BOOK OF THE DAY

The international bestseller: E. H. Gombrich’s sweeping history of the world, for the curious of all ages   “All stories begin with ‘Once upon a time. ’ And that’s just what this story is all about: what happened, once upon a time. ” So begins A Little History of the World, an engaging and lively book written for readers both young and old. Rather than focusing on dry facts and dates, E. H. Gombrich vividly brings the full span of human experience on Earth to life, from the stone age to the atomic age. He paints a colorful picture of wars and conquests; of grand works of art; of the advances and limitations of science; of remarkable people and remarkable events, from Confucius to Catherine the Great to Winston Churchill, and from the invention of art to the destruction of the Berlin Wall.   For adults seeking a single-volume overview of world history, for students in search of a quick refresher course, or for families to read and learn from together, Gombrich’s Little History enchants and educates.

BOOK OF THE DAY

Past and present collide in a novel about a girl who might just be a 'case of the reincarnation type'

Varsha Gupta wants fish for her lunch. Her family can't understand it; the three-year-old has never tasted fish in her life. The Guptas are strict vegetarians and don't allow it inside their Calcutta mansion. But Varsha claims she can remember another life: a mud house by a river where she caught and cooked fish with a different mother.

Perplexed, the Guptas turn to Dr Shoma Bose, a psychiatrist who has been investigating what are known as 'cases of the reincarnation type' for years. But Shoma's understanding of the world is changed forever by Varsha's revelations.

Half a century later, when Varsha's therapeutic case file catches the attention of a group of environmental activists, Shoma's nephew Dinu is drawn inexorably into their plans. And as Dinu finds himself caught up in the search for Varsha, buried memories of his own past begin to surface.

Travelling between late-sixties' Calcutta and present-day Brooklyn, Ghost-Eye is an urgent and expansive novel from one of our greatest living storytellers, about family, fate and our fragile planet.

BOOK OF THE DAY

From beloved New York Times bestselling author Lisa See, the story of three Chinese women whose unexpected friendship helps them survive and, despite the odds, thrive, in the turmoil of post-Civil War Los Angeles.

In 1870, three Chinese women arrive in the small, dusty, and violent pueblo of Los Angeles. Dove, the bound-footed daughter of an imperial scholar, is entrancing and innocent. These characteristics should bring her great rewards, beginning with her arranged marriage to a much older merchant. Petal, the big-footed daughter of peasants, has grown up hungry and with dirt between her toes. In a moment of desperation, Petal’s father sells her to buy money for rice seed, and she is loaded onto a ship to the Gold Mountain—America—where she is once again sold. Moon is married to a doctor of traditional Chinese medicine. She is educated, speaks fluent English, and has been endowed with a face of great beauty, yet her failed footbinding as a child has left her with a limp that lessens her value in the eyes of many.

Each woman has her own desires. Dove wants to love and be loved, Petal desires freedom, and Moon seeks justice. Together they face a larger society that wishes them not one ounce of good will. Anti-Chinese sentiment is strong in Los Angeles, and this eventually leads to the Night of Horrors during which all three women are challenged in ways they could not have imagined. Brought together by hardship and heartbreak, they must use their bravery, endurance, and ability to “eat bitterness” to discover their voices, find freedom, and connect through solace and friendship. Together they are daughters of the sun and moon.

BOOK FESTIVAL

BOOK OF THE DAY

Cosmic Adventure: Other Secrets Beyond the Night Sky

by Bob Berman (Author)  Format: Kindle Edition

4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars   (18)

#1 Best Seller

in Science Essays & Commentary

Have you ever wondered what happened before the Big Bang, or how we would colonize Mars, or what an alien invasion might really be like? Astronomer Bob Berman has, and in Cosmic Adventure, a collection of twenty-six profound to outrageous essays, he takes readers on a mind-bending tour of the universe, including our own planet Earth.

From the most extraordinary cosmic phenomena to the basics of the natural world, Berman challenges us to look at the facts, discoveries, concepts, and awesome wonders of our cosmos in a new light. Written in entertaining, jargon-free language that even a novice stargazer will understand, Cosmic Adventure is a fun-filled, thought-provoking exploration of the secrets beyond the night sky.

Bob Berman takes you on a stellar journey in this collection of essays that display a lively mix of science, astounding facts, personal anecdotes, and sheer playfulness. Complex, mind-stretching scientific topics become understandable in human terms as Berman links astronomy to our lives. He explores strange new mysteries raised by recent discoveries, and covers areas that haven't been discussed anywhere else before. From the "night terrors" that have haunted humankind since time immemorial to the penniless eccentric who sleeps inside the revolutionary telescope he designed, Berman's scope ranges far and wide.

Cosmic Adventure explains aspects of the physical world that have often piqued our curiosity. Who gets to name the stars? What would an alien invasion really be like? What's the inside story behind space program disasters? Why was the early Hubble goof avoidable? What's the only original idea in recent science? Why does time probably not exist at all?

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"Poignant . . . Well worth the read." —Wall Street Journal

In December 1944, Frank Sisson deployed to Europe as part of General George S. Patton's famed Third Army. Over the next six months, as the war in Europe raged, Sisson would participate in many of World War II's most consequential events, from the Battle of the Bulge to the liberation of Dachau. Now 95 years old, Frank shares his remarkable story of life under General Patton for the first time.

