7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens by Sean Covey – Applying the timeless principles of the 7 Habits, this step-by-step book explains to teens how to be more efficient and helps guide their future decisions. The seven habits discussed are:
- Be Proactive
- Begin with the End in Mind
- Put First Things First
- Think Win-Win
- Seek First to Understand then be Understood
- Synergize
- Sharpen the Saw
The book is written in an entertaining style which helps teens improve self-image, build friendships, resist peer pressure, achieve their goals, get along with their parents, and much more. Covey has stuffed the book with cartoons, clever ideas, great quotes, and incredible stories about real teens from all over the world. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens will engage teenagers unlike any other book.
Barak Obama’s ‘A Promised Land’ (Review of full book)
The book has many layers. It is the story of how a remarkable man, with the unlikely name Barak Husain Obama, rose to become the President of USA, less than seven years after the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center and Pentagon. It is set at a time of great moment in world politics from 2008 to 2011, culminating in the dramatic killing of Al Qaida Chief Osama Bin Laden in the safe house provided by Pakistan’s ISI at Abbottabad near Rawalpindi.
It is a treatise on international politics. It is also a study of leadership and management of contradictions. Obama is able to convey the pulls and pressures of ‘realpolitik’ in a fascinating and absorbing narrative. It conveys the angst of a loving husband and father regretting his inability to spend more time with his family.
Obama is refreshingly honest. He agonizes over his government’s support to autocratic and cruel regimes for serving US interests- e.g. coup against and arrest of Iranian PM Mossadeq (not mentioned by name), propping up dictatorships and striking deals with autocratic regimes. He candidly admits that he had to resoort to compromises from his ideals to nudge things along the right direction His analysis of the vexed Palestinian problem is nuanced and fair.
His descriptions of the leaders he dealt with are astute and graphic. He describes Vladimir Putin as similar to a Chicago Ward boss but armed with nukes. There are interesting references to Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal (whom he did not like) and Manmohan Singh (whom he evidently admires). His comments on Donald Trump at the end of this volume are perceptive. The book illustrates how dysfunctional US politics has become from the way the Republicans tried to stymie every move of his and put obstacles on his path.
I learned a new word 'Quotidian' from this book. Strangely, the word means ordinary, day to day routine. Shashi Tharoor would approve!
The narrative flows without a dull interlude – it is not an exaggeration to term it as a fine piece of literature. It displays occasional flashes of self-deprecatory humor, a rare trait among politicians. Obama writes beautifully.
This is the first of a series of books of Obama’s years in the White House. The book has sold a phenomenal 1.7 million hard copies in ten days of its release. I am looking forward to the later volumes. A treat is in store for us.
HOW I TAUGHT MY GRANDMOTHER TO READ AND OTHER STORIES
BY SUDHA MURTY
The stories teach you so much about life itself. They also tell you so much about qualities we seem to have forgotten - like honesty - and also people that were great, not for the money they had, but the strength of character they had - like JRD Tata. They also tell you what ingratitude is.
I found them to be wholesome and I found myself stronger in my beliefs having read this book.
Shiva Trilogy
by
Amish Tripathi
Amish Tripathi’s trilogy on Lord Shiva consists of three books, which have been released gradually over the past three years: ‘The Immortals of Meluha’, ‘The Secret of the Nagas’, and the finale, ‘The Oath of the Vayuputras’. This mythological – historical – adventure – fiction series covers story around one of the most revered gods in Hindu mythology - Lord Shiva, who is portrayed as a simple human being – and who, by the end of the series becomes a friend to the readers because they can identify with his humanity. Evil is not a person, it is an idea or belief. This is something Shiva has to learn on his journey through the three books.The language of the books is modern, everyday and very simple English, which makes it easy for any reader to relate to.
Not to be missed at any cost. Recommended read.
Happy Reading!
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Tips on How to Write a Great Book Review
With the boom in book publishing, the availability of diverse kid lit, and the soaring popularity of reading devices like Kindle, the average parent is often spoilt for choice when it comes to buying quality books for their children. A well-written book review is key to helping someone make a decision on whether they want to buy a book or not. So naturally, it is critical to cover all the important points while writing one. Here are some tips on how to write a good book review.
