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| Sunday, May 9, 2004 |
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| Sunday, May 9, 2004 |
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Howzatt!
However, cricket lore is not all syrupy. There’s plenty of acid too. Bernard Shaw thought it fit for fools, and Oscar Wilde disapproved of it for requiring one to "assume indecent postures". The late British churchman, William Temple, looked upon it as loafing". Let’s not forget that if religion is the opium of the masses, cricket is a far stronger addiction. One may love it or loathe it but one cannot ignore it. Such is the magic of cricket. The interest generated by India’s historic win over Pakistan in Pakistan, should impel many to buy these twin editions of quiz books on test cricket — Howzatt! and one-day cricket — Googly!. The contents are well researched. If you want to shine in various quiz contests, these two books will be of great help.
The Power of Planets PEOPLE have always been fascinated with the way individual destinies get moulded. Why don’t two persons, with comparable qualities of head and heart, achieve similar degrees of success? What has the future in store for us? Since the hoary past, attempts to resolve such riddles have resulted in a corpus of literature we refer to as jyotish shastra or astrology. Khurrana, a well-known name in this field, traces the saga of astrology. He points out that if all the inputs in the form of date, time and place of birth etc are right, and the calculations are correct, accurate predictions about one’s future can be made. He systematically presents the various zodiac signs, along with their individual characteristics. Using several illustrations he explains the significance of the different positions of planets in horoscopes. A good read for those interested in this esoteric subject.
Secrets of Happy Families
The book attempts to suggest ways of forging a healthy relationship between couples that would then get transmitted to their children. Vas doesn’t ignore elders in contemporary families. He quotes from a survey done on corporate executives living in Mumbai and Delhi to conclude that joint families are preferred by those who intend living a wholesome life. We know that traditionally in our society grihastha ashrama has been exalted as the highest form of human endeavor. Kautilya’s Artha Shastra describes the raising of family as an essential duty towards society. The book is both thought provoking and enlightening. If you believe in forging and perpetuating healthy family values, this book is for you. |
FOR ages, people have gone gaga over the game of
cricket. Historian George Macaulay Trevelyan pronounced with typical
English self-righteousness, "If the French noblesse had been
capable of playing cricket with their peasants, their chateaux would
never have been burnt." Then there is this delightful compliment by
the British dramatist, Harold Pinter, "I tend to believe that
cricket is the greatest thing that God ever created on earth...certainly
greater than sex, although sex isn’t too bad either."
Starry future
VAS focuses on the making of happy families. He
points out that the institution of family is in jeopardy in the West,
and in India, too, the signs of stress and strains are beginning to
appear. However, family endures in our society. The author studies the
results of several researches by psychologists and family therapists on,
what he calls, happy families. These families may be high or low
achievers, their members may be periodically healthy or ill, and may be
facing all sorts of problems. Yet, they manage to stick together and
overcome all odds. Such families find happiness in mutual ties.
