too hailing from the state itself. Curious enough, I got my copy from a friend. According to this book, the real hero of Kashmir is Lance Naik Nazir Ahmad Wani instead of that slain terrorist Wurhan Wani. The title itself is strong enough to stir inquisitive among the people.

I finished reading the paperback version of the book in less than a week’s time. The story took me on a tour where I saw how a young hardworking Kashmiri lad sets his journey till he is conferred with Ashoka Chakra posthumously. His personal journey and sacrifice were simply incredible. I think we need more soldiers like Nazir Wani who could identify and fight hidden terrorists in the milling crowd of Kashmir.

The book is a good take on Kashmir’s politics and how army and other forces operate there. No doubt, it is written in such a brilliant manner that it got a letter of appreciation from our army chief General Bipin Rawat. Before the story takes off, there are recommendations and forwards by the army people with whom Lance Naik Nazir worked. He was a fearless soldier and cared more for his colleagues than his life. He played indispensable roles at many operations but in 2018 Operation Batgund he was martyred. The events described in the book look so surreal I felt as I am there beside Nazir and his army.

The book is not all about army busting terrorist hideouts, rather it is also high on Kashmiri culture and taboos, beliefs, and other things. I liked casting of Nazir’s love affair with Mahajabeena and how she handled life in the aftermath of his sacrifice. People from Kashmir and army can relate more to the book and somehow it has a soul of Kashmiriyat in it. Written in lucid manner, Sonal has etched a story that is received well by showing the current Kashmir crises. She has highlighted the right sense of sentiments among patriots. I hope you too enjoy reading this book as much as I did.

Without breaking spoilers, I would recommend you to read this book to know how Nazir joined army from being helping to terrorists earlier. What was the reason behind that transformation? His personal home story, love story, sub audition between fellow mates, understanding of the land and culture – all combined this – how did he evolve as a national hero? Indeed a definitive biography of a soldier. A must read book for all of us!

This book is available on Amazon.

Book Review – The Burning School by Sandesh Raj

Title— The Burning School

Author— Sandesh Raj

Genre— Crime, Thriller & Mystery

Publisher—Notion Press

ASIN— B0874XJT7H

The Burning School by Sandesh Raj is definitely one of the untold stories from Kashmir. This novel was running a little over 400 pages, but it became one of my favourite in the recent time. Why? Because the novel was written about a concrete them: education empowers the people. You heard it right. The novel features Naved as the lead character, he is passed out from IIM, but still chooses to work for poor students in Kashmir. He is from Lucknow. He hails from an army family. Despite knowing the terrorism in Kashmir, he goes there to teach students preparing for the IIT exams. As he reached there, a new land awaits him. He gets company of one of the close students named Ashraf who also arranges for his home and food.

Naved is sad to see that there schools are being burnt by the terrorists so that children can be used as stone pelters to disturb the armed forces. As Naved delves deep, he finds that students are scared to go to schools or matter of fact there aren’t enough schools left in his area of sojourn Baramulla. Naved takes up the challenge not only to prepare aspirants for IIT exams but also to reopen schools for young children. How and why, fills the most narration in the story.

Naved’s journey to empower students by education is not so smooth, he has to first face the distrust of the locals and the threat of terrorists and the intervention of local police. Will he be able to succeed in his mission or would land up in jail just like any random terrorist?

After some initial chapters, the story takes us to a higher level and a new era of thrill begins. I totally enjoyed his journey and the local flavour and his involvement with the soul of Kashmir. I appreciate the overall structural concept of the story. Sandesh Raj is a highly promising author with the ability of building great stories on humanitarian ground. The novel is lucid to read and have good grasp over pace. All in all, a good story with amazing sub plots and twists.

This book is available on Amazon.

Book Review - Arya Dharma : The Noble Dharma

A book which is the need of the hour.

What is so special about this book?

