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Category: Specials

Ravinder Singh on Road Safety

Posted on by Penguin India

Ravinder Singh is a bestselling author. In his books I Too Had  Love Story and Will You Still Love Me?  he passionately advocates the need for road safety.  In our new release, Your Happiness was Hacked authors Vivek Wadhwa and Alex Salkever talk about the importance of detaching from technology in order to lead more enriching lives and one of the issues that they deal with is the use of electronic devices while driving, which have led to increasing cases of accidents
Writing in a similar vein, Ravinder Singh addresses the dangers of using smart phones and how we can use smart devices under checked measures:
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Research says that an average smartphone user checks his phone every six and a half minutes. Pretty consistent, isn’t it? But is this consistency something that we should be proud of?
Let us look at the bigger picture for a moment. Smartphones are the product of technology, something that was meant to save our time, make us efficient, and simplify our lives; but we know anything in excess is way more harmful than not having it in the first place. Nothing demonstrates this better than the perils of technology. In fact there is evidence that excessive use of technology can begin to actually rewire our brains to make us less adept at dealing with real human connections.
Linda Stone, who worked on emerging technologies at both Apple and Microsoft, coined the term “continuous partial attention”. This is the state of always being partly tuned into everything, and never being completely tuned into anything. In simple and millennial language: FOMO (Fear of missing out).
And this FOMO is exactly the reason why an average smartphone user checks his phone every six and a half minutes! Of course, there is science behind technology rewiring our mind in way that FOMO becomes our constant state of being, but that’s a different discussion altogether.
In 2016, using mobile phones while driving led to 2100 deaths in India. And these are just the reported figures, released by Ministry of Transport.
It’s not that we are not aware of the fatal risks involved in using mobile phones while driving, but we are so anxious about missing out on calls or social media updates, that we completely ignore the fact that this could cost us our life! By using mobile phones while driving, we not only put our lives in danger, but also the lives of others on the road.
This is not the not the first article that talks about the importance of using technology consciously to ensure road safety. It won’t be the last either. Enough has been said about the dangers, the accident figures, and risks involved. Let us discuss what each one of us can do, to ensure that we don’t fall victim to “distracted driving”, a concise term for falling prey to FOMO while driving:
On the surface:

  1. Find a safe spot:

Should it be urgent to attend to that call/text, find a safe spot, stop the car/bike, and then attend to it. Period. No alternate option here.
And this is not just for the time when you are driving, but also for the moments when someone else is driving the car, and they receive a phone call. Agreed, not every person would take that nudge positively, but how about leveraging the power of reverse psychology here? For instance, when my cab driver receives a call while driving, I don’t question or snap at him, instead, I very patiently tell him – I understand your call is important, but please stop the car on the side, and then attend to it. And voila! In most cases, the driver then chooses to not attend to the call at that moment. This simple nudge, in a positive way, triggers an awareness in the driver’s mind, which leads to him feeling not-so-good about wanting to attend an unnecessary call while driving, and he is then able to better prioritize the importance of attending or not attending to that call, in that instance.

  1. Judicious use of time at the traffic signal:

Agreed, more often than not, traffic signals can be boring and long, and a quick call or response to a text can be accommodated. But again, a ‘quick’ call or ‘a’ text. Getting into a long conversation, while waiting at the traffic signal and not disconnecting the call when the signal turns green, brings you back to square one.

  1. Connect with yourself:

In her widely acclaimed book Thrive, Arianna Huffington says, “Technology allows us to be so hyperconnected to the outside world that we can lose connection to our inner world”. With corporates and societal pressure pushing people to be connected and available all the time, this couldn’t be more true.
And what does this result in? An anxious mind, a stressed body, and a robotic lost soul, functioning on auto-pilot! How about using your driving time to connect with yourself? How about utilizing this driving time, as your “me” time? Isn’t that something we all need, but just can’t seem to have time for?
So, start by turning your phone on silent, no vibration, and not synced with the car audio system. And then, choose what you want to do with your “me” time. It could be anything: listening to the music you love, practising mindfulness (ways to do this while driving are widely available) or just enjoying the journey!
 

