संपूर्ण चाणक्यनीति

 

संपूर्ण चाणक्यनीति, व्याख्याकार- विश्वमित्र शर्मा, संपादन-संवर्धन- काका हरिओम,

प्रकाशक: मनोज पब्लिकेशन्स, दिल्ली, भाषा: हिंदी, पृष्ठ संख्या: 185, मूल्य, रू120/=,

संशोधित संस्करण:2012, ISBN:978-81-310-0137-0

 

चाणक्य का नाम आते ही उनकी बुद्धिमत्ता और दूरदर्शिता  के लिए उनके प्रति आदरभाव आ जाते हैं I  जिस काल में उनका जीवन व्यतीत हुआ, वह आज की परिस्थितियों से अलग था , परन्तु फिर भी उनकी बताई गई बातें, आज भी उतनी ही सटीक,  सच और प्रभावशाली हैं, जितनी की, उन परिस्थितियों में थी । परन्तु कुछ बातें अवश्य आज की परिस्थिति में कम उपयुक्त हैं या नहीं हैं । उन्होंने तो उस समय की परिस्थितियों के अनुसार रचनाएँ   लिखी  थी । कुछ भी हो, बातें बिलकुल उपयुक्त और प्रभावकारी है। उनकी शिखा खुल जाने की घटना जगत विदित है जो, चाणक्य की नीतियों द्वारा, एक साम्राज्य के नष्ट होने का,  कारण  भी बनती है ।

       पुस्तक के आरम्भ में प्रस्तावना लिखी गई है और फिर तुरंत प्रथम अध्याय आरम्भ हो जाता है । पुस्तक में कुल १७ अध्याय हैं । प्रत्येक अध्याय के आरम्भ में कुछ पंक्तियों में,  उस अध्याय की विशेष बात वर्णित की गई है और फिर कई संस्कृत श्लोक और उनके हिंदी में अर्थ दिए गये हैं, और उन पर विस्तार से चर्चा की गई है । प्रत्येक अध्याय के अन्त  में, अध्याय का सार समझाया गया है ।  

प्रथम अध्याय में बताया गया है कि मूर्ख व्यक्ति को ज्ञान देने से कोई लाभ नहीं होता। दुष्ट स्वभाव वाले मित्र, नौकर, स्त्रियों आदि से सावधान किया गया है ।बुद्धिमान व्यक्ति के लिए स्व-रक्षा, धन-रक्षा तथा परिजन-रक्षा करना जरुरी है । तथा जहाँ आदर सम्मान नहीं हो, वहां नहीं जाना चाहिए । लोभ के स्थान पर, संतोष अपनाना चाहिए। दूसरों से अच्छे गुण अपना लेने चाहिए । सातवें अध्याय में बताया गया है कि अपनी कठिनाइयों को, हर एक पर प्रकट नहीं करें,   जो अन्तरंग और भरोसेमंद हो, उनसे ही सलाह लें । और  भी कई  बातें बताई गई हैं जो नहीं करनी चाहिए। विद्या,  वाणी, संयम पर ध्यान देने को कहा गया है। इसी प्रकार विभिन्न अध्यायों में विभिन्न प्रकार के लोगों से, विभिन्न परिस्थितियों में कैसा व्यहार करना चाहिए, वर्णन किया गया है । सत्रहवें अध्याय में गुरु से विद्या प्राप्त करने का महत्व बताया गया है । साथ ही जो जैसा करे, उससे वैसा ही बर्ताव करना चाहिए। मन पवित्र होना  चाहिए।  संस्कार जीवन का आधार है । साथ में दूसरों के कष्टों को भी समझना चाहिए।

