If you want to be realistic about business success, then books about business failure must adorn your bookshelf. The Story conveys the cautions that most of the youngster has forgotten nowadays in the rush of opening a startup. A study, revealed that aspiring entrepreneurs can learn from business failures only if they understand the consequences of decisions, assessments, inactions or actions that caused past failures. This is beneficial if they realize how to use this knowledge to successfully run their next enterprise. And it can only happen when aspiring entrepreneurs read books like “Business Business: The Untold Story” written by Avinash T V that teach the value of success. Beginning from the middle class family story, four friends lived with their parents with an aspiration to become successfully and get installed into a latest version of adaptive technology, but they were in a dilemma. They wanted a company registered the same day, but were at level zero gain. All their research for the entire week went into the drain, and nobody willing to take their name back. With Naveen’s drastically nature, all were in a shock, when someone own ditches. This book goes deep down into the darker side of launching a start-up business, and the innumerable pitfalls that Indian entrepreneurs have to overcome. The book is full of derisive observations, fascinating anecdotes, and some stunning customer insights. And ofcourse you wouldn’t like to miss those behind-the-scenes happenings in the start-up ecosystem. This is one of the must-read books about business failure for industry professionals, investors, business school graduates, aspiring entrepreneurs, and anyone interested in India’s fast-growing start-up environment. A compelling narrative, “Failure to succeed” is all about the search for ways to progress and achieve success, despite repeated setbacks. If you are planning to launch a new venture or dream to become an entrepreneur or working in a start-up or a non-fiction or biography reader or a reader looking for a good book or a student. This book is for you. “Business Business : The Untold Story” is a one-of-a-kind book that suggests its readers to learn from their mistakes. According to author Avinash T V, learning from mistakes is the only way to ensure that the same mistake is not repeated. A guide for entrepreneurs and business professionals, the book offers knowledge, and the necessary tools to craft success by embracing every failure, be it large or small. It inspires budding entrepreneurs and offers them strategic actions to convert failures into rewarding gains. Avinash TV’s book unveils both inevitable and likely setbacks and also gives readers practical approaches to quick self-judgment. It’s not a business book nor a fictional novel, instead of a mix of both, I loved the way Author put his entire story – hhe got an amazing style of expressing things. Going through the book was more like I was in her shows and living the moment. We just get to know more about his continuous struggle, trying to figure out what needs to be done to sustain – ultimately meeting her failure in the end. The book also talks about seed capital, fundraising, pitch deck, product-market fit, go-to-market plan, business plan, where to find investors, bridge round, EBITDA, Business model calculation – but no were in-depth details about the concept. It is not often that I read a book where I learn something valuable on every page. Avinash explains in down to earth terms the rise and fall path of mistakes and what type of mind set you need to turn them into fantastic learning experiences that make you a better person. They describe in detail what it took mentally and emotionally to overcome and transform their inner landscape via understanding their failures. I thought this would be a quick read but I was wrong. I took me almost two weeks to read it. It took so long because I needed to digest what I was reading and then self reflect. Avinash does not suggest I do this, I took it upon myself and I am grateful I did it.The benefits are amazing. Don’t be afraid to fail. In fact, failures often lead to success. Take inspiration from the failures, all of these failures were followed by perseverance and enormous successes. Stories in the book, too, offers important lessons one can relate with. Some of them are politics that play out in office every day or how insecurities drive people to act in a certain manner. Everyone would face or are bound to face such hurdles in an office atmosphere. Many of the characters in the stories show courage and deal with those situations with dignity, and mostly succeed. This book shows how it’s not just hard work and talent that determine entrepreneurial success. An unfair advantage is something unique and internal to each person that gives a competitive upper hard, and exists even without having worked for it. Even adversity can be converted into an opportunity, as the frameworks and examples in this book show. The authors’ framework for entrepreneurs goes by the acronym MILES: money, intelligence/insight, location/luck, education/expertise, and status. This book would inspire you to retain a certain amount of goodness in you while you aim for or occupy the corner office. That is the most important message of this book. It doesn’t pretend to tell you how to get there or be there. Avinash’s work is a great reminder that the rules for running a strong business and creating value haven’t changed. For one thing, there’s an essential human factor in every business endeavor. It doesn’t matter if you have a perfect product, production plan, and marketing pitch; you’ll still need the right people to lead and implement those plans. That is a lesson you learn quickly in business foundation. Which people are you going to back? Do their roles fit their abilities? Do they have both the IQ and EQ to succeed? Business Adventures is as much about the strengths and weaknesses of leaders in challenging circumstances as
Srivastav Vanagla collects stories that are related yet distinct from each other and explores human nature.
