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Category: Excerpts

Read an exclusive excerpt from ‘The Bathala Games’ by E. Manawari

Posted on by amin

What happens when your typical high school problems are suddenly overshadowed by bickering deities and a moon-eating dragon? In The Bathala Games, E. Manawari introduces us to Michelle Macabebe—a girl just trying to survive her strict mother and a broken heart when she’s recruited by a very suspicious talking cat for an out-of-this-world competition.

From supernatural rebellions to the rich lore of Philippines mythology, this is a YA fantasy journey like no other. Get your first glimpse of the chaos below with this exclusive excerpt!

The Bathala Games
|| Learn more

 

‘Who dares?’

She froze on the spot.

The deep and rumbling voice spoke in her head. ‘What foolish things have entered the lair of Bakun the Mooneater?’

‘We’re sent to help you.’ Chi was taken aback when she found the courage to speak despite her trembling knees.

‘Hoh. Five young Dirt Dwellers. What can your puny bodies even do?’

‘Why have you been mad? Your anger stirs the sea, and the other beings are restless.’

‘Where’s “please”?’ Dianne mad-whispered at Edgar. ‘Say “please” or we’ll die!’

Edgar’s audacity nearly terrified Chi, but she spotted his trembling hands.

‘Ha!’

She shuddered. The voice seemed to be bellowing inside her head.

‘They deserve it! Blessed with outer beauty and deprived of hearts. How dare they swim away in my presence? Is it because I do not look like them? Is it because I am called a beast, a monster, among other names? Why do they swim away? It took endless lighthours and darkhours before I gathered my courage to approach them. Yet with their little fins, they go and hide.’

‘Oh, now I get it.’

Chi leaned towards Dianne, ‘Get what?’ Bakun was rumbling in the background, demanding answers for why he was avoided and blaming it on others’ shallowness.

The mission had boosted their audacity. All those life-endangering curveballs, creatures, and tests of everything—they were all bound to change. However, Chi was not certain if this was for the good as she gaped at Dianne who seemed to have misplaced her empathy.

‘Poor thing, you just wanna be friends.’

Chi heard someone curse—she assumed it was Edgar—as they gaped at Dianne as if she had grown another head. The actress approached the ends where the light reached the cave and spoke to the void.

‘I mean, maybe you’re not, like, confident with your wings or your horn or whatever. You waited for a long time, hyped yourself, so hard to boost your friendship rizz . . . you get what I mean?—Anyway, did you, like, ask them? Maybe you misunderstood?’

Bakun roared, and they had to crouch at the gust of wind.

‘You dare accuse me? Name yourself!’

‘I’m Dianne.’ She spoke with a quiver, which she masked quickly. ‘I’m an actress, model, content creator—in my free time, a fur mom—anyway, I’m saying I totally get you. Maybe.’

‘Liar. Your puny legs would’ve run once you saw me.’

‘Then let us see you.’

‘Bakun the Mooneater is a cool name. I bet you are cool too.’

‘Please?’

If Dianne was acting, she deserved applause.

‘If you’re too shy to show yourself, we’re gonna light up the cave, okay?’

‘Silence means “yes”,’ the actress added after the lack of response.

Chi then handed Dianne the orb Karabeyo had provided. The latter shook it and brightness exploded into the cave. Although not the entire cave, it was enough to expose the ginormous black mass.

The ruler of the sea unfurled his wings.

Fierce golden eyes pierced into them as the darkness prowled closer until the light reached him.

Bakun the Mooneater came into view.

Dive into a world of Philippine mythology and divine chaos. Get your copy today.

 

[EXCLUSIVE] Read the first chapter excerpt of Frances Park’s Ahn Love

Posted on by amin

Step back in time to the summer of 1969. In her latest novel, Ahn Love, Frances Park weaves a dreamy and heart-wrenching tale that begins on a daughter’s visit to her ninety-year-old father and quickly transports us to a fateful seven-day cruise across the Pacific.

It is a story of ‘Monkey’—a lovesick teenager witnessing the quiet unraveling of her family amidst the glittering decks and restless seas. From first stirrings of romance to the fragile beauty of memory, here is an exclusive first look at the opening chapter of Ahn Love.

