Page 49 - Book Reviews
Layers in the hijab debate
The hijab has many layers. A collection of 17 essays, mostly from India and with some from Bangladesh and Iran, attempts to present some of them
 "Layers in the hijab debate")
Taming the dragon
Getting China Wrong is a succinct analysis of US policies towards China, what motivated them and how they failed. Besides discussing the vexed issues, it also prescribes the path forward
 "Taming the dragon")
A minority report
In its lucidly written detail, Half American is a valuable and eye-opening social history of the second World War from a uniquely different perspective
 "A minority report")
The art of 'achieving' humility
In Praise of Failure is maddening, disturbing, exasperating, seductive
 "The art of 'achieving' humility")
Mind the North-South gap
Nilakantan RS' book explores the multidimensional gap between the two halves of India
 "Mind the North-South gap")
Bitter medicine for pharma regulation
The Gambian tragedy has raised uncomfortable questions about drug regulation in India. The Truth Pill is a depressing but eye-opening reality check of the regulatory landscape
 "Bitter medicine for pharma regulation")
Lines of control
We the People of the States of Bharat offers an excellent account of the considerations that have given the country its present internal boundaries to whet your appetite for history
 "Lines of control")
'Insurgent' justice
Human rights activist and lawyer K G Kannabiran's memoir, translated into English from Telugu by his daughter, is a book worth reading and re-reading
 "'Insurgent' justice")
From pest to ecosystem engineer
The writer Leila Philip adds to a genre of pro-beaver literature that turns out to be more populous than most of us may have known
 "From pest to ecosystem engineer")
Harappa between the lines
Nikhil Gulati and Jonathan Mark Kenoyer provide a clean but unconventional look at history
 "Harappa between the lines")
Line of duty
Mr Raza is an author, consultant, and poetry aficionado who continues to write and work even in his eighties
 "Line of duty")
Pure maths and the natural world
The book adheres closely to the popular science principle Stephen Hawking articulated in avoiding equations and formulae in A Brief History of Time
 "Pure maths and the natural world")
A closer look at 'quiet diplomacy'
At a broader level Rahul Roy Chaudhary extols the UPA's role in projecting India as a significant player in a multipolar world, away from being perceived as a peripheral actor in the Asia-Pacific
 "A closer look at 'quiet diplomacy'")
India in the nitty-gritty
Former Cabinet Secretary K M Chandrasekhar's memoir is a remarkable account of the many events that took place during his tenure, including the Mumbai terrorist attack
 "India in the nitty-gritty")
A book of cheeky obituaries
The obit goes on to say that his friends loved Mountgarret, because he was an entertaining character
 "A book of cheeky obituaries")
Anglo Indians beyond the stereotypes
In case you thought that this is a dry historic tome, perish the thought!
 "Anglo Indians beyond the stereotypes")
Colonial crime and punishment
Sunil Nair's collection of stories about crime in pre-independence India is a collage of micro pictures that takes us into the nitty-gritty of the British legal system
 "Colonial crime and punishment")
Reinventing social democracy
There is a growing disenchantment with liberal democracies. In 'A World of Insecurity', Economist Pranab Bardhan situates its root cause in the economic and cultural insecurity of people
 "Reinventing social democracy")
The gas-coal riddle
Former coal secretary Anil Kumar Jain's book makes a strong case for using coal until renewable energy becomes ubiquitous in India
 "The gas-coal riddle")
History of Hollywood
On-set stories, technical details, funny anecdotes about actors, the echoes of studio executives kvetching and various people complaining about critics
 "History of Hollywood")