Underrated books

The book "The Brahmastra Unleashed" is written by D Sivanandan. He is the former police commissioner of Mumbai and former Director General of Police Maharashtra. This book is the first person encounter of how the Underworld of Mumbai was destroyed by the capable Mumbai Police.

I am born and raised in Mumbai. As someone who has closely scene the period of 1980's and grew up in Mumbai in 1990s, I am very well aware of the Mumbai underworld. I had closely seen the crimes committed by Mumbai underworld. In this era the activities of the Mumbai underworld were not hidden. The Underworld was not in the background, rather it was the "Main Central Character" of Mumbai. Anyone who had stayed in Mumbai was not required to search for The Underworld. On the contrary The Underworld would come looking for a particular person. Underworld could be found anywhere in Mumbai - any lane, any road, any corner, any building, any ally, or practically everywhere. Not a single inch of Mumbai had escaped from the brutal crimes.

Everyday some or the other person would come face to face with criminals of The Underworld. Noone would know when they would witness an Underworld activity. Sighting of such Underworld activity could lead to the witness's apparent death. Nobody at that time was considered safe in Mumbai. City of Dreams was also the capital of crimes.

The Mumbai underworld was popularised in those decades by the entertainment industry as well. You may remember famous blockbuster movies such as Satya, Company, Once Upon A Time In Mumbai, Shootout at Lokhandwala. These movies had shown the POV of The Underworld gangsters. There have also been several films which should the biography of gangsters. In most of the films the gangsters were shown to be kindhearted and misunderstood unsung heroes. Most of the movies depicted the police department in bad light. These movies showed how incompetent the police department was during that period. They had also shown that if police had acted on time some of the misguided youth would not have become notorious gangsters. In the movies the filmmakers used to have a sequence where they used to show that Police would only arrive after the crime has happened or the justice has been served. Knowing the capabilities of the Mumbai Police I never believed those movies. I always thought that the film makers were showing the police in such a bad state only to please The Underworld. When I read this book I got to know that I was always right.

In those decades The Underworld had a chokehold on Mumbai and the Mumbaikars were suffering because of that. However over the next few years especially in the 2000s and 2010s the situations started changing. In these years the activities of Underworld started declining. Several gangsters were killed in shootouts, cross fires, encounters, or in the gangwars. Many gangster had also fled the country. The city of Mumbai started feeling safer again. This transformation did not happen overnight. The citizens of Mumbai never got to know what happened in the background. We never realised which battles were fought in the dark and who was fighting for us.

Now I understood because I read the book "The Brahmastra Unleashed". When I started reading this book I was completely hooked. Every information and detail provided in the book was a relatable. I felt as if I am going through a chapter in history. This book bridges the gap between the public perception and the actual legal and situational framework within which the policemen operated. This book provides the detailed accounts of multiple gangsters of Mumbai underworld, their method of operation, their reign, and there subsequent downfall. By reading the book I got to know that how various operations were carried out by the Mumbai Police. The author who was the protagonist at that time had a described how Mumbai police used to receive the information; how they use to utilised the information; and how they would form strategies for the maximum impact with the minimum inventory available with them. As a result of their efforts the city became safe again. While reading the book I felt that these stories came from someone who has lived through them. The technical accuracies and procedural details were flawless. This book definitely setiated the hunger of an avid real drama reader because it provided "insiders view" which most of the books lack.

In the world where the Gangsters are glorified, this book proved that how they should not have been glorified. Media shows how police are not capable, but in reality because of the efforts of these bravehearts today the city is safe again. Media is alive because of the police. Whenever I get any platform I definitely speak about this book because it definitely deserves the recognition.

What happens when the fiction finds its place in current affair section? A question worth asking.

Doctor Robin Cook is one of my favourite authors. I am proud to say that I am his fangirl. I have a collection of his books. While I love all books which he has written "Pandemic" is a book about which I would like to write. This book was first published in the year 2018 but just after 2 years from its release we saw how relevant and accurate it was.

As the name indicates "Pandemic" deals with a sudden outbreak of a viral infection. If I have to provide a spoiler free story, then this is what I would say: it is a medical thriller which tells us that the city of New York has had a certain outbreak of a viral infection. People show symptoms which are very similar to the influenza. The difference is that the progression is very quick. The mortality rate is higher than the influenza. The protagonist who is a doctor investigates the cause for this outbreak. He realises a dark truth behind it. Now does the plot summary sound familiar? Does it remind of a specific event that happened in the recent past? Yes, the way we say, "life imitates art" - it sounds true in this case.

I had bought this book immediately after it was a released in the market. I read it in late 2018 or only 2019. When I read this book, I was completely thrilled. I had also been thinking that what if it comes true. I did not have to think a lot because it actually came true within a year.

