The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - A movie review & more...

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button – (2008) – A Movie Review…& more

As a ritual, in the Friday morning newspaper I look forward to a Bollywood / Hollywood flick’s critics ratings with unfailing curiosity and loyalty.  As a movie buff, Hindi and English films in general and world multi-linguistic movies preferably with sub-titles was a matter of joy to me.  Of late, I was tossing with the idea of writing a movie review for the first time. In this Christmas season it flashed across my mind’s screen about ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” the Hollywood grosser which was released on a X’mas day the 25^th December, 2008.

The movie made 13 Academy Awards nominations and managed to win in 3 categories.  My interest was not limited to the Oscar Awards but the literature content of this fable of a man in his eighties taking a road trip to his infancy. The metamorphosis of an ugly old creature to the world’s most handsome man, played by Brad Pitt – who else?  I wanted to anchor my ship somewhere in the mid-20’s. Not a year older and not a year younger after seeing Brad Pitt in this romantic fantasy drama.

This is a Warner Bros & Paramount Pictures presentation.  It will be interesting to note that the movie makers first approached the living legend and one of the all time great in film making Steven Spielberg to direct this film.  However, Spielberg after leaving this project went on to make “Jurrassic Park” and “Schindlers List”.  This movie is based on 25 pages of literature from the complete works of  F. Scott Fitzgerald.   The fable talks about ageing process of Benjamin Button on the reverse order.

SYNOPSIS -

Daisy (Cate Blanchet) in her death bed asks her daughter Caroline (Julia Ormond) to unwrap and read aloud a Diary written by Benjamin Button (Brad Pitt).    His DNA father, Thomas Button (Jason Flemyng), abandons baby Benjamin in front of a nursing home after his wife died immediately after giving child birth.  The Nursing Home workers Queenie (Taraji P Henson)   and her husband Tizzy Weathers spot Benjamin on the 9^th of November, 1918 at the door steps of the Nursing Home and Queenie decides to bringing him up as her own child.  The movie was made in New Orleans where Hurricane Katrina devastated the township.  The Director (David Fincher) avoided filming the fury of Hurricane Katrina resorting to a television news bulletin announcement instead.  The movie does not show any racial discrimination or remarks.  The Benjamin’s story unraveled by the Diary notes often leading to flashbacks by the screen play writer Eric Roth (the famous script writer of Academy Award Winner “Forest Gump”).  Benjamin learn to walk with crutches instead of Wheel Chair in 1930 during a healing prayer and declares it as a miracle.  Benjamin meets six year old Daisy introduced by her grandmother who was also a resident of the Nursing Home.  Benjamin befriends Daisy and thereafter it is a story of love and loss.

In the Autumn 1936 Benjamin leaves New Orleans and joins Captain Mike (Jared Harris) who owns a tug boat and Daisy joins a Dance Company in the New York city. The Captain Mike is an interesting character who lives his life in full throttle. He indulges in drinking and womanizing and was a hero among his crew.  He was a go lucky and jovial person.    He quizzically examines Benjamin about his sexual experiences.  Having heard none from him, he feels pity for Benjamin and leads him to a brothel, the age old profession for pleasure seekers like other Navy cadets who spends most of their life in the sea.

In 1941 he is in Murmansk and has an affair with Elizabeth Abbot (Twilda Swinton), the wife of a British Trade Minister.  The same year in December Japan attacks Pearl Harbor, thrusting USA to enter World War II.  The Captain volunteers his boat for US Navy and the crew is assigned to salvage duties.  During a patrol, the tug boat finds a US transport with dead bodies of many American troops.  A German Submarine surfaces and Captain Mike accelerates with full speed heading towards it while a German gunner opens fire at the tug boat killing most of the crew including Captain Mike.  Benjamin was rescued by the US Navy ships on the next day.

In May 1945 Benjamin returns to New Orleans and reunites with Queenie at the Nursing Home residence.  A few weeks later he reunites with Daisy and started dating her. Upon failing to seduce him afterwards she departs. 

   

Benjamin later reunites with Thomas Button, who, terminally ill reveals that he is Benjamin’s biological father and wills his button company and estate to Benjamin. You may recall that in their previous meetings he had hidden the fact of being his DNA father from Benjamin.

In 1947, in a sudden surprise Benjamin visits Daisy in New York and after finding that she is in love with other person he departs.  In 1954, Daisy’s dancing career ends when her leg is crushed in an automobile accident in Paris.  When Benjamin visits her, Daisy is amazed by his youthful and handsome appearance.  However, she tries to avoid him and asks him to stay away from her life due to her frustration caused by injuries.  