The contents of this book are not the usual one. It is a 600+ page which needs detailed study. Hence I would suggest you to read few pages only, in a day. I was totally amazed because the book is a confluence of most of the religious texts/books/literature since author has mentioned that he has read the religious book more than once.

I do not know the possibilities of application of a book to a greater extent but if it was done, it would surely lead to a Utopian Society where there is no religion and all the subjects would be following the highest order of Dharma called Arya Dharma.

There were lots to learn from this wonderful book. I am trying to mention few of them which I found it interesting/appealing.

Do you know?

The left facing Swastika has Buddhist origins but this was not completely true. It is the embodiment of Shakti and also the representation of the essential feminine qualities.

Dharma Chakra – has origins tracing back to Vedas and Buddhism.

Author is critical about FUKUS system which we have been following despite the fact that the rules we followed earlier were of highest order. We, The Bharat were much prosperous and were contributing almost 1/4^th of the World GDP which could not be conquered even by the Great Alexander. We should feel proud about our ancestry since we were most civilized for more than 1200 years when the other races were barbaric. You should make a note there that author is not a racist but was trying to put forth his point.

Author cites various references from revered scholars including Plutarch, Megesthenes, Arrian, Fa-Hien to name a few.

Arya is not a race by birth. Arya Dharma was followed by the then Indus Valley Civilization which is now in Pakistan, Bamiyan Buddhas in Afghanistan, Combodians etc.,

Arya Dharma is an embodiment of Sanathan Dharma, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, Marthoma, Sufism and religion of the tribals. The Worship of nature is the true and pure form of the highest embodiment – Brahman.

The book is not about Hindu or Hinduism alone but it also about other religion. Most importantly, it is devoid of people who have manipulated it for their own benefits/welfare. Hence you can safely say that this is not biased towards any one particular religion.

It is this Arya Dharma which has made Lord Ram to banish his pregnant wife as he was criticized by a dhobi. It is to be noted here than an ordinary citizen could criticize a Supreme ruler. Ram Rajya meant the rule of Dharma of which Lord Ram was the best and supreme embodiment. Dharma is beyond Religion.

These were just some of the interesting anecdotes I found in this book. I liked the writing style of the author since he did not beat around the bush.

Do you know that the Chinese philosophy is very much similar to ours? It has the same ideal of the Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam which means “The World Is One Family”. This is not just found on one of the scriptures of Sanathan Dharma but also in Upanishads, Panchatantra, Hitopadesa etc.,

Author expressed his emotional feeling (read Sadness) that the best source of ancient Bharat in English are not in Bharat but in the good universities and libraries in USA,UK, Russia and Germany.

The Caste system that existed during the Vedic era was mostly misunderstood/misconstrued. By trying to decode this, author has done an excellent job. As a subject of this great Nation, I feel really proud. Do not miss to read about Varnasharma Dharma.

Birth does not determine the caste but their action. This is how Valmiki, who was once a robber, became a Maha-Rishi. Vishwamitra who was a Kshatriya by birth became one of the Saptarishi.

The interpretation of Brahmacharya, Grihastha, Vanaprastha and Sanyasa needs a special mention. It wasn’t a surprise to me when I read that many monks and other spiritual people skipped Grihastha and Vanaprastha to directly jump to Brahmacharya and Sanyasa.

The author has given good ideas on how to reform our existing flawed democracy and capitalism systems based on his research on ancient democracy in Bharat.

He has also proposed an alternate and in his opinion a more sustainable model of growth and prosperity that is suitable to all beings in this world and also complements nature.

Well, I can keep writing about the book all through the day because the wisdom it offers is immeasurable and what I have written in my review is not even 5% of what the book has to offer. If this is followed strictly, I am sure there will not be any difference between the people which is the basis of all the conflicts. Don’t we all want to see a peaceful world which follows the Supreme Principle which was very much followed in our nation earlier but time and tide coupled with petty politics has slowly made this to vanish from our system?

This book is available on Amazon.