Once Upon a Time in Scandinavistan - Zac O' Yeah

The book has been with me for years and I am wondering why I never attempted to read it (also didn't attempt to get rid of it). Was it the size at 400 pages, the title, or all these out together. 

Anyway having evolved a bit more I decided to give it a go and soon found myself in a story where a divorced or single cop like chap is working in a futuristic Sweden that's been Indianised . The name of the town is Gautampuri (once upon a time Gothenburg) with Gandhi margs, Ambedkar avenues, Friendship Chowks, Indian food, Indian beaurocracy and our hero stumbles upon a Tandoor murder at the 'Tandoori Moose' restaurant where marinated bodies are put in a Tandoor with the general idea being to have them for a meal. At this juncture I kind of stopped and asked myself if I should proceed after knowing that the suspects are blondes who are possibly cannibals and that I could be subjecting myself further to more such gore which beats what's on OTT these days hollow. But something in the writing, the intelligence, satire, told me to plod on and I did and I am glad I did. 

As I moved on I came across the lovely Kumkum, our hero's married muse with three kids and a missing husband, our hero's partners crazy family, a club where many officials go to satisfy their wild desires, an ashram, and many more characters, places, blood, bones, flesh, amputated arms, sex, violence and finally the story heaves to an end in some carnival plot. Not so well for many but our hero somehow gets the bad guys and gets away with a few teeth missing.

I think I secretly admire Jack for his ability to write like this (secretly to myself I mean since I am saying this publicly to the public and not to the secret me). Full marks there. Wondering if some trimming could have helped and stuff like that but then it wouldn't be this novel then. Too much good stuff to write about and if one is OK with some of the stuff mentioned go right ahead and you will not be disappointed. Zac however seems to be an interesting guy and I wonder if I will ever meet him over some chicken tandoori and stuff like that. 

Heritage Capital Hyderabad Picture Book - The Express Group

Mukthyar, who has a great love for Hyderabad's heritage and history and has transitioned from being an onlooker like me to being a full time heritage tour leader with his organisation 'Tareekh-e-Dakshin' gifted me this lovely picture book, a ready referencer for all the monuments and building of heritage value in Hyderabad. Its about 150 pages, produced beautifully by the Express Group, showing the history of the city with pictures. The book has pictures of protected archaeological monuments, heritage buildings and even heritage precincts, dating from the Qutb Shahi period and the Asaf Jahi period. Each monument is given a short bio, a lovely picture and its location in case one needs to go see it. There is a section of buildings that have disappeared too!

Protected Monuments

The protected heritage monuments include - Charminar, Mecca Masjid, Golconda fort, Qutb Shahi Tombs, Paigah Tombs, Akkanna Sarai, Badshahi Ashurkhana, Purani Idgah, Dabirpura Gate, Saidanima Tomb, Shah Raju Tomb, Raymond's Tomb, Patancheru Tombs, Toli Masjid, Khairath Khair Tomb, Hayath Bakshi Begum Mosque, Taramati Baradari, Mushirabad Mosque, Premamati Mosque, Miyan Mushk Mosque, Puranapul Darwaza, Khairath Begum's Mosque, Khairath Begum's Tomb, Uppal Mosque, Hakim's Tomb and Mosque, Shamsheer Kotha, Shaikpet Mosque and Sarai, Armenian Cemetery, Gunfoundry, Kulsum Begum Mosque and Khazana building. Of 

I have not visited Akkanna Sarai, Purani Idgah, Patancheru Tombs, Hayath Bakshi Begum Mosque, Mushirabad Mosque, Uppal Mosque, Hakim's Mosque, Shamsheer Kotha, Armenian Cemetery and Kulsum Begum mosque.

Heritage Buildings 

The heritage buildings list is way longer and includes  (the ones that I have seen) Falaknuma Palace, Chowmahalla Palace, Osmania General Hospital, Arts College, British Residency, High Court, City College, Hyderabad Public School, Central Library, Char Kaman, Clock Tower, Amberpet Burj, Parsi Dharamshala, Sultan Bazar Clock Tower, Dewan Deodi Gate, Nizamia Observatory, Chatta Bazaar Kaman, Shahi Jillu Khana, Aliabad Sarai, Puranapul bridge, Deodi iqbal Ud Dowlah, Alladin Building, Golden Threshold, Gandhi Medical College, Spanish Mosque, St John's Church, Jamay Masjid, Darul Shifa and Mosque, Dargah Yousufain, Afzal Gunj Mosque, St Mary's Church, Moghulpura Tombs, James Street, Paigah Plaza, Vikhar Manzil, Errum Manzil, Chiran Fort Palace, King Kothi Palace, Mahboob Mansion, Asmangarh Palace, Purani Haveli, Greenlands Guesthouse, Dhanrajgir Palace, Bella Vista, Nawab Muquarrrab Jung palace (Directorate of Industries), Nizam College, Monty's, Princess Esra Women's Education Centre, Lady Hydari Club, State Archaeological Museum, Moazzam Jahi Market, Victoria Maternity Hospital, Andhra Patrika building, Homeopathic Hospital, Nizam Club, Sardar Mahal, Kishen Pershad Deodi, Fakhr Ul Mulk Tomb, Mehboob Chowk and Mosque, Chandulal Temple, Fatehmaidan Clock Tower, Jawahar Bal Bhavan, Mohanlal Malani's Residence, Goshamahal Baradari, Yousuf Tekri, Dilkusha Guest House, Mahboobia Girls School, Aliya School, Reddy hostel, Nursing College, Raj Bhavan, Bal Bhavan, Taj Mahal Hotel, Kurshid Jah Deodi, Unani Hospital, ENT Hospital, Jubilee Hall, Old MCH Office, Victoria Memorial Orphanage, Prem Chand Residence.  

The heritage buildings I have not yet seen are - Dargah Nooruddin Shah, Deodi Shamsheer Ganj, Bhagwan Das Kamaan, Baquer Bagh, Mahal Wanaparthi, Central Coop Trianing College, Panj Mahalla, Parwarish Bagh, Baitul Ashraf, Imaad Jung Bahadur Deodi,  Bansilal Deodi, Asman Mahal, Shyam Rao Chungi Residence, Khusro Manzil, Raza ALi Bungalow, Lakshmi Paper Mart, Malwala Palace, Shamraj Bahadur Gate, Kishan Bagh Temple, Puranmal Tombs, Vilayat Manzil, Darga Syed Shah, Mir Mahmood Wali, Qila Kohra and mosque, Jham Singh temple, Sitaram Bagh temple, Ameen Mahal, Mehdi Nawaz Jung Deodi, Mushk Mahal, Manjhli Begum Haveli, Roshan Mahal, Deodi Akram Ali Khan, Dargah Hazrath Shujauddin, Aliabad Sarai.

Heritage Precincts

Heritage Precincts include rocks estimated to be some 2500 million years old, amongst the oldest and hardest rocks in the world. They include hillocks around Durgam Cheruvu, 'Bear's Nose' in Shilparamam, 'Obelisk' on Road no 66 Jubilee Hills, 'Cliff Rock' between Road no 45 and 46 in Jubilee Hills, 'Toadstool' next to Blue Cross, Jubilee Hills, 'Tortoise Rock' in Nandi Hills, Jubilee Hills, 'Mushroom Rock' in University of Hyderabad, 'Monster Rock' near Film Nagar, 

Brilliant guide book for me. Thanks a ton Mukthyar!

   

The Shallows -Nicholas Carr

 The byline 'How the Intenet is Changing the Way we Think, Read and Remember' says it all. Originally published in 2010 when Carr had his doubts about the Internet and how it was changing him, it has come with a new edition where he is now pretty much convinced that it does and will change us unless we safeguard ourselves.  As usual Abhinay gifted me this book which broaden my perspective so much, so thank you Abhinay.

Carr begins by going back to the 2010s and before when everyone was sure that the Internet was going to make  humans smarter, because they will have more information and can make better choices. But then they did not realise that not everyone on the internet had these naive ideas - because pretty soon the people who ran the Internet started making the choices for us. Carr quotes a study or a book by Marshall Macluhan in 1964 titled 'Understanding Media - The Extension of Man' where he says 'the media is the message which primarily means that whenever a new media comes along people get caught up in the information while the technology behind it disappears (we do not give a thought to how the technology can slowly change our behaviors - like children who are given a dangerous toy we forget about what's behind it). Carr says the content does not matter because the medium influences the way we think and act. Technology alters patterns of perception steadily without any resistance from us ( we are busy with our toys). He quotes a film critic who says 'doubts can be rendered feeble in the face of the certainty of the medium'.

Carr says he feels like Hal the computer in Kubrick's 1968 film - 2001: A Space Odyssey which laments that it is losing its mind. Carr says he has found that his concentration while reading has reduced (me too) and he feels that the net has turned him into a flesh and blood word processor. There is a change in the way we read - we skim now, and read deeply less - and it changes the way we read and write. Carr refers to many studies that proved that unlike the earlier thought that the brain is constant and cannot change, newer studies prove that the cells of our brains develop and grow with use and atrophy with disuse. Brains are neuro plastic and change with use and disuse. He quotes William James who spoke of two minds - the physical and mechanical brain and the subconscious spiritual mind. Brains change and can reprogram itself on the fly, altering the way it functions. He cites a case where a paralysed man used the paralysed side everyday and healed himself - changed the wiring in his brain so to say. Even more powerful is this thought - its not just repeated physical activity but even purely mental activity can alter neural circuitry. For example the London taxi drivers of yore before maps who had to remember complex routes - a part of their brain was bigger. Suffice to say that our thoughts exert a physical influence on or at least cause a physical reaction in our brains.

