How to Keep Your Man Happy

How to Keep Your Man Happy
by Seema Hingorrany

Paperback, 188 pages

Published: 2014

Publisher:  Random House India

ISBN:  9788184003550

Blurb: Is your man losing interest in you?
Do you wish to bring the spark back into your love life?

All relationships come with their fair set of challenges—communication gaps, sexual problems, conflict, commitment issues—the list is endless!

From the bestselling author of Beating the Blues: a complete guide to overcoming depression comes a book that will help women combat these challenges and help them learn the secret to attain relationship nirvana. From spotting signs of an unhappy relationship to long-term solutions that make a difference, How to Keep Your Man Happy will help make your man stay put, forever.

After having read Seema Hingorrany’s Beating the Blues around the same time last year, I had become her huge, huge fan. Beating the Blues was my first encounter with a book in the backdrop of clinical psychology and I was glad that I picked it up. After a year, when I was given yet another Seema Hingorrany book to review I couldn’t ever say no.

While Beating the Blues was about the problem of depression, How to Keep Your Man Happy takes a new direction to apply psychology in. It talks about relationships and primarily suggests women’s approach to make them better.

No wonder we’ve heard of the gender differences about perspective of things, which the popular phrase (and book) sums up as Men are From Mars, and Women are From Venus, but How to Keep Your Man happy takes us a level deeper. Dr Seema Hingorrany has touched several aspects of a relationship and has tried her level best that it should help her readers. And I am sure she is pretty successful at the attempt.

The book starts with Dr Hingorrany’s very interesting prologue followed by a chapter on dysfunctional relationships, how to detect them and what the possible causes of a dysfunctional relationship can be. I, personally didn’t know many facts about dysfunctional relationships until I came to read HTKYMH. The book is a flawless guide for understanding the nature of relationships.

The book is a perfect fit for married as well as unhitched couples alike. The book talks of the discords between couples which their minds, subconsciously, refuse to admit and deal with. From playing the blame game with the boyfriend to getting out all the frustration on a husband because of a mother-in-law, the book introduces us to all the things that women do to sabotage their relationships and fail to recognise.

It separately makes us realise the things that women do which irk the men, and also gives us suggestion on how to keep off from that kind of a behaviour. Another topic covers the common mistakes that women make in a relationship, how men are affected by it, figuring out if we are doing the same and the alternatives to keep these mistakes at bay and making our relationships healthy ones.

The second part of the book introduces us to different personality types of men. This part of the book seemed the most interesting to me. We have different personality types explained as Mr Adventurer, Mr Fun, Mr Meticulous, Mr Geek, Mr Romantic, Mr Mood Swings, Mr Sulker, Mr Commitment Phobic, Mr High Tempered, Mr Serious, Mr Protector, Mr Stingy, Mr Arguer and Mr Clingy. I don’t think there would be any girl/woman who can’t label her boyfriend/husband with at least one of these. Next, the author tells us the modus operandi of men’s thinking and how it is different from that of women, rather, how men and women look at the same thing with different perspectives. It also tells us what are the traits in women which men, generally, find attractive in women.

The third part of the book can be called the practical part of it. It tells us how we can deal with different types of men. In other words, it is a guide to making adjustments according to the personality type of your partner. Be it an angry man, a shy partner, a guy with low sex drive or a blatant liar- Ms Hingorrany gives you a perfect mantra to dealing with all kinds of men. The last chapter has full fledged tips for a healthy relationship which includes topics on getting the spark back into the relationship, creating a trusting bond, communicating better etc.

Over all, the book is very well written and very informative. I didn’t get bored reading it at any point. It might not be the best of all books on relationships out there, but it won’t be a waste if you read it because it just has so much to teach you. I is a book primarily for the fairer sex, so I would recommend it to women, naturally. Apart from a chunk of editing glitches, which at times makes the sentences incomprehensible, I didn’t find any major flaws with the book.

If you have time on your hands and want to learn about relationships and make your own relationship better, I’d say, give this book a try. You will certainly learn a good deal from it.

