Book Review - iKrshna

Title - iKrshna

Author - Anand Kadakol

Genre - Hinduism

Publisher - Notion Press

ASIN - B07W685MRD

There are hundreds and thousands of books out there which talks about Lord Krishna and his role in Mahabharata in detail. I have read few of them myself and have dwelled in the contents deeply. Each one of them had never failed to fascinate me. As an avid book reader, I was always in search of the book which gives a different dimension to the story.

While no one can deny that history cannot be changed, what could be done is to have a differential approach to the same. While some say the story, itself is a myth and for an atheist, this is totally irrelevant, I am not going into those discussions because I believe in GOD and I believe it firmly. 

When I saw this title, I was intrigued about the uniqueness of the title. I knew that there is something different about this book. I was not wrong. As soon as I read the introduction/preface, I was thoroughly convinced that I am set to begin a different and fascinating journey altogether. The uniqueness of the approach to the story, moved me a lot.

The story does not glorify Krshna portraying him as a Super-Being but as a human being who had a destiny and a calling to respond to, who performed some extra ordinary acts through his wit, presence of mind coupled with the skills he  learnt and mastered through his sheer grit and dedication. He was trained by eminent in the respective fields and He along with his elder brother Balram had mastered lot of skills in the field of Archery, Wrestling, diplomacy among others.

The book covers all the aspects of Krshna, the Protagonist covering his life from his Birth till His end narrated in his own words.

The beginning of the book surprised me. I haven't seen this kind of beginning in a story, it is very unique and it hits you from the first page. This makes the book, a real interesting read because not many have undertaken such an approach. The way the characters were portrayed, the scenes were explained coupled with expressions and emotions made me feel that there wouldn’t be a much effective/better way to bring out a story than this. Kudos to the author for the great attempt which has left me with no appropriate words to praise.

The happenings and events in the book transport you to the scene. It feels as if you are part of the event and it is happening all around you, the narration is very visual.

I am not going into the story or the content here as we all knew about the epic since we been told about this over a period of time on various forms – be it in books or through audio/video visuals. The book surely gives a different dimension to the story as it talks about the epic in a believable way. It made me to deeply ponder over the thought that if it had been done centuries ago, this probably would have reached much more people than it intended to be….

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

Book Review - Chats With God In Underwear

Title - Chats With God In Underwear

Author - Eduardo Chapunoff

Publisher - Independent / Amazon KDP

Genre - Horror

ISBN - 978-109097-9988

ASIN - B07RD8Q4YM

There are lot of spiritual books out there which talks about the respective religion, based on which the book was released. They were usually written in order to glorify them which isn't the point of contention here. The present world is witnessing some turbulence times wherein each and every religion tries to stamp their supremacy over the others. It was not done by those who practices it,in large (read it as general public) but by a very few who has not so good intentions and does it in order to gain attention, supremacy and financial gains.

Please note that what I have mentioned above were my personal observations and not that of the author. The reason why I spoke about them is because author through his book has tried to talk about some of the pointers which may prove to be controversial. I need to also mention at this juncture that author has not taken any sides nor does he try to demean any religion/belief.

Reading a book like this is one of my dreams and it came true,finally. Through this book, author brings GOD Himself to the Earth who comes disguised in the form of a human being. The introduction scene was nothing less than an ordinary one. He gets to meet John,a psychologist who himself was facing lot of psychological problems in his personal life through troubled marriages.  How GOD helps him on various occasion is certainly worth your time and read.

The role of GOD playing an active role has been described beautifully which includes:

1. Taming a horse

2. Doing acrobatics in the sky

3. Trying his strength in the gym

4. Face-off with the criminals

5. Playing Chopin's Fantasie Impromptu OP.66 Number 4

6. Dancing a tango

(Do note that these events do not occur in the same order as mentioned above)

While the above creates a different experience altogether wherein you get to travel with the GOD himself, the real specialty of the book happens where John sets up a meeting of Rogelio(The GOD) with the people hailing from different religion/beliefs.

GOD meets the following personnel:

a. Father Francisco(a Catholic Priest)

b. Rabbi Isaac

c. Evangelist Pastor Dr Williams

d. Agnostic Dr Terrin

e. Islamic Dr Hussein and

f. Budhist Dr Chang

The questions he puts forth to each of them makes this book, a real special one. I am not going in detail with each of the question but would like to highlight some of them which caught my attention.

GOD himself gives a disclaimer in the beginning that some of his questions would be controversial.

