Praveen

Photo of CEO Praveen

Praveen's love affair with Kepler's began in 2002 when he started living in Menlo Park and found himself repeatedly drawn to browsing Kepler's well-stocked bookshelves and discovering many wonderful books. The community's efforts to save Kepler's in 2005 made a lasting impact on Praveen and two years later he found himself quitting his corporate job and teaming up with his wife Christin to acquire the Booksmith bookstore in 2007. Over the next few years Praveen and Christin transformed Booksmith into a award-winning literary destination. In July 2012 Praveen assumed leadership of Kepler's with a bold new vision to transform Kepler's into a sustainable literary institution.

Favorite Genres: 
Literary Fiction
Politics
Sociology
Book Recommendations: 
Staff Pick Badge
The Nine Lives of Pakistan: Dispatches from a Precarious State By Declan Walsh Cover Image
$18.95
ISBN: 9781324020257
Availability: In Stock at Kepler's Now
Published: W. W. Norton & Company - January 4th, 2022


This is one of the best non-fiction books I have read about the fascinating, puzzling, mysterious country that was created by the British when they partitioned India in 1947. Walsh’s excellent reporting helps us explore if the fifth largest country, with a population of over 230 million, ever become stable and successful. ~Praveen


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Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself By Dr. Kristin Neff Cover Image
$21.99
ISBN: 9780061733529
Availability: In Stock at Kepler's Now
Published: William Morrow Paperbacks - June 23rd, 2015


I highly recommend this book for anyone who tends to judge and criticize themselves for any reason. The author is a pioneering psychologist who established self-compassion as a field of study. She masterfully uses humor, stories, practical tips, and empirical research to demonstrate the power of practicing self-compassion. ~Praveen


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The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness, and Healing in a Toxic Culture By Gabor Maté, MD, Daniel Maté (With) Cover Image
$30.00
ISBN: 9780593083888
Availability: In Stock at Kepler's Now
Published: Avery - September 13th, 2022

 

In this masterpiece, the renowned Canadian physician and speaker analyzes the causes of toxicity in our society and culture and how they impact us in our bodies, our immune systems, our emotional balance, and our values and relationships. He outlines the simple principles we can follow to improve our lives and build a better world through love, compassion, healing and valuing our interconnectedness. ~Praveen


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How Civil Wars Start: And How to Stop Them By Barbara F. Walter Cover Image
$28.00
ISBN: 9780593137789
Availability: Usually Arrives at Kepler's in 3-14 Days
Published: Crown - January 11th, 2022

 

We are closer to a second civil war in the US than most people realize. The next civil war won’t be fought between armies on battlefields. The author has spent her career studying civil conflict in places like Iraq, Ukraine, and Sri Lanka. In this chilling and believable analysis, she reveals the warning signs - where wars tend to start, who initiates them, what triggers them. ~Praveen


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On Animals By Susan Orlean Cover Image
$28.00
ISBN: 9781982181536
Availability: Usually Arrives at Kepler's in 3-14 Days
Published: Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster - October 12th, 2021

 

A delightful and profound book about the relationships between humans and animals, ranging from household pets, animals we eat as food, and various tamed and untamed animals with which we share this planet. Join the beloved New Yorker staff writer on an exciting global journey with chickens, tigers, dogs, whales, pigeons, and many others. Praveen


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The Secret of Life: Rosalind Franklin, James Watson, Francis Crick, and the Discovery of DNA's Double Helix By Howard Markel Cover Image
$30.00
ISBN: 9781324002239
Availability: Usually Arrives at Kepler's in 3-14 Days
Published: W. W. Norton & Company - September 21st, 2021

“Heart-pounding excitement,” “Must-read,” “A book for every reader,” “Unravels the most profound scientific mystery of our time,” “A lively and sweeping narrative of this landmark discovery… that finally gives the woman at the center of this drama her due.” - Brought to you by a trained historian, physician, and accomplished writer. --Praveen


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Faces at the Bottom of the Well: The Permanence of Racism By Derrick Bell, Michelle Alexander (Foreword by) Cover Image
By Derrick Bell, Michelle Alexander (Foreword by)
$24.29
ISBN: 9781541645530
Availability: Usually Arrives at Kepler's in 3-14 Days
Published: Basic Books - October 30th, 2018

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Money: The True Story of a Made-Up Thing By Jacob Goldstein Cover Image
$28.00
ISBN: 9780316417198
Availability: Usually Arrives at Kepler's in 3-14 Days
Published: Hachette Books - September 8th, 2020

Goldstein is the co-host of the popular NPR podcast Planet Money and a master storyteller. As suggested by the book’s irreverent title, he employs an entertaining style to help us understand how money became the force it is today. The eclectic characters in his story include emperors, gamblers, libertarian programmers and the scenes shift from places like Greece to the first stock market in Amsterdam to modern day central banks. A fascinating read! --Praveen


