RIFLE RANGE BOY

One of the most learned members of our clan, Uncle Shan RIP, was once working as the head of a reform school for juvenile delinquents. In his later years, long after his retirement, he used to reminisce about some of the exciting situations he encountered as a counsellor. I remember one such scenario. By and large, the school inmates were of extremely high intelligence. The only problem was that their true potential was hijacked by negativity. A teenager was admitted after being caught breaking into a home with his friends and sent to reform school. Uncle Shan used to have pep talks with him. The message that stuck with him was what the young man had told him, "if only my father had smacked me on the head the first time I came back home late, I would not have spent how much time outside and got entangled into the wrong crowd!" The children do not know what they want. Oh, what the heck? Even adults do not. That probably prompted Steve Jobs to say about mobile phones, "Peo...

Under the Knife - A History of Surgery in 28 Remarkable Operations (2018) Author: Arnold Van De Laar Most nations in the world are forever looking out to keep their brains within their boundaries. Brains, besides economics, are the main ingredients of nation-building. For this, it needs the services of the top five professional vocations - architects, accountants, engineers, maybe lawyers and doctors. Critical thinking and thinking outside the box are pre-requisites to unshackle the chains of poverty. Ironically, doctors are not expected to be too creative. They are merely expected to conform and follow the precedence as set by their seniors. No patients want to be treated by a 'cowboy'. New ventures can only be under the purview of peers of high standings. Misadventures stemming from unconventional, novel and experimental modalities will implore the wrath of the society, not praises for innovations. This book is a collection of about 28 kinds of surgeries and a littl...