Books'22
Whilst being lost in the Plutarchian dreams, and in the middle of getting bored in this state of eternal boredom, I decided to write my views on all the 18 books that I had read in 2022. Almost all of these books were read between August and October in a year filled with random crappy exams. Although the books have been rated out of five, do not assume them to be in any particular order of rank. I'm too lazy to proofread these, auf weidersehen!
(No, I can't click aesthetic pictures!)
After a long 28 hours bus journey, I was greeted by this book. It was a quick read. I have nothing much to write about this book, except the fact that it was highly disappointing to find those standard cliches that are found all over the internet. Yes, the author did elaborate on those topics, but probably all of us would have loved to read something unique and practical. Perhaps, it's because I'm not a fan of self-help books, but this was something that I didn't expect. Perhaps, reading a Linkedin post would have been a better option.
18) The Argumentative Indian by Amartya Sen
Thank you.
5 Stars
1) City of Djinns by William Dalrymple
"What matters it, O Breeze
if now has come the spring;
when I have lost them both,
the garden and my nest."
The author of "The Twilight in Delhi" punched Mir Taqi Mir in the face of the airport authorities when a certain incident took place with him in Delhi. William Dalrymple, the author of this book was quite intrigued by this incident.
Like a ghazal grieving the loss of love, the author longs for the long-lost heritage of Delhi. It is elucidating, humorous, romantic, haunting, and relevant at the same time. From the formation of the Nigambodh Ghat to the destruction of Indraprastha; from the tales of Prithviraj Raso to the end of the Islamic Rule; and from the tales of the "Twilight Delhi" to the post-partition scenes, the book captures the essence of this very city, said to be inhabited by Djinns.
"Whosoever builds a new city in Delhi loses it", quoted an old lady. This ancient Persian proverb stands somewhat true for this cursed city. Pandavas tried to build a new city, they lost it. The same goes for each and every ruler who tried to do this task. Even the British found themselves entangled in this curse.
This book remains very close to my heart. It's like a poem, nay, it's a painting. The words would make anyone fall into the sweet pond of history. And I, dear readers, am still swimming in that pond.
2) India that is Bharat by J. Sai Deepak
Will I be exaggerating if I write that it was Sai Deepak who had helped secure some good marks on my class 12 political science viva test? A super high structure of the word 'no' would greet me. I had been listening to his speeches and interviews on YouTube for quite some time and his views on the Sabrimala issue helped me understand the other side of this issue well. Hence, it was quite natural for me to buy the book as soon as it was released. The book remained in the hands of my grandfather for around a month and was later locked inside a wardrobe with my other books because it was impossible for me to have my hands wander anywhere around non-school books. No sooner did my exams get over than I started reading this book. If there has been any book that took me more than two months to read (that too, in the voice of J Sai Deepak), it has to be this, it has to be this.
The author stresses the influence of Christianity in the modus operandi of the organizations such as the UN and policies like the Government of India Act, of 1919. We casually use toleration, modernity, secularism and several such words in our average life, but ignore their evangelical origins. The book starts with the massacres orchestrated by Christopher Columbus in the 15th century and allows the readers to distinguish between the different approaches and forms of colonialism. Sai Deepak analysis the views of acclaimed experts on this matter, and puts forth the primary sources that would allow the readers to reach a conclusion on their own. It is practically impossible to erase the footprints of colonialism, but to understand the intention behind those policies and to have an indic-conciousness is something that we need to realize. As the author rightly wrote, he is still learning about this issue and I look forward to reading a much more refined version of the same book in the future. Decoloniality is a concept that is fairly new to me and it requires a much more polished understanding from my end to comment more on this.
This book is highly recommended to all those who'd like to understand the second and third dimension of politics, or to put it more clearly - what goes behind the curtains when such policies are formulated and how our thought mechanism is moulded in a way suitable for the establishment.
3) Falling Over Backwards by Arun Shourie
An essay against reservations and judicial populism. It took me more than a week of continuous reading with minimum distraction to understand this book. I blame it on the complex judicial jargons that were quite new to me. The fact that this book is not read widely, despite its author being widely known, is a travesty in itself.
