The Winning Way - Anita Bhogle & Harsha Bhogle

Learnings from Sport for Managers

What do sporting champions do, what makes winning teams, who is a good leader, why do only some teams keep winning while others win only for a while and then lose… 
Contrary to popular perception, ability is not a major distinguishing factor in success, especially as the level of competition increases. 
But if you combine your ability with the right attitude and the passion to excel, you too can become the best you can be. 
That is the universal formula for winning that this book explores.

The authors - Harsha Bhogle,  a sports commentator and writer, and Anita Bhogle, an Advertising and communication consultant, have previously conducted a series of motivational workshops for many corporates.
This book is a collation of their learnings during these workshops. 
A great read, this book helps you to delve into the world of sports and you discover that the road to success is paved by the same bricks, irrespective of the field one is hoping to succeed in. 
The basic ability to succeed is within each one of us. 
But combining this ability with the right attitude, a thirst to excel, and an unceasing passion make a world of a difference.
In The Winning Way: Learnings From Sport For Managers, the authors cite several examples from the sports world, each example leaves the reader with lingering afterthoughts, inspiration, and a valuable lesson. 
This book may be offhandedly perceived as yet another ‘Guideline to success 101’ lesson, but the uniqueness of the book lies in the fact that all these ‘guidelines’ have been explained through a sports viewpoint, making it far more engaging.
If you are one of those people who gain motivation through the relentless triumphs of sportsmen and sportswomen, this book will reveal the secret behind their formulas of success. 
Although the target audience of this book is primarily corporate managers, this is a great book about leadership and consistency and can be enjoyed by just about anyone due to its easy, yet captivating flow. 
Harsha’s vast knowledge of sports, coupled with Anita’s experience in the corporate world has helped them work through this book with expert ease.

(Book Description Source: Amazon.com and Flipkart.com)

My Comments:
The last chapter of this book "What it Means to be a Team Player" is by Rahul Dravid, the epitome of sportsman spirit in cricket in recent years.
On the whole this book is a very light, interesting and insightful read.
It will appeal to both business and sports persons.
Anyone who is part of a team should read this !

Goodreads Rating - 3.48 out of 5 ( 459 Ratings)

 
 
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The Agile Samurai - Jonathan Rasmusson

How Agile Masters Deliver Great Software 
A very good book to quickly grasp the practical aspects of agile software development.
I really liked the racy and witty style of the author which has been supplemented by very humorous illustration yet  thought provoking illustrations (ala cartoon style).
Author has  shared several success as well as failure stories and anecdotes These  give the readers a very good insight into what working in an agile project will entail.
At the end of every chapter there is a section called "Master Sensei and the Aspiring Warrior". 
This section is in the form of  dialogues where  the Master  acts as a guide and spiritual mentor to  the warrior in his agile journey and draws his attention to important agile principles. Master also shares with the warrior deeper insight and guidance to apply the agile practices.
Book Description (Source:  Amazon.com)
Faced with a software project of epic proportions? 
Tired of over-committing and under-delivering? 
Enter the dojo of the agile samurai, where agile expert Jonathan Rasmusson shows you how to kick-start, execute, and deliver your agile projects. 
Combining cutting-edge tools with classic agile practices, The Agile Samurai gives you everything you need to deliver something of value every week and make rolling your software into production a non-event.
Get ready to kick some software project butt.
 By learning the ways of the agile samurai you will discover:

• how to create plans and schedules your customer and your team can believe in
• what characteristics make a good agile team and how to form your own
• how to gather requirements in a fraction of the time using agile user stories
• what to do when you discover your schedule is wrong, and how to look like a pro correcting it
• how to execute fiercely by leveraging the power of agile software engineering practices

By the end of this book you will know everything you need to set up, execute, and successfully deliver agile projects, and have fun along the way.
If you're a project lead, this book gives you the tools to set up and lead your agile project from start to finish.
If you are an analyst, programmer, tester, usability designer, or project manager, this book gives you the insight and foundation necessary to become a valuable agile team member.
The Agile Samurai slices away the fluff and theory that make other books less-than-agile.
It's packed with best practices, war stories, plenty of humor and hands-on tutorial exercises that will get you doing the right things, the right way.
This book will make a difference. 


Master Sensei and the Aspiring Warrior (a sample dialog)
STUDENT: Master, I am confused. If there are no predefined roles on agile project, how does anything ever get done?
MASTER: That which needs to be done, the team will do.
STUDENT: Yes, Master, but if there is no dedicated role of tester, how can we be sure that enough testing will be done?
MASTER: Testing is something that needs to be done. So, testing is something the team will do. How much testing and in what capacity is up to the team to decide.
STUDENT: What if no one wants to test? What if everyone just wants to sit around and write code?
MASTER: Then you’d best find people who have a passion for testing and make sure they become valued members of your team.
STUDENT: Thank you, Master. I will think about this more. 

