Book Beat

Rehabilitating a tranquil rebel

09 Oct 2020 08:28 AM IST

Koral Dasgupta’s Ahalya is a woman who uses her spiritual and sexual strength to attain what she feels is right, and not what the world thinks is correct for her

Indian politics: Cracking the code

09 Oct 2020 08:02 AM IST

Those desirous of entering politics must read Mamta Chitnis Sen’s Realpolitik, but it would also be useful to those who are already in politics.

The real Modi and the fallacy of liberalism

02 Oct 2020 05:49 AM IST

This is a must-read book for anyone willing to understand the phenomenon called Narendra Modi. It will help unravel some of the enigmas surrounding him, and also explain why he did what he did both as Gujarat CM and later as Prime Minister.

Books to look out for this week

25 Sep 2020 09:54 AM IST

Akkitham: A Pictorial AutobiographyBhaskaramenon KrishnakumarRupa, Rs 2,500 This is perhaps the first-of-its-kind book culled and created entirely from an author’s writings, interviews and private conversations. The text has been translated into English by Bhaskaramenon Krishnakumar, alias Atmaraman. It’s the journey of a village boy who went on to become a

The Dalai Lama and Mother Teresa helped me look at world differently: Tenzin Priyadarshi

25 Sep 2020 07:44 AM IST

The fascinating encounters and learnings from teachers, from His Holiness Dalai Lama to former Archbishop of Cape Town Desmond Tutu and Mother Teresa, have been carefully preserved in the book, Running Toward Mystery, by venerable Tenzin Priyadarshi. Published by Penguin India, this exemplary work encompasses his views on spiritual disillusionment,

A novelist who never wanted a career in writing

25 Sep 2020 07:43 AM IST

Traversing through the realms of writing, publishing and bookselling, Anuradha Roy has done them all. The celebrated author talks about keeping her distance from social media and the writings which have inspired her.

Books to look out for this week

18 Sep 2020 10:58 AM IST

The Buddhist on Death RowDavid SheffHarperCollins India, Rs 350 With uncanny clarity, David Sheff describes Jarvis Jay Masters’ gradual but profound transformation from a man dedicated to hurting others to one who has prevented violence on the prison yard, counselled high school kids by mail, and helped prisoners – and

Understanding world of boys is first step to understand men: Vaidyanathan

18 Sep 2020 10:51 AM IST

Journalist-turned-author Siddhartha Vaidyanathan tells why he decided to take a journey inside the adolescent minds through his new book, What’s Wrong with You, Karthik? (Picador India, Rs 599). Excerpts: Q: At a time when most authors are using heavy topics like gender equality, racism, violence, etc, you chose to explore

The magic of Himalayas

18 Sep 2020 10:44 AM IST

On a rather sultry day, while I was grappling with back-to-back official meetings, Haunting Himalayas — a collection of short stories by Rajni Sekhri Sibal, a former career bureaucrat and a poetess — arrived on my desk. Dreadfully searching for a distraction more than a reprieve, I took a quick

My job is that of a gardener, says Anand Neelakantan

18 Sep 2020 10:37 AM IST

I have to adhere to the Bahubali universe while crafting this novel series. It is like a gardener being handed over a patch of land. There are boundaries, there are some rules on what he could cultivate, yet the gardener must create a beautiful garden. If there were no boundaries,

Books to look out for this week

11 Sep 2020 10:14 AM IST

Wondering of Indian International EthicsPadmaja BhartiLeading trails, rs 149 Wondering of Indian International Eth- ics sends a mesage of unity. In present times, peace is crucial for our current and future generations. How does di- plomacy work with ethical value? We need ethics in every aspect of our life and

Squashing ancient demons in 21st century

11 Sep 2020 10:05 AM IST

With Ayodhya in the news lately, the Ramayana has captured our imaginations again. Shubira Prasad’s Demons of Jaitraya is the newest entrant in the world of mythological fiction in India, which brings the lessons taught by the epic to the modern world. Q. The book combines Indian mythology with fantasy.