Wonder by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Man has always wanted to know more about life. 
This intense quest has caused all the progress humanity has made day and yet there still remain many unanswered questions.
In this book Sri Sri takes questions while interacting with gatherings all over the world covering eclectic subjects - 
the mundane and the profound, the physical and the metaphysical, 
the personal and the universal, some philosophical and 
some even irrational, answering them this characteristic simplicity, playfulness and depth of wisdom

[Book Description Source: www.amazon.com ]


Ratings
Goodreads Rating - 3 out of 5 ( 1 Ratings; 0 Reviews  - As on October 27 2017)
My Rating:   3 out of 5
My Comments:
A good compilation of answers by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar to the questions put to him by his devotees. The answers are classified under following chapters - Ancient Wisdom, Dispassion, Divinity, Duality & Non-duality, Ego, Enlightenment, Faith and Devotion, Guru, Health, Karma, Love, Mind, Miscellaneous.

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Two Saints by Arun Shourie

Speculations Around and About Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and Ramana Maharishi 

The life of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa ‘enables us to see God face to face’, Gandhiji wrote. 
Similarly, when someone in his circle was distraught, the Mahatma sent him to spend time at the Ashram of Ramana Maharshi. 
Such was their stature and influence.

The Paramahamsa and the Maharshi have been among the greatest spiritual figures of our country. 
They have transformed the lives of and have been a solace to millions. Moreover, in our tradition, words of such mystics are regarded as conclusive.
They have evidentiary status: if they say there is a soul, there is; if they say there is life-after-death or reincarnation, there is. 
Their peak, mystic experience is what we yearn to have, even just once.

But what if several of the experiences they had - the feeling that someone higher is present next to them, the feeling that they are floating above their body, looking down at it; the ‘near-death experience’; the ecstasy; the visions - occur in other circumstances also? 
Should we think again about their experiences when these occur as points in the brain are stimulated with an electrode during surgery? 
What if they can be recreated in a laboratory non-invasively? When they occur to ordinary persons placed in extraordinary circumstances?

Did the experiences occur from some ailment? 
As was alleged in the case of Sri Ramakrishna? 
From some ‘madness’, which he feared he had? 
From the fits that Sri Ramana said he used to have?

What of the experiences of devotees? 
Seeing the Master where he wasn’t? 
Seeing the Master, feeling his presence, after he had passed away? 
Are these hallucinations?
Or do they testify to the Master’s divinity? 
How would conclusions about their experiences affect their teaching? 
That the world and everything in it is ‘unreal’?

In the light of their pristine example, how should we view and what should we do about the godmen and gurus who control vast financial and real estate empires today, to whom lakhs flock? 
Are they the saints they set themselves up to be or just marketers?

With the diligence and painstaking research that mark all his work, Arun Shourie probes these questions in the light of the recent breath-taking advances in neuroscience, as well as psychology and sociology. 
The result is a book of remarkable rigour: an examination - and ultimately reconciliation - of science and faith as also of seemingly antagonistic, irreconcilable worldviews.

[Book Description Source: www.amazon.in ]


Ratings
Goodreads Rating - 3.8 out of 5 ( 10 Ratings , 1 Review  - As on July 20 2017)
My Rating:   3 out of 5
My Comments:A rather convincing scientific explanation of the mystic experiences of the two saints - Sri Ramakrishna and Sri Ramana Maharshi -  without doubting their sincerity and the solace they brought to their countless devotees. 
The explanation is supported by very scholarly and dry details of the neurological studies conducted on the mind by various scientists.
 Unless read with an open mind, this book may hurt the sentiments of some hard-core devotees of these saints.
I would have rated this book higher if only the narration was more interesting and understandable. 
I found it rather boring and abstruse in many sections. 
Inspite of this shortcoming, I would recommend this book to everyone who are curious to know why mystical experiences happen in some people.


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Spirituality At Work by Devdas Menon

The Inspiring Message of Bhagavad Gita
In a world of rapid changes, Spirituality at Work will serve as an inspiration to find new gateways to success.
This book is based on the wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita. 
It also draws inspiration from the renowned sage Sri Aurobindo's 'Essays on the Gita'.