Ahn Love

 

Like every home in Blue Stone, the Ahn family residence was a stunning wreck, so deeply buried in the neighbourhood that after taking the third or fourth curve in, there was no turning back; imaginary ghost-gates clanged, banged, and locked behind me, and I got the feeling I was here for the winter, like it or not. Were it true, my father would do his little dance one more time and never let me go. A happy jig, a cha-cha-cha.

 

Say his famous last words: ‘You can write here! It’s not too late!’ I never had the heart to tell him that the dream, like his jig, died with Mommy. Now it was his dream, not mine.

 

But let’s backtrack to the ghost-gates that began this knotted string of fantasy; there were none and I wasn’t staying for the winter. Having packed only enough for the weekend, I planned to race back to New York on Monday for an early morning Tuesday meeting at work, my other reality, and was only here long enough to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ and present Sam Ahn with a token gift he would accept like the gentleman and scholar he was, at birth and at ninety.

 

But that wasn’t what my widowed father, who lit up at my visits and dimmed when I left, wanted to hear.

 

Whenever I was home—and in every realm that mattered, Blue Stone would always be home—I found myself wishing things were different. The scope of everything; past, present, tomorrow, if there was one. Would fall asleep in a wink if my dad would make room for Uncle Bong in his heart and in his house. Just like the old days.

 

That said, I knew better than to bring up a younger brother who long lived under his wing. Sam Ahn was crowned First Son, and he felt that duty deeply. He was his protector, forever. But that was then, before his wing was broken and their legacy destroyed. Before the Whisper that marked the end—mysterious to me, haunting if I let it. The last time I’d brought up Uncle Bong seemed to crater him. My father’s eyes grew perilous with betrayal. Can’t forgive, can’t forget.

 

He’s dead to me.

 

Bull. Don’t even tell me the love isn’t there. Even after half a century, Ahn love never dies.

Half a century of secrets. One final chance to heal. Discover the truth behind this family saga. Pre-order Ahn Love today.

Read an exclusive excerpt from The Dao of Foresight

Posted on by simransingh

Blending fiction with non-fiction, each chapter of The Dao of Foresight introduces a new foresight technique through a timeless relationship between master and disciple imbued with the wisdom of Eastern Asian philosophies (Daoism, Zen Buddhism, Confucianism). Through the continuous juxtaposition of the old and the new, The Dao of Foresight intertwines mystery and adventure with learning, and inspires curiosity, personal growth, and a deeper understanding of the core principles of foresight.

 

****

‘It certainly is!’ said the Master, ‘Now if, on the other hand, your scenarios are explorative, that means they are about the futures of the Land of Pangu but not about Sherusei, do you recall?’

Jigo nodded.

‘Very well! In that case, your task will not be to achieve the most preferrable scenario, but make Sherusei’s strategy more robust. In this way, Sherusei will be better prepared for the spectrum of futures that could happen!’ Having said so, Master Fu waved his hand in a circle.

‘To do that, you shall use another technique. And that technique is called wind tunnelling!’ Master Fu continued. ‘With wind tunnelling, you compare each scenario with each of Sherusei’s existing strategies. This is to make sure that the strategies are robust enough to withstand a range of possible futures ahead!’

Having said this, Master Fu then extracted paper, brush, and ink from the pocket of his gown, arranged the items on the floor of the deck, and started drawing.

….

Wind tunnelling is a method that allows an organization to connect its foresight, i.e., a set of scenarios, to its strategy. It is attributed to Kees van der Heijden. The name of this method is a metaphor that takes after the ‘wind tunnel’, an instrument used in vehicle engineering to test whether new vehicles’ prototypes can withstand different highly erratic conditions of the atmospheric environment, such as strong winds or snow. In the corresponding foresight method, the strong environmental conditions stand for the different conditions in the external environment presented in each scenario, while the vehicle stands for the preexisting strategies of the organization. This method uses a so-called ‘wind tunnelling table’ to stress test all preexisting strategies, such as marketing strategy, research and development strategy, etc. (in the rows), against each scenario (in the columns). More precisely, as with the original wind tunnel instrument in vehicle engineering, preexisting strategies are to be evaluated against the ‘strong conditions’ of each scenario. If they can resist them, they are robust and can be retained. If not, they must be redesigned or done away with. The strength of this method is that it allows an organization to pinpoint which preexisting strategies are not going to be viable in the future and to focus the management’s attention on those strategies that are robust in all scenarios.

