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Technology is changing at a super-fast pace, it goes on to prove that the only thing that is constant in life is change. I still recollect my early days in a technology services company where we used mainframes, COBOL, and other such technologies that now seem alien to many of us 🙂 Cloud technology, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and many such trending technologies did not even exist back then. Yes, I am referring to the year 2002-2003. Hop on to my LinkedIn to get a glimpse of how things on the technological front have changed, for good 🙂

Fast-forward now, the burgeoning product industry has completely taken over yesteryears growing IT services industry. As per reports,  the global AI market, which was valued at around $93.5 billion in 2021, is expected to grow at a CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) of 38.1 percent from 2022 to 2030. The fast-changing technology trends are a signal to enterprises, entrepreneurs, as well as job seekers that you either evolve with time or perish!

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This is the basic premise on which Techproof Me: The Art of Mastering Ever-changing Technology by A. Siddharth Pai is built. The emergence of no-code [or low-code] has lowered the barrier to entry into technology. Non-technical founders can also make a mark in the technology industry; all they need is someone who can shape their idea into a viable product. Leading investors also resonate with the same thoughts, which is why it is imperative for organizations and individuals to keep up with the changing technological trends.

About A. Siddarth Pai

A. Siddarth Pai is the co-founder of Siana Capital and VC fund manager for deep-science and deep-technology startups that have social impact. He has close to three decades of experience working in US and Europe. He moved back to India in 2002. He has led some of the most innovative technology-sourcing transactions and advised & completed over $20 billion in transaction value. You can find out more about A. Siddarth Pai from his LinkedIn profile.

Detailed Review

It is a known fact that you need not learn to code in order to make it big in the technology industry. There are a number of successful examples that prove the earlier point. With the lowered barrier to entry, it becomes important for businesses and individuals to unlearn, learn, and re-learn things that matter in the field of technology. Remember, no one talks about COBOL, mainframes, and other such ailing technologies anymore 🙁

It is all about the Cloud, DevOps, AI, ML, Metaverse, and other such areas that are shaping the future of technology. Digital technologies have become an indispensable part of every business, irrespective of whether you own a Mom & Pop store or you own a large technology-led business. The disruption that has been caused by the growing spread of digital technologies has forced a lot of businesses to undergo positive changes 🙂 Siddarth Pai has witnessed these changes, and this book narrates every bit of it; from his own lens!

The book is divided into three distinct sections that are further divided into chapters. Each section has 5 chapters. The best part about every chapter is that Siddarth delves into the technology and business processes in a manner that can be well-understood even by the non-technical audience. Every chapter comprises of hacks that can be applied in your business in order to become technologically resilient. Since I also come with close to 18 years of experience, I could co-relate with the thoughts that are narrated by the author.

As per the author, individuals in the technology business must play either of the roles listed in SOLE [Soldier, Founder, Leader, and Empath]. Of all the chapters, my personal favorite is Chapter 7: How A Business Process Based On Old Thought Made Its Way Into The Tech Revolution. This is where the author talks a lot about the gig economy and how it has opened up opportunities for individuals from different walks of life. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this particular chapter since I am also a product of the growing gig economy 🙂 The author has cited super-meaningful examples of Uber, Lyft, Dunzo, Swiggy, and more in this particular chapter. Believe it or not, each one of us is a part of the gig economy; either as a user/consumer or a contributor.

The author has also deep-dived into the changing landscape of new-age marketplaces, AI, GPT-3 [Generative Pre-trained Transformer 3], deep learning, Blockchain, etc.

Closing Thoughts

The learnings from every chapter can be used to further tech-proof your business. In case you are a working professional, the learnings from the book will help you in navigating the ever-changing tides in the world of technology. Believe me, I have personally experienced the changes!

All in all, I liked the content and could resonate with every word written in it. It is a must-read for anyone that wants to stay super-relevant in this fast-changing and the rapidly-evolving world of technology…

 

 

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There are very few self-help books that take the reader through an introspective journey. Rarely, do we come across books that make you intensely involved in its journey [or story]! I had an opportunity to read the novel ‘Jasmine Builds On Shifting Sands‘ which walks you through Jasmine’s journey of success, augmented with a one-of-a-kind, e-micro learning experience.

As mentioned on the book’s cover, the story revolves around Jasmine Arya – the main protagonist, who has a dream of making it big as a successful model in the cut-throat world of fashion. The story of Jasmine is narrated by the spiritual Guru Ma Krishnanandgiri – the spiritual guru of the book’s author – Sanjay Desai.

