Böcker av Eric Alagan

It takes a hunter-killer instinct to make it big in the business world-to become a billionaire. Yet, the world expects the lion to become a pussy cat the moment he returns home-and remain faithful to one woman. Is that possible? A definite-YES! In Cheap Deals, discover the solution that one billionaire had perfected.-During the Malayan communist insurgency in the 1950s, besides fighting the terrorists and avoiding tigers and snakes, what else should a British soldier lookout for? To find out, come and spend a night with Private Edwards of the Third Gurkha Rifles in Terrorists, Tigers, Snakes, or a Cat.-Hunapo stepped into a match-making agency to seek an imperfect partner, because he was an imperfect man. He presented a list of attributes he did not expect from his future wife-but with one exception. How did he fare? Check out his unique approach to locating his perfect match in Imperfect Match.-Emma Wong made it a point to meet her potential business partners naked, before deciding to go to bed with them-the former in the literal sense, and the latter in the figurative sense. Read about Emma's formula to attain business success in Better than First Impressions.-These and many more short stories in Eric Alagan's single-author anthology transcend several genres: family stories, business anecdotes, humorous takes on life, historical episodes, mystery flicks, and more.-Note: Also available in eBook, Paperback (regular print), and Hardback (large print). Check them out.-

American Legal Eagle in SingaporeA light-hearted take on a serious and potentially controversial issue. The courts routinely impose gag orders on victims of sexual offence. Should the courts also grant the same anonymity to persons charged with sex-related crimes until that person is found guilty.-Blue MaidenDuring the days of the British Raj, many women of India - girls, wives, and mothers - were heroines. Ordinary women, yet courageous and resourceful, who were found throughout the Empire. Blue Maiden is a composite of the challenges faced and surmounted by many such forgotten souls.-Veda Vyasa, author of MahabharataVeda Vyasa fathered two sons with the two widows of his dead brother to ensure the continuance of the Kuru patriarchal lineage. His sons fathered the five Pandavas and one hundred Kauravas. Veda Vyasa subsequently chronicled his family saga, the epic Mahabharata.-Ashwatthama the ImmortalAshwatthama, another supporting character in Mahabharata is one of the Eight Immortals. How did he become an immortal? Was it a blessing or a bane?-The MasseurWe often read of women from poor countries forced into abhorrent jobs. Most times, these women have families to support. What if the roles were reversed? The Masseur is a short story of wealthy, powerful women abusing vulnerable young men. A story set in Singapore (yet could also be in any other country). Go behind the glitzy skyline and get a literal taste of the seedier side of life in this global city-state that boasts one of the highest number of millionaires per capita in the world.-Nouveau RicheThe story of one man's idea of success, no matter what other so-called high-flyers might think.-Brown Lives MatterPoignant short story of a silent victim of racism who endured society's judgement and emerged a better person, without the need for rancour or revenge.

In classical Tamil, Senkonmai means Righteous Sceptre. In latter centuries it became senmai, or when shortened even further-sen. Kol is the wooden rod used by a shepherd to guide and protect his flock. Combine the two words, and senkol (a word in popular use) becomes the staff (sceptre) a king wields. It is the physical manifestation of austerity, purity, mercy, and truthfulness-the dharmic tenets that guided the rulers of ancient Tamilakam. The sceptre was not a symbol of lordship and power, as was commonly associated with the royal mace in other ancient cultures such as the Egyptian, Mesopotamian, Persian, and even later-day monarchies.In ancient Tamilakam, kings were known as kovalan and kavalan, both terms used interchangeably. Kovalan is the wielder of the senkol. Kavalan is the servant-guardian.A kovalan, by his example, serves and guards and guides the state.If he fails in this duty, he must make good, or if unable to rectify the error, he must pay a penalty. The price could be restitution, such as money to put matters right or some other favour that restores or compensates the damage or loss to the affected constituent, be it a person or an institution. In extreme cases, he must be prepared to forfeit his life. Honour, duty, and accountability demanded this of him.The senkol in the hands of the kovalan constantly reminded him he, as the wielder of the kol, was a mere kavalan, servant-guardian of the state.These obligations on the king were disseminated to the people by temple inscriptions, palm-leaf books, guru-sishyan (teacher-student) discourses, and history enacted through the medium of story-telling (oral tradition), visual arts (portraiture and sculpture), and performance arts (dance and drama).An early example of the kavalan's duty, responsibility, and accountability was expounded in Silapathikaram, the classic Tamil epic composed by Elango-Adigal (the venerable ascetic prince). He was a prince-turned-monk and brother of Senkuttuvan, the Cheran king.Song of the Ankle Rings is based on the Silapathikaram.The Pandyan King, Nedun-Cheliyan, wrongly condemns Kannagi's husband of stealing the queen's anklet, and puts him to death. When she learns of this atrocity, she confronts the king in open court and proves her husband's innocence.The righteous king, horrified by his negligence that had led to the irredeemable error, grabs his chest and cries, "Am I king? No, I am the thief."Distraught and ashamed of the gross injustice committed, he digs his fingers into his chest and dies-his heart having failed him.Panegyrists sang his praises thus: "The kavalan's injustice bent his senkol, yet the kovalan's death reinstated his dynasty's righteousness. Rejoice people, for the senkol stands upright again."Kannagi, arguably the first female protagonist in Tamil literature, is revered in India and the Tamil diaspora as an exemplary model for womanhood. There are temples and statues raised to her memory.Welcome! Hear Kannagi and her husband, Kovalan-his name is an irony in more ways than one-recount their stories in Song of the Ankle Rings.

