[AltoLXI]

Originally Posted by Samurai

Is there an age to start reading books. I often wonder...

I started reading Kannada novels at 7 and switched to English only at 15. Initially, I didn't understand most of the emotions and situations, eventually I started understanding. But most people used to freak out when they used to see me read novels before hitting my teens.

When I was 13, we lived right above a well-known lady novelist's house as tenants. Won't tell her name, but Dr.Rajkumar did his famous come back movie based on her novel much later. Anyway, I used to frequent their house often. Her daughter was doing PhD in Kannada literature then and the mother-daughter were having a debate on a serious book. I overheard for a while and then poked my nose...

Me: Ah, I have read that book many times.
Daughter (D): You are deaf, I said Gramayana, not Ramayana.
Me: No, I mean Gramayana.
Author (A): No dear, that is a very serious literary kind of book. Not kids stuff.
Me: No, I mean Gramayana written by Rao Bahadur. About 800 pages long.
D & A: What!! Ok, you got the author's name and pages about right. But you couldn't have read it. You are just 13.
Me: I read it first at 9, and then read it every summer because that is the one of few book available at my granny's place. I have read it at least 4-5 times.
D: Naaahhh! May be you just remember the title and author.
Me: Ok, how about the characters. Dada the wrestler, Balacharaya, Padadappa, etc.. <quoted some scenes too>
D & A: <stunned> My god, you have indeed read that book!
Me:

Another time, the author lady had given the autobiography of Kuvempu to my mom to read since she knew my mom was an avid reader. Couple days later:

Author: So, have you started reading the book.
Mom: No, not yet. But my son already finished it.
Author: What? That is an autobiography, not a story book.
Mom: Makes no difference to him.
Author: Oh yeah, I forgot. He is the kid who read Gramayana.

By 15 I had read many of the works of the greats of Kannada literature like Kuvempu, Shivarama Karantha, Yeshawantha Chittala, Masti Venkatesh Iyer, T K Rama rao, Gorur Ramaswamy Iyengar, etc. Also read every Kannada translation of Yendamoori Virendranath' telugu novels. Finally, I used to read every novel serials on weekly magazines Taranga and Sudha.

Around that time some distant aunt heard I read books. So she presented me a famous five and hardy boys. My first set of English books. Sheesh.... it was kids stuff! So I didn't touch English books for a while, until I came across Alistair MacLean's The Last Frontier in my friend's house, I was hooked. That was followed by James Clavell's Shogun, which just blew my mind. After that there was no looking back, I have been reading ever since.

I read Yeshawantha Chittala's "Shikari" when I was in college and felt disturbed by the travails suffered by the protagonist of the novel. Plan to read it again in the context of office politics.

Read Shivaram Karanth's "Chomana Dudi" and Kuvempu's "Ramayana Darshanam" while in school.

Read selected sections of Plato's Republic last month.

Rereading Dostoevsky's "Crime and punishment".

[SX4LOVER]

Reading "India Unbound" by Gurcharan Das. Its about India's development from the independence to the current IT age, and the factors/people that shaped (or read deformed) its future.

its an insight into why the country is what it is todays, in terms of economy, its people, corruption and how our leaders failed in the initial years to put the country on the right track.

Im trying not to be judgemental though.

[Brix]

This might be late - but I picked up "The Tales of Beedle the Bard" for Rs.50 from the recent sale at Odyssey and the book is simply brilliant.

Its a short read, but each tale is fantastic. Rowling is an amazing author.

[speedsatya]

Finally completed reading Simply Fly.These days its I Have a Dream by Rashmi Bansal

[r_devakumar]

My top reading list:

1. The Fountainhead - Ayn Rand
2. Atlas Shrugged- Ayn Rand,

Great books and master piece. The content is heavy but the standard and level of thinking / narrating style are amazing.

3. First, Break All the Rules: What the World's Greatest Managers Do Differently
- Marcus Buckingham, Curt Coffman.

A good book for people managers

4. Why Men Don't Listen and Women Can't Read Maps: How We're Different and What to Do About It - Allan Pease, Barbara Pease

Gives some fundamental understanding about men and women behaviors.

5. Rich Dad, Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money--That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not! - Robert T. Kiyosaki

In school we are taught about language, morals, science. But they don't teach about money.

[invidious]

I am an author. I wonder if I can talk about my book which is a World War 2 thriller? Or would I be violating some policy if I did?