 

****

 

Do you want to know more about Wind Tunneling, and more such concepts that will help inspire curiosity, personal growth, and a deeper understanding of the core principles of foresight? Get a copy of The Dao of Foresight, from your nearest bookstore.

Read an exclusive excerpt from Tiny Rice Grains

Posted on by simransingh

Tiny Rice Grains explores the human side of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). 

Given the business case that diverse and inclusive organizations thrive and drive better performance, the question begs to be asked: why are so many organizations still struggling to implement and embed DEI in the workplace? The book explores this question and tackles how DEI strategies are often approached. as standalone initiatives rather than being woven into the fabric of the organization. Too many people are still afraid to have brave conversations and confront uncomfortable truths in the realm of DEI.

*** 

Get Comfortable With Being Uncomfortable 

I started playing tennis not too long ago and have since been taking classes to improve my game. Recently, in one such class, I was practicing a new serve that my coach wanted me to try. It felt really uncomfortable and unnatural. When I told him about how it felt, he replied, ‘Yes, and you’ll find that after three or four tries; you’ll slip back into your original form because that’s what feels comfortable.’ 

When he said that, I paused our session and said, ‘I have to write that down for my book!’ My coach laughed. I don’t think he realized quite how insightful his comment was. Our mental muscles that control our behaviour, behave in much the same way as our physical ones. They tend to return to what is comfortable, unless we consciously practise and form new habits. The three Cs approach is a way to consciously practise and engage our mental muscles, so we do not slip back into our old habits and biases. It’s a way to bring us out of System 1 thinking and activate System 2 thinking. 

Start With Care, Lean into Courage, and Show Curiosity 

There are many ways in which care can be applied to create inclusion. These range from an organization’s policies to how your leaders support you to care for yourself. Courage is about the action we take to demonstrate inclusion. Curiosity is making the choice to understand from another’s perspective, and also the willingness to pick up new knowledge on an area with which we are unfamiliar. 

When we are working to create inclusion, it is easy to slip back into our old patterns of behaviour, but remaining where it’s comfortable and not shifting our mindsets or changing our behaviours isn’t going to lead to the outcome of care that we’re aiming for. 

While policies and interventions at an organizational level can help, it is in how the policies are delivered, by leaders and colleagues who care about the impact, that change is really seen and felt. We have to be curious and positively disrupt our normal patterns of thinking and behaviour. We must have courage to take action that may feel uncomfortable but lead to the right outcomes and commit to doing the right thing when it’s hard, not only when it’s easy. 

*** 

The book explores this question and tackles how DEI strategies are often approached. as standalone initiatives rather than being woven into the fabric of the organization. Too many people are still afraid to have brave conversations and confront uncomfortable truths in the realm of DEI. 

Get your copy now.  

 

Read an exclusive excerpt from The Longing

Posted on by simransingh

In The Longing, memory is not just something you inherit — it’s something you survive.
Spanning three generations of women bound by blood, sacrifice, and silence, this quietly devastating novel traces how familial duty and hidden desires shape a legacy across time. In this excerpt, we’re transported to 1957, where seventeen-year-old Ah Lam’s future is being quietly negotiated—her heart caught between a factory worker’s promise and her family’s pressing need. What begins as a story of matchmakers and marriage quickly unfurls into something deeper: the uneasy tug-of-war between personal longing and generational expectation.

The Longing is a story about three generations of women who find what they need when intergenerational trauma and family memories haunt their lives and ties to others.  

*** 

In 1957, just when Ah Lam turns seventeen, Ah Wong decides it is high time for her to get married. The family’s need for financial profit and reduced costs is growing, as with nine children the struggle is arduous. Although their small shop does nicely—and the girls help further by taking sewing and embroidering orders, while the boys taking turns running the tobacco delivery from one neighbourhood to another—the children have growing appetites, and soon they will need to send the boys to the Dutch school, which will cost twice as much as the Chinese-language school. 

Ah Wong has kept silent about Ah Lam’s secret relationship with the factory worker, for it seemed harmless enough. Everyone who had mentioned it to him, hoping to be the first, said ‘How sweet,’ and ‘Don’t worry, it won’t last.’ 

‘The boy works hard and could do well for himself,’ Ah Bao once said.  