Links:

• Table of Contents
• Preface
• Book Excerpts
• Estimation - the fine art of guessing
• Creating a visible workspace

Goodreads Rating - 3.98 out of 5 ( 449 Ratings)

 
 
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Art: The Whole Story - Stephen Farthing (General Editor)

There is no society that has lacked art. 
Depiction and decoration , like storytelling and music are natural to human beings as nest building to most birds. 
The forms that art has taken have varied radically in different times and places , under the influence of differing social and cultural circumstances. 
What was the original purpose of these works of art and how can we understand them today ? Why did art flourish in some periods of history and not in others? 
Why are some individual pieces of art so significant?
 If you've ever found yourself transfixed by a Renaissance painting, fascinated by an Inca textile, or filled with wonder by an exquisite piece of Ming porcelain, this is the book for you.

This comprehensive, vibrant book leads you through the world’s iconic images – those that we encounter every time we open a newspaper, visit a gallery, or look at the front cover of a novel.
 Venture inside its pages and discover exactly what the great artistic periods and movements of the world were all about. 

Art: The Whole Story begins with an incisive historical overview that places art in the context of the social and cultural developments that have taken place around the world since pre-state societies. 
Organized chronologically,  the book then traces the evolution of artistic development period by period and movement by movement. 
Illustrated (more than 1100 color illustrations !) in-depth text covers every genre of art, from painting and sculpture to conceptual art and performance art. 
A thorough assessment of the ideas and works of key artists reveals how one artist influenced another and what they were trying to achieve with their work.
 Detailed cultural and individual artist timelines clarify historical context.
 Individual masterpieces that epitomize the defining characteristics of each period or movement are highlighted and analyzed in detail. 
Everything from use of color and visual metaphors to technical innovations and lasting legacy is explained, enabling you to interpret the full meaning of world-famous masterpieces as never before. 
Marvel at the intricacies of Mughal miniatures; learn the significance of Japanese prints in the nineteenth century; understand the science behind the color theories that informed Seurat's remarkable La Grande Jatte; and discover why Picasso's Les Demoiselles D'Avignon was considered to be shocking in its day. 
 Written by an experienced international team of artists, art historians and curators, this absorbing and beautiful book gives you priceless insights into the worlds most iconic images. 
Since the earliest prehistoric sculptures and cave paintings, humankind has felt compelled to record its creative impulses. 
Today, the urge to draw,paint, print and sculpt is more apparent than ever, and continues to inform who we are and how we live.
 If you love art and would like to understand it better, look no further than the pages of Art: The Whole Story. 
 [Based on the book description available at Amazon.com and  on the book jacket]

'His prose is easy and flowing, not a word is wasted, and everything is seen in precise and daylight-clear shape.' His Style impresses itself on the reader's mind as expressive of a calm conviction, unmixed with emotion.

Unlike earlier foreign biographers of Ramakrishna-Max Muller and Remain Rolland-Isherwood did not write of him as a distant admirer, but as a devotee who enjoyed an advantage over them; for he had at his disposal more material, collected through a careful Study of not only Ramakrishna literature, but also Hindu Religion and philosophy, besides two visits to India. - See more at: http://www.printsasia.in/book/ramakrishna-and-his-disciples-christopher-isherwood-8185301182-9788185301181#sthash.Z4N9VklV.dpuf

'His prose is easy and flowing, not a word is wasted, and everything is seen in precise and daylight-clear shape.' His Style impresses itself on the reader's mind as expressive of a calm conviction, unmixed with emotion.

Unlike earlier foreign biographers of Ramakrishna-Max Muller and Remain Rolland-Isherwood did not write of him as a distant admirer, but as a devotee who enjoyed an advantage over them; for he had at his disposal more material, collected through a careful Study of not only Ramakrishna literature, but also Hindu Religion and philosophy, besides two visits to India. - See more at: http://www.printsasia.in/book/ramakrishna-and-his-disciples-christopher-isherwood-8185301182-9788185301181#sthash.Z4N9VklV.dpuf

'His prose is easy and flowing, not a word is wasted, and everything is seen in precise and daylight-clear shape.' His Style impresses itself on the reader's mind as expressive of a calm conviction, unmixed with emotion.
Unlike earlier foreign biographers of Ramakrishna-Max Muller and Remain Rolland-Isherwood did not write of him as a distant admirer, but as a devotee who enjoyed an advantage over them; for he had at his disposal more material, collected through a careful Study of not only Ramakrishna literature, but also Hindu Religion and philosophy, besides two visits to India. - See more at: http://www.printsasia.in/book/ramakrishna-and-his-disciples-christopher-isherwood-8185301182-9788185301181#sthash.Z4N9VklV.dpuf

 My Comments:
Fully agree with the above book description. Closely examining each illustration was an experience by itself. Wonder how marvelous it would be to see the artistic pieces in real life.
Fairly decent coverage of Indian Art (most art books focus only on Western Art), though it would have been better if great Indian artists like Tagore, Jamini Roy, Amrita Sher Gill, Raja Ravi Varma, MF Hussain etc. had got a mention at least. 