To Father Francisco:

Q. Why do religious persons trust the Bible so much?

Q. Not all Christians have similar ideas or thoughts  about the Bible,isn't it true?

Q. Don't you believe it is unreasonable to punish all humanity for thousands of years simply because a fellow named Adam decided to eat a prohibited fruit?

To Rabbi Isaac:

Q. What would mankind do, if GOD didn't exist?

Q. What are you so convinced that GOD exists?

Q. Do you believe GOD protects those who are good and punishes those who are bad?

Q. Is everything you read in the Bible, True?

Q. Some biblical studies question the existence of Abraham, Moses and other Prophets

Q. What is the meaning and reason of religious rituals?

To Dr.Terrin:

Q. It's been speculated that certain facts described in the Holy scriptures may have never occurred. 

Q. For many people, the search of GOD is hard labour

Q. What do you think about individuals who accept the existence of GOD but do not believe in any religion?

Q. If you thought, even for a moment, that GOD exists, what would you think about His character and the way he performs?

To Pastor Williams:

Q. Can you tell us why so many people don't believe in GOD?

Q. There are those who question Jesus resurrection. Did you have any doubts about this?

To Dr.Hussein:

Q. I understand Islam allows men to have up to four wives, but no woman is allowed to have more than one husband.

Q. What about "Jihad"?. Can you tell us what it means?

Q. Can you elaborate on the similarities of Islam and Christianity?

Q. What does Islam believe will happen, after death?

Q. According to Islamic Eschatology,what Jews,Christians, Buddhists and other religion can expect after death?

To Dr.Chang:

Q. Can you tell us a little more about the non-violence principles of Buddhism?

Q. How do Buddhists perceive emotional dysfunctions?

The answers given to all the questions mentioned above were so good and convincing. 

You may belong to any religion or culture.

You may not believe in GOD at all.

This book would get you the answers for most of the questions which were either unanswered or there wasn't a clarity in the answers you have heard/read earlier. Read it to find more. To me, this book is more or less an ENLIGHTENMENT!!!

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

Book Review - A Sustainable World Is Achievable

Title - A Sustainable World Is Achievable
Author - Viswanatha Reddy Thalakola
Genre - Business & Economics
Publisher - Amazon Kindle
ASIN - B07Z9W3HJ5

A real good attempt by the author. Having read his first book, when I saw this listed on Amazon, I did not think twice to go for it. What is special about this book?

Many sustainable development experts have written about topics found in the book

in isolation, but this book brings it all together in one place and therefore makes it a compelling read.I liked the simplicity of the language which is easy to understand apart from the pictures used in various chapters, adds the appealing quotient to the book.

The book is divided into 8 chapters which includes:

1. Right Education System - In this chapter, the author talks about how to go about making the education system better. Besides the regular education we receive that will help us get a job, he mentions that sustainable living skills, character education and life skills need to be taught in the education system..

2. Right Food System -  In this chapter, the author says that plant based diet is the only way forward for humanity. People can still eat 3 or 4 meals with meat though. He says that farmers should limit the use of agri-chemicals and do crop rotation. He wants the food companies to use  biodegradable packaging materials. He urges restaurants to serve home style food rather than junk food. Finally, he argues for abandoning cruel livestock farming practices.

3. Right Housing System - Housing is a worldwide issue. The author asks humanity to re imagine affordable housing as requirement for everyone.  He says that government and property builders need to work together and come up with solutions to meet the housing requirements of the local population.

4. Right Waste Management System - Waste Management is a global problem. The author suggests the best waste management system is one that reduces the production of waste and also educates all citizens to separate different kinds of waste at home itself and dispose properly.

5. Right Transportation System -  In this chapter, the author suggests that we should use more electric vehicles, do more car pooling and build public transportation like trams, metros,etc.

6. Right Water Conservation System -  This chapter talks in detail about the various ways of conserving water by individuals, farmers and industries.

7. Right Healthcare System -  In this chapter, the author talks about doctors embracing the right way of treating patients and much more.

  

8. Right Leadership Training System - This chapter talks about creating leaders in the field of education, food industry, housing, transportation, waste management, water conservation and healthcare. The author says that these newly minted leaders hold the key to developing a sustainable world.

Some of the information that was shared in the end of each chapter in the form of snippets were completely unheard of. This book can be used as a reference where ever required or can be made as a part of the syllabus in the school since the information that is shared in this book, if implemented across every sector, would surely lead to a Utopian Economy. 

This book is available on Amazon as eBook.

