Bs Reads
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")
A History of Santiniketan: A university against national chauvinism
Uma Das Gupta's history of Santiniketan traces Tagore's educational vision, the making of Vishva-Bharati, and the challenges that shaped his alternative to nationalist orthodoxy
 "A History of Santiniketan: A university against national chauvinism")
Mind in Motion: A biography of Francis Crick balances his life with science
A balanced yet probing biography traces Francis Crick's brilliant scientific leaps and human flaws, revealing the mind behind DNA's discovery without fully interrogating his more troubling ideas
 "Mind in Motion: A biography of Francis Crick balances his life with science")
Fascist Yoga: How the West twisted yoga's spirit of peace and wellbeing
How yoga has been appropriated, packaged and sold in the West by people whose political views are divorced from its spirit of peace and wellbeing
 "Fascist Yoga: How the West twisted yoga's spirit of peace and wellbeing")
The silent enemy redefines security for a world beyond the battlefield
A timely book by Arvind Gupta and Rajesh Singh expands the idea of national security beyond the military to include climate, technology, and economic vulnerabilities
 "The silent enemy redefines security for a world beyond the battlefield")
After the Spike: A bold argument for rethinking the demographic doom theory
Why a larger population is better than a smaller population with a higher quality of life
 "After the Spike: A bold argument for rethinking the demographic doom theory")
The peacemaker the world forgot: U Thant's UN and the Cold War's edge
How a self-effacing, self-taught school headmaster from a small Burmese village became one of the most influential figures at the UN in the 1960s
 "The peacemaker the world forgot: U Thant's UN and the Cold War's edge")
On the Brink of Belief: A book on gender, religion, and the margins
A new anthology brings together 24 queer and trans writers from South Asia exploring faith, identity, and belonging under the editorship of poet Kazim Ali
 "On the Brink of Belief: A book on gender, religion, and the margins")
Splendid Liberators: How America replaced Spain as the world's great power
Joe Jackson's Splendid Liberators unpacks the brutal realities and far-reaching impact of the Spanish-American War, challenging the myth of a "splendid little war"
 "Splendid Liberators: How America replaced Spain as the world's great power")
McNamara at War: Rare later regret over Vietnam worthy of admiration
Robert McNamara's life was defined by a quest for control. A new biography shows how that same drive shaped his Vietnam errors - and his rare, late-in-life willingness to admit them
 "McNamara at War: Rare later regret over Vietnam worthy of admiration")
Mango Millionaires: The common man's guide to financial independence
Why for beginners financial independence is less about picking the right stocks and more about avoiding mistakes early on
 "Mango Millionaires: The common man's guide to financial independence")
The CEO Mindset: Shiv Shivakumar puts behaviour at the heart of leadership
For leaders, what matters more - behaviour and mindset, or actions and practices? S Shivakumar's book argues for the former
 "The CEO Mindset: Shiv Shivakumar puts behaviour at the heart of leadership")
Missing from the House: Tracing the political legacy of Muslim women MPs
Despite exclusion and patriarchy, 18 Muslim women have entered the Lok Sabha to date - but their absence from public discourse is stark. This book recalls their political legacy
 "Missing from the House: Tracing the political legacy of Muslim women MPs")
Dance of Freedom: How Bharata Natyam became India's quintessential dance
Padma Shri Leela Samson traces the journey of Bharata Natyam through its origins, controversies, costumes, and philosophy, while reflecting on its enduring inclusivity and timeless appeal
 "Dance of Freedom: How Bharata Natyam became India's quintessential dance")
Decoding China: Ashok Kantha's book offers hard Indian perspectives
From the weaponisation of trade and border issues to the Belt and Road Initiative, this book paints a detailed picture of China and its future direction
 "Decoding China: Ashok Kantha's book offers hard Indian perspectives")
Dapaan: Kashmir's stories of conflict, resilience and remembrance
After 35 years of armed conflict, Kashmir abounds with stories-heard and unheard-of loss, laughter, haunting, and place-making, but also of defiance against the state
 "Dapaan: Kashmir's stories of conflict, resilience and remembrance")
Being an Oak shows the hidden life and lessons of a 240-year-old tree
Through the life of Quercus the acorn and his woodland kin, Being an Oak reveals nature's quiet power to change, adapt, and heal when left alone
 "Being an Oak shows the hidden life and lessons of a 240-year-old tree")
Believer's Dilemma: A leader's struggle with power and self-doubt
A new biography unravels Atal Bihari Vajpayee's complex persona, tracing his political journey, inner conflicts, and role in shaping modern Indian politics
 "Believer's Dilemma: A leader's struggle with power and self-doubt")
Victoria Woodhull: A tale of America's first female presidential candidate
Victoria Woodhull's improbable life - from clairvoyant to Wall Street broker to presidential candidate - is retold in Eden Collinsworth's witty new biography
 "Victoria Woodhull: A tale of America's first female presidential candidate")
The Evin Prison Bakers Club: Prison memoir details hard-baked resistance
The book blends memoir, recipes, and resistance, portraying Iranian women prisoners who turn baking into an act of defiance and solidarity
 "The Evin Prison Bakers Club: Prison memoir details hard-baked resistance")
