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Catagory: Non Fiction

non fiction main category

The Lone Empress

Jayalalithaa’s journey from a glamour queen to a towering political leader is one of the most extraordinary stories of contemporary India. The unlikely heir of the legendary screen idol and AIADMK founder, M.G. Ramachandran (MGR), Jayalalithaa Jayaram triumphed over the odds stacked against her-as a woman and as a former actress-to successfully challenge the mainstream values of Tamil Nadu politics.

The Lone Empress candidly chronicles Jayalalithaa’s tumultuous political life, examining her battle with intra-party rivalry to become the first elected woman chief minister of India; the long-lasting hostility with her rivals; her pursuit of support from the Centre for political survival; and her discomfort with criticism and dissent. The book also shines light on Jayalalithaa’s choice of careers, first in cinema then in politics; the corruption charges that continued to haunt her; and her sudden death. Having breathed her last while in office for the sixth time as chief minister, Jayalalithaa left behind a dramatic power tussle in her wake, and she left Indian politics a little less colourful.

Drawing on interviews with Jayalalithaa’s family, school friends, film critics and actors, political commentators and party members, as well as from letters and journals, acclaimed journalist Vaasanthi offers an objective, insightful and empathetic portrait of this fascinating and enigmatic figure.

In Service of the Republic

As a $3-trillion economy, India is on her way to becoming an economic superpower. Between 1991 and 2011, the period of our best growth, there was also a substantial decline in the number of people below the poverty line. Since 2011, however, there has been a marked retreat in the high growth performance of the previous two decades.What happened to the promise? Where have we faltered? How do we change course? How do we overcome the ever-present dangers of the middle-income trap, and get rich before we grow old? And one question above all else: What do we need to do to make our tryst with destiny? As professional economists as well as former civil servants, Vijay Kelkar and Ajay Shah have spent most of their lives thinking about and working on these questions. The result: In Service of the Republic, a meticulously researched work that stands at the intersection of economics, political philosophy and public administration. This highly readable book lays out the art and the science of the policymaking that we need, from the high ideas to the gritty practicalities that go into building the Republic.

Bhagwaan Ke Pakwaan

The rice beer bellies of a Christian village in Meghalaya; food fed to departed Zoroastrian souls; a Kolkata-based Jewish community in decline; Tibetan monks who first serve Preta, the hungry ghost; and fifty-six-course feasts of the Jagannath temple-these are the stories in Bhagwan Ke Pakwaan (or, food of the gods), a cookbook-cum-travelogue exploring the connection between food and faith through the communities of India. There are legends and lore, angsty perspectives, tangential anecdotes, a couple of life lessons and a whole lot of food.

Cricket 2.0

Why is Royal Challengers Bangalore one of the worst-performing teams in the Indian Premier League (IPL), despite having batsman like A.B. de Villiers and Chris Gayle, and being captained by Virat Kohli?
On the other hand, why is Chennai Super Kings (CSK) one of the best-performing teams, despite boasting fewer superstars and an ageing M.S. Dhoni as captain?
The secret could lie in the teams’ captaincy styles. But more importantly, it lies in the way T20 teams plan, strategize and build themselves around a core group, which CSK has done.
In Cricket 2.0: Inside the T20 Revolution, Tim Wigmore and Freddie Wilde take us on a whirlwind tour of the cricket format that has taken the world by storm. From its inception, when T20 was accepted by a narrow vote of the Marylebone Cricket Club, to its current global popularity, from its original superstar Chris Gayle to newcomers like Rashid Khan and Sandeep Lamichhane, T20 has become a phenomenon that has resurrected the game of cricket.
From the sunny beaches of Trinidad and Tobago, which gave the world a West Indian team feared by its contemporaries, to the raucous stadiums of the IPL, today one of the world’s most valuable sport tournaments, from India’s original rejection of T20 to ultimately embracing it, signalling a shift in world cricket, Wigmore and Wilde break down how T20 has changed the game entirely, and why it may be the future of cricket.

The Meaning of India

First published in 1996 when he was eighty-eight years old, this selection of nearly six decades of Raja Rao’s non-fiction is an audacious contemplation on the deeper significance of India. A combination of fables, journeys, discussions and meditations, The Meaning of India advances the view that India is not just a geographical entity, or even a civilization-state. India is, above all, a metaphysic, a way of being and regarding the self and the world.
Drawing on a wide range of sources-including the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, the Gita, the Buddha, Sankara, Bhartrihari, Kalidasa, Dostoevsky, Valéry, Rilke, Mann and Mallarmé-as also meetings with Gandhi, Nehru, Forster and Malraux, Rao teases out the implications of Advaita or non-dualism, which he regards as India’s unique contribution to the world.

Poor Economics

Imagine you have a few million dollars. You want to spend it on the poor. How do you go about it? Billions of government dollars, and thousands of charitable organizations and NGOs, are dedicated to helping the world’s poor. But much of their work is based on assumptions about the poor and the world that are untested generalizations at best, harmful misperceptions at worst.

Abhijit V. Banerjee and Esther Duflo have pioneered the use of randomized control trials in development economics through their award-winning Poverty Action Lab. They argue that by using randomized control trials, and more generally, by paying careful attention to the evidence, it is possible to make accurate—and often startling assessments—on what really impacts the poor and what doesn’t.

Why would a man in Morocco who doesn’t have enough to eat buy a television? Why is it so hard for children in poor areas to learn even when they attend school? Why do the poorest people in Maharashtra spend 5 percent of their total budget on sugar? Does having lots of children actually make you poorer? Drawing on their research at the Poverty Action Lab and their fifteen years of fieldwork in India and across the world, the two economists ask many such questions and show why the poor, despite having the same desires and abilities as anyone else, end up with entirely different lives.