ABP News Exit Poll Data predicts thumping wins for NDA in Maharashtra Elections and the BJP in Haryana

ABP News Exit Poll Data predicts thumping wins for NDA in Maharashtra Elections and the BJP in Haryana

·         Early trends indicate NDA leads with 210 out of 288 seats in Maharashtra

·         In Haryana, BJP ahead with 70 out of 90 seats

ABP News today announced its findings of the Exit Poll available till 5:00 pm in the Maharashtra and Haryana State Elections 2019. In Maharashtra, the NDA seat share was 210 while the UPA was lagging far behind with 63 and the other parties at 15, out of the total 288 seats. In Haryana, the BJP was leading with 70, the INC 8 and others at 12 seats out of the 90 seats.

In Maharashtra, the vote share stood at 45.3% for the NDA, 35.6% UPA and the others - 19.2%. In Haryana, the BJP vote share was 42.4%, INC 26%, JJP 19% and others 12.6%. Conducted by ABP-CVoter, the Exit Polls offer viewers insights into the likely winning party among the BJP-led NDA versus the Congress and an array of Opposition parties.

Exit Polls Substantiate Earlier Poll Findings

An ABP-CVoter opinion poll conducted days earlier had predicted a thumping win for the BJP under its CM Manohar Lal Khattar, winning 83 seats in the 90-member Assembly. In Maharashtra, the ABP-CVoter survey revealed a comfortable win and a second term for the BJP-Sena combine under CM Devendra Fadnavis despite an anti-incumbency trend. The BJP-Sena were predicted to bag between 182 and 206 seats while the Congress-NCP alliance was only expected to win between 72 and 98 seats, as per the opinion poll conducted earlier.

About ANN

ABP News Network Pvt Ltd (ANN) is a News Media company with its presence in the Television and Digital Media in multiple Indian Languages, with a prominent footprint in India and abroad. ANN is a group company of ABP, which was incorporated almost 90 years ago and continues to be one of the largest Indian Media Conglomerates.

ANN also has a considerable presence on digital platforms with news websites in Hindi, Marathi, Bangla, Gujarati and Punjabi, besides platforms about Cricket and Bollywood.

ABP News opinion poll survey 2019: NDA takes the lead in Haryana and Maharashtra

Votes Manohar Lal Khattar and Devendra Fadnavis as popular CM candidates ahead of Assembly Election 2019

Laying the ground work for the impending Assembly Elections, ABP News announces the findings of the opinion poll, ahead of the State Elections 2019 in Maharashtra and Haryana. As per the latest findings, NDA takes the lead in vote shares with 47%, followed by UPA with 38.5% in Maharashtra. Likewise, NDA is closest to majority vote shares with 48% followed by others in Haryana. Talking of seat share, NDA registered a clean sweep in Maharashtra with 194 seats and 83 in Haryana.

The survey conducted by Centre for Voting Opinion & Trends in Election Research Cvoter, is aimed at keeping our viewers aware of the ground realities at this critical juncture.    

The report further highlights other key issues daunting the masses in the two states that warrant immediate addressal by the new government. As per the report, 28 per cent people in Haryana and 23.1 per cent people in Maharashtra voted local employment and business profitability as a major issue in the states ahead of elections. Voting for the most popular CM candidate in Haryana, Manohar Lal Khattar takes the lead with a whopping 40.3 per cent, while Devendra Fadnavis emerged as a front-runner with 34.7 per cent in Maharashtra. 

The report also suggests that BJP’s active redressals of local issues pertaining to gas connection, kisaan yojana, local employment worked in favour of the party in Maharashtra. Bringing to the fore the issues of Haryana, the report underscored the internal conflicts within parties in the opposition as a major reason supporting BJPs lead in the region.  

Sharing the survey methodology and survey details, the sirvey reached out to a total of approximately 30,000 people, combining both the states. Current projections are based on CVoter daily tracking poll conducted during last seven days on rolling basis among 18+ adults statewide, including likely voters. The data is weighted to the known demographic profile of the States. Final data has Socio-Economic profile within +/-  1% of the Demographic profile of the State. This provides the closest possible trends. The Tracking Poll Fieldwork covers random probability samples during the last 7 days from the release date. The sample spread is across all Assembly segments in the poll bound states. Margin of Error (MoE) is +/- 3% at macro level and +/- 5% at micro level with 95% Confidence interval.