About the Author

Sanjay Desai is a multi-faceted personality. He is an entrepreneur, an ex-banker, and an alumnus of IIM (Bangalore). He is also a Chartered Accountant. Through this book, Sanjay wants to enrich the readers by sharing a story that seamlessly traverses through the material and spiritual world. You can find more about Sanjay Desai from his LinkedIn profile.

Detailed Review

The central character of the story is Jasmine – a college topper and super-confident girl who joins the beauty industry by sheer luck. She has her share of ups & downs as she tries to set foot in an industry which is relatively new to her. The story is about how she overcomes her fears, agonies, negativities, etc. to make a mark in the industry.

Jasmine is a quick learner who keeps learning from her mistakes. At the end of the day, life is a journey where each one of us have to strive hard to achieve our goals. Did Jasmine climb the ladder of success all by herself? Definitely not! Jasmine had the fortune to learn from her mentors who were always by her side. They played a huge role in ensuring that she develops the mental strength to stay away from external influences so that she does not shy away from her dreams.

The struggles of Jasmine are very much similar to Priyanka Chopra’s struggle in the movie Fashion. Even with the similarities, you will still be intrigued to figure out what’s next in-store for Jasmine. After reaching the peak of popularity, Jasmine’s journey starts taking a U-turn and we start to see her spiral into a downfall. Does Jasmine bounce back? If so, how does she execute the turn-around?

At this point, she is fortunate to meet Bala – a photographer, who helps her stay grounded. He introduces Jasmine to spirituality, which eventually becomes an integral part of Jasmine’s lifestyle. The book has an excellent mix of Fashion and Spirituality, as the author has successfully managed to align the age-old spiritual practices [e.g. Yoga, Meditation, Introspection, etc.] with modern-day goal setting.

The book goes on to prove the importance of being humble even when your have tasted the sweet smell of success. Spirituality is the only gateway to remain calm and stay focussed in a world where we experience distractions from all possible mediums.

The language used in ‘Jasmine Builds On Shifting Sands’ is simple & easy to understand. The core focus is showcasing the importance of mentors, spirituality, and sheer focus to keep negativities at bay so that you can achieve your goals!

Closing Thoughts

‘Jasmine Builds On Shifting Sands‘ by Sanjay Desai is a breezy read that provides a lot of practical learnings, something that is rare to find in many self-help books. We loved the way micro-learning resources are created using QR-Code for chapters – How to manage Social Media distractions for success, Learn to decode failure with Jasmine, and How to manifest your dreams.

Once you scan the QR Code, you are directed to relevant sections on ConsciousLeap where you can take relevant courses to avoid the mistakes made by Jasmine. On the whole, I liked every part of the novel and the author’s unique strategy to engage readers through unique & free courses on ConsciousLeap takes the learnings to a whole new level!

You can purchase Jasmine Builds On Shifting Sands by Sanjay Desai by clicking on the link below:

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There is one thing which is common between startups such as Housing, Snapdeal, and FreeCharge. Jason Kothari, referred as business turnaround leader was the former CEO of Housing & FreeCharge and former CSIO [Chief Strategy and Investment Officer] of Snapdeal. He started his career as the co-founder and CEO of Valiant Entertainment, a US based superhero entertainment company.

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Majority of us know about the founders of these startups but not many might know that Jason Kothari played a pivotal role in the turnaround of these companies when they were facing the the most turbulent times. He is also the Executive Producer of the Bloodshot [Sony Pictures] starring Vin Diesel.

We had the opportunity to read the book Irrationally Passionate: My Turnaround from Rebel to Entrepreneur by Jason Kothari. The book reveals the inside story of how a rebel, train-wreck kid transformed himself into a successful young entrepreneur and business leader who became one of the top ten paid executives in India while in his 30s. Irrationally Passionate is a highly personal, authentic, open, and complete account of a young entrepreneur’s life.

About the Author

Jason Kothari went on to transform distressed internet icons Housing, FreeCharge, and Snapdeal, helping them save billions of dollars in value. He is also served as the advisor for giants like Softbank and real-estate developer Emaar which has invested billions of dollars in India. You can find more about Jason Kothari from his LinkedIn profile.

