Writing the Non-Fiction Book Review

Writing the Non-Fiction Book Review:

• Start with title, author, place, publisher, publication date, edition, pages, special features (maps, etc.), price, ISBN.
• Engage the reader with your opening sentence. Set the tone of the review. Be familiar with the guidelines -- some editors want plot summaries; others don't. Some want you to say outright if you recommend a book, but not others.
• Remember – always review the book you read -- not the book you wish the author had written.
• If this is the best book you have ever read, say so -- and why. If it's merely another nice book, say so.
• Include information about the author-- reputation, qualifications, etc. -- anything relevant to the book and the author's authority.
• Think about the person reading your review. Is this a librarian buying books for a collection? A parent who wants a good read-aloud? Is the review for readers looking for information about a particular topic, or for readers searching for a good read?
• Your conclusion should summarize, perhaps include a final assessment. Do not introduce new material at this point.
• To gain perspective, allow time before revising.

How to Write A Fiction Book Review

How to Write  A Fiction Book Review

Note: I have given you guiding questions!
Points to Ponder:

• What was the story about?
• Who were the main characters?
• Were the characters credible?
• What did the main characters do in the story?
• Did the main characters run into any problems? Adventures?
• Who was your favorite character? Why?

Your personal experiences

• Could you relate to any of the characters in the story?
• Have you ever done or felt some of the things, the characters did?

Your opinion

• Did you like the book?
• What was your favorite part of the book?
• Do you have a least favorite part of the book?
• If you could change something, what would it be? (If you wish you could change the ending, don't reveal it!)

Add the following points

• Would you recommend this book to another person?
• What type of person would like this book?

Always Remember:

Don't be intimidated by famous authors -- many have written mediocre books.
Don't review books by people you know, love, or hate.
Do you want to be a book reviewer? Start by doing. Write book reviews for local newspapers. If they don't have a book review section, start one.

If you have a specialty -- romance, mystery, dark fantasy -- cultivate it, become an expert.

KFC Chilli Chizza

KFC Chilli Chizza

Every day Oxford dictionary is adding news words and accepting nouns as verbs.  Franca lingua of all countries is changing much faster than the shades of the day.  In the world of Indian advertising KFC‘s new video positions its 'Chizza' as an alternative to pizza.

The famous rapper Baba Sehgal is   back in the limelight after the decade of 90s. Today’s generation can hardly croon Sehgal, who had his rage in the rap circuit during 90s, his  hits such as 'Thanda Thanda Paani' (a remake of "Ice Ice Baby" by Vanilla Ice), and 'Manjula', lately been used in campaigns for brands including Del Monte Fruit Juice, Tata Cliq and now for Perfetti Van Melle's confectionery brand Chupa Chups.

This Baba is back, promoting ‘KFC Chilli Chizza' in yet another rap song which goes, ‘Chilli Chizza...? I love my Chilli Chizza. Kya karoon, I have to say, Sorry Pizza!"

Chilli Chizza is KFC's latest addition to menu range launched last December. Famous for its hot and crispy chicken nature, it is a Pizza with no crust, but chicken as the base.

The brand team of KFC revealed, this campaign was initiated by Sehgal. Impressed after trying the Chilli Chizza, he approached KFC with the idea which led to this digital-only initiative. We can read it as a chance for Sehgal to re-launch his career.

Surprisingly the video doesn't have any KFC branding; this video is only for loyalists, fans and followers who know their Chizza. This is a typical attempt normally done by the armatures or fresher who kick start their career in the world of entertainment.

Sehgal released this video on his YouTube channel. He then amplified it with social media like Facebook and Twitter.  He made an appeal audience to take the #ChizzaRapChallenge. As part of the challenge, they had to upload a short video of themselves rapping a couple of lines from the song while imitating Sehgal's signature step from it. He used Twitter to shoot teaser for the campaign.

The video was later uploaded on KFC India's YouTube channel. We can read it as a success.

Nikita Khandelwal, senior manager brand strategy and development at World Wide Open, a Mumbai based digital agency from the stable of Reliance Entertainment, said, “Baba Sehgal may not be appealing to this generation, the video has the potential to trend, albeit as a mockery. He's one of those people - you love him, you hate him, but you can't ignore him. And that's what KFC was looking at doing, grabbing attention using Baba Sehgal,"

Rohan Mehta, CEO, Social Kinnect, says, "As a customer, it's obvious which brand this is for. The product could've got more of a spotlight though."