Human beings evolve continuously, and this dynamic process runs throughout their life. In the midst of this, they explore different shades of their lives and personalities and they rise from every challenge they face. As a reader, the title “The Lunar Heart” by Srivastav Vangala would seem quite intriguing to many. The book is an anthology consisting of 18 different amazing stories which are entirely fictional. Vanagla collects stories that are related yet distinct from each other and explores human nature through different perspectives through the eyes of the authors. The cover of the book is a soothing sight that indicates the peace which comes with the presence of the moon. It has a relaxing effect on the readers’ minds and welcomes them into the world of the lunar. “The Lunar Heart” is nothing but a metaphor used to convey human life. Humans are trapped in their emotions, feelings, constraints, and boundaries. Through the lessons life gives them, they learn their worth and bounce back with a stronger version of themselves. It may for once suggest a feeling similar to rising from the ashes, but on closer examination, there is a lot more that the stories are about. The author suggests that human life is not distinct from the Moon, which gets covered by night and revives to a full moon. The cover design and blurb also contribute a lot in signifying the same. Although the readers get a fair idea of what is to follow, yet they are prompted to start the book and read how the author relates the moon with human life. The concept may be intriguing for once, but it still strikes as interesting. Once the readers begin with the book, they get distinct vibes from the stories, which evoke mixed feelings of attachment, hatred, betrayal, and progression. The usage of such a technique doesn’t make the stories seem like a work of fiction. Instead, it compels them to think that the scenarios can be possible in a practical context too. On reading the first story, i.e. “Roses cannot complain about the weather,” the readers would have mixed emotions of finding the story to be both disturbing and inspiring at the same time. Allegorically, it suggests how looks should not be the only thing that can define the personality of a person. It is interesting to see how the narrator’s English teacher had played a significant role in giving a new direction to his life. Similar is the case with the story, “Cats.” There is a very peculiar thing about the author, i.e. Despite having the title “The Lunar Heart”, he was able to connect human behaviour with every object. The thing he painted on the canvas holds a very dark interpretation. The way he evaluated his ex-girlfriend’s behaviour with the cats will make the readers perceive the world and examine it through a completely different dimension. Other stories like “Death Seems to be a Chain Smoker,” “Glow in the dark,” “Candles in the Concrete Jungle” and others seem to be born from the thought of exploring humans and the darker sides of life and giving it unimaginable dimensions. It is interesting to observe how the author draws aspects of the life of a human being and draws comparisons with the different phases of the moon. How a person’s heart goes through different swings of mood is beautifully compared with the phases of the moon at the same time. The metaphorical associations cannot be ignored either. All eighteen stories carry a depth that can be visualized by critical thinking. They are distinct, unique and explore a universe from different viewpoints. Altogether, the anthology would introduce the readers to new worlds and new streams of thought. The language used by the author is easy to understand for any reader, and he features interesting and innovative plots. The stories are very diverse, and at the same time, they are also relatable for the readers. While building up his characters, the author seems to have done extensive research in their development as they appear unique and different from each other altogether. The readers who have an interest in reading short stories or anthologies can try reading “The Lunar Heart.” Even though Vangala features stories that are unique and different from each other, there would be one or the other story with which the readers can relate. They can take a leap into the world of the lunar and explore the different facets of life in a simplistic and multi-dimensional manner. Reviewed by Akhila Saroha
Book Review : Time Machine and my ten residences by Vijay Kumar Soni
Wonderful work by Author Vijay Kumar Soni (VK). The book is based on the concept of Time Traveling and Time Machine. The story is an amusing one and takes you through the life of VK. To the comparatively younger readers, it may come out as a ludicrous world of high spirit from the bygone eras in the life of Indians. This story is not less than a mix of wit, whimsy and comic banter. In the 1960s – the era in which this journey begins – Indian lifestyle was quite simple. So, it starts with the commuting by tongas, includes luxuries of air travel in th 1980s and merry misadventures of everyday life in the 1990s, through the tech innovations that altered life till the 2000s, up to Indians finding their global presence in 2020. Author VK has properly talked of the Time Machine in terms of flight path and passengers. The machine takes breaks while moving from one destination to the other. He has put his destinations in the form of his past 10 residences in life. He has described his memories related to each residence in the form of short and crisp, sub-titled paragraphs. Written in a reader-friendly language with utter simplicity, the story comes across as a relatable memoir for most Indian readers. What makes it different from the usual writings these days, is that it could have been written in a serious tone but isn’t. Nostalgia is generally supposed to make people emotional. Rarely does a nostalgic text, or any such object for that matter, makes people smile. But here we have VK’s time travel that does. The idea of going down the memeory lane struck the author’s mind during a lockdown period in year 2020. Given the waves of pandemic all around and forced to stay indoors, he decided to sit and watch a movie called Project Papa. In this movie, the daughter worries that her Papa is getting Alzheimer’s and may progressively soon forget everything including her. VK felt the same concern about himself. And in order to avoid falling prey to the issue, he opened the lid of his own time machine and attempted to go back through almost 70 years of his life till then. It wasn’t as simple of him, as it may appear. Disjointed and unrelated thoughts flooded his heart and head. As he describes, to him it felt as if someone stores files randomly without a proper structured filing system and then tries to locate an old file. This is how memories work. Often incorporating new items of the present moment, and old memories get re-stored with all these changes, but without a file recording these changes. This is why we all have some false but mostly true memories.
