Page 47 - Book Reviews

A devotee in the backroom

For those who closely follow recent Indian politics, this book is important - as much for what it says as it is for what it doesn't say

A novice from the court of St James

"Courting India" details the early stage of the British-India encounter, with a vivid account of the mission from the court of James I, offering insights into the complexities of trade in that era

Hunting for the real Shakespeare

Durkee frames Stalking Shakespeare (his first book of nonfiction after two novels) in the guise of a whacked-out misery memoir

The shadow of Xi Jinping, misinformation and hurt religious sentiments

This past week there was also a review of a book on the Big Bull Rakesh Jhunjhunwala

Beyond the LGBTQIA+ stereotypes

Despite the wry and self-deprecating humour, the family drama that unfolds in this book is far from amusing

A Xi Jinping primer

Professor Kerry Brown's book attempts to provide insights into the personal and political growth of the Chinese leader, and his mission to make China a great power again

Bold and cheeky truths

'Don't Forward That Text!' offers a fascinating and humorous takedown of the misinformation on WhatsApp and beyond, but with limitations

Rocky's road to investing

Authors Neil Borate, Aprajita Sharma, and Aditya Kondawar's book is a simplistic take on India's most successful investor, whose Midas touch lay in an unfettered belief in India's growth potential

Religious sense and sensibilities

Besides introduction and conclusion, book has four chapters, Each chapter meticulously tracks past debates and political developments and often they are reinterpreted with the benefit of hindsight

SCOTUS and the Trump effect

A quiet urgency ripples through this informative, briskly paced and gracefully written book

India's moment in the sun, financial sector scams and migratory humans

Among the reviews this week was a book on the history of the sedition law, a timely look at an archaic institution that has lived past its use-by date

The Tata battle for legacy

Peter Casey has presented the dispute between Ratan Tata and Cyrus Mistry from the group patriarch's point of view

A scam primer

"The Great Bank Robbery" is a compilation of scandals that have occurred in the financial world, making it a good resource for someone who is not familiar with technical terms and scams in India

India's G20 opportunities

V Srinivas's book puts the spotlight on India's priorities and challenges, as it steers the G20 presidency

The migratory human

Sedentary people living in nation-states was never the inevitable outcome of human evolution, argues Sam Miller in his new book

War, peace and environmental devastation

In The Long Reckoning, Black unites his areas of expertise in international affairs and the environment to explore a landscape littered with the detritus of war

Missing female scientists and reforming the creaking policy machine

From fiscal policy to fixing India's steel frame, here is a summary of book reviews from the pages of Business Standard this week

A framework of intentions

"Transforming the Steel Frame" is treatise on civil service reforms in India. It has some revolutionary ideas that look good on paper, but could be politically disastrous unless implemented with care

Food for drama

Shobhaa De's book oscillates between the sombre and serious and is delightful in its description of everything Bengali

Making gender budgeting work

Social mores cannot be changed by fiscal fiats, but gender budgeting is a starting point, argues Lekha S Chakraborty in her book, which could serve as a useful primer to guide policymakers