Category: Uncategorized

Pakistan at the Helm by Tilak Devasher

Non fiction

Book review

Rating 5/5 for the research and analysis

Tilak Devasher the author; retired from the cabinet secretariat, Government of India, as Special Secretary in 2014. During his professional career with the cabinet secretariat, he specialized in security issues pertaining to India’s neighbourhood. Post retirement, he has continued to take a keen interest in India’s neighbourhood with special focus on Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. He has written articles for The Economic Times, The Indian Express and many others.
This is his second book on Pakistan and is an analysis worthy of your time!

The book continues where the previous book stopped. After explaining the situation and complexity of issues in Pakistan this book is a straightforward account and summary of the prime ministers and Presidents of Pakistan.

So to better understand the chronology, you may read the previous book before you start on this one though it does not make much difference! In fact you can read the previous book even after you read this one since they cover different aspects and issues.

One of the few times where a non fiction novel feels like fiction and a page turner!

The pace is like a soap opera and you are treated with choicest of juice and gossip and politics!

In an almost cat and mouse game of sorts you are shown how the civilian Prime Minister comes to power only to get dethroned by the army chief president! And the cycle repeats!

So while his previous book concentrated on Jinnah and Pakistan people, here he tells us about the leaders who came after.

After a short introduction about end of the British Rule and the rule of Jinnah he tells us about the subsequent leaders and successors.

Starting with Ayub Khan and his rise to fame till he is ousted by Yahya khan.

Then how Yahya khan becomes the leader followed by Z A Bhutto. The author tells a lot of stories about all of them but the best stories and trivia is about Z A Bhutto!
They are so interesting to read and an eye opener for Manu like me who knew nothing about the father of Benazir Bhutto!

Eventually how he is ousted by Zial-ul-Haq and tried by the court and hanged. It’s got everything to keep you on your toes!

Then the rise of Zial-ul-Haq and his sudden death in a plane crash! Pakistan lost so many senior officers and leaders in that plane crash that it was a major tragedy!

In between all this Benazir Bhutto continued the legacy of her father ( there also you have lots of soap!) and became the prime minister twice! And with an arrangement with Musharraf would have become the PM third time if not for her assassination. Her role in getting the Nuclear tech from North Korea and how she met her husband and his role and activities has been described elaborately!

Then you have Zial Haq’s favourite politician; Nawaz Sharif! How luck favoured him and how he by so many twists of fate became the PR man of a company then finance minister by luck and then chief minister of Punjab and finally Prime minister! It is a story which much be read and enjoyed! The author has aptly named him the comeback kid! This is one of the best sections of the book!

He talks about the Kargil war and the other two wars and the loss of East Pakistan and how these events came and progressed and the aftermath of these major events!

Finally he tell’s about Pervez Musharraf in a section titled shoot and scoot! His role in Kargil and his resurgence after the war and his presidency and his deals with Nawaz Sharif, Benazir Bhutto and even Imran Khan. The period until 2017 is covered in the book.

The author gives interesting details on the lesser known stuff about everyone and backs it up with extensive research and references!

The chronology is smooth and straightforward and the narration keeps you engaged! Specially since everyone is interested in what is happening with the neighbour!
There is a short summary in the end about the book and the author also about his previous book Courting the Abyss.

Grab it if you love non fiction; grab it even if you don’t!

The 48 laws of power by Robert Greene

 

Self help book genre

 

Audio Book produced by Audible

Long post alert; There are no spoilers since this is not a murder mystery! This is also a summary of the book in case you do not get any time to read or listen to the book! In case of plan in the future of reading this book then the review is like a refresher for you!

Listening time- more than 17 hours which can be reduced by increasing the speed to 1.2 without any loss of diction or meaning

 

Rating- as a self help book 4/5; as a book you read before going to war! 5/5

The author has imagined life as a war where people in spite of being in modern times are actually stuck in ancient times! He states that even though the kings and the dukes have changes, they have been replaced by bosses and other people in power! And since the position is similar, the rules may have different names but they remain more or less the same!

 

As you can very well guess, there are 48 rules! Just the listing of the rules will take couple of pages and most of the time the name itself is self explanatory.

In most cases, the author states the law and starts by giving examples. He narrates a story which you may or may not have heard. He enumerates different aspects of the law via these stories. He then goes on to narrate the reversal or exceptions to the law (if any) by giving examples as and when required.

He takes stories from ancient kingdoms including and not limited to chinese, japanese, french, english to name a few. He takes tales from Aesops fables, Panchatantra and Kautilya to name a few though there are many such tales told in accordance to the law discussed. Many times after elaborating the law in the context of ancient time, he proceeds to tell how the law is relevant or how you can make the law relevant to the present context!

We can take and elaborate on the laws as and when we encounter them but you can actually listen to the stories in context with the law so that you can get a feel of what the author is trying to convey.

 

The first law is one of the best ones! It talks about how even if you have talent, it is better to not make it obvious! He tells the story of how a courtier met the executioner’s noose simply because he threw a lavish party while on the other hand about Galileo who discovered the Moons of Jupiter and in an attempt of getting the royal grace named them after his king! The law is ‘Never outshine your master’.

 

The second law starts with a horrible story of a friend who in spite of repeated help and support finally turns against his own friend and benefactor! And then how the author states that an enemy is much more reliable since he has so much to prove while a friend can never be trusted! Here also the author gives so many examples from history to support this view. The law is called ‘Never put too much trust in friends, Learn How to use your enemies!’

 

The third law is about secret akin to how you must never praise the product before purchase! How you must not openly reveal what you want since then it will be difficult to get it or you would get more resistance to get it! The law is ‘Conceal your intentions’

 

An extension of the above law is how you must try to limit the information given by you! The more you give, the more people know you and your true intentions so as per the law ‘Always say less than necessary’ which is the fourth law!

One of the most important things or treasures which everyone must protect is his or her reputation! The next law states and describes on how you must take care of it! The law is, ‘Much depends on reputation-Guard it with your life’

A corollary of the above three laws may be this law which states how you must draw attention to yourself when it is important or necessary! As you read the laws you will realize that many laws contradict each other or sometimes are the bang opposites! Then you must understand that these laws depend on the circumstances! You cannot put salt everywhere! The law is called, ‘Court attention at all cost’

An extension of getting attention is the fact that you must take credit for good work whether it has been done by you or not! Sometimes you can make others do your work but make sure you get the credit  for it! This is of course how Managers and team leaders work anyway! The law is, ‘Get others to do the work for you but always get the credit!”