No wonder neuro plasticity has been linked to depression and OCD and tinnitis - the more the sufferer concentrates on his symptoms the deeper the symptoms are etched into his neural activity. Carr gives the example of how the human mind changed with new technologies like maps and clocks which altered our perception of space and time and changed the way we thought. Carr says that technology is an expression of human will and it can be used to 1) extend physical strength (plough, needle, jet) 2) sensitivity (microscope, birth control pills), reshaping nature to fulfil our needs and desires and 4) intellectual technology (maps, clocks) to extend and support our mental powers. Of all, this is the most intimate (and dangerous as all things intimate are). The broader implications of intellectual tech Carr says are that the inventors intellectual ethic has the most profound effect on us. Used unethically he says that human beings become a little more than the sex organs of the machine world.

He says that the debate between determinists (anti tech) and instrumentalists (pro tech) will never end. But technology influences how our minds change by influencing how we find, store and interpret information, how we direct and engage our senses, how we remember and forget. Maps and clocks changed our language. Dependence on a particular technology will alter the mind and make it shallow (we can lend that part to tech and forget about it). Carr says how readign made people more atentive, imaginative and enabled them to lose themselves. Guetnberg came along with his printing press and reading improved people's experience of life and nature. 

But now we have people who multi task - distracted from distractions by distractions - which make fundamental changes to our mental makeup. Heavy Internet usage has neuro consequences. Experiments have been conducted on multi media versus text only groups and the text only group scored better. Multi taskers sacrifice the primary task for interruption. 

Carr bemoans the Taylor algorithm of productivity - measure everything and improve it. Google has taken that to an extreme and they do not believe in subjectivity - its all measurement. Initially started with the idea of making people use their computers more effectively Google is now on a mission to organise the world's information and make it accessible and useful. However since Google is a profit making corporation it has figured out Adwords which is a subtle way to place ads based on what you search for (and speak about and think perhaps). The more they keep people online, the more they find ways in which to place ads and the more revenue and profits they generate. Not just directly they also sell complementary products. Through all this Carr says Google definitely shapes our behavior, thinking and the way we act.

Off loading of memory to external data threatens depth and distinctiveness of self. Carr says that culture is more than just the world's information. When we outsource memory to machines, culture withers. The price of technology Carr says is alienation. Technology mutes the faculties it is supposed to amplify.

Carr says we are bringing in frenziedness into our souls. Our intelligence flattens with AI. One study says that Americans now spend half their time looking at screens - on smartphones they spend an average of 5,05 hours with 85 unlocks. The performance of students in an experiment where they had a phone beside them with its screen down, phone in the bag and away from them and phone in another room showed distinct results - phone next to them affected scores adversely while phone in next room worked best. Its almost like the phone is an extension of themselves. People showed lesser sense of reasoning, social skills and maintaining relationships. 

Carr says smart phones are super normal stimulus and that we are being programmed by unethical technology use. We suffer the illusion of knowing more when we actually know less. Data, he says, is memory without history. When we construct our capacity for reasoning or recall, or transfer those skills to a machine we sacrifice the ability to turn information into knowledge. As Yuval Noah Harari says, we become cows.

Carr takes great pains to explain how our thinking changed from the times of Socrates who believed that writing would affect memory (it would because now we know we can access it later which means we concentrate lesser), the development of language, of writing, of the press, of studies on brains, on Google. He makes a convincing case and shares how he tried to get away from technology by moving to a small place, keeping the phone away and all that - and how he is slowly going back to his old ways. I am going through the same phase now and am trying to keep it in balance but I can see my screen time increasing, unlocks increasing, find myself surfing stuff I never used to earlier. Drastic measures may need to be taken so we do not become shallower than what we have become.

It's a lovely book and thought its not an easy read, has great content and well argued. Thanks Abhinay for another wonderful book that opens up a new area for me (he has given me books on sleep, on breath, on comfort and several others so far).                     

H - A Novel - V.R.Chaithanya

This is Chaithanya's second novel and it is distinctly different from the first which was a diary of a violent dacoity. It is also written in a different style which I found intriguing.

The story is of Honey, a girl who lives in Gujarat and comes from a family of Panchals, or master craftsmen. While growing up she has a comfortable life - a loving father and mother, schooling etc. Small bits of trauma creep in certain incidents like her father missing a train when he gets off at a station but appears again later causing some kind of an abandonment issue with her. She has another trauma - a boy she meets through a letter writing exercise at school seems to be liking her but the exercise is terminated as the boy and girl are getting too intimate. 

Honey grows up, writes exams, meets some interesting boys, joins an Art College and chooses photography. In the process she falls in love and gets rejected, likes a guy with whom she shares a peculiar connection where they seem to photograph the other without realising it. She rejects that chap though after travelling a bit with him. Then she finds the love of her life who she marries and has children with.

After her marriage her father passes away - which to me was the part that was very well written - nowhere does he describe the death or the person - it hangs around heavily with the weight of the unsaid. Meanwhile Honey's husband explains to her that he has the capacity to share his dreams with people he is close to which makes it a little uncomfortable initially because they are both having his dreams but then she finds comfort in it too. Two children, old loves coming back, old connections relooked at, a lot of paranormal activity almost, Honey finally makes peace with her traumas thanks to these shared dreams and at one point she discovers she has similar powers too which she can use to heal herself.

I found the idea of dream sharing interesting as also the other aspect of people appearing in each others photographs by chance. It makes Honey some kind of a paranormal spirit and she comes across like that - hazy, in the background, no specific wants or intense desires, flowing along with life, treading carefully. At times Chaithanya goes deep into certain topics which are interesting in a way - be it the root bridges of Meghalaya, the life of the Panchals or stuff like that. 

Was an interesting read overall. I did have trouble making the connections between the key incidents and went back and made them. The writing is good and interesting and so is the style - distant, not probing too deep. I felt it could have been enhanced a bit by exploring her deeper emotions, her motivations etc which would have made her more real and more relatable. But Chaithanya is a writer with promise, someone who writes well and with discipline and I am looking forward to seeing more of his work in future.         

The Comfort Crisis - Michael Easter

Abhinay gifts me some of the best books and this was one of them. Author Michael Easter begins the book with his out-of-comfort zone activity - joining pal Donnie Vincent, a bow hunter and documentary filmmaker who loves the wilderness, and his cinematographer William Altman, on a 33 day hunt of a caribou herd in the Alaskan wilds far away from civilisation. Donnie spends 6 months at a time alone in the Alaskan Wild (and loves it) and his documentary 'The River Divided' is proof of his work. While writing about his crazy journey in the cold, wet, wild, hunting caribou, Easter tells us about the comfort crisis we are all in and how it is making us less of what we are capable of. I fully agree. Easter meets a bunch of experts in various fields and cites many studies and experiments to drive home his points. I have not mentioned them here but only gave a gist of their conversations with Easter and their insights. 

Easter points out that most of our modern problems are about the slightest discomfort (not getting WiFi, running water, late cab, something not working) as opposed to real discomfort (like hunger, physical struggle). This 'comfort creep' shrinks us an reduces our capacities. To grow to our potential and live fully we must embrace Misogi, the Japanese term for going through really hard things as a process of purification. Since we do not have any hard things in our life we must pick and choose them to toughen ourselves up - like the hard things must be 10x your capability so you are stretched mentally, spiritually, physically. When we put ourselves through these Misogi - it stretches limits, we have a clear goal - it is something akin to being in the flow state. 

Of course Easter says there are two rules - Rule 1 - it has to be really hard and Rule 2 - don't die while doing it. Doing really hard things means you have a 50% chance of failing. (Reminded me of 'Measure what Matters' by John Doerr where he speaks of the concept of OKRs which are 10x goals.) Easter says that mortals benefit from epic physical trails (he cites examples of how some tribes send men out to hunt a male lion as a rite of passage!) Simply put, the only things we look back with some pride are our hardships that we have endured and have stretched us. 

So pick your Misogi and get going to toughen up and live your life more fully. The three stages of Misogi are Separation, Transition and Incorporation. The idea is that what does not kill you makes you stronger. We toughen up with adversity.

Easter explores the idea of why time seems to expand or contract. When we are doing something new, our experience seems longer because we are experiencing expanded time. So doing something new which makes us fully involved is one way to mark time. 

City living depresses us. One needs to build capacity to be alone. He urges us to rediscover boredom because it helps us to be alone, to find creative bursts within us. Try to be away from a screen and be OK with boredom. (We are so addicted to our cell phones - the average American he says touches his phone 2617 times in a time and has 2.5 hours of screen time.) From 2000-15 the average attention span of people fell by 33% and 90% of this is due to screen time. 

