The landscape of business has changed dramatically over the years, more so in the past one year. Here is a curation of some quintessential reads that give important insights into the world of artificial intelligence, the economy of Instagram influencers, and low-risk investments with great returns, among several others.
~
The Learning Factory
The Learning Factory||Arun Maira
by Arun Maira
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. 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. 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.
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.
Crash||R. Gopalakrishnan
Crash
by R Gopalakrishnan
While many people talk about the path to the top of organizations, very few are honest about how difficult it is to stay at that position. R. Gopalakrishnan analyses the ‘software’ challenges, which leaders confront every day, and shares the insights he has gained developing, managing, investing in and supervising a variety of companies. The author shows that great leaders continue to excel not just because of their skills and intelligence but also by connecting with others using emotional competencies like empathy and self-awareness. Filled with anecdotes, analysis of various situations CEOs may find themselves in and unconventional advice to help them, Crash: Lessons from the Entry and Exit of CEOs is for veteran leaders as well as for those who aspire to start their own ventures.
Get Better at Getting Better||Chandramouli Venkatesan
Get Better at Getting Better
by Chandramouli Venkatesan
What makes people succeed? Why do some people succeed, while others struggle despite working hard?
This book is based on the insight that success is not about how good you are but how powerful a model you have toimprove how good you are. Chandramouli Venkatesan calls it the ‘Get-Better Model’, or GBM. Successful people are those who are able to build a powerful GBM to continuously improve themselves, and this life-changing book shows how you can unlock your potential at work and in life.
Tatalog||Harish Bhat
Tatalog : Eight Modern Stories from a Timeless Institution
by Harish Bhat
From steel to beverages, supercomputers to automobiles, TATA companies have broken new ground and set new standards of excellence over the past two decades. Tatalog presents eight riveting stories about the strategic and operational challenges that TATA companies have faced, and the progressive outlook and determination that have raised the brand to new heights. Among the engaging and inspiring stories told here are those of Tata Indica, the first completely Indian car that succeeded in the face of widespread cynicism; the jewellery brand Tanishq that has transformed one of India’s largest industries; and Tata Finance, which underwent several tribulations yet demonstrated the principles that TATA stands for.
It is 2030. India is among the world’s top three economies. All Indians use advanced technology to either do their job or get their job done. All Indians have access to quality jobs, better healthcare and skill-based education. Technology and human beings coexist in a mutually beneficial ecosystem.
This reality is possible. It is within reach. With Bridgital.
In this ground-breaking book, N. Chandrasekaran, chairman of Tata Sons, presents a powerful vision for the future. To the coming disruption of artificial intelligence, he proposes an ingenious solution, where India is perfectly positioned to pave a unique path from the rest of the world. Instead of accepting technology as an inevitable replacement for human labour, India can use it as an aid; instead of taking them away, AI can generate jobs.
Let’s Build a Company||Harpreet Grover, Vibhore Goyal
Let’s Build A Company
by Harpreet Grover and Vibhore Goyal
It started with a phone call from Harpreet’s mother introducing him to an uncle who wanted some help. Or maybe it started when Vibhore and Harpreet met as roommates in Room 143 at IIT Bombay. What remains true is that soon both had quit their jobs and launched CoCubes. From no money in their bank accounts for eight years after graduating to becoming dollar millionaires two years later in 2016, this is a tale of grit-of a company built in India by two Indian-middle-class-twenty-somethings-turned-entrepreneurs-written in the hope that you can avoid the mistakes they made and learn from what they did right.
This is that story-the story that you don’t always hear. But if you want to be an entrepreneur, and you prefer straight talk to sugar-coating, it’s one you should read.
Coffee Can Investing||Saurabh Mukherjea, Rakshit Ranjan, Pranab Uniyal
Coffee Can Investing
by Saurabh Mukherjea, Rakshit Ranjan, Pranab Uniyal
Most people invest in the usual assets: real estate, gold, mutual funds, fixed deposits and stock markets. All they end up making is a measly 8 to 12 per cent per annum. Those who are exceptionally unfortunate get stuck in the middle of a crash and end up losing a lot of money. But what if there was another way? What if you could grow your money four to five times whilst taking half the risk compared to the overall market?
Bestselling author of Gurus of Chaos and The Unusual Billionaires, Saurabh Mukherjea puts his money where his mouth is. In Coffee Can Investing, Saurabh will show you how to go about low-risk investments that generate great returns.
No Rules Rules||Reed Hastings, Erin Meyer
No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention
by Reed Hastings, Erin Meyer
Trust your team. Be radically honest. And never, ever try to please your boss.
These are some of the ground rules if you work at Netflix. They are part of a unique cultural experiment that explains how the company has transformed itself at lightning speed from a DVD mail order service into a streaming superpower – with 190 million fervent subscribers and a market capitalisation that rivals the likes of Disney.
Finally Reed Hastings, Netflix Chairman and CEO, is sharing the secrets that have revolutionised the entertainment and tech industries. With INSEAD business school professor Erin Meyer, he will explore his leadership philosophy – which begins by rejecting the accepted beliefs under which most companies operate – and how it plays out in practice at Netflix.
No Filter: How Instagram transformed business, celebrity and culture
No Filter||Sarah Frier
by Sarah Frier
In just ten years, Instagram has gone from being a simple photo app to a $100-billion company. The journey has involved ground-breaking innovations, a billion-dollar takeover, and clashes between some of the biggest names in tech. But it’s a story that has never been told – until now.
In No Filter, Bloomberg’s Sarah Frier reveals how Instagram became the hottest app in a generation, reshaping our culture in the process. But this is not just a Silicon Valley story. No Filter explores how Instagram created a new economy of ‘influencers’ and pioneering a business model that sells an aspirational lifestyle to all of us. It delves into Instagram’s effects on popular culture, rewiring our understanding of celebrity and placing mounting pressure on all of us to perform online – to the point of warping our perception of reality. No Filter connects one company’s rise to a global revolution in technology, culture and business. But we’re still learning about what it has cost the rest of us.
The Lean Startup||Eric Ries
The Lean Startup
by Eric Ries
Most new businesses fail. But most of those failures are preventable.
The Lean Startup is the approach to business that’s being adopted around the world. It is changing the way companies are built and new products are launched. The book explores what customers really want. It’s about testing your vision continuously, adapting and adjusting before it’s too late.
We are loving the onset of sweater weather and the slight nip in the air. With the days becoming shorter, spending time indoors is looking even more tempting. To keep you company on your cozy nights in, we are bringing you a fresh list of our November releases. Keep that warm blanket and hot cuppa ready and you’re all set for a heavenly reading session!
Cross Your Heart, Take My Name
Novoneel Chakraborty
Cross You Heart, Take My Name || Novoneel Chakraborty
Garv Roy Gill and Yahvi Kothari meet at an airport lounge by chance. Six months later they find themselves consumed by the proverbial once-in-a-lifetime kind of love. Bored with their mundane daily routine, their adventurous streak makes them decide, one day, to escape the present and begin a new reality somewhere far, far away.
Cross Your Heart, Take My Name is a beguiling tale about urban loneliness, fickle relationships and our need for companionship as depicted by the twisted journey of two individuals, caught up in their own emotional plight, blurring the lines between crime and sin.
Reporting India
Prem Prakash
Reporting India || Prem Prakash
Reporting India is a fascinating account of the life and times of Prem Prakash, a pioneer in the field of journalism. Providing a detailed account of his personal and professional life, it includes his reminiscences of the most impactful stories that he covered-including the 1962 Indo-China war, the 1965 and 1971 wars against Pakistan, the Emergency, the assassination of Indira Gandhi and the death of Lal Bahadur Shastri. An intriguing read, the book brings to life some of the defining moments in the history of this country.
Balance
Deanne Panday
Balance || Deanne Panday
We go about our lives in a rush-always busy, always tired. Often, we find our joy diminished and our health affected. Through her wheel-of-life programme, Deanne Panday focuses on the thirteen vital elements that each individual needs to be happy, healthy and successful-including physical wellness, career, home environment, joy, financial stability, understanding the effects of climate change, and more. The book doesn’t aim to provide a quick-fix to your issues, but promises to guide you to evaluating your life holistically.
Homecoming and Other Stories
Sri M
The Homecoming || Sri M
Padma Bhushan awardee and bestselling author Sri M sees the world in a different light. He sees the good, the bad and sometimes the supernatural. From horror stories to tales that will shock you out of your wits and pull at your heartstrings, there is something for everyone in this eclectic collection. In his quintessential no-holds barred style, Sri M’s The Homecoming and Other Stories urges you to delve deep into the human spirit and get a glimpse of why people do the things they do.
Jugalbandi
Vinay Sitapati
Jugalbandi || Vinay Sitapati
Narendra Modi has been a hundred years in the making. Vinay Sitapati’s Jugalbandi provides this backstory to his current dominance in Indian politics. It begins with the creation of Hindu nationalism as a response to British-induced elections in the 1920s, moves on to the formation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 1980, and ends with its first national government, from 1998 to 2004. And it follows this journey through the entangled lives of its founding jugalbandi: Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Lal Krishna Advani.
50 Toughest Questions of Life
Deepak Ramola
50 Toughest Questions of Life || Deepak Ramola
50 Toughest Questions of Life invites people to have a conversation about themselves with themselves. Deepak Ramola’s quest began after he was inspired by the life lesson of a young girl who said, ‘Life is not about giving easy answers, but answering tough questions.’ Over the years, Ramola has amassed life lessons from inspirational sources across the world: from the women of the Maasai tribe to young girls in Afghanistan and sex workers in Kamathipura; from the lessons of earthquake survivors in Nepal to Syrian refugees in Europe, among many more. Strikingly fresh, tender, yet searing, these questions will make you reflect and inspire you to push beyond your boundaries.
Hamid
Hamid Ansari, Geeta Mohan
Hamid || Hamid Ansari, Geeta Mohan
In November 2012, Hamid, a 27-year-old Mumbai-based techie, disappeared into thin air. What happened? Where did he go? All his parents knew was that he had gone to Kabul, Afghanistan, to explore a job opportunity. Upon some investigation, they found out that their son had been chatting online with some Pakistani friends, in particular a girl, across the border.