An indirect extension of the above law is to get people to come to you or work for you or make you his or her boss or friend! Even if you tempt them with offers or bait! This is the eight law!

Although speaking is important, the author has more than once pointed out that silence is really good especially when you are correct. It is better to maintain a silent dignity than shout or as the law states, ‘Win through your actions and never through argument’

With the above laws in place the authors tells you to stay away from those who are either unsuccessful or not very lucky! Their bad luck would befall you and you can kiss success goodbye! He brutally states how they are like infected people whom you should stay away from if you want to succeed in life! The law is thus literally titled, ‘Infection: Avoid the unhappy and unlucky’

 

After the first ten laws you would get to know the general feel of the direction in which the book takes you! The author always assumes that you are reading this book to be successful in one way or the other! Or that the whole life is like a constant war and a competition which you have to win no matter what!

With that premise in mind he talks about how you must have followers or employees who follow you. How you must just give them enough that they will stay with you or follow you but not too much that they leave! That’s the eleventh law!

 

When you come face to face with an enemy then once in a while you can actually be true or kind to them! It can be a tactic to bide time to become stronger or get a means to escape the current predicament. The law is, ‘Use selective honesty and generosity to disarm your victim’. These acts such as a timely gift or the Trojan horse will bring the guard of your enemy down and then you can attack! Of course the Trojan Horse story is mentioned here! One of the best stories he tells was about how a trickster dupes a crime lord Al Capone! The best thief is the one who steals from a thief!

 

Now at many point in your life you may need to ask for help from someone. Here the author states that instead of asking for charity, try to point out how the help given to you may actually be beneficial to the helping party and this will make him or her help you earnestly! The law is to ask for help by appealing to their self interest and never for their mercy or pity!

The author does not believe in being a friend since at the end of the day it is every man or woman to himself or herself! So in like a corollary to the law of friends; he states how instead of being a friend you must actually be a spy! May not be digestible to many but then there are so many laws! You can pick and choose whichever laws you want to or not want to follow!

Another contradictory theme is how in some stories the author states that you can make your friend your enemy but in this law he states how if your enemy is stronger or may pose a threat in the future then you Must crush your enemy totally and there must be no half measure!

The narration in these situations starts by the title called Judgement which is followed by examples of Transgression of the law and finally if poignant, the author talks about the reversal or exceptions of the law! Some have all these while many have some! Meaning some laws are mere guidelines while some laws are more rigid with no exceptions!

The sixteenth law is similar to how the absence makes your heart go fonder! Here however he talks about how your absence makes you special and in many ways increases your respect and honor!

An extension of being secretive law is that you keep others in a suspended terror! By cultivating an air of unpredictability! Many kings and rulers are known to be unpredictable which makes them powerful and successful!

But the 18^th law tells the bang opposite in that, Do not build fortresses to protect yourself-Isolation is dangerous! He explains this by telling the story of a king who became so isolated because of fear that when he died, no one got to know about it and he died alone! In fact when you isolate yourself in a castle then everyone knows your weakness and your castle in fact becomes your prison!

The next two laws are the laws of information and dealing with people especially in trade. The 19^th law is that you must know whom you are dealing with in that you must get to know him or her so that you do not ignorantly offend the wrong person!

The next law states that even if you know what you want, it is better not to commit yourself to anyone or anything! It is always better to be neutral and depending on the opportunity which  presents and then you can choose the winning side!

Another interesting law is; ‘Play a sucker to catch a sucker- seem dumber than your mark’. Effectively similar to the law above where you do not seem powerful to your enemy and then make them underestimate you and fail!

When you are caught then you must surrender at first and bide for time and plan your next move. The law here is use the surrender tactic and transform your weakness into power!

The next three laws are basically what you do in defeat or when you are faced with challenges. You must first ‘Concentrate your forces’ then ‘Play the perfect courtier or team player or employee or follower!’ and finally ‘re create yourself!”.

Everyone makes mistakes but it is only the clever who can hide them properly! This is probably one of the best quotes of the book! In the 26^th law Robert talks about the need for a scapegoat and tells us the origin of the terminology too! You need someone to blame for your failures or a scapegoat so that you do not come as a weak person! The law is called ‘Keep your hands clean’

When you make a team you must keep yourself in a step above your followers! because people need someone to follow so the next law is ‘Play on people’s need to believe to create a cult like following’

Of course when you do act then once you decide to enter there must not be any doubt or confusion! The law is ‘Enter action with boldness’

Game of life is like chess, you need to plan multiple moves and you must act accordingly. The author says that ending is everything! Here he talks about El Dorado the kingdom of gold! The law was ‘Plan all the way to the end!’

People normally do not want to listen to your struggles or how hard you work! That shows that you are weak. Here the author talks about the Japanese tea ceremony and in fact he talks about the tea ceremony and the skills for the ceremony throughout the book in different places. The law here is ‘Make your accomplishments seem effortless’

The 31^st law is based on the premise that you are giving your opponents a choice! Or at least they feel they are getting a choice while in fact you have all controls! The law is ‘Control the options: get others to play with the cards you deal’

 

The truth is difficult to hear because its ugly and painful! People love romance and beauty even if it is a lie! People don’t want the truth but want to dream! So the best way or law is; ‘Play to people’s fantasies’

The best way to get control over others is to get to know or find out your opponents weakness which is like a screw which you can turn to your advantage! You can do this by observation and watching for gestures! Everyday conversations are a treasure of knowledge by appearing interested in other person’s life. Everyone tries to hide something so there is little to be learned in our conscious behavior! Instead look for the subconscious clues! The law is ‘discover each man’s thumbscrew”

Be royal in your own fashion: Act like a king to be treated like one! That’s the law and Robert talks about Louis Philip and how he was not from direct royalty and how he treated Businessmen as equal! The royal people never like him, the poor had disdain for him while the bankers had to respect for him!