Easter says we must deal with boredom (don't reach for your screen) and find ways to be productive. Allow mind wandering. He suggest being out in the nature (without your phone) - called forest bathing - 20 minutes outside, 3 times a week - is known to drop stress levels. No phones is a rule on these times. If you cannot get out into the open, putting plants in the office, having a view of nature helps. Time in wild spaces is the most beneficial of the lot - so the prescribed time for greatest stress release is 5 hours a month in the wild.

He also suggests being comfortable with silence. He talks of the Orfield labs which has a room that has complete silence - a state that makes people very uncomfortable and want to get out of it. We cannot handle silence. But silence heals. People who listened to natural sounds like sounds of water reduced their stress levels significantly. Just 2 minutes of silence relaxes.

He then speaks of hunger. 70% of Americans are obese which takes an average of 5%-20% off your life. To be healthy, he suggests tracking your food - how much and what you eat, weigh calories, daily routines, sleep schedules, stress and energy levels, daily weight, work outs and step counts. This data will help in being aware of the input and output. We tend to eat more when we are stressed. Hunger is of two types - real hunger vs reward hunger. (He suggests we walk instead of eating.) Find what stresses you when you reach out to eat more. The final solution - eat anything long as you keep track of calories - 2000 calories per day are prescribed. The average plate should have a quarter of animal protein, a quarter of white grains and a half of vegetables or fruits. Complement this with having 500 calorie days for two days, or 700 calorie days for 5 days, having 16 hour fasting windows so your body gets to the autophagy state where it can take out the trash in the body. The body needs 15-16 hours to metabolise food (so skip breakfast or dinner). If we cut breakfast and have an early dinner our body gets 12-16 hour window to cleanse. End game - be hungry - it burns fat and keeps you healthy. Fast as much as you can.

Easter suggests we think about death every day. We are insignificant in the passage of time. In our 13.8 billion years of evolution plotted on a calendar year for reference, humans have appeared on the scene on the 31st of December at 11.59.33 pm! We are that insignificant! In Bhutan, he meets monks who look at death as a normal thing and they in fact suggest that one must think about death three times a day - morning, afternoon and evening. (One of the monks is the author of the book 'The Fine Art of Living and Manifesting a Peaceful Death'). We are all in the process of dying right now. The best way to be more aware of our life and death is to be mindful. Remember that we are all heading towards the cliff and we will all fall off the cliff - some sooner and some later. We just do not know when we will fall off though.  Be OK with this state of impermanence. We suffer because we try to hold on to that which is changing. Be curious about death, do not cling to life. Being aware of impending death helps us prioritise.

In Misogi we come to a point when we are convinced that we have nothing left - yet find some more gas. The cavemen would have 200 minutes of exercise per day versus the now prescribed for health which is 150 minutes a week! The cavemen  were hunting and foraging and could carry weights of 50 pounds and more easily. Easter advocates the Ruck Shuffle - puts a 45 pound steel plate in the back pack and walks. Rucking is strength and cardio rolled in one.

Overall Easter says we must put ourselves through physical discomfort. There is no such thing as too much exercise. Exercising 7-12 hours a week reduces heart disease by 25% and cancer by 22%. Walking is good (when we run a 150 pound person loads 1400 pounds on their knees as against 470 pounds when walking). Carry weights like your suitcases etc he says, its good for you.

Easter and his pals finally track down and shoot a caribou (Easter is given the honour), skin it, cut it up into portions, carry some 120 kgs of flesh around with them until their plane lands and then head back into civilisation - changed men certainly. There is some talk of whether hunting is ethical etc but each to his own. I liked what someone said - if you are a non-vegetarian do not make noise about the ethics of hunting.

I agree with all that he says -  do things out of your comfort zone, get into the wild, be alone, be OK with silence, with boredom, eat healthy, stay hungry, be mindful, walk, carry weights, be aware of death - life gets better and fuller. I have started thinking of death to start with and am trying to stay hungry.

Thanks Abhinay. Lovely book. Now to find some real Misogis.       

Victory Song - Chitra Banerjee Divakurani

I find this slim children's book in Anjali's shelf and have been planning to read it for a while. Mainly because A's book shelf always always more interesting and then it is a Divakarani book. And it's slim.

It's 1939. The story is set in Shonu Gram in a farmer's house. Preparations are on for the marriage of his eldest daughter. The younger daughter Neela is the rebellious one. At the wedding feast a bunch of freedom fighters show up and ask the congregation to give up something for the cause. Encouraged by a baoul (who also teaches Neela how to sing 'Vande Mataram') the guests give up money and jewellery. Neela gives away her gold chain.

Neela's father leaves home to join the freedom movement and goes to Calcutta. One of the freedom fighters, a 16 year old called Samar, comes to hide at Neela's house after being injured. Neela goes to Calcutta to search for her father. With the help of Samar and other freedom fighters, she finds her injured father and has to somehow get home while escaping the police who are looking for them. Will she or won't she? Will she and Samar meet? And marry? 

It's a children's book so they make it home. She sings Vande Mataram as Samar leaves and he says he will come back. I'm sure that's good enough for a child to sleep happily at night. 

Can't believe I picked a book which has a theme of Vande Mataram at a time when there's so much discussion going on about it. Can't also believe that there's so much discussion going on between people who probably can use their time better in building the nation.

Let Go - Daisuke Yosumi

This book gives 50 lessons from Japanese minimalism. Yosumi was a successful music producer who worked with some of the biggest names before giving it all up to live near a lake in New Zealand, fishing and growing his own food, while writing bestsellers. His idea is that life gets richer by letting go and that one can experience freedom of letting go instead of the pain of loss. 

Yosumi gives out his principles in various areas such a 'Money and Belongings' to start with. He talks of the importance of clearing things now instead of postponing, letting go of what we're not using, not stocking up and using only what we need, being generous, stop making small unnecessary purchases, stop impulse shopping, buying exactly what you need, not buying to impress, choosing your own lifestyle, buying clothes you'll like. 

In 'Work' he advocates letting go of work one is not good at, multi tasking, do what you love, trust your intuition and not follow majority, eat even hungry and not stick to routine, let Go of assumptions, do what feels right, start and keep going instead of procrastinating, instead of balancing do one thing no one can do.

In 'Health' he advocates sleeping early, going to sleep when you feel hungry, not to overeat, making each day your best day, embrace each moment, be alone, create instead of feeling judged, use words that empower, slow down, you do better when you enjoy the process, learn what matters, look within and be silent. 

In 'Relationships' let Go of networks, make plans you wouldn't miss for anything instead of being available all the time, leave comfort zones and letting go of the past, do new stuff instead of taking the usual holidays, express yourself freely, call only the people you love most instead of everyone, give in to tradition and greet people, be well mannered, polite, shut yourself from the phone, tell people you'll contact them instead of them contacting you, compete with yourself, don't defend - take responsibility, apologise whole heartedly, don't hold yourself back, make mistakes. 

In 'Lifestyle' he says, let Go of fear of lack, take less stuff, go to places that spark joy, choose few or just one, don't fear being foolish and do what you love, stop being online, feel free to run away and do stuff that matters to you.

In 'Company Loyalty' he says, find ways to be useful to the world not just the company, never let Go of your dreams, don't leave your freedom, don't get stuck in past successes, stay present. He says we must work in freedom, protect our true selves, and bring our most important dream to life. 

I liked all his ideas. Things I'll take to practice is the stuff about tradition (greeting, being polite etc), getting rid of unnecessary stuff, do what you love and cut out all the rest, let Go of the past and be present. I can see many things falling off which means there will be space for the new.

Yosumi for example does not write articles, he focuses only on his books. And they become bestsellers. 

Fractured Communities - Umar Khalid

Umar Khalid has been so much in the news and from whatever I have read about him, what's happening to him does not seem right. I have not had the courage to go deep into his story yet for some reason but the snatches of news I hear about him and his work and his situation make me feel like I should understand him and his story better. When I read Ramachandra Guha (who also wrote the foreword for the book) say that "this is one of the most accomplished doctoral dissertations that I have read" I made up my mind to buy the book. Not that I am an academic or can understand doctoral dissertations but simply as an act of support for the JNU scholar who has been rusticated from the University and has been in jail for six years on charges of sedition without bail and without trial (he completed his thesis from jail). 'Fractured Communities' is Umar Khalid's PhD thesis on the history of Adivasis in the Singhbhum region of Jharkhand.

The book documents the history of Singhbhum tribal societies under the British rule (the British fought the tribals for 100 years) and how the East India Company acquired military and administrative control over the region once they realised the forest and mineral wealth of the region. The British, in their attempts to control the area (for their commercial biases) found the going difficult because the region was not easy to access and was also populated by what were considered hostile aboriginal tribes. To counter that difficulty, the British brought in new legal frameworks, economic and political structures alien to the Adivasis. 

At the centre of the whole issue is the corporate scramble for land. 

At some point, after their initial attempts to use muscle power which resulted in the deaths of thousands of tribals, the British came up with land laws that protected the Adivasis identity to appease the tribals - the Chota Nagpur Tenancy Act (CNTA) and the Santhal Paraganas Tenancy Act (SPTA) after the Munda Ulgulan (1908) and Santhal Hool (1855) uprisings. Khalid writes that land is at the core of the tribal societies survival because as per the customs of the Munda and Santhal tribals, ownership of land belongs to all the families who cleared that land and made it cultivable. It is their way of providing identity to their people.