                                                                                                                                                                                                     

Inferno

Inferno

By Dan Brown

Hardcover, 462 pages

Series: Robert Langdon #4

Published on:  May 14^th, 2013

Publisher:  Bantam Press/ Random House

ISBN:  0385537859

Blurb:  In his international blockbusters The Da Vinci Code, Angels & Demons, and The Lost Symbol, Dan Brown masterfully fused history, art, codes, and symbols. In this riveting new thriller, Brown returns to his element and has crafted his highest-stakes novel to date.

In the heart of Italy, Harvard professor of symbology Robert Langdon is drawn into a harrowing world centered on one of history’s most enduring and mysterious literary masterpieces . . . Dante’s Inferno.

Against this backdrop, Langdon battles a chilling adversary and grapples with an ingenious riddle that pulls him into a landscape of classic art, secret passageways, and futuristic science. Drawing from Dante’s dark epic poem, Langdon races to find answers and decide whom to trust . . . before the world is irrevocably altered.

In Inferno, the plot starts with our very dear Robert Langdon finding himself in a hospital with a bump on his head and unable to recall where he is or why he’s in Italy- a situation of total amnesia.

I’ve previously read Dan Brown’s The Lost Symbol but this is a bit different than that. In Inferno, Dan Brown has made grand references to history,  art, symbols and Dante’s Divine Comedy. It is from  Dante’s work that the book has got its name as Inferno.

For a person who has read previous Robert Langdon books is sure to find this one a peach. Although Dan Brown does not get to make many experiments with his characterizations or plot constructions in his books in this series, the beautiful thing about them is that they sound so different and not monotonous at all. (Btw, the Harris Tweed and the Mickey Mouse watch are to stay.)

You can’t call Dan Brown a writer of classics, so you won’t call Inferno a classic either.   But it does not mean that it makes you lose even a bit on the enjoyment of the book. If you read a Dan Brown book, it is more for a gripping plot and the engaging storyline and maybe to learn something that you’ve never known before. And you pretty much get it in every book of his just as this one. Inferno is yet another one of Brown's page-turners. Being a sucker for short chapters, I loved it. 

A little disappointment for me in the book was a more than lavish description of Italy as a place.

On the whole, the story set in Florence, Istanbul and Venice is superbly constructed. The ending of the book proves that Inferno has enough food for thought. The chief element that makes me love Inferno, as well as The Lost Symbol is the Adrenaline rush that Brown keeps giving his readers. Such fine twists and actions, oh my gosh! You just cannot predict what will happen next.

And Brown, (I want to laugh at it), in Inferno is raising philosophical questions. Can you imagine! No, it is not a turn off, but still, it is too much out of the ordinary.

 This book is a perfect read for the lovers of previous Dan Brown books, lovers of history, particularly that of Europe and the ones who are looking for a full time action filled titillating piece of fiction.

 I am badly looking forward to Tom Hanks carrying out the adventures of Langdon in Europe this time. 

Fitness on the Go

Fitness on the Go

By Abhishek Sharma

Paperback, 313 pages

Published:  2013

Publisher:  Ebury Press

ISBN:  9788184001792 

Blurb: The anytime, anywhere workout fitness guide for busy people

·         Is your weight under control?

·         Can you climb a few flights of steps quickly without going out of breath?

·         Are you able to concentrate well in your work?

Looking slim isnt the only marker of being fit. Fitness means having stamina and strength, being able to do your everyday tasks better and being calm and focussed. Now celebrity fitness trainer Abhishek Sharma shows you the perfect exercise regime that:

·         Works on both body and mind drawing elements from yoga, martial arts, and athletic workouts

·         Can be done anywhere and without machines and includes a range of exercises such as brisk walking, jogging, skipping and cycling

·         Helps you achieve a focussed mind by teaching breathing and mind centring exercises

·         Is great for people on the move since the emphasis is on using your natural surroundings

·         Is boredom-free as it is utterly versatile and can be changed around constantly

·         Will make you more confident, fearless and is a great self-defence tool

Fun, challenging and flexible, Fitness on the Go has worked for celebrities such as Ranbir Kapoor, Akshay Khanna and Bollywoods fittest heroine, Deepika Padukone. Supplemented with photographs and celebrity secrets, it is the one stop solution for the modern warrior.

