Tuesday, December 30, 2014

In love with Melbourne... why!

Cosmopolitan, elegant and chic, Melbourne has a passionate soul and a welcoming heart. From thrilling world class events and renowned architecture, to café-lined streetscapes and verdant parklands, there’s always something new and exciting to discover in Melbourne.

"Which of these places would you want to visit in Melbourne and why?" One winner will get Rs. 500 voucher.

So hurry up, check out the videos in the above link and start commenting about your favourite destinations and flying reasons for a visit to Melbourne. It doesn't get better than this, mind it! ;)


P.S. -- "Come Alive in Melbourne" videos, and Tourism Victoria website link.

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

पुस्तक समीक्षा: कैसे चंद लफ़्ज़ों में सारा प्यार लिखूँ - दिनेश गुप्ता

लेखक दिनेश गुप्ता 'दिन' ने अपने इस नवीनतम काव्य-संग्रह में पिछली पुस्तकों की तरह समाज के प्रत्येक पहलू को न छूकर, उसके सबसे सुन्दर पक्ष 'मोहब्बत' को प्राथमिकता दी है। 'कैसे चंद लफ़्ज़ों में सारा प्यार लिखूँ' में कवि ने प्रेम-रस को जो भावात्मक अभिव्यक्ति प्रदान की है, वह भले ही साहित्यिक मानकों पर खरी उतरे या न उतरे, किन्तु पाठकों को प्रेम के मार्मिक स्पर्श-बोध से अवगत कराने में कोई कसर बाक़ी नहीं छोड़तीं।

पुस्तक में प्रस्तुत कवितायेँ सीधे ह्रदय को मोहित करती हैं, अतः यह कहना अतिशयोक्ति नहीं होगा कि कवि का श्रृंगार-रस कौशल पाठकों के मन में एक अद्भुत अहसास छोड़ने में पूर्णतया सक्षम रहेगा|

Thursday, December 4, 2014

Book Review: God is a Gamer by Ravi Subramanian

Caption: Is revenge a crime?

Blurb: 

What happens when you cross gamer, banker, politician and terrorist with virtual money?

From the bestselling author of 'If God Was a Banker' comes the first ever bitcoin thriller. 'God Is a Gamer' is a world where money means nothing, martyrs are villains, predators are prey, assassination is taught by the ancient Greeks, and nothing is as it seems.

Moving from Washington's Congress to Delhi's finance ministry, the beaches of Goa to the corporate boardrooms of Mumbai, this is Ravi Subramanian's most gripping novel yet.


Review: 

The novel begins with a background of the emergence of bitcoins, the virtual currency promising anonymity to its online users. The novel runs in two parts parallely - one in the United States of America and the other in India. How the assassination of a US senator and seeming unconnected heist puts FBI in slow motion towards solving the crime forms the basic agenda of the one part of the story. But how could a Ravi Subramanian novel be complete without the involvement of a multi-national bank at the crux of the story! So the part of the story running in parallel in India involves an ex-banker Aditya, and his newly incorporated BPO business and his two long time colleagues Sundeep and Swamy.

How the death of the bank's Indian chief puts into motion the flurry of events involving her daughter who is in a relationship with Aditya's son, who is looking after his latest venture into gaming, forms the rest of the story lineup involving bitcoins, banking, politics, unexpected heists, murders, and master plans. It's then the real thrill starts as FBI and CBI join hands to decode who is behind what, but
.......... Do they get successful in apprehending the real culprit behind actual crimes committed for virtual money?
Well, get your hands on this international thriller in true terms and start reading it right away, because if you are not, you are missing at undoubtedly one of the best Indian thrillers ever written.

In author's own words, this is world's first bitcoin thriller and he is damn right but I would like to term it as a gaming as well as bitcoin thriller. Because even though there isn't any direct connection between these two aspects of the novel, the climax will hit you hard when all will be revealed. And the ending will leave you flabbergasted, that's for sure.

Novel's main positive is that it's a simple and breezy but engaging read, and the story travels at a comfortable pace for the reader to soak in everything as it moves forward. Nothing seems forced just for the sake of it in the whole book. Each bit of every scene is connected properly to the bigger chain. Sometimes, too many characters dull the reading experience a bit but it goes away as soon as it's encountered without leaving you irritated, nonetheless, as you progress.


Final say: Ravi Subramanian has already established himself as a top notch thriller writer among India's current brass of authors as far as his previous works are concerned, of which I have only read and loved The Bankster. With his current book, he once again commands his supreme authority with a totally new theme and a class of a thriller, as he beautifully interweaves seeming invisible threads of gaming, bitcoins, love, family, betrayal, politics, murder, banking, heists and assassination in God is a Gamer, and comes out with an entertaining climax and gripping final chapter. I feel privileged to read and review this one. Thanks, BlogAdda!

My rating: 4.5 stars out of 5



P.S. -- This review is a part of the biggest Book Review Program for Indian Bloggers. Participate now to get free books!

Monday, December 1, 2014

How I missed it!

It goes without saying that when an opportunity knocks on the door, we have to be well prepared to grab it with our best efforts. And the confidence comes when we are feeling good from inside. And for that we need to be looking our best in terms of appearance as the first impression made is sure shot the lasting impression.

I recall an incident when I was in college for my B.Tech. and in the final year, one renowned multi-national company has arrived short of notice and I was selected by our Training and Placement cell for its interview just after 5-6 hours. Although I had enough time to shave my stubble but that would have meant a loss of half an hour of crucial preparation exclusive to the written exam and the interviews afterwards. Hence I thought it best to prepare better instead of looking better. And it was rewarded when I cleared the written as the result was declared almost an hour after. But in that time I was prepping up for the technical interview and wondered to get a shave after that and just before my HR interview would begin, as derived from the observation keeping in mind the previously held interviews on the campus for last one month.

But the tragedy played its hand when just after the technical interview round, I was asked to go straight for the HR round. And God knows, I don't look good even in a three day old stubble. And the HR was a suave lady and I messed up in creating a good looking impression and could not clear the round. I just missed the chance when I had it. After that incident, I have made it a habit to take better care of how I present myself before others not only at crucial junctures but in normal day to day life as the opportunity could present itself anywhere and it doesn't take time to lose it or grab it.


P.S. -- 'This post is a part of #WillYouShave activity at BlogAdda in association with Gillette'.