Building smart cities and leadership secrets
Is it possible to build cities that are energy efficient and environment friendly in populous cities like Delhi and Mumbai? What do successful organisations and smart leaders have in common? Insights like this make up for our books bonanza this week. Take a look.
1. Book: Smart and Human: Building Cities of Wisdom; Author: G.R.K.Reddy and Srijan Pal Singh; Publisher: Harper Collins; Pages: 281; Price: Rs.350
New book tracks Indian economic renaissance
By IANS,
New Delhi : A thousand years after India slid into an "age of decline" from its pre-invasion years in the 11th century, the country's stars are again on the ascendant, Deutsche Bank chief economist Sanjeev Sanyal says in his book "The Indian Renaissance: India's Rise After a Thousand Years of Decline".
The book probes India's journey across 10 centuries and homes in on its recent economic upswing as the country re-awakens not just as an economy, but as a civilisation.
Indian origin journalist’s book nominated for British literature prize
By IANS,
London : The Times journalist Sathnam Sanghera is the latest British-Asian to blaze a literary trail as his book on the travails of his Sikh immigrant family has been short listed for the biography prize at the British Costa Book Awards for 2008.
The book began as a letter to his mother explaining why he was not ready for an arranged marriage. Sanghera started looking for possible objections from his parents to his decision and that led him to forage his family history from when his parents came to Britain from rural Punjab in India.
Hemingway’s works to be available in digital form
By IANS,
Havana : Some 3,000 documents belonging to Nobel laureate US author Ernest Hemingway, one of the 20th century's most influential writers, will be available in digital form, starting Jan 5 - thanks to a project by Cuba's Hemingway Museum here.
The collection under the project contains, apart from his literary works, unedited texts and even insurance policies taken out by the author, EFE news agency reported Wednesday.
When religion and art overlapped along the ancient Silk Route
By IANS,
Book: "Indian & Central Asian Art: Narrative Interpretations of Unique Fragments"; Authors: P. Banerjee and Radha Banerjee-Sarkar; Publisher: Abha Prakashan; Price: Rs.4,000
Shakti or Durga, Hindu god Shiva's consort, was worshipped in the ancient Khotan region of China in the 7th century AD, reveals a new book that traces how Buddhism and Hinduism flourished together in China, India and Central Asia along the ancient Silk Route.
All India seminar on Islamic literature in Bhopal on Feb. 1
By Pervez Bari, TwoCircles.net,
Bhopal: The Council for Islamic Literature (Majlise-e-Adab-e-Islami) is organizing 8th All India seminar on "Literary pursuits & samples of Islamic literature of Madhya Pradesh's Ulema, Litterateurs & Sufis" here on February 1 (Sunday).
US-India ties will remain clouded by Pakistan
By M.R. Narayan Swamy, IANS,
Book: "The South Asia Story"; Author: Harold A. Gould; Sage Publications, Price: Rs.295; Pages: 136
When the affable Chester Bowles was named ambassador to India in 1951, it was seen as the most significant step the US had taken to firm up ties between the world's most powerful and largest democracies. The joy was short-lived. Neither Harry S. Truman, who was president (1945-53) when India became independent, nor the US Congress were enamoured of Jawaharlal Nehru's Fabian socialism and non-alignment.
Bookshelf spills economics, underworld, god
(IANS Books This Week)
New Delhi : As the weather slides and more clouds threaten to burst, retreat with a book and a cup of coffee. The mixed bag this week...
1. "Superpower? The Amazing Race Between China’s Hare and India’s Tortoise": Written by Raghav Bahl; Published by Penguin-Books India; Priced at Rs.699.
Capitalism, crorepatis and relationships, browse all you want
By IANS,
(IANS Books This Week)
Literati disappointed with Penguin’s book withdrawal
By IANS,
New Delhi : Expressing unhappiness over Penguin India's decision to withdraw US Indologist Wendy Doniger's book "The Hindu: An Alternative History" from the...
Indian journalists told to leave Pakistan by May 20
Islamabad: The only two Indian journalists stationed in Pakistan have been told to leave the country by May 20, a media report said Thursday.
Snehesh...
Unveiling an amazing India through stamps (Book Review)
By Shubha Singh,
Book: Post Haste: Quintessential India; Author: B.G. Verghese; Publisher: Tranquebar Press; Pages: 384; Price: Rs.1,295.
The early forms of communication were smoke...
Adiga, Nilekani begin New Year atop bestseller charts
By IANS,
New Delhi : The roar of the tiger is once again heard this week as Aravind Adiga retains the top spot on the bestseller list in the fiction category with his Booker Prize winning novel as does Nandan Nilekani in the non-fiction category with "Imagining India...".
The top 10 in the non-fiction and fiction lists are:
Non fiction
1. "Imagining India: Ideas for the new century"
Author: Nandan Nilekani
Publisher: Penguin Allen Lane
Price: Rs.699.00
2. "Outliers: The Story of Success"
Author: Malcolm Gladwell
Publisher: Allen Lane
Price: Rs.399.00
Indian publishing in focus at London Book Fair
By IANS,
Neemrana (Rajasthan) : The Indian publishing industry will be the focus of the 2009 London Book Fair this April, with 40 Indian writers being invited to the event, and Amartya Sen being the keynote speaker at the opening.
