Very Good Lives: The Fringe Benefits of Failure and the Importance of Imagination by J.K. Rowling

About the book:

In 2008, J.K. Rowling delivered a deeply affecting commencement speech at Harvard University. Now published for the first time in book form, Very Good Lives offers J.K. Rowling’s words of wisdom for anyone at a turning point in life, asking the profound and provocative questions: How can we embrace failure? And how can we use our imagination to better both ourselves and others?

Drawing from stories of her own post-graduate years, the world-famous author addresses some of life’s most important issues with acuity and emotional force. 

Hardcover, 80 pages

Published April 14th 2015 by Little, Brown and Company

My Review:

Rowling proves it: words can carry a unique magic and save you, in ways you'll never know. When the words are coming directly from her, rest assured!

Of course I finished the book in one sitting, but I cannot put into words how much longer the words have been lingering with me.
The book is actually the commencement speech that Rowling gave and it has set some serious benchmark for a speech.
It speaks to me on so many levels, and fills me with so much hope for everything.
While she retains the humor in her speech, reading the words on paper has a different impact. She touched upon the beautiful, and as she calls it "quixotic" twin themes of failure and imagination.
If you're someone who wants to achieve something, be someone remarkable, you will have a lot of takeaways from her speech.
I will quote some of her points, to make my own point clearer:

1. "Poverty... is not an ennobling experience"
As someone whose story quite literally represents the 'rags to riches' tale, she has described not what it seems or looks like, but actually what it feels like: in poverty, you are a lone ranger, the lack of resources make your life less charming for the world, and it is only in the journey of stepping out of poverty like a diamond from a coal mine that one can find some relief, not before, not after. Certainly not before, when poverty gnaws at your very existence. We romanticize the wrong things.

2. "Talent and intelligence never yet inoculated anyone against the caprice of the Fates"
It is rare to find people who have such an acute understanding and deep awareness of the fact that not everyone is born with a silver spoon. And I guess it only happens when one has been on both the ends herself. Her acute sense of understanding is largely due to the fact that she can say for herself too, that her standing in front of Harvard University's graduating class in no way means she has had it easy. Such a brilliant thing to say to put everyone's fears at peace and hopes ignited.

3. "It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all – in which case, you fail by default."
This is one life lesson at least the millennial generation wouldn't forget.

She also expounds on her experiences at Amnesty International and how they played a part in her future actions.

4. " I think the wilfully unimaginative see more monsters. They are often more afraid."
I am personally a strong advocate of the importance of keeping possibilities alive, always knowing that there are teeming opportunities and that there are pursuits galore if you never stop learning and exploring. And so the complacent people, the ones who see only the reality and nothing else, live lives not worth remembering. Leaving legacies is indeed a noble pursuit.

Wise, witty, wonderful, moving, inspirational, sincere: I cannot find the right adjective for the text, and I know I will keep coming back to it, on the rainiest and sunniest of days!

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How I Became A Fan Of Used Books ... Slowly And Then All At Once

I had been quite 'literally' brought up with the principle of only using/buying/reading new books. You know, the unused ones, with new ones, the ones that exude the crisp aroma of fresh publication. The unstained. Freshly bound. Pristine. Perfect.

My sister and mom just told me not to look at used/second-hand books and that was that. It was never really reasoned out. Until, it finally was. I realised there was little to no sense in this rejection of second hand books. And there hardly seemed any probable logic.

Besides, who am I kidding? The old, rusty books are cheaper than new ones and as a college student, when you are perennially broke, and have an insatiable urge to read, you explore all possible avenues. So it hardly comes across as a surprise that I finally resorted to second-hand books. But resorting is one thing, I fell in love with used books. And to know the why and how of this love, you'll need to read up my tryst with these treasure troves over the years.

It all began with a library clearance sale in the opposite part of the city, and I was getting Ghosh and Lahiri and Coelho for as low as 50 rupees. It was dramatic, all right! I had braved a commute of 2 hours and the muddy terrain (yes, to add to the flair of dramatic, it was raining). and here I was. Torn between a handsome deal for books that had long been on my TBR, and my sister's inexplicable dismissal of used books. 

