Saturday, February 11, 2017

Devlok with Devdutt Pattanaik - Devdutt Pattanaik


Journey into the amazing world of Hindu mythology with Devdutt Pattanaik,
Why are most temples dedicated to Vishnu, Shiva or the goddess, but not to Brahma or Indra?
How are an asura, rakshasa,yaksha and pishacha different from each other?
Why did the Pandavas find themselves in naraka rather than swarga? 

Over several months, EPIC Channel's ground-breaking show Devlok with Devdutt Pattanaik has enthralled countless viewers.
Here, finally, is the book based on the first series of the ever popular show, which will take you on a scintillating tour through the myriad stories, symbols and rituals that form the basis of Hindu culture. 
Prepare to be surprised and thrilled as Devdutt narrates magical tales about larger-than life figures gods, goddesses, demi-gods and demons who you thought you knew well but didn t. 
Learn about the intricacies of Hindu thought as he explains the origin and meaning of different creation myths, and throws light on why we believe in a cyclical not linear concept of time. 
This book is your perfect introduction to the endlessly fascinating world of Hindu mythology.
[Book Description Source: www.amazon.com ] 


Ratings
Goodreads Rating - 3.84 out of 5 (327 Ratings; 28 Reviews - As on February 11 2017)
My Rating 3.5 out of 5
My Comments: Full of interesting facts and interpretation about Hindu god, goddesses, rituals, customs and philosophy.


Buying Options 
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Sunday, February 5, 2017

Introducing Hinduism : A Graphic Guide - Vinay Lal & Borin Van Loon


Hinduism is said to be the world's oldest religion. 
Yet the word 'Hindu' is of foreign 18th-century origin. 
Hinduism is defined as a polytheistic religion, but Mahatma Gandhi famously declared that one can be a Hindu without believing in any god. 
Hinduism appears to accommodate endless contradictions.
 It is a religion at least as much of myth as of history - it has no historical founder, no single authoritative book, and few central doctrines.
Introducing Hinduism offers a guide to this extraordinarily diverse faith. 
It untangles the complexities of Hinduism's gods and goddesses, its caste system and its views on sex, everyday life and asceticism. 
Why do Hindus revere the cow? 
Must Hindus be vegetarian? 
Introducing Hinduism explores the links with and differences from Buddhism, Jainism and other religions, and describes the resurgence of Hindu extremism, the phenomenon of Bollywood and the overseas Hindu diaspora.

[Book Description Source: www.goodreads.com ] 


Ratings
Goodreads Rating - 3.52 out of 5 (105 Ratings; 7 Reviews - As on February 5 2017)
My Rating 3.0 out of 5
My Comments: Quick and entertaining comic book style  guide to Hinduism. Some concepts are treated rather frivolously and may offend some people.


Buying Options 
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Saturday, February 4, 2017

Manage Your Project Portfolio - Johanna Rothman


Increase Your Capacity and Finish More Projects
All of your projects and programs make up your portfolio
But how much time you actually spend on your projects, and how much time do you spend responding to emergencies?

This book will introduce you to different ways of ordering all of the projects you are working on now, and help you figure out how to staff those projects--even when you've run out of project teams to do the work.

Once you learn to manage your portfolio better, you'll avoid emergency "firedrills." 

The trick is adopting lean and agile approaches to projects, whether they are software projects, projects that include hardware, or projects that depend on chunks of functionality from other suppliers.

You may be accustomed to spending time in meetings where you still don't have the data you need to evaluate your projects.

Here, with a few measures, you'll be able to quickly evaluate each project and come to a decision quickly.

You'll learn how to define your team's, group's, or department's mission with none of the buzzwords that normally accompany a mission statement. 

Armed with the work and the mission, you can make those decisions that define the true leaders in the organization.
 [Book Description Source: www.amazon.com ] 


Ratings
Goodreads Rating - 3.61 out of 5 (127 Ratings; 17 Reviews - As on February 04 2017)
My Rating 3.0 out of 5
My Comments: Good tips on managing the Agile project portfolios.


Buying Options 
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Wednesday, February 1, 2017

Cosmic Love and Human Apathy - Jyotirmaya Sharma


Swami Vivekananda's Restatement of Religion 
The truth is rarely simple. 
The common consensus is that Swami Vivekananda, as Sri Ramakrishna's chosen disciple, spread his master's message across the world. 
The fact, though, is that after Ramakrishna's death in 1886, Vivekananda not only shifted the devotional emphasis of the new monastic order from Kali to Shiva, he also embraced a world far removed from Ramakrishna's. 
Cosmic Love and Human Apathy is the story of this rupture.
Integral to the tale is the issue of Hindu identity. 
The essays in this volume examine Vivekananda's formulation of Hinduism as religion: the most definitive restatement of Hinduism in modern history.
Erudite yet accessible, consistently probing and skeptical of hoary traditions, controversial and thought-provoking, Cosmic Love and Human Apathy is an invaluable addition to the existing scholarship on one of India's greatest religious and social icons.
[Book Description Source: www.amazon.com ] 


Ratings
Goodreads Rating - 3.38 out of 5 (8 Ratings; 0 Review - As on February 1 2017)
My Rating 2.5 out of 5



Buying Options 
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