The Indian writers - mostly big names in English and vernacular writing - will showcase the diversity of literary and linguistic genres across the country, said representatives of the British Council India and the London Book Fair at a literary workshop at the Neemrana Fort Palace in Rajasthan Tuesday.
Argentine writers offer creative take on Bible
By EFE,
Buenos Aires : Several acclaimed Argentine writers presented here a new work that uses the Bible as its starting point but takes creative liberties with some of the most widely read passages of that holy text.
Jose Pablo Feinmann, Luisa Valenzuela and Juan Sasturain were among the authors that worked on the book, titled "Biblia" (Bible), with each author drawing on their respective views about theology in adapting Old Testament stories.
Wendy Doniger, Hilary Mantel week’s top authors
By IANS,
New Delhi : Wendy Doniger's "The Hindus: An Alternative History" topped the non-fiction section of the bestseller list this week while "Wolf Hall" by Hilary Mantel topped the fiction group.
The top 10 in each section are as follows:
Non-fiction
1. "The Hindus: An Alternative History"
Author: Wendy Doniger
Publisher: Penguin Viking
Price: Rs.999.00
2. "The Difficulty of Being Good: On The Subtle art of Dharma"
Author: Gurcharan Das
Publisher: Penguin Allen Lane
Price: Rs.699.00
3. "The Idea of Justice"
Author: Amartya Sen
Sikh detective unravels peculiar murder
By Shubha Singh, IANS,
Book: "Inspector Singh Investigates: A Most Peculiar Malaysian Murder"; Author: Shamini Flint; Price: Rs.295; Publisher: Piatkus
Shamini Flint's novel sets the scene for a new series of detective novels starring Singapore Police's inspector Singh.
A Malaysian playboy businessman is murdered and his Singapore-born ex-model wife is charged with the crime. Inspector Singh is sent to Kuala Lumpur to track the murder investigation and ensure that Chelsea Liew gets a fair trial.
New novella series hits Indian book bazaar
By IANS,
New Delhi : Taking a cue from the continuing demand for short novels like John Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men" and Franz Kafka's "Metamorphosis" more than five decades after their publication, the Tranquebar Press has launched a new short fiction - novella - series.
The series was launched Monday with a cache of four novellas - the "Nalanda Chronicles" by Kalpish Ratna, "Happy Associate" by Urja, "Peacock in the Chicken Run" by Dawood Ali McCallum and "The Beast" by Syed Muhammed Ashraf.
Fatima Bhutto’s book tops bestseller list
By IANS,
New Delhi : "Songs of Blood and Sword" by Fatima Bhutto, niece of late Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto, dominates the non-fiction list while Amish Tripathi's "The Immortals of Meluha" tops the fiction category among bestsellers this week.
The top 10 in each category are:
Non-fiction
1. "Songs of Blood and Sword"
Author: Fatima Bhutto
Publisher: Penguin Viking
Price: Rs.699.00
2. "Becoming Indian"
Author: Pavan K. Varma
Publisher: Penguin/Allen Lane
Price: Rs.499.00
3. "The Difficulty of Being Good: On the Subtle Art of Dharma"
Fatima Bhutto’s book still on top
By IANS,
New Delhi : "Songs of Blood and Sword" by Fatima Bhutto, niece of late Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto, is the top non-fiction bestseller for the third consecutive week while Amish Tripathi's "The Immortals of Meluha" dominates the fiction list.
Non-fiction
1. "Songs of Blood and Sword"
Author: Fatima Bhutto
Publisher: Penguin Viking
Price: Rs.699.00
2. "The Big Short"
Author: Michael Lewis
Publisher: Allen Lane
Price: Rs.599.00
3. "Becoming Indian"
Author: Pavan K. Varma
Publisher: Penguin/Allen Lane
Price: Rs.499.00
Read about gods, philosophy, Indian ethos and a curse
By IANS,
New Delhi : The book case is crowded with contrasts this weekend with serious treatises vying for attention with works of fiction.
1. "The Little Book of Hindu Deities: From the Goddess of Wealth to the Sacred Cow": Written by Sanjay Patel; Published by Penguin Books-USA, Priced at Rs.299.
Romancing the book in the time of rain (IANS Books)
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
New Delhi : What better time to leaf through love stories than the monsoon. Take a man, a woman, an edgy locale - sprinkle passion, mystery, a whiff of history - and you are set for some perfect reading in the rains.
Romance is the flavour of the season as new books, fiction as well as non-fiction, reveal.
"All women are in love with the idea of a manly man who has an abiding passion for a woman for a lifetime," says Toronto-based novelist Sarita Mandanna, whose new novel, "The Tiger Hills", was released in India last week.
