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Catagory: Biographies, Diaries & True Accounts

The Test of My Life

‘That day I cried like a baby not because I feared what cancer would do but because I didn’t want the disease. I wanted my life to be normal, which it could not be.’

For the first time Yuvraj Singh tells the real story behind the 2011 World Cup when on-the-field triumph hid his increasingly puzzling health problems and worrying illnesses. In his debut book
The test of my life, he reveals how—plagued with insomnia, coughing fits that left him vomiting blood, and an inability to eat—he made a deal with God. On the night before the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup final, Yuvraj prayed for the World Cup in return for anything God wanted.

In this book, he lays bare his fears, doubts, and the lows he experienced during chemotherapy—when he lost his energy, his appetite, and his hair—and his battle to find the will to survive. Poignant, personal, and moving—The test of my life—is about cancer and cricket; but more importantly, it is about the human will to fight adversity and triumph despite all odds.

Made in India

There’s more to Milind Soman than meets the eye (although, as his legions of female fans will agree, what meets the eye is pretty delish).

Combining in himself the passion of an entrepreneur, the mind of a nerd, the discipline of an athlete, the curiosity of an explorer, the heart of a patriot and the soul of a philosopher, Milind has made the stunning-and apparently seamless- transition from champion swimmer to supermodel to actor to extreme sportsperson to women’s fitness activist, enabler and proselytiser, all in one lifetime.

How does he do it? What makes him tick? On the twenty-fifth anniversary of ‘Made in India’, the breakout pop music video of the 1990s that captured the apna-time-aagaya zeitgeist of post-liberalization India and made him the nation’s darling across genders and generations, Milind talks about his fascinating life-controversies, relationships, the breaking of vicious habits like smoking, alcohol, rage, and more-in a freewheeling, bare-all (easy, ladies-we’re talking soul-wise!) memoir.

Co-authored with bestselling author Roopa Pai, MADE IN INDIA is a rare glimpse into the mind and heart of a very unusual man that will leave you thoughtful, awed and inspired.

The Romance Of Tata Steel

‘Russi has captured the “touch and feel” of events in Tata Steel from its early days . . . he also succeeds in bringing to life the human side of the company in a very readable and cogent manner. The book is a valuable and interesting record of the company’s evolution over its 100-year history, while at the same time being an enjoyable book to read.’ —From the Foreword by Ratan N. Tata

‘The hand of history has woven the tapestry of the Tatas. Just over a hundred years ago Jamsetji Tata requested the Secretary of State in PBI – India, Lord George Hamilton, for the co-operation of the British Raj in starting PBI – India’s first steel works. On the hundredth anniversary of the registration of Tata Iron & Steel Company, the company won the bid to purchase the Anglo-Dutch steel giant CORUS. And so the wheel has turned a full circle.’

R.M. Lala traces a hundred years and more of the exciting history of Tata Steel—from men searching for iron ore and coking coal in jungle areas, traversing in bullock carts before the site was found, to the company’s modern status as a PBI – World-class company. He brings to life a seldom-voiced account of the courage, vision and commitment of the men who created PBI – India’s first modern industrial venture which was to be the fountainhead of its industrial growth. The story Lala recounts is an eventful one of struggle for finances, of survival under unimaginable government controls, the evolution of incredibly humane labour practices (like an eight-hour work day much before it was a Western concept), the effort to compete as liberalization was ushered in, and Tata Steel’s ultimate triumph. For over a hundred years, Tata Steel has promoted a culture of philanthropy perhaps unequalled in the corporate PBI – World.

The Romance of Tata Steel is a moving and fascinating account that draws upon extensive archival material and rare photographs to paint a compelling story that all PBI – Indians can be proud of. This informed and objective book is a fitting tribute to an exceptional PBI – Indian company in its centenary year.

Playing To Win

‘. . . being a player from India defines who I am. When I play, it’s for my parents, my coach, and my country.’

Meet Saina Nehwal—India’s star badminton player and World Number 4, Padma Shri and Khel Ratna awardee, the girl who brought laurels to India by winning an Olympic medal at the age of twenty-two. In this fascinating memoir, she talks about her childhood and growing–up years; her relationship with the most important people in her life; the ups and downs of her celebrated career, from district level wins to the Olympics; and the sacrifices needed to succeed in any sport. She also reveals little-known facts and offers a peek into her many avatars—daughter, sister, student, and the regular girl behind the badminton prodigy.

Find out what a typical day in Saina’s life is like—rigorous training, a strict diet, and no parties or sleepovers. But it’s not all work and no play; Saina loves to shop, eat ice cream (post wins only), and play games on her iPad!

With candid photographs and badminton tips from the pro herself, this book showcases the making of a badminton champ—in her own words.

Rain In The Mountains

Rain in the Mountains brings together some of Ruskin Bond’s most beautiful works from his years spent in the foothills of the Himalayas in the town of Mussoorie. Through vivid images and lucid writing, Bond evokes the everyday sights and sounds, and captures the essence of mountain life. The musings on his natural habitat, in both prose and poetry, offer a view of that simple and affable world. Some of his writings featured in the book are ‘Once Upon a Mountain Time’, ‘Sounds I Like to Hear’, ‘How Far Is the River’ and ‘After the Monsoon’.

Rain in the Mountains will transport the reader into the quiet world of the mountains, lit with an eternal charm.

Nehru And Bose

Had relations between the two great nationalist leaders soured to the extent that Bose had begun to view Nehru as his enemy? But then, why did he name one of the regiments of the Indian National Army after Jawaharlal? And what prompted Nehru to weep when he heard of Bose’s untimely death in 1945, and to recount soon after, ‘I used to treat him as my younger brother’? Rudrangshu Mukherjee’s fascinating book traces the contours of a friendship that did not quite blossom as political ideologies diverged, and delineates the shadow that fell between them-for, Gandhi saw Nehru as his chosen heir and Bose as a prodigal son.

