Looking at the world through the eyes of diplomats and other stories (IANS Books This Weekend)

The thoughts and ideas of Indian diplomats who have collectively put in more than 1,150 years in the Indian Foreign Service, understanding the ins and out of wealth creation, a story of a Parsi man and an exciting tale about the battle between man and nature: this is what IANS has to offer to its readers this weekend. Take a look.

1. Book: India and the World: Through the Eyes of Indian Diplomats; Edited by Surendra Kumar; Publisher: Wisdom Tree; Pages: 460; Price: Rs.1,095.

If there is anything constant in the world, it is change, especially in today's globalised world. Thirty mandarins of South Block look at the current changes in different parts of the world, try to connect them with developments of the recent past, analyse and dissect them with experience and understanding spanning decades and strive to foresee what is likely to happen and weigh how that could impact India's relations with the rest of the world.

This book is a unique treasure of the thoughts and ideas of Indian diplomats who have collectively put in more than 1,150 years in the Indian Foreign Service, representing three generations: those who joined in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. While some have shared reflections and reminiscences of their roller coaster journey diplomatic career, others have focussed on India's relations with different countries and regions.

A few have set out on a rather philosophical note, wondering whether it is hard power or the soft power or the soul power that serves national interests best and whether the days of quiet diplomacy are numbered. All in all, it is a heady cocktail of reflections and reminiscences, hard-nosed analysis and dispassionate interpretation and, of course, some crystal ball-gazing.

2. Book: The Value Elephant: The Head and Tail of Wealth Creation; Author: Sanjay Kulkarni; Publisher: Portfolio; Pages: 313; Price: Rs.799.

If six sightless men were asked to describe "value", they had probably touched an elephant and described it in parts, without getting a sense of the whole. But to build lasting wealth, you must perceive the entire "value elephant".

Great fortunes are made and lost in financial markets. The author's approach, called V-GRO, enables identification of fundamentally strong businesses which are available at a discount, debunks a number of myths like "price is always right" and "earrings are everything", and creates positive results for investors.

That is not all. The same fundamentals, Kulkarni argues, can be applied to a business to create value. He demonstrates how CEOs, professional managers and owners of businesses can ride the "value elephant" to make businesses more valuable, regardless of ownership and industry segment.

3. Book: Rustom and the Last Storyteller of Almora; Author: Gaurav Parab; Publisher: Hachette; Pages: 270; Price: Rs.399

Rustom Iraqiwalla, a once-rich, green-eyed Parsi, is all set to blow his brains out at his best friend's wedding.

Debt-ridden and marked by the mafia, this is the only way he can secure his family's future and atone for all the rotten choices he has made in his life. This extraordinary situation comes by way of his grandfather Fali's will that states Rustom shall inherit the family fortune if he kills himself in a public place with the former's eponymous gun.

Before he has a chance to shoot himself, his best friend Mani persuades him to meet an unlikely saviour in the Himalayan town of Almora - a drugged-out godman belting out strange visions through cryptic stories of love, power and loyalty.

Will the last story-teller give Rustom a reason to live, or will his tales push Rustom further into an abyss of unimaginable loss?

4. Book: Ambushed; Author: Nayanika Mathani; Publisher: Penguin; Pages: 168; Price: Rs.199.

This is a wildly exciting tale about the battle between man and nature.

"That's it," thought Tara, with a sinking feeling in her stomach. "My end is here". She fervently hoped it wouldn't be as brutal as that of the poor tigers. Gadget geek Tara braces herself for the dullest summer ever when her banker-turned-photographer father whisks her off to a sleepy tiger reserve in the Himalayan foothills, where nothing ever happens.

She couldn't have been more wrong. A stroll through the woods sends Tara on an adventure of a lifetime, as she stumbles upon an international gang of poachers. A tigress and her cubs must be saved and Tara's only accomplice is her mysterious new friend, Satya. But can this unlikely pair save the day?

The author tackles the glaring issue of tiger poaching while spinning a compelling man versus nature story.