Excerpts
Religions beyond ‘isms’
Upinder Singh
IN the realms of religious doctrines and practices, the period c. 200 BCE to 300 CE reflects several continuities with the earlier centuries, but also some striking new developments. One of the most important of these was the beginning of new devotional practices within Buddhism and Jainism and the emergence of early Hinduism.

Interpreting violence Violence — Impact and Intervention
Satinder K. Girgla
Ed Manjit Singh and D.P. Singh. Atlantic Publishers. Pages XXV+253. Price 695
Violence is a universal phenomenon. It is everywhere — on streets, in homes, schools and even at workplaces. There is no community or country that does not face violence in one form or the other. Occurring in all kinds of settings—urban or rural, modern or traditional, rich or poor, it takes various forms. However violence is avoidable.

President’s power and values
G.S. Bhargava
The Kalam Effect — My Years with the President
by P.M. Nair. Harper-Collins. Pages 147. Rs 250.
Going by the title of the book, it might be taken that this is one more addition to the veritable library of publications on the former President, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, highlighting his qualities of head and heart, but let me stress this is not the case. This is an intimate, almost day-by-day account of his presidency, by the author, an IAS officer, who was the President's secretary for the full five-year term.

Your right to know
Harbans Singh
Right To Information Act, 2005: An Analysis
by Dr. Abhe Singh Yadav. Central Law Publications, Allahabad. Rs.140. Pages 230.
Significantly, he author of Right to Information Act, 2005, Dr. Abhe Singh Yadav, studied the subject of Efficacy of Writ Jurisdiction: A Socio-Legal Critique for his doctoral thesis in Law. It dealt with the various factors affecting the efficacy of writ jurisdiction and their practical impact on the common man moving the courts to seek justice.

Man who was saint
Shalini Rawat
Thakur: A life of Sri Ramakrishna
Rajiv Mehrotra. Penguin. Pages 178. Rs 250
WE know the saint. It would have been nice to know the man. Sri Ramakrishna was an enigma not easily unravelled. His mystic experiences, as well as those of his devotees, have been documented well by his followers. And still the man behind the soft radiant smile on the book cover eludes everyone.

Jailbird novelist’s wings clipped
Guy Adams
IT’S just as well that Oscar Wilde and John Bunyan, to name two of literature’s greatest jailbirds, weren’t sentenced to serve time in the Victor Martin. A novelist and career criminal whose four published books were written in his cell in Elizabeth City, is at the centre of a civil liberties dispute after authorities confiscated the manuscript of his fifth book and attempted to ban him from writing.

Knowing Lata
A new book reveals little-known facts about the singing legend
Sreya Basu
HOW many of us know that Lata Mangeshkar’s real name was Hema? A new book on her is not only a compendium of all her songs but also chronicles some unknown facts about the singing legend. Snehasis Chatterjee, a musicologist and a big fan of Lata, has released a book on the Indian ‘nightingale’ titled Lata Geetikosh. He claims that his book provides authentic information about her life and career.

back of the book

• The Art of oratory
  Selected, Edited & Introduced by Charles Mosley. Roli Pages 344. Rs 595.
  

• The Pedant’s Revolt — Why most things you think are right are wrong
  by Andrea Barham. Michael O’Mara Books Limited Pages 160. Rs 120
  

• Serendipities — Language and Lunacy
  Umberto Eco. Translated by William Weaver. Phoenix Pages 153. Rs 175
  

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