Ajay's Book Review

Bhagat Singh  is a name that became synonymous with revolution in India's struggle for Independence. This young boy brought about a change in the way people thought about freedom. He was well read and fought extensively for rights - his own, his comrades' and his countrymen's. A discussion with a friend soon turned into a matter of self-assessment for Bhagat Singh, leading to a discourse on why he chose to be an atheist. Even in the face of death at a very young age, his uncanny observation leads to his putting forth some pertinent questions. On another occasion, he was disappointed with his father's plea in court for his innocence and chose to write a letter to him. This book is a collection of eighteen of his valued writings from within the walls of prison and outside it, which show us the resolve in his words, and the bravery in his acts subsequently. About Bhagat Singh (1907-31): He was a revolutionary in the Indian Independence struggle. Post his graduation, he ...

An extraordinary book on the life of an extraordinary Indian This would be perhaps in my humble opinion the best single-line review of the book. Ever since Parrikar Ji became the defense minister of India with his simple living and a man known to get the job done, I have been intrigued by him. So when it came to choosing my next book I actively scouted for books on him and by far this book was the highest recommended. The moment you start reading the book you are struck by two things the objectivity of the authors and how well written the book is. On the objectivity part while reading the book it gives a 360-degree view of Mr. Parrikar and it gives the good and the bad about him in a completely subjective manner, without shying away from the shortcomings of the 4-time chief minister of Goa. On how well the book is written the authors have kept the language simple enough for the public to read while also using the appropriate words while required, which the reader may sometime need to l...

A rare insight into America's prized possession, SKUNK WORKS. Skunk Works, the legendary R&D centre, a dream of so many aerospace engineers producing state of the art weapons and surveillance systems that are probably 8-10 years ahead of the world. From building the worlds first and only operational Mach 3 aircraft that could fly at altitudes just shy of space, needing the pilot to wear pressurised suits to the worlds first operational stealth fighter which remained a mystery to intelligence agencies around the world until it took out the most defended capital, Baghdad, during Operation Desert Storm. I have been wanting to read this book longer then I would like to admit. Having been a lifelong fanboy of the SR-71 blackbird and the F-22 Raptor I constantly stumbled upon the term "Skunk Works" in literature while reading about the planes. This book was literally the first suggestion I got as I started researching about Skunk Works. The book enchants you from...

If there is one book that brings positivity and smile to millions of people its undoubtedly Hanuman Chalisa.  Composed by Shree Tulsidas four centuries ago in the Gangetic plains in avadhi language, it is composed of 43 chaupai and 3 dohas, it has an appeal across the economic strata and the length and breadth of the country. The author takes the reader through the chaupais of hanuman chalisa sequentially and explains the literal meanings of the chaupais and he also elaborates on the subtle and hidden meanings of the chaupais. The way Devdutt elaborates the chaupais it resembles the ancient Indian tradition of guru explaining the hidden meaning of chaupais, shlokas, etc. In the book Devdutt cites an example where through the rebirth cycles of life and death, Hanuman as a kid narrated the story of Ramayan to his mother Anjana about how they created the bridge and defeated Ravana she was not impressed and asked why he didn't just swing his tail and destroyed Lanka instead of ...