Book Review

Bird watching with Sálim Ali

Our nocturnal friends, the pygmy owlets and shriek owls, are alas, fewer now than when we moved in first two decades ago

Why history matters

Eminent historian Romila Thapar's collection of essays urges us to confront the past critically for a more inclusive and enlightened future

War, peace and environmental devastation

In The Long Reckoning, Black unites his areas of expertise in international affairs and the environment to explore a landscape littered with the detritus of war

Missing female scientists and reforming the creaking policy machine

From fiscal policy to fixing India's steel frame, here is a summary of book reviews from the pages of Business Standard this week

Migration patterns

Sam Miller views history through the prism of societies on the move

A framework of intentions

"Transforming the Steel Frame" is treatise on civil service reforms in India. It has some revolutionary ideas that look good on paper, but could be politically disastrous unless implemented with care

Food for drama

Shobhaa De's book oscillates between the sombre and serious and is delightful in its description of everything Bengali

Making gender budgeting work

Social mores cannot be changed by fiscal fiats, but gender budgeting is a starting point, argues Lekha S Chakraborty in her book, which could serve as a useful primer to guide policymakers

PMOs, terror trials, presidents and coups

Here is a summary of book reviews by Business Standard writers in the past week

India's missing female scientists

From prejudice to working conditions that are stacked against them, "Lab Hopping" examines the key issues facing women in STEM, backing its assertions with data and anecdotes

Meaner than the metaverse

If the internet is the fictional doctor and scientist Bruce Banner, furtive and a little troubled but basically benign, meganets are Incredible Hulks, snarling and uncontainable

Inside Narasimha Rao's PMO

Many books have been written on P V Narasimha Rao, but the latest one is unique because of the author's proximity to the PM

An indictment of terror trials

Mayur R Suresh's book delves into the myriad ways terror accused and the justice system interact in a trial, and is replete with stories of human foibles, quirks, unlikely friendships, and anxiety

Party time in China

"The Party Leads All" offers an in-depth perspective on the changes underway under Xi Jinping and how they could affect China in the long term

An incomplete history of the CIA

How the CIA's daily presidential briefings have shaped history over the past 75 years is recounted in Current Intelligence, although with some notable events missing from the narrative

Everything, everywhere in one big book

Historically, encyclopaedias have been thick tomes for a reason: They are made to encompass all knowledge, leaving nothing to guesswork

The highs and lows of Indian business

Through the stories of four men and their business empires, Nandini Vijayaraghavan's book takes a hard look at the business environment and culture in India and the unpleasant reality of rivalries

Corporate culture under the lens

Divya Khanna's book makes a case for a more humane and engaging corporate culture. She argues our status consciousness and competitiveness make our careers a collection of shorter sprints

The President vs the Prime Minister

India's Presidents were never intended to be rubber stamps, but could they manoeuvre things to strike fear into the heart of a Prime Minister?

China's expansionist playbook: A case study

A collection of essays brings out the various challenging facets of Sri Lankan politics and its foreign policy, constantly attempting to balance the pulls and pressures of its geopolitical environment