Paramjeet's bookshelf: all en-US Sat, 07 Dec 2024 23:02:20 -0800 60 Paramjeet's bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg <![CDATA[Roots: The Saga of an American Family]]> 546018 her grandparents, and their grandparents, down through the generations all the way to a man she called "the African." She said he had lived across the ocean near what he called the "Kamby Bolongo" and had been out in the forest one day chopping wood to make a drum when he was set upon by four men, beaten, chained and dragged aboard a slave ship bound for Colonial America.

Still vividly remembering the stories after he grew up and became a writer, Haley began to search for documentation that might authenticate the narrative. It took ten years and a half a million miles of travel across three continents to find it, but finally, in an astonishing feat of genealogical detective work, he discovered not only the name of "the African"—Kunta Kinte—but the precise location of Juffure, the very village in The Gambia, West Africa, from which he was abducted in 1767 at the age of sixteen and taken on the Lord Ligonier to Maryland and sold to a Virginia planter.

Haley has talked in Juffure with his own African sixth cousins. On September 29, 1967, he stood on the dock in Annapolis where his great-great-great-great-grandfather was taken ashore on September 29, 1767. Now he has written the monumental two-century drama of Kunta Kinte and the six generations who came after him—slaves and freedmen, farmers and blacksmiths, lumber mill workers and Pullman porters, lawyers and architects—and one author.

But Haley has done more than recapture the history of his own family. As the first black American writer to trace his origins back to their roots, he has told the story of 25,000,000 Americans of African descent. He has rediscovered for an entire people a rich cultural heritage that slavery took away from them, along with their names and their identities. But Roots speaks, finally, not just to blacks, or to whites, but to all people and all races everywhere, for the story it tells is one of the most eloquent testimonials ever written to the indomitability of the human spirit.]]> 729 Alex Haley 0440174643 Paramjeet 0 4.44 1976 Roots: The Saga of an American Family
author: Alex Haley
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 4.44
book published: 1976
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/12/07
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]]> A Little Life 22822858
Over the decades, their relationships deepen and darken, tinged by addiction, success, and pride. Yet their greatest challenge, each comes to realize, is Jude himself, by midlife a terrifyingly talented litigator yet an increasingly broken man, his mind and body scarred by an unspeakable childhood, and haunted by what he fears is a degree of trauma that he’ll not only be unable to overcome—but that will define his life forever.]]> 720 Hanya Yanagihara 0385539258 Paramjeet 3 4.28 2015 A Little Life
author: Hanya Yanagihara
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2015
rating: 3
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date added: 2024/10/11
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]]> <![CDATA[Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst]]> 31170723 Why do we do the things we do?

More than a decade in the making, this game-changing book is Robert Sapolsky's genre-shattering attempt to answer that question as fully as perhaps only he could, looking at it from every angle. Sapolsky's storytelling concept is delightful but it also has a powerful intrinsic logic: he starts by looking at the factors that bear on a person's reaction in the precise moment a behavior occurs, and then hops back in time from there, in stages, ultimately ending up at the deep history of our species and its evolutionary legacy.

And so the first category of explanation is the neurobiological one. A behavior occurs—whether an example of humans at our best, worst, or somewhere in between. What went on in a person's brain a second before the behavior happened? Then Sapolsky pulls out to a slightly larger field of vision, a little earlier in time: What sight, sound, or smell caused the nervous system to produce that behavior? And then, what hormones acted hours to days earlier to change how responsive that individual is to the stimuli that triggered the nervous system? By now he has increased our field of vision so that we are thinking about neurobiology and the sensory world of our environment and endocrinology in trying to explain what happened.

Sapolsky keeps going: How was that behavior influenced by structural changes in the nervous system over the preceding months, by that person's adolescence, childhood, fetal life, and then back to his or her genetic makeup? Finally, he expands the view to encompass factors larger than one individual. How did culture shape that individual's group, what ecological factors millennia old formed that culture? And on and on, back to evolutionary factors millions of years old.

The result is one of the most dazzling tours d'horizon of the science of human behavior ever attempted, a majestic synthesis that harvests cutting-edge research across a range of disciplines to provide a subtle and nuanced perspective on why we ultimately do the things we do ... for good and for ill. Sapolsky builds on this understanding to wrestle with some of our deepest and thorniest questions relating to tribalism and xenophobia, hierarchy and competition, morality and free will, and war and peace. Wise, humane, often very funny, Behave is a towering achievement, powerfully humanizing, and downright heroic in its own right.]]> 790 Robert M. Sapolsky 1594205078 Paramjeet 5 4.39 2017 Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst
author: Robert M. Sapolsky
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 4.39
book published: 2017
rating: 5
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date added: 2024/08/15
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]]> Elon Musk 122765395 From the author of Steve Jobs and other bestselling biographies, this is the astonishingly intimate story of the most fascinating and controversial innovator of our era—a rule-breaking visionary who helped to lead the world into the era of electric vehicles, private space exploration, and artificial intelligence. Oh, and took over Twitter.

When Elon Musk was a kid in South Africa, he was regularly beaten by bullies. One day a group pushed him down some concrete steps and kicked him until his face was a swollen ball of flesh. He was in the hospital for a week. But the physical scars were minor compared to the emotional ones inflicted by his father, an engineer, rogue, and charismatic fantasist.

His father’s impact on his psyche would linger. He developed into a tough yet vulnerable man-child, prone to abrupt Jekyll-and-Hyde mood swings, with an exceedingly high tolerance for risk, a craving for drama, an epic sense of mission, and a maniacal intensity that was callous and at times destructive.

At the beginning of 2022—after a year marked by SpaceX launching thirty-one rockets into orbit, Tesla selling a million cars, and him becoming the richest man on earth—Musk spoke ruefully about his compulsion to stir up dramas. “I need to shift my mindset away from being in crisis mode, which it has been for about fourteen years now, or arguably most of my life,� he said.

It was a wistful comment, not a New Year’s resolution. Even as he said it, he was secretly buying up shares of Twitter, the world’s ultimate playground. Over the years, whenever he was in a dark place, his mind went back to being bullied on the playground. Now he had the chance to own the playground.

For two years, Isaacson shadowed Musk, attended his meetings, walked his factories with him, and spent hours interviewing him, his family, friends, coworkers, and adversaries. The result is the revealing inside story, filled with amazing tales of triumphs and turmoil, that addresses the are the demons that drive Musk also what it takes to drive innovation and progress?]]> 688 Walter Isaacson 1982181281 Paramjeet 4 enlightening-knowledge 4.28 2023 Elon Musk
author: Walter Isaacson
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2023
rating: 4
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date added: 2024/06/09
shelves: enlightening-knowledge
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]]> <![CDATA[Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones]]> 40121378 Atomic Habits offers a proven framework for improving—every day. James Clear, one of the world's leading experts on habit formation, reveals practical strategies that will teach you exactly how to form good habits, break bad ones, and master the tiny behaviors that lead to remarkable results.

If you're having trouble changing your habits, the problem isn't you. The problem is your system. Bad habits repeat themselves again and again not because you don't want to change, but because you have the wrong system for change. You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems. Here, you'll get a proven system that can take you to new heights.

Clear is known for his ability to distill complex topics into simple behaviors that can be easily applied to daily life and work. Here, he draws on the most proven ideas from biology, psychology, and neuroscience to create an easy-to-understand guide for making good habits inevitable and bad habits impossible. Along the way, readers will be inspired and entertained with true stories from Olympic gold medalists, award-winning artists, business leaders, life-saving physicians, and star comedians who have used the science of small habits to master their craft and vault to the top of their field.

Learn how to:
- Make time for new habits (even when life gets crazy);
- Overcome a lack of motivation and willpower;
- Design your environment to make success easier;
- Get back on track when you fall off course;
...and much more.

Atomic Habits will reshape the way you think about progress and success, and give you the tools and strategies you need to transform your habits--whether you are a team looking to win a championship, an organization hoping to redefine an industry, or simply an individual who wishes to quit smoking, lose weight, reduce stress, or achieve any other goal.]]> 319 James Clear Paramjeet 5 enlightening-knowledge 4.34 2018 Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones
author: James Clear
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2018
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2024/05/14
shelves: enlightening-knowledge
review:

]]> The Secret History 29044 559 Donna Tartt 1400031702 Paramjeet 4 4.17 1992 The Secret History
author: Donna Tartt
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 4.17
book published: 1992
rating: 4
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date added: 2024/04/06
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]]> <![CDATA[Homo Deus: A History of Tomorrow]]> 31138556 Yuval Noah Harari, author of the critically-acclaimed New York Times bestseller and international phenomenon Sapiens, returns with an equally original, compelling, and provocative book, turning his focus toward humanity’s future, and our quest to upgrade humans into gods.

Over the past century humankind has managed to do the impossible and rein in famine, plague, and war. This may seem hard to accept, but, as Harari explains in his trademark style—thorough, yet riveting—famine, plague and war have been transformed from incomprehensible and uncontrollable forces of nature into manageable challenges. For the first time ever, more people die from eating too much than from eating too little; more people die from old age than from infectious diseases; and more people commit suicide than are killed by soldiers, terrorists and criminals put together. The average American is a thousand times more likely to die from binging at McDonalds than from being blown up by Al Qaeda.

What then will replace famine, plague, and war at the top of the human agenda? As the self-made gods of planet earth, what destinies will we set ourselves, and which quests will we undertake? Homo Deus explores the projects, dreams and nightmares that will shape the twenty-first century—from overcoming death to creating artificial life. It asks the fundamental questions: Where do we go from here? And how will we protect this fragile world from our own destructive powers? This is the next stage of evolution. This is Homo Deus.

With the same insight and clarity that made Sapiens an international hit and a New York Times bestseller, Harari maps out our future.

]]> 450 Yuval Noah Harari Paramjeet 5 enlightening-knowledge 4.19 2015 Homo Deus: A History of Tomorrow
author: Yuval Noah Harari
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2015
rating: 5
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date added: 2024/04/05
shelves: enlightening-knowledge
review:

]]> Death: An Inside Story 50273386 Death is a taboo in most societies in the world. But what if we have got this completely wrong? What if death was not the catastrophe it is made out to be but an essential aspect of life, rife with spiritual possibilities for transcendence? For the first time, someone is saying just that.

In this unique treatise-like exposition, Sadhguru dwells extensively upon his inner experience as he expounds on the more profound aspects of death that are rarely spoken about. From a practical standpoint, he elaborates on what preparations one can make for one’s death, how best we can assist someone who is dying and how we can continue to support their journey even after death.