I took a call, of which I am proud, and would be gladly narrating 4 years from that moment. 

I will admit it started with sneakily importing the yellowed book into my shelf. 

There was no going back from there. I went to various book sales and sneaked in the discolored, even auburn-ed copies of some real treasures of books. What marked an important juncture in the transition from my practical acceptance of used books to my unalloyed love for them was this: I opened this old hardbound copy of Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events. And there was a name scribbled in childish handwriting, crooked at the edges, as if the child had picked up a pen for the first time. Or maybe one of the siblings had a fight and in order to mark the book as his own, the kid who went by the name of Alex, established his ownership in ink. Maybe, the book scared him and so he couldn't hold the pen without shivering. Who knows? 

But the point is, there are so many possibilities, so many conjectures, and to think of the stories that these books have witnessed, somehow adds to the charm. To think that someone cried on the same pages that now have our tears, to see the same page has been dog-eared where our favorite part of the book lies. 

Since then, I have come across so, SO many used-books. With notes, with thank-you's, with apologies, with inter-generational exchanges. It warms my heart so much. 

And with that magic, I ganged up with the used books. I bought them at every available opportunity, because, well, if I love them, why friend-zone them?

A latest edition may give me crisp pages for the story, but the used editions give me crisp stories for the pages. (Yes, multiple!)

Before you leave, let me add: this also speaks to me on a deeper level: for one, it made me realise how futile our obsession with perfection is. No one wants a termite-infested book, but just a used book does not harm. And then there are stories, as many as you make up, about the person who was the owner prior to you and what the book did to them, meant for them. But most of all, that you know you are holding more than just bound printed pages in your hand. 

There are always lessons hidden in the little, seemingly innocuous events of life, aren't they?

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An Ode To The Name Of This Blog... And To Friendship

A friend recently sent me a pendant (Image below) that has the name of this very blog on it. She moved on to a different continent earlier this year, and what has ensued is what always ensues: we are unable to synchronise Skype calls, there's hardly any regularity to when we catch up on each others' lives, and we are making friends without each other. To add spice to the situation, we are growing up. But, I digress. Coming back to the pendant. The gift was sure, shipped from another continent, and all, but this was among the thoughtful gifts. You know, when real effort goes into gifting something to someone the meaning of which only a few people can totally comprehend? The kind of thoughtfulness that makes the gift sacred. 

Dear friend, it doesn't remind me of you, it doesn't smell of you either. Heck, we haven't even lived any of our memories with it. But it is still sacred, because it somehow magically managed to traverse its material meaning, and slipped into my heart. Slipped inside enough to make me get back to poetry after 4 years. Need I say, thank you?

Sometimes, You Hold On...

There's a thin line, an important one
The difference 

Between moving away and drifting apart

There are no full stops,

Not really anyway.

Because, life ends in a comma

With unfinished business

And words unsaid, and gifts slated to be delivered

In the middle of a sentence, just like tha

With an 'almost'
And a blurred vision
Of what could be, in an alternate universe

And so we count upon 

The difference

Between moving away and drifting apart

Geographies will define the former,
We will just be silent spectators,
But we will always make the two minutes' skype call
Worth all the postponement, and scheduling

Yes, it will hurt.
It will suck to admit what we know deep down
The eventuality of the numbing distance

And we will hope, secretly
To wither away together, in that hilly cottage
We talked about, I hope you remember?

Against all odds, that once again
Our paths will cross, and
we will make new memories

No, I don't think we can relive the ones from the past
because that's what they are:
Past.

And in the meantime,
gestures are all we have
To stain each other with laughter
The kind reminiscent of our clumsiness
(mostly your clumsiness, though)

And this pendant will not just be a necklace
It will always be more:
A reminder. A token. A keepsake

No, it wouldn't go with that dress
or wouldn't seem right to be worn at
That conference

But I will hold on to it, tight
Like my life depends on it
Because it does

Do you hear? I will wear it on my sleeve
Because when all is said and done,
this is the nearest I have to your spirit,
And to the frolic of our compatibility and love.

The miles are tangible, the distance isn't
It just is an intangible demon conspiring to drift us apart,
supported by the vagaries of time.

