a little dry but a good glimpse into Kalpana's life
342625
My brother wrote this book and it is well written, a little dry but a good glimpse into Kalpana's life. She was such an inspiration who knew who she was.
2397331
This is a nice book and is the full-sized edition, with dust jacket. Having lived in Nairobi near Karen Blixen's farm I am very much into the stories of colonial life in Kenya a hundred years ago. This book provides an interesting look at colonial life from the eyes of a young woman who grew up there.

It takes a long while to get rolling and it tends to be rather dry. Also, while it relates stories related to a range of characters (who are analogues of real people) it does not provide a good picture of where you are. Rather, it provides little patches where things happen without really providing a foundation of the larger geographic picture. Regardless, what you get from this book is a sketchy picture of life that is reminiscent of Little House. For me, when I finished it, it was like I'd been served a meal without much sustenance and that I had left the table feeling hungry.
2863629
Ivana Lowell's memoir of her life as a member of the famed Guinness clan has some fascinating moments. Her mother was novelist and muse to many Caroline Blackwood, and her stepfather (and the main father figure in her life) was poet Robert Lowell. This didn't exactly make for a stable childhood; Blackwood was an alcoholic and Lowell was bipolar. Ivana's maternal grandmother, Maureen Guinness, is both fascinating and rather repugnant. She was an aristocrat, but her sense of humor was rather low-brow (she apparently enjoyed fart jokes and torturing her dinner guests by pretending to be her own maid). And in the tradition of crazy grandmothers everywhere, she would say really awful things. For example, when she learns that the man Ivana believed was her biological father may not be after all, Maureen is delighted because this means that Ivana isn't half Jewish and thus has a better chance of landing a husband.

Ivana shares her mother's problem with alcohol, and much of the book discusses her struggles with it. Her stories of rehab are funny, but also a bit terrifying. I enjoyed this memoir, but it felt like it needed some editing. There were a few things that didn't make sense in terms of time (her age at various events seemed to vary a bit), and parts of it felt disjointed. However, it was still an entertaining fast read.
414412
The books shows varied and interesting perspectives on modern India and Pakistan.  Taken from different issues of Granta, most of the works are personal memories or narratives of reporters' interviews as they explore different topics.  Both of the short stories had weak endings, which may be typical oriental fiction but were worth reading for their interesting characters.
4551555
Royina Grewal and her husband Ajit chose to leave Bombay and exchange their metropolitan existence for a rural one in the village of Patan in the Alwar district of north eastern Rajasthan. Royina, who also authored Sacred Virgin about a trip on the Narmada river, and her husband have decided to rebuild a run down farm and using experimental agricultural techniques they are attempting to grow crops on arid land. While her husband tends to the farm and the reconstruction of the house Royina, aware of Rajastahn's reputation for its renowned fortresses and palaces, decides to go on a bit of a tour of the countryside. Its an amusing tour. In Rajasthan, which is one of the least modernised areas of India,  it is very rare to see a woman traveling alone so her presence brings out many interesting females who are enthused by her boldness in a land where women are rarely free to choose the course of their own lives. Royina even tours the countryside on the back of a motorcycle in one scene. She claims to feel the nomadic spirit which may be true but she also feels the shopping spirit as well as she makes purchases here and there(including a pair of leather boots that are made for princes) that she is careful to note most Indians cannot afford. This is perhaps one of the problems with this book, Royina only leaves home for an eight week stretch and then writes her book. Other travel writers spend years in India before writing about it. She was born in India, given an education, and one surmises has always had a fair amount of money and freedom(she is careful to note her marriage was not an arranged one). She is one of the privileged westernized few and for her roughing it is a matter of choice and really she is not roughing it for she more often than not stays in the renovated and converted former palaces of the Rajasthan princes with their elaborate gardens. More a vacation than a tour of India I would say. Still she relates a lot of valuable and interesting information along the way and she has some good stories to tell and listens to others tell theirs. She no doubt has a real interest in womens liberation and that theme runs through the book. Nothing gives her greater pleasure than to see a woman asserting her independence(very rare in Rajasthan) and nothing hurts her more than to see a woman or girl in some form of bondage to a husband or small minded community or a religion. Royina places her hopes in the education system and she is touched to see a young tribal girl wearing a school uniform beneath her sari. As Royina says change happens very slowly in India but you have to keep chiseling away. A good book (perhaps designed to encourage tourism to the area) though compared to other Indian travel books(Norman Lewis, William Dalrymple)pretty light fare.
3225331
I suppose what I was expecting in this book was more about writerly habits, and while there are certainly a number of those mentioned - from Joan Didion's late-afternoon drink while reviewing the pages she's written that day to Salman Rushdie's pajama-wearing daily schedule - this book is also more than that.

Depending on the subject, Stodola often veers more into literary biography, which actually proved quite interesting. I particularly enjoyed learning about Junot Diaz's years-long struggle to find his way into Oscar Wao, or the way Kafka's dreadfully dull office job influenced his work.

