Book Reading

The unmaking of the nation state

One of the most perceptive chapters in the book relates to international law

The two-faced governors of Empire

The first English voyages to India ended for want of knowledge of the sea routes

Software, made in India

It was not as if Tally had a smooth ride. Mr Ahmed points out periods when the company was bloated with numerous senior managers, multiple tiers and delayed decision-making

'D K Shi' in his political labyrinth

The best part of Mr Kidwai's book may well be its timing

Rule by automation

The experience of living in the Artificial State might feel new, but Lepore says the dynamics are in fact extremely old

Bullet Nani and other Badass Indian Grandmas: Nanis beyond the stereotypes

The first generation of women of independent India carried within them important fragments of our history

The descent of Israel

The "best tool" for this diversion from criticism comes from a globally accepted definition of antisemitism endorsed by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) in 2016

Creating a life in prison

Mr Farooqui describes in detail various aspects of Asia's largest and most famous jail - its food, atmosphere, his inmates and their backstories

Writing from the wreckage

Loss and grief are dressed up in impersonal statistics. But Palestinian author Jean Said Makdisi focuses on the grotesque and the suffering of ordinary lives during Israel's occupation of Beirut

S Y Quraishi's eventful life

The former Chief Election Commissioner of India tells his story with droll humour, elegant prose and, above all, a deep sense of humanity

Courage Under Fire: Chronicles of hard-won lessons in crises and leadership

Suresh Narayanan's memoir offers thoughtful lessons in crisis management and leadership, drawing on the Maggi controversy, Covid-19 and crises across global markets

Down But Not Out: Style overwhelms substance in tales of startup failure

This book on founders and their failures offers flashes of genuine insight but feels incomplete

Human First, Machines Second: A road map to restore faith in the human mind

At a time when AI has become a buzzword with companies and leaders parroting its transformational effects, this book ushers in a timely and pragmatic debate

The 'Bard of Google' spins a tale of tech idealism and disillusionment

Claire Stapleton's Don't Be Evil recounts her 12 years at Google, the 2018 employee walkout and her growing disillusionment with the company's culture and corporate values

Ashes to Light: How patriarchy shapes women's everyday lives in hidden ways

From architectural designs that disregard women's needs to being treated lightly at work, this book is a compendium of the many everyday forms of discrimination that women face

Improving Nutritional Outcomes: Ground-level lessons for India's nutrition

As India moves from food security to nutrition security, this book serves as a guide for policymakers, bridging the gap between theory and grassroots realities

'What we ask Google' offers intriguing insights, but few fresh revelations

For at least three generations now, Google is like a second conscience. Simon Rogers, data editor at Google, mines our search data for clues into who we are becoming

Rivals of the polio vaccine and the race to defeat a deadly disease

The adulation served to marginalise the contributions of others, none more so than Albert Sabin, whose competing polio vaccine proved essential in controlling the disease

Perfect Dream Girl: A bold critique of tech, desire, and gendered power

Readers can expect discussions ranging from the influencer economy, deepfakes to AI girlfriends, algorithmic desire, & the male loneliness epidemic - all packaged as witty letters to a faceless man

Tim Berners-Lee makes a case for reclaiming the web's original ideals

Why the inventor of the internet is building a new web - and why he believes today's internet is not what he intended it to be