DiscoverPrem Rao : Stories from a Story Teller
Prem Rao : Stories from a Story Teller
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Prem Rao : Stories from a Story Teller

Author: Prem Rao

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To write a lot, you need to read a lot! I am fond of reading so I love exploring different kinds of books, fiction as well as non-fiction.
So, here you have me- a writer- speak on writing. On my blogs and books ( published or otherwise), and on the blogs and books I read.
Also, my take on what's making news!
84 Episodes
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A "must read" for Hindus all over the world! Dr Anand Ranganathan explains in his meticulously researched book that far from being the "Fascist Majority in a Hindu Rashtra" Hindus in India are really victims of wrongs that have been followed for decades -even after Independence in 1947. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/prem-rao9/message
Even to this day, over 75 years after India gained freedom from British Rule, one of the architects of the fight for freedom, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, remains shrouded in mystery. This book by Maj. Gen. M K Paul, Indian Army (Retd), about one of the greatest sons of India, is a captivating and informative account of the life and times of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. Many books, especially biographies and books on history, leave the reader with a feeling of "What If?" This book too made me wonder what if things had been different. I would highly recommend this book, for those – especially amongst our youth – who are interested in Indian history, military history and biography. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/prem-rao9/message
One of the most fascinating books about the Second World War. A collection of essays that covers the entire duration of the War from how it started in 1939 to how it ended in 1945. Personal accounts from those who lived through the events described intersperse the contributions from well-known historians and scholars. This makes the book all the more readable and interesting.  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/prem-rao9/message
Andrew Lownie's 2019 book is an eye opener on the lives of two people who were very much in the public eye for most of the 20th century in Britain:  Lord Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, and his wife, Edwina, Countess Mountbatten of Burma. Lownie writes about aspects of their lives which were not commonly known.  We follow Mountbatten's career in the Royal Navy from 1916 to 1947, then his tenure as the last British Viceroy of India (1947) and how he resumed his naval career till he became the First Sea Lord in 1955. Edwina, in her own right, was one of the richest women in the world. Ever since they got married in 1922, the Mountbattens were seen as a glamourous couple, members of high society and close to British Royalty. They lived at a time when the British Empire was at it peak and lived long enough to see the Empire collapse after the Second World War. As the title suggests, this book covers their marriage and the many love affairs they had in the course of a long life together.   --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/prem-rao9/message
Wouldn't you like to write better? May be you aren’t able to make time for writing, may be you are not satisfied with your output, or may be you are not motivated to write as you once were. Here I share my thoughts and those of some famous writers to budding and seasoned writers alike. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/prem-rao9/message
We got the opportunity to listen to many talented writers speak about their books and work on Day 2 of the XI Bangalore Literature Festival, 2022.  I was delighted to interview authors Raghu and Pushpa Plat on their new historical novel, " Destiny's Child" in one of the sessions today. A most enjoyable experience.  My mind goes back to the inaugural #BlrLitFest held in 2012 which I had attended. One can see how the Festival has grown from strength to strength over the years.  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/prem-rao9/message
The Bangalore Literature Festival held on December 3 and 4, 2022 drew a galaxy of writers who spoke about their books and related subjects. In this podcast, I share my take on the some of the sessions I enjoyed on Day 1, December 3.  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/prem-rao9/message
My impressions of the XIth edition of the Bangalore Literature Festival held on December 3 and 4, 2022.  Over two warm winter days, the bibliophiles of Bengaluru, where I live, enjoyed attending the Bangalore Literature Festival- one of the premier literature festivals in India. We were fortunate to listen to a galaxy of authors and speakers who spoke of their books, and topics related to literature and the arts. This is the first of my podcasts on the Bangalore Literature Festival, 2022. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/prem-rao9/message
This book is about TCS- one of India's greatest success stories in the world of business. It is the first in a series to be called The Shapers of Business Institutions building on the authors’ theme that Shapers of Institutions are institution builders in the true sense of the term. They are several notches above the conventional leaders of organisations. The book lays considerable emphasis on the role of Shapers in organisational building, instilling values, and shaping careers of employees in them for the long term sustainability and growth of the institution. The Shapers discussed are Mr F C Kohli and Mr S Ramadorai of TCS who between them ran the organisation for 40 years. Today all of us know TCS as a giant- with revenues of $25 billion, operating in 150 locations in 46 countries with over 600,000 employees world wide. The book traces the journey of this institution since it began in a very small scale as a division of Tata Sons in 1969. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/prem-rao9/message
This book tells the absorbing story of a remarkable lady, Parukutty Neithyaramma, set in the kingdom of Cochin in the South of India in the first part of the 20th century. She was the Consort to the reigning King - Raja Rama Varma XVI- whom she had married when she was just 14. He was then the Heir Apparent and aged 31 at that time. He was struck by her strong personality and character. Over the years, Parukutty demonstrated an unquenchable thirst for knowledge, an inquisitiveness to learn and understand the finer points of statecraft and she remained fiercely possessive. Raja Rama Varma XI reigned for 18 years till his death in 1932. During these years, the British ruled most of India directly and had a strong influence on the courts of the princely states. How Parukutty broke many social barriers, thought far ahead of her times, and countered the moves of the British is covered in this book. She espoused the nationalist movement but stepped down from the limelight when she ceased to be the Ruler’s Consort following the demise of her husband,  The authors - Raghu and Pushpa Palat-are prolific writers. They use their ability to describe minute detail to great advantage in telling an interesting story of people, places, and palaces.  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/prem-rao9/message