I found this book interesting more as a reader than as a writer, though there are a handful of writerly tidbits to be gained. Where it falls short is a focus on reporting without any sort of editorial filter, and on the non-linear structure of the essays, which are occasionally hard to follow. You're very much left to draw your own conclusions, but that's not a bad thing.
645312
This book takes place in India during the Mughal Empire.  It tells the story of one of India's great empresses, the twentieth wife of Emperor Jahangir.  This empress is Nur Jahan (Light of the World), who was born just Mehrunnisa, the youngest child of an outcast Persian nobleman, born in a tent while the family flees to India to start over with nothing.  As a young woman Mehrunnisa falls in love with Prince Salim, but it is a long journey to be with the one she loves.

Quote: "And Salim?  He had to notice her too, or else how would she become Empress?"

Read this book.  Really.  It is beautiful, memorable, and hard to put down.  It also revisits a woman in Indian history who is too often overshadowed by the legacy of her niece (in whose honor the Taj Mahal was built), although this book would argue that Mehrunnisa was a much more strong, significant empress.  It vividly shows both the strengths and the weaknesses of women in India during this time, who were occasionally great players on the government stage, although from behind the harem walls.
3285964
A well written yet concise biography. I would have preferred more imagery to interact with the accounts of Mother Teresa's life. Overall, a good read.
2823084
Leela, who was betrothed at age 2, and married at 9, is of the Brahmin caste in India during the time of British occupation of the country. Though married, she does not live with or have relations with her husband.  She continues to live with her family.  Gandhi Is becoming active in rallying his people out of British rule.  Now Leela, who is about 13, is going to have her anu ceremony,which will be marked by her going to live with her husband, who is of college age. She has been petted and spoiled by her family.  Suddenly, her young husband dies, and Leela is widowed, which means she must  forgo beautiful saris, have her head shaved, and never marry again.  She must live in virtual isolation, because widows are bad luck.  Keeping corner refers to staying within the family's home/yard for a year.
How Leela and her family cope with her widowhood, and how Leela deals with her dreams completes the story.  Too complicated to go into with out your reading it, but it is worth reading.
327938
This is a review of an excellent book, but more a synopsis of the most remarkable life of anyone I've personally known.
Young Gisele Rox had a dream, or a vision when but twelve years old, of a nearly naked man with a bristly white beard sitting beside a fire - nothing more than that but it set her heart on a path that she would follow to its very end some fifty-five years later.
Gisele carried this vision through her adolescent years, through her fine German training in music and the dramatic arts into her adult life where she, as a mysteriously captivating young woman, could have achieved, attained, enjoyed anything she set her eyes on. Her eyes however were turned inward, to the lone figure she'd already understood to be her destiny and finally one day, to the dismay of her family, at age twenty-four she set out with a small bag to thumb her way across the vast expanse of western Asia, to India.
How to find one particular person - whom so far existed only as an apparition - out of half a billion? But find him she did - after a full year's search into the Himalayas of Nepal and across north India, she spotted him. On an island where the Ganges River split he sat and she, distinguishing him from thousands of other sadhu-babas with white beards sitting beside fires, she knew him to be the one. She sat down and surrendered to him completely as her guru before the day was out. How did she know? It's useless to ask - she knew.
For the next ten years she stayed, outside, in the open, refusing to leave, enduring every kind of adverse condition; extremities of weather, societal hostility, sometimes hunger, sometimes doubt of her own sanity, sometimes anger from her guru who had never asked to be her guru.  But her unshakable vow was to attain her enlightenment, her complete liberation from the karmic bonds of physical existence - or die.
Those ten years are only one-quarter of the story. She would remain in India for the next thirty-five years as Mataji Narvada Puri - with an eventual ashram, marriage to her guru, bringing three children and the arrival of many devotees both Indian and foreign, including her own mother and sister from Germany! - with none of that interrupting the couple's constant spiritual practices. Her book tells in her own lilting poetics the whole story of her gradual enlightenment, though it unfolded in ways she had never anticipated.
To anyone who is interested in what the true meaning of 'spiritual search' is, this book will peel back layer after layer of thought yet undreamed of. Anyone interested in what a 'true guru' is may meet one (two!) through these pages. She never acknowledged nor capitalized on her stature, though she came to be recognized throughout India and abroad as a powerful living embodiment of a realized soul.
A teacher is someone who points the way - a guru is someone who is the way.
4408094
AP World History Review: a description of your opinion of the book Mansi Patel

I think this book was well written considering it was written in the 1900s. The author does a good job employing the purpose of how Buddhism spread through the land of India and how Buddhism influenced the thoughts of the characters in the book. They realized that people show live a simple way of life without desires. He incorporates elements of Hindusim and Buddhism to show that religions are equal and that no one religion is greater than the other. I would recommend this book to others if they would like to learn more about the spread of Buddhism and how castes worked in India.

