Err....The tailor in vogue Fashion designing

This book is part of the learn all about series Published by Tiny Tot, Delhi . I got curious about it and the only book available was on fashion designing so I got it. Bad choice! It is written very badly. The illustrations are in Black and white and illegible. And if you are not already into fashion designing you'll not know what the author is talking about!

Only thing I got out of it is that I know the different kind of cottons there is.

Interestingly the series includes topics such as "Ayurveda, Diarroea, Aromatherapy, Hypertension and Graphology for general readers"

I can't wait!

The Millionaire Mind

Apparently the author Thomas J Stanley has been studying millionaires since the 70s. That is his specialty. He studies them, understands them and tells the rest of the world about it and he's a millionaire because of that. Quite cool eh?

The book details about millionaire lifestyle not just in terms their business ideas (which is what one reads about most of the time) but the nitty gritty of the millionaire lifestyle including whether their children go to public schools or private schools, whether they use coupons to buy groceries or what kind of grades they got as students. It was very fascinating.

After reading this book I do know that I am a long way from being a millionaire but I do have the makings of one :) Don't believe me? Well take this list for starters. The millionaires weren't all ace students. They did not have huge family estates or funds to back them up. They are very particular about spending money. They are not stingy but careful. Although I still have to work on the last aspect the others I am there. I just need a killer idea that'll fetch me money and I will be there :)

The book is very american in context so one needs to do a lot of cross referencing and a lot of times facts are repeated over and over again. This might be so to drive a point home but it gets boring.

My rating 2.75 on 5

tuesdays with Morrie

Tuesdays hold a special place for me. In kannaDa Tuesday is called as "mangaLa vaara" which od course is named after the planet Mars. But could also mean auspicious day. But one is never allowed to do anything new on that day...As in you can't start a new job, join school, move into a house you know that sort of thing. It always annoyed me, so very typically I did start everything on Tuesdays. All my first days at jobs were on a Tuesday (unless my boss had a problem), I started courses on that day...you get the drift. So when RVK & A suggested "tuesdays with Morrie" I was instantly taken in.

At the face of it, it could seem like a book about the general gyan we all know- "Don't run after money", or "live in now" or "don't be afraid of loving someone." But what makes this book special is that it comes from a man who lived life, just the way he wanted and still thought he could've done it better in the face of death.

The book reaffirmed many of my own beliefs, which have been rejected so many times that I sometimes wonder about them. The book also made me yearn for that one mentor who could hold your hand and guide you...I never had one...not like Morrie anyway. But it also made kinda decide that I should try and be one to someone at some point of time. People always need each other.

I loved the way Morrie taught people without being all preachy (I do a bad job of this). I loved his simple but so true to the last letter aphorisms he came up with. These are my favourites

1) Love each other or perish.
2) Once you know how to die, you know how to live.
3) You're not a wave, you're part of the ocean.
4) Dying is one thing to be sad about, living unhappily is another thing.
5) The culture we have does not make people feel good about themselves. And you have to be strong enough to say if the culture doesn't work, don't buy it.

Very powerful words those are.

Morrie Schwartz was no figment of imagination, he walked this planet just like you & me; only difference being he savoured it all, and decided to share his understanding with the world through his student Mitch Albom. On a slightly editorial note, I kinda wished that it was written better...something kept bothering me and I can't put my finger on it. But with a powerful character like Morrie, it doesn't matter I suppose. They made a television movie based on this book too.

I love Tuesdays all the more!

My rating 3.5 on 5