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Showing posts from June, 2021

Review: The Sherlockian

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The Sherlockian by Graham Moore My rating: 0 of 5 stars The problem is the book is that it is directionless. I read it (rather labored through it) and couldn’t understand the point of it all. There are two timelines, which is a drag style in itself. One is in ACD times where he is after a serial killer and Bram Stoker helps ACD. This track is confusing and protracted. The second one is contemporary where avid Sherlock fans known as Sherlockians gather and one of them is killed. A imbecile type fan Harold along with Sarah, a mysterious reporter is hunting for killer. ACD grandson Sebastian Conan Doyle ask Harold to find the diary, which was supposed to be with the victim, for a fee of course. Harold is least likable character. This whole track is a big bore and directionless. The plot is weak and the diary is weakest McGuffin (an object or device in a film or a book which serves merely as a trigger for the plot) ever. What was the great mystery of dia

Review: The Sherlockian

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The Sherlockian by Graham Moore My rating: 0 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Review: Heroine ki Hatya

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Heroine ki Hatya by Anand K Singh My rating: 2 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Review: There Will Be No Love: A collection of short stories

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There Will Be No Love: A collection of short stories by Ajeet Bharti My rating: 3 of 5 stars This is a mixed bag like his Hindi book "Bakar Puran" which I liked in parts. Some stories are good some bad and some plain boring. I liked "That wasn't consent". It is a strong critique of leftist people in JNU type universities and journalistic and liberal circle. Anas Mahmood is a leach who abused Shalini. This talks of #metoo and sexual abuse. However I think the author is highly biased against the left people. In Bollywood, corporates and politics where sexual exploitations and favors are rampant, most sexual predators are capitalists. Still it was good story. The last story "The process" was boring and prosaic and it was a long winded. I couldn't understand what Ajeet bhai was trying to say. Some stories were set in villages and talked of caste exploitations. In these the view point of author seems contradictory. So

Review: There Will Be No Love: A collection of short stories

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There Will Be No Love: A collection of short stories by Ajeet Bharti My rating: 3 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Review: मेरी प्रिय कहानियाँ

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मेरी प्रिय कहानियाँ by यशपाल My rating: 3 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Review: नवाबी मसनद

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नवाबी मसनद by Amritlal Nagar My rating: 2 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Review: लाश की हत्या

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लाश की हत्या by Prakash Bharti My rating: 3 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Review: SJWs Always Lie: Taking Down the Thought Police

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SJWs Always Lie: Taking Down the Thought Police by Vox Day My rating: 4 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Review: SJWs Always Double Down: Anticipating the Thought Police

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SJWs Always Double Down: Anticipating the Thought Police by Vox Day My rating: 3 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Review: नीम का पेड़

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नीम का पेड़ by राही मासूम रज़ा My rating: 2 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Review: The Irrational Atheist: Dissecting the Unholy Trinity of Dawkins, Harris, and Hitchens

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The Irrational Atheist: Dissecting the Unholy Trinity of Dawkins, Harris, and Hitchens by Vox Day My rating: 1 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Review: 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos

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12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos by Jordan B. Peterson My rating: 4 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Review: Change Your Mind and Keep the Change:: Advanced NLP Submodalities Interventions

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Change Your Mind and Keep the Change:: Advanced NLP Submodalities Interventions by Connirae Andreas My rating: 3 of 5 stars The vidoes on YouTube are good. However the book is apparently for experts. View all my reviews

Review: Change Your Mind and Keep the Change:: Advanced NLP Submodalities Interventions

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Change Your Mind and Keep the Change:: Advanced NLP Submodalities Interventions by Connirae Andreas My rating: 3 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Review: Outliers: The Story of Success

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Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell My rating: 3 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Review: Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking

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Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell My rating: 2 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Review: NLP: The Essential Guide to Neuro-Linguistic Programming

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NLP: The Essential Guide to Neuro-Linguistic Programming by Tom Hoobyar My rating: 3 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Review: Intrinsic Motivation at Work: Building Energy and Commitment

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Intrinsic Motivation at Work: Building Energy and Commitment by Kenneth W. Thomas My rating: 2 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Review: Never Be Lied to Again: How to Get the Truth in 5 Minutes or Less in Any Conversation or Situation

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Never Be Lied to Again: How to Get the Truth in 5 Minutes or Less in Any Conversation or Situation by David J. Lieberman My rating: 2 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Review: A Necessary Evil

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A Necessary Evil by Abir Mukherjee My rating: 2 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Review: Narak Yatra

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Narak Yatra by Gyan Chaturvedi My rating: 2 of 5 stars यह दो सफल डाक्टरों की बातचीत थी। यह दो भारतीय ढंग से जागरूक चिकित्सकों की बातचीत थी। यह नीम-हकीमों, ऐलोपैथिक दवाइयों के बल पर आयुवैदिक प्रेक्टिस करते वैद्यों, घरेलू उपचारों के बल पर चिकित्सा क्षेत्र में झंडा गाड़नेवालों, मीठी गोलियों को ही होमियोपैथी समझनेवाले होमियोपैथों, बिना चीरफाड़ के मस्सों तथा भगंदर को शर्तिया सुखा देनेवाले चाँदसी-दवाखानों, हिमालय की कंदराओं में वर्षों भटकने के बाद भी जवान बने रहनेवाले तथा यहाँ-वहाँ की हड्डियाँ तथा खालें बटोरकर और डंठल-फूल-पत्तियाँ बटोरकर उनका मजमा लगाकर नामर्दों–पुराने बीमारों–बाँझों आदि को बेचनेवालों, डाक से इलाज करनेवालों, पोलियो, दमा-मिर्गी तथा मधुमेह आदि का शर्तिया इलाज करने के बड़े-बड़े विज्ञापन अखबारों में निकालने के बाद भी चिकित्सा के क्षेत्र में नोबल-प्राइज न पानेवाले हतभाग्यवीरों तथा मर्दाना कमजोरी, गुप्त रोगों आदि के मायाजाल फैलाए माया-मछंदरों के रेगिस्तान में नखलिस्तान की गलतफहमी पाले हुए ‘भारतीय एलोपैथिक’ चिकित्सा के टापू पर खड़े दो भटके हुए या

