Book Review: Zero Debt: Break the Debt Cycle and Reclaim Your Life

Title: Zero Debt: Break the Debt Cycle and Reclaim Your Life

Author: Neeraj Deginal

Page: 112 pages

Plot:  “Yes, being debt-free is POSSIBLE. If I could do it, then, anyone can do it!” – Neeraj Deginal

Zero Debts – Break the Debt Cycle and Re-Claim Your Life, is about the author’s ten-year long journey from going neck deep into debt to being absolutely debt-free.

In this book you will learn:

How the author got into debt (circumstances)
How being in debt paralyzed cognitive decision making
How even simple day to day life became complicated
The thought process applied by the author to analyse his situation rationally
Systematic steps taken by the author to become and stay debt-free and the dilemmas faced during execution
Further actions taken to simplify life and plan for a better life

This book seeks to inspire the reader to become debt-free, which eventually leads them to total freedom, be it, financial freedom, emotional freedom or freedom from stress.

Thoughts:  Today in the world of EMI, credit cards and the desire to posses various luxuries, the possiblity of an individual staying debt free is slim. The author in his book ‘Zero Debt: Break the Debt Cycle and Reclaim Your Life’ shares his personal experience of getting into a heavy debt cycle over the years and eventually breaking free from it.

The author starts by highlighting the fact that how families and schools fail to teach kids about managing finances since they are provided for and never have to do so until they start earning. Likewise, the author himself started to manage finances once he started his career. He took various loans to afford a lifestyle and got neck deep into debt.

In the latter half of the book he discusses various ways and methods he adopted to overcome the debt crisis. The methods are very practical and can be adopted by most of the individuals who want to break the debt cycle.

A person with a limited knowledge of finance will be able to read and understand this book. This book is written in a simple language which can be understood by any individual who is struggling with finances and is looking for good advice.

Ratings: 4/5

PS: Thanks to the author and The Book Club for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

 

Unboxing- ‘Steal the Limelight’ Fab Bag Oct’17

Hello Wanderers! The festival of lights is here. Diwali is one of my favorite festivals because it means happy people around, a lot of yummy food, some quality family time, lots of gifts and shopping. ❤

I hope you all are having a wonderful Diwali. This month I received my Fab Bag on 15^th Oct. The theme for this month’s Fab Bag is ‘Steal the Limelight’.

I received a shimmery gold pouch which perfectly goes with the theme and the festive mood. I received 4 products in my bag.

• Mond’Sub Gold Facial Mask (Rs.250 for 60gm)- The mask looks like melted gold. This collagen mask is meant to moisturize the skin along with brightening and tightening it. This gold facial mask is a perfect fit for this bag.

• Kronokare City Detox Face Wash (Rs.150 for 30ml)- I have tried shampoo from Kronokare earlier. The best part about this brand is that all the products are sulphate free and organic. This product consists of peppermint, lavender and grapefruit oil. The facewash lathers well. It is a travel size product.

• Yuana Premium Hair Oil (Rs.337 for 50ml)- I am not much of a hair oil person and haven’t tried it yet. Hopefully I will try it soon. This oil is a mixture of seven oils. It has great fragrance. But I feel it is a bit expensive.

• Sugar Arrested For Overstay Waterproof Eyeliner – 01 I’ll Be Black (Rs.699)- Few products from Sugar Cosmetics were up for choice. They offered various lipsticks, glosses and eyeliner. I went ahead and picked this eyeliner since I had tried their lipsticks and glosses earlier. I loved the eyeliner. It is a felt tip. The liner is long lasting and is waterproof.

 

In all I am happy with this month’s Fab bag. The total value of this bag is Rs 1236/-. You can buy it here.

Let this Diwali bring light, wealth and prosperity in your life…

Once again wishing you all a very Happy Diwali and a Prosperous New Year!

 

 

Book Review: Then The Doorbell Rang

Title: Then The Doorbell Rang

Author: Capri Jalota

Page: 364 pages

Plot:  One fine morning, Jane wakes up and stands upon the ledge of her 18th floor flat in Dubai Marina. Till a few years back, she was everything that would make anyone jealous – beautiful, rich and successful. But then the wheels of time turned. Today, she is miserable and lonely. Would she get over a deception? Can she forgive herself for deserting a friend? Would she ever find true love? Will karma get the better of her or will life give her another chance to correct the wrongs?

Then the Doorbell Rang is about Jane’s roller-coaster journey as she explores the mystical phenomenon called Life.

Thoughts:  This book is about love, loss, pain, fears, remorse, and friendship. The book begins with Jane standing in her balcony, contemplating her life.  We follow Jane’s life, our key protagonist. In the book her life is carved out  from her childhood to her mid-thirties. Jane is daughter of a British mother and an Indian Indian father, who raised her in the city of Dubai.