Whether a believer or not, a devotee or an agnostic, an accomplished seeker or a simpleton, this is truly a book for all those who shall die!>

]]> 376 Sadhguru 0143450832 Paramjeet 3 enlightening-knowledge 4.25 Death: An Inside Story
author: Sadhguru
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 4.25
book published:
rating: 3
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date added: 2024/04/05
shelves: enlightening-knowledge
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]]> The Kite Runner 77203 371 Khaled Hosseini 159463193X Paramjeet 4 touching 4.34 2003 The Kite Runner
author: Khaled Hosseini
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2003
rating: 4
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date added: 2024/04/05
shelves: touching
review:

]]> A Thousand Splendid Suns 128029
With the passing of time comes Taliban rule over Afghanistan, the streets of Kabul loud with the sound of gunfire and bombs, life a desperate struggle against starvation, brutality and fear, the women's endurance tested beyond their worst imaginings. Yet love can move people to act in unexpected ways, lead them to overcome the most daunting obstacles with a startling heroism. In the end it is love that triumphs over death and destruction.

A Thousand Splendid Suns is a portrait of a wounded country and a story of family and friendship, of an unforgiving time, an unlikely bond, and an indestructible love.]]> 372 Khaled Hosseini 1594489505 Paramjeet 4 realistic 4.44 2007 A Thousand Splendid Suns
author: Khaled Hosseini
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 4.44
book published: 2007
rating: 4
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date added: 2024/04/05
shelves: realistic
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion]]> 28815
You'll learn the six universal principles, how to use them to become a skilled persuader—and how to defend yourself against them. Perfect for people in all walks of life, the principles of Influence will move you toward profound personal change and act as a driving force for your success.]]> 320 Robert B. Cialdini 006124189X Paramjeet 5 4.21 1984 Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion
author: Robert B. Cialdini
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 4.21
book published: 1984
rating: 5
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date added: 2024/04/05
shelves: enlightening-knowledge, realistic
review:

]]> The Last Don (The Godfather) 364089
This is a mesmerizing tale that takes us inside the equally corrupt worlds of the mob, the movie industry, and the casinos - where beautiful actresses and ruthless hit men are ruled by lust and violence, where sleazy producers and greedy studio heads are drunk with power, where crooked cops and desperate gamblers play dangerous games of betrayal, and where one man controls them all.]]> 502 Mario Puzo 0345412214 Paramjeet 4 realistic 3.87 1996 The Last Don (The Godfather)
author: Mario Puzo
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 3.87
book published: 1996
rating: 4
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date added: 2024/04/05
shelves: realistic
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Upside of Irrationality: The Unexpected Benefits of Defying Logic at Work and at Home]]> 7815744
In The Upside of Irrationality, behavioral economist Dan Ariely will explore the many ways in which our behaviour often leads us astray in terms of our romantic relationships, our experiences in the workplace, and our temptations to cheat. Blending everyday experience with groundbreaking research, Ariely explains how expectations, emotions, social norms and other invisible, seemingly illogical forces skew our reasoning abilities.

Among the topics Dan explores � What we think will make us happy and what really makes us happy;� How we learn to love the ones we are with;� Why online dating doesn’t work, and how we can improve on it;� Why learning more about people make us like them less;� Why large bonuses can make CEOs less productive;� How to really motivate people at work;� Why bad directions can help us;� How we fall in love with our ideas;� How we are motivated by revenge; and� What motivates us to cheat.

Drawing on the same experimental methods that made Predictably Irrational such a hit, Dan will emphasize the important role that irrationality plays in our day-to-day decisionmaking—not just in our financial marketplace, but in the most hidden aspects of our lives.]]> 334 Dan Ariely 0061995037 Paramjeet 4 4.03 2010 The Upside of Irrationality: The Unexpected Benefits of Defying Logic at Work and at Home
author: Dan Ariely
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2010
rating: 4
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date added: 2024/04/05
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]]> Liar's Poker 7865083 The time was the 1980s. The place was Wall Street. The game was called Liar’s Poker.

Michael Lewis was fresh out of Princeton and the London School of Economics when he landed a job at Salomon Brothers, one of Wall Street’s premier investment firms. During the next three years, Lewis rose from callow trainee to bond salesman, raking in millions for the firm and cashing in on a modern-day gold rush. Liar’s Poker is the culmination of those heady, frenzied years—a behind-the-scenes look at a unique and turbulent time in American business. From the frat-boy camaraderie of the forty-first-floor trading room to the killer instinct that made ambitious young men gamble everything on a high-stakes game of bluffing and deception, here is Michael Lewis’s knowing and hilarious insider’s account of an unprecedented era of greed, gluttony, and outrageous fortune. .]]> 310 Michael Lewis 039333869X Paramjeet 4 4.16 1989 Liar's Poker
author: Michael Lewis
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 4.16
book published: 1989
rating: 4
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date added: 2024/04/05
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]]> To Kill a Mockingbird 2657 "Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird."

A lawyer's advice to his children as he defends the real mockingbird of Harper Lee's classic novel - a black man charged with the rape of a white girl. Through the young eyes of Scout and Jem Finch, Harper Lee explores with exuberant humour the irrationality of adult attitudes to race and class in the Deep South of the 1930s. The conscience of a town steeped in prejudice, violence and hypocrisy is pricked by the stamina of one man's struggle for justice. But the weight of history will only tolerate so much.

"To Kill A Mockingbird" became both an instant bestseller and a critical success when it was first published in 1960. It went on to win the Pulitzer Prize in 1961 and was later made into an Academy Award-winning film.]]> 323 Harper Lee 0060935464 Paramjeet 3 4.25 1960 To Kill a Mockingbird
author: Harper Lee
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 4.25
book published: 1960
rating: 3
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date added: 2024/02/18
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]]> The Lessons of History 174713 119 Will Durant 1567310249 Paramjeet 5 enlightening-knowledge 4.05 The Lessons of History
author: Will Durant
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 4.05
book published:
rating: 5
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date added: 2024/01/28
shelves: enlightening-knowledge
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]]> Thinking, Fast and Slow 11468377 Thinking, Fast and Slow, Kahneman takes us on a groundbreaking tour of the mind and explains the two systems that drive the way we think. System 1 is fast, intuitive, and emotional; System 2 is slower, more deliberative, and more logical. Kahneman exposes the extraordinary capabilities—and also the faults and biases—of fast thinking, and reveals the pervasive influence of intuitive impressions on our thoughts and behavior. The impact of loss aversion and overconfidence on corporate strategies, the difficulties of predicting what will make us happy in the future, the challenges of properly framing risks at work and at home, the profound effect of cognitive biases on everything from playing the stock market to planning the next vacation—each of these can be understood only by knowing how the two systems work together to shape our judgments and decisions.

Engaging the reader in a lively conversation about how we think, Kahneman reveals where we can and cannot trust our intuitions and how we can tap into the benefits of slow thinking. He offers practical and enlightening insights into how choices are made in both our business and our personal lives—and how we can use different techniques to guard against the mental glitches that often get us into trouble. Thinking, Fast and Slow will transform the way you think about thinking.]]> 499 Daniel Kahneman 0374275637 Paramjeet 4 4.17 2011 Thinking, Fast and Slow
author: Daniel Kahneman
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2011
rating: 4
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date added: 2024/01/25
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]]> <![CDATA[The 80/20 Principle: The Secret to Achieving More with Less]]> 181206
The 80/20 principle is one of the great secrets of highly effective people and organizations.

Did you know, for example, that 20 percent of customers account for 80 percent of revenues? That 20 percent of our time accounts for 80 percent of the work we accomplish? The 80/20 Principle shows how we can achieve much more with much less effort, time, and resources, simply by identifying and focusing our efforts on the 20 percent that really counts. Although the 80/20 principle has long influenced today's business world, author Richard Koch reveals how the principle works and shows how we can use it in a systematic and practical way to vastly increase our effectiveness, and improve our careers and our companies.

The unspoken corollary to the 80/20 principle is that little of what we spend our time on actually counts. But by concentrating on those things that do, we can unlock the enormous potential of the magic 20 percent, and transform our effectiveness in our jobs, our careers, our businesses, and our lives.]]> 336 Richard Koch 0385491743 Paramjeet 4 enlightening-knowledge 3.99 1997 The 80/20 Principle: The Secret to Achieving More with Less
author: Richard Koch
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 3.99
book published: 1997
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2024/01/19
shelves: enlightening-knowledge
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Last Mile (Amos Decker, #2)]]> 26245853
Amos Decker, newly hired on an FBI special task force, takes an interest in Mars's case after discovering the striking similarities to his own life: Both men were talented football players with promising careers cut short by tragedy. Both men's families were brutally murdered. And in both cases, another suspect came forward, years after the killing, to confess to the crime. A suspect who may or may not have been telling the truth.

The confession has the potential to make Melvin Mars--guilty or not--a free man. Who wants Mars out of prison? And why now?

But when a member of Decker's team disappears, it becomes clear that something much larger--and more sinister--than just one convicted criminal's life hangs in the balance. Decker will need all of his extraordinary brainpower to stop an innocent man from being executed.]]> 644 David Baldacci 1455566020 Paramjeet 4 4.14 2016 The Last Mile (Amos Decker, #2)
author: David Baldacci
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2016
rating: 4
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date added: 2023/12/14
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]]> The Book Thief 19063 Librarian's note: An alternate cover edition can be found here

It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will be busier still.

By her brother's graveside, Liesel's life is changed when she picks up a single object, partially hidden in the snow. It is The Gravedigger's Handbook, left behind there by accident, and it is her first act of book thievery. So begins a love affair with books and words, as Liesel, with the help of her accordian-playing foster father, learns to read. Soon she is stealing books from Nazi book-burnings, the mayor's wife's library, wherever there are books to be found.

But these are dangerous times. When Liesel's foster family hides a Jew in their basement, Liesel's world is both opened up, and closed down.

In superbly crafted writing that burns with intensity, award-winning author Markus Zusak has given us one of the most enduring stories of our time.

(Note: this title was not published as YA fiction)]]> 592 Markus Zusak Paramjeet 4 4.38 2005 The Book Thief
author: Markus Zusak
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 4.38
book published: 2005
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2023/05/04
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]]> The Psychology of Money 41881472 242 Morgan Housel 0857197681 Paramjeet 4 4.27 2020 The Psychology of Money
author: Morgan Housel
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2023/03/06
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review:

]]> <![CDATA[21 Lessons for the 21st Century]]> 38820046 In Sapiens, he explored our past. In Homo Deus, he looked to our future. Now, one of the most innovative thinkers on the planet turns to the present to make sense of today's most pressing issues.

How do computers and robots change the meaning of being human? How do we deal with the epidemic of fake news? Are nations and religions still relevant? What should we teach our children?

Yuval Noah Harari's 21 Lessons for the 21st Century is a probing and visionary investigation into today's most urgent issues as we move into the uncharted territory of the future. As technology advances faster than our understanding of it, hacking becomes a tactic of war, and the world feels more polarized than ever, Harari addresses the challenge of navigating life in the face of constant and disorienting change and raises the important questions we need to ask ourselves in order to survive.