Never seem to be in a hurry! Be slow and steady! Hurrying shows a lack of control and poor planning! The best way to move forward is the law; ‘Master the art of timing’. The life and times Joseph Fouche; the minister of France and his stories are told here on how his precise timing made him successful!

Acknowledgement of a petty problem is actually giving justice or validation of the problem! Hence the 36^th law is, ‘Disdain things you cannot have: Ignoring them is the best revenge!’

Imagery and grand symbolic gestures create the aura of power which everyone responds to! You dazzle with appearance! He talks about the ‘moon doctor!’ How this particular ‘doctor’ cured people by exposing people to the moon light from one window of his house while his wife did the same to the ladies in the opposite window! No one bothered to ask how moonlight can fall on opposite sides of the house! The law was termed; ‘create compelling spectacles’

An extension of the above laws of being neutral or being secretive or not making your opinions known openly is the law of ‘Think as you like but behave like others’ In effect meaning that you gel with the crowd till the right moment.

Sometimes the only way to catch a fish in silent waters is by stirring up the water so that the fishes would swim to the surface! You must stay calm but you must incite anger and emotions (which are strategically counter productive) in your enemies! So that you can strike them when they are agitated and not in control!

One of the best laws which I personally believe and follow is the free lunch! Since what is offered for free is dangerous! It always comes with a price! If something is important then its worth paying for! I use the same principle even in buying app from the app store! The law is; ‘Despise the free lunch’

The 41^st law is mostly of the great son of a great father! If your father is great or famous or legendary then it is much better to do things differently than him. It is because of a simple rule! What happens first or is original is always better! If you have to accomplish the same thing then you have to work harder and achieve at least the double! The author states thus; ‘Avoid stepping into a great man’s shoes!’

 

‘Strike the shepherd and the sheep will scatter’ is a very astute law! You can always find one guy or the primary issue or the chief leader who make the problem or stir up anxiety! The author tells story about how in a village they would have a ballot to banish one person who irritates everyone the most! So if the votes are large that particular person is banished!

The 43^rd law is to ‘Work on the heart and minds of others’ play on the fears and emotions of the people! The tale is told about Marie Antoinette the wife of Louis the 16^th but how she falls from being the favorite and stopping to be with the general public! Of course it does not end well!

 A mirror reflects reality but it also shows the same reality to others! Gazing upon the mirror you generally see how you want to be seen by not noticing the blemishes at first! The narcissistic power of mirror is that you can neutralize (as medusa story) and do other things such as how in childhood we get irritated when someone tries to mirror or repeat what we say! So you can use the mirror effect to disarm and infuriate your enemy!

The 45^th law is an extension of being slow and steady and also an amalgamation of many of the previous laws. How you must preach the need for change but never reform too much at once! Any change must be gradual. Here the author also states how people are so set to routine that too much change would cause too much disturbance and imbalance.

A corollary of the law which is not to show your weakness is the law which states. ‘Never appear too perfect’. When this happens then people do not see the struggle and do not appreciate the effort you have taken. This also causes an increase in expectations which is a sure sign of downfall!

An often repeated law in different forms is the 47^th law which is to stop when you are at your peak. Retire at the summit or the finish line or as the law states; ‘Do not go past the mark you aimed for: In victory learn when to stop’

A final combination of many of the above law is the final law which is to avoid taking a form. It is always better to gel in any shape meaning that you must be flexible! The Law states; ‘Assume Formlessness’

The author states that these laws have to be used depending on the situations and you can select which law to use! Most stories are of ancient times and of civilizations which are old and long gone! But the author still feels that even though and kings and the queens are gone, their representatives are the same!!

Many stories told in the book are known and many stories are repeated! Some are so unbelievable like the con who tried to sell Eiffel tower! Some stories and characters are repeated in parts to fill a particular law or justify the same! Like the story of Houdini the magician! Or Napolean Bonarpate! Or Even Galileo and Michelangelo! The stories and their conclusions are the best part of the novel and really interesting!

This is of course a reference book and just like me you may remember parts of the book when it becomes prominent or comes into your mind!

An absolutely amazing book as far as I am concerned since it is direct, raw and to the point!

This is like the modern version of Art of War or the Arthashasthra by Kautilya both of which are quoted and referenced in the book in many places!

Remember, it is a war out there! Be prepared!

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Swing by Isha Merchant

E book

Genre Fictional emotional story based on true events

Rating- 5/5 The first novel gets some liberal encouragement! Deservedly so!

A simple bed time story told by the much loved matriarch of the family turns into a page turner which starts simply enough but gets on to a serious theme soon!
Just like the song Sultans of Swing, the Swing though a part of the story comes only much later and then gets left behind only to form an integral part of the story by its absence!

The story is of a young girl in the pre independence era of half education and early marriage! The free spirited girl is whisked away from her house and married to another which she makes it her own and how!

The standard mother in law (in this case sister in law!) treatment and support from the guys of the household!

All this is happening when the country is undergoing the turmoil of partition and a new country is being formed. Luckily the author just scathes the surface of the partition horror which has been confessed by the her in the end.

Being on the other side of the country is not easy since the choice is literally between the devil and the deep sea!

The challenges faced by the young girl who later on becomes a young woman and finally the elderly respected lady of the house has been told with an emotional touch.

In simple language reminiscent of R K Narayan and with the added advantage of having heard the stories first hand, the author spins a tale of emotions! The pages move effortlessly without much complications or confusion. This is not a soap, just a straightforward retelling of stories heard by the author based on true events.

The best thing about the novel is its universal appeal that anyone of any age group can read and still relate to the events in the novel.

As she says in the end, Padma and her family was lucky.

For a first time author this is a great attempt and deserves a read. Go for it!

Super Mars by Ellis Silver

Book review

Science fiction with references! so the Genre is Fiction for some and non for some!

Rating- As a sequel it suffers from expectations! It is a good time pass though!

This book is a sequel to Humans are not from Earth which grabbed my interest with so many points to why we are not from earth! It was very interesting and how!

This book is an extension as to after proving how Humans are not from earth, the author seeks to find out which other planet can be the next home for humans! Mars and Venus are considered and also other bodies in the solar system!

