The Lost Flamingoes of Bombay by Siddharth Shanghvi

Acerbic and elegiac by turns, and potent in its portrayal of Bombay in all its allure and menace The Lost Flamingoes of Bombay confirms Shanghvi’s prodigious skill and range as a storyteller. The Lost Flamingoes of Bombay is as much a razor-sharp depiction of contemporary urban society and its obscene obsession with celebrity and sensation as it is an affecting tale about love’s betrayals and the redemptive powers of friendship.

As for the story, Karan Seth, star photographer at The India Chronicle, is in Bombay on a private mission: to immortalize the city in a unique photo-record of its hidden faces. In the pursuit of his ambitious dream, Karan finds unlikely allies: Rhea Dalal, whose seductive melancholy born of unfulfilled dreams and a childless marriage draws Karan into a tender but twisted affair; Zaira, whose shy elegance belies her status as the ravishing star of Bombay’s silver screen and Samar Arora, the eccentric pianist who inexplicably spurned limelight at the peak of his career. Then tragedy strikes, unexpected and gruesome, tearing the four lives apart. As a murky murder trial ensues, peeling the layers off the vibrant, pulsating city, Karan is exposed to a Fitzgeraldian world of sex, crime and politics. Utterly disenchanted, his life shorn of love, he abandons his twin passions—the camera and Bombay—and heads to England in search of restitution and normalcy. Yet, like the flamingoes of Sewri, who unfailingly give in to the strange, haunting pull of the great metropolis, almost in defiance of the travails it brings them, Karan too knows that he must return to his old loves .

Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer

Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer continues the saga of Edward, the vampire, and Bella, his mortal lover (and the narrator of this story). Readers captivated by Twilight and New Moon will eagerly devour Eclipse, the much anticipated third book in Stephenie Meyer's riveting vampire love saga. As Seattle is ravaged by a string of mysterious killings and a malicious vampire continues her quest for revenge, Bella once again finds herself surrounded by danger. In the midst of it all, she is forced to choose between her love for Edward and her friendship with Jacob --- knowing that her decision has the potential to ignite the ageless struggle between vampire and werewolf. Werewolves and vampires are ancient enemies but since Edward’s family came into existence, an uneasy truce has taken place. Edward’s family are the “vegetarians” of vampire world, feeding off of animals instead of humans. The truce remains in place unless the vampires “turn” a local which is the plan with Bella. With her graduation quickly approaching, Bella has one more decision to make: life or death.

You Are Here by Meenakshi Reddy Madhavan

You Are Here by Meenakshi Reddy Madhavan is about Arshi, a twenty five year old working in a PR agency in Delhi. A broken family, a dragon lady as a boss, a boyfriend who blows hot or cold based on unexplainable factors, a room-mate who is unsure of her dreams are the people Arshi deals with. Her head spinning wildly with the sheer gravity of her life`s quandaries, Arshi realizes what she needs most now (besides a barrelful of alcohol and some serious postcoital cuddling) are just a few epiphanies of the right kind . . . The narrative is stream of consciousness and is used pretty well. It is also slice of life and deals with a particular phase in Arshi’s life – her break up with her cheating boyfriend, her total frustration with her job and her coming to grips with her new beau’s boorish behavior. And therefore there is no real development of character or plot. The plot, if there is one. is simplistic and does not have any real meat. However, Meenakshi uses humour pretty well, and several passages will have you smiling. Her use of language is pretty good.

What to Expect When You're Expecting by Arlene Einsberg

'What to Expect When You're Expecting' by Arlene Einsberg is a pregnancy bible. Now with over 9 million copies in print, it features an easy-to-follow month-by-month format, this indispensable book reassuringly leads readers through a wealth of information. It includes a step-by-step guide through labor and delivery, postpartum care, and breastfeeding, a full section just for fathers-to-be, and a 24-page "Pregnancy Notes" insert for keeping detailed records of prenatal test results, weight gain, doctorIs visits, observations, and more.

It has every detail of what parents need to know about choosing a caregiver, prenatal diagnosis, exercise, childbirth options... With each new print What to Expect When You're Expecting incorporates the most recent developments in medical science. It provides expectant parents with a wealth of information on month-by-month development which includes preparing for labor and delivery, breastfeeding and bonding afterward, an expanded chapter for fathers and a completely new look at the Best-Odds diet, which is better suited to the needs of busier women with less time.

Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom’s experience

Tuesdays with Morrie is a biography about journalist Mitch Albom’s experience interviewing his professor from 20 years earlier over a period of 14 weeks. The 14 Tuesday meetings between Mitch Albom and Morrie Shwartz are Morrie’s last as he continues his fight against ALS. Morrie shares his insights into living meaningful life, and brings dignity to the process of dying, which afflicted him, and afflicts many with great suffering, but also brings great learning at the last of life.

Morrie’s insights (those in quotes) and insight about Morrie (by Mitch Albom, not in quotes) are worth repeating and useful for improving quality of life and life philosophy:

“The culture we have does not make people feel good about themselves. And you have to be strong enough to say if the culture doesn’t work, don’t buy it.”

He had created a cocoon of human activities- conversation, interaction, affection- and it filled his life like an overflowing soup bowl.

“Now that I’m suffering, I feel closer to people who suffer than I ever did before... I’m almost...drawn to them.”

“A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.” -Henry Adams

“Everyone knows they’re going to die, but nobody believes it. If we did, we would do things differently... But there’s a better approach. To know you’re going to die, and to be prepared for it at any time. That’s better. That way you can actually be more involved in your life while you’re living... Do what the Buddhists do. Every day, have a little bird on your shoulder that asks, “Is today the day? Am I ready? Am I doing all I need to do? Am I being the person I want to be?’ “

“We are too involved in materialistic things, and they don’t satisfy us. The loving relationships we have, the universe around us, we take these things for granted.”

“Listen. You should know something. All younger people should know something. If you’re always battling against getting older, you’re always going to be unhappy, because it will happen anyhow.”

“So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep, even when they’re busy doing things they think are important. This is because they’re chasing the wrong things. The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning.”

Books by Anant Pai

Anant Pai, often affectionately called Uncle Pai, is generally considered to be the father of Indian comics. Though he studied chemistry, physics and chemical technology, his passion was comics. He started a career in editing and publishing, finally becoming a junior executive in the Times of India Books Division. There he was at the cradle of Indian comics with the creation of 'Indrajal'. In 1967, the educational comics series Amar Chitra Katha (Immortal Picture Stories) was launched. In 1969, Anant Pai founded Rang Rekha Features, India's first comic and cartoon syndicate, and started the children's magazine Tinkle in 1980.

Each of the comics in the Amar Chitra Katha series was devoted to a person or event in Indian history, religion and mythology. Anant Pai conceptualized of all of these, and wrote the scenarios for most of them. The art was done by artists like Ram Waeerkar, Dilip Kadam, Pratap Mulick, Souren Roy, Jeffrey Fowler, H. S. Chavan, Madhu Powle and Chandrakant D. Rane. The books continue to be an international success.

The Road Less travelled by Scott Peck

Dr.M.Scott Peck revolutionized the way we live our lives with his famous starting line "Life is difficult" and it is no less true today than when it was written twenty years ago. By melding love, science, and religion into a primer on personal growth, M. Scott Peck launched his highly successful writing and lecturing career with this book. Even to this day, Peck remains at the forefront of spiritual psychology as a result of The Road Less Traveled.

In this guide to confronting and resolving our problems - and suffering through the changes - we learn that we can reach a higher level of self-knowledge. Written in a voice that is timeless in its massage of love and understanding, The Road Less Travelled can help us learn the very nature of loving relationships: how to recognize true compatibility; how to distinguish dependency from love; how to become one's own person; how to be a more sensitive parent. The Road Less Travelled, a national bestseller for twenty years, will show you how to embrace reality and achieve serenity and fullness in your life. In this brilliant, groundbreaking book, traditional psychological thought and spirituality are challenged and a new understanding is brought into everyday life.

The monk who sold his Ferrari by Robin Sharma

The monk who sold his Ferrari by Robin Sharma lists a step-by-step approach to living with greater courage, balance, abundance, and joy. A wonderfully crafted fable, The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari tells the extraordinary story of Julian Mantle, a lawyer forced to confront the spiritual crisis of his out-of-balance life. On a life-changing odyssey to an ancient culture, he discovers powerful, wise, and practical lessons that teach us to, Develop joyful thoughts, Follow our life's mission and calling, Cultivate self-discipline and act courageously, Value time as our most important commodity and last but not the least Nourish our relationships, and – live fully, one day at a time.

