Page 34 - Bs Reads

How meritocracy manages to mask the rise of inherited wealth and privilege

Why meritocracy is insufficient to get rid of inequity

'Letters from Gaza' offers a ringside view of the human cost of endless war

Each piece of prose or poetry conjures images of a complete lack of normalcy in any form. But they are beautifully written, evocatively descriptive and emotionally rich

'Voice for the Voiceless' explores the Dalai Lama's Tibetan destiny

Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, has written a book that demands to be read cover to cover - especially by those who feel let down by his perceived softness towards the Chinese government

Sumana Roy's book traces Bengal writers' empathy with plants, objects

Phloem plays a similar role for Plant Thinkers of Twentieth-Century Bengal

The Beatlemania duet: Ian Leslie's book traces John and Paul's epic journey

Leslie, a British journalist and author, has a deep affection for, and a penetrating understanding of, these complex characters and their unprecedented friendship

The Thinking Machine: Tracing AI's rise from gaming to Nvidia's vision

Huang doesn't offer the author much on how his upbringing may have led to his current status as a technology apex predator

'The Mysterious Mr Nakamoto': The tangled story of cryptocurrency's rise

Even in 1999, the notion of a digital currency that bypassed nation-states and financial institutions was not a novel one

'The House of Awadh' delves into Begum Wilayat Mahal's hidden world

With intrigue at the heart of it, The House of Awadh unravels the enigmatic life of Begum Wilayat Mahal and her family

'My Head For A Tree' offers rare insight into the Bishnoi way of life

The author has approached the subject with curiosity, rigour and emotional depth

ISID backs MSMEs, startups to drive manufacturing-led Viksit Bharat

While big industry is crucial, ISID's industrial development report advocates strengthening medium and small enterprises and startups to achieve India's 2047 goal

John Green's latest book traces his long journey with tuberculosis

Green is best known for young adult novels like The Fault in Our Stars, a best-selling tear-jerker about two teenage cancer patients

'Living with Birds': Asad Rahmani's memoir captures birding legacy

Rahmani's most significant contribution has been to bring grassland and savannah squarely into the popular conservation discourse

Rakesh Batabyal's 'Idea of Order' examines European history, nationalism

Professor Batabyal's Indian perspective on this most recent period of European history is obviously relevant for his home audience, but the European public can also learn from it

Finding the Edge: A masterful tale of Jimmy Anderson's cricketing journey

The story begins at its ending-an ageing but still formidable Anderson-offered a final chance to bow out on his own terms

Diplomat and poet Abhay K reimagines Nalanda's legacy for future learning

The book has eight chapters, the number that holds significance in Buddhist lore. The Dharmacakra, the wheel of Dharma, has eight spikes

Bofors Gate: Chitra Subramaniam's book deep-dives into the arms scandal

A household name for her investigation into the Bofors scandal, Chitra Subramaniam's book offers an unsparing account of the defence deal, even as it examines her own motivation

Every breath you take: Zimmer's Air-Borne explores mysteries of aerobiology

Air-Borne shows us how the scientific community came to understand that Covid-19 transmission was less akin to shots from a gun, and more like smog in a valley

Learning from Silence: Pico Iyer's book explores meaning of suffering, joy

Delicately written, with a rhythm and lyricism that resembles many of Mr Cohen's songs, Learning from Silence is about living a full, robust life with eyes wide open and all senses ablaze

'Casting the Buddha': How Buddhism's ties to power shaped its survival

The chronological approach-from the time of the historical Buddha to the present moment with a Bharatiya Janata Party-run government at the Centre-makes the book easy to follow

Duncan Mavin's 'Meltdown' traces Credit Suisse's grand rise and downfall

Banking often makes for a bad spectator sport. When the money is gone, only the dull parts remain