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Archives: Books

Play to Potential

Now a national bestseller!

Play to Potential offers a refreshing exploration of human potential, emphasizing discovery through play rather than work. Deepak Jayaraman weaves insights from his eponymous podcast, his coaching work and his lived experience to share a powerful yet simple framework (FLAVOUR) that can act as a guide to navigate the pulls and pressures of life.

This book is a guide to living a fulfilled life, integrating family, aspirations, value creation, and deep relationships. It transcends traditional career advice, providing actionable insights for personal growth and fulfillment.

While there are many books that act as a North Star for people to navigate their journey, this book strives to be a torch light that can show people the way through the imperfections and the messiness to lead a full life and unlock their human potential.

The Notbook of Kabir

Kabir is the most alive of all dead poets. He is a fabric without stitches. No centres, no edges. Anand threads his way in.

Over the years, as a publisher and editor, Anand immerses himself in the works of Babasaheb Ambedkar and other anticaste thinkers. He gives up his practice of music and poetry, blaming his disenchantment on caste. One day in Delhi, Anand starts looking for Kabir. He finds him here, there, everywhere. He begins to pay attention to the many ways in which Kabir’s words are sung, and translates them. Soon, Kabir starts looking out for Anand.

The songs of Kabir sung by a range of singers—Prahlad Tipaniya, Fariduddin Ayaz, Mukhtiyar Ali, Kumar Gandharva, Kaluram Bamaniya, Mahesha Ram and other wayfarers—make Anand return to music and poetry. Anand translates songs seldom found in books. Along the way, he witnesses Kabir drawing on the Buddha, often restating ancient suttas in joyous ways.

The Notbook of Kabir is the result of this pursuit with no end in sight. This is the story of how Anand loses himself trying to find Kabir.

Parde ke Peechhey

Ila Arun burst into public view with the controversial song from Khal Nayak (1993), Choli Ke Peechhey. But several years before that, she was already well known for her contribution to Rajasthani folk music.

Mumbai soon became her home, and it was in this city of glamour that Ila made a name for herself in every genre of the performing arts—film, television, music and playback singing—and also as a composer and lyricist. In the course of her creative journey of almost fifty years, Ila has been associated with several of the best-known names in this field—actors and directors, singers and music directors, classical and folk singers, who appear as characters in her story. Her passion however remains theatre.

A writer herself, with several original plays and many adaptations to her credit, this is her first book, an autobiography, which records her life from childhood to the present. It is an honest depiction of her successes and disappointments in the world of theatre, film and music.

Told in her inimitable style, with sincerity and a touch of humour, this is Ila at her candid best, sharing a glimpse into her life and experience onstage and backstage, parde ke peechhey.

Malgudi Adventures

After the stupendous success of Malgudi Schooldays, R.K. Narayan’s chronicle of the escapades of Swami
and his friends, comes Malgudi Adventures with more delightful stories of the children’s adventures in the magical South Indian small town of Malgudi.
There are the memorable stories of Babu, who, in trying to set up the lights for his sisters’ Navaratri display, manages to plunge the entire household into darkness; of a snake charmer boy who grows up with a monkey named Rama as his companion; and of Raju, who decides to become a guide when a train station is built at Malgudi. Also included are the fascinating stories of Balu, who dumps his father’s accounts ledger
in the gutter; of a little boy who finds himself lost on the streets of Malgudi late one night; of Chandran, who falls head over heels in love on the banks of the Sarayu one evening; and of the hilarious sequence of events that unfolds when Raja the tiger decides to seek refuge in the local school.
Culled from some of Narayan’s greatest novels such as The Man-eater of Malgudi, The Bachelor of Arts, The
English Teacher, The Guide and The Financial Expert, and containing three of his short stories, Malgudi Adventures is a funny, exciting and entertaining book that children of all ages will enjoy.

The Power of Decision-Making

As they say, ‘Life is a series of choices’. It may sound too simplistic, but it really is true . . . We all make decisions, big or small, almost everyday, and each of the decisions we make impacts us in varying ways. Our decisions, therefore, determine our destiny. The Power of Decision-Making is a collection of powerful learnings that will change the way you think about making choices. It will help you make decisions for the better to achieve lasting success in different walks of life. Conceived as a self-help guide, the book includes stories and quotes from some of the most successful people, whose decisions have changed their lives for the better.

Your life is an outcome of your decisions and it is never too late to make the rights ones.

The Content Creator Handbook

Every day, millions of videos are uploaded, but only a handful break through to the mainstream. What separates viral content from forgotten content? It’s not luck. It’s not talent—it’s strategy.

