Book Review - Fight With Fat

Title - Fight With Fat

Author - Dr Kamal Mahawar

Genre - Health/Fitness(Non-Fiction)

Publisher - FingerPrint! Publishers

ISBN - 978-93-8881-093-7

I have read Dr Kamal's "The Ethical Doctor" back in 2016 and the review for the same could be found here. In his latest book, "Fight With Fat", author speaks about the most pressing situation which the World is facing - Obesity.

Gone are the days where, we had healthy food and in fact, our own curd rice is touted to be one of the healthiest food in the world. As a kid, I myself had seen my mother grinding the spices, batter on her own apart from making various pastes using rock vessels(we call it Ammi Kall in Tamil and Rubbu Raai in Telugu). These has been replaced with machinery which has been rightly pointed out by the author. Though this has made our life easier by saving time and effort, it has ed to another trouble. It has reduced the burning of calories as it involves very less physical activity than the manual work.

This 260 page book is not a complete guide for you to help fight fat but it has covered almost all the aspects, as per my knowledge and the way, it has been presented to us, is really appreciable. The flow of context is smooth and so as the usage of words(in simple English).

Being a Doctor himself and a Bariatric surgeon, you cannot expect anything better than this from this beautifully crafted book. Usually non-fiction aren't that much interesting but when you start reading this book, you would fall in love with it and even if you are not health conscious, you would tend to become one. 

We are living in a fast paced world where we don't even have time to check the calories intake and this is what helps us gain weight in the long run which should be checked. Author has covered about this on various topics and this book teaches you as to "how to live healthy".

After reading this book, I came to know as to why Doctors use some specific terms which is to make a patient feel, comfortable. The words like BMI is used to politely convey the message that the person is Obese. The other term they use is Overweight. The repercussion are huge when a person tends to go overboard as it would affect lot of organs, internally. Though BMI isn't an actual indicator of one's health, procedures like Muscle Mass, Body Mass, Body Frame can be used to ascertain the actual figures(in BMI).

It is highly recommended to read the whole book and if you do not have time genuinely, you may read the Takeaways which is given in the end of each chapter which is a gist of the whole chapter, captured in a nutshell.

Author has used some real life anecdotes and examples. I was surprised to find out that Actor Arjun Kapoor was obese, once. Author reiterates on the following requirements:

1. Schools with Playground

2. Roads with Cycle Lane/Path

3. Neighborhood with Parks (P.S. I am lucky to have one just opposite to my Parent's home and even where I stay, since it is a gated community)

He has made a startling discovery which shows Evolution is failing us. There is no system,as of today, which would prevent us from gaining weight or accumulating excess fat. It  is to be noted here that Obese person has higher risk to develop the following:

1. Diabetes

2. Asthma

3. Hyper Tension

4. Acidity

5. Gall Stones

6. Heart problem

7. Liver problem

8. Few Types of Cancer

Author gives a warning that one should not go on self diet but this has to be done via a qualified dietitian who would ensure that you have a balanced and healthy intake, which otherwise would lead to malnutrition.

There are few more points I would like to highlight which I got to know through this book:

1. Do not eat until you're full

2. Drink lot of water

3. Avoid sugary drinks which also includes fruit drink as it contains more sugar

4. A cup of tea usually has 90 calories

5. Do not heat pasteurized milk as it will destroy high protein and turn it into high-fat food.

Remember, a balanced diet should have calories in the following proposition(macro nutrients)

a. Carbohydrates - 60%

b. Fat - 25%

c. Proteins - 15%

The aim of the book is not to instill fear in you but to give a clear cut idea of what can be done or what you should do, in keeping yourself FREE FROM FAT, if not FIT.

Author has given a 3 page Appendix in the end which is a MUST READ.

This book is available on Amazon 

Book Review - Wake Up, Life Is Calling

Title - Wake Up, Life Is Calling

Author - Preeti Shenoy

Genre - Fiction

Publisher - Srishti Publishers

ISBN - 978-93-87022-60-7

A simple story but with a powerful message. I have read all the books of the author so far. All I can say is this - Preeti is real good when it comes to narration. It is no wonder that she is one of the Top 5 Authors in India when it comes to book sales. She is certainly a "Master Storyteller" who has shown variations in each and every book of hers that was published so far.

The book will send positive vibes to those who has/had the tendency of committing suicide and must be real by all since this phenomenon is common, worldwide irrespective of age and sex.