Pankaj Lochan Talks About His Latest Book ‘Sigma: as life sums it all…’
Pankaj is a writer, music enthusiast and a philanthroper who is very passionate about climate change initiatives at fundamental level. He grew up with parents who always taught him the larger meaning of life and ensured he was observant to the extraordinary in seemingly ordinary things and people in life. Pankaj feels that his wife Piyusha and daughter Prisha bring out the best in him and his writing. Professional Background: Mr Pankaj Lochan has more than 2 decades of experience with organizations like Tata Steel, Dr Reddy’s and JSW Group. He joined his current role as Executive Director & Group CHRO with JSPL from Ambuja Cements where he was working as President – Manufacturing. He has worked in various functions like Manufacturing, Projects, Human Resource, Research & Development, and Business Transformation etc. Pankaj is an engineer by profession and holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from IIT-BHU and has also done his management education program from IIM Ahmedabad. Pankaj has authored several books in the field of TQM and HR and holds several patents and copyrights in the field of manufacturing and Total Quality Management. He is a Master-black-belt in Six Sigma and also trained in other improvement methodologies like Lean, TOC and TPM. Pankaj has also been trained on Open Innovations from the Haas School, Berkley and on TQM from Japanese Union of Scientists & Engineers (JUSE), Tokyo. Neha Sharma: First and foremost, Congratulations for doing a wonderful work authoring this splendid work called Sigma. I am sure a lot of positivity must be pouring-in related to the book. Am I right? Pankaj Lochan: Thank you so much! I am getting a lot of positive feedback from a lot of people – they’ve liked the whole concept of Sigma. Neha Sharma: What would you like to say about the Sigma concept in the shortest possible or may be as the gist of the book? Pankaj Lochan: SIGMA is about the “cause” & “Effect” in life; something that we don’t understand clearly. The retributions that we receive in life can only be commensurate with our due efforts. We shouldn’t expect more. Neha Sharma: I was amazed reading the long-list of your qualifications and achievements in life. In what ways, do you cherish the values the rest of them carry while balancing with your accolades in writing? Pankaj Lochan: I only value my being a good human being, and that’s precisely what I value in others too! All other virtues that come by my educational or material accomplishments maybe relevant today, may not be relevant tomorrow. But my “goodness” as a human being is there to stay! Neha Sharma: What inspires you to start with a new idea, each time to write? Pankaj Lochan: Everything around has become so complicated – food, our living, our relationships, our society, our work environments. They are far more stressed or expanded that what we require. I want to educate people to simplify things – and make things easier in the world. Sigma is the first step in simplifying relationships and straightening our deeds. Neha Sharma: Who is your role model in the field of writing, if any? Pankaj Lochan: I’m mostly into ancient Indian literature – Vedas, puranas, Upanishads etc. The Shruti and smriti literature inspires me. I also respect contemporary, modern literature. Neha Sharma: Do you have a dream book which is yet to be penned-down by you? If I may get a clue, what is it about? Pankaj Lochan: Yes! The ones written and in the offing are mostly about relationships at work, society and home; The dream book would be about a model code of conduct for the modern urban workplaces. I don’t have the architecture in mind, but will certainly come up with it. This book is where my two fields of work (my earlier books) will merge – my books/work on management practices and those on human & societal relationships (like Sigma) Neha Sharma: What advice would you like to offer to aspiring authors, about tackling the infamous writer’s block as well as otherwise? Pankaj Lochan: I think all of us must connect and write from a basis – “our philosophy”. As long as that happens, the writers’ block doesn’t happen. I also appreciate that pure fiction / genre writers may face this problem. They just have to do some radical thinking/living to get new ideas and overcome the block. Neha Sharma: Given the 24 hours in a day, what time suits you the best for writing? Pankaj Lochan: Anytime an idea occurs to me Neha Sharma: When did you start your writing journey? Were you going through a good or challenging phase when you started? Pankaj Lochan: I wrote more in difficult times. I get more ideas when I’m stressed. Neha Sharma: What suggestions would you like to share with those writers who have completed a work and are now on their hunt for a good publishing team? As in, what criteria should they set to zero-in at one. Pankaj Lochan: A great publishing team does wonders to your work, like in my case. However, I strongly feel you should rely on your work quality only. Long-term success through quality work is like butter in milk; I will always float up! Neha Sharma: Thank you for your times and efforts to make this interview happen. Wish you all the best for all your present as well as future endeavours. Pankaj Lochan: Thank you. I wish you all the best too! Be well, healthy and happy!
