Mail sent to twistntales@yahoogroups.com today.

Hi all,

Even as board exams begin, and the season for paying taxes is on us, we at twistntales have reasons to celebrate!

As small independent booksellers, we have hiccupped, struggled, and slowly but surely taken a foothold in the reader’s mind in our neighbourhood. This has been largely due to our now numerous friends in this area and around. Most of you have started as first time walk – ins, liked us, stayed on to chat …. And now we have this large circle of well wishers, who in times of recession gently enquire if we are doing ok ….

This is amazing and touching. A big "thankyou" comes your way. We complete seven years in March’09 and if there’s a itch (7 years!), it is only to spur us on to do better. As mentioned in one of our earlier mails, we are almost done in the process of computerising our stocks, and we hope to start our billing system in April this year.

This will enable us to offer you twistntales on the net, for you – all our numerous friends who have either moved out of Pune or work long hours and are unable to visit us frequently. That’s our project for the following year, helping us reach out better and service your requirements better and faster.

But in the meantime, we have delighted in the process of searching, finding and sometimes chancing upon some absolutely "wow" books. Sharing this joy with you has been absolutely special for me and all of us who have been part of twistntales since we started. Many of us write on the twistntales blog (www.twistntales.blogspot.com) and we ask you to also share this exciting journey with us. If any of you will like to write on books, authors, styles, service deficiencies (yes!) service delights (yes, definitely), we will love to hear from you!

As part of our celebrations, we are happy to announce our Seventh Anniversary Sale starting on the 5th of March through till 15th March ‘09. Do make time and drop in to pick out from a vast selection and take advantage of the discounts that we are happy to give to all of you

As usual, we are looking for summer trainees, requirements for which have also been posted on the blog. Please check it out if you think your kids (min. Xth class) will be interested.

A few reviews have been done below – but a larger set of new and newer books have been listed – and many more to come! While Grisham’s new book (The Associate) is already in the racks, next week will see new Jeffrey Archer, Robin Cook, Wilbur Smith titles – True joy comes in pocket sized original versions, help us fight piracy. Join us, buy originals only!

New books

"The Silver Donkey" by Sonya Hartnett @ Rs. 195/-

Can ever a ‘Donkey’ could be anybody’s ‘Good – Luck Charm.? But yes, the soldier, Lieutenant Shepard, believes so …! The soldier is found, blinded by war, by the two sisters. They help him to reach home. In return, the soldier tells them the tales of bravery, loyalty and sacrifice perfectly connected to his keepsake – the tiny Silver Donkey! As the time passes, the sisters too learn the truth behind the object – it’s the symbol of honesty, loyalty and courage…! This is an excellent and marvellous novel for all ages.

"The Woman who thought she was a planet and other stories" by Vandana Singh @ Rs. 275/-

"I have had a revelation. I am a planet", she said with great dignity. Vandana Singh, brings various stories of fantasy and her unique imagination. In one story the woman thinks she’s a planet and that she is inhabited by small alien creatures.In another, a girl comes across a mysterious tetrahedron: is it a spaceship? Or, a secret weapon? Each story in this fabulous collection takes the reader on the hilarious and horrifying journey of both outer and inner space.

"The Summer Of Cool" by Suchitra Krishnamoorthi @ Rs.199/-

The Summer of Cool is a hip, funny story about friends, family and finding true love. Aimed at 13+ aged readers, the stories within a bustling apartment complex, in the course of school summer holidays – the various characters etched by the author are those that we can all recognise in our own neighbourhood and apartment complexes.

"China : A history" by John Keay @ Rs. 395/- (pgs566)

History has never been more fascinating than when story tellers recreate the stories of the past in a contemporary voice. John Keay has presented another masterpiece. China, our fascinating neighbour and the world’s largest nation merits the grand treatment. Early Chinese history still awaits a convincing re-write. But John Keay has done justice to his ambitious venture. Informed by the latest research, enlivened by anecdote and enriched by provocative comparisons, China : A History spans 3000 years of stop-start integration and extraordinary achievement !