  1. Use Post-its!

Sounds cliched, but extremely effective! Nobody gets up every morning and says to themselves, “Today I am going on have an adventure by talking on phone while driving, because although fatally risky, it gives me the thrill!”. We do what we do, out of habits of convenience that we formed over the years.
Naturally, when you try to change them now, your mind will resist the change. You might turn your phone on silent one day, and then forget from the next. Isn’t this what that happens every time we try to change a habit? The mind loves to be rigid and can trick you into giving up.
A simple reminder, put on your dashboard in a visible spot, can centre you back, remind you the purpose of what you are doing, and hence help you sustain the activity, till it becomes a habit.
Remember, your life is precious. You are precious, for this world, for the people around you, and the people waiting for you back home!
 
Your Happiness was Hacked turns personal observation into a handy guide to adapting to our new reality of omnipresent technology.
AVAILABLE NOW!

Nine Facts About Author Sangeetha Sreenivasan That Will Intrigue You

Posted on by Penguin India

Sangeetha Sreenivasan’s descriptive book Acid, set in the rapidly evolving city of Bangalore, deals with the convoluted lives of two fascinating women and marks the entry of a fierce and bold new voice in the Indian literary landscape.
Here are nine facts about her that you should know:
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 

Shivaji and his Idea of Swaraj

Posted on by Penguin India

After Aurangzeb ascended the throne in the North, he moved ahead with the aim to conquer the Deccan kingdoms. He is ruthless in his quest and would leave no stones unturned.
Raja Shivaji, a jagirdar from the hills of western Deccan, wants Swaraj in its truest sense. He cherishes his freedom and has raised his sword against those who stand between him and his goal to gain Swaraj. With his unrivalled courage and a drive to liberate all the Deccan kingdoms from the oppressive rule of Aurangzeb, Shivaji and Aurangzeb’s  power struggle makes for an epic saga.
Frontiers, a historical saga by Medha Deshmukh Bhaskaran, brings to life the complex and ever-shifting dynamics between these two arch nemeses.
Let’s take a look at few ideas of swaraj as understood by Shivaji:
Shivaji’s idea of Swaraj
According to Shivaji, Swaraj is the birthright of every human. He longed for a world which was no longer entangled in the clutches of biases, cruelty, religious conflicts and discrimination of any kind. Thus, he fought for the freedom of the Marathas from the oppressive rule of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. He wanted to establish a Hindavi Swaraj.
Take a look at few ideas of swaraj as understood by Shivaji:
 

 

 

 

 

 
 

