Book reviews - Best Places of Interest

April 26, 2016 Book reviews, Literature/ Art/Music/Education

A review of Nature’s Gift to Humanity

Nature’s Gift to Humanity: Fowl Art II is a collection of prose by Mary Rensberry. She truly feels that in seeking the truth we define ourselves. And in finding the truth we discover ourselves. The following are some lovely quotes from her book

In seeking the truth, we define ourselves.
In finding the truth we discover ourselves.

Observe reactions and behaviours
Living in nature with full conscience
Is living with and in God.

Sometimes making that last leap of faith brings home the prize.
Leap!

Sitting amongst nature is the best remedy of most ills.

In sea of confusion, find something positive in which to focus on. Pretty soon, that confusion will subside.

Life starts with a thought, an impulse.

There are images of fowl art with each quote in this book. She has photographed 100’s of pigeon poop pictures and has quite a collection. In 2010, her first book was published entitled, Fowl Art, and was followed by another one like it in 2015, called Nature’s Gift to Humanity, a collection of prose. She has made a mark on the world just as her bird friends have for centuries upon centuries. She is a ‘Pooptologist‘.

There many more interesting and inspiring quotes in this book.

About the author– Mary Rensberry has also penned 3 books including Fowl Art, Listen, and Wake

e has been a co-author of several children’s books: It’s Black and White (Quick Turtles Rule), The Quick Turtles Go to School, Wake’s Day, and Wake Helps. Enjoy her books and you’ll learn something along the way like she did.

<br />

You could also follow her on maryrensberry.wordpress.com

February 17, 2016 Book reviews, Literature/ Art/Music/Education

Golden Oriole

A beautiful, coloured bird with striking yellow and jet black plumage and fully black wings was perched on the tree outside my window sill. It had camouflaged so effectively amongst the leaves that it is hard to spot. It has this song that alerts everyone around and can be heard over considerable distances.

The female of the species has dull-looking slightly greener colour. They have dark red eyes and a fairly thick, pink beak that is curved downwards at the end. It is a migratory bird and is mainly found throughout Europe and Western Asia. It is scientifically known as Oriolus kundoo and commonly known as Golden Oriole.

ARJNH6 Oriolus oriolus Golden oriole male sitting on a twig Alamy (Image source) — ARJNH6 Oriolus oriolus Golden oriole male sitting on a twig Alamy
(Image source)

The Golden Oriole, as most oriole watchers who study the bird, will surely agree, is the most frustrating, intelligent, beautiful, characterful, acrobatic, brave, diverse, successful and exciting arboreal passerine there is.

A poem on Gold Oriole

A traditional children’s poem from Holland has been translated by Rob Bijlsma:

Going up the country,

Looking for the oriole–

Summer has arrived again,

When calling starts this songster.

Dudeljo resounds his song

Dudeljo and nothing more.

He lives in oakwood dense–

Clad in golden dress.

Sparks our hearts with happiness,

When yodeling his shawm.

Dudeljo resounds his song

Dudeljo and nothing more.

Golden Oriole’s diet and prey

It eats the most diverse range of invertebrates, from minuscule beetles to large bush crickets, locusts, large hairy caterpillars and worms. They also pluck fruits of the branches.

A number of the prey items on which orioles feed have pest status, making the oriole a welcome bird in many situations.

Indian Golden Oriole

Golden Oriole’s distribution and habitat

Golden Oriole is found across the Palearctic region, from Western Europe to Siberia, in much of Africa, and in Asia from India through Southwest Asia to China and Japan. They are scattered throughout the Philippines, Indonesia and into the Northern Australia and down the east coast. The main four species in addition to Eurasian Golden Oriole are Indian Golden Oriole, African Golden Oriole, Slender-billed Oriole and Black-naped Oriole.

The Golden Oriole (Poyser Monographs)by Mason, Paul Allsop, Jake has amazing illustrations and photos of Golden Oriole. The cover photo is also good. The book is an interesting read about the Golden Oriole. There are specific chapters dedicated to their habitat in Britain, Europe and North Africa, habitats in other parts of the breeding range, the special case of Kazakhstan.

The authors are the Secretary and Chairman of the Golden Oriole group. They are at the forefront of the successful battle to save the orioles’ last breeding area, Lakenheath in Suffolk, from deforestation. Chapter 2 is specifically dedicated to this, The story of Lakenheath and the Golden Oriole Group.

In the later chapters, there is a great detail of the biology of this beautiful species, their breeding biology, feeding ecology, evolution, migration and conservation.

The Golden Oriole is an absolute must for a bird watcher as the author’s expertise provides you with all the information you could want.

Image source: Independent

February 2, 2016 Book reviews, Literature/ Art/Music/Education

‘Across the Chicken Neck-Travels in Northeast India’

The book Across the Chicken Neck: Travels in Northeast India written by Nandita Haksar is a fascinating read. The author travels to different places and narrates in detail about their culture, and their past. The information given here is not available in history books that are part of our education. It is a comprehensive study of the understanding of people’s life in this region. It makes you contemplate and gives a voice to struggles of the people living in the Northeast region.

A travelogue with one of the best political writing. She uses mythology, history, sociology and anecdote to create an exhaustive portrait of Northeast India.