पुस्तक के बैक कवर पेज पर लिखे गए श्लोकों में कहा गया है कि चाणक्य ने, अनेक शास्त्रों से एकत्रित किये गए राजनीति ज्ञान का वर्णन किया है,  जो मानव मात्र के कल्याण की इच्छा से किया गया है और इसे जान कर मनुष्य सर्वज्ञ हो जाता है कि धर्म अधर्म क्या है और कौन से कार्य करने के लिए योग्य हैं और कौन से अयोग्य हैं । पुस्तक की छपाई आकर्षक है ।संस्कृत के अंश लाल रंग में छपे हैं  और शेष सामान्य काले रंग में । काग़ज की गुणवत्ता उत्तम है। छपाई भी  यथोचित बड़े अक्षरों में की  गई है जिससे पढ़ने में सुगमता रहती है ।पुस्तक का मुख  पृष्ठ रंगीन और आकर्षक है ।पुस्तक के अंत में ७ पृष्ठों में प्रकाशक ने अपने द्वारा प्रकाशित विभिन्न पुस्तकों के बारे में जानकारी प्रस्तुत की है । हालाँकि चाणक्यनीति पर यह पहली पुस्तक नहीं है  फिर भी संक्षेप में यह कह सकते हैं कि गूढ़ रहस्य देने वाली यह पुस्तक बहुत ही रुचिकर है । समीक्षक की राय में, राजनीति ज्ञान के  क्षेत्र   में , यह अत्यन्त उपयोगी  पुस्तक है  और राजनीति के  विद्यार्थियों,  इस  क्षेत्र में, काम कर रहे विभिन्न स्तरों   के व्यक्तियों के लिये,  मार्गदर्शक के रूप में उपयुक्त है, जिससे सम्बंधित व्यक्तियों द्वारा, जनकल्याण के लिए उपयुक्त निर्णय लिए जा सके ।

                                   --------------समीक्षक (Reviewer): vijaiksharma

 

 

 

 

DECISION MAKING ESSENTIALS: You Always Wanted To Know

 

DECISION MAKING ESSENTIALS: You Always Wanted To Know: Publisher: Vibrant Publishers, USA; Author: Mark Koscinski, Pp.: 188, Price: Rs. 499/= (Paperback edition), Language: English, First Edition: Jan 2021, ISBN-10: 1-63651-002-7, ISBN-13: 978-1-63651-002-6, (Ebook and Hardback editions are also available)

While running any organization, certain decisions have to be taken at different times, depending on the prevailing and/or expected situations, by the person at the helm of affairs and also at different levels of the organization or by a group of persons like in a committee. These decisions could be of small, minor, major or strategic nature. Every leader, manager and person would like to possess the ability to think & take quick and correct decisions in the field of his responsibility. But in practical situations, normally we may have some options and therefore we, as a leader, have to consider the pros and cons of the options and then arrive at a final decision. These decisions may be taken based on the gut feeling of the top management or on the basis of mathematical calculations using certain theories. Generally speaking, the decisions based on mathematical calculations are expected to result in better decisions. For this purpose, the leader should have some basic knowledge of the methods of Decision making. The problems at different times are expected to be different and they may accordingly need different methods of handling and resolution. For the mangers to take the right decisions, they must first of all learn, all the “essentials”, and then practise them in their organization. Hence there is a necessity of such a book to help in Decision making appropriately. If appropriate decisions are taken by the management, at different times, considering all possible aspects, the organization will be successful & profitable and will thus project an excellent image in the Corporate world.

This book is one under Self-Learning Management Series of the publisher. After providing of the initial information by the publishers, views of six experts, about the author and Preface, the book presents systematically organized Table of Contents. There are in all, eleven Chapters in the book, covering Introduction to Decision Making, Cognitive Processes and their Limitations, Gathering Data: How much is enough, Group Mechanics, Scenario Planning and Prediction Markets, Heuristic and Programmed Decisions, Probability and Base rate neglect, The SMART method, EBA and Even Swaps, Sensitivity analysis, Negotiating and selling the Final decision. Towards the end of the book, Glossary containing 154 terms with their explanations and Bibliography, having 17 references have been provided. After a study of this book, one is expected to understand the essentials of Decision making in an organization.