Medha Deshmukh Bhaskaran on Writing Frontiers

Posted on by Penguin India

Frontiers by Medha Deshmukh Bhaskaran, is the story of Shivaji’s quest to establish freedom in the Maratha region. Born to a Jagirdar, Shivaji shunned his noble status to fight for Swaraj against the Mughal forces of Aurangzeb. The battle that ensues between the two enemy forces makes for a riveting read.
Here we have Medha Deshmukh Bhaskaran talking about how the book came to be and how she researched about Shivaji. Talking about her journey in the making of this book, she explains the challenges that she overcame in order to know about the man Raja Shivaji.
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After publishing more than three hundred articles on ‘health and disease’ in the Weekend Magazine of the Khaleej Times – a very popular newspaper in the gulf, I realized that people appreciated what I wrote. In that small little and cosy world of United Arab Emirates, I got some recognition and it was followed by big dreams. Soon I wanted to write a book on something not related to medicine. It took me a while to find that ‘something’ which turned out to be an uphill task.
I realized that there are hardly any books written on Chhatrapati Shivaji in English. I am a Maharashtrian born in Ahmednagar.  Love for Raja Shivaji is in our DNA, like the right to ancestral property; we are born with extreme loyalty to Raja Shivaji.
The first task was – that loyalty did not turn blind.
It was year 2000 and at that time I had a very demanding schedule. My boys were growing up and soon I would also have a high pressure marketing job in the healthcare industry in Dubai. Nonetheless I announced my desire on impulse and my parents bought about fifty reference as well as fiction books written on Maratha History (mostly in Marathi) and presented to me. The impulse soon became a passion and passion soon turned into madness! Those books became my time-machine to travel into the past. The most valuable reference book (about 1000 pages) was written in English by Mr G Mehendale, ‘Shivaji: His Life and Times’.
Since then every holiday in India meant visiting mountain forts.
Little did I know at that time that writing articles in a magazine is totally different from writing a book, especially a historical fiction.
Agreed that there were already hundreds of ‘fiction, nonfiction’ books in Marathi on the subject. When a Marathi reader starts reading a book on Raja Shivaji she/he is already in love with the protagonist. That love makes them pick up the book from the store in the first place. My book written on the subject would be for people who did not know Raja Shivaji, and they were not necessarily, already in love with him. I had a task to recreate history scene by scene, what would have happen, what could have taken place, what was said in conversations and by whom and what body-language of the people might have been. And I also wanted to remain very truthful to history. First it looked like a foolish waste of time. Many thought who would read a historical fiction written by a microbiologist who had failed in ‘English’ and ‘history’ in school with remarkable consistency? Only my closest family, my parents, brother and husband stood by a person like me who mostly lived in the 17th century!
Battle scenes were the most difficult part when it came to descriptions.  Here I took help of non-fiction books written by Col. Palsokar and Sir Jadunath Sarkar written in English. Mr Girish Jadhav, a famous weapon (17th century) collector, too came to my rescue. I met him when he had held an exhibition in Ahmednagar. He demonstrated how sword fights were fought. Dr Ajit Joshi who has written a reference book on Shivaji’s escape from Agra, explained to me with logic and insight how Shivaji must have escaped and how old theories could possibly be not true at all. Late Mr Ravindra Godbole who has written Aurangzeb’s biography in Marathi discussed for hours about how men of power must have ruthlessly played politics.
In one of the books referred, I came across a foreword written by a famous history analyst (late) Mr Narhar Kurundkar. He strongly held that a portrayal of Shivaji could only be completed by showing not just who he was but what he was up against. Thus I took a detour from the Maratha history and started studying the Mughal history, especially about Aurangzeb, who turned out to be a very interesting protagonist. I decided to give him equal space as Raja Shivaji in ‘Frontiers’.
From then I started hitting the keyboard whenever I had the time. When I look at the initial manuscript I realize that I did need years (more than ten to be precise) just to get the story together. A single conversation would take months and then I would scrap it. I became possessed by Raja Shivaji and Emperor Aurangzeb – so much so that when I drove lovely cars at the speed of 120 kilometers per hour on the fantastic roads of the UAE, I missed being a cavalryman riding a horse through forests of western Maharashtra! When I visited the Fort in Shahjahanabad in old Delhi I felt the uncanny presence of Emperor Aurangzeb’s in now-bare-and-orphan-like-Khaas-Mahal.
Having lived in three places on the planet earth, India, Europe and the Middle East, life has taught me that there are good as well as bad people, irrespective of their religion. It helped me as an author to be totally and completely unbiased as far as religions and castes were concerned.
It was 2011, time to come back to India to take care of my aging parents. My boys were grown up and were independent.  I had quit my job and was back in Mumbai with bag, baggage and my manuscript. But the real problem was getting a publisher or an agent.  A hundred emails containing query letter, sample chapters, synopsis and blurb were sent. Since the story was vast (1656 to16 80), I thought it would best be told in a trilogy – with each book ending into a shocking event. One thing was clear – I would not self or vanity-publish my work. After many rejections and heartbreaks, one publisher in Kolkata offered to publish part 1 (1656 to 1659) of the trilogy. And as any new author I jumped. They did a fairly good job in editing and it was published – under the name ‘Frontiers of Karma – The Counterstroke’ There was a problem though; the distribution was extremely weak. It was then I had taken a copy to Crossword Bookstores head office requesting them if they could distribute ‘The Counterstroke’. They agreed and more. Anup Jerajani asked me to write a 300 page biography of Chhatrapati Shivaji –thus ‘Challenging Destiny’ was born in 2016. The biography turned out to be Crossword Bookstores bestseller and was nominated in two categories for Raymond Crossword book awards 2017. It is translated in Marathi (Zunz Niyatishi) and in Hindi (Niyati ko Chunauti). Its audible edition is available on Amazon’s audible.com.
My heart was still pining for my historical fiction.
Meanwhile the Kolkata publisher was closing down. Part 2 (1659 to 1666) was written and ready, languishing in the files of my desktop. It was early 2017 I got the most important call from Vaishali Mathur, Editor in Chief of Language Publishing at Penguin India saying that she had found my manuscript in her old mails and she wants to take up the project. She said Penguin will publish both the parts in one book – that would end showing Raja Shivaji’s escape from Agra. Then stared the editing on warpath. First Vaishali Mathur trimmed to story making it fast paced and racy, Mriga Maithel Negi did the English editing, scrutinizing each word of the monster manuscript. At the end, Penguin’s senior editor, Paloma Datta looked at it through fisheye lens. The name was decided – FRONTIERS’. A very attractive cover was designed by Ahlawat Gunjan and illustration showing protagonists in their warrior avatar with a backdrop of battle chaos was created by Sankha Banerjee.
I would say the last words while telling you the story of ‘Frontier’s birth in a verse penned by me
 