As a Mass Communication professor, I have witnessed and studied the changing trends. The social media, music videos and releasing your videos on social platforms like YouTube is a routine for youth. The smart phones and internet connection has shifted the audience from conventional to hyper media. This new media is more interactive and fast.

I recall the lines of Andi Warhol, “They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself.” He is a true father of modern advertising. This hypermedia has rejuvenated the career of Baba Sehgal and has potential to launch a career for you all. It is ‘You’, be a singer or photographer it is your day and it is ‘you’ who matters.

I wish you must have liked my Chilli Chizza!

LAST CHRISTMAS OF GEORGE MICHAEL

LAST CHRISTMAS OF GEORGE MICHAEL

The WHAM fame Geroge Michael, who always been the face of pop music for two decades have rested his claim this Christmas.  His unique blend of soul and dance music made daring social commentary and personal remarks.

George Michael died on yesterday at his home in Goring, England. Michael Lippman, his manager revealed, his cause of death was heart failure. Today his family passed a message, "passed away peacefully at home over the Christmas period.”

2016 years has marked the unfortunate demise of David Bowie, Prince and Glenn Frey and George Michael. George Michael is known to India for these famous songs like ‘Last Christmas’ and ‘Careless Whisper’.  He started his career with a band ‘WHAM’. He was in controversy for his songs like ‘freedom’, ‘Fast love’, ‘I Want Your Sex’ and ‘Fantasy’.

George Michael has sold his 100 million albums globally; he earned numerous Grammy and American Music Awards, and proudly recorded duets with Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Luciano Pavarotti and Elton John among others.

           Today Elton John wrote on Instagram "I have lost a beloved friend — the kindest, most generous soul and a brilliant artist.”  He always had a tailored look and flaunted his Lionel stage gestures ruled the hearts of millions. George Michael was active in a number of charities and helped raise money to combat AIDS. He always helped needy children and supported gay rights.

Geroge Michael has a very special status in India, as globalization era of India witnessed inter-net café, music in cake-shops and food joints created a buzz around of pop music. It was fag end of decade 1990 and beginning of new millennium or first decade of 2000. In socio-psychological lingua we call this generation as ‘internet generation’. The use of pop t-shirts, skirts, jeans and accessories like necklace, wrist band and ripped jeans was in fashion. George Michael’s life size posters were sold across India. India was in love with this Brit man in late 90s. I have seen collegians who booked their orders in Archie’s gallery or Hallmark shops for him. It was the time when every collegian use to past the poster of pop icon in their room. The word ‘den’ was very popular on those days when boys use to call their study room as their ‘den’.  Those were the last days of cassettes. Collegians use to fill or buy new albums of George Michael with zeal to join his legion. Boy-bands like BACKSTREET BOYS, BOYZONE and many others have opened their online accessory shops by following the footsteps of George Michael.

George Michael always stood rock high for his soul turning lyrics, his songs like ‘praying for time, kissing a fool, faith, waiting for that day and faith’ has modern day imagery and similes. His lyrics talked about everyday life and narrated the niche problems and complexes of youngsters. Every youngster found a cozy corner to listen his songs. This pacified their innermost feelings. George Michael never used any biblical or heavy literary terminologies. He always created metaphors out of modern day objects.

George Michael enriched the last two decade and left many memories with us. We will remember and recall him for his music and the modern day imagery. George Michael’s controversial songs kissing a fool, faith, outside, fast love, I want your sex, and somebody to love are the best example of outcry of post-modernism.  In coming years George Michael’s songs will read as a paragon of post-modernism.

George Michael who cut short his life at 53 will always be remember for his ‘Last Christmas’ 

The Art of TRANSLATION

The Art of TRANSLATION

After working in media industry for 15 years and teaching Cinema for 12 years I have come to a conclusion, language cannot be stored in a dictionary.

I differ with the thesaurus, as it claims to give exact synonyms and antonyms. Every word has its own meaning and life. Every person when use any word it has a bit different intentions and it connotes the slightly different.

Every language has a beauty, while using the words; we unfold, manifold or undo the beauty. Today I have chosen a word ‘fool’. Let us see how many synonyms we find for it. We often call a person ‘fool’ for doing something idiotic or a naïve person who is easily tricked.

 Dunce - a person who is slow at learning; a stupid person.

John Duns Scotus a Scottish theologian and scholar his followers were ridiculed by 16th-century humanists and reformers, who referred to them as ‘dunces’.

 ‘Ignoramus’ - was the approval given by a grand jury on the prosecution’s insufficient evidence for to warrant the case going forward. The modern sense of ignoramus reflects the character in George Ruggle’s 1615 comedy Ignoramus, which satirizes the sheer ignorance of lawyers.