Frank Sisson grew up in rural Oklahoma during the Great Depression. His father died when Frank was young, and so in 1944, at age eighteen, Frank, like so many other young men across America, enlisted in the Army and was deployed to France. At a traffic intersection one day, Frank caught his first glimpse of the man who would control the next six months of Frank's deployment, and whose lessons, and spirit, would shape the rest of Frank's life. General Patton could be erratic and short-tempered—but he was also a brilliant military tactician and cared deeply for the men who served under him, a credo that gave Frank and his fellow soldiers solace as they faced death every day. In this gritty, intimate account, Frank reveals what life on the ground was really like in the closing days of World War II.

After the war, Frank continued to serve in the army as a military police inspector in Berlin. When he finally returned home, he attended college and built a career in business. Like many members of the Greatest Generation, he was often reluctant to share his stories of the war, in all their glory, and terror. He was content to live and work in the nation he had fought to protect, an embodiment of the American Dream.

Patton, on the other hand, would not live to see the postwar world he helped create. In December 1945, less than a year after the conclusion of the war, he tragically died following a car accident. Now, seventy-five years later, Frank Sisson's remarkable reminiscences provide a fresh, unique look at Patton's leadership, the final days of World War II and its direct aftermath, and the experience of combat on the front lines.

BOOK OF THE DAY

This celebrated history of the Algerian War “captures a contingent moment in the conflict between the West and the Arab world”, reminding us that “modern history is not made by the ‘clash of civilizations’ but by people” (Harper’s Magazine).
 
“This universally acclaimed history . . . should have been mandatory reading for the civilian and military leaders who opted to invade Iraq.” —The Washington Times

The Algerian War lasted from 1954 to 1962. It brought down six French governments, led to the collapse of the Fourth Republic, returned de Gaulle to power, and came close to provoking a civil war on French soil. More than a million Muslim Algerians died in the conflict and as many European settlers were driven into exile. Above all, the war was marked by an unholy marriage of revolutionary terror and repressive torture.

Nearly a half century has passed since this savagely fought war ended in Algeria’s independence, and yet—as Alistair Horne argues in his new preface to his now-classic work of history—its repercussions continue to be felt not only in Algeria and France, but throughout the world. Indeed from today’s vantage point the Algerian War looks like a full-dress rehearsal for the sort of amorphous struggle that convulsed the Balkans in the 1990s and that now ravages the Middle East, from Beirut to Baghdad—struggles in which questions of religion, nationalism, imperialism, and terrorism take on a new and increasingly lethal intensity.

A Savage War of Peace is the definitive history of the Algerian War, a book that brings that terrible and complicated struggle to life with intelligence, assurance, and unflagging momentum. It is essential reading for our own violent times as well as a lasting monument to the historian’s art.

BOOK QUOTES

BOOK OF THE DAY

*Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus* 

by John Gray is a relationship guide based on the idea that men and women are so fundamentally different they might as well be from different planets. By understanding these inherent differences, couples can communicate better, reduce conflict, and build stronger emotional bonds. 

🪐 The Core Metaphor

Martians (Men) value power, competency, efficiency, and achievement. They prove their worth through results.

Venusians (Women) value love, communication, beauty, and relationships. They prove their worth through feelings and connection. 

🧠 How They Cope with Stress

Men go to their "caves": When stressed, men isolate themselves to solve problems alone. Offering unsolicited advice makes them feel incompetent.

Women talk it out: When stressed, women look to express feelings and feel validated. They do not want immediate solutions; they want empathy. 

🗣️ Communication Pitfalls

The Mr. Fix-It Error: A woman shares her feelings, and the man interrupts with solutions instead of just listening.

The Home-Improvement Committee Error: A man makes a mistake, and the woman offers unsolicited advice, making him feel controlled. 

🌊 Emotional Cycles

Men are like rubber bands: They need to pull away to regain their independence before snapping back close.

Women are like waves: Their self-esteem rises and falls rhythmically. When they hit rock bottom, they need emotional support to rise again. 

💖 Different Emotional Needs

Men and women require different primary types of love to feel fulfilled:

Men need: Trust, acceptance, appreciation, admiration, approval, and encouragement.

Women need: Caring, understanding, respect, devotion, validation, and reassurance. 

📝 The Love Letter Technique

To resolve negative feelings safely, Gray recommends writing a letter expressing emotions in five specific steps: 

Anger and blame

Sadness and hurt

Fear and insecurity

Regret and responsibility

Love, understanding, and requests

Courtesy: Google AI

BOOK OF THE DAY

"A moving and illuminating portrait of Ulysses Grant's grace as the dying general faced possible ruin."—Jon Meacham, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of His Truth Is Marching On
 
Shortly after losing all of his wealth in a terrible 1884 swindle, Ulysses S. Grant learned he had terminal throat and mouth cancer. Destitute and dying, Grant began to write his memoirs to save his family from permanent financial ruin.
 
As Grant continued his work, suffering increasing pain, the American public became aware of this race between Grant's writing and his fatal illness. Twenty years after his respectful and magnanimous demeanor toward Robert E. Lee at Appomattox, people in both the North and the South came to know Grant as the brave, honest man he was, now using his famous determination in this final effort. Grant finished Memoirs just four days before he died in July 1885.
 
Published after his death by his friend Mark Twain, Grant's Memoirs became an instant bestseller, restoring his family's financial health and, more importantly, helping to cure the nation of bitter discord. More than any other American before or since, Grant, in his last year, was able to heal this—the country's greatest wound.
 
"Once you read Flood's highly recommended book, you will want to put Grant's memoirs on your reading list."—Minneapolis Star-Tribune
 
"A blow-by-blow narrative, full of colorful characters, accounts of earlier triumphs , and an upbeat ending . . . a moving if painful portrait of a dying national hero."—Publishers Weekly
 
"Flood's account of Grant's final year does justice to his subject's heroic story."—Sacramento Book Review