Book Review: The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success

Title: The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success: A Practical Guide to the Fulfillment of Your Dreams

Author: Deepak Chopra

Page: 115 pages

Plot: This is a book you will cherish for a lifetime, for within is pages are the secrets of making all your dreams come true. Based on natural laws that govern all of creation, this book shatters the myth that success is the result of hard work, exacting plans, or driving ambition.

Instead, Deepak Chopra offers a life-altering perspective on the attainment of success: When we understand our true nature and learn to live in harmony with natural law, a sense of well-being, good health, fulfilling relationships, and material abundance spring forth easily and effortlessly.

Deepak Chopra is the bestselling author of numerous books and audio programs that cover every aspect of mind, body, and spirit. His groundbreaking books blend physics and philosophy, the practical and the spiritual, with dynamic results.

The Seven Laws of Success distills the essence of Chopra’s teachings into seven simple, yet powerful, principles that can easily be applied to create success in all areas of your life. Filled with timeless wisdom and practical steps you can apply right away, this is a book you will want to read and refer to again and again.

Favorite Quote: “The past is history, the future is a mystery, and this moment is a gift. That is why this moment is called ‘the present’.”

Thoughts: This is a pocket sized book which I managed to complete in less than an hour. But actual understanding of every aspect will take much longer. Deepak Chopra offers seven laws of success from a spiritual perspective. One should not seek success only in terms of money and fame but from a self growth and self transformation point of view. He sums up the insights of the secret to the overall success in seven laws:

1.Pure potentiality
2.Giving
3.Cause-Effect (Karma)
4.Least Effort
5.Intention and Desire (Intention & Attention)
6.Detachment
7.Purpose (Dharma)

Each law is explained in a compact manner, sticking to the point and yet offering the understanding of each law. There are simple techniques mentioned in the book on how to implement the laws in our daily life. The writing is flowy yet simple and to the point. After reading this book, I became responsive towards the law of pure potentiality and aware of the fact that everything works in harmony with the universe. I haven’t tried implementing all the laws myself but I do look forward to reading it again and trying to inculcate the learnings from this book in my life.

Rating: 4/5

Book Review: A Tapestry of Tears

Title:  A Tapestry of Tears

Author: Gita V. Reddy

Pages: 190 pages

Plot: Set in the early nineteenth century, A Tapestry of Tears is about female infanticide, and the unmaking of tradition. If a woman gives birth to a female child, she must feed her the noxious sap of the akk plant. That is the tradition, parampara. Veeranwali rebels, and fights to save her offspring.
The other stories span a spectrum of emotions and also bring to life the varied culture and social spectrum of India. Woven into this collection is the past and the present, despair and hope, and the triumph of the human spirit.

Thoughts:  The author, Ms Gita V. Reddy usually writes children fiction. She has ventured into writing short stories for adults with ‘A Tapestry of Tears.’ This book consists of 12 short stories deep rooted in the Indian culture. The stories touch upon various dilemmas that a woman faces. Issues like female infanticide, women’s struggle during partition, female killing, etc are well highlighted. The stories also touch upon an aging mother, self reflection of a person, losing your loved ones, working on marriage etc.

I am not much into reading short stories since I like to empathize with the characters of the book and since short stories are mend to be short, there is a possibility that they lack to offer a well crafted and  well expressed characters. But with this book I must admit that I was able to empathize and well as sympathize with most of the characters and their struggles. The stories are very well narrated and the word flow was seamless. I was immersed in each and every story in this book. My top three picks of stories would be ‘A Tapestry of Tears’, ‘The Quizzing Glasses’, and ‘Only Her Daughter’.

I simply loved this book and would recommend it to all those who like reading stories with female protagonist, books about relationships and emphatic tales. Looking forward to reading many more books by this author.

Ratings: 4.5/5

PS: – Thanks to the author for sending a copy of the book for an honest review.

 

Book Review: Hello, Agnieszka! (Between Two Worlds #2)

Title:  Hello, Agnieszka! (Between Two Worlds #2)

Author:  E. Journey

 Pages: 275 pages

Plot: A raw tale of early love, rivalry and betrayal.
A passion for music. Her oldest son’s suicide attempt forces Agnieszka to reveal a past she has kept from her children. A young Agnieszka discovers a passion for music upon hearing her grand-aunt Jola, a concert pianist in Poland, give a recital. Jola hones her talent and feeds her dreams of becoming a concert pianist.
Shattered dreams. But real-world problems, thorny relations with a mother tied to her roots and betrayal by lusty Aunt Jola a shatter her dreams.
A 70s love story. Young Agnieszka finds love that renews her hopes for happiness. Sadly, it ends, cut short by forces outside anyone’s control. Sustained by music and memories of her first love, Agnieszka grows and gets a second chance at happiness.

What happens when you have to disclose the past that you were trying to bury to protect your children? Hello, Agnieska the second book in Between Two Worlds series is all about the buried past re-routing itself into the present. In the last book, Hello, My love we see the ups and downs in Elise & Gerg’s relationship. The second book picks up from where we left, but the difference is that the protagonist of this book is Elise’s mother, Agnieska.

Agnieska is forced to reveal her past to her children when her eldest son, Peter tries to commit suicide out of depression and is diagnosed with a genetic disease.   The book takes us through Agniseka’s rough childhood, her tough relationship with her mother. She finds herself drawn to becoming a pianist when she hears her aunt Jola play and playing the piano becomes her only comfort through her rough days.

The story is poignant and churns a lot of emotions in the reader. Agnieska comes across as a very strong character, making her and inspiration for turning around things in life. She is an epitome of strength and determination. The narration is evocative and I loved this book much more than the first one.

This book is a tale about heartbreaks, rough childhood, loving and losing, hitting the rock bottom and learning to rise again.

Rating: 4.5/5

PS: – Thanks to the author for sending a copy of the book for an honest review.

 

 

Book Review: Enough to Keep You (Conflicted: The Love Diaries Book 1)

Title: Enough to Keep You (Conflicted: The Love Diaries Book 1)

Author: Hazel Boyd

Publication: Kindle Edition

Length: 350 pages 

Plot- Enough to Keep You is a collection of love stories told through the eyes of five couples. Each perspective explores a different issue as it relates to love. Infidelity. Unrequited love. New love. Sexuality. Abuse in many forms. Creating a family, etc.

Favorite Quote: ‘Often time, people start at the beginning, but I am going to start from this very moment.’

Enough to keep you is a collection of vivid love stories. This book is the inaugural edition in the ‘Conflicted: The love diary series.’ The plot revolves around seven main characters and their counterparts. The book is narrated from all these characters’ point of view. These characters are Nicole, Claire, Rachel, Tori, Scott, Michael, Ashley. Each character has individualistic characteristics setting them apart. Their lives are intertwined.

When you read the book, it feels like you are reading a page out of one’s journal. The inner most fears, desires and emotions are on display unguarded and this is the key highlight of the entire book. It is very fascinating to see that when it comes to the matter of love, highly intellectual people like doctors, surgeons, lawyers, etc have no control over their emotions. The book explores various issues like child abuse, kidnapping, withholding a hostage for years, a lesbian relationship, infidelity , getting over past relationships, having a toxic relationship, maintaining a work- life balance, etc.

We might have experienced a few situations at a personal level, but we might never experience a lot of concerns raised in this book ourselves. Experiencing and diving into the psychological effects of such situations was the most interesting part of the book for me.

The complexities of a love relationship are brought to light in a very realistic manner. I would recommend this book for all those who are interested in reading complicated love stories.

Rating: 3/5

Note- I was sent a copy of the book by the author but the reviews are my own.