Dramatic Decade, The Indira Gandhi Years - Pranab Mukherjee (2015)

The first of the series of books that Pranab Mukherjee has written. Pranab Mukherjee as usual has kept the controversial topics within check and elaborated on the facts. Reading the book will feel like Indira Gandhi's struggle to survival than a description of policies and life of the 70s. Overall a great book to recall the 70s but at the same time has little coverage on Pakistan war. However, political events like emergency has been covered in details.

Worthwhile reading.

Tales told by Mystics - Manoj Das (2008)

Manoj Das has been my favorite Indian author from childhood. We have grown reading his short stories as part of course curriculum and I am sure his stories must be inspiring the new generation as much it had us. The tales told by mystics is not an original collection of stories. There are about 100 stories which you would have heard, read or have been exposed to from various sources. Manoj Das has tried to compile this into one book of about 300 pages. There is never a low point in the book. You can pick up and read from any page you like. The stories are very short about 2-3 pages. So you can read in between your regular activities. Definitely, the philosophical parables in the list of stories are worthwhile. Not a new collection but the Manoj Das's language is impeccable and style has no parallels.

I thought I would leave fiction reading but writers like Manoj Das make it really hard. Thanks to him I am back to reading some of his fiction.

The Turbulent Years - 1980-1996 - Pranab Mukherjee (2015)

The book establishes Pranab Mukherjee as an accomplished writer. As a political influence and stalwart his contribution to Indian politics is remarkable for almost half a century. Yet the expressions of details in the book is based on only facts that's well known or verified from public sources. No additional disclosures which may be questioned have been made in this book. As an active state head he has established great balance on issues that he personally favors or issues not to his liking with remarkable astuteness. At no place one can question the integrity of expressions. Overall a great book that describes the upheavals of the the decade and half through eyes of a person who not only lived it but actively influenced it. 

Overall a great read. 

My Gita - Devdutt Pattanaik (2015)

Unlike many commentaries of Bhagavat Gita which have been expression of message of Gita, this text is a thematic representation of the mythological Gita. There is very little spiritual content in the book. There are excellent associations of content to other mythological texts in Indian context. Overall reads like a very well researched representation of the Hindu text. It has details on what is Gita and how many forms of Gita has been described in our puranic scriptures and essence of those. There is also mention in clear terms of puja, dana, dakshina kind of concepts.

To summarize, if your intent is to understand the mythological connection of Bhagavat Gita to Hindu mythology in general the book will have substantial food for thought and a breeze read for a day. However, if you are looking to get a spiritual solace in reading something thoughtful this will be a waste of time. There are many interesting commentaries of Bhagavat Gita by many of the great realized masters.

Big Data Analytics and Future of Marketing and Sales - McKinsey & Co

The book is part of CMO/CSO forum. There are a few introductory chapters on Big Data and how data growth has made marketing decision making harder. How big data is resolving some of the issues. Overall book seemed very much based on common sense. I did not find any spectacular content. The case studies were nice. There are a few terms which are new additions to e-marketing jargon a. Overall I did not find the book anyway extraordinary.

Third Class in Indian Railways - M K Gandhi

A collection of 6 essays with the most prominent being the one on which the book is titled. The unfortunate part of Indian literature is we do not consider Gandhi as an author. Some may actually feel that his number of articles and books are really that large. Most of them are newspaper commentaries or letters he has sent to various important people of the time. But good part is all writings are serious, bringing out certain degree of reality of the period and a strong message of the time. Third class is actually a very apt essay on the apathy of the train travellers of those period. Unfortunately in last 80-90 years the condition of Indian train travel in upper classes also has not improved. The other essays are on Swadeshi, Vernacular media, Indian national dress. Everyone of them are treated in depth and upheld against common criticism of the period. Good read for a person who feels Gandhi still relevant to modern world.

India After Gandhi: The History of the World's Largest Democracy (2008) - Ramachandra Guha

Ramachandra Guha has described the events from 1947 - 2008 in remarkable details. Of course the book has described in period chronologically but also has established a succinct theme to what actually happened in the period. Describing India's problems and what happened to address those. For example, the whole constitution establishment chapter is very informative and gives a great treatise to what contributed to making the constitution written the way it was. Nehru, Patel and Indira Gandhi have got good coverage in the book. One can get a fair understanding of what really drove India during these formative years of India's democracy. I guess there are parts towards the end. Particularly, post 90s where it's a little hard to keep interest on the events. First, because it's too recent to distinguish history from journalism. Second, everyone has an opinion in these periods. One feels like one has lived through the changes so they do not seem very interesting. I will consider this a book worth reading and I am sure some day these will be talked about in the text books in schools. It makes you feel the real Indian history starts after 1947.