Book Review: E-learning 101

At first glance, e-learning seems like a bit of a beast. It looks pretty wild, and maybe even dangerous. No wonder you’re a little nervous. In reality, e-learning’s not quite so scary. With the right approach, it can be tamed. If you’re an adult learner who’s new to online learning, this guide’s for you.We have one main goal here…

Book Information

Author: Dr Liz Hardy ISBN: 9780473205447 Format: E-Book Date of Publication: 2012 Number of Pages: 48 with cover

In E-learning 101, Dr Liz Hardy playfully introduces the reader to the world of e Learning. Divided in six unequal lessons, the author explains the concept of electronic learning without going into any complex technical jargons involved in the associated techniques. The author stresses on the importance of time management, self motivation, proactively handling distractions, deadlines and the importance of finding alternatives to traditional support networks to undertake a successful e-learning journey. Each section is supported by strategy activities for the reader. This book is not an encyclopaedia of technical know how about how to create an e Learning course material. And this book not even claims to be so. Instead it is aimed at the novice e- Learner to take the worry out of e-learning. 

I usually do not review e-Books. After spending about half of my day before this mighty device called computer for my day job or otherwise, I love to stay in the peaceful world of printed words. When Dr Liz Hardy requested me for reviewing her e-Book, the topic interested me and I accepted the request. I am glad that I did. Thank you Liz for sending this review copy.

Get hold of this book if you are a novice e-Learner and afraid of diving into this wonderful sea called e-learning. This book will not teach you swimming. Instead, without setting any false expectation, it will show you why you need not worry about the deep sea. This small e-Book is playfully written and very easy to read. The e-Book is available for purchase at amazon.

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Book Review: Somnatha - The Many Voices of a History

In 1026, Mahmud of Ghazni raided the temple of Somnatha. The history of this raid and subsequent events at the site have been reconstructed in the last couple of centuries largely on the basis of the Turko-Persian sources. There were other sources that also refer to events at Somnatha throughout a period of almost a thousand years, but these have rarely been quoted when reconstructing this history.

Book Information

Author: Romila Thapar ISBN: 9780143064688 Binding: Paperback Publisher: Penguin Books India Date of Publication: 2008 Number of Pages: Approx 280 with cover

Somnatha – The Many voices of a history is a detailed research work by Romila Thapar with an attempt to weave these numerous voices using a comparative outlook of an unbiased researcher to reconstruct the history of Somnatha and to place each narrative, often resembling fantasy, in their own historical contexts. Romila Thapar narrates and analyzes these accounts dividing the book in unequal distinct sections. The Turko Persian narratives typically resembles the conquerer’s voice of telling the history while the Sanskrit sources focus on activities related to the Somnatha in the later period. Romila Thapar present both and also an alternative Jain perspective of the situation.

This book is a good book but demands lot of attention and patience. This is not a book for light reading. Somnatha – The Many voices of a history is a research work that required huge effort from the author, and aims to present what had happened based on the sources available on thousand years old events. Although a  brilliant research work, I rated it above average because of its dense presentation which demands huge attention span from the reader.

You can buy this book at amazon or at flipkart , in case you live in India.

About the Author

Romila Thapar was born in India in 1931 and comes from a Punjabi family, spending her early years in various parts of India. She took her first degree from Punjab University and her doctorate from London University. She was appointed to a Readership at Delhi University and subsequently to the Chair in Ancient Indian History at the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, where she is now Emeritus Professor in History. Romila Thapar is also an Honorary Fellow of Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford and has been Visiting Professor at Cornell University and the University of Pennsylvania as well as the Collège de France in Paris. In 1983 she was elected General President of the Indian History Congress and in 1999 a Corresponding Fellow of the British Academy. [Source: flipkart]

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