BOOKS ON SUCCESSFUL INDIANS

But how do we know about their mistakes!! 

Everyone doesn't have a time to explain their mistakes. A written account is definitely better. 

Books!! One of the best ways to learn!!

How about our own country's successful persons speaking about their struggles and how they made it big!! This article is definitely about books on Indian CEO s,industrialists and entrepreneurs.

1.MEN OF STEEL

This book by well known journalist Vir Sanghvi provides some candid interviews and what the author thinks of well-known industrialists of our country. The list includes Ratan Tata, Kumar Mangalam Birla, Azim Premji. People who wants to know about Indian industry scenario can definitely give it a try!!

2. Legacy by Sudha Menon

Almost everyone would have watched emotional Deepika reading a letter written to her by her papa in filmfare awards function!!But how many of you know this letter is also a part of book by Sudha Menon. Yes, this book is about letters written by successful and famous parents to their daughters. For all those people who wish to know how they survived during hard times, this book will never disappoint you.

3.Dare to be:14 fearless women who gave wings to their dreams

It is a collection of 14 incredible women who had the courage to leave from their safe corporate career and pursue their passion. It was not a cake walk for them but it's their determination which made them best!!

5. 30 women in power

30 women in power carries the inimitable voices of Indian women who have been pioneers and led large organizations-in banking, law, the media, advertising, government services,health care, consulting, the fast-moving consumer goods sector and the not-for-profit space.

5. She walks, she leads

"This book is not just about the 24 women who have shared their stories. It is as much about those who have supported them, encouraged them and stood by them. It is equally about those who have lent their voice to each story through their comments, insights and perspectives. A colossal collection of some of the greatest minds and hearts of our times."

– Adi Godrej, Chairman, Godrej Group

These words are enough for those who wonder how this book would be!!

6.Profiles in Enterprise:Inspiring stories of Indian business leaders

From the importance of hard work to perfect timing, and from sharing wealth to the grit and determination to never give in; these profiles share stories of entrepreneurs, ever ready to take risks and on a path to a never-ending success. Enlightening, and full of fascinating anecdotes, these personal journeys are a must read for a growing breed of first-generation entrepreneurs.

7. Rashmi Bansal's books

Rashmi has a way of making people understand how entrepreneurs struggled during their initial days and how their patience made them achieve the position they are in today!

So what are you guys waiting for!! Go get those books and learn from their mistakes and success stories!!

The Yardstick

 How are things quantified? How do we know the value of a kilogram of sugar? How do we arrive upon the conclusion as to whether the distance to be travelled is too far or not? It done by the virtue of yardsticks. The Americans measure distance in miles while we do so in kilometers. However, in the end, both parties are able to effectively arrive at a conclusion based on the quantity measured. The effective distance or the mass of the object isn't going to change regardless of whether it is measured in miles or kilometers or pounds or kilograms. Now, this isn't some introductory note to some class on Physics. This is just a clarification that the characteristic feature of an object doesn't change based on the yardstick we use to measure it.

Now we move on to the realm of beings whose origin story itself is highly conflicted. Whether, these beings evolved from monkeys or whether they were crafted by the “All-Knowing One Above” is something that is still debated upon. Now we are different from objects mentioned earlier. We are made of organic entities called cells. As you’re reading this, millions of bio-chemical connections are being formed in your brain which the average human terms as “thoughts”. Our characteristics won’t remain same with the changing yardstick of measurement.

Being societal beings, we are constantly under the pressure to do a lot of things. We were never given a chance to contemplate upon the reasons for doing many of these things. We walk around clothed. None of us came into the world with the notion that covering one’s nudity was a necessity. But somehow, we ended up being clothed. Now, please don’t blame Eve for that. Similarly, we were never given a proper reason behind attending school. Everyone was doing it. So we just followed the same suit.

As the years passed by, I began to question the very essence of schooling. The existence of an institution which measures its students with the yardstick of marks (mere numbers) seemed too minimalistic to be plausible. If that was the case, then the topper must have had life easy in front of him and the supposed “dunce” must be destined for failure. But, upon close probing, that wasn’t the case. The revered topper, who was believed to be at the pinnacle of success, then tumbles down to get caught up in a rat race. The dropouts, often free from the bondages of being reduced to a mere rank or number often go around creating ripples in the society which may be in the form of a start-up that our topper friends probably dream of getting into. Now, as I mentioned earlier, the “dunce” isn’t an actual dunce. He just couldn't cope up with a system that merely reduced him to marks. He had a brain capable of generating ideas that could possibly change the world as we know it. Similarly, we get to see that the topper was actually an entity accustomed to the system.