Dullard - is an old-fashioned word for a dumb person. Who need to explain on how to sit in a chair, it is also in Middle Dutch word dullaert, from dul (‘dull’).

 Drongo - is a Australian and New Zealand English word, it is insulting like  "idiot" or "stupid fellow". This usage derives from an Australian racehorse of the same name (apparently after the spangled drongo, Dicrurus bracteatus) in the 1920s that never won despite many starts.  According to Merriam Webster it is a stupid or unimaginative person.

 Klutz -it has Yiddish origin klots, meaning ‘wooden block’, klutz refers to someone for clumsy, awkward, or foolish nature.

 Little Witham – it is a pun, several villages in Lincolnshire and Essex called ‘Witham’. Someone from ‘Little Witham’ is credited for their stupidity. ‘Witham’ has been used to refer to someone ‘witless’ or a fool.

Silly Billy - was clown common at fairs in England during the 19th century. It was very common in London as a street entertainer, along with the similar clown Billy Barlow. This depicts an act of a person playing the part of a fool or idiot, impersonating a child and singing comic songs. It is attributed to people named William. According to Urban Dictionary it is strictly speaking a derogatory term.

Nincompoop - a foolish or stupid person. It has a Latin roots,  Latin legal phrase non compos mentis "insane, mentally incompetent" (c.1600), Slang definition A fool or stupid person 

Blockhead - The OED puts it best: ‘A wooden head, a wooden block for hats or wigs; hence, a head with no more intelligence in it than one of these, a blockish head’. Ouch, A foolish person.

Dunderhead – a person how use no brain, or Blockhead. There are many wonderful-sounding words like dunderhead, chucklehead, knucklehead, muttonhead, puddinghead, thickhead, airhead, and pinhead. They all carry same meaning.

Dumbo - a stupid person. This term is made out of dumb + o. It was popularized in the 1950s by the Disney film Dumbo. Poor cartoon elephants!

I have got a referential quote on this occasion, While teaching translation in class, I first make read this quote to my students.

“There is no such thing as a perfect, ideal, or 'correct' translation. A translator is always trying to extend his knowledge and improve his means of expression; he is always pursuing facts and words.”
Peter Newmark, Manual De Traduccion / A Textbook of Translation

When I studied Salman Rushdie for my PG, I came across his following lines,

“The word 'translation' comes, etymologically, from the Latin for 'bearing across'. Having been borne across the world, we are translated men. It is normally supposed that something always gets lost in translation; I cling, obstinately to the notion that something can also be gained.”
Salman Rushdie wrote in Imaginary Homelands: Essays and Criticism 1981-1991

I read books, news paper and compare the news from different press, medium and language. Once I met world renowned linguist Dr. Sumit Paul and he shared what he learned from his mentor Umberto Eco at Oxford. “Translation is the art of failure.” 

Last week when a small girl of 3rd standard asked me on ‘translation’ I explained it to her with the words of Mark Twain “The difference between the right word and the almost right word is really a large matter it’s the difference between lightning and a lightning bug”

Lately when I was doing a research on the propaganda, I dug out the WWI and WWII propaganda strategies. I find out the lines of Friedrich Nietzsche, “To use the same words is not a sufficient guarantee of understanding; one must use the same words for the same genus of inward experience; ultimately one must have one’s experiences in common.”

While writing and predicting on US election and European political developments I find out Noam Chomsky aptly wrote on language.  “Language is a process of free creation; its laws and principles are fixed, but the manner in which the principles of generation are used is free and infinitely varied.”

Urdu the sweetest language of subcontinent, Urdu has its three ‘F’ Faiz, Firaq & Faiz who rules Urdu literature. Ahemad Faraz , Faiz Ahmad & Firaq Gorakhpuri.  Faiz Ahmad once said on translation, “The first rule of translation: make sure you know at least one of the bloody languages!”

To call it a day, I would love to share couple of proverbs

Russian Proverb - a “Translation is like a woman: if she is faithful, she is not beautiful; if she is beautiful, she is not faithful.”

Italian Proverb - “Translator, traitor.”

Cinema of Woody Allen

Cinema of Woody Allen

“To love is to suffer. ... Therefore, to love is to suffer; not to love is to suffer; to suffer is to suffer. To be happy is to love. To be happy, then, is to suffer, but suffering makes one unhappy.”  Woody Allen

Woody Allen at 81 and perhaps counted in few intellect US film directors today celebrating his birthday.

Woody Allen, who has niche audience; in one of his interview from UK Guardian he said, “My intention was people would pay their money and have some kind of human experience.” 

