Page 35 - Book Review

Maya and mind games

Wendy Doniger's book is an education for everyone, familiar and unfamiliar with India, looking to navigate the maze-like world of dreams and illusions

The physical and the metaphysical

Exploring the intricate layers of Indian mythology, Wendy Doniger's book challenges prevailing attitudes and uncovers hidden meanings in mythological tales

Looking back in anger

Harsh Mander presents a poignant account of India's Covid-19 crisis in his book, but beyond merely grieving and raging against the government, he attempts to touch our better, humane selves

A party ahead of its time

Aditya Balasubramanian's book questions the prevailing narrative surrounding the decline of India's political outfit dedicated to free market ideals and highlights its lasting significance

Freedom: An unfinished Indian project

Dennis Dalton's book delves into India's key thinkers' perspectives on liberty, societal transformation and their thought-processes, seeking a common thread, an intellectual coherence in their views

Big histories for the future

Publications of Neil Howe's The Fourth Turning Is Here and Peter Turchin's End Times. Both books affirm the idea that we are in the midst of a major crisis

Art as activism

This streets-to-stage story portrays a transgender artiste's evolution as a social reformer

The grey zone of digital currency

Sundeep Khanna's book is an up-to-the-minute and competently written chronicle of how India interacts with virtual assets

Eyewitnesses to catastrophe

Travelers in the Third Reich underlines the power of wilful delusion, and explores indifference of tourists in Nazi Germany to the regime's atrocities, offering a lesson that remains relevant today

Talking about philanthropy

Challenging the status quo, A New Era of Giving argues that giving without impactful, sweeping change risks rendering it meaningless for both giver and receiver

Jack Welch, retrospective 'villain'

GE's iconic former CEO's revered status has been tarnished in recent years, and David Gelles book is the latest attempt to blame Welch's toxic management style for the ills of today's capitalism

A global warming thriller

The yearning question for climate journalists now: What are the magic words? We have the facts and the wildfires to prove them.

The Dalit paradox

Sudha Pai and Sajjan Kumar's book delves into the complex dynamics of Dalit identity and politics, and the intriguing reasons for their protest against right-wing politics while also voting for them

Decline and fall

Joseph Sassoon's book chronicles the rise and fall of a Baghdadi Jewish family in British India and serves as a cautionary tale about the perils of mixing enterprise and extravagance

Strong man with feet of clay

Thirunellai Narayana Seshan's posthumously published autobiography reflects on his impactful career, enduring reforms, and reminds us that even strong leaders are fallible

Oceanic exploration: In too deep

Humans have "conquered" the world's surfaces and mountaintops. The oceans, however, have largely escaped such scrutiny, with their floors far less well known than the surfaces of the moon, or Mars

Islam & the spirit of non-violence

Abad Ahmad's book is a timely reminder of the true essence of Islam as contained in its Quranic verses, but does little to address the criticisms directed at the faith and its followers

Harnessing the power of martyrdom

What drives Pakistani men to join its military, despite the toll it takes on them? Maria Rashid's book explores the narratives that sustain the Army's appeal among the country's population

5IR: Inventing a positive world

Amidst the bewildering advancements and debates surrounding technology, Pranjal Sharma's book offers a peek into the potential benefits of the Fifth Industrial Revolution

Enigmas of independence

'Freedom and Partition' explores forgotten facets of history and reflects on the complex perspectives surrounding independence celebrations in India