When subjected to the real life where intelligence isn’t measured by the yardstick of marks, the topper fumbled. It was only then, it dawned upon him that intelligence, in fact, was a spectrum that was a mix of academic, experiences and most of all, the ability of being street smart and in tune with the happenings around him. The topper can’t be blamed for his obliviousness towards the system. After all, he was just a kid stepping into real life. So now we move on to the question as to who is to be blamed. The institution of course, and its idea that its yardstick of measurement was accurate when it was not even close.

I am often fascinated by the things my parents are capable of doing. They are not even close when compared based on marks. But the amount of skills they’ve accumulated over the years is something that never ceases to amaze me. It’s not that my parents are special in any manner. They were subjected to a different education system that didn’t consider marks of utmost importance. They were taught to value experience along with the various modules on their subject. As I just began with my college life, wherein you are responsible for everything starting from your nutrition to your academics, I realized how faulty our yardsticks were. Being the fairly academic student didn’t give me an edge when it came to money management. Being the fairly academic student didn’t give me an upper edge when it came to finding good places to eat or washing my clothes properly.

Hence, it is high time we changed the yardsticks of measurement. As the Internet claims that Albert Einstein said, “Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” 

Knowing about the pioneers of feminism: The Brontë Sisters

Acting as a landmark in the history of English literature, these women had given a new face and a perspective to women in the 19^th century. And their masterpieces were not only milestones in the timeline of literature but they were also pioneers of a revolutionary concept for females across the world; feminism. Their portrayal of female characters in their novels was way too deviant from the social norms and expectations of the ‘ideal female’. Their projections of female characters were contemporary and new-fangled. Through just a plain quill, they did change the world and for the better.

The Brontë sisters were the part of a nineteenth-century literary family living in the West Riding of Yorkshire, England. The sisters, Charlotte, Emily and Anne, are, now, well known as poets and novelists. They were amongst several other radical female writers who originally published their poems and novels under male pennames: Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell, respectively. Their stories immediately attracted attention for their passion, progressiveness and ingenuity. Charlotte's Jane Eyre was the first to triumph, while Emily's Wuthering Heights, Anne's The Tenant of Wildfell Hall and other works were later to be recognized as masterworks of literature. Living in a very conservative society, the Brontë family had to face several hardships, starting from poverty, illnesses and all sorts of deprivation.

Charlotte:

She was the eldest amongst the three Brontë sisters and third born amongst all the siblings. Due to the untimely death of her mother and elder siblings, she was a mother figure for her younger siblings. She first published her works under the pen name Currer Bell. Brontë's first manuscript, The Professor, did not acquire a publisher, although she did not lose hope because of an encouraging response from Smith, Elder & Co. of Cornhill, who expressed an interest in any lengthier works Currer Bell might wish to send to them. Brontë responded by finishing and sending a second manuscript. A few weeks later Jane Eyre was published. It tells the story of a plain governess, Jane, who, after difficulties and abuse in her early life, falls in love with her enigmatic employer, Mr Rochester. They marry, but only after Rochester's insane first wife, of whom Jane initially has no knowledge, dies in a dramatic house fire. The book follows an eventful and life of Jane, who is a simple but an idealistic woman, as she grows into a strong and independent women. The book's style was original, combining naturalism with gothic melodrama, and broke social norms because it evoked first-person female perspective. Brontë believed art was most substantial when based on personal experience; in Jane Eyre she transformed the experience into a novel with universal appeal.

Emily:

She was younger to Charlotte and elder to Anne. She was a homely and rather quiet individual. She was a very imaginative, peaceful and shy. She was greatly inspired by several fictional and fantastical books and spent most of her childhood time writing fictional stories. Yet, Emily Brontë remains a mysterious figure and a challenge to biographers because information about her is scant due to her reclusive nature.  She published her most famous book Wuthering Heights, whose ferocity and desire made the Victorian public and many early reviewers to believe that it had been written by a man. The vivid, wild and outrageous portrayal of the led characters baffled the conservative crowds. The fresh story grabbed a lot of attention from the critics, yet it got a mixed review for being extremely contemporary, raw and even immoral for it touched on topics such as infidelity, difference in caste, and mostly the fact that the lead female character was deviant from social expectations. Yet, the book subsequently became an English literary classic. Emily Brontë never knew the extent of fame she achieved with her only novel, as she died a year after its publishing, aged 30.