In twenty-one accessible chapters that are both provocative and profound, Harari builds on the ideas explored in his previous books, untangling political, technological, social, and existential issues and offering advice on how to prepare for a very different future from the world we now live in: How can we retain freedom of choice when Big Data is watching us? What will the future workforce look like, and how should we ready ourselves for it? How should we deal with the threat of terrorism? Why is liberal democracy in crisis?

Harari's unique ability to make sense of where we have come from and where we are going has captured the imaginations of millions of readers. Here he invites us to consider values, meaning, and personal engagement in a world full of noise and uncertainty. When we are deluged with irrelevant information, clarity is power. Presenting complex contemporary challenges clearly and accessibly, 21 Lessons for the 21st Century is essential reading.]]> 372 Yuval Noah Harari 0525512179 Paramjeet 5 4.15 2018 21 Lessons for the 21st Century
author: Yuval Noah Harari
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2018
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2023/02/24
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Two Towers (The Lord of the Rings, #2)]]> 61215372
The inspiration for the upcoming original series on Prime Video, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.

The Two Towers is the second part of J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic adventure The Lord of the Rings.

One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.

Frodo and his Companions of the Ring have been beset by danger during their quest to prevent the Ruling Ring from falling into the hands of the Dark Lord by destroying it in the Cracks of Doom. They have lost the wizard, Gandalf, in a battle in the Mines of Moria. And Boromir, seduced by the power of the Ring, tried to seize it by force. While Frodo and Sam made their escape, the rest of the company was attacked by Orcs. Now they continue the journey alone down the great River Anduin—alone, that is, save for the mysterious creeping figure that follows wherever they go.]]> 448 J.R.R. Tolkien Paramjeet 0 4.60 1954 The Two Towers (The Lord of the Rings, #2)
author: J.R.R. Tolkien
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 4.60
book published: 1954
rating: 0
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date added: 2022/11/06
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]]> <![CDATA[The Hobbit, or There and Back Again]]> 5907 Written for J.R.R. Tolkien’s own children, The Hobbit met with instant critical acclaim when it was first published in 1937. Now recognized as a timeless classic, this introduction to the hobbit Bilbo Baggins, the wizard Gandalf, Gollum, and the spectacular world of Middle-earth recounts of the adventures of a reluctant hero, a powerful and dangerous ring, and the cruel dragon Smaug the Magnificent. The text in this 372-page paperback edition is based on that first published in Great Britain by Collins Modern Classics (1998), and includes a note on the text by Douglas A. Anderson (2001).]]> 366 J.R.R. Tolkien Paramjeet 0 4.29 1937 The Hobbit, or There and Back Again
author: J.R.R. Tolkien
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 4.29
book published: 1937
rating: 0
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date added: 2022/05/22
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]]> <![CDATA[The Fellowship of the Ring (The Lord of the Rings, #1)]]> 3263607 One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.

In ancient times the Rings of Power were crafted by the Elven-smiths, and Sauron, the Dark Lord, forged the One Ring, filling it with his own power so that he could rule all others. But the One Ring was taken from him, and though he sought it throughout Middle-earth, it remained lost to him. After many ages it fell into the hands of Bilbo Baggins, as told in The Hobbit.

In a sleepy village in the Shire, young Frodo Baggins finds himself faced with an immense task, as his elderly cousin Bilbo entrusts the Ring to his care. Frodo must leave his home and make a perilous journey across Middle-earth to the Cracks of Doom, there to destroy the Ring and foil the Dark Lord in his evil purpose.]]> 527 J.R.R. Tolkien Paramjeet 3 4.51 1954 The Fellowship of the Ring (The Lord of the Rings, #1)
author: J.R.R. Tolkien
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 4.51
book published: 1954
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2022/05/22
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]]> Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde 51496 139 Robert Louis Stevenson 0451528956 Paramjeet 4 3.84 1886 Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
author: Robert Louis Stevenson
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 3.84
book published: 1886
rating: 4
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date added: 2021/04/15
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]]> <![CDATA[And Then She Was Gone (Jack Stratton, #0)]]> 32453063 What’s done in the dark will be brought to the light�

The silhouette stood at the edge of the woods like a spider watching a fly enter its carefully crafted web. Only a few more steps and she’d be within its grasp.

Stacy Shaw has her whole life ahead of her. New job, new house and now a baby on the way—everything she’s ever hoped for is finally coming true. But on a warm summer night on the way home from work, she vanishes. The police race to find her, but the clues don’t add up. Conflicting facts emerge as her story twists and turns, sending the trail spiraling in all directions.

A hometown hero with a heart of gold, Jack Stratton was raised in a whorehouse by his prostitute mother. Jack seemed destined to become another statistic, but now his life has taken a turn for the better. Determined to escape his past, he's headed for a career in law enforcement. When his foster mother asks him to look into the girl’s disappearance, Jack quickly gets drawn into a baffling mystery. As Jack digs deeper, everyone becomes a suspect—including himself. Caught between the criminals and the cops, can Jack discover the truth in time to save the girl? Or will he become the next victim?

And Then She Was Gone is part of the Detective Jack Stratton Mystery Series]]> 309 Christopher Greyson 1683990013 Paramjeet 3 3.96 And Then She Was Gone (Jack Stratton, #0)
author: Christopher Greyson
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 3.96
book published:
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2021/04/11
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]]> Think and Grow Rich 30186948 233 Napoleon Hill Paramjeet 4 4.19 1937 Think and Grow Rich
author: Napoleon Hill
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 4.19
book published: 1937
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2021/04/04
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review:

]]> <![CDATA[Mockingjay (The Hunger Games, #3)]]> 7260188 My name is Katniss Everdeen.
Why am I not dead?
I should be dead.

Katniss Everdeen, girl on fire, has survived, even though her home has been destroyed. Gale has escaped. Katniss's family is safe. Peeta has been captured by the Capitol. District 13 really does exist. There are rebels. There are new leaders. A revolution is unfolding.

It is by design that Katniss was rescued from the arena in the cruel and haunting Quarter Quell, and it is by design that she has long been part of the revolution without knowing it. District 13 has come out of the shadows and is plotting to overthrow the Capitol. Everyone, it seems, has had a hand in the carefully laid plans—except Katniss.

The success of the rebellion hinges on Katniss's willingness to be a pawn, to accept responsibility for countless lives, and to change the course of the future of Panem. To do this, she must put aside her feelings of anger and distrust. She must become the rebels' Mockingjay—no matter what the personal cost.]]> 390 Suzanne Collins 0439023513 Paramjeet 0 4.10 2010 Mockingjay (The Hunger Games, #3)
author: Suzanne Collins
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2010
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/02/22
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review:

]]> <![CDATA[Catching Fire (The Hunger Games, #2)]]> 6148028 Sparks are igniting.
Flames are spreading.
And the Capitol wants revenge.

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the Hunger Games. She and fellow District 12 tribute Peeta Mellark are miraculously still alive. Katniss should be relieved, happy even. After all, she has returned to her family and her longtime friend, Gale. Yet nothing is the way Katniss wishes it to be. Gale holds her at an icy distance. Peeta has turned his back on her completely. And there are whispers of a rebellion against the Capitol—a rebellion that Katniss and Peeta may have helped create.

Much to her shock, Katniss has fueled an unrest that she's afraid she cannot stop. And what scares her even more is that she's not entirely convinced she should try. As time draws near for Katniss and Peeta to visit the districts on the Capitol's cruel Victory Tour, the stakes are higher than ever. If they can't prove, without a shadow of a doubt, that they are lost in their love for each other, the consequences will be horrifying.

In Catching Fire, the second novel of the Hunger Games trilogy, Suzanne Collins continues the story of Katniss Everdeen, testing her more than ever before . . . and surprising readers at every turn.]]> 391 Suzanne Collins 0439023491 Paramjeet 3 Good read book 4.34 2009 Catching Fire (The Hunger Games, #2)
author: Suzanne Collins
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2009
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2021/01/31
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review:
Good read book
]]> <![CDATA[The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1)]]> 2767052
Winning means fame and fortune. Losing means certain death. The Hunger Games have begun. . . .

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before-and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.]]> 374 Suzanne Collins Paramjeet 4 4.34 2008 The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1)
author: Suzanne Collins
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2008
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2021/01/17
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review:
The books has a very interesting premise. The flow of the story is excellent though story is little routine.
]]> Water for Elephants 43641
Beautifully written, Water for Elephants is illuminated by a wonderful sense of time and place. It tells a story of a love between two people that overcomes incredible odds in a world in which even love is a luxury that few can afford.]]> 368 Sara Gruen 1565125606 Paramjeet 3 4.11 2006 Water for Elephants
author: Sara Gruen
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2006
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2020/11/11
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review:

]]> Doctor Zhivago 415847 Doctor Zhivago is the story of the life and loves of a poet/physician during the turmoil of the Russian Revolution. Taking his family from Moscow to what he hopes will be shelter in the Ural Mountains, Zhivago finds himself instead embroiled in the battle between the Whites and the Reds. Set against this backdrop of cruelty and strife is Zhivago's love for the tender and beautiful Lara, the very embodiment of the pain and chaos of those cataclysmic times. Pevear and Volokhonsky masterfully restore the spirit of Pasternak's original--his style, rhythms, voicings, and tone--in this beautiful translation of a classic of world literature.]]> 510 Boris Pasternak 0345307593 Paramjeet 1 3.87 1957 Doctor Zhivago
author: Boris Pasternak
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 3.87
book published: 1957
rating: 1
read at: 2020/06/11
date added: 2020/09/12
shelves:
review:

]]> The Green Mile 11566
There are more wonders in heaven and hell than anyone at Cold Mountain can imagine and one of those wonders might just have stepped in amongst them.]]> 592 Stephen King 0451933028 Paramjeet 4 4.48 1996 The Green Mile
author: Stephen King
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 4.48
book published: 1996
rating: 4
read at: 2020/01/01
date added: 2020/05/21
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Perks of Being a Wallflower]]> 22628 offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see
what it looks like from the dance floor.

This haunting novel about the dilemma of passivity vs. passion marks the stunning debut of a provocative new voice in contemporary fiction: The Perks of Being A WALLFLOWER

This is the story of what it's like to grow up in high school. More intimate than a diary, Charlie's letters are singular and unique, hilarious and devastating. We may not know where he lives. We may not know to whom he is writing. All we know is the world he shares. Caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it puts him on a strange course through uncharted territory. The world of first dates and mixed tapes, family dramas and new friends. The world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that the perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite.

Through Charlie, Stephen Chbosky has created a deeply affecting coming-of-age story, a powerful novel that will spirit you back to those wild and poignant roller coaster days known as growing up.