The tribals, considered as 'greedless people' (Arundhati Roy I think) have most of their conflicts with outsiders mainly to save their water, land and jungle (jal-jameen-jangal), from the government-money lender and landlord (sarkar-sahukar-zamindar) nexus. Khalid focuses on a tribal community called the Hos in the region of Kolehan and traces how the British took a policy of exception for tribal tracts to 'protect' the aborigines who cannot handle themselves. At some point the tribals were perceived as the lowest rung of civilisation and thus needed to be civilized and protected. Part of the attempts to control the area involved dividing the tribals where some got administrative posts and became part of the elite. In other ways the government promoted local armies to counter the Maoists and divided the community.

The land of commercial value has been alienated by law which is opposed by the tribals. The recent case of Niyamgiri Suraksha Samiti (NSS) where gram sabhas were held and the attempt of Vedanta Aluminium Ltd to make forays into the land for exploitation of mineral wealth halted, is heartening and gives hope to the communities of the area. The environmental degradation and the displacement of people, the change in structure of the societies are opposed by these tribal societies. Every now and then there is  a protest for a separate state or to go back to an old British rule that grants them separate status.

I am definitely better informed about the story of the tribal communities in the Singhbhum area after reading the book. It is clear that Umar Khalid has done immense research and fieldwork and put it across in a manner that even a layman like me can understand it (most academic works I don't get otherwise). He has received high praise from renowned academics like Ramachandra Guha and Nandini Sundar. 

Umar Khalid dedicates the book to Rohith Vemula and Gauri Lankesh 'who fought resolutely to the end and continue to inspire millions even today' - and you know he has made up his mind to follow them. Now I will do some more research on this author and hopefully understand a little more about his predicament. Makes you wonder - what are people like him doing in jail without trial for such years and why.     

The Art of Captaincy - Mike Brearley

It's the third edition. Some changes surely. Mike Brearley, is a respected psychoanalyst and author and one of England's finest captains. 

A captain's job involves holding contradictions in balance - indulging team mates yet keeping a tight leash, micro managing every dimension of team life yet with a light touch. It is about tweaking levers of influence and about planning right down to rest and pre-match warm up and training sessions. He needs to draw the balance between individual and group motivation and success, between planning and intuition, between discipline and freedom, between conscious thought and instinct, between intervention and letting be, between seeking opinion and being in command. He says the captain must know that no two lions (players) are alike. What I liked most was that he says that as he wrote the book, Brearley discovers that he badly wanted to win - which is perhaps what made him find the answers, go through the fear.

Clearly he says, the captain is responsible for results - specially losing. It's his job to get everyone together, keep the herd together. He should be flexible in his approach tactically and deploy whatever skills players have at their disposal. He has to get the best out of the team without suppressing flair and uniqueness. Each captain is different, so just be natural and find your own way.

A captain has to have the long term and short term perspective, understand tactical and psychological aspects of the game. No matter what, a captain should not panic whatever the situation. Don't be helpless, look for options. Take advise. Most importantly - don't be afraid to lose - don't be too defensive. A captain should also have a good memory to repeat patterns, find weaknesses and strengths. He should be alive to different possibilities of attack and defence, experiment and convention. He should give clear roles to his players and give clear directions while motivating his bowlers.

In choosing a captain, the old story of class vs charisma is long gone. One has to choose the best suited person in terms of leadership ability, skills to fit into the team, knowledge of the game, who brings tactical shrewdness, brings the best out of his players - and through all that delivers best results. 

The best players need not be the best captains. The qualities required of the captain are - courage, integrity, fairness, goal driven and who can take people along. He must care for his team, be a learner and a motivator and be good at planning ahead. The captain should avoid nepotism, class distinctions, elitism. He should be an avid reader of the game and its history. Most importantly he should not hesitate to take the unpopular stand.

A captain, once appointed, takes stock of his resources - assesses, plans and prepares. He understands the strengths and weaknesses of his team. He establishes his approach clearly - to win in whichever way he prefers. He plans for practice and coaching - pre-season and pre-match, fitness and net practice. He needs to be involved in building a successful side. He should have data such as videos of players at nets and matches to analyse and coach to improve. He needs to understand pitches, get information about them, have a sense of the injuries to players and how to manage them and have replacements ready. He should certainly be good enough to deal and discuss with other stake holders.

As a part of the selection committee he should have no cliques, no favorites, he should not be too close to the boys and maintain complete confidentiality. He should be able to take calls such as not changing  a winning side or picking horses for courses. Ideally pick the best wicket keeper, and have specialist bowlers to take wickets. Go with form where possible. Have clarity of goals like winning each game. Look for character in his players. 

A captain can insist on a time table for training and fielding practice where they practice close in and out field practice. He should get acquanited with ground conditions by talking to the groundsmen and others.

The captain must ensure a healthy dressing room atmosphere. He must get his team to behave like a team and help each other out in the middle and out side. He gives the example of how he and Randall once chased a huge total by putting a target of 15 minute segments and trying to survive the same. He should get his team to be supportive and encouraging, censure players who do not fit into the culture. Batting orders need not be changed unless necessary.

He gives the example of how Middlesex (his team) was playing against Surrey and after two days of rain they came out to play and got Surrey out for 40. Seeing the conditions they decided not to bat and played just one ball, declared, and put Surrey in again, got them out for 87 all out. By this time the pitch had eased out a bit and they scored 137 for 1. Hell of a gamble but makes immense sense.

Before he gets on the field the captain has to think ahead - get the players on the field together, set the right tone, set the right field,the right player in the right position, make eye contact. He has to be exact and exacting in his demands. He has to be aware of which bowler may do better from which end keeping the wind, the boundary, the type of bowler in mind. A captain should also encourage others to think from a tactical point of view, should encourage and motivate the others. He should clearly avoid favoritism and give everyone a fair chance.

While placing the field the captain should play on the batsman's mind - like leaving gaps to make the batsman commit mistakes. Typical fields are 5-4 (defensive), 6-3 (offensive) and 7-2 (in control fully). For a 7-2 field the bowler should have great skill -like Lillee who he mentions. The captain must know the range of the bowler (in fact of all players).

One of the best stories he tells is that of a lion keeper he meets who has had a 100% success rate and when asked how he manages to train lions so well he says - no two lions are alike. Brearley says its the same with people - no two people are alike and he must know how to handle each one differently and know what they respond to. He should have a general strategy, be flexible in approach as conditions change. He must constantly play on the batsman's mind and put pressure on them and serve up what they would least like to face. Most players do not know their strengths and weakness, what they are capable of. He should know if their strengths are strengths or weaknesses, if they like things a certain way. He can be innovative with fielding positions depending on conditions and batsmen. He should take advantage of the batsman's inner turmoils. Mostly, a captain should never give up. Also, trust your intuition.

Brearely is ruthless - he believes in bowling bouncers to get wickets as a psychological ploy. He says every player has their own sense of aggression - some need to be needled. For example Botham needed a stick and Willis needed a carrot and constant encouragement. He encourages the game to be played in the right spirit without cheating, sledging and so on.

While on averages he says we are all aware that some runs count more than others and averages do not tell the whole story. The classic dilemma of individual or team - he says one must play for the team success which is a product of individual success. He says groups tend to take a particular characteristic and the attitude of the group can affect the individual. It is the captain who influences his team and its character, and must nudge it in the right direction, overseeing the actions and behaviors. He should be clear, compassionate and insist on discipline. He should display courage and be ready for the impossible. He cites the case of a match when Marsh was captain and the opponent had only 78 to get and he told his team they will put up a good show. Lillee however did not buy that and said they are going to win and came back and bowled them out for 61 - a side that included Vivian Richards.

In team meetings he said its best to listen more. One can stir up the team with a ritual that is the team's own. Team meetings certainly helped he says as someone or the other brings some important insights. The captain must make everyone feel like they belong. He must also make it clear that the focus is on preparation and not the outcome. He must facilitate and encourage talks about the art and craft which helps them feel better. He must find the balance between discipline and creativity.

While on Stars and Others he says one must accept individual differences. However he says the captain can insist on punctuality, uniform, so the team looks organised. He says it might help to ask the team what they wanted from him. Definitely do not miss a chance to praise players when they do well. Also see who takes how to praise and give accordingly.

As captain he must also be aware that allotting rooms is important so players are comfortable and in a growing environment and not rub off on each other badly. He should set high standards and expect it. He has to earn respect by example and allow talent to flower. He must also understand that no one is perfect and the aim is to improve playing ability, character, mental make up. He has to be tough yet considerate, strict and indulgent, instill the will to win. He should ram home the advantage and cling desperately when losing it. He should be available to receive the emotional demands and pressures from those he is responsible for.

...

Such then is how a captain should be and its an art that can be refined by learning and practicing like all other skills. Keeping notes, having discussions etc will certainly go a long way in the making of a successful captain.      

As a Man Thinketh - James Allen

James Allen ((1864-1912) wrote this bestseller as his third book. It has some fundamental ideas that perhaps became the founding principles of many self-help programs - the idea of 100% ownership. You are responsible for everything, make it happen. Some of this ideas.

