After Hudhud is cursed for playing pranks on his teacher and troubling innocent creatures, he must roam the vast earth with-and as-the greatest migratory animals.
Arefa Tehsin’s The Globetrotters follows the surreal trip of Hudhud, through the Arctic Ocean and the Sahara Desert, discovering the inner lives of marvellous animals and the wonders of the wild.
Let’s meet these animals that Hudhud takes form of in this remarkable journey:
1. The Blue Whale Calf
2. The Caterpillar
3. The Young Caribou
4. The Turtle
5. The Arctic Tern
Sacred Games – An Excerpt
Are you hooked onto Sacred Games, by Vikram Chandra yet? Whether you decide to read the book, and then watch the Netflix series, or watch the series and then read the book, you’re bound to get engrossed.
Seven years in the making, Sacred Games is an epic of exceptional richness and power. Vikram Chandra’s novel draws the reader deep into the life of Inspector Sartaj Singh, and into the criminal underworld of Ganesh Gaitonde, the most wanted gangster in India. This is a sprawling, magnificent story of friendship and betrayal, of terrible violence, of an astonishing modern city and its dark side.
If you’re yet to start reading the book, start with this excerpt!
A white Pomeranian named Fluffy flew out of a fifth-floor window in Panna, which was a brand-new building with the painter’s scaffolding still around it. Fluffy screamed in her little lap-dog voice all the way down, like a little white kettle losing steam, bounced off the bonnet of a Cielo, and skidded to a halt near the rank of schoolgirls waiting for the St Mary’s Convent bus. There was remarkably little blood, but the sight of Fluffy’s brains did send the conventeers into hysterics, and meanwhile, above, the man who had swung Fluffy around his head by one leg, who had slung Fluffy into the void, one Mr Mahesh Pandey of Mirage Textiles, that man was leaning on his windowsill and laughing. Mrs Kamala Pandey, who in talking to Fluffy always spoke of herself as ‘Mummy’, now staggered and ran to her kitchen and plucked from the magnetic holder a knife nine inches long and two wide. When Sartaj and Katekar broke open the door to apartment 502, Mrs Pandey was standing in front of the bedroom door, looking intensely at a dense circle of two-inch-long wounds in the wood, about chest-high. As Sartaj watched, she sighed, raised her hand and stabbed the door again. She had to struggle with both hands on the handle to get the knife out.
‘Mrs Pandey,’ Sartaj said.
She turned to them, the knife still in a double-handed grip, held high. She had a pale, tear-stained face and tiny bare feet under her white nightie.
‘Mrs Pandey, I am Inspector Sartaj Singh,’ Sartaj said. ‘I’d like you to put down that knife, please.’ He took a step, hands held up and palms forward. ‘Please,’ he said. But Mrs Pandey’s eyes were wide and blank, and except for the quivering of her forearms she was quite still. The hallway they were in was narrow, and Sartaj could feel Katekar behind him, wanting to pass. Sartaj stopped moving. Another step and he would be comfortably within a swing of the knife ‘Police?’ a voice said from behind the bedroom door. ‘Police?’
Mrs Pandey started, as if remembering something, and then she said, ‘Bastard, bastard,’ and slashed at the door again. She was tired now, and the point bounced off the wood and raked across it, and Sartaj bent her wrist back and took the knife quite easily from her. But she smashed at the door with her hands, breaking her bangles, and her last wiry burst of anger was hard to hold and contain. Finally they sat her down on the green sofa in the drawing room.
‘Shoot him,’ she said. ‘Shoot him.’ Then she put her head in her hands. There were green and blue bruises on her shoulder. Katekar was back at the bedroom door, murmuring.
‘What did you fight about?’ Sartaj said.
‘He wants me not to fly any more.’
‘What?’
‘I’m an air hostess. He thinks . . .’
‘Yes?’
She had startling light-brown eyes, and she was angry at Sartaj for asking. ‘He thinks since I’m an air hostess, I keep hostessing the pilots on stopovers,’ she said, and turned her face to the window.