Chapter 1 of the book discusses about effect of poor data, poor decision model, faulty recommendations and unsound decisions. The author talks about risk, uncertainty, objectives and analysis before taking a decision. A decision model for simple problems is needed, data collected and analyzed to arrive at a decision. Complex problems are generally dealt by a group of persons and not by an individual. This is the topic in Chapter 4. Consultations may be formal or informal. A committee may be formed. Techniques like Brainstorming may be used. Chapter 7 discusses about use of Probability to analyze risks, since every decision taken involves certain risks. We all would like to have absolute certainty about our decisions, but it is very difficult. Hence we have to use the Theory of Probability and thereby assess the probability of occurrence of the event. Decision Tree gives graphical representation of the probability of occurrences of the outcomes. The author discusses other Statistical parameters also. Sensitivity Analysis has been discussed in Chapter 10. This enables us to know the effect of changes in some data or assumptions on our decision. The decisions are tested before implementing them, through some techniques mentioned. Information about the steps, after Decision analysis and conclusion are given in Chapter 11. Rules for discussing and negotiating with the stakeholders, problems of asymmetric information, use of Game theory and selling the decision etc. are also covered in this Chapter.

The book offers a sound base for obtaining advanced knowledge in each topic of Decision Making and for application in actual profession. It is a powerful guide and gives an overview of the role and importance of Decision making in an organization. It explains the concepts of Decision making methods for use in practical situations. With easy to understand language and simple approach to the topics, it is pleasing for readers to read and understand. Brief details of the book have been provided on the back cover page. Printing is good and appears to be free of errors. The quality of paper used for the book is very good. Amongst the other good points of the book are providing, at the beginning of each Chapter, what the readers are expected to discuss and explore in that particular Chapter, providing Chapter summary & Discussion questions, at the end of each Chapter. The number of Discussion questions, Chapter wise, varies from 2 to 5 with the total number of questions in the book being 33. Questions are given for critical areas and the readers are motivated to seek their solutions on their own and in case of difficulty get the solutions downloaded from a website, whose link has been provided. In Chapter 7, after the Discussion questions, additional 7 questions have been provided as “Test your knowledge”. For the Discussion questions at the end of Chapter 7, hints have also been given for the 3 questions given.  In all, the book has 11 figures and 20 tables. Also there are 60 footnotes in the book, which are spread over all the Chapters. Number of pages in the Chapters; vary from 7 to 32, and are as per the need of the topic. The Cover design is simple, but colourful and pleasant. The book provides accurate relevant information/explanation/description on the various topics. For the prospective or upcoming Decision Making Managers, there is a lot to learn from the book, to get prepared to take appropriate decisions for better results, without stress. It is an excellent book in the field of Decision Making for those in the leadership roles, for the trainees, newcomers and self-learners interested in seeking a career in management, trainers, working Management professionals. Considering in an overall way, this book is considered very helpful for Decision making in life, including for the tough decisions. It is an essential read.

                                                               --------Reviewer:vijaiksharma   

HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT: Essentials You Always Wanted To Know

 HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT: Essentials You Always Wanted To Know:

 

Publisher: Vibrant Publishers, USA; Author: Ms. Jaquina Gilbert, Pp: 226, Price: Rs. 499/=(Paperback edition), Language: English, First Edition: Jan 2020, ISBN-10: 1-949395-83-9, ISBN-13: 978-1-949395-83-9, (Ebook and Hardback editions are also available)

 

 

Any company/organization in this world runs with some resources and it will be successful, if these resources are managed well. However, the most important resource/asset of any company/organization is its employees/people, called human resource that drives all companies/organizations to profitability & sustainability. This is because it is not possible to do our works ourselves on our own and all of us have to get our works completed through another person, team or organization. It is essential to get the jobs done in an organization through building a team, guiding & monitoring the employees for obtaining the achievements and maintaining good relations with everybody, in & outside the organization etc. and these need skills. If human resource is managed well, the success of the organization is most likely. For the mangers to manage this resource well, they must learn, first of all the “essentials”, and then practise them in their organization. HRM is the concept of handling the complexities involved. Techniques and Strategies are required to effectively manage the potential of the human resource and the complicated Employer-Employee relationship, which plays a key role in the success of the organization.

