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Fact-based
fiction
Amrik Singh
Black Thunder: Dark Nights of Terrorism in
Punjab
by M. K. Dhar. Har-Anand Publications. Pages 371. Rs 495.
IN
2005, Maloy Krishna Dhar, a retired senior official of the Intelligence
Bureau, brought out a book entitled Open Secrets: India’s
Intelligence Unveiled. As it was more or less the first book of its
kind, it was quite a sensation. Since then, a couple of other books by
persons who have been connected with the Intelligence Bureau have been
written. Apart from everything else, the Bureau wanted to put a stop to
the unveiling of its secrets.
Achievers
all
Roopinder Singh
Sikhs Unlimited
by Khushwant Singh. Rupa. Pages 211. Rs 495.
THE
Sikh diaspora has spawned thousands of success stories. The high
achievers are too well known, but what is often forgotten is that there
are many other tales to be told, to be celebrated. The book is written
by a first-time author, who went on a trans-continental journey and met
14 achievers who have been featured.
Murder
in the womb
Kanwalpreet
Female Foeticide in Punjab: Causes and Consequences
by D.P Singh. Paragon International, New Delhi. Pages 166. Rs 750.
Female
foeticide has resulted in an alarming imbalance in sex ratio across the
country. The situation has been particularly grave in Punjab, which has
achieved the dubious distinction of having the worst sex ratio. It is
unfortunate because all the 10 Gurus of the Sikhs preached equality among
men and women. The recent discovery of two graves of female foetuses at
Patran near Patiala has left a serious blot on Punjab.
Crisis
of survival
Satinder K. Girgla
Farmers Suicide in India: Dynamics and Strategies of Prevention
Ed. Dr Gyanmudra. Deep & Deep Publications, New Delhi. Pages 170. Rs
520.
THE
Indian peasantry is currently facing an epidemic of suicide, which
reveals the poignant tales of our country and the desperation that marks
the lives of so many millions. Suicides by impoverished farmers are new
to our country, as it was only in the 1990s that India woke up to a
spate of suicides by farmers. The first state where suicides were
reported was Maharashtra.
Bard’s
influence on modern life
B. L. Chakoo
Shakespeare After All
by Marjorie Garber. Anchor Books, New York. Pages 989. $18.
"EVERY
age creates its own Shakespeare. What is often described as the
timelessness of Shakespeare, the transcendent qualities for which his
plays have been praised around the world and across the centuries, is
perhaps understood as an uncanny timelessness, a capacity to speak
directly to circumstances, the playwright could have anticipated or
foreseen.
Many
Hughes of Ted’s life
These letters lay bare
his contradictions and reveal the poignant relationship with Plath,
writes Suzi Feay
Letters of Ted Hughes
Selected and edited by Christopher Reid Faber. Pages 750. £30
THIS
is a thoroughly exciting and absorbing book, as gripping as a good novel
but tragic as only a true story can be. It’s a tale rich in dramatic
irony; its protagonist is complex and fascinating, laden with
contradictions he was seemingly unaware of. Despite what one must assume
were the best efforts of Hughes's devoted publishers, he comes across as
fairly bonkers.
For
them realty rocks
Peeyush Agnihotri
Moguls of Real Estate
by Manoj Namburu; Roli Books; Pages 270. Rs 350
IN
late 1980s, the usual refrain on Dalal Street was "invest in
everything where machinery ticks (manufacturing sector)." The
catchphrase changed to "invest in everything where mouse clicks (dotcom
and IT)" in late 1990s. Ten years down the line, the buzz is to
"invest in everything that consumes bricks" (construction and
real estate).
Dutt’s
the way to care and love
Darlingji- The true love story
of Nargis and Sunil Dutt
by Kishwar Desai, Harper Collins, Pages 456. Rs 395.
Caught
between a fruitless relationship and a family that hardly understood
her, Nargis actually contemplated committing suicide, just before Sunil
Dutt entered her life, rekindling in her the desire to live, reveals a
recently released book, relating the love story of the duo.
SHORT TAKES
Fault lines of a nation
and ecology
Randeep Wadehra
-
Fault Lines of Nationhood
by Gyanendra Pandey &Yunas
Samad (Ed David Page) Roli Books, N. Delhi. Pages 138. Rs 250
-
Ecology and Human well-being
by Raghubir Singh Pirta
Shipra, Delhi. Pages:
xviii+194. Rs 495
-
Maharaja Dalip
Singh Cheated Out
by Avtar Singh Gill.
Jaswant Printers, Ludhiana. Pages 256. Rs 300
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