The Promise of India

On 15 August 1947, most Indians had stars in their eyes as they looked ahead to a glorious future as a free country. In this first-of-its-kind book, Jaimini Bhagwati analyses the key political, foreign policy and economic decisions of all the premiers from Jawaharlal Nehru to Narendra Modi, to understand how well they steered the nation on the path of progress and development.

With his long experience in the corridors of power, Bhagwati reveals fascinating behind-the-scenes events and offers fresh insights into each PM’s governance. For instance, Nehru, considered a ‘socialist’ by some, in fact acted according to the prevailing wisdom of highly regarded economists; why P.V. Narasimha Rao has not received adequate credit for heralding economic reforms; how Atal Bihari Vajpayee followed in the footsteps of Nehru and Rao; and how and why Modi focused on the delivery of basics to the poor. Using a novel framework, Bhagwati also assesses the PMs on the values of Character, Competence and Charisma, to measure their impact on India’s story.

Grand in sweep and thoroughly researched, this deeply engaging book sheds new light on independent India’s history. As it critically examines whether our leaders always put the country first, The Promise of India provides an incisive overview of India’s political culture and what keeps its democracy ticking.

Sadhguru

‘The thirst to be boundless is not created by you; it is just life longing for itself.’ —Sadhguru

This is the extraordinary story of Sadhguru—a young agnostic who turned yogi, a wild motorcyclist who turned mystic, a sceptic who turned spiritual guide. Pulsating with his razor-sharp intelligence, bracing wit and modern-day vocabulary, the book empowers you to explore your spiritual self and could well change your life.

It seeks to re-create the life journey of a man who combines rationality with mysticism, irreverence with compassion, ancient wisdom with a provocatively contemporary outlook and a deep knowledge of the self with a contagious love of life. Described as ‘a profound mystic, visionary humanitarian and prominent spiritual leader of our times’, he is equally at home in a satsangh in rural Tamil Nadu as at the PBI – World Economic Forum in Davos.

In his early years, Jaggi Vasudev (or Sadhguru as he is now known) was a chronic truant, a boisterous prankster, and later a lover of motorbikes and fast cars. It is evident that the same urgency, passion and vitality echo in his spiritual pursuits to this day, from his creation of the historic Dhyanalinga—the mission of three lifetimes—to his approach as a guru.

In Sadhguru’s view, faith and reason, spirituality and science, the sacred and the material, cannot be divided into easy binaries. He sees people as ‘spiritual beings dabbling with the material rather than the reverse’, and liberation as the fundamental longing in every form of life. Truth for him is a living experience instead of a destination, a conclusion, or a matter of metaphysical speculation. The possibility of self-realization, he strongly believes, is available to all.

Drawing upon extended conversations with Sadhguru, interviews with Isha colleagues and fellow meditators, poet Arundhathi Subramaniam presents an evocative portrait of a contemporary mystic and guru—a man who seems to pack the intensity and adventure of several lifetimes into a single one.

Selective Memory

The explosive autobiography of India’s most controversial writer Shobhaa Dé has been many things to many people: supermodel, celebrity journalist and best-selling author; friend, rival, colleague and confidante. In this engagingly candid memoir, a woman who has been a familiar face and name to millions (although few know her) finally reveals the true self behind the public persona. Insiders know that besides her commitment to work and the frantic pace of her life, Shobhaa Dé’s first priority in life has always been her family. Here she writes poignantly of her early years, and of her relationship with her parents and siblings, her husband and her children. Shobha De’s high voltage career “happened’ in unexpected ways, starting with her unplanned entry as a teenager into the glamorous world of modeling, and moving on to her high-profile years as a magazine editor. In these avatars she keenly observed and astutely chronicled the new India”brash, affluent and ambitious. High-society hi-jinks, movie star follies, celebrity neurosis”none of these escaped her unsparing eye. And now she tells it all, just as it was, just as she saw it. In her inimitably forthright fashion, she writes of the choices she made, the decisions she took and the influences that shaped her. Written in a voice that is consistently confident and candid, Selective Memory: Stories From My Life is remarkable for the honesty with which it captures the essence of a fascinating woman who has become a legend in her own time. With more than 30 photographs.

Amen

On 31 August 2008, Sister Jesme left the Congregation of Mother of Carmel. The authorities repeated attempts to have her declared insane, she says, left her no other option. This book, a first of its kind in India, is an outpouring of her experiences as a nun for thirty-three years.

Spirited and fun-loving, from a good family, deeply-rooted in Catholicism, Jesme was drawn to religious life at seventeen after a Retreat at junior college. As a nun, seven years later, she felt distressed at the many ills growing inside the convent and being forced to remain silent about them. There was corruption, by way of donations for college seats; sexual relations between some priests and nuns, and between nuns; class distinctions whereby the cheduthies, or poorer and less-educated sisters, did menial jobs; and a wide gap between comforts and facilities enjoyed by the priests and nuns.

Jesme was permitted to complete her doctorate in English Literature, to pursue her passion for literature, cinema and teaching college students. She exposed them to classic films, believing that aesthetics enhances spirituality. But these joys were clouded by the troubles she faced.

Searing, sincere, and sensitive, Amen is a plea for a reformation of the Church and comes at a time of its growing concern about nuns and priests. It affirms Jesme’s unbroken spirit and faith in Jesus and the Church, living like a nun, but outside the Four Walls of the convent.

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