GOD IS A GAMER by Ravi Subramanian

Sometime back, I was reading about bitcoin and how and why it is gaining popularity all across. BlogAdda gave me an opportunity to review the first Bitcoin thriller titled 'God is a Gamer' by Ravi Subramanian. I have already read the previous bestselling book of Ravi titled 'If God was a Banker' and really appreciated that.

‘God is a Gamer’ is the book about a world where money means nothing, martyrs are villains, predators are prey, assassination is taught by the ancient Greeks, and nothing is as it seems. The story spans for 300+ pages from Washington to Mumbai to Delhi to Goa and is an interesting read with some bit of technical knowledge on bitcoin, TOR, VPN etc.

The story is about elephantine egos of US corporates, an innocuous organization which shook the US government to its core, about Sakoshi Nakamoto and what not. The story is divided into 98 chapters with each chapter giving twists and turns to the story and making it into a wholesome engaging read.

The story involves Indian Finance Minister and his relationship, a phishing scam and ATM heist which affected New York Investment Bank (NYIB) and its India arm, the connexion of drug peddlers and transfers of bitcoins securely & secretly. These scandals result in engagement of FBI and it’s agents to the point that it was a critical issue for someone close to US President.  It also fantastically relates the ongoing events with a gaming company Indiscape and its new game Townsville and how social media serves its purpose in success of the game. Finally, all these events are intimately connected in the climax.

The story is also about professional relationships between officials at NYIB and personal relationships between a father and his son and that between a mother and her daughter apart from other romantic engagements.

Like his previous work, this one is also filled with some technical details and enlightens the reader about the new things every now and then and hence one never gets bored with the flow of the story which is smooth and at the same time, a good learning experience. The best part of the story is the way he has connected all the loose threads perfectly. It certainly is a better composition than his previous works.

A few Quotable lines from the book:

“A Leader who puts down her own people in front of her superiors can never be an inspiring leader.”

“If you live, you get to fight your battle another day.”

“It’s important to quit on a high. That’s when the world will respect you.”

“We are all chasing illusory pleasures. Our real wealth is not in our bank accounts.”

“Dissent fuels debate.”

“Clarifications cause complications.”

“The key driver of social networking is people you don’t know but want to meet.

Reputation has no insurance.”

“Success is not always measured in terms of dollars earned or turnover. It is measured in terms of the difference you have made to the people around you.”

“The truth is stranger than fiction!”

To Sum up, I loved reading it and would equally love to suggest it to anybody else. Storyline is good, so is the presentation part. I would give the book 4 out of 5 stars for its impressive story. 

P.S. Thank You BlogAdda for an autographed copy of the book and thanks for bearing with me patiently.

This review is a part of the biggest Book Review Program for Indian Bloggers. Participate now to get free books!

PRIVATE INDIA by Ashwin Sanghi & James Patterson

Crimes against women in India is an issue which needs serious deliberation and positive action. An inhuman incident of Rape on December 16, 2012 has raised serious concerns and wide public outrage. Ashwin Sanghi in collaboration with James Patterson has made Crimes against Women as the central theme of this Crime-Thriller Novel 'Private India'.

The plot of the story is set in Mumbai where seemingly unconnected people are being murdered by strangulation in a ritualistic manner and after the murder, strange objects are carefully arranged around corpses. This is the latest book in the internationally best-selling Private series. Private is world's finest investigation agency headed by former CIA agent Jack Morgan. The book deals with India Branch of Private India located in Mumbai and headed by Santosh Wagh.

 

As it happens with Books of Ashwin Sanghi, The book mixes fiction with facts and there is an elaborate discussion over history of Thugee cult,legend of Durga, Criminal Tribes and also Tower of Silence on Malabar Hills. The book intertwines these with the main storyline to enlighten the reader while one is absorbed in the novel. Critically much of these except the last does not have much relevance to the story.

Some Quotes that Ashwin Sanghi just can't avoid including in any of his books-

"Politics is the second oldest profession in the world but it bears a close resemblance to the oldest."

"If you've got them by balls, their hearts and minds will follow."

"One only begins to value life in the face of death."

Coming to the story, the plot of the book is engaging though at times, it gets boring and quite predictable. There are a few surprises but not much as should be expected from a book in this genre. Story goes along the expected lines most of the time. The characters of the novel are very human and does not do anything extraordinary including the members of investigation agency Private India, which is good. All the characters have their weaknesses and strengths which lead the story towards its end. Though there are certain questions which the book leaves unanswered. Overall, certainly worth a read if you have read any of Ashwin Sanghi books previously and love his writing style or you love simple story lines like that of Chetan Bhagat with a mix of bollywood masaala. There is not much in it for thriller enthusiasts. I will rate the book 3.5 out of 5 and i certainly expected better from the writers.

