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Book Review: Decoding ESG by Rear Admiral Sanjay Roye

"Decoding ESG - A Comprehensive Guide to Environmental, Social, and Governance Principles" offers a profound exploration of the intricate realm of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) principles. Through a meticulous examination of its core components, this book serves as an indispensable resource for readers seeking to understand and apply ESG principles in today's corporate world.  The book commences by elucidating the fundamental concepts of ESG, illuminating its paramount importance in shaping contemporary corporate strategies. It then proceeds to dissect the three pillars of ESG—Environmental, Social, and Governance—providing readers with a nuanced comprehension of their profound impact on businesses worldwide. 

Bookmarked Musings~ Week # 2

This book has my heart. I first heard Rebecca when I was ten. Yes, I did not read it, I heard it. It so happened that the syllabus for our class was over, so the concerned teacher exchanged her classes with another teacher to complete the syllabus in the other class.                            This teacher was reading Rebecca at that time. Given how difficult it is to control a class full of 10-year-olds, she decided to tell us this story. She asked us if we would like to listen to a story, also adding that she had yet to read it completely. But was enthralled and that we might love it too. We all agreed. . . .

Bookmarked Musings~ Week # 1

An old bookshelf fell apart last night. It was bought from a second-hand market a decade ago and as per the report of the carpenter working on it, is still strong. Just a few repairs and it will be up. On the outside, one could never guess some of the nails holding the shelves had come loose. . . . The first thing I noticed was the beauty in the mess created. ❤️ . . .

Learnings from the Masters - An Introduction

In 2021 I stopped accepting unsolicited review requests for multiple reasons. (Well, that calls for another long post.) I still do review books but they are very few and the titles are very carefully chosen. Throughout 2022 I read books that I fancied choosing randomly.  In early 2023 I decided to start reading books by/on artists I admired on creativity, the art of creation, and the love of creation. These artists were not just limited to the world of writing. It included singers, lyricists, directors, actors, and a whole of artists from other fields. The process was slow because it was no longer just about reading a book. It was also about analyzing it, processing it, and learning from the book. And thus, was born a new journal – Learnings from the Masters . 

Guest Post: Tips on writing a city as a character by Onyeka Nwelue (Author, The Nigerian Mafia: Mumbai)

A city is very much an entity and a complex one at that. It assumes for itself the life of any character(s) that identify with those of its elements given prime recognition. For instance, if the underbelly of a city is given prominence in a book, then the city gets to be seen as a villain. Where beaches, parks, gardens and serene parts of a city are central to the setting and plot of a story, then the city becomes romantic. In any book, the city assumes an entity in its own right. And even when this is not spelt out, but the reader knows. They always know. And if they don’t, there are some others who take note, and these ones end up wondering why their city is represented in a pleasing or displeasing manner; and then they contemplate whether to despise the author, or the book, or both. 

Excerpt: The Nigerian Mafia- Mumbai by Onyeka Nwelue

  Maybe you don’t like that I sold drugs. You may wonder why I came all the way from Nigeria to another man’s country to do illegal things. If someone had told me that I will be selling drugs when I came to India, believe me, I myself wouldn’t believe that person. And if the person had told me that selling drugs would be the only option for survival for me in India, I would never have come to India. You see, many of us you see are very good people back home in Nigeria. We come from respectable families. So many of us have invested time and resources in education. 

Spotlight: The Nigerian Mafia- Mumbai by Onyeka Nwelue

Spotlight: The Nigerian Mafia- Mumbai by Onyeka Nwelue Mumbai, the City That Never Sleeps Ek ungli kharab hai toh sab mat kaato – that is to say, don’t chop off all fingers if just one of them is rotten.

Book Review: Lost Edges by Salini Vineeth

ISBN:  978-9358111019 Genre: Drama / Contemporary Fiction Price: INR 349/- Lost Edges by Salini Vineeth Lost Edges by Salini Vineeth is the story of a couple, Ravi and Geetanjali as they navigate through their marriage. The story takes place in a decade after their marriage and captures the ups and downs of their marriage beautifully. Salini Vineeth is a fiction writer and travel blogger based out in Bangalore, India. Her latest book is Magic Square - an English Novella. She is an engineering graduate from BITS Pilani, Goa. She later completed her MTech from IIT-Bangalore. While working as an electronics engineer, Salini started her travel website Pick, Pack, Go in 2014.   Having read her work previously, I was kind of prepared for Lost Edges. However, the author that she is, Vineeth blew me away with the treatment of this story. Her knack for dealing with relationships, talking about their messier aspects while continuing to retain their beauty shines through the book. In the beginn

Release Day Spotlight: Lost (In Disgrace # 2) by Shilpa Suraj

  Lost is a story of love, betrayal, honour, revenge, and everything in between. It’s also a love story that sets fire to the world they live in leaving them with no choice but to rise from the ashes anew…

Book Review: Desiccated Land by David Lepeska

  ISBN: 978-9395481205  Genre: Non-fiction Publisher: Vishwakarma Publications  Bringing together his experiences as a journalist and a keen observer, David Lepeska writes a raw and gut-wrenching book on Kashmir. Part memoir, part travelogue, and part reportage, Desiccated Land is a page-turner.  The book starts by tracing the history of the region along with his own history, as a student who was dimly aware of the history of Kashmir and the turmoil it has been causing for centuries between India and Pakistan. Lepenska takes us to Nilamata Purana ( likely written in the 7th century ) which tells us the story leading to the birth of this region. He also shares an alternate possibility of the word being derived from a lake ‘Mira’ named after Vedic Sage Kashyapa.  His first visit to Kashmir closely followed by his second (and much longer) visit as a journalist working for the Kashmir Observer after the 9/11 attacks, make for an interesting read. Lepeska had questions, a lot of them. An