(back cover)]]> 213 Stephen Chbosky Paramjeet 4 4.24 1999 The Perks of Being a Wallflower
author: Stephen Chbosky
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 4.24
book published: 1999
rating: 4
read at: 2020/05/21
date added: 2020/05/21
shelves:
review:
This book is a story of a teenage guy who is very sensitive to his surrounding. So sensitive that he has gone to the mental institution for his treatment. The book is special in terms of actually describing on how would it feel if a person whom one loves is no more in his or her life. This book has its own share of teenage stories but mostly the book has a very pure portrayal of the innocence.
]]> <![CDATA[The Ocean at the End of the Lane]]> 15783514
Forty years earlier, a man committed suicide in a stolen car at this farm at the end of the road. Like a fuse on a firework, his death lit a touchpaper and resonated in unimaginable ways. The darkness was unleashed, something scary and thoroughly incomprehensible to a little boy. And Lettie—magical, comforting, wise beyond her years—promised to protect him, no matter what.

A groundbreaking work from a master, The Ocean at the End of the Lane is told with a rare understanding of all that makes us human, and shows the power of stories to reveal and shelter us from the darkness inside and out. It is a stirring, terrifying, and elegiac fable as delicate as a butterfly's wing and as menacing as a knife in the dark.]]> 181 Neil Gaiman 0062255657 Paramjeet 2 4.00 2013 The Ocean at the End of the Lane
author: Neil Gaiman
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2013
rating: 2
read at: 2020/05/18
date added: 2020/05/18
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Two Dead Girls (The Green Mile, #1)]]> 92227 THE SERIAL THRILLER BEGINS...

They were sisters, and the picture-perfect image of innocence. No one understood their brutal deaths, not even the man who killed them. But John Coffey is about to gain a new insight, about his life in prison, and about the one man who will walk him down that green mile...toward destiny.

THE GREEN MILE
Prepare yourself for Stephen King's boldest exercise in nerve-twisting suspense. A multipart serial novel that begins on death row and goes on from there to realms of revelation that make death seenl sweet. This is Stephen King's most irresistible journey ever.

To be continued...]]> 92 Stephen King 0613096487 Paramjeet 4 4.52 1996 The Two Dead Girls (The Green Mile, #1)
author: Stephen King
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 4.52
book published: 1996
rating: 4
read at: 2020/05/01
date added: 2020/05/14
shelves:
review:

]]> How to Memorize Anything 25139571
The answer is, ‘Yes we can!� From Guinness World Record holders (for conducting the largest maths class on memorizing times tables till 99) Aditi Singhal and Sudhir Singhal comes a book that will serve as a manual to explore the immense power of your memory through a scientific yet simple approach. It

� Explain concepts with simple illustrations
� While teaching you memory techniques, it will also discuss their application in real life, like memorizing appointments, presentations, names and faces, long answers, spellings, formulae, vocabulary, foreign languages and general information
� Give the scientific interpretation of ancient memory-enhancing practices that will be particularly useful for students, teachers, professors, doctors, managers, marketing and other professionals as well as the common man

Following the unparalleled success of How to Become a Human Calculator, Aditi Singhal and Sudhir Singhal turn their hands to helping you master the right method to input any information using which you can easily memorize anything and, more important, recall it whenever required.]]> 322 Aditi Singhal 8184006829 Paramjeet 3 4.00 2015 How to Memorize Anything
author: Aditi Singhal
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2015
rating: 3
read at: 2020/01/01
date added: 2020/04/27
shelves:
review:
A handbook for helping us to memorize .
]]> <![CDATA[The 5 AM Club: Own Your Morning. Elevate Your Life]]> 37502596
      Now, in this life-changing book, handcrafted by the author over a rigorous four-year period, you will discover the early-rising habit that has helped so many accomplish epic results while upgrading their happiness, helpfulness and feelings of aliveness.

      Through an enchanting—and often amusing—story about two struggling strangers who meet an eccentric tycoon who becomes their secret mentor, The 5am Club will walk you through:


How great geniuses, business titans and the world’s wisest people start their mornings to produce astonishing achievements
A little-known formula you can use instantly to wake up early feeling inspired, focused and flooded with a fiery drive to get the most out of each day
A step-by-step method to protect the quietest hours of daybreak so you have time for exercise, self-renewal and personal growth
A neuroscience-based practice proven to help make it easy to rise while most people are sleeping, giving you precious time for yourself to think, express your creativity and begin the day peacefully instead of being rushed
“Insider-only� tactics to defend your gifts, talents and dreams against digital distraction and trivial diversions so you enjoy fortune, influence and a magnificent impact on the world
Part manifesto for mastery, part playbook for genius-grade productivity and part companion for a life lived beautifully, The 5am Club is a work that will transform your life. Forever.]]> 336 Robin Sharma 1443456632 Paramjeet 4 3.76 2018 The 5 AM Club: Own Your Morning. Elevate Your Life
author: Robin Sharma
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2020/01/01
date added: 2020/04/11
shelves:
review:
The book is an inspiring tale of how to utilize the habit of waking up early. This book tells us that by incorporating this habit we can successfully change our lives and achieve our full potential. This book is must read for peoples who often complain of non-availability of the time to manage their work/study etc. Said simply, it is a book to make sure that you upgrade yourselves into a new and better version.
]]> <![CDATA[One, Two, Three...Infinity: Facts and Speculations of Science]]> 17926282 335 George Gamow 0486450848 Paramjeet 4 4.17 1947 One, Two, Three...Infinity: Facts and Speculations of Science
author: George Gamow
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 4.17
book published: 1947
rating: 4
read at: 2020/01/01
date added: 2020/01/25
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Poor Economics: A Radical Rethinking of the Way to Fight Global Poverty]]> 10245602 Poor Economics, Abhijit V. Banerjee and Esther Duflo, two practical visionaries working toward ending world poverty, answer these questions from the ground. In a book the Wall Street Journal called “marvelous, rewarding,� the authors tell how the stress of living on less than 99 cents per day encourages the poor to make questionable decisions that feed—not fight—poverty. The result is a radical rethinking of the economics of poverty that offers a ringside view of the lives of the world’s poorest, and shows that creating a world without poverty begins with understanding the daily decisions facing the poor.]]> 320 Abhijit V. Banerjee 1586487981 Paramjeet 4 4.29 2011 Poor Economics: A Radical Rethinking of the Way to Fight Global Poverty
author: Abhijit V. Banerjee
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2011
rating: 4
read at: 2020/01/01
date added: 2020/01/14
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review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Spy Chronicles: RAW, ISI and the Illusion of Peace]]> 40185237
Sometime in 2016, a series of dialogues took place which set out to find a meeting ground, even if only an illusion, between A.S. Dulat and Asad Durrani. One was a former chief of RAW, India's external intelligence agency, the other of ISI, its Pakistani counterpart. As they could not meet in their home countries, the conversations, guided by journalist Aditya Sinha, took place in cities like Istanbul, Bangkok and Kathmandu. On the table were subjects that have long haunted South Asia, flashpoints that take lives regularly. It was in all ways a deep dive into the politics of the subcontinent, as seen through the eyes of two spymasters. Among the subjects: Kashmir, and a missed opportunity for peace; Hafiz Saeed and 26/11; Kulbhushan Jadhav; surgical strikes; the deal for Osama bin Laden; how the US and Russia feature in the India-Pakistan relationship; and how terror undermines the two countries' attempts at talks. When the project was first mooted, General Durrani laughed and said nobody would believe it even if it was written as fiction. At a time of fraught relations, this unlikely dialogue between two former spy chiefs from opposite sides-a project that is the first of its kind-may well provide some answers.]]> 415 A.S. Dulat 9352779266 Paramjeet 4 3.26 The Spy Chronicles: RAW, ISI and the Illusion of Peace
author: A.S. Dulat
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 3.26
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2020/01/01
date added: 2020/01/14
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind]]> 23692271 512 Yuval Noah Harari Paramjeet 5 4.33 2011 Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind
author: Yuval Noah Harari
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2011
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2019/11/04
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]]> The Great Indian Novel 30843 423 Shashi Tharoor 1559701943 Paramjeet 4 3.89 1989 The Great Indian Novel
author: Shashi Tharoor
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 3.89
book published: 1989
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2019/07/15
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review:

]]> The White Tiger 1768603
Balram Halwai is a complicated man. Servant. Philosopher. Entrepreneur. Murderer. Over the course of seven nights, by the scattered light of a preposterous chandelier, Balram tells us the terrible and transfixing story of how he came to be a success in life—having nothing but his own wits to help him along.

Born in the dark heart of India, Balram gets a break when he is hired as a driver for his village's wealthiest man, two house Pomeranians (Puddles and Cuddles), and the rich man's (very unlucky) son. From behind the wheel of their Honda City car, Balram's new world is a revelation. While his peers flip through the pages of Murder Weekly ("Love -- Rape -- Revenge!"), barter for girls, drink liquor (Thunderbolt), and perpetuate the Great Rooster Coop of Indian society, Balram watches his employers bribe foreign ministers for tax breaks, barter for girls, drink liquor (single-malt whiskey), and play their own role in the Rooster Coop. Balram learns how to siphon gas, deal with corrupt mechanics, and refill and resell Johnnie Walker Black Label bottles (all but one). He also finds a way out of the Coop that no one else inside it can perceive.

Balram's eyes penetrate India as few outsiders can: the cockroaches and the call centers; the prostitutes and the worshippers; the ancient and Internet cultures; the water buffalo and, trapped in so many kinds of cages that escape is (almost) impossible, the white tiger. And with a charisma as undeniable as it is unexpected, Balram teaches us that religion doesn't create virtue, and money doesn't solve every problem -- but decency can still be found in a corrupt world, and you can get what you want out of life if you eavesdrop on the right conversations.

The White Tiger recalls The Death of Vishnu and Bangkok 8 in ambition, scope, and narrative genius, with a mischief and personality all its own. Amoral, irreverent, deeply endearing, and utterly contemporary, this novel is an international publishing sensation —and a startling, provocative debut.]]> 276 Aravind Adiga 1416562591 Paramjeet 4 3.76 2008 The White Tiger
author: Aravind Adiga
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2008
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2019/06/10
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review:
The story is about the morals of a person. A person who choose to think differently from others.
]]> Kissinger 10887 896 Walter Isaacson 0743286979 Paramjeet 0 3.98 1992 Kissinger
author: Walter Isaacson
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 3.98
book published: 1992
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2019/03/04
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Devil's Advocate: The Untold Story]]> 40892695 200 Karan Thapar 9352779851 Paramjeet 4 3.75 2018 Devil's Advocate: The Untold Story
author: Karan Thapar
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 3.75
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2019/01/07
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, #1)]]> 13496
Sweeping from a harsh land of cold to a summertime kingdom of epicurean plenty, A Game of Thrones tells a tale of lords and ladies, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and bastards, who come together in a time of grim omens. Here an enigmatic band of warriors bear swords of no human metal; a tribe of fierce wildlings carry men off into madness; a cruel young dragon prince barters his sister to win back his throne; a child is lost in the twilight between life and death; and a determined woman undertakes a treacherous journey to protect all she holds dear. Amid plots and counter-plots, tragedy and betrayal, victory and terror, allies and enemies, the fate of the Starks hangs perilously in the balance, as each side endeavors to win that deadliest of conflicts: the game of thrones.]]> 835 George R.R. Martin 0553588486 Paramjeet 4 4.44 1996 A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, #1)
author: George R.R. Martin
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 4.44
book published: 1996
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2018/08/10
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review:

]]> Leonardo da Vinci 34684622 600 Walter Isaacson 1501139150 Paramjeet 4 4.19 2017 Leonardo da Vinci
author: Walter Isaacson
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2018/07/02
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review:
Well written, provides a prospective from the angle of Art.
]]> The Girl on the Train 22557272
An alternative cover edition for this ISBN can be found here.]]> 336 Paula Hawkins 1594633665 Paramjeet 3 3.97 2015 The Girl on the Train
author: Paula Hawkins
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2015
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2018/05/10
shelves:
review:

]]> I Do What I Do 36065279
Rajan’s response was to go all out, not just to tackle the crisis of confidence, but also to send a strong message about the strength of India’s institutions and the country’s ongoing programme of reform. He outlined a vision that went beyond the immediate crisis to focus on long-term growth and stability, thus restoring investor confidence. Boldness and farsightedness would be characteristic of the decisions he took in the ensuing three years.