This book is one under Self-learning management series of the publisher. After providing of the initial information by the publishers, views of nine experts and about the author, the book presents systematically organized Table of Contents. There are in all, ten Chapters in the book, covering, The concept of human resource management, Performance management strategies, Legal and regulatory compliance, Organizational development in HRM, Conflict management, Payroll and compensation, Concept of IT in HRM, IT platforms: HRM v/s HRIS v/s HCM, Health and safety development and People development. Towards the end of the book, 35 references have been provided. After a study of this book, one is expected to understand the functions of HRM in the organization, responsibilities of HR Manager, management of employees, team relationships and customer relationships and learn various tools and strategies to help in overall management of the organization.

 

Chapter 1 of the book discusses the evolution, theories & basic functions of HRM, approaches to HRM and challenges faced by HRM, duties and responsibilities of HR Manager. Chapter 3 is important due to legal implications involved. It deals with importance of legal compliance, implications of defaulting and roles of HRM in legal compliance. A very important aspect is Conflict management. Taken up in Chapter 5, it deals with classification of, approaches to and causative factors of Conflict, along with its resolution practices. Chapter 7 discusses IT applications and challenges faced by IT in HRM. Chapter 9 takes up another important aspect of  discussing roles of HRM in safety development and strategies for promoting health and safety of employees. The last Chapter 10 discusses the very important topic of People development, consisting of professional training, coaching and mentoring, staffing, development, promotions and rewards etc.

 

The book offers a sound knowledge base in HRM, for application in actual profession and also for obtaining advanced knowledge in each topic. It is a clear and powerful guide and provides an overview of the multifaceted role of the HR within an organization. The language is also easy to understand. The approach to the topics is simple, making it pleasing for readers to read and comprehend. Brief details of the book have been provided on the back cover page. Printing is good and appears to be free of errors. The quality of paper used for the book is very good. Amongst the other good points of the book are, providing at the beginning of each Chapter, what the readers are expected to read and learn in that particular Chapter, providing Chapter summary & Quiz, at the end of each Chapter. In each of the quizzes, five questions for critical areas are given along with the options, and the readers are motivated to seek their answers on their own and in case of difficulty get the answers on web site, whose link has been provided. Quizzes are helpful in understanding the topic. In all, there are 13 Figures in the book, which are spread over all the Chapters, except Chapter No. 4 and 7. Number of pages in the Chapters, vary from 13 to 31. The Cover design is simple, but colourful and pleasant. The book provides accurate, authoritative and relevant information/explanation on the various topics and the tools needed in practice. For the prospective or upcoming HR Managers, there is a lot to learn from the book to get better performance, without stress. Considering in an overall manner, it is a highly informative, effective and very useful book in this field, for studies for the self-learners, trainees & newcomers interested in seeking a career in HR management, trainers, working individuals and working HR professionals. It is a highly recommended book in this field.   

                    

                                                                      ------------------Reviewer:vijaiksharma   

           

आनंदमय सफल जीवन, (प्रेरणादायक प्रसंगो सहित)

आनंदमय सफल जीवन,  (प्रेरणादायक प्रसंगो सहित)
प्रकाशक: ब्लूरोज़ पब्लिशर्स , लेखक: एस पी गर्ग,
भाषा : हिंदी, पृष्ठ  संख्या :१६४, मूल्य: रुपया २१०/=(भारत में), $१५ (विदेशों में)
प्रकाशन वर्ष (प्रथम संस्करण) २०१९, ISBN :९७८-९३-५३४७-८९७-१