This inspiring tale by Robin Sharma provides the wisdom needed to Create a Life of Passion, Purpose, and Peace

Stay Hungry Stay Foolish by Rashmi Bansal

Stay Hungry-Stay Foolish by Rashmi Bansal is about the entrepreneurial experience of 25 entrepreneurs from IIM Ahmedabad the top management institute in India and yes has nothing to do with Steve Jobs. Stay Hungry-Stay Foolish comprises of the interviews by the author- Rashmi Bansal, an IIMA graduate herself as well as a successful entrepreneur. She is the founder,editor and publisher of a popular youth magazine called JAM -Just Another Magazine. Some of these entrepreneurs graduated way back in1970’s, but all had the same dream, faith and vision. Some were erratic, some were eccentric, some were adamant and none of them seemed to me the normal being that we seem to know of. Some quit their jobs as early as three months, some after six months and some after working for 26 years. Some worked for really big companies but they knew that meant to do something else.Some lived on their wife’s income for long times, some worked in a single room for months.But all these things did not stop them from doing "anything", they wanted. No wonder, only this level of faith in one’s own self brings in Naukri.com, Makemytrip.com, Subhiksha and a lot of such great creations. These are all creations indeed by these creators of Life and Vision.

For a good set of books to read, click here...

Life of Pi by Yann Martel

The Life of Pi by Yann Martel talks about the son of a zookeeper, 16-year-old Pi Patel raised in Pondicherry, India, where he tries on various faiths for size, attracting "religions the way a dog attracts fleas." Planning a move to Canada, his father packs up the family and their menagerie and they hitch a ride on an enormous freighter. After a harrowing shipwreck, Pi finds himself adrift in the Pacific Ocean, trapped on a 26-foot lifeboat with a wounded zebra, a spotted hyena, a seasick orangutan, and a 450-pound Bengal tiger named Richard Parker ("His head was the size and color of the lifebuoy, with teeth"). After much gore and infighting, Pi and Richard Parker remain the boat's sole passengers, drifting for 227 days through shark-infested waters while fighting hunger, the elements, and an overactive imagination. In rich, hallucinatory passages, Pi recounts the harrowing journey as the days blur together, elegantly cataloging the endless passage of time and his struggles to survive: "It is pointless to say that this or that night was the worst of my life. I have so many bad nights to choose from that I've made none the champion." Pi recounts, "My greatest wish--other than salvation--was to have a book. A long book with a never-ending story. One that I could read again and again, with new eyes and fresh understanding each time." It's safe to say that the fabulous, fable like Life of Pi is such a book.

Yann Martel's imaginative and unforgettable Life of Pi is a magical reading experience, an endless blue expanse of storytelling about adventure, survival, and ultimately, faith.

Shantaram by Gregory David Robert

The epic novel Shantaram follows Gregory's entrancing life in India, detailing his involvement with the mafia as a money launderer, forger and street soldier before being thrown in an Indian prison. The novel follows him to Afghanistan where he fought with the Mujahideen.

The groundbreaking novel 'Shantaram' spans the world between fact and fiction seamlessly. Gregory David Roberts, an armed robber and Heroin addict escaped from an Australian prison. He eventually fled to India, a country he fell in love with. He changed his name to Lin. Embracing the wonderful culture Robert's learned Hindi and Marathi, the majority of the latter was learned in a remote village. He returned to Mumbai and began living in a slum, establishing a free health clinic for the slum dwellers.

The novels writing style is clever and descriptive enough to immerse you in a story where you quickly move from adventure to adventure, top of the world to heartache. This novel which Robert's wrote 3 times due to it being repeatedly destroyed in prison is worth the wait. Not only is it an education about India and its culture, it shows the unseen Bombay underworld and takes you on a roller coaster ride of literary brilliance.

Lexus and the Olive Tree by Thomas Friedman

More...Lexus and the Olive Tree by Thomas Friedman it was a novel perspective on what was happening in globalization of trade, communications, entertainment, etc. Half of this new, post-Cold War world is intent on building a better Lexus, on streamlining their societies and economies for the global marketplace, while the other half is locked in elemental struggles over who owns which olive tree, which strip of land.

Friedman argues that the American model of capitalism is the ideal version. Government must play a minimal role. "No one is in charge" simply means no overseer to represent the community's interests. Labour unions are to be quelled. No favours are to be shown to any not meeting the new performance standards.

