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Pichai: The Future of Google
by Jagmohan BhanverAn incisive look into the world’s most innovative tech company and the man chosen to lead it On 10 August 2015, an unassuming product expert who learnt his ropes at IIT Kharagpur was declared the next CEO of tech giant Google. Sundar Pichai’s appointment was hardly an unexpected one. Pichai is a man known as much for his veritable Midas touch with every product he has developed or led for Google – Chrome, Chrome OS and Android, to name just a few – as for his superlative people skills and open-minded approach to innovation. Yet, the company’s decision to restructure its product lines and appoint Pichai as the head of a leaner, more focused Google, has raised inevitable questions: • What does Pichai’s role augur for the future of the tech giant? • Will Google consolidate its position for existing products or will they focus on creating new ones? • And will Pichai transform the organization that Schmidt, Page and Brin created and led, or confirm the belief of a minority of naysayers that he is not yet ready for this daunting role? Pichai: The Future of Google provides answers to these questions while throwing light on Sundar Pichai’s childhood and education; his entry into the tech world and quick rise up the ranks in Google; and his key contributions as a leader and tech-guru to Google’s most successful properties. Timely and insightful, this book offers a rare glimpse into the fascinating ecosystem of a path-breaking company and shows us what it takes to be a dynamic leader in the 21st century.
Searching for Home: Stories of Indians Living Abroad
by Simran ChawlaA compelling chronicle of what it means to be Indian in a foreign land. In an age when India is one of the strongest emerging markets and a developing superpower, tens of thousands of Indians leave the country each year to seek new lives on distant shores. What are they looking for and what do they really find? In a first-of-its-kind narrative, journalist and American expat Simran Chawla documents the contemporary Indian immigrant experience in various corners of the world – from Alaska to the UK, Europe to Africa, the Americas to the Middle East. In this book, she tells the story of families like the Singhs who farm in the heartland of Italy just south of Verona; discovers the lucrative Indian wedding industry in the Gulf or United Arab Emirates; learns about the community of ʻaunties’ in Orlando who have found meaning in their lives once again by organizing sewing get-togethers; watches a cricket match between diamond traders in Antwerp; and explores the heartbreaking price of living illegally in London. In lucid, affecting prose, Searching for Home tells the stories of people who, though separated by thousands of kilometres, share experiences that continue to bind them to their homeland.
Akhada: The Authorized Biography of Mahavir Singh Phogat
by Saurabh DuggalThe inspiring story of one of India’s greatest wrestling coaches In 2000, after the Olympic Games closed with much fanfare in Sydney, legendary wrestler Mahavir Singh Phogat watched, dejected, as the prize reserved by his state government for the winner of an Olympic gold medal went unclaimed. Determined to never see this instance repeated, Phogat decided to do the unthinkable. Much to his neighbours’ curiosity, he spent two days digging a pit in his courtyard and asked his young daughters and nieces to join him there at the break of dawn one day. Little did they know that this unusual command from their father would change their lives forever. Yet, each of their wins in the ring, every ambition he had for them, came at great personal cost. In the small village of Balali in Haryana, a state infamous for its practice of female foeticide and low literacy rates, Phogat had to battle not just deep social stigma and an apathetic government but also a disapproving family and personal tragedy to train the girls in his sport. Akhada tells the remarkable story of a man of tremendous fortitude, of a father who fought against all odds to give his daughters a future they could not have dreamed for themselves.
On A Stormy Course: In the Hot Seat at St. Stephen's
by Valson ThampuWhat is the institution that the world knows as St. Stephen’s College, Delhi? Is it only an anthology of nostalgic tales, mythological anecdotes, free-wheeling assertions and transitory opinions? Or does it have a distinctive birth that defines its worth and dictates its mission? For four decades, Reverend Valson Thampu served St. Stephen’s College, Delhi, first as a member of the faculty and then as principal, significantly impacting the stature of this prestigious educational institution. The last nine years of his tenure were rife with controversy. From accusations that he was ‘Christianizing’ the college to contentious debates over his educational qualifications to allegations that he was curbing the fundamental rights of the students, Reverend Thampu faced a constant barrage of storms. In On a Stormy Course, Reverend Thampu lays bare, for the first time, the truth behind those years of tumult. Against the backdrop of the vision and ideals of the founding fathers of the institution that in turn shaped his own principles and professional ethics, he reveals how he stayed steadfast and committed to the betterment of his alma mater in the face of hostile peers, media trials and public scorn. As thought-provoking as it is searing, this account offers a ringside view of the inner life of higher academics in India, mired as it is in disruptive institutional politics and unfortunate compromise. The incisive insights it presents reveal how rejuvenating and reforming India’s higher education system could well enable the country’s venerated institutions to serve their purpose of shaping young minds and thus, ultimately, the nation itself.
