An evening with Ravi Subramanian

We spent an evening with Ravi Subramanian. A great conversation struck where we talked about his career as a writer, thoughts about the banking industry, suggestions to upcoming writers and lots more! Bringing to you PART 1 of the story right here -

About Ravi

Ravi Subramanian, Author of The Banking Trilogy is a banker turned author. He has worked with various multinational banks for over 18 years (Citibank, ANZ Grindlays Bank and HSBC). He always wished to be a writer and the organizational politics and exposure with global banks provided him with a great opportunity to do so. Ravi has made a distinct mark as an author into 'Banking Fiction' - a genre that very few authors have been able to excel at. 

Ravi's first book 'If God was a Banker' was a bestselling novel followed by his recent success with 'The Incredible Banker'! His books are fast paced and easy to read for people from all industry and not just the banking sector.

You can read Ravi's 4 books at www.librarywala.com

We shall be coming up with Part 2 and Part 3 of the video soon! Watch out for them as Ravi comments the first time ever on his upcoming books and talks about his inspiration in writing 'The Incredible Banker'. 

So, this weekend, take out 4 hours and give his book a shot. You can write to us about your thoughts on our work at librarywalablogs@gmail.com.

Till then, signing off with this quote from the author!

"If people think of a banking story, they need to think of me. That's when I would count myself as a successful author", Ravi says.

Best Regards,

Team Librarywala

Librarywala.com Reviews: The Immortals of Meluha by Amish Tripathi

Hello Librarywalas!
There are a few books that leave a lasting impact on the literary scene. The Immortals of Meluha burst in to the Indian books circuit, and took it by storm. This is our review of the national bestseller. Do give it a read.

Title : The Immortals of Meluha

Author : Amish Tripathi

Publisher :Westland

Mythology and faith have always been held on a giant pedestal in India, and millions are pious believers of myriad Gods. Against that background, Amish Tripathi’s debut novel is mythology on steroids! The book is the first installment of The Shiva Trilogy. Rooted in ancient scribes and corroborated in parts by history, The Immortals of Meluha is two parts action, one part drama and five parts speculative fast-paced fiction. How can it not enthrall readers, when its core premise is that Lord Shiva wasn't in fact a Lord, but a mere mortal that was immortalized by legend?

“Whether a man is a legend or not is decided by history, not fortune tellers.”

The story is set in 1900BC in Meluha (or the Indus Valley Civilization), an almost Utopian empire built centuries ago during Lord Ram’s brilliant reign. However the country is in a state of disarray as the Chandravanshis and evil Nagas align to terrorize the Meluhans, the sacred Saraswati river depicts signs of extinction and the magical ‘somras’ is depleting. The only spark of hope is ancient lore that states-when problems become insurmountable for ordinary men, the Neelkanth (savior) will appear. Chapter 1 ‘He Has Come!’ kicks off with a burly, battle-fatigued Shiva in a dilemma over an enticing offer from Nandi, inviting him and his tribe Gunas to inhabit Meluha.  Shiva finds himself responding to the call of destiny while finding love of his life, forming brotherly associations with some and leading a whole country against evil.  In the midst of awe-inspiring battle, Shiva rises to the occasion as the ultimate warrior, simultaneously coping with the trials and tribulations of ordinary mortals.

His tryst with inner demons, confusion, frustration and desperation to find the ultimate solution and the final realization will surely resonate with people of all age groups. The contemporary and conversational style of writing has clearly been used favoring the mass appeal, and has worked like a charm. The careful reader will find hidden nuances in Amish’s writing- the references to untouchability, terrorism and even immigration-which offer much fodder for thought.  The author creatively brings out every human’s stubborn resolve in prescribing to particular set of beliefs and believing that his way is the ‘right’ way.  One can draw many parallels with modern scenarios, especially with the Anna Hazare-lead anti-corruption movement gathering steam.

This concoction of angst, drama and romance makes for a heady read. Fusing fact, faith and fiction seamlessly, this is a book that deserves a marathon read, as it keeps you hooked from start to finish. The sequel to this book ‘The Secret of the Nagas’ is now out and promises to be an exciting read as well.

Librarywala.com gives the book 'The Immortals of Meluha' 4.5 on 5.

Feel free to issue the book online on the Librarywala website here: 

http://www.librarywala.com/WEB/BookDetail.aspx?BID=9562

Amish Tripathi is a marketing whiz and has generated a huge fan following due to his out-of-the-box techniques to reach out to readers. Do connect with the author here:

The Shiva Trilogy website-http://shivatrilogy.com/ 

Amish Tripathi on Facebook-http://www.facebook.com/amish.tripathi

Feel free to share your opinions on the book with us. 

Happy Reading!

And the Pulitzer Prize goes to....

The Washington Post was recently quoted "It's time to welcome a new star in the constellation of great writer-doctors," Days later, this star “new star in the constellation” bagged the Pulitzer Prize, 2011 in the "general non-fiction" category.

It was talking about none other than Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee, the Indian–American, who received one of the most coveted awards in the United States for his work - The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer
 





For information on Pulitzer 2011 winners,  see  http://www.pulitzer.org/

A Columbia University cancer researcher and a physician, Dr. Mukherjee, embodies his work in a nearly  600-page book that is part history, part memoir, and part the story of cancer research over the last few decades.

The Pulitzer citation called the book, 'An elegant inquiry, at once clinical and personal, into the long history of an insidious disease that, despite treatment breakthroughs, still bedevils medical science.'

 

One reason the book hit the bestseller list is that it talks about such an unusual topic in such an intriguing manner. Also, that many readers know someone who is fighting cancer or has someone in the family who is undergoing treatment for it.



As Mukherjee writes in the first chapter, while describing his initial encounters as a physician with cancer patients  - "Cancer was an all-consuming presence in our lives. It invaded our imaginations; it occupied our memories; it infiltrated every conversation, every thought. And if we, as physicians, found ourselves immersed in cancer, then our patients found their lives virtually obliterated by the disease."

Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee

He also makes a reference to Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn's novel Cancer Ward : "The diagnosis of cancer-not the disease, but the mere stigma of its presence- becomes a death sentence for Rusanov (the protagonist of cancer-ward).

He looked at cancer from the very early recordings of the disease, some 4000 years ago & thus began to trace the history of cancer from its first recorded description.

All this as he struggled to answer questions from his patients, "Where are we in the war on cancer? How did we get here? What happens next?" A grueling year in a cancer training program left him 'in stunned incoherence.'

The book may not provide any breakthrough in medicine to cure cancer, nor is it any sort of counseling for the cancer patients. But we still hold it in high regard for the mere audacity of the author to write about so tabooed a topic. It definitely provides a deeper understanding of cancer as a disease & thus stems the compassion for the cancer patients.

We give a hats off to the concept & the spirit that it is written in. What about you?