He also gives us a summary of what we have to do for getting Mars ready for Human colonization! and how to travel and so many technical details!

Some important segments I have summarized in case you do not get to read the book. There are no spoilers and these points in fact capture the essence of the book. For those who are planning to read the book, it is a good start and those who may not read, it is a good summary!

Geneticists working on the Human Genome Project found 223 “orphan” genes (out of our surprisingly small total of around 20,000 genes) that they can’t explain. These genes aren’t found in any other species on Earth.
Some researchers believe the aliens may have spliced them into our genomes to help us survive on Earth after their early attempts to rehouse us here failed. Geneticists have also found scars in our genome where sections of DNA have been added or removed. They’ve also found numerous other anomalies. This provides us with clear evidence that our genome has been manipulated by external forces!

Mount Everest, the tallest mountain on Earth (at least on land!) stands just 5.5 miles high! But the tallest known mountain in solar system according to the author Olympus Mons. It’s truly massive, standing 13.5 miles high!
Mars once had several active volcanoes, but they’re all extinct now. The crust and mantel have become too thick for molten rock to break through from the core. And this causes them to swell up and reach such heights!

Dr Ellis silver says, “Researchers have found a small group of cells in our brains that can detect magnetic fields, but we can’t access any of the data from them. The cells could be a left-over remnant or vestigial feature from when we evolved from an earlier species. But why would that species have been able to sense the magnetic field if they evolved on the same planet as us? We developed other ways of finding our way around, and our ability to sense magnetic fields was lost!”
Some researchers believe that one’s Mars magnetic field has been restored and the solar wind has been divided away from the planet atmosphere should begin to reinstate itself without any further intervention

Apparently, some well-known people like Elon musk have suggested that the best way to begin terraforming process would be to heat Mars up!
His idea is to detonate a continuous stream of low fallout nucleus bombs above the Mars north and South Pole effectively creating two artificial Suns!

A whole section of the book is devoted and how we can make the planet Mars hospitable place for the human beings to live!
So many different methods and so many technical things have been discussed, including how to increase oxygen level and how to reduce the carbon dioxide level. How to maintain temperatures whether to live in Dome and a lot of infrastructure requirements

With the use of some extrapolated data, the author has opined how we can travel to the moon in around three days while it will take us about 48 days to reach Mars !

The author also told how the Martians of people who live in Mars would be exposed to a very high amount of radiation and they may develop cancers and DNA ANOMALIES! They may then either go for a gene therapy to restore the DNA or some other futuristic technology!

The first thing the author wants to do is to find cure of cancers because they will be increased presence of ultraviolet and other radiation in Mars which will lead to lots of cancers! He also says that we would develop some adaptations to survive in Mars such as a darker skin a thicker skull or maybe even an extra set of DNA!

Another question with the author is the answer is how we will travel to another planet or another solar system so that we can survive the enlargement of the sun !
The artificial spacecrafts recreated took 40 years to go to the edge of the solar system! At that rate approximately to reach the edge of the solar system or to go to another solar system the alpha century it may take us about two lakh years!
Also, we need to build a spacecraft which is big enough to carry millions of people and also have gravity! Since the distance is so much we many things like wormholes! He also talks about the prison planet theory!

Just like his previous book he also presents timelines on the evolution of planet and Humans.

In between he talks about Hominins and how they might have raped the early humans who were dropped off by aliens, he talks about how a plant based diet is the best and how gravity is off the charts on earth while in Mars and other planets it may be ok.

The final line of the book before the list of references (which gives it a scientific flavor!) is reproduced verbatim since I like it very much!

Billions of years later, humans might evolve all over again.
If there are an infinite number of universes, the Earth will form again in at least one of them – and so will you and I.
So, I look forward to seeing you again in 10^10^10^56 + 13.8 billion years!!

The final line! Meaning reincarnation!

A very interesting book indeed!

Far cry is probably one of the few games which has withstood the test of times and may be one of the few games to have got over the “first version is the best” conundrum!

Long post ahead since the review is of six huge games!

Of course if you actually see the first person shooter or the RPG universe, the competition is so huge that it is a game which you cannot win! So much so that Games like Half life or Doom have limited release possible bogged down by the humungous expectations! Half life was an experience which I am sure will never be repeated! The first person shooter with RPG elements and the flow of story from one weapon to defeating the super boss was simply epic!
In contrast Far Cry was one of the games which simply existed along with the biggies with the added change that it had the open world concept! The maps were so vast that you can simply roam around in the big forest and miss the tree so to speak!
So it was popular but an unexpected hit and no one would have thought that this game would one day have so many sequels! The direct sequels or versions of Far Cry are numbered from 1 to 6 and these are the games I have played and this blog is about them. Far cry as such as two direct sequels and there are other expansions and versions of Far cry such as Far Cry Primal, Far cry Dawn and Blood Dragon which have similar game play but not the same since they happen in a different universe and in the case of Primal, different timeline.

Let me get it out in the first itself that the first was the best if you consider the FPS genre while Far Cry 6 is the best if you consider the RPG genre while every gamer would readily agree that the best game in the series and the one which set the final trend was Far Cry 3 which combines both the FPS and RPG elements beautifully in a complex story line especially since your actions change the story in between and even the ending!

If you actually think about the genre, Far Cry 1 is actually a stand alone game, apart from some common elements like driving a vehicle and finishing mission; Far Cry was a straightforward game which happens in a linear fashion where the story progresses in a linear fashion and with no side missions. In spite of that, far Cry is a long game! It was in fact one of the longest FPS and very early in the series I understood that you get more points for stealth (this is the major point in all the games!) and if you can avoid some fights on the way to your mission then avoid! (I learnt this the hard way!).

