Varun's bookshelf: all en-US Sun, 28 Feb 2021 10:20:00 -0800 60 Varun's bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg <![CDATA[The Pig That Wants to Be Eaten: 100 Experiments for the Armchair Philosopher]]> 282758 320 Julian Baggini 0452287448 Varun 0 to-read 3.74 2005 The Pig That Wants to Be Eaten: 100 Experiments for the Armchair Philosopher
author: Julian Baggini
name: Varun
average rating: 3.74
book published: 2005
rating: 0
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date added: 2021/02/28
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]]> <![CDATA[The Tatas: How a Family Built a Business and a Nation]]> 40041681 276 Girish Kuber 9352779371 Varun 0 to-read 4.31 2015 The Tatas: How a Family Built a Business and a Nation
author: Girish Kuber
name: Varun
average rating: 4.31
book published: 2015
rating: 0
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date added: 2020/11/13
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]]> <![CDATA[Ignited Minds: Unleashing the Power Within India]]> 693771
Ignited Unleashing the Power Within India goes the logical next step and examines why, given all our skills, resources and talents, we, so obviously capable of being the best, settle so often for the worst. What is it that we as a nation are missing? For at the heart of Ignited Minds is an irresistible the people of a nation have the power, by dint of hard work, to realize their dream of a truly good life.

Kalam offers no formulaic prescription in Ignited Minds . Instead, he takes up different issues and themes that struck him on his pilgrimage around the country as he met thousands of school children, teachers, scientists and saints and seers in the course of two the necessity for a patriotism that transcends religion and politics; for role models who point out the path to take; and for confidence in ourselves and in our strengths.

Who was he to write on so large a theme, he wondered as he started writing this book. But at the end, Kalam's humility notwithstanding, this may well prove to be the book that motivates us to get back on the winning track and unleash the energy within a nation that hasn't allowed itself full rein.]]> 222 A.P.J. Abdul Kalam 0143029827 Varun 0 to-read 4.01 2002 Ignited Minds: Unleashing the Power Within India
author: A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
name: Varun
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2002
rating: 0
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date added: 2020/11/13
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]]> Bullshit Jobs: A Theory 34466958 From bestselling writer David Graeber, a powerful argument against the rise of meaningless, unfulfilling jobs, and their consequences.

Does your job make a meaningful contribution to the world? In the spring of 2013, David Graeber asked this question in a playful, provocative essay titled “On the Phenomenon of Bullshit Jobs.� It went viral. After a million online views in seventeen different languages, people all over the world are still debating the answer.

There are millions of people—HR consultants, communication coordinators, telemarketing researchers, corporate lawyers—whose jobs are useless, and, tragically, they know it. These people are caught in bullshit jobs.

Graeber explores one of society’s most vexing and deeply felt concerns, indicting among other villains a particular strain of finance capitalism that betrays ideals shared by thinkers ranging from Keynes to Lincoln. Bullshit Jobs gives individuals, corporations, and societies permission to undergo a shift in values, placing creative and caring work at the center of our culture. This book is for everyone who wants to turn their vocation back into an avocation.]]> 335 David Graeber 150114331X Varun 0 to-read 4.03 2018 Bullshit Jobs: A Theory
author: David Graeber
name: Varun
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2018
rating: 0
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date added: 2020/11/13
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]]> <![CDATA[Scion of Ikshvaku (Ram Chandra, #1)]]> 24709327
3400 BCE. INDIA
Ayodhya is weakened by divisions. A terrible war has taken its toll. The damage runs deep. The demon King of Lanka, Raavan, does not impose his rule on the defeated. He, instead, imposes his trade. Money is sucked out of the empire. The Sapt Sindhu people descend into poverty, despondency and corruption. They cry for a leader to lead them out of the morass. Little do they appreciate that the leader is among them. One whom they know. A tortured and ostracised prince. A prince they tried to break. A prince called Ram.

He loves his country, even when his countrymen torment him. He stands alone for the law. His band of brothers, his Sita, and he, against the darkness of chaos.

