Monday, October 27, 2014

God is a Gamer - Book Review -

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It’s a different feeling when you get to read a book authored by an ex-banker and that too an ex- Citibanker  .That makes things a little different. You tend to be at a level of connect ( may be biased )  from other fellow readers since in this case , I too , am a Citibanker and hence the way things work in the book or rather operate make it an easy flow for me to relate , understand and at times connect well .

It’s also heartening to see that a banker who has decades of experience can actually write , be creative and more importantly pen down a thriller of sorts . That’s a rare combination and hard one to get .

As for Ravi , he needs no introduction and in case you would want to know him better you can always read here – link .



To tell you about myself, I'm a writer / blogger at heart and one thing which I love is to share my thoughts over an array of genres across a universe of people I have met till date and continue to meet . My writing works are showcased here  . Besides this I love anything to do with branding , marketing and product management since that is what I do for a living .

Coming to the book ,  I would want to play this smartly since I do not want to let the story drop yet I want people to set their expectations right at the very start .





If you are passionate about the corporate world , life in and outside it , you like meeting people who hold offices of power and you yourself are someone to whom authority is important , then this book is a good read for you.  If you are someone who is alone in life chasing dreams and think and ponder what all have you lost in the life gone by – this book is for you .  If you are looking what it takes to be a single parent and have those frequent clashes with your children -  this book is for you .  If you want to know what is it for those who have high libido levels but for whom companionship is the least important thing in a relationship between a man and a woman – this can be an eye opener . It’s also a book which tells people closest to you are and can be the major reason for your erosion . In short,  it’s a mix and match of interesting characters across the globe as you will travel .


I usually pick a book ( and I am a voracious reader , as my peers call me ) which makes something to learn / know about and also make it an interesting read . The concept of BITCOINS is fun and introduces us to what possibly could be the future payment solution . The plot unfolds with a high ranking executive of  a top MNC bank who only is interested in reaching further top at any cost . The story moves to the US senate and life abroad which is also no different from the one we are having in India these days.  As they say mess happens and then we see the involvement of two of the best investigating agencies of the world – FBI and CBI. Life moves when sparks fly in Goa and plot thicken with bomb blasts , a robbery abroad and a suicide / murder in Mumbai and the world of online gaming and IT firewalls.

For me personally, though it was a nice read but I felt there was too much happening in the story and so many characters actually made it a little complex and at times hard to follow .  I liked the new trends that were being used -  Facebook , gaming community , the entire online banking payment systems , drugs , politics , affairs and betrayals and also the ways wherein some luxury brands ( Indian and global ) have been mentioned upfront / advertised in a way and the way Socrates features in the book ( which I liked as a key highlight )

There were loose typos /  spell check all through and I could only take note of a few below ones :

1) Pg. 236 - 'Three of his neighbours, who has seen the ghastly attack, went along with him and signed off as witnesses.'
2) Pg. 261- 'This in a disaster.'
3) Pg. 304- 'They had started seeing each ('other' missing) after the party.



Though ,unable to see a connect as to why the title is - God is a Gamer - since he plays with us ( humans ) . May be !

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for http://www.blogadda.com" target="_blank">Indian Bloggers. Participate now to get free books!

Thursday, October 16, 2014

Blue sky - A canvas you have

During one of my many travels a dear friend seemed a little lost. We were driving all the way to Kotgarh also called as the apple valley of India since its famous for its apple orchards. 

She told she was just looking at the sky as we crisscrossed between mountain roads curling like snakes round and round. It took me a while before I could make sense of what she was saying or doing, to be more specific . 

Sky – of all the things in the world how can one look at the sky . It’s blue and at times pale. That’s it . 




Nothing more to be written or seen for that matter. But I guess I was wrong . I would be honest. I have watched rain drops falling or dropping ( as someone calls ) by my windows- home or car . And yes , I have and can just see them fall for hours . They are just so beautiful.

But , Sky . 

Now I know why sky and I’ll share my thoughts with you .Sky is one of those rare elements which works hard in the background but never get the light – limelight . The sun , like we all see is part of the sky but what we see and remember , usually is the Sun. Similarly , the beauty of the moon would never have been written if it never had the sky as a background. Stars , never twinkled if it’s not for the sky they seem studded upon. Not only this . 

Even the dark colored not so good looking clouds of rains and thunder hold no relevance if it’s not for the sky .It’s a like a big canvas which is there for everyone and every element to come and shine and come alive . However, how many times we ignore the humble sky .




Same is with life. We grow , learn , mature and feel we are on top of the world . But often we forget the numerous sacrifices may be, our team , our spouses , parents , teachers made for us ,to be in the light. During this entire journey we never come to appreciate all these wonderful people who were working hard all this while without anything in return . These are our skies . They make us shine and come out in this hard to distinguish world. And yet, we forget to thank them , spend time with them , acknowledge them and most importantly cherish them .

So the next time you see the sky don’t ignore it as a pale looking canvas. This is what you should strive to become and work towards for every moment. Life is all about being humble and being helpful. 

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When I made my friend read this piece she actually had tears. Girls ! I tell you are just so cute at times :)

Aloha on the Ganges

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