More...The key question, addressed by Thomas Friedman, is how best to retain national identity and control over our lives while still linking up to the soulless, faceless global institutions in order to survive economically

A Case Of Exploding Mangoes by Mohammed Hanif

A Case Of Exploding Mangoes, Mohammed hanif debut novel is Teasing, provocative, and funny. The novel imagines a connection between the still mysterious plane crash in which the then Pakistani dictator General Mohammad Zia-ul-Haq died and the events of 9/11. Intrigue and subterfuge combine with misstep and luck in this darkly comic book about love, betrayal, tyranny, family--and a world that unexpectedly resembles our own.

The story revolves around Ali Shigri a Pakistan Air Force pilot and Silent Drill Commander of Fury Squadron. His father, one of Zia's colonels, has committed suicide under suspicious circumstances. Ali is determined to understand who or what pushed his father to take such a drastic step and avenge his death. What he quickly discovers is a snarl of events: Americans in Pakistan, Soviets in Afghanistan, dollars in every hand. But Ali remains patient, determined, a touch world-weary, and unsurprised at finding Zia at every turn. He mounts an elaborate plot for revenge with an ever-changing crew that includes his silk underwear and cologne wearing roommate; a hash-smoking American lieutenant; the chief of Pakistan's secret police, who mistakenly believes he's in cahoots with the CIA; a blind woman imprisoned for fornication; Uncle Starchy, the squadron's laundryman; and, not least of all, a mango-besotted crow. General Zia a devout Muslim "and" leering admirer of non-Muslim cleavage--begins every day by asking his chief of security: "Who's trying to kill me?" and the answer lies in a conspiracy trying to happen . . .

A Case Of Exploding Mangoes, a novel of the first order, provocative, exuberant, wickedly clever and that reimagines the conspiracies and coincidences the above above event.

Data Structures and Software Development

Data structures is one of the core courses in most computer-science curricula. Such a course is usually taken by all majors since its contents are used in subsequent courses. The course deals with different data structures used in the programming environment, including their time and space analyses. However, in recent years, the course has evolved to provide students a introduction and good object-oriented programming background. The ACM/IEEE report recommends that one half of the software design—be covered in first year. The topics to be covered include fundamental design concepts and principles, object-oriented analysis and design, and design for reuse. Data Structures and Software Development by Jaun Paul Tremblay provides a strong introduction to these software design topics at the first- or second-year level.

The book approaches Data Structures from an object-oriented perspective and includes many of the recent software engineering techniques for an object-oriented development of a system. Most of the sample code is implemented in Java. Java an object-oriented language that includes interfaces, abstract classes, multiple interface inheritance, exception handling, automatic garbage collection, and GUI interfaces. In addition, it is extremely portable as it runs in a Web browser on almost every machine.

Fooled by Randomness by Nassim Nicholas Taleb

Nassim Nicholas Taleb in his book Fooled-by-Randomness takes a deeper look at financial luck. In this book Hedge fund manager Taleb (Dynamic Hedging) addresses the apparently irrational movement of money markets around the world. Using his own investing experience and examples of others' successes and disappointments, he discusses theories like Monte Carlo math (easy; considered cheating by purists) and the concept of Russian roulette. Taleb tells interesting, well-wrought stories about individual behavior: "While Nero has succeeded beyond his wildest dreams, both personally and intellectually, he is starting to consider himself as having missed a chance somewhere."

The primary conjecture of Fooled-by-Randomness is that human beings are psychologically prone to misinterpret random events. We need to explain things, whether it be in the social sciences, art and literature, or the natural sciences, so we find ways to explain them. Considering the infinite quantities of data at our disposal, no statistician denies that extremely powerful correlations will occur simply out of chance. Nassim's other famous book is the black swan.

Don't lose your mind lose your Weight

Don't lose your mind lose your Weight by Rujuta Diwekar packs its own punch. Page by page, chapter by chapter Rujuta explains how practically everything we have accepted as the gospel truth when it comes to dieting is wrong. Want to know how Kareena Kapoor managed to achieve the perfect figure? Let Rujuta Diwekar tell you how. "Rujuta has changed not just my body but my mind and soul. She is the best thing to have happened to my life." defines what Rujuta meant for Kareena kappor. A few snippets will put the point across

i. start with this simple thought:

"There is no such thing as going 'on or 'off' your diet. Eating correctly is a lifelong commitment, and the diet should be a reflection of this."

ii. She puts her point across in very simple and candid words.

"Where is the bravery in losing weight? People with diarrhoea lose weight. So do people with jaundice, malaria, TB, not to mention cancer and AIDS."

Or this:

"Why do we pay so little attention to our stomachs? Is it because it never attacks us?"