Detailed Review

Before I start off with the detailed review, one thing which I have to admit is that this book was in my bucket list since this blog has been a small [yet a crucial role] by interacting with startup founders about their startups. Coming back to the review, the book starts with Jason recollecting his childhood events where he tried his negotiation skills with a seller and managed to get a chess board for Rs. 30. This is what made Jason realize that he had the persistence and gut to turn things around in his favor.

He gets the first taste of entrepreneurship at the age of 19 where he is raising funds for a company named Valiant Entertainment which he has followed since his early years. The author also touches upon his childhood life in Hong Kong and later in the US.  There are interesting learnings from the game of baseball and how Jason went on the learn the sport, inspite of facing several hurdles. As mentioned, Functioning as a unit made him realize the importance of being a selfless player and putting the team first.

It also touches upon the passion that Jason Kothari had for entrepreneurship and how he hung on to his passion. He also talks about the importance of making mistakes and not repeating the same by taking valuable lessons from those mistakes. Te most interesting part of the book is the section where he talks about the turnaround of Valiant Entertainment from bankruptcy and bringing it back to life. This is when he was the college student at Wharton and arranged funds from family & friends. Few years later, he transformed Valiant entertainment into world’s third largest superhero entertainment company which was later sold for $1oo million.

We particularly liked the chapter titled Not every seed is meant to bloom a forest which talks about the transformation of Snapdeal to Snapdeal 2.0, the turn-around of events, interaction with Snapdeal investors, transformation of FreeCharge, and more. It is a must-read for anyone who is slightly interested in entrepreneurship and startups.

Few excerpts from the book:

Sometimes, the most important decision an entrepreneur makes is knowing when to pull the plug. You have to understand what a sunk cost is and not throw good money after bad. These decisions are often among the most agonizing the entrepreneur encounters. As a battle-hardened business-people, we have conditioned ourselves to never quit, never accept defeat.

That’s what so deceiving about disinvestments or the closing of business lines or geographies – what on the surface may appear to be a ‘loss’ may actually be the key that unlocks the door to strategic wins.

There is emphasis on the sale of FreeCharge for shaping up Snapdeal 2.0. There are chapters that highlight about his role in Housing.com where he took over as the CEO at a very rocky time. He cites the importance of focusing on important features when building a product and why entrepreneurs [and key executives] should take right product decisions when building a startup. He also speaks about the series of events and interactions that led to the closure of renting module in Housing so that there is concentrated focus on the buying-selling module. He took the decision even when employees and other executives were of the firm belief that renting module was key to the company.

We liked the writing style and the usage of simple language throughout the book. It is around 230 pages long and consists of 11 chapters in total. We specifically liked the sections where he talks about his career as a turn-around specialist in prominent Indian startups. As entrepreneurship is hard, he also talks about the importance of meditation in controlling emotions and reducing stress & anxiety.

Closing Thoughts

It would have been better if more details were added about how Jason Kothari dealt with decision differences with other leaders within the company, internal politics being played, and more. This would have been an icing on the cake for this otherwise wonderful read!

You can purchase Irrationally Passionate: My Turnaround from Rebel to Entrepreneur by Jason Kothari by clicking on the link below:

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What is one thing that comes to our minds when we refer the term banking? An immediate picture that we visualize is about customers lined up in different queues for getting their banking work done – a brick and mortar banking experience where long waits are normal to get queries sorted and numerous follow-ups and visits to the bank branches for document submission, etc. are regular features. The list can be endless but the picture being portrayed may not be relevant to the Banks of today since Digital Banking is changing the face of banking.

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Now  touch a button and you would come to know whether you are eligible to apply for a home-loan of ‘x’ amount or what should be your ideal investment approach to save taxes. Though there are some banks that like to reinvent the technological wheel, banks like HDFC Bank have pioneered to transform into a Digital Bank via partnerships, in-house innovations, and building products with a customer-centric approach. HDFC Bank is India’s largest private-sector bank and a bank that it too big to fail as per the Reserve Bank of India [RBI].

How did HDFC bank manage to transform itself from a Lifecycle bank to a Lifestyle bank?  How did the bank shape its digital journey? What are some of the innovations from the largest bank in India by market capitalization? If you are curious to know the behind the scene transformation story, you must grab a copy of HDFC Bank 2.0: From Dawn to Digital by renowned journalist Tamal Bandyopadhyay.

Aditya Puri, the MD of HDFC Bank also considered as Bachchan of Indian banking is one man who led this transform from forefront. He has been at the helm for 25 years; his journey in HDFC Bank started way back in 1994 when he joined as India’s Chief. The book captures the bank’s journey under the leadership of Aditya Puri. Tamal Bandyopadhyay combines his financial knowledge, eye for detail, and excellent storytelling style to create a vivid portrait of India’s most valuable bank and its path to the future.

