Book Review: She Walks, She Leads by Gunjan Jain

SHE WALKS, SHE LEADS

Author: Gunjan Jain

Publisher: Penguin Viking

Rating: 3.5/5

‘Think like a queen. A queen is not afraid to fail. Failure is another steppingstone to greatness.’

-Oprah Winfrey

‘She walks, she leads’- is the truth. This is the time where women rule their lives. They are no longer bearing the brunt of someone else’s actions; they are no longer answerable to anyone; they have a life and way of their own. Just like how Deepika’s ‘My Choice’ video went viral for days, talking about women empowerment, any venture that focuses on women empowerment is bound to be a blockbuster. Not because some celebrity has acted in it or is a part of it, but because deep within we know that this is necessary. ‘The nation also suffers from a wide gender disparity in literacy rate with a literacy rate of 82.14% for men and 65.46% for women’- as quoted by Indianonlinepages.com, clearly justifies the necessity of women empowerment in our country. And ‘she walks, she leads’ serves as the icing on the cake.

For years, I have admired ladies like Sudha Murthy, Sania Mirza, Nita Ambani and many more. But never in my wildest imagination had I given a second thought to their struggles. The progress is neither usual nor foreseeable. Every step toward the goal requires sacrifice, agony, and great effort. With this book, Gunjan Jain has made a successful attempt to expose the readers to the struggles and truth of the lives of the bright eyed and bushy tailed celebrities. The author has presented the book with such organization that every page speak volumes. With a mix of personal interviews, perceptions/ comments from closed ones and personal touch, the book doesn’t fail to impress.

Starting with Nita Ambani the way she adjusted with the elites, the way she nurtured her kids, her desperation for having kids, her problems and her desires; everything about her makes readers form a new opinion about her and that complements her. Not only Nita Ambani, but there other influential women who are a part of this book and it was the luckiest feeling in the world to read about their lives. Some of the famous names are Rajashree birla, Indra Nooyi, Sudha Murthy, Sania Mirza, Indu Jain and many more.

The book talks about women who have proved their worth in the fields of fashion, entertainment, sports media, literature, corporate and banking. Here the author’s research and efforts are worth appreciation because reading each page can make you live the hardwork done by Gunjan.

There are parts (of the lives) that can make you laugh; there are parts that can leave a lump in your throat. But haven’t there been books like ’30 women in power’, ‘Arise, Awake‘ and ‘Lady, You're Not a Man!’ that talk about motivation and inspiration? Then what is new in ‘She walks, she leads’? Well, for starters, this book is a product of one of the leading publication houses- Penguin. Secondly, the author has taken care not to present the content in form of a long monologue. The concept of putting down the interview combined with how the person-being-interviewed responded or greeted the author, is exemplary. It adds life to the narration. Another striking feature of the book is the interview/ chit-chat session with a person close to the person-being-interviewed. That adds the necessary spice to the content.

The book comes in hardback cover in the color of power-Red. On the outside, the book seems enticing; it provokes the mind to flip the pages. The organization of the content is done finely and presentation is fabulous. But I felt that there was inclusion of some big names that failed to inspire. Say, Kareena Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra, even Nita Ambani- all these were born with a silver spoon in their mouth, so their struggles did not arouse or enthuse me. There seems to be a desperate effort to pose these women as hard-bitten personalities; one should realise that it is not obligatory that the life of a famous person will be equally inspiring! Where on one hand I was keen on reading the unsung struggles of the unnamed, my curiosity killed the cat. However, I cannot forget to mention the fact that these (above mentioned) names definitely caught my attention and I did read about them.

Overall, a good read- very inspiring and a recommended read for the ones who need serious motivation so that they can walk and lead.

Best Wishes!

Buy this book from:

Amazon

Review copy: courtesy Penguin Publishers

Book Review: Panda Investigates- Two and a Half Murders by Rohit Panda

PANDA INVESTIGATES- TWO and a HALF MURDERS

Author: Rohit Panda

Publisher: Leadstart Publishing (Frog Books)

Rating: 2.5/5

‘As long as greed is stronger than compassion, there will always be suffering.’

-Rusty Eric

It is impossible to argue the toss with people who say what’s mine is mine and what’s yours is negotiable. With time, the dark side of human nature has evolved much and has given rise to barefaced liars. Panda investigates is a murder mystery that portrays the emotional detachments within a family. The book is full of characters that are crooked as a dog’s hind leg.

Sharadi and Aditya have married against the wishes of the parents. A doting, yet possessive wife is what Sharadi is known as. But Aditya is not less; his love for his wife cannot be measured. Khushboo and Veena are Sharadi’s siblings. What otherwise should have been a happy story, turns out to be a story full of malice, avarice and deceit. Two murders take place- one of Bankim (Sharadi’s father) and the second one of Sharadi herself. The criminal leaves behind no tracks. Ronsher (the detective) is sure of one thing that the mastermind behind both the murders could not have succeeded without being in cahoots with someone else. But is finding the murderer that easy? Well, for Ronsher it is because the’ Nail Polish’ colour is what determines who is guilty (sarcasm).

The characters of Sharadi and Aditya have been portrayed finely but more details about Kalpana, Khushboo and Veena could have been better. I despised the title; it spoils the mystery. If ‘Two and a half murders’ was printed in BOLD in the center, it would have served the purpose. The punchline best suits the title when it is placed correctly. But alas! The cover, too, completely failed to excite the curious mind.

Secondly, I did not like the organization of the plot. Since the author disclosed the whole mystery in Chapter number 21, I felt stuck in the time wrap, having thrown away my time for practically nothing. A good mystery is when the secrets/ twists are peeled off layer- by- layer, not together but when least expected.

Another drawback is the frequent use of incomplete sentences; this breaks the flow. The author, no doubt, has a thinking mind and can do wonders, but had a little attention been paid on the order of events in the story, the tale would have been a blockbuster.

Overall, ‘Panda investigates’ is a book that can be picked up when in mood to read simple language and light mystery.

Best Wishes!

Buy this book from:

Amazon

Review copy: courtesy Leadstart Publishing

Book Review: Three Wise Monkeys by Jeet Gian

THREE WISE MONKEYS

Author: Jeet Gian

Publisher: Leadstart Publishing (Frog Books)

Rating: 3/5

“Easy street is a blind alley”. Isn’t this true? But our ability of clear headed thinking has been disabled by the fool’s paradise we are living in. ‘Three wise monkeys’ is a light yet relatable read that is sure to send the readers on a journey filled with bouts of laughter and realization. This tale is about love, friendship and the witty brains that can (or may be cannot) have an upper hand over others.

The three wise monkeys (pun intended) are Amar, Akbar and Anthony, who believe in the rising of the phoenix and live a carefree life. With humorously witty logics, these three protagonists walk on the path of love only to find more troubles. Some might say that these three get their comeuppance, some might even empathize and some might just enjoy them as characters.

Elementary and uncomplicated narration and redundancy in the description was something I despised in the book. But just like every coin has two sides, the good side or the stronger side of the book is the plot, the dialogues and the theme. It is like a motion picture playing right before your eyes. Another plus point is the suitability of the title; it has pun in it. Since the protagonists pay no heed to the three basics of good life- see no evil, speak no evil & hear no evil, the pun in the title is too good. The blurb is just apt to disclose minute details about what is in store for the readers.

The author has done a commendable job in portraying the characters of the story. The cover of the book is catchy. However, the proofreading could have been done better.

Overall the story is entertaining and book is a light read.

Best wishes!

Buy this book from:

Amazon

Review copy: courtesy Author Paradise