Book Review: Keeping Score

Book:  Keeping Score
    

Author:  Marc Brackett
    

ISBN:  97809834888-0-4
         

Genre:  Non Fiction
   

Price:  $10.95/US (I got it from Writer)
  

Pages:  116
  

Publisher:  Treinta y Tres publishing
          
 Introduction:

Speaking of a book on relationship, the first thing that comes to any reader’s mind is a rendering story supported by an alluring theme which more often than not bestows what’s right and what’s wrong for a relationship to sustain. But even after reading numerous books and reckoning our society at large have we able to find any clue on how to construct a successful relationship? No, we haven’t and this book is an efficacious attempt by Marc Brackett to find the missing link between the theories and real life by devising a model to measure human relationships.  A point to plan action for evaluating and assessing relations which in turn focuses on personal forefront of both the genders, thus formulating steps to work on respective weaknesses and then strive for happy and prosperous relation.

Cover Page & Title:

To understand any relation to its core is complex and devising a scoring framework is again a daunting task. It would really be difficult for a book to appeal to its audience if the cover page would have been equally straining. Therefore an evident title ‘Keeping Score’ along with the purpose- ‘A guide to Love and Relationship’ with a heart sketched entails an apparent but clear approach of the evaluation processes which even a lame can understand.  
          
 About the Author:

The author, Marc Brackett, lives in Idaho with his wife, Kristin, and five daughters. When not busy with work, the family enjoys a number of outdoor activities that only Idaho can offer in such abundance. This book was also made possible through the professional efforts of the following people:

Cover and interior design by www.TheBookProducer.com
Fountain pen image courtesy of Waterman: www.Waterman.com
                                           
Compositional Report:

At a point in life we all feel life would have been much easier if we could get the luxury, a guide to move forward in life specially when dealing with relationships. Whoever we may be, we all fall into the cavity of echelons and fight it out to keep hold of our relations and not be considered a failure. ‘Keeping Score’ is an impelling tool to bifurcate failing relations as it focuses on strengthening one’s weaknesses by an evaluation method. A book coined as -' A relationship book even a man can understand.'


‘Keeping Score’ is broadly categorized into two categories viz. the Eve and The Adam. It’s a deliberate demarcation to focus specially on the point of view of a specific gender to its counterpart.  Yes Love is necessary for any relation to grow and prosper it’s the heart and soul of any relation but then there are diverse factors which play an important role especially when you are thinking of life ahead.  Starting From Education, Career, Financial stability, Destructive Habits, Work Ethics, Behavior, and Equality both financially and individually everything comes into account when you plan your future. Relations with your in laws/future family members, Common interests, Shared Activities to religious inclination everything has a role to play. Marc Brackett has carefully twined all the basic necessities and has drawn an evaluation guide through a scoring chart where you can analyze your compatibility with your spouse’s score and work towards improving your score to achieve a successful relation.


Second half of the Book is devoted to all the action points and why Marc chose them to be a part of analyzing any relation, giving each and every point a reason for their presence in a relationship. Just like an exam the higher you score the better you would be in your career, similarly this is a scoring chart for the success of your relation which can be evaluated time and again to know one’s progress in a relation. A book for married couples to stand up against all the ups and downs of life and make efforts to last the distance. Not only for the married couples ‘Keeping score’ is a scout for all the singles to seek out for quantifiers to determine the qualities that would lead you to successful married life.

As far as the weak links are concerned I would say quantifying human factors to numbers is innovative but exact representation of a particular aspect to its numeric coefficient is controversial and may change from person to person as well as cultures across the world.


Overall ‘Keeping Score’ is a book to enhance your compatibility with your (to be) spouse. It’s a prospective attempt to seek for an ideal relationship.  The practicality of the theories to real life can only be gazed when people across the world implement methodologies to their life.  As far as the attempt to quantify human aspect to measure potential improvement in relationship is concerned full marks should be given to Marc for his effort. It’s an evaluation score to keep couples inching towards cent percent successful relationship.


Rating:  I would rate ‘Keeping Score’ 4 out of 5


Life Adjudication of the book:

Keeping Score is best read when you want to edge out a failing relationship.  It doesn’t matter whether you are married or not as it’s applicable for all.