In this no-nonsense guide, Varun and Achina Mayya—creators of multiple successful YouTube channels and online businesses—reveal the strategies, tactics and insider knowledge that have helped them master the art and science of content creation.
The content will help you learn:

  • Why most content strategies fail, and how to craft one that works
  • The real way algorithms operate (and how to use them to your advantage)
  • The secret language of engagement that turns viewers into loyal fans
  • Proven methods to monetize without alienating your audience
  • How to avoid the most common pitfalls that trap content creators

You can also go behind the scenes with guest experts Shirsh Bajpai and Martin Noronha as they dive deep into the technical aspects of video editing, production and more, and offer actionable insights that will immediately elevate your content.
Whether you’re a budding YouTuber, an entrepreneur or a seasoned creator looking to scale, this book is your blueprint for building a sustainable, impactful career in content creation.

Hind Swaraj

Hind Swaraj is one of the most significant works of Mahatma Gandhi, which he penned during his return from England to South Africa in November 1909. Banned by the oppressive British Empire in 1910, this book is a clarion call for Indians to realize the criticality of unshackling from the bondage of imperialism. It encouraged Indians to take pride in its all-encompassing cultural and civilizational heritage. Making Satyagraha a vantage point to understand Gandhi’s life philosophy and works, this volume champions the ideas of non-violent resistance, freedom and interdependence for Swaraj. How can a state, its government, institutions and citizens create an ideal ecosystem of mutual relationships based on trust, non-violence and respect for growth and development?

A must-read for policymakers, history enthusiasts, students and scholars of Gandhian studies, sociology and politics, it is one of the most compelling works to understand Gandhi’s vision for a self-reliant India.

Why the Heck Not?

Every professional and budding entrepreneur should ideally have three types of mentors. One who has been incredibly successful, one who is genuinely respected and well liked and one who has incredible courage. To me, the almost ninety-five-year-old Kushal Pal Singh (K.P. Singh), chairman emeritus of DLF, is the perfect embodiment of all three.

  • From the Foreword by Aparna Jain

The riveting saga of DLF is inextricably linked to the entrepreneurial genius of K.P. Singh, a man whose name has become synonymous with housing and urban real estate infrastructure in India.

Known affectionately as KP, Singh was born in the small town of Bulandshahr. He began his career as an officer in the Indian Army before circumstances nudged him into the family business. Starting off at the Qutab Stud Farm and American Universal Electric (India), KP’s greatest challenge emerged when his wife, Indira, and sister-in-law, Prem, persuaded him to helm DLF, a real estate company founded by his father-in-law, Chaudhary Raghvendra Singh. In a sector marred by nefarious repute, KP remained head and shoulders above other players, and strictly adhered to the prevailing laws and regulations. Within a few decades, KP had transformed DLF and set new standards for urban development in India.

KP’s pivotal role though was in catalysing the transformation of a barren Gurgaon into a knowledge city that reshaped the nation’s future. He persuaded Jack Welch of General Electric to explore and invest in India across multiple sectors—locomotives, power, aviation, medical systems, and eventually BPOs. This attracted significant investment and positioned Gurgaon as a hub of innovation and growth for a number of Fortune 500 companies.

Through captivating anecdotes and insights, Why The Heck Not delves into Padma Bhushan awardee KP’s interactions with industry leaders, policymakers, farmers and communities. Learn how he navigated challenges, fostered collaborations, and revolutionised the Indian real estate landscape. A must-read for entrepreneurs, business enthusiasts, and anyone seeking inspiration, this book offers valuable lessons on all aspects of leadership, innovation, and the power of perseverance and collaboration.

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Go Wild

Meet an army of ants, a chorus of frogs, a plague of pigeons, a ballet of mantis, a grove of trees, a colony of bee-eaters, a herd of elephants, a lone owl and vulture and groups of human beings. Listen to a tale of three lakes, climb up a mountain, dive into the ocean, travel back in time and look at the natural world anew.

Some of India’s most celebrated nature writers and illustrators come together to celebrate the planet we call home. Includes fiction, non-fiction and comics from:

Includes fiction, non-fiction and comics from:

Anita Roy
Aparna Kapur
Bittu Sahgal
Harini Nagendra
Kartik Shanker
Nidhin Donald
Lavanya Karthik
Meghaa Gupta
Prabha Mallya
Prerna Singh Bindra
Priya Kuriyan
Rajiv Eipe
Ranjit Lal
Ravikant Kisana
Rohan Chakravarty
Salil Chaturvedi
Seema Mundoli
Shabnam Minwalla
Yuvan Aves
Zai Whitaker

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