Book Reviews

Portrait of An Artist: Exploring the art of practice in the studio

Rohit Chawla and Kishore Singh's book, Portrait of An Artist, rises to the occasion, choosing to focus on what happens in the studios where artists create

Rasputin: Beevor's nuanced account of the Romanovs debunks mystic's myth

Antony Beevor's book casts a cool academic eye on this controversial faith healer, arguing that despite the mystique, Rasputin's influence on the fall of the Romanovs has been exaggerated

Under Grey Smoggy Skies reveals India's urban homelessness problem

Invisible to most, Harsh Mander's latest book peels back the layers of injustice and neglect that the urban homeless experience in our cities

The Durian Flavour: India-Asean ties underperform despite promise

India's first Ambassador to Asean, Gurjit Singh, offers an in-depth assessment of India's relationship with the grouping and why it has fallen short of its full potential

Polar Wars: Arctic tensions overshadow climate urgency and cooperation

Polar War reflects the current reality of security considerations overwhelming all others, including the threat of climate change

What went wrong: A stark reappraisal of Israel's political trajectory

In his new book, Israel: What Went Wrong?, Bartov reflects on what has happened in the two and a half years since that episode

First Bite: A journey through urban India's diverse breakfast cultures

Priyadarshini Chatterjee's First Bite explores India's urban breakfasts, blending food, history, and culture into a rich ethnography of everyday life

Slowing down to save the planet: A manifesto for mindful living

With themes such as slow food, slow health, slow fashion, slow work, and slow democracy, this book offer practical actions for a more mindful daily life

The Robe and the Sword: Why Buddhism needs protection from polarised monks

A sharp, accessible account of how religion and power intertwine in Asia, examining Buddhist extremism without losing sight of faith's deeper values

Taming the Dragon: Clear diagnosis but few solutions to India-China tension

Why India must not only enhance its comprehensive national power but also become a major power in China's perception

Do you know your Hinduism? Understanding an ancient way of life journey

While everyone must find the meaning of religion in their own way, this book serves as a handy guide in the journey

The architecture of autonomy: How 'Muskism' is remaking the global order

A new book frames "Muskism" as a system blending tech power, state dependence and libertarian rhetoric, shaping a disruptive and unequal political economy

Biting Off More Than: A culinary rebel's multi-course life story

Rahul Akerkar's candid memoir serves up a rich mix of chaos, craft and reinvention, tracing the journey of a chef who helped shape India's modern dining culture

Trump yielded to Iran pressure, forced Netanyahu: Lebanese MP on ceasefire

Hassan, a member of the Loyalty to the Resistance, affiliated with Hezbollah, made these remarks while speaking in the Lebanese Parliament, according to Iranian state media Press TV

The Future Is Peace: Finding common ground in the Israel-Palestine journey

An Israeli and a Palestinian journey through Israel and the West Bank, crafting a powerful, humane book that makes you believe a path beyond revenge must exist

The Mind Electric : Pria Anand's book bridges myth, mind, and medicine

From sleep disorders to fear of the dark, a neurologist's book explores why the brain functions the way it does

Great Power Games: Vikram Sood maps a world shifting from West to East

Former R&AW chief Vikram Sood's book offers prescient insights into America's decline, partly attributing it to its outdated 'Philosophy for Profit'

Streetwise: Lloyd Blankfein pulls no punches in his autobiography

The book gives an intimate glimpse of how the US changed, both as a society as well as in its economic regulations

Here Where We Live Is Our Country: What is Judaism without Zionism?

As debates over Zionism intensify, a new book revisits the Jewish Labour Bund, offering an alternative vision of Jewish identity rooted in "hereness" and solidarity

Faith and Fury: Why Jyoti Yadav's Covid chronicle still haunts India

Jyoti Yadav's debut book captures untold stories of migrant distress, rural suffering, and systemic gaps during India's Covid-19 crisis