In Spring 1962, Daisy returns to New Orleans and reunites with Benjamin.  Now at a comparable age they go out for boating and experience romantic love. At that time Benjamin has become the prince charming and their love affair blooms.  A real Hollywood roller coaster.

When they returned from their trip to the Nursing Home, the news of Queenies death awaited them.  They moved in together after Queenie’s death.  1n 1967, Daisy opened a Ballet Studio, and tells Benjamin that she is pregnant with his child.  In the spring of 1968 she gave birth to a girl, Caroline.  We learn from Benjamin’s Diary notes that believing he can never be able to do the role play as a devote father due to his reverse ageing, Benjamin sells his property and give the proceeds to Daisy and Caroline and departs for a world tour on his motor bike.   In 1970s, he was a lone traveler.

Benjamin returns to Daisy in 1980. Now married, Daisy introduce Benjamin as a family friend to her husband and daughter.  Daisy admits that he was right to leave; she could not have coped otherwise. She meets Benjamin later in his Hotel and they fall passionately in love with each other.

In 1990, now widowed Daisy was contacted by social workers who have found Benjamin now physically a preteen.  When she arrives they explained to her he was living in a condemned building and he was taken to a hospital due to poor health and from his belongings they got a Diary from which they got her address.  They told her that he was showing early signs of Dimentia.  Daisy moves into the Nursing Home in 1997 and takes care of Benjamin for the rest of his life.  In the spring of 2003 he dies in Daisy’s   arms, physically an infant and 84 years of age in chronological order.

Daisy dies as the Hurricane Katrina approaches towards New Orleans.

At the end of the movie one feels that movie should have been tightly edited.  A lot of footage has been devoted to the lessons of child rearing.

The lead performances by Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett and the Best Director, Best Supporting Actress , best Visual Effects,  best Art Direction and best Make-up all these numbering a total of 13 Oscar nominations were made.  Though Oscar win was only for best art direction, best make-up and best Visual Effects categories, many other prestigious Awards were won by this movie. The make-up of Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchet especially when she was at her death bed was superb.   There are spectacular Visual Effects, especially Benjamin and Daisy’s sailing in the outdoor locations like a colorful picture post card and the war sequence of tug boat Captain and his crew members were amazing.  There are many frames of landscape made to look exotic by the cinematography. The Director has added a dimension of delicacy and grace to digital film making. 

The length of this film is 2 hrs. 47 minutes which is unusual by Hollywood standards.  Most of the Hollywood films last 90 minutes duration.  One of the critics opined his experience of watching this movie – “I was sorry when it was over and was happy to have seen it”.  

The movie will attract repeat audience and survive the decades for next generations’ movie watching benefits.

Ernest Hemingway - The Nobel Laureate

Ernest Hemingway  -        The  Nobel  Laureate

The American Author, Ernest Miller Hemingway, was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1954 for his work “The Old Man and the Sea”.  He was the recipient of Pulitzer Prize for best fiction in 1953 as well.  Ernest Hemingway the legend and a phenomenon stood taller than Statue of Liberty in the American horizon.

        

Hemingway influenced me from my teens and remained a cult figure throughout my life. Hemingway was the most sought after author of the 20th century.  The writer himself was his best creation.   He was an autobiographical author first and then a fiction writer. 

He was born in 1899 in Oak Park, Illinois a Chicago (USA), suburb.  His dad was a doctor and his mom a Painter and Pianist. He was the second of six children borne to them. His dad Dr. Miller Hemingway taught him how to catch fish, hunt, to set up a camp and cook over a fire.

He started his career as a cub reporter for Kansas City Star in 1917. However, in the following year he enlists in Italian army as an American Ambulance Driver.  He worked with Red Cross Society and was badly wounded there and was decorated twice for his services. His work “A Farewell to Arms” captures his life in the Army and nursing his wounds assisted by a nurse with whom he falls in love. A Farewell to Arms was made into a successful motion picture.

He returned to America in 1919 and married in 1921.

He was an excellent novelist, prolific, influential and successful writer of 20^th century.   He lived in the decades of war torn history.  In 1922 he reported on the Greco-Turkish war and two years later resigned from journalism to devote himself to fiction.

