A heinous crime has been committed-seven girls are brutally gang-raped by a group of upper-caste men. As news quickly spreads, their village comes under the national spotlight; journalists, policemen and ministers filter in, each trying to get to the bottom of the truth and find the culprits. Long oppressed, the girls from the minority community refuse to utter the names of the men; feigning ignorance and burdened by shame, they grapple with notions of honour and purity.
Lustre presents to us the portrait of a society-of a village afflicted by communal strains-as tensions rise with the police force coming under pressure, afraid the villagers will be seduced into joining the local Naxalite movement. As things take a violent turn, the novel offers a glimpse into the true situation in some parts of India as well as the collective psyche of a community-their thoughts on propriety, violence, subjugation, and, most importantly, revolution.
Archives: Books
Good Genes Gone Bad
The field of biotechnology has evolved over the past four decades, developing medicines which are curing diseases. But this journey of success has been tough and arduous, built upon the shoulders of major failures.
Good Genes Gone Bad highlights seven such colossal failures in drug development-all of which culminated in the development of novel drugs-weaving together various analogies through the stories and thus allowing the reader to understand complex biological phenomena. These stories include treatment of medical conditions such as genetic clotting disorder (haemophilia), childhood-diarrhoea (rotavirus vaccine), preventing HIV infection, activation of the immune systems to treat cancer, gene therapy for treatment of diseases caused by gene-defects/mutations, cell therapy for treatment of leukaemias, and finally the success of Biocon’s approval of the first biologic drug for breast cancer.
Written by the former R&D head of Biocon, India’s largest pharmaceutical company, Good Genes Gone Bad is a fascinating look at the complex world of medicine and drug development, providing the readers with a sense of magnitude of challenges and the extent of difficulty that it takes to make novel medicines.
Whose Samosa is it Anyway?
In this book, accompany Sonal Ved on a journey of taste through the various timelines across the Indian subcontinent. We go from the banks of the Indus in 1900 bc to the great kingdoms of the north many centuries later; from the time of the Mauryans to when the Mughal Sultanate reigned supreme. Meet the Europeans merchants desperate to trade in Indian treasures, be it the deep-blue indigo or the pricey pepper. On this trip discover answers to such questions as What are the origins of chutney or of the fruit punch, and how are they connected to India? Who taught us how to make ladi pav and kebabs, and how did the Burmese khow suey land up on the wedding menus of Marwaris? The author takes us through the food history and traditions from the mountains in Kashmir to the backwaters of Kanyakumari; from the ports of the Bay of Bengal to the shores of the Arabian Sea, where traders and travellers arrived from the world over. And, finally, we find out whose samosa it truly is . . .
The Home Stretch
In their twilight years, people increasingly rely on friends and family to get through the day. In Indian homes, it is not unusual to see adult children sandwiched between parenting and caregiving obligations, with both young children and elderly parents in the house.
The Home Stretch is an empathetic, handy guide that seeks to simplify caregiving and equip readers with the tools
and guidance required to build a safer, happier and more comfortable life for the elders around them. From tips on
maintaining their health and independence to taking care of the bedridden, the book covers a wide range of topics
to meet the progressively complicated needs associated with caring for ageing loved ones.
A product of the author’s years of caregiving experience and interactions with countless doctors, counsellors, senior
citizens and other family caregivers, this book has the ability to transform how we look at ageing and the aged.
Operation Haygreeva
The C3 unit in the Intelligence Bureau is the node of the country’s counter-terrorism operations. At its discreet headquarters in New Delhi, intelligence officers work hard behind the scenes to thwart threats, keep track of targets and make sure the country is kept safe. When Mumbai becomes the victim of a series of horrific bomb blasts, Ravi Kumar, the chief of C3 known for his unorthodox but brilliant methods, is entrusted with the responsibility to neutralize the threat posed by a new terrorist organization called Lashkar-e-Hind.
Together with his three young recruits, Mihir, Jose and Cyrus, Ravi uncovers a plot that is much larger and threatens the very fabric of the country’s peace and stability. Through their network of agents, covert missions, tabs on the Hawala market and cultivation of contacts, they must tread carefully to protect the citizens of India. And they must do it all from the shadows, navigating the murky corridors of espionage and intelligence services.
Invisible Empire
Viruses are the world’s most abundant life form, and now, when humanity is in the midst of a close encounter with their immense power, perhaps the most feared. But do we understand viruses? Possibly the most enigmatic of living things, they are sometimes not considered a life form at all. Everything about them is extreme, including the reactions they evoke. However, for every truism about viruses, the opposite is also often true. So complex and diverse is the world of viruses that it merits being labelled an empire unto itself. And whether we see them as alive or dead, as life-threatening or life-affirming, there is an ineluctable beauty, even a certain elegance, in the way viruses go about their lives-or so Pranay Lal tells us in Invisible Empire: The Natural History of Viruses.