The book starts with the words of the first Prime Minister of India where he expresses his disappointment over the inclusion of reservations in the Parliament of India. Perhaps, that was directed at the Nehruvian scholars who purposely ignore such facts to spread the extent of their ideology. The whole idea was to construct rational, logical, historical, judicial, and constitutional arguments against the idea of reservations based on caste, class, and religion. The author puts forth factual data from different censuses and makes the readers wonder about the reason behind the continuity of reservations till now. Arun Shourie presents the readers with contradicting statements of the Indian Courts of Justice and asks them to think about the conclusion with their own approach and understanding mechanism.
Is presenting the problem the only work of such books? The author strongly differs from this statement. He presents several steps that could be taken to gradually get over this disease, id est, reservations. This book must be read by all those who are into the politics, histories, and laws of India.
4) Napoleon by Emil Ludwig
"O Sun, what is that, though seeketh", cries the medieval Corsican general, who still couldn't let go of his ancient Plutarchian dreams.
It was just after I completed reading this book while looking at the Tomb of Safdarjung, these words struck my mind and I couldn't refrain from noting them down. These words were perhaps, an instance of this feeling of pathos that I had for those dreams. Possibly, if there's any person other than Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Swami Vivekanand, Julius Caeser, and Chanakya that I revere, he has to be General Bonaparte.
It's not very often that we come across a psychological analysis of any historical figure in a comprehensive way. Napoleon comes across as a very complex character. With each name that he possesses over his lifespan, we come across different versions of Napoleon. But if there's anything that remains common is his ambitious belief. He believed in destiny. He believed that he was being guided by his star and he took decisions based on the signals he received from the star. Will-power, productive mind, calculative mind, and diplomatic tricks are just a few of the things that someone in the second decade of the 21st century could learn from that enigmatic personality. His romantic self is revealed in the book as well. He could never let go of Josephine till his death. He claimed a height that nobody could even think of and this made him secluded from others. He chose his political ambitions over his personal ambitions, and in the end failed to manage even one of them successfully. Despite this, he remains an all-time genius; a Plutarchian Era Roman Emperor in the 19th century.
To realize his genius, to understand the distinction between Emperor Bonaparte, Napoleon, and General Bonaparte, the reader has to devote more than two weeks. Although some of the words seem out of place due to translation, the eloquence is unique. Emil Ludwig's book is a must-read for all those who're into reading books. Your favourite genre doesn't matter as long as you're reading about Napoleon, because each page has a different flavour to offer.
5) Magicians of Mazda by Ashwin Sanghi
"Be happy in this moment. This moment is your life".
It was just when I was craving a semi-fiction escape after my exams, I received this magnificent book. Having read The Krishna Key where the moment I started taking an interest in any character, their death took place; I was anticipating the end of the story for Jim Dastoor every time something unexpected happened. The speech at the beginning stands guilty for pushing me deep into that narrative.
The way Mr Sanghi weaved the family history of Jim Dastoor requires special appreciation. As a reader, I would love to read more about the Dastoor Universe. Whenever Linda or Jim Dastoor narrated the glorious history of the Parsis; hailing from the steel city of Tatas, I could feel the depth in those words. Each member of his family and Baba Malik need a special book with different chapters dedicated to them.
The protagonist of this story is the Sindhu-Saraswati Vedic Civilization. The Out of India theory is narrated well by Linda whose appetite for history seems next only to the Professor Ravi Mohan Saini of St. Stephen's College.
I shared this book with my younger brother and a friend and they hold the same opinion as I do. The book starts slow. Somewhere around the 100th page, the story starts gaining its usual pace and the readers wouldn't be able to take a break. The moment the readers think that they understand a particular situation, the twist and turns make them wonder if they really understood it.
Filled with the flavours of a spy thriller, history, myths, travel, and politics; and garnished with the escape zone of fiction, this book is highly recommended to all sorts of readers.
6) Pax Indica by Dr Shashi Tharoor
Just after I was done with India, that is Bharat, I picked up this book by Dr Tharoor that I had left midway through in class eight. This time, I read the whole book in two days. This was the second book by the author that I laid my hands on, the first being the classic, The Great Indian Novel. The amount of knowledge this book offers for a layman like me is exceptional. Dr Tharoor's grip over Foreign Policy is something that we don't often talk about. The words that he wrote a decade ago are still relevant today. Some of his predictions came out to be true, some false, but most of his arguments were well-backed by substantial pieces of evidence.