Pankaj Lochan’s ‘Sigma: As Life Sums it All…’ A Noteworthy Work Based On Karma Concept
This book – ‘Sigma: as life sums it all’ by Pankaj Lochan, published by Evincepub Publishing – is a little different from what has already been written.
Designed and Destined for Greatness: Book Review
The author Johly Beicchualai has done a wonderful job with writing this book. Having been written in a simple language which is meant to convey strong and useful optimistic messages to all its readers, including beginners, ‘Designed and Destined for Greatness’ published by Evincepub Publishing has come out to be a masterpiece. This book has been described as the story of the man who wrote this book. And it will definitely lead the readers to greatness of they follow his secrets, ways, means, tools, and lessons that he had learned the hard way instead. It is the story of a man who could laugh and smile even when adversities and grief haunted him. This inspiring persona was undefeated by poverty, wealth, fame, misfortunes, money, and power. Once upon a time, he used to live in luxuries, falling down almost to the extent of losing everything he possessed, including his reputation. After having a nervous breakdown, he had lost his consciousness and faced a blankness, emptiness in his head. He had lost his sleep for nearly five months. One day he found-out the secret to a new life. He had found Jesus Christ and from that day onwards, he became a new person and slowly he began to lead a new life. According to the author, the first step and the most important thing in life to achieve greatness is finding one’s true self. Undeniably, all of us have dreams and desires. Everyone has a desire to be great, do something so that the world will remember us and to reach the peak of our career. Hardly anyone would desire to be mediocre. He quotes Mahatma Gandhi, “As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world, but in being able to remake ourselves.” In this book, the author has thrown light upon some crucial questions like, ‘Why did God create us?’ He says that some people also wonder, ‘Why did God create us when he already knew that we were going to sin?’ A couple of other questions being ‘How did God create us?’ and ‘Why did God take all these troubles to create us?’ The readers are meant to get motivated with profound messages in the book, like the one that follows: “You were not small! You were God’s greatest creation, a masterpiece, a class in itself. You were created very special. You were magnificent. You were God’s greatest focus of his love. You were a miracle. Your creation is one of the greatest success stories in the history of creation. All other things in the world were just the by-products of your thinking and actions. You were meant to be great because you were created by the greatest of greatest, in greatness, and for greatness.” Numerous powerful quotes also have been mentioned in the book, like – “Doing what needs to be done may not make you happy, but it will make you great.” —George Bernard Shaw The author also talks about changing oneself and how it requires a complete transformation of the heart. He brings to our notice how a new heart is welcoming to various new learnings in life. How a new heart beholds beauty in everything and everyone it comes across. He says a new heart appreciates the beauty of life and is optimistic in everything it does. As he walks on every day, new experiences give him a sense of purpose in life. Mesmerizingly, the author has dedicated a complete chapter to the power of words and has even described how words, basically, came into existence and how artistically they control our lives. Equally beautifully, he has managed to make us peep into ourselves and analyse own weaknesses and strengths. In this context, he says, ‘Our weakness, when closely examined and studied analytically, were often the unknown fountain of our greatest strength.’ How motivating! What if all of us start working towards turning our weaknesses into strengths and contribute our bit in making this world a better place. Last not yet least, the author talks about self-management and puts forward the notion that it is one of the most rewarding management concepts, while time management is a misconception. No-one can manage time. It is time that changes everything, and nobody in the world can change the concept of time. The only thing we can do is change ourselves when our activities come in contact with time. All in all, the book itself has turned-out to be great and is sure to lead its readers towards greatness. Title Designed and Destined for Greatness Author Johly Beicchualai Publisher Evincepub Publishing Reviewed By Neha Sharma, The Literature Times Order Book Amazon Link