The book is divided into three sections

  • The Digital Journey
  • The Flashback
  • The Puri Legacy

In the year 2015, dramatic changes were happening in the financial services sector due to simultaneous trends in technology, regulation, and markets. The rise of the smartphone, India’s unique ID system Aadhar, and payment innovations like Unified Payment’s Interface [UPI] were creating a branchless distribution channel. This was the time when the Reserve Bank of India [RBI] issued license to many new banks dedicated to payments to bring in fresh, technology-savvy competition. It is around the same time i.e. September 2014 when seeds of transformation were sowed in HDFC Bank. It was time to be disrupted or become a disruptor!

Aditya Puri had made a trip to the Silicon Valley, a year earlier in September 2014, to have a bird’s-eye view of the innovations and developments in the Valley. The idea was to gauge the kind of impact technology has on the finance and banking sector. The lesson learned was that the team at HDFC Bank had to roll-up their sleeves to lead the digital disruption in India. The top-guns in the bank were convinced that to shape the ideas at a lightning-fast speed, they had to act and execute like a startup.

They worked on a series of strategies to reduce the turn-around time involved in core banking systems like loan processing/approval, a recommendation of useful products based on customer’s profile, accelerated funds transfer, mobile banking, shopping, etc. Digitization would not only enhance the overall customer experience but it would also reduce the operating costs.

It is important to note that before leveraging digital technologies, HDFC Bank came up with the idea of ‘missed call banking’ in the year 2013. Though HDFC Bank was not the inventor of the technology, it was the first to implement it at scale!  The strategy ahead was to provide speed, use technology to do credit & risk management at scale, improve customer experience using Artificial Intelligence [AI] & Machine Learning [ML], leverage the power of Aadhar [eKYC, UPI, etc.] and other elements of the India Stack.

This led to the development of products like Chillr [money transfer over the phone using an App], EVA [Electronic Virtual Assistant]; a chatbot to handle queries from customers, migration from internal systems of record to platforms so that the bank can provide API [Application Programming Interface]. series of innovations enabled the bank to launch new products in the consumer banking & loans category for both urban & rural customers.

[L-R] Nandan Nilekani, Tamal Bandyopadhyay and Aditya Puri at the Bengaluru Launch

HDFC bank also came up with the idea of SmartBuy where everything [traveling, shopping, etc.] was available at one place. The bank did not charge a commission from their sellers since the intent was to increase the overall customer base and provide a gamut of services to its customers.

The book touches upon many such innovations, some of them were developed in-house and many were developed by partnering with start-ups & leading companies in banking & finance software. This might be of huge interest to entrepreneurs, management professionals, CEOs as well as engineers who want to execute things at scale. It also walks us through the leadership style of Aditya Puri, his customer engagement skills [even at a grassroots level], his Lucky-13 team  that built the bank and, finally, how a big organization [like HDFC Bank] can achieve wonders by becoming agile in changing the business environment.

The Flashback section also talks about the initial days of the formation of the bank, how Deepak Parekh hand-picked Aditya Puri for the important job, and more.

We had an opportunity to attend the launch event of the book in Bengaluru where the author, Aditya Puri, and Nandan Nilekani were present. Aditya Puri shed some light on his personal life as well and how he manages to have work-life balance even at his position. It was fun as well as insightful to attend the event. Along with the knowledge that we gained, we also got a signed copy of the book!

Have you read the book ‘HDFC Bank 2.0 – From Dawn to Digital‘; do leave your biggest learning from this immersive read.

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There are a lot of sayings about the awesome feeling called ‘Love’. Many say that marriages are made in heaven and there is only one happiness in this life – ‘to love and to be loved‘. This concept has been depicted in many Indian movies and it also brings a feel-good factor in the audience present in the theater. Many novels have also been written on the same theme and surprisingly, most of them portray frustrated love and the upheavals it causes in life. If you ask any of your friends or colleagues about their ideal life-partner, the first quality that most of them look in their partner is ‘loving & caring attitude’. Many times, that feeling of everlasting love dies with time and the reason should be introspected by ‘the couple who was once madly in love with each other’.

