India Books

Great Book, a classic, if you are a student of Dzogchen this book is a must read.

Among those accomplishments illustrating the heights to which we can rise as a species may be found the literature of Ati Yoga (rDzogs chen, The Great Perfection). Ati Yoga is not a belief system; faith is an impediment. Rather, it is an epistemology; its literature a gnostic effulgence illuminating that part of our experience we deem the spiritual. "The Great Image: The Life Story of Vairochana The Translator" is a fluid, brilliant articulation of that innermost knowledge and belongs on the book shelf of any who revel in the history of human achievement.

The novel, written for kids 9 and over, is primarily about the upheavals that occur in the life of an Indian-Canadian family when the grandmother (Naniji) visits from India. The protagonist is Tara a lively and sensitive 15-year-old. She is initially resentful of her visiting grandmother because the grandmother seems to disapprove of Tara's mother's somewhat Western ways and indeed of the Canadian ways of the whole family: the kids don't know Hindi, nor about Diwali; they don't play the sitar and, worst of all, know nothing of the family's role and sacrifice during the Indian Independence movement.

This is too much for Tara: "This is the world I live in. But how do I fit? I'm not one of the true natives, the First Nations, and not one of the whites who marauded the globe colonizing, who tell the history of Canada from when they arrived. I'm too dark for the Samanthas and the rednecks, but not dark enough for Tolly, or Indian enough for Naniji, too Canadian, too Western. Always too something. Never just right."

Tara reads a paper at school about Naniji's role in the Indian Independence movement. The most evocative part of the book occurs when Tara alternates between wanting to read the paper to her class, and not wanting to because of how her friends will react to it and to her (how it will affect her acceptance within the group). She reads the paper anyway. As she had feared, some of her classmates do "shutter down" - close up by seeming to brand her as "other". But, unexpectedly, some of them actually congratulate her and thank her for introducing her to an aspect of history and of herself of which they had been unaware.

Her mother and Naniji are proud of her - that is, until Naniji hears Tara proclaim how she, Tara, is a "regular" Canadian. At this point Naniji "shutters down" because she cannot countenance the fact that her granddaughter is a proud Canadian - what of the family's heritage, sacrifice and history back in India? What of their allegiance to India?

"Naniji catches me staring and tries to smile. She's stiff, but it's not like before, with the criticism and disapproval and the hostility. Her eyes - they are hurt."

The resolution of the conflict within the family and within Tara's own mind is handled by Ms. Gilmore with great maturity and eloquence. She articulates opposing points of view with clarity and grace. Without talking down to the reader, she addresses sensitive issues such as race and color, assimilation and alienation, head-on. This is important especially because these issues are hardly ever addressed in a safe, non-ideological way, without putting one or the other side down as the victim or the aggressor, the turncoat or the conservative.

I highly recommend this book - not just for kids in this age group, but even for their parents and grandparents. In fact, I would go so far as to say this book should be made required reading for all kids (on any rung of the assimilation ladder) because it will create a better understanding and awareness of the inner script that guides our public lives.

To read more of this review, go to desijournal.com

The novel, written for kids 9 and over, is primarily about the upheavals that occur in the life of an Indian-Canadian family when the grandmother (Naniji) visits from India. The protagonist is Tara a lively and sensitive 15-year-old. She is initially resentful of her visiting grandmother because the grandmother seems to disapprove of Tara's mother's somewhat Western ways and indeed of the Canadian ways of the whole family: the kids don't know Hindi, nor about Diwali; they don't play the sitar and, worst of all, know nothing of the family's role and sacrifice during the Indian Independence movement.

This is too much for Tara: "This is the world I live in. But how do I fit? I'm not one of the true natives, the First Nations, and not one of the whites who marauded the globe colonizing, who tell the history of Canada from when they arrived. I'm too dark for the Samanthas and the rednecks, but not dark enough for Tolly, or Indian enough for Naniji, too Canadian, too Western. Always too something. Never just right."

Tara reads a paper at school about Naniji's role in the Indian Independence movement. The most evocative part of the book occurs when Tara alternates between wanting to read the paper to her class, and not wanting to because of how her friends will react to it and to her (how it will affect her acceptance within the group). She reads the paper anyway. As she had feared, some of her classmates do "shutter down" - close up by seeming to brand her as "other". But, unexpectedly, some of them actually congratulate her and thank her for introducing her to an aspect of history and of herself of which they had been unaware.

Her mother and Naniji are proud of her - that is, until Naniji hears Tara proclaim how she, Tara, is a "regular" Canadian. At this point Naniji "shutters down" because she cannot countenance the fact that her granddaughter is a proud Canadian - what of the family's heritage, sacrifice and history back in India? What of their allegiance to India?

"Naniji catches me staring and tries to smile. She's stiff, but it's not like before, with the criticism and disapproval and the hostility. Her eyes - they are hurt."

The resolution of the conflict within the family and within Tara's own mind is handled by Ms. Gilmore with great maturity and eloquence. She articulates opposing points of view with clarity and grace. Without talking down to the reader, she addresses sensitive issues such as race and color, assimilation and alienation, head-on. This is important especially because these issues are hardly ever addressed in a safe, non-ideological way, without putting one or the other side down as the victim or the aggressor, the turncoat or the conservative.

I highly recommend this book - not just for kids in this age group, but even for their parents and grandparents. In fact, I would go so far as to say this book should be made required reading for all kids (on any rung of the assimilation ladder) because it will create a better understanding and awareness of the inner script that guides our public lives.

To read more of this review, go to desijournal.com

A very well written book. The recipes indicated in this book are quite authentic, judging by the ingredients and method of cooking. Devaki Bubbar has some good pointers too, that can be aplied to other styles of Indian cooking.