As Stephen Covey has stated: 'Despite all our gains in technology, product innovation and world markets, most people are not thriving in the organisations they work for. They are neither fulfilled nor excited.'

Dr. Devdas Menon hopes to change this mindset of today's youth by inspiring, motivating and raising their aspirational levels. 
His book draws its content based on a theme-wise, judicious selection of 162 verses from the Gita. 
An integrated practice of spirituality through work, knowledge, and devotion - referred to as 'Integral Karmayoga', is the way forward. 
Its focus is on finding fulfilment in life through the application of conscious will.

A professor at IIT Madras and author of the bestseller 'Stop Sleepwalking Through Life!' Dr.Menon makes Spirituality at Work come alive. 

He has introduced courses such as Self-Awareness and Integral Karmayoga with great success.

He knows how to make the wisdom of the Gita relevant to young adults facing the challenges of a competitive work environment - and help them create an enriched life. 

'Spirituality at Work' is the recommended textbook for the 'Integral Karmayoga' course at IIT Madras.

[Book Description Source: www.amazon.com ] 


Ratings
Goodreads Rating - 4 out of 5 (1 Rating; 0 Reviews - As on May 07 2017)
My Rating:  4 out of 5
My Comments:  The concept of integrated practice of spirituality through work, knowledge, and devotion  are explained in a very systematic and elegant manner.The verses selected from Bhagavad Gita are very apt for the current times and their interpretations are one among the best I have ever read.



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Devlok with Devdutt Pattanaik - Devdutt Pattanaik

Journey into the amazing world of Hindu mythology with Devdutt Pattanaik,
Why are most temples dedicated to Vishnu, Shiva or the goddess, but not to Brahma or Indra?
How are an asura, rakshasa,yaksha and pishacha different from each other?
Why did the Pandavas find themselves in naraka rather than swarga? 
Over several months, EPIC Channel's ground-breaking show Devlok with Devdutt Pattanaik has enthralled countless viewers.
Here, finally, is the book based on the first series of the ever popular show, which will take you on a scintillating tour through the myriad stories, symbols and rituals that form the basis of Hindu culture. 
Prepare to be surprised and thrilled as Devdutt narrates magical tales about larger-than life figures gods, goddesses, demi-gods and demons who you thought you knew well but didn t. 
Learn about the intricacies of Hindu thought as he explains the origin and meaning of different creation myths, and throws light on why we believe in a cyclical not linear concept of time. 
This book is your perfect introduction to the endlessly fascinating world of Hindu mythology.

[Book Description Source: www.amazon.com ] 


Ratings
Goodreads Rating - 3.84 out of 5 (327 Ratings; 28 Reviews - As on February 11 2017)
My Rating:  3.5 out of 5
My Comments: Full of interesting facts and interpretation about Hindu god, goddesses, rituals, customs and philosophy.


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Introducing Hinduism : A Graphic Guide - Vinay Lal & Borin Van Loon

Hinduism is said to be the world's oldest religion. 
Yet the word 'Hindu' is of foreign 18th-century origin. 
Hinduism is defined as a polytheistic religion, but Mahatma Gandhi famously declared that one can be a Hindu without believing in any god. 
Hinduism appears to accommodate endless contradictions.
 It is a religion at least as much of myth as of history - it has no historical founder, no single authoritative book, and few central doctrines.
Introducing Hinduism offers a guide to this extraordinarily diverse faith. 
It untangles the complexities of Hinduism's gods and goddesses, its caste system and its views on sex, everyday life and asceticism. 
Why do Hindus revere the cow? 
Must Hindus be vegetarian? 
Introducing Hinduism explores the links with and differences from Buddhism, Jainism and other religions, and describes the resurgence of Hindu extremism, the phenomenon of Bollywood and the overseas Hindu diaspora.

[Book Description Source: www.goodreads.com ] 


Ratings
Goodreads Rating - 3.52 out of 5 (105 Ratings; 7 Reviews - As on February 5 2017)
My Rating:  3.0 out of 5
My Comments: Quick and entertaining comic book style  guide to Hinduism. Some concepts are treated rather frivolously and may offend some people.


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