Writers-2: "J.K.Rowling", author of Harry Potter novels

A magazine report says that J.K.Rowling has earned Rs.1200 crores through her Harry Potter novels.

Courtesy: ‘Ananda Vikatan’, Tamil weekly, August 6, 2008

Wikipedia article on ‘J.K.Rowling’:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J.K.Rowling

Grateful thanks to Ananda Vikatan and Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Book News-16: “Paths of Glory", Jeffrey Archer’s Forthcoming Book

Famous British writer Jeffrey Archer is working on the seventh draft of his 15th novel, “Paths of Glory”. The main character of this novel visits India three times in 1922, 1923 and 1924 and there are a few Indian characters in the novel.

One expects that “Paths of Glory” will be as interesting as his “Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less”, “Kane and Abel”, “As the Crow Flies”, “First Among Equals” and “Shall we tell the President?”, if not more.

Writers-1: "Alexandr Solzhenitsyn"

Solzhenitzyn is dead!
By Vladimir Radyuhin

Nobel prize-winning Russian author and thinker, Alexander Solzhenitsyn died on Sunday (August 3, 2008), ending a bitter and illustrious life journey that reflected Russia’s tumultuous history through the 20th century.

Aged 89, Solzhenitsyn died of heart arrest close to midnight at his home on the outskirts of Moscow. His family said he worked till the last minute and died a happy man.

Courtesy: The Hindu, Madurai, August 5, 2008.

For the full article from The Hindu.com:
http://www.hindu.com/2008/08/05/stories/2008080551292000.htm

For the BBC News article:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7540038.stm

For the CNN.com article:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/08/03/solzhenitsyn.dead/

Wikipedia article on “Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn”:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aleksandr_Solzhenitsyn

For the New York Times article:
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/arts/AP-Obit-Solzhenistyn.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

Grateful thanks to Vladimir Radyuhin, The Hindu, BBC News, CNN.com, New York Times and Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Book News-15: “Minimum 25% Off on 4 Million Books!”

Came across today, the August 4, 2008, a paper-clipping containing an interesting ad in the Hindu, English daily of June 2008 (date not available). I am unable to understand how I, a regular reader of The Hindu, missed it, a colorful ad, till today. Sometimes we don’t see though we have eyes. What to do?

Okay, now to the ad. It says The Hindu Shopping (http://www.thehindushopping.com/) is offering a minimum 25% off on 4 Million Books, with FREE SHIPPING anywhere in India. Not only that, up to 80% OFF on Select Books.

Now comes the sad part, the offer valid till June 18, 2008 only!

I am really very sorry to have missed it. I envy those of you who had seen and availed the offer. OK, all the best. Let me be more wakeful hereafter.

Book News-14: "Talking Library! - Amutha Kannan"

Coimbatore has just got a brand new Talking Book Library. Meant for the visually-impaired, the Bharathi Lions Talking Book Library has cassettes in place of books, to enable them to learn by themselves.

A joint attempt of Bharathiar University and Lions club International district 324 B1, the library is housed at Nirmala College for Women.

Second of its kind in the State, after Madurai, the library at present accommodates cassettes on 400 titles covering a range of general topics. Nearly 600 cassettes covering all subjects based on the university and State Board syllabus will be made available soon.

Cassettes were brought from the Rotary Helen Keller Talking (ROHTALK) Book Library in Madurai, which also has a production studio. The number of titles will eventually be increased to 5,000, according to Vice-Chancellor G.Thiruvasagam.

ROHTALK director Nicholas Francis says: “The library here with a studio was set up in 2003. It has 2600 members ranging from school students to professors, utilizing 4,000 cassettes. It gives the visually-impaired self-dignity. So, we are happy to help the library in Coimbatore with the material we have and also by producing cassettes for them. We have 200 voice volunteers with whose help we record the content of the books.”

Students, wishing to become members, should register with a fee of Rs.50.

They can visit the library to select the book they want to “read” from a catalogue that is in Braille.

Once the cassette is selected, the student can borrow it or listen to it at the library itself.

Cassette players are available for use.

Those outside Coimbatore too can borrow cassettes by post (free of cost), use it and return it by post in 15 days. The cassettes are sponsored by the Lions Club while the library will be maintained jointly by the college and the university.

G.Merlin, a final-year student of BBM of Nirmala College for Women, finds the library “very useful”. “I cannot read Braille. I have been listening to somebody reading it out to me so far. Now, I will be listening to the cassette,” she says. She plans to do MBA.

However, R.Srinivasan, a retired professor of English who is visually-impaired and has been using Braille to read, write and teach, feels he will be more comfortable with Braille. “II have used it for more than 30 years. But, for those who do not know how to use Braille, listening to cassettes will definitely be very useful.”

Courtesy: ‘Education Plus’, a supplement to The Hindu, Madurai, August 4, 2008 (“Talking book library – an alternative to Braille?” by Amutha Kannan”)

Wikipedia articles on:
“Perkins Braille and Talking Book Library”:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perkins_Braille_and_Talking_Book_Library

"National Library for the Blind, UK”:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Library_for_the_Blind

“Books for the Blind” (Talking Books):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Books_for_the_Blind

From NLS, a unit of Library of Congress:
“THAT ALL MAY READ . . .”, National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS), The Library of Congress”.(Through a national network of cooperating libraries, NLS administers a free library program of Braille and audio materials circulated to eligible borrowers in the United States by postage-free mail.)
http://www.loc.gov/nls/

“Digital Talking Books – FAQ”
http://www.loc.gov/nls/dtbfaq.html

Grateful thanks to Ms Amutha Kannan, The Hindu, NLS (The Library of Congress), USA and Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Book News-13: "Rushdie's Book for Children"

Salman Rushdie plans to write a book for children. "My next project is more than likely going to be a children's book". Sunday Telegraph quoted him as saying.