There is just enough 'technical stuff' - on carbs, proteins, vitamins and transfats - to make a serious point. But everything she advises is easy to understand and implement.

Jeffrey Archer

Jeffrey Archer son of a printer was born in London, brought up in Somerset, and educated at Wellington School, and Brasenose College, Oxford. Archer then served five years in Britain’s House of Commons, fourteen years in the House of Lords, and two in Her Majesty’s prisons, which spawned three volumes of highly acclaimed Prison Diaries.

Aged 34, determined to repay his creditors in full, he sat down to write his first novel Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less. Written at the home of his former Oxford Principal, it was taken up by the Literary Agent, Debbie Owen, and sold to 17 countries within a year.All of his novels and short story collections---including Kane and Abel, Sons of Fortune, and False Impression---have been international bestsellers.

Shiv Khera

Shiv Khera known for his trademarked motivational quote, "Winners don't do different things, they do things differently." is the founder of Qualified Learning Systems, USA. He is also a motivational speaker, author of self-help books, An educator, Business Consultant, and a much sought-after speaker. Shiv Khera began delivering motivational lectures, and built a successful business around motivational speaking, which he later incorporated as Qualified Learning Systems.

Khera has taken his dynamic personal message across the globe, from the U.S. to Singapore. His 25 years of research, understanding and experience has helped people on the path of personal growth and fulfillment. He has also joined a political party as National President in India and intends to contest the upcoming elections in Delhi.

Tata McGraw-Hill

Tata McGraw-Hill Publishing Company (TMH) is the Indian subsidiary of The McGraw-Hill Companies. Established in 1970, McGraw-Hill Education (India) is the market leader in educational books covering various subjects and areas of interest. The core activities of TMH are the publishing, reprinting, and marketing of McGraw-Hill books. It is one of the market leaders of India's publishing industry.

The McGraw-Hill Companies United States traces its history back to 1888 when James H. McGraw, co-founder of the company, purchased the American Journal of Railway Appliances. He continued to add further publications, eventually establishing The McGraw Publishing company.

Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne

Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne is about an eccentric Englishman named Phileas Fogg who makes a twenty thousand pound bet with five of his rich country club friends to travel around the world in eighty days with his trusty servant Passepartout a Frenchman.

Along the way they have to overcome many obstacles. Fogg spends most of his fortune overcoming these obstacles and if they don't win the bet he will be ruined. There are some things however that even money can't overcome and several times Fogg is faced with a moral decision that if he pursues the right thing to do will significantly set him back on time. There is also another subplot involving a bank robbery in England where fifty five thousand pounds have been stolen, and Fogg is considered to be the main suspect. A detective Fix is assigned to follow Fogg and to arrest him once he sets foot on English territory. The

Their travels take them through England, Paris, the Suez Canal, Egypt, India, Hong Kong, Japan, America, and Ireland. In India they rescue a princess who stays on with them throughout the rest of their journey and a love interest grows between her and Fogg. Ending of Around the World in Eighty Days is a very unexpected one. Read this book and find out!

Other books by Jules Verne are

* Journey to the center of the Earth

* 20000 leagues under the sea

* From the Earth to the Moon

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte's

Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte's only novel, is one of the pinnacles of 19th century English literature. It's the story of Heath Cliff, an orphan who falls in love with a girl above his class, loses her, and devotes the rest of his life to wreaking revenge on her family.

The story set in early nineteenth-century Yorkshire, deals with the passionate attachment between a headstrong young girl and a foundling boy brought up by her father causes disaster for them and many others, even in the next generation. It is an intriguing tale of revenge in which the main characters are controlled by consuming passions. The characters are vivid in description and seem dauntingly real, each so distinctly different that it is a shock they are fictional.

Wuthering Heights was once considered such a risk by its publishers that Emily Bronte had to defray the cost of publication until a sufficient number of copies had been sold.

For more books and their classification read ...

The Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson

The Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson is about a man named Jim Hawkins who is writing down his experience about his voyage to Treasure Island at an inn. The book talks about how he became a hero during his younger years, which lead up to his adventure to the infamous treasure island. He is held captured by enemy pirates who wish to kill his Captain long John Silver after they find the treasure. The story continues with its twist and its turns.

A tale of betrayal and friendship; an exciting saga of pirates on a search for buried treasure,i t starts with how young Jim Hawkins got Captain Flint's Treasure map from Captain Billy Bones. Jim found the map in Billy Bones' sea chest when Jim and his mother were looking through the chest for the money that Bones owed them. Bones had died during his attempt to escape the evil pirates who were after him. So Jim and his mother had to hurriedly look for the money, and while his mother was trying to count out the right amount of money Jim took Captain Flint's map.