About ABP News Network

As a News Media company, ABP News Network Pvt Ltd (ANN) has its presence in Television and Digital Media in multiple Indian languages and prominent footprints in India and abroad. ANN’s core purpose is to create an Informed and Happy Society. ANN is a group company of ABP, which was incorporated nearly 90 years ago and continues being one of India’s largest media conglomerates.

Perfect Waterproof Laptop Cover

Rainy season has arrived. It is time to protect our gadgets. While most of the mobile phones are either IP67 or IP68 rated, when it comes to laptop, it is a pain to keep them safe from rains(read as water). Though we keep them in a bag which is water proof, we still feel that it may not be good enough to protect our gadget.

When I saw this Waterproof Laptop Cover, I decided to go for it immediately. I am completely satisfied with 

1. Quality of the product 

2. Product itself

The material is of high quality and is scratch proof. Secondly, it is a perfect fit for my 15.6” laptop. Using it is simple. Open the zip on the top. Push your laptop inside, gently. Seal the cover.

Infact, when I took it outside, it suddenly started raining. Though I was bit worried initially, I found that not even a single drop of water has penetrated inside the cover.

A value for money product.

టిక్‌‌టాక్: ప్రతిఒక్కరిలోని సృజనను వెలికి తీస్తుంది

ఈ సంవత్సర ఆరంభంలో, ప్రపంచ సుప్రసిద్ధ క్లుప్త-రూప వీడియోల వేదిక టిక్‌టాక్, దేశ వ్యాప్తంగా 500 మంది కంటెంట్క్రియేటర్లు మరియు ప్రభావశీలురిని తమ క్రియేటర్స్ ల్యాబ్ వద్ద ఒక వేదికపైకి చేర్చింది. అర్ధవంతమైన కంటెంట్ ద్వారాభారతదేశపు సృజన-ఆధారిత ఆర్ధిక వ్యవస్థకు ఊతమందించడానికి టిక్‌‌టాక్  యొక్క నిబద్ధతను ప్రత్యేకంగాతెలియజెప్పటమే ఈ కార్యక్రమం వెనుక ఉన్న ఆలోచన.

ఈ ఏడాది ఆరంభం నుండి,   దేశవ్యాప్తంగా, ప్రత్యేకించి తమిళనాడు, కర్ణాటక, తెలంగాణ, మహారాష్ట్ర, గుజరాత్మరియు ఢిల్లీ నుండి వినూత్నమైన, కట్టిపడేసే అంశాలతో సభ్యులుగా చేరుతున్న వారితో టిక్‌‌టాక్ సమాజంలో చేరేవారిసంఖ్య పెరిగింది. భారతదేశపు చిన్న పట్టణాల నుండి దీనిలో చేరే వారి సంఖ్య నానాటికీ అధికమవుతుండగా, విశ్వవేదికపై తమ సృజనానైపుణ్యాలను ప్రదర్శించడానికి తమ వేదికను ఉపయోగించుకోవడానికి క్రొత్త క్రియేటర్లను టిక్‌టాక్స్వాగతిస్తుంది.

సులభంగా ఉపయోగించగలిగే ఇంటర్ఫేస్ మరియు కంటెంట్‌‌కు స్థానికీకృతం చేయబడిన విధానమేటిక్‌‌టాక్ యొక్కప్రధాన అంశాలలో ఒకటి విశ్వసనీయమైన ఫిల్టర్లు మరియు తగిన సౌండ్ ట్రాక్‌‌లు, థీం‌‌లు మరియు సౌండ్ ఎఫెక్టులతోదీని మేళవింపు ఒక చూడచక్కటి వీడియోను తయారుచేయగలిగేటట్లుగా యూజర్‌‌కు తోడ్పాటునిస్తుంది. ప్రత్యేక కంటెంట్ద్వారా, అనేకమంది వారి స్వంత శైలిలో ప్రసిద్ధికెక్కే అవకాశాన్ని పొందగలిగారు. కంటెంట్ ద్వారా డిజిటల్ భారతీయులనుసంధానపరచి సహకారమందిస్తూ, భారతదేశపు వృద్ధిచెందుతున్న సృజన ఆధారిత అర్ధిక వ్యవస్థకు సానుకూలతోడ్పాటును అందించాలని టిక్‌టాక్భావిస్తుంది.

