Book Review #31: Black Grey & White

Name: Black Grey & White
Author:
No. of Pages: 138
Genre: Social
Publisher: Hoffen
Price: 225
Published in: 2014

The blurb of the book says:
This book gifts its reader’s five fantastic short stories that have a common aim – to spread awareness about AIDS. It is an opportunity for people to unite in the fight against AIDS and show their solidarity for HIV positive people. This book is an eye opener for everyone who wishes to see the wave of positive change in society. Everyone including the brave hearts Savita, Chintu and Mithali have the right to live with their heads held high without fear of social ostracization. Life does not have to be like this. The time is ripe to act now with one’s sense and sensibility. Break the myths. Come, be the change!

About the author:
Santosh Avvannavar: Santosh started his career as a consultant and Soft Skills Trainer. After his college education from NITK, Surathkal, he worked as a researcher at University of Eindhoven, University of Twente, and Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. He was also the Placement President while working at IISC, Bangalore. He has over twenty-five publications of mostly research documents in national and international journals. He has also authored sixteen conference papers and regularly writes articles for a national and worldwide daily paper. He also works as an advisor for different organizations.

He also dabbles in fiction writing and is the author of Adhuri Prem Kahaniya; Dear Wife, Your Husband is not a Superhero, Second Heart and Get a Job WITHOUT an Interview; Be A B.A.; Surrogate Author. He likes to devote his personal time in writing for a website, namely the Amrita Foundation for HRD (www.amritafoundation.wordpress.com). He has conducted seminars and training sessions for more than 40,000 people in India and abroad over the last seven years.

MY THOUGHTS:
The book is an attempt to generate awareness about the disease AIDS and its repercussions on the patients and society at large. As the blurb says, the book talks about five situations and have woven a story around each.

The title  "Black Grey & White" is mentioned to refer to the young, middle-aged and the old. But there was no situation where the old is a victim.

The cause is noble but again the presentation standard is not up to the mark. The same lines and phrases have been used repeatedly in the same story and the stories/drama fail to express the anguish and anger of the victims. I didn't feel for them.

I give "Black Grey & White" 2 stars on a scale of 5.


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