Elephant Song

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For over two thousand years, man has hunted elephants for white gold but over the last decade they have become an endangered species, especially the African Elephant. What is happening that has dramatically changed the scenario? What is the difference between culling and slaughtering? Where are the markets and how is illicit ivory trade done? Wilbur Smith answers these questions and much more in his fantastic book, Elephant Song.

Dr. Daniel Armstrong, a world famous TV naturalist is in Zimbabwe’s Chiwewe National Park to film the culling of a herd of elephants, accidentally films the slaughtering of elephants. He also comes across the murder of the Park rangers including his childhood friend‘s entire family and the poaching by a powerful environment friendly company. In London, anthropologist and environmental activist Kelly Kinnear is protesting against the ruin that is about to befall the African continent while a powerful conglomerate is holding a shareholder’s meeting discuss on sharing the spoils and ruining the forests and the people. Despite mutual admiration for the other’s work, their paths differ. Will they be able to overcome their differences, mislead their killers and act together to help prevent the catastrophe?

Sweeping from the unforgiving heat of the African Sun to the palatial houses in Taiwan, from the pigmy people in African forests to the powerful conglomerates around the globe, Smith weaves a fascinating tale of greed, compassion, corruption and coups. Combining awesome realism with suspense and pace that would do a Porsche proud, Smith takes you into the beautiful, wild and magnificent continent of Africa which seems to be forever threatened by the destructive hand of man and the brave but unknown African people who rise up to the challenge every time.

Wilbur Smith was born in Central Africa and writes with a passion and knowledge that can be characterized as truly African. Educated in Michael House and Rhodes University, Smith became a full time writer in 1964 and has since written twenty six novels which have been translated in twenty six languages worldwide.

Elephant Song is an eye opener for most people whose knowledge of Africa is limited to TV channels or shows. Extremely visual in style, Wilbur Smith takes you on a tour of Africa, its politics, its people, its geography, its economy and most importantly its wild life and the magnificent African elephant whose song needs to be heard. After reading this book, you’ll never view a national park, a wild life activist or a nature channel in the same way again.

Copyright by Deepa Kandaswamy

The Zama Codex

The Zama Codex
by Chen Tzu
282 Pages
ISBN: 978-1-4116-3809-9
Available on Amazon.com & Lulu.com
Genre : Fiction

Reviewed by Deepa Kandaswamy

A team headed by archeologist Dr. Ric Caulderon find a codex with encrypted information written by Zama, a Mayan scribe of Mayan sorcery and portals during the peak of the Mayan civilisation. However, the codex is stolen by a secret cult. Will the archeologists and anthropologists be able to retrive the codex in time? What secrets does Zama's codex contain that the cult is willing to kill for it?

From the palaces and rites of Mayans to the 21st century archeological dig sites in Guatemala, from sacrificial offerings and the doomsday prophecy of Singing Lizard to the healing techiques of today's native Americans, the author weaves a seamless tale of sorcery, time travel, ignorance, quest for knowledge and universal healing.

The author seamlessly weaves the story of Zama and Ric, the way time has weaved our history - ancient and modern. His writing style is easy to comprehend. Interestingly, Mayan numbers are used for chapters which proves useful as you learn the Mayan numbering system without being force fed. This is one of those books which during the first read seems like a suspense thriller but on a second read, provides insights and on successive reads makes you contemplate. It is a difficult feat to accomplish but Tzu aka Chensue manages to do so easily.

Is the world really going to come to an end on December 21, 2012 as some predict? Read the book to find out.

Buy the book by clicking on the title of the post.


© Deepa Kandaswamy, All rights reserved.

Gypsy Magic for the Lover's Soul :A Romany Book of Spells, Sachets, Oils and Incense

Gypsy Magic for the Lover's Soul :A Romany Book of Spells, Sachets, Oils and Incense
by
Allie Theiss
150 Pages, Gypsy Girl Press
ISBN 0-9771835-0-5
Available on Amazon.com ( click on the title link above to buy)

Reviewed by Deepa Kandaswamy


The Roma people have always been a misunderstood lot in the West and ignored in the East. Magic and Meditation on the other hand mean different things to different people. The author, Allie Theiss aka Allie L.T, traces her ancestry to the Roma people of Europe and has succeeded in creating a interesting, informative and intriguing book about Roma people and magic.

