Petrichor

Is it possible to die gracefully? One author, Mitch Albom masterfully demonstrates that it is, through the poignant narratives of the individuals in his two remarkable works. My journey began with Finding Chika , which subsequently guided me to its spiritual predecessor, Tuesdays with Morrie . While Finding Chika overwhelmed me with deeply touching emotions, Tuesdays with Morrie evoked a sense of homecoming. One person’s life can serve as a profound lesson for another. We often remain oblivious to the myriad experiences encapsulated within the lives of others. These two books have enriched my life immeasurably, awakening within me a deep appreciation for the abundance I possess in the present moment. A book can offer a unique portal into the mind of its author. Albom’s perspective is, at its core, one of acceptance—an acknowledgment of human fallibility, the pursuit of truth, and the transformative power of life’s lessons. To err, to confront truth and allow it to reshape your existe...

There are situations(or even people) that I'd be gladly away from. I am not a loner, but would like to stay away from people who are trouble or who may cause my inner balance to sway. I don't like to get into politics or be a subject of discussion. But, in the last few days I realized. These people or situations are not a bad thing. They are not my enemies. They are necessary so I get out of a few things I need to get out of. All this while, these people or situations caused turmoil to tremor(situation depending) ONLY because I allowed them to do so. It was I that gave them the importance they now have. When I saw this, it brought new strength within. My fear seems to have vanished. I no longer want to avoid situations. There is something to learn & overcome round every corner. I know I knew this all along. What was the difference? Well, it is the difference between knowing something & experiencing it. It is the difference between the mind & the self. Thanks to the ...

So. I managed to read Robert Fischer's "Gandhi". For some reason, I did not want to read his autobiography(again). I wanted to read about him as a second person. And since this book was the inspiration for the movie " Gandhi ", I was able to relate to it better. The whole book went all "Mahatma" about him. There were words that touched the heart. "He did not want the British to have no strength to fight Indians; He wanted them to not have the heart to do so." It may seem immaterial, but what touched me most about the Mahatma was that he was not born like one. He was a normal atman with all the crap like we all have. In his younger years, he had told lies, got immensely furious on many things. But he rose over all of it. His vision made him do so. What touched me even more was that he contradicted himself on many occasions. He never settled with one thing. He was constantly learning to do what is best for a given situation at that particular t...

Definitely not "just another" book. I cannot call it inspirational but would willingly agree to say "life transforming"(to say the least). But it can shake you completely if you will. While reading the book, I cannot deny, I started to believe what was being told, at least a part of it, but now, as I sit and write, I am...confused. All the more. And as I know, confusion is good. Better than a conclusion. A friend mentioned that she read this book as she would her Ph.D thesis. The book belongs to the same genre as the one I read earlier, but it goes a level higher with scientific proof. ie., if you consider Psychiatry as science. It is very easy to dismiss the content of this book as illogical(even with the scientific proof) because the content is such. "A life cannot be rushed, cannot be worked on a schedule as so many people want it to be. We must accept what comes to us at a given time, not ask for more. But life is endless, so we never die; we were never rea...

I came across this book through a friend. The name sounded interesting & hence reserved a copy at the library. I had no idea what this book is about & did not bother doing research either. Only when I had the book in my hand did I know it was about Quantum physics. :) The author, Mani Bhaumik, the brains behind the LASIK invention writes about his poverty-stricken life in India & his journey of getting out of that "black hole". He successfully managed to become one of the millionaires of Los Angeles. But. That was not enough. That did not mean anything. The book is about his journey inward. It was a page-turner to say the least. And now about Quantum physics. I've heard Sadhguru speak about science. But never really thought it significant enough to look it up & verify his quote. Science on some level, never really mattered to me. But Mani speaks of Quantum physics & the presence of energy, only makes me smile. I do not believe anything. I do not not-be...

I came across this movie somehow. The movie is pathetically made. The Everest 1996 expedition is apparently very famous for being the worst season ever. The movie failed to show important details behind each person. In the movie, the disaster seemed avoidable in simple ways. They made it look that each person was incompetent in whatever they were doing. A classic recipe for no one doing their job. But once I heard that it was from a book, I reserved myself a copy. The book is by far better than the movie. Rather, it depicts the day's events & the history behind everything. These guides, Fischer & Hall were extremely unique people in their own way. Everything seemed to have gone wrong on May 10th 1996. So many people lost their lives. I love mountains, nature & generally adventure. But after reading this book, I had this feeling, "Maybe Everest is not meant to be climbed". Some questions too...Why do people do this? Why to leave behind their family for 2 months...

I'd read this book a while ago but not sure if I wrote about it. As always, we were travelling(I don't remember where-maybe Alaska) & I picked up this book attracted by the name. I had no idea it was non fiction. So, I just started reading the book hoping to just browse & just drop it back(I had so much planning to do for my actual trip). Turned out that for 2-3 days all I ever did was read the book. Thankfully, I had leftovers & did not bother eating much anyway. When I was not reading, I loyally left the book beside me. Next to me while I ate, slept. You won't believe...I even took it to the restroom with me(I have this tradition only with J K Rowling's Harry Potter series!!!). This book narrates a young man's adventure & quest for the wild that Canada was. When he was at college, all he wanted to do was travel across the mighty country that we call Canada all by foot, canoe & dogsled. So, when he dropped out of school, he started his mission w...

Just managed to finish Dan Brown's Deception Point . A political thriller! I am not a big fan of US politics or NASA or the US Intelligence, but this is simply awesome. In fact, I liked it better than Da Vinci Code. I have started liking his writing & next on my rack is Digital Fortress .(I have a history of starting with New books & going backwards!!!) From the first couple of pages, I do seem intrigued! For all of you 'duh' ing me, its my second Dan Brown book. Amateur, you see. Its not always, I feel comfortable with someone's writing style.

My happiness exceeded all boundaries when I found a copy of 'Harry Potter 7' at a friend's place & was glad to share her extra copy with me. Needless to say, that I talked, walked, ate Harry Potter over the weekend! Anyways, the book is amazing;I simply loved it. Duh! This was the first time ever I managed to grab a book on the release date. I did read reviews(gladly stuck to those that did not reveal the story & spoil the fun). This book is definitely my favorite among the entire series, followed closely by 'Half-Blood Prince'. But half-way into the book, I could not help but realize that there is going to be no more of Harry Potter. As someone said, I wish Potter could go to school a couple more years. :-( Quite a fistful of the good guys die :-(. But I can live with it. The fact that a lot of Dumbledore in this book makes up for the fact that he is not alive anymore. He is truly the hero. Me felt that there is no Harry Potter without Dumbledore. Well! he...