Ankita, the protagonist of the story had a dark past. She drops out of her MBA course and when she joins the course to become an author/writer, she gets Janki and Parul as her friend,on the very first day. While Janki was from an affluent family, Parul's mother was into movies as she was the Assistant Director.

They were taught in the college by Professor's - Nalini aka Nuls, Mrs Amrita Tulapurkar, Mrs Hayden. There was one instance where one of the professor asks the tudents to answer to the quetion:

"What writing means to you?"

The answer written by Ankita was surreal and that would give you the hint about what you could expect next.

While things were going normal, Ankita finds a book in the library which brings in something in her life(perceptions) and she also gets to meet Joseph.

Who is Joseph?

What dark past did she have?

All these would make you keep hooked to the book till the end. The title of each chapter was unique and you would have a pleasant surprise in the end. I would certainly recommend this book as it has a message, like I have mentioned earlier.

This book is available on Amazon in both Paperback and eBook formats

Maintaining Wardrobe isn't easy

Helping your mom is something you could do in return for all the hard work she has done to raise you. Though it isn't a match, it is something better than nothing. The work of a mom is not limited to just one category but there are many. She is a multi-tasker and you would come to know, only when you start sharing her load.

Some of the work, a mom does on a regular basis at home but not limited to includes:

1. Teaching her kids

2. Keeping the home tidy by cleaning the floors with broomstick and then mopping

3. Washing vessels

4. Washing clothes

5. Cooking

6. Handling finances

Did I miss anything in the above list? Yes. There is one which I had missed, not deliberately though. After washing the clothes, there are few more things in that process to make it complete. 

1. Drying the clothes

2. Folding the clothes

3. Arranging them on the wardrobe

Trust me, washing clothes(if you had a washing machine)is much easier compared to the "after wash" process as it is complex and demands greater attention because drying clothes itself is an art as you need to put them on sunlight. During winter/rainy seasons, it is a chaos as you need to constantly watching the climatic conditions outside the house. Folding the clothes is again an art. It has to be done with perfection else you may end up having unnecessary wrinkles and most importantly, your clothes won't look good, when they are kept inside the wardrobe.

Arranging the clothes on the wardrobe is a task. I never knew that it requires certain skills. 

Why did I say that?

1. Your wardrobe space is limited

2. Your desire for buying more clothes is unlimited

3. Based on condition 1 and 2 mentioned above, you need to ensure that you manage the space accordingly

4. It needs to be arranged in LIFO(Last In First Out) order else you would always be wearing the same costume

5. You also need to ensure that the faded/torn clothes are discarded

6. You have to ensure that there is no foul smell inside your wardrobe which can be ensured by using naphthalene balls(which is also effective in preventing cockroaches entering your wardrobe)

7. You need to ensure that there is no dampness inside your wardrobe which can be ensured by using silica gel

As you could see, maintaining a wardrobe is an art and it isn't easy as it looks from outside. I managed to do my bit in this regards. Remember, you cannot learn or master an art overnight but hs to keep working on it constantly to master it. 

The work done by a mother couldn't have been explained better than this. Do watch this TVC as it is an eye-opener for all of us, prompting us to do our bit in our own way.

‘I pledge to #ShareTheLoad in household chores in association with Ariel and BlogAdda‘

Book Review - Traveller Inceptio

Title - Traveller Inceptio
Author - Rob Shackleford
Genre - Science Fiction(Sci-Fi/Fiction)
Publisher - Austin Macaulay Publishers
ISBN - 978-1528912631

This is one of the amazing novel I had read in the recent past. When I finished reading this novel, I felt as if I have watched a Hollywood movie which never fails to impress a hardcore sci-fi fan. The novel runs about close to four hundred and fifty pages but you would never feel bored at any given point of time. 

Phil, Yeti, Allen, Craig and Mel were into research. They get funded my Melguard whose owner was none other than Mel's father. They were under the supervision of Dr John Crowley while Dr Jackson was their Dean. They ended up inventing Transporter and the story begins from there.

What did I like the most?

The novel has two stories running in parallel. While the first one was mentioned in brief above, the other story was about Michael who kills a wolf and starts running towards a forest. He meets a monk named Oeric and his fortunes turns around drastically. He was addressed as Lord Michael. 

Though I felt the story was bit stretched,all I could say is, "It was justified". The plot was real good. Though we have seen or read stories similar to his - on the screen and in the book, this was a unique one, altogether. The concept, though was an old one, the way the story was narrated makes it captivating till the end. 