Hemingway visited Spain during the Civil War of Spain and described his experiences in the best seller “For whom the Bell Tolls”.  The main character of the novel, Robert Jordan, was his replica in the real life.  Robert Jordan was my much celebrated hero of all times.  Hemingway always found himself in the midst of real action.

He was rough and rugged.  He was passionately involved with bull fighting in Spain, big-game hunting and deep-sea fishing and his works reflected this.   The brawny man Hemingway had a notably masculine style in his writing.  His books had a highly detailed description of war, love and life in general.  He lived his life to the fullest.

For nearly a century, he was praised by his critics and readers alike for his powerful and sparse pros. He is a subject to learn for Literature students.  His direct and deceptively simple style of writing spawned generations of imitators but no equals. He has written 10 Novels, 3 books of short stories, a drama and 4 general books.

His famous Novels are –

•  The Old Man and the Sea
•   The Torrents of Spring
•   Fiesta -   The Sun Also Rises
•  A Farewell to Arms
• To Have and Have Not
•  For Whom the Bells Tolls
• Across the River and Into the Trees
•  Islands in the Stream
• The Garden of Eden
• True at First Light

Short Stories –

• .      Men Without Women
•        Winner Take Nothing
•        The Snows of Kilimanjaro

General  -

•            Death in the Afternoon
•   .        Green Hills of Africa
•            A Moveable Feast
•            The Dangerous Summer

Drama  -

•           The Fifth Column

Hemingway stood out with his different style among his contemporary writers and this was one of his characteristics.  He wrote in an extremely unique, concise style to create an unparalleled masterpiece.   He utilized a notably typical style to write his books for which was highly ostracized by the writer community in his times.  This style entices the readers and creates an emotional attachment.

Hemingway had a deep appreciation for nature.  He loved fishing more than anything in life.  His dream was to become a mountaineer and then a writer.

Hemingway seemed fascinated with the concepts of Life and Death.  Hemingway has said that no person experiences life like the bull fighter.  He dreams of wanting to climb, seeking to scale these giants a dream.

He criticized his dad for committing suicide saying that it is a cowardly act.  However, he too willfully took his life from this world.   He shot himself dead in 1961.

His daughter, Muriel Hemingway is a famous Model and a Hollywood actor today.

He has other children from different marriages as well.

I am a die-hard fan of Ernest Hemingway and most of his works Novels, Short Stories, Drama, other general books and movie cassettes are there in my favorite collections in my Home Library.

Let this brightest star of World Literature remain in the highest echelon.

 

  

Malls - The new Lifestyle destination

Malls – The new Lifestyle destination

The new found Lifestyle destination for Shopping, Dining and Entertainment for Indians are Malls and they actually cater to much more than that.

                                          

Viviana Mall, Thane, Mumbai                                   KorumMall, Thane, Mumbai

The Viviana Mall with one million sq. ft. area is one of the largest Malls in India.  The Cinepolis in Viviana has 14 screens with 6 new concepts under the belt, is the sought after movie experience for its patrons. Viviana has 19 large anchors like Hyper City, Shopper’s Stop and a total of 250 shops under its roof.

The Korum Mall is a vertical mall in one single building with unique design.  It has a major open area inside the Mall’s ground floor to hold live events.  The Mall is famous for its festive decorations.

Both these Malls are in the close proximity to this writer’s residence.

The history of Shopping Arcade dates back to 100-110 AD in Ancient Rome.  At the time of Shopping Mall format was developed by Victor Gruen in the mid-1950s, signing larger Department Stores was necessary for the FINANCIAL stability of the projects and to draw retail traffic that would result in visits to the smaller stores in the mall as well.  These larger stores are known as anchor stores.  In physical configuration, the anchor stores are located as far from each other as possible to maximize the amount of traffic from one anchor to another. 

The theme of few buildings connected to each other with parking facility for automobiles in a particular central area was the old concept of mall.  India got the Mall experience in the last few years and Indians are capitalizing that rich experience by patronizing the Malls and Multiplexes quite often.

The modern malls are going vertical and escalators makes ascending and descending order between the floors easy. There is elevator facility as well in the Malls.

The Malls are mushrooming across the world due to modernization.  The Indians are patronizing Malls with a developed passion to maximize the shopping pleasure as well as Food and Entertainment corners.  One station under one roof for Fun, Fashion, Food and Films.

The Ground Floor is the place in Malls where Automobile companies show case their latest models on display for the prospective buyers. Most of the Malls have cosmetics, perfumes, accessories, footwear and body n beauty shops, salon n spa in the Ground Floor.  The Mall has parking space in each level. The live events are conducted in the ground floor of the malls.