Authored by Hamid Ansari and Geeta Mohan, this is the definitive insider account of the man who saw no boundaries when it came to saving a girl from forced marriage under the wani custom. Nothing scared or stopped him; until he was betrayed by his friends in Pakistan.Gritty, heart-wrenching and moving, this is a story of humanity, love, betrayal and hope against all odds.
The Economics of Small Things
Sudipta Sarangi
The Economics of Small Things || Sudipta Sarangi
In The Economics of Small Things, Sarangi using a range of everyday objects and common experiences like bringing about lasting societal change through Facebook to historically momentous episodes like the shutting down of telegram services in India offers crisp, easy-to-understand lessons in economics. Through disarmingly simple prose, the book demystifies economic theories, offers delightful insights, and provides nuance without jargon.
A Promised Land
Barack Obama
A Promised Land || Barack Obama
In the stirring, highly anticipated first volume of his presidential memoirs, Barack Obama tells the story of his improbable odyssey from young man searching for his identity to leader of the free world, describing in strikingly personal detail both his political education and the landmark moments of the first term of his historic presidency-a time of dramatic transformation and turmoil. Extraordinarily intimate and introspective, A Promised Land is the story of one man’s bet with history, the faith of a community organizer tested on the world stage.
Women, Dreaming
Salma
Women Dreaming || Salma, Meena Kandasamy
Mehar dreams of freedom and a life with her children. Asiya dreams of her daughter’s happiness. Sajida dreams of becoming a doctor. Subaida dreams of the day when her family will become free of woes. Parveen dreams of a little independence, a little space for herself in the world. In a tiny Muslim village in Tamil Nadu, the lives of these women are sustained by the faith they have in themselves, in each other, and the everyday compromises they make. Salma’s crystalline storytelling enters this interior world of women, held together by love, demarcated by religion, comforted by the courage in dreaming of better futures.
Let’s Build a Company
Harpreet Grover, Vibhore Goyal
Let’s Build A Company || Harpreet Grover, Vibhore Goyal
Harpreet Grover and Vibhore Goyal met in college and then spent the next decade of their lives building a company before exiting successfully. One way to tell their story is this: they had a dream, they followed it and, then, through perseverance, they made it come true. But that’s not really the truth. Like everything in life-at least everything worth having-it wasn’t that simple. There was blood, sweat and tears, there was loss of capital, loss of friendship and even a loss of faith along the way. In this book, the duo reveals the story behind the scenes, the story that you don’t always hear. But if you want to be an entrepreneur, and you prefer straight talk to sugar-coating, it’s one you should read.
Humour, Seriously
Jennifer Aaker, Naomi Bagdonas
Humour, Seriously || Jennifer Aaker, Naomi Bagdonas
Drawing on behavioural science, advice from world-class comedians and stories from top leaders, Humour, Seriously will show you how to harness the power of humour every day. Based on the popular Stanford Business course, this book will show you how to mine your life for material, explore the Four Deadly Humour Myths and help you figure out which style of humour you fall into – The Magnet, The Sweetheart, The Sniper or the Stand Up.
The Girl and the Goddess
Nikita Gill
The Girl and the Goddess || Nikita Gill
Meet Paro. A girl with a strong will, a full heart and much to learn. Born into a family reeling from the ruptures of Partition, follow her as she crosses the precarious lines between childhood, teenage discovery and realising her adult self. Navigating different cultures, religions and identities, The Girl and the Goddess is a mesmerising poetic tale of where we come from, how we grow and how we become who we are.
Invent and Wander
Jeff Bezos
Invent and Wander || Jeff Bezos
In this collection of Jeff Bezos’s writings—his unique and strikingly original annual shareholder letters, plus numerous speeches and interviews that provide insight into his background, his work, and the evolution of his ideas—you’ll gain an insider’s view of the why and how of his success. Spanning a range of topics across business and public policy, this book provides a rare glimpse into how Bezos thinks about the world and where the future might take us.
Numbers Don’t Lie
Vaclav Smil
Numbers Don’t Lie || Vaclav Smil
From earth’s nations and inhabitants, through the fuels and foods that energize them, to the transportation and inventions of our modern world – and how all of this affects the planet itself – in Numbers Don’t Lie, Professor Vaclav Smil takes us on a fact-finding adventure, using surprising statistics and illuminating graphs to challenge lazy thinking. Urgent and essential, the book inspires readers to interrogate what they take to be true in these significant times.
Cook, Eat, Repeat
Nigella Lawson
Cook, Eat, Repeat || Nigella Lawson
Cook, Eat, Repeat is a delicious and delightful combination of recipes intertwined with narrative essays about food, all written in Nigella’s engaging and insightful prose. Whether asking ‘What is a Recipe?’ or declaring death to the Guilty Pleasure, Nigella’s wisdom about food and life comes to the fore, with tasty new recipes that readers will want to return to again and again.
Love Your Life
Sophia Kinsella
Love Your Life || Sophie Kinsella
Ava is sick of online dating and she wants a break from it all. So when she signs up to a semi-silent, anonymous writing retreat in glorious Italy, love is the last thing on her mind. Until she meets a handsome stranger and they pledge their love without even knowing each other’s real names. But when they return home, reality hits. They’re both driven mad by each other’s weird quirks and annoying habits. Can they overcome their differences to find one life, together?
The Lost Spells
Robert Macfarlane, Jackie Morris
The Lost Spells || Robert Macfarlane, Jackie Morris
Written to be read aloud, painted in brushstrokes that call to the forest, field, riverbank and also to the heart, The Lost Spells summons back what is often lost from sight and care, teaching the names of everyday species, and inspiring its readers to attention, love and care.
Surrounded by Psychopaths
Thomas Erikson
Surrounded by Psychopaths || Thomas Erikson
In the book, Thomas Erikson shows you how your weaknesses and personality traits can be exploited by other people and how you can stop them in their tracks. Witty, engaging and informative, this book will give you everything you need to handle life’s most skilled manipulators and identify the psychopaths in your life… before it’s too late!
The Archer
Paulo Coelho
The Archer || Paulo Coehlo
In The Archer we meet Tetsuya, a man once famous for his prodigious gift with a bow and arrow but who has since retired from public life, and the boy who comes searching for him. The boy has many questions, and in answering them Tetsuya illustrates the way of the bow and the tenets of a meaningful life. Paulo Coelho’s story suggests that living without a connection between action and soul cannot fulfill, that a life constricted by a fear of rejection or failure is not a life worth living. Instead, one must take risks, build courage and embrace the unexpected journey fate has to offer.
Troy
Stephen Fry
Troy || Stephen Fry
The story of Troy speaks to all of us. It is the kidnapping of Helen. It is Zeus, the king of the gods, who triggers war when he asks the Trojan prince Paris to judge the fairest goddess of them all. It is a terrible, brutal war with casualties on all sides. In Troy you will find heroism and hatred, revenge and regret, desire and despair. It is these human passions, written bloodily in the sands of a distant shore, that still speak to us today.
Time’s Monster
Priya Satia
Time’s Monster || Priya Satia
For generations, the history of the British empire was written by its victors. In this brilliant work, Priya Satia shows how the historians not only interpreted the major political events of their time but also shaped the future that followed. Time’s Monster reveals the dramatic consequences of writing history today as much as in the past.
Be Water, My Friend
Shannon Lee
Be Water, My Friend || Shannon Lee
Bruce Lee is a cultural icon, world renowned for his martial arts and film legacy. But Lee was also a deeply philosophical thinker, believing that martial arts are more than just an exercise in physical discipline – they are a perfect metaphor for personal growth. In Be Water, My Friend, his daughter, Shannon Lee shares previously untold stories from her father’s life along with the concepts at the core of his teachings.
The Sentinel
Lee Child
The Sentinel || Lee Child
Jack Reacher gets off the bus in a sleepy no-name town outside Nashville, Tennessee. He plans to grab a cup of coffee and move right along. But his plan is thrown off track when he finds out that the town has been shut down by a cyber attack. At the centre of it all is Rusty Rutherford, an average IT guy but he knows more than he thinks. As the bad guys move in on Rusty, Reacher moves in on them.
For many of us, opening TheTimes of India meant being drawn first and foremost to R.K. Laxman’s ‘You Said It’ cartoon strip in a tiny corner. In 2015, ISRO marked the success of the Mars mission by sharing the beloved cartoonist’s work ‘Common Man reaching Mars’. This was one of his last works, and he had sent them to the space agency. For a man who created ‘The Common Man’, Laxman was extraordinary, with an uncommon and unparalleled understanding of Indian life. On his birthday, catch up with some of his most wonderful works:
Brushing Up The Years: A Cartoonist’s History Of India, 1947 To The Present
This includes a collection of cartoons from one of India’s most beloved artists, R K Laxman, as he chronicles the journey of India in his illustrations with the help of his famous creation – the common man. India’s journey since its independence and several significant political, economic, and social events have been aptly captured through the imaginative eyes of Laxman.
Collected Writings
R.K. Laxman is one of India’s most gifted storytellers. The same acerbic wit and quizzical insights that characterize his cartoons are in ample evidence in his writings as well. This ominous volume contains his two novels, The Hotel Riviera and The Messenger, and The Tunnel of Time, his autobiography.
The Common Man Meets The Mantri
From financial crises to the woes of householders, from political instability to rampant corruption, Laxman’s cartoons capture the entire gamut of contemporary Indian experience.
The Common Man Balances His Budget
Hilarious and thought-provoking at the same time, this is a treasure house of humour from one of the most striking voices commenting on Indian socio-political life.
The Common Man Stands In Queue
According to Time magazine, the common man is ‘a witness to everything: scheming politicians, rapacious bureaucrats and gossiping housewives. What’s common about this character is that like most Indians, he sees his country being forced through endless indignities by its leaders and yet doesn’t even whimper in protest.’
The Common Man at Home
The fourth volume in the series The Best of Laxman, ‘The Common Man at Home’ is a funny and incisive glimpse into quintessential Indian life.