Woody Allen started his career as a comedian in1950s, wrote jokes and scripts for television and publishing books. In 1960s, Allen began explored his hand in stand-up comedy, this world of comedy shaped his persona of an insecure, intellectual, fretful nebbish.

Allen started writing and directing films in 1960s, So far he has directed over 40 films are Annie Hall (1977), Manhattan (1979), and Hannah and Her Sisters (1986). In 2007 he said Stardust Memories (1980), The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985), and Match Point (2005) were his best films.  Critic Roger Ebert described Allen as "a treasure of the cinema."

Allen won four Academy Awards: three for Best Original Screenplay and one for Best Director (Annie Hall). He also won nine British Academy of Film and Television Arts Awards. His screenplay for Annie Hall was named the funniest screenplay by the Writers Guild of America in its list of the "101 Funniest Screenplays."  In 2011, PBS televised the film biography, Woody Allen: A Documentary, on the American Masters TV series.

I remember his film Melinda and Melinda, I watched all his film in theaters or archives but this film was very rare to his fans. This film did not make a good fortune on box office and fetched no awards to him. I was curious to watch this film as this film is a discussion about life, the 4 people who sit on dining table talk about a fictitious character Melinda and takes her life ahead, one say, life is a comedy and show Melinda journey it turnout to be a black comedy and one say life is a tragedy and shows Melina journey but it turns out to be comedy. They conclude, ‘it is our perception what matters and not the situation’.  

 “I'm probably more interested in eternal human feelings and conflicts. If I make a good film, it will always be good. The same feelings and problems will persist 5000 years from now. Like the Greek tragedies which still touch us today, which still work.”

Woody Allen SPIGEL TV interview June 20, 2005 

It was the first time when I searched all VCD stores of town and accidently got the VCD in gray market. It proved to be a trove for me. Today on the birthday of Woody Allen I am offering my greeting through this article. I am sure he will touch 100 if not 150 and he will make more film which talks on life.

Donald Trump’s presidential campaign and people behind it

Donald Trump’s presidential campaign and people behind it

Finally Donald Trump, the blustery billionaire businessman, has become the US President.

Americans head to the polls in November; they need to choose between Trump and the Democratic Party’s nominee Hilary. They have chosen the opinion of various people who shared the view about these candidates. Understanding a candidate they studied and analyzed their history, nature, capacity and the future consequential decisions will be made from the White House.

When it comes to Trump, a man with no political experience and a guy of ever-changing platform, it’s hard to know what Trump really thinks. It becomes important who are the people he is surrounded with. They may have influential role in dictating policy.

Roger Stone - Who is he? He is “Campaign confidante,” “long-time ally,” “closest political advisor”. He may not have any direct relation now but Stone has built his reputation on controversy and dirty tricks.  It is interesting to see how he created the atmosphere for Trump. In 2008, he created an anti-Hillary Clinton group called C.U.N.T., Stone later said that he could not think of a good acronym for B.I.T.C.H.

He came close to Trump in 2012, after Trump raised crusade to question the validity of President Obama’s birth certificate and citizenship. Stone called the accusations “brilliant. We can call it ‘base building’.

Steve Mnuchin -The Chairman of investment company Dune Capital Management, become campaign’s finance chair last week. If we dig a history then we find him as one of the most notorious bankers in America.  He is known for the foreclosure of loans.  It reflects an extreme mentality of profit at all costs.

Corey Lewandowski - The much famous person among Trump’s campaign staff, Corey Lewandowski came into light this year when he grabbed a Breitbart reporter by the Army and Police charged him with misdemeanor battery, but a court lately said he would not be prosecuted.

Lewandowski served as campaign manager but known as a politico who is known for his sexist and racist behavior.  During this campaign he made sexually suggestive and at times vulgar comments for female journalists who have covered Trump’s presidential bid.”

Carter Page -A former investment banker and one of Trump’s foreign policy advisers. He is currently working in Global Energy Capital as managing partner. He was previously a fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations.

Edward Klein - The journalist-turned-gossip columnist Edward Klein was recently spotted dining with Trump at a campaign stop in Indiana. Klein claims he’s known Trump “for 35 years.

Klein is a self proclaimed best penman to run smearing campaign against Democratic politicians. He wrote salacious, almost astonishing stories about them. He stories are based on the quotes of anonymous sources.  This raised the questions about his credibility.

We can see some of the Klein’s stories like, “Hillary Clinton was once raped by her husband Bill, and their daughter, Chelsea, was conceived in the rape. Clinton and Obama once got into a physical fight.