The combination of Sci-Fi with historical characters was deadly. If you are a lover of the above genres, there is no doubt that you wouldn't be liking it....

This book is available on Amazon in both eBook and Paperback formats.

When I did ShareTheLoad of my Mom

Mother is a "God sent Angel" an there is also a saying that "God after felt that he could not be everywhere had sent His representative who is none other than Mother". This is very apt in our day to day life. She has been out savior, protector, educator and what not?

A mother can certainly be called a "Super Woman" since she does all the work apart from carrying most of the responsibilities in running the family, efficiently. She taught us lot of things as to what is good and bad and how to face the World. She is an educator. Though we have Teachers in school/college, the first set of learning comes from our mother.

While she is selfish in bringing up her kids in the best way possible, you would not find this when it comes to showering her love on her kid. She always wanted her kid to have the best of the comfort and other things which the world has to offer. Gone are the days when kids use to treat their mother as their Mother and NOT as a Friend.

I am really lucky to have found my best friend in my Mother. I had shared almost everything with her including my love life. She was always supportive and she made me as to who I am today. I am a teetotaler and I must credit this upbringing to my Mother. Though she made me to work for a small reward, when I was a kid, now looking back, I feel that I had learnt a lot, most importantly discipline and how to keep my surroundings only from her.

As she aged, I saw that she started struggling to get few work done, on her own. We had dhobi those days where the clothes were washed by a person. Due to the advancement in technology, man power has been replaced by machine power. I too thought of making use of some of them to ease the work for my Mother because dhobi(laundry person) won't be available all the time. I bought a Washing Machine and my mother had learnt to operate it in no time. However, I started helping her in all the ways possible like putting the clothes inside it and also adding washing powder. Once the machine gets its work done, I also use to get the clothes out of it, in a bucket and take it to the terrace to dry them up in the sunlight.

My mother feels happy these days, because she knows that even if she is unable to do all the work on her own, in the future, she has already got a helping hand in me....

I was intrigued as to what this TVC is all about and when I finished watching it, I knew that I was on the right track.

I pledge to #ShareTheLoad in household chores in association with Ariel and BlogAdda

Book Review - Prisoner Of Yakutsk

Title - Prisoner Of Yakutsk'

Author - Shreyas Bhave

Genre - Fiction / Historical Thriller / Mystery

Publisher - Platinum Press(Leadstart Corp)

ISBN - 978-93-52011-42-1

There are few incidents which has remained a mystery till date. It is because of this, people are still intrigued by those events. The death of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose is one such event that has always been a point of contention/discussion even today. There are lot of mystery around the disappearance of the National Hero and even though lot of inquiry commission had been set up, none had revealed the truth till date.

Even the "RTI" Act wasn't helpful since those who applied for information under this received a reply saying "Information was Classified. The revelation of information would jeopardize the relationship with other Nation"

Shreyas had taken this intriguing subject and presented the novel in his own style. He has used few real characters and few imaginary characters in his novel to make the story look like the real one. The sequence of events would make you to keep hooked to the story from the beginning till the end. 

The story is set in two different periods - 20th and 21st Century. While a team has been deployed by the then PM and Dy PM to go in search of Netaji, they stumble upon truth which has been kept concealed by the Govt and various authorities. On the other had, a multi millionaire(Jay) sets on a journey to find information about his missing mother . He is joined by an hacker(Tanya Williams) who had connections with Julian Assange. They travel to various places including Hong Kong where they meet Sasha Maikijan whose son is a Gangster.They were followed by couple of Russians(Sergei and Charkov).

What was Jay trying to find out?

Why would Russians follow Jay?

Who is Tanya and why did she agree to help Jay?

Who is Sasha?

Was the disappearance of Netaji been decoded in the end?

Read this story which would keep you captivated till the end. A different perception and approach towards the disappearance of Netaji which makes this novel, a unique one.

This book is available on Amazon in both eBook and Paperback formats.

Author Focus - Jeanne B Shibahara

      1. What scene did you enjoy writing the most?

Answer:

Mr. Ono's bath scene. I couldn't write it alone. My friend Darryl filled in details. Any blame is his.

2. How did you feel after publishing Kaerou Time to Go Home?

Answer:

Relief. Why? Japan has so many natural disasters. Half of my mind was worrying about how I would finish Kaerou if our house collapsed in an earthquake or typhoon. Now that it's been a few months since publication, I'm finally enjoying an on-top-of-Mt. Fuji sense of accomplishment.