Rajan’s commentary and speeches in I Do What I Do convey what it was like to be at the helm of the central bank in those turbulent but exciting times. Whether on dosanomics or on debt relief, Rajan explains economic concepts in a readily accessible way. Equally, he addresses key issues that are not in any banking manual but essential to growth: the need for tolerance and respect to assure India’s economic progress, for instance, or the connection between political freedom and prosperity.

I Do What I Do offers a front-row view into the thinking of one of the world’s most respected economists, one whose commitment to India’s progress shines through in the essays and speeches here. It also brings home what every RBI Governor discovers for himself when he sits down at his desk on the 18th floor: the rupee stops here. Right here!]]> 344 Rajan Raghuram G 9352770145 Paramjeet 5 4.00 2017 I Do What I Do
author: Rajan Raghuram G
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2017
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2018/03/04
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review:
Raghuram has been rightly termed as the rock star of Economics. This book is another example of his brilliance. One of the USP about him is his grasp on language which makes it very easy to understand. This book is a collection of his speeches which provide an example of his brilliance and wide knowledge on so many subjects. A must go through for all the economics disciples.
]]> <![CDATA[Sea of Poppies (Ibis Trilogy, #1)]]> 1330324 513 Amitav Ghosh 071956896X Paramjeet 0 3.97 2008 Sea of Poppies (Ibis Trilogy, #1)
author: Amitav Ghosh
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2008
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2018/02/16
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Godfather (The Godfather, #1)]]> 22034
Almost fifty years ago, a classic was born. A searing portrayal of the Mafia underworld, The Godfather introduced readers to the first family of American crime fiction, the Corleones, and their powerful legacy of tradition, blood, and honor. The seduction of power, the pitfalls of greed, and the allegiance to family—these are the themes that have resonated with millions of readers around the world and made The Godfather the definitive novel of the violent subculture that, steeped in intrigue and controversy, remains indelibly etched in our collective consciousness.]]> 448 Mario Puzo Paramjeet 4 4.39 1969 The Godfather (The Godfather, #1)
author: Mario Puzo
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 4.39
book published: 1969
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2018/01/12
shelves:
review:
This novel is said to have originated another fiction genre Crime Thriller. While reading one gets the feeling that he/she is living in Sicilian island. The language terms make you a part of the novel itself. The personification of Don Corleone is as close to the real person as possible. Though I have watched the movie itself, the novel makes me aware of the complexities associated with the crime world. The novel itself is a complete life in itself and it shows what a powerful personality really consists of.
]]> Paths of Glory 4102763 Some people have dreams that are so magnificent that if they were to achieve them, their place in history would be guaranteed.  People like Christopher Columbus, Isaac Newton, Florence Nightingale, Thomas Edison, Nancy Astor, Charles Lindbergh, Amy Johnson, Edmund Hilary and Neil Armstrong—their unparalleled success has made their stories into legend.
But what if one man had such a dream, and once he’d achieved it, there was no proof that he had fulfilled his ambition?
Jeffrey Archer’s new novel, Paths of Glory, is the story of such a man—George Mallory. Born in 1886, he was a brilliant student who became part of the Bloomsbury Group at Cambridge in the early twentieth century and served in the Royal Garrison Artillery during World War I. After the war, he married, had three children, and would have spent the rest of his life as a schoolteacher, but for his love of mountain climbing.
Mallory once told a reporter that he wanted to climb Mt. Everest, “because it is there.� On his third try in 1924, at age thirty-seven, he was last seen four hundred feet from the top. His body was found in 1999, and it remains a mystery whether he and his climbing partner, Andrew Irvine, ever reached the summit.
In fact, not until you’ve turned the last page of Archer’s extraordinary novel will you be able to decide if George Mallory should be added to that list of legends, while another name would have to be removed.  Paths of Glory is truly a triumph.

]]> 418 Jeffrey Archer 0312539517 Paramjeet 3 3.93 2009 Paths of Glory
author: Jeffrey Archer
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2009
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2018/01/08
shelves:
review:

]]> The Fifth Mountain 4005 The Fifth Mountain. A stunning novel in the tradition of the highly acclaimed The Alchemist, this is Coelho's daring retelling of the prophet Elijah. During the chaos of the ninth century B.C., Jezebel, wife to Israel's ruler, orders the execution of all prophets who refuse to worship the pagan god Baal. The young prophet Elijah, commanded by an angel of God to flee Israel, seeks safety in the land of Zarephath, where he unexpectedly finds true love with a young widow. But this new-found rapture is to be cut short, and Elijah sees all of his hopes and dreams irrevocably erased. What follows is sure to be viewed as Coelho's literary milestone: the quietly moving account of a man touched by the hand of God who must triumph over his frustrations in a soul-shattering trial of faith. Inspired by a circumstance that forever altered Coelho's own life, The Fifth Mountain is a testament to the truth that tragedy in life should not be considered a punishment but a challenge of the spirit. Gorgeous in its narrative and unforgettable in its prose, The Fifth Mountain teaches without being sanctimonious. This is a timeless story for the ages, a tale of the past that resonates powerfully for today's readers.]]> 244 Paulo Coelho 0722536542 Paramjeet 4 3.65 1996 The Fifth Mountain
author: Paulo Coelho
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 3.65
book published: 1996
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2018/01/08
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The author has published a religious work which deals with the story of a Prophet who rebuilds the Akbar city. Akbar city located in Israel was a place of traders which is plundered by the Army under control of Jezebel. Due to these attacks, a major chunk of the population of Akbar gets eliminated. The prophet helps people of Akbar to rebuild the city by giving them hope. It also deals with the aspect of expectation of Prophet which was to stick to a moral and ethical standard which will ensure the welfare of the people of Akbar. In many instances, he faces the dilemma as which side to take in the testing time but ultimately he finds a path which is worthy of emulation.
]]> The Valkyries 4006
The enchanting, true story of The Valkyries begins in Rio de Janeiro when author Paulo Coelho gives his mysterious master J., the only manuscript for his book The Alchemist. Haunted by a devastating curse, Coelho confesses to J., "I′ve seen my dreams fall apart just when I seemed about to achieve them." In response, J. gives Coelho a daunting task: He must find and speak with his guardian angel. "The curse can be broken," he replies, "if you complete the task."

Rising to the challenge, Paulo and his wife, Cristina, drop everything, pack their bags, and take off on a forty day adventure into the starkly beautiful and sometimes dangerous Mojave Desert where they encounter more than they bargained for. A masterful blend of the exotic locales, dramatic adventure, and magical storytelling, for which Coelho′s fictional works are renowned, this true-life account is at once a modern-day adventure and a metaphysical odyssey.]]> 243 Paulo Coelho 0722533942 Paramjeet 3 3.34 1988 The Valkyries
author: Paulo Coelho
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 3.34
book published: 1988
rating: 3
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date added: 2018/01/01
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Paulo Coelho works are very abstract. It is difficult to understand at the beginning but as you read you find out that the whole philosophy has been explained with the simplest of stories. Valkyrie tells us the story of a person following his destination to the enlightenment. While traversing the path along with his wife he faces life t
]]> <![CDATA[Great Escape & Great Crime Stories (2 in 1)]]> 27556811 425 Ruskin Bond 8129115999 Paramjeet 4 4.29 Great Escape & Great Crime Stories (2 in 1)
author: Ruskin Bond
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 4.29
book published:
rating: 4
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date added: 2017/08/14
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review:
It has medium length collection of crime and escape stories. The good thing about both of them is that they are situational in nature i.e. one will not feel that the plot has been artificial or they have been concocted. In many occasions the Author has explored the confrontation with tribes, animals and prisons. The language is simple and one will not feel irritated by the style of writing which is sometime difficult to grasp.
]]> Sons of Fortune 78985 It is often spur-of-the-moment decisions, sometimes made by others, that can change our whole lives.

Bestselling author Jeffrey Archer returns with a powerful tale of twins separated by fate and reunited by destiny.

In the late 1940's in Hartford, Connecticut a set of twins is parted at birth. Nat Cartwright goes home with his parents, a schoolteacher and an insurance salesman. But his twin brother is to begin his days as Fletcher Andrew Davenport, the only son of a multi-millionaire and his society wife.

During the years that follow, the two brothers grow up unaware of each other's existence. Nat leaves college at the University of Connecticut to serve in Vietnam. He returns a war hero, finishes school and becomes a successful banker. Fletcher, meanwhile, has graduated from Yale University and distinguishes himself as a criminal defense lawyer before he is elected to the Senate.

Even when Nat and Fletcher fall in love with the same girl they still don't meet. They continue on their separate paths until one has to defend the other for a murder he did not commit. But the final confrontation comes when Nat and Fletcher are selected to stand against each other for governor of the state.

In the tradition of Jeffrey Archer's most popular books, Sons of Fortune is as much a chronicle of a nation in transition as it is the story of two remarkable men and how, eventually, they come to discover the truth - and its extraordinary consequences...]]> 608 Jeffrey Archer 033041335X Paramjeet 4
Overall a book worth reading but not a book which will keep you hooked for long duration of time. ]]> 3.85 2003 Sons of Fortune
author: Jeffrey Archer
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2003
rating: 4
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date added: 2017/07/30
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The book can be described to follow the wave form in keeping the reader's interest. The main story revolves around the individual act of the two main characters. This is also the part which is most interesting in the book. However, when it comes to bringing them together, barring the trial part, the author fails to justify the narrative.

Overall a book worth reading but not a book which will keep you hooked for long duration of time.
]]> <![CDATA[Outliers: The Story of Success]]> 3228917 Learn what sets high achievers apart � from Bill Gates to the Beatles � in this #1 bestseller from "a singular talent" (New York Times Book Review).