You are what you think. It's not fate, it's you. You are the master of your fate. Always believe that. When you're stuck seek answers and you will find them.

Thought and character are one - the outer can be found in the inner. Your external circumstances grow out of your thoughts. 

 You attract what you secretly harbour - what you love, fear.

Justice is exact - you get what you deserve (or secretly desire).

Your circumstances reveal you to yourself.

You attract what you are, not what you want.

You are fighting against an 'effect' on the outside while preserving the 'cause' inside. 

Suffering is always the effect of wrong thought in some direction when you are out of harmony with yourself.

Stop whining and understand the laws. Alter your thought and witness rapid change in your conditions. Your mind determines your health. Cheerful thoughts dissipate ills.

When we think thoughts with purpose there is intelligent achievement.

Conceive a legitimate purpose in your heart and accomplish it. 

Strength grows with purpose. Eliminate doubt and fear - thought allied fearlessly to purpose becomes a creative force.

He who has conquered weakness, and has put away all selfish thoughts, belongs neither to the oppressor nor the oppressed. He is free.

The higher you lift your thoughts the more manly, upright and righteous he becomes, the greater will be the achievement.

He who would accomplish little, must sacrifice little, he who would attain highly must sacrifice greatly.

The dreamers are the saviors of the world.

He who cherished a beautiful vision, a lofty ideal in his heart, will one day realise it.

There is no such thing as luck. 

The strength of the effort is the measure of the result. 

Calmness of the mind is one of the beautiful jewels of wisdom.

The more tranquil a man becomes, the greater is his success, his influence, his power for good.

Calmness is power. Peace, be still. 

...

Simple, powerful and make immense sense,

The Land that Still Speaks - Dr AM Sreedharan and Dr Sruthy Chandrasekhar

It's a collection of Tulu modern poems, translated by Dr AM Sreedharan, Director of the Centre of Excellence in Indian Knowledge Systems, Alliance University, Bangalore and Dr Sruthy Chandrasekhar, Founder and Head of the School of Performing, Visual and Creative Arts. Both are highly qualified and accomplished in their fields - Dr Sreedharan has translated novels, folk songs, short stories, poetry from Tulu, Kannada and has received several awards including the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for translation and Dr Sruthy is a performing artist, playback singer, researcher with a Doctorate in Carnatic Music, and is an exponent of Mohinyattam, Kathakali, Sopana Sangeetham, Abhinaya Sangeetham. 

The Land that Still Speaks is about how certain landscapes continue to articulate histories, identities in an age of tech change. It recounts Paddanas, the oral epics that narrate the origins of spirits, communities and moral worlds. Bhoota Kola and other such traditional forms of the old and the tension that exists between the old and the new. The book is dedicated to Sri Venkata Raja Puncchittaya (1936-2012), noted poet, playwright, actor and researcher. The first three poems are by him while the other 100 poems are written by 42 poets.

The themes explored in the book are about the land, life in Tulu Nadu, of the rural and urban life, school children, changes in attitudes, the beauty of the language, festivals, rituals such as making new rice, the family and tradition, devotional songs, fragrances of the land, even political subjects such as gender, bias and so on.

I met Dr Sreedharan when I visited the School of Performing, Visual and Creative Arts and he told me he had over 40 published books. He gifted me this book for which I am very grateful.          

N.R. Swami - The Doyen of Odisha Journalism - N. Jagannath Das

This book is a work of love from a loving son to an accomplished father, compiled by the well-known and much-loved sports journalist from Hyderabad, N. Jagannath Das who worked with The Indian Express for most of his career hails from a family of journalists. His father (and the subject of this book) N.R. Swami was a highly respected journalist in Odisha who wrote for PTI, The Statesman and The Hindu mainly, over five decades (he knew or met Presidents, Prime Ministers, Chief Ministers and so on on a personal basis) Das, the youngest of nine, five brothers (N.V.R.Swami, N. Pattabhi, N. Venkat Subbiah, Late N. Ramdas and Das - four of whom became journalists), and four sisters (Kasturi, Sita, Sarada and Ratnamala), has taken it upon himself to put together the story of his accomplished father N.R. Swami and preserve his memory for posterity.

N.R. Swami (1909-1981), was the son of a policeman who migrated from Guntur to Odisha. Thanks to some invaluable audio recordings done by one of his sons-in-law, some precious, early memories of N.R. Swami aka Swami Babu were captured. A peek into those early days of N. R. Swami reveal an energetic, intelligent and mischievous child who quickly learned to swim, ride a bicycle and even ride a horse (policemen used to ride horses then). He was also a stubborn child having run away twice from his house over some scolding. He also tells of how he was planning to buy a train and with half an anna - his strategy was to acquire the half anna, walk into the railway station and ask if he could buy a train! After schooling he was sent to Madras where he learned shorthand and typing and joined work at Rs 18 as a clerk at the Munsif court. He returned from Madras after finding the work rather unchallenging, and hoped to head off to Burma for better prospects. 

However he developed an interest in journalism after being inspired by the Satyagraha movement. He wrote an article and sent it off to PTI - and that  article earned him an entry into journalism. His entry to The Statesman was even more dramatic. He applied for a job at The Statesman in Calcutta, which was mainly run by Britishers, and was called for an interview. He reached Calcutta by train and called them throughout the day but found no answer. At the end of the day he decided to return home to Odisha and made one last call from Howrah station. This time he was called for the interview and given the job. The bosses were, it appears, testing if he had the patience and persistence required of a good journalist. NR Swami displayed both in ample measure. (There's a story of how he went to cover the floods in the dark and was on the railway track with his friend when he fortuitously heard the oncoming train and stepped back just in the nick of the time. All to cover the news and bring it to the public.)

Energetic, diligent, persuasive, N. R. Swami had an eye for a good story, was first on the scene, backed his stories with meticulous research, facts and statistics, and maintained true an uncompromising attitude in his search for the truth. He covered elections, wrote on government policy, covered calamities like drought and floods, cyclones, the lives of adivasis, wildlife, and even sports. President VV Giri was a personal friend and would always meet him when he visited Orissa - once even invited NR Swami and his spouse Sita along with the family to the Raj Bhavan in Bhubaneswar. (I think I saw Das's picture as a young boy at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.) He met Mahatma Gandhi, Nehru, was a good friend of Biju Patnaik and several others. He was once offered the Rajya Sabha seat which he declined saying he was a journalist and not a politician. Guided by his values and ethics, a loving heart and a zest of life, Swami loved his cars (Minx, Morris Minor, Ford Prefect, Standard Herald), his dogs (had a dalmatian), his cigarettes which he rolled himself and of course his work. No wonder he carved a name for himself as a pioneer in journalism in Odisha.

They say - 'if you have not made enemies, you have not stood up for anything. N.R. Swami's upright stance and reporting things without bias, as he saw them, cost him. The Congress Government in Orissa then headed by Dr Mahatab were unhappy with his reports and in what we now see as not an unusual plot, wrote to PTI, The Statesman and The Hindu, that Swami seemed to be on the payroll of a foreign embassy to oust the Congress  and should be removed from his job. PTI transferred him while the other two did not heed the letter. The Hindu on the other hand, sent Swami a copy of the letter they received from the government. Armed with the letter, Swami filed a defamation case against the government - a case which he won and was awarded Rs. 28000 for loss of reputation! It was a landmark case as the courts then had the guts to stand up to the ruling government and noted that the CM's evidence was not credible. However the court proceedings took a long time (finally cleared in 1970). In the meanwhile he left PTI, shifted to a small two room house with his large family, a house so small that most of the belongings were left out in the garden and he would sleep in his car. Things improved and he shifted into a bigger house later.

His meetings with Mahatma Gandhi did not go well but mostly because of Gandhi's likes and dislikes - once because of the smell of tobacco (Swami was a smoker) and once because he was wearing western clothes (he was a natty dresser).The ones with Nehru seemed to have gone better after a stuttering start - once when Nehru and Lady Mountbatten came to Orissa and went missing he followed them down to the guest house under the pretext of delivering a newspaper and managed to meet him and in another by getting into the same compartment as the train was moving and staying on for an interview.  There are articles about the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi being hit by a stone in 1967 when she came for a rally (a student threw it), about Hirakud dam where he covered the aspects of development and tribal displacement and Nehru's vision of 'temples of tomorrow', of the National Games of 1958 which was dominated by Milkha Singh and Gulzara Singh, about a judge being unhappy with a poorly drafted document, about the Nandankanan zoo and its white tigress Khairi (which actually was tame and was brought to their house by the Conservator). He received a citation from the Indian Institute for National integration in 1976 in recognition of his lifelong work. 

The book is a fascinating peek into his life and like I said, a work of love, which will serve the family, young writers and journalists, and students of life well. There is much to learn from his work ethic and values and discipline. The gentleness that is ascribed to him shows in the words he uses - for example he would not write that a record was 'broken' but used 'lowered' which is a gentler perspective. Another interesting story on how his reports have been archived systematically is that an American couple who lived next door to them in Bhubaneswar, Richard Tubb and his wife, took it upon themselves to organise the thousands of newspaper cuttings in a folder which became the source material for this book. 