But with this tied to me, we wouldn't let it. 

There's a difference 

Between moving away and drifting apart

And we shall always try to hold on to that difference.
That's the noble thing to do. 

PS: There has been a spelling error. It has been intentional. those who get the meaning, will get the meaning!

Book Review: She Walks, She Leads by Gunjan Jain

About the Book : “She Walks, She Leads”

The book is an authorized anthology of India’s most dynamic women leaders, it profiles life stories of 24 prolific women at the acme of their careers. The book features Nita Ambani, Indra Nooyi, Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, Mira Nair, Priyanka Chopra, Kareena Kapoor, Mary Kom, Sania Mirza, Rajshree Birla, Shobhana Bhartiya, Chanda Kochhar, Anamika Khanna amongst others.
She Walks, She Leads has received an overwhelming response from some of the tallest names in the country.
Mr. Shahrukh Khan , Mrs. Nita Ambani, Mr. Deepak Parekh released the  book on 21st July 2016 at a gathering in Taj Mahal Palace Mumbai and in attendance were who’s who of India Inc.
From industry giants to social leaders, the most respected voices in India have given the book their note of confidence and trust and you can see these endorsements on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/GunjanJainOfficial  and endorsement section of the website www.gunjanjain.com
More than 130 leading personalities of India from a wide-range of professions have lent their voices on the 24 women featured in She Walks, She Leads that provide rare insights into the life of the protagonists and considerably enrich their stories.

About the author

With an academic record spread across five countries and three continents, Gunjan has been privileged to have had several worlds open up before her fairly early. She is a graduate from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in Economics and Finance, U.S.A. and has earned her Masters in Wealth Management from Cass Business School, City University, U.K. Gunjan is currently enrolled in a General Management programme from Harvard Business School, Harvard University, U.S.A .Gunjan holds a diploma in Image Management from the London Image Institute as well as the Academy of Image Mastery in Singapore. She has received a diploma on International Etiquette and Protocol from the Institut Villa Pierrefeu in Switzerland, and a Masters Practitioners degree in Neuro-linguistic Programming from the Society of NLP in USA – making her one among very few Indians to receive such accreditation. More about Gunjan’s bio is available  here https://www.gunjanjain.com/about

Find the author here: 

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My Review:

Holding the huge book in one's hand, one can easily imagine why the book is amassing the praise that it is. Chronicling and bringing together stories of 24 influential and inspirational women personalities from different walk of life, the effort that has gone in the book is fairly evident.
It has been a very well-thought, well-put and well-executed assignment of a book, which is admirable because such a fine work from beginning till the end is so rare. The format basically goes like this: the writer's account of her meeting with them, putting together the work they did and the struggles, followed by an interview of someone close to her. In this context, Gunjan Jain has coupled up as a biographer and as an interviewer, and that brings two different dimensions to what we read. And who doesn't like learning about the multiple layers that characterise every person?

And then, there are the unassuming lessons hidden within the stories, which as an ingredient, single-handedly add to the charm of reading the book. "Never start anything with diffidence, always start with confidence. And when you are successful you must give back to society"
The biographies are varied, in that different people belong to different generations and hence have had distinct struggles, which means as a reader, one finds a part more relatable than the others, but it works fine as long as there are takeaways like these lessons.

The best part about the book however, is this: it is a warm reminder for us to see beyond the glitter and attraction of success. It forces one to think about the journey behind the achievements.
Successful women from different walks of life have shared their stories, up-close and personal.
I especially liked reading the sketches which emanated a personal touch, like Shabana Azmi's. The family/friend/confidante of the women telling more about them is also heart-warming at times, despite being too repeatedly positive.

The catch here is that it is written in a journalistic tone, sort of like the cover story of a feature magazine, and considering there are 24 such accounts, it is tricky to read in one go. You will need to make an effort to read perhaps one sketch each day. But it will be worth the while because the accounts are colorful and vivid, touching carefully the fragile struggles and the eventual success.

