'How to Live in a Flat', if posed as a question, is worth asking today with so many articles on tiny flats with hugely inflated price tags in the newspapers. Flat-dwellers were faced with very similar problems in 1936. During 1932 and 1933 Heath Robinson had drawn a series of cartoons for 'The Sketch' entitled 'Flat Life', which depicted various gadgets designed to make the most of the limited space available in the contemporary flat. It was this series of drawings that provided K. R. G. B...

In 1935 the driving test became compulsory for anyone wishing to hold a British driving licence and a rite of passage for adults, young and old alike, was established. It was just a few years later, in 1939, that William Heath Robinson collaborated with K.R.G. Browne to publish a book entitled How to be a Motorist. No doubt inspired by the scenes of the motoring masses - there were over 2 million vehicles on the road by then - and their resultant antics and madness, Heath Robinson addresse...

The origins of 'How to Make a Garden Grow' lie in an article in 'The Strand' Magazine called 'A Highly Complicated Science'. The science referred to was that of gardening and the article by K. R. G. Browne was accompanied by nine of Heath Robinson's drawings, all of which were subsequently used in their book for the How To… series. Much of the subject matter for this book was drawn from Heath Robinson's earlier cartoons. For example, among his earliest work for 'The Sketch' was a series of...

On a foggy winter morning a tough-looking man wearing a mask surveys each bank in a residential-cum-commercial area to choose one to take his money. After making doubly sure that there was no one around, he chooses one to grab his money when lo and behold, the security guard appears from nowhere, points his gun at the "thief" forcing him to unmask to be identified.A big built woman suffering from leprosy and pushing an empty cart bursts into tears on being asked by a nodding acquai...

This collection of sixteen short stories is like music of varied, soft notes and chords which is soothing and pleasant and has a simple beauty. The delineation of characters and emotions has no sharp strokes or harsh lines. Ordinary people go about their daily business and yet manage to find narratives hidden in the hum-drum of a daily routine. These stories celebrate the ordinary fears, anxieties and joys of the common man. Trivial fragments are defined with clarity and its very placidity...

Four gems, with new introductions, mark acclaimed Indian writer R. K. Narayan's centennialIntroducing this collection of stories, R. K. Narayan describes how in India "the writer has only to look out of the window to pick up a character and thereby a story." Composed of powerful, magical portraits of all kinds of people, and comprising stories written over almost forty years, Malgudi Days presents Narayan's imaginary city in full color, revealing the essen...

"These three stories illustrate Inoue's versatility, his mastery of detail and his control of narrative structure. Inoue presents the tale as mystery and solution, the tale as psychoanalytic exploration…, the tale as emblematic social history."-Arizona QuarterlyIn The Counterfeiter, a writer is commissioned to write the biography of a famous painter but becomes fascinated by a man who produced forgeries of the artist's work. Obasute

Parables, anecdotes and fables have always been a popular way of conveying essential wisdom for personal development. Nuggets of Wisdom is one such book -- a rare collection of little tales, stories and incidents that the author has painstakingly collected over the years. Each is a prime example of earthy wisdom that young people need, which are hard to come by in the rush of coping with the day-to-day life.

This classic Japanese story by Soseki Netsume-the foremost novelist of the Meiji Period—is a masterpiece of Japanese literature.This book demonstrates Soseki Natsume's ability to dissect and elucidate the human personality in all its complexity. Here, his facile blending of narrative, extended monologue and sharp dialog leaves the reader with an almost personal knowledge of the characters. We are introduced to Keitaro, a recent college graduate hunting for his firs...

Real life, at times, tends to get mundane and boring. How to survive against such inertia and overwhelming odds in life is the mool mantra of this unique little book. These top tips will help you live life more peacefully and more successfully, whether you are young or old, man or woman, businessman or executive, professional or in service.

Jeff Greenwald's classic travelogue follows his quest for the "perfect" Buddha statue. At turns hilarious and moving, his quest features a cast of amazing characters - from a passionate palmist to a flying lama - who provide unforgettable glimpses into the daily life and culture of the former kingdom (including a wild ride on Kathmandu’s very first escalator). Greenwald doesn't shy away from Shangri-la’s darker side. Along with colorful descriptions of Hindu and Buddhist mythology, the boo...

An irreverent husband and a devout wife are vacationing in Mysore. They lose their way and can't return to their resort. The wife is sick and might collapse. Who will help?