Page 5 - Book Review
From pest to ecosystem engineer
The writer Leila Philip adds to a genre of pro-beaver literature that turns out to be more populous than most of us may have known
 "From pest to ecosystem engineer")
Harappa between the lines
Nikhil Gulati and Jonathan Mark Kenoyer provide a clean but unconventional look at history
 "Harappa between the lines")
Line of duty
Mr Raza is an author, consultant, and poetry aficionado who continues to write and work even in his eighties
 "Line of duty")
Pure maths and the natural world
The book adheres closely to the popular science principle Stephen Hawking articulated in avoiding equations and formulae in A Brief History of Time
 "Pure maths and the natural world")
A closer look at 'quiet diplomacy'
At a broader level Rahul Roy Chaudhary extols the UPA's role in projecting India as a significant player in a multipolar world, away from being perceived as a peripheral actor in the Asia-Pacific
 "A closer look at 'quiet diplomacy'")
India in the nitty-gritty
Former Cabinet Secretary K M Chandrasekhar's memoir is a remarkable account of the many events that took place during his tenure, including the Mumbai terrorist attack
 "India in the nitty-gritty")
A book of cheeky obituaries
The obit goes on to say that his friends loved Mountgarret, because he was an entertaining character
 "A book of cheeky obituaries")
Anglo Indians beyond the stereotypes
In case you thought that this is a dry historic tome, perish the thought!
 "Anglo Indians beyond the stereotypes")
Colonial crime and punishment
Sunil Nair's collection of stories about crime in pre-independence India is a collage of micro pictures that takes us into the nitty-gritty of the British legal system
 "Colonial crime and punishment")
Reinventing social democracy
There is a growing disenchantment with liberal democracies. In 'A World of Insecurity', Economist Pranab Bardhan situates its root cause in the economic and cultural insecurity of people
 "Reinventing social democracy")
The gas-coal riddle
Former coal secretary Anil Kumar Jain's book makes a strong case for using coal until renewable energy becomes ubiquitous in India
 "The gas-coal riddle")
History of Hollywood
On-set stories, technical details, funny anecdotes about actors, the echoes of studio executives kvetching and various people complaining about critics
 "History of Hollywood")
Thought experiments about the human condition
Neil deGrasse Tyson's collection of essays challenges common assumptions through counterfactual data and provocative thought experiments, leaving even the most informed readers much to chew on
 "Thought experiments about the human condition")
Controversy in high places
"Flying Lies" dives into practically every dimension of the Rafale deal, producing an invaluable treatise on defence procurement in the process
 "Controversy in high places")
Janet Yellen: For the people
Two recent biographies offer insights into the life and work of the US Treasury Secretary. One is a tad more absorbing than the other
 "Janet Yellen: For the people")
The shifting local language mediascape
Mrinal Pande's books offers a bird's-eye view of India's language mediascape, its heft and business potential
 "The shifting local language mediascape")
On a wing and a prayer
Among the many virtues of John Lancaster's delightful The Great Air Race is how vividly it conveys the entirely different world of aviation at the dawn of the industry a century ago
 "On a wing and a prayer")
The freewheelin' Bob Dylan
His book about pop songs is a strange, slightly self-indulgent romp through songs that have been selected with no particular theme in mind
 "The freewheelin' Bob Dylan")
Case studies on the Indian economy
Saurabh Kirpal's book is a useful guide to understanding the turns and twists of India's economic policy-making - from a relatively free enterprise environment to socialism to economic liberalisation
 "Case studies on the Indian economy")
Making economics palatable
In Edible Economics, Ha-Joon Chang takes a global approach to food to deliver a stinging critique of the neoclassical order
 "Making economics palatable")