But after learning that Tan Kwee has almost no family inheritance, Ah Wong decides Ah Lam should set her sights higher. There are costs for food, housing, children, and festivities to anticipate. And there’s unpredictable rising costs in the market, always coming out to hit everyone without any warnings. Once a week, Ah Wong delivers rice to a wealthy Chinese family who runs a successful packaging company for the Dutch—rice, flour, and sugar. 

Since Ah Wong has always made his deliveries on time, the owner, Cheng Mui Gek, a widowed businesswoman who can smell money from a mile away, grows fond of him, and often talks to him about their respective children. Her youngest son, Cheng Lei, has just turned twenty-two and spends his days playing Chopin, Brahms, and Beethoven on the piano or arranging roses, gerberas, and chrysanthemums in a vase. 

‘He thinks that’s what he wants to do all his life and nothing else,’ Cheng Mui says, ‘but I know better. That boy of mine needs a wife.’ 

***  

This heartfelt story is one you don’t want to miss.  

Get your copy today.  

 

Read an exclusive excerpt from Letters From Gaza

Posted on by simransingh

Letters from Gaza is an intimate collection of personal writings that bears witness to one of the most devastating humanitarian crises of our time. This one-of-a-kind compilation comprises real-time reflections that uniquely capture the voice of people living through the conflict as a vital record of resilience in the face of adversity. Compiled by acclaimed Gaza-based writers Mahmoud Alshaer and Mohammed Zaqzooq, this book is an unflinching account of war told through the words of those living it—offering a deeply personal, urgent, and essential perspective that gets often lost in global headlines.

Read an exclusive excerpt below.

 

Know more||

 

Unable to Convey the Sound of the Explosion

by Husam Marouf

Translated by Soha El-Sebaie

Every evening, she would come with her face pale, her features

almost disappearing because of frowning, and throw her body on

the sofa I was sitting on as if she was throwing a bag of wheat.

After the sound of the collision passed, she would advance towards

my left thigh, and lean her head on it without a word between us,

as if telling me I still love you, I still choose to rest in your embrace.

I could hear the sound of a devastated waterfall pouring from her

head onto my thigh to the point that one time I felt the dampness

on my skin.

The one with delicate, tender features, eyes the colour of green

grapes, and a vibrant spirit that seeped into every cell of my skin.

She dreamed of becoming an interior designer—a dream the city

of Gaza could not accommodate. So, she sought an opportunity to

travel to Europe to work there. But the war came, and her family’s

house was bombed over their heads. Her father, mother, and little

brother, whom she adored, died. Perhaps, it’s for his sake she was

postponing the travel.

 

 

 

 

Read an exclusive excerpt from Happy Ever After

Posted on by simransingh

Happy Ever After: Transform Your Leaders, Teams, and Organizations with HAPPY System™ is a robust book based on leading industry research on what it takes to create sustainable change, bringing together the latest breakthroughs in neuroscience, wisdom from ancient philosophies, thought leadership on coaching and experience of working with hundreds of leaders across the world. 

*** 

How Can Organizations Develop a Culture of Coaching?  

Creating a sustainable culture of coaching in an organization goes beyond one off initiatives for leaders to work with external coaches—it requires embedding coaching and being coach-like in our daily interactions as a core organizational value. The following steps outline how organizations can cultivate this culture, from defining a coaching philosophy to aligning coaching practices with strategic objectives.  

  • Defining the coaching culture 

Begin by establishing a shared understanding that coaching is essential for growth and development of individuals, teams, and organizations at all levels. This sets a foundation where employees and leaders alike see coaching as an integral part of their developmental journey.  

  • Training managers in coaching skills 

Equip managers with coaching skills that enable them to ask powerful questions, encourage self-discovery, and provide constructive feedback. Trained managers model a coaching approach, inspiring others and gradually infusing coaching into the organization’s daily interactions.  

 

  • Democratizing coaching access 

Make coaching available across all staff levels to develop an environment where everyone feels valued and supported. Access to coaching for all employees unlocks their potential, leading to higher engagement and a more resilient workforce.  

 

  • Implementing a systematic approach 

Develop structured coaching systems tailored to the organization’s needs. This might include creating a global network of coaches, cultivating in-house coaching capabilities, or establishing partnerships with local providers. Define success metrics to ensure these initiatives have measurable impact.  