This is a book that defies categorisation. It brings together science, history and great storytelling to paint a fascinating picture of viruses as a major actor, not just in human civilisation but also in the human body. With rare photographs, paintings, illustrations and anecdotes, it is a magnificent and an extremely relevant book for our times, when we are attempting to understand viruses and examining their role in the lives of humans.
1984 & Animal Farm (PREMIUM PAPERBACK, PENGUIN INDIA)
In Nineteen Eighty Four, George Orwell’s Dystopian vision comes to life. Set in an imagined future, the people live under a totalitarian regime where ‘Big Brother’ is always watching. And while everyone seems to have accepted the new reality, Winston is struggling. Haunted by his memories, he remembers a world where the truth wasn’t doctored, and your thoughts were your own. As Winston seeks pleasure through small acts of rebellion, the ever-looming threat of the Thought Police grows stronger. But everything changes when Winston comes across ‘The Brotherhood’-a revolutionary secret organization that is conspiring to overthrow the government . . . A startling work of fiction, 1984willhaunt you long after you finish reading this book.
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Animal Farm is Orwell’s searing political satire of the Russian Revolution. The oppressed animals of ‘Manor Farm’ overthrow their cruel master, Mr Jones, in a bid to establish a just and equal society. But as the days progress, the naïve animals find themselves in the throes of a treacherous conspiracy that threatens to destroy everything they’ve worked for.
Pride & Prejudice (PREMIUM PAPERBACK, PENGUIN INDIA)
SWOONWORTHY ROMANCE MEETS RIVETING SATIRE IN THIS TIMELESS CLASSIC
He is all pride, and she prejudiced. When Mr Darcy arrives at the quiet town of Hertfordshire, everyone is excited. So what if he’s a bit of a snob, or despises all things social? He, like his best friend Mr Bingley, is an ideal bachelor with a magnificent estate.
But there’s one person who absolutely detests him.
Vivacious and witty, Elizabeth Bennet would like nothing to do with the arrogant Mr Darcy-but fate has other plans. When Mr Bingley starts courting her sister Jane, Elizabeth is forced to cross paths with Darcy again and again. As the two of them spend time in each other’s company, Darcy can’t help falling for Elizabeth’s wit and charm, while she’s forced to reconsider her own feelings for him.
But the two of them are still worlds apart-he’s a rich aristocrat while she hails from an economically weaker family. Will they be able to set aside their differences? Or will the two of them risk losing a chance at true love and happiness? A charming comedy of manners, Pride and Prejudice is a stunning battle of the sexes that is equal parts entertaining and astute.
Wuthering Heights (PREMIUM PAPERBACK, PENGUIN INDIA)
A HAUNTING TALE OF DARK LONGINGS AND TRAGIC LOVE
Bitter, brooding, and cynical-Heathcliff resides at ‘Wuthering Heights’, a run-down estate on the bleak Yorkshire moors. But he wasn’t always like this.
Youthful and wild, once upon a time, Heathcliff had been in love with the singularly charming Catherine Earnshaw. They’d grown up together-he, a lowly gypsy foundling adopted by Catherine’s father, and she, a proper lady, born in a family of repute. Their romance was doomed from the start.
And yet, they fell in love-an epic, all-consuming love that threatened to devour them whole.
But Heathcliff wasn’t alone in his affections, for Catherine had caught the eye of another man: Edgar Lipton, a rich and well-bred youth, who, everyone agreed, was a perfect match for her. Trapped by societal expectations, Catherine made a choice that triggered a tempestuous series of events, changing their lives forever.
Astonishingly poetic and heart-achingly tragic, Wuthering Heights is a gothic masterpiece that will immerse you in a world that is both beautiful and nightmarish.
The Great Gatsby (PREMIUM PAPERBACK, PENGUIN INDIA)
Welcome to the roaring twenties, where money, debauchery, and dancing go hand-in-hand. It is the summer of 1922,and the enigmatic millionaire, Jay Gatsby, is in love. He has everything he could ever want, except the one thing that always remains out of reach-the beautiful socialite Daisy Buchanan, a former lover, now married to someone else.
At his Long Island mansion, he throws lavish parties-drowning days and nights into drinks and dancing. But all the money in the world cannot fill the emptiness in his heart.
Alone, untouched by the glitz and glamour of the American rich, he stews in his secret longing. But everything changes when Gatsby befriends Nick Carraway, Daisy’s cousin and Gatsby’s new neighbour, who reunites the two lovers. Then begins a tale of obsession, madness, and tragedy that unravels Jay Gatsby’s life forever.