టిక్‌‌టాక్ కు కృతజ్ఞతలు, దీనిద్వారా ఎంతోమంది ఇంటర్నెట్‌‌లో అబ్బురపరిచారు. అటువంటి వారిలో ఒకరు పంజాబ్‌‌లోనిరోపేర్ జిల్లాకు చెందిన కిరాత్‌‌పూర్‌‌లోని ఒక నిమ్మసోడా విక్రయదారుడైన కబ్రాతా. కబ్రాతా గత ఐదు సంవత్సరాలుగానిమ్మసోడాను విక్రయిస్తున్నారు. ఇతడు ఒకసారికి ఒక్క గ్లాసు సోడాచే ప్రజల దాహార్తిని తీరుస్తున్నారు, అయితే తనకస్టమర్లకు తను దానిని అందించే విశిష్టమైన విధానమే  టిక్‌‌టాక్‌‌లో అతడు ప్రసిద్ధి కావడానికి కారణం. తనకు వచ్చినఖ్యాతి మోనికర్ సోడాబాయ్‌‌కు కూడా కారణమైంది. 

 తను నిమ్మసోడాను సిద్ధం చేసేటప్పుడు “ఒక్కసారి త్రాగితే మళ్ళీ మళ్ళీ కావాలని అడుగుతారు” అని చెప్తూ ఉంటాడు. తన విశిష్ట శైలి ఒక హాష్‌‌ట్యాగ్, #Gaspuri ను సైతం ఏర్పాటుచేసింది, దీనిని కబ్రాతా తన నిమ్మసోడాను గురించివివరించడానికి ఉపయోగించే పదంగా కూడా ప్రాచుర్యం పొందింది. అతడి ఖ్యాతి పెరిగి ఈ రోజు అనతి కాలంలోనే #gaspuri కు టిక్‌‌‌‌టాక్‌‌పై 671.9 మిలియన్ల వ్యూలు వచ్చాయి!

ఈ సంవత్సరం ఇంతకుముందు భారత రాష్ట్రమైన కేరళలో, 85-సంవత్సరాల వృద్ధురాలైన మేరీ జోసెఫ్ మాంపిల్లీ 6వ 1 మిలియన్ ఆడిషన్ యొక్క 1M వైన్స్ మళయాళం ఆడిషన్‌‌ను గెలుచుకుంది. తన మనవడిచే సబ్మిట్ చేయబడినటిక్‌‌టాక్ఎంట్రీలచే, జిన్సన్ అనేకమంది హృదయాలను గెలుచుకుని ప్రసిద్ధికెక్కగా తన నటనలో తన జీవితాన్ని ఘనంగాప్రారంభించడానికి వారు సహాయం చేసారు. ఈ ఎనభయ్యేళ్ళ పైబడిన వయసు కల మహిళ రెండు అత్యంత అధికమైనఅంచనాలు కల మళయాళ చిత్రాల్లో కనిపించనుంది. వీటిలో ఒకదానిలో సుప్రసిద్ధ మళయాళ నటుడు జయరాంకనిపించనుండటం విశేషం.

భారతదేశం నుండి అనేకమంది టిక్‌‌టాక్లో సభ్యులుగ చేరుతుండటంతో, ఆనందాన్ని సృష్టిస్తూ ప్రజల ముఖాలలోచిరునవ్వులు కలిగించే యూజర్లను కలిగి ఉండే ఒక సృజనశీల సమాజాన్ని నిర్మించే తన దృక్పధాన్ని నెరవేర్చుకోవాలనిసంస్థ ఆశిస్తుంది. ఇది టిక్‌‌టాక్ ను ఇటు గూగుల్ ప్లే స్టోర్లోనూ అటు ఆపిల్ స్టోర్లోను అత్యధికంగా డౌన్లోడ్ చేయబడినమొబైల్ యాప్‌‌గా పేరుపొందటానికి కూడా కారణమైంది.

తన అత్యంత ఇటీవలి కార్యక్రమమైన #MyTikTokStory కు ఒక స్నీక్ పీక్‌‌ను అందించడం ద్వారా టిక్‌‌‌‌‌టాక్ భారతదేశపుసంస్కృతి మరియు సృజనశీలత పట్ల తనకున్న నిబద్ధతను పునరుద్ఘాటించింది. ఈ ప్రచార కార్యక్రమం భారతీయులనుడు-ఇట్-యువర్‌‌సెల్ఫ్ (డీఐవై) , వంట, నృత్యం, గానం, పాటరీ లేదా మరేవైనా కళల ద్వారా తమ వ్యక్తిగత ఆశయాలుమరియు గుర్తింపును ప్రతిబింబించే విధంగా 15-సెకన్ల నిడివి కల వీడియోలను తయారుచేయాల్సిందిగా ప్రోత్సహిస్తుంది.