Book News

The art of a reformer

When Rukmini Devi was seriously ill, she refused to take medicines tested on animals and opted for Chinese and Tibetan medicines, acupressure and acupuncture.

Yin, yang and assumptions

Sandeep Hasurkar explores how India and China, through contrasting governance and developmental paths, have shaped their unique trajectories on the global stage

The rise of skyscrapers

Jason M Barr presents towering buildings in a new light-as a strategic balancing act between costs and revenues to maximise profits, rather than a display of hubris

Democrat with an authoritarian streak

Bhaskar Parichha's book beautifully captures the essence of Biju Patnaik - a man both impatient and irascible, fraught with passion, and a big-picture thinker who eschewed detail

Robots in your veins

The Singularity Is Nearer follows Kurzweil's 2005 The Singularity Is Near, and several other heraldic works of tech futurism that have become sacred texts to the current generation of AI utopians

Arundhati Roy awarded UK's Pen Pinter Prize for her 'unflinching' writings

The prize, established in 2009 by the charity English PEN, defends freedom of expression and celebrates literature in memory of Nobel-Laureate playwright Harold Pinter

Mapping the labyrinth

Abraham Jacob delves into the deep vaults of ancient Indian writings on Hinduism and its philosophical experiments, providing an easy-to-read primer on both the country and its civilisation

The limits of freedom

Joseph Stiglitz's latest book argues for a shift from capital-centric profit motives to a more inclusive and morally grounded approach in economic policy

Coping with the data flood and drought

IIT/IIM grad Nitin Seth's book offers a systematic process to harness wisdom in the deluge of data in our data-first world

Chinese history, for the CCP

Ian Johnson's book offers a lens to view China through the eyes of its people rather than through the party

Was global trade a mistake?

The late-20th-century project of integrating China into the global economy, in the hope that economic development would come hand in hand with political liberalism, feels at best misguided

Heights of ambition

Written with brio, the book nevertheless is an uncomfortable read because Cockrell ignores the distressing negative externalities of Everest Inc

UP's power dynamics

Shyamlal Yadav's book offers extraordinary insights into how UP's chief ministers handle governance, faction management, and administration in a state pivotal to national politics

A capitalist's lament

Ruchir Sharma's book is illuminating and heart-warming in its optimism that despite its many flaws, capitalism remains our 'best hope for economic and social progress

Modernity with Chinese characteristics

Poonam Surie's insightful book invites readers to join her quest to explore how China approaches modernity, leaving much to ponder, like a solitary reverie on a trek

A champion of trade liberalisation

Arvind Panagariya's book offers a rich and fascinating analysis of how protectionism has harmed the country's trade and economy

Fauci on Trump: It's complicated

Dr Fauci has long been circumspect in describing his feelings toward Mr Trump. But On Call: A Doctor's Journey in Public Service, he writes with candour about their relationship

Indian sports beyond the boundary

Nandan Kamath looks at sports like an onion and, through nuanced argument, peels its many layers to provide insight and understanding

A literary affair

Historian Ramachandra Guha's 40-year relationship with his editor and friend, a fellow Stephanian, goes beyond mere indulgence-it's also culturally important for a host of reasons

The alternative path to riches

Navigating a volatile market can be daunting for the ordinary Joe, while the ultra-rich have access to more exclusive investment options. The Holy Grail of Investing is a guide to bridging this gap