The point to ponder over here is ‘If love is such an overwhelming emotion in human society, then why it does not last?’. Why is humanity losing faith in the existence of true love? Why are people losing faith in the institution of marriage? These are some of the important questions that would come to your mind when you hear the word ‘True Love’.

As mentioned earlier, there are plenty of books that preach about love or showcase ‘rosy things’ about that amazing feeling, but sadly you cannot employ their learnings in real life since situations are completely different in reality. This is what prompted noted author Shubha Vilas to come up with a book that explores the idea of eternal love, love that withstands the test of time. Unlike other books in a similar genre that only depict fictional love stories, his book ‘Perfect Love: 5.5 Ways to a Lasting Relationship’ is a thought-provoking narrative that presents six attributes of relationships that can make your love story a phenomenon that lasts a lifetime.

Today we review the book Perfect Love: 5.5 Ways to a Lasting Relationship by the noted author Shubha Vilas. We have reviewed earlier books by Shubha Vilas namely Open Eyed Meditations, Ramayana: The Game of Life (Shattered Dreams), and Ramayana: The Game of Life (The rise of Sun Prince).

About the Author

Shubha Vilas holds a degree in engineering and law with a specialization in patent law. But in essence, he is an author, a motivational speaker, lifestyle coach, and a storyteller par excellence. You can find more about him here

Detailed Review

Since childhood, many of us have been listening to mythological stories like the Ramayana, Mahabharatha, etc. and characters & learnings are in someway etched in our minds. There are many characters in each of these series that are ‘ideal portrayal’ of real love. Like Shubha Vilas’ previous books where he utilized the medium of ‘mythology’ to come up with stories & learnings that can still be implemented in today’s era, the stories in this book is primarily derived from the Mahabharatha,  the Srimad Bhagavat, and the Kathasaritsagara. The book comprises of selected six stories that have nail-biting twists and turns with edge-of-the-chair adventures. These are the tales of adventure and intense love, love that tests the limits of patience in lovers who find their faith in unconditional trust, compassion, and forgiveness.

Nala and Damayanti, Krishna and Rukmini, Shakuntala and Dushyanta, Udayana and Vasavadatta, Satyavan and Savitri, Draupadi and the five Pandava brothers – these are the accounts we may have heard many a time but not had an opportunity to understand in such depth and detail, and with such empathy. These stories are narrated in a beautiful manner, which keeps the readers engaged & connected, even if you have no prior knowledge about mythology or the central characters mentioned in the book. The stories are written in a simple, yet artistic manner so that it strikes a chord with the audience. In case you already have prior knowledge about these mythological characters, the book would add a fresh perspective to your understanding. Each chapter/story in the book ends with a crisp write-up about the learnings from the same. This is a similar format followed in his other books and we are glad that Shubha Vilas has stuck to the same format 🙂

The title mentions 5.5 ways and not 6; the primary reason is that the sixth way is a half-truth, which can be twisted either way. Below is the list of chapters in the book

  1. Wheel of Fortune
  2. The Golden Letter
  3. A Silent Voice
  4. The Other before Oneself
  5. The Woman who Chose
  6. A Condition about Conditions

There are many one-liners in each chapter and each word in the one-liner conveys a lot of meaning that makes you ponder about love, life, and yourself. Some of the notable one-liners are below:

  • Just like birthmarks on your body reveal your identity, your values are birthmarks on the soul that reveal your character.
  • When you jump to conclusions, you land in the quicksand of confusion. Ask rather than bask in conclusions.
  • Love is planted by active care, rooted in trust, watered by words, nourished by struggles together, protected by commitment, decorated with fond memories and made to blossom with reciprocation.
  • When you don’t make choices, life will not give you options.
  • To accept reality one needs dignity and humility. Dignity to stand after a fall and humility to say, ‘I tried’.
  • Attachment and detachment are twins that look alike but have completely different natures.
  • The cost of love can only be paid by the currency of sacrifice.
  • A disturbed person is looking for hope, not advice.
  • The only thing that is predictable about the future is that it’s unpredictable.
  • Just as one ant in the ear of a huge elephant throws it off completely, sometimes a tiny defect in a human being, amongst oodles of good qualities, messes up his life completely.

It is these small factors that add a lot of punch in each story and this is what makes the book ‘Perfect Love: 5.5 Ways to a Lasting Relationship’ a read whose learnings can be incorporated in real-life. You can refer to these learnings when you are at a crucial & critical juncture of your love-life!