The 112 page book has a nice size, wonderful pictures of family, writing tools such as the typewriters, camera, scanned copies of some reports and essays written by his sons, daughter. daughter in law, one granddaughter. The foreword is written by PV Rajagopal, IPS (Retd) and a preface by Brojendra Patnaik (former Principal of BJB College). It is a well captured snapshot of a life well-lived and an effort I feel that should be emulated by every family to record the stories of their elders which can be lost to their children, grandchildren and so on. Future generations will know them as real people with real stories and not just as an ancestor, a few pictures and a fading memory. For this I commend Das in taking up this initiative and bringing the story of his father to a wider audience. 

I really enjoyed reading it. It's a nice easy read, with fascinating details and information. It is well-produced and has just the right balance - not too much, and not too little. Good job Das and here's wishing the book all success. And looking forward to more of your books. Like your father would say 'Keep Writing'!            

The Authoritative Calvin and Hobbes - Bill Watterson

I ordered a Calvin and Hobbes book for myself a couple of months ago and it has been the greatest value in terms of giving me laughs and a fun time. Watching the young lonely kid with a fertile imagination and his pet toy tiger Hobbes for company as he navigate his fears and his boredom is simply brilliant. 

I loved his constant threat to his dad that his rating as a dad might fall and he needs to give his kid more concessions to climb the ratings, his troubling the only girl in his neighborhood Susie, his lying to teachers and parents that Hobbes did all the mischief, his conversations with Hobbes who seems to get the better of him each time.

 Lovely. Best investment in a long time.

Why I am an Atheist - Bhagat Singh

I was at MR Books buying comics for my sister when I saw this slim book and picked it up. It is Bhagat Singh's (September 27, 1907-March 23, 1931) essay on why he is an atheist. It is written at a time when he is facing death by hanging for the murder of policemen John Saunders and Channan Singh and the symbolic bombing of unoccupied seats of the Central Legislative Assembly in Delhi. Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev Thapar and Shivaram Rajuguru, members of HSRA (Hindustan Socialist Republican Association) were hanged, based on the testimony of a HSRA member Hansraj Vohra. The three revolutionaries were hanged at Lahore jail, their bodies chopped to pieces, cremated and ashes dropped in the Sutlej river. Bhagat Singh became a cult figure as a 23 year old revolutionary who gave his life for his motherland.

Reading the book, which has other writings by Bhagat Singh - letters to his fellow revolutionaries Sukhdev and Rajguru, his father, petitions, messages to students and young revolutionaries, reveals his mind. Though born into a family with normal religious leanings, and schooled at DAV School where he learned mantras, his views changed as he entered National College, Lahore, and joined the Revolutionary Party. He read books by Bakunin, Lenin, Marx, Trotsky, Nirlamba Swamy on Marxism, Communism, Common Sense, to improve his knowledge and his views on God changed. As a fiery young man he believed in being real and uncompromising and believing in himself than relying on abstract ideas such as God. In his defence of why he is an atheist, he writes with candor and honesty in this essay.

He wonders at the very beginning that many might think his stand is based on pride or vanity. He agrees that people call his a dictator, inflexible with his views, a boaster and a sceptic. He says that pride and vanity are not connected to belief in God or Godly beliefs. A man who is proud of being an atheist and who has vanity of being an atheist, believes in the concept of God - whereas he does not. He fully rejects the idea of God. He says he needs no opiate to meet his end, has no selfish motive to believe in the idea of God so he purges his sins or gets a reward of paradise. He would rather listen to cold blooded reason - 'Instead of developing the ideas and experiments of ancient thinkers, thus providing ourselves with the ideological weapon for the future struggle, lethargic, idle, fanatical as we are - we cling to orthodox religion and in this way reduce human awakening to a stagnant pool'. He also says 'It's necessary for every person who stands for progress to criticise every tenet of old beliefs.' Words that ring true even today after a century.

He has questions - why did God create a world where there is no peace, why did he create man when we know all's not well in God's kingdom, a hoax that snatched the power of reason. He says that the Puranas are but fairy tales. He is against casteism, brahmanism, believes that religion is the creation of the privileged classes to usurp power and riches. Where is God when the British are ruling he asks. He quotes Upton Sinclair who wrote 'only make a man a firm believer in the immortality of soul, then rob him of all that he possesses. He will willingly help you in the process'. 

Bhagat Singh calls out 'the dirty alliance between religious preachers and possessors of power brought the boon of prisons, gallows, knouts and above all, such theories for mankind.' He also says that 'man created God in his imagination when he realised his weaknesses, limitations and shortcomings.' He urges others to face adversaries with courage and valour, even on the gallows and says he will not change his beliefs as the date of his death nears. And he did not.

Even in jail he wrote letters asking for books - Militarism by Karl Liebnecht, Why Men fight (Russel), Civil War in France (Marx), Land Revolution in Russia, Spy (Upton Sinclair), Let Wing Communism and such. 

In December 1928, Bhagat Singh and Rajguru shot dead John Saunders a junior British officer mistaking him for James Scott, a Superintendent of Police on whose order to lathi charge protesters resulted in injuries and later death of Lala Lajpat Rai. Bhagat Singh and Rajguru escaped on bicycles after shooting John Saunders while Chandrashekhar Azad, their accomplice shot dead policeman Channan Singh who was giving them chase. Hiding in a safe house for a couple of days the duo left for Calcutta under disguise, taking along with them a wife and child of another revolutionary to provide cover. They evaded detection and reached Calcutta. It was only in April 1929 when Bhagat Singh and Bhatukeshwar Dutt went to the Central Legislative Assembly in Delhi and threw a symbolic bomb into the unoccupied portion, threw leaflets and shouted slogans and courted arrest were they found to be involved in the earlier murder. In court Bhagat Singh defended himself.

In prison Bhagat Singh went on hunger strike along with another revolutionary Jatin Das protesting against poor prison conditions. Das died after 63 days of hunger strike and Bhagat Singh carried on his strike for 116 days. He was carried into court as he had become weak. At some point he refused to attend court until the conditions were met - the court went ahead and held the hearings in his absence and sentenced him to the gallows ex parte. 

At no stage did Bhagat Singh seek lenience from the court and all his petitions were only to clarify his position. He wrote to his father asking him not to plead lenience for him as it is against his principles and portrays him as a weak man begging for his life. He writes to Sukhdev not to entertain thoughts of suicide which would be seen as a weakness. He was not a fan of Gandhi's policies of non-violence - not that he encouraged violence - he valued human life but felt that symbolic gestures are important for the bigger cause. At all times he was fiercely patriotic, committed to equality among people, against casteism, for the working class, for women - every single progressive idea you see today. All this in a life of 23 years.

It was a very enlightening read.              

The Great Tamasha - James Astill

It's a 2013 book but it's title was still intriguing enough as was the byline - 'Cricket, Corruption and the Turbulent Rise of Modern India'. James Astill, an award winning journalist, was the political editor of The Economist and was stationed in Delhi for a few years which he used we'll to write this book. Vinod picked it up for me (and it picked itself as I browsed through a few books before I left for my train journey).

Astill begins the story right at the beginning when cricket in India started thanks to the English. The years when the English educated princes played and ruled, the Pentangulars where teams played as Hindu, Muslim, Parsi, English teams, the incorporation of the Ranji Trophy, India being inducted as a Test playing nation (with some of the princes wanting to play and lead), partition and a free India and so on. Though there was not much patronage from the state, the game caught the fancy of the population and grew, mostly in the richer sections of the society and as Astill makes a point, the upper classes mainly. Interestingly though, the Palwankar brothers who were Dalits, actually played for India, the Hindus, and the eldest Palwankar actually led the Hindu team to victory, leading men liked CK Nayudu, who scored a hundred and won the game against the British. After Independence though, Dalit representation has been low and though I am unsure of the numbers Astill quoted (he named only Dodda Ganesh), fact is that it may look improbable to have a Dalit lead many teams in India.

There's much history of Ranjitsinhji and how he accessed the throne of Jamnagar and his great skill at the game. Interestingly we also see how the BCCI has been operated by the powers that be, how state Associations (he chooses Saurashtra as the case in point where Mr Niranjan Shah rules and his son led the state side for a long time). How power has no accountability in sports in the Indian context. He meets Sharad Pawar (the only politician he noted who said Thank you to the person who got chai) and understands how power works at the BCCI and at ICC. He takes us through the transition from Doordarshan trying to control the telecast rights and free market forces coming in which brought big bucks to Indian cricket. He covers the deals with Worldtel, the rise of Sachin etc. We also meet a few bookies in Bombay who talk about how games are fixed and how best go into crores.

And when the IPL began in 2008, he details the story of how Lalit Modi pitched the idea in 1995 to the board which was brushed off, how then Subhash Chandra of Zee TV launched his ICL unsuccessfully, how Lalit Modi first got into Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association and then into Rajasthan and as Vice President of BCCI, pitched and launched the IPL in 2008. And then the way the league took off, the corruption and power broking, Modi's downfall and removal as IPL Commissioner, induction of teams such a Pune and Kerala and then their removal. The India Pakistan story is covered in depth as well as are the events surrounding it - the wars, the terrorist acts and so on.