Revelatory and impassioned, Poor Economics is a pathbreaking book that will help you to understand the real causes of poverty and how to end it.

Healer

At the age of fifty, when most people start planning for retirement, Dr Prathap Chandra Reddy decided that he was going to revolutionize healthcare in India. In 1983, the renowned cardiologist launched the country’s first professionally run private sector hospital system. Thirty years later, Apollo Hospitals has become one of the world’s largest providers of high-technology healthcare. In the areas of heart, liver and bone marrow transplants, as also in knee and hip replacement surgery and robotic surgery, Apollo is an industry pioneer and a world leader. More than 32 million men and women have been treated at Apollo’s fifty hospitals, where over 70,000 professionals work. How did Dr Reddy, who grew up in the small village of Aragonda in Andhra Pradesh, actualize his dream? How did he overcome the seemingly insurmountable odds and transform the sustainable development space? How did he become one of India’s enduring icons? Full of delightful anecdotes and dramatic twists and turns, The Healer tells Dr Reddy’s inspirational story like it has never been told before.

Everyday Ayurveda

Everyday Ayurveda is the perfect lifestyle guide designed to maximize health, longevity, and happiness the natural way.

Do you sometimes feel tired, lethargic and spiritless? How can Ayurveda help in a simple, practisable manner?

Time is scarce and precious in today’s world, and we seek solutions that are quick. While allopathic medicine tends to focus on the management of disease, the ancient study of dinacharya provides us with holistic knowledge of preventing disease and eliminating its root cause.

Taking us through a day in the life of Ayurveda living, Dr Bhaswati Bhattacharya illustrates the core principles of Ayurveda and shows us how to incorporate these in our routine. She explains the logic behind the changes she recommends and how they benefit us. Informative and accessible, Everyday Ayurveda is the perfect lifestyle guide designed to maximize health, longevity and happiness the natural way.

Praise for Everyday Ayurveda

‘Dr Bhaswati has written a book that will help resurrect the knowledge I grew up on, using scientific logic for modern scientists, and slokas for ancient scientists and observers. Her writing will appeal to the intelligent seeker dedicated to achieving a good life using conscious self-care, attention to healthy habits and respect for the wisdom of the ancients.’ – Shashi Tharoor, member of parliament

‘Bhaswati combines her talents as a healer with passion for sharing truly healing medicine. She has written from the song in her heart that celebrates light, sound and connection with nature.’ – Pandits Rajan and Sajan Misra, Padma Bhushan recipients and classical Hindustani vocalists of the Banaras Gharana

‘Bhaswati is uniquely able to diagnose like good medical doctors of the past, watching the patient rather than the test result. With a person-centered approach, this book is a tribute to Ayurveda and explains why we should pay more attention to the signals our bodies give us.’ – Ashok H. Advani, founder publisher, The Business India Group

‘Bhaswati has preserved the Sanskrit from which dinacharya emanates. Through her unending curiosity and dedication as a well-trained physician, scientist and professor, she has brought basic concepts of Ayurveda to light. She has toiled and delved deeply with engaging clarity, a fine mind and an extraordinarily connected soul. She teaches Ayurveda authentically because it is in her heart.’ – Dr Vd. Chandrabhushan Jha, former dean, faculty of Ayurveda, Banaras Hindu University and professor emeritus of Rasa Shastra

‘Ancient Ayurvedic rishis developed dinacharya, a way of maintaining normal body rhythms and staying healthy. Assisted by logic and personal accounts, Dr Bhaswati brings dinacharya alive in this book and reinforces its importance and necessity, especially in busy lives.’ – Vd. Partap Chauhan, founder of Jiva Ayurveda

‘Dr Bhaswati unlocks the age-old tenets of Ayurveda contained in cryptic Sanskrit verses. Her strong roots in tradition and willingness to branch out to the modern world make this book precious, like any true vidya.’ – Dr. PR Krishnakumar, Padma Shree recipient and managing director, Arya Vaidya Pharmacy (Coimbatore)

‘As a fellow Fulbright Scholar, I have witnessed Dr Bhaswati devote her life to researching and preserving Ayurveda, and bringing it back to the hands and hearts of people.’ – Gautam Gandhi, former head of new business development, Google India

The Inspiring Journey of A Hero

O.P. Munjal started Hero Cycles in 1956, fuelled by meagre resources and an insatiable ambition. His vision was to create an inexpensive and effective mode of transportation for a post-Independence nation on the move. The rest, as they say, is history: Hero Cycles went on to become the world’s largest bicycle manufacturer.This book chronicles the life of O.P. Munjal through anecdotes from his professional and personal life. He proved that a people-focused management style could be superior to the process-driven systems of the West. The book is a result of extensive conversations with O.P. Munjal, Hero employees, dealers and family members. Join bestselling author Priya Kumar as she takes you on a roller-coaster ride.

Is Your Child Ready to Face the World?

Being a good parent is a skill that is acquired over time, one that requires constantly adapting to the rapidly changing times. In today’s world, where academics, extra-curricular activities and distractions in the shape of numerous gadgets make heavy demands on children’s time, it is tough to communicate with them.
Dr Anupam Sibal, through his experience as father, paediatrician and Group Medical Director of Apollo Hospitals Group, outlines his approach to effectively getting through to children and mastering the art of parenthood. Focusing on the different values and qualities that make a good person, Dr Sibal has a hands-on approach to instil each of these in a child. Exploring the crux of parenting, this book asks and answers whether your child is ready to face the world.

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