After reading plenty of fitness books in the past few months, I finally got my hands on Abhishek Sharma’s Fitness on the Go.  The title seemed quite interesting and with the comments by all the big shot people on the book, I thought to pick it up. I am glad I did.

Abhishek has written this book exclusively for people who have a tight schedule and always use it as an excuse to refrain from exercise on the pretext of not having enough time to join a health club, or a gym, or engage in any regular rigorous physical activity.

Abhishek in his book, unlike a few other books that I have read, doesn’t give us measures to stay fit which are just limited for to carry out by the elites. I liked this approach that the author, who has been training all the loaded and affluent people like Deepika Padukone and Sonam Kapoor since ages, has tried to share his knowledge of fitness with the common man, which anyone can easily apply into their lives.

Though the book primarily is centred around workouts and exercises, it also stresses n various other activities and lifestyle changes. The exercises that have been very clearly and comprehensibly explicated in the book are not just the ones that’d help you reducing flab. Although reducing flab is a part of it, but the exercises simultaneously concentrate on strength, flexibility, stamina, balance, improving posture and meditation.

While many books surprisingly say that Yoga isn’t that great an approach to get fit, Abhishek Sharma lays his focus on the importance of Yoga in the said motive. Also, the book explains the importance and effect of the most underrated of exercises- breathing. It was quite interesting to know that breathing could do wonders to help people stay fit.

Moreover, the author is a great motivator. The motivation filled in the book to lose those extra kilos and stay fit is incredible.

The workout routine of the book seems totally injury free. There isn’t anything maniacal in the book like drawing your legs over your head. The postures, the workouts, each step of each exercise is brilliantly explained, with the additional aid of pictures. Squats, Cardio, Crunches or Yogasanas, the book has it all.

Incidentally, I tried a few aasanas for my backache and they worked like magic!

This book is totally worth the price. It saves up a lot of your time and energy. Not just in one way, but in plenty. If you are thinking of buying it, you definitely should. Thumbs up!

55: A Novel

55: A Novel

By Chetan Chhatwal

Paperback, 256 pages

Published:  2012

Publisher:  Ebury Press

ISBN:  9788184001792 

 Blurb:  A witty and delightful coming-of-age story about college life

‘Tried to picture myself in a shady second-rate college and realized that even thinking about it was difficult.’

Arjun Singh is a typical South Delhi brat whose biggest worry is securing a much-coveted seat in one of the city’s top colleges. But his ambitious plans come to a screeching halt when he scores a paltry ‘55’ in English in the board exams. Unable to meet the cut-off, Arjun is forced to take admission in a neighbouring second-grade college. Between grappling with his identity as a Sikh and facing repeated misfortunes in love, Arjun’s only solace is his three best friends from school who have also ended up in the same dump. What will happen to his future now? Witty, naughty, and plain irreverent, 55 is a delightful, mad caper about growing up and surviving three tumultuous years in the hallowed corridors of Delhi University.

Arjun Singh is like any other ten plus two pass out in Delhi who wants an admission in the esteemed Delhi Universities top most colleges for his higher studies. Getting a messed up result in his twelfth grade board exams on his strongest subject- English, and unable to get through the process of re-evaluation, Arjun is unable to make it to the hot-shot colleges because of not meeting the cut-offs. But how bad  can the worst experiences of your life be if you have your best mates with you on each step? This is a tale of broken dreams, picking up the pieces and an everlasting friendship.

His worst nightmares come true when he is compelled by the ‘55’ on his report card to join a shady second- rate college of the University.

The cover of the book gets it nice points because it just sums up everything Arjun is. Sleepy-head, lazy, messy,  classy and cool. The merging colors, the turban, the yawn, the goggles and the messy graffiti of ‘55’ makes a perfect blend.

The thing that I best liked about the author was his wit. No matter how the story pulls off, the writing style of Chetan Chhatwal is absolutely awesome. He has tried to make a consistent use of humor throughout the book which totally worth an applause.