"The Canon- A Whirligig Tour of the Beautiful Basics of Science" by Natalie Angier @ Rs 399/-

"Science – Ugh! That’s why I took commerce! Haven’t we heard this before?" Here’s a book that gets you and your family really engrossed in the beauty that is science. Natalie Angier argues rightly so for an appreciation of the essentials of science just as much as Shakespeare or Beethovan. Written with remarkable wit and charm, it is a must read for science-phobes and science-philes alike! The Canon is an inspiring and imaginative tour through the basics of science, from astronomy to biology and beyond!

"A Mathematical mosaic – patterns and problem solving" by Ravi Vakil @ Rs. 250/-

Ravi Vakil is the winner of Canadian & American Olympiad. "Mathematical Mosaic" is really a mosaic containing math wonders and interconnected patterns, biographies of three greatest mathematician’s ever-Galois, Gauss, and Archimedes, portraits of young achievers of the past who had won the Mathematical Olympiads. It presents tiny tricks which help to solve big problems. It is a book to be read bit by bit and doesn’t require the perfect mathematical background.

"The 24X7 Marriage – smart strategies for good beginnings" by Vijay Nagaswami @ Rs. 250/-

Vijay Nagaswami, a psychiatrist, who has worked closely on Relations, writes on the ‘Smart Strategies’ of Marriages. In this book, he skilfully and humorously talks about some popular posed questions. He explains "Four Golden Rules" of clarifying expectations. In his opinion – "Marriage", as with any other field of endeavour, the trick is ‘Smart Work’, and not ‘Hard Work’. So whether you fall in love and get married or whether love comes to you after the wedding, it is the way you work on your marriage that determines how successful it will be…!

"The New Paradigm for Financial Markets – the credit crisis of 2008 and what it means" by George Soros @ Rs. 695/-

"This is the worst crisis since the Great Depression" writes Soros of the scale of the current financial distress. Moving from prevailing paradigms for financial markets and exploring a new conceptual framework of how markets really work, Soros makes an invaluable contribution in this concise essay. Soros is the founder of a global network of foundations dedicated to supporting open societies

"The Return of Depression Economics and the crisis of 2008" by Paul Krugman @ Rs. 399/-

Winner of the Nobel prize in Economics – Krugman shows why he can rightly be regarded as a true heir to Keynes. Lucidly describing the sequence of events in the money flows in the Asian crisis in 1990, this is a wake-up call for economically challenged policy makers. Brilliantly combining wit and clarity this is macro economics at its best. Taking on specific examples of countries, politics, speculators and currencies – Krugman writes an eminently readable and rattling good read.

"The Great Crash 1929" by John Kenneth Galbraith @ Rs. 399/-

Lending perspective to the daily headlines in the business pages is this book by Galbraith first published in 1954. Many of the companies on Obama’s bailout list have also starred in the earlier crash of 1929. This book is a remarkable account of those times, in turn lending perspective to recent events. Production, Unemployment, Money Supply and Currency are such strong market indicators and for those trying to understand what’s happening now in the current economic scenario, this book will serve as an excellent starter.

"Woodwinds of change – The authorized biography of Hariprasad Chaurasia" by Surjit Singh @ Rs. 600/-

One of the greatest and most important musicians of our times tells it as it was – and is- to long-time fan and music aficionado, Surjit Singh in this remarkable book, his only authorized biography. Eminently readable and brimming with anecdotes and memories, the book traces the long journey from wrestler’s son to music maestro, from AIR staff artiste to film studio sessions-man to music director to international guru. An invaluable document of music history from the man who turned the simple bansuri into a classical concert instrument par excellence.

"The Leadership Code: Five rules to lead by" by Dave Ulrich, Norm Smallwood, Kate Sweetman @ Rs.1380/- (Pgs. 190).

