Page 39 - Book Reviews

Toxins in moderation

'You don't need a degree in neurophysiology to enjoy the book - though I imagine it would add to the experience, which can at times feel like a riveting lecture by a passionate professor'

Feline fables in Indian culture

There are Buddhist fables from the Jatakas, Islamic tales of cats beloved of the Prophet and his followers, references to them in Sanskrit, Prakrit and Pali, and the Egyptian deification

Anatomy of a terrorist organisation

What motivates Lashkar-e-Tayyaba's three-decades-long history of cross-border assaults? A book on the literature of the outfit attempts to provide some insights into this pressing question

A Chinese puzzle

LSE Professor Keyu Jin explores China's economic trajectory , and the challenge of moving from its successful 'old playbook' to a nuanced 'new playbook' in the face of evolving global dynamics

Ghosts of pandemics past

Foreign Bodies takes us on a sweeping journey through time and empires, detailing the history of mass vaccination and the intrusive imperial approaches to public sanitation

Irish author Paul Lynch's 'Prophet Song' named winner of Booker Prize 2023

Set in Dublin, "Prophet Song" tells the story of a family grappling with a terrifying new world in which the democratic norms they are used to begin to disappear

The weight of a uniform

In her revealing memoir, former cop Meeran Chadha Borwankar sheds light on her career in the Indian police service, offering insights into the challenges faced by a woman in a male-dominated field

The case against Fox News

A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right. Fox News, at this point, resembles a car whose windshield is thickly encrusted with traffic citations

The siege that shaped Naga destiny

Kohima and Imphal decisively turned the tide against the Imperial Japanese Army in Southeast Asia

Seven Indian-origin authors feature in NYT's 100 Notable Books of 2023 list

The list of 100 notable books of 2023 includes seven books written by Indian-origin writers, including Salman Rushdie and Pico Iyer

Balancing acts in the boardroom

Drawing lessons from global and Indian corporate histories, Inside the Boardroom provides valuable insights for corporate leaders and students alike

Common sense for CEOs

Steven Bartlett's book offers practical advice for successful managers, especially those navigating the challenges in the middle of the corporate hierarchy

More capitalism than climate

Akshat Rathi's Climate Capitalism delves into the intricate dance between capitalism, greed and our climate-related problems today, exploring what it will take to build an ecosystem for change

The tabloid turns on Rupert Murdoch

For those looking for inside information on how Fox News functions and its position in American politics, Michael Wolff's The Fall is worth a read

Bill Gates as dubious philanthropist

The problem is that Schwab is rarely content to let the facts speak for themselves. Page after page devolves into insinuation and screeds against capitalism

Naipaul's India

A similar self-fashioning is evident in the two other books he wrote on India - A Wounded Civilization (1977) and A Million Mutinies Now (1990)

The 'other' Gitas

The Bhagavad Gita is not the only Gita in the Mahabharata. Bibek Debroy's Sacred Songs delves into the rich tapestry of 25 of them, offering translations, insights and profound philosophical themes

The fine art of stealing

Michael Finkel's book tells the audacious tale of an art thief who amassed a collection worth billions, but it wasn't for monetary gains

How not to write history

Rosie Llewellyn-Jones's book explores the impact of East India Company on India, but it fails to address why British influence remained patchy, unlike in North America of the Antipodes

Cognitive tools for thwarting scams

In an era where we constantly fear being swindled, a book that delves into the psychology of deception and offers guidance on steering clear of fraud becomes essential reading