Page 2 - Book Reading

The Raja of Big Things

An eminently readable book by Carnatic music-loving corporate honcho, Kamini Dandapani, delves into the life and influence of Rajaraja Chola and why the 11th century ruler still has a cult following

India's tryst with parliamentary democracy

At a time when Parliament is about to be relocated to a new building, 'House of the People' offers an insightful look into the evolution of representative bodies in India and their functioning today

Apple Books launches new audiobook catalogue with AI-based narrations

Tech giant Apple has quietly launched a catalogue of books narrated by artificial intelligence in a move with potentially huge implications for the multi-billion dollar audiobook industry

Measuring civilisation

The story of humans measuring things is no less than the story of civilisation - a claim that sounds like irritating hyperbole but in this case turns out to be true

A panoramic history of the cell

Pulitzer Prize winner Siddhartha Mukherjee's The Song of The Cell is a beautifully crafted exposition of the author's own lifelong fascination with the subject

Leadership in a time of constant flux

Covid, climate change, misinformation and Fourth Industrial Revolution have created a perfect storm that needs new paradigm for leadership. Faisal Hoque's Lift offers insights into what that would be

Epic endings: Mahabharata's final chapters

Eminent Indologist Wendy Doniger's latest book focuses on the final days of the protagonists of the epic and makes their stories come alive with different meanings

The filmy chronicler

The book celebrates Abbas by showing how this "boy from Panipat, land of Sufis, land of battles" introduced the small-town sensibilities to Indian cinema.

Self-publishing picks up among children, young adults; few go mainstream

Self-publishing picks up among the young; mainstream book deals remain largely elusive

Echoes of many partitions

Aanchal Malhotra evocatively recreates the emotional responses of survivors and subsequent generations

The human factors

Gregg's clever and provocative book is full of irreverent notions and funny anecdotes - the creative upside to being a human animal

Sanjeev Kumar: In Memoriam

A set of essays by the great actor's relatives and associates offers interesting anecdotes about the man but not enough about his craft

Hindi, Hindu sans Hindutva

A fascinating account shows how much of the maverick writer and polymath's thinking was rooted in cosmopolitanism

Harvey Weinstein: From mogul to me too

Weinstein's reputation for sexual trespass had started early, when he was a concert promoter in Buffalo

In light of India

A collection of youthful letters from her year in the country hints at the ideas that eventually shape Wendy Doniger's research and prolific writing

A gambler in the casino called Wall Street

Mr Gupta is a raconteur par excellence. His autobiographical account could give any good work of fiction a run for its money

Rare first edition of The Great Gatsby lists at $360,000

Harrington will soon bring a first edition of the 1925 book, widely considered F Scott Fitzgerald's masterpiece, to New York's International Antiquarian Book Fair, which runs from April 21-24 at the P

Rebels in the footnotes

One striking aspect of the RIN mutiny was that Indian naval officers did not back the ratings and remained loyal to the navy

Mythology and geography

What do such stories say about the interconnectedness of mythology and geography? If not facts, aren't these stories fascinating?

Mark Twain: The travelling philosopher

Humour isn't out of place in Mark Twain's journals, though. In fact, it ripples through his descriptions, creating traceries of light upon the grim landscapes of colonial rule