Another winner from Dave Ulrich. Published by Harvard Business Press, the authors have tried to synthesize large numbers of frameworks, tools, processes and studies of leadership to identify the essential rules that govern what all great leaders do. Through the process, they have discovered and validated the five essential rules that all excellent leaders must follow through a framework of knowledge, skills and values common to all effective leaders. Illustrated with various assessment methods, a strategic toolkit for leadership and for building tomorrow’s leaders, The Leadership Code is a valuable addition to the current leadership literature.

"Brands Under Fire" by Ivan Arthur & Kurien Mathews @ Rs.499/- (Pgs. 214)

Big brands, big companies, big budgets and yet things can go wrong. Major brand and marketing gurus from India come together in this Sumantra Ghosal foundation supported book. Case studies from the recent past including Coke, Cadbury’s have been discussed and deliberated upon. Contributions and fresh insights on brands of the 21st century come from Rama Bijapurkar, Pranesh Mishra, Shiv Visvanathan and other stalwarts.

Lots of new additions to our collection. Some listed below:

Fiction:

"Tandoor Cinders" by Vilas Sarang @ Rs. 199/-
"Twilight" by Azhar Abidi @ Rs. 399/-
"Me and Kaminski" by Daniel Kehlmann and translated by Carol Brown Janeway @ Rs 425/-
"The Charlemagne Pursuit" by Steve Berry @ Rs 295/-
"The marriage bureau of rich people" by Farahad Zama @ 295/-
"Private Eye Anonymous – A graphic novel" by Tejas Modak @ Rs. 250/-
"The Wind from the Hills" by Sethu (trs. Prema Jayakumar) @ Rs. 250/-
"Countries of the Body" by Tishani Doshi @ Rs. 150/-
"I am a Special girl" by Amitava Banerjee @ Rs. 195/-
"Divine Justice" by David Baldacci @ Rs. 460/-
"Superstar Babes" by Narinder Dhami @ Rs. 150/-
"Bhangra Babes" by Narinder Dhami @ Rs. 150/-
"The Wedding Gift" by Poonam Rau @ Rs.150/-
"One Dozen Stories" by Satyajit Ray @ Rs. 199/-
"The Associate" by John Grisham @ Rs. 230/-
"Family Values" by Abha Dawesar @ Rs. 325/-
"Next Door: Stories" by Jahnavi Barua @ Rs. 250/-
"First Proof 4" @ Rs. 250/-
"Thanks For The Memories" by Cecelia Ahern @ Rs. 250/-
"Divya" by Yashpal @ Rs. 299/-
"Heroes Of The Valley" by Jonathan Stroud @ Rs. 450/-
"Fugitive Histories" by Githa Hariharan @ Rs. 450/-HB
"The Watchmaker" by Nanak Singh @ Rs. 250/-
"The Storyteller’s Tale" by Omair Ahmad @ Rs. 225/-
"Fated To Love" by Qaisra Shahraz @ Rs. 299/-
"Love’s Fury" by Qaisra Shahraz @ Rs. 299/-
"A Silence Of Desire" by Kamala Markandaya @ Rs. 250/-
"Chinnery’s Hotel" by Jaysinh Birjepatil @ Rs. 325/-
"The Lost Flamingoes Of Bombay" By Siddharth Dhanvant Shanghavi @ Rs. 499/-
""The Story Of My Assassins" By Tarun J. Tejpal @ Rs. 495/-
"Inkdeath" by Cornelia Funke @ Rs. 395/-
"Nose uncle" by Jaspar Utley @ Rs. 200/-
"the Imperial Agent" by Timeri Murari @ Rs. 399/-
"In the country of gold digging ants" by Anu Kumar @ Rs. 225/-
"Cappuccino Dusk" by Kankana Basu @ Rs. 295/-
"The portrait of a lady" by Khuswant singh @ Rs. 350/-
"Nothing is Blue" by Biman Nath @ Rs. 295/-

Management:

"Marketing Through Minefields" by Harvard Business Review Case Studies @ Rs. 670/-
"Leadership In The Era Of Economic Uncertainty: The New Rules For Getting The Right Things Done In Difficult Times" by Ram Charan @ Rs. 375/-
"Employment Personality Tests Decoded" by Anne Hart With George Sheldon @ Rs. 199/-
"Meatball Sundae – How new marketing is transforming the business world" by Seth Godin @ Rs. 295/-
"Enough – Breaking free from the world of excess" By John Naish @ Rs. 350/-
"Damodaran On Valuation – Security Analysis for Investment And Corporate Finance" By Aswath Damodaran @ Rs. 499/-
"Andy Grove: Intel, Leadership and Life" by Richard S. Tedlow @ Rs. 399/-

New titles from Wiley India :

"Overcoming The Five Dysfunctions Of A Team: A Field Guide For Leaders, Managers And Facilitators" by Patrick Lencioni @ Rs. 249/-
"Play To Your Strengths: Stacking The Deck To Achieve Spectacular Results For Yourself And Others" by Andrea Sigetich And Carol Leavitt @ Rs. 249/-
"Strategic Interviewing: How To Hire Good People" by Richaurd Camp, Mary E. Vielhaber And Jack L. Simonetti @ Rs. 329/-
"Kellogg On Integrated Marketing" by Dawn Iacobucci And Bobby Calder @ Rs. 399/-
"Seven Secrets Of Inspired Leaders" by Phil Dourado And Dr. Phil Blackburn @ Rs. 299/-
"The Portable MBA In Entrepreneurship" by William D. Bygrave And Andrew Zacharakis @ Rs. 429/-
"Energize Your Workplace: How To Create And Sustain High-Quality Connections At Work" by Jane E. Dutton @ Rs. 329/-
"Marketing Insights From A To Z: 80 Concepts Every Manager Needs To Know" by Phil Kotler @ Rs. 349/-
"Performance Driven C R M" by Stanley A. Brown & Moosha Gulycz @ Rs. 329/-
"Finance For Strategic Decision Making: What Non-Financial Managers Need To Know" by M. P. Narayanan And Vikram K. Nanda @ Rs. 329/-
"The Leadership Pipeline: How To Build The Leadership-Powered Company" by Ram Charan, Stephen Drotter And James Noel @ Rs. 399/-
"Executive Stamina: How To Optimize Time, Energy And Productivity To Achieve Peak Performance" by Marty Seldman And Joshua Seldman @ Rs. 349/-

Others:

"Say it like Obama – The power of speaking with a purpose and vision" by Shel Leanne @ Rs 375/-
"Girl ology – A girl’s guide to stuff that matters" by Melisa Holmes & Trish Hutchison @ 295/-
"The Book of Moinuddin Chishti" by Mehru Jaffer @ Rs. 250/-
"Delhi: Adventures in a megacity" by Sam Miller @ Rs.499/-
"Eicher Pune Road Map" @ Rs. 75/-
"Whistling in the Dark – Twenty-One Queer Interviews" by R. Raj Rao & Bibyajyoti Sarma @Rs. 375/-
"Nationalism" by Rabindranath Tagore @ Rs. 199/-
"A Time Of Transition: Rajiv Gandhi To The 21st Century" by Mani Shankar Aiyar @ Rs. 599/-
"Character Development : Beyond Academic Achievement" by Stephen Curtis @ Rs. 250/-
"Oneness With All Life (Treasury Edition) – Inspirational Selections From A New Earth" By Eckhart Tolle @ Rs. 450/-
"Goodbye To Gandhi? Travels In The New India" by Bernard Imhasly @ Rs. 425/-
"Michelle Obama: First Lady Of Hope" By Elizabeth Lightfoot @ Rs. 295/-
"Monster" by Allan Hall @ Rs. 225/-
"Rogue Agent" by Nandita Haskar @ Rs. 299/-
"Speaking for Myself – An anthology of Asian Women’s writing" Ed. By Sukrita Paul Kumar @ Rs. 650/-
"The Rice Cookbook" by Anuradha Ravindranath @ Rs. 250/-
"Binu and the great wall" by Su Tong @ Rs 325/-
"Fear and Forgiveness: The Aftermath of Massacre" by Harsh Mander @ Rs. 299/-
"My family’s favourites" by Marie Noelle (Chotti) D’Souza @ Rs. 600/-

Phew! And there’s more that’s not even listed! Do visit us and check it out for yourself!