Katekar was walking the husband over now, with a hand on his neck. Mr Pandey hitched up his silky red-and-black striped pyjamas, and smiled confidentially at Sartaj. ‘Thank you,’ he said. ‘Thanks for coming.’
‘So you like to hit your wife, Mr Pandey?’ Sartaj barked, leaning forward. Katekar sat the man down, hard, while he still had his mouth open. It was nicely done. Katekar was a senior constable, an old subordinate, a colleague really – they had worked together for almost seven years now, off and on. ‘You like to hit her, and then you throw a poor puppy out of a window? And then you call us to save you?’
‘She said I hit her?’
‘I have eyes. I can see.’
‘Then look at this,’ Mr Pandey said, his jaw twisting. ‘Look, look, look at this.’ And he pulled up his left pyjama jacket sleeve, revealing a shiny silver watch and four evenly spaced scratches, livid and deep, running from the inside of the wrist around to the elbow. ‘More, I’ve got more,’ Mr Pandey said, and bowed low at the waist and lowered his head and twisted to raise his collar away from the skin. Sartaj got up and walked around the coffee table. There was a corrugated red welt on Mr Pandey’s shoulder blade, and Sartaj couldn’t see how far down it went.
‘What’s that from?’ Sartaj said.
‘She broke a Kashmiri walking stick on my back. This thick, it was,’ Mr Pandey said, holding up his thumb and forefinger circled.
Sartaj walked to the window. There was a group of uniformed boys clustering around the small white body below, pushing each other closer to it. The St Mary’s girls were squealing, holding their hands to their mouths, and begging the boys to stop. In the drawing room, Mrs Pandey was gazing brightly at her husband, her chin tucked into her chest. ‘Love,’ Sartaj said softly. ‘Love is a murdering gaandu. Poor Fluffy.’
Business Law for Managers by Anurag K. Agarwal – An excerpt
Even though most business managers have diverse academic qualifications – engineering being the most common, followed by chartered accountancy, economics, medicine, etc. – few come from a law background. However, it is crucial for a manager to understand the nitty-gritty of law. This hands-on guide to understanding business law is for anyone and everyone looking to run a legal-hurdle-free business.
Let’s read an excerpt from Anurag K. Agarwal’s book, Business Law for Managers.
Defaulters List: Exhilarating and Exhausting
Towards the end of August 2017, the Reserve Bank of India had sent a list of more than two dozen defaulters to commercial banks to recover the money that had been lent to them. Recovery was expected to be sought not just through stringent legal methods, but also by using the method of negotiation and mediation even before filing for mutual arbitration through the National Companies Law Tribunal under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC). This is both exhilarating and exhausting. Exhilarating, because finally some steps have been taken by the central bank to recover the money lent to thick-skinned borrowers, and exhausting, because it feels like having a déjà vu.
This was rather surprising as commercial banks usually dealt with big business families leniently. Also, as large corporates have a battery of lawyers at their disposal it is not always useful for commercial banks to take the legal route. The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code in India is considered as the panacea for all commercial lending problems of big banks to big borrowers.
Was the intervention of the Reserve Bank of India necessary? It is a question that needs to be answered. Commercial banks, as well as other lenders, know exactly how much money has been lent and to whom. This is something very basic for a bank and even in predigital times, accounts were maintained meticulously to get the complete picture in a bird’s eye view. Despite the issues of confidentiality and privacy, big lenders have often consulted each other—usually on the sly— to know the borrowing pattern and paying capacity of big borrowers. In today’s digital world, it is even more natural and easier for banks to share information among themselves. So this step taken by the RBI appears to be superfluous.
How far will this list help in recovering the money? Not much. These borrowers are habitual and thick-skinned, and that is the reason why there is hardly any sense of shame or remorse to make them pay back. The attitude of bankers and banking practices have to be changed. Knee-jerk reactions are not going to work. Recently UCO Bank, which has been suffering losses and facing uncertainty about its future, ordered that some of its employees in the branches that were not performing well would not be paid salaries. Such an order is ridiculous and tells a lot about the negative and sadistic nature of senior banking officers who took this decision. It is extremely difficult to imagine why the lower-level staff in a bank’s branch should be penalized for decisions primarily made by the middle and senior management. Thankfully, this decision was not enforced.