The Common Man Goes To The Village
A collection of gems from India’s best-loved cartoonist as he explores Indian life with sharpness and humour.
The Common Man Watches Cricket
From financial crises to the woes of householders, from political instability to rampant corruption, Laxman’s cartoons capture the entire gamut of contemporary Indian experience.
The Common Man Takes a Stroll
The seventh volume in the series The Best of Laxman is another solid dose of Laxman’s sharp humour which drills into the Indian social temperament.
The Common Man Tackles Corruption
Another wonderfully insightful work by Laxman, exploring the idiosyncrasies of ordinary life in this country.
The Common Man Seeks Justice
Laxman’s frazzled character, known as the Common Man, confronts India’s daily navigations with a kind of wry resignation.
The Common Man At Large
R.K. Laxman’s humour never fails, and his most beloved creation, the Common Man once again serves as a microscope through which Laxman studies and maps Indian society.
Common Man Casts His Vote
Laxman’s Common Man takes on the political scenario, packed with wit, a humorous scrutiny, and a funny exposition on life in general.
The Distorted Mirror
The Distorted Mirror brings together some of Laxman’s best short stories, essays and travelogues. The collection begins with ‘An Accident’, a most unusual mystery story where the murder weapon is a newspaper.
A Dose of Laughter
Laughter, they say, is the best medicine. A Dose of Laughter is an exhilarating collection of cartoons and jokes about doctors and their practices that will bring a smile to the lips of those who wield the stethoscope as well as those who yield to it.
Servants of India
In Servants of India, R.K. Laxman profiles ten hilariously idiosyncratic people, who are among the countless men and women who run the lives of the middle class in India. The tales are put together by Ganesh, a freelance journalist trying to write a feature article on servants he has known. As his chronicle progresses, what emerges is a richly embellished narrative starring unforgettable characters.
A Vote for Laughter
A Vote for Laughter contains a hundred of R.K. Laxman’s classic Common Man cartoons that have to do with a range of political subjects, from party meetings, election campaigns and VVIP movements to cabinet reshuffles, horse trading and foreign tours, not to forget the activity that for Laxman defines the Indian politician: the impulse to rush to the well of the House.
***
R.K. Laxman is a national treasure, and has provided a soothing antidote to the expected daily devastation carried by ‘front-page news’.
This month, we have been revisiting tales as old as time from the immersive world of Indian mythology and our favourite epics!
Scroll down to have a look at our reading list and join us on this journey!
The Aryavarta Chronicles
Govinda: The Aryavarta Chronicles Book 1
Govinda || Krishna Udayasankar
For generations, the Firstborn dynasty of scholar-sages, descendants of Vasishta Varuni and protectors of the Divine Order on earth, has dominated here. For just as long, the Angirasa family of Firewrights, weapon-makers to the kings and master inventors, has defied them. In the aftermath of the centuries-long conflict between the two orders, the once-united empire of Aryavarta lies splintered, a shadow of its former glorious self.
Kaurava: The Aryavarta Chronicles Book 2
Kaurava || Krishna Udayasankar
Emperor Dharma Yudhisthir of the Kauravas and Empress Panchali Draupadi rule over a unified Aryavarta, an empire built for them by Govinda Shauri with the blessings of the Firstborn and by the might of those whom everyone believes long gone – the Firewrights.
Now the Firewrights rise from the ashes of the past, divided as before in purpose and allegiance, and no one,
His every dream shattered, Govinda is left a broken man. The only way he can protect Aryavarta and the woman in whose trusted hands he had left it is by playing a dangerous game. But can he bring himself to reveal the terrible secrets that the Vyasa has guarded all his life – secrets that may well destroy the Firstborn, and the Firewrights with them?
Kurukshetra: The Aryavarta Chronicles Book 3
Kurukshetra || Krishna Udayasankar
The empire that was Aryavarta fades under the shadow of doom. As the bitter struggle to gain control of the divided kingdom ensues, both Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa of the Firstborn and the Secret Keeper of the Firewrights can only watch as their own blood, their kin, savage and kill on the fields of Kurukshetra. Restraint and reason have deserted the rulers who once protected the land and they manipulate, scheme and kill with abandon – for victory is all that matters.
Reforging the forsaken realm in the fire of his apocalyptic wrath, Govinda prepares to destroy everything he loves and make the ultimate sacrifice for the sake of one last hope: that humanity will rise.
**
Vanara: The Legend of Baali, Sugreeva and Tara
Vanara || Anand Neelakantan
Baali and Sugreeva of the Vana Nara tribe were orphan brothers who were born in abject poverty and grew up as slaves like most of their fellow tribesmen. They were often mocked as the vanaras, the monkey men. Sandwiched between the never-ending war between the Deva tribes in the north and the Asura tribes in the south, the Vana Naras seemed to have lost all hope. But Baali was determined not to die a slave. Aided by his beloved brother, Sugreeva, Baali built a country for his people.
The love triangle between Baali, Tara and Sugreeva is arguably the world’s first.
Vanara is a classic tale of love, lust and betrayal. Shakespearean in its tragic depth and epic in its sweep, Vanara gives voice to the greatest warrior in the Ramayana-Baali.
**
The Mahabharata (Box Set)
The Mahabharata (Box Set) || Bibek Debroy
The greatest Indian story ever told of a war between two factions of a family, The Mahabharata has continued to sway the imagination of its readers over the past centuries.
While the dispute over land and kingdom between the warring cousins-the Pandavas and the Kauravas-forms the chief narrative, the primary concern of The Mahabharata is about the conflict of dharma. These conflicts are immense and various, singular and commonplace.
The complete and unabridged Sanskrit classic, now masterfully and accessibly rendered for contemporary readers by Bibek Debroy.
**
Ramayana, Mahabharata, Bhagvata: Illustrated Retellings of the Greatest Indian Epics Box Set
Jaya: An Illustrated Retelling of the Mahabharata
Jaya || Devdutt Pattanaik
High above the sky stands Swarga, paradise, abode of the gods. Still above is Vaikuntha, heaven, abode of God.
The doorkeepers of Vaikuntha are the twins, Jaya and Vijaya, both whose names mean ‘victory’. One keeps you in Swarga; the other raises you into Vaikuntha. In Vaikuntha there is bliss forever, in Swarga there is pleasure for only as long as you deserve.
What is the difference between Jaya and Vijaya? Solve this puzzle and you will solve the mystery of the Mahabharata.
Sita: An Illustrated Retelling of the Ramayana
Sita || Devdutt Pattanaik
It is significant that the only character in Hindu mythology, a king at that, to be given the title of ekam-patni-vrata, devoted to a single wife, is associated with the most unjust act of abandoning her in the forest to protect family reputation.
This book approaches Ram by speculating on Sita—her childhood with her father, Janak, who hosted sages mentioned in the Upanishads; her stay in the forest with her husband who had to be a celibate ascetic while she was in the prime of her youth; her interactions with the women of Lanka, recipes she exchanged, emotions they shared; her connection with the earth, her mother; her role as the Goddess, the untamed Kali as well as the demure Gauri, in transforming the stoic prince of Ayodhya into God.
Shyam: An Illustrated Retelling of the Bhagavata
Shyam || Devdutt Pattanaik
The Bhagavata is the story of Krishna, known as Shyam to those who find beauty, wisdom and love in his dark complexion. It is the third great Hindu epic after the Mahabharata and the Ramayana.
This book seamlessly weaves the story from Krishna’s birth to his death, or rather from his descent to the butter-smeared world of happy women to his ascent from the blood-soaked world of angry men.
**
Myth = Mithya
Myth = Mithya || Devdutt Pattanaik
In this groundbreaking book Dr Devdutt Pattanaik; one of India’s most popular mythologists; seeks an answer to these apparent paradoxes and unravels an inherited truth about life and death; nature and culture; perfection and possibility. He retells sacred Hindu stories and decodes Hindu symbols and rituals; using a unique style of commentary; illustrations and diagrams. We discover why the villainous Kauravas went to heaven and the virtuous Pandavas (all except Yudhishtira) were sent to hell; why Rama despite abandoning the innocent Sita remains the model king; why the blood-drinking Kali is another form of the milk-giving Gauri; and why Shiva wrenched off the fifth head of Brahma.
If there is truly an uncontested, unparalleled hero, transcending generations and opinions in these divisive times, it is indeed Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam-Missile man, former President of India, scientist, teacher, author-poet, and above all a human of uncompromising integrity and humility.
To celebrate his birth anniversary on the 15th of October we bring to you some of his greatest works, filled with his guidance, wisdom and vision that continue to inspire children and adults alike to grow, think and evolve to fulfill his dream of a better India.
India 2020: A Vision for the New Millennium
Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, Dr. Y.S. Rajan
India 2020 || A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, Y.S. Rajan
The original, iconic visionary blueprint that set the imagination of the nation afire was published in Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and Y.S. Rajan offer a blueprint for India to be counted among the world’s top five economic powers by the year 2020, sketching a strong sense of purpose that can yet be ignited to make us a prosperous, strong nation in a matter of years.
Beyond 2020: A Vision for Tomorrow’s India
Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, Dr. Y.S. Rajan
Beyond 2020 || A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, Y.S. Rajan
A successor to India 2020, Beyond 2020 takes stock of how much we have achieved and what lies ahead. Amidst a year marked by global crisis, this book is more relevant than ever, offering a renewed policy focus on agriculture, manufacturing, education, health care and infrastructure— vital areas that we need to build on as we look beyond 2020. A blueprint for our future development, Beyond 2020 is a book every Indian must-read.
Target 3 Billion
Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, Srijan Pal Singh
Target 3 Billion || A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, Srijan Pal Singh
Another extraordinarily relevant and impactful book for India. With 750 million people residing in villages, India is home to the largest rural population in the world. Dr Kalam recommends a sustainable and inclusive development system called PURA—Providing Urban Amenities in Rural Areas—to uplift rural areas through entrepreneurship with community participation, and shows us how individuals armed with only entrepreneurial spirit and a burning desire to make a difference, have successfully generated and tapped into the potential of the rural population!
