The Candid Odyssey: Exploring India and the Philosophy of Life - B. Johny - Book Review

 

                    Many people around the world love travelling. They do it to seek pleasure, adventure, learning, self-realization or just for the fun of it. I am not that much of a keen travel enthusiast. But, I do enjoy my solo trips or trips with very select people. While most people look for adventure and exploring nature, my travels are majorly restricted to visiting historical sites, walking down unknown roads and checking out libraries and bookshops. I chanced upon this book recently and decided to check what this was all about.

                  This book is a journal of Johny who went on an All-India solo trip for 8 weeks. He explores the landscapes and cultures traversing across different states in buses and trains staying in dormitaries and hostels. More than being a journal, he talks about self-discovery and life philosophies thereby exploring his inner self. 

                   First of all, do not expect a travelogue or travel guide while reading this book. This is more of a journal by the author about the experiences he had. I am not a big fan of books that are too preachy when it comes to philosophy. But in this book, the author does not delve into that. He talks about life lessons based on experiences in a crisp way rather than lingering around to elaborate on them. The messages provided were clear and concise and the book was written in an enjoyable way. The language is simple and the read was fairly quick. I liked the way the philosophies were incorporated in the chapters. The author mentions taking us along for the journey at the start and addresses the full book as "We". I found it very irksome. This was sort of weird and confusing which could have been avoided. Also, the book cover does not look that appealing. I am a big fan of interesting book covers and the plain cover was not enticing for me.

                    In short, this is a quick one-time read. Those interested in travelling and reading about travel experiences will enjoy this short and sweet travel journal. 

A Little History of Archaeology - Brian.M.Fagan - Book Review

 

                    Archaeology and History have always fascinated me from a young age. Even back in my school days, I enjoyed reading about history. For me, archaeologists were adventurous individuals who dug up the earth to uncover entire cities, explore unknown structures, and discover fascinating artefacts. I was the only one in my class who wanted to become one growing up. Well! Life had different plans; but to date, I enjoy both history and archaeology through the books, and documentaries I have come across. Recently I encountered this book and jumped right in to see what it had to offer. 

                    This book talks about the history and evolution of archaeology. The book follows how long ago, this was about robbing artefacts and how the study became systematic to the field of study we see now. Brian, an archaeologist himself takes us to various parts of the world and talks about the ancient discoveries: Egyptian pyramids, Angor Wat, Stonehenge, Jamestown, Mayans, Pompeii, Greater Zimbabwe, Mohandejaro and more. When archaeology seemed a predominantly male-dominated field, there were been few very remarkable females who brought change to the way we see things. The book also introduces them along with some of the world-famous archaeologists who were game-changers in this field and changed the way things were done. Brian also traces the progress of development from shovels to underwater archaeology to state-of-the-art LIDAR technology and satellite imaging.

                    First of all, I simply loved the book. True that this is not a book for everyone. For interested people like me, the book just caters perfectly. To be clear, this book does not talk in-depth about the history behind all those sites. This book is about how archaeology evolved over time and the reader needs to be clear of that. The language was simple enough and the style engaging enough with not much-complicated lingo to hinder the flow. The book is not a quick read and it took me 2 months to finish the book. One cannot maybe finish this in a single read or a couple of them. I am a slow reader when it comes to such topics and did take my sweet time finishing it parallelly taking time to do some further reading or check videos on related topics. At around 290 or 300 pages, you are getting ample facts from the read. But do not expect exhaustive information which this book does not provide. I liked how he set the chapters in chronological order as per the growth of technology in the field. Also, I liked the last chapter which was sort of a quick run-through of what all were told in the book and how archaeology is shaping up in the future.

                    In short, a good book for people interested in the topic of archaeology and history. The book may not be exhaustive but provides a base for a good factual read. 

Haunted: Terrifying Real-life Encounters with Ghosts and Spirits - Jay Alani, Neil D'Silva - Book Review

                    After a couple of horror novels, I was looking for some books on real-life paranormal experiences and ended up reading this book. The name Neil D'Silva interested me as I have been following his works.