 

Second floor occupies majorly apparels, furniture, book stores, toys and stationery shops.

The third floor is where you have recreational area.  The bowling alleys, gaming and play stations and there are multiplexes inside the malls for screening Regional, Bollywood and Hollywood cinemas. The movie watching was never so good as the multiplexes offers Dolby Atmos and 4DX experience.  The rear row seats in the extreme back of the Cinema Hall are fitted with super luxury items.  You can stretch your full length placing your legs on the adjustable seats and avail the service of Honey crusted Popcorns and Coke etc. in your seats by placing order.

 It also has food corner on the third floor. There are Pop Tates, Urban Thadka, Banana Leaf, Zaffrans, Panchvati, Indiana Waters, Copper Chimney, Alfredos to name a few brands in popular restaurants.  The Al a carte, to experience your taste buds and palette are where you get your monies worth. The hot sizzlers and pastas and pizzas are served by multi-cuisine restaurants.     Malls also offer Beer Café and Wine Shops for wine and dine experience.

The fast food joints like McDonalds and KFC in the Malls tickles the taste buds of the next generation.   The fast food like Burgers and Doughnuts are craze among youngsters.

  

The international favorite coffee shops such as Starbucks Coffee and Café Coffee Day, Gloria Jeans Coffee, Lavaza and Costa Coffee shops are there in Malls.    The youngsters find good company with their friends spend  endless number of hours by sipping coffee and enjoying tempting cakes, pastries  etc. in the coffee shops while chatting about their interests in life.

The Mall customers celebrate their Birthdays and Anniversaries in the Mall.

The Malls get decorated during festival season with the gaiety, galaxy and grandeur to appease the various global communities.  There are festival decorations and ground shows to win prizes for all by the Mall management.  The young team of comperes engaged by the Malls makes the decibel levels raise as the crowd goes berserk during various celebrations.  The crowd frenzy touches dizzying heights during special celebrations.

The Bollywood actors promote their upcoming movies by visiting Malls among cheering crowds.

 Florists, Tattoo artists, portraitists and fortune tellers at your service finds a place in the Mall.

The Malls consists of   contemporary Art Galleries, Book Stores, Handicrafts and Gift and toys shops.  There are Baby Care shops, Sports Goods Stores, Fitness and Health equipment, Grocery, Fruits, Dairy products and Veg and Non-Veg Food items are also available inside the Malls. The hyper markets provide variety and huge volumes of exclusive merchandise at low margins. The operating cost is comparatively less than other retail formats.  Needless to say that there are different popular Indian as  well as mega International brands available in the Malls. 

 Amazon.in, Snapdeal.com, Myntra,  Pepperfry  are gaining popularity among online shoppers. The online shopping culture is a potential threat to the Mall operators.

The Hall of Fame – Malls   have Book shop and Music store like Crossword.  It provides intellectual stimuli and ecstasy for the readers and listeners alike.

The enormously popular Mall concept Park and Shop are catching up as a lifestyle for Indians.  Health, Nutrition and Wellness offer all natural organic products in our green Mall for a good life.  A majority of  metropolitan Indian citizens find the order of life in Malls  and enjoys the Mall concept now as never before.  The patrons of Mall finds the path leading to Malls as a destination for Wellness and Fitness fundas.

Effectively highlighting that the ultimate destination for A to Z needs for the modern Indian citizens is Malls.

The Dan Brown Experience

The Dan Brown Experience

Penguin Publishers’ Annual Lecture by famous American Author Dan Brown -

        

A review about his books and an appraisal of the author himself.

Dan Brown, the famous Author of Da Vinci Code was invited by Penguin Publishers to give a talk for their Annual Lecture at NCPA, Nariman Point, Mumbai on 12th November, 2014.   My curiosity and eagerness to meet Dan Brown and listen to his lecture had resulted in me patronizing the packed auditorium from a vantage point to view the dais.  As a bonafide member of Crossword, I had an Entry Pass in my possession.    Many people were left as unlucky as they were not allowed to enter the Auditorium as it was already packed.

Dan Brown visited Delhi and Mumbai as a part of his visit to India in 2014.  He also authored Digital Fortress, Angels & Demons, Inferno and Deception Point.  The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons were blockbuster Hollywood motion pictures.