The Man Who Made History: The Neeraj Chopra Story
by Norris PritamNeeraj Chopra was born into a modest family in the village of Khandra, in Panipat district, where agriculture was the primary occupation. Modern sports were virtually unknown here and Neeraj grew up as just one of the village boys playing in the fields. But at age thirteen he became the butt of jokes when he tipped the scales at around 75 kilos. Concerned, his family initiated 'Operation Neeraj Fitness' and sent him to Shivaji Stadium in Panipat every day so that he could engage in sports and lose weight. It was here that Neeraj first encountered javelin throwing. Some older athletes encouraged him to give it a try, and to their astonishment, he displayed remarkable talent. Neeraj was hooked.
Avni: Inside the Hunt for India's Deadliest Maneater
by Nawab Shafath KhanIn 2018, news that a tigress named Avni had been shot dead in Yavatmal, Maharashtra, went viral online. When the saga played out on national media, the hunters were denounced as ruthless and bloodthirsty. However, there was more to the story.For, the tigress T1, as Avni was originally named, was a man-eater blamed for 13 killings. For over two years, she had spread fear over 150 square kilometres of rural Yavatmal, prompting more than 10,000 people to shut themselves inside their homes at night. Several attempts by the forest department to capture the animal alive had proved futile, and the authorities finally brought in hunters as a last resort.Now, for the first time, Nawab Shafath Ali Khan, the man who led the operation to neutralise T1, reveals the true story behind the biggest man-eating tiger operation in post-independent India. While painting a deeply empathetic portrait of the complexities of human–animal conflicts, Khan also raises important questions about the state of conservation in India.Heart-stopping and eventually tragic, Avni tells the story of a tigress pushed to her limit and of the man tasked with stopping her at all cost.
The Fall of Kabul: Despatches from Chaos
by Nayanima BasuJournalist Nayanima Basu had a ringside view of the total collapse of the republic of Afghanistan at the hands of the Taliban. From 8 to 17 August 2021, based in Kabul but travelling outside and talking to Afghans across the political spectrum, she sent despatches of the Taliban sweeping through the country, with provinces falling one after another. Covering a hostile war zone, a woman all alone, she saw the fall of Kabul in real time and managed to get out on the last flight by negotiating with Taliban bosses. Basu transports us to the heart of the action with her vivid narration and precise descriptions of what was happening in Afghanistan at large and Kabul in particular. Through her astonishing account of how she did her reporting – from asking gun-toting civilians for help to find her way back to her hotel and being chided by the hotel employees to stay safe in an iron room to being the only Indian journalist to ever interview the 'Butcher of Kabul' – Basu tells the story of not just the wreckage of the country's present but also of the contentious past that lead to it.
Everything Changes: A Memoir
by Sreemoyee Piu KunduWhen she was four, novelist and columnist Sreemoyee Piu Kundu's father died by suicide. In her memoir Everything Changes, she embarks on a path of self-discovery by recognising the scars of her childhoodlived under the shadow of his death. In a poignant act of piecing together her early life, Sreemoyee describes being bullied in school, suffering brutal romantic rejection as a teenager, undergoing her first gynaecological surgery at the age of 19 and later being pronounced infertile. Her gnawing abandonment trauma that most survivors of suicide grapple with and an abusive first love see her leave Kolkata and land in Delhi, finding her feet as a journalist. Sreemoyee meets success in the many roles she chooses thereon, but at the heartof each triumph rests the seed of loss and change.After decades of inner conflict, in the year she turns forty, in an act of surrender, Sreemoyee performs the last rites for her biological father, finally acknowledging his simultaneous presence and absence in her life. It is an act of forgiveness and faith. Will it help her relinquish her sense of betrayal and grief over a man she never trulyknew, but whose death haunted her life? Candid and moving, fluent and unflinching, Everything Changes tells the arduous story of rebuilding one's life over and over again.