Footprints get buried

Even the tracks erode

But the past still pulsates

Like lava

With unbearable load

 
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Frontiers, a historical saga, bring to life the complex and ever-shifting dynamics between these two arch nemeses.
AVAILABLE NOW

Technology on a Leash

Posted on by Penguin India

Venkat Iyer is the author of Moong Over Microchips and a certified project management professional. In this piece Iyer discusses how technology could be “a useful servant but a dangerous master”. Vivek Wadhwa and Alex Salkever talk about technology on similar lines in their book Your Happiness was Hacked.
The book Your Happiness was Hacked encounters various problems that are caused by engaging with technology to an extreme and how it could be kept under check. This book exposes how tech companies entice us to overdose on their products, thereby hindering our daily lives.
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I worked in the Information Technology (IT) industry for 17 years and that is enough to be immersed in the addictive tech world. Starting from the humble desktop to mighty servers with the latest software and technology, there was not a moment I did not think of IT.
Steven Spielberg once said, “Technology can be our best friend, and technology can also be the biggest party pooper of our lives. It interrupts our own story, interrupts our ability to have a thought or a daydream, to imagine something wonderful, because we are too busy bridging the walk from the cafeteria back to the office on the cell phone.”
I was to understand what he meant only in 2003 when I quit my job in IBM and decided to start my own organic farm near Mumbai. Moving to the village, only over 100 km from Mumbai, I found that there was no telephone connectivity, let alone internet. I soon realised what an impact technology had on our lives. Right from the initial dotcom boom to the introduction of smartphones and social media, technology had touched almost everyone’s lives and changed it. While it brought the world closer and made access to information easier, it also transformed our social and cultural fabric.
Way back in the nineties, one could rattle off a long list of telephone numbers, while now even for their own number, people tend to search in their mobile phones. Simple addition and multiplication need a calculator. Many would say technology makes our lives easy, but what about using our brains to perform simple tasks which will keep it alive and ticking. To counter this, Sudoku or a crossword   puzzle are recommended daily to keep the grey cells from disuse.
With the growing popularity of Facebook, I was tempted to open an account.  I could access the internet only on the weekends when I went to Mumbai from the farm, and I could not relate to many posts. Most of them were of little interest to me.  Once, when I checked my timeline I found a post by a niece in USA, describing a terrible stomach pain. I stared at the post for a while: it seemed strange that you would get up and log on to a social networking site to inform people across the world of an ailment while in so much pain. I also could not figure out why 21 people had liked the post. What exactly did they like? Her pain and trauma or the fact that they had read the post. It did not take me much time to delete my profile and I vowed never to be on Facebook again.
While the insane desire to share the humdrum realities of one’s life in public was growing thanks to Facebook, another application was gaining ground, Whatsapp. This free new app with calling facility made it possible to chat with others all over the world.  Suddenly, I was added to groups of old school friends, ex-colleagues, cousins, farmers’ groups and other of like- minded people coming together to share information. The popular activity was to forward and share as many posts as possible. It was left to the imagination if the posts were true and verified. Lately, these indiscriminate posts, sometimes circulating falsehoods or old videos have been fuelling lynch mobs and claiming the lives of people in our country. But who cares. To forward and share is our motto.
It is reported that almost 200 million people use Whatsapp in India and sadly most people believe the often scurrilous posts, sometimes proved to be patently false. It is a common sight to see people staring at the phone all day either reading or forwarding what they have received. Besides, the addiction to online games, music and videos cuts across ages.  It has become difficult to have a sane conversation with anyone.
Sometime back, I had a visitor from Mumbai who wanted to learn about organic farming and discuss the complex marketing of organic produce. In between a serious discussion, her phone beeped and soon she was lost staring at it for the next ten minutes, while I was holding forth on the topic. A while later, she returned to the physical world and said, “I am sorry, Where were we?”  I just looked at her and said, “Maybe you should send me your questions on Whatsapp and I can reply to them at leisure.” The comment did the trick and she switched off the phone for the rest of the meeting. But, sadly everyone does not react the same way and some continue to smile and stare at their phones.
Technology is not bad; it is a useful servant but a dangerous master. It is the indiscriminate use and over dependence on it that is not good for us. It is faster to email than post a physical letter and there are many other advantages. But, is there a need to stare at the phone and jump at every sound notifying you of something, tweet every moment or Facebook your aches and pains to complete strangers?  So that I am not addicted to my phone, I have fixed timings daily to read my mail and reply. Anyway if it is something urgent, I presume one would have got a call and not an email. Even when it comes to taking calls, I don’t take them all the time, especially during mealtimes or while driving.
I probably find it easier to have these restrictions since I live on the farm and not in a city with a fast- paced job. In the corporate world, there is no question of being delinked from technology.  There could be a time when you need to step back and look at your life: is this incessant use of the phones, social media and technology having an impact on your health, life, peace and your mental state? Can we strike a balance between life and technology, so we enjoy the best of technology and reclaim a life that we can truly enjoy? It is not impossible.
 
