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: 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: 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 …

Book Review: The Book of Indian Ghosts

Ghosts and supernatural things have always fascinated me. Having grown up in village, there was never any dearth of stories of ghostly encounters by other people. So naturally, when this anthology on the Indian ghosts was published, I was eager to read this. Having finished reading this book, I am left craving for more of …

Book Review: On Citizenship

On Citizenship is a short book, comprising of four essays, on the very important and the very relevant concept of citizenship. The four contributors include Romila Thapar, N. Ram, Gautam Bhatia and Gautam Patel. Put together, the four essays in this book approach the idea of citizenship from different directions, provide a general overview of …