India : A Million Mutinies Now - VS Naipul (1990)

This book is the last of the series of books VS Naipaul has written on India. His understanding of the contemporary India he visited is remarkable. The way he connects the then realities to the history of India is what makes this book most interesting. His writing has been a mix of talking to regular people, understanding their lives, connecting those events to the notable history of India, and establishing that association for the readers to interpret. He has just presented what he learned from the exchange without passing on a moral judgment of the situation. Being someone who has grown up in the 80s and 90s, I found some of the descriptions very apt to the character of the period. There was a limited supply of funds, and people were aspirational and followed a line of thinking that claimed to fulfill that dream. The book covers, Bhimsena, Shivsena, British India's influence on Calcutta, Lucknowi Nawabs, the history of the Sikh gurus and their influence, operation Bluestar, the anti-brahmin movement in the South, the story of Kashmir and the Maharaja, etc. There is a chapter dedicated to Women's Era magazine and the emergence of new thinking of women who are tied to traditional India and want to look at it in a modern interpretation. VS Naipaul has discussed India nicely, is all I can say. 

A recommended book. 

Doglapan - Ashneer Grover (2022)

There is nothing dogla about Doglapan. No one doubts that Ashneer Grover is a loose cannon. The book gives a lot of insights into Ashneer Grover's early life, his businesses, and the struggles he went through in establishing his businesses. The book makes you feel someone is fighting for recognition which he has been missing from place to place. If you have seen the Zuckerberg-themed social network movie, here is the Indian version of it. The founders are fighting with one another, showing one-upmanship over the rest, etc. It seems like a lot of boardroom drama. The good part is it's a  short 200-page book and a quick read. Ashneer speaks in Hindi in interviews, yet, he is a great communicator in the English language. Then, why this book? When I see any of his interviews, he keeps repeating things mentioned in the book. With cases pending in courts, it could be lawyered advice to speak to a story, and he meticulously has submitted his views in this story and keeps to it in every public meeting. 

Once you read it, you do not have to watch any of his interviews or videos. 

City of Djinns - William Dalrymple (1993)

William Dalrymple lived in Delhi in the 80s for a year. This book is a testimony to the same. His quest started in Delhi; he went to other parts of India, Pakistan, Ireland, and the UK if that quest demanded. The story has several short exploratory journeys, like the people of the East India Company and their connections to India. The riots that followed the independence or after Indira Gandhi's assassination also are mentioned. The history of Shah Jahan's descendants, Lodhis, the Tughlags, the remnants of their creations and their current status are all discussed in the book. He tries to find the historical evidence of Mahabharata, including a last-minute chase to the Nigambodh Ghat. But he hardly can connect any dots there. The rituals and mythological practices followed by men, women, and the other sex of India related to the stories find a place in the book. If you are a Delhi resident, you will still wonder, have you understood Delhi enough? 

An original work supported by evidence, yet the book reads like a story. Every time you think about why I did not try to find this out when I was in Delhi. The book is a must-read for anyone interested in the history of India. 

The Nutmeg's Curse - Amitabha Ghosh (2021)

So much fuss about what? The book has excellent research covering generations of human activity leading to destruction. It is well understood, yet we always felt it is local. It describes the Western exploitation of the colonies very well, but making it a book on the environment is a substantial stretch. The issue is human race never acted from the learning. Writing hundreds of more articles will not change a thing. Pointing fingers at activities related to the Western world, while the native focus was towards sustainable growth, is again wishful thinking. All that explained in the book will not lead to saving the world from climatic disasters. It looked like a lot of work has gone into creating associations with non-proximate causes that are hard to understand and lead to reader fatigue. If someone wants to use this book as research work for a literature review from scholarly texts, she can do so. 

After a few chapters, it became hard to read and almost nagging in most places. I will not recommend the book as the effort does not justify a value add. 

PARADOXES OF PAKISTAN: A GLIMPSE - Belkacem Belmekki & Michel Naumann (2022)

India and Pakistan have been at loggerheads for 75 years since their independence. Being an Indian, I have very little understanding of the neighbouring country. There is a general perception that Pakistan is a failed state. There are some signs of success in fields like sports, but overall the state is in economic turmoil. What led to such a state of the country? Reading this book clarified some of that. The book has three parts:

1. History before Pakistan - A glance of Indian history till the British era.
2. History of the founding fathers - Gives an insight into the Sayid Ahmed Khan, Mohammed Iqbal, and Mohammed Ali Jinnah.
3. History of Pakistan - Post-independence history of Pakistan. 

The state is based on fear and is not on a positive sentiment of success. Hence, the focus has always been on saving the government than developing the nation for the people. The overall country has spent all its energy on militancy and in-fightings. While Indian governments focused on national development efforts within the framework of the constitution, Pakistan's leading politicians were busy keeping the military happy and using or being used by them. Under a hundred pages but will not be an easy read, for it will make you think and assimilate. 

Tharoorosauraus - Shashi Tharoor (2020)

What amazes me most is when you have managed to scrape through the understanding of languages; someone has mastered them beyond humans. That is my understanding of Shashi Tharoor's mastery of the language. About 50 words, some very much in regular vocabulary, some from Tharoorobulary (my amateurish authorism), have been explained thread-bare; their etymology, alternate usage, who said it, etc. It is fun reading the book.  Yet what worries me is whether I learnt the nuances enough to apply them in real life. 

Almost unputdownable. Yet, do not gulp more than you can chew to make the learning persistent. 

Republic & Other Dialogues - Plato (~400 BC)

A book written about two and half thousand years ago needs no introduction or explanation. One may feel enchanted to explore the originals. The first chapter is Socrates's speech for his defence, where he justifies his actions and why the city is not correct in considering him a traitor. A few subsequent chapters lead to the actual day of Socrates's death. Symposium is a chapter where learned men of Athens discuss love over a banquet. The last part of the book is devoted to eight chapters of the Republic which is considered the best-known work of Plato and his philosophies on developing the ideal state. The book explains the ideal soldiers, their training, the family and child-raising process, etc. The state should have a philosopher as the ruler. Today, one may find the concepts arcane and the arguments not in line with modern interpretations expected of a book written so long back. The last chapters are on the soul, where the soul moves on after death, etc. 

I will not consider the book a must-read. An avid reader of philosophy may find this fundamental on the topic.