55 was the book I wanted to read just after I read its blurb. It seemed to be a gripping story showing the plight of the students who suffer because of the Boards of Education and the typical government system which runs them. I have known many people who have lost huge opportunities because of the errors or biases of the people sitting in those chairs at the Boards. I wanted to read something of them too. I wanted to feel connected. I was sure I would.

The book did show the plight of the students, however, I couldn’t feel connected. Not even a bit. I wish there was more mettle and substance to the book; it would have really been the book that its blurb claimed it to be. The main motive of my reading the book failed. I couldn’t relate to the book. Period.

55 more often than not seemed like a manual to becoming a Sikh guy, going to college. It explains the life of a Surd so much that it could very well be called a guide to becoming one. It irked me like anything. This was not what I wanted to read.

In the initial pages itself, it proves how gross a book can be.  It talked of shit and farts way too much right in the first chapters, quite literally, and made me want to gag. Maybe I should have guessed it by the WC’s shown at the end of each scene.

All that the book was, can be summed up like: It is four boys, one girl. Everyone wants to get laid. And Arjun is the protagonist in love with the girl, which is a one sided affair. There is no solid enough story to the book.

I cannot find a reason enough why anyone should read 55 at all. 

The Old Man and the Sea

Old Man and the Sea

Ernest Hemingway

Paperback, 99 pages

First Published:  1952

Publisher:  Arrow Books

ISBN:  9780099908401

Blurb:  Set in the Gulf Stream off the coast of Havana, Hemingway's magnificent fable is the story of an old man, a young boy and a giant fish. In a perfectly crafted story, which won for Hemingway the Nobel Prize for Literature, is a unique and timeless vision of the beauty and grief of man's challenge to the elements in which he lives.

 “I try not to borrow. First you borrow. Then you beg.”

Among the most iconic books written in 20th century, Ernest Hemingway’s “Old Man and the Sea” has a spot of its own. In case you have not been living in a cave since you were born, you’d have heard of its reference somewhere. Published in 1952, The Old Man and the Sea went on to win Pulitzer Prize. It was also cited as the contributing factor to Ernest Hemingway’s Nobel Prize in 1954.

 Santiago, an old veteran fisherman, embarks on a lonesome journey in his skiff to catch a big fish after not catching a single fish for past eighty four days. The book chronicles the struggle of the old man and the marlin in the Gulf Stream. Even with scarcity of basic amenities, Santiago does not let go of the marlin, at the risk of his own life. He does so because he believes in his skills no matter what the other fishermen think of him. The book is the depiction of struggle of man with the nature for his existence.

The writing style of Hemingway is poetic. The scenes are full of imagery. The book contains a lot of monologues, which are masterfully written by the Nobel Laureate. Hemingway is highly economical with his words without leaving any point of the characterization of the old man. Without even ever talking about it, the author depicts the desire of the Old Man to cement his place in the Cuban society and culture. The author also paints the picture of the relation between the young boy, Manolin, and the Old Man. The reader is presented with a vivid picture of their interdependence on each other, even though the young boy’s parents do not let him work with the Old Man.

Although it might take you only a single sitting to read the entire novella, the book will end up giving you enough food for thought that will take a long time digesting. The central theme of the book is man’s capability, strength, bravery and ethics at the time of adversity. Te recurring theme of manhood in Hemingway’s literature is also present in this book. The struggle in the Gulf Stream between the marlin and the old man can also be seen as a metaphor for the adulation, love and respect between two adversaries of equal footing. The turn of the events later on in the book tend to show the ethics of manhood, too.

The book can be summed up as a triumph of an individual. It is the moral code of a life laid bare, where a man has to fight for his even most essential needs.  In modern life we would hardly have to struggle for life’s basic needs against nature like Santiago, but still he teaches us how to accept failure in life, strive alone for our goals with dignity, believe in our capability, and when success comes accept it with humility.

I think every lover of literature should go through this small, yet magnanimous piece of literature. Ernest Hemingway’s Old Man and the Sea is highly recommended!  

Reviewed by: Shadab Ahmed.