Of Gulmohars and Kaners and Other Stories


Book Description

Of Gulmohars and Kaners is the first work of fiction by the author which paints on a canvas, the geographical boundaries that extend from the Indian subcontinent to Europe to Greece and to Turkey. These pan global settings subtly convey the idea that while human emotions cannot be fathomed and scanned even by the most powerful equipment, it’s only the creative writer who can get under the skin of the characters and lay bare what goes on in a single human heart. The twenty stories—each a unique blend of intricacies of human life and labyrinths of the human mind—will keep you riveted throughout the evening. From intrigue to insinuation; from passion to perdition, the stories and microfiction in this collection represent the myriad shades of human emotions revolving around a single action which in no way is linear. While some of the stories carry the proverbial twist or sting in the tail, others portray with clinical precision the pain and tragedy of human existence. But the heterogeneity doesn’t end there. Just when the reader is in a sombre mood, contemplating the fate of a protagonist, the author will surprise you with a totally different genre.




Gulam Mandi


Book Description

Gulam Mandi revolves around the life of its two protagonists – Kalyani and Janki. It makes one travel through the horrible, fraught and turbulent world of human trafficking wherein innocent children and women are entrapped, sold and forced into flesh trade by a well-knit network of mafia gangs. In its quintessential, the story brings forth the myriad colours of human nature – hate, rejection, betrayal, apathy, ecstasy, opportunism, pure love, sex, expectation, trust, empathy, hope, rejuvenation and so on. Kalyani, a beauty queen, fears ageing and childbirth and is jealous of her own young daughter. Janki, who comes from an oppressed class and had a turbulent childhood, faces rejection from a few people, but finds shelter in Kalyani and Gautam, but, of late, destiny plays its tryst with her life. Finally, she finds solace in Mohan. It portrays the uneven world of the exploitors, who usurp and violate the victims, and the victims who are the sufferers and cannot normally escape the clutches of their perpetrators to rebuild their life. It also brings into limelight the pity world of hijras, the victims social apathy and prejudice, and their sexual exploitation at the hands of many. Here is a clarion call to the society on the ills that it has been afflicted with! About the Author Nirmala Bhuradia Nirmala Bhuradia (b.1960) is an Indian journalist and writer who writes in Hindi and English. She has published nine books in Hindi. She is Features and Literature Editor and Syndicated Columnist at Naidunia, one of India’s most widely read Hindi daily. She is a winner of many prizes and awards. She can be contacted at .




Liquid Biofuels


Book Description

Compiled by a well-known expert in the field, Liquid Biofuels provides a profound knowledge to researchers about biofuel technologies, selection of raw materials, conversion of various biomass to biofuel pathways, selection of suitable methods of conversion, design of equipment, selection of operating parameters, determination of chemical kinetics, reaction mechanism, preparation of bio-catalyst: its application in bio-fuel industry and characterization techniques, use of nanotechnology in the production of biofuels from the root level to its application and many other exclusive topics for conducting research in this area. Written with the objective of offering both theoretical concepts and practical applications of those concepts, Liquid Biofuels can be both a first-time learning experience for the student facing these issues in a classroom and a valuable reference work for the veteran engineer or scientist. The description of the detailed characterization methodologies along with the precautions required during analysis are extremely important, as are the detailed description about the ultrasound assisted biodiesel production techniques, aviation biofuels and its characterization techniques, advance in algal biofuel techniques, pre-treatment of biomass for biofuel production, preparation and characterization of bio-catalyst, and various methods of optimization. The book offers a comparative study between the various liquid biofuels obtained from different methods of production and its engine performance and emission analysis so that one can get the utmost idea to find the better biofuel as an alternative fuel. Since the book covers almost all the field of liquid biofuel production techniques, it will provide advanced knowledge to the researcher for practical applications across the energy sector. A valuable reference for engineers, scientists, chemists, and students, this volume is applicable to many different fields, across many different industries, at all levels. It is a must-have for any library.