Travel writing is among my favorite forms of non-fiction. In the beginning, it appears to be simple but there is much depth as she progresses and you get drawn into this region which she knows so well. Her narrative is simple. Haksar was first exposed to the Northeast in 1974 when she visited as a journalist.

Nandita in her words and I quote:

This is the story of my journey, an Indian traveling through a part of the country where so many people share a citizenship but dream of different nations.”

In her chapter Through Nepal, she mentions about a place called Lumbini:

Lumbini is the birthplace of Buddha. But over the years, Lumbini had been forgotten and Maya Devi, Buddha’s mother, had been absorbed into Hindu fold. Even the name Lumbini disappeared from the memories of people. They called the village Rummindei which in time became Rupandehi.

The above is just one example of Buddhism. You come across many other descriptions about Buddhism which make this book, fascinating to read.

The book Across the Chicken Neck: Travels in Northeast India by Nandita Haksar (Unabridged, 1 Nov 2013) Hardcover is a narration of exciting, at times tiring, chilling experiences of the lone couple journey from Delhi traversing up and down the Eastern Himalayan mountains and back to Delhi.

The cover design is attractive and showcases her travel a journey in the Northeast region. There is an absence of good roadmap which is important for readers to connect with the author on her journey.

Nandita Haskar is a human rights lawyer, teacher, activist, and writer. Her other works include Demystification of Law for Women (1986); Framing Geelani, Hanging Afzal: Patriotism in the Time of Terror (2009); Rogue Agent: How India’s Military Intelligence Betrayed the Burmese Resistance (2010); The Judgement That Never Came: Army Rule in North East India (with Sebastian Hongray, 2011); ABC of Naga Culture and Civilization (2011) and Across the Chicken Neck: Travels in North East India (2013). Her books have been translated into several languages, including Burmese, Tamil and Tangkhul.

December 30, 2015 Book reviews, Literature/ Art/Music/Education, Weekly photo challenge

Power of NOW

I recently came across this book, The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment by Eckhart Tolle as I was going through my book collections. The book is enlightening. It is beautifully written. Eckhart Tolle introduces us with his story. A story of early depression and despair that resulted in a wonderful experience of awakening one night not long after his birthday. Here is what he states:

I opened my eyes. The first light of dawn was filtering through the curtains. Without any thought, I felt, I knew that there is infinitely more to light than we realise……… Everything was fresh and pristine, as if it had just come into existence… I walked around the city in utter amazement at the miracle of life on earth, as if I had just been born into this world.

The book originated in response to questions asked by individuals in seminars, meditation classes and private counselling sessions. The book has dialogues which alternate between two levels. The first one, the nature of human unconsciousness and dysfunction as well as its most common behavioural manifestations, from the conflict in relationships to wars between tribes and nations. This he states as ‘false’ in you. Unless you acknowledge this there can be no transformation and you could end up into illusion and pain. The second level is of the profound transformation of human consciousness not as distant future but of now- no matter who you are or where you are. The following is as he states this:

The words are not always concerned with information but designed to draw you into this new consciousness as you read. I endeavour to take you with me into that timeless state of intense conscious presence in the Now, so as to give you the taste of enlightenment…I believe you will realise that they contain a great deal of spiritual power and they may become for you the most rewarding parts of this book. Every person carries the seed of enlightenment within, I often address myself to the knower in you who dwells behind the thinker, the deeper self that immediately recognises the spiritual truth, resonates with it, and gains strength from it.

In chapter 1, he explains Enlightenment. Here is what he has to say:

The word enlightenment conjures up the idea of some superhuman accomplishment and the ego likes to keep it that way, but it is simply your natural state of felt oneness with Being. A state of connectedness with something immeasurable and indestructible, essentially you and yet is much greater than you. It is finding your true nature beyond name and form. The inability to feel this connectedness gives rise to the illusion of separation, from yourself and from the world around you…. Fear arises and conflict within and without becomes the norm.

He further states that:

Enlightenment is a state of wholeness of being, at one and therefore at peace. At one with life in its manifested aspect… Enlightenment is not only the end of suffering and of continuous conflict within and without, but also the end of the dreadful enslavement to incessant thinking.

https://www.eckharttolle.com/about/eckhart/ — Eckhart Tolle

This book contains important lessons about how to live in the present and dissociate from your mind and ego.

I shall conclude with his own words about the Power of Now:

Only through accessing the power of Now, which is your own power, can there be true forgiveness. This renders the past powerless, and you realise deeply that nothing you ever did or that was ever done to you could touch even in the slightest the radiant essence of who you are. The whole concept of forgiveness then becomes unnecessary.

When you surrender to what is and so become fully present, the past ceases to have any power. You do not need it anymore. Presence is the key. The Now is the key.

Nothing has happened in the past; it happened in the Now. Nothing will ever happen in the future; it will happen Now.

The book makes you rethink about the purpose of life and to live in the now. You cannot control what is going to happen.

It is one of my favourite books and often refer to it as it transforms your thinking.

*/ This post is also inspired by WPC Now take a moment to notice your now, and share a photo of it. Perhaps it is something imperfect, or mundane, or under-appreciated. /*

<br />

Image source – Eckhart Tolle