Book picks similar to
In the Belly of the River by Amita Baviskar
non-fiction
ethnography
office-books
anthropology-culture-society
I Came Upon a Lighthouse: A Short Memoir Of Life With Ratan Tata
Shantanu Naidu - 2021
I would write about us and our adventures together, and how I saw him, colours and shades of him unknown to the world. Life beyond the great steel wall of 'industry doyen'.He agreed. 'There cannot be one book that captures everything ... So you do your thing, give your perspective.'It was their shared empathy for homeless dogs that sparked an unlikely friendship. In 2014, Shantanu Naidu, an automobile design engineer in his early twenties, developed an innovation to save the local strays from being run over by speeding cars. Ratan Tata, himself known for his compassion for stray dogs, took note. Impressed, he not only decided to invest in the venture, but over the years became a mentor, boss and an unexpectedly dear friend to Shantanu.I Came Upon a Lighthouse is an honest, light-hearted telling of this uncommon bond between a millennial and an octogenarian that gives glimpses of a beloved Indian icon in a warm light.
A White Trail: A Journey Into the Heart of Pakistan's Religious Minorities
Haroon Khalid - 2013
Of the wider issue of global politics, he reasons, the rise of Islamic fundamentalism has been a side effect. And religious intolerance places the minority communities of the country in a precarious position.They have to come to terms with a rapidly changing situation. A White Trail is an ethnographic study of these communities and the changes they are having to face. At a time when almost all accounts of religious minorities in the country focus on the persecution and discrimination they experience, A White Trail delves deeper into their lives, using the occasion of religious festivals to gain a deeper insight into the psyche of Pakistani Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, Zoroastrians and Bahais. It seeks to understand, through the oral testimonies of the members of these communities, larger socio-political issues arising from the situation.A White Trail originally began as a series of newspaper articles written by Lahore - based Haroon Khalid for Pakistans widely - circulated weekly, The Friday Times.
Sahir Ludhianvi - The peoples poet
Akshay Manwani - 2013
So great was his stature as an Urdu poet that he never had to mould his poetry to suit the demands of film songwriting; instead, producers and composers adapted their requirements to his poetry. His songs in films like Pyaasa, Naya Daur and Phir Subah Hogi have attained the status of classics. This exhaustive biography traces the poet’s rich life, from his troubled childhood and his equally troubled love relationships, to his rise as one of the pre-eminent personalities of the Progressive Writers Movement and his journey as lyricist through the golden era of Hindi film music, the 1950s and 1960s.
Nehru: A Contemporary's Estimate
Walter Crocker - 1966
Walter Crocker, the Australian high commissioner to India, admired Nehru the man—his grace, style, intelligence and energy—and was deeply critical of many of his political decisions—the invasion of Goa, India’s Kashmir policy, the Five Year Plans. This book, written shortly after Nehru’s death, is full of invaluable first hand observations about the man and his politics. Many of Crocker’s points, too—especially the implications of the Five Year Plans and of the introduction of democracy to India—are particularly relevant today.
Gordon Ramsay's Great Escape: 100 Of My Favourite Indian Recipes
Gordon Ramsay - 2010
His new cookbook is packed with the best recipes from his travels, showing you how to cook authentic dishes that are bursting with flavour. As you'd expect from a Michelin-starred chef, Gordon brings his eye for perfection and ability to judge flavours perfectly to his exploration of Indian food and shows us how to cook authentic, mouth-watering dishes from all over this huge and varied country. He visits Kerala deep in the South of India to bring us spicy, coconut-based curries and travels to colourful Rajasthan to learn about the creamy, flavourful dishes of the North. Along the way Gordon experiences the hugely different flavours and spices from the different regions and absorbs local cooking styles and traditions. Throughout his culinary journey, Gordon selects the best of the vast array of Indian spices, now readily available in British supermarkets. He shows us how to use these authentically to produce a beautifully flavoured Indian dish. Gordon Ramsay's Great Escape includes over 100 recipes in the following sections: Everyday, Entertaining, Quick Lunches and Healthy Dishes. Once Gordon shows you how easy it is to put together authentic Indian dishes, you'll never look back.
Out of the Box: Watching the Game We Love
Harsha Bhogle - 2009
Out of the Box brings together the very best of Harsha’s writings, in a book that will be a veritable delight for any cricket fan.Knowledgeable, frank and witty, and with a sense of drama comparable to that of cricket itself, Harsha brings the nation’s cricketing ethos inimitably to life. And he is at his best when paying tribute to some cricketing greats—Lara, Inzamam, Jayasuriya, Ganguly, Sehwag, and the incomparable Tendulkar.As he follows India’s fortunes on the cricket field at home and overseas, Harsha asks the question: can India really be no.1 in all three forms of the game? The answer lies in our history, and in the pages of Out of the Box.
Yuganta: The End of an Epoch
Irawati Karve - 1967
The usually venerated characters of this ancient Indian epic are here subjected to a rational enquiry that places them in context, unravels their hopes and fears, and imbues them with wholly human motives, thereby making their stories relevant and astonishing to contemporary readers. Irawati Karve, thus, presents a delightful collection of essays, scientific in spirit, yet appreciative of the literary tradition of the Mahabharata. She challenges the familiar and formulates refreshingly new interpretations, all the while refusing to judge harshly or venerate blindly.
