Shikhandi and Other Tales They Dont Tell You - Devdutt Pattanaik (2014)

At some point I got a bit tired of the author. Same mythological stories, same level of treatment and same stories read elsewhere. I was a bit sceptic when I was deciding on the next book of Pattanaik. But, simplicity and short book kind of made me pick up this book. I will probably tell this is one of the better books of Pattanaik. It's not explaining an epic but actually brings out a sociological issue across our mythology on views on uncommon sexual practices and the existence of the third sex which we have normally avoided. Practices not entirely confined to Mahabharata but across many mythological text and also compared with Egyptian, Mesopotamian, Roman and Christianity views on the subject. The stories are very short as such characters are not provided an elaborate treatment in any of our mythological texts. However, the explanations and similar topics discussed elsewhere with references is a remarkable achievement for the author. A quick read. One can finish the book in one sitting and definitely a recommended read.