Goodreads Rating - 4.46 out of 5 ( 61 Ratings)

   

Ramakrishna and His Disciples by Christopher Isherwood

This biography of Ramakrishna  was written for the West by one of England's most talented authors, Christopher Isherwood. 
The writing is beautiful in itself, but the story of a most unusual man with unheard of spiritual yearning is what this book is really about.
Christopher Isherwood introduces Ramakrishna as follows -
"This is the story of a phenomenon. I will begin by calling him simply that, rather than "holy man,""mystic,"or "saint"; all emotive words with mixed associations which may attract some readers, repel others.
A phenomenon is often something extraordinary and mysterious, Ramakrishna was extraordinary and mysterious; most of all to those who were best fitted to understand him. 
A phenomena is always a fact, an object of experience. That is how I shall try to approach Ramakrishna ."
The author does not attempt to interpret the life of Ramakrishna, but is content to state the facts, incorporating all available data.
 His prose is easy and flowing, not a word is wasted, and everything is seen in precise and daylight-clear shape.
 His style impresses itself on the reader's mind as expressive of a calm conviction, unmixed with emotion.
Unlike earlier foreign biographers of Ramakrishna- Max Muller and Romain Rolland- Isherwood did not write of him as a distant admirer, but as a devotee who enjoyed an advantage over them; for he had at his disposal more material, collected through a careful Study of not only Ramakrishna literature, but also Hindu Religion and philosophy, besides two visits to India.
[Based on the book description available at Amazon.com and  on the book jacket]

'His prose is easy and flowing, not a word is wasted, and everything is seen in precise and daylight-clear shape.' His Style impresses itself on the reader's mind as expressive of a calm conviction, unmixed with emotion.

Unlike earlier foreign biographers of Ramakrishna-Max Muller and Remain Rolland-Isherwood did not write of him as a distant admirer, but as a devotee who enjoyed an advantage over them; for he had at his disposal more material, collected through a careful Study of not only Ramakrishna literature, but also Hindu Religion and philosophy, besides two visits to India. - See more at: http://www.printsasia.in/book/ramakrishna-and-his-disciples-christopher-isherwood-8185301182-9788185301181#sthash.Z4N9VklV.dpuf

'His prose is easy and flowing, not a word is wasted, and everything is seen in precise and daylight-clear shape.' His Style impresses itself on the reader's mind as expressive of a calm conviction, unmixed with emotion.

Unlike earlier foreign biographers of Ramakrishna-Max Muller and Remain Rolland-Isherwood did not write of him as a distant admirer, but as a devotee who enjoyed an advantage over them; for he had at his disposal more material, collected through a careful Study of not only Ramakrishna literature, but also Hindu Religion and philosophy, besides two visits to India. - See more at: http://www.printsasia.in/book/ramakrishna-and-his-disciples-christopher-isherwood-8185301182-9788185301181#sthash.Z4N9VklV.dpuf

'His prose is easy and flowing, not a word is wasted, and everything is seen in precise and daylight-clear shape.' His Style impresses itself on the reader's mind as expressive of a calm conviction, unmixed with emotion.
Unlike earlier foreign biographers of Ramakrishna-Max Muller and Remain Rolland-Isherwood did not write of him as a distant admirer, but as a devotee who enjoyed an advantage over them; for he had at his disposal more material, collected through a careful Study of not only Ramakrishna literature, but also Hindu Religion and philosophy, besides two visits to India. - See more at: http://www.printsasia.in/book/ramakrishna-and-his-disciples-christopher-isherwood-8185301182-9788185301181#sthash.Z4N9VklV.dpuf

 My Comments:
Surprisingly though Sri Ramakrishna has been highly venerated in by our family for almost 100 years (my father was named after him) ,  this is the first full length biography of his which I read. 
It is a really moving account of his life which has created a strong desire in me to visit Dakshineshwar, the place he lived most of his life at least once in my lifetime.  
Strongly recommend all the spiritually inclined people to read this book. 


Goodreads Rating - 4.31 out of 5 ( 80 Ratings)

   
Buy the Kindle book version.
(Anybody can read Kindle books—even without a Kindle device—with the FREE Kindle app for smartphones and tablets.)