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OFf the shelf
Vitality of Islamic
civilisation
V. N. Datta
Lost History: The Enduring
Legacy of Muslim Scientists, Thinkers and Artists
by Michael Hamilton
Morgan. National
Geographic Society, Washington DC. Pages XVIII+302. $26.
THIS book doesn’t
discuss Islam or its theology but Islamic civilisation, which has been
misunderstood and distorted, especially after 9/11 attacks on the US.
The author has resurrected and reconstructed the hitherto forgotten
contributions of Islamic civilisation in various spheres of human
activity to humankind, in order to counter the nefarious propaganda
waged that Islam is the breeding-ground of terrorism.
Centre grows at states’
cost
Kanwalpreet
Federalism, Nationalism
and Development: India and the Punjab Economy
by Pritam Singh. Routledge. Pages 223. £85.
INDIA is a rich
conglomeration of diverse nationalisms. This diversity appears to be to
be a unique potion for the Indian state that has led to problems of
various dimensions. The framers of the Constitution could probably
foresee the dilemma this would entail and thus, vehemently opposed the
idea of a purely federal form of government for India.
Poignant tale of lost
souls
Ramesh Luthra
Past Continuous
by Neel Mukherjee. Picador
India. Pages 543. Rs 495.
NOT very often do we come
across a novel so intense, thoughtful and one that runs on many levels
simultaneously. Although a debut attempt by the author, Past
Continuous is undoubtedly an engaging and powerful work of art. An
extract from Rabindranath Tagore’s The Home and the World makes
it obvious that the theme of the novel can be traced to it.
The last
Mughal
Rachna Singh
The Trial of Bahadur Shah
Zafar
by H.L.O. Garrett. Roli
Books. Pages 450. Rs 395.
THE Taj Mahal and the Red
Fort even today take us back into the grandeur and greatness of the
Mughal dynasty established by Babur. With political acumen and a just
administrative code, Humayun and Akbar built a prosperous empire that
was said to be stable enough to survive great odds. But two decades of
internal strife and decadence of the Mughal descendants brought
irreparable ruin.
Fair way to change
Aditi Garg
My God is a Woman
by Noor Zaheer Vitasta Publishing Pvt.
Ltd. Pages-306.
EMPOWERING women would
ensure that the world is a better place, but this empowerment has been
unduly delayed as the power to make changes at the legal level rests
mostly with men. Noor Zaheer, the author of
My God is a Woman, is a woman of sheer grit, very much like Safia,
the main character. Zaheer is a researcher and social worker who has
written Mere hisse ki roshni, Surkh karwaan ke humsafar and Bad
uraiyya.
Legends, then and now
A.J. Philip
Encounters
T.P. Sreenivasan Rhythm House Pages 149, Price not
listed
THIS is a book a colleague
found so boring that he refused to review it. But I found it so
interesting that I finished it in one go. This may be because I have met
some of the people whose sketches and pen portraits are included in this
anthology originally written as a column for an Internet portal.
Out of the closet
Gay Bombay
by Parmesh Shahani; Sage.
Rs 395. Pages 349
SEXUALITY can be an
interesting lens to examine changes happening in India—the economic
surge, the higher political profile, the cultural explosion on the world
stage and a new and assertive confidence in its own capability as a
major world power, says a new book.
Battle with the enemy
within
Writer and painter Roma
Tearne saw Sri Lanka’s civil strife played out within her family. Julie
Wheelwright talks to her about the arts of memory and survival
ROMA Tearne gives me a wry
smile over our lunch at a local bistro near her Oxford home. "You
know," she says, leaning confidentially over the onion soup,
"You didn't ask me anything about the civil war." For a moment
I blanch before she laughs.
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