At a young age, Jane’s mother eloped leaving a letter for her with a lot of confessions and advice based on her mistakes. From then on Jane decided to be a woman who wants to lead a successful career and wouldn’t allow love to come in the midst of it. . But life never offers what you want. So Jane meets Uday and married him within a period of two weeks form knowing him. She thinks this will work out. But life strikes again. The story picks up from then on.

I loved the imperfection of Jane’s character. She made big mistakes and was coward enough to face them but eventually came around and rectified them. Most of the characters were well depicted and relatable. The narration is from Jane’s perspective with few chapters as journal entries from a first person’s POV.

The plot is as uncertain as life.. The story maneuvers between past and the present.  I loved reading Jane’s journey full of more downs than ups. It is filled with so many unfortunate incidents that are too much to bear for any individuals. My heart went out for her each time. The language is simple yet mesmerizing. The book is long but I didn’t feel that it was dragged at all.

I would recommend this book to those who would like to read realistic life stories filled with highs and lows…

Ratings: 4/5

PS: Thanks to the author and The Book Club for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: The Indestructible Brand

Title: The Indestructible Brand: Crisis Management in the Age of Social Media

Author: Venke Sharma, Hushidar Kharas

Page: 172 pages

Plot:  Whether or not your brand is on social media, your consumers are. They are continuously sharing their good and bad experiences about your brand. Most brands are not prepared to deal with negative feedback which, if ignored, can spiral into a crisis. This book seeks to aid brand and business owners to structure organizations to be crisis- ready. Creating a crisis squad and a crisis playbook, envisioning various scenarios that can occur, and what the brand’s response should be are some of the areas the book delves into. It also recommends preventive measures that can save brands from social embarrassment, and social listening strategies that can alert organizations to a problem before it becomes a crisis. When everything else fails and a crisis is at hand, the focus shifts to executing the playbook, turning the conversation around leveraging evangelists and influencers. Once the crisis has ended, it’s time to audit the playbook and close the gaps, as well as evaluate financial or reputational damage done to the brand, and see how quickly one can recover. 

Thoughts:  I came across this book while browsing through the marketing shelf at Crossword and it caught my eye immediately. In today’s world social media is becoming a medium for consumers to voice their opinions and experiences. It becomes very vital for the brands to understand these mediums and address these customers on the social media platforms.

This book is about managing brand crisis that occur on social media The book offers ample of examples and case studies of various brands which have faced customer dissatisfaction, trolling and complains on social media. The book suggests various methods to manage such crisis and even prevent them.

The book is written in an easy to understand manner with a lot of solutions that can be adapted by the brands. It is simplified with reference images of various tweets, Facebook posts, etc. The book is not loaded with jargons making it easy to understand for a person not familiar to social media. The book is crisp and I was able to finish it in one sitting.

I would recommend this book to the marketing, branding and PR professionals and even the business owners to understand the crisis and take preventive measures even before its occurrence.

Ratings: 4/5

 

Book Details:

Book Title: The Painter’s Apprentice: A Novel of 16th-Century Venice

Author: Laura Morelli

Category: Adult Fiction, 482 pages

Genre: Historical Fiction

Publisher: The Scriptorium

Release date: November 15, 2017

Tour dates: Oct 16 to Nov 17, 2017

Content Rating: PG-13 (some adult situations but no sex or explicit violence)

Book Description:

Would you rather sacrifice your livelihood, your lover, or your life? When the Black Death comes knocking on your door, you’d better decide quickly.Venice, 1510. Maria Bartolini wants nothing more than to carry on her father’s legacy as a master gilder. Instead, her father has sent her away from the only home she’s ever known to train as an apprentice to Master Trevisan, a renowned painter.

When the painter’s servants uncover the real reason why Maria has been sent away, they threaten to reveal a secret that could tear down her family and the future of their trade. She is forced to buy the servants’ silence, but as their greed steadily grows, Maria resorts to more desperate measures. She questions whether her heart’s desire is worth risking her family, her trade, and her future, but Maria’s sacrifices may amount to nothing if the plague arrives on her father’s doorstep before she is able to get back home.

From the author of the award-winning The Gondola Maker comes a rich tale of Renaissance Venice, a heroine with a lust for life, and love against all odds.

Pre-Order Campaign:

Laura Morelli’s new book, The Painter’s Apprentice, is out on November 15, and she is offering a set of great bonuses exclusively to her readers. If you like to delve deeper into the “story behind the story,” you’ll want to take advantage of Laura’s pre-order package (ends Oct 31st), which takes readers behind the scenes of The Painter’s Apprentice with videos, pictures, commentary about Renaissance Venice, and other exclusive content. Learn more here and order your copy today!

