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When
things fall apart
K. K. Katyal
The Idea of Pakistan
by Stephen Philip Cohen.
Oxford University Press. Pages 382. Rs 495.
Though next door, Pakistan has been
a puzzle to average Indians, and even experts and policy-makers, at
times, have not been able to explain the logic of what’s happening
there.
Might
of the Dragon
Ravni Thakur
China’s Power
Projection
by Air Cdre Ramesh
Phadke. Manas Publishers. Pages 252. Rs 595.
China and India have come a
long way in terms of normalising relations since the 1962 war. Full
diplomatic ties were reestablished in 1976, and since then, we have
seen several high-level visits. Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s
visit to China in 1988 was a landmark visit.
Novelty
returns to Indian novel
Rana Nayar
Over to you Kadambari
by Alka Saroagi.
translated by Vandana R. Singh.
Katha, New Delhi. Pages 213. Rs 250
The year was 1998. Alka Saroagi
wrote her first novel, Kali Katha: via Bypass, in Hindi.
Arundhati Roy, too, had published her first novel, The God of
Small Things, a year earlier, but in English. Understandably,
Arundhati went on to win the Booker, while Alka had to stay content with
the Sahitya Akademi Award.
The
beast within
M. L. Raina
Aftermath: An Oral History of Violence
by Meenakshie Verma
Penguin Books, New Delhi. Pages 178. Rs 250.
Meenakshie Verma’s book
immediately reminds you of Shonali Bose’s haunting recent film, Amu,
which describes an American-Indian girl’s journey home to trace
her roots in the debris of the1984 anti-Sikh riots. Like the film, Aftermath
foregrounds the relationship of memory and history, of violence and its
impact on victims, survivors and other witnesses.
Schoolgirl's
bestseller a Hollywood film
Paul Kelbie
A 13-year-old schoolgirl wrote
a novel when she was 10. She is nowmulling over a Hollywood movie deal
after her book looks set to sell more than one million copies.
Many
languages, one celebration
Himmat Singh Gill on men of
letters coming together to mark the 50th anniversary of the Sahitya
Akademi
Novelists, poets, critics,
university professors, a few hangers-on who understood little but made a
lot of noise, mediapersons who went about interviewing only the known
names in contemporary literature, and quite a few overdressed
ladies participated in the Festival of Letters organised to mark the
Sahitya Akademi’s 50th anniversary at the India
International Centre, Delhi.
May
their tribe increase
R. L. Singal
Land, Community and Governance
Ed. Pankaj Ballabh.
National Foundation for India, New Delhi.
Pages 134. Price not stated.
This volume is the result of a research project of Seva Mandir, a
voluntary organisation working in southern Rajasthan (Udaipur district)
since 1960s, motivating villagers to demand that the state be more
responsive to their needs. It has succeeded in establishing models of
development that could be replicated on a large scale by the state.
Middle
path
Shalini Rawat
Light Strokes
by Darshan Singh Maini
Publishers : Writers Workshop
Rs 300 (hardback); Rs 150 (paperback) Pages: 247
Darshan Singh Maini insists on
calling his middles ‘short-distance runners’. I liken them to
women’s skirts – they are long enough to cover all the vital points
and short enough to arouse attention.
Business
Basic
instinct
Arvind Mehan
The Biz
50 Little Things that make a Big Difference to Team Motivation and
Leadership
by David Freemantle
Nicholas Brealey Publishing, Research Press, London.
Pages 117. Rs 120.
A leadership guru, David Freemantle
provides great inspiration in making a big difference to your team
motivation and leadership skills. He explains how, as a team leader,
your own actions are observed, even what time you start work in the
morning, Thus the decision of what to do first— whether to pick up the
phone, check the e-mail, read the newspaper, grab a coffee, greet the
boss, chat with the secretary or walk around saying "Hi!" to
every team member and asking about their weekend—will have an impact
on the team.
Short
takes
Ways
to beat stress
Randeep Wadehra
Stress: From Burnout to Balance
by Vinay Joshi Response Books. Pages: 210. Rs 185.
Today people, especially those from
middle classes, are caught up in a nerve-racking rat race that takes a
heavy toll of both body and mind, adversely affecting personal and
professional relationships. In a highly competitive milieu, stress is
inevitable.
-
Change Your Life in
30 Days
by Rhonda Britten
Hodder & Stoughton, London. Pages: xi + 290. $10. 99
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Absolute Impact
by Mathew May
Jaico, Mumbai. Pages: xiv + 273. Rs 175.
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