Play It Right: The Man Who Beat the Odds on Wall Street
by Kamal GuptaFOR READERS OF MICHAEL LEWIS'S THE BIG SHORT AND ANITA RAGHAVAN'S THE BILLIONAIRE APPRENTICE COMES A TRUE STORY LIKE NO OTHERHow to launch the largest hedge fund in history on Wall Street by training in blackjack All around the world, the words 'Wall Street' conjure up a powerful image-for some, the centre of America's capitalist system and for others, the home of rapacious bankers whose greed led to a global financial crisis. For a scrappy Indian-born computer scientist, however, Wall Street represented something else entirely-a chance to play in the largest casino in the world. Bored with the tech world, Kamal Gupta devoted two years of his life to the single-minded pursuit of becoming a professional blackjack player and had grown his bankroll to thirty-two times its original size, getting barred from several casinos in the process. In an unexpected turn of events, his gambling exploits brought him to Wall Street where his unique skills led to him raising eight billion dollars for the largest hedge fund launch in history. Play It Right is a darkly comic account of Gupta's improbable journey from New Delhi to Las Vegas to New York. It isn't so much a story about money as it is about human ambition and beating the odds, whether at a casino, on Wall Street, or in life.
Kalam: The Untold Story
by R K PrasadRole model. Icon. Space scientist. Missile man. Bestselling author of books that have sold in millions and been translated into every Indian language. Bharat Ratna. Besides Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan. A following of millions. Dozens of other honours. The most popular President ever.In the small, exclusive world of New Delhi's power centres, however, all that can count for little with the bureaucrats who set the rules and the politicians to whom they report. In Kalam: The Untold Story, R K Prasad, his private secretary from 1995 to his death in 2015, shows us another Kalam-accomplished, successful, always modest despite the high positions he occupied, as also vulnerable and innocent. It is a journey he was part of, from Kalam's time as Scientific Adviser to the Defence Minister and DRDO chief, through Principal Scientific Adviser and President, and the years after the presidency. It throws new light on his relationship with political leaders, including those at the highest level, and the truth behind some of the controversies. Most of all it shows Kalam at his best, facing adversity and disappointment in a way that explains why he was what he was-an extraordinary man.
From the Village to the World: A Long Journey To Success
by Manu Patolia Kailash MotaFrom the Village to the World is the inspiring story of Manu Haribhai Patolia whose journey began from the village of Taravada in Gujarat. It traces five decades in the life of Patolia, from when he first landed in San Francisco in 1969 with only 75 cents in his pocket to establishing himself as a reputed entrepreneur and head of InvaPharm Inc. He fulfilled his dream of graduating as a civil engineer despite setbacks, and through sheer entrepreneurial brilliance built an empire worth $250 million. All the while, he continued to support his entire family and contributed to the setting up and growth of the Swaminarayan Sampradaya in the US. This stirring account encourages the young and ambitious to dream big, work hard and believe in themselves in order to fulfil their goals.
At The Wheel of Research: An Exclusive Biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan
by Anuradha MascarenhasIn this exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan, the inaugural chief scientist at the World Health Organization who served during the COVID-19 pandemic, Anuradha Mascarenhas tells the remarkable story of a career encompassing medicine, research, decision-making and philanthropy. She provides insights into the life of the globally acclaimed researcher drawing upon interviews with her family members, particularly her illustrious father, Dr M.S. Swaminathan, close friends and eminent scientists and researchers. She includes little-known anecdotes and stories from Swaminathan's days at school, college, universities and institutions in India and abroad. Some of the questions that are posed and answered include: Why did Dr Soumya Swaminathan initially refuse a top post at the World Health Organization? What made her reconsider? How did she tackle the challenges posed by the brutal COVID-19 pandemic to emerge as one of the most trusted scientific voices in the world? Mascarenhas shows how Swaminathan's unflappable and compassionate nature, her ability to connect with people and her willingness to work with others earned her worldwide recognition. At the Wheel of Research is an inspiring portrait of an impressive leader and a physician-scientist with a big heart.
