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theStack DISTILLING IDEAS FOR

MORE PRODUCTIVE LIFE
THE BARABANKI NARCOS The new book 52 Red Pills is a corporate couple’s
By Aloke Lal; Hachette; 190 pages; 350. hyper-learning journey of combining ancient
wisdom and modern research
“Among the many long dark shadows that British trading practices
cast on the world is their unethical exploitation of a weed (opium) WHAT HAPPENS when a corporate couple decides to
that originated in Turkey and, sometime in the 17th bring their minds and efforts together to share their
century, found its way to the fields of Bengal...It hyper-learning journey with the world? They embark
would not be incorrect to conclude that the onus for on a magnificent adventure to distil ideas around
introducing opium smuggling to the world actually leading more productive and healthier lives.
rests on Britain.” That’s the rather ominous opening of This journey — which started as a couple’s con-
this book by Aloke Lal, who served in the Indian Police versation on New Years’ Eve of 2018 — turned into a
Service (IPS) for 37 years, retiring as Uttarakhand’s national phenomenon that led Eika and Siddharth
Director General of Police (DGP), and covers the period Banerjee to meet diverse experts and specialists
when he was the Superintendent of Police of Bara- from the fields of science, art, sports, medicine, and
banki district in Uttar Pradesh at time when it was a ancient wisdom.
hotbed of opium smuggling. In India, legal cultivation of opium can Eika and Siddharth’s 52RedPills is an inspiration
only be done on behalf of the government and all possible pilfer to readers who have overscheduled and frenzied
points are seemingly covered by a stringent law “but the reality is lifestyles. Written as a practical guide, this book helps
that the farmers, in collusion with the authorities, manage to slip you introspect and makes you eager to know more
some of the opium into a parallel illegal channel,” Lal writes. about the different walks
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- of life. By the end of it, you
will be motivated to craft
RAMANAND SAGAR - AN EPIC LIFE your own ‘52RedPills’ journey
By Prem Sagar; Westland; 277 pages; 699. towards a healthier, wealthier
and wiser you.
He started as a clapper boy in the silent movie “Raid- “When faced with a
ers of the Rail Road” in 1936 and peaked on January situation, both of us would
25, 1987 when Doordarshan telecast the first epi- always seek to enquire, learn,
sode of “Ramayan”. In the weeks to come, the series distil and then act (wisely or
became a national obsession, roads emptied out and unwisely so), rather than wait
no marriages or political rallies were scheduled. More to get answers from some-
than three decades later, there has been nothing to where or to follow an existing
match it. “I cannot express the emotions that came paradigm,” the authors write.
across while penning down the book. Throughout my So, how did they take their
father’s years in journalism and as an author of stories, as a direc- journey of self-learning “into
tor of stage plays and films, his role as a producer and director of the next orbit”?
big blockbusters were all a step towards his final goal of bringing By embarking on a “52 Weeks Learning Chal-
‘Ramayana’ to television viewers throughout the world. The book is lenge”, ambitiously penning down a long list of 63
my putra dharma,” Prem Sagar said at its launch. actions or subjects they would cover across the 52
--------------------------------------------------------------------------- weeks of 2018, encompassing a vast gamut of ideas
and themes, from the art of making fine coffee to
A DOMINANT CHARACTER mind maps, from how billionaires think or how pro-
By Samanth Subramanian; Simon & Schuster; 378 pages; 799 marathoners train, from mindfulness to ‘muay thai’
(kickboxing) and from ancient medicine practices to
A brilliant geneticist, risky scientist passionate but morally blind- cutting-edge technology.
sided crusader for justice, possible spy and a human being with To make all this possible in a disciplined manner,
uncommon energy and zest for life, J.B.S. Haldane “had a voice, and they had to ruthlessly prioritise their time, given their
he used it — used it all time, in fact, used it so much that it won him demanding corporate roles and the need to spend
trouble, used it so much that it seemed he was put leisure time with their two daughters as well as family
on earth expressly for the purpose”, the Cambridge- and friends. “Hence, we drew up a ‘Sacrifice List’ that
based writer and journalist says in this book, which is basically axed certain activities to make time for this
also a subtle analysis of the entanglement of science weekly discipline of self-learning. Binge-watching
and politics. Haldane “ushered people into the deep, shows and movies on Netflix was now a thing of the
elegant mysteries of science. Before him, Darwin past. We even cut down on attending corporate par-
had broken down the supposition that humans were ties to once a week. And so on,” the authors explain.
separate from nature; he had shown that the secrets Towards the end of the year, “you will have your
of human existence had to be sought not in theol- own 52 RedPills journey compilation, filled with
ogy, but in biology. Haldane became a Darwanian shared experiences and wonderful memories to keep
preacher, leading his tribe through this new search. you company as you evolve yourself”.

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