  • Aligning coaching with business strategies 

Integrate coaching with organizational goals, ensuring that coaching initiatives are designed to support broader strategies. This alignment maximizes the relevance and effectiveness of coaching, reinforcing its role in achieving the organization’s vision.   

  • Embracing learning and celebrating success 

Deploy coaching in a way that feels natural by celebrating success stories, sharing testimonials, and highlighting real impacts. This encourages employees to embrace the value of coaching, making it a part of the organization’s fabric.  

  • Providing support structures 

Offer ongoing training, supervision, and recognition for internal coaches to maintain high-quality coaching standards. Integrating coaching into organizational processes ensures it remains a vital part of the work environment.  

  • Engaging stakeholders and building partnerships 

Engage key stakeholders and establish partnerships with external coaching experts to enrich the organization’s coaching capabilities and ensure seamless integration of coaching initiatives.  

Together, these steps build a coaching culture that empowers employees, drives growth, and aligns with organizational goals, positioning coaching as a strategic asset for organizational success.  

*** 

This book re-defines the way we relate to ourselves, our teams and life itself. It is a must-have book for any leader who wishes to turn possibilities into reality for themselves, their teams and organisation. Get your copy now.  

 

Read an exclusive excerpt from The Wisdom of Yolo

Posted on by simransingh

What if money wasn’t the obstacle, but the opportunity?
In a world where we’re constantly told to grind harder, save more, and never stop chasing the next big thing, The Wisdom of YOLO lands like a breath of fresh air, and a wake-up call. Nikki Jurado’s bold new book doesn’t just ask how to build wealth, but why we’re building it in the first place.

Part manifesto, part financial guide, and part soul-searching workbook, The Wisdom of YOLO challenges the conventional hustle narrative and invites you to rethink what a “rich life” really looks like. If you’ve ever felt torn between living in the moment and planning for the future, this book might just be the roadmap you didn’t know you needed. Read an excerpt below to know more.

***

First things first: YOLO isn’t just about living for the moment. It’s about living fully and intentionally, with an understanding that our time here is precious and limited. It’s about making choices that enrich our lives and create lasting happiness.

So, how does money fit into this picture?

Money, in its essence, is a tool. It’s not an end goal but a means to achieve the life you desire.

When you shift your perspective from chasing money to making money work for you, everything changes. Imagine having the financial freedom to pursue your passions, spend quality time with loved ones, and experience the world without the constant worry of financial instability. This is where the wisdom of YOLO and smart financial practices intersect.

Consider this: What are your core values? What brings you true joy and fulfilment?

The first step in making money work for you is aligning your financial goals with your life goals. It’s about clarity and purpose. Ask yourself, how can your money support your dream life? Rather than getting caught up in the grind of earning and spending, think about investing in experiences, knowledge, and assets that grow over time.

Investing is a key strategy here. But let’s demystify it: Investing isn’t just for the Wall Street elite. It’s a powerful way to make your money work for you, no matter where you start. Whether it’s stocks, real estate, or even a side business, investing can create streams of passive income that free up your time and energy. Imagine earning money while you sleep or while you’re off on your next adventure. Isn’t that the ultimate YOLO move?

But wait, there’s more. Let’s talk about the mindset shift required. It’s about breaking free from the pay cheque-to-pay cheque cycle and embracing a mindset of abundance. This means being wise about your spending, yes, but also being bold in your investments. It’s about taking calculated risks that align with your long-term vision.

What if you could turn every dollar into an ally, working tirelessly to build the life you want?

***

Learn more in depth about these tips in The Wisdom of YOLO. Get a copy now and watch your life transform for the better.  

 

Read and exclusive excerpt from The Art and Science of Peak Performance

Posted on by simransingh

If you had the opportunity to become the best version of yourself—physically, mentally, and emotionally—would you be willing to do whatever it takes to achieve it? Would you commit to mastering your habits, upgrading your mindset, and optimizing every area of your life in pursuit of peak performance?

Art and Science of Peak Performance is a comprehensive playbook that will arm you on how you should think about and address sleep, nutrition and supplementation, movement and exercise, mental health and brain optimization, disease and injury prevention, and biohacking and longevity. 