                    The book contains ten of the many interesting encounters that Jay Alani, a well-known paranormal investigator in India has experienced. A village that was deserted overnight, a haunted school dormitory, the famed Bhangarh fort, a headless boy in the chills of Mussoorie, the infamous black magic village of the North East and a few locations where Jay takes us on a trip through the words of Neil D'Silva.

                     Being a horror and paranormal fan, the book was an interesting read. I have read many works of fiction on these topics, but this is the first time I am reading a first-person account of the paranormal. Now, I do not want to argue whether paranormal exists. But for me, negative energy does exist and I do not want to put a name to it. The author also points out the superstitions in some of the encounters. A couple of stories did feel creepy while reading at midnight. The experiences were well written and we can see how a talented horror writer like Neil makes it sound. The writing style was simple but I liked the way each experiences were presented. At the same time, the way these encounters were described gave a feeling of reading a fiction story. There were times when I forgot this was a first-person real encounter and was treating this as a normal paranormal short story. There was no unwanted lag anywhere and we can complete the book in a few hours. My favourite of the encounters was the one involving the Goan church and the mystery of the headless boy.

                    In short, a good one-time read for people interested in paranormal books. One can get to experience real-life incidents in this quick read. 

For my reviews on other Neil D'Silva works, check the below links

Ringa Ringa Roses

Sapna's Bad Connection

Maya's New Husband 2: The Birth of the Death

Yakshini

நூலக மனிதர்கள் - எஸ்.ராமகிருஷ்ணன் - புத்தக விமர்சனம்

                    நூலகங்கள். எந்த ஊர் சென்றாலும் நான் முதலில் அங்கு செல்ல நினைக்கிறது நூலகங்கள் மற்றும் புத்தக கடைகள் தான். அப்படி பட்ட எனக்கு இந்த வருடம் சென்னை புத்தக கண்காட்சியில் தென்பட்ட புத்தகம் தான் இந்த நூலக மனிதர்கள். புதினங்கள் வாசித்தல் சற்று சலிப்பு தட்டவே இந்த புத்தகத்தை படிக்கலாம் என்று நினைத்தேன்.

                    இந்த புத்தகமானது எஸ். ரா சென்றுள்ள நூலகங்கள் மற்றும் அங்கு அவர் சந்தித்த வேறுபட்ட மனிதர்கள், வேறுபட்ட அனுபவங்கள் - இவைகளின் தொகுப்பே இந்த புத்தகம். தனக்கு வாசிக்கதெரியாது என்றாலும் மகளுக்காக லா.சா.ரா-வின் புத்தகங்களை தேடி எடுத்து செல்லும் அப்பா, ஞாயிற்று கிழமையானால் நூலகம் வந்து வாசிக்கும் ஒரு குடும்பம், சமையல் குறிப்பு புத்தகத்தை மட்டுமே எடுத்து செல்லும் காவலர், நூலகத்தில் புத்தகங்கள் வசிப்பதற்காகவே அங்கு வேலை செய்யும்  அகதிகள் என்று அவர் நூலகங்களில் கண்டவர்களை பற்றி சொல்லும் கட்டுரை தொகுப்பு இந்த நூலக மனிதர்கள்.

                    எஸ்.ரா-வின் கட்டுரை தொகுப்புகளுக்கென்று ஒரு தனி அழகு உண்டு. நேர்த்தியான சிந்திக்க வைக்கும் எழுத்து நடை. இதில் வரும் சில தொகுப்புகள் என்னுள் ஆழ்ந்த தாக்கத்தை ஏற்படுத்துகிறது. படிப்பின், வாசிப்பின் முக்கியத்தை உணர்த்தும் கட்டுரைகள் அவை. சில கட்டுரைகளினூடே அவர் சில கருத்துக்கள் மற்றும் திட்டங்களை கூறியுள்ளார். அது அமல்படுத்தினால் நன்றாக தான் இருக்கும். சற்று பொறாமையாக தான் இருந்தது எஸ்.ரா-வின் அனுபவங்களை வாசிக்கையில். எத்தனை பயணங்கள் அதில் தான் எத்தனை நூலக அனுபவங்கள். 