Will Ram rise above the taint that others heap on him? Will his love for Sita sustain him through his struggle? Will he defeat the demon Lord Raavan who destroyed his childhood? Will he fulfil the destiny of the Vishnu?

Begin an epic journey with Amish’s latest: the Ram Chandra Series.]]> 354 Amish Tripathi 9385152149 Varun 4 3.81 2015 Scion of Ikshvaku (Ram Chandra, #1)
author: Amish Tripathi
name: Varun
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2015
rating: 4
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date added: 2020/11/11
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]]> <![CDATA[Sita: Warrior of Mithila (Ram Chandra, #2)]]> 34680719
India is beset with divisions, resentment and poverty. The people hate their rulers. They despise their corrupt and selfish elite. Chaos is just one spark away. Outsiders exploit these divisions. Raavan, the demon king of Lanka, grows increasingly powerful, sinking his fangs deeper into the hapless Sapt Sindhu.

Two powerful tribes, the protectors of the divine land of India, decide that enough is enough. A saviour is needed. They begin their search.

An abandoned baby is found in a field. Protected by a vulture from a pack of murderous wolves. She is adopted by the ruler of Mithila, a powerless kingdom, ignored by all. Nobody believes this child will amount to much. But they are wrong.

For she is no ordinary girl. She is Sita.

Continue the epic journey with Amish’s latest: A thrilling adventure that chronicles the rise of an orphan, who became the prime minister. And then, a Goddess.

This is the second book in the Ram Chandra Series. A sequel that takes you back. Back before the beginning.]]> 361 Amish Tripathi 9386224585 Varun 4 3.96 2017 Sita: Warrior of Mithila (Ram Chandra, #2)
author: Amish Tripathi
name: Varun
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at: 2018/06/17
date added: 2020/11/11
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]]> A Thousand Splendid Suns 128029
With the passing of time comes Taliban rule over Afghanistan, the streets of Kabul loud with the sound of gunfire and bombs, life a desperate struggle against starvation, brutality and fear, the women's endurance tested beyond their worst imaginings. Yet love can move people to act in unexpected ways, lead them to overcome the most daunting obstacles with a startling heroism. In the end it is love that triumphs over death and destruction.

A Thousand Splendid Suns is a portrait of a wounded country and a story of family and friendship, of an unforgiving time, an unlikely bond, and an indestructible love.]]> 372 Khaled Hosseini 1594489505 Varun 5 4.44 2007 A Thousand Splendid Suns
author: Khaled Hosseini
name: Varun
average rating: 4.44
book published: 2007
rating: 5
read at: 2018/06/17
date added: 2020/11/11
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]]> The Kite Runner 77203 371 Khaled Hosseini 159463193X Varun 5 4.34 2003 The Kite Runner
author: Khaled Hosseini
name: Varun
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2003
rating: 5
read at: 2020/11/11
date added: 2020/11/11
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]]> <![CDATA[The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari: A Fable About Fulfilling Your Dreams and Reaching Your Destiny]]> 43877 Wisdom to Create a Life of Passion, Purpose, and Peace.

This inspiring tale provides a step-by-step approach to living with greater courage, balance, abundance, and joy. A wonderfully crafted fable, The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari tells the extraordinary story of Julian Mantle, a lawyer forced to confront the spiritual crisis of his out-of-balance life. On a life-changing odyssey to an ancient culture, he discovers powerful, wise, and practical lessons that teach us to:

Develop Joyful Thoughts, Follow Our Life's Mission and Calling, Cultivate Self-Discipline and Act Courageously, Value Time as Our Most Important Commodity, Nourish Our Relationships, and Live Fully, One Day at a Time.]]> 208 Robin Sharma 0062515675 Varun 4 3.88 1996 The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari: A Fable About Fulfilling Your Dreams and Reaching Your Destiny
author: Robin Sharma
name: Varun
average rating: 3.88
book published: 1996
rating: 4
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]]> The Alchemist 18144590 The Alchemist has become a modern classic, selling millions of copies around the world and transforming the lives of countless readers across generations.