***

The Morning Ritual for a Good Night’s Sleep  

Ironically, getting a good night’s sleep starts the moment you wake up.  

There are a number of people that I have been following through the years, none more impactful to my sleep and morning daily ritual than neuroscientist Dr Andrew Huberman,7 known as the podcaster who ‘got America to care about science’. Also a Stanford School of Medicine associate professor, Huberman hosts Huberman Lab, one of the top health podcasts in the US. His much-followed morning protocol has spurred numerous videos on YouTube documenting how they ‘did the Andrew Huberman morning routine for X days/ weeks and this is what happened’.  

When people start writing and vlogging about following something that you do that makes them want to change their life, you know your research and protocol has reached a certain cult status where people have sat up, listened to, and actually done the work.  

One of the main things that Huberman discusses in his work is how to set up one’s self throughout the day so you can get a good night’s sleep at the end of it. I have followed his advice and created this morning ritual for myself, with my own personal assessment and with feedback from other experts. 

Evening Ritual: Protecting Your Sleep  

Your evening ritual, suggests Helene Patounas, should focus on doing things pre-bedtime that would ‘protect’ your sleep, so you get the right quality and amount of shuteye that the body needs to recharge. For Chien Han How, a medical entrepreneur who founded the Sleepwake Centre in Singapore—and a guest/subject matter expert featured in my podcast and previous book Methods to Greatness—the same is true. He recommends getting into a relaxed state before going to sleep, and working on your ‘sleep hygiene’, which essentially is about timing one’s sleep schedule so that your body naturally cues you on when it is time to go to bed and when it is time to wake up. 

*** 

Learn more in depth about these rituals in The Art and Science of Peak Performance. Get a copy now and watch your life transform for the better.  

Read an exclusive excerpt from Ageless

Posted on by simransingh

Ageless aims to bridge the gap between the bench and bedside, to further Dr Michael Khor Kok Seng’s legacy of service to the community and to educate the reader by promoting healthy living and informed choices. Here is an excerpt from the book. 

*** 

Gut dysbiosis 

The gut is very important to us. We use the word ‘gut’ in both literal and abstract ways. These are all abstracts using the word gut. 

  • No guts = scared, running away  
  • Gut feeling = instinct/intuition 
  • Having guts = courage 
  • A kick in the guts = a big setback 

In literal terms, the gut means the intestines or the digestive tract. There are enzymes in the gut that digest the food that we consume. The gut also protects us as a barrier against the bad bacteria that we ingest together with the food that we eat, as well as the poisons and heavy metals that are accidentally taken in.  

Among the essential metabolites produced by the gut microbiome are vitamins, protein derivatives (amino acid parts), bile acids, and short chain fatty acids (SCFA). Sugars like table sugar and lactose (milk sugar) are quickly absorbed in the upper part of the small intestine, but more complex carbohydrates like starches and fibres are not as easily digested and may travel lower to the large intestine. There, the microbiota help to break down these compounds with their digestive enzymes. The fermentation of indigestible fibres causes the production of SCFA that can be used by the body as a nutrient source but also play an important role in muscle function and possibly the prevention of chronic diseases, including certain cancers and bowel disorders. Clinical studies have shown that SCFA may be useful in the treatment of ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, and antibiotic-associated diarrhoea. 

The difference in the composition of the gut microbiota can determine how healthy we are and how long we can live. A healthy gut means a good balance of microbes in our body. These microbes have a lot of functions in the body.  

The gut microbiome is a key factor in multiple processes: 

  • It helps to digest and absorb ingested nutrients. 
  • It protects as a barrier against harmful organisms. 
  • It allows the passage into the body of beneficial agents. 
  • It produces essential metabolites like vit B and K. 
  • It provides signalling of peripheral and central nervous systems. 

Harm can occur in the body when: 

  • The composition of the gut microbiota is changed, or  
  • The intestinal barrier is compromised. 

Some organisms may be pathogenic and cause disease. Although the body and the totality of all these microbes live together peacefully, sometimes there is an imbalance between the synergistic and disease-causing microbes, especially in the elderly. This causes a dysbiosis, a disturbance in the microenvironment in the gut.  

*** 

Using a combination of personal anecdotes and thorough research, this book is written with the layman in mind, and lays down the latest scientific evidence in man’s search for healthy longevity.