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

Answer:

Shinko Yamaguchi, whose painting is on the cover, thought each of the story lines headed to one place...like ships lost in a storm, returning to the same lighthouse, afterwards families celebrating safe returns. I told my friend from Armenia about that image. She said there's a perfect Armenian word. The English "return" doesn't hold the same feeling. My editor in New York suggested the Japanese verb Kaeru, meaning "to go home." Then my Japanese husband reminded me that the noun Kaeru means "frog." Croak. He suggested Kaerou: "let's go home." My friend from Australia fine-tuned it--Time to Go Home. The center dots and red lettering on the cover evoke images in the story.

4. Where do you write from?

Answer:

The first draft...always on my bed (no futon) so I can easily take a nap. Writing first drafts puts me to sleep. Most rewriting is done at my desk...I check the drafts outside the house: coffee shop, temple stairs, Nara Park bench.

5. What inspired you to write the books...

Answer:

For KAEROU--In 1995, fifty years after the end of WWII, a bloodstained Japanese flag was sent from the US to a colleague of mine in Osaka. He asked me to find the family it belonged to...that was the seed of KAEROU. I often thought about what had happened to that soldier on the battlefield. In 2009, a friend suggested I write a novel. I was in a funk, missing some of my friends/colleagues who had moved back to their home countries. When I started writing, I asked them to help with the editing. They did. Kaerou kept us connected.

6. Something personal about you people may be surprised to know.

Answer:

B. Jeanne trivia no. 1: Famous people who crossed my path in Japan--Rakugo performer and TV talent, Tsurube, and (Former) Prime Minister Koizumi, on separate occasions, in front of the train station near my home in Nara; international superstar Brad Pitt, on Midosuji Boulevard in Osaka.

B. Jeanne trivia no. 2: At Arizona State University in a calculus class populated mostly by engineering students, I got 100% on every test and broke the bell curve used for grading. Only the teacher was impressed.

7. Any special mention about your reader

Answer:

Of all the novels on all the sites in all the Net, thank you for clicking onto mine.

 8. Anything special you want your readers in India to know?

Answer:

My father-in-law, whom I called Oton, told me the bravest man he'd ever met was from India...an English teacher, loved and respected by his students at an all-boys school in Nara, Japan. If Oton were still alive, he would be 100 years old. His teacher from India told the class that he was going back to fight for his country's freedom. The boys cried, asking him not to go, it was too dangerous. His answer: Human freedom and dignity had to be fought for and were worth fighting for...India should be a lovely, free country like Japan. The years that followed found Japan invading countries and destroying that freedom and dignity that Oton's teacher had gone back to India to fight for. Throughout Oton's life, during India's turbulent and violent years, Oton thought of his teacher and believed he was safe...as Oton had been safe during Japan's military tyranny. Oton appears on the sidelines in KAEROU as Mr. Ono's father and in the description of the Osaka dandies before WWII. Now that KAEROU is in India, I can imagine my Oton is there too with the bravest man he had ever met.

Book Review - Silver Hair Sins

Title - Silver Hair Sins

Author - Saumick Pal

Cover Design - AuthorsUpFront

Genre- Fiction

Publisher - The Write Place

ISBN - 978-81-938540-3-7

This is not the usual story you would have come across so far. When I started reading this book, I knew that there is something unique and I was not wrong. 

What makes it unique?

This is one of India's first visual-fiction. The photographs that were used to narrate the story are mind blowing. Some were artist rendition and some were file photo. I seriously wonder as to how these pictures were conceptualized for the fact that they very much complement the story which was set to happen in the 22nd and 23rd century.

During this time, the life of the World was controlled by One AI which was the confluence of the then three religion that was in practice which includes Islam, Christianity and Hinduism.

You would feel as if you have been watching a Sci-Fi Hollywood movie. The sinners were categorized and they were controlled by Silver Chip being infused in their body which ran CROSP that had all the details stored which included the criminal activities of the citizen.

The story revolves around Akbar, Meera, before shifting to Azad, Aasma and Mary. What do they go through has been beautifully captured in this gripping novel which would keep you guessing till the end. The evolution of human life and how it gets integrated into technology in the future has been portrayed in minute detail in this novel.

If you are a seeker of change in the style/theme on a story/novel, this is something you shouldn't be missing. Go and grab the book today. 