Last but certainly not the least, We Indians have a culture that has abundant respect for women and womenhood. We are one of the few cultures who worship feminine power as Durga. But how tragic is it that we are also a country where safety of women on streets is a serious issue, Rapes are a common problem and respect for women is more a part of theory than practice. I sincerely hope that the change is round the corner for us. 

This review is a part of the biggest Book Review Program for Indian Bloggers. Participate now to get free books!

The Seller of Beliefs by Trishala D Shah

About the Book: The book is numero uno writing by Trishala D Shah. It is a wonderfully crafted fable, peppered with spice and humor. It is an inspiring read for the young at heart of all ages- to reclaim their zest of life.

The book describes a girl taking up a weird course which she was hesitant of going to. But the course turns around her beliefs in just two days. The book is a journey, a discourse to search what lies within. It aspires to search for the penultimate truth in its own unique way. The story is a search of the protagonist to find herself and inscribes a wonderfully woven chain of events .

The book being first from the author is worth appreciation for it's lucid language and story is smooth enough to keep the reader engaged till she finishes the book. It is a good effort which touches the heart and inspires. The book certainly could have been more effective had it been more intense in approach. But we can certainly expect that treatment for future writings from the author.

I would love to quote a few lines from the book:

"Kids are similar to a cheerful waterfall; they have crystal clear hearts and are least bothered about silly thoughts. The waterfall never thinks if it should fall now or later, or whether it ought to fall straight or zigzag, or whether its fall will hurt the rock or not. It neither has the mind nor the maturity to think to such extent. It simply goes on with its splendid freefall. Letting people judge and admire it."

"Desire by itself is not enough, you should deserve as well."

"Ignore the desire that people should always hold a high opinion of you."

"Shahrukh Khan is the god of acting." < Author certainly is a big Shahrukh fan ;) >

To sum up, Someone looking for a good story with a tinge of philosophy must go for it. It is a book for those who believe that change comes from within and for those who don't, this might change your perspective. 

The Seller of Beliefs @Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TrishalaDShah

To purchase The Seller Of Beliefs from Flipkart:

http://www.flipkart.com/seller-beliefs-english/p/itmdxa3nskndrsxz?pid=9789384027940&srno=b_1&ref=8b121be9-46af-4119-b30f-efa3c83ab445

A Movie not worth watching Dobaara!!

When the trailer to ‘Once upon a time in Mumbai Dobaara’  was released, it seemed that the sequel will not be as good as the original  Devgn-Hashmi Flicker. The Movie has just proved it loud and clear. Yes, the movie had some heavy lines…rather many, but you can’t make a great movie out of just heavy one-liners and no action worth it. Original was good with the craft, story line and dialogues with a sense of originality, but much of that all lacks here.  Though on part of actors, all of them have done a fair job. Akshay Kumar seemed committed to perform what his script writer said. Though he has been given too many dialogues to tell that yes he is a villain, but too little action for a villain dreaded by whole country.

The movie starts decently, first half has been good. Shoaib (Akshay Kumar) comes back to Mumbai 12 years later to settle his differences with his lone enemy Rawal (Mahesh Manjarekar) for not falling in line like other crooks.  By now, He has found in Aslam (Imran Khan) a fan of himself who can give his life for his chief. There also is an innocent Kashmiri girl Jasmine (Sonakshi Sinha) who has come from Kashmir to work as an actress in a movie. Shoaib after meeting her is so impressed that he manages ‘Most Beautiful New Face of the year Award’ in a Cine Award function for her, while her movie has not yet released.  Yet it does not click to Jasmine that things are going in what direction. Jasmine with her innocence feels that Shoaib is just an aquaitance and nothing more while she is falling in love with Aslam.  A typical Bollywood love triangle which with some melodrama makes it more of a movie with central theme as love than thrill & action.

The movie significantly lacks action and has failed to exploit the talent of its actors. Sonakshi has charmed with acting, while Imran has also improved from his previous ones. Akshay Kumar has done a fine job, but he certainly could have done better with some action while the script writer gave him hardly any. Background score is loud and good. 'Tyeb Ali Jaan ka Dushman..’ is delighting to watch Dobaara though the ‘Haai Haai’ in the song certainly is well deserved for most of the second half which is poor.