Paulo Coelho's masterpiece tells the mystical story of Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who yearns to travel in search of a worldly treasure. His quest will lead him to riches far different—and far more satisfying—than he ever imagined. Santiago's journey teaches us about the essential wisdom of listening to our hearts, recognizing opportunity and learning to read the omens strewn along life's path, and, most importantly, following our dreams.]]> 182 Paulo Coelho 0062315005 Varun 5 4.01 1988 The Alchemist
author: Paulo Coelho
name: Varun
average rating: 4.01
book published: 1988
rating: 5
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]]> <![CDATA[Raavan: Enemy of Aryavarta (Ram Chandra, #3)]]> 35286872
WITHOUT THE VILLAIN, WHAT WOULD THE GODS DO?

INDIA, 3400 BCE.

A land in tumult, poverty and chaos. Most people suffer quietly. A few rebel. Some fight for a better world. Some for themselves. Some don’t give a damn. Raavan. Fathered by one of the most illustrious sages of the time. Blessed by the Gods with talents beyond all. Cursed by fate to be tested to the extremes.

A formidable teenage pirate, he is filled with equal parts courage, cruelty and fearsome resolve. A resolve to be a giant among men, to conquer, plunder, and seize the greatness that he thinks is his right.

A man of contrasts, of brutal violence and scholarly knowledge. A man who will love without reward and kill without remorse.

This exhilarating third book of the Ram Chandra series sheds light on Ravaan, the king of Lanka. And the light shines on darkness of the darkest kind. Is he the greatest villain in history or just a man in a dark place, all the time?

Read the epic tale of one of the most complex, violent, passionate and accomplished men of all time.]]> 400 Amish Tripathi Varun 4 4.14 2019 Raavan: Enemy of Aryavarta (Ram Chandra, #3)
author: Amish Tripathi
name: Varun
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2019
rating: 4
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]]> <![CDATA[Wings of Fire: An Autobiography]]> 634583 180 A.P.J. Abdul Kalam 8173711461 Varun 0 currently-reading 4.28 1999 Wings of Fire: An Autobiography
author: A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
name: Varun
average rating: 4.28
book published: 1999
rating: 0
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]]> The White Tiger 1768603
Balram Halwai is a complicated man. Servant. Philosopher. Entrepreneur. Murderer. Over the course of seven nights, by the scattered light of a preposterous chandelier, Balram tells us the terrible and transfixing story of how he came to be a success in life—having nothing but his own wits to help him along.

Born in the dark heart of India, Balram gets a break when he is hired as a driver for his village's wealthiest man, two house Pomeranians (Puddles and Cuddles), and the rich man's (very unlucky) son. From behind the wheel of their Honda City car, Balram's new world is a revelation. While his peers flip through the pages of Murder Weekly ("Love -- Rape -- Revenge!"), barter for girls, drink liquor (Thunderbolt), and perpetuate the Great Rooster Coop of Indian society, Balram watches his employers bribe foreign ministers for tax breaks, barter for girls, drink liquor (single-malt whiskey), and play their own role in the Rooster Coop. Balram learns how to siphon gas, deal with corrupt mechanics, and refill and resell Johnnie Walker Black Label bottles (all but one). He also finds a way out of the Coop that no one else inside it can perceive.

Balram's eyes penetrate India as few outsiders can: the cockroaches and the call centers; the prostitutes and the worshippers; the ancient and Internet cultures; the water buffalo and, trapped in so many kinds of cages that escape is (almost) impossible, the white tiger. And with a charisma as undeniable as it is unexpected, Balram teaches us that religion doesn't create virtue, and money doesn't solve every problem -- but decency can still be found in a corrupt world, and you can get what you want out of life if you eavesdrop on the right conversations.