Far Cry 1 was the trend setter of sorts and the mission moves forward only if you complete the previous mission fully! In one of the first missions, I was not able to move forward to the next phase simply BECAUSE I did not finish making the area secure! I was sure that I had killed everyone and spent so much time is searching for someone whom I could have missed! Then I saw one soldier in the water hit but not dead! So I had to shoot him and lo! the cut scene heralding the next stage appeared! Another mistake I did initially was to play the game in harder difficulty! That was a bad choice since if your intention is to finish the game as soon as possible then selecting this level will make you age with the game! One level on the top of the boat; you are supposed to start the bomb then rush to the edge of the boat, actually swim towards the beach and immediately shoot the bad guy who himself is shooting you from a chopper! I have spent days finishing that level till I got a hack to make quick load and quick save possible! (You can search online for the same and use it if you ever want to finish the game before you get old!).
The game keeps you on your edge and even in the easier mode takes some time to finish with lots of twists and turns in between with so many Indiana Jones like adventures thrown in between which means visiting old caves and dungeons! (This is another common theme in most of the Far Cry games!). Running out of bullets is really frustrating and lack of no active checkpoints is a big let down! Apart from this obvious flaw, the game is perfect in every sense!

Another odd one out is Far Cry 2 which was a departure from classic FPS in that you have lots of side work and missions to finish and still did not get the classic RPG treatment of Far Cry 3. Though there are many fans of the this game including some claiming that the Bad Guy Jackal is one of the best bad dudes out there! The best thing about this game was the quick save and Load option which was the only thing they got right according to me! This option is not there in any other version as far as I can remember. So in any of the subsequent games, when you die, you respawn or begin at the nearest checkpoint as in Far Cry one or the last Safe house in Far Cry 2 or the last Fast Travel location from Far Cry3 onwards. Another irritating thing about Far Cry 2 is no direct fast travel location though there is a mode via bus or train you can reach but it is still not great! And one of the worst issue which plagues every Far Cry from this one is the absolutely abysmal GPS! At one point the marker shows the spot on the other side of the un climbable mountain or at the end of a huge water body! The worst issue which plagues this game and thankfully does not fall over to the later version is the dreaded malaria attacks! It was ridiculous to say the least! In the beginning of the game itself you get malaria and then in between every other fight or run you get these attacks! On top of that in an attempt to have more realistic feel the makers had added Gun getting jammed specially if you had picked up from your enemy! So in addition to the malaria attack and low health you also cannot defend yourself because your gun gets jammed! If I wanted a realistic experience I would not be playing a game! Far Cry 2 is based in Africa and in between some conflict and even that if a sore spot! Even in the cut scenes where you cannot do much, you are beaten and traumatized to the point of near dead! You have a confused hero who works from this side and the other side! and finally the ending is two way according to what you choose! I was so happy when I finished this nightmare of a game though I understood that it was so bad, the next one ought to be better and how! There are of course a bunch of serious gamers who like this nightmare since it is a challenge and since apparently this game comes close to reality as much as possible including the rays of the sun hitting on your rear view mirror! But please keep real life away from the game!

After the nightmare that was Far Cry2 (at least for me!); I moved on to Far Cry 3 which is the best of the series! The whole setting starting from the beach vacation to the caves and the mercenaries gave a Brazilian feel though on research it was based in Rook island somewhere in the Pacific. The story line starts with big kill which was shocking to say the least! But after some time you settle on the open world and start collecting leaves! and hunting and what not! The regular far cry flavor which is the theme of further games comes into play. You sequentially start controlling one area and explore some caves or dungeon and get experience points. The game play was better than Far Cry 2 and there was no Malaria! (There is a difficulty setting in this game called the Malaria! which could be a dark twisted humor paying a homage to Far Cry 2!). There is a skimpy clad girl who gets into your brain and one of the most difficult levels was defeating that creepy witch like Boss who keeps on vomiting ghouls! The GPS issue has still not been solved that well and you still cant get to where you want to go soon! This is applicable to all the games after 2 and is a big itch which you cannot reach to scratch! You will be in one corner of the Island and you need to reach another end! It was torture! It was solved partially in Far Cry 4 when I always used the Mini Chopper!
The quick save and load option is also not given which was a big let down. That was probably the only thing they could have taken from Far Cry 2!
Also there was a change in Genre when the hero gets “involved” with the witch and that leads to some scenes of skin show which could have been avoided since all said and done, Kids do play these games! The collection of leaves and meat starts from this game. The brutal way of skinning the meat or collecting the meat also could have been avoided. You kill a wild animal and that should have been the end of discussion! Why to make a butcher of every gamer is beyond me! The amount of violence and gore shown is actually too much but then I guess that is the trend. Now all the Far cry game versions have this simply horrible way of showing character death! The cut scene feels like someone has thrown a life sized mannequin! And not a good one at that! And another irritating thing that plagues all the versions is the deployment of Parachute! It simply does not come out in time and I have died countless times falling off a side of the mountain because of the GPS issue! Either make the Parachute button more responsive or make shorter mountains! And this is not limited to PC gaming! I had the same issue with my X BOX controller also but more on that when we get to Far Cry 6!
Here also there are two endings (possibly more!) and by the time you reach that point it does not matter! But still this one is one of the best in the series!

Far Cry 4 is based in some location in India or China or some Nepal mountain! The confused story writer was not able to make up his or her mind! They give an Indian Sounding name to the hero! Apparently there are multiple ways of finishing this game and one ending is simply 15 minutes into the game! This is the game where they introduced throwing meat and getting a Bear or some other wild animal to do your dirty job! Or you have a bees nest nearby to help you! The emphasis on stealth and not direct assault is more in this one. Since there are a lot of mountains in the game and only one chief enemy, the best vehicle to move around is a mini chopper which I realized very early in the game! Or you will simply spend running around and getting tired! They have made his breathing into the mike so very soon he sounds like Darth Vader! Not my cup of tea! You also have beginning of amigos or animal friends who can help you! Like most Far cry games, you tend to go in between into some strange land where you have super powers and still you get killed! It normally happens when you drink a concoction given by two dim wits and you drink it (who is the dim wit now!?). hese two characters are for comic relief and remind you of Jack Sparrow! Even between the good guys or gals you have to choose between two different leaders which apparently changes the course of game to aggressive assault or silent capture! When you take over a camp or area controlled by the enemy, it becomes your fast travel location. This idea was officially started in this game which continues in Far Cry 5 and 6. Every game of the series actually reward you for stealth and silence! If you disable all alarms, the reinforcements are not called and you get bonus! So it always makes sense to be an assassin rather than a terrorist! If you trigger an alarm you almost always get a chopper with guns which really hits you hard! The downside is that you have to be very patient and painfully slow! The game also continued the throwing of rock and distracting the enemy (In Far Cry 6 you get a limited number of balls to do the same!). Far Cry 4 also is special in that you can use the animals trapped in crates all over enemy camps to do your work! All you have to do is free them and then strike! The same is repeated with less emphasis in subsequent games! Radio or cell tower destruction and rewards which was started in Far Cry 3 continues in this and others with some modifications. If you go for the story mode the game gets over and you can still play the game getting new territories and safe houses though. But after the story is over, I normally do not like to play! Far Cry 4 also has some beautiful mountain views which is the best part of the game! I enjoyed playing this since its closer to home though the simply inaccurate Sanskrit and Hindi was a little overkill to me!