After the pirates attacked the "Admiral Benbow" that was the name of the inn that the Hawkins family owned, Jim goes and gets help from Dr.Livesey and Squire Trelawney and together they board a ship called the Hispaniola and set a course for Treasure Island.

On board Jim becomes friends with the ship's cook Long John Silver (who owns a parrot named Cap'n Flint after the infamous pirate captain), but little does Jim know that Silver is actually a pirate and an ex-member of Captain Flint's crew. Jim soon learns of a sinister plot being made by Silver to steal the treasure that might endanger him and his friends. Read the Treasure Island book to the know the enthralling finish. Other books by Robert Louis Stevenson

* Dr Jekyll and Hyde
* Kidnapped
* The Master of Ballantre

Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum

The Bourne Idenitity by Robert Ludlum is about Jason Bourne a highly paid assassin but soon wants to change his ways and escape his past. But, sadly his past tracks him down each and every time he feels that he is out of danger. Jason Bourne is a man without a life story to tell other than he woke up riddled with bullet holes and no idea how he got where he is. Thanks to a piece of microfiche surgically embedded in his thigh, he finds out his name is Jason Bourne and he has a bank account in Zurich filled with millions of dollars that he begins to withdraw to help him live. As a result of this activity, however, an assassin named Carlos, who has apparently been his adversary for some time, is trying to hunt him down. Bourne must now try to escape with the aid of a Canadian economist named Marie St. Jacques who he initially kidnapped just to help him get out of the town and has now developed a strange romance with. Very suspenseful and exciting story that really does not date itself despite having been written in 1975. Ludlum takes great care in his descriptions of how the amnesia affects Bourne's thought process and actions as well as how certain facts about Bourne's past start to be slowly realized which make this book a good study in psychology as well as a great spy thriller.

Robert Ludlum has also made movies based on the Bourne Identity, the Bourne Supremecy and the final the Bourne Ultimatum. Amazingly he even made a game out of it wow! called the Bourne Conspiracy.

To kill a mocking bird

To kill a Mocking bird is the one and only book by Harper Lee. Set in fictional small town in Alabama, the story talks about life in Depression-hit America. It starts out with an affectionate description of the sleepy southern county. Scout and her brother Jem are raised by their widowed father Atticus and their housekeeper, Calpurnia. Their summers are consumed by grand plans to lure the recluse Arthur “Boo” Radley out of his spooky home. The ladies meet for missionary teas and “bathed before noon, after their three-o’clock naps, and by nightfall were like soft teacakes with frostings of sweat and sweet talcum.” As the story progresses, this charming facade is dismantled to reveal ignorance, fear, hypocrisy and prejudice. A beautiful, if painful, coming-of-age story.

Atticus Finch is called on to defend Tom Robinson, a black man accused of raping a white girl, Mayella Ewell. He is eventually found guilty and, “tired of taking white man’s chances”, attempts to escape and is shot to death. The book "To kill a mocking bird" deftly shows that everyone is human and multi-faceted. Mayella is a pitiful figure, driven by loneliness and abuse; Mrs Dubose, a bigot who screams insults at the Finches, is also a courageous woman who kicks her morphine addict and dies “beholden to nothing and nobody”.

Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

The Kite Runner the debut novel of Khaled Hosseini's traces the life of a young boy, Amir, as he faces the challenges that confront him on the path to manhood. Kit Runner, the story circles around relationships especially, testing friendships, finding love, cheating death, accepting faults, and gaining understanding.

The story is set in the 60's in Afghanistan. Amir enjoys a life of privilege that is shaped by his friendship with Hassan, his servant's son. Amir lives in constant want of his father's attention, feeling that he is a failure in his father's eyes. To change the dynamics of the relationship, Amir takes on the weight of living up to unrealistic expectations and places the fate of his relationship with his father on the outcome of a kite running tournament.

Kite Running a popular challenge in Afghanistan is a game in which participants must cut down the kites of others with their own kite. Amir wins the tournament. Yet just as he begins to feel that all will be right in the world, a tragedy occurs with his friend Hassan in a back alley on the very streets where the boys once played.

This moment marks a turning point in Amir's life, esp a memory that he seeks to bury by moving to America. There he realizes his dream of becoming a writer and marries for love but the memory of that fateful day will prove too strong to forget. Eventually it draws Amir back to Afghanistan to set right all the wrongs that began that day in the alley and continued in the days, months, and years that followed.