प्रत्येक व्यक्ति यह चाहता है क़ि उसका जीवन ख़ुशी और सफलताओं के साथ, पूरा हो सके। होना भी  ऐसा ही चाहिए । परन्तु हर एक व्यक्ति का जीवन अलग अलग होता है। यदि उपयुक्त समय पर व्यक्तियों को यथोचित मार्गदर्शन और सलाह मिलते रहें और उन  पर अमल किया जा सके  तो जीवन सफल होने की बहुत संभावना रहती है। इसी कड़ी में है यह वर्त्तमान पुस्तक। पर्याप्त कलेवर में लिखी यह पुस्तक, उचित मार्गदर्शन देने में सक्षम है।
  यह पुस्तक चार भागों में है जिनमें विभिन्न विषयों पर २३ अध्याय हैं। प्रत्येक विषय सावधानी पूर्वक चुना गया है और लिखा गया है जिससे पाठकों के लिए यह  रुचिकर और उपयोगी हो।यह बात तो निश्चित  है क़ि सभी का जीवन एक जैसा  नहीं हो सकता , जीवन में उतार  और चढ़ाव होते हैं और हमें उन सभी से सीखना पड़ता है और सामंजस्य बनाना पड़ता है।प्रथम भाग: आनंदमय जीवन में ११ अध्याय हैं और इनमें अच्छा  जीवन कैसे बनायें, इस बारे में बताया गया है।जीवन तनाव मुक्त बनाना, सकारात्मक सोच रखना, प्रयास करना, विनम्रता, खुशियां बाँटना, मुस्कान , आत्म विश्वास आदि की ओर हमारा ध्यान आकर्षित किया गया है।द्वितीय भाग: सफलता की ओर में ५ अध्याय हैं। यह भाग विशेष तोर पर युवाओं  के लिए है ओर जीवन में सफलता, कैरियर प्रगति , अनुभवों से सीखना आदि पर चर्चा की गयी है, जो अत्यंत उपयोगी है।तृतीय भाग :आत्मीय संबंध: परिवार, रिश्ते, मित्र में तीन अध्याय  हैं। जीवन में सबसे ज्यादा महत्व परिवार, रिश्तों ओर मित्रों का होता है जो जीवन पर्यन्त चलता है, नौकरी से सेवा निवृत्ति के पश्चात भी, और यही बात बड़ी महत्वपूर्ण है क़ि हम हमेशा परिवार को सबसे ज्यादा अहमियत दें। भाग चतुर्थ: समाज, प्रकृति, पर्यावरण औऱ देश के प्रति दायित्व में ४ अध्याय हैं।  देश सर्वोपरि है, यह हमें हमेशा मान के चलना चाहिए ।देश नहीं तो हम नहीं। तो देश के लिए हमारे समर्पण, योगदान, पर्यावरण, सेवा भाव ओर सामाजिक दायित्व की ओर  ध्यान आकर्षित करने में यह भाग अत्यंत महत्वपूर्ण है।
इस पुस्तक का मुखपृष्ठ  रंगीन, कलात्मक, और आकर्षक है,मुद्रण उत्तम है और पुस्तक को पढ़ने की इच्छा करती है।पुस्तक के आरम्भ में  समर्पण, आभार, आमुख और अनुभूति लिखे गए हैं,  फिर अंत  में लेखक का जीवन परिचय दिया गया है। पुस्तक के अंतिम कवरपृष्ठ पर लेखक ओर पुस्तक के बारे में मिली जुली जानकारी प्रेषित की गई है, जो पुस्तक की विशेषताओं की ओर ध्यान आकर्षित करती है।पुस्तक की भाषा सरल है और विभिन्न प्रसंगो द्वारा इसे रुचिपूर्ण बना दिया है। जब मैंने इस पुस्तक को पढ़ना आरम्भ किया तो यह मुझे  अत्यंत रुचिपूर्ण लगी ओर मैंने यह भी अनुभव किया क़ि इसमें लिखा प्रत्येक वाक्य महत्वपूर्ण है।इस पुस्तक में सीखने के लिए बहुत कुछ है।यदि हमें सीखने की लालसा है तो इस पुस्तक को पढ़ कर हम आशान्वित होंगे।विभिन्न प्रकार के व्यक्तियों के लिए यह अत्यंत प्रेरणादायक ओर उपयोगी  सिद्ध होगी ओर पढ़ने में आनंद भी आएगा। समीक्षक के मूल्याङ्कन में  यह  पुस्तक  विद्यार्थियों, युवाओं , संकाय सदस्यों, नौकरी करने वालों, उद्यमियों,  कंपनी में कार्य करने वालों , प्रशिक्षण देने वालों आदि सभी के लिए यह अत्यंत उपयोगी रहेगी।