Wow, this book is a find! Considering the popularity of Gujarati food in India, it's surprising how few culinary books exclusively devoted to it are available in English. Going by general books on Indian cooking, it seems as though Gujaratis eat nothing less elaborate and rich than undhiyu, and aamras-puri. Thankfully this book proves otherwise, with truly authentic recipes for everyday fare, snacks, festival food, and even home remedies like ukaalo (for when you have the sniffles). Illustrations are sparse, but the recipes are precise and clear. Whether you're looking for new vegetarian flavors, or whether you're an expat Gujarati missing home cooking, you'd enjoy the recipes for osaaman, valore-muthiya nu shaak, ghau na faada ni khichdi, and magaj. These are not things you can order in an Indian restaurant. If you have access to good Gujarati home cooking, or to a Gujarati specialty restaurant, you can skip this book. Otherwise, it's absolutely essential!

This book provides a wealth of practical information, strategic planning, and decission making tools. Very easy to follow and practice. Author has in depth knowledge on the subject. I love this book.

The book is clear, concise and to the point. One of the few books I have ever read that has profound ideas but, at the same time, is an easy read. The management principles outlined in this book can be applied to almost any profession--including educational administration. I firmly believe that a leader can't operate at full potential until he or she grasps the concepts in this book.

People have been drinking tea for hundreds of years. Sylvia Schneider not only provides numerous tea recipes from China, Japan, India, Tibet, Arabia, the Americas, and Europe, she also includes the history and traditions of tea, as well as tea recipes for a wide range of ailments.

The popularity of tea combined with the popularity of herbs as medicine makes this title not only an interesting and informative book, but a practical one as well. The reader will enjoy learning about the history of these teas and the ingredients from which they are made. Preparing and drinking these teas, which can improve health and well-being, will also be an enjoyable experience.

This book is a jewel. A good friend gave it to me as a "hope you feel better gift" the last time I was down with a bad cold. You don't have to be sick, however, to learn about the ancient history and healing power of teas and infusions.

Sylvia Schneider is a freelance writer and medical and scientific editor who works as a medical journalist. In this book she explores the history, traditions, ingredients and recipes for tea from China, Japan, India, Tibet, Latin America, Aboriginal America, and Europe. There is also information about the use of exotic herbs and spices.

This beautiful volume is illustrated with more than 50 color photographs and includes many recipes to improve the overall state of health and well-being. Makes an excellent gift. I know firsthand!
JANA

This is a great cookbook. It has good recipes which are simple to make using a lot of healthy Indian spices.

The Healthy Cuisine of India is a GREAT cookbook. I LOVE the recipes in this book. This is my first and only Indian cookbook so I can't really compare it to other Indian cookbooks. But I do know that I enjoy the food from these recipes even more than eating out at Indian restaurants. The author gives lots of details explaining the different types of spices and how to prepare them. There is also some discussion of the lore associated with the various recipes. And the food tastes GREAT. Highly recommended.

I sent this book and "Quick Quack Quick" by the same author, to my niece and nephew. They really enjoyed it, and my sister enjoyed reading it to them. Many thanks for such a great story.

This book is just marvelous! Little Four(the little gray kitten on the cover) follows Bengal into the jungle to learn how to be like a tiger, so that he may earn his name on naming day. I was struck by how Four perseveres, and eventually triumphs, despite all those around him who doubt. This book has everything; exciting action, great moral (without being preachy)and the illustrations are as magical as the rest of the book.(Be sure to look for the hidden tigers!) Positive, empowering and beautiful, it's everything a picture book should be. I read it to my son's 2nd grade class; it was a hit, it really got them excited and talking.

A Heart Poured Out is the biography of Swami Ashokananda (1893-1969), who was a prominent monk of the Ramakrishna Order and a man who devoted most of his life to developing the Vedanta Society in San Francisco. Knowledgeably written by Sister Gargi, a disciple of Swami Ashokananda since 1948, A Heart Poured Out deftly covers the breadth of Ashokananda's life ranging from his childhood in India, to his enthusiastic dedication to personal spirituality, to his independence in daring to refute some of Mahatma Gandhi's political viewpoints. A Heart Poured Out is highly recommended as being a unique and rapturously written biography of an intrinsically fascinating man.

I was bowled over by this biography of a man of God who walked among us for a time. If you have never met a living saint, you have no idea how such a one combines power and love and humor in such a way as to make you KNOW your own divinity. Swami Ashokananda was one such man of God, and if you read "A heart poured out" you cannot fail to be blessed by his uncommon presence and enlightened by his remarkable teachings. Sister Gargi's book is a masterpiece of spiritual literature.

Simply, amazing! A lot of deep, insightful views about Indian classical music, together with a great sense of humour and liveliness. Not only for the Indian music lover, but also for anybody who really loves any kind of music.

As a teller of tales, Mrs. Dhar shines forth in the same light as possibly W. Somerset Maugham. As a racounteur, her skills are tremendous - the words are like a conversational monologue. The characters are drawn in excellent verbal chiarascuro, in immaculate English, and the humour although quite native, is delighting to all races, I am sure. Her encounters with people have been drawn with remarkable accuracy and the characters come to life with her verbal quill. Kudos on all counts to a great writer and singer, as I remember her myself.

Fascinating look at what numbers represent on a mystical level. An amazing book!

Life seems so chaotic, so random and completely unpredictable. However, within chaotic systems, such as life, or coastlines or even blood vessel formation to stock market fluctuations are predictable in nature. That is what the Chaos theory, fractal geometry and many other mathematical studies attempt to prove. We are math, and math is about numbers. this book is enlighting.