We start with the fundamentals. The book starts with the tryst of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru with his dreams of India. The author, as expected couldn't asses his ideological icon with the rigour with which he analysed the other situations. He starts with our friendly neighbour Pakistan, zooms out at a reasonable speed, and critically examines our relations with countries like China, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Bhutan, and organizations like the UN, EU, and NATO amongst others. I loved the chapter where the author dealt with the Multi-Alignment policies that can shape the approach mechanism of the Pax Indica. Our External Affairs Minister Dr Jaishankar is also a strong proponent of this realpolitik approach.
Overall, this book poses as a must-read for all age groups that are new to the history of the Foreign Policies of India. Perhaps, I should have not left reading it halfway through in class eight.
4 Stars
7) The Krishna Key by Ashwin Sanghi
"Good lawyers know the law, and great lawyers know the judge."
I was about to turn off the lights in my room to avail my much-needed sleep, but the intrigue generated by that line kept me awake till 7 in the morning. Sharing what I experienced whilst reading this book would be quite a tricky task, because there are literally mind-boggling twists at the end of every tenth page. I would refrain from spoiling the book for those yet to read it. I must say, I had stopped reading fiction. Ashwin Sanghi brought me back to this world. Having read three of his books by now, I can confidently say that this was the best of them.
Although I'm a student of Political Science at Ramjas, I wouldn't mind starting afresh from the first year to just study history from Professor Ravi Mohan Saini of Stephen's, which is about ten steps from my college. Ashwin Sanghi narrated the barbarism of the Islamic invaders, elaborated on the richness of the Saraswati-Sindhu Civilization, and didn't refrain from putting forth some harsh truths in front of the audience. The story runs parallel to the ancient story of Lord Krishna and his adventures, which are never not new to read. This unique way of storytelling allowed the readers to connect the similarities between both storylines.
The series of deaths perplexed me. Perhaps, I thought that the Syamantaka Stone would have resurrected those deaths, but alas! Perhaps, I'd have loved to see how this group of genius friends would have changed the world with their knowledge. Perhaps, an ending where Priya and Prof Saini would have been together. Perhaps, the ending could have been better. Yet, it remains a page-turner. This book is recommended to everybody who'd like a quick yet intriguing read.
8) The Upside-Down King by Sudha Murty
Reading a book on India by the mother-in-law of the Prime Minister of the UK wouldn't have been a rational idea, years, or even months ago. But as of today, we can read those words and yet not find any condescending tone of racism in them. Sudha Murty needs no introduction. Conveying interesting anecdotes in the simplest way possible remains her forte.
The book is divided into two parts that deal with the stories of Rama and Krishna respectively. Although I was not new to this magical world of the ancient history of India, there were things that looked so fresh as if I were reading about those topics for the first time. It delves into some lesser-known stories about the ancient heroes of India. Why is it that we know a great deal about the ancient Roman and Greek heroes, but so little about the heroes who shaped the traditions and cultures of our subcontinent? This book tries to fill in that space.
It could be a good start to any day, and if possible, I wouldn't shy away from reading this book each and every day. A quick read that leaves a lasting impact would be something that none of us would like to miss these days. It could be a go-to for all age groups.
9) In Xanadu by William Dalrymple
"In Xanadu did Kubla Khan
A stately pleasure-dome decree:
Where Alph, the sacred river, ran
Through cavern measureless to man
Down to a sunless sea."
- Samuel Taylor Coleridge
William Dalrymple carries this extraordinary power to make the readers assume they are travelling with him. His eloquence pushes the readers into his magical mind that can make even the simplest of things humorous and romantic. Probably, I felt for him when he had to break up with Louisa. His adventures often seemed exaggerated with a prominent feature of the exotic outlook of an excited foreigner, and the historical mentions were quite off the track in some instances. There were several factors that shouted that it was his first book, but those don't diminish the fact that it was fun to read his account.