The real question is of fixing accountability and responsibility for the dismal performance of different banks and exploring the real reason as to why banks keep on lending money to borrowers who repeatedly fail to keep their promises.
The legal procedure of recovering money has always been exhausting. Adjournments on different pretexts have typically made a mockery of court proceedings and unscrupulous big-ticket borrowers have the wherewithal to fight the legal battle till the very end. The newly exhibited zeal by the RBI, the government and the banks is truly exhilarating, and hopefully, it will result in a fruition of efforts. Different tribunals and courts are bound by the procedural rigmarole, which becomes stricter and more rigid in case of money.
It is heartening to see that big business names, which were never expected to default and which in public perception would never do anything wrong, are also not being spared. True efforts with good intentions usually succeed. This is not something unique to Indian banks. Bankers elsewhere have on several occasions resorted to irresponsible behaviour, making their organizations vulnerable. Wells Fargo is an interesting case in the United States.
Business Management Books That Will Help You Thrive
Answering some fundamental questions, from signing your first contract to the complex management of VC funding, these brilliant business books are a must read for every working professional.
In this carefully curated list of books by highly accomplished authors, you will learn about the successes and failures of the oldest, most powerful company in the world (East India Company) and the newest multi-million dollar startups (like Zomato).
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Contract Terms Are Common Sense: IIMA Series by Professor Akhileshwar Pathak
It is crucial for managers to understand the terms of the contract that they work with. This exceedingly effective guide helps readers explore and master the many terms and conditions set up for conducting businesses. The book makes the subject readily accessible by employing easy-to-understand and discover-yourself techniques.
Business Law for Managers: IIMA Series Paperback by Anurag K. Agarwal
Even though most business managers have diverse academic qualifications-engineering being the most common, followed by chartered accountancy, economics, medicine, etc.-few come from a law background. However, it is crucial for a manager to understand the nitty-gritty of law. This hands-on guide to understanding business law is for anyone and everyone looking to run a legal-hurdle-free business.
A Business of State by Rupali Mishra
Around 1800, the English East India Company controlled half of the world’s trade and deployed a vast network of political influencers. Yet the story of its 17th-century beginnings has remained largely untold. Rupali Mishra’s account of the Company’s formative years sheds light on one of the most powerful corporations in the history of the world.
Master Growth Hacking: The Best-Kept Secret of New-Age Indian Start-ups by Apurva Chamaria and Gaurav Kakkar
Growth hacking is a combination of coding, data intelligence and marketing. It doesn’t take a lot of investment-just a whole lot of creativity, smart data analysis and agility. It has now emerged as the preferred term for growth used by start-ups and entrepreneurs in India and across the world-the new mantra they swear by, but don’t want you to learn about.
Full of riveting stories, Master Growth Hacking lets you learn from the pioneers of the field in India.
Chanakya and the Art of Getting Rich by Radhakrishnan Pillai
Chanakya’s Arthashastra is an unrivalled political treatise that has been used by scholars, academics and leaders across the world. In Chanakya and the Art of Getting Rich, Radhakrishnan Pillai brings out the inherent lessons from Arthashastra to present a strategic and practical way of wealth creation. This is a holistic study, written for anyone and everyone.
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Chanakya and the Art of Getting Rich by Radhakrishnan Pillai- An Excerpt
Chanakya’s Arthashastra is an unrivalled political treatise that has been used by scholars, academics and leaders across the world. In Chanakya and the Art of Getting Rich, Radhakrishnan Pillai brings out the inherent lessons from Arthashastra to present a strategic and practical way of wealth creation. This is a holistic study, written for anyone and everyone.
Here is an excerpt from the Stages of Wealth:
There are all types of wealthy people: educated, not so educated, large-hearted, miserly, first-generation wealthy, those who inherited their wealth, those who became wealthy at a young age, those who became wealthy after years of struggle, from rags to riches, from rich to very, very rich . . .