Diplomat delights with poetry of promise
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
Book: "Candling the Light", Author: Abhay K., Publisher: Yash Publications; Price: Rs.350; Pages: 120
Many hues of myths, mysteries and history
(IANS Books This Weekend)
There is a battle between celestial and dark forces, an extraordinary tale of riddles is to be solved, waking up to a new world loaded with challenges and the story of Guru Gobind Singh. The IANS bookshelf this weekend offers a mix of many hues. Take a look.
A famed policeman gives in to his literary heart
By Darshan Desai, IANS,
Lucknow : He has been a police officer for over 30 years, but Vibhuti Narain Rai, well known in Uttar Pradesh for his literary works and social activism, says he has finally got the job he yearned for.
In a week's time, 51-year-old Rai will take over as vice-chancellor of the Mahatma Gandhi International Hindi University in Wardha, Maharashtra, leaving behind all the frills of being a senior Indian Police Service officer.
Kenya deports anti-Obama US author
By Xinhua,
Nairobi : Kenya has ordered out an American author who wrote a controversial book slamming US Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama.
Jerome Corsi had planned to make public statements in Kenya that were critical of both Obama and Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga after travelling to Obama's family homeland to investigate links between the Democratic nominee and Kenyan politicians.
He had scheduled a news conference Tuesday at a Nairobi hotel for the Kenyan launch of his book, "The Obama Nation: Leftist Politics and the Cult of Personality".
Caring for your friendly neighbourhood jumbo – here’s how
By IANS,
Thrissur (Kerala) : With 13 Asian countries home to around 15,000 captive elephants, here comes a book that will come in handy for managing and caring for the gentle giants that have for centuries endeared themselves to man.
The 500-page "Captive Elephants in Range Countries for Doctors and Veterinarians", authored by veteran elephant expert Jacob Cheeran, is expected to hit the stands early next year.
Chandamama’s Ramayana on stalls with rich visuals
By IANS,
Bangalore : Chandamama India, the publishing house of the popular Chandamama range of children's magazines, Thursday offered its young readers epic Ramayana richly laden with colourful illustrations.
According to the publishers, 'Ramayana - An Epic Journey' is the first of its kind attempt when the great Indian mythological saga has been published as a single book with illustrations.
The book was released by management and spiritual guru Swami Sukhbodhananda. "The book has a touch of contemporary world," he said. It is a 430-page book with hand drawn illustrations.
Book for Hindu temples emphasises Malaysian unity
By IANS,
Kuala Lumpur : The Malaysia Hindu Sangam (MHS) has compiled a book to serve as a guideline for priests delivering Friday evening sermons in temples, with emphasis on national unity.
The book was compiled in line with Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's call for all religious institutions to play a proactive role in strengthening national unity, The Star newspaper said Wednesday.
It was published in Tamil to cater to the two million-plus population of ethnic Indians, a bulk of them Tamil Hindus who came here during the British era.
Great Iranian poet’s book available in Greek
By IRNA,
Tehran : The masterpiece of world literature Masnavi Molavi by the Persian mystic and poet Molana Jalal ad-Din Molavi has been translated into Greek.
The valuable volume was translated into Greek by Lina Mystakidou and was published by the Greece's Sidres Publications.
The 788-page book is sponsored by Iran’s cultural office in Greece.
India has 74,000 newspapers, Uttar Pradesh leads
By IANS,
New Delhi: Bucking the global recessionary trends in the media, India, the world's most populous democracy, boasts of 74,000 newspapers - with Uttar Pradesh leading the rest of the country in promoting a diversity of views.
"More than 74,000 newspapers are registered with the Registrar of Newspapers for India (RNI)," Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Mohan Jatua said in a written reply during question hour in the Lok Sabha Tuesday.
Jaswant joins Dan Brown in bestseller list – again
By IANS,
New Delhi, Oct 1 (IANS) Expelled Bharatiya Janata Party leader Jaswant Singh's controversial "Jinnah: India, Partition, Independence" continues as No.1 for the fifth consecutive week in the non-fiction section while Dan Brown's "The Lost Symbol" is the predictable topper in the fiction list this week.
The top 10 in each section are:
Non-fiction
1. "Jinnah: India, Partition, Independence"
Author: Jaswant Singh
Publisher: Rupa
Price: Rs.695.00
2. "The Difficulty of Being Good: On The Subtle art of Dharma"
Author: Gurcharan Das
Rare books on Islam, Buddhism a hit at South Asian stalls
By Shweta Srinivasan, IANS,
New Delhi : Works on Islam and Buddhism are a big hit at stalls put up by publishers from South Asian countries at the World Book Fair here. Many avid book readers and scholars are happy to have spotted rare books that are not easily available in India.
‘This woman suckered us’, said Nixon of Indira Gandhi: Book
By IANS,
New Delhi : "She suckered us. Suckered us.....this woman suckered us." So said an enraged US president Richard Nixon of Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi after learning that war had broken out on the subcontinent on Dec 3, 1971, and Indian forces had made a decisive push towards then East Pakistan that it recognised as Bangladesh three days later.
‘Absolute Khushwant’ is this week’s bestseller (IANS Books)
By IANS,
New Delhi : "Absolute Khushwant" by Khushwant Singh and Humra Quraishi climbed three notches to become the number one book on the non-fiction list this week while "Secrets and Sins" by Jaishree Misra continued to dominate the fiction section.