The author tries to trace the path of Marco Polo and reach the summer palace of Kublai Khan, Xanadu. He starts off his journey from Jerusalem and tries to navigate all across the Arab countries in a period that was about to see the initiation of geo-political tensions. The first eighty pages are quite boring for a reader like me where I couldn't understand the context of the situation, but things became quite smooth after he left Israel. The most interesting parts of the books were where his identity was unknown to the official border authorities. I highly recommend this book for all looking forward to travelling across the world within the boundaries of their home.
10) Train to Pakistan by Khushwant Singh
I flipped the last page at a speed never claimed before, only to realize that Khushwant Singh had left the rest of the story for the readers to comprehend. Am I even qualified to judge and review this masterpiece? Hell no! The master of colloquiality ventured into one of the most sensitive issues in India and put forth his without any fear of the harsh consequences of this freedom of expression in that era, where getting jailed, assassinated, and banned were much more common than being cancelled.
Khushwant Singh takes us into the village of Mano Majra. This small village has some parallels to the modern-day digital bubble of Twitter. We have people from all possible classes who are a part of this town, and they share their views with each other quite boldly. It's too early to presume the antagonist and protagonist at the beginning of the book because each and every character's actions are supported by justified reasons. The story is a cold reminder to the readers of the gruesome partition of India and how the wounds are yet to be healed.
This is a relatively short story and could be read by everyone who's aware of the communal tension that surrounds this complex history of India.
11) Hindu Love Stories by Aditi Banerjee
My immature self thought of this book to be yet another compilation of happy-ending stories. Little did I know about the magical world I was about to dive into. The introduction blew me apart. The author's clarity kept me stuck in the book for the next two hours. There could be multiple ideas about love. In modern India, love is often mistaken to be a foreign element. The thoughts of the author assure the readers of the genuineness of the stories. Most of the present-day books on the ancient Indian scriptures have an element of Western Wokeism in them. This book stays true to its name.
All the stories left a strong impact on my understanding of relations, but the story of Queen Leela and Goddess Saraswati turned out to be my favourite. I had to read that chapter thrice to understand that there were elements of the concept of parallel universes in the story. Quite fascinating; and highly recommended.
12) Why I Killed Gandhi by Nathuram and Gopal Godse
"I have...no doubt that had the audience of that day been constituted into a jury and entrusted with the task of deciding Godse's appeal, they would have brought in a verdict of 'not guilty' by an overwhelming majority."
Thus wrote Justice GD Khosla, one of the three judges of the Punjab High Court. This book was buried under the guilt of justifying the assassination of the so-called Mahatma. A first look at the book would give us the same impression, but the tale becomes much more enigmatic than the reader could imagine. Godse pays his respects to MKG throughout the book and suffixes the Hindi word for respect "ji" to his name. He mentions pretty clearly that he never had any personal conflict with MKG, but an ideological difference, that led to the event.
"You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain." Godse immortalized Gandhi by assassinating him in 1948. According to my principles, that assassination wasn't even necessary because the belief of the people was already drifting away from Gandhi. Even the Prime Minister was trying his best to sideline the policies of MKG. It was too late to assassinate that belief. The eloquence and clarity in the speech of Nathuram Godse were something I never expected. If the readers are into reading the primary and quick version of the controversies that often take place in society, this should undoubtedly be a must-read!
13) The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel
It seemed ridiculous. It did seem ridiculous to read that being rich is not equal to being wealthy, but I didn't have anything else to read as well. That was an anachronistic dillema. Hence, I kept turning pages, and when I could no longer find any more pages to turn, I realized that this book was not at all overhyped. It stayed true to its words and proved why money completely depends on our thought mechanism. The words made me wonder about things that I had never thought about before, and reaffirm my belief in particular aspects of handling money.
If there's anything that I learnt from this book that'd stay together with me throughout my life until challenged by a much better argument, is that if there's any way time could be bought, it is through the power of money. The book has been written in the simplest way possible which allows laymen like me to understand the concept clearly as well. If I write more, it would become indistinguishable from other reviews, so let me close my review here.
3 Stars
14) Maxims from Mahabharata by Sridhar Potaraju
Sometimes, a piece of wisdom is all that it takes for someone to gain back the much-needed momentum in life.
