Page 8 - Book Review
What histories of Islamic-world slavery get right, and what they miss
A probing review of Captives and Companions reveals how slavery's long legacy in the Middle East shapes language, race, and memory - and how history itself becomes contested terrain
 "What histories of Islamic-world slavery get right, and what they miss")
The Railways as social contract: What Amitava Kumar's book reveals
Slim, at just 130 pages, the book might be a bit of a disappointment for readers looking for an in-depth account of the history and socio-economic aspects of the Indian Railways
 "The Railways as social contract: What Amitava Kumar's book reveals")
Camus in his own words: Discipline, doubt, and the limits of intimacy
Camus's notebooks, which run from 1935 to 1959 contain almost nothing about his friends or his family, his experiences during wartime or much about his personal life
 "Camus in his own words: Discipline, doubt, and the limits of intimacy")
The Battle of Narnaul: Re-examining the 1857 rebellion and selective memory
The book is an invitation to rediscover a moment of defiance and to shed light on forgotten heroes whose sacrifice deserves recognition
 "The Battle of Narnaul: Re-examining the 1857 rebellion and selective memory")
Urjit Patel's new book uncovers Western sanctions and their discontents
The author's analysis highlights another factor, namely, overestimating benefits and understating or ignoring the welfare costs of sanctions, including to third parties
 "Urjit Patel's new book uncovers Western sanctions and their discontents")
The Great Indian Brain Rot: How platform capitalism is reshaping thinking
A central insight of the book lies in its sustained attention to influence as a social and economic form
 "The Great Indian Brain Rot: How platform capitalism is reshaping thinking")
Unseen captures the behind-the-scenes evolution of Zomato's Deepinder Goyal
The book not only tells of many such awe-inspiring moments in the life of a startup, it also captures the unpredictability, risk and adventure through it all
 "Unseen captures the behind-the-scenes evolution of Zomato's Deepinder Goyal")
Ghost-Eye: Amitav Ghosh's book on rebirth, regeneration and cycles of life
We are lucky that Ghosh continues to tell stories that are profound, layered and meaningful
 "Ghost-Eye: Amitav Ghosh's book on rebirth, regeneration and cycles of life")
Furious Minds: The MAGA intellectuals and the rise of extremist ideas
How ideas that used to be the arcane obsessions of nerdy young men and buttoned-up tenured professors have become 'an engine and accelerant' for extremism
 "Furious Minds: The MAGA intellectuals and the rise of extremist ideas")
Malala's coming-of-age memoir offers an unfiltered glimpse into her life
With wisecracks, misadventures, and tales of first love, Malala Yousafzai takes charge of her own story, offering the world an unfiltered glimpse into her life
 "Malala's coming-of-age memoir offers an unfiltered glimpse into her life")
Pax Americana: Why the world needs the US to stay true to its ideals
The world needs an America worthy of its ideals, because the alternative could be brutal authoritarianism
 "Pax Americana: Why the world needs the US to stay true to its ideals")
Cult building in black and white: How chess became one man's redemption
The book deals in detail with one of the most infamous cheating scandals, with its account of the Hans Niemann - Magnus Carlsen face off in 2022, seen from the perspective of Rensch and Chess.com
 "Cult building in black and white: How chess became one man's redemption")
The Serpent's Tale: A book on Kundalini Yoga's texts and institutions
In its original avatar, Kundalini was a mind-and-body experience that could be achieved under the trained guidance of an expert
 "The Serpent's Tale: A book on Kundalini Yoga's texts and institutions")
Letter from Japan: A gentle, well-sourced plea for global domestic life
Yet Ms Kondo's book arrives into a different conversation than the one she helped start a decade ago
 "Letter from Japan: A gentle, well-sourced plea for global domestic life")
Breakneck: Why China needs to learn to build less and America to build more
Wang is a Canadian citizen who migrated from China at a young age with his parents, and later went on to work in the Silicon Valley
 "Breakneck: Why China needs to learn to build less and America to build more")
Coffee King: Book on CCD weaves cautionary tale for investors, regulators
In uncovering how CCD was run as a one-man show, this book weaves a cautionary tale for investors, regulators, consumers, and even fellow journalists
 "Coffee King: Book on CCD weaves cautionary tale for investors, regulators")
The Eleventh Hour review: Salman Rushdie's meditations on mortality
Salman Rushdie's latest work blends fiction, memory, myth, and mortality, offering a deeply personal meditation shaped by near-death, nostalgia, and literary playfulness
 "The Eleventh Hour review: Salman Rushdie's meditations on mortality")
A new book reviews the global history of how capitalism took over the world
Sven Beckert's sweeping global history reframes capitalism as a centuries-long, often violent world-making force - rich in detail, ambitious in scope, and certain to provoke debate
 "A new book reviews the global history of how capitalism took over the world")
The Niche Code: Big power emerges when firms dominate niche spaces
In the race to build a big business, why companies must avoid doing everything moderately well
 "The Niche Code: Big power emerges when firms dominate niche spaces")
Scamlands: From Cambodia to Jamtara, a deep dive into global fraud networks
A sharp, immersive look at phone fraud networks, their victims, and the hidden economies that keep them alive
 "Scamlands: From Cambodia to Jamtara, a deep dive into global fraud networks")