The top 10 in each category of the bestselling list are:
Non-fiction
1. "Absolute Khushwant"
Author: Khushwant Singh and Humra Quraishi
Publisher: Penguin Books
Price: Rs.250.00
2. "Super Power?"
Author: Raghav Bahl
Publisher: Penguin/Allen Lane
Price: Rs.699.00
3. "The Secret: The Power"
Tehelka’s Populist Turn?
By Bobby Kunhu and Sudeep KS,
The magazine joins the Great Kerala Terrorist Hunt. This was sent as a rebuttal to Tehelka, but has not been published.
Book Review: A moving account of fighting and living with breast cancer
By Ranjana Narayan, IANS,
Book: The Red Devil - To Hell With Cancer - and Back; Author: Katherine Russell Rich; Category: Non fiction; Publisher: Tranquebar; Price: Rs: 275.
Tagore, Ramayana, faith – Indian flavours to spice up bookshelf
By IANS,
New Delhi : The bookshelf this week is essentially Indian in flavour, showcasing the country's soul.
Why spirit can never be conquered (Book Review)
By M.R. Narayan Swamy, IANS,
Title: Living Courageously; Author: Lipa Rath; Publisher: Power Publishers; Pages: 116, Price: Rs.250.
‘Conversations With Waheeda Rehman’ : The endearing story of a remarkable actress (Book Review)
By Vikas Datta,
Book: Conversations With Waheeda Rehman; Author: Nasreen Munni Kabir; Publisher: Penguin-Viking; Pages: 227; Price: Rs 499.
A story of Manipur when it started to simmer (Book Review)
By M.R. Narayan Swamy,
Title: On A Clear Day You Can See India; Author: C. Balagopal, Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers India; Pages: 203; Prices: Rs.299
Fictionalising Indian history: Setting a new trend (Book Review)
By Frederick Noronha,
Panaji : Indian history presents one of the richest tapestries that can inspire any writer of fiction. In this "fascinating mosaic", the Mughal period is like an exquisite miniature, says author Aroon Raman, whose second book is a historical fiction set in this period.
Rushdie’s writings tortuous: Timeri Murari
By T.S.V. Hari, IANS,
Chennai : Author Timeri Murari doesn't like Salman Rushdie's writing. The man who has created many bestsellers and an acclaimed film describes all those who read awarded authors as "literary masochists".
"I've never finished reading any of Rushdie's books," says Murari. "All those who read awarded authors are literary masochists. Never did good writers like Somerset Maugham, Oscar Wilde, Tolstoy or Frederick Forsyth sniff an award."
Crime novelist La Plante accused of being copycat
By DPA,
Sydney : Best-selling crime writer Lynda La Plante's 1993 novel "Entwined" contains passages lifted from Auschwitz survivor Olga Lengyel's 1947 memoir "Five Chimneys", news reports said Saturday.
The multimillionaire British author denied plagiarism but admitted to The Sydney Morning Herald that a research assistant may have been the culprit.
Harper Collins promotes Hindi reading among kids
By IANS,
New Delhi : At a time when books have taken a backseat to television, internet and videogames, Harper Collins Publishers India Wednesday tried its bit to promote reading Hindi books among children in the capital.
It held a storytelling session of the Hindi translation of C.S. Lewis' "The Chronicles of Narnia" - "Rajkumar Caspian" - at the Oxford Bookstore in Connaught Place.
There is no authentic Indian writing for children: Suchitra Krishnamoorthi
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
New Delhi : Actress-turned-musician-turned-artist Suchitra Krishnamoorthi has donned a new hat - that of a writer. She has just released her fiction series for young adults - "Swapnalok Society", a magical reality tale about life in downtown Mumbai.
Krishnamoorthi said the idea had been bouncing in her head for a few years. "I wanted to write a book but was not sure what. I wanted something light and frothy," Krishnamoorthi told IANS in an e-mail interview from Mumbai.
Indus valley history, ‘White Tiger’ top bestseller charts
By IANS,
New Delhi : "Empires of The Indus" by Alice Albinia moved to the top of the bestseller chart in the non-fiction category this week, while Booker Prize winner "The White Tiger" by Aravind Adiga stayed on top of the list in the fiction section.
The top 10 in the non-fiction and fiction lists are:
Non-Fiction
1. "Empires of The Indus"
Author: Alice Albinia
Publisher: John Murray
Price: Rs.550
2. "The Secret"
Author: Rhonda Byrne
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Price: Rs.550
3. "Imagining India: Ideas for the new century"
Author: Nandan Nilekani
Jaswant’s book on Jinnah stays atop bestseller list
By IANS,
New Delhi : "Jinnah: India, Partition, Independence" by expelled Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Jaswant Singh retained the No.1 position among bestselling books in the non-fiction section this week. J.M. Coetzee's "Summertime" topped the fiction category.