The Scientific Indian
Dr A.P.J Abdul Kalam, Dr. Y.S. Rajan
The Scientific Indian || A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, Y.S. Rajan
Nuclear capability; self-sufficiency in food production; an array of indigenous satellites and missiles; an unmanned Moon mission—India’s achievements in the scientific domain in recent years have been spectacular. The country’s best-known scientist Dr. Kalam and his close associate Y.S. Rajan; celebrate these, while sketching out a lucid, scientific explanation of the innovations that will propel us to success on the world stage!
Ignited Minds
Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
Ignited Minds || A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
In this wonderful, inspirational book Dr Kalam spoke straight to the hearts of the youth—offering an extraordinary, irresistible premise: that people do have the power, through s hard work, to realize their dream of a truly good life. This vision document of aspiration and hope continues to motivate us to unleash the dormant energy within India and guide the country to greatness.
The Life Tree: Poems
Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
The Life Tree || A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
In this moving collection of poems, Dr. Kalam takes us into his world, full of simplicity and beauty, understanding and compassion. Each word thrills with his love for the country, transcending caste, religion and language, his love for nature and gentle observation of human relationships. The Life Tree is an intimate introduction to Kalam the man, his life and his inspirational thoughts.
My India: Notes for the Future
Dr A.P.J Abdul Kalam
My India || A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
A project very close to his heart, in Dr Kalam’s last book for children he sketches a road map for every child to pursue their dreams. He draws on the lives of stalwarts such as Marie Curie, Dr Vikram Sarabhai to encourage and inspire his young readers to think and evolve through valuable lessons in humility, resilience, and determination.
Reignited
Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, Srijan Pal Singh
Reignited || A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, Sirjan Pal Singh
Will robots take over the world? When will we meet aliens? How are memories stored inside the brain?
Dr A.P.J. Kalam is really in his element here, as a teacher and scientist inspiring young minds to take up the careers that will shape our future! Co-written with Srijan Pal Singh, this book features exciting and cutting-edge career paths in areas such as robotics, aeronautics, neurosciences, pathology, paleontology and material sciences, and offers a plethora of ground-breaking ideas that will make youngsters think out of the box.
Mission India: A Vision For Indian Youth
Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, Dr. Y.S. Rajan
Mission India || A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
Mission India challenges the Indian youth to bring about multifaceted positive changes in the country, amidst a time where the youth truly are both the present and the future with 540 million youth and 20 million Indians across the globe. With insights into industry, infrastructure and education, Dr Kalam and Y.S. Rajan fire the spirit of every individual and organization to work upon the goal of transforming the nation.
What Can I Give? Learnings from My Teacher, Dr Kalam
Srijan Pal Singh
What Can I Give? || Srijan Pal Singh
Dr Kalam is often remembered as a teacher par excellence, whose words, thoughts and very life were lessons in many ways. In this heart-warming memoir by his lifelong student, Srijan Pal Singh recollects his mentor’s values, oaths and the lessons Dr Kalam taught beyond the classroom. What Can I Give? inspires and enlightens through the words and actions of the greatest Indian of contemporary times.
It’s that time of the month again when we bring you a fresh list of books to take care of all your reading blues. Whether you’re a fiction fan or a non-fiction nerd, whether you have the hidden skills of a chef or a special inclination towards fitness, there’s something for everyone in our October list.
Make sure you have a pen and paper at the ready before you begin scrolling down!
**
The Cowherd Prince
Krishna Udyashankar
The Cowherd Prince || Krishna Udayasankar
Govinda, son of Nanda-one of the many cowherds in the verdant kingdom of Surasena, in Aryavarta-was content with his tough but wonderful life. That was until the king’s men came looking for him and his brother, Balabadra, spewing death and destruction in their wake. Forced to leave behind those they love in order to save them, the brothers are now on the run—all the while being hunted by the tyrant king, Kans, and his bloodthirsty adviser, Chanuran, who will stop at nothing to kill them. Even as their journey reveals Govinda’s true identity as a prince and the rightful heir to the Surasena crown, it pulls them deeper into the murky secrets surrounding the throne-and its bloody legacy.
What will it take for an ordinary cowherd boy to grow into a master strategist who will always have a plan?
Get Moving!
Shwetambari Shetty
Get Moving! || Shwetambari Shetty
Shwetambari Shetty’s Dance Fitness workouts and training programmes are a phenomenon that’s taken the country by storm. Her philosophy is simple: you have to get moving. She shows you how to incorporate beneficial movements and exercises into your day-to-day activities, without devoting extra time to them. Get Moving! will help you design your own training programme according to your goal-whether it’s weight loss, muscle gain or just better fitness-and show you how to enjoy the exercises you do. This book will help you get results and become the best version of yourself.
Insomnia
Rachna Bisht Rawat
A retired General is haunted by voices of dead men.
Insomnia || Rachna Bisht Rawat
Soldiers from two enemy nations manning posts in freezing Siachen form a strange connection.
A young Lieutenant dying in the jungles of Arunachal is watched over by three men, one of whom would have his destiny changed forever.
What surprise is a train bound for Agra bringing to the all-male bastion of 13 Para?
Who are the invisible people a little girl awaiting brain surgery in the Lansdowne Military Hospital talks to?
Insomnia will take you into the olive-green world of army cantonments, through stories that will delight and disturb in equal measure.
Singing in the Dark
Edited by K. Satchidanandan and Nishi Chawla
Singing in the Dark || K Satchidanandan, Nishi Chawla
Singing in the Dark brings together the finest of poetic responses to the coronavirus pandemic. More than a hundred of the world’s most esteemed poets reflect upon a crisis that has dramatically altered our lives, and laid bare our vulnerabilities. The poems capture all its dimensions: the trauma of solitude, the unexpected transformation in the expression of interpersonal relationships, the even sharper visibility of the class divide, the marvellous revival of nature and the profound realization of the transience of human existence.
Celebrating Life
Rishi Nitya Pragya
Celebrating Life || Rishi Nityapragya
The universe has bestowed limitless powers and infinite siddhis on the human consciousness. But in our attempt to be effective and successful in the personal and professional spheres, we often forget that the purpose of human life is also to ensure the complete blossoming of the individual consciousness. In Celebrating Life, Rishi Nityapragya shares the secrets that can help you explore your infinite potential. He offers an in-depth understanding of how to identify and be free from negative emotions and harmful tendencies, and how to learn to invoke life’s beautiful flavours—like enthusiasm, love, compassion and truth—whenever and wherever you want.
The Learning Factory
Arun Maira
The Learning Factory || Arun Maira
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.
Preparing for Death
Arun Shourie
Preparing for Death || Arun Shourie
The one certainty in life, the one appointment which each of us will just have to face, is the one for which we do the least to prepare-death. From the lives and last days of the Buddha, Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Ramana Maharshi, Gandhiji, Vinoba; from our religious texts; from the teachings of great meditation masters; from santhara to sannyas to practices by which we may tame our mind-leavening all these by his personal experiences-Arun Shourie presents clues to ensure that we face our end with equanimity.
How to Read Amartya Sen
Lawrence Hamilton
How to Read Amartya Sen || Lawrence Hamilton
Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen is one of the world’s best-known voices for the poor and the downtrodden, and an inspiration for the proponents of justice across the globe. Lawrence Hamilton provides an excellent, accessible guide to the full range of Sen’s writings, contextualizing his ideas and summarizing the associated debates. In elegant prose, Hamilton reconstructs Sen’s critiques of the major philosophies of his time, assesses his now famous concern for capabilities as an alternative for thinking about poverty, inequality, gender discrimination, development, democracy and justice, and unearths some overlooked gems.
Night of the Restless Spirits
Sarbpreet Singh
Night of the Restless Spirits || Sabrpreet Singh
A young Indian in the USA embraces a cause rooted in his motherland, but one that he doesn’t fully understand. A student’s world is turned upside down when his friend and her family are caught in the crosshairs of volatility and violence. A train burns as it enters Delhi, and the sole Sikh survivor shares with the nation the harrowing tale of his survival.
These and many other stories form this heart-rending collection that evokes the horrors and uncertainties of 1984, through the tales of ordinary people caught in something bigger than themselves. Set during a time of monumental upheaval, Night of the Restless Spirits blurs the lines between the personal and political, and takes the reader on a journey fraught with love and tinged with tragedy, frayed relationships, the breaking down of humanity and resilience in the face of absolute despair.
Off the Beaten Track
Saeeda Bano
Off the Beaten Track || Saeeda Bano
Saeeda Bano was the first woman in India to work as a radio newsreader, known then and still as the doyenne of Urdu broadcasting. Over her unconventional and courageous life, she walked out of a suffocating marriage, witnessed the violence of Partition, lost her son for a night in a refugee camp, ate toast with Nehru and fell in love with a married man who would, in the course of their twenty-five-year relationship, become the Mayor of Delhi. Though she was born into privilege in Bhopal-the only Indian state to be ruled by women for four successive generations-her determination, independence and frankness make this a remarkable memoir and a crucial disruption in India’s understanding of her own past.
Stephen Hawking
Leonard Mlodinow
Stephen Hawking || Leonard Mlodinow
An icon of the last fifty years, Stephen Hawking seems to encapsulate genius: not since Albert Einstein has a scientific figure held such a position in popular consciousness. In this enthralling memoir, writer and physicist Leonard Mlodinow tells the story of his friend and their collaboration, offering an intimate account of this giant of science. By weaving together their shared story with a clear-sighted portrayal of Hawking’s scientific achievements, Mlodinow creates a beautiful portrait of Stephen Hawking as a brilliant, impish and generous man whose life was not only exceptional but also genuinely inspiring.
More than a Woman
Caitlin Moran
More than a Woman || Caitlin Moran
A decade ago, Caitlin Moran thought she had it all figured out. Her instant bestseller How to Be a Woman was a game-changing take on feminism, the patriarchy, and the general ‘hoo-ha’ of becoming a woman. Back then, she firmly believed ‘the difficult bit’ was over, and her forties were going to be a doddle. Now with ageing parents, teenage daughters, a bigger bum and a To-Do list without end, Caitlin Moran is back with More Than A Woman: a guide to growing older, a manifesto for change, and a celebration of all those middle-aged women who keep the world turning.
