Rachna Singh
My Books
A collection of stories, reflections and simplified finance — written across genres.
Fiction & Creative Non Fiction
Raghu Rai: Waiting for the Divine is a deeply engaging memoir that offers readers an intimate insight into the man behind the viewfinder—his craft, the tenets of his creativity, his spiritual mentors, his family, and his significant others. The book is not a conventional recounting of his life but a candid dialogue brimming with sincerity, wisdom, and humanity.
Woven with iconic photographs, it captures Raghu Rai’s unwavering devotion to his art and the philosophies that shaped his legendary career. The narrative—alive with vibrant anecdotes and profound insights—paints a heartfelt portrait of the master craftsman and invites readers on a journey of learning and inspiration.
Penned by Rachna Singh, the book distils the energy and depth of her intense conversations with the father of Indian photography. The honest, no-holds-barred dialogue infuses the pages with positivity and humanity, keeping the reader enthralled. A fitting tribute to a living legend whose dedication to his craft, even today, borders on deewangi.
Phoenix In Flames’ is a palette of stories that sketches vignettes of ordinary women who walk the tightrope of life with extraordinary grit, determination and fortitude. Sana, Sahar, Malini, Mrityunjai and other female protagonists grapple with their personal demons and tragedies. Some arise rejuvenated and reborn like the Phoenix, others perish, consumed by their own torment.
​Will the irreparable loss of her son push Malini to the brink of a numbing emptiness, or will she be reborn as the nurturer of all? Will Sana break through the dark clouds of an impending tragedy or will she perish in the flames of her anguish, never to rise again? Will Sahar be able to fight the desire for self-annihilation triggered by an incestuous relationship or will she surrender to it? The readers will find the answers to these questions as they traverse the dark landscape.
Rachna Singh with emotional fervour weaves stories that seamlessly connect and find an echo in the lives of all women.
'Myriad Musings' is a charming collection of reflections on varied hues of life. Rachna Singh has woven together different skeins of life in a thought-provoking compilation that amuses, inspires contemplation and at times elicits tears of sorrow.
'Motley Musings', the first section, is quirky and fun with its melange of unusual characters-the Rum Guzzlers, Sundari the runaway horse, the enchanting seductress in yellow and many others.
'Misty Musings' contemplates the inevitability of loss and paints touching vignettes of the plump and pretty Miss Alice, a traumatized Vasu crippled by the loss of a father, a dedicated violin teacher who has sacrificed his life at the altar of his Muse.
'Mangled Musings' is a tongue-in-cheek comment on the ills that have beset our society. 'Maidenly Musings' and 'My Trip Musings' are factual but fun to read.
Finance Simplified
The Bitcoin Saga: A Mixed Montage' is an exciting story about the birth and growth of bitcoin and the blockchain technology underpinning it. The book takes the untutored reader on a thrilling rollercoaster ride through the complexities and myriad facets of cryptocurrencies.
The sub-prime crisis of 2008 and the Cypherpunk movement sets the stage for the advent of the mysterious Satoshi Nakamoto and the release of the first cache of bitcoins. The narrative takes on a Houdini like magical quality as it unravels the skeins of the Dark Web and the secret of the Silk Road.
The story of the Mt Gox heist and Nostradamus like prophecies of bitcoin doom add a generous dollop of intrigue to the crypto story. The cryptocurrency regulatory-tax tales of countries like USA, Canada, Japan, Australia, China, India etc give the narrative an intellectual slant. The bitcoin saga ends on an introspective note.
The blockchain technology has enormous power to change the world. Whether it will be a benevolent Titan or a Frankenstein monster, only time can tell.
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The bitcoin tale, with all its thrills and spills, has been narrated in a simple and conversational tone and for the most part reads like a bestseller rather than an academic treatise on the genesis and evolution of the bitcoin and other of its ilk like Ethereum, Litecoin etc.
~The Business Standard
FINANCIAL FELICITY is a valuable compendium of articles that encompasses a host of current economic issues. Demonetization, shenanigans on Dalal Street, GST, RBI conundrums, tax evasion, mergers, buybacks, currency swings, et al, are analyzed with skilful acumen and showcased with literary flamboyance. Unusual market trends like witching hour, candlestick dojis, cryptocurrency add a healthy dollop of tech-economics to this motley collection, while articles on the economics of prohibition, Jallikattu, league sports, the dole, etc, give this book an intriguing socio-economic slant.
Rachna Singh, with her characteristic lucid brevity simplifies and demystifies economic jargon for the ‘Simple Simon’ on the street, who is attempting to make sense of money matters. It’s an encore of the fiscal chutzpah that she had accomplished in her previous title, Penny Panache: Piecing the Economic Puzzle, with much aplomb.
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Articles on economic issues that have made headlines; the author thankfully avoids jargons and complex arguments.
~The Hindu Business Line
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Singh succeeds in her attempt to dissect economic policies from varied perspectives, given her simplicity of style and a conversational tone that would fully engage an untutored reader in economics.
~Sunday Guardian
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Penny Panache is an assortment of articles on a range of economic issues that have made headlines of late. Vagaries of the stock exchange and real estate, the volatility in the prices of crude oil and gold, the rate hike tremors, the inflation predictions, currency wars, tax havens, algorithm trading, start-up revolution, et al, have been avidly discussed and analysed with acumen and skill.
What makes this compilation stand out is its lucidity that refrains from lapsing into academic economic jargon. The author beckons the reader to curl up in the comfort of an armchair and enjoy the thrills and spills of economic tales that have all the nail-biting finish of suspense stories narrated adroitly.
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what really adds pizzazz to this collection is the author Rachna Singh’s literary panache...
~The Sunday Guardian
Simple language and fluidity of expression make it an easy read. A great reference companion... Keep it handy for sound financial advice.
~The Tribune
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