The top 10 in each section are:
Non-fiction
1. "Jinnah: India, Partition, Independence"
Author: Jaswant Singh
Publisher: Rupa
Price: Rs.695.00
2. "The Difficulty of Being Good: On The Subtle Art of Dharma"
Author: Gurcharan Das
Publisher: Penguin Allen Lane
Price: Rs.699.00
No drop in popularity of Jaswant’s book on Jinnah
By IANS,
New Delhi : The controversial book "Jinnah: India, Partition, Independence" by expelled Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Jaswant Singh continued to dominate the non-fiction section of the bestseller list this week. It has now topped the charts for over a month. Dan Brown's "The Lost Symbol" topped the fiction list.
The top 10 in each section are:
Non-fiction
1. "Jinnah: India, Partition, Independence"
Author: Jaswant Singh
Publisher: Rupa
Price: Rs.695.00
2. "Shah Jahan: The Rise and Fall of The Mughal Emperor"
Author: Fergus Nicoll
Previous winners of the Nobel Peace Prize since 1998
By DPA,
Stockholm : The Nobel Peace Prize is regarded as the top award for efforts towards a more peaceful world and prominent laureates include Mother Teresa (1979), the Dalai Lama (1989) and Nelson Mandela (1993).
The award is handed out by a committee of the Norwegian parliament and the winners since 1998, including the citations given by the academy, were:
2008 - Martti Ahtisaari, Finnish ex-president and veteran peace broker was awarded the prize, with the Nobel Committee citing his efforts to solve conflicts on several continents and over three decades.
Bihar’s jail inmates to bring out magazine
By IANS,
Patna: The inmates of a Bihar jail along with the jail authorities are all set to bring out a special Hindi magazine in January next year, official sources said Tuesday.
The inmates of Beur central jail here along with the jail officials are busy working on a special Hindi magazine called "Drishtikon".
"This magazine will be a rare one as all the writing or stories will be reported and contributed by the inmates of the jail," Beur jail Superintendent Omprakash Gupta said.
Orhan Pamuk continues to dominate bestselling chart
By IANS,
New Delhi : Meghnad Desai's "The Rediscovery of India" jumped two positions and dominated the non-fiction bestsellers this week while "The Museum of Innocence" by Nobel prize winner Orhan Pamuk continued to retain the No.1 position in the fiction category.
The top 10 in each category are as follows:
Non-fiction
1. "The Rediscovery of India"
Author: Meghnad Desai
Publisher: Penguin Allen Lane
Price: Rs.699.00
2. "Nine Lives: In Search of the Sacred in Modern India"
Author: William Dalrymple
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Price: Rs.499.00
Rukmini Devi breached gender barriers through Bharatanatyam
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
Book: Rukmini Devi - A Life; Author: Leela Samson; Publisher: Penguin-Viking; Price: Rs.500.
In 1935 Rukmini Devi brought the ancient dance form Sadir, later known as Bharatanatyam, back to life on the Indian stage with a performance in Chennai. Sadir till then had been confined to the temple precincts and was the 'preserve' of devdasis.
The renowned Bharatanatyam danseuse established her dance school, Kalakshetra, in Chennai the following year - an example of women's empowerment, lending them a voice at a time when culture was a male bastion.
Heal yourself in 20 weeks – here’s how
By M.R. Narayanswamy, IANS,
Book: "Perfect Health In 20 Weeks"; Author: Amar Chandel; Publisher: Konark Publishers Pvt Ltd, New Delhi; Pages: 146; Price: Rs.195
Considering the proliferation of health guide books in the market, one may well ask what this slim volume has to offer. In what has been described as a step-by-step guide to 100 percent natural healing, the author comes up with a simple, easy-to-practise regimen that he promises will rejuvenate you in just 20 weeks.
Racy eye-opener of a book on the Maoist movement
By M.R. Narayan Swamy, IANS,
Book: "Jangalnama: Travels in a Maoist Guerrilla Zone"; Author: Satnam; Penguin Books, pp 206; Price: Rs.250
Why Bastar's tribals harbour Maoists?
This is undoubtedly India's answer to "Red Star Over China", the epoch-making story of what the then obscure Mao was up to in China's rural areas at the head of a nascent Communist party that eventually took power in 1949. When American Edgar Snow came out with the classic of a book, the world sat up and took notice.
Snapshots from underbelly of a trickster city
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
Book: "Trickster City: Writings from the Belly of a Metropolis"; Publisher: Penguin-Viking; Price: Rs.499
Like its history, Delhi is a city of layers that tricks the eye into complaisance, tugs at the heart and also rejects at the same time. The bustling facade of the 21st century metropolis camouflages a dark underbelly.
IANS Books : Nariman’s ‘Before Memory Fades’ bestseller yet again
By IANS,
New Delhi : Fali S. Nariman's "Before Memory Fades" continues to dominate the non-fiction section in the bestseller list this week while "The Immortals of Meluha" by Amish Tripathi also retains its number one position in the fiction category.