This book is available on Amazon

Book Review - KA.E.RO.U : Time To Go Home

Title - KA.E.RO.U : Time To Go Home

Author - B.Jeanne Shibahara

Genre - Fiction

Publisher - B.Jeanne Shibahara

ISBN - 978-9388712637

I was fascinated by this story. This is not the usual novel which you would have read earlier. The novel is a classic example of how the life of a Japanese would be as it takes you into their world through the author. Jeanne had written it brilliantly well that the novel would give you the feel that as if you are reading a poem.

The novel has already received some great reviews from the eminent which stands as a testimony to the message that the author was aiming to put it across to us.

The novel has few characters which predominantly occupies most of the bit which includes Meryl, a Vietnam War widow, Byron(Meryl's son), Greg, Kimi, Byron(Louis Cunningham's grandson), Freckles(Doberman), Elliott, Darryl, Jo, Fiona, Ono to name among the characters that plays a vital part in their roles.

The narrative was brilliant as it isn't the usual one being done by the authors from the US,UK,India or otherwise. Some of them did not fail to capture my attention which includes:

"Religion was for full bellies.

Happiness was only possible without hunger"

How true those words were.

What was also appealing was the usage of few extracts from popular poems in some of the chapter(you could find this on the top).

While I was pondering about what the cover pic was trying to portray, I understood the real meaning only after I finished reading the novel and came to know that this was done by an award winning Osaka based artist, Shinko Yamaguchi.

The story speaks about Love, Motherly Affection, Expectations, Disappointments, Pain and Ache which the war widows go through in their life in a very subtle manner.

I must also mention that I had learnt few Japanese words after reading this novel which includes 

Kouichiro where Kou stands for "success in any endeavor" and Ichiro means "First Son"

bu-un-chou-kyuu where Bu means "Strength during battle", Un is "fortunate fate", Chou & Kyuu means "Long Time"

"Tennouheika Banzai" which means "Hooray Emperor" or during the Japanese Imperialism, it meant "I give my life to the Emperor" or "Sons of the Emperor"

A beautiful novel and those who seek something different - be it with genre or writing style, I would certainly recommend this.

This book is available on Amazon in both Paperback and eBook formats.

Book Review - Aranghya & Jahar : Bandahar Series - I

Title - Aranghya & Jahar : Bandahar Series - I

Author - Vidhya Iyer

Genre - Fiction

Publisher - Amazon Kindle KDP

ASIN - B07M6GG7GX

This is a novel which is set amidst the Bandahar's empire which was ruled by King Mithilesh. This empire was surrounded by few other smaller kingdoms like Dwadesh, Prathamesh, Aranghya, Jahar, Hirankund to name a few. 

As was the case that existed in the past, there were treachery, betrayal and jealousy that has been knitted in this story in a right proportion. 

Though the Emperor was strong and caring for the public and was blessed with a beautiful daughter Binodhini, he was cursed by a powerful sage because of which his health starts deteriorating. On the other hand, Dwadesh gets to face the wrath of the nature.  

The charming Prince of Dwadesh, Prince Vikrant takes part in the contest announced by King Mithilesh and tames a tiger. He immediately gets noticed by Princess Binodhini. On the other hand, Ishanya, daughter of Sage Aranyawat attracts the Prince. 

While King Mithilesh had different plans for her daughter, things take a different turn. Ishanya gets kidnapped and was taken to a far off place. She faces a life threatening incident.

Who did this?

What happened to her?

Where did the Prince go?

What happens to his Kingdom?

These are some of the questions which would keep readers like you intrigued till the end and just then when you think that the story sees its end, you would be delighted to know that the end wasn't the end actually but was the beginning of next chapter(Series II). Go ahead with this book. I am sure you would surely love it, especially if you love fantasy.

There are few things I would like to highlight in this novel.

1) A fictional tale which would take you back to the age of Emperors.

2) Despite of going back to the past, you would never feel even an inch of boredom.

3) Get to know about how the rulers ruled their nation and treated their subjects.

4) The writing style. It was unique and author has taken meticulous measure in describing each and every event in great detail.

5) Handling the subjects - a good applause needs to be given because it would make you feel as if you were there or you were the character.

6) Characterization and Picturization were done in an effective way which would make you feel as if you were watching a movie.

7) This is only the first part and hence the readers can rejoice since the second part is on its way.

This novel is available on Amazon