While we were in 2020, the way the events were unfolding, it felt a lot familiar. I was getting a feeling of deja vu. The reason was that I had already read this in the book "Pandemic". Everything was vaguely familiar. Most of the things were happening just how they were mentioned in the book. The book felt like a foreshadowing. However I wouldn't call it that way. Robin Cook is a practicing doctor who has been working in the medical field for several decades. He must have seen this situation in his career and hence he was able to write about it. The pandemic was first for me in 2020 and that is why I was able to relate it to the book.

Now that the covid pandemic is over and everybody is safe. I suggest the book lovers to take out sometime out of their life and read this book. You will be amazed with the similarities. A lot of things would start making sense now. Even if you do not have a medical or a paramedical degree you would still be able to understand and connect the dots. You will see the possibility that how there could have been deceiving from the end of authorities and pharma companies. You will be able to see that how a lot of things are brushed under the carpet for the sake of reputation.

We may never know that if there is another "pandemic" make being manufactured right now. That is why I would urge you to read this book so that you can be prepared for the future.

Have you ever read a formal complaint about haunting? Have you ever thought the official correspondence can be scary to read? Have you ever given a thought that paranormal experiences do not spare the official military officers? How brave men react to paranormal experience? If you have ever asked any of this questions then I have a book recommendation for you. It is called "Ghost Stories from the Raj" (herein after referred to as the book)

The book has no single author. It has been compiled and edited by reputed author Ruskin Bond. I came across this book when I was working with one of the biggest Indian Pharma Companies. We had a vendor's library from which we can borrow books. The name of the book sounded interesting to me hence I had borrowed this book. Not only was the name interesting each and every chapter in the book was equally intriguing.

Now let me tell you little bit about this book. This book consists of formal and official correspondence is between the military officers and their superiors. The overall idea of this book is that a British Military officer was posted in India, where he was posted he experienced a paranormal activity. The officer is scared because of the paranormal experience and hence rights to his supervisor for transfer. These letters come from various officers who were posted in India in different parts and in different time period. They had experienced some haunting or unexplainable experience. They had asked about it to the Indian colleagues. Indian colleagues had told them the origin of the paranormal. Ultimately the officer decides that India is not his cup of tea and requests to return home. This is the basic premise of the book. Don't think of this is a fictional book. These are real life encounters.

When I received this book in my hands first I went through the reviews which were written on the back side of the book. I found them very interesting. Each chapter of this book tells a new experience. It is mind blowing to read these letters. The intent of the officers is not to tell the story or in the narrate the experience. Their intent is to report the incident and request for the transfer. The tone of each chapter is not about story telling, it rather is about reporting the incident to the higher authority. It is strict and formal. Each chapter or letter is written in the formal and official language. Yet they bring a chill down the spine.

In real life, when any person speaks about their encounter with supernatural forces, they are often criticized. They are called backward. A lot of people say that "bhoot" is an Indian concept. No foreigner ever experiences this. I always tell such people, they may think that they are forward thinker but in reality they are ignorant. Books like these prove that the paranormal forces treat everyone equally. They do not see the colour of the skin, caste, creed, or religion. The evidence is very well documented.

Moreover, I believe this book is not as recognized as it should have been. It is massively underrated. In fact, this book could create a sub genre in horror such combines the enforcement with horror. If you are a horror lover or you want to read something different, I urge you to give this book a try. You will surely not be disappointed.

Also if you feel lonely after reading this book you will not feel lonely anymore.

Grahan (meaning eclipse) is a book written by Narayan Dharap, a renowned author with several best selling books in Marathi language. N Dharap mainly wrote in horror, mystery, thriller, and sci-fi genre. Grahan belongs to Sci-fi mystery genre. I believe it is ahead of time.

Grahan deals with struggle of a woman. A married woman who has two kids, leaves her home to buy a family pack of ice cream. When she returns, her home is not there. A tall multistory building stands where her home was. There is no record about her. Nobody knows her. But she knows the area well. She knows the current news. She proves that she is sane but the world around her is different. The questions remain: who is she? Where is her family? Where is her house? How everything disappeared in a heartbeat? Is this the reality or some glitch in the matrix?

Grahan is a gripping book. From the start to end, one cannot keep the book away. The mystery deepens with each chapter. Each chapter asks more questions than gives answers. The mystery ends only on the very last line on the last page. After reading this book, I was shocked that India has such creative and competent writers. Grahan was written in 60s or 70s. However it speaks about the concept which are introduced in the media in the recent times. I felt that this book is years ahead of its time.

Another interesting aspect of this book is that the story is from the POV of the woman. She is not a damsel in distress. She wants answers. She is willing to explore. She has been portrayed as a woman who accepts various possibilities. She is ready to take the help and support that she gets from people around her. The people do not dismiss her claims by calling her "crazy". Every person is empathetic and understanding. Every person is willing to help her. The human emotions of love, longing, care, passion, curiosity, empathy are explained in a beautiful way.

This book is underrated and is not yet recognized as a masterpiece. I got to know about this book when it was made into a series. The series could not deliver the message and mystery. Hence I hunted for the book and read it. Otherwise I did not know the existence of this book. What Marvel tries to explore in 2020s was already explored by this book in 70s.

