A few weeks ago, my dear friend Zephyr told me she was reading a book that she was falling in love with. She strongly recommended that I read it.

Zephyr needs no introduction. Her blog, The Cybernag, is iconic. She is the Granny of the blogging world, a lady of robust home-grown wisdom and perfectly common-sense perspectives. Her opinions are so perfectly balanced that sometimes I wish she had taken to law instead of the pen. But if she had, we’d have missed some soul-satisfying writing.

Her readers connect to her ideas with spontaneous ease. In fact, there have been times when I have nodded so vigorously while reading one of her posts that my head has rolled off my neck. Figuratively only, alas.

But I digress, as always.

When a lady of Zephyr’s clarity of thought recommends a book, your trip over your blessed ankles and buy the book even as you chat with her. As did I. And oh, what a treasure she introduced me to!

I dived in right away, leaving two other books I was reading—one on kindle one in person so to speak—to languish abandoned by the road. What hit me between the eyes, delighted me and made me utter a few reverent God Bless Us All’s is what the review is about.

Here is how it goes:

Vamsee Juluri states his purpose plainly in the Introduction. It is to arm the writers and influencers of tomorrow with the conviction and language they will need to challenge the biased and false Hinduphobic narrative trotted out globally. It is to equip them to speak their truth with unapologetic passion and ruthless objectivity. He states it concisely:

If your goal is to strengthen the emerging Hindu narrative through any form of writing—books, novels, articles, blog posts, or even tweets—this book will help you.

Like a true mentor and teacher, he accomplishes his purpose by first analysing and dissecting the arena in which the writer of tomorrow would be functioning. He describes not only the pitfalls and quagmires; he also shows the lifelines that a writer (aka warrior) may use to navigate this often treacherous terrain. Then he gives you the tools—the conviction, language and perspective—with which the writer would engage with those who produce the biased narrative.

To read the rest of the review, trudge along to The Cybernag: Book Review: Writing Across A Cracked World by Vamsee Juluri and take a look. While there, you might do yourself a favour and read some of the other excellent posts on that hallowed space.

Thank you for recommending the book Zephyr. Thank you for the honor of letting me write for The Cybernag. I feel like I’ve come of age at last.