Get the book here:

Source of the review copy: Book Received from the author, in exchange of an honest review

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Book Review: Distractions by Tania Joyce

Book Title: Distractions

Author: Tania Joyce 

Genre: New Adult Romance 

Release Date: September 7, 2016 

Hosted by: Book Enthusiast Promotions

When true love is worth fighting for!

University student, Wiley Cayton’s world turns upside down when she meets college newcomer Cameron Wilks. With his irresistible good looks, he seems to be nothing but a party-boy and a constant distraction.

Even when Wiley finds out about Cameron’s troubled past, she’s determined to keep her distance and her previously shattered heart protected. But with him studying the same degree and falling in with her group of friends, she’s drawn to him in unexplainable, illogical ways. How can one’s heart overrule one’s mind? Inevitably she falls for his charismatic charm and her insecurities take hold. Her life spirals out of control and she struggles to find balance between partying, sex and maintaining her scholarship grades.

With her future at risk, her family battle to keep her and Cameron apart, but that only weaves their relationship tighter together. When a college prank goes horribly wrong – threads snap, and just when she needs him most, Cameron disappears. Is their tumultuous romance meant to be or is it just a temporary distraction?

Carefully avoiding any body contact, I grabbed Cameron’s iPad and glanced over his timetable. “You’re in nearly all my classes.” My worst suspicions were confirmed as I read through his schedule.

As I handed back his iPad, his fingers crossed over mine. I gasped as a shock shot through me gain when our skin connected. Our eyes met. I nearly dropped his tablet as I slowly pulled my hand away.

What was wrong with me? I’d never experienced anything like it before. It was nothing like an electric shock; this was exhilarating and exciting. It snaked through my veins like tendrils of fire. I was mystified and intrigued…and beyond baffled.

Having missed the introduction, the lecturer brought us to attention. I blinked my eyes to adjust to the dimming of the theatre lights.

As the room darkened, I had an urge to test this extraordinarily strange body contact experience and to see if it happened again. Yes, conduct my own little science experiment. How was I going to do this subtly? Dave was going to be my control specimen. I leaned over toward him and rested my arm against his. Skin on skin.

I waited a split second or two. Daring not to breath.

But…nothing happened.

It was just Dave.

I straightened back into my chair and smiled to myself. I then casually leaned over in Cameron’s direction to see what he was typing on his iPad. My arm rested against his. He inhaled deeply and at the same time my blood started to swirl like the ocean in a wild storm and my heart pounded like a runaway racehorse. The hairs on my arm stood on end. He stared at me, his penetrating metallic-blue eyes shimmering in the dim lighting. My mouth gaped open. I couldn’t move and simply forgot how to breathe.

He closed his eyes. “Are you okay? Did you want something?”

I stuttered, but finally managed to form some words. “Um, no, I’m all good.”

Yes, I’d finally come up for air. I flopped back in my chair and could feel his eyes linger on me as I tried to understand what had just happened. This was not normal. Exhilarating, intense, but not normal. I was being stupid or out of my mind. Was I having an allergic reaction to the lotion or soap he used? Surely there had to be a logical and realistic explanation?

Whatever it was, I wanted and needed it to stop. It was way too much of a distraction.

Published in 2015 with Momentum Books (Pan MacMillan), Tania Joyce is an Australian author of erotic, contemporary and new adult romance novels. Her stories thread romance, drama and passion into beautiful locations ranging from the dazzling lights of Sydney Harbour or the glitter of New York, to the rural countryside of the Hunter Valley or Darling Downs.

She’s widely traveled, has a diverse background in the corporate world and has a love for shopping, shoes and shiraz. She’s rarely seen without glitter, sparkle and stilettos.

Tania draws on her real-life experiences and combines them with her very vivid imagination to form the foundation of her novels. She likes to write about strong-minded, career-oriented heroes and heroines that go through drama-filled hell, have steamy encounters and risk everything as they endeavor to find their happy-ever-after.

Tania shuffles the hours in her day between part-time work, family life and writing. One day she hopes to find balance.