                என்றுமே எஸ்.ரா-வின் புதினங்களை விடவும் அவரின் கட்டுரை தொகுப்புகளை நேசிக்கும் எனக்கு இது ஒரு சிறந்த வாசிப்பாக அமைந்தது. நூல்கள் மற்றும் நூலகங்களை நேசிக்கும் அனைவரால் வாசிக்க படவேண்டிய புத்தகம்.

நான் வாசித்த எஸ்.ரா-வின் மற்ற புத்தகங்களின் விமர்சனங்களை வாசிக்க கீழே கொடுத்துள்ள இனைப்புகளைபார்க்கவும்.

சஞ்சாரம்    

தேசாந்திரி

My Native Land (essays on nature) - M. Krishnan - Book Review

 

                    I have been reading all kinds of fiction except the romance genre. But when it comes to non-fiction, I am selective about the books I want to read. I have always read history, Environment, and Nature. That too Indian History and Ornithology in particular. M. Krishnan is one writer whom I have always enjoyed reading. It has been quite a while since I have read a book related to nature in particular. I purchased this book two years back; but sat down to read this one, just a week back.

                    This book is a concise collection of the columns he used to write for the newspaper "The Statesman" back in his time. The essays cover topics under mammals, birds, reptiles, flora, and issues. The essays cover topics mentioned mostly based on his experience traveling throughout the country. As a keen observer and armed with his expertise as a naturalist, he provides concise recordings and encounters with nature in the 250-odd pages.

                    This is my second read of Mr. M. Krishnan. The writings were based on his experiences and these were interestingly bought out. The writing is simple and there is a section that showcases some of his wildlife photographs as well. His descriptions of the terrain, the animals, and the whole forest are vivid enough to bring it before our very eyes. We cannot help but notice the wit that he infuses into some of these writings. You could realize the passion that he had and this book does infuse the same to the right audience. Mr Krishnan's expertise as a naturalist becomes evident with his profound ground-level knowledge and the way he describes the life forms that he encountered. He also attempts to question some of the common misbeliefs regarding some of the animals. Since these writings are based on personal experiences, we can connect to the content easily. But having said that there are places where we can sense a feel of lag. I did wish that the editors had included an appendix of the flora and fauna mentioned in the book. I usually go back and check on each and every one of the flora and fauna mentioned in such books and do revisit them and I love reading more about the same. An appendix would have helped me to easily access the names instead of brushing through the book again. I like how he subtly talks about the problems that the environment is facing. The essays provided in the book were written around the 75s to 85s. The issues mentioned back then still exist presently and it is disappointing to see that there is no respite even now.

                    To sum it up, a good read for nature enthusiasts. This will feel more like a field trip journalling and that helps us build a rapport with the book. This will end up as a delightful read on India's natural beauty. As I had mentioned earlier, M. Krishnan had written these essays and many more for 'The Statesman' (46 years without a break). Interestingly, he was awarded Padma Shri by the Government of India in the year 1960 for his works on nature and his photography.

 

NEIN!: Standing up to Hitler 1935–1944 - Paddy Ashdown - Book Review

                     If there was ever a destructive war in the face of humankind, it was World War 2. Innumerable lives were lost and the world was totally shaken up. There were innumerable genocides and crimes and bloodshed than caused by any other diseases. One man who almost shook the very base and came close to attaining total world domination was Adolf Hitler. He almost single-handedly took on the British Kingdom and committed innumerable war crimes and genocides. We would have read about the people who resisted and fought against the man. But this book is on a different kind of resistance and that made me go for this book.

                    When the world was busy siding against the Axis and the Allied forces and innumerable wars fought there was a resistance that was happening at the very vicinity of the German forces. There were many Germans who plotted against the Nazi regime under the nose of Hitler and Himmler. Most of them were high-ranking office bearers within the Nazi regime and still, they plotted against the Fuhrer as they foresaw the fall of Germany under his leadership. Long before the World War started and the Russians and British turned against Nazis; these men and women predicted the downfall of the fatherland under the leadership of Hitler. The book shows innumerable instances where the resistance group provided a lot of inside information which the other nations never took seriously. The book is about the people who worked as spies in the very heart of Germany and in Switzerland which was a neutral venue stuck between war-mongering nations. The book describes conspiracy, assassination plots, and espionage at the higher levels of the Nazi regime. It also mentions the various flaws in the resistance group, friction between the younger blood and the old among the resistances.

