Quite a serious matter for a hot debate... This book is packed with strong convictions of the various writers who have vehemently stressed their points with statistics and quotations.

The most ingenious part of this book like all the others from in10city, is that its not just subjected to one

single opinion, its a splash of opinions, Red falls on blue and blue in turn mixes with red, thus making purple... Thus making a new opinion...

“Who owns the world? Smokers or nonsmokers” this being the title, is all about social and traditional views, expressed

by various writers for and against smoking.

In one particular passage, one of the Rjs writes “Why is it that female smokers or drinkers are seen as defaulters?” Which shows the very prevalent gender bias in India which conforms women to follow only set rules of tradition.

Shocking as it may seem to some, one of the Rjs has also written that smoking in fact improves memory, substantiating his statement with a researched study.

On the whole, it is a very interesting read... really thought provoking, as we delve into this steaming debate between the two factions- of smokers and non-smokers.

16 yrs old Paul Lazarus, a home study student, reviews 33.3 IM Readio books

Has education numbed our higher senses? Has knowledge trapped us instead of setting us free?

These are the questions we unlock as we proceed into this book of epiphanies.

Here we discover how education has been a gift on one hand and a trap on the other, for it enslaves the pursuer into a never ending cycle of acquiring more and thus spending his life ignoring everything else. I connect to this book a lot, since

I’ve seen people exhausting themselves on education. For what? a good job? for good money? and what does it lead to, in the end?...The following quotation are the exact words a landlord of mine once told me ”Only Studies is important”

Looking back on it, I pity the misconceptions that people have on the priorities of life.

This book is really an eye opener on the fallacies of education. Most people seem

to find education a boon but in all actuality its a double edged sword.

Highly recommended.

WISDOM & WITHERING

SMOKERS OR NON SMOKERS

Who owns the world?

From the heated debate about polygamy and monogamy to parenting and social and traditional views, this book outlines the demanding circumstances of marriage and how the inability to weather the storms can lead to inevitable separation.

Consisting of writing that revolves around crumbling traditional views to the slowly emerging free thinking in a country bound by traditions, we get to openly analyse the binding

challenges of marriage where complacency or stagnation can ruin its foundation.

This makes for a book which is hot and alive while being bombarded by the enthusiastic writers throwing in their frank opinions with stunning sincerity.

“Blind Beliefs” deals with how the indoctrination of religious ideas affects young minds.

In fact in this book the

very legitimacy of religion is questioned. Here a rope cut in two, meet their frayed edges remain intimidating and hostile to each other.

”Blind Beliefs” is similar in such a way, with two opinions that have been stressed, but have never been diplomatic enough to shake hands.

This book deals with the age old question of Believing or Not Believing.

Packed with candid dissertations on questions

that people harbour in their minds; but never dare to ask or discuss. Each side throws in

their opinions and the rest is self explanatory.”

Religion is an oppressive institution” avows one writer even as another reiterates that a world without religion would be in total anarchy. Here is a book that will leave you cynical, thought provoked. and most of all will set your mind free. Even before you put it down, you’l find yourself governed by an alternate wave of thinking.

A new awareness.

BLIND BELIEFS

This book is down to earth, and straight forward, dealing with the different perceptions of fidelity, from physical relationships to the more important emotional and mental ones.

Fidelity to your Employer or to your partner, this book delves right to the heart of it to explore from within. Personal experiences are shared from the many writers writing, indirectly

throwing some insight on how unfathomable the mind of a person is.

One of the writers mention a very prominent and meaningful point stating that fidelity is earned and not demanded.

You learn that fidelity comes with trust and love. But others maintain that it is a sort of repayment of your love like a “Tit for tat”.

At the end, it makes you question your own definition of fidelity and honestly few books

do that, which makes this book a must read.FIDELITY

SEPARATION

This particular book deals with the age old debate of “arranged

marriage” as opposed to “love marriage”... With utter straight forwardness.

It ropes in matters like child marriage, adoption related marriages, the passions involved and the tragedy of divorce ensuing from troubled marriages.

Some even question why marriage and divorce should even exist. It gives you a clear “unadulterated” view point

on all the vagaries of marriage, with some of the writers presenting examples from their own marriages to substantiate their statements. I found the book to be pretty captivating as I’ve always had my own doubts about arranged marriages and their stability.

One of the main sentiments expressed was the interference of parents and how it influenced one’s decisions, not only in marriages but in all walks of life. Indeed, this book is very informative and moving as we receive a firsthand review of this phenomenon called marriage and all its intricacies.