In this stunning book, Malcolm Gladwell takes us on an intellectual journey through the world of "outliers"—the best and the brightest, the most famous and the most successful. He asks the question: what makes high-achievers different?

His answer is that we pay too much attention to what successful people are like, and too little attention to where they are from: that is, their culture, their family, their generation, and the idiosyncratic experiences of their upbringing. Along the way he explains the secrets of software billionaires, what it takes to be a great soccer player, why Asians are good at math, and what made the Beatles the greatest rock band.

Brilliant and entertaining, Outliers is a landmark work that will simultaneously delight and illuminate.]]> 309 Malcolm Gladwell 0316017922 Paramjeet 4 4.19 2008 Outliers: The Story of Success
author: Malcolm Gladwell
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2008
rating: 4
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date added: 2017/06/03
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Rarely, one finds a book which is about motivation and at the same time it is not abstract in nature. Malcolm brilliantly analyses the factors responsible for one's success. The book can be kept under the motivation category because it enforces the old age belief that harder you work the luckier you get. He also gives a personal account of the factors responsible for his success.
]]> <![CDATA[My Journey : Transforming Dreams into Actions]]> 18371021
Nostalgic, honest, and deeply personal, My Journey is the story of a life as rich as it is unusual and the beautiful lessons to be learnt from it.]]> 147 A.P.J. Abdul Kalam 8129124912 Paramjeet 4 ]]> 4.36 2013 My Journey : Transforming Dreams into Actions
author: A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 4.36
book published: 2013
rating: 4
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date added: 2017/05/22
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Some lessons from this great man's life have been provided. These lessons upto the some extent provide a window to his great thought process. The thought process is inspirational, what motivated him to achieve such a great heights has been also provided.

]]> <![CDATA[The Oath of the Vayuputras (Shiva Trilogy, #3)]]> 12820793
Shiva is gathering his forces. He reaches the Naga capital, Panchavati, and Evil is finally revealed. The Neelkanth prepares for a holy war against his true enemy, a man whose name instils dread in the fiercest of warriors.

India convulses under the onslaught of a series of brutal battles. It's a war for the very soul of the nation. Many will die. But Shiva must not fail, no matter what the cost. In his desperation, he reaches out to the ones who have never offered any help to him: the Vayuputras.

Will he succeed? And what will be the real cost of battling Evil? To India? And to Shiva's soul?

Discover the answer to these mysteries in this concluding part of the bestselling Shiva Trilogy.]]> 575 Amish Tripathi 9382618341 Paramjeet 2 3.79 2013 The Oath of the Vayuputras (Shiva Trilogy, #3)
author: Amish Tripathi
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2013
rating: 2
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date added: 2017/05/20
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]]> <![CDATA[The Secret of the Nagas (Shiva Trilogy #2)]]> 11827808
4000 years ago, He was just a man.

The hunt is on. The sinister Naga warrior has killed his friend Brahaspati and now stalks his wife Sati. Shiva, the Tibetan immigrant who is the prophesied destroyer of evil, will not rest till he finds his demonic adversary. His vengeance and the path to evil will lead him to the door of the Nagas, the serpent people. Of that he is certain.

The evidence of the malevolent rise of evil is everywhere. A kingdom is dying as it is held to ransom for a miracle drug. A crown prince is murdered. The Vasudevs Shivas philosopher guides betray his unquestioning faith as they take the aid of the dark side. Even the perfect empire, Meluha is riddled with a terrible secret in Maika, the city of births. Unknown to Shiva, a master puppeteer is playing a grand game.

In a journey that will take him across the length and breadth of ancient India, Shiva searches for the truth in a land of deadly mysteries only to find that nothing is what it seems.

Fierce battles will be fought. Surprising alliances will be forged. Unbelievable secrets will be revealed in this second book of the Shiva Trilogy, the sequel to the #1 national bestseller, The Immortals of Meluha.]]> 371 Amish Tripathi Paramjeet 3 3.98 2011 The Secret of the Nagas (Shiva Trilogy #2)
author: Amish Tripathi
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2011
rating: 3
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date added: 2017/05/20
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]]> <![CDATA[The Immortals of Meluha (Shiva Trilogy, #1)]]> 7913305 The only hope for the Suryavanshis is an ancient legend: When evil reaches epic proportions, when all seems lost, when it appears that your enemies have triumphed, a hero will emerge.

Is the rough-hewn Tibetan immigrant Shiva, really that hero? And does he want to be that hero at all? Drawn suddenly to his destiny, by duty as well as by love, will Shiva lead the Suryavanshi vengeance and destroy evil?

]]> 436 Amish Tripathi Paramjeet 4 4.11 2010 The Immortals of Meluha (Shiva Trilogy, #1)
author: Amish Tripathi
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2010
rating: 4
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date added: 2017/05/20
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The first series of the book is phenomenal. There are twists as well as anticipation which makes the book as the must read. The description is quite simple. It will keep you engaged till you finish the book.
]]> <![CDATA[The Hollow (Hercule Poirot, #26)]]> 16303 384 Agatha Christie 0007121024 Paramjeet 3 3.80 1946 The Hollow (Hercule Poirot, #26)
author: Agatha Christie
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 3.80
book published: 1946
rating: 3
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date added: 2017/04/07
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This was my first crime thriller book, I will not say that I grasped major aspect of the plot in a comprehensive way. I was just able to grasp the major aspect of the plot and it was interesting to go through the whole plot. In the end you find that it was not typical of the crime thriller novel as such.
]]> <![CDATA[The Autobiography and Other Writings]]> 874809 270 Benjamin Franklin 0140390529 Paramjeet 4 3.88 1791 The Autobiography and Other Writings
author: Benjamin Franklin
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 3.88
book published: 1791
rating: 4
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date added: 2017/03/11
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This book can be divided into two parts, the first part contains the autobiography part which is filled with inventions he made during his scientific career. He had mentioned more about the people that he met. In the second part he has talked about his experiments, his various letter to people (one letter which has been written in the form of constitution portrays the relationship between husband and wife is on the lighter note). Overall this book can be termed as the right mix of description of personal life as well as his scientific progress made during his lifetime.
]]> <![CDATA[Saving Capitalism from the Capitalists : How Open Financial Markets Challenge the Establishment and Spread Prosperity to Rich and Poor Alike]]> 174005 384 Raghuram G. Rajan 0712621318 Paramjeet 0 4.17 2003 Saving Capitalism from the Capitalists : How Open Financial Markets Challenge the Establishment and Spread Prosperity to Rich and Poor Alike
author: Raghuram G. Rajan
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2003
rating: 0
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date added: 2017/01/24
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]]> <![CDATA[Wings of Fire: An Autobiography]]> 634583 180 A.P.J. Abdul Kalam 8173711461 Paramjeet 5 4.28 1999 Wings of Fire: An Autobiography
author: A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 4.28
book published: 1999
rating: 5
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date added: 2017/01/12
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The missile - man, President, organization man all the prefixes are in a way compete each other to justify the calibre of the Kalam Azad. In a way it can be said that he provided oxygen to the space organization which enabled it to make a mark much above its potential. The result of the same can be seen as India has become frontrunner in its various ventures of space.
]]> Airport 124918
Featuring a diverse cast of vibrant characters, Airport is both a realistic depiction of the airline industry and a novel of nail-biting suspense.]]> 476 Arthur Hailey 0425176088 Paramjeet 0 3.96 1968 Airport
author: Arthur Hailey
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 3.96
book published: 1968
rating: 0
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date added: 2017/01/10
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]]> Iacocca: An Autobiography 486319
The son of Italian immigrants, Lee Iacocca rose spectacularly through the ranks of Ford Motor Company to become its president, only to be toppled eight years later in a power play that should have shattered him. But Lee Iacocca didn't get mad, he got even. He led a battle for Chrysler's survival that made his name a symbol of integrity, know-how, and guts for millions of Americans.

In his classic hard-hitting style, he tells us how he changed the automobile industry in the 1960s by creating the phenomenal Mustang. He goes behind the scenes for a look at Henry Ford's reign of intimidation and manipulation. He recounts the miraculous rebirth of Chrysler from near bankruptcy to repayment of its $1.2 billion government loan so early that Washington didn't know how to cash the check.

From the Trade Paperback edition.]]> 366 Lee Iacocca 0553251473 Paramjeet 0 3.98 1984 Iacocca: An Autobiography
author: Lee Iacocca
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 3.98
book published: 1984
rating: 0
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date added: 2017/01/10
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]]> A Beautiful Mind 13912 The Absent-Minded Professor, or Ralph Nader, said to have had his own key to the library as an undergraduate. Or the "Phantom of Fine Hall," a figure many students had seen shuffling around the corridors of the math and physics building wearing purple sneakers and writing numerology treatises on the blackboards. The Phantom was John Nash, one of the most brilliant mathematicians of his generation, who had spiraled into schizophrenia in the 1950s. His most important work had been in game theory, which by the 1980s was underpinning a large part of economics. When the Nobel Prize committee began debating a prize for game theory, Nash's name inevitably came up—only to be dismissed, since the prize clearly could not go to a madman. But in 1994 Nash, in remission from schizophrenia, shared the Nobel Prize in economics for work done some 45 years previously.

Economist and journalist Sylvia Nasar has written a biography of Nash that looks at all sides of his life. She gives an intelligent, understandable exposition of his mathematical ideas and a picture of schizophrenia that is evocative but decidedly unromantic. Her story of the machinations behind Nash's Nobel is fascinating and one of very few such accounts available in print (the CIA could learn a thing or two from the Nobel committees).]]> 461 Sylvia Nasar 0571212921 Paramjeet 0 4.14 1998 A Beautiful Mind
author: Sylvia Nasar
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 4.14
book published: 1998
rating: 0
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date added: 2017/01/09
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]]> Mein Kampf 54270 384 Adolf Hitler 0395083621 Paramjeet 4 3.15 Mein Kampf
author: Adolf Hitler
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 3.15
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2016/12/03
date added: 2016/12/03
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The book is intended to provide a background event which led to the formation of German Nationalist party. Apart from the party it also shows the confidence that Hitler possessed which made him a frontrunner in Germany. He was in modern sense a great leader who was able to grasp what the Germany needs at that time.
]]> The Age of Turbulence 1215358 575 Alan Greenspan 0713999829 Paramjeet 0 3.64 2007 The Age of Turbulence
author: Alan Greenspan
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 3.64
book published: 2007
rating: 0
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date added: 2016/11/28
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]]> Steve Jobs 11084145 630 Walter Isaacson 1451648537 Paramjeet 5 4.15 2011 Steve Jobs
author: Walter Isaacson
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2011
rating: 5
read at: 2016/09/29
date added: 2016/09/29
shelves:
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This book starts with a story of young impatient adult who along with his corporation reach to an extraordinary height. While reading I am continuously reminded of the story of capitalism as narrated by Ayn Rand. He never compromised with his values and never took no for an answer. His definition of entrepreneurship is truly inspiring.
]]> <![CDATA[Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts 1 & 2]]> 29069989 The eighth story, nineteen years later �

Based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany, a new play by Jack Thorne, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is the eighth story in the Harry Potter series and the first official Harry Potter story to be presented on stage. The play will receive its world premiere in London’s West End on July 30, 2016.