Anne:

Anne Brontë, like her aforementioned sisters was an English novelist and poet, the youngest member of the Brontë literary family. Her first published novel was Agnes Grey. Her second and last novel, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, which is considered to be one of the first sustained feminist novels, appeared in 1848. Like her poems, both her novels were first published under the masculine pen name of Acton Bell. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is perhaps amongst the most scandalous of contemporary Victorian novels. In seeking to present the truth in literature, Anne's depiction of alcoholism and dishonesty was severely troubling to 19th-century conservatives. Helen Graham, the protagonist, the tenant of the title, intrigues Gilbert Markham and gradually she reveals her past as an artist and wife of the self-indulgent Arthur Huntingdon. The book's antiquity and brilliance lies in its disclosure of the position of women at the time, and its multifaceted plot. Anne's life was cut short when she died of what is now suspected to be pulmonary tuberculosis at the age of 29.

These sisters should not just be appreciated for their words and artwork but also what their writings symbolized. Their writings attempted to change the perspective towards women; to show images of independent females who aren’t encaged by social rules but masters of their own fate. 

Importance of books and famous books list

Quite often when we talk about entertainment the sort of examples that instantly strike our mind are television and internet .The present day human is so addicted to the screens that he rarely can think of any other alternatives.But have you ever thought how peple used to themselves when such scientific inventions were yet to be made ?There are limit-less examples which fufilled the purpose and made more sense than slogging your day hours sitting in front of dumb boxes ! When groups of people where considered music,dance,sports,street shows,plays etc., were used to entertain the crowd.But when we take into account self-entertainment, it was always BOOKS !

Books play a very important role in our life.They are capable of building up the required emotions within us,shaping up our personality and ofcourse,imaprting knowledge.Books have a very significant influence on our lives and they give us an opportunity to enhance our mental horizon .
Though there must be many of us , who still persue their interest in reading books , however most of us have already lost this rich heritage ! Specifically the new-aged . They claim that they have their modern-methods i.e internet on their electronic gadgets which enables them to have an access to various e-magazine , e-books , online newpapers and articles . But the fact over here is that screens are no subsititute for print papers ! Apart from having an adverse effect on one’s vision they also hard to absorb , disrupt sleep pattern and lower the reading comprehension . Books there do us no harm in anyway . Infact they prove the best company to us . They never leave us alone to get bored , they are our worthy companions.

Because we now know how books prove to be a brilliant source of entertainment , here are some must read books by some popular Indian authors that you should definitely include in your reading list !

The inheritance of loss – by Kiran Desai
Focusing on the rigid class system amongst Indians in India and abroad this book  basically centres around the struggles that the people were facing due to the same after colonialism.

The palace of illusions – by Chitra Banerjee Devakaruni
This book is a reframed version of the Great Indian Epic Mahabharata from the point of view of princess Panchaali.Panchaali,also known as Draupadi was the wife of Pandavas and is the protagonist of the story.

Train to pakistan – by Khushwant Singh
Train to Pakistan is a historical novel that recounts the Partition on India in August 1947.It reveals the story of an isolated village,plunged into the abyss of religios hate during the partition times.

The God of small things – by Arundhati Roy
It is a story about the childhood experiences of fraternal twins whose lives are destroyed by the "Love Laws" that lay down"who should be loved, and how. And how much."The book explores how the small things affect people's behavior and their lives.

A Suitable boy – Vikram Seth
This book follows a young woman's search for love and identity in a newly independent,post-  Partition India.Lata,a 19 year old student is forced to make a choice between her suitors: Kabir,Haresh,and Amit,for marriage belongin to 4 different famalies around which the plot of the book revolves.

The white tiger – by Aravind Adiga
The white tiger is a dark comic novel with good humour content.Balram is a chauffer who murders his employer.He later recounts his transformation from an honest hardworking boy to a murderer and blames it all on the avarice of the Indian elite.

Interpreter of Maladies – by Jhumpa Lahiri
It is a collection of nine short stories of Indians who are caught between the rapidly developing world and their old Indian beliefs.

The blue Umbrella – by Ruskin Bond
Bindiya is gifted with a new blue umbrella by some Japanese tourists . The umbrella helps her gain enough popularity in the village.Nandkishore, a shopkeeper has an eye on her umbrella but she is not ready to lose it at any cost .