 
Your Happiness was Hacked turns personal observation into a handy guide to adapting to our new reality of omnipresent technology.
AVAILABLE NOW!

5 Signs of a Dead Relationship

Posted on by Penguin India

Samah’s latest book, Familiar Strangers, tells the story of Priya and Chirag who like several other modern couples, are living life at breackneck speed and are unknowingly stuck in the rut of a marriage that is dying, if not already dead.
A marriage usually doesn’t go from “‘I am yours forever” to “drop dead, we’re getting divorced”. It does have a plethora of red flags in between. But would you recognize these warning signs if you saw them? Priyan and Chirag’s relationship starts to change when Chirag’s ex-girlfriend returns when they least expect it. Was that a sign of their dying relationship?
Here we have 5 warning signs most couples miss out on:
 
1. When you two no longer communicate
A sign of a healthy and loving relationship is an open and honest communication. If you and your partner are not talking or communicating with each other, then you should be worried. Failing marriages lose interest in solving problems or resolving arguments. There are fewer meaningful discussions or mutual goals and challenges to look forward to.

 
2. Intimacy is non-existent
Intimacy not only refers to sex but could also include gestures like holding hands, hugging, cuddling or holding each other. Lack of intimacy is the easiest way to know that a relationship is in trouble. If you and your partner feel more like roommates rather than a couple sharing a beautiful marriage, you seem to have lost a building block of your relationship.

 
3. You don’t fight at all
In a relationship, partners are bound to have expectations from each other. If those expectations aren’t met, couples tend to fight. But those fights take place because the relationship is worth fighting for. If couples start to avoid conflict and refuse to share their true feelings, they run the risk of repressing their feelings which ultimately leads to resentment, bitterness and anger.

 
4. When your partner stops making you feel special
Every couple has a tradition or an activity they love indulging in. Think watching movies,  cooking for one another or travelling together. When you see a sharp decline in your partner’s efforts to make you feel special or a complete disinterest in doing things they once did for you, you should be wary.

 
5. The entry of the dreaded ex
Your marriage is most likely over if your partner is speaking to their ex. Marriage is serious business and requires full dedication and commitment. If you are truly into your partner, you wouldn’t feel the need to talk to your ex-lover. So when your partner is suddenly in touch with their ex, then that’s probably the tell-tale sign that they want out.

