Page 41 - Book Reviews

Art as activism

This streets-to-stage story portrays a transgender artiste's evolution as a social reformer

The grey zone of digital currency

Sundeep Khanna's book is an up-to-the-minute and competently written chronicle of how India interacts with virtual assets

Eyewitnesses to catastrophe

Travelers in the Third Reich underlines the power of wilful delusion, and explores indifference of tourists in Nazi Germany to the regime's atrocities, offering a lesson that remains relevant today

Talking about philanthropy

Challenging the status quo, A New Era of Giving argues that giving without impactful, sweeping change risks rendering it meaningless for both giver and receiver

Jack Welch, retrospective 'villain'

GE's iconic former CEO's revered status has been tarnished in recent years, and David Gelles book is the latest attempt to blame Welch's toxic management style for the ills of today's capitalism

A global warming thriller

The yearning question for climate journalists now: What are the magic words? We have the facts and the wildfires to prove them.

The Dalit paradox

Sudha Pai and Sajjan Kumar's book delves into the complex dynamics of Dalit identity and politics, and the intriguing reasons for their protest against right-wing politics while also voting for them

Decline and fall

Joseph Sassoon's book chronicles the rise and fall of a Baghdadi Jewish family in British India and serves as a cautionary tale about the perils of mixing enterprise and extravagance

Strong man with feet of clay

Thirunellai Narayana Seshan's posthumously published autobiography reflects on his impactful career, enduring reforms, and reminds us that even strong leaders are fallible

Oceanic exploration: In too deep

Humans have "conquered" the world's surfaces and mountaintops. The oceans, however, have largely escaped such scrutiny, with their floors far less well known than the surfaces of the moon, or Mars

The disruptor

What emerges from these interviews are some remarkable stories, some by people who knew him intimately and others who only worked with him

Islam & the spirit of non-violence

Abad Ahmad's book is a timely reminder of the true essence of Islam as contained in its Quranic verses, but does little to address the criticisms directed at the faith and its followers

Harnessing the power of martyrdom

What drives Pakistani men to join its military, despite the toll it takes on them? Maria Rashid's book explores the narratives that sustain the Army's appeal among the country's population

Issues of modern era not very modern: Finance secretary T V Somanathan

Speaking during a panel discussion at the book launch, chief economic advisor in the finance ministry, V Anantha Nageswaran, agreed that the book could be called the history of the finance ministry

5IR: Inventing a positive world

Amidst the bewildering advancements and debates surrounding technology, Pranjal Sharma's book offers a peek into the potential benefits of the Fifth Industrial Revolution

Enigmas of independence

'Freedom and Partition' explores forgotten facets of history and reflects on the complex perspectives surrounding independence celebrations in India

Global warming: The heat is on

This is a propulsive book, one to be raced through; the planet is burning, and we are running out of time

Reimagining value investing for the tech era

In his book, author and fund manager Adam Seessel makes a strong case for embracing the transformative power of technology stocks in order to stay ahead in the market

Global norms with Chinese characteristics

Elizabeth Economy's book offers insights into how China is reshaping global norms and raises the question of whether it can truly coerce nations with its economic power to serve its own interests

The future is out there

Tim Marshall's book sets out the dangers of the growing belligerence of astropolitics and the future race for space