A few days ago, I was speaking with a friend and I recall him emphasising that he was looking forward to reading books on Philosophy. I suggested to him the works of Vivekananda, and Aurobindo, and there was a visible disappointment on his face. He spoke about how debates on the views of Socrates and Plato take place in the colleges, and there's a need to know their views in detail to get the invite to join those elite circles. Do I oppose that view? Absolutely not. But to call the Indian/Hindu Schools of Philosophy unnecessary was something that I couldn't understand. "It's complicated", was his reply when I asked him the reason for this dislike towards the Indic Philosophies. This book drives away that "complication".
For the uninitiated who find it tough to sit for days and read books, this book, that is, a short and crisp read about the lessons from the Mahabharata would be a perfect book, to begin with. Sometimes, we just feel like to know what a particular historical legend would have thought about any topic, and this book comes in handy in such situations. It feels like the characters speak directly to us. The messages are very systematically written with the help of the contexts.
Oh, and this book is with that friend now. :')
15) Chanakya's Chant by Ashwin Sanghi
I started reading this book on a 28-hour-long journey. Coincidently, my destination was the ancient city of Patliputra. It was quite entertaining but lacked the charm that I expected from Ashwin Sanghi, who has the potential to research his material from the vaguest of sources. This book assumed the readers to be dumb. The simplest of twists were explained at length. It failed to explain the mystery of Chanakya's Chant found by Gangasagar Mishra. Several punch lines have been used in the book that gives us a feel of a Bollywood Movie.
The book has a standard Ashwin Sanghi beginning of the tryst with a crime. We find that the present story runs parallel to the story of Vishnugupta Chanakya. I love this alternate re-telling of Chanakya's endeavours. In contrast to our history books where the primary focus remains on the conquests and kingdom of Chandragupta Maurya, here, the author fabricates the perspective of Chanakya. Although the author takes some liberty in fabricating some fictional tales in the story, this parallel proves to be the best part of the novel. Pandit Gangasagar Mishra finds a Chandragupta in the young Chandani Gupta and helps her polish her education. Thus, she becomes another Prime Minister to have studied at the University of Oxford.
As a reader, I never get to discover anything unique about Chandani Gupta. We never get to know why Gangasagar Mishra chose her as his pawn. Throughout the novel, she remains a puppet of Pandit Gangasagar Mishra's plans. It fails to explain the mystery of the Chanakya. Perhaps, had the author added more pages to the book, such trifles wouldn't have interfered with this wonderful reading experience. I highly recommend this to all those who're looking for an entertaining and gripping book.
1 Star
16) The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success by Deepak Chopra
17) Pahadi by Arjun Ganesh
As the title conveys, this is the story of hills. The author is a young trekker. Young, a word that usually brings an element of inexperience to your mind. This preconceived notion of the readers is challenged by the eloquent author. This book has elements of thrill, joy, and extreme passion.
The book starts with a "singhad" of mountains. The tales of the Mahratta valour keep you glued to the first chapter. Immediately, with the turn of a page, you are transported to chilly Manali. Although short, the stories start to become quite repetitive after the adventures of the second chapter.
18) The Argumentative Indian by Amartya Sen
Populus vult decipi. Amartya Sen is that uncle in a wedding who keeps questioning your life choices to masquerade as a curious intellectual but doesn't accept the answer when you answer all his questions rationally.
The book starts beautifully with the dialogue between Gargi and Yajnavalkya. The author, with the help of a few more examples from ancient history, establishes the fact that Indian tradition has always welcomed the concept of being argumentative, a concept where reasoning is believed to be the most important feature. A few essays into the text, we realize that the author seemed to believe that his right to be argumentative was sacrosanct and nobody could put forth their arguments against his arguments. The Argumentative Indian is the primary example of serving half-baked knowledge of Indian History, which serves well to his western audiences who prefer an exotic portrayal of India. It is clearly seen that Amartya Sen lacks this in-depth knowledge of Indian Philosophies, but his idea of presenting the idea of pluralism in India with the help of the different calendars and his grip on Tagore's philosophies deserve appreciation.
I loved how his book allowed me to think against his reasonings, and perhaps, for the first time, I had to use a red pen on the pages of any book to correct the factual inaccuracies and present another side of the argument as well. I would love to do an essay-wise dissection of how this book has several inaccuracies. I would only recommend this book to those who can filter out all the propaganda from the book and focus on the relevant content in the book.
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