The Memory Police
Yoko Ogawa, Stephen Snyder (translator)
The Memory Police || Yoko Ogawa, Stephen Snyder(tr.)
To the people on the island, a disappeared thing no longer has any meaning. It can be burned in the garden, thrown in the river or handed over to the Memory Police. Soon enough, the island forgets it ever existed.
When a young novelist discovers that her editor is in danger of being taken away by the Memory Police, she desperately wants to save him. For some reason, he doesn’t forget, and it’s becoming increasingly difficult for him to hide his memories. Who knows what will vanish next?
Flavour
Yotam Ottolenghi, Ixta Belfrage
Flavour || Ottlenghi
In this stunning new cookbook Yotam and co-writer Ixta Belfrage break down the three factors that create flavour and offer innovative vegetable dishes that deliver brand-new ingredient combinations to excite and inspire.
Ottolenghi’s Flavour combines simple recipes for weeknights, low-effort high-impact dishes, and standout meals for the relaxed cook. Packed with signature colourful photography, the book not only inspires us with what to cook, but how flavour is dialled up and why it works.
The Boy from the Woods
Harlan Coben
The Boy from the Woods || Harlan Coben
Thirty years ago, a child was found in the New Jersey backwoods. He had been living a feral existence, with no memory of how he got there or even who he is. Everyone just calls him Wilde. Now a former soldier and security expert, he lives shunned by the community – until they need him.
A child has gone missing. With her family suspecting she’s just playing a disappearing game, nobody seems concerned except for criminal attorney Hester Crimstein. She contacts Wilde, asking him to use his unique skills to find the girl. But even he can find no trace of her. Days pass and on the fourth day, a human finger shows up in the mail.
And now Wilde knows this is no game. It’s a race against time to save the girl’s life – and expose the town’s dark trove of secrets.
The Kingdom
Jo Nesbo
The Kingdom || Jo Nesbo
When Roy and Carl’s parents die suddenly, sixteen-year-old Roy is left as protector to his impulsive younger brother. But when Carl decides to travel the world in search of his fortune, Roy stays behind in their sleepy village, satisfied with his peaceful life as a mechanic. Some years later, Carl returns with his charismatic new wife, Shannon – an architect. They are full of exciting plans to build a spa hotel on their family land. But it’s only a matter of time before what begins as a jubilant homecoming sparks off a series of events that threaten to derail everything Roy holds dear, as long-buried family secrets begin to rise to the surface.
The Kingdom is a simmering and complex thriller full of unexpected twists, devastating family legacies and an ever growing body count.
The Thursday Murder Club
Richard Osman
In a peaceful retirement village, four unlikely friends meet up once a week to investigate unsolved murders. But when a brutal killing takes place on their very doorstep, the Thursday Murder Club find themselves in the middle of their first live case.
The Thursday Murder Club || Richard Osman
Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron might be pushing eighty but they still have a few tricks up their sleeves.
Can our unorthodox but brilliant gang catch the killer before it’s too late?
Another Now
Yanis Varoufakis
Another Now || Yanis Varoufakis
Imagine a world with no banks. No stock market. No tech giants. No billionaires. In Another Now world-famous economist Yanis Varoufakis shows us what such a world would look like. Far from being a fantasy, he describes how it could have come about – and might yet. This boundary-breaking book confounds expectations of what a good society would look like and reveals the uncomfortable truth about our desire for a better world.
Ten Lessons for a Post-Pandemic World
Fareed Zakaria
Ten Lessons for a Post-Pandemic World || Fareed Zakaria
In this urgent and timely book, Fareed Zakaria foresees the nature of a post-pandemic world: the political, social, technological and economic consequences that may take years to unfold. In ten surprising, hopeful ‘lessons’, he writes about the acceleration of natural and biological risks, the obsolescence of the old political categories of right and left, the rise of ‘digital life’, the future of globalization and an emerging world order split between the United States and China. He invites us to think about how we are truly social animals with community embedded in our nature, and, above all, the degree to which nothing is written – the future is truly in our own hands.
The Tyranny of Merit
Michael J. Sandel
The Tyranny of Merit || Michael J. Sandel
These are dangerous times for democracy. We live in an age of winners and losers, where the odds are stacked in favour of the already fortunate. Stalled social mobility and entrenched inequality give the lie to the promise that “you can make it if you try”. In The Tyranny of Merit, Michael J. Sandel argues that to overcome the polarized politics of our time, we must rethink the attitudes toward success and failure that have accompanied globalisation and rising inequality. He offers an alternative way of thinking about success – more attentive to the role of luck in human affairs, more conducive to an ethic of humility, and more hospitable to a politics of the common good.
The Serendipity Mindset
Dr Christian Busch
The Serendipity Mindset || Dr Christian Busch
Modern life is full of chance encounters, changing plans, delayed journeys, human errors and other mishaps. So, what if we use such unpredictability to our advantage? The Serendipity Mindset is a revolutionary, well-researched exploration of a well-researched and essential life skill that we can all develop in a few simple steps. By learning to identify, act on and share serendipity, we can use uncertainty as a pathway to more joyful, purposeful and successful lives.
This Gandhi Jayanti, we bring you a list of books that highlight the nuances of the man who became larger than life in our national and political consciousness. ‘Every man’s life is a fable’, says Raja Rao. These books help us understand the fable of Gandhi a little better.
**
Gandhi: The Years That Changed the World, 1914-1948
Ramchandra Guha
Gandhi || Ramachandra Guha
As one of the most prolific historians of modern India, Ramchandra Guha traces the life of Mahatma Gandhi in the three decades preceding his assassination. Examining archival material, Guha explores the details of Gandhi’s anti-colonial struggle, his take on untouchability, and his desire to strengthen India’s moral compass. This book is a record of not only Gandhi himself but also the people in his life.
An Autobiography or The Story of My Experiments with Truth
M.K. Gandhi
An Autobiography || M.K. Gandhi
Gandhi’s Autobiography is one of the most widely read and translated Indian books of all time, is a classic that allows us to glimpse the transformation of a well-meaning lawyer into a Satyagrahi and an ashramite. In this first-ever Critical Edition, eminent scholar Tridip Suhrud shines new light on Gandhi’s life and thought. The deeply researched notes elucidate the contexts and characters of the Autobiography, while the alternative translations capture the flavour, cadence and quirkiness of the Gujarati.
The Man Before the Mahatma
Charles DiSalvo
The Man Before the Mahatma || Charles DiSalvo
As the first biography of Gandhi as a lawyer, DiSalvo’s book traces the change of the man from a reticent 18-year-old who left Gujarat to the titan who became one of the biggest thorns in the British colonial side. The book focuses on Gandhi’s legal work in South Africa and his encounter with the racist policies of white colonialists, which left an inedible mark on him and changed the trajectory of his career.
Gandhi Before India
Ramachandra Guha
Gandhi Before India || Ramachandra Guha
Guha’s book explored the lesser known parts of Mahatma Gandhi’s life, spanning the years from his birth right up to when he returned to India from South Africa after his legal training. The book is a rare insight into the shaping of the Mahatma, the childhood and formative years that chiselled his ideological bent and made him the man he turned out to be.
Mahatma Gandhi: The Great Indian Way
Raja Rao
Mahatma Gandhi: The Great India Way || Raja Rao
Raja Rao experiments with narrative linearity and chronological sequence to brings us this unique work on Gandhi that stands out to this day. Using dialogue and anecdotes, Rao maps the progression of Gandhi’s life in a way that contemporises him, making his work and values relevant to the present as well.
The Death and Afterlife of Mahatma Gandhi
Makarand Paranjape
The Death and Afterlife of Mahatma Gandhi || Makarand R. Paranjape
Paranjape meticulously studies Gandhi’s last six months in Delhi. He analyses the factors that facilitated Gandhi’s assassination, the meaning of his death and what that reveals about the country at large.
Events and epochs in history have, in many ways, shaped our world the way we know it today. History is full of rich stories, inspiring figures and still-relevant lessons, which is why we believe that the past matters.
We are inviting you along today to take a journey through space and time to revisit some memorable, unforgettable stories that still present us with crucial lessons to take away.
Train to Pakistan
Khushwant Singh
Train to Pakistan || Khushwant Singh
It is the summer of 1947. But Partition does not mean much to the Sikhs and Muslims of Mano Majra, a village on the border of India and Pakistan. Then, a local money-lender is murdered, and suspicion falls upon Juggut Singh, the village gangster who is in love with a Muslim girl. When a train arrives, carrying the bodies of dead Sikhs, the village is transformed into a battlefield.
First published in 1956, Train to Pakistan is a classic of modern Indian fiction.
The Rise of Goliath
A.K. Bhattacharya
The Rise of Goliath || A.K. Bhattacharya
What can best illustrate India’s journey in the last seven decades? Disruptions.
Almost every decade of India’s history since Independence has been marked by major disruptions.
If the Emergency in 1975 shook the foundations of India’s democracy, the unprecedented balance-of-payments crisis of 1990 turned India towards a path of economic reforms. Just as the reservation of jobs for backward castes changed the idiom of India’s politics, the movement for building a temple for Ram drove India closer to becoming a majoritarian state.
This is the story of twelve disruptions that changed India.
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind Yuval Noah Harari
Sapiens | Yuval Noah Harari
What makes us brilliant? What makes us deadly? What makes us Sapiens?
Earth is 4.5 billion years old. In just a fraction of that time, one species among countless others has conquered it: us.
In this bold and provocative book, Yuval Noah Harari explores who we are, how we got here and where we’re going.
A Short History of Nearly Everything Bill Bryson
A Short History of Nearly Everything | Bill Bryson
Bill Bryson describes himself as a reluctant traveller, but even when he stays safely at home he can’t contain his curiosity about the world around him. A Short History of Nearly Everything is his quest to understand everything that has happened from the Big Bang to the rise of civilization – how we got from there, being nothing at all, to here, being us.
The ultimate eye-opening journey through time and space, A Short History of Nearly Everything reveals the world in a way most of us have never seen it before.