                                                            ----------समीक्षक (Reviewer)---- vijaiksharma

PRINCIPLES OF MANAGEMENT: Essentials You Always Wanted To Know:

PRINCIPLES OF MANAGEMENT: Essentials You Always Wanted To Know:
Publisher: Vibrant Publishers, USA; Author: Name not given, Pp: 162, Price: Rs. 499/=, Language: English, First Edition: May 2018, ISBN-10: 1946383-93-7, ISBN-13: 978-1-946383-93-8, 
   Basically in this world, at all times, all of us have to complete some work or the other, either ourselves or through somebody else, who may be a person, a team or an organization. On the face of it, it looks very easy and simple, meaning that that you just tell the other party and the job will be done. But in practice, it is far from the real truth. Getting the job done is said to be the most difficult assignment. Sometimes the person In-charge gets so much fed up that he says to himself that it would have been better, if he would have done the work himself. However, since it is not possible for one person to complete all works by himself, the same have to be allocated or delegated. But it is very difficult for the common man to understand and appreciate this point of view, due to lack of awareness of the intricacies involved. Management guides and coordinates the activities of a group/team of people working in the organization for achieving the desired objectives efficiently, through optimal utilization of 5M’s, viz. men, machine, material, money and methods. Accordingly, Management has four basic functions viz. Planning, Organizing, Leading & Controlling. Managers need a large number of skills, which are essential to get the jobs done e.g. building a Team, guiding & monitoring the employees for obtaining the achievements, maintaining good relations with everybody in & outside the organization, dealing with Customer Complaints & feedback from employees etc.  Each one is a special skill by itself.  
  After providing the initial information by the publishers, the book presents systematically organized Table of Contents, which is followed by A letter to the Reader, Books in Self-Learning Management Series (giving the titles and ISBN numbers of six books) and Preface. There are in all 17 Chapters in the book, which cover the following  fundamental and important concepts/topics: Introduction to Management, Functions of Management, Planning & Decision Making, Leaders Vs. Managers, Organizational Charts & Structure, Budgeting, Problem Solving, Group Dynamics, Converting a group to a successful team, Conflict Resolution, Communication, Change, Organizational Culture, Total Quality Management, Operations, People Management, Customer Relationship Management. After a study of this book, one is expected to understand the functions of management at various levels in the organization, responsibilities of a manager, managing employees,  team relationships, customer relationships and learn the tools such as decision making, conflict management, problem solving  etc. to help in management.
This book presents a broad overview and deals with (a) Core elements of Management and (b) ways of supporting various activities of Management. Chapter 3 discusses the basic steps for decision making. Chapter 7 explains the basic steps and tools for solving a problem. Chapter 10 explains the types of Conflicts and the methods for resolving them. Chapter 11 covers the types of Communication, listening and managerial communication. Change being the law of nature, Chapter 12 explains the tools for managing Change in an Organization. Chapter 16, on People Management rightly has the maximum number of pages in the book. This is the largest role as a Manager, including all the stages for staff requirements, recruitment, selecting right employees, their orientation, reviews, performance reviews etc.  Chapter 17 provides the features for Customer Relations Management, types of Customers, Customer Orientation and Satisfaction score.
In all there are 43 Figures/Charts/Tables in the book, which are spread over all the Chapters, except Chapter No. 1, 3, 4, 6 and 13. Number of pages in the Chapters, vary from 3 to 16. The Cover design is simple. The language is also easy to understand. The book provides accurate, authoritative and relevant information/explanation on the various subjects and the tools needed in practice. By and large, most of the essential topics have been included. For the prospective or upcoming managers, there is a lot to learn from the book to get better performance, without stress. In actual life, managers are directly recruited, as well as promoted from the employees from the line job. The latter is generally based on their performance in the line job and their overall assessment. But the skills required for the managers are very much different. When promoted, one should read books such as this one, for learning and understanding the essentials of management, preparing for new roles and getting a grip on the functions of a manager for long term career growth. This book is considered very useful for studies for the self-learners, trainees & newcomers seeking a career in management, trainers, working individuals, as well as the old timers of this profession.

