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The
impressionistic nuances of Hari Kunzru
Adam Mars-Jones
The Impressionist
by Hari Kunzru, Hamish Hamilton, London. Pages 496 £ 13
THERE
are bags of talent to be found in Hari Kunzru's rather hyped
first novel, but they're compact in size and oddly distributed
through the book. Perhaps packets of talent would be a more
accurate description, packets or pockets, emptied out
selectively over favoured minor characters, withheld from the
hero.
Educating
educationists
S. P. Dhawan
Teaching and Learning
by Prema Clarke. Sage Publications, New Delhi. Pages 224 Rs.
250
EDUCATION
is universally acknowledged to be one of the most significant
and effective tools of individual refinement, social
enrichment and national development.
Trying
to get to the roots of the Kashmir problem
Padam Ahlawat
Towards the future — Jammu & Kashmir in the 21st
Century
by Vernon Hewitt. Granta Editions, Cambridge, UK. Pages 236
IN
his earlier book, Hewitt had raised the question if it was
possible for the Kashmiris to reclaim their past. His effort
was to find out how a region replete with overwhelming natural
beauty, steeped in religious, cultural and ethnic diversity,
had become a land of violent conflict. Six years later,
Kashmir is still a land of violent conflict and international
concern over open conflict is more focused.
When
the magic of Goa does not enrapture
Aradhika Sekhon
Elsa’s Joint and
other Goan Characters
by Remigo Botelho Published by Rupa Price Rs 150.
GOA
is evocative of the sun, sea, music, carnival and colour. For
films and books that wish to deal effectively with Goa and
Goans, it is imperative that they convey the atmosphere that
belongs particularly to this part of India.
Bottom-up
approach to development
Rakesh Datta
Dynamics
of Development: A Sociological Perspective
by S.R. Mehta. Gyan Publishing House, New Delhi. Pages
252 Rs. 400
DEVELOPMENT
is a complex, intricate, knotty and slippery concept. The
difference lies in it being conceived differently by scholars
belonging to varied fields. To comprehend it fully one has to
have an appreciation and understanding of various disciplines
that have bearing on it.
Return
of regionalism
Kuldeep Kaur
Regionalism in World Politics: Regional Organisation and
International Order
edited by Louise Fawcett and Andrew Hurrell, Oxford University
Press. Pages 342. Rs 610
THIS
This book is to be commended for it tries to grapple with the
complexities of the current regionalist debate. In the
process, it raises several significant questions: what are the
factors that explain the resurgence of regionalism?
OFF THE SHELF
The role of
ancient libraries of the West
V. N. Datta
WE
are so obsessed with our national history and its allied problems that
we tend to ignore what lies outside in the world. We have adopted the
democratic mode of governance but have failed to imbibe its spirit, a
lacuna that has created enormous problems for us in the country.
SHORT TAKES
The inflated
importance of politics
Jaswant Singh
Politics and Beyond
by Ramashray Roy; Shipra Publications, Delhi: Pages 244; Rs 495.
IN
today’s life, politics occupies a high position and disproportionate
importance in society. Ramashray Roy, in this book, casts his gaze
beyond the horizon of politics and discovers that the inflated
importance of politics has lowered the role of society as a promoter
of collective good.
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