                    The book in itself is a very interesting read and rather informative too. Being a reader interested in World History, this was totally new information for me. I have read much about the war and the resistance groups against the Nazis. But never on the ones under their very noses. It shows the political situation at the time as well. Not only in Germany but also in the other nations as well and the perception of British, American, and the Russians. The way the leaked information was neglected shows the lack of diligence and foresight on the part of the Allied powers and how lackluster they were until it shook their very base. The author does not waste time on trying to pitch in his views on the happenings rather giving just the facts and giving us the opportunity to think it out ourselves. The language is rather simple enough. This was quite a big read for me as I spend time exploring related articles on the net and you tube. It shows how the innumerable chances for averting the WW were wasted by the so-called Allied Powers. It was rather enlightening to read about Project Anthropoid and Operation Valkyrie which I had known through movies.

                    To sum up, a 300 or so pages read, which can be a great and riveting read for history enthusiasts. The names like Canaris, Hans Oster, Carl Goerdeler, Ludwig Beck, Paul Thimmel, Sonja, Allen Dulles, Claus Stauffenberg etc. needs to be remembered in the lines of the other famous heroes of WW 2. These unsung heroes tried their very best to avert the grand disaster to no avail. A great salute to them as well. A good book that opens our eyes to how destructive politics can be if not handled in the right sense and how destructive man can be.

Early Indians - Tony Joseph - Book Review

                    There was a time during our school days when some one used to ask us what our ambition is. I had the same answer always - Archaeologist. I was so deeply interested in history and pre history and I used to read my mother's old history text books (She was a History major) apart from my school books. Harappan Civilization was always my favorite read at that time and I used to think how good it could be if I can decipher the script and make a big discovery. At one point of time, the interest drifted off when I had to learn other streams in college and it remained just a distant dream. Years later, I came across this book at the library last week, sparking my interest and I went for this read.

                    The book talks about how modern man came to be in Africa and how they migrated from there to other parts of the world and intermingled with other species of humans mainly focusing on how they reached India. The writer talks on who were exactly the First Indians and how the migration created a change in the peninsula. He also talks about the Dravidians and greatest civilization of the world at the time - The Harappan Civilization; its rise and fall and finishes with the arrival of Aryans and how they occupy the land. This was actually a pretty good read and can be a quick one too. The author has not used big terms to describe all these and proceeds to educate us in a simple layman language. One interesting way that the author has taken here to prove his points is to mix genetics, climate, language and topography with archaeology. With the advent of modern technology man has been able to make big leaps in almost every field. Same goes with prehistory. Normally we will not be having a strong evidence to prove what has happened in prehistory. The main issue being we do not have a written evidence and anything could have happened back then no matter how much theories we have come up with. 

                    By substantiating archaeology (especially prehistory) with genetics and other areas, the archaeologists are able to make significant bounds. For those who have no knowledge on genetics, the author does actually spend a few pages to educate us in the most simple terms. I really liked the way the whole book was separated into chapters like Out of Africa, Migrations, First Indians, Harappan Civilization and the advent of Aryans. The whole genetic standpoint makes us realize that beneath the colour and skin all that remains are that we are all from the same ancestry or lineage. Having said this, the book does not provide a much detailed account that an academic looks out for. Tony Joseph touches all the areas and makes the book look like a web as seen from a distance. Going near the web makes you realize the complexity of the design. Likewise, reading more into the book, we realize that this is just a birds eye. So this might not work out for a person who is looking for a more detailed read on the subject. When it came to the Aryans, I felt there was a sort of rush to finish off the book.

                    For a prehistory/history enthusiast like me; this was a good read. The book piqued the interest on the subject inside me. One point that the author reiterates repeatedly is that irrespective of caste, creed and colour; understanding the prehistory makes us realize that we are all the same. The book was a slow read for me as I had to take notes for further reading. An informative birds eye read for history enthusiasts.