A thousand splendid suns is another great novel by Khaled Hosseini.

God of small things Arundati Roy

The God of small Things by Arundati roy was published 1996. It quickly became a best-seller, and won the prestigious Booker Prize in October, 1997. The core of the book is her portrayal of children, entering into their thinking in a way which does not sentimentalize them but reveals the fierce passions and terrors which course through them and almost destroy them. "A story is a simple way of presenting a complex world and in my book I have tried to create a complete world carefully with craft and detail," clarifies Arundhati Roy!

Set in Kerala during the late 1960s when communism rattled the age-old caste system, The God of Small Things begins with the funeral of young Sophie Mol, the cousin of the novel's protagonists Rahel and her fraternal twin brother, Estha. In a circuitous and suspense--filled narrative, it is a story of decadence of a family with a hoary past, trapped in a time bubble. The bubble is tossed like a yo-yo by the great surge of events, ready to burst any moment. Nevertheless this steady, mechanical and almost pre-ordained process of withering, stirs up great passions, with its attendant ironies and pathos. In the end, we have a classic with a tragic grandeur, albeit of small things!

Other books by Arundati roy

* Algebra of Infinite Justice
* Ordinary Person's guide to Empire
* Power politics

Harry Potter

Harry Potter is a series of seven fantasy novels written by British author J. K. Rowling. The novels revolve around Harry Potter, an orphan who discovers that he is a wizard. Though wizard ability is inborn, children are sent to wizarding school to learn the magical skills necessary to succeed in the wizarding world. Harry is invited to attend the boarding school called Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Each book chronicles one year in Harry's life, and most of the events take place at the school.

The books chronicle the adventures of the adolescent wizard Harry Potter, together with his close friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, from the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The central story arc concerns Harry's struggle against the evil wizard Lord Voldemort, who killed Harry's parents in his quest to conquer the wizarding world and subjugate non-magical people to his rule.

The seven books by J.K. Rowling are

* Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
* Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
* Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
* Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
* Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
* Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
* Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

The Art of War

The Art of War is one of the oldest (6th century BC) and most successful books on military strategy in the world. The Art of War is a Chinese military treatise written by Sun Tzu during the Zhou dynasty. It is Composed of 13 chapters, each of which is devoted to one aspect of warfare.

It has had a huge influence on Eastern military thinking, business tactics, and beyond. It has long been praised as the definitive work on military strategies and tactics of its time, and one of the basic texts on the subject. It recognizes the importance of positioning in strategy. Also, strategy does not merely involve planning in the sense of working through a to-do list, but rather that requires quick and appropriate responses to changing conditions. Planning works in a controlled environment, but in a competitive environment, competing plans collide, creating unexpected situations.

The Art of War has been applied to fields well outside the military. Much of the text is about how to fight wars without actually having to do battle: it gives tips on how to outsmart one's opponent so that physical battle is not necessary. As such, it has found application as a training guide for many competitive endeavors that do not involve actual combat.

Other Books on war and military tactics

* 33 strategies of war
* Gears of war strategy

Pride and Prejudice

Jane Austen is one of the greatest writers in English, and pride and prejudice is her great masterpiece. A sharp and witty comedy of manners set in the early 19th Century English society, a world in which men held virtually all the power and women were required to negotiate mine-fields of social status, respectability, wealth, love, and sex in order to marry both to their own liking and to the advantage of their family. Pride and Prejudice is simply one of the funniest novels ever written, peopled with memorable characters brought vividly to life as they both succeed and fail at the game of life according to the manners of their era.

The book revolves around the story of the Bennetts, a family of daughters whose father's estate is entailed to a distant relative, for upon Mr. Bennett's death they will loose home, land, income, everything. But are the Bennett daughters up to playing a winning hand in this high-stakes matrimonial game without forfeiting their own personal integrity?

Other books by Jane Austen are:

* Sence and Sensibility
* Emma
* Mansfield Park
* Persuasion

Books by Barack Obama

Barack Obama, the first African American president was born in 1961 to a white American woman and a black Kenyan student. Obama was reared in Hawaii by his mother and her parents, his father having left for further study and a return home to Africa. After college, Obama became a community organizer in Chicago. He slowly found place and purpose among folks of similar hue but different memory, winning enough small victories to commit himself to the work?he's now a civil rights lawyer there.