The truth is finally out!Thanks to recent discoveries by researches from all over the world, we now know that the English East India Company pillaged India, looted-a word borrowed from India-trillions of dollars' worth of treasure from India.The next time you read of the lords and ladies who made their fortunes in India, living the high life, think of the millions who starved to death in the Jewel of the Crown.But it's easy to blame the East India Company and ignore their henchmen. After all, the Europeans relied on native allies who committed much of the dirty work. Many rajahs and nawabs bloated with the blood of their countrymen. And locally recruited sepoys and peons were often harsh, if not downright brutal to their brethren.However, many more Indians passively resisted, and even fought the foreigners.Foremost among the early rebels was Puli Thevar.He outwitted the English in several military engagements, and was also the only local chieftain who defeated the vaunted Yusuf Khan-a man the English mentioned in the same breath as Clive of India, no less.However, Yusuf Khan subsequently rebelled against his English masters.Was Yusuf Khan a traitor or a freedom fighter?Even in present day Tamil Nadu, India, he remains a political hot potato. Not long ago, a famous South Indian movie star had to abort his movie based on Yusuf Khan because of a groundswell of opposition-and this even after Queen Elizabeth II visited the film studio in Tamil Nadu in 1997 as the chief guest for the movie-launch.Pick up a copy of Puli Thevar. Hear what he and Yusuf Khan had to say to one another, and how the English glossed over the former's many victories.This novel is based on the facts and legends surrounding Puli Thevar.

The truth is finally out!Thanks to recent discoveries by researchers from all over the world, we now know that the English East India Company pillaged India, looted-a word borrowed from India-trillions of dollars' worth of treasure from India.The next time you read of the lords and ladies who made their fortunes in India, living the high life, think of the millions who starved to death in the Jewel of the Crown.But it's easy to blame the East India Company and ignore their henchmen. After all, the Europeans relied on native allies who committed much of the dirty work. Many rajahs and nawabs bloated with the blood of their countrymen. And locally recruited sepoys and peons were often harsh, if not downright brutal, to their brethren.However, many more Indians passively resisted, and even fought the foreigners.Foremost among the early rebels was Puli Thevar.He outwitted the English in several military engagements, and was also the only local chieftain who defeated the vaunted Yusuf Khan-a man the English mentioned in the same breath as Clive of India, no less.However, Yusuf Khan subsequently rebelled against his English masters.Was Yusuf Khan a traitor or a freedom fighter?What did Puli Thevar and Yusuf Khan, two of the best field commanders of their time, had to say to one another when they met?This novel is based on the facts and legends surrounding Puli Thevar.

It takes a hunter-killer instinct to make it big in the business world-to become a billionaire. Yet, the world expects the lion to become a pussy cat the moment he returns home-and remain faithful to one woman. Is that possible? A definite-YES! In Cheap Deals, discover the solution that one billionaire had perfected.During the Malayan communist insurgency in the 1950s, besides fighting the terrorists and avoiding tigers and snakes, what else should a British soldier lookout for? To find out, come and spend a night with Private Edwards of the Third Gurkha Rifles in Terrorists, Tigers, Snakes, or a Cat.Hunapo stepped into a match-making agency to seek an imperfect partner, because he was an imperfect man. He presented a list of attributes he did not expect from his future wife-but with one exception. How did he fare? Check out his unique approach to locating his perfect match in Imperfect Match.Emma Wong made it a point to meet her potential business partners naked, before deciding to go to bed with them-the former in the literal sense, and the latter in the figurative sense. Read about Emma's formula to attain business success in Better than First Impressions.These and many more short stories in Eric Alagan's single-author anthology transcend several genres: family stories, business anecdotes, humorous takes on life, historical episodes, mystery flicks, and more.

Year-end review. Annual staff evaluation. Interviews and feedback. Don't we love it! Cogs in a machine. One wheel drags and the works slow; or worse-they gum up. Remember that shirker in your college project team? Yes, you know the primary problem: we work in teams but conduct performance appraisals at the individual level. A tough nut? Not really. There is a solution. You need a scorecard model that quantifies-hard numbers-each team's and individual's contribution in relation to corporate goals. Yes, ultimately an employee's performance must be tied to achieving business goals-sales and profits. And it's not just for the line-workers. It includes the staff workers too. Some hints on the protocol to use: No judgement calls-well, there is but it's severely moderated. Several levels of reviews and several reviews-to eliminate games such as playing favourites and sucking up to the supervisor. And to smoothen peaks and troughs in performance by the team and the individual. Time taken-no more than a "regular review". The Performance Appraisal Model is a simple model, a collaborative model that everyone in the team helps to build-and buys into from day one. If the people don't own it-no pep talk is going to change anything. Oh, something else: the Performance Appraisal Model incorporates the 10 goals of an ideal performance appraisal exercise. Check it out. Pick up copy.