The top 10 in each section are:
Non-fiction
1. "Before Memory Fades"
Author: Fali S. Nariman
Publisher: Hay House
Price: Rs.599.00
2. "Keeping the Faith: Memoirs of a Parliamentarian"
Author: Somnath Chatterjee
Publisher: Harper Collins
Price: Rs.499.00
3. "The Honest Always Stand Alone"
Confronting life’s unknown insecurities and taming demons (Book Review)
By Shilpa Raina,
Title: Passion Flower: Seven Stories of Derangement; Author: Cyrus Mistry; Publisher: Aleph; Pages: 199; Price: Rs. 495
There is a wicked demon in all of us. Lying dormant somewhere, partially active, at times justifying our actions or lamenting and bemoaning about cruel life and not ready to be easily confronted. Traces of these dark shades are part of the human psyche and unapologetically exposing these crude realities is Cyrus Mistry's collection of short stories.
No change: Nilekani, Adiga atop bestseller lists
By IANS,
New Delhi : Nandan Nilekani's "Imagining India" stays on top of the non-fiction bestseller list this week, as does "The White Tiger" by Aravind Adiga in the fiction category.
The top 10 in the non-fiction and fiction lists are:
Non-Fiction
1. "Imagining India: Ideas for the new century"
Author: Nandan Nilekani
Publisher: Penguin/Allen Lane
Price: Rs.699.00
2. "The Secret"
Author: Rhonda Byrne
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Price: Rs.550.00
3. "The Duel: Pakistan on the Flight Path of American Power"
Author: Tariq Ali
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Freedom from Fear: New book documents survival stories of AIDS orphans
By IANS,
New Delhi : Nine-year-old Ganesh has no recolletion of his parents. He lost them to AIDS even before his first birthday. Ganesh, who lives in the fishing village of Chilakapeta in Visakhapatnam district, Andhra Pradesh, is HIV positive. His 60-year-old grandmother, Parvathyamma, looks after him.
Parvathyamma, a fishmonger, is illiterate. And her meagre income is barely enough to support the child. Ganesh is on anti-retroviral drugs and requires care. The 60-year-old woman has left it to Lord Jesus, who hangs from a calendar on the wall, to lead the way.
Jaswant Singh’s book on Jinnah already tops chart
By IANS,
New Delhi : The controversial book "Jinnah: India-Partition Independence" by Jaswant Singh predictably tops the non-fiction section of the bestseller list here in the first week of its release while Ali Sethi's "The Wish Maker: A Novel" continued at the No.1 position in the fiction category for the third week in a row.
The top 10 in each section are:
Non-fiction
1. "Jinnah: India-Partition Independence"
Author: Jaswant Singh
Publisher: Rupa
Price: Rs.695.00
2. "The Idea of Justice"
Author: Amartya Sen
Publisher: Penguin Allen Lane
A valuable insight into Sri Lanka’s peace process
By M.R. Narayan Swamy, IANS,
The book, "A Powderkeg in Paradise", is not a historical account of the Tamil separatist campaign that bled Sri Lanka for a quarter century before the military finally decimated the Tamil Tigers in May 2009. In nearly 250 crisp and easy to read pages, Jon Oskar Solnes delves into his rich and intimate knowledge of the conflict, gained as an official of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), to tell the world why and how the once seemingly indestructible Tamil Tigers lost it so badly.
Murder, food, spooks and Osho: A heady book mix
By IANS,
New Delhi : Readers, here come five new books to keep you turning the pages:
1. "The Monochrome Madonna": Written by Kalpana Swaminathan; published by Penguin-Books India; priced at Rs.250
Kalpana Swaminathan's Lalli is the first credible Indian woman detective in the English language. The third book of the series, "The Monochrome Madonna", begins with the violent death of a man in a strange apartment, 4, Kalina Sputnik, inhabited by S. Shah and V. Dasgupta.
History, crime & edgy drama on bookshelf
By IANS,
The bookshelf this weekend is a colourful and racy pile of books that tickles readers' imagination and sensitivities... Browse with IANS
Inspiring journeys, countless stories
By IANS,
Insatiable ambition, indomitable courage, political frankness and an adman's curiosity - the IANS bookshelf this weekend has an envious collection for its readers....
A mixed bag of health, sports and entrepreneurial journey
A peek into the life of the "King of Good Times", a must-have guide for football fanatics, tips for the perfect weight regime to an entrepreneur's successful journey - IANS book stack this week offers a concoction of lifestyle, wellness and sports!
India has the right to go after terrorists: Obama
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : Assuring New Delhi of his "steadfast support" in catching the perpetrators of Mumbai terror attacks, US President-elect Barack Obama has said that India has the sovereign right to go after terrorists to protect itself.
"Sovereign nations obviously have a right to protect themselves," said Obama, who takes over from President George W. Bush Jan 20, at a news conference in Chicago after rolling out his national security team.
Upamanyu Chatterjee gets French award, says new book next year
By IANS,
New Delhi : Author Upamanyu Chatterjee, who has been honoured by the French government with the prestigious Officier des Arts et des Lettres (Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters), says he is working on a new book that will hit bookstores late next year.
Chatterjee, of "English August: An Indian Story" fame, was given the medal and the citation from French Ambassador Jerome Bonnafont at the French embassy here Thursday for his contribution to contemporary literature.