Far Cr 5 is set in America and is a long ride! You are a rookie cop who goes to a place to arrest a God man who has a big cult and three chief juniors who are like the three bosses to finally reach the main boss as and when you complete the respective mini boss areas! You of course start small and build up your resistance and reputation as you go along!
As you move along the game, you get reputation and skills and more health which is of course similar to the previous games. The best is how you capture a camp and that becomes yours! When the last enemy is killed the game goes for a slow motion reveal of getting the prize so to speak which is an amazing feel! The most irritating part of this game though is to fly a plane and Shoot the first boss! It was an impossible feat for me since the plane controls are so clumsy! A better way to get over this level is to either get a chopper or enlist the help of your pilot friend! A hack I found online and that was the only way I could finish that level in which I was stuck for ages!
The other two Bosses were easier in comparison! But still the GPS and the death is something which has to be improved by leaps and bounds!
Of course even this has two or more endings but it does not make much of a difference to the game play except may be the end.

Finally we come to Far Cry 6; Now my Microsoft surface Pro could not handle Far Cry 6 and I had to wait for my X BOX to play it! It takes ages to download and from the first level I knew that the game is not for console! You do have aim assist in console but no FPS game can be bettered by the combination of Mouse and Keyboard! I struggled so much to get a shot right in the face till I got the scope rifle and used the zoom but it still got no close to the level of perfection we have with Mouse and Keyboard. Though some games like the Call of Duty support Mouse and KB even in X BOX; unfortunately Far Cry does not have any support. It is frustrating to try and shoot even the enemy so you can forget shooting a chopper down! In the initial levels, if you activate an alarm and you have either a Chopper or a Tank behind you then you had it! Even getting on the tank or Chopper is a dauting task with the controller! Of course over time you do get used to it and improve your skill but even the best controller cannot compete with a mouse and KB when it comes to FPS!
So after weeks of frustrating gameplay (including a level which I later found out that it was a side mission), I stuck to the story mode and then it became better to proceed. Once I acquired a rocket launcher it was much better; also I noticed that you do not get hurt much by the Chopper in easy level and story mode! In fact I have lost so many life only while falling from a cliff or a mountain! This is because of the horrible GPS and the slow response of the Parachute button! The same button while standing still gets the sword on double tap or does a take down. The same again if sitting or standing makes you crouch while walking makes you skid and while falling opens the parachute! When one button has so many options then it is a headache! The controller simply does not respond! Many times I have to click on the wingsuit and then the parachute and only then will it respond! It was frustrating to say the least! Another side mission are the ones you can play only online but with good connection! You need to get a Bomb like thing and constantly keep watering it! and only when you have cleared all the enemy (who are shooting you and the bomb is getting heated) the level is complete! It was a nightmare! Luckily I realized that the mission has no impact on the story so do not try it in the beginning of the game! Get High in the level and get some serious arsenals in your kitty and then go for it! The amigo which is a Panther is an amazing buddy but you get it only if you solve an ancient three step treasure hunt! Even this only if you see the online forum since the mission has no impact on your storyline.
Getting the checkpoints and getting the anti aircraft guns is a piece of cake and getting the big military targets is a little difficult initially. It really helps if you have lots of patience and slowly disable all alarms and take down all enemies silently! But if you go in full guns blazing then make sure you have rocket launcher in your kit! The best weapon according to me was the Rambo Bow which you get after an epic level and kill more than 500 enemies! That was a great level! There was so much Hype for Supremo but I rarely used it in the middle of the battle! The best mode of travel in Far Cry 6 for short distances is the horse! Believe me! and later on you can get the chopper whenever you can! In fact in this game and also in Far Cry4 and 5 I used to use the Chopper whenever I can especially for getting loots or treasure or even to sabotage a radio (in Far Cry 4!)! So instead of spending so much time using your grapple and climbing and falling and dying from below, Its better to land from above!
I used this hack even for getting the supply runs! I either keep the Horse ready or the chopper ready! Then it is a piece of cake!
Since it is a long game it was a slow but steady progress and here also the choices do not change the game mode or outcome! It was fun doing all the chase and shooting! Most of the time you can simply run into the next level and save yourself some health and bullets! The Stranger things inspired level was inspiring (but you have to finish the level once you start so beware and make sure you have lots of time and patience for this and the final level which was again a game of stealth!).
With so much stealth I felt like I am playing assasins creed!
All in all a very good game and since it was my first game in X BOX I simply loved it so much so that when it got over I missed it! In that instant I got Far Cry Primal! Now that is a whole different experience for another day another blog!

Swayambhu; Poems that simply- EXIST! by Pungidass

Rating-4/5

For guys like me the one chief mantra is that we love writing poetry but hate reading them!

Even if its Milton, I would still grab another story since I feel Poems are a vague attempt and the only one who actually understands what he or she is trying to say is the Poet!

So making an exception I picked up my dear friend Pungidass’s collection since I know him to be a person with multiple talents and that would reflect in the poems!

He does not disappoint one bit! The poems are like his mind! Some of them so simple that you would think it is a passing thought (or is it?!) while some are longer and need your concentration to understand.

Some poems start with such a high degree of philosophical undertone that they pique your attention and then suddenly it ends with a simple explanation like the mobile phone poem which is the best one!

Then some poems take the viewpoint of third person or even an insect like an ant or a mosquito!

Some poems are longer though most are within the page and rarely two; one poem is simply one line long! It called You (You are not a Bouquet but a garden of flowers!); yes that is the whole poem!