Dan Brown specializes in codes, cryptology and symbology in his books. The master craftsman, a real genius who blends facts and fiction in his works with great elan and fanfare to the pure deligt of his readers across the world. I consider myself fortunate enough to enrich my experience from the brilliant talk along with Mumbai’s intelligentsia.

Dan Brown, a crowd puller, has a penchant for Code, Cryptology & Symbology.  This taste reflects in his other works too. Needless to say that all his books are international bestsellers.

In Da Vinci Code, his character Jacques Sauniere, an Art curator in a Paris Art Gallery cleverly hides his precious rich haul  in Code language and leaves a message to his granddaughter, Sophie Nevue before he was murdered.  Sophie, a cryptologist,  with the help of Robert Langdon a teacher in a London University and a manuscript specialist and an expert  in understanding Code language,  sets off in  a mission to decode her grandfather’s secret.  They encounter a British Knight and a historian, Leigh Tiebing, in his  mansion  situated in sprawling acres of land in the outskirts of Paris.   He too gets involved in the expedition which takes you to a thrilling experience. The intrigue, suspense and unveiled drama takes you to a hair raising finale.  The author succeeded in taking you to an adventurous journey by his lead characters to startling revelations in each and every step.  The novel is a page turner and keeps you riveted till the end.

 Dan Brown’s books are translated into 52 languages worldwide.  Who else can give a thought provoking lecture about the role of science and religion in our lives. His works are real code busters and international best sellers.

At the end of his lecture our Indian English Author, Ashwin Sanghi, the author of Chanakya’s Chant and Rozabal Line  interviewed  Dan Brown.   Ashwin Sanghi  with his collected set of questions  before the start of talk show from the audience explored Dan Brown’s mind.  The  interview was engaging, amusing  and witty at times, revealing the other side of Dan Brown.  Dan Brown lives with his wife in London.

Kudos to Penguin Publishers who roped in Dan Brown for their Annual Lecture 2014.

Love, Dreams and Hope – A journey towards Joy & Happiness

Love, Dreams and Hope – A journey towards Joy  &  Happiness

“Your life has a purpose. Your story is important. Your dreams count. Your love matters.  You are borne to make an impact”   -

On this sunny Sunday afternoon, I sat at the window sill of my terrace balcony gazing at the beautiful creation of god, the nature. I have decided I will not do the much fancied afternoon siesta today but share my personal experiences with you.  The cool atmosphere was evidence of winter setting in. My thoughts have developed wings of love, dreams and hope.

LOVE  -

My personality was somewhat complex due to the denial of DNA parents love.  I lost both my parents when I was three years old.  The most unfortunate thing in my life was losing maternal love.  The unconditional, uncorrupted love from the mother’s womb.

As I grew up amongst my relatives and in the company of some of the incredible friends, the most driving passion was the chemistry of love.  In life there was a paternal figure whose love was showered on me as a blessing. My love was abstract and often words were not much in use.  But the effect of deep rooted love was evident in the gestures and the support.  My heart throbbed and craved for more and more love.

At the threshold of adulthood I was fortunate enough to experience the romantic love. The marriage and family life at times found me in turbulent weather but the occasional serene and pious fabric shown the values of a moralistic society.  In family life you may encounter many hardships but in the bachelor life it is emptiness.

The femme fatal had strong urges in my life.  Love is an irresistible desire that consumes the one it strikes.  It is of the most beautiful thing that can happen to a person.  The steady relationship with the opposite sex beautify your life. Though it is too intimate and private, do what you love and love what you do.  See twinkling stars in your eyes and you float in the air like a hairy seed.

When you really care for someone their mistakes never change your feelings because it is the mind that  gets angry but the heart still cares.  Enjoy the company of the loved ones who appreciate you and boost your morale.  Try to be with someone who is proud to have you.

You must have created history by trespassing your yesterdays.  Let someone love you with their cherished moments and memories about you.   A treasure of sweet basketful of unforgettable, unlimited petals of love. Sweet love.   

Don’t change so people will like you.  Be yourself and the right people will love the real you.

 DREAMS  -

The scientific finding about dreams  -

“Dreams are succession of images, ideas, emotions and sensations that occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. The content and purpose of dreams are not definitively understood. Though they have been a topic of scientific speculation, philosophical and religious interest throughout recorded history”.

Are you into day dreaming ? 

You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.

The dreaming about your spouse or would be will explore the romantic in you. 

There are a variety of dreams.  You dream about material possessions and to become rich and famous.  You weave dreams to become the most successful in life.

        “Develop success from failures.  Discouragement and failure are the two surest stepping stones to success”                           - Dale Carnegie.