Barack Obama's books are more based on his struggle in life. He is the author of the New York Times bestsellers Dreams from My Father, The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream and Barack Obama in his own words.

The Diary of a social butterfly

Moni Mohsin the author of The End of Innocence writes a popular column called Diary of a Social Butterfly for Pakistans Friday Times, selections of which make up The Diary of a Social Butterfly her second book.

Wicked, irreverent and hugely entertaining, The Diary of a Social Butterfly gives you a delicious glimpse into the parallel universe of the have-musts. In this book one meets Butterfly, Pakistan’s most lovable, silly, socialite. An avid partygoer, inspired misspeller, and unwittingly acute observer of Pakistani high society, Butterfly is a woman like no other. In her world, SMS becomes S & M and people eat ‘three tiara cakes’ while shunning ‘do number ka maal’. ‘What cheeks!’ as she would say. As her country faces tribulations – from 9/11 to the assassination of Benazir Bhutto – Butterfly glides through her world, unfazed, untouched, and stopped short only by the chip in her manicure.

Moni Mohsin grew up in Lahore and now divides her time between Lahore and London, where she lives with her husband and two children.

The White Tiger

Aravind Adiga's riveting, razor-sharp debut novel The White Tiger explores with wit and insight the realities of these two India's, and reveals what happens when the inhabitants of one collude and then collide with those of the other. Adiga has been gutsy in tackling a complex and urgent subject. His is a novel that has come not a moment too soon.

It describes the story of Balram a boy born in the Darkness - sold into indentured servitude to pay off the dowry debts associated with marrying of a daughter. Balram, told by a school inspector that he is a White Tiger - something born once a generation, rises through sheer ambition to become a driver for a local landlord. He is brought to Delhi to serve as driver for Ashok - the son of the landlord.

A pivotal moment of the book occurs when Ashok's wife demands to drive after a wild night out with her husband. On the way home, she hits and kills a young child. From this point, Balram begins a series of rebellions leading up to the murder of Ashok and the theft of millions of rupees. Balram runs away to the southern coast - to Bangalore, the tech capital - and sets up a taxi system for tech companies with the help of bribery of the police. When one of his drivers accidentally kills someone, he uses his connections in the police to sweep it under the rug. He protects his driver. Yet he insists on going to the family's house, paying his respects, giving them thousands of rupees, and hiring the killed boy's brother. The system is not dead, yet Adiga suggests it is changing as the few servants who free themselves change it from within.

Balram’s violent bid for freedom is shocking. What, we’re left to ask, does it make him -- just another thug in India’s urban jungle or a revolutionary and idealist ? It’s a sign of this book’s quality, as well as of its moral seriousness, that it keeps you guessing to the final page and beyond.

Other Booker Price Winner Books and nominees

* Sea of Poppies
* The secret scripture
* Clothes on their backs

Indian Civil Services Examination

The Indian Civil Services Examination is the entrance test used by the Indian government to select candidates for the following posts namely, Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS), Indian Police Service (IPS) and 21 other posts. To the exam a candidate must qualify for the eligibility rules.

It consists of two rounds

* Civil Services Preliminary Examination -It consists of two papers of multiple-choice questions carrying a maximum of 450 marks. The first one is on General Studies and the next one one of the optional subjects chosen by the candidate. Candidates can choose to take the exam in either English or Hindi.

* Civil Services Main Exam - The candidates are expected to clear both the written exam & the subsequent interview. The written exam consists of nine papers for a grand total of 2300.

A few handy books that are a great study aid are

* Physics for Civil service exams
* Indian Polity for UPSC
* Science and Tech for Civil Service Exam
* Mock test papers

Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT)

Graduate Management Admission Test aka GMAT is an exam (administered by ETS) designed to evaluate how candidates will perform academically in Masters in Business Administration aka MBA programs.

GMAT is often times referred to as the "GMAT CAT"; the acronym CAT stands for "Computer Adaptive Test." The GMAT is administered only on a computer, except in certain locations where the test is referred to as the "paper-based" GMAT.

GMAT scores are used by graduate business schools to make admission decisions. About two-thirds of the 1,300+ graduate business schools around the world require GMAT scores for admission. Schools that do not require GMAT scores nevertheless welcome GMAT scores to help access an applicant’s qualifications.

GMAT consists of three sections
- Analytical Writing Assessment
- Quantitative Ability
- Verbal Ability

A few noted study aids for GMAT

* Cracking the GMAT
* The GMAT Advantage
* GMAT Quantitative Review
* GMAT Review