Astill ends the book with Sachin's last Test and I am not sure why. What I did like was how he tried to connect with cricketers who have no way to aspire for a better life, the ones in Dharavi, in the fields of UP (he talks of Kamran Khan the Rajasthan Royals hero in the first season who went back to working in the fields - why didn't he meet him), his friends in Dharavi with whom he stays in the slum. That he talks to Priety Zinta, Amir Khan, Harsha Bhogle, Pujaras father, Mallya, Warne and a host of others is to be expected anyways. 

Lots of interesting stories, very interesting research, interviews, insights, connections. One gets the impression that he's definitely not happy with most things in India or Indian cricket, and he makes no bones about mentioning who runs it and why, the money that goes into it. Very few pass his approval - his friend Shashi from Dharavi gets a clean chit while most others are viewed with some suspicion. But that's his experience as he wonders at how Indians put cricketers on a pedestal whereas even in Pakistan someone like Shahid Afridi is treated like an ordinary citizen. He ends with how difficult it was to access Sachin Tendulkar who he does get to meet but does not get an interview on a rainy day in London.

Many interesting insights and research heavy so I had to read it slowly, much too slowly for my comfort. But it's in a good way. I wonder how this book would have been if it covered the years from 2013 to now. Good stuff. Thanks Vinod Bhai for picking it up for me.

Victory Song - Chitra Banerjee Divakurani

I find this slim children's book in Anjali's shelf and have been planning to read it for a while. Mainly because A's book shelf always always more interesting and then it is a Divakarani book. And it's slim.

It's 1939. The story is set in Shonu Gram in a farmer's house. Preparations are on for the marriage of his eldest daughter. The younger daughter Neela is the rebellious one. At the wedding feast a bunch of freedom fighters show up and ask the congregation to give up something for the cause. Encouraged by a baoul (who also teaches Neela how to sing 'Vande Mataram') the guests give up money and jewellery. Neela gives away her gold chain.

Neela's father leaves home to join the freedom movement and goes to Calcutta. One of the freedom fighters, a 16 year old called Samar, comes to hide at Neela's house after being injured. Neela goes to Calcutta to search for her father. With the help of Samar and other freedom fighters, she finds her injured father and has to somehow get home while escaping the police who are looking for them. Will she or won't she? Will she and Samar meet? And marry? 

It's a children's book so they make it home. She sings Vande Mataram as Samar leaves and he says he will come back. I'm sure that's good enough for a child to sleep happily at night. 

Can't believe I picked a book which has a theme of Vande Mataram at a time when there's so much discussion going on about it. Can't also believe that there's so much discussion going on between people who probably can use their time better in building the nation.

The Champion's Mindset - Jim Afremow

Jim believes that champions can be made. And much of the making of a champion is mental. How do you believe you can be a champion? Simple - if you can spot greatness in others, then you have the qualities of greatness in you too. The qualities need to be worked at though, which needs a lot of mental discipline and strength. And yes, mental strength can be built through training. 

As with anything else that we want to get better at, start with assessing yourself on the four key areas that a champion needs to look at - Psychological, Physical, Technical and Tactical. Physical is easy - there are parameters that are set and one can keep working at them. Technical is stuff that coaches can teach which results in improvements in skill. Tactical is something one can learn by constant  discussions with coaches and peers and by experience.

Jim gives a lot of broad ideas on how to build the champions mindset.  

1) Know Process - Know the right processes on training and follow the process - skill routines, training programs, nutrition plan, sleep, relaxation, feedback, update life goals. Focus on basics when things go wrong.

2) Win the day - Follow process diligently everyday. What can you achieve today. Manage your priorities well. Include fun in daily activities.

3) Work - To be a champion there are no short cuts. Get comfortable with being uncomfortable. No coach or team thinks in terms of happy or comfort - keep competing, executing and trying to improve. Does not matter if you have the best or the worst record. 

4) Work on the Mental Aspect - Beliefs - Shift beliefs and expectations to what you can achieve, not what you cannot. Visualise - Imagine what will your life look like as a champ. Put in the extra work. Affirmations and Self Talk - Use phrases like -Personal best.

5) Develop People skills - be present, listen, do not mind read, discuss problems when they begin, criticise behavior and not the person.

6) Focus on team work  - Its always about the team, bring the best you can to the work.

7) Lead with vision, enthusiasm, feedback, confidence, care about others, respect, lead on and off the field, hold everyone accountable, adapt, do the right thing

The Mental Skills Tool Kit - Start with these Tools

1) Goal setting - define what you want to achieve in clear, specific terms, write them down and  display them so you can see it everyday and work towards it
2) Mental imagery - practice visualisation, see images of you playing well, achieving, that feeling of winning, feel, enjoy
3) Self talk - watch your self-talk, your thoughts and words, flip all negative thoughts into positive thoughts, not a single negative word
4) Confidence - show confidence through proper preparation and demonstrated performance, until then fake it to make it
5) Focus - it is selective attention, eliminate distractions, think long term when it comes to success (the entire career and not one game) and short term when it comes to failure (forget failures soon after learning the lesson), lose yourself in the process of what you are doing
5) Breath control - Deep breathing, keep practicing this to stay present and mentally aware
7) Mental toughness - increase it by doing hard things every day, push every day a little more
8) Anxiety management - anxiety is about grey areas, address grey areas - the what ifs, channel thoughts and anxiety positively, prepare, breathe, be present
9) Enjoyment - be here and now, enjoy the process and have fun
10) Body language - smile, dress up
11) Intensity - be balanced in your intensity, throttle up, throttle down, 
12) Personal affirmations - have key phrases that are positive, the subconscious recognises the present so affirm in the present, I am the best, I got this

The Winning Mindset  

1) Play to win, not to not lose.Look to thrive and not just survive.
2) Be unapologetic about wanting to win.
3) Playing to win allows you to play within yourself (when you play not to lose, you either over do or  under do). 
5) There is a fear of winning and also a fear of failure. Look them in the eye. Get comfortable with both. Don't fear either. Focus on what you want to happen, not what you're afraid of.
6) Its okay to fail as long as you don't give up. 
7) Be in relaxed awareness state. Breathe. Tension is what you think you should be, relaxed is who you are.
8) Stay loose. Let the play come to you. Flow, don't force.
9) Focus on process - the present moment. On action.
10) Keep it simple.
11) Be quick but don't hurry.
12) Play ugly but stay in.
13) Know your job and do it.
14) Ask good questions in tough situations - what do I want to happen? What would help me now?
15) Have no excuses.Deal with whatever comes to you.
16) Adapt  - look at the what ifs, plan contingencies, be flexible.
17) When everyone else is nervous, I am excited. Train it and trust it.
18) During competitions forget mistakes. Use the blade of grass technique - pick up a blade of grass and look at it as if it was the mistake you made and blow it away in the wind - gone. Move on.
19) When you fail, get right back up, keep pushing it

Wisdom of  champion

It's not about winning only. It's about being the best you can be.

1) Seek mastery. Be your toughest rival.
2) Success is peace of mind, which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to do your best to become the best that you're capable of becoming - John Wooden
3) Manage your limitations
4) Get help
5) What does not kill me makes me stronger
6) Practice is everything. Keep learning, training, 
7) Chase your weaknesses, build your strengths. 'I make my weaknesses my strengths and my strengths stronger' - Lisa Fernandes
8) Move the chains
9) In crunch moments tell yourself - this is who I am and this is what I do everyday
10) Accept yourself unconditionally
11) Control the controllables
12) Look at the big picture, instead of one competition
13) Get comfortable with being uncomfortable
14) He who grasps, loses - Lao Tzu, Relentlessly pursue perfection
15) How to become my best
16) Intense discomfort is often the price tag for greatness 
17) Do what you are coached to
18) Commitment is either in or out
19) Sustained obsession
20) Do what others won't do
21) A champion needs a motivation above and beyond winning
22) Set out to do your absolute best
23) A real victor arrives at the finish line with no regrets

Zen stories

Empty cup - only if you empty your cup can you can absorb, learn new things (keep learning)
Monk and the mirror - I am the source, the problem and the solution (look within for answers)
Carrying the burden - Once it is done, move on (stay present, don't build stories)
Drop of water - Don't waste even a drop of water, be aware (use all resources well)
Maybe good, maybe bad - Have no judgment, because things change (don't judge to see clearly)
Cliffhanger - If you are present, you can enjoy even the most difficult times (there's a opportunity in the toughest times)
Gifts - You need not react to everything, you can choose not to (react only when needed)
Working hard - when you have one eye on the goal you have only one eye on the path (full focus on process)
Great waves - become the wave, and you will be at full potential (Immerse yourself fully)
Frog and centipede - until the frog pits doubt in the centipedes mind it does great with its hundred legs (don't doubt, overthink)
Taming the mind - do things when the going is tough (conquer the mind so its the same in all situations) 
Masterpiece - King seeks peace in paintings, peace in the eye of the storm (find peace in turmoil)
Painted lion - Fellow paints a lion and then gets scared of it (don't get scared by your own creations)
Breathing - it will pass
Chop wood and carry water - Do the same things before and after, only your awareness changes
Go with the flow - man in rapids surrenders to the flow and survives (don't fight, surrender)
Destiny - one believes in destiny but one also has agency like the two sided coin (create your own destiny by believing in it)
Chasing two rabbits - Cannot catch two rabbits at once, do it one at a time (one thing at a time)
The inn - palace, ask what it really means and is (its not the labels, its the function)
Statue of gold - can hide gold under clay

Golden reflections from Champions

1) Be focused on what it takes to win a competitive edge over my opposition. Barely left the room so not to get distracted - eat, train, sleep. No excuses. Cannot arrive less than your best and lacking confidence. Confidence comes with training
2) Don't give up after a weak moment. Come back stronger.
3) Effective practice is conscious presence, focused effort, with our entire being. Be in the now during 4) practice. Imagine a teacher standing on my shoulder and telling me 'Be here now'.
5) To win, uncover your authentic best self
6) How hard are you willing to work on competition day. Race day is a special day.
7) All team members must commit to the goals of the team. If you wanna win you gotta buy in. Commit 100% to the philosophy of team. Commit to my role in the team. Trust my coach and team mates.
8) Focus on each tiny step. Full focus on the process. Preparation is the key. Hey, I am ready.
9) Dream big.
10) That's what I want. Then go and get it. Commit to it. Tell others. Live the gold life.
11) Teaming is asking for help.
12) Focus on yourself. Not others. Take chances.

