Among the USA’s allies in the war against terrorism, Pakistan cannot be easily characterized as either friend or foe. Nuclear-armed Pakistan is an important centre of radical Islamist ideas and groups. After 9/11, the selective cooperation of President General Pervez Musharraf in sharing intelligence with the United States and apprehending Al-Qaeda members led to the assumption that Pakistan might be ready to give up its long-standing ties with radical Islam. But Pakistan’s status as an Islamic ideological state is closely linked with the Pakistani elite’s world view and the praetorian ambitions of its military.
Pakistan: Between Mosque and Military analyses the origins of the relationships between Islamist groups and Pakistan’s military, and explores the nation’s quest for identity and security. Tracing how the military has sought US support by making itself useful for concerns of the moment-while continuing to strengthen the mosque-military alliance within Pakistan-Haqqani offers an alternative view of political developments since the country’s Independence in 1947.
This new edition of this classic work includes data updates and an Epilogue by the author.
Catagory: Non Fiction
non fiction main category
Revenge And Reconciliation
In this remarkable study, well-known biographer Rajmohan Gandhi, underscoring the prominence in the Mahabharata of the revenge impulse, follows its trajectory in South Asian history. Side by side, he traces the role played by reconcilers up to present times, beginning with the Buddha, Mahavira and Asoka. His explanation of the 1947 division of India identifies the role of the 1857 Rebellion in shaping Gandhi’s thinking and strategy, and reflects on the wounds of Partition. The survey of post-Independence India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka also touches upon the tragic bereavements of six of their women leaders.
Besieged
Debt
Must we always repay our debts?
Wasn’t money invented to replace ancient barter systems?
Apparently not, according to Yale-bred anthropologist David Graeber.
In a stunning reversal of conventional wisdom, Graeber radically challenges our understanding of debt. He illustrates how, for more than 5000 years—long before the invention of coins or bills—there existed debtors and creditors who used elaborate credit systems to buy and sell goods. He argues that Madagascar was held to be indebted to France because France invaded it, reminds us that texts from Vedic India included God in credit systems and shows how the dollar changed European society forever in the sixteenth century. He also brilliantly demonstrates how words like ‘guilt’, ‘sin’ and ‘redemption’ derive in large part from ancient debates about debt, and shape even our most basic ideas of right and wrong.
Debt: The First 5000 Years is a fascinating chronicle of this little known history—of how it has defined the evolution of human society, and what it means for the credit crisis of the present day and the future of our economy.
The Wrong Enemy
A Corner of a Foreign Field
A Corner of a Foreign Field seamlessly interweaves biography with history, the lives of famous or forgotten cricketers with wider processes of social change. C. K. Nayudu and Sachin Tendulkar naturally figure in this book, but so, too, in unexpected ways, do B. R. Ambedkar, Mahatma Gandhi, and M. A. Jinnah. The Indian careers of those great British cricketers, Lord Harris and D. R. Jardine, provide a window into the operations of Empire. The remarkable life of India’s first great slow bowler, Palwankar Baloo, provides an arresting new perspective on the struggle against caste discrimination. Later chapters explore the competition between Hindu and Muslim cricketers in colonial India and the destructive passions now provoked when India plays Pakistan.
For this new edition, Ramachandra Guha has added a long epilogue bringing the story up to date to cover, among other things, the advent of the Indian Premier League and the Indian team’s victory in the World Cup of 2011, these linked to social and economic transformations in contemporary India.
A pioneering work, essential for anyone interested in either of those vast themes, cricket and India, A Corner of a Foreign Field is also a beautifully written meditation on the ramifications of sport in society at large.
The Learning Factory
‘The Learning Factory is a book full of anecdotal stories that offers different teachings and lessons for students, business professionals, as well as those curious about the Tata way of business. This firsthand narration of interactions and incidents with Tata leaders gives a new insight into the group’s leadership and strategy and helps better understand its value-driven business.’ – Ratan Tata
Founded in 1868 by Jamshetji Tata, the Tata Group symbolizes the great Indian story of hope, growth and phenomenal success.The group played the role of a nation builder in post- independent India. Its companies were headed by legendary chairpersons, all of whom firmly believed in the importance of continuously learning and growing. What can we learn from the individual stories that come together to form this inspiring narrative? Like all great successes, this isn’t one story-it is many accounts that are so powerful that the whole is so much greater than the sum of all its parts.
In The Learning Factory, Arun Maira narrates people-centric episodes that bring alive the values of the Tata Group, standards that combine the high-velocity practices as well as the old-fashioned principles that make the Tata Group the giant it is today. With insightful stories of conduct that are as practically implementable as they are inspiring, this is a blueprint for the individual as well as the business that seeks success through its community of leaders, workers and thinkers.
The Day I Stopped Drinking Milk
Over the years, Sudha Murty has come across some fascinating people whose lives make for interesting stories and have astonishing lessons to reveal. Take Vishnu, who achieves every material success but never knows happiness; or Venkat, who talks so much that he has no time to listen. In other stories, a young girl goes on a train journey that changes her life forever; an impoverished village woman provides bathing water to hundreds of people in a drought-stricken area; a do-gooder ghost decides to teach a disconsolate young man Sanskrit; and in the title story, a woman in a flooded village in Odisha teaches the author a life lesson she will never forget.
How To Make Enemies And Offend People
Ever since the Radia tapes were leaked, my wife has been extremely upset. I tried to reason with her. ‘Believe me,’ I said, ‘I did talk to Niira Radia. Is it my fault that my conversation with her has not been leaked?’Often described as ‘the funniest ever writer to have come out of trans-Yamuna Delhi in the 75-77kg category’, G. Sampath launches a hilarious counter-offensive against perpetually offense-taking offensive people and issues in this small but potent volume. From Ajay Devgn’s nipples to his wife’s real estate ambitions, Arnab Goswami’s special powers to male virgins’ special problems, sari-obsessed women to pesticide-obsessed farmers, Sampath runs his vampire-like fingernails across the private obsessions and public frustrations of the Indian Everyman. Wily old genius that he is, where you expect him to draw blood, he draws a chuckle.
My Yummy Mummy Guide
Karisma Kapoor has played many roles—from successful actor to businesswoman—but her favourite is being mother to her two beautiful children, Samaira and Kiaan.
In My Yummy Mummy Guide, she shares with you all her experiences from managing her pregnancy to losing all the weight afterwards to disciplining her kids.
Here is great advice on finding the perfect maternity outfits, decorating your children’s rooms, juggling work life and motherhood, and planning the most stylish kiddie parties.
From the first trimester to school’s first semester, from growing-up issues to teen fads, My Yummy Mummy Guide is the most fun-filled best friend any mother could have.
• How to be glam at 40 weeks
• Finding that perfect nanny
• Managing me time
• Losing 24 kg in 9 months