Review: Baramasi

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Baramasi by Gyan Chaturvedi My rating: 2 of 5 stars अम्माँ ने कहा, ‘‘ अब क्या करना है चंदू का?” गुच्चन ने कहा, “सबकी राय यही बन रही है कि चंदू डाक्टरी पढ़ें।” “हम भी जेई कह रहे हैं।” “चंदू की भी बड़ी इच्छा है कि” “डाक्टरी की पढ़ाई बड़ी महँगी सुनते हैं?” “सो तो है जिज्जी पर कुछ न कुछ तो करेंगे।” “क्या करोगे भैया?” “खाल बेचकर भी पढ़ाना पड़ा, तो पढ़ाएँगे।” “हमाई- तुमाई खाल कौन खरीदेगा भैया? नहीं ऐसी अँधरसट्ट बातों से तो काम न चलेगा गुच्चन” “कहूँ से उधार भी मिल सकता तो” “भिखारिन की रिश्तेदारी भिखारिन में ही होती है” “सोना- चाँदी गिरवी रखें तों?” “इत्तो सोना- चाँदी नहीं छोड़ गए तुम्हारे बाप” “फिर चंदू को समझाते हैं कि इस चक्कर में न पड़ें” “ऐसी बात भूल के भी न कहियो बेटा चंदू अगर पढ़ें, तो हमें पढ़ाना ही है” देर तक चर्चा के बाद तय पाया गया कि गाँव जाकर खेती की एक चौथाई जमीन बेचनी पड़ेगी। यदि चंदू का डॉक्टरी में प्रवेश होता है तो उसके खर्चों के लिए यह तो करना ही होगा। आगे की देखी जाएगीयह कहकर आगे जिज्जी ने वह लोकप्रिय वाक्य कहा, जो आम हिंदुस्तानी को बड़े स

Review: Tiger by the Tail

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Tiger by the Tail by James Hadley Chase My rating: 5 of 5 stars UN-F**KING-PUTDOWNABLE This is one of those fast-paced thrillers which you can't put down till you reach the last page. The story starts slowly and looks like just another tale of a meek husband who wants to have some fun on the sidelines. But all hell breaks loose when the meek hubby Ken finds the girl dead after he had done his thing.. There are gangsters, dirty politicians and corrupt cops who want him framed for murder or dead. There starts a cat and mouse game which leaves in its trail countless dead bodies. Thye pacing is fast and the pace is breathtaking. Everything takes place in one night and ends just before Mrs Ken returns. Check out some passages:- “It wasn’t as bad as that. You were recommended to me by a friend.” “He wasn’t much of a friend, Buster,” she said seriously. “My old man had a saying that applies to you. Whenever I wanted to do something risky, he would tell

Review: A Book of Simple Living

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A Book of Simple Living by Ruskin Bond My rating: 4 of 5 stars The advice of Mr. Bond is simple, like his writing. I agree with him when he says life resides in small, simple and little things like seeing the rainbow after rains, love, compassion and contentment. The book is like a breath of fresh air and easy to read. The wisdom is timeless and eternal. See some passages and admire the beauty:- It occurs to me that perhaps the cat is a monk. By this I do not mean anything austere. I doubt anyone in single-minded pursuit of enlightenment ever finds it. A good monk would be a mild sort of fellow, a bit of a sensualist, capable of compassion for the world, but also for himself. He would know that it is all right not to climb every mountain. A good monk would know that contentment is easier to attain than happiness, and that it is enough. ..... We must love someone. We must keep loving, all our days, Someone, anyone, anywhere Outside our selves; For eve

Review: In a Cult of Their Own

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In a Cult of Their Own by Amborish Roychoudhury My rating: 2 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Review: THINK STRAIGHT: Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life

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THINK STRAIGHT: Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life by Darius Foroux My rating: 3 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Review: F*ck Feelings: One Shrink's Practical Advice for Managing All Life's Impossible Problems

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F*ck Feelings: One Shrink's Practical Advice for Managing All Life's Impossible Problems by Michael I. Bennett My rating: 3 of 5 stars Does our feelings are best guide to our life or do we need to be controlled by brain and logic? Everyone has issues and wants answers and solutions. Permanent solutions maybe, if possible…. I wish I can find out why I become angry/ anxious/ depressed/ aggressive at slightest provocation? Once I know the root cause, I can erase this behavior forever and ever and will live happily ever after. This is what Freudian psychology and most other therapist told us till now. Does it work? And if it doesn’t then what does work? Is there a permanent solution and a happily ever after or are some persons beyond help and cure? This book tries to answer these questions and tries to offer an alternate solution in an honest and humorous way. There is some bad news and some good news. Bad news first- There is rarely a permanent