Book Review- Shades of Sin:Behind the mask

Book:  Shades of Sin: Behind the mask

Authors:  Vivek Banerjee, Upneet Grover, Saksham Agarwal, Aanandita Chawla, Vrinda Baliga & Sreelatha Chakravarty

ISBN:  978-93-81791-19-6

Genre:  Fiction/Short Stories

Price:  195 ( I received it directly from Publisher)

Pages:  188

Publisher:  APK Publishers

Introduction: 
At times, what’s perceived by the world isn’t the truth and when intrigued with reality it reveals the hidden personality which in most scenarios expose the dark side of humans, most appropriately be called –‘Shades of Sin’
As we ruminate into human behavior it would divulge us towards various negative facets which if unmasked exhibit a dingy tale of a person’s existence or absence. ‘Shades of Sin’ is a compendium of short stories which would bring forth the dark side of life. Stories which would surely necessitate, what lies beyond the shades?

Cover page & Title:

Look says it all; Glimpse of the cover page is enough for the readers to be curious. Readers would be compelled to have a peek into it, as the cover page is as mysterious as the title which reads-“Shades of Sin: Behind the Mask”
Barren dead tree and the man in shades serves a prologue for the content which is as explicable as it can be, thus enforcing the reader to move ahead with the book at the first sight.

About the Authors:

Dr. Vivek Banerjee is a pediatrician by choice and a writer by chance. He has been published by Westland in Chicken Soup for the Indian Doctor’s Soul and Grapevine India in Shades of Love. His Debut novel, The long road, which was well received by the readers, was published by Cedar, an imprint of Pustak Mahal in December 2010.

Upneet Grover is your run of the mill engineer cum MBA, with a penchant for writing. Stuck in a 9 to 9 consulting Job, He somehow manages to eke out a couple of hours every day to read and write. His debut Novel, The Dream, has recently hit the market.

Saksham Agarwal is a professional consultant and an amateur writer. His writing has been shaped by his seven years of campus life, his devotion to reading and his humanistic worldview. He writes short stories and is working on a novel.
Aanandita Chawla is a journalist and aspiring filmmaker. In her spare time she reads, writes and plans to find a wonderful way to convert everything she writes directly into moving pictures.

Vrinda Baliga lives in Hyderabad and enjoys writing short fiction. Her short stories have appeared in anthologies like City of Gods, Two is company, Urban Shots, and Crossroads, as well as in various print and online literary print and online literary journals. She is a prizewinner in the Unison- Reliance Timeout short story competition 2011 and katha Fiction contests 2010 and 2012.

Sreelatha Chakravarthy is a poet-writer-doctor and has been published with Frog books, an imprint of Leadstart Publishers, Mumbai. Her debut novel is titled An eternal Romantic. Sreelatha lives in Kochi, Kerala, presently, with her husband and two kids. Creative writing is her new found passion and she has only just begun.

Compositional Report:
Shades of sin is a typical anthology of short stories bent on revealing the dark side of human which has been classified as Light Grey, Dark Grey and Black. In all there are 25 stories and all the 25 stories have been classified amongst the three heads I mentioned above.

Etymologically shades can be of any color but the implication of the stories and it’s connection with the hidden side of human has been specifically embarked with dark shades like Grey and Black and certainly not coincidentally the stories bifurcated in various heads have been degrading on moral ethics as we move ahead with stories under light grey to Black.

Almost all human immoral conducts have been covered. Each and every story stands tall amongst the others in focusing the evil which has emerged from the world around. One of the classical features of this anthology is, it maintains the decorum of interest all the way through with stories bent on peculiar vices. ‘Shades of sin’ is an interconnection of various perverse features with the theme that’s concentric to shades behind the mask.

Best part according to me is the bifurcation of the stories on various levels. It’s next to impossible to choose a best story or the worst story as each and every story is unique and focuses on  different aspect of human vices like Hatred, Anger, Jealousy, Lust, greed, Pride & Ego among the other frailties.

There wasn’t any weak links as such, though it was a collection from various writers from different background and dissimilar writing styles but each and every story seemed to cover all its bases as far as the main theme is concerned. It’s a book that’s compelling and the stories though fictional can be assumed to be true and can be connected to the real world. Stories were like stimulating vibes, that’s the charm a reader would get and would spur them to finish in one go. Over all, a good read to know and learn about the various shades a person possess along with its consequences.



Rating:

I would rate ‘Shades of Sin: Behind the mask’ 4 out of 5

 

Life Adjudication of the book:

This book is best read to divulge deep into the character a person possess in a life that never recedes.