Intertidal: A Coast and Marsh Diary
by Yuvan AvesOver two years and three monsoons, Yuvan Aves pays scrupulous attention to the living world of his coastal city. The result is a diary of deep observation of coast and wetland, climate and self. Set in beaches and marshes, and the wild places of the mind, Intertidal comprises daily accounts of being in a multispecies milieu. In language that is jewel-like and precise, we hear frog calls through the night, spot butterflies miles into the ocean, find blue buttons washed ashore, see the churning of longshore currents and meditate on the composting abilities of worms. We also witness communities stand together to preserve the homes and livelihoods of the human and non-human inhabitants of the coast and the marsh. Intertidal asks us to reimagine values to live by in the here and now, heeding the living world and attending to the climate's calling, moving away from the old political, religious and cultural values that have proved to be ecologically disastrous. Yuvan Aves invites us to see beyond the binaries of sea and coast, mindscape and landscape, human and not human, self and other, and live in deep animism amid all of life.
Barefoot Empress
by Vikas KhannaDiscover the life of the remarkable Karthyayani Amma, who went to school for the first time at the age of 96 and surprised the entire country by topping the Kerala government's literacy examination with a record-breaking score of 98 out of 100. Amma hails from Haripad in Alappuzha district, where she swept the streets outside temples in her village for a living. One day, she met Sathi, an educationist, who enrolled her in school. Amma studied hard and stood first, ahead of 43,300 students who appeared for the examination. In 2019 she became a Commonwealth of Learning Goodwill Ambassador. She was awarded the Nari Shakti Puraskar by President Ram Nath Kovind on Women's Day in March 2020. Her inspirational story is proof that it is never too late to realise your dreams.
Siddhartha: The Boy Who Became the Buddha
by Advait KottaryHis family was happy to see him, but they had hoped to meet the Siddhartha they knew, not the Buddha he had become. Long before he became the enlightened leader, he was a boy oblivious of the world. As the young prince navigates politics and relationships, he slowly begins to question his oppressively perfect life. Meanwhile his family struggles to maintain their deception - from banishing the old and sick to hiding their own advancing age - in the hope that they can mould him into a dutiful king. In Advait Kottary's intricately woven narrative, raw human emotion and conflict is tempered with the boundless compassion of the Buddha. Exciting and insightful in equal measure, Siddhartha is at once a riveting story and a profound meditation on our shared quest for truth.
Nation First
by Shikha Akhilesh SaxenaTwo decades after India's resounding victory at Kargil, stories and accounts of the war continue to be narrated with immense pride. Yet, one pertinent perspective has been largely overlooked - that of the army wives. In this remarkable book, Shikha Akhilesh Saxena, wife of artillery officer Captain Akhilesh Saxena, describes the turmoil endured by the families of military officers in the face of conflict.As a young couple, Shikha and Akhilesh unexpectedly found themselves in the midst of war. Shikha deftly depicts her own experiences as well as those of Akhilesh, who took part in missions at Tololing, the Hump and Three Pimples. What does a soldier go through, when marching off to a near-suicidal mission? And what does it take to survive, even thrive, having sustained serious injuries in battle? This detailed memoir shows the boundless bravery of the Indian troops, as well as the emotional tumult experienced by their families both during and after the war. Nation First is a story of grit, determination and heroic patriotism shown by the men and women who give their all to safeguard the country.