Watch it only if you feel like, it can be watched once but certainly not Dobaara!!

Chennai Express-ed

I was ready steady Po to go for Chennai Express. Bad reviews are sometimes ingredients of success. At least for this film, from anything to everything worked. Film has already garnered 100 Crore Rs. in 3 days owing to Eid and no other substitutes. But despite all that, Film certainly has something which attracts.

This is a first movie with such an experiment of freely using Tamil to the audience majority of which might not have understood even a single word of it. But such is the power of emotions, expressions and as film says it, Love, that at least to me Film was understandable and everything regarding linguistic experiment seemed right.

Shahrukh, even after seeing so many movies of yours, i found something new in this and yes the developments are good. For most of the time and story, you know what makes you famous and you keep on repeating it. There are reminders of your previous movies and many inspiration to make the film light. But overall you've done a good job and more importantly, i can see that soon you will be replacing Amitabh Bachchan in voice overs.

Book Review: Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse

 At some point or the other, We have all asked ourselves the fundamental question, ''How do we find lasting peace? Why we suffer the way we do and is there a way out for cessation of suffering?'' 

All the religions of the world have explored the answer to the question in their own unique styles. Some have tried to answer it from within and some from without. As Hesse intelligently points out that we often try to simplify the question for finding the answer to it while within and without are one and the same. In doing so he mentioned that we are subject to deception that time is a reality while it is not. And if time is not real, then the divide which seems to separate the world from eternity, suffering from bliss and evil from good, is a mere deception.

When i chose this book, i was also deceived by the name 'Siddhartha'. I thought that the book is an autobiographical account of Gautam Buddha who was born as Siddhartha and after finding knowledge, named Buddha i.e. the enlightened one. While the book contains story of a Brahmin boy Siddhartha who goes for an individual search for lasting peace during the time of Gautam Buddha and how his life is inspired by Samanas, Gautam Buddha, a courtesan Kamala, a ferryman Vasudeva and by a river profoundly.

Notably the Book 'Siddhartha' is one of the most acclaimed novels of Nobel Laureate Hermann Hesse. It was first published in 1922. It contains the philosophy of Hesse towards life which is inspired by individualism, it finds it's own answers to the question which are different as well as similar to the answers found by Buddha.

The philosophy of the book can be summed up in some beautiful and meaningful quotes like:

''The opposite of every truth is just as true.''

''Wisdom cannot be passed on. Wisdom that a wise man attempts to pass on to someone always sounds like foolishness.''

''Every life is indestructible, every moment is eternity.''

''Showing your wound to a listener is just like bathing it in the river until it had cooled and become one with the river.''

''Learn from the river: it is good to strive downwards, to sink and to seek depth.''

''I had to learn how to leave the world as it is, to love it, and to enjoy being a part of it.''

''Siddhartha is excited with the discovery and realizes that all suffering, all self-torment, anxiety, all difficulties, all hostility are anchored in time and all will disappear when time is overcome, when time can be thought away.''

To sum up, It is a must read for those who are interested in Philosophical depths but for others with a little interest in philosophical matters, this book may sound a bit boring as it dwells deep into the philosophical questions while at the same time Hesse has tried his best and succeeds much in keeping the book simple for all. 

The book is a 4 out of 5 and is highly recommended for the book enthusiasts who seek depth! 

Look Stunning at Any Size by Parimita Chakravorty

Hi All,

The book I am here to review is basically a book on Woman styling. It’s a 172-pages book by Parimita Chakravorty titled ‘Look Stunning at any size’. It’s a book for women with all sizes and does it perfectly by describing and elaborating all shapes, the pluses and minuses attached with them and what should be worn accordingly. Interestingly, in a similar manner it takes into consideration the facial structure and skin tone as well.

Parimita Chakravorty

     




The book is a comprehensive guide for all and it beautifully elaborates dressing, hair style, make-up, beauty care and accessories fitting the right shape, face, skin tone and occasion. It also enlists some style sins which must strictly be avoided. Overall it’s a good book to read with a lot of information given in 172 pages which would be beneficial for all kind of women.

Well, I have already made my point about the pros of the book. But before I quickly sum up, it is important to mention that though the book is quite elaborative, in a sense it is also quite technical at times with its description. It could have been made more interesting. In some places, too much categorization should have been avoided to make it more reader-friendly. A short-summary at the end of each chapter could have made it more useful for a quick revision guide.

In the end, it’s a book worth reading for women who want to look stunning. The investment will certainly pay off. For me, the book has a rating 3 out of 5.

Thank you for reading.

ADITYA