 
 

5 Things You Should Know About the Daughters with a Legacy

Posted on by Penguin India

Daughters of Legacy by Rinku Paul and Puja Singhal tells the stories of twelve successful women who grew up with strong business lineages.
Chosen from a wide cross section in terms of scale of business, roles and hierarchy, these women have not only kept the legacies alive but also gone on to carve a niche for themselves as individuals beyond their famous last names. Clearly for all of them legacy is far more than mere inheritance.
Let’s meet 5 of these Daughters with a Legacy and take a look at some of the key moments in their business life.
1. Meher Pudumjee
Non-executive Chairperson, Th ermax Global, a leading energy and environment engineering company.

 
2. Priti Sureka
Whole-time Director, Emami Limited

 
3. Tara Singh Vachani
Managing Director, Antara Senior Living; Nonexecutive Director, Max India Limited

 
4. Bhairavi Jani
Executive Director, SCA Group with business interests in warehousing, supply chain technology, cargo handling and freight forwarding and shipping.

 
5. Divya Modi Tongya
Co-founder, Smart Global Group (previously Spice Global), that has interests in telecommunications, healthcare, finance and real estate.

 

5 Things All High School Sweethearts Will Relate To

Posted on by Penguin India

In Durjoy Datta’s book, The World’s Best Boyfriend, Dhurv and Aranya spend a good part of their lives trying to figure out why they want to destroy each other, why they hurt each other so deeply and, why they can’t stay away from each other. 
Here are a few things you will relate to if you fell in love during school. Get ready to take a trip down the memory lane!
1. When love games determined your love for each-other:


2. Lunch breaks = spending quality time together!

3. The belief that your first love would be your last love:

4. Dreaming about the future together:

5. The first time you held hands and said ‘I love you’:

 
 
The answer to Dhruv and Aranya’s  problem is just as difficult each time because all they’ve wanted is to do the worst, most miserable things to one another.
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Know About the Cyber Security of India in Five Points

Posted on by Penguin India

A large part of the Indian economy today rides on digital networks. Broadband connectivity is provided by the optical fibre network called BharatNet which has already reached 100,000 panchayats in rural areas and is growing. India is also getting ready to launch 5G which will unleash a boom in connectivity. With the coming of the Internet of things, it is expected that tens of billions of devices will be connected to the Internet by 2020. E-commerce is expanding rapidly with foreign companies occupying the top slots in the sensitive market.
With this feverish pace of digitization comes the security risk to networks, devices and individuals. Cyber security is an ever-growing national security challenge for India. With the pace of digitization accelerating, India needs to pay urgent attention to cyber security challenges.
So how does cyber security work in India? Here are 5 points to understand it from Arvind Gupta’s new book, How India Manages Its National Security. The book explains with great clarity and thoroughness the concept and operation of India’s national security apparatus.
 
1. India is dependent on imported products and software apps which may have inbuilt vulnerabilities. Indian infrastructure for testing software and equipment is virtually non-existent.

 
2. India was among the first countries to enact a law for regulating the use of ICT for e-commerce purposes.

 
3. In 2004, the government created the CERT-In, a technical body under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY).

 
4. In the evolution of cyber security institutions in India, 2013 was an important year as MEITY announced a comprehensive, forward-looking National Cyber Security Policy (NCSP) for five years.

 
5. Also in 2013, a post of National Cyber Security Coordinator (NCSC) was created with the aim of improving coordination and providing strategic guidance to other departments, by the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS)

 
 

7 Tips to Overcome Your Tech Addiction

Posted on by Penguin India

Incessantly browsing through our grams, checking our Slack notifications and Whatsapps, has become the new social norm. It has taken over the different tables we occupy in our day-to-day. The dining table, the meeting room table and the restaurant table, these tables were once a place exclusively for fun conversations and communal bonding. But now they’re merely another touchpoint where our phone rules our lives.
It’s high time we take back the table.
 
In Your Happiness Was Hacked, authors Vivek Wadhwa and Alex Salkever explain how tech companies entice us to overdose on tech interaction by taking advantage of vulnerabilities in the human brain function. The book discusses how to define and control the roles that tech is playing and could play in our lives.
 
Here are 7 tips and tricks from the book to avoid getting hooked on tech:
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Your Happiness Was Hacked is a timely book that can act as a handy guide to help us adapt to our new reality of omnipresent technology.
AVAILABLE NOW!

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