Running Made Easy
Susie Whalley - 2004
It features a “60-Second Secret Plan” for starting off, tips on running shoes and other equipment, and sample structured programs for improving health and endurance. In addition, there are quizzes to help newcomers assess their current fitness levels, a runner’s diary to track progress, and inspirational stories about sport’s life-changing effects. Colorful sidebars cover everything from how running produces chemical changes in the brain that improve one’s mood to strategies for adding distance to a weekly program.
Bhimsen
Prem Panicker
But MT Vasudevan Nair (popularly known as “MT”) turned him into a three-dimensional figure, more sensitive and thoughtful than he is usually given credit for. “He took familiar building blocks and created an entirely new, incredibly compelling construct from them,” says Prem Panicker, senior journalist, Rediff.com co-founder and a long-time admirer of MT’s work.
Rekha: The Untold Story
Yasser Usman - 2017
A racy page-turner on the reclusive star this book tells the truth about her relationship with the reigning superstar of the time her many other love affairs the shocking suicide of her husband and her curious relationship with her androgynous secretary Farzana. About the AuthorYasser Usman is an award-winning TV journalist and the author of the bestselling Rajesh Khanna The Untold Story of India s First Superstar.
वोल्गा से गंगा
Rahul Sankrityayan - 1943
A true vagabond, Sankrityayan traveled to far lands like Russia, Korea, Japan, China and many others, where he mastered the languages of these lands and was an authority on cultural studies.The stories collectively trace the migration of Aryans from the steppes of the Eurasia to regions around the Volga river; then their movements across the Hindukush and the Himalayas and the sub-Himalayan regions; and their spread to the Indo-Gangetic plains of the subcontinent of India. The book begins in 6000 BC and ends in 1942, the year when Mahatma Gandhi, the Indian nationalist leader called for the quit India movement.
Periyar: A Political Biography of E.V. Ramasamy
Bala Jeyaraman - 2013
He opposed the exploitation and marginalisation of the non-Brahmin indigenous Dravidian peoples of South India and the imposition of, what he considered, Indo-Aryan India. His work has greatly revolutionised Tamil society and has significantly removed caste-based discrimination. He is also responsible for bringing new changes to the Tamil alphabet. The citation awarded by the UNESCO described Periyar as "the prophet of the new age, the Socrates of South East Asia, father of social reform movement and arch enemy of ignorance, superstitions, meaningless customs and base manners"
Sebastian and Sons: A Brief History of Mrdangam Makers
T.M. Krishna - 2020
Yet—startling as this is— the instrument as we know it is only a century old. T.M. Krishna investigates the history of the mrdangam and meets the invisible keepers of a tradition: the mrdangam makers.The making process is an intellectually, aesthetically and physically taxing one. From acquiring the skins for the circular membranes and straps to the wood for the drum, from curing the material to the final construction, and at the end of it all, making sure that it has the tone that the mrdangam player wants, mrdangam-making is also a highly nuanced operation at every stage.While several artists have been credited with the evolution of the instrument, including the stalwart Palghat Mani Iyer, none of them had knowledge of a fundamental aspect of the making: hide. The quality of the hide and how it is cured, cut, stretched, bound and braided impacts the tone, timbre and sound of the instrument. This requires a highly tuned ear and an ability to translate abstract ideas expressed by musicians into the corporeal reality of a mrdangam. Yet, their contribution to the art of the mrdangam is dismissed as labour and repair—when it is spoken of at all.There are legendary mrdangam players, yes; there are also distinguished mrdangam makers, many of them from Dalit Christian communities, who remain on the fringes of the Karnatik community. Sebastian and Sons explores the world of these artists, their history, lore and lived experience to arrive at a more organic and holistic understanding of the music that the mrdangam makes.
Indian Givers: How the Indians of the Americas Transformed the World
Jack Weatherford - 1988
He traces the crucial contributions made by the Indians to our federal system of government, our democratic institutions, modern medicine, agriculture, architecture, and ecology, and in this astonishing, ground-breaking book takes a giant step toward recovering a true American history.
Fast, Cheap and Viral: How to Create Game-Changing Content on a Shoestring Budget
Aashish Chopra - 2019
Yet, today, his content has over 350 million views and industry masters universally agree that Aashish has cracked the viral code.In Fast, Cheap and Viral, the ace marketer shares the secrets behind his success - all of them learnt and honed on his journey. This one-stop super-guide to viral video marketing gives you the low-down on:HOW TO GRAB EYEBALLS in a sea of content;HOW TO DRIVE ENGAGEMENT (because views can be bought, but engagement is earned);WHY STORYTELLING BEATS PRODUCTION VALUE and behind-the-scenes tips and tricks;HOW TO BUILD YOUR PERSONAL BRAND and kill job insecurity.For every student, entrepreneur, blogger, marketing manager or leader who dreams of reaching millions on a shoestring budget, this book is the definitive manual on sustainable viral success.