Makers of Modern India Ramachandra Guha
Makers of Modern India || Ramachandra Guha
Ramachandra Guha profiles nineteen Indians whose ideas had a defining impact on the formation and evolution of our republic and presents rare and compelling excerpts from their writings and speeches. These men and women were not only influential political activists – they also wrote with eloquence, authority and deliberation as they reflected on what Guha describes in his illuminating prologue as ‘the most contentious times in the most interesting country in the world’.
Their writings take us from the subcontinent’s first engagement with modernity in the nineteenth century, through the successive phases of the freedom movement, on through the decades after Independence.
The Modern Monk Hindol Sengupta
The Modern Monk || Hindol Sengupta
He loved French cookbooks, invented a new way of making khichdi, was interested in the engineering behind ship-building and the technology that makes ammunition. More than 100 years after his death, do we really know or understand the bewildering, fascinating, complex man Swami Vivekananda was?
From his speech in Chicago that mesmerised America to his voluminous writings and speeches that redefined the idea of India, Vivekananda was much more than a monk. His work sweeps through Indian politics, economics, sociology, arts and culture, and of course religion. So ubiquitous are his sayings that they pop everywhere from the speeches of politicians to t-shirts and mugs.
Origin Story: A Big History of Everything David Christian
Origin Story | David Christian
How did we get from the Big Bang to today’s staggering complexity, in which seven billion humans are connected into networks powerful enough to transform the planet? And why, in comparison, are our closest primate relatives reduced to near-extinction?
David Christian brings us the epic story of the universe and our place in it, from 13.8 billion years ago to the remote future!
The History Book: Big Ideas Simply Explained
The History Book
From the dawn of civilization to the lightning-paced culture of today, take a fascinating journey through the most significant events in history and the big ideas behind each one. Bring history to life as you explore the Law Code of Hammurabi, the Renaissance, the American Revolution, World War II, and much more.
As part of DK’s award-winning Big Ideas Simply Explained series, The History Book uses infographics and images to explain key ideas and themes, making the last 4000 years of history engaging and accessible.
Nationalism Rabindranath Tagore
Nationalism || Rabindranath Tagore
Nationalism is based on Rabindranath Tagore’s lectures delivered during the First World War. While the nations of Europe were doing battle, Tagore urged his audiences in Japan and the United States to eschew political aggressiveness and cultural arrogance. His mission, one might say, was to synthesize East and West, tradition and modernity. The lectures were not always well received at the time, but were chillingly prophetic.
As Ramachandra Guha shows in his brilliant and erudite Introduction, it was by reading and speaking to Tagore that those founders of modern India, Gandhi and Nehru, developed a theory of nationalism that was inclusive rather than exclusive.
Republic of Rhetoric: Free Speech and the Constitution of India Abhinav Chandrachud
Republic of Rhetoric | Abhinav Chandrachud
Exploring socio-political as well as legal history of India, from the British period to the present, this book brings to light the idea of ‘free speech’ or what is popularly known as the freedom expression in the country. Analysing the present law relating to obscenity and free speech, this book will evaluate whether the enactment of the Constitution made a significant difference to the right to free speech in India.
Guns, Germs and Steel: A short history of everybody for the last 13,000 years Jared Diamond
Guns Germs & Steel | Jared Diamond
Jared Diamond puts the case that geography and biogeography, not race, moulded the contrasting fates of Europeans, Asians, Native Americans, sub-Saharan Africans, and aboriginal Australians.
An ambitious synthesis of history, biology, ecology and linguistics, Guns, Germs and Steel is a ground-breaking and humane work of popular science that can provide expert insight into our modern world.
India’s Struggle for Independence Bipan Chandra
India’s Struggle for Independence || Bipan Chandra
India’s Struggle for Independence is the first and most reliable study of India’s epic struggle for freedom. This classic work begins with the abortive revolt against the British in 1857 and culminates in Indian Independence in 1947. Based on years of research as well as personal interviews with hundreds of freedom fighters, it presents a lucid and enduring view of the history of the period.
My Seditious Heart: Collected Non-fiction Arundhati Roy
My Seditious Heart || Arundhati Roy
My Seditious Heart collects the work of a two-decade period when Arundhati Roy devoted herself to the political essay as a way of opening up space for justice, rights and freedoms in an increasingly hostile environment. Taken together, these essays trace her twenty year journey from the Booker Prize-winning The God of Small Things to the extraordinary The Ministry of Utmost Happiness: a journey marked by compassion, clarity and courage.
Radical and readable, they speak always in defence of the collective, of the individual and of the land, in the face of the destructive logic of financial, social, religious, military and governmental elites.
The Man Who Saved India Hindol Sengupta
The Man Who Saved India || Sardar Patel
There is perhaps no political figure in modern history who did more to secure and protect the Indian nation than Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. But, ironically, seventy years after Patel brought together piece by piece the map of India by fusing the princely states with British India to create a new democratic, independent nation, little is understood or appreciated about Patel’s enormous contribution to the making of India. Caricatured in political debate, all the nuances of Patel’s difficult life and the daring choices he made are often lost, or worse, used as mere polemic.
The Man Who Saved India is a sweeping, magisterial retelling of Sardar Patel’s story.
Sixteen Stormy Days Tripurdaman Singh
Sixteen Stormy Days || Tripurdaman Singh
Sixteen Stormy Days narrates the riveting story of the First Amendment to the Constitution of India-one of the pivotal events in Indian political and constitutional history, and its first great battle of ideas.
Passed in June 1951 in the face of tremendous opposition within and outside Parliament, the subject of some of independent India’s fiercest parliamentary debates, the First Amendment drastically curbed freedom of speech; enabled caste-based reservation by restricting freedom against discrimination; circumscribed the right to property and validated abolition of the zamindari system; and fashioned a special schedule of unconstitutional laws immune to judicial challenge.
Teachers’ Day is a beloved event for the entire nation. While it creates the space for children to connect with their teachers beyond the formality of a classroom setup and express their gratitude in different ways, it is also a gentle reminder for us to ponder upon the immensity of the degree to which we owe our educators. As we grapple with online learning systems and disproportionately increased screen times in this unfamiliar, pandemic-ridden territory, teachers who have had to adapt their entire modus operandi deserve more than simply our appreciation and understanding. They work tirelessly and thanklessly while shaping our minds and futures. This Teachers’ Day, join us as we celebrate books that have marked our learning indelibly, and that we find ourselves returning to time and again. Here are some memorable books to pick up, especially for those of us who will read to or with our young and budding readers:
*
In Custody
Anita Desai
In Custody || Anita Desai
Anita Desai’s novel is a documentation not only of the erosion of a language and its cultural coordinates but also of the formation of small intimacies and unexpected relationships in the midst of loss. This poignant tale takes you along Deven’s journey, a Hindi teacher, as he forms a bond where he learns more about his own language than he ever has in a classroom.
Code Name God
Mani Bhaumik
Code Name God || Mani Bhaumik
Mani Bhaumik’s meditations dismantle the synthetic binary of science and faith, proposing a spiritual completeness that is achieved only when one learns to navigate both belief systems with equal respect. Code Name God is an eye-opening read, following his fame as a pioneer of LASIK surgery and his yearning for a spiritual self-realisation. It comes with the very important lesson that if we succumb to dichotomies, we can never live a fulfilled and conscious life.
Siyasi Muslims: A Story of Political Islam in India
Hilal Ahmed
Siyasi Muslims || Hilal Ahmed
In Siyasi Muslims, Hilal Ahmed navigates difficult questions around the Muslim identity through the portraiture of the quotidian realities of Muslims in India. This is a thought-provoking rendering of important issues, and leaves readers with much to learn and think about. In other words, it is a perfect teachers’ day read.
The Vedas
Roshen Dalal
The Vedas || Roshen Dalal
Historian Roshen Dalal brings us an accessible yet exhaustive introduction to the texts at the cornerstone of Hinduism – The Vedas. Founded on diligent research, this is a work that appreciates not only the philosophical and cultural core of the texts but also the poetic tinge that colours its lines.
In Service of The Republic : The Art and Science of Economic Policy Vijay Kelkar and Ajay Shah
In Service of the Republic || Vijay Kelkar and Ajay Shah
Writing from the nexus of political economics and administrative policy, economists and former civil servants Kelkar and Shah shed a unique light on the economic structures and machinations of our country. This work is an immense resource for anyone hoping to understand policy and economics with more clarity. Teachers’ Day marks a wonderful occasion to learn from In Service of the Republic.
The Penguin History of Early India: From the Origins to AD 1300 Romila Thapar
The Penguin History of Early India || Romila Thapar
Romila Thapar brings us an exhaustive, researched and immensely detailed rewriting of her extremely popular work History of India – Volume One, thirty-four years after it was published for the first time. Once again, Professor Thapar gives us a work that is richer than any classroom, and brings us her brilliant work as a redoubtable educator.
Poor Economics Esther Duflo and Abhijit V. Banerjee
Poor Economics || Abhijit Banerjee, Esther Duflo
Nobel Laureates Esther Duflo and Abhijit V. Banerjee bring us a work based on models of economic impact from the very grassroots. Through the Poverty Action Lab, the duo’s use of randomized control trials has changed the landscape of developmental economics. Undoing the binary between theory and praxis, Poor Economics follows not only the money but also its differential impact, and Teachers’ Day is the ideal occasion to read a work which is an endless resource of learning.
Makers of Modern India Ramachandra Guha
Makers of Modern India || Ramachandra Guha
Ramachandra Guha, “Indian democracy’s pre-eminent chronicler” according to Time magazine, complies selections from the writings and speeches of nineteen Indians whose ideas range across nationalism, gender, caste, democracy and economics. Spanning the development of Indian modernism, Guha gives us unique insights into unique thinkers, from Rabindranath Tagore to Hamid Dalwai, and takes our learning curve on a steady increase.
Ignited Minds A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
Ignited Minds || A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
This teachers’ day, share the spark of endless possibilities with your children. This book will not chart out the path to success or provide readymade formulas; there is no list of hacks or a blueprint for that. Instead, Dr. Kalam dives into various aspects with detailed research and a deep understanding of everything that plagues us as a nation. Narrated with his hallmark humility and profundity, Ignited Minds is a book to return to again and again.