In one poem with all seriousness he talks about things we don not talk about like literally the things we do not talk about! Or a note about a Guru in Himalaya or about a beautiful man or even meeting the crows! While in the next he tells his goodbye to the bedsheet!

Poet Pungidasa is also a poem in the book and that is also nice to read! A myriad of emotions and all you need is a light simple mind to read and make your own assumptions! There is a poem n women with all the words starting with the letter W!

According to Poet Pungidass, Tomorrow it shall get better if you Gather men for peace! In a typical twist, the last poem is a foreword!

He ends it with a description about himself and links to his different works!

All in all when a person like me who steers clear of any poem liked them, I am sure anyone else who enjoys poetry would do too!

You can contact Pungidasa at https://wa.me/+918892353514

Doctor is your friend and your friend is a doctor!

Long post alert! Please bear with me!

These are some personal experiences which have been generalized; I am sure that many of my doctor friends would have faced similar experiences.

Most of the times since lets say a doctor is a specialist with expertise in one area; and gets patients who have been seen by other doctors and treated for the same until the treatment either does not work or the doubts from the patient is increased!

When such a patient comes to him or her; they usually click bait telling him or her that the other doctor did not treat properly! Or his or her charges and fees are more (or sometimes less!)

This happens too often in private practice and also when patients go to government hospital and then consult you!

I have seen doctors announcing grandly how the other doctor got the diagnosis wrong and in this rat race world; it is a common issue! or Proclaiming that his or her treatment modality is wrong!

There has been a old saying going around for a long time, ‘No two doctors would ever agree on a common diagnosis or a mode of treatment!’

It does not help that there are too many options now for both doctors and for treatment modality!

Added to that there is also a huge pressure to keep everyone happy!

But in the quest of all this; a single comment from any doctor can put the whole medical community in jeopardy!

This has already happened in all parts of the world and the faith which patients have or had on doctors is reducing day by day.

There were times when just a single opinion from your friendly neighborhood GP would solve all your doubts and now even the recommendations from the topmost doctor of the biggest hospital of your area is seen or treated with mistrust.

Of course the return of faith of patients to doctors is a long way now, but what we doctors can do is at least not put down our own brethren.
Coming back to the patients referred to the specialist; Just read these three small incidents

The other day the doctor saw a patient referred by a senior pediatrician who informed the patient that he has polyps in the nose while on examination he knew that they are something called the Inferior turbinate Hypertrophy which are normal structures and treatable by medication. He explained to the patient that it is a Polypoidal mass only and that the doctor was right in finding it and sending him to me! He could have easily announced that he or she is wrong (which was his first primal instinct)! Then he saw that he or she did not do any wrong intervention or give any medication which was harmful to the kid. In fact most of the treatment for both is similar.

It is the same with ear wax or something within the ear; So many times we receive referrals after the start of an ear drop which was either not necessary or incorrect. But most ear drops are safe; they do have immediate calming and analgesic effect and most are sterile. So all we do is gently tell them to stop the drops and continue with our treatment. Even in the case of foreign body in the nose or the ear sometimes the first doctor manipulates and the whole field is full of either blood or secretions. Even then we give some medications for the temporary relief and make a point to state that in emergency it does not matter and the first treating doctor had only immediate relief of the patient in mind. Finally the nose cavity or the ear drum can be healed. We can manage any complications in the long run so no need to worry!

In the giddiness management; the most common cause is BPPV where the management is a simple positional maneuver and not medication. The medication also would almost always be under prescribed or incorrect dose. Since the medications are usually under dosed; it really does not make any difference and we simply say that we would be giving the same medications but in a different dose. We would also add that the doctor would have started a lower safe dose initially and now we can start the actual higher dose!

This can happen to any doctor like if the said doctor refers the patient for a physician or cardiology consultation when he finds something in the ECG!
Now these three are only simple examples on how we can still change the treatment and not put the previous doctor at fault since there are two basic principles which we must follow!

One is that anyone and everyone can make mistake; However good or knowledgeable the doctor or surgeon is! My chief used to say that if you do not have failure in your surgeries then it means that you have not done enough surgeries!

Second and most important is the law of Karma! Your patient may still go on to another doctor or you may have to refer a patient to another doctor. At that time you would want that doctor to give you the respect you gave to the previous doctor!

More important is that nowadays even if the patient has come to you for a second opinion; it is not necessary that he or she has come to you for a different opinion! You can still agree with the previous doctor and the patient will have a healthy respect for you! I am sure that most patients would not want one doctor cursing or blaming another doctor in the long run! If you do not agree with the doctor you can still tell that there are different options and no options is wrong!

I have so many patients who come to be with proper complains against another doctor but even then I try to support my brother or sister however strong my feelings are. I would tell how at that particular time, the doctors decision or recommendations would have been apt which is true most of the times!

Of course that does not mean you support gross proven negligence of a doctor in which case, I would simply not comment since I am not in a position to do so anyway. Even then everyone must remember that even doctors are human and they make mistakes! The only difference in most cases is that the mistakes of the doctor haunts the doctor and the patient for life!

I would encourage my colleagues to think about a few points before commenting against another doctor.

You do not know the condition or the situation of the patient or the doctor at the time of diagnosis or the findings. So instead of informing the patient that the diagnosis is wrong you can very well say that it was only the initial diagnosis and of course it can change after further test and examination. I still remember how a patient with sinusitis diagnosed and treated by me wrote on a public platform that my diagnosis is wrong and that he had teeth infection! I informed him that he can have both! But by that time the damage had been done since the comment was placed after giving negative rating!

In the days of rating; it is even more important to be very careful on what you comment to the patient.

When it comes to different options such as a new medication or whether surgery is indicated or not you can give options to the patient with pros and cons of each option since even the best modality of treatment has its positives and negatives and in modern medicine sometimes the treatment is not right or wrong but only a choice made at that time.

Most important is to avoid silly statements like, “You have got a wrong treatment or diagnosis” or “Your treatment was started late” or “It was diagnosed late” or “This test should not have been done!” or “this test should have been done!”