The best part about wealth is that there is no one group of wealthy people. They come from all backgrounds, from rich countries and poor countries, they are males and females, they make their money in various fields and industries: food, fashion, books, cinema, science, sports, medicine, real estate, automobiles, computers, technology, art . . . You will find more than one rich and successful person in every field.
There are some patterns common to every rich person’s life. If we understand those patterns, we can identify the principles that are common to the approach of all these wealthy people.
That one underlying rule is: they all loved their work and committed themselves to their work for years before they became rich. They had a long-term approach. Even after they became rich, they continued to work. All wealthy people have enough money to not worry about paying their monthly bills. They might even be able to afford to buy a fleet of limousines with just their leftover pocket money. They can sit by the seashore, sip on a drink and do nothing till the end of their lives. Yet, you will find these people working hard. They enjoy their work and are busy with their teams creating more, better things than what they created in the past. Many can afford large mansions but continue staying in the small apartments they owned even when they were not rich. They have a different mindset, which ordinary people miss to note.
Warren Buffet continued to stay in his hometown of Omaha while he could have moved to a plush penthouse in New York. Steve Jobs continued to wear the black turtleneck T-shirt and jeans till his death when he could have had the best fashion designers at his disposal. Sam Walton continued to drive a simple car though he was among the richest men in the United States of America. Narayana Murthy of Infosys and his wife Sudha Murthy continue to create jobs and distribute wealth the same way they did years ago. The simplicity of their lifestyle has not changed with the fortunes they have earned. The other founders of Infosys sport the same attitude and continue to work in fields they love.
If the owners of Tata group decide to convert their trust’s wealth into personal wealth, they would become the richest people on earth. Yet their commitment to social work and philanthropy continues with the same attitude with which they started over a century ago. They continue to build hospitals, factories, centres of research, along with countless new companies.
The Ford foundation still contributes to unknown areas of education and research. Warren Buffet and Bill Gates give away fortunes in charity and make donations in projects they love. Some rich people donate as individuals, while some donate through their companies and foundations. Yet they give as lavishly as they earn. A study of the lives and the mindset of rich people gives us insights into many such habits, usually not known to others. Once we understand their world, we too can create our world of richness—different, yet similar.
As we read and think about Chanakya, one needs to understand that the world has changed a lot from his days. The world we live in, the twenty-first century, is very different from the world of the fourth century BC. So even the definition of being rich has changed.
During those days the wealth was concentrated with the kings and royal families. Then there could be a few merchants and traders. The occupations were limited and opportunities were few. For someone of the working classes to become rich, he had to fight against established systems of society. The rich and powerful saw this as a threat to their ‘blue blood’ status and would not let others rise. There were many limitations and becoming rich would often end up being just a dream that you would die with—an unfulfilled wish.
Yet all of us living in this generation are lucky. Anyone can become rich. In fact, all of us can become rich. Today wealth is not limited to a particular family or a group of people. You need not be qualified with only a specific set of skills to become rich.
Do You Value These ‘Little Things’ in Your Relationship?
Little Things by Dipen Shah is a new age love story where the couple, Kavya and Dhruv work through their FOMO to bring about a deeper connection between them. The small things that they do for each other are what make their bond special. Does your relationship constitute these ‘little things’?
1. A mere text from them makes your day.
2. When you have had a really bad day they are always there to make it better.
3. You find ways to enjoy yourselves together even when you have to be frugal.
4. You enjoy each other’s silence.
5. You stick together through the ups-and-downs.
6. They pamper you and finish the chores before heading out to work.
The Puffin Back to School Reading Challenge
The Puffin Back to School Reading Challenge is the much needed break from school work your child needs.
‘Tis the season…for Back to school shopping but what better things to buy your kids, than some fun companions: books!
We know it’s that time of the year when summer vacations are a throwback to the lazy and fun times spent with your kids. However, reading with your kids can be the perfect opportunity to make new memories.
We have an exciting reading challenge that will not only help your young learners discover their interests but also help sensitize them to important topics in their formative years.
From breaking gender stereotypes to solving engaging math puzzles and exploring foreign lands, we have amazing recommendations for kids in Kindergarten to Middle school.