Amazon AUS | iTunes AUS

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My Review:

I have read the earlier two books by the author, and I have always praised the plot, which many a times is amiss in the genre otherwise. This book didn't disappoint either. In fact, this one surpassed in terms of the quality of the plot, with an entirely different setting.
This time the story is set in the lives of graduating seniors. College can be heard, and falling in love while at it, just complicates the equation more. To add to the spice, both our protagonists are running from their past relationships, and are poles apart. She is on a scholarship, which means she needs to maintain her grades and conduct. He is the heir to a large family fortune. 

Her parents are skeptical, his parents are liberal.

There's all the drama that one can imagine, but this book still reads fast, and albeit predictable at certain places, it doesn't let the fun in the plot fade away.

This has to be one of the most raw, realistic book written in the genre. 

Author Interview And Book Giveaway: Hire Train Monitor Motivate By David J Waldron

About the author

David J. Waldron is a passionate student and practitioner of organization, team, and individual career effectiveness in the transformational workplace. He is the author of the new book, Hire Train Monitor Motivate (Country View) published May 31, 2016 and now available on Amazon Books and in the Kindle Store.He is also author of The Ten Domains of Effective Goal Setting (Country View: 2016) and A Great Place to Learn & Earn (Country View: 2015).

David is an award winning contributing writer to Seeking Alpha; and frequent contributor to Career Education Review, HR.com, and Pulse. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business studies from Stockton University and completed The Practice of Management Program at Brown University. David lives with his wife, Suzan, outside Providence, Rhode Island USA.

Find the author here: 

About the book:

Title: Hire Train Monitor Motivate By David J Waldron

Paperback, First Edition, 86 pages
Published May 31st 2016 by Country View

Rating: 4.5/5

Blurb: The transformational workplace of the twenty-first century is front and center. Are you ready to navigate its twists and turns toward reaching your career goals and dreams? In Hire Train Monitor Motivate, author and veteran organizational leader, David J. Waldron, offers powerful, yet simple techniques that can dramatically improve your organization, team, or individual career achievements in today’s hyper-competitive local and global marketplaces.

This practical book will teach you how to master the art of workplace effectiveness by first making a lasting commitment to placing people first, whether a customer, recruit, staff member, or coworker. Then hire, or get hired for an optimistic mindset; train, or be trained for delivering quality products and services; monitor, or allow monitoring for regulatory compliance; and motivate, or stay motivated for enduring performance.

As a practitioner more so than an academic, Waldron, presents unpretentious, everyday workplace rules that when implemented, or followed, can transform your organization, team, or individual career to one of lasting distinction. Master the proven techniques for playing the game the right way and learn how to practice leadership or teamwork by inclusion toward making your workplace a great place to learn, earn, and grow.

Hire Train Monitor Motivate guides the reader toward recognizing his or her essential role in today’s transformational workplace. A work environment—whether for-profit, nonprofit, or in the public service—that requires an understanding and buy-in to the Millennial Model, the cultural transition of the now predominant generation that, according to Waldron, is fast becoming the new standard in organizational behavior, group dynamics, and individual effectiveness. This horizontal hierarchical model will likely drive the influential organizations, teams, and careers of the twenty-first century as the vertical hierarchy of the Baby Boomer generation did in the twentieth century.

Waldron guides the reader in embracing crucial areas of the modern workplace. Join him as he explores the emerging dominance of the expert economy; the importance of lifelong learning and perpetual career development; and how to be an active participant—as opposed to the spectator—on the precipice of reinventing compensation and worker equality. Plus, why accepting the significance of work/life balance will remain necessary to sustainable career success.

Whether an owner, donor, leader, manager, supervisor, or staff member, make a commitment to your essential role in the transformational workplace. Read Hire Train Monitor Motivate, today, and make your workplace a great place tomorrow. Your organization, team, and career are counting on you.

Interview:

Kritika: How is the publishing process like for a non-fiction? 

David: I have only written non-fiction since I wrote a two act play in 9th grade English that my teacher adored and encouraged me to write more. So I can’t compare but what I enjoy about non-fiction is I get to write what I know. It is a culmination of life’s experiences. The publishing process is simple (but certainly not easy): plan, research, write, edit, format, publish, and market.

