Book Review: What Are You Looking For?

Self-help or Motivational books aren't really my cup of tea. Add the word 'Philosophy' and you have my attention. Jiddu Krishnamurti is touted to be one of the greatest thinkers of the 20th century. The blurb says that the book is about relationships and how they shape all the aspects of our lives. So this …

Book Review: Himālaya

John Keay’s Himālaya: Exploring the Roof of the World is work of extensive and serious research. I have always been fascinated by the Himalayas – partly because of their proximity to my native place, and partly because of their relatively recent origin, what Keay describes in terms of their being “an orogenous zone.” In my initial views …

Book Review: Those Women of the Coromandel

Ranga Rao's Those Women of the Coromandel provides a peep into the 19th century, flourishing colonial world in the southeastern coastal region of India. This world is presented through the lives of the three eponymous women- Miss Beston, an English trader settled in India, the mystical Granny Appachchi and her equally interesting sister-in-law, Worker Aunt. …

Book Review: Unmasking Indian Secularism

Hasan Suroor's Unmasking Indian Secularism carries the subtitle 'Why we need a new Hindu-Muslim deal.' The book seeks to put forth the reasons behind the failure of the policy of Secularism in India. In layman's terms, Secularism refers to impartiality towards any religion by the state. Given the polarisation evident in today's India, the author …

Book Review: The Sweet Kitchen

The Sweet Kitchen by Rajyasree Sen carries short, delightful entries on the desserts found across India. From Halwa to Rasgulla to Christmas Cakes, the book takes under its sweep delicacies that have their roots in different corners of the world, and thereby serve to bridge the regional and cultural differences. The book shows how, much …

Book Review: JNU- Nationalism and India’s Uncivil War

The book under consideration is authored by Makarand R. Paranjape, a Professor of English in JNU. Having worked in JNU for over two decades, the author shares an intimate relationship with JNU, and therefore comes across as a credible voice on the issue. The issue that the book deals with is the rise of an …

Book Review: Adam

Adam is a collection of 9 short stories by JCB Prize winning author, S. Hareesh. Originally translated from Malayalam, these stories feature a range of human emotions that tinge at the reader's heart. The characters- both human and non-human, are complex and alive in a way that one can almost visualise them. These characters are …

Book Review: Tagore & Gandhi

Tagore & Gandhi: Walking Alone, Walking Together by Rudrangshu Mukherjee is a book that examines the relationship of two very eminent personalities of India. Rabindranath Tagore and Mahatma Gandhi- both visionaries, have played a tremendous role in shaping the modern India. As much as they were both celebrated by the people, they had divergent views. …

Book Review: Fidelity by Thich Nhat Hanh

Anyone who has been regularly following my reading updates would know that I am not the type of person who reads self help and motivational books. Yet I was interested in this latest publication by Aleph Book Company. This was primarily because of the brand name of the author- Thich Nhat Hanh. I have not …

Book Review: Harijan

Indian literature is one of my favourite genres, particularly regional Indian literature translated into English. These books offer a peep into the worlds that despite being a part of India, are so different from my own. It is not just a matter of geography or even of a different language; it's the combined effect of …