Since time immemorial, stories have been a medium of imparting knowledge, wisdom and learning that has been handed down from one generation to the next. Written in simple language, 100 Desi Stories to Inspire You keeps the tradition of storytelling alive through a compilation of short stories that will appeal to a wide readership. The stories are invaluable life-lessons on situations we experience in our everyday living. From creativity and innovation to teamwork and leadership; from love and courage to maturity and confidence… the tales are thought-provoking and cover almost every human emotion. The presentation of the stories in this book is unique – each story ends by asking pertinent questions, making the reading experience interactive and introspective.

Stories and anecdotes are the best way to convey a powerful message. Here is a collection of inspirational and motivational stories, which everyone will enjoy reading and you can learn something from each story too. Written in an interactive form every story, presented in this book conveys a special message for the readers, to get inspired to achieve something great and outstanding in life. One of the special features, in the presentation of the stories, is that the ending part of the story is not revealed. The readers have to think for a while and come up with their own answers. The stories adorned in this book deal with a variety of subjects like human relationship, personality development, time and stress management, moral ethics, spiritual values, etc. This book will appeal to preachers, speakers and teachers and readers of all age groups. Just like we need food for our body, we also need food for our spirit that comes as touching and motivational stories, they can give us power and make us feel better. Hope that these stories will help you become inspired! DR. G. FRANCIS XAVIER, a gold medalist with two Masters Degrees, has worked as Lecturer, Associate Professor, Vice-Principal and Principal in various educational institutions in India. He was the Financial Advisor to the Asian Confederation of Credit Unions (ACCU), Bangkok, Thailand. He has conducted several training programmes on Management Accounting and Financial Analysis in India, USA, Canada, Germany, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Kenya and Tanzania. He has authored more than 15 books on a variety of subjects.

Forget the 10,000 hour rule— what if it’s possible to learn the basics of any new skill in 20 hours or less? Take a moment to consider how many things you want to learn to do. What’s on your list? What’s holding you back from getting started? Are you worried about the time and effort it takes to acquire new skills—time you don’t have and effort you can’t spare? Research suggests it takes 10,000 hours to develop a new skill. In this nonstop world when will you ever find that much time and energy? To make matters worse, the early hours of prac­ticing something new are always the most frustrating. That’s why it’s difficult to learn how to speak a new language, play an instrument, hit a golf ball, or shoot great photos. It’s so much easier to watch TV or surf the web . . . In The First 20 Hours, Josh Kaufman offers a systematic approach to rapid skill acquisition— how to learn any new skill as quickly as possible. His method shows you how to deconstruct com­plex skills, maximize productive practice, and remove common learning barriers. By complet­ing just 20 hours of focused, deliberate practice you’ll go from knowing absolutely nothing to performing noticeably well. Kaufman personally field-tested the meth­ods in this book. You’ll have a front row seat as he develops a personal yoga practice, writes his own web-based computer programs, teaches himself to touch type on a nonstandard key­board, explores the oldest and most complex board game in history, picks up the ukulele, and learns how to windsurf. Here are a few of the sim­ple techniques he teaches: Define your target performance level: Fig­ure out what your desired level of skill looks like, what you’re trying to achieve, and what you’ll be able to do when you’re done. The more specific, the better. Deconstruct the skill: Most of the things we think of as skills are actually bundles of smaller subskills. If you break down the subcompo­nents, it’s easier to figure out which ones are most important and practice those first. Eliminate barriers to practice: Removing common distractions and unnecessary effort makes it much easier to sit down and focus on deliberate practice. Create fast feedback loops: Getting accu­rate, real-time information about how well you’re performing during practice makes it much easier to improve. Whether you want to paint a portrait, launch a start-up, fly an airplane, or juggle flaming chain­saws, The First 20 Hours will help you pick up the basics of any skill in record time . . . and have more fun along the way.

“Fear deer no more! The best source I’ve seen on the topic!” —Tracy DiSabato-Aust, award-winning garden designer and best-selling author Deer are one of the most common problems a gardener can face. These cute but pesky animals can quickly devour hundreds of dollars’ worth of plants. And common solutions include the use of unattractive fencing and chemicals. In Deer-Resistant Design, Karen Chapman offers another option—intentional design choices that result in beautiful gardens that coexist with wildlife. Deer-Resistant Design showcases real home gardens across North America—from a country garden in New Jersey to a hilltop hacienda in Texas—that have successfully managed the presence of deer. Each homeowner also shares their top ten deer-resistant plants, all welcome additions to a deer-challenged gardeners shopping list. A chapter on deer-resistant container gardens provides suggestions for making colorful, captivating, and imaginative containers. Lushly illustrated and filled with practical advice and inspiring design ideas, Deer-Resistant Design is packed with everything you need to confidently tackle this challenging problem.

A modern love story “LOVE IS A FUNNY THING. WHEN YOU GET STUCK ON SOMEONE, YOU JUST GET STUCK. ALL REASONING FAILS.” Meet 29yearold Swati Kannan who believes in bells chiming and violins playing when you meet your very own Prince Charming. But Cupid hasn’t visited Swati. And then arrives news of the world coming to an end! Swati is determined to bring an end to her misery of being attractively single. So off she goes on a hunt – an online groomhunt leading to several rounds of coffee offline. While Rockstar Rohit sweeps her off her feet, Amusing Amit promises her laughter. Par Swati ki ghanti bajegi kya? You’ll just have to read Find_Love.com to find out, won’t you?!