Kritika: What is it about writing a non-fiction that people do not know? 
David: Fiction certainly dominates the overall book market, but non-fiction plays an essential role in assuring that our personal and professional lives are balanced between reality and entertainment. I think both genres are necessary for a rich reading experience.

Kritika: What challenges does a non-fiction writer face? 
David: Publishers prefer lots of pages and words to justify book prices. Most non-fiction books I read (and enjoy) are about 250-400 pages but I typically can highlight the key concepts down to about 100 pages. The other 150-300 pages are mostly filler to satisfy publishers and reference material to satisfy academia. I write what I know with no filler (I think) and limited reference material which is why my books are all around 100 pages.

Kritika: One thing about writing you absolutely love? 
David: Creating something from mind to screen, then to paper or online, and sharing it with the world for better or worse.

Kritika: One thing about writing you kind of hate? 
David: The process is very time consuming. A month as writer seems to go much quicker than a month as an education executive (my former career).

Kritika: How would you describe your relationship with deadlines? 
David: Assigned deadlines are non-negotiable – so you just meet them. Self-imposed deadlines are the most challenging as they are negotiable and therefore can lead to unintended procrastination.

Kritika: When did you decide you write this book? 
David: My first book, A Great Place to Learn & Earn was a memoir of my career in post-secondary education. Hire Train Monitor Motivate is based on the workplace concepts and principles of the original book but is targeted to all careers and industries.

Kritika: What was the trigger for you to write a book dealing with HR topics? 
David: Thirty plus years as a leader, manager, supervisor and staff member in the workplace. I combined my professional experience with my passion for writing into a new career as a non-fiction author. HR topics are varied and controversial which makes them fun to write about. I am a frequent contributing writer to HR.com: the Human Resources Social Network (free, registration required.)

Kritika: What was it like to assimilate all HR wisdom in one concise book? 
David: Some authors prefer to separate related concepts into several books. For example, I could have written perhaps three books on Hire Train Monitor Motivate: one about hiring, one on training, and one on motivating. But I have several books in the works as part of the Books for Main Street℠ series at my publisher, Country View. Therefore, I decided to put all these HR concepts into one book and still keep it at a readable at 100 pages. I like to think of the book as more of a handbook for career motivated millennials.

Kritika: How do you plan for a non-fiction like this, do you write the broad headlines and then work on it, or do you gather all the pointers and then club them together? 
David: Great question, Kritika! I start with a working title which will often change as the book is written. For example, Hire Train Monitor Motivate was originally titled, Make Your Workplace a Great Place, which ended up as a chapter title. I then outline the book based on notes and research of the principles and concepts. Then organize the outline into a table of contents and begin writing. And writing. And writing. I will skip around and write a chapter or section based on what is flowing from my mind on that particular day. It is kind of like making a movie, where scenes are shot from a storyboard but rarely in order of the script. The editing process then puts the scenes together in sequence. The same with a non-fiction book as it is ultimately edited into a hopefully seamless and orderly flow. Like fiction, repetitiveness is common in non-fiction to insure the reader is given ample opportunity to grasp the concept (or plot development in fiction) so the transition to the next concept (or plot twist) is seamless.

Kritika: Are you currently working on another non-fiction book? 
David: I am currently writing the next book in my series, “Books for Main Street℠,” about personal investing, an adult life-long passion of mine. The working title (which I think will stick) is Value Investing for Main Street. It is a primer on how to invest with limited capital, lower costs, and less risk than the titans of Wall Street. The book is based on my article series of the same title on Seeking Alpha, the most read online investment platform on the web.


Nothing elates me more than the fact that there's more wisdom coming from this person in his next books!
Thank you so much for an amazing interview!

For a limited time, the eBook edition of Hire Train Monitor Motivate is being offered in a free promotion on Kindle, iBooks, Nook, Kobo, Inktera, and Smashwords. 

He is also generous so as to give away a paperback copy of his book, and the giveaway is open worldwide. All you have to do is follow the instructions on the rafflecopter below.
This giveaway is being run by the blog SO Many Books, SO Little Time in collaboration with the author, and has no affiliation to any other entity.

It is open for a week, so do not wait and participate right away!
The only condition is to have an amazon deliverable address!

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Links to the book:

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