‘Have I not, having kept a man for years, learnt that it’s/ like raising a snake?/ So many animals on this earth, why keep a man of all things?’ writes one of the world’s most celebrated writers, Taslima Nasrin, in her first-ever comprehensive collection of poetry translated from the original Bangla into English. The poems get to the heart of being the other in exile, justifying one’s place in a terrifying world. They praise the comfort and critique the cruelty of a loved one. In these are loneliness, sorrow, and at times, exaltation. Relying almost entirely upon the free verse form, these poems carry a diction which is at once both gentle and fierce, revealing the experiences of one woman while defining the existence of so many generations of women throughout time, and around the world.
Catagory: Non Fiction
non fiction main category
One Way to Live
One Way to Live was written at a time when Dr Tehemton Udwadia knew that he had just a few months left to live. It is partly a personal memoir recounting about his youthful romance and the influence of his mother and heartfelt anecdotes about his friends and family, and partly his own medical journey, including the story behind the setting up of Center for Minimal Access SurgeryTraining (ceMAST)-perhaps his greatest achievement.
The last few couple of chapters of this book were written at a time when Dr Udwadia was on ventilator support; the second and final epilogue was dictated by him from a hospital bed at a time when he could barely speak. He passed away on 7 January 2023. It was life well-lived.
Shades of Blue
For millennia, our cities have prospered and grown in the cradles of civilization-fertile lands blessed with rivers, lakes, seas and oceans. From the origins of life on earth, right down to its downfall, biblical or otherwise, water has been integral to the human story.
In this passionate and extensively researched tribute to the elixir that sustains us all, authors Harini Nagendra and Seema Mundoli take us on a panoramic view of the water bodies of India and the urgent need to address their emergent ecological threats. From the Yamuna in Delhi to the Cauvery in Karnataka and the Pichola Lake in Udaipur to the Brahmaputra in Assam, this book is epic in its sweep and yet deeply moving in its intimate concerns.
Interspersed with anthropological, legal and scientific vignettes of the water are fascinating anecdotes, ditties, myths and monsters blue and green. This book also brings into dialogue a vast range of colourful characters-from medieval poets to colonial masters and modern scientists-to paint for us a tapestry of connected histories and ring a timely knell for saving the very ecological systems that have sustained us for ages.
1947-1957, India: the Birth of a Republic
The story of a decade-1947 to 1957-that made and unmade India
The first decade after India’s independence, 1947-1957, was probably the most crucial in the nation’s history. Opening a window to this period, this book weaves a story out of the complex ideas and events that have largely remained beneath the surface of public discourse. The transfer of power, the framing of the Constitution and the formation of the governance machinery; the clash of ideas and ideologies among parties and personalities; the beginning of the disintegration of the Congress and the consolidation of political forces in the opposition; Nehru’s grappling with existential problems at home and his quest for global peace; the interplay between democratic ideals and ruthless power play-all these factors impinged on each other and shaped the new republic in its formative decade.
Thought-provoking, argumentative and unputdownable, 1947-1957, India: The Birth of a Republic is a must-read for anyone interested in Indian political history.
One Among You
In 1966, M.K. Stalin began his political innings by launching the Gopalapuram Youth Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. Over the next five decades, his political career would see him rise to become the Mayor of Chennai in 1996, the President of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in 2018 and the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu in 2021.
One Among You, a translation of Volume 1 of Stalin’s Tamil autobiography, Ungalil Oruvan, is the story of the first twenty-three years of his life, from 1953 to 1976. These formative years were witness to Stalin’s school and college days, his early involvement with the DMK and his integral role in the party publication, Murasoli. But Stalin’s journey extends beyond politics. He also had a profound connection to the world of theatre and cinema, where his passion for art intersected with his pursuit of social change.
As the son of the political titan Kalaignar M. Karunanidhi, it was inevitable that Stalin would grow up in a household throbbing with discussions about art, culture, politics, and language. This autobiography, ably translated by veteran journalist and editor, A.S. Panneerselvan, offers an intimate glimpse into the world that moulded the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister.
World’s Best Girlfriend
‘When he turns, I see his eyes. There’s a sense of surety in them, a sense of danger, a sense of entitlement and definitely, arrogance.’