Amma's Daughters


Book Description

"As a precocious young girl, Surekha knew very little about the details of her mother Amma's unusual past and that of Babu, her mysterious and sometimes absent father. The tense, uncertain family life created by her parents' distant and fractious marriage and their separate ambitions informs her every action and emotion. Then one evening, in a moment of uncharacteristic transparency and vulnerability, Amma tells Surekha and her older sister Didi of the family tragedy that changed the course of her life. Finally, the daughters begin to understand the source of their mother's deep commitment to the Indian nationalist movement and her seemingly unending willingness to sacrifice in the name of that pursuit. In this re-memory based on the published and unpublished work of Amma and Surekha, Meenal Shrivastava, Surekha's daughter, uncovers the history of the female foot soldiers of Gandhi's national movement in the early twentieth century. As Meenal weaves these written accounts together with archival research and family history, she gives voice and honour to the hundreds of thousands of largely forgotten or unacknowledged women who, threatened with imprisonment for treason and sedition, relentlessly and selflessly gave toward the revolution."--




Rohinton Mistry's Fiction: A Postmodern Approach


Book Description

When the Parsees embarked upon a journey, fearing execution, from the mighty and ancient empire of Persia little did they realize that the journey would lead them to the shores of a little known town of Sanjan in Surat in 717 A.D. What they also failed to anticipate was that one day this potent race would be standing on the verge of extinction. The journey has been a long one marred with issues concerning culture, religion, social set up and questions pertaining to identity, history, belongingness, etc. A lot was left behind, a lot was lost enroute and whatever is left needs to be preserved and conserved with utmost concern. Does the microcosm to which the Parsee characters of Rohinton Mistry's Fiction belong, capable enough to represent entire Parsee population and their concerns? Is the approach adopted by the writer holistic or constricted? Will the community regain its pristine glory or will it be consigned to the annals of history? Some of these enigmatic problems the reader should expect to come across as he/she gets on board the expedition to unravel the orphic world of Rohinton Mistry's Fiction.




Some Beautiful Indian Climbers and Shrubs


Book Description

Climbers and shrubs constitute a large and important sector of ornamental horticulture. This authoritative, and sumptuously illustrated guide describes a very wide range of the climbers and shrubs of the Indian subcontinent, with notes on distribution and gardening. Besides the 31 colour and 99 monochrome plates, there are line drawings of the stem, leaves and flowers of all the 154 species treated. The book is designed to be useful not only to gardeners and nature enthusiasts but to botanists as well. Besides general descriptions, detailed botanical descriptions are also provided.




Introduction to Floriculture


Book Description

Introduction to Floriculture provides an introduction to commercial floriculture, containing information on major and minor greenhouse and field crops, and includes potted plants and cut flowers. The book is organized into two parts. Part I on cut flowers discusses the history and propagation of chrysanthemums, carnations, roses, snapdragons, orchids, gladiolus, and minor cut crops. Part II on potted plants includes bulbous plants, azaleas, pot mums, African violets, poinsettias, and Easter lilies. This book was written for students who have been exposed to a sufficient number of biology courses to acquaint them with many of the terms and plant processes discussed in the text. It would be beneficial if they have also taken a course in greenhouse management or are taking one concurrently with their floriculture course. The book can be used by commercial growers who constantly seek more information to enable them to realize maximum gain from the investments of labor, time, and capitol they have placed in this challenging field.







Our Trees


Book Description

Worshiping trees in India goes back to the days when the Vedas were composed and the Puranas written. Destruction of green trees was looked upon with disfavour and planting of trees was considered an act of virtue. These explain the importance attached to trees in this country. This book gives an account of Indian trees, their peculiar characteristics, their utility, their medicinal value and their commercial importance.




Indigenous Forest Management In the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India


Book Description

This book offers an extensive study of indigenous communities in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India, and their methods of forest conservation, along with an exploration of the impact of forestry operations in the islands and the wide scale damage they have incurred on both the land and the people. Through an in-depth analysis of the contrasting indigenous practices and governmental forestry schemes, the author has compared the modern ‘Joint Forest Management’ resolution with the ethos and practices of the indigenous people of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Throughout the book, readers will learn about the different indigenous communities inhabiting these islands and the treasure of knowledge each of them provide on forest conservation. The book establishes that the notion of knowledge is politicized by the dominant culture in the context of Andaman’s forest tribes, and traces how this denial of the existence of indigenous knowledge by government officials has led to reduced forest area in the region. The book also explores and analyses strategies to utilize and conserve the tribes' profound knowledge of the biodiversity of the islands and study their efforts towards forest conservation, protection and rejuvenation.