Page 37 - Book Review
Why history matters
Eminent historian Romila Thapar's collection of essays urges us to confront the past critically for a more inclusive and enlightened future
 "Why history matters")
A tale of five hacks
"Fancy Bear" and "Cozy Bear" refer to cyberespionage units linked to Russian intelligence that gained access to Democratic National Committee's computer systems before 2016 presidential election
 "A tale of five hacks")
A contemporary look at Indian history
John Zubrzycki's brief book is a perfect antidote to self-inflicted ignorance
 "A contemporary look at Indian history")
What to do when skill and energy wane
When professional and physical decline set in, what does one do?
 "What to do when skill and energy wane")
Anglophile scientist, ardent nationalist
Bhabha was born into a wealthy Parsi family (he was related to the Tatas). He studied physics at Cambridge and wrote several well-regarded papers
 "Anglophile scientist, ardent nationalist")
The political anatomy of caste
Mr Mitta addresses complex question. If we are all avowed Hindus, why do we fight, rape and kill each other in the name of caste?
 "The political anatomy of caste")
Vajpayee's true colours
Over decades, Vajpayee and Mr Modi were on opposite sides of the playing field, most infamously in 2002
 "Vajpayee's true colours")
Indo-Pak: The more things change…
Book review of In Pursuit of Peace: India-Pakistan Relations Under Six Prime Ministers
The content of a character
King Jr. was born in 1929. Were he alive he would be 94, the same age as Noam Chomsky. The prosperous King family lived on Auburn Avenue in Atlanta
 "The content of a character")
Puncturing the world map
This narrative, however, overlooks the forces that were at play already when these nations emerged and that would 50 years later end up drawing hard limits on what states could do
 "Puncturing the world map")
Power and diplomacy: An insider's eye view
This is a most readable book by a discerning eyewitness but also a key participant at "centres of power"
 "Power and diplomacy: An insider's eye view")
Indo-Pak: The more things change…
With a foreword by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the book begins by stating the nuances in the evolution of Pakistan as a military state
 "Indo-Pak: The more things change…")
9/11, crime & punishment
Caught napping on 9/11 - in part because of a turf war with the FBI - the CIA was eager to get ahead of the game and gather intelligence on a rumoured second wave of attacks
 "9/11, crime & punishment")
Maulana Azad: Proud Indian, proud Muslim
Azad, according to Dr Habib, was not comfortable in the presence of a crowd. He sought the solitude that is conducive to scholarship
 "Maulana Azad: Proud Indian, proud Muslim")
Hong Kong beyond the divides
Fortune's Bazaar shows that cities are constructed not from zero-sum games and political theory, but from generations of human interactions that defy us-and-them formulas
 "Hong Kong beyond the divides")
Film studies for your first show
Overall, however, this is one of those few texts which - despite the occasional knots of jargon-heavy writing and the text's volume - can be picked up for a bedside read or a casual metro ride
 "Film studies for your first show")
Governing RBI
A book based on secondary research by definition relies on published and public sources
 "Governing RBI")
The capitalist generation's space race
Vance's story is set in motion by the exile of Gen S Pete Worden, an astrophysicist and top military science official, to the backwater of NASA's Silicon Valley operations
 "The capitalist generation's space race")
The dissident lens
A historian offers an immersive experience in tracing the history of protest at FTII, Pune
 "The dissident lens")
Bridging the HRD gap in reforms
Former IAS officer Sanjay Kaul's book sheds light on the crucial missing link in India's reform agenda and the challenge of achieving inclusive growth and gender equity
 "Bridging the HRD gap in reforms")