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The Forests of California: A California Field Atlas By Obi Kaufmann Cover Image
$55.00
ISBN: 9781597144797
Availability: In Stock at Kepler's Now
Published: Heyday Books - September 7th, 2020

The author of the bestselling California Field Atlas has produced another masterpiece! Kaufmann tells us an epic story spanning millions of years with the aid of his signature watercolor maps and trail paintings woven together with astonishing insights about the rich biodiversity of our great state’s forests.  This book will change the way you think of our forests. --Praveen


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The Revolt of the Public and the Crisis of Authority in the New Millennium By Martin Gurri Cover Image
$25.00
ISBN: 9781732265141
Availability: In Stock at Kepler's Now
Published: Stripe Press - December 4th, 2018

Written by a geopolitical analyst, this book foresaw and spelled out the forces that would go on to produce Brexit, the Trump presidency, and rise of fringe parties and oddball political figures in many parts of the world. The author poses the question - can liberal representative democracy survive? This book has been Marc Andreessen’s #1 handout for anyone seeking to understand the shift in power structures that’s shaking up our world. --Praveen


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Pedagogy of the Oppressed: 50th Anniversary Edition By Paulo Freire, Donaldo Macedo (Foreword by) Cover Image
By Paulo Freire, Donaldo Macedo (Foreword by)
$36.38
ISBN: 9781501314131
Availability: Usually Arrives at Kepler's in 3-14 Days
Published: Bloomsbury Academic - March 22nd, 2018

Have you ever wondered why the world keeps generating the same cycles of problems? Or why the oppressed become oppressors once they achieve power? Or why have we ended up with a permanent underclass in urban centers all around the world, including here in the Bay Area? This classic, originally published in 1968, provides the answers that are even more relevant and urgent today. --Praveen


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Stoner: 50th Anniversary Edition By John Williams, John McGahern (Introduction by) Cover Image
By John Williams, John McGahern (Introduction by)
$27.95
ISBN: 9781681374574
Availability: Usually Arrives at Kepler's in 3-14 Days
Published: NYRB Classics - July 30th, 2019

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Trump and a Post-Truth World By Ken Wilber Cover Image
$14.95
Not available
ISBN: 9781611805611
Published: Shambhala - August 8th, 2017

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Man's Search for Meaning By Viktor E. Frankl, Harold S. Kushner (Foreword by), William J. Winslade (Afterword by) Cover Image
By Viktor E. Frankl, Harold S. Kushner (Foreword by), William J. Winslade (Afterword by)
$16.00
ISBN: 9780807014271
Availability: In Stock at Kepler's Now
Published: Beacon Press - June 1st, 2006

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Selfie: How We Became So Self-Obsessed and What It's Doing to Us By Will Storr Cover Image
$18.00
Not available
ISBN: 9781468316957
Published: Abrams Press - April 2nd, 2019

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Democracy in Chains: The Deep History of the Radical Right's Stealth Plan for America By Nancy MacLean Cover Image
$18.00
ISBN: 9781101980972
Availability: In Stock at Kepler's Now
Published: Penguin Books - June 5th, 2018

Award-winning writer and Professor provides a crucial missing piece in the bone-chilling story of the radical right's six-decades-long crusade to remake America. She focuses on the work of Nobel Prize-winning economist James Buchanan and shows how his theories provided the playbook for the Koch Brothers. A finalist for the 2017 National Book Award! ~Praveen


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Coming Apart: The State of White America, 1960-2010 By Charles Murray Cover Image
$18.00
ISBN: 9780307453433
Availability: In Stock at Kepler's Now
Published: Forum Books - January 29th, 2013

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Money and Class in America By Lewis Lapham, Thomas Frank (Introduction by) Cover Image
By Lewis Lapham, Thomas Frank (Introduction by)
$20.95
ISBN: 9781944869892
Availability: Usually Arrives at Kepler's in 3-14 Days
Published: OR Books - October 2nd, 2018

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Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right By Arlie Hochschild Cover Image
$18.99
ISBN: 9781620973493
Availability: In Stock at Kepler's Now
Published: New Press - February 20th, 2018

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Ghachar Ghochar: A Novel By Vivek Shanbhag, Srinath Perur (Translated by) Cover Image
By Vivek Shanbhag, Srinath Perur (Translated by)
$18.00
Not available
ISBN: 9780143111689
Published: Penguin Books - February 7th, 2017

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Biloxi: A Novel By Mary Miller Cover Image
$15.95
Not available
ISBN: 9781631497841
Published: Liveright - June 2nd, 2020

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America: The Farewell Tour By Chris Hedges Cover Image
$20.00
ISBN: 9781501152689
Availability: In Stock at Kepler's Now
Published: Simon & Schuster - August 27th, 2019

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The Attention Merchants: The Epic Scramble to Get Inside Our Heads By Tim Wu Cover Image
By Tim Wu
$20.00
ISBN: 9780804170048
Availability: Usually Arrives at Kepler's in 3-14 Days
Published: Vintage - September 19th, 2017