Closing Thoughts

Perfect Love: 5.5 Ways to a Lasting Relationship is a book that can be read again and again since it reveals many profound thoughts that can nurture a different aspect of your life. This is one thing that is true for any book written by Shubha Vilas.

You may ask that in an era when the institution of marriage itself is being questioned, does it make sense to read a book that talks about love stories of stable marriages from an ancient age? You can find out the reason by delving deep into this book. Combing powerful story-telling with deep philosophical truths, ‘Perfect Love: 5.5 Ways to a Lasting Relationship’ is a treasure trove of scriptural wisdom for the modern age.

You can purchase Perfect Love: 5.5 Ways to a Lasting Relationship by Shubha Vilas by clicking on the link below

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Each one of us would have encountered situations that would have acted as a complete life-changer. Some of them would have brought the best out of you, whereas some could have shattered your life. The impact of the incident or situation would be of higher magnitude in case it involves the family members.

However, what happens if you come to know about some of the mysteries surrounded in your life. Well, your life would go completely topsy-turvy once you realize the same. ‘I Owed You One‘ by Doctor Madhu Vajpayee is one such novel that involves various emotions that a person has to go through when he is put under testing circumstances.

Today we review the book ‘I Owed You One’, a heartwarming story of love, duty, and courage.

I Owed You One: Trailer

Dev Khanna has it all before a mysterious letter shakes the very foundation he has built his life on. With beliefs challenged, he decides to close the chapter once for all. I Owed You One is the story of promises, triumphs, defeat, and of holding on and letting go.

About the Author: Dr. Madhu Vajpayee

Dr. Madhu Vajpayee studied her MBBS from KGMU, Lucknow and MD from AIIMS, New Delhi. The writer in her was born somewhere in those hospital corridors where she spent the last two decades of her life. After writing several scientific papers and chapters in books, I Owed You One is her second journey in the literary world, the first being Seeking Redemption. When not creating stories, she enjoys traveling and reading.

I Owed You One: Detailed Review

The central character of the novel is Dev Khanna, a chemical engineer based out of Australia. Dev is happily married to his wife Radhika and has an adorable son named Neel. He is very well to do and his life is progressing at a steady pace when suddenly he receives a mysterious letter from his hometown in India. What is inside the letter and how this small piece of paper changes so many lives is what is answered in the novel I Owed You One. The letter results in a series events of self-realization which form the crux of the story.

Though Dev is very well to do, he has attained this stature by facing a lot of difficulties. He had a troubled childhood where his father used to constantly ignore his mother and did not have any emotional bonding with her. Due to such bad behavior, Dev Khanna never shared a good rapport with his father. Such events leave a mark in his mind and would never leave him even when he leaves India for settling in Australia. The passing away of his mother has a deep-rooted impact on him since she had always been his pillar of support.

After fighting so many odds, Dev still does well on the professional front but these haunting personal memories never left him. The mysterious letter from India just acts as a trigger and this is where the story goes into flashback. He goes back to India and this is where starts a journey filled with emotions, anger, anxiety, etc.

All the characters namely Dev Khanna, his wife Radhika, son Neel, including the supporting cast of Mr. Goyal who is Dev’s host in India, driver Shahid have been etched with perfection. The story is written in a subtle manner and each character plays a pivotal role in the novel. As the story progresses, you can feel for Dev Khanna and start realizing his feelings. There are a lot of interesting quotes or one-liners about Dev’s bonding with his mother, his love for India, friendship, etc. The best quote in the book is

Even Phenomenal amount of wealth doesn’t guarantee any security against unhappiness

The storytelling by Dr. Madhu is spot-on with characters entering and exiting scenes at the right time. At around 258 pages long, I Owed You One is a fascinating read and sends a very important message that irrespective of the amount of wealth a person owns, he cannot buy true happiness!

Closing Thoughts

I Owed You One is a must-read novel if you looking for an interesting story with path-defining characters. The story is etched in a very beautiful manner where relationships are given primary importance.

Overall Rating – 4.5/5

You can purchase I Owed You One by Dr. Madhu Vajpayee by clicking on the link below

This review is a part of the biggest Book Review Program for Indian Bloggers. Participate now to get free books!

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One common trait that you would find in any working professional is the urge to do something different in life. It is a general human tendency that you would never be completely satisfied with what you own and there is always craving for something more. In order to chase materialistic dreams, most of them over-work without realizing their interests and what they intend to do for the rest of their lives. Only after joining the corporate bandwagon, they realize their interests due to which you might come across many of them leaving the corporate world to pursue their dreams. It takes a lot of guts to leave a stable paying job to take up film-making, stand-up comedy, blogging, etc. since it involves a lot of risks but the entire journey would be memorable.