Daksh and Aanchal meet under improbable circumstances in the most unlikely of places-a posh resort in the Andamans. While Aanchal is fighting hard to escape the shackles of a lower middle-class existence, Daksh is aimless and unsure of what his future holds. Strangely, they are drawn to each other.
‘My gaze drifts to her exposed back, and the tiny knot that secures her shimmering choli in place. Emotions of anger mix with a strange desire in me.’
Four years later, when they meet again, Daksh’s world has crumbled around him. The burden of caring for his sick father and six-year-old sister has left him with little time for anything else. Yet, despite their diverging paths, Daksh and Aanchal find themselves reconnecting in unexpected ways. Their mutual attraction deepens.
Till now, fate has been pushing them together, but what will happen when they decide to take matters into their own hands? Will life be as they’ve imagined, or will destiny take even that away from them?
The Barefoot Coach
In 2008, a few days after being selected to coach the Indian cricket team, Gary Kirsten and Paddy Upton set themselves the goals of winning the World Cup in 2011 and becoming the number one Test team in the world. Over three years of their innovative and creative ways of coaching, the team achieved these goals, and more.
Paddy’s journey included working with the South African cricket team as the cricket world’s first fitness trainer, becoming a mental coach in professional sport and, in 2012, becaming head coach of the Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League. Since then, he has coached five teams in thirteen seasons across three of the world’s premier T20 leagues.
The Barefoot Coach is packed with Paddy’s out-of-the-box thinking and illuminating anecdotes on winning, preparation, failure and working to resolve life’s tangled knots. Inspiring, candid and unusual in its approach to coaching, and with fascinating breakaways into extreme sport, this is a must-read for everyone who wishes to enhance their performance, and their lives.
Beyond Fear
A story from a third-generation soldier of the 1st Battalion, the 5th Gorkha Rifles (FF) who was killed in combat.
A ghost story narrated to the author by an officer of the Garhwal Rifles while on a visit to Lansdowne.
A gripping account of the air raid on Pakistan’s airfield at Sargodha in 1965 led by Wing Commander O.P. Taneja, VrC.
These are some of the stories featured in Major General Ian Cardozo’s book Beyond Fear, stories that inform the reader that fear is not exceptional. It is common to all human beings. The question is: Do we face fear or run away from it? Through these thirteen stories, he reveals to the reader how military personnel conquer fear. He calls it ‘biting the bullet’.
Through the twists and turns of his stories, he brings out how honour, love, courage, trust, hope, faith and loyalty help the soldier in his quest to conquer fear and that these very qualities can help the reader deal with fear in their everyday lives. These stories also show that real life can sometimes be stranger than fiction.
Money Works
If you are clueless at the end of every month about where your hard-earned money has gone and if you are ready to achieve financial success-this book is for you!
Instead of focusing on ‘How big should your income be?’, Money Works gives excellent tips on how to save intelligently, how you can achieve your life goals with careful financial planning, how to manage your debts and insurance, how to make your hard-earned money grow through investments and finally, how to live a happy and contented life!
Abhijeet Kolapkar, who has been in the field of finance for many years, has tried to simplify and present financial terms in a simple and interesting way. Through this book, readers will understand the basics of personal finance as well as the central role of money in their life.
The Power of Habit
There’s never been a better time to set new habits. This book will change your life.
In The Power of Habit, award-winning journalist Charles Duhigg takes us into the thrilling and surprising world of the scientific study of habits.
He examines why some people and companies struggle to change, despite years of trying, while others seem to remake themselves overnight. He visits laboratories where neuroscientists explore how habits work and where, exactly, they reside in our brains. And he uncovers how the right habits were crucial to the success of Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps, Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, and civil-rights hero Martin Luther King, Jr.
The result is a compelling argument and an empowering discovery: the key to exercising regularly, losing weight, raising exceptional children, becoming more productive or even building revolutionary companies is understanding how habits work. By harnessing this new science, we can transform our businesses, our communities, and our lives.
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‘[An] essential manual for business and living.’ Andrew Hill, Financial Times
‘Once you read this book, you’ll never look at yourself, your organisation, or your world quite the same way.’ Daniel H. Pink
‘This is a first-rate book – based on an impressive mass of research, written in a lively style and providing just the right balance of intellectual seriousness with practical advice on how to break our bad habits.’ The Economist