Thanking you once again,

Janaki and the big happy team at,
twistntales

Series of (un) fortunate events - 2

Some are not posting stories... but they are coming on mail ....
so i shall have to do it for them !

"Hey Boss...whats up??
The whole documenting stories idea is very cool but I think we may have a problem.

Firstly, there are those stories where I have messed up...hehehe ...those I would obviously not mention.
Then there are so many controversial stories, how are we going to pick???

Like we could mention the "you must be joking" story but then, what if Tia was joking???...We can never be too sure right?

Then we could write about the whole HK story..but there are so many of those..and I may be unnecessarily dragged in..also I dont think we'll ever see either of them around..hmm ;-)

or we can mention how Billo sneaks out during work to meet her friends near the corner bench ...but then..Billo is going to beat us up sooo badly...not a good idea

can we mention Akash dancing?...isnt that supposed to be top secret..our marketing strategy??...
Tripuri and Neha danced in the store also..but I think they chased away the customers

And Twisty..how he helped us get customers...We cant tell them that can we??

I wonder if Anushree would always want to be known as the Colin girl..maybe she'll become famous like the liril add..hehehe

Ohhh..and the customer (Kuldip Joshi??..I think) who thinks there's some magic in the store cuz we recognize him when he asks for ordered books..we cant tell him our secret

Ah Ha!!! I've finally got it.We do have stories we can tell.

We can tell people how our staple diet is chips and naturals. Then maybe they'll drop by with some food.

And the coolest story...My hair on the bus stop.Boss, you do realise that was the only thing that made people look at the hoarding....See i can use my head sometimes.

Bye
tc
Shama"

Series of (Un?)Fortunate Events

First Story of this Series is titled: Shama and the card machine

Shama had been working for quite a while at the store when this incident occurred. She had been working at the till, was used to the card machine and was struggling to remember Team tnt members.

One evening it was just Shama and me at the store when one such Team tnt member walks in. As usual, he selected a huge stack of books and plonked them down on the counter. Shama made the bill and was thrilled that she remembered his name and wrote it on the bill with a flourish. He gave his card to swipe, and Shama was so thrilled that she remembered his name that she forgot the policy!
After that there was complete mayhem for the next 15 seconds when she realised what had happened. What I remember is her jabbing at the red Cancel button on the card machine, saying "Oh shit! Cancel! Cancel! Cancel!!s"

Of course I shouldn't be one to say anything. Apparently when I started and Tia taught me how to work the card machine, I asked if I should swipe the other side as well.

Looking for Summer Trainees !

Every year we have had smart students who have interned with us in the summer break. Apart from gaining a little pocket money (and to think of it, most of it gets spent in the Store itself), it gives them tremendous confidence, a sense of discipline and an understanding of the business process.
We have had Samar, Jharna, Neena (twice), Sharmista, Anushree, Apoorva and a few others.
We are looking now for Summer of 2009.
"Posts : two or three
Morning : 10 am to 2 pm (all days except mondays)
Evening : 4.30 pm to 9pm ( - do -)
Duration : April, May, June
Minimum Xth std (for morning slot) and XIIth std (for evening slot).
Good Spoken and Written English Language skills, PC skills, should love books and enjoy interaction with people.
If you are interested, please write a note on who you are, what you want to do and where we can reach you (adds./ ph.nos) and drop it off at the Store !