I believe this book not only deserves the mainstream recognition but it should also be translated into several languages. This way all book lovers and sci fi lovers will be able to enjoy this finest literature. We do not need to look up to the western world for fantasy and sci fi. We have our own capable authors who can write intriguing books. This book also deserves another attempt to be made as a limited episode web series. In hands of a capable director and writer, it has the potential to become as big as Stranger things, Game of Thrones, Squid Games, or other equivalent global phenomenon. This book is that amazing.

As of today, Grahan is an underappreciated literary gem that is yet to find an audience. I hope it get the recognition and success it deserves.

Every year we make resolution when the new year begins. In the year 2025 my resolution was to read more books. To fulfill this resolution I decided to visit the library at my office. The library had most of the books for the domain knowledge improvement and technical skill enhancement. However, there where some books which also were for soft skill improvement and self help. Of the self help books I pick up a book called as "How full is your bucket" by Tom Rath and Donald Clifton.

This book was an international bestseller. I had never heard of this book. Nobody had ever spoken about this book. Generally the self help books are often celebrated and recommended. Yet I had not heard about this book. So I thought of trying it out.

When I read this book I was impressed with it. This book focuses on the positive aspects of the life rather than the negative once. The book specifically mentions filling the persons mind with positive thoughts to get better outcome. Metaphorically filling the bucket with diper. It mentions that how positive thoughts can improve the performance. How positive thoughts can lead to motivation. Positive thoughts and interactions result in better outcome. This book also includes some of the stories where a person had negative experiences which led to decreased performance of that individual. Some stories about how positive interactions and positive thoughts led to personal growth and improvement. This book also has provided some of the technics for becoming a positive person. It gives us some details with respect to how we can create a positive impact on other. It also talks about how small acts of positivity or kindness would have a great or impact on someone's life or someone's perspective even without us noticing it.

This book has changed my entire worldview. After reading this book I tried to implement some of the lessons in my own life. I had made a decision to have positive interactions with everyone. Even if someone has done something good however minute I would still highlight it in front of others so that the person would feel motivated. I ran this as a social experiment in my office and I could see that how people got positively affected because of it. Simple reason is that everybody likes to receive compliments. Everybody likes being recognised in front of the crowd. Everyone likes it when someone takes a notice of their efforts and praises them. Simple acts lead to a bigger impact. I was definitely impressed with how wonderful the results were.

This book is a very good guide for a person who is facing challenges in life. It will definitely help anyone to have a positive approach towards life. I wonder why this book is not as appreciated as some other self help books. It definitely deserves more recognition. I recommend this book to every person. It should be read by everyone irrespective of which stage of life they are at. If someone is a positive thinker they will continue to have positive impact on their own life as well as others life. If someone is not a positive thinker they will realise the value of positive thinking after reading this book.

Despite being a best seller I still believe that this book is underleative and it should receive more recognition because it deserve it.

Alex Garland is a well known author and director. His most famous work is for "The beach". In my opinion he has written another brilliant book that deserves attention. That book is "Coma".

I read coma for the first time when I was in college. I liked it back then. I read it again a few years later and I enjoyed it even more. I read it again in my early 30s and I could relate more towards it. Recently I read it again and I saw it in a different light. This is when I felt this book deserves to be recognized.

First let me start with a plot summary: A man in his late 30s or early 40s is on his way to return home from his office. He gets attacked on the way which sends his into coma. He wakes up from the coma and sees the whole world differently. At several instances he is unable to figure out what is real and what is his imagination.

Coma cannot be classified as a thriller. But it has a lot of aspects which add layers of mystery. We read the first person POV of a coma patient. The coma patient feels like a completely different person after waking up from the coma. The life before coma stops making sense. The life after the coma feels uncertain. He questions his reality. He questions his sanity.

The books makes us think about the life around us. It makes us question our own beliefs. Sometimes it also questions our sanity. This book is a whirlwind of emotions. One may find it little dark but that is the essence of it. Also, you will see it differently as per the stage of your life. When I read it in college, I was drawn to it as a medical suspense. Later in my life I could relate to the protagonist's thought. When I read it in 30s I would understand his frustration. Now, I see the world through his lense.

This book has something for everyone, irrespective of what you are seeking. It serves as a fine piece of literature for a book lover. It serves as a study for a medical student to understand the mind of a coma patient. It will help psychologist, therapists, and psychiatrists to see the world from a patient's perspective. For anyone looking for entertainment, they will find the right amount of it in this book.

This book deals with a complex topic. This topic is rarely discussed openly. Coma patients are told the stories about what happened when they were in comatose. But rarely coma patients tell their own stories. They are rarely given the opportunity to speak openly about their thoughts and feelings. This book opened my eyes towards this complicated yet essential aspect. THEIR STORIES MATTER TOO.

I had lent to book to a lot of friends and relatives with a disclaimer: if it is too dark for you, then stop right there.

To all readers, this is a fantastic book. But take it with a pinch of salt.