Page 52 - Book Reviews

The filmy chronicler

The book celebrates Abbas by showing how this "boy from Panipat, land of Sufis, land of battles" introduced the small-town sensibilities to Indian cinema.

Geostrategy 101: Understanding the new normal

Following its retreat from Afghanistan, has the US hauled itself back to the centre of the geostrategic world? A new book argues it has but warns India not to give up its status as a 'Swing State''

A physicist in multiverse

A short but beautifully written book by an Albanian woman physicist delves into the non-mathematical explanations of the existence of multiple universes and where the hypothesis could lead

Policy making through the third eye

In current times when data is under threat, N Bhaskara Rao's book makes a compelling argument for basing policies on sound research and using data and insights wisely for the purpose

India's unrealised Indo-Pacific destiny

The idea of Indo-Pacific is an evolving one, with scholars interpreting it according to their point of view. Aditi Malhotra's refreshing new book offers a theoretical perspective

Anthony Bourdain: An unvarnished life

Leerhsen is a former executive editor at Sports Illustrated whose previous books include biographies of Ty Cobb and Butch Cassidy

On the right side of 'Herstory'

Women are largely invisible in the business landscape. Shaili Chopra's book, featuring their stories of entrepreneurship, shines a light on their role in society and brings them out of the shadows

Reflections on life and success, without flashy mantras

Ashok Ganguly's recently released memoir is refreshingly different from the standard autobiographies. A lot like the man himself - unpretentious, matter-of-fact and pulling no punches

High life in the death zone of the forgotten guardians of Everest

Sherpas have come a long way. A new book explores the tenuous link between their lives and livelihood

Why the Congress party fails

Despite the inconsequence of its opinions on the national discourse, the Congress remains important. So, why does the party consciously choose not to pursue a path that could resurrect it?

The global might of the tiny chip

Chip War makes clear, the clash of resounding arms between autocracy and democracy is powered by silicon chips

Ideas for good governance

Madhava Rao is virtually unknown today, but Rahul Sagar's book brings to life this forgotten statesman of the nineteenth century, who took the first steps towards enlightened governance in the country

The anatomy of Islamophobia

Despicable, frightening and differentiated by their false faith - Peter Osborne's book is a brave and substantial attempt to correct enduring misconceptions that have shaped Western view of Muslims

The journey to authentic leadership

A command-and-control hierarchical leadership regime is so 20th century. The new approach is more purpose-driven

A biography of SARS-CoV-2

Quammen was among those who had long predicted this kind of catastrophe

Behind the good wife

Gandhi's great-grandson recreates Kasturba's life from her diary and presents a woman bound by a patriarchal society but hardly a doormat

Valley of Words Book Awards: 'Tagore & Gandhi' wins in English non-fiction

In the fiction category, Anees Salim's 'The Odd Book of Baby Names' and Neelakshi Singh's 'Khela' were adjudged the best in English and Hindi, respectively

India-China: Line of actual conflict

The book overcomes the challenge of juxtaposing multiple actors and catalysts that play a crucial role in defining the direction of India-China relations and the future of the disputed boundary

Arun Jaitley's India: A pol's stump handbook

The thoughts of the former finance minister compiled in a book could prove to be a handy guide for the many BJP spokespersons for their public and media appearances

A post-crisis understanding of state capitalism

Has the Washington Consensus failed? Lalita Som's book explores this debate from the prism of case studies of eight countries, including the BRICS