American author makes same Buddha blunder as ‘Chandi Chowk to China’
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : Even as public outrage erupted in Nepal over Bollywood film "Chandni Chowk to China", which wrongly described India as the Buddha's birthplace and was subsequently banned in the country, an American author has managed to get away with making the same mistake in her best-selling novel.
Celebrated American author Amy Tan's "Saving Fish From Drowning", a quirky tale about the misadventures of a group of American tourists who blunder through China and Myanmar, also wrongly describes the Buddha, who was born in Lumbini in southern Nepal, as an Indian.
‘Shia Islam’ book introduced in Madrid
By IRNA,
Madrid : A book named 'Shia Islam, a research in history, beliefs and Families,' which has been published by Iran's Cultural Attache in Madrid was introduced on Friday by professor Jose Maria Blaskes, an Spanish Iranologist and historian.
The book has been published in cooperation with Department of Islam and Arab in Complutense University.
In a ceremony to introduce the book, a number of Spanish Iranologists, professors from Tehran University and Iranians residing in Spain were present.
Packaged politics is here to stay: Book
By James Jose, IANS,
New Delhi : The recently concluded general election, in addition to being the world's largest democratic exercise involving 714 million voters and costing over $2 billion, was also a marketing war, with political parties trying to woo voters with the latest media techniques and business strategies.
Arundhati Roy’s new book tops bestseller list
By IANS,
New Delhi : Arundhati Roy's new book "Listening To Grass Hoppers: Field Notes on Democracy" topped the non-fiction category of the bestseller list this week while "The Wish Maker: A Novel" by Ali Sethi dominated the fiction list.
The top 10 in each section are:
Non-fiction
1. "Listening To Grass Hoppers: Field Notes on Democracy"
Author: Arundhati Roy
Publisher: Penguin Books
Price: Rs.499.00
2. "Branding India: An Incredible Story"
Author: Amitabh Kant
Publisher: Collins Business
Price: Rs.499.00
3. "The Caged Phoenix: Can India Fly?"
Ahmed Rashid, Amitav Ghosh Delhi readers’ top choice
By IANS,
New Delhi : Pakistan journalist Ahmed Rashid's investigation on the impact of Al Qaeda on Pakistan and its surrounding areas tops the non-fiction list while Amitav Ghosh's "Sea of Poppies" continues to rule the fiction chart.
The top 10 in the non-fiction and fiction lists are:
Non-Fiction
1. "Descent Into Chaos"
Author : Ahmed Rashid
Publisher : Allen Lane
Price : Rs.495.00
2. "The Post-American World"
Author : Fareed Zakaria
Publisher : Penguin Viking
Price : Rs.499.00
3. "The Secret"
Author : Rhonda Byrne
Publisher : Simon & Schustar
Rana Dasgupta’s new novel about failed man, failed nation
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
New Delhi : It could well be a leaf out of "One Hundred Years of Solitude" or even "Arabian Nights", say critics. British Indian writer Rana Dasgupta's new novel, "Solo", is about the life and daydreams of a 100-year-old man.
Slated for release in India in February 2009 by Harper Collins, the book is not set in the fictional Macondo as in Gabriel Garcia Marquez's magnum opus, but in war-torn Bulgaria of the early 20th century.
Dhondy book lands as ‘evidence’ in Charles Sobhraj case
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : While Nepal's book stores are yet to start stocking Farrukh Dhondy's recently published potboiler about a serial killer, "The Bikini Murders" is already on its way to one of the most important places in the Himalayan republic - the Supreme Court.
Dhondy's book has been submitted to the office of Nepal Attorney General Raghav Lal Vaidya by the lawyers hired by the family of an American tourist who was killed in 1975.
Adolf Hitler, a lover of books who quoted from Hamlet
By IANS,
London : Better known for burning books rather than collecting them, Adolf Hitler owned an estimated 16,000 volumes and was a voracious reader who loved Shakespeare, says a new book.
"It was by any measure an impressive collection: first editions of the works of philosophers, historians, poets, playwrights and novelists," historian Timothy W. Ryback writes in his "Hitler's Private Library: The Books That Shaped His Life".
With books on morality, religion, Turkey debuts at world fair
By IANS,
New Delhi : Books on morality and religion have caught the attention of quite a few people at the ongoing 19th World Book Fair here. And no, they are not from Indian publications but from a government-supported publishing house from Turkey.
The stall of RNK Publishing, Turkey, at Hall 7 of Pragati Maidan, where the event is being held, has a range of books unique to Turkey. They include the "Risali-i-Nur" ("From The Light") series of poetry, an ancient text by Bediuzzaman Said Nursi.
‘The Museum of Innocence’ bounces back to No.1 position
By IANS,
New Delhi : "Becoming Indian" by Pavan K. Varma climbed six steps to become the number one non-fiction book on the bestseller list this week while Nobel Prize winner Orhan Pamuk's "The Museum Of Innocence" bounced back after a month to dominate the fiction section.
