Book Reviews

Chasing Like Dhoni: The sham meritocracy of Indian cricket revealed

Talent is only ever half the equation; the other half depends on the body you're born into: Your gender, class, caste, region, religion, age

Love Jihad: Tracing the narrative's historical roots and politics

Sameena Dalwai's book offers a sobering reflection on love and the kind of activism needed to counter the forces behind the 'love jihad' bogey

Tehran Diaries: A poignant portrait of life under war, repression in Iran

Since the bombings began, the regime has made concerted attempts to rally the nation

Age Code: Nutrition and science are reshaping the pursuit of healthy ageing

How good food can be harnessed to slow the ageing process

Managing Public Finances: What public finance documents don't tell you

Economist Anoop Singh's book is a laudable initiative to create greater awareness about healthy public financial management in India

Empire of Ink: A spunky history of newspapers adds color to black and white

Essentially, Empire of Ink argues that technology transforms, but the fundamental human drive to share and compare notes remains the same

Queer India Now: The ordinary lives of queer Indians take centre stage

The queer community has been criminalised for a long time, its rights debated and discussed in courtrooms, laced with social prejudice

Talking Classics: A persuasive case for questioning over venerating them

Personal, anecdotal and humorous, Mary Beard's book is a love letter to antiquity, but one that wants readers to question, denounce, and be shocked by the findings

The Genius of Trees: Decoding the science behind the secret life of trees

When it comes to trees, ignorance casts a shadow too wide to ignore the science behind them. This book explains how trees shape the world

Bringing The Cheetah Back: A diplomatic tale behind India's ambitious plan

Eight cheetahs from Namibia were released into Kuno National Park in 2022. This book tells the story behind the historic translocation

Desi Disruptors: The journeys of Indian brands that changed the game

The journeys of 26 brands, mostly since liberalisation, show how brands can drive trial and loyalty

Gerontocracy In America: Are old people ruining American democracy?

Moyn wants more progress and innovation - so much so that his socialist utopia is inspired by capitalism's creative destruction

We the People: Jill Lepore's book revisits 250 years of the US Constitution

Lepore argues that the framers of the constitution were ordinary people - farmers, and tradespersons and local teachers

The Economic DNA of Bharat: Blurred vision document for 'Viksit Bharat'

For people who want to learn about different government schemes and programmes, this book serves as a handy primer

Business responsibility in practice: Lessons from leaders on ethical growth

An anthology by experts explores responsible business practices through well-argued essays and lived experiences

The Seven Rules of Trust: Jimmy Wales' case for trust in a divided world

In The Seven Rules of Trust, Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales argues that trust is a practical skill that enables cooperation, strong institutions and lasting success

China Resurrected: The country's long-playing geopolitical conception

The book engages with the idea that economic clout drives China's position in the world today

The Nord Stream Conspiracy: An international war story in blockbuster prose

Bojan Pancevski's The Nord Stream Conspiracy traces the planning, execution and fallout of the 2022 pipeline sabotage through an in-depth investigation

A rediscovery of Aurangzeb/Alamgir through a remarkable new book

Faruqui's book is incomparable. It is unlike any book that has been written on Mughal political history or on any Mughal emperor

Natasha Walter calls for a feminism rooted in solidarity and renewal

Ms Walter, who worked with refugee women, heard countless stories of women who had fled across borders for their safety. These were stories from war zones, prison camps and detention centres