The Indo-China Conflict in the winter of 1962 thrashed many reputations and left a deep scar on millions of Indians including me. There have been many books written over the decades on the infamous events of those tumultuous days. Shiv Kunal Verma's " 1962: The War That Wasn't" is, in my opinion, the most objective of the lot. It is, I feel, a "must read" for students of military history and politics. After all, isn't it often said that those who don't learn from history are likely to make the same mistakes all over again? Today's world and India's circumstances are vastly different from our position in 1962, but it is worth remembering how expensive mistakes can result in loss of life, considerable hardship to the men defending our borders, and an irreparable harm to reputations built over years!  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/prem-rao9/message
This is the heart warming and inspiring story of Lt Col Ajit V Bhandarkar, Shaurya Chakra, of the 18 th Battalion (Mysore) of The Madras Regiment of the Indian Army. He was killed in action in October 1999 while serving with the 25 Rashtriya Rifles in the Poonch area of Jammu & Kashmir. He was the second in command of his battalion and volunteered to lead a Quick Response Team  when intelligence gathered indicated that some terrorists had infiltrated into Indian territory. He killed three of them before he succumbed to grievous injurious sustained in the gun battle with the fourth infiltrator. He was awarded the Shaurya Chakra for his courage and exemplary leadership.  Putting behind her deep personal sorrow at her loss, Mrs Bhandarkar has written this book to share her husband's story with the public at large. She hopes through this book to create greater awareness, particularly among many civilians who know little or nothing about life in the Defence Services, and what it means to be an Army wife. The book traces the life of Col Bhandarkar, a fine officer and gentleman whose memory is held dear by many who knew him and worked with him during his service to the nation.  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/prem-rao9/message
My personal tribute to a close friend whom I knew for 63 years! Many knew him as a film personality- an actor, a director etc but I remember him most from our schooldays together at The Lawrence School, Lovedale in the beautiful Nilgiri Hills in Tamilnadu in India.  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/prem-rao9/message
A definitive biography of a man who is always in the news these days- Elon Musk. Most recently, his bid of $44 billion to buy Twitter hit the headlines the world over. Such a move is not unexpected of Musk. When you read this book by Ashlee Vance titled, " "Elon Musk: Tesla, Space X and the Quest for a Fantastic Future" you will understand why! From his earliest start up to his growth as an entrepreneur and now a business leader, this book gives you deep insight into the man himself and his innovative approaches to business. His risk taking abilities have inspired awe. His vision for the future have only a few parallels, if at all. This book is a must read for anyone who aspires to be a business owner, entrepreneur or business leader.  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/prem-rao9/message
" A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership" by James Comey is a comprehensive account of his professional life, especially as the 7th Director of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation. He was appointed to this office by President George W Bush in 2013. The author shares his views on key personalities he came across in the Bush administration and later in the Obama administration.  He was the FBI Director when the high profile Hillary Clinton email case was investigated. He continued as FBI Director under the new Trump administration until he was unceremoniously fired by President Donald J Trump in May 2017.  In this book, Mr Comey who served for decades in the US Department of Justice in various capacities gives his views on basic tenets of ethics and leadership. He gives examples of what he believes are good and bad leadership.  An interesting book that gives the reader deep insights into the complexities of holding high office, especially in times of crisis.  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/prem-rao9/message
They say that writing short stories calls for special skills on the part of the writer. Not every writer can do this with the elegance of Jhumpa Lahiri, who excels in this form of writing. "Unaccustomed Earth" is a collection of eight short stories, written in her distinctive style. All of them have characters who are immigrants to the United States. They speak of the many issues that they face as immigrants and how they have to cope with them. This is short story writing at its best!  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/prem-rao9/message
The story of a middle class girl from Chennai, India who made it to the top echelons of corporate America. The story of Indra Nooyi- former Chair and CEO of PepsiCo in her own words. An inspirational account of her life, and the challenges she faced in reaching the highest pinnacles of the business world in the United States.  A story told with candor and simplicity, it reflects her world view and personality to the full. Highly recommended for students of business and practicing professionals- the world over.  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/prem-rao9/message
Styled after the iconic, "Humans of New York" by Brandon Stanton, Karishma Mehta's "Humans of Bombay" brings you slices of life in India's commercial capital- Bombay, now called Mumbai. Here you meet people from different walks of life, cutting across age, gender, and religion. Each has a story to tell. The delightful pictures that accompany each story add to the warmth of the story, be they just a page in length, or at times a few pages and sometimes just a few sentences!  The stories are interesting, very real and often heart warming. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to see contemporary India as exemplified by life in Bombay, often called The City of Dreams and The City That Never Sleeps.  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/prem-rao9/message
This fast paced book by the British author, Simon Conway, published in January 2017, takes you deep into the world of undercover agents, espionage and terror attacks in locations in the United Kingdom, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.  Conway established his credentials by winning the British Crime Writers Association's  Ian Fleming Steel Dagger Award for the best thriller of the year in 2010. This is one more thriller from him.   As the title suggests, this story is about an operative in Britain's MI 6 called Ed Mallik, responsible for running agents in Pakistan amongst other places. He finds that his best and most useful undercover has been discovered and killed. What follows are his adventures as he goes to Pakistan to find out who killed his invaluable asset.  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/prem-rao9/message
History and World War buffs who love stories about spies and spying will enjoy this book. This is an exciting, visual-rich documentary on the tools of the trade for spies during the Second World War. Coming as it does from The National Archives of the UK, the material is authentic and gives you deep insights into the equipment used by spies. These were specially devised for spies based on field research and user feedback. I must say some of the devices and tools are truly outstanding in their simplicity yet they proved to be so reliable and effective.   --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/prem-rao9/message
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