Image Source – The Big Switch

Unlike the older generation, youngsters have different career options and it is only a matter of doing a self-realization on how you can convert those dreams into reality. The millennial generation does not maintain work-life balance due to which you would see rising cases of stress, anxiety, insomnia as well as depression. They need to find that sweet spot in order to lead a happy life.

These are some of the topics that would connect with the current generation and forms the basic premise of The Big Switch: It’s never too late by John Thomas. The story revolves around Keith, a 24-year-old man who works in an MNC but his life is at crossroads as he needs to make important decisions in order to find true happiness.

The Big Switch: It’s never too late: Trailer

The central character of the book Keith is a 24-year-old software engineer working in an MNC named H&G, India. Life is going smoothly for him since he has a stable well-paying job, a loving girlfriend Maya but yet he has lost mojo in life. He is not happy and in the quest to find true happiness, a series events occur that completely change his life.

So, would Keith be able to restore the lost mojo and what happens to his personal life, would he be able to handle the stress that is associated with the change? These are some of the things that form the crux of the story in The Big Switch: It’s never too late

The Big Switch: It’s never too late: Detailed Review

The central character of the novel is Keith, a 24-year-old engineer who is leading a normal life and has a stable job in an MNC named H&G. He is talented, hardworking and ambitious by nature. He also has a beautiful girlfriend named Maya with whom he shares a very beautiful relation. But as it happens with each one of us, you have to go through some rough patches and the same thing happens with Keith as well. Also, there is a purpose that each one us needs to accomplish and many times, we shift the focus from our purpose, ambitions & join the rat-race.  Keith also goes through a similar dilemma since he is not truly happy, though he has all the things that a 24-year-old would aspire for.

You only learn when you fall and this is what happens with Keith as well. Due to some circumstances, his longtime girlfriend Maya breaks-up with him and his life enters into a lean phase. Keith is shaken and heart-broken but he takes up this challenge positively and tries to find his long-lost ‘happiness’. So, does he quit his well-paying job to pursue his dreams and makes the big switch or he continues living a mundane life. These are some of the important questions that are answered in his hard-hitting novel.

Any youngster would have to go through such phase where he needs to take important life decisions and this is why readers of the Big Switch can co-relate with the male protagonist. In life, you have to take calculated risks since there is no gain without pain. Along with the right career choices, you also need to make the right personal choices.

While reading the story, you can easily visualize the characters and the story is etched in your minds since it is told in a very subtle manner. The story-telling is simple yet hard-hitting since it makes readers reflect about their lives. Apart from Keith, Maya, there is one more female character who eventually becomes Keith’s lady luck since she truly loves and supports him. The editing is also good and narration is also very good. At around 300 pages long, ‘The Big Switch: It’s never too late’ is a breezy read and its learnings would be etched in your mind forever.

Closing Thoughts

The Big Switch: It’s never too late is a must-read novel especially for the youngsters who are always in dilemma on what they want to do with their lives. The central character Keith showcases all the right traits and fights hard to lead a happy life. There are a number of novels where the plot loses charm once more characters are introduced in the story but that is the case with John Thomas’s novel. The plot is gripping and as the story progresses, you learn life lessons from the situations that Keith faces. The novel is highly recommended!!

Overall Rating – 4.5/5

You can purchase The Big Switch: It’s never too late by John Thomas from here

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Be it movies or books; crime, detective, murder and suspense category can give anyone goosebumps and an edge of the seat experience. However, what if we were to say that you encounter such things in the year 2250, where an investigation is in progress for the murder of a crew member who was a part of Europa [Jupiter’s moon] which was a space expedition mission.

Image Source – Mystery

There are a lot of thoughts that start flowing into your minds – What would the world be like in 2250, How advanced would be the technology, Whether there would be cars flying in the air, Whether there would be human beings staying on the moon, etc. You would definitely enter a futuristic world when you read Europa by Hywel Richard Pinto which is a sci-fi thriller that unfolds through the eyes of a varied group of characters. Each character has his/her own agenda – one taking a life-risking search, rescue and research trip, to Jupiter’s moon, Europa; the second, through the rivalry between an American businessman and an Indian power hungry politician; whilst the third is the contest between hired guns of both the factions.

