Asia After Europe

Asia After Europe
by Sugata Bose.
Harvard University Press.
Pages 275. Rs 699

The iconic image of Bharatmata by Tagore’s nephew in 1905 was the first product of emerging Asianism in the 20th century tracked by Sugata Bose in all its hues — the contradictions, overlaps — and several dimensions, from arts to politics. Closely-written, highlighting the foibles and strengths of leaders and artists who define crucial turns in Asia’s political history, this is an academic work by a different type of a don from western universities. From the Subhas Chandra Bose family and a one-term Trinamool Congress MP, the focus is on eastern India.

How to Love in Sanskrit
Edited & Translated by Anusha Rao and Suhas Mahesh.
HarperCollins.
Pages 299. Rs 599

The book is an invitation to appreciating Sanskrit love poetry, an introduction to the language itself. There are more than 200 verses in it, written by celebrated writers such as Kalidasa and Banabhatta, as also lesser-known but skilled writers. Around 150 of these are in Sanskrit, 50 in Maharashtri Prakrit, some in Apabhramsha and one in Pali. Translators Anusha Rao and Suhas Mahesh are scholars of Sanskrit and have tried to include something for everyone in this ancient guide to love for modern readers.

Lilliput Land: How Small is Driving India’s Mega Consumption Story
by Rama Bijapurkar.
Penguin Random House.
Pages 304. Rs 699

India is driven by lots and lots of small consumers earning and spending just a little bit each. These consumers are served by numerous small suppliers. Digital revolution now offers the keys to cracking open this tricky market. Digital business models will be the future of competition as they harness the power of small. ‘Lilliput Land’ helps in understanding the paradoxes and challenges that dot India’s market opportunity and discusses the drivers and shapers of its future.

The Lady on the Horse and Other Secrets
by Ramona Sen.
Speaking Tiger.
Pages 302. Rs 499

Ramona Sen turns the gaze to Calcutta, the city of her soul, once again. Set against the backdrop of the freedom struggle, the Bengal famine and Partition, this is a sprawling family saga exploring the insidious implications of class and caste through the lives of people thrown together by blood ties and fate lines. At the heart of the story is the idea that everything which happens in the present has its roots in the past.