 

Buy the Book:

 

Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble

 

Other digital stores ~ iTunes

 

Add to Goodreads

 

 

Meet the Author:

 

LAURA MORELLI holds a Ph.D. in art history from Yale University, has taught college students in the U.S. and in Italy, and currently produces art history lessons for TED-Ed. She authored a column for National Geographic Traveler called “The Genuine Article” and has contributed pieces about art and authentic travel to CNN Radio, The Frommers Travel Show, and in USA TODAY, Departures, and other media. Laura is the author of the Authentic Arts guidebook series that includes the popular book Made in Italy. Her fiction brings the stories of art history to life. Her debut novel, The Gondola Maker, won an IPPY for Best Historical Fiction and a Benjamin Franklin Award.

Connect with the author: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Pinterest ~ Instagram

 

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Ends Nov 25

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Book Review: Who Shall I be Today?

Title: Who Shall I be Today?

Author: Sunita Saldhana

Page:  64 pages

Plot:    Who Shall I Be Today?

A woman can never be “just” a woman. She is a million people in one person.

“Who shall I be today?” is a collection of poems that delves into what makes up a woman. It talks of a mother’s love and fears; a woman’s search for herself; the yearnings of the heart for that someone special. It tells of the hurt and pain that love brings, and the courage to pick up the pieces and start over again.

You will find tears and smiles, pain and pride. You will find fear and courage, nostalgia and anticipation. You will find woman in all her avatars.

“Who shall I be today” by Sunita Saldhana is something written from the heart. It is a celebration of womanhood. It is guaranteed to touch the soul of every woman who reads it.

Thoughts:  “Who Shall I be Today?”  is a collection of 57 poems penned down by Sunita Saldhna. The poems are about the various roles a woman plays in her journey of life. Right from the time when her young love flourished to picking up the broken pieces of her heart, from being a daughter to motherhood, from loosing herself to finding her path.

All the poems come from a space right from the author’s heart. The essence of womanhood is penned down beautifully with each poem being powered with emotions of love, fear, passion, pain, etc. The poems are written in simple language, striking a chord with every woman reader.

My top 3 picks from the collection would be ‘From Cygnet to Swan’, ‘Love Beyond Understanding’ and ‘Don’t Tell Me Not to Love’.

I would recommend this book to every woman out there so they can get be reminded how special is it to be a woman and cherish each aspect of it!

Ratings: 3.5/5

PS: Thanks to the author and The Book Club for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Spotlight: Appointment with Yesterday

Book Details:

Book Title: Appointment with Yesterday: A Novel in Four Parts with a Prologue and an Epilogue

Author: Christopher Stratakis

Category: Adult Fiction, 334 pages

Genre: coming-of-age / WWII / immigrant experience

Publisher: IndieReader

Release date: January 2017

Tour dates: Oct 2 to 20, 2017

Content Rating: PG-13 + M (There is no bad language or violence, but there are references to sex and sexual situations (including between a pre-teen and teen)
Book Description:

A poignant and compelling first novel, Appointment with Yesterday tells the story of Yanni, a cheeky and delightful Greek boy growing up in a small town on an island in the eastern Aegean.

Left in the care of his loving grandparents, Yanni endures the deprivation and terror of the German occupation during World War II and finally leaves his beloved homeland and family to rejoin the parents who had left him behind to make a better life for themselves in America.

Filled with heartbreaking and heartwarming stories of love, devotion, disenchantment, and dashed dreams, Appointment with Yesterday is, ultimately, the story of hardships overcome and a determined boy’s journey toward finding his destiny.

 

Buy the Book:

 

Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble

Book Depository ~ Books-a-Million

Add to Goodreads

 

 

Meet the Author:

 

Christopher Stratakis was born and raised in Greece. After moving to America, he graduated from Drexel University in 1951 and New York University School of Law in 1955. Shortly after joining the law firm of Poles, Tublin & Patestides in 1960, he became a partner, specializing in admiralty and corporate law.

He has written and published several articles, lectured on professional and historical subjects, served as Legal Advisor to several non-profits (pro bono), and was an arbitrator in maritime disputes. He is the author of Mnimes “Memories” (2010), a book of essays, short stories, and poems that he wrote as a teenager. In 2015, he co-edited Chains on Parallel Roads, a book published by Panchiaki “Korais” Society of New York. In recognition of his extensive community involvement, he has been the recipient of several awards from religious, governmental, and educational institutions.

Mr. Stratakis lives with his wife in New York City. He is the proud father of three and grandfather of three. This is his first novel.

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