Shiksha: My Experiments as an Education Minister Manish Sisodia
Shiksha || Manish Sisodia
Shiksha is Manish Sisodia’s detailed articulation of the massive changes he brought to the public education sector in Delhi. As an unyielding believer in the power of education, Sisodia altered the fabric of the education system through his focus on bettering institutions and their capacity to impact lives in myriad positive ways. This Teachers’ Day, discover the immensity of what a sound educational structure can achieve, and share the importance of this discovery with your children as they navigate this structure on a daily basis.
India Since Independence
Bipan Chandra, Mridula Mukherjee, Aditya Mukherjee
India Since Independence || Bipan Chandra
Beginning with the framing of the constitution, formulations of foreign policy and anti-caste politics, this tome covers a panorama of the pedestals on which India was founded after independence and the anti-colonial struggle. A brilliant outline of the formation and growth of the nation, India Since Independence is a literary masterclass in post-independence history.
India’s Struggle for Independence || Bipan Chandra
Right from the mutiny of 1857, India’s nascent struggle of anti-British revolt, Bipan Chandra charts the long anti-colonial fight through personal interviews and an astonishing breadth of research. History comes alive through his writing in an incredible learning experience.
The Penguin Gandhi Reader Rudrangshu Mukherjee
The Penguin Gandhi Reader || Rudrangshu Mukherjee
The freedom fighter we revere is explored here through careful selections of his own writings. Mukherjee compiles this reader centring it on the core philosophies of Gandhi’s theories and praxes, and Bapu comes alive for us in his own words mediated through the editorial lens of Mukherjee.
Super 30 Anand Kumar
Super 30 || Anand Kumar
Anand Kumar set up an innovative school in 2002 that uses creative and unconventional learning methods, changing the lives of underprivileged children by preparing them for the IIT JEE. Stirring and inspiring, Super 30 is a story that turns Kumar’s own tribulations and sacrifices into the furnace where the futures of these children are forged, enabling them to rise above the chains of their circumstances.
What Can I Give? Srijan Pal Singh
What Can I Give? || Srijan Pal Singh
Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam’s student, Srijan Pal Singh, asks the question that we should think about, irrespective of whether or not it is Teachers’ Day – what can we give back to the teachers who change our lives? Documenting moments from Dr. Kalam’s life and the time Singh spent with him, this is a loving memoir dedicated to one of the brightest minds and most visionary thinkers of the country.
My Experiments with Truth M.K. Gandhi
My Experiments with Truth || M.K. Gandhi
This autobiography chronicles Gandhi’s odyssey, from his childhood in Porbandar and Rajkot, his school days and marriage, to his journeys to England and South Africa, mapping the movement of a shy young boy to a man who would one day become one of the pioneers of the anti-colonial struggle, and a source of great fear for the British Empire.
IIMA – Day to Day Economics Satish Y. Deodhar
Day to Day Economics || Satish Y. Deodhar
Satish Y. Deodhar, a professor of Economics at IIM Ahmedabad brings us this book to make economics and its intricacies accessible and easily understandable. A great contribution to making academic concepts fun and interesting, Day to day Economics goes a long way in laying out the details of a field that impacts us all at every level.
Master on Masters Ustad Amjad Ali Khan
Master of Masters || Amjad Ali Khan
In this affectionate and warm book, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan unpacks for us the greatest figures in Indian Classical Music. Anecdotal and personal, Khan manages to present artists of mystical stature in a way that is endearing, awe-inspiring and relatable all at once.
~ Don’t forget to invite some young readers along for these ones, or to simply (re)connect with your own younger selves!
Coming Round the Mountain Ruskin Bond
Coming Round the Mountain || Ruskin Bond
Like every other work by Ruskin Bond, this one is difficult to put down. Walking his readership through the years of a young Bond eating jalebis, reading, goal-keeping, and growing up, what makes this book subtly complex is its setting – the year 1947, and the impending partition. A joy for both children and adults, this book is even more rewarding when shared with the young readers in your life.
My India A.P.J Abdul Kalam
My India || A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
Dr. Kalam’s last book for children is a wave of inspiration and energy, a lesson on resilience and determination that we all could learn from. Drawing excerpts from his speeches, this book collates his ideations on science, compassion and nation-building to name a few, and delivers a figment of his genius to us, expressed with his trademark humility and earnestness. This is a work that both you and your children will enjoy, especially if you read it with them!
Gautama Buddha (Junior Lives) Sonia Mehta
Gautama Buddha || Sonia Mehta
This is the fourth in a series of beautifully illustrated books, aimed at making great people and their stories accessible to our young readers. The gorgeous visuals take us through the unique life of Prince Siddhartha as he becomes the enlightened Buddha. Share this wonderful confluence of art and storytelling with the young readers you love!
Readers, can you believe it’s September already? Well, we still can’t wrap our heads around how or where this year went. Oh, right! We were all quarantining within the safety of our homes. As always, books came to our rescue and proved to be our most steady companion through this turbulent period.
To keep this camaraderie going, we have prepared a massive list of twenty-six new books for you. So without further ado, let’s jump right in!
**
Tharoorosaurus
Shashi Tharoor
Tharoorosaurus || Shashi Tharoor
Shashi Tharoor is the wizard of words. In Tharoorosaurus, he shares fifty-three examples from his vocabulary: unusual words from every letter of the alphabet. You don’t have to be a linguaphile to enjoy the fun facts and interesting anecdotes behind the words! Be ready to impress-and say goodbye to your hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia!
Cricket Drona
Jatin Paranjape and Anand Vasu
Cricket Drona || Jatin Paranjape, Anand Vasu
Cricket Drona takes us through the life of cricketing genius Vasoo Paranjape, who left a defining impact on the game, shaping the careers of some of Indian cricket’s greatest figures, from Sunil Gavaskar to Sachin Tendulkar, from Rahul Dravid to Rohit Sharma. This book is a first-hand chronicle of stories, life lessons and game-changing experiences, written in the words of those who were lucky enough to have crossed paths with Paranjape at just the right time in their careers.
The Phoenix
Bilal Siddiqui
The Phoenix || Bilal Siddiqi
The Phoenix tells a dystopian tale of espionage and global terror, of sleeper cells and double agents, of biological warfare and suicide attacks. But at its heart there’s a message of hope and one man’s love for his family and country.
You are All I Need
Ravinder Singh (Ed.)
You are All I Need || Ravinder Singh (Ed.)
Whether it is a distant lover or someone you see every day but can’t confess to; whether it is a love that grows silently or a love that’s not acceptable by society; whether it is a love that will never be yours or a love that is pure and untainted by jealousy-love will always finds a way to survive, to make life more beautiful, more liveable. That’s why we say, ‘Love makes the world go round!’
You Are All I Need is a collection of touching stories selected by Ravinder Singh to bring to the readers the myriad facets of love. This book will make you laugh, cry, think and feel, all at the same time. It is an eclectic collection of love stories that will warm the cockles of your heart.
Funding You Startup: And Other Nightmares
Dhruv Nath and Sushanto Mitra
Funding Your Start-Up || Dhruv Nath, Sushanto Mitra
Are you finding it tough to fund your start-up? Especially in the post-COVID-19 world, where money is scarce? Well, then, this book is for you. It takes you through stories of early-stage start-ups and how they successfully managed to raise funding. Even better, it takes you through stories of failures-start-ups that couldn’t raise funding, and why. After all, you can learn as much from failures as you can from successes.
Rebels with a Cause
TT Ram Mohan
Rebels with a Cause || T.T. Ram Mohan
In his new book, Prof. T.T. Ram Mohan profiles well-known dissenters Arundhati Roy, Oliver Stone, Kancha Ilaiah, David Irving, Yanis Varoufakis, U.G. Krishnamurti and John Pilger to illustrate how, in practice, dissent tends to be severely circumscribed. In the book he underscores that the dissenters are marginalized and even ostracized because as a society we find change of any sort threatening.The book asks hard questions to challenge the way we view, and live in, the world-an important read for anyone who refuses to accept the status quo.
And We Came Outside and Saw the Stars Again
And We Came Outside and Saw the Stars Again
In this rich, eye-opening and uplifting anthology, dozens of esteemed writers, poets, artists and translators from more than thirty countries offer a profound, kaleidoscopic portrait of lives transformed by the coronavirus pandemic. As COVID-19 has become the defining global experience of our time, writers offer a powerful antidote to the fearful confines of isolation: a window onto corners of the world beyond our own.
And We Came Outside and Saw the Stars Again takes its title from the last line of Dante’s Inferno, when the poet and his guide emerge from hell to once again behold the beauty of the heavens. In that spirit, the stories, essays, poems, and artwork in this collection detail the harrowing realities of the pandemic, while pointing toward a more connected future.
Azadi
Arundhati Roy
Azadi || Arundhati Roy
In this series of electrifying essays, Arundhati Roy challenges us to reflect on the meaning of freedom in a world of growing authoritarianism. The essays include meditations on language, public as well as private, and on the role of fiction and alternative imaginations in these disturbing times. The pandemic, Roy says, is a portal between one world and another. For all the illness and devastation it has left in its wake, it is an invitation to the human race, an opportunity, to imagine another world.
Jinnah
Ishtiaq Ahmed
Jinnah || Ishtiaq Ahmed
Using a wealth of contemporary records and archival material, Dr Ahmed traces Jinnah’s journey from Indian nationalist to Muslim communitarian, and from a Muslim nationalist to, finally, Pakistan’s all-powerful head of state. How did the ambassador of Hindu-Muslim unity become the inflexible votary of the two-nation theory? Did Jinnah envision Pakistan as a theocratic state? What was his position on Gandhi and federalism? Asking these crucial questions against the backdrop of the turbulent struggle against colonialism, this book is a path-breaking examination of one of the most controversial figures of the twentieth century.
