Page 12 - Book Reviews

Submersed: Going deep into the secret world of DIY submarine builders

Frank, an accomplished author of narrative nonfiction, uses his terror as inspiration for this exploration of personal submersibles and the eccentrics that make, descend and sometimes die in them

Proto: Laura Spinney's new book explores the journey of global PIE

Beyond the hypotheses of origin and its subsequent demise and immortalisation, there is a huge world of learning for anyone looking to understand the evolution of languages and even, humankind

New book revives R D Karve's work on sex education, women's rights

In the foreword, author, journalist and former Rajya Sabha member Kumar Ketkar describes Karve as "a maverick, a rebel and a social revolutionary born ahead of his time."

A S Dulat's new book explores betrayal, belief and Farooq's Kashmir

He never considered independence for Kashmir, but Delhi still failed to trust him fully

Marketing Mixology: Ambi Parameswaran's book on the ideal cocktail

For those new to marketing or coming from a non-marketing background, Marketing Mixology offers a good introduction to the subject

Hubris Maximus: Pride, prejudices, and the nine lives of Elon Musk

How Elon Musk continues to emerge unscathed despite his most outrageous tweets and pronouncements

John Hancock: America's unsung founding father and revolutionary mark

It is unlikely Hancock will be restored to the top tier of the founders, but remembering him better could reap dividends

A Stranger in Three Worlds: Tracing Aubrey Menen's search for identity

With biting wit, Menen maps the universality of exclusion

William Buckley Jr: The American right-wing's original influencer

As the Trump era dawned, many felt Buckley would have stopped it. He had kept out the crazies, the conspiracy theorists, the antisemites-and perhaps even created the respectable right

Hooked on plastic: A timely probe into the brands and greenwashing

The book ends with a useful section titled FAQs, where the author addresses basic but important questions that many do not have reliable answers to

India and Taiwan: Charles Li's book offers key insights on bilateral ties

By giving up diplomatic relations with Taiwan and recognising PRC, India has voluntarily limited its negotiating space with China

Shashi Tharoor's book offers a partisan polemic on the Constitution

Tharoor's book glosses over how some senior Congress leaders in the 1940s and 1950s were uneasy with Hinduism not getting what they felt was due recognition in the Constitution

David C Engerman looks at six S. Asian economists who shaped their nations

Of the Apostles still with us, there are few intersections between them and age-related constraints on all

Wild Fictions: A literary journey with Amitav Ghosh through time, terrain

Often, collections like this can be read in whatever manner the reader desires, without losing any of the essence. You dip in, read what you fancy and then skip to another part

The Political Thought of Xi Jinping: Party's history beyond question

The authors have successfully painted a picture of what China looks like under Xi and how it is different from earlier regimes

Decay, resilience, renewal: Key themes in 'Deconstructing Indian Democracy'

Though alarmism is not new, political scientists must examine how institutions degrade through deliberate action

Men at home: Gyanendra Pandey on the male retreat from household work

Gyanendra Pandey's book shines a spotlight on men's private lives at home-and the rationalisations behind their absence from cleaning, caregiving, and cooking

John Matthai: The values of service revisited in fresh perspective

In Epilogue, however, Mr Dadabhoy chooses to dwell on Matthai's children and their achievements. In a biography of John Matthai, Epilogue should have been on his larger legacy in public policymaking

Hey ChatGPT, which one of these versions truly is the real Sam Altman?

If the aim is not, in the first place, to help the world, but instead to get bigger - better chips, more data, smarter code - then our problems might just get bigger too

Massive drone, missile attack hits Kyiv; residents shelter underground

Ukraine's capital came under a massive combined drone and missile attack late Friday with explosions and machine gun fire heard throughout the city.