Courtesy: The Hindu, Madurai, August 4, 2008 (Newscape)

Wikipedia article on 'Salman Rushdie':

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salman_Rushdie

Grateful thanks to The Hindu and Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Book News-12: "Bhagavad Gita and Mahabharata"

http://www.4to40.com/ - This site provides the great Indian epic, Mahabharata, and the great spiritual book of India, Bhagavad Gita.

One can read the Bhagavad Gita in any one of the three languages of one's choice: Sanskrit, Hindi or English.

There are a lot of commentories on the Gita by eminent persons. I have studied some of them. Generally, the first reading is from beginning to end, with a pen in hand to highlight/underline passages which appeal to me. During the second reading, I pay more attention to the highlighted passages and after that I open the book and read at random the highlighted passages only. Thus, without much effort, I always pick up some elevating/ennobling thoughts/ideas. Lord Krishna's advice to Arjun, holds good for us also and I found them helpful on many an occasion. Some of these gems I recall at random and give below:

1. The doer of good, never comes to harm.
( This motivates one to do good always.)

2. No effort is ever wasted.
(So I don't give up my efforts on the face of difficulties and go on with my efforts)

3. My devotee never perishes.
(For all embodied souls, death is imminent, even incarnations of God are not exempt from this.For the devotee who has surrendered himself to God, death will be an honorable one. He will not perish i.e. meet with ignominious death).

4. Give up cowardice/unmanliness, it ill becomes thee!
(This motivates one to face challenges in life manfully, instead of running away from them)

This digital version should be more easier to refer to. So I feel it is a good contribution and deserves kudos. My sincere thanks to http://www.4to40.com/ !

http://www.4to40.com/discoverindia/bhagavadgita.asp

Bhagavad Gita, Mahabharata, Bhagavat Gita in Sanskrit, Hindi, English, Krishna Arjun,Indian Mythology, Geeta Translation

(This was posted to 'SURiMOUNT' on June 30, 2007 and I feel it bears repetition at this site also.)

Book News-11: "Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda Literature"

I am a humble devotee of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. I worship Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother Sarada Devi and Swami Vivekananda at least once daily. I have been through turbulent times and I could find some solace only after my coming into contact with Sri Ramakrishna Math and after I started studying Sri Ramakrishna-Swami Vivekananda Literature.

I am glad to find that a devotee has taken pains to provide some most prominent books of Sri Ramakrishna-Swami Vivekananda Literature for the benefit of troubled souls like me. This website contains:

1. THE GOSPEL OF SRI RAMAKRISHNA (KATHAMRITA) Slightly edited translation by Swami Nikhilananda published 1944

2. THE GOSPEL OF SRI RAMAKRISHNA (KATHAMRITA) Word to word translationby Sri Dharm Pal Gupta

3. THE COMPLETE WORKS OF SWAMI VIVEKANANDAVIVEKANANDA A BIOGRAPHYby Swami Nikhilananda (Published 1953)

4. SWAMI NIRMALANANDA – HIS LIFE AND TEACHINGS(Published 1943)

5. GAURI MA – A MONASTIC DISCIPLE OF SRI RAMAKRISHNA (Published 1994.

I am not able to identify the devotee who has very kindly done this wonderful job.

My hearty and sincere thanks to him. Thank you, Sir, thank you very much!

Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda

(This was posted in 'SURiMOUNT' by me on June 30, 2007. I feel it bears repetition here at this blog also).

Book News-10: "Project Gutenberg: 'The Booklovers' Paradise'"

This is another wonderful website to which I shall remain ever grateful. For booklovers like me, who cannot afford to buy all the books they love to buy and read, this is the solution and a perfect heaven! It is the first producer of e-books. Its mission "To encourage the creation and distribution of eBooks". It has more than hundred thousand books in various languages.If you have a Palm organizer or smartphone, you can download the plucker version of any ebook and read it on your Palm organizer or smartphone.They also offer other special services like:Handy ebook Listings to consult offline.Audio Books, both human-read and computer-generated. "Best Of" selections on CD and DVD.Digitized Sheet MusicThank you Project Gutenberg, thank you very much! I shall be grateful to you ALWAYS!The link to Project Gutenberg Catalogue is furnished below:http://www.gutenberg.org/catalog/.

(This was posted to 'SURiMOUNT' on June 29, 2007. I feel it bears repetition here also at this blog devoted to Books)

My Love of Books and Reading

I have always loved books. I think it runs in the family. My grandfather had it and my father has it. I have read a lot of wonderful things. I have always wanted to share with others the interesting things I have learnt. But it has always been difficult to find somebody who would listen to you. This blog provides a beautiful alternative, whether anybody reads it or not. This column I propose to use exclusively to record some wonderful (at least to me), useful and interesting things I have read. At present, I am reading a book on DIGESTION by Dr.Deepak Chopra, MD. I feel everybody should read it. For a book on Health, it makes delightful reading.

(Posted at 'SURiMOUNT' on July 27, 2004. I think I could copy that post to this blog, devoted to Books).