I also liked how he made the book into Siddhartha's journey to finding enlightement and finding who he himself was. I don't like how the author includes a lot of characters to show their influence on Siddhartha becasue it makes the whole journey seem unreal. Overall, the main concepts of the books are written well and in a way that he can get his purpose across through the descriptions of the ways of life in many groups of people. I also liked how he incorporated descriptions of basically each type of people in the society from brahimins, merchants, ascetics, to even women in the society. This really helped show that even throughout society people practiced realitively the same customs of the religion and how people incorporated both Hindu and Buddhist beliefs. This emphasized how many religions are equal even if different people practice them, and that no one religion is more important than the other.
2708011
I have never heard of Mother Meera before I read this book.  Most people here is US have heard of Amma "The Hugging Saint" but Mother Meera spend most of her time in Europe (Germany) and India.  Mother Meera is an avatar of Divine Mother.  She is able to channel light that helps people heal, find tranquility and peace in their life and some even experience Samadhi (enlightment), if for a brief moment.  Mother Meera was born as Kamala Reddy in India and she experienced mystical moments by the age of twelve.  Author of the book Mark Matousek, first experienced Mother Meera's darshan in the early eighties and has been in touch with Mother Meera since.  He describes many of their encounters as well as how other people who received Mother Meera's blessings experienced her teachings and her divine presence.  I liked many references about mystics and other avatars form India that author provides in a book.  It gave me broader understanding on how modern day mystics live, manage their public appearances and private lives and how their teachings can influence spiritual seekers.

This book was quick and easy read. I read it in a couple of days.  I am interested in various spiritual practices and I wish I could meet some of these divine individuals in person myself.  For some people , such individuals may be a curiosity, but I am interested in finding out  what is really feels to be in their presence.
1809906
The Marriage Bureau for Rich People offers a peek at the rich culture of India.  For those of us, like myself, who have never been there, it makes a fascinating setting for a love story.  Unfortunately, it's a little too detailed in places, reading more like a textbook than a novel.  A scene where a couple of women buy clothes, for example, seems to have been added merely to demonstrate how women shop in India because it is fairly dry and has nothing to do with the rest of the story.  And it seems that every time a foreign dish is mentioned, the author adds an aside to clarify the main ingrdients.  The dialog also felt unnatural in places.

But overall it was a pleasant read.  It was interesting to learn about some Indian customs and the characters were occasionally entertaining.  Probably a good book to take on vacation.
2237761
I was always curious about Kiran Bedi. After reading the book, my respect for her has greatly increased. The book is very informative about her life and career. However, the author does an average job of writing about her  life. Instead of sticking to the facts, he goes into long lectures on the  pros of her philosophy and and what should be done to improve the prison  system in India.
4887084
I like the way the book alternated between the two brothers.  This was interesting, and since it was consistently done, it was not distracting. I knew nothing of the Indian culture prior to reading this book, so I appreciated what I learned about that.

I had never heard of Deepak Chopra prior to reading this book and yet he spent a good deal of time talking about his fame.  This gave the impression that he has an exaggerated sense of his own importance. I did not care for his spiritual views, either. The only part of the book that was actually interesting was the short part that dealt with their experiences when they first came to this country and their assimilation into our culture.

I thought Sanjiv's writing was much more interesting than Deepak's. Sanjiv wasn't as full of himself, though his accomplishments seemed far more concrete than Deepak's.

This book would probably be more interesting to someone of Indian descent, someone interested in Deepak Chopra, or his spiritual ideas.
3021940
In Accidental Prime Minister, Mr Sanjaya Baru comments on his time during his tenure as the Media Advisor to the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh in UPA 1. It always surprised me that in this age of transparency, free information, and a hyper active Social media why a distinguished person like Dr Singh would choose to remain media shy rather than being vocal. Why he would choose to turn a blind eye to indiscipline and corruption in his cabinet. The book tries to cover all those aspects through an excellent first hand narrative. However, it also leaves the reader's questions half answered. But its a start, and a good one at that.

The author, Mr Sanjaya Baru, himself a distinguished editor, minces no words when it comes to both adulation and criticism of his former employer. The book definitely does not appear to be politically motivated. However, the timing of its release is certainly interesting.

The narrative does not necessarily follow a chronological order but either provides a context or explains few incidents elaborately while coming to the obvious conclusion of what went wrong for Dr Singh and why he chose to remain silent.
3249274
I wanted to give this 3 stars however I did learn a lot about the issues of medical and cell cultures and testing.

I say 3 stars because I found most of the medical history informative and yet very dry.  If it weren't for the personal stories of Lacks and her family I'd have fallen asleep.
Again I did learn alot and I am unsure how it could have been relayed anymore interestingly, but still dry, and yet critical to the overall understanding of the Lacks family experience.

I very much enjoyed the Lacks family personal narrative, and it is something I'm happy to have experience.  I see it has many 5 stars and 4 stars.  As I said I'd have made it 3 stars had I not learned a great deal about medical history.

The generational ramifications were slow in manifesting yet harsh and life long.  For example at one point the children of Mrs. Lacks are mistreated/abused and part of that is they get 1 biscuit per day to eat.  How do the nutritional deficits eventually manifest via cognitive capability?  That is just one example.

I would recommend it but just know it's up and down.