Easy to read and understand, the book explains what magic means to a gypsy and how the word gypsy itself came about. It contains information on stones, incenses, oils and spells and explains each in detail. It also has warnings and how to go about charging and casting spells of love and healing for friends and lovers. For those interested in magic, real magic being the healing of ourselves and our loved ones and living in harmony with the world, this book offers insight and makes one contemplate.

Crisply written, it makes an interesting read. All of us have something we wish for - healing a broken heart or mending a friendship, a longing for love or friends, a way to break off a relationship amicably, etc.

Since the crux of the book is about this very topic, it is well worth the read.


© Deepa Kandaswamy, All rights reserved.

Flight to Pakistan

Flight to Pakistan
By Azam Gill
356 pages, Bewrite Books
Available on Bewrite Books
Price varies depending on format -- paperback and e-book.
ISBN: 1-904492-26-6
Genre: Fiction/ Adventure/Thriller

From the allies of Lahore to the mafia operations in Boston, from the killing fields of Vietnam to schools in London, Gill manages to tell a multilayered, multidimensional story of intrigue, first love, murder, caste, and honor that spans continents, race, and families. For most readers, it is inevitable to compare it with Mario Puzo's epic novel The Godfather. However, the author tends to outdo Puzo by adding several other dimensions.

Sirdar Ali Shah a.k.a. Dara, a Harvard Business School graduate runs the prostitution business in the city of Lahore, Pakistan after the death of his father. However, why does a Harvard Business School graduate chose to return to Pakistan and take over the family mafia business when he could have easily got a job in one of the top Fortune 500 companies? Read the book to find out.

It is not often you get to read Asian fiction that does not use the Western stereotypes or the colonial setting of the East. This book is a rare gem as the author manages to tell the story, free from the stereotypical settings and characters. Your senses tend to come alive as you read the book and irrespective of where you grew up, the story will move you.

The author is a former Pakistani Army officer who had to seek political asylum in France because he wrote a book on Army reforms which angered the Pakistani government.

Extremely visual in style, I hope it would be made into a movie soon.

Copyright © 2007 by Deepa Kandaswamy , All rights reserved.

The Dalai Lama : Is the world okay with double standards on violence?

Why is it that we remember names of terrorists and so called "freedom fighters" who use violence? Why do we ignore people who not only teach or preach but actually practise non-violence ?

The Tibetans and the Dalai Lama have continue to wage a non-violent struggle against China for over 50 years. Somehow they seem to escape the notice of the media and the people worldwide.
It seems to me that we consider non-violence stupid. As China waits for the Dalai Lama to die and also has the gall to introduce new rules on how a Dalai Lama is to be selected, the world media doesn't think it is worth the space and uses it provide us "news" about the latest in Angelina Jolie or George Clooney's life.

Media --- all sorts include a "news in brief" when the Dalai Lama received the Nobel Peace Prize or says something. It seems they have more important things like covering violence. Maybe if the Tibetans resorted to violence, then their cause would be worth covering! Currently, they are non-violent and not worth the media space according to most media moghuls.

This is a sad commentary on today's media. Violence sells or so they say.

For those interested in Tibet, human rights, Tibetans, non-violence, peace, Tibetan customs and culture, this book will be worth the read. After all, the Dalai Lama's life is completely intertwined with the history of Tibet.

The book review below is about Dalai Lama and Tibet.

Dalai Lama: Man, Monk, Mystic
By Mayank Chhaya
342 Pages, MapinLit (An Imprint of Mapin Publishing)
Rs.595 (Hardcover)
Genre: Non-fiction/Biography
ISBN: 81-88204-88-5

Engaging, interesting and informative, this is the only authorised biography of the Dalai Lama written by an Indian. The life of the current Dalai Lama (Lama means teacher and Dalai means ocean like wisdom) is intertwined with that of Tibet – his country, people, religion and culture, especially its current history. Tibet is the fountainhead of all the “holy” rivers of India (Sindhu, Ganges, Sutlej and Brahmaputra) and China (Salween, Mekong, Yangtze and the Yellow rivers) and is where Mount Kailash (holy for Hindus as they believe this is where where the Hindu God- Lord Shiva resides) is located.

It is amazing how people worldwide, especially Indians have been blind to the only non-violent struggle currently going on Earth, a struggle by Tibetans for retaining their culture, traditions, and country for over 57 years though the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan refugees have been in India for almost 48 years. Tibet has been colonised by China except colonial powers don’t usually come in droves, massacre the local population and occupy the land thus making the locals a minority in their own country. According to United Nations (UN) charter, this is a form of genocide. Having his picture in Tibet is a punishable offence according to Chinese law.

