Page 9 - Book Reviews
Sandeep Das's book argues for going beyond strategy to implementation
A good strategy always calls for friction - it is never a straight line
 "Sandeep Das's book argues for going beyond strategy to implementation")
The Party's Interests Come First: Xi's father biography reflects CCP story
Meticulously written and displaying thorough archival work, the book is full of anecdotes. It is possible to argue that the senior Xi's life overlaps with the life of the CCP
 "The Party's Interests Come First: Xi's father biography reflects CCP story")
Meet the Savarnas: Ravikant Kisana's book on millennials and exclusion
For a society so deeply entrenched in caste and class, the cognitive dissonance is astonishing. Caste is ancient history one moment, yet dictates marriage or who works at your house the next
 "Meet the Savarnas: Ravikant Kisana's book on millennials and exclusion")
Why the poor don't kill us: A must-read on why India is still Bharat
The poor attacking the rich is relatively rare in India. Sordid jails and the snail-paced judiciary are effective disincentives for voluntary criminal acts
 "Why the poor don't kill us: A must-read on why India is still Bharat")
Rain Dogs: Rohit Chawla's book reflects on stray dogs' fate and our bond
Photographer and art director Rohit Chawla's book Rain Dogs gets to the heart of why human beings care about stray dogs, and what makes their blood boil when they imagine their fate
 "Rain Dogs: Rohit Chawla's book reflects on stray dogs' fate and our bond")
To Lose a War: How the US slowly lost its way in Afghanistan conflict
A gripping account of two decades in Afghanistan, tracing the Taliban's fall, America's missteps, and the enduring human cost in Jon Lee Anderson's To Lose a War
 "To Lose a War: How the US slowly lost its way in Afghanistan conflict")
Inside India's polls: flaws, fraud, and the battle to save democracy
Author SY Quraishi dwells on the Model Code of Conduct and other aspects of holding elections, including the role of exit polls, media and hate speech
 "Inside India's polls: flaws, fraud, and the battle to save democracy")
The Art of War and Peace: From Ethiopia to Ukraine, what's changed, endured
The book contains analytical accounts of the 20-year Afghan War, which ended with ignominious withdrawal of US and Western military forces & with the Taliban gaining control over the entire country
 "The Art of War and Peace: From Ethiopia to Ukraine, what's changed, endured")
No, Minister: Subhash Chandra Garg's 2nd memoir mirrors tone of his first
The tenor of the second part of former finance secretary Subhash Chandra Garg's memoir is not dissimilar to that which pervaded his first one --and the title is a dead giveaway
 "No, Minister: Subhash Chandra Garg's 2nd memoir mirrors tone of his first")
Can you make peace with your smartphone? Two books explore the idea
With this book, the author calcifies some of the deposits heavy phone use has left on her soul
 "Can you make peace with your smartphone? Two books explore the idea")
M S Swaminathan: Celebrating an icon of India's Green Revolution
As one reflects on Swaminathan's life and time, it is worth wondering if India could produce towering figures like him today
 "M S Swaminathan: Celebrating an icon of India's Green Revolution")
Superbloom: Nicholas Carr book says more communication isn't always better
The real threat of AI and LLMs lie not in job loss, but in corporations using them to create endless loops of content tailored to everyone's smallest needs, chaining us to our devices more than ever
 "Superbloom: Nicholas Carr book says more communication isn't always better")
Jacinda Ardern's memoir is a moving account of a career built with care
The former New Zealand Prime Minister's memoir is nothing like a political manifesto. It is an assured and often moving account of a career built with care - though not without frequent self-doubt
 "Jacinda Ardern's memoir is a moving account of a career built with care")
India in Flux offers up new ways to think about complex challenges ahead
Few could have played the role Shankar Acharya did-navigating political, fiscal, and global pressures with clarity and conviction
 "India in Flux offers up new ways to think about complex challenges ahead")
A Billion Butterflies: This book drops truth bombs on climate change
How an old deal over a supercomputer explains the politics behind climate science today
 "A Billion Butterflies: This book drops truth bombs on climate change")
Scott Anderson captures US' hubris, Iran's revolution in exceptional detail
For most Americans, the hostage crisis was the revolution's defining event
 "Scott Anderson captures US' hubris, Iran's revolution in exceptional detail")
Dalit Kitchens of Marathwada: Shahu Patole's book on the taste of casteism
Food is a critical part of any culture. It locates you. It shapes how you're seen and how you see yourself. It carries histories, hierarchies, and inheritances
 "Dalit Kitchens of Marathwada: Shahu Patole's book on the taste of casteism")
The voice of farmers: How Subramaniam backed Swaminathan's seed dream
How C Subramaniam's political backing helped MS Swaminathan secure funds for hybrid seed trials, setting the stage for India's Green Revolution and agricultural self-reliance
 "The voice of farmers: How Subramaniam backed Swaminathan's seed dream")
'Scientist of the soil': New book reveals untold stories of MS Swaminathan
New book 'The Man Who Fed India' reveals untold stories of MS Swaminathan, chronicling his journey, personal life, Green Revolution role, and lifelong service to Indian farming
 "'Scientist of the soil': New book reveals untold stories of MS Swaminathan")
Marcus Du Sautoy's book demystifies maths, builds bonds with humanities
How creativity is intimately connected to mathematics, even when the artists themselves may not be fully aware of it
 "Marcus Du Sautoy's book demystifies maths, builds bonds with humanities")