Non-fiction
1. "Becoming Indian"
Author: Pavan K. Varma
Publisher: Penguin/Allen Lane
Price: Rs.499.00
2. "Victoria and Abdul"
Author: Shrabani Basu
Publisher: Rupa & Co
Price: Rs.395.00
3. "The Difficulty of Being Good: On The Subtle Art of Dharma"
Author: Gurcharan Das
Peace? Sri Lanka is still at war — within (Book Review)
By M.R. Narayan Swamy,
Title: This Divided Island: Stories from the Sri Lankan War; Author: Samanth Subramanian; Publisher: Hamish Hamilton (Penguin); Pages: 320; Price: Rs.499.
How Netaji’s speech was broadcast in parliament
By IANS,
New Delhi : It was the summer of 1997. Krishna Bose, a Trinamool Congress MP and relative of Subhas Chandra Bose, was having a tough time convincing fellow MPs that Netaji's famous speech should be broadcast along with those of Mahtama Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru at the golden jubilee celebrations of India's independence in parliament.
But she was not sure how to go about it, Bose recalled at the launch of her book “An Outsider in Politics” (published by Penguin India) at the Hotel Taj Palace Wednesday night.
Woman private eye Lalli gets cracking again in new book
(IANS Books)
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
New Delhi : "I've always known I'd be stuck with a corpse some day - possibly in the first week of October." Lalli, India's new woman private eye - in the manner of the classic 20th century detectives - finds her corpse and begins decoding the cryptic clues to the murder.
Detective writer Kalpana Swaminathan, a surgeon by profession, casts her net of intrigue right from the word go in her latest whodunit, "The Monochrome Madonna", the third in the series, published this month.
Books: ‘Communalism Explained! – A graphic Account’ launched
By TCN Special Correspondent,
Of history, curries and Mumbai soaps
By IANS,
New Delhi : The book case this week is a delight for those who love a good story.
Chronicling iron women at helm of India’s business empires
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
Book: "Corporate Divas"; Author: Sonia Golani; Publisher: Penguin India; Pages: 227; Price: Rs 250
Lucknow, poetry, gripping fiction on bookshelf
By IANS,
New Delhi: The bookshelf is diverse this weekend. Browse along.
1. "Lucknow Boy"; Written by Vinod Mehta; Published by Penguin-India; Priced at Rs.499.
Arundhati Roy takes a hard look at democracy
By IANS,
Book: "Listening to Grasshoppers: Field Notes on Democracy"; Author: Arundhati Roy; Publisher: Penguin-Books India; Price: Rs 499
By Madhusree Chatterjee
Man Booker winning author Arundhati Roy takes a probing look at the underbelly of the world's oldest democracy in her new anthology of essays "Listening to Grasshoppers: Field Notes on Democracy" published this week.
Pamuk, Desai top bestselling authors again
By IANS,
New Delhi : Meghnad Desai's "The Rediscovery of India" continued to dominate the non-fiction section of the bestseller list this week while "The Museum of Innocence" by Nobel prize winner Orhan Pamuk retained the No.1 position in the fiction category.
The top 10 in each category are:
Non-fiction
1. "The Rediscovery of India"
Author: Meghnad Desai
Publisher: Penguin Allen Lane
Price: Rs.699.00
2. "Nine Lives: In Search of the Sacred in Modern India"
Author: William Dalrymple
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Price: Rs.499.00
No surprises, as Bhutto, Archer again top bestseller list
By IANS,
New Delhi : There are no changes at the top of the bookrack this week as Pakistani writer Fatima Bhutto's "Songs of Blood and Sword" again holds sway over the non-fiction category, while British author Jeffrey Archer tops the fiction list with "And Thereby Hangs a Tale".
The top 10 bestsellers in each category are:
Non-fiction
1. "Songs of Blood and Sword"
Author: Fatima Bhutto
Publisher: Penguin Viking
Price: Rs.699.00
2. "Mother Pious Lady"
Author: Santosh Desai
Publisher: Harper Collins
Price: Rs.399.00
3. "Jangalnama"
Kashmir, Mao, free spirit, join forces on book shelf
By IANS,
New Delhi : The books on the shelf this week are mercurial: serious and thought-provoking, yet fun.
After Holocaust, next book on US election: Sam Bourne
By Azera Rahman, IANS,
New Delhi : Renowned author and British journalist Jonathan Freedland - whose pen name is Sam Bourne - plans to weave his next book around the US election campaign.
Having covered the polls this time when Barack Obama had his historic victory, he has enough matter in his hands to pad up his next bestseller.
"I am writing this in Chicago, after seeing Obama celebrate his election as president of the United States. My next novel will be set during a US election campaign," Freedland, 41, told IANS in an e-mail interview.
New award for best South Asian fiction
By IANS,
New Delhi: South Asian literature is trying to position itself globally with a new award from India being announced Tuesday for the best fiction on the region.
The first winner of the award known as the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature, which carries a purse of $50,000, will be announced in January 2011.
Ordinary man who becomes catalyst of change
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
Book: "The Book of Answers"; Author: C.Y. Gopinath ; Publisher: Harper Collins; Price: Rs.499