                                                                                    ------------Reviewer: vijaiksharma  

THE MODERN DAY HINDU

THE MODERN DAY HINDU,     

Surviving Twenty -first Century through Hindu way of living,

by Dr. Nikhil Chandwani, Publisher: WRC Publishers, part of Raindrops Publishers, Year of publication  2018, No. of Pages 141, Price : Rs. 299/=, $ 10, ISBN:  978-93-88259-22-4,

This book is an abstract work of fiction and imagination. According to the author, he has not taken any thing from what is existing. He has written based on his experience in imagining and organizing the things for this topic. It has references to Hollywood movies, music and social media.  It explains Hinduism with the help of Science. Many of the Indians are under the influence of the western world, but it makes efforts to keep the Indian culture alive. In all, there are 14 Chapters in the book. Almost all Chapters contain one or more colourful figures, except Chapters 1, 3, and 11. Total number of figures in the book is 35. Chapter 2 also contains two tables, one flow chart and one sketch. Being based in USA, the author has generally used American terminology and spellings. About the author has been provided in detail & is impressive enough. The author has also given Acknowledgement in the beginning of the book, for the help, assistance and cooperation given, mostly by his parents & family members, in writing this book.

The author indicates inclinations towards creativity and positivity with the pictures of "connecting the dots". New things bring new experiences. We get ideas from nothing and then proceed from imagination to physical realization. He discusses about two laws of Creation, solitude, loneliness, free will and Cosmos. The author depicts seven spheres to define concepts and evolving of the models of items of use. A problem solving flow chart is depicted as a typical way of dealing with the world. Author discusses about cycle of life, changes, evolution and revolution and observation of data and finding meaning in it. There can be several options in life, including reactions from the environment and things may be bad. Author talks about Common Consensus Reality and Personally Experienced Reality. Some of us inflate our balloon of reality. Our education is continuous and we learn from each other. Everything is a system, which consists of sub-systems. Interfaces allow for exchanges between inside of the system and the environment. Roles exist in many areas and are like opposite ends of an interface. He continues to discuss about positive thinking, positive vibrations, our connections in a matrix, thinking and feeling, love and lust, giving and accepting and aspects of freedom.  A system has boundary on the inside as well as on the outside, which work together to interface the system. Further discussion takes place about desire, destiny and fate etc.  Life is a set of never ending set of semicircles and bubbles connected, not fully spherical and that interfaces affect our behaviour.  With computer generated animations, it is difficult to differentiate between tricks and the real movie, leading to fear in our mind. Neutrality is close to observation. We should think that all things happen for the good.  He discusses about our having set of preferences and dislikes and clash of preferences. A question is also posed as to whether everything is fixed and whether we are driven by fate. He talks of hotness, temperature and absolute zero etc. Science appears to have become complex. We need adapting in life and we could be happy even without having anything. He discusses about the keyboard as an interface, recycling for better work, miniaturization, intelligence and consciousness.  Concluding, he states that triangle or trinity embodies stability. In the same vein, he mentions about bubbles, spirals and gravity.

The design of the Cover of the book is colourful and appealing. About the book has been given on the back cover of the book. He has used several abbreviations and coined new explanations for some words. This book is insightful and gives inspiration to live the life.  It has narration in simple language which is easy to understand.  Though one may be curious to know, about the contents of the book, but for an orthodox Hindu, it is a difficult effort.  It differentiates between the modern days and the olden days. People in the modern world are very busy and are unable to find time for such things. Choosing this topic for writing this book is courageous. The book can be considered to be of interest to those who have neutral considerations, like imaginations, new perspectives on existence and out of the box discussions.  