Game Plan - Before The Game

Goal setting (what to accomplish, clear and specific numbers, process)
Mental imagery (see yourself performing well, clear visual of process, of outcome)
Self talk (keep it simple, positive, remove all negative)
Confidence (can do attitude)
Focus (on target)
Breath control (breathe easy and deep)
Mental toughness (do the hard, stay within)
Anxiety (visualise your butterflies in formation)
Enjoy (have fun)
Body language (strong)
Intensity (energy level just right)
Affirmations (power phrases)

Principles
Go with what you got (don't doubt or underestimate yourself)
Most important thing is how you prepare for battle (you already are prepared)
Develop good routines to get a head start on opponent - reduce pre-competiton nervousness (music, visualisation, breathing)
Don't abandon the routine when most needed (stick to process)
Pep talks - keep it simple, clear, powerful/evoke previous success/ what you need to focus on to play your best/nothing to lose, everything to gain/enjoy each moment/ All night long, till the end give your best

Common Mental errors

- over emphasising the outcome
- trying too much 
- tracking the negative

List of Motivating Songs

One of the most interesting parts of the book is the list of motivational songs. I listened to a few. Here is the list.

1) Enter Sandman - Metallica

2) Pump it - Black Eyed Peas

3) Go Getta - Young Jeez

4) Lose Yourself - Eminem

5) Intro - The XX

6) Thunderstruck - ACDC

7) Drown in the now - The Crystal Method

8) Remember the Name - Fort Minor

9) Welcome to the jungle - Guns n Roses

10) Through the Fire - Pete Miser

11) Can't hold us - Macklemore and Ryan Lewis

12) Seven Nation Army - The White Stripes

Happy Listening

...

There are a lot of ideas in the book in a rather disorganised manner. Overall it seems to say - have a big vision, know your strengths and weaknesses, assess yourself all round, find help, get proper routines and work diligently, work towards the big vision, no substitute for hard work, have clear plans for game days, go for win, keep your mind on what you can do, if you fall get up and get going, use mental skills to be at your best mental state, follow process. Jim gets support from a lot of Zen stories, has a bunch of champions talk about their experiences (which was quite useful). Lots of information but just not organised in a manner - it is rather repetitive not delving deep. I have attempted to organise it the way I would like it because it does have some interesting parts to it. Maybe later I will write these down in a manner that makes sense to me as insights. The good parts are that it gave me some framework on mental preparation (too many again), some insights on preparing for the big games (don't change process, it's not another game, take chances), the level of comfort or happiness one needs in champion teams (none). 

A Passion for Success - Kazuo Inamori

Kazua Inamori founded the Kyocera (Kyoto Ceramics) Company at 27 years of age, made it a success based on certain principles, established the Kyocera Corporation in California in 1976, founded DDI Corporation and Nippon Iridium and has donated 200 mn for the Inamori Foundation. His principles and philosophies are very simple - have no self interest, don't be a slave to money, grow other people, team before self, have big dreams and work relentlessly for them, find ways, empower people, be fair, be honest, be a learner, be humble. Harsha gave me this book to read and I found it validated many principles I believe in too.

The book has two parts - "How to Succeed in Life" and "How to Succeed in Business". 

To succeed in life he says one must be the hero (like in a movie, write your script and be its hero, not a side character), learn from all sources available (much wisdom available in elders), have a purpose and work for it, look at yourself objectively know your areas of strength and weakness, put in continuous effort towards your goal and most importantly follow his formula of
 Success = Ability X Effort X Attitude

Ability -
know where you stand objectively and try to learn and improve
overcome limitations through effort
imbibe some boldness and sensitivity which will help
control your instincts so you make better decisions (and not emotional ones)
focus your intellect
work on your character
to raise your ability you can set an impossible goal and work towards it with a time frame.

Effort 
Work is spiritual satisfaction
grow through your work by setting big goals
open new eras by being passionate about them (begin every project assuming you are starting with nothing)
things change when you learn to love your work
concentrate on one thing - by mastering one thing completely, you gain access to all things
be open to learning (misfortunes an be blessings, just be open)
be humble and satisfied, do what's right
infuse your energy into others because then you will get success even when material resources are lacking (if team members say they will do it you have a 30% chance of success, if they say they will do their best you have a 50% chance of success but if you infuse your energy and they consider the project their own, you have  a90% chance)
Make your team burn with passion. 

Attitude

never give up in the darkest hour
believe in the right path
think win-win
to build trustworthy relationships understand that it is about your mind's reflection, trust comes from within
try to see things as they are, unselfishly, then you can achieve anything
a person's ability is measured by decisions - to make a good decision one must see things as they are
give attention to detail
the subconscious mind makes the right decisions
your inner compass leads to the right decisions
base your judgement on fundamental truths and principles. 

To Succeed in Business he gives his formula of PASSION - Profit, Ambition, Sincerity, Strength, Innovation, Optimism and Never Give Up. Can't not succeed if you practice all these or even some of these. He looks at the enterprise as a drama on stage where everyone has a role to play and only when everyone does their role with commitment and passion do we have a successful play.

Profit - 

In his words - it is about maximising revenues and minimising costs. Do not chase profits - just do these two diligently. Kyocera shifted priority from technology to employees and rewrote their mission as 'the management rationale is to provide opportunities for the material and intellectual growth of all employees and through our joint effort, contribute to the advancement of society and mankind.' He says profit is society's reward for those who serve its interests.
Believe in basic rules and principles.
Pricing is management.
The essence of management is to maximise profit while satisfying the customer fully.
Follow the P&L daily.
Develop an internal reserve and act like it does not exist
Set ambitious goals and share goals with everyone, the master plan. Then see that every unit has their own plan.
He advises us to wrestle from the centre of the ring which means don't wait till it gets dangerous. Always place group interest above yours.

Ambition
Our desire to succeed should be so strong that it reaches and permeates our subconscious mind.
Have a clear and strong vision.
Be a self starter.
Work from the centre of your vortex- excel in your work and radiate excellence from it.
Your passion to succeed will open paths where none existed before.
If you have a virtuous motive - you do not need to worry about the results.

Sincerity

Any business victory should create harmony.
Work with the heart as base - abandon self-interest.
Being virtuous is the ability to make others spontaneously respect us.
All members should share the same values. be a humble leader.
A balanced executive has the qualities that posses dual extremes.
Practice great love where a great number of people get happiness form your work. Little love keeps everyone small.
Evaluate, assign and follow up - instruct rigorously and clearly, assign tasks, promote confidence, evaluate person's character, his or her attitude, constantly observe, follow up and coach.
Treat subordinates with love - give them guidance, discipline and training. Great virtue can be seen as being merciless but small virtue is seen as a great vice. Small love brings temporary popularity and short term results.
Show that you care in small ways - a pat, a word.
Communicate with the heart. Sincerity binds the speaker with the listener.

Strength

Strength is the courage to do the right thing.
One must sacrifice self interest, set a moral example. The team will reflect the leader.
Before you challenge and innovate prepare extensively on financial and mental side. 
Be tough, push limits and open new paths.

Innovation

Be creative and encourage others to be creative so they make some improvement everyday.
Creativity - burst with energy.
Elevate the mid and see from a higher plane.
Face difficult situations head on - and when you do that you have access to divine intervention.
Don't lose your base when you innovate - stay stable at some place so you don't lose everything.
Take calculated risks.
Reject common sense, rebel against traditional thinking.

Optimism

Have a clear vision and stay optimistic.
Get high on your dream, live it.
Remove all fear of failure.
Conceive optimistically, plan pessimistically and execute optimistically.

Never Give Up

Progress comes from taking the same daily steps, however trivial they seem to appear.
Remember you don't fail until you stop.
Your desire must turn into conviction.
Pursue all possibilities, set high expectations.
Be a stern task master. Workers reflect leaders.
The joy and appreciation of colleagues is the reward we get. pursue perfection.
To influence others, be fair.
Ask questions, create a learning culture.
To create harmony, don't be greedy.                  

...

Very nice. I liked his insights on people management, on detail, on simplicity and just the virtue of sincere, hard work. Thanks Harsha.