And…Perhaps Love
Sanil Sachar
And…Perhaps Love || Sanil Sachar
A new normal has replaced the established order. Distant relationships, virtual work, blurred futures and measuring our way back to this reality occupy us every day. Negotiating these changes, Sanil Sachar’s And… Perhaps Love will work as your companion. It is a silent observer for when you want to read it, and a patient listener when you wish to communicate with it. Capturing the ideas of love, darkness and the attempt to find balance in life, this is a book for now and forever.
The Bhutto Dynasty
Jones Owen Bennett
The Bhutto Dynasty || Owen Bennett Jones
The Bhutto family has long been one of the most ambitious and powerful in Pakistan. But politics has cost the Bhuttos dear. Drawing on original research and unpublished documents gathered over twenty years, Owen Bennett-Jones explores the turbulent existence of this extraordinary family, including their volatile relationship with British colonialists, the Pakistani armed forces and the United States.
Anxious People
Fredrik Backman
Anxious People || Fredrik Backman
In a small town in Sweden it appears to be an ordinary day. But look more closely, and you’ll see a mysterious masked figure approaching a Bank… Two hours later, chaos has descended. A bungled attempted robbery has developed into a hostage situation – and the offender is refusing to communicate their demands to the police. Within the building, fear quickly turns to irritation for the seven strangers trapped inside. If this is to be their last day on Earth, shouldn’t it be a bit more dramatic? But as the minutes tick by, they begin to suspect that the criminal mastermind holding them hostage might be more in need of rescuing than they are…
Caste
Isabel Wilkerson
Caste || Isabel Wilkerson
The hierarchy of caste is not about feelings or morality. It is about power – which groups have it and which do not’ Beyond race or class, our lives are defined by a powerful, unspoken system of divisions. In Caste, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Isabel Wilkerson gives an astounding portrait of this hidden phenomenon. Linking America, India and Nazi Germany, Wilkerson reveals how our world has been shaped by caste – and how its rigid, arbitrary hierarchies still divide us today. With clear-sighted rigour, Wilkerson unearths the eight pillars that connect caste systems across civilizations, and demonstrates how our own era of intensifying conflict and upheaval has arisen as a consequence of caste.
The 10 Rules of Successful Nations
Ruchir Sharma
The 10 Rules of Successful Nations || Ruchir Sharma
This short primer distils Ruchir Sharma’s decades of global analytic experience into ten rules for identifying nations that are poised to take off or crash. A wake-up call to economists who failed to foresee every recent crisis, including the cataclysm of 2008, 10 rules is full of insights on signs of political, economic, and social change. Rethinking economics as a practical art, 10 rules is a must-read for business, political and academic leaders who want to understand the most important forces that shape a nation’s future.
Mahatma Gandhi: The Great Indian Way
Raja Rao
Mahatma Gandhi: The Great Indian Way || Raja Rao
The life of Mahatma Gandhi is the story of a legend. In Mahatma Gandhi: The Great Indian Way, Raja Rao upends the genre of the literary biography with inventive non-linear chronology, through dialogue and anecdote, situating the physical within the metaphysical, and with a text that is both retrospective and contemporary at the same time. By mapping genealogies and distilling them, Rao focuses on Gandhi’s years in South Africa, the birth of non-violent resistance, and then moves into the epic freedom struggle in India, which brought Gandhi to worldwide renown in his own lifetime.
7 Ways
Jamie Oliver
7 Ways || Jamie Oliver
Jamie Oliver is back with new, achievable, exciting and tasty recipes. Jamie’s done his homework and looked at the top ingredients we buy week in, week out. We’re all busy, but that shouldn’t stop us from having a tasty, nutritious meal after a long day at work or looking after the kids. So, rather than trying to change what we buy, Jamie wants to give everyone brand new inspiration for their favourite ingredients, the kind of things you can pick up in any supermarket. Jamie will share 7 achievable, exciting and tasty ways to cook 19 hero ingredients, and each recipe will have no more than 8 ingredients within it. At least 5 recipes from each 7 way will be everyday options from both an ease and nutritional point of view, meaning you’re covered for every day of the week.
Untamed
Glennon Doyle
Untamed || Glennon Doyle
Soulful and uproarious, forceful and tender, Untamed is both an intimate memoir and a galvanizing wake-up call. It is the story of how one woman learned that a responsible mother is not one who slowly dies for her children, but one who shows them how to fully live. It is the story of navigating divorce, forming a new blended family, and discovering that the brokenness or wholeness of a family depends not on its structure but on each member’s ability to bring her full self to the table. And it is the story of how each of us can begin to trust ourselves enough to set boundaries, make peace with our bodies, honor our anger and heartbreak, and unleash our truest, wildest instincts so that we become women who can finally look at ourselves and say: There She Is.
No Rules Rules
Reed Hastings and Erin Meyer
No Rules Rules || Reed Hastings, Erin Meyer
It’s time to do things differently. Trust your team. Be radically honest. And never, ever try to please your boss. These are some of the ground rules if you work at Netflix. They are part of a unique cultural experiment that explains how the company has transformed itself at lightning speed from a DVD mail order service into a streaming superpower – with 190 million fervent subscribers and a market capitalisation that rivals the likes of Disney. Finally Reed Hastings, Netflix Chairman and CEO, is sharing the secrets that have revolutionised the entertainment and tech industries. With INSEAD business school professor Erin Meyer, he will explore his leadership philosophy and how it plays out in practice at Netflix. For anyone interested in creativity, productivity and innovation, the Netflix culture is something close to a holy grail.
The Midnight Library
Matt Haig
The Midnight Library || Matt Haig
Between life and death there is a library. When Nora seed finds herself in the midnight library, she has a chance to make things right. Up until now, her life has been full of misery and regret. She feels she has let everyone down, including herself. But things are about to change. The books in the midnight library enable Nora to live as if she had done things differently. With the help of an old friend, she can now undo every one of her regrets as she tries to work out her perfect life. But things aren’t always what she imagined they’d be, and soon her choices place the library and herself in extreme danger. Before time runs out, she must answer the ultimate question: What is the best way to live?
The Evening and the Morning
Ken Follett
The Evening and the Morning || Ken Follett
It is 997 CE, the end of the Dark Ages, and England faces attacks from the Welsh in the west and the Vikings in the east. Life is hard, and those with power wield it harshly, bending justice according to their will – often in conflict with the king. In these turbulent times, three characters find their lives intertwined. And each in turn comes into dangerous conflict with a clever and ruthless bishop who will do anything to increase his wealth and power.
Thirty years ago we were introduced to Kingsbridge in The Pillars of the Earth, and now in this masterful prequel international bestseller Ken Follett will take us on a journey into a rich past, which will end where his masterpiece begins.
Intimations
Zadie Smith
Intimations || Zadie Smith
Written in the first months of the coronavirus pandemic, as the global situation changed almost hourly, Intimations is a series of six deeply personal essays responding to the ever-evolving experience of lockdown. Crafted with Zadie’s trademark intelligence, wit and style but also suffused with a striking intimacy and tenderness, these essays attempt to organize the feelings and thoughts that the events of 2020 so far have provoked. A vital work of art, a gesture of connection and an act of love, Intimations is an essential book in extraordinary times.
Livewired
David Eagleman
Livewired || David Eagleman
The greatest technology we have ever discovered on this planet is the three-pound organ carried around in the vault of the skull. This book is not simply about what the brain is, but what it does. The magic of the brain is not found in the parts it’s made of, but in the way those parts unceasingly re-weave themselves in an electric, living fabric. Surf the leading edge of neuroscience atop the anecdotes and metaphors that have made Eagleman one of the best scientific translators of our generation. Covering decades of research to the present day, Livewired also presents new discoveries from Eagleman’s own laboratory, from synaesthesia to dreaming to wearable neurotech devices that revolutionize how we think about the senses.
Moonflower Murders
Anthony Horowitz
Moonflower Murders || Anthony Horowitz
So when an English couple come to visit with tales of a murder that took place in a hotel the same day their daughter Cecily was married there, retired publisher Susan Ryeland can’t help but find herself fascinated.
And when they tell her that Cecily has gone missing a few short hours after reading Atticus Pund Takes The Case, a crime novel Susan edited some years previously, Susan knows she must return to London to find out what has happened.
The clues to the murder and to Cecily’s disappearance must lie within the pages of this novel. But to save Cecily, Susan must place her own life in mortal danger…
Final Cut
SJ Watson
Final Cut || S J Watson
Blackwood Bay. An ordinary place, home to ordinary people. It used to be a buzzing seaside destination. But now, ravaged by the effects of dwindling tourism and economic downturn, it’s a ghost town – and the perfect place for film-maker Alex to shoot her new documentary. But the community is deeply suspicious of her intentions. After all, nothing exciting ever happens in Blackwood Bay – or does it?
Breath
James Nestor
Breath || James Nestor
There is nothing more essential to our health and wellbeing than breathing: take air in, let it out, repeat 25,000 times a day. Yet, as a species, humans have lost the ability to breathe correctly, with grave consequences. Journalist James Nestor travels the world to figure out what went wrong and how to fix it. The answers aren’t found in pulmonology labs, as we might expect, but in the muddy digs of ancient burial sites, secret Soviet facilities, New Jersey choir schools, and the smoggy streets of São Paulo, Brazil. Drawing on thousands of years of medical texts and recent cutting-edge studies in pulmonology, psychology, biochemistry and human physiology, Breath turns the conventional wisdom of what we thought we knew about our most basic biological function on its head.
Invisible Girl
Lisa Jewell
When Saffyre Maddox was ten, something terrible happened, and she’s carried the pain of it ever since. The man who she thought was going to heal her didn’t, and now she hides, learning his secrets, invisible in the shadows.
Invisible Girl || Lisa Jewell
Owen Pick is invisible too. He’s never had a girlfriend; he’s never even had a friend.
Nobody sees him. Nobody cares.
But when Saffyre goes missing from opposite his house on Valentine’s night, suddenly the whole world is looking at Owen.
Accusing him. Holding him responsible for Saffyre’s disappearance…
Invisible Girl is an engrossing, twisty story of how we look in the wrong places for bad people while the real predators walk among us in plain sight.