Sálim Ali for Children: The Bird Man of India
by Zai WhitakerOF COURSE THERE WERE BIRDS IN THE BUSHES, TREES AND SKIES BEFORE SÁLIM ALI. BUT IT WAS HE WHO PUT THEM ON INDIA'S MAP FOREVER.From being a trigger-happy airgun-toting nine-year-old boy to becoming one of the foremost bird scientists in the world, Sálim Ali did not follow a straight path. Somewhere along his adventures between India, Burma and Europe, he developed such a single-minded zeal for the study of feathered creatures that he spent all his time close to them. Over the long course of researching bird life, in the days when there were no computers or internet, he wrote the first Indian field guide to birds, using just a notebook and binoculars. 'Sálim Bhai' - as he was widely known - had neither wealth nor connections in high places, but his passion for birds, a phenomenal memory and discipline made him one of the most famous ornithologists in the country and beyond. In Sálim Ali for Children, his grand-niece Zai Whitaker brings to life the inspiring story of this brilliant, quirky man who left behind an incredible legacy.
The Viceroy's Artist: A Novel
by Anindyo RoySomewhere in the foothills of the Himalayas, a sixty-two-year-old English painter falls off his sketching stool. Overweight, asthmatic and prone to attacks of epilepsy, Edward Lear is nevertheless on a mission – to paint the mighty Kanchenjunga for his patron, the Viceroy of India.Lear is an oddity, an outsider, simultaneously fascinated and repelled by the world the British have built in India. Even as he battles the fatigue of travelling on pony carts, jampans and trains, Lear reflects on those who run the vast machinery of the Empire – administrators and missionaries, kitmutgars and kamsamahs.Duelling pompous British officers with his wry humour, Lear turns his ear to the polyphony of local languages to compose nonsense poetry with a uniquely Indian flavour. Woven into this vivid account are flashes from Lear's own life – deep-seated fears stemming from an unhappy childhood and the memory of unfulfilled adult relationships. Inspired by the journals of this celebrated artist and poet, Anindyo Roy brings to life Lear's little-known Indian sojourns. In lyrical prose, and occasional verse, The Viceroy's Artist paints a picture of an exceptional man who inspires by his unhindered imagination, curiosity and compassion for the world.
NAUSHADNAMA The Life and Music of Naushad: The Life And Music Of Naushad
by Raju BharatanNaushad is by popular consent the greatest among our film music composers, having been active for 65 years! For twenty years during that period, he ruled the field: from Rattan in 1944, he was the standard against whom every other composer tried to match himself! He didn't have much to show by way of originality after Mughal e Azam (1961), though his music never became base : it was only that the stars for whom he composed declined, the public taste changed, he became trapped in his own image as the custodian of the classical mould in film sangeet. It is a measure of the great man that he steadily refused to succumb to the market pressure. His composing abilities were never in question, but he could not give 'hits" or tunes that would appeal.When he tried to adjust, he was pathetic. Raju Bharatan is such an authority on Naushad and our film music, with so much first hand knowledge and information, a book from him on Naushad is likely to be the last word as an account of his professional life. But this book covers so much more: what the cine music filed was like from inside, how the composers were competing , how they were bad-mouthing Naushad in private, in spite of the show of public bonhomie, what devious games were played to corner awards and limelight, etc. The point is not the filmi world was so dirty; the point is that the composers created great music even in such atmosphere.
Pandora's Daughters
by Kalyani ShankarPandora's Daughters looks at eight prominent women leaders in modern India who have achieved great power in the male-dominated world of Indian politics, examining their traits and personalities, tactics and manoeuvres, strengths and disadvantages and analysing the reasons for their success.With her years of experience in covering national politics, Shankar combines rigorous research and invaluable insight to make Pandora's Daughters essential reading for all who wish to understand politics in India today.
Business Czarinas
by S N CharyBusiness Czarinas features some of the most successful businesswomen in India. Each of their stories is greatly inspiring: their journey to the top; the troubles and obstacles on the way; the opportunities they made the most of; the values they hold dear and the lessons they learnt. Management consultant S.N. Chary interviews nine remarkable women leaders, giving us insight into their work and life. In Business Czarinas these women tell us how they fought-at times for space, in a male-dominated environment-against all odds, with courage and strength. Candid, enlightening and full of practical, first-hand wisdom, these powerful stories make this book essential reading for both men and women.
Beyond NJ 9842: The SIACHEN Saga
by Nitin A GokhaleOperation Meghdoot was launched by the Indian Army on the barren and icy heights of the Siachen Glacier to thwart Pakistan from gaining control of this strategically located glacier. For three decades since then, Indian and Pakistani troops have been locked in an undeclared war on the world's highest – and coldest - battlefield.