Don’t summarize the story
This seems to be the most common mistake people make while writing reviews. Very often, especially in children’s books, the stories are so short that summarizing them tends to give away the entire story. The element of surprise still needs to be there for the reader once they buy the book – also, people may not want to buy a book if they know what happens in the end! Instead, mention in a line or two the premise of the story. For instance, if you were to review the book Monkeys on a Fast, you would say something along the lines of, “A determined monkey chieftain tries to get his tribe of monkeys to diet in this hilarious story – this story is as much a children’s book as it is a glimpse into the common grown-up preoccupation with resisting carbs”.
Mention other key aspects
Write about other aspects of the book that stood out to you that a reader would not be able to tell just by looking at the thumbnail image of the book’s cover on an online retail store. Did you like the illustrations? Were they done realistically, or does the artist exaggerate the characters for comic effect? What was the typography like? Was it easily readable or a font that looked fancy but was not legible? Does the font change colour depending on what is being said, and does this help or hinder the reading experience? And is it done with a specific pattern or does it appear to be random? For example, in a review of our book Farmer Falgu Goes to The Market, Kirkus Reviews writes, “…the concise onomatopoeic sounds are in bigger and colour-coded type, which provides additional emphasis and is perfect for read-alouds.”
What is the price point like? Is it too expensive or good value for money? Is it the author or illustrator’s debut book? If so, it is worth mentioning that.
If the book is a part of a series, it would be a good idea to mention this as well.
What sets the book apart?
What does this book have that most other books out in today’s market do not? Is there a disabled character in it? Is he or she portrayed with sensitivity yet without being patronizing? Is there a character from a minority community that is not usually represented in children’s literature? Does the story deal with any topics that are taboo in society?
Talk about the book’s cover
Was it eye-catching enough to make you want to pick it up and read it? Yes, like mentioned in the above paragraph, a book’s cover would be visible to anyone who sees the book in an online or retail shop. But you have the added benefit of having read the story, so you can judge the cover based on that. Does it give you an idea about the tone or mood of the story? Is it a fitting cover or does it give a skewed idea about what the book is about? Is it a hardback or a paperback? In rare cases some books have two covers if it is a two-way book. Mention this and how the covers differ from each other.
The writing
Naturally, this is one of the most important parts of any book. But rather than describe the writing as ‘good’, ‘bad’ or ‘marvellous’, elaborate on what you enjoyed about the writing. Does the story flow well or does it have random jumps to different scenes? Is it written in prose or in verse? Does the level match the age group it is targeted at or is it far too simple or far too advanced?
Avoid superlatives
And lastly, try to avoid saying things like ‘this is my favourite book’. A person reading your review would not know what kinds of books you like or what your taste in books is for it to be your favourite book. Describe what you like about the book instead. For instance, “…the watercolours that are mostly in pastel shades lend the illustrations a gentle, peaceful quality.” If it is your favourite story, you can make it a starred review, or give it 5 stars on 5, rather than explicitly saying so
https://www.karaditales.com/tips-on-how-to-write-a-great-book-review/
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Read and stay motivated
Reading is a great way to get and stay motivated. These inspirational books will not only help you on the road to success, but will keep you inspired by seeing how others have achieved their dreams.
- The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change/ Steven R. Covey
- The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens/ S. Covey
- Power of Now/ Eckhart Tolle
- Awaken the Giant Within/ Anthony Robbins
- The Last Lecture/ Randy Pausch
- Winning/ Jack Welch
- The Secret/ Rhonda Byrne
- Magic/ Rhonda Byrne
- The Success Principles: How to Get From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be/ Jack Canfield
- Steve Jobs/ Walter Isaacson
- Eat. Pray, Love/ Elizabeth Gilbert
- You Can Win/ Shiv Khera
- The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari/ Robin S. Sharma
- Tuesdays with Morrie/ Mitch Albom
- The Five People You Meet in Heaven/ Mitch Albom
- The Alchemist/ Paulo Coelho
- Man's Search for Meaning/ Viktor E. Frankl
- The Diary of a Young Girl/ Anne Frank
- I am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and was shot by the Taliban/ Malala Yousafzai
- Wonder/ R.J. Palacio
- The Book Thief/ Markus Zusak
- The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment/ Eckhart Tolle
- How to Win Friends and Influence People/ Dale Carnegie
- The Art of Racing in the Rain/ Garth Stein
- Chicken Soup for the Soul/ Jack Canfield, Editor
- Jonathan Livingston Seagull/ Richard Bach
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