The White Tiger recalls The Death of Vishnu and Bangkok 8 in ambition, scope, and narrative genius, with a mischief and personality all its own. Amoral, irreverent, deeply endearing, and utterly contemporary, this novel is an international publishing sensation —and a startling, provocative debut.]]> 276 Aravind Adiga 1416562591 Varun 3 3.76 2008 The White Tiger
author: Aravind Adiga
name: Varun
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2008
rating: 3
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date added: 2020/11/11
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]]> <![CDATA[The Magnetic Leader: How Irresistible Leaders Attract Employees, Customers, and Profits]]> 31212987 190 Roberta Chinsky Matuson 1629561657 Varun 4 3.70 The Magnetic Leader: How Irresistible Leaders Attract Employees, Customers, and Profits
author: Roberta Chinsky Matuson
name: Varun
average rating: 3.70
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2020/11/11
date added: 2020/11/11
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]]> <![CDATA[My Frozen Turbulence in Kashmir]]> 651389 Jagmohan 8170233526 Varun 0 to-read 4.16 1993 My Frozen Turbulence in Kashmir
author: Jagmohan
name: Varun
average rating: 4.16
book published: 1993
rating: 0
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date added: 2019/07/12
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]]> Thinking, Fast and Slow 11468377 Thinking, Fast and Slow, Kahneman takes us on a groundbreaking tour of the mind and explains the two systems that drive the way we think. System 1 is fast, intuitive, and emotional; System 2 is slower, more deliberative, and more logical. Kahneman exposes the extraordinary capabilities—and also the faults and biases—of fast thinking, and reveals the pervasive influence of intuitive impressions on our thoughts and behavior. The impact of loss aversion and overconfidence on corporate strategies, the difficulties of predicting what will make us happy in the future, the challenges of properly framing risks at work and at home, the profound effect of cognitive biases on everything from playing the stock market to planning the next vacation—each of these can be understood only by knowing how the two systems work together to shape our judgments and decisions.

Engaging the reader in a lively conversation about how we think, Kahneman reveals where we can and cannot trust our intuitions and how we can tap into the benefits of slow thinking. He offers practical and enlightening insights into how choices are made in both our business and our personal lives—and how we can use different techniques to guard against the mental glitches that often get us into trouble. Thinking, Fast and Slow will transform the way you think about thinking.]]> 499 Daniel Kahneman 0374275637 Varun 0 4.17 2011 Thinking, Fast and Slow
author: Daniel Kahneman
name: Varun
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2011
rating: 0
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date added: 2017/04/08
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]]> <![CDATA[All the Ugly and Wonderful Things]]> 26114135
As the daughter of a drug dealer, Wavy knows not to trust people, not even her own parents. It's safer to keep her mouth shut and stay out of sight. Struggling to raise her little brother, Donal, eight-year-old Wavy is the only responsible adult around. Obsessed with the constellations, she finds peace in the starry night sky above the fields behind her house, until one night her star gazing causes an accident. After witnessing his motorcycle wreck, she forms an unusual friendship with one of her father's thugs, Kellen, a tattooed ex-con with a heart of gold.

By the time Wavy is a teenager, her relationship with Kellen is the only tender thing in a brutal world of addicts and debauchery. When tragedy rips Wavy's family apart, a well-meaning aunt steps in, and what is beautiful to Wavy looks ugly under the scrutiny of the outside world. A powerful novel you wont soon forget, Bryn Greenwood's All the Ugly and Wonderful Things challenges all we know and believe about love.]]> 432 Bryn Greenwood Varun 0 to-read 3.96 2016 All the Ugly and Wonderful Things
author: Bryn Greenwood
name: Varun
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2016
rating: 0
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date added: 2016/12/15
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]]> <![CDATA[The Oath of the Vayuputras (Shiva Trilogy, #3)]]> 12820793
Shiva is gathering his forces. He reaches the Naga capital, Panchavati, and Evil is finally revealed. The Neelkanth prepares for a holy war against his true enemy, a man whose name instils dread in the fiercest of warriors.

India convulses under the onslaught of a series of brutal battles. It's a war for the very soul of the nation. Many will die. But Shiva must not fail, no matter what the cost. In his desperation, he reaches out to the ones who have never offered any help to him: the Vayuputras.

Will he succeed? And what will be the real cost of battling Evil? To India? And to Shiva's soul?