Ashutosh Maharaj: Mahayogi ka Maharasya (Bloomsbury Revelations Ser.)
by Mr Sandeep DeoMahayogi Ashutosh Maharaj: The Master and the Mystic is about Shri Ashutosh Maharaj Ji, whose disciples have a firm conviction that he entered the state of samadhi on 28 January 2014. The medical world considers him to be clinically dead but his disciples strongly believe that Maharaj Ji will return to his body at a stipulated time; the reason being, before going into samadhi, he himself had revealed that he will be entering into this state. Not only this, even after assuming this state, he has revealed this fact to his disciples by manifesting in their inner, divine visions a number of times. That's why the disciples of Shri Ashutosh Maharaj Ji have preserved his body in a deep freezer for the last two years. It is an undeniable truth that Ashutosh Maharaj Ji is a secret-revealer, who unveils the divine light of the Supreme Lord within the inner being of his disciples by opening their Third Eye. He initiates his disciples into Brahm Gyan, which has been mentioned in the Vedas and the Upanishads. After all, who is not familiar with the Third Eye of Lord Shiva! Ashutosh Maharaj Ji clearly states that 'first behold God with your own eye (Third Eye), then repose your faith in any Guru.' Today, he has millions of followers all across the world. This is the first book written on Ashutosh Maharaj Ji. This book will reveal to the world as to who is this man who has once again brought into discussion the Vibhutipaad section of the Patanjali Yoga Sutras. The Vibhutipaadsection of the Patanjali Yoga Sutras talks about the different vibhutis (spiritual powers) acquired by a supreme yogi after he exercises his control on nature. One of these powers is the ability to renounce one's body for a long time. This book is an attempt to present the vivid persona of Shri Ashutosh Maharaj ji along with a lucid explanation of the same ancient knowledge, which is soon becoming extinct.
Swami Ramdev: Swami Ramdev ki Pehli aur Ekmatra Jeevani (Bloomsbury Revelations Ser.)
by Mr Sandeep DeoCan you imagine a man on excursion with the mission to inspire .2 million people through the medium of yoga everyday? If Swami Ramdev's movement would have happened in any other part of the world then a lot of universities would have done Ph. D on it! I asked him that we understand that you get energy, health and exaltation from Yoga but please tell us from where do you find the strength to face so many torments from all over.Baba Ramdev went for a mission to promote health of all citizens so that poor people can keep optimum health through yoga and overcome diseases that cannot be cured even through expensive medicines. But while on this mission, he found out that the bigger problem lies within the country than globally with regards to health. Then he started to raise his voice. He is man of determination and once he takes aim, he does not give up until it is accomplished.
The People's President: Dr A P J Abdul Kalam
by S M KhanDr APJ Kalam abolished the practice of having a larger chair for the Rashtrapati on a dias when attending any function He regularly read both the Quran and the Geeta and played the veena and wrote poetry in his spare time His favourite Mahabharata character was Vidura because he had the courage to differ and fight injustice in a peaceful manner Caliph Umar, Mahatma Gandhi, Albert Einstein, Emperor Ashoka and Abraham Lincoln were the five greatest human beings to have lived on this earth according to Dr Kalam The author, SM Khan,acquaints us with lesser known facts and stories which went towards making the great Dr Kalam the 'People's President'. SM Khan was presssecretarytothelateAPJAbdulKalam and shared a unique relationship with the unusual President. The first state visit made by Dr Kalam in 2002 after swearing in as President was to Gujrat where he was received at the airport by the then Chief Minister and now Prime Minister of India, Mr Narendra Modi. Together they visited nine riot-torn areas and three relief camps. Details of this visit as well as those to the other states in India and various trips abroad in the course of his Presidency are captured in this book in a manner that is engaging and informative. Interspersed with interesting anecdotes and happenings, this comprehensive compendium of Dr Kalam's experiences as the President of India finally culminate in his post-presidency days with SM Khan's last poignant meeting with Dr Kalam just a few days before his passing away. A must read for both fans and those who wish to know more about the People's President, Dr APJ Kalam.