It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn’t much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband and father of three school-age children.

While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places.]]> 327 John Tiffany 1338099132 Paramjeet 0 3.63 2016 Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts 1 & 2
author: John Tiffany
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 3.63
book published: 2016
rating: 0
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date added: 2016/09/17
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It is not to be compared with the earlier books but while reading it you get a sense of the magic world. There is a twist in the book which makes it quite interesting in the second half. Overall a treat for the lovers of the book series.
]]> <![CDATA[Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking]]> 40102 The Tipping Point a classic, Blink changes the way you'll understand every decision you make. Never again will you think about thinking the same way.

Malcolm Gladwell redefined how we understand the world around us. Now, in Blink, he revolutionizes the way we understand the world within. Blink is a book about how we think without thinking, about choices that seem to be made in an instant - in the blink of an eye - that actually aren't as simple as they seem. Why are some people brilliant decision makers, while others are consistently inept? Why do some people follow their instincts and win, while others end up stumbling into error? How do our brains really work - in the office, in the classroom, in the kitchen, and in the bedroom? And why are the best decisions often those that are impossible to explain to others?

In Blink we meet the psychologist who has learned to predict whether a marriage will last, based on a few minutes of observing a couple; the tennis coach who knows when a player will double-fault before the racket even makes contact with the ball; the antiquities experts who recognize a fake at a glance. Here, too, are great failures of "blink": the election of Warren Harding; "New Coke"; and the shooting of Amadou Diallo by police. Blink reveals that great decision makers aren't those who process the most information or spend the most time deliberating, but those who have perfected the art of "thin-slicing" - filtering the very few factors that matter from an overwhelming number of variables.]]> 296 Malcolm Gladwell 0316010669 Paramjeet 0 3.97 2005 Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking
author: Malcolm Gladwell
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2005
rating: 0
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date added: 2016/07/17
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]]> <![CDATA[Death Benefit (Pia Grazdani, #1)]]> 10813117 鰿䰿--New York Times-best selling author and master of the medical thriller--returns with another crackling tale of unchecked greed, medical malfeasance, adn starling science.

PIA GRAZDANI is an exceptional yet aloof medical student working closely with Columbia University Medical Center's premier scientist on cutting-edge research that could revolutionize health care by creating replacement organs for critically ill patients. Thorough her work with the brilliant molecular geneticist Dr. Tobias Rothman, Pia knows she will be given the chance to fulfill her ambition to participate in medical discoveries that can help millions while bringing her a measure of personal peace that might once and for all push aside memories of her difficult and abusive childhood.But when tragedy strikes in the lab, Pia, with the help of infatuated classmate George Wilson, must investigate the unforeseen calamity in the hospital's supposedly secure biosafety lab.

Meanwhile, two ex-Wall Street whiz kids think they have found another loadstone in the nation's multi-trillion dollar life insurance industry. They race to find ways to control actuarial data and securitize the policies of the aged and infirm to make another killing.

As Pia and George dig deeper into the events at the lab one question remains unanswered: is someone attempting to manipulate private insurance information to allow investors to benefit from the deaths of others?]]> 432 Robin Cook 0399157468 Paramjeet 0 3.55 2011 Death Benefit (Pia Grazdani, #1)
author: Robin Cook
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 3.55
book published: 2011
rating: 0
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date added: 2016/07/12
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]]> <![CDATA[It's Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life]]> 2265 294 Lance Armstrong 0425179613 Paramjeet 0 3.71 1999 It's Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life
author: Lance Armstrong
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 3.71
book published: 1999
rating: 0
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date added: 2016/07/11
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]]> The Stars Shine Down 84054 448 Sidney Sheldon 0006178715 Paramjeet 0 3.71 1992 The Stars Shine Down
author: Sidney Sheldon
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 3.71
book published: 1992
rating: 0
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date added: 2016/07/08
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]]> The Mystic Masseur 13140526 200 V.S. Naipaul 0330522930 Paramjeet 0 3.40 1957 The Mystic Masseur
author: V.S. Naipaul
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 3.40
book published: 1957
rating: 0
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date added: 2016/07/08
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]]> The Namesake 33917 Interpreter of Maladies established this young writer as one the most brilliant of her generation. Her stories are one of the very few debut works -- and only a handful of collections -- to have won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction. Among the many other awards and honors it received were the New Yorker Debut of the Year award, the PEN/Hemingway Award, and the highest critical praise for its grace, acuity, and compassion in detailing lives transported from India to America.

In The Namesake, Lahiri enriches the themes that made her collection an international bestseller: the immigrant experience, the clash of cultures, the conflicts of assimilation, and, most poignantly, the tangled ties between generations. Here again Lahiri displays her deft touch for the perfect detail � the fleeting moment, the turn of phrase � that opens whole worlds of emotion.

The Namesake takes the Ganguli family from their tradition-bound life in Calcutta through their fraught transformation into Americans. On the heels of their arranged wedding, Ashoke and Ashima Ganguli settle together in Cambridge, Massachusetts. An engineer by training, Ashoke adapts far less warily than his wife, who resists all things American and pines for her family. When their son is born, the task of naming him betrays the vexed results of bringing old ways to the new world. Named for a Russian writer by his Indian parents in memory of a catastrophe years before, Gogol Ganguli knows only that he suffers the burden of his heritage as well as his odd, antic name.

Lahiri brings great empathy to Gogol as he stumbles along the first-generation path, strewn with conflicting loyalties, comic detours, and wrenching love affairs. With penetrating insight, she reveals not only the defining power of the names and expectations bestowed upon us by our parents, but also the means by which we slowly, sometimes painfully, come to define ourselves.]]> 304 Jhumpa Lahiri 0618485228 Paramjeet 0 4.02 2003 The Namesake
author: Jhumpa Lahiri
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2003
rating: 0
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date added: 2016/07/08
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]]> <![CDATA[The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest (Millennium, #3)]]> 6892870
Lisbeth Salander - the heart of Larsson's two previous novels - lies in critical condition, a bullet wound to her head, in the intensive care unit of a Swedish city hospital. She's fighting for her life in more ways than one: if and when she recovers, she'll be taken back to Stockholm to stand trial for three murders. With the help of her friend, journalist Mikael Blomkvist, she will not only have to prove her innocence, but also identify and denounce those in authority who have allowed the vulnerable, like herself, to suffer abuse and violence. And, on her own, she will plot revenge - against the man who tried to kill her, and the corrupt government institutions that very nearly destroyed her life.

Once upon a time, she was a victim. Now Salander is fighting back.

~from the jacket]]> 566 Stieg Larsson 030726999X Paramjeet 0 4.23 2007 The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest (Millennium, #3)
author: Stieg Larsson
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2007
rating: 0
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date added: 2016/07/08
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]]> <![CDATA[The Girl Who Played With Fire (Millennium #2)]]> 5060378 Millenium publisher Mikael Blomkvist has made his reputation exposing corrupt establishment figures. So when a young journalist approaches him with an investigation into sex trafficking, Blomkvist cannot resist waging war on the powerful figures who control this lucrative industry.

The Murder
When a young couple is found dead in their Stockholm apartment, it's a straightforward job for Inspector Bublanski and his team. The killer left the weapon at the scene - and the fingerprints on the gun point in only one direction.

The Girl Who Played with Fire
Ex-security analyst Lisbeth Salander is wanted for murder. Her history of unpredictable and vengeful behaviour makes her an official danger to society - but no-one can find her. The only way Salander can be reached is by computer. But she can break into almost any network she chooses...]]> 503 Stieg Larsson 0307269981 Paramjeet 0 4.25 2006 The Girl Who Played With Fire (Millennium #2)
author: Stieg Larsson
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2006
rating: 0
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date added: 2016/07/08
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]]> <![CDATA[The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (Millennium #1)]]> 2429135
An international publishing sensation, Stieg Larsson’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo combines murder mystery, family saga, love story, and financial intrigue into one satisfyingly complex and entertainingly atmospheric novel.]]> 480 Stieg Larsson 0670069019 Paramjeet 0 4.17 2005 The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (Millennium #1)
author: Stieg Larsson
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2005
rating: 0
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date added: 2016/07/08
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]]> What Young India Wants 15743828
Why do our students regularly commit suicide?
Why is there so much corruption in India?
Cant our political parties ever work together?
Does our vote make any difference at all?
We love our India, but shouldnt some things be different?
All of us have asked these questions at some time or the other. So does Chetan Bhagat, Indias most loved writer, in What Young India Wants, his first book of non-fiction.

What Young India Wants is based on Chetan Bhagats vast experience as a very successful writer and motivational speaker. In clear, simple prose, and with great insight, he analyses some of the complex issues facing modern India, offers solutions and invites discussion on them. And, at the end, he asks this important question: Unless we are all in agreement on what it is going to take to make our country better, how will things ever change? Non-fiction If you want to understand contemporary India, the problems that face it, and want to be a part of the solution, What Young India Wants is the book for you.]]> 181 Chetan Bhagat 8129120216 Paramjeet 0 3.25 2012 What Young India Wants
author: Chetan Bhagat
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 3.25
book published: 2012
rating: 0
read at: 2016/07/08
date added: 2016/07/08
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]]> <![CDATA[Capital in the Twenty First Century]]> 18736925 Capital in the Twenty-First Century, Thomas Piketty analyzes a unique collection of data from twenty countries, ranging as far back as the eighteenth century, to uncover key economic and social patterns. His findings will transform debate and set the agenda for the next generation of thought about wealth and inequality.

Piketty shows that modern economic growth and the diffusion of knowledge have allowed us to avoid inequalities on the apocalyptic scale predicted by Karl Marx. But we have not modified the deep structures of capital and inequality as much as we thought in the optimistic decades following World War II. The main driver of inequality—the tendency of returns on capital to exceed the rate of economic growth—today threatens to generate extreme inequalities that stir discontent and undermine democratic values. But economic trends are not acts of God. Political action has curbed dangerous inequalities in the past, Piketty says, and may do so again.]]> 685 Thomas Piketty 067443000X Paramjeet 0 currently-reading 4.04 2013 Capital in the Twenty First Century
author: Thomas Piketty
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2016/07/07
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]]> <![CDATA[Fault Lines: How Hidden Fractures Still Threaten the World Economy]]> 7184066
Rajan shows how the individual choices that collectively brought about the economic meltdown--made by bankers, government officials, and ordinary homeowners--were rational responses to a flawed global financial order in which the incentives to take on risk are incredibly out of step with the dangers those risks pose. He traces the deepening fault lines in a world overly dependent on the indebted American consumer to power global economic growth and stave off global downturns. He exposes a system where America's growing inequality and thin social safety net create tremendous political pressure to encourage easy credit and keep job creation robust, no matter what the consequences to the economy's long-term health; and where the U.S. financial sector, with its skewed incentives, is the critical but unstable link between an overstimulated America and an underconsuming world.