Discover the answer to these mysteries in this concluding part of the bestselling Shiva Trilogy.]]> 575 Amish Tripathi 9382618341 Varun 4 3.79 2013 The Oath of the Vayuputras (Shiva Trilogy, #3)
author: Amish Tripathi
name: Varun
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2013
rating: 4
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date added: 2016/02/03
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]]> <![CDATA[The Secret of the Nagas (Shiva Trilogy #2)]]> 11827808
4000 years ago, He was just a man.

The hunt is on. The sinister Naga warrior has killed his friend Brahaspati and now stalks his wife Sati. Shiva, the Tibetan immigrant who is the prophesied destroyer of evil, will not rest till he finds his demonic adversary. His vengeance and the path to evil will lead him to the door of the Nagas, the serpent people. Of that he is certain.

The evidence of the malevolent rise of evil is everywhere. A kingdom is dying as it is held to ransom for a miracle drug. A crown prince is murdered. The Vasudevs Shivas philosopher guides betray his unquestioning faith as they take the aid of the dark side. Even the perfect empire, Meluha is riddled with a terrible secret in Maika, the city of births. Unknown to Shiva, a master puppeteer is playing a grand game.

In a journey that will take him across the length and breadth of ancient India, Shiva searches for the truth in a land of deadly mysteries only to find that nothing is what it seems.

Fierce battles will be fought. Surprising alliances will be forged. Unbelievable secrets will be revealed in this second book of the Shiva Trilogy, the sequel to the #1 national bestseller, The Immortals of Meluha.]]> 371 Amish Tripathi Varun 5 3.98 2011 The Secret of the Nagas (Shiva Trilogy #2)
author: Amish Tripathi
name: Varun
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2011
rating: 5
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date added: 2016/02/03
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]]> <![CDATA[The Immortals of Meluha (Shiva Trilogy, #1)]]> 7913305 The only hope for the Suryavanshis is an ancient legend: When evil reaches epic proportions, when all seems lost, when it appears that your enemies have triumphed, a hero will emerge.

Is the rough-hewn Tibetan immigrant Shiva, really that hero? And does he want to be that hero at all? Drawn suddenly to his destiny, by duty as well as by love, will Shiva lead the Suryavanshi vengeance and destroy evil?

]]> 436 Amish Tripathi Varun 5 4.11 2010 The Immortals of Meluha (Shiva Trilogy, #1)
author: Amish Tripathi
name: Varun
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2010
rating: 5
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date added: 2016/02/03
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]]> <![CDATA[Three Men in a Boat (Three Men, #1)]]> 4921
"We agree that we are overworked, and need a rest - A week on the rolling deep? - George suggests the river -"

And with the co-operation of several hampers of food and a covered boat, the three men (not forgetting the dog) set out on a hilarious voyage of mishaps up the Thames. When not falling in the river and getting lost in Hampton Court Maze, Jerome K. Jerome finds time to express his ideas on the world around - many of which have acquired a deeper fascination since the day at the end of the 19th century when this excursion was so lightly undertaken.]]> 185 Jerome K. Jerome Varun 4 3.86 1889 Three Men in a Boat (Three Men, #1)
author: Jerome K. Jerome
name: Varun
average rating: 3.86
book published: 1889
rating: 4
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date added: 2016/02/03
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]]> A Fine Balance 5211
The time is 1975. The place is an unnamed city by the sea. The government has just declared a State of Emergency, in whose upheavals four strangers--a spirited widow, a young student uprooted from his idyllic hill station, and two tailors who have fled the caste violence of their native village--will be thrust together, forced to share one cramped apartment and an uncertain future.

As the characters move from distrust to friendship and from friendship to love, A Fine Balance creates an enduring panorama of the human spirit in an inhuman state.]]> 603 Rohinton Mistry 140003065X Varun 0 to-read 4.38 1995 A Fine Balance
author: Rohinton Mistry
name: Varun
average rating: 4.38
book published: 1995
rating: 0
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date added: 2013/12/24
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]]>