                                                                              ------------------Reviewer: vijaiksharma

KILL CODE: A DYSTOPIAN SCIENCE FICTION NOVEL

Kill Code: A Dystopian Science Fiction Novel,

Author: Clive Fleury, Publisher: Tck Publishing ( Dec. 2018), Paperback: 148 pages,  ISBN-10: 1-63161-056-2, ISBN-13: 978-1-63161-056-1, Price: Rs. 1202/=

This book is an unusual work of fiction, totally based on the fertile imagination of the author. All names and incidents etc. are fictitious. It is said to be a Dystopia novel, which means an imagined state or society, in which there is great suffering or injustice. In the beginning, one is unable to anticipate about the many terrible and terrifying events which follow. Catastrophe is said to be due to climate changes. Temperatures are high and turbulence in the ocean is terrible, leading to ocean water rising and creating havoc frequently. The world scenario appears to be dark, with poor economy and high unemployment. Therefore loss of a job may lead to loss of food and even to loss of life. The rich and corrupt become powerful, do not allow general people to come up and may even starve them and thus dictate and rule the world. In future, due to climate change & overpopulation, a large number of the inhabitants of the earth, may struggle to earn a living, scavenge for food from the waste of the rich & get oppressed by corrupt and rich people, since they feel that with the survival of starving people becoming a serious problem, it is easier to control the world.

The main narrator in this novel is Hogan Duran, who is a painstaking person. At first, he was in the army, then became a police person and then resigned. He too is one, struggling to earn a living and adding income by obtaining things free from the garbage. National Security Council (NSC) is an elite and secret special force, which was formed to protect the rich, privileged and powerful. Entrance into this force depends upon passing a series of potential deadly entrance tests. Added to the location is a rebel group known as Krails. Hogan gets an invitation for joining NSC along with others, for which all of them are subjected to several rigorous, challenging and deadly tests one after the other. If he clears the hard process of competition with other candidates, he is likely to be selected. Being a former police person, Hogan was hopeful to pass the tests based on his experience and thus improve his life. But the things are not that straight forward. He faces many difficulties, but keeps his integrity. The other characters in the novel are Captain Beecham and General Stoker of NSC, Ms. Ruby, who was also in Army, Jake etc. There are several incidents which cannot be forgotten easily, e.g. shooting of his friend Max Creeling, which led to his paralyzed leg and living on wheelchair. While being escorted back to the Base, they are attacked by Krails. But with the earlier experience in the Army, Duran and Ruby escape from Krails. General negotiates with Krails. Later on, Hogan and Max live in a small apartment. But ultimately Duran gets disappointed to observe that both NSC and Krails are together in enjoying wealth and power.

There are 21 Chapters in this book. In the end, Photo of the author and About the author have been provided, followed by “Connect with Clive Fleury”, “Other books by Clive”, “Get Book Discounts and Deals”, and “One last thing”. In the last note, the author is requesting readers to post brief comments/reviews on the relevant page of the book on Amazon. It is a relatively short, well written, thrilling science fiction novel. It has several combinations of climate change, injustice, survival, life threatening competitions, individual strength, feelings, simulation etc. While going through the book, it appears that the whole action drama is taking place in front of us. The characters are strong and clear cut, who play their parts well and action is adequately fast paced. The well thought out plot of the author has many catastrophic events having turns & surprises, against which the people must fight. It is interesting, entertaining and exciting and the reader gets engrossed into the incidents. The journey of reading this novel takes the reader on a futuristic ride. But question that arises is whether it is possible that such a position may arise in future on earth. This is the first book in the series of three being written by the author. The readers have to keep their fingers crossed, about the plots and nature and turn of the events in the next two books in the series. Concluding, it can be stated that this science novel will be found interesting and suitable by all those who like excitement and thrill.

                                                                                                       ------------------vijaiksharma