ARRANGED MARRIAGE

When we think of “habits” what comes to our mind?

Answering a phone call in a particular way? Having our morning coffee while reading the paper?

Well... Habit goes more than that. Here we explore the real meaning of “Habit”... from Education to Marriage, from Parenting to Creativity.

We jump right into the

heart of it and learn that habits control us more than we think. For example one of the points stressed was how parents push their children to be as competent as their neighbors’ or relatives’ children. This is actually a Habit, a very dangerous habit to be precise.

As you delve into this book you realize that even common character traits turn out to be secret vices.

Once read we realize that habits are indeed integrated threads in the fabric of our everyday life. This automatically casts us into an introspective mood when we begin to analyse ourselves, prompting us to shed our own unwanted habits.

R e f r e s h i n g l y thought-provoking...

Childhood is filled with memories and experiences. During this crucial time of our lives, we are influenced tremendously, and obviously, the main source of this influence is our parents. Here we uncover the sensitive interaction that occur between parent and child and how it can change our lives forever. The R.J’s open their hearts to you sharing their own childhood experiences. As we read this moving book, we can understand and realize how childhood hurts can make a permanent impact, acting like a slow poison in the abyss of the subconscious. its a helpful book urging us to be careful of our actions, nay, our very words before our children, lest we mar their lives forever.

TROUBLED PARENTING

HABITTroubled Parenting

Troubled ParentingAn investigation into the powers of the inner child progresses in this soul documentation. We nip the problem at its bud and follow the trail of the vines to establish the link between the cradle, the clutch purse and the cane. Tear jerkers will be set in motion as we unlock our

hearts on this voyage.

978-981-08-5766-0

A Virtual Nation in the State Of Mind

www.in10city.com.sg

BK COVERS MAY 2010.indd 9 7/19/10 8:18 PM

A brief interview with Paul Lazarus

How I got to know of In10city ?

Well it was a complete accident cause I was on craigslist and I saw this ad…I didn’t think much of it then but thought why not give it a go…It was only when I saw the “in10city” website did I realize what kind of job this was. I was partly awed and shocked, ‘cause you normally don’t find ads about intellectual nirvana everyday…and well here I am writing reviews on the creative output generated by creative minds.

Some thing About me.

Well I find the whole concept of achievement and ambition futile since my ideal in life is-

“What is there to achieve other than what is there?”

I may come off as a nihilist at times (except for the fact that I am religious) but I live in a world of nothingness and in this whole world of nothingness… my whole life.

How I was raised ?

Well I was raised in a very open, free and philosophically rich environment, and we discussed subjects such as Religion, Existence or the matter of things. This doesn’t mean we were a serious lot. We took a light hearted approach to anything and everything.

Lifestyle.

Ours was a buoyant lifestyle, we changed houses as we pleased and have never been in one house for more than a year. In the name of “drastic changes” we would go on eccentric sprees and throw out half the furniture. I feel the whole atmosphere of my home has played a very important part in everything I do.

Schooling

I left school around four years ago. Four walls cannot constrain me. I live in a world of nothingness and hence school life means nothing.

I have not progressed. I consider all knowledge and achievement as inanities bubbling in the void

to end up as lost vapour.

Do I manage with Private tutors?

No I don’t have private tutors, in fact no form of “tutors” at all. I learn by myself. Like I said my upbringing is all there is to it, I was raised by a family that upheld “free speech and thought”. So there was never any restriction for open discussion. We were always encouraged to read, so that obviously played a significant part on my style of writing and expression. In fact I write poetry now and then but only in sudden spurts of creativity.

After listening to 33.3 IM Readio

Living in India, I must say this is the first time I’ve come across something that focuses attention to matters like “Open minded discussions or “Inspired thoughts “. So I was obviously attracted to it and was pleased when I saw the Title of the web site “To free the caged minds of people”

I immediately knew that this was something more different than “everyday difference”.

As for the books, the topics are good and I do like them, but they sometimes felt a bit “In your face” (including covers)

A bit of toning down would make it amazing though. But then again, if spontaneous outbursts are what you encourage then there’s no need at all for any toning down. After some interaction with Cap10, I was more surprised when I learnt that covers were actually meant to provoke the thoughts of writers & artists who are to come aboard the vessel as “Readio Jockeys” and also be the selection criteria for upcoming “009 License to think Club”.

My email address

thestorm67@yahoo.com