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Mahatma’s
wisdom distilled for today’s world
Reviewed by Roopinder
Singh
Reading Gandhi in the Twenty-First Century
by Niranjan Ramakrishnan
Palgrave Pivot. Pages 142. $45
Mahatma
Gandhi’s legacy transcends the mere political, which it is
often unfortunately confined to. It spans the spectrum of human
interaction. His life has continued to provide material for
biographers who mine it and present it to an eager readership. As for
his writings and philosophy, there is more than enough to keep
scholars busy for generations.
Gurus
as pioneers of emancipation
Reviewed by Prabhjot
Singh
Women
Liberation through the Prism of Sikh Faith
by Prabhjot Kaur
A Wisdom Collection. Pages 299. Rs 395
IT
may be sheer ignorance to give credit to the Western world in general
and the United States in particular and acknowledge them as pioneers
in both the movement for voluntary work as well as women's liberation.
Other than Bhai Khanaiya, who did not discriminate between friends and
foes while providing water and first-aid to the wounded in
battlefields, the Sikhs have pioneered the concept of community
kitchen or "langar" that remains unprecedented in the
annals of voluntarism. Intriguingly, the phenomenon of women's
liberation, as conceived and projected by the United States in the
middle of the 20th century, is considered a frontrunner for providing
gender equality at various forums, including the workplace.
Lessons
that educationists need to learn
Reviewed by M.M. Goel
Education and Economics
by Saumen Chattopadhyay
Oxford University Press. Pages 334. Rs 750
The
author has established his credentials in economics of
education and opened the debate on the recent market-oriented reforms
in education. To provide education to the people at a price or free,
the financing of education at all levels has implications for access,
quality and expansion of the delivery mechanism. The rationale for the
revival of economics of education with substantial modifications from
the mere human capital approach deserves the attention of the
stakeholders.
Weight
and watch but this one works
Reviewed by Belu
Maheshwari
The Weight Loss Club. The Curious Experiment of Nancy Housing
Cooperative
by Devapriya Roy
Rupa. Pages 297. Rs 250
The
title is really misleading, I had picked up the book thinking
it would be tongue in cheek about all auntyjis trying to lose weight,
following various diets, talking more about their weight problem than
their husbands. Every kitty party becoming a gathering where you eat
and still pontificate about staying slim, because being overweight is
more of a crime than anything else among the urban middle classes but
alas this was not the case. Weight gain being a problem finds
reference, being obese is a social problem, it also gives a few
characters some heart burns but that is not the thrust of the novel.
Non-Fiction
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