The current Dalai Lama is the 14th of the Dalai Lamas of Tibet. A refugee from his country, the author examines the various facets of monk, mystic and the man -- intelligent,funny and gentle. As you read this book, you’ll have “I didn’t know that” moments. While presenting a balanced account of one of the world’s greatest leaders, probably the greatest in today’s world, we are also given an insightful history of Tibet and Tibetans. However, at the end, one is left wondering given the complexities of global politics and economy, will this wonderful 72-year-old human ever return to his beloved Tibet?

Copyright © 2007 by Deepa Kandaswamy

What will happen in 2100 ?

This is a review of one of the best books I have read so far. Strangely again the author seemed to have gone largely unnoticed by the media and book gurus. So here is the review of this absolutely fascinating book.

Turn of the Century 2100
By Charlie Pedersen
448 pages, Outskirts Press
Price varies depending on format
Genre: Fiction/ Sci-Fi Thriller
ISBN: 1-59800-329-1

This is not just another science fiction book. It is different for four reasons. One, the characters don’t follow stereotypes, are multidimensional and strong, especially the female characters. Two, it is a global thriller laced with humour which combines genres of romance, espionage, science, fantasy, adventure and suspense. Three, apart from being informative and inspiring, this brilliant book tries to address and attempt to provide real solutions to contemporary issues plaguing today’s society on a global scale. Four, it makes you think about the state of affairs at the turn of our century (21st) and wonder if we are squandering away the possibilities of a fabulous future, individually and globally because of our state of denial.

The story goes something like this – Alyson Higgs and her team who are particle physicists working in a Berkeley lab are visited by a photon probe from the year 2108. This happens simultaneously across 13 nations across the globe. The unmanned probe has a message from scientists from 2108 essentially from our great, great grandchildren. It contains warnings of our immediate future, and provides five oracles, which could save humanity from destroying itself and them (great, great grandchildren). What happens? Read to find out.

Many readers might wonder, if the probe is from the future then humanity wasn’t exterminated, right? Then, why send a message at all? This is where Pedersen proves he is a talented author. He manages to explain complex science concepts in simple language that even a child can understand. Pedersen has worked on the Apollo Lunar module and his career includes different fields like finance, aerospace and information technology. This is the first book to come with its own soundtracks, with lyrics and music composed by the author. The book is available in various formats like hardcover, paperback, e-book, CD, audio book and even on an USB memory stick which is a book publishing first .
Go here to select your option Author's Website and listen to the songs. It is available on Google Books ,Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, etc. but only as hardcover and paperback, which contains only the transcript of the songs. This book is necessary read for people from all professions.

© 2007 by Deepa Kandaswamy

Don't judge a book by the cover

Good writers don't get PR, at least most don't. This blog is for those who write fabulous books but don't get the required publicity. I'm a reviewer. I get irritated when an editor has the gumption not even to read the book or the review but edits it anyway.

I spend days reading books and try to get the essence of it in 250-300 words. My first post is therefore a book review -- one rejected by one of my editors because she didn't like the cover image of the book. Hmmm... Judge for yourself by clicking on the Title of this post.



Love without a Net…
By Karen Ligon
138 Pages, Publish America
$ 19.95, Paperback
Genre: Poetry
Available on Amazon.com
ISBN: 1-4241-1771-2

What happens when you love without a net, a belt or something to keep you safe in case your love is not reciprocated? The book examines relationships and the various emotions one feels from anger to ecstasy. It also explores the imagined or fleeting relationships like when a youngster is convinced that the attractive girl/guy on the bus is in love with him/her and for the period of the trip forms an imaginary relationship. The poem Not Think of Me will make you laugh or remind you of the one-sided love which you never expressed towards someone. Are You is another poem most readers will be able to relate to as well as Cried a Little. Almost all women want what the poet describes in Unexpected and would agree with what is said in Extra Credit. The poem Your New Woman Said I Rolled My Eyes at Her is what most readers would like to send to their ex.

Born in Jamaica and raised in New York, Love without a Net is the second book of poetry by award winning poet and writer, Karen Ligon. The author writes in free verse and uses simple, clear language to capture complex emotions beautifully. The strength of the book is that you do not have to be a poetry connoisseur to understand what is being said. The poems manage to cut across boundaries of culture, race, religion and region making it truly global as only love can.

© 2007 by Deepa Kandaswamy