Rave Reviews And Journey So Far - Enemy in the Ranks

It's been a month since the fiction novel Enemy in the Ranks was released and despatched for distribution. The book got immediate exposure after being featured in the books section of the Mumbai Daily DNA. Check out the snapshot of the page below

It has still not reached any of the bestsellers list but it has got some rave reviews from readers. You can read them all on my webiste http://www.taprial.in

Here are a few of them

So engrossing, that I got late for office two days in a row! 

Racy, fast paced and action packed. Reminded me of Alistair Mclean 

Racy and pulsating - and great flow for a first novel!! Lucky that this is all fiction (hope so :-) - the end would definitely give some food for thought. Liked the subtle romance and the bollywood style 'coincidences' /incidental events to push the action ahead!! A thriller definitely!! 

I got the book finally. Had little time since Diwali celebrations and kids/wife dragging me around , but whatever little I could read was spell binding , pacy and surely an indicative that your writing skills are top notch. Whatever I read so far , I see a great potential in you .. If I felt that Chetan Bhagat could round of all his narrations , your writing style is no less , in times to come , if you pursue writing , I see a parallel and equally worthy writer in you. Chetan Bhagat watch out !!! Strongly recommended.

Your novel is a different kind of a thriller - an indigenous one, set in the Indian navy -- and i am sure it will do well in the market and find its own readership - This one is from a journalist working with a leading newspaper of Mumbai.

Friends and relatives have also been largely impressed with the book and and say that they loved it and it has been one of the best they have read in a long time. However the veracity of these statements can not be verified, them being friends and relatives. However my biggest and the best critic, my wife, who had not read the book till the time we got the author copies, couldn't put the book down and finished it in one straight reading in about eight hours.

What is Cerebrovascular Disease Or Cerebral Vascular Disease Or Stroke?

The sudden interest in the topic of Cerebrovascular disease also known as Cerebral Vascular Disease has been generated due to the death of a prominent celebrity, Walter Cronkite (92 years old), who had anchored the CBS news for 19 years, died recently of this ailment. He apparently had been ill a long time. 

So, what exactly is this Cerebrovascular disease or Cerebral Vascular Disease and how does it occur? What is a stroke and how is it related to a cerebrovascular disease?

According to the Medical Dictionary a Cerebrovascular Disease is defined as "disease of the blood vessels and, especially, the arteries that supply the brain. Cerebrovascular disease is usually caused by atherosclerosis and can lead to a stroke."

To explain this in simple terms, a Cerebrovascular disease can be caused due to any disease that affects the arteries supplying blood and oxygen to the brain. The most common disease being atherosclerosis which is caused due to fatty deposits (plaques) in the arterial wall which in turn causes narrowing of the arteries.

What is a stroke?

According to medical definitions: "A stroke, or cerebrovascular accident (CVA), occurs when blood supply to part of the brain is disrupted, causing brain cells to die. When blood flow to the brain is impaired, oxygen and glucose cannot be delivered to the brain. Blood flow can be compromised by a variety of mechanisms."

A stroke occurs when there is either a blockage of an artery or arteries that supply blood and oxygen to the brain, or a rupture of the artery or arteries due to any reason. Let us examine the reasons that could cause either of the two conditions.

The main reason for the blockage of arteries is given in the above paragraph, namely atheroscerosis.

Another factor that could cause a blockage in the artery or arteries is a blood clot, also known as Thrombosis. In this situation, the blood clots usually occur in the heart and parts of that blood clot then break off and travel (embolize) to the arteries in the brain and cause a stroke. This condition is known as Embolism which can cause Transient ischaemic attacks (TIAs) in the brain leading to a loss of brain function in one area.

The rupture of an artery causes hemorrhage (bleeding) in the brain and is known as Cerebral hemorrhage.

The most common condition that can cause bleeding within the brain is an uncontrolled High Blood Pressure.

A second condition that could affect the arteries is a defect or weakness in a blood vessel causing it to expand or balloon out is known as an aneurysm or arteriovenous malformations (AVM) in which there is an abnormal collection of blood vessels that are fragile and can cause bleeding.

A stroke can occur suddenly at any time causing the person to become unconscious and is a medical emergency that needs prompt attention. A person who suffers from a stroke will have loss of oxygen, blood or even bleeding in the brain which can cause severe brain damage within a few minutes (3-4) and therefore it is very important that the person should be taken to the hospital ASAP.