Katrina Pierson we can call her the face of the Donald Trump campaign. People watched her talking his words.

Pierson became Trump’s national spokesperson; she is a polarizing figure in Texas politics. We can read her as if she is an activist more interested in self-promotion than in the work of political reporting.

Paul Manafort - He proved to be a task force in Trump campaign for one specific purpose. He made sure Trump secures enough delegates to clinch the nomination at the Republican National Convention this summer.

Carl Paladino - A blustery, rich, white, New York businessman who went with untraditional and offensive rhetoric ways to secure the Republican party nomination.

Paladino is one of the original Tea Party heroes. He made headlines for his outlandish behavior. Lately when campaigning for Trump last month, he called president Obama as “raccoon in the basement.”

Michael Glassner - Trump’s national political director. He was Palin’s top adviser during the 2008 presidential campaign. Glassner is   pro-Israel. In 2014 he told the Journal, “he felt very strongly about the threat of radical Islam.”

Don McGahn – Serving for the The law firm ‘Jones Day’ and  ‘Trump’s principal campaign counsel. He is leading the team.  McGahn is famous for a controversial former FEC commissioner and election lawyer, he is also a bit of an iconoclast.

Hope Hicks - Communications director for Donald Trump holds a famously low profile. This 27-year-old public relations professional had never worked on a political campaign now she is a person addressing journalists covering Trump’s White House bid.

Hicks handled Trump’s controversial Twitter feed; in that she takes dictation of Trump when he’s talking about something, then sends his thoughts to someone else in Trump’s circle to take it further.

Joseph Schmitz - Schmitz was Pentagon as Defense Department inspector general under President George W. Bush to investigate waste, fraud and abuse.  He is the author of “Sharia: The Threat to America” for the Center for Security Policy, same widely-criticized organization that provided the poll information cited in Trump’s Muslim ban proposal.

Sam Clovis - Sam Clovis is handling Trump campaign’s national co-chair and senior policy adviser after former Texas Gov.

In Iowa, Clovis was known as a college professor and radio host. Being a host he commented on Obama’s racial makeup would make it difficult to impeach him.

Daniel Scavino Jr- He is, Trump’s director of social media. He worked with executive vice president and general manager at the Trump Organization until 2013.  Scavino used defensive and often offensive   tweets to attack politicians, GOP presidential candidates, Mitt Romney, and Hillary Clinton.

Gen. Keith Kellogg - Keith Kellogg is a Trump’s foreign policy adviser. He spends his post retiring time for national defense contracting firms, including CACI international.

Kellogg   had a brief stint in Iraq as CEO of the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) but the CPA is largely judged as a failure. During CPA tenure Kellogg served under L. Paul Bremer, who is widely accounted for dissolution of the Iraqi Army and this fuel insurgency in Iraq. It is the key factor in the formation of ISIS.

Ben Carson - Former Republican presidential candidate and retired neurosurgeon endorsed Trump and became a part of his close circle, stood beside him at press conferences. He changed his once negative tone about the real estate mogul Trump.

Carson played many controversial moves, includes claim  that women  abortions are like slaveholders, Obama care is the worst thing since slavery, and  Americans should not elect a Muslim to the presidency.

George Papadopoulos - he is Trump’s foreign policy advisers- who wrote  few op-eds for Israeli news sites — focuses on natural gas in the Mediterranean region.

Papadopoulos advised Ben Carson during his presidential bid, and is the director at the Center for International Energy and Natural Resources Law & Security at the London Center of International Law Practice. He previously worked as a research fellow at the conservative Hudson Institute.

Walid Phares - Trump chosen Phares as a foreign policy advisor, He’s a counter-terrorism expert.” He worked for Mitt Romney in 2012, and a frequent guest of Fox News. He is known for a conspicuous hawk for stoking fears of radical Islam — particularly about the spread of Sharia law in the United States.

I personally feel US has great future if they work on peace and progress. US economy need revamp of automobile and heavy industry sector. Share markets all over the world are uncontrollably moving. They need a confidence.

Brexit has weakened the Euro, the other countries have started creating a noise and their voice has to be herd. The generation who is watching will witness a major change and this change is going to shape our personal, private and social life.  

9/11 has changed the perception of civilization. Afghanistan war made things worse and Iraqi war changed the tread equations. Paris attacks shook the Europe. Jasmin revolution used the social media but threw the fascist power of six nations.

Surprisingly people from across the globe are becoming more ethnocentric and community oriented. Everybody is living uncertainty. The victory of Trump can give us the hope for better world.