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For 4-7 year olds:
Peppa Pig: Peppa Plays Cricket by Peppa Pig
It is a very sunny day. Perfect for a game of cricket! Daddy Pig teaches Peppa, George and Suzy Sheep how to play cricket in the garden, followed by the most important part of the game – taking a break for tea and cake! Everyone loves cricket, especially Daddy Pig!
The perfect book for your little cricketers, teaching them the rules of the game as well as teamwork and sportsmanship.
Eric Carle’s Book of Many Things by Eric Carle
Children will have hours of fun learning first words and first concepts in this beautiful book from the creator of The Very Hungry Caterpillar. From food and clothes to animals and feelings, this is the perfect way for little ones to learn what they need to navigate their busy worlds.
Pink and Blue by Ritu Vaishnav (Author), Vishnu M Nair (Illustrator)
Pink is for girls. Blue is for boys
Girls play house. Boys play cricket
Cry like a girl. Kick like a boy
Sometimes grown-ups can say silly things that just aren’t true–not for all kids anyway! This book is an attempt by a mum to start a conversation with her little one about gender stereotypes. It encourages kids to question these notions before they begin to shape their thinking and offers adults an opportunity to initiate this very necessary discussion.
Helping Others Is Cool (My Book of Values) by Sonia Mehta
Nicky and Noni both badly want to win the School Champ contest, so they’re much too busy to help anyone around them. But along the way, they realize what it takes to be an all-rounder. What do they learn? Read on to find out.
For 8-10 year olds:
Middle School: Hero To Zero by James Patterson and Chris Tebbetts
After a mostly-successful stint at Hills Valley Middle School, Rafe is excited to visit the incredible city of London with his class. Sightseeing around a foreign country sounds like a blast, until Rafe finds out his roommate will be none other than Miller the Killer, bully extraordinaire! And it’s no surprise that Rafe’s bad luck follows him across the pond, putting him in one crazy situation after another–out of all of his adventures, this trip could prove to be Rafe’s most embarrassing yet, undoing everything good he has going for him back home!
Detective Nosegoode and the Music Box Mystery (Detective Nosegoode 1) by Marian Orlon
At first glance, Mr Ambrosius Nose Goode seems to be a perfectly ordinary older gentleman.
But appearances can be deceiving: this unimposing man was once a famous detective and his dog isn’t an ordinary mutt either – he can talk! When a mysterious man with a fake black beard comes to town and a music box goes missing from the workshop of clockmaker Mr Ignatius Blossom, the two friends begin to investigate.
Globe Trotters by Arefa Tehsin (Author), Nafisa Nandini Crishna (Illustrator)
Hudhud is horrible to everyone. He polishes off his classmates’ lunches, plays cruel pranks on his teachers and troubles innocent creatures. Until his strange new history teacher decides to set him straight.
The lesson? A curse! Now Hudhud must roam the vast earth . . . with-and as-the greatest migratory animals. And so begins Hudhud’s remarkable journey.
Follow Hudhud on this surreal trip, through the Arctic Ocean and the Sahara Desert, among fragrant flowers and tall grass, and find out all about the inner lives of some majestic animals and the wonders of the wild.
The Cloudfarers by Stephen Alter
Paramount Academy is nothing short of a prison. As Kip comes to terms with this awful military-style school, he makes new friends who have a terrible secret: they are Cloudfarers-a lost tribe of beings from another planet, who have been exiled on earth. And they need his help to get back to their land, away from Principal Captain Lovelock, who is on to them. But time is running out . . .
Join Kip and his friends as they embark on a stormy adventure on the clouds and through dangerous cliffs and mountains to reach a safe haven.
For 10-13 year olds:
The Firework Maker’s Daughter by Philip Pullman
What Lila wants to be more than anything else in the world is . . . a Firework-Maker!
But firework-making is not just about being able to make Crackle-Dragons and Golden Sneezes. There is also one special secret: every Firework-Maker must make a perilous journey to face the terrifying Fire-Fiend!
Not knowing that she needs special protection to survive the Fire-Fiend’s flames, Lila sets off alone. Her friends, Chulak and Hamlet – the King’s white elephant – race after her. But can they possibly reach her in time?
