First Charity by Read2Help

I have got $11 through Read2Help so far.

I added $4 from my pocket and helped 5 poor kids by giving them sweaters. As it was too cold in Gujarat for the last couple of days, This was a great relief to those kids living under the "open sky".

Here are the pictures of those kids:


The kids live in Changa, a village in Central Gujarat - INDIA.

'Jonathan Livingston Seagull' - A book review By Dhruv Joshi

'Jonathan Livingston Seagull' - A book review By Dhruv Joshi

People who make their own rules when they know the are right…. People who get a special pleasure out of doing something well (even if only for themselves)…people who know there’s more to this whole living thing than meets the eye: they will be with Jonathan Seagull all the way. Others may simply escape into a delightful adventure about freedom and flight.

This book, quite simply, is unique.

The reason for putting these lines of second cover of the book as a part of this review is quite simple. This small paragraph mentioned above is essential to understand this wonderful work by Richard Bach. One may simply go through it as a book and be happy that a seagull, after confronting all the odds bravely wins. But the purpose of this book doesn’t stop here, it goes far beyond than just a story of a seagull and his struggle.

It is plainly an account of those who stand for their conviction! It is a story of all of us who have belief in themselves, in their ideas. It is not without purpose that Richard Bach puts such a sentence as what is our body but our ideas. This story unfolds the whole journey with which only the brave can relate.

The progress that Jonathan Livingston Seagull passes through in this book is certainly the progress that we all wish to have. In the beginning he comes across as an Iconoclast, but with the passage of time he changes. This change, however, is for the better. He can now sympathize with those who couldn’t understand and hence couldn’t follow him. Towards the end of the story he becomes so nearly perfect that he starts working for the up-liftment and betterment of those who had once outcast him.

Thus, Richard Bach shows us the graph of a good life. The beautiful moments in the book are of the friendship between Jonathan and Sullivan, Jonathan and his teacher (mentor) Chiang’s relationship and of course Jonathan’s strong struggle as a child between old rigid rules and new free ideas.

Clearly this book shows the victory of ideas and ideals over idols and rigidity.

It was an enjoyable experience, reading this book. It will take barely two hours of you life but the impact will certainly last for EVER.

** Copyright note: The above book review is the intellectual property of Dhruv Joshi. NO PART of the review can be copied in any manner.

"When I was a child…" By Dhruv Joshi

When I was a child……….

I used to sleep in the safest bed, beside my mother,

was unknown of fear as I had a protective father.

Every need of mine was satisfied, often;

even before my realizing it.

Enjoyed everything that I could possibly dream of,

Unaware of the odds to come, and the weird ways of life.

Yet a day came when I had to fly,

Unfolded my wings after despair and a cry; later did I see

I too could FLY!

'Sack the CEO' - A book review By Dhruv Joshi

After a long time, here is another book review by Dhruv Joshi.

"Sack the CEO" - A book review By Dhruv Joshi

Sack The CEO is a satirical book written by Jeetendra Jain. The book revolves around main characters of Smallfry, Fastrack and Takeiteasy who are co-workers in a multinational called Twist in the tail Limited! The company, justifying it’s name completely, offers them bucketful of surprises and shock every now and then.

The trio tries to fight their way out of corrupt environment that prevails in the (mis)leadership of Topgun, CEO of the company. In the process of fighting corruption Smallfry identifies several different patterns of behaviour of corrupt CEOs. Smallfry, elated with this discovery plans to put this on paper and he begins to write a book on these corrupt CEOs and the techniques to get them out of the organization!

The book is divided in three parts of which two are the parts of Smallfry’s book describing the corrupt CEOs as various malignant diseases and giving the doctrines for kicking them out. All the characters in the book are very vividly portrayed by the author. Author successfully generates humor from the art of giving very suggestive names to each of its characters! For example the secretary of Topgun is Miss Alarm Belle. The poor accountant who is always being transferred just because he does not fudge the figures is Onewayticket! Even the names of main characters (Smallfry, Fastrack and Takeiteasy) are chosen with dexterity.

The book presents the corruption prevailing in corporate world, the experience of author of having worked with various companies helps him lot in knitting the plots of stories. It is a strong satire on the red-tapism and corruption of Indian corporates. The story is so well-packaged that the reader can have the taste of both a fictional novel as well as of a reflection of REAL world. Never in his writing the author gets cynical, on the contrary the humor of the book makes it a humble description. Some of the dialogues are comic yet most philosophical, For example; when Takeiteasy tells Smallfry “ I have told you so many times that a company is vague and abstract concept, there is no such entity as a company; It is them.” The friendship between the three lead characters also form an emotional bond in the mind of the reader. But above all it is the humor that Jeetendra Jain successfully brings out of situations that makes the book a good read.

The plot story and characters are such that we can relate ourselves with it. Who doesn’t feel the simple sooth of Smallfry and the dashing, vigorous and heroic machismo of Fastrack and lethargy and carelessness of Takeiteasy? It is our story in our style!

An enjoyable book which presents to you the corruption in comic way and in the end keeps a hopeful candle of honesty lit by showing a victory of the terrific trio over vicious corrupation.

Copyright note: The above book review is intellectual property of Dhruv Joshi. NO part of it should be copied away.

BBC Country Profiles - A Wonderful Source of Information

The BBC Country Profiles features an instant guide to history, politics and economic background of countries and territories, and background on key institutions.

The country profiles also include audio and video.

Let us visit one country a day :)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/country_profiles/default.stm

Have a great day ahead!

--
Tarun