As far as tests are concerned; every test can either be done or not! It all depends on the situation! If you think a particular test must have been done by the doctor before then why cant you think that the doctor did not want to burden the patient with additional tests! There are still doctors like me who would like to think that a good clinical history and examination is most of the times enough to reach a diagnosis rather than a battery of unnecessary test!

Of course the opposite is also true when you see a patient who has undergone all possible test and now feels that the doctor has done unnecessary test!
I remember Edison’s statement here, “I have not failed 10,000 times—I’ve successfully found 10,000 ways that will not work.”

So I simply tell the patient the truth, “one more normal test will put your mind at ease that’s all!, it does you no harm and you have the additional benefit to know that you are more sure or healthier by one more test!”

When you get a case from your juniors with some error then try not to point out the error to the patient or make a big deal out of it; you can still make it positive in such a way that in spite of being a junior the doctor has made some right choices in terms of treatment or diagnosis. Remember you were a junior at one point of your practice too!

When you get a patient seen from your senior with old school or thoughts or old modalities of treatment you do not have belittle his or her experience but can gently mention that he or she is an experienced doctor and of course now we have some more options as smoothly as possible without sounding arrogant or insulting since remember that you will one day be someone’s senior!

The most common attitude problems I see is the way specialists and seniors treat the general practitioner and the Physicians who see the patient initially. Do not forget that the bulk of the patients are seen by them and for them to diagnose and treat your area is an added bonus. In spite of that they are kind enough to refer them to you!

I still remember how my Chief used to write personal letter of gratitude to the most simplest and junior most of the doctors just for the simple reason that he or she had referred the patient to him!

Finally I would like to remind both the doctor and the patient reading this; in the end both the doctor and the patient would always want the patient to get better. No doctor would ever want the patient to worsen. Only when the patient is happy can the doctor ever be happy!

The biggest happiness for a doctor is when the patient comes back and says that he or she is better with the doctor’s treatment! That is the only primary reason every doctor gets up in the morning to go to his or her work place!
Reading this I hope one doctor would make his or her brother or sister feel good about himself or herself tomorrow!

Just like how only a diamond can cut another diamond; only a doctor’s words can cut another doctor’s reputation…

Would love to hear your comments directly or at drsriramnathan@gmail.com

The firm by John Grisham

This is not a book review but a summary of the famous book and also how it is different from the movie
This is because John has decided to release a sequel to the book, and this is time to be prepared on the premise of the book!

So if you are planning to read the book again yourself or watch the movie in the future then stop reading since spoilers abound!

It is interesting to note that this book was written in the year 1991 and released during the time so in all probability, people have to navigate the book at least 20-25 years back and since I have made the effort of reading this book again, I thought I would save your time by giving a summary of the book!
As an added bonus, I will also give a summary of the movie based on this book though the sequel is supposed to be based on the book and not movie!

It is interesting to note that the movie and the book follow each other very closely in the first half
There is a big deviation in the middle and the end is completely different in both

Some minor differences are there, even in the starting but then that’s creative liberty! Like Mitch getting a Mercedes in the movie instead of BMW in the book!

So the basic summary is that Mitch is a graduate from Harvard who gets into a firm who give amazing starting salary and bonus and joining car! Even before he clears the bar! While employed he is pampered with bonuses and the firm even takes care of his loan! They even give him and his wife a low mortgage house! Then with the busy hours he puts in they pile him on with work and he gives them the satisfaction of doing it much better than they hope! They even give him training to pass the Bar which he does with flying colors! Then you have the lavish parties and trips to the exotic places in style and then after some time a contact from the FBI burst the bubble!
Mitch finds out that the firm is actually a front for money laundering for the Mafia! Now he faces the big dilemma of becoming the whistle blower and losing his license to practice forever leaving in fear of Mafia or he keeps quiet and becomes part of the evil and one day gets arrested as an accomplice! The devil’s alternative indeed! The firm bugs his house and also does a honey trap on him so that he will remain with them while FBI constantly reminds him of the right thing to do especially since many lawyers who joined the firm have been found dead under mysterious circumstances .
Mitch also has a brother in Jail (Ray) who desperately needs a get out of jail card and he also hires Ray’s friend, a detective for doing some investigation which gets him killed. The good outcome of that though is that he reaches a decision on what has to be done and also gets the detective’s girlfriend to help him which becomes his best source of evidence collection and support! There is a leak in the FBI and that Ray gets released becomes public news. Mitch then has to collect his initial fee and run!

This is the first half and a little more of the book and the movie; from here the book and the movie takes big turns!

In the book they have not shown Mitch to confess while in movie it is a big show! The “did I lose you” scene is very popular even now!

The movie also gives more importance to the role played by Gene Hackman including a scene where Abby seduces him in the end and he plays an important role there. He also confesses to Abby how the firm Honey Traps recruits. There is no scene like this in the book.

The movie also gives more importance to Ed Harris or Wayne Tarrance but in the book he gets fooled by Mitch and how!

There is a whole chase and escape from assassin scene in the movie where Tom Cruise as Mitch cleverly gets rid of one assassin by another using his briefcase! There is also scenes involving train and meeting the mob directly. There is no scene like that in the book.

So in the book, Mitch collects the evidence, gets 1 million, gets Ray out and makes him escape using his friend. Then they all meet in some hotel and Mitch further steals around 10 million from the firm and distributes it generously! They all then just manage to kill one guy in self defense and escape to exotic islands and live in anonymity! The chief difference is that he is on the run from both FBI and the mob. Though his work and evidence leads to the indictment and trial of the firm eventually. But since he gives out client evidence, he cannot practice the law! What happens in the sequel is awaited!

The movie has a much better ending! He finally goes back to the firm and tells the owner and mob that they have been over billed! That scene is simply super and brings out the Tom Cruise of Jerry Maguire! He then states that whatever other dealings they are doing are safe with him even if he leaves the firm in accordance with the lawyer client privilege. They let him go, and then the files given to FBI will make them get the firm under lesser charges but it is a start! He gets to practice law!

Since everything is settled in the movie, but everything is open ended in the book, it is understandable that John is Bringing out a sequel! Waiting for that and also hoping that it is a sequel worth making a movie with Tom once again since he is now the king of sequels!

Enjoy the firm firmly!