Maths Sutras From Around The World: Speed Calculations On Your Fingertips by Gaurav Tekriwal
Learn how to be quick and better at Maths with this well-researched book that has an amazing collection of mathematical techniques from around the world. Explore ingenious maths concepts and systems, and try your hand at popular puzzles like KenKen, Kakuro and Alphametics. Who says maths can’t be fun?
My First Book of Money by Ravi Subramanian and Shoma Narayanan
They say time is money. But they never really tell you why. They say money doesn’t grow on trees. But they don’t tell you where it comes from. Aman and Anya are as clueless about cash as you are. Then, they start asking questions. Egged on by clever Dadi and forthcoming Mom and Dad, Aman and Anya learn what finances are really all about.
So go ahead! Read on for a rollercoaster ride through the world of money.
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Look out for our Independence Day reading challenge next week!
10 Things you didn’t know about Agyeya
Agyeya(1911-87) was the pen name of S.H. Vatsyayan, regarded as one of the foremost figures of Hindi literature who was instrumental in pioneering modern trends in the realm of poetry, fiction, criticism, and journalism.
His monumental novel Shekhar: Ek Jeevani, widely regarded as his masterpiece, was drawn from his own experiences in prison and has been published in Penguin Classics as Shekhar: A Life. The book tells the story of an Indian revolutionary Shekhar who finds himself enveloped by his past and wracked by a tumult of emotions on the night before he is to be hanged as a political prisoner.
Agyeya’s Prison Diaries and Other Poems, also represents the pre-independent India. The work was written while he was in prison as a revolutionary in the early 1930s and contains poems highlighting the horrors and tedium of imprisonment.
As riveting as his two works, Agyeya was a charming personality with his varied interests. Here are ten things about the author that you did not know:
Stories from Storywallah
Storywallah is a collection of short stories written by a handpicked group of writers. This book deals with life in provincial India at a crossroad with modernity. These stories expose readers to the common yet unique life in India at a deeper perspective. It makes us value the land we are born in, relationships we share with people and ordinary objects of everyday life, which become the pathway of creating new friendships.
Let’s take a look at some of the short stories in the book!
- The short story, Home, deals with a son’s realization of how much his father and bua loved him. Even though years have passed, he misses his home country in a foreign land. However, due to the love his own sons have given him, he finds the courage to fulfil the deepest desire of his heart – to reunite with his family.
- The Muffler is a story which symbolizes how relationships can be formed through the smallest of things, like lending a muffler to a stranger on a cold snowy day. It deals with gut feelings and instincts and not questioning instances in life. The aspect of living in the present and let the future remain is a mystery is the crux of it.
- The Evening Tea is a short story which deals with perceptions about relationships, especially the one between a mother-in-law and a daughter-in-law in the Indian household. When an individual tries to understand the reasons behind the actions of the other person, their judgement towards them becomes fair. All the anger and hatred is instead replaced by love and empathy.
- Ayesha is a story about a father whose daughter was kidnapped in Dalhousie. For six years, he searched for her everywhere. Even when his wife lost faith in finding her, he never gave up. One day, he found the first link to his daughter. Slowly, the hope of finding his daughter turned brighter. It is truly said that where there’s a will there’s a way.
- A Bird in Flight is a story about an old man who chose to leave his village life in order to become a part of the city life. Years later, his son wants to sell his ancestral home in the village. However the thought of selling a paramount part of his life breaks him. This story deals with the a man’s affinity to the land he was born in , to go back to his roots and the memories of the happiest time of his life- his childhood.
Seven Things you didn’t know about Madiha Afzal
Madiha Afzal, author of Pakistan Under Siege: Extremism, Society and the State is a Non-Resident Fellow at the Brookings Institution. She is also an adjunct assistant professor of Global Policy at Johns Hopkins SAIS. She was previously an assistant professor at the University of Maryland’s School of Public Policy.
Her work examines the links between development, politics, and extremism, mainly in Pakistan – especially focusing on the role of the education system and state policy.
Here are seven things you didn’t know about her.