The poet sang –

”Dreams - if you are not there, the world is a big zero”.

I want to live in your heart forever.

HOPE  -

 I am a diehard optimist with a never say die attitude.  Even after several repeated failures, I continue to hope for the best.  Hope and success are interwoven.  The dedication, commitment and continued efforts will result in success.

You may think what wrong I did to remain unsuccessful.  If you want to be successful do not push pragmatic ideas too much to the wall.

Develop a passion for success.  Let others know the real you who can convert failure into success.  

If you don’t set a target for yourself, the success will elude you.   Let the driving spirit of efforts to take you to another level. Don’t waste your life trying to impress the other people. Let your heart’s call decide what you want.  

I have always been afraid of losing people I love but sometimes I keep asking myself is there anyone who is afraid of losing me too.

Always be passionate about life.  Life is the greatest gift to humanity.    Your spiritual journey for success began the moment you became self-reliant.  You ask your inner self what is the measurement of derived pleasure being in your grains.  The adrenaline rush can be found.  The Alma Mater start rising in your life.

I realized that love is the essence of life.  The caring, comforting and soothing love.  Love conquers the boundaries of faith and linguistic barriers.  The alpha and omega is love.

The Love, Dreams, Hope and Success be your motto and praise the almighty in every step and stage you experience the same.

Wish you generous doses of love, dreams, hope and success in your life.

The immortal Steve Jobs - Apple

The immortal Steve Jobs –

The biography of Apple co-founder "Steve Jobs" is worth a read.

The narrative skill of Author of this book Walter Isaacson is brilliant. Walter Isaacson has been the chairman of CNN and the Managing Editor of Time magazine. This book was written based on 40 interviews with Steve Jobs conducted over two years as well as interviews with more than a hundred family members, friends, adversaries, competitors   and colleagues.

Steve Jobs cooperated with the writer and even allowed sharp criticism about his behavior.  In fact, he encouraged his near and dear ones including his colleagues to be frank and honest in their views about him.  He was shrewd and his business acumen to sell Apple across the world was commendable. His passion for perfection made Apple sleek and bestselling product in the global market and revolutionized six industries namely personal computers, animated movies, music, phones, tablet computing and digital publishing.  The rollercoaster life of Steve jobs and searing intense personality of a creative entrepreneur whose passion for perfection and ferocious drive resulted in the most popular brand “Apple” a house-hold name in the world.    He often bullied others and also broke down to tears at times.   He was ruthless in martialling his forces to achieve unfailing goals.  He connects creativity with technology with remarkable feats of engineering. 

Steve Jobs, the 21st century's one of the greatest discovery,   reigned supreme among his contemporaries.  

The Apple’s think different commercial of 1997 –

“ The people who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world

 are the ones who do.”

The crazy enough Steve Jobs is incomplete without mentioning Steve Wozniak his unmatchable engineer wizard friend and co-founder of Apple.  Although the brilliant engineering mind behind Apple was Steve Wozniak, it was Steve Jobs, an engineer himself, who did the marketing and pricing and was the creative entrepreneur behind Apple’s success mantra.  Steve Wozniak was soft spoken, quiet and focused in comparison to Steve Jobs aggressive and brutal approach to his colleagues and competitors. His passion for perfection and ruthlessness to achieve the same created many friends and foes alike.  Steve Jobs always believed a product should have sleek design and never compromised on that.

 The Macintosh, Intel and Bill Gates, his contemporary, deserved a mention in his biography. Also, not to ignore the influence and support of his foster father, the garage mechanic Paul Jobs and his wife Clara Jobs in shaping up Steve Jobs life and destiny.

He was unlucky to have been missed out to see his DNA parents, perhaps this led to his complex personality.   His extraordinary tale, told through this masterly biography is filled with lessons about innovation, character, values and leadership.

His spiritual journey to India in 1974 was enlightenment of self-realization leading to existentialism.

The legend succumbed to cancer in 2011.  The greatest loss to technology and innovation when Apple’s popularity was at its peak. He is survived by his wife and children who lives in California, USA his hometown. 

The Apple continues to conquer the international territories by upgrading its products.  The iPhone 6 is selling like hot cakes in China, India and other countries.

Let me conclude with one of Steve Jobs’ famous quote –

“Your time is limited so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.  Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the result of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other people’s opinions drown out your inner voice and most important have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you really want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

RIP Steve Jobs…a vibrating stone tomb.