In "Fault Lines," Rajan demonstrates how unequal access to education and health care in the United States puts us all in deeper financial peril, even as the economic choices of countries like Germany, Japan, and China place an undue burden on America to get its policies right. He outlines the hard choices we need to make to ensure a more stable world economy and restore lasting prosperity.]]> 260 Raghuram G. Rajan 0691146837 Paramjeet 0 4.09 2010 Fault Lines: How Hidden Fractures Still Threaten the World Economy
author: Raghuram G. Rajan
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2010
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]]> <![CDATA[Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Charlie Bucket, #1)]]> 6310 (back cover)]]> 176 Roald Dahl 0142403881 Paramjeet 0 4.16 1964 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Charlie Bucket, #1)
author: Roald Dahl
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 4.16
book published: 1964
rating: 0
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]]> 1984 5470 328 George Orwell Paramjeet 0 4.15 1949 1984
author: George Orwell
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 4.15
book published: 1949
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]]> <![CDATA[The Virtue of Selfishness: A New Concept of Egoism]]> 665 Ayn Rand here sets forth the moral principles of Objectivism, the philosophy that holds human life--the life proper to a rational being--as the standard of moral values and regards altruism as incompatible with man's nature, with the creative requirements of his survival, and with a free society.]]> 173 Ayn Rand 0451163931 Paramjeet 0 3.52 1961 The Virtue of Selfishness: A New Concept of Egoism
author: Ayn Rand
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 3.52
book published: 1961
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]]> <![CDATA[The Other Side of Midnight (Midnight #1)]]> 136167 462 Sidney Sheldon 0440060672 Paramjeet 0 3.94 1973 The Other Side of Midnight (Midnight #1)
author: Sidney Sheldon
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 3.94
book published: 1973
rating: 0
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]]> The Complete Sherlock Holmes 188572
The sign of four --

Adventures of Sherlock Holmes : A scandal in Bohemia ; The red-headed league ; A case of identity ; The Boscombe Valley mystery ; The five orange pips ; The man with the twisted lip ; The adventure of the blue carbuncle ; The adventure of the speckled band ; The adventure of the engineer's thumb ; The adventure of the noble bachelor ; The adventure of the beryl coronet ; The adventure of the copper beeches --

Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes : Silver blaze ; The yellow face ; The stock-broker's clerk ; The "Gloria Scott" ; The Musgrave ritual ; The Reigate puzzle ; The crooked man ; The resident patient ; The Greek interpreter ; The naval treaty ; The final problem --

The return of Sherlock Holmes : The adventure of the empty house ; The adventure of the Norwood builder ; The adventure of the dancing men ; The adventure of the solitary cyclist ; The adventure of the priory school ; The adventure of Black Peter ; The adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton ; The adventure of the six Napoleons ; The adventure of the three students ; The adventure of the golden pince-nez ; The adventure of the missing three-quarter ; The adventure of the abbey grange ; The adventure of the second stain.

Volume 2. Introduction / by Loren D. Estleman --

The hound of the Baskervilles --

The valley of fear --

His last bow : The adventure of Wisteria Lodge : The singular experience of Mr. John Scott Eccles ; The tiger of San Pedro ; The adventure of the cardboard box ; The adventure of the red circle ; The adventure of the Bruce-Partington plans ; The adventure of the dying detective ; The disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax ; The adventure of the devil's foot ; His last bow --

The case-book of Sherlock Holmes : The adventure of the illustrious client ; The adventure of the blanched soldier ; The adventure of the Mazarin stone ; The adventure of the three gables ; The adventure of the Sussex vampire ; The adventure of the three Garridebs ; The problem of Thor Bridge ; The adventure of the creeping man ; The adventure of the lion's mane ; The adventure of the veiled lodger ; The adventure of Shoscombe old place ; The adventure of the retired colourman.]]> 1796 Arthur Conan Doyle Paramjeet 0 4.50 1927 The Complete Sherlock Holmes
author: Arthur Conan Doyle
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 4.50
book published: 1927
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]]> <![CDATA[Pax Indica: India and the World of the 21st Century]]> 15750844
Indian diplomacy, a veteran told Shashi Tharoor many years ago, is like the love-making of an elephant: it is conducted at a very high level, accompanied by much bellowing, and the results are not known for two years. In this lively, informative and insightful work, the award-winning author and parliamentarian brilliantly demonstrates how Indian diplomacy has become sprightlier since then and where it needs to focus in the world of the 21st century. Explaining why foreign policy matters to an India focused on its own domestic transformation, Tharoor surveys Indias major international relationships in detail, evokes the countrys soft power and its global responsibilities, analyses the workings of the Ministry of External Affairs, Parliament and public opinion on the shaping of policy, and offers his thoughts on a contemporary new grand strategy for the nation, arguing that India must move beyond non-alignment to multi-alignment. His book offers a clear-eyed vision of an India now ready to assume new global responsibility in the contemporary world. Pax Indica is another substantial achievement from one of the finest Indian authors of our times.]]> 449 Shashi Tharoor 067008574X Paramjeet 0 3.86 2012 Pax Indica: India and the World of the 21st Century
author: Shashi Tharoor
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2012
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]]> <![CDATA[India's Struggle for Independence]]> 596633 600 Bipan Chandra 0140107819 Paramjeet 0 4.11 1987 India's Struggle for Independence
author: Bipan Chandra
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 4.11
book published: 1987
rating: 0
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]]> <![CDATA[Harry Potter Series Box Set (Harry Potter, #1-7)]]> 862041
All seven eBooks in the multi-award winning, internationally bestselling Harry Potter series, available as one download with stunning cover art by Olly Moss. Enjoy the stories that have captured the imagination of millions worldwide.]]> 4100 J.K. Rowling 0545044251 Paramjeet 0 4.72 2007 Harry Potter Series Box Set (Harry Potter, #1-7)
author: J.K. Rowling
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 4.72
book published: 2007
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]]> <![CDATA[Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Harry Potter, #2)]]> 15881
And strike it does. For in Harry’s second year at Hogwarts, fresh torments and horrors arise, including an outrageously stuck-up new professor and a spirit who haunts the girls� bathroom. But then the real trouble begins � someone is turning Hogwarts students to stone. Could it be Draco Malfoy, a more poisonous rival than ever? Could it possibly be Hagrid, whose mysterious past is finally told? Or could it be the one everyone at Hogwarts most suspects� Harry Potter himself!]]> 352 J.K. Rowling Paramjeet 0 4.42 1998 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Harry Potter, #2)
author: J.K. Rowling
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 4.42
book published: 1998
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]]> <![CDATA[Great Works of Rabindranath Tagore]]> 17236756
This book is a collection of the works of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore.

1. Broken Ties

2. Four Chapters

3. Two Sisters

4. The Crescent Moon

5. Creative Unity

6. The Child's Return And Other Stories

7. Sadhana

8. Nationalism

9. Gitanjali

10. Chitra

11. The Waterfall

12. The King of the Dark Chamber

13. Stray Birds

14. Lover's Gift

15. Crossing

16. The Gardener

17. My Boyhood Days]]> 791 Rabindranath Tagore 8189474006 Paramjeet 0 currently-reading 4.11 Great Works of Rabindranath Tagore
author: Rabindranath Tagore
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average rating: 4.11
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]]> The Alchemist 865 197 Paulo Coelho 0061122416 Paramjeet 0 3.85 1988 The Alchemist
author: Paulo Coelho
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 3.85
book published: 1988
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]]> Anthem 667 Anthem is Ayn Rand's classic tale of a dystopian future of the great "We"—a world that deprives individuals of a name or independence—that anticipates her later masterpieces, The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged.

They existed only to serve the state. They were conceived in controlled Palaces of Mating. They died in the Home of the Useless. From cradle to grave, the crowd was one—the great WE.

In all that was left of humanity, there was only one man who dared to think, seek, and love. He lived in the dark ages of the future. In a loveless world, he dared to love the woman of his choice. In an age that had lost all trace of science and civilization, he had the courage to seek and find knowledge. But these were not the crimes for which he would be hunted. He was marked for death because he had committed the unpardonable sin: He had stood forth from the mindless human herd. He was a man alone. He had rediscovered the lost and holy word—I.

"I worship individuals for their highest possibilities as individuals, and I loathe humanity, for its failure to live up to these possibilities."
 —Ayn Rand]]> 105 Ayn Rand 0452281253 Paramjeet 0 3.59 1938 Anthem
author: Ayn Rand
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 3.59
book published: 1938
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]]> The Fountainhead 2122
This modern classic is the story of intransigent young architect Howard Roark, whose integrity was as unyielding as granite...of Dominique Francon, the exquisitely beautiful woman who loved Roark passionately, but married his worst enemy...and of the fanatic denunciation unleashed by an enraged society against a great creator. As fresh today as it was then, Rand’s provocative novel presents one of the most challenging ideas in all of fiction—that man’s ego is the fountainhead of human progress...

“A writer of great power. She has a subtle and ingenious mind and the capacity of writing brilliantly, beautifully, bitterly...This is the only novel of ideas written by an American woman that I can recall.”—The New York Times]]> 704 Ayn Rand Paramjeet 0 3.87 1943 The Fountainhead
author: Ayn Rand
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 3.87
book published: 1943
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]]> Atlas Shrugged 662 This is the story of a man who said that he would stop the motor of the world and did. Was he a destroyer or the greatest of liberators?

Why did he have to fight his battle, not against his enemies, but against those who needed him most, and his hardest battle against the woman he loved? What is the world’s motor � and the motive power of every man? You will know the answer to these questions when you discover the reason behind the baffling events that play havoc with the lives of the characters in this story.

Tremendous in its scope, this novel presents an astounding panorama of human life � from the productive genius who becomes a worthless playboy � to the great steel industrialist who does not know that he is working for his own destruction � to the philosopher who becomes a pirate � to the composer who gives up his career on the night of his triumph � to the woman who runs a transcontinental railroad � to the lowest track worker in her Terminal tunnels.

You must be prepared, when you read this novel, to check every premise at the root of your convictions.

This is a mystery story, not about the murder � and rebirth � of man’s spirit. It is a philosophical revolution, told in the form of an action thriller of violent events, a ruthlessly brilliant plot structure and an irresistible suspense. Do you say this is impossible? Well, that is the first of your premises to check.]]> 1168 Ayn Rand 0452011876 Paramjeet 0 3.67 1957 Atlas Shrugged
author: Ayn Rand
name: Paramjeet
average rating: 3.67
book published: 1957
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]]>