The oath of the Vayuputras
( Shiva Trilogy ) – by Amish Tripathi

It is the final novel of the famous series of the Shiva Triology highlighting the concept that when evil rises only God can stop it.Shiva gathers his forces and reaches the Nagacapital.He seeks help from the Vayu-putras who have never before helped him , to lead a holy war.

The great Indian novel – by Shashi Tharoor

The book is purely based on satire and enough puns.It recasts in the context of the Indian Epic,The Mahabharata in collaboration with a great historical event i.e, The Indian Independence Movement .

Ten books you can begin with if you do not know where to start reading

1)      The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

This book takes us through Taliban Afghanistan, through the eyes of young Amir who commits a sin which destroys several lives. The guilt remained with Amir throughout his life as later on he goes on to seek redemption. Amir’s friendship with Hassan, his Baba, Ali and several other characters are bound to mesmerise the reader.

2)      The Book Thief by Markus Zuzak

This is the tale of a little girl, Liesel living with her foster-parents in the backdrop of Nazi Germany. Away from her parents, she adjusts with her new life in Himmel Street. Through a very unique perspective Liesel’s life is depicted as she learns to read English and falls in love with words and books. She starts to love the people around her and live a happy life until doom strikes. A very inimitable narrative and mesmerizing language keeps the reader hooked to this amazing read.

3)      A Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee

This book describes the life of Draupadi, through her childhood till the very end. It elaborates on the entire Mahabharata as seen through Draupadi’s eyes. A shocking truth, an intimate revelation set alongside a timeless and epic tale of honour, trickery, divinity and lastly justice; it is one of the best books of the 21^st century!

4)      The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Nick Carraway moves to New York to achieve the American Dream. Upon encountering his enigmatic neighbour Jay Gatsby and being truly wound up in his personal life he finds out the hollowness of wealth and the American Dream in its entirety. This story describes a tale of passionate love, infidelity and mostly hollowness. One of the best books to ever have been written and Fitzgerald’s masterful use of words keeps the reader enticed throughout the story.

5)      Tell me your Dreams by Sidney Sheldon

One of the lesser known works of the God of thriller presents one story which is sure to give the reader Goosebumps. A psychological thriller revolving around the lives of three girls and a dramatic and unpredictable progression is sure to keep anyone hooked to the story. As the unreliable narrator tells a maddening story, the readers will surely find themselves screaming with shock in the end.

6)      The Girl on The Train by Paula Hawkins

Declared as one of the best crime thrillers of 21^st century, it has been a best seller for a very long time. An unreliable and alcoholic narrator describes her daily journey on the train as she looks through the window and sees the people from there. One day she sees something shocking which she has to fix. An uneven narrative and an extremely unpredictable ending will make any reader love this book.

7)      The Ghost by Danielle Steel

Distressed by the end of his ten-year old marriage and career tumult, Charles finds himself stranded moves from London to a small town in Massachusetts in search of an unknown resolve. He finds himself extremely intrigued after living in a house haunted for the past 200 years by a mysterious woman. A wonderful and timeless tale of love which takes the reader through several centuries, it is one of the lesser known Danielle Steel books yet a brilliant one.

8)      The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling

It is the most magical tale of all times, figuratively and literally. Harry Potter faces several tumultuous situations at his magical school, Hogwarts. He goes on to solve problems and mysteries with his best friends, Ron and Hermione under the guidance of the Headmaster Dumbledore. It is a story of friendship, love, trust, joy, sadness, betrayal, darkness, humour and all the emotions one could possibly imagine. Without reading Harry Potter, a reader cannot be a “reader” in a true sense.

9)      Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll.

We've all heard about this story and we all know Alice but the thing is that children's literature can give you a whole new perspective for a book when read as an adult. The story begins when Alice sees a white rabbit wearing a waistcoat. She decides to follow it and the next thing you know, she's fallen into a rabbit hole. There are creatures she meets and experiences she gathers. All in all, the book when read as an adult, seems to be a metaphor for life. It is a timeless classic.

10)   The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

This is the actual autobiography of Anne Frank, an adolescent Jewish girl attempting to survive in Nazi Germany. Her family was in hiding for two years during the Nazi regime in Netherlands. She was finally taken away to a concentration camp where she passed away at an extremely young age. But she kept a diary with her in which she has articulately penned down her experiences. We don't get a lot of personal accounts of the atrocities faced by people under the Nazi regime and this one coming from an innocent child is all the more heart-breaking.  One should read it to find motivation and get inspired.