In a thriller, characters play a very crucial role and Europa being a sci-fi thriller, the author had to blend suspense with imagination & technology and it was a job done well!

About the Author

Hywel Richard Pinto, born and raised in in Mumbai works full time in a Media agency as a Sr. Director – Media Planning. In addition to this book, he has also written a murder mystery set in Mumbai by the name of ‘The Monday Murder’ which was shortlisted in the top 20 manuscripts from nearly 300 entries by DNA-Hachette India in January 2013 during their Hunt For The Next Indian Bestseller contest. You can read more about Hywel Pinto here 

Europa – A Sci-Fi Adventure Of Galactical Proportions : Trailer

The year is 2250 and we are witness to a historical trial of the Silver Fleet’s youngest and most promising captains – Captain Richard Sparks, who has been accused of murdering a fellow crew member during the Silver Star’s lengthy trip to the Jupiter’s moon – Europa. But the crew are divided as to whether the Captain is to be blamed for the fiasco or whether there was a bigger conspiracy on board? Can another murder on board the Silver Star be attributed to the unusual mission that the ship is on? Does someone want the crew of the Silver Star to fail in their mission to locate one of her sister ships, reportedly lost near Europa? And just how many of the crew can Captain Richard Sparks trust, if he is to be believed as being innocent?

Meanwhile, a shadow organization back on Earth contends with a dangerous, corrupt and ambitious politician, with the Europa mission being used as the counterweight. Will this affect the crew on board the Silver Star?

All trials are not as simple as they seem – not when the accused has a story to tell and some people will go to great lengths to protect what actually happened on Europa.

Who is the real culprit and what are the turn of events that would lead to the closure of the case forms the crux of Europa. Mystery, Murder, Politics along with Sci-Fi are keywords that make Europa an intriguing read !!

Europa – A Sci-Fi Adventure Of Galactical Proportions : Detailed Review

As mentioned earlier, the central character is Captain Richard Sparks, who was the commander-in-charge of Silver Star to Europa where the central task was to rescue the crew of missing scientists who had been to Europa before them. The entire crew was there in Europa for close to 408 days and as you would expect, the entire expedition is filled with innumerable twists and turns. The important question to ask is ‘Are the crew members still alive’?

A German scientist who had the samples from Europa was found murdered in Captain Spark’s ship. There is a high possibility of foul play where some crew members might have been involved in this murder. The murder happens just before the ship reaches the destination. All these situations make Europa an edge of a seat thriller.

Be it movies or books, for the ‘murder mystery’ genre, supporting actors also need to play an interesting role to keep the readers/viewers engaged and Europa does not disappoint on this front. Along with Captain Sparks who is the main protagonist, another major character in Europa is his best friend and fellow colleague, Duncan. They share a very good bonding and the have a lingering question in their minds ‘What could be the major reason for promoting a rookie captain like Sparks, that too before a critical mission’. They did feel that something is fishy and the promotion was a part of a major conspiracy planned against Captain Sparks.

Since it is a sci-fi thriller, aliens are also a part of this interesting story. The author has managed to keep the interest alive by introducing different characters at strategic parts of the story. There is also an angle of politics in the story since an Indian politician named Pramod has some vested interests and could also have been a part of the overall conspiracy. Other characters like Draco, Mario, Jewel, Robbie also play crucial roles in this sci-fi thriller.

While the story progresses at a good pace in most parts, it does seem stretched in some cases. However, as per our understanding, this could be because the author wanted to build more suspense and curiosity rather than introducing new characters in a hurry.

While reading the story, you can easily visualize the characters and the story is etched in your minds since it is told in a very subtle manner. The cover photo is well designed and sends the message that Europa has something to do with sci-fi.

The font-size could have been a bit bigger and there was some scope for improvement in the editing department. We could also find some spelling mistakes in the book but even with these minor improvements, Hywel Pinto’s story-telling impressed us!

Rating 3.5/5

Closing Thoughts

Europa – A Sci-Fi Adventure Of Galactical Proportions by Hywel Richard Pinto is an interesting sci-fi thriller where each character is crafted to perfection. As a reader, you feel involved in the story. As you progress through the story, you might feel an adrenaline rush and anxiety about ‘What next’ 🙂 Considering that there are a good number of characters in the story, with each one having a good role to play, a feature film can be made on Europa. If you love reading sci-fi thrillers, you should definitely not miss this one.

You can purchase Europa – A Sci-Fi Adventure Of Galactical Proportions by clicking on the link below

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