Chanakya's New Manifesto Posted by Drac , Thursday, February 28, 2013 at 9:53 PM, in Labels: book, non-fiction, Rupa

Title: Chanakya's New Manifesto: to Resolve the Crisis within India

Author:  Pavan K. Varma

Publisher: Aleph

Genre: Non-Fiction

A lot has been written over Chanakya, supposedly India’s first politician. From a fictionalized version of his life and work, as in Chanakya’s Chants; to an attempted biography by Igen. I used the word ‘attempted’ as no reliable documented source is present to verify the early life of Chanakya. Where some writers present him as a cruel politician, some adores his intellect and write books giving out examples from his life to improve your business strategies or to make you a good leader, as in Corporate Chanakya. So what is so NEW in Chanakya’s New Manifesto by Pavan K. Varma? 

Well, first thing is that it relates to today’s scenario. Based on the epic Arthashashtra written by Chanakya, author tries to analyze the problems India is facing today and also suggest the solutions. The book is chiefly divided on five aspects, each covering an area responsible for growth, peace and safety of our country, namely, Governance, Democracy, Corruption, Security and Creation of an Inclusive Society. Spread since the independence of India till after 66 years of its struggle, author points out the reason of our weakness and shed some light on the prospective solutions. From the loopholes present in our government and how every citizen has a part to play in it, to the flawed democracy and its resurrection through Chanakya’s method. Author has given more than a hundred points to fight corruption, considered as the biggest plague of our country. Whether it is terrorism or violence against women, nobody feels secure in this country of righteousness; author recommends it’s a soaring time to restructure our security issues. The last chapter is what makes this book unique from other pompous work where author just point the flaws. This part talks directly to the reader and explain how every person plays an essential role in forming our nation and how if we do our part with dedication, our dream country won’t be just a dream anymore. Even though nothing seems like an ‘out of the box’ idea or a miraculous observation, writer’s work is agreeable. 

Best thing about this book is author’s realization that his ideas might not be bullet-proof. Unlike other writers who just want to stamp their thoughts on reader’s mind (note my previous review for instance), author here clearly states that his ideas are meant for debate and he is just presenting a hope for the betterment of our country without taking political sides. Overall it is an easy and enlightening read. It gave me a lot of material to discuss in my company’s next GD session. Highly recommended for those who don’t miss a day’s newspaper. 

Rating: 4/5 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Blogadda.com as part of their book review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

R.I.P Posted by Drac , Saturday, February 9, 2013 at 7:18 AM, in Labels: book, fiction, Westland

Title: R.I.P

Author: Mukul Deva

Publisher: Westland

Genre: Fiction

RIP by Mukul Deva is not as strange a novel as the name suggests. Involving all the clichés one would expect in a crime thriller, it is still a gripping novel which binds the reader since the first page. 

The story deals with a team of 6 personnel called as K-team (named after their common initial) aka Resurgent Indian Patriots (RIP) and its fight against corruption. Beginning with political murders till shifting the distorted view of good and evil, the novel marks a satisfying and intriguing read. Most of the incidents mentioned in the book feel inspired by real-life scams, similarly many characters portrayed can be easily connected to real people. The best part of the book is the stories of the 6 members of the K-team; their emotions, failures and repletion makes this book a keeper. 

Unmasking the real terrorism inside India and dropping the curtain from the common man’s (or say reader’s) eyes, author has done an appalling job. In a nutshell, and I hope I am not giving away any spoiler, this book reminds me of the movie ‘A Wednesday’; which by the way was an awesome movie. But, yes there is always one, even while targeting political corruption, you can feel the writer’s point of view, his opinion and political preferences, which I believe was the worst part of the book. As a great writer once said, a good story starts in the writer’s head and ends in reader’s. I found there was not enough space left for my thoughts to bloom as I was bombarded by K-Team’s virtues of righteousness. In my opinion, the only just way to enjoy this novel would be to forget that it has anything to do with current political scenarios and enjoy the deaths (pun intended). 

Also, I am not blaming the author but my overactive imagination which did somehow managed to reveal the twists a couple of pages before and thus ruining my fun of a surprising page-turner. Even with good story and spotless writing (excluding the expletives), RIP misses the breakthrough a reader’s heart aches for. 

I never read any work of the author before and even though this book did not blow away my mind, I am looking forward to read his other books. Because an author who can merge real life incidents in a fiction, like Vikas Swarup, and still gives out a paced thriller with a fragrance of Robert Ludlum, is definitely someone to lookout for. 

Rating: 3.5/5 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Blogadda.com as part of their book review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”