[tsk1979]

Originally Posted by invidious

I am an author. I wonder if I can talk about my book which is a World War 2 thriller? Or would I be violating some policy if I did?

Yes, you can talk about your book, but you cannot ask people to buy it, or give links to online sites to buy it etc., etc., you get the drift

[invidious]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

Yes, you can talk about your book, but you cannot ask people to buy it, or give links to online sites to buy it etc., etc., you get the drift

Oh cool, thanks. It is called The Tenth Unknown - here is a link of the director Shyam Benegal talking about the book and introducing it.

Shyam Benegal introduces - The Tenth Unknown - India's first World War 2 Novel - YouTube

I hope you guys enjoy it.

[trek]

I am currently reading "Selling to Big Companies" by Jill Konrath.

I am almost halfway and this book seems to be right on target in providing the proper methodology for B2B sales.

I'd recommend this one amongst all the sales books I have read till date.

[syravi]

I just wrote a book along with my son: The Quest of the Sparrows. It has been published by Rup Publications.

It's the story of an ordinary young man who takes leap of faith to set off on a testing journey. The path-breaking trail resets mindsets to change dramatically what people can accomplish in their lifetimes!

Inspired by the life of a sparrow that leads a carefree life, Partibhan, a young and reluctant guru takes off on an amazing journey in evolution. He believes that human beings can become powerful creators, but the desire to secure the future makes them mere survivors. Between birth and death, evolution is the only constant, which humans can achieve by giving up self-limiting practices.

Partibhan sets out to test spiritual principles at a practical level, with the exceptional 600 kilometer journey on foot without money and belongings. He wishes to demonstrate that man’s fixation on materialism and the need to accumulate is overrated: Survival isn’t the goal of life. A much bigger role, a higher calling awaits us.

Partibhan and his followers overcome hardships on the way to find the answers they seek. They are able to prove that spirituality isn’t an impractical concept as many have come to believe but is inseparable from evolution. The journey has an inspirational message for all of us.

[JVH]

Originally Posted by syravi

I just wrote a book along with my son: The Quest of the Sparrows. It has been published by Rup Publications.

It's the story of an ordinary young man who takes leap of faith to set off on a testing journey. The path-breaking trail resets mindsets to change dramatically what people can accomplish in their lifetimes!

Inspired by the life of a sparrow that leads a carefree life, Partibhan, a young and reluctant guru takes off on an amazing journey in evolution. He believes that human beings can become powerful creators, but the desire to secure the future makes them mere survivors. Between birth and death, evolution is the only constant, which humans can achieve by giving up self-limiting practices.

Partibhan sets out to test spiritual principles at a practical level, with the exceptional 600 kilometer journey on foot without money and belongings. He wishes to demonstrate that man’s fixation on materialism and the need to accumulate is overrated: Survival isn’t the goal of life. A much bigger role, a higher calling awaits us.

Partibhan and his followers overcome hardships on the way to find the answers they seek. They are able to prove that spirituality isn’t an impractical concept as many have come to believe but is inseparable from evolution. The journey has an inspirational message for all of us.

I recall reading a similar story line in the book Siddhartha written by a german author Hermann Hesse.

Am just trying to understand if the story is very much similar to Siddharta albeit in a different era/background. Personally, I liked Siddhartha and I may want to give your book a try.

[syravi]

Originally Posted by JVH

I recall reading a similar story line in the book Siddhartha written by a german author Hermann Hesse.

Am just trying to understand if the story is very much similar to Siddharta albeit in a different era/background. Personally, I liked Siddhartha and I may want to give your book a try.

I too have seen the movie and liked it. But this is a very different story...

[plimsollmark]

Just finished reading The Winner by David Baldacci. That is one author who can churn out the best thrillers.

Reading The Affair by Lee Child now. Although his one man hero books are a bit repetetive, I somehow love reading him.

[mobike008]

Originally Posted by plimsollmark

Just finished reading The Winner by David Baldacci. That is one author who can churn out the best thrillers.

Reading The Affair by Lee Child now. Although his one man hero books are a bit repetetive, I somehow love reading him.

+1. Both these authors are my favorite. I love Jack Reacher's character in Lee Child's books. Need to check these 2 books ASAP

[mav2000]

Just finished the first two parts of a series by an Indian Author, Amish. Both are good and worth reading. This is the Shiva trilogy. Eagerly waiting for the third book.

Another Indian author, Ashwin Sanghi has written this book called Chanakyas Chant. Extremely good book and blends the past and the present very well. Worth a read as well.