All things Bharat

Most of the time when it comes to gift ideas for teens, I feel lost. After reading this book, I think I've found the ideal present for the inquisitive teenager, especially the kid who is on the cusp of making the career choice. This book by Rachna Bisht Rawat is just perfect. You not only get to read real stories of bravado, adventure, and whatnot but you also get information on the various opportunities one can get if they look in the direction of the Armed Forces. Simple yet engaging language, unputdownable to say the least. This was the short review I wrote as soon as I finished a few chapters in the book. After having read it fully and having digested it, I think I can write a slightly longer review. I wish I could have read this book during my teens and that would have helped me take a different decision about my career. As kids from middle-class families struggling with cash flow, this would have been a great help. Nevertheless, we have our kids to guide now and hope not to r...

Why Annamalai is the phenomenon that he is - reading his autobiography will help us understand that. As we leaf through his life and the challenges he faces, the learnings he draws out of each of these challenges, it all becomes clear (at least for me) why he receives such adulation. Right from how he cracked his CAT to successfully writing the civil services mains and his MBA final exams (the exams clash) on the same days left me speechless.  All through the book, he talks about making the police force better, the question of bribery and there are lessons he picked from each instance, each situation summarised at the end of each such chapter.  This book would be a great read for aspirants who wish to join the police force. But for civilians like you and me, it gives a peek into his thought process. The book is written in very simple English and I read it as though Annamalai was giving a lecture in his own voice (in my head).  He covers different aspects of the police for...

After so many months of not reading, I finally finished a book and what a fantastic read it has been. This month we will commemorate yet another anniversary of Vijay Diwas and what a time to read about the raw courage, the exploits, the stomach-churning stories of our braves. I would recommend this book be read by everyone. We all need to remember our soldiers because and I quote, "Soldiers who put their lives at stake in wars and war-like situations expect nothing in return. But what the nation owes to them is recognition and gratitude. Soldiers don’t die on battlefields; they die when an ungrateful nation forgets their sacrifice. May the 527 martyrs of Kargil live in our hearts forever." Read this to find out what type of food and water they had to survive on during those months, during their missions. You will never waste another morsel in your life nor will you take your freedom for granted. We have to read these stories and tell them to our kids, they need to know. Kargi...