Page 14 - Book Reviews

Ink Over Algorithms: Book explores AI's impact on creativity, ethics

Storytelling is deeply human, and Manjima Misra's book examines how AI can enhance the craft and the ethical questions it brings

The Zardari Presidency: Book offers revisionist view of Pakistan leader

This book is Mr Babar's account of Mr Zardari's five years as President from 2008 to 2013. This was a tumultuous period of Pakistan's history

McNamara at War: Rare later regret over Vietnam worthy of admiration

Robert McNamara's life was defined by a quest for control. A new biography shows how that same drive shaped his Vietnam errors - and his rare, late-in-life willingness to admit them

Nautch Boy: Manish Gaekwad's book sheds light on lives of boys in a 'kotha'

Nautch, a corrupted pronunciation of naach, fascinated the author in his childhood. As a practice, the tawaifs didn't let their children near their performances and patrons

Mango Millionaires: The common man's guide to financial independence

Why for beginners financial independence is less about picking the right stocks and more about avoiding mistakes early on

The CEO Mindset: Shiv Shivakumar puts behaviour at the heart of leadership

For leaders, what matters more - behaviour and mindset, or actions and practices? S Shivakumar's book argues for the former

Missing from the House: Tracing the political legacy of Muslim women MPs

Despite exclusion and patriarchy, 18 Muslim women have entered the Lok Sabha to date - but their absence from public discourse is stark. This book recalls their political legacy

Mujib's blunders: Manash Ghosh's book reveals how Rahman lost plots

The Power and the Plot Behind His Killing, "covers the troubled years after the freedom struggle, popularly known as the Liberation War, against the genocidal Pakistan Army"

What happened in the 2024 election? Kamala Harris shares some thoughts

Harris was initially bewildered by Biden's sudden switch, including his determination to rush out an announcement

Dance of Freedom: How Bharata Natyam became India's quintessential dance

Padma Shri Leela Samson traces the journey of Bharata Natyam through its origins, controversies, costumes, and philosophy, while reflecting on its enduring inclusivity and timeless appeal

Ishita Tiwary's book shows how video cassettes changed our visual culture

It would be no exaggeration to say that making sense of the evolution of the media industry is challenging given the sheer scale and the short span of its transformation

Decoding China: Ashok Kantha's book offers hard Indian perspectives

From the weaponisation of trade and border issues to the Belt and Road Initiative, this book paints a detailed picture of China and its future direction

Song of India: New book clarifies why Tagore composed the national anthem

Several songs competed to become India's anthem after Independence. Dr Mukherjee's book debunks myths about why Tagore composed his song and how it came to be chosen

Dapaan: Kashmir's stories of conflict, resilience and remembrance

After 35 years of armed conflict, Kashmir abounds with stories-heard and unheard-of loss, laughter, haunting, and place-making, but also of defiance against the state

S Muralidhar's book spotlights SC's fault lines and judicial fallibility

In the current discourse on the basic law of the country, the Constitution, leaders of both the ruling and the Opposition blocs are engaged in its competitive veneration, pronouncing it sacrosanct

Rocket Dreams: Those magnificent billionaires and their flying machines

According to the journalist Christian Davenport's latest dispatch from the high-tech space race, Rocket Dreams, Bezos also posed a question: "How would we go about this if NASA did not exist?"

Decluttering, Indian style: Bhawana Pingali revives forgotten rituals

The book spotlights forgotten practices that reveal how Indian homes once embodied sustainability and balance. Mustard seed pillows that ease the body and offer better sleep for infants and adults

Being an Oak shows the hidden life and lessons of a 240-year-old tree

Through the life of Quercus the acorn and his woodland kin, Being an Oak reveals nature's quiet power to change, adapt, and heal when left alone

Believer's Dilemma: A leader's struggle with power and self-doubt

A new biography unravels Atal Bihari Vajpayee's complex persona, tracing his political journey, inner conflicts, and role in shaping modern Indian politics

Trial by Water: Assessing the paradoxical legacy of Indus Waters Treaty

Uttam Kumar Sinha's book Trial by Water: Indus Basin and India-Pakistan Relations would be useful to anyone who is keen to understand India's official stance through a historical framework