BOOKS OF THE WEEK

Eclipsing the West: China, India and the Forging of a New World by Vince Cable 

ABOUT THE BOOK

One of the Financial Times’ Best books of 2025’ – The Economic Times

As the international order begins to fragment, this incisive book explores what the rise of the Asian superstates means for the future.

The West-dominated world that has shaped global politics and economics for the past three centuries is undergoing profound change. As the United States retreats from its traditional role as guarantor of the international order, other nations are moving to fill the vacuum. Chief among them are two rising Asian superstates: China and India.

Together accounting for more than a third of the world’s population, China and India have the potential to wield immense economic and political influence. China is already competing with the United States for global economic leadership and, by some measures, has overtaken it. By the middle of the century, India may emerge as the world’s second- largest economy. How will these countries navigate their expanding roles on the world stage? What will their rise mean for global commerce, international law and the fight against climate change?

Drawing on decades of engagement with both countries – first as a professional economist and later as a senior government minister, Vince Cable combines the latest data with a lifetime of political and economic experience to offer a compelling analysis of how the rise of the Asian superstates will reshape the twenty- first century.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Vince Cable is a Visiting Professor at the London School of Economics and Political Science and a Distinguished Fellow at the Overseas Development Institute. He previously served as the United Kingdom’s Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills and as President of the Board of Trade. He holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Glasgow and worked as Chief Economist for Shell during the 1990s. His books include The Storm (2009), After the Storm (2015), Open Arms (2017), Money and Power (2021) and The Chinese Conundrum (2022).

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BOOKS OF THE WEEK

India's Secret War: BSF and Nine Months to the Birth of Bangladesh by Ushinor Majumdar  

ABOUT THE BOOK

Triggered by the US-backed Pakistani junta's brutal measures against the Bengalis, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman proclaimed the independence of East Pakistan on 26 March 1971. They needed the world's support, and India was their first ally.

The Border Security Force (BSF), an elite Indian force, was only five years old at the time and became central to India's sustained military response in East Pakistan for nine months, until the alliance of Indian and Bangladeshi forces won Dacca. The BSF's founding chief, K.F. Rustamji, and his men went beyond their charter of policing borders to respond to one of the world's worst humanitarian crises that was unfolding right next door to India. For nine months, till the 1971 India-Pakistan war, they covertly gave support to the forces of resistance, through clandestine missions and black ops deep in East Pakistan, while diplomats and politicians primed the world for the war. They welcomed democratically elected politicians and helped establish them as the government-in-exile, installed a clandestine radio station, triggered the defections of East Pakistani diplomats and foiled the Pakistan Army's tactical trump card to damage the Indian Air Force bases.

With access to classified records and through exhaustive interviews with surviving veterans, award-winning investigative reporter Ushinor Majumdar has crafted this first comprehensive historical account of the BSF's role in the Bangladesh liberation war, which changed the course of South Asian history.

ABOUT THE AUTHOUR 

Ushinor Majumdar is an award-winning investigative reporter and author. He has worked for publications such as Outlook, Tehelka, Confluence Media and Hindustan Times. As a freelancer, his reports have appeared in the Mumbai Mirror, OCCRP and the Caravan, and he has also consulted with the BBC. Ushinor is the author of God of Sin: The Cult, Clout and Downfall of Asaram Bapu (2018).

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BOOKS OF THE WEEK

Ai for Good: How Real People Are Using Artificial Intelligence to Fix Things That Matter by Josh Tyrangiel

ABOUT THE BOOK

In contrast to the wave of noisy polemics around AI, AI For Good explores how, in practice, it can actually improve our lives and tells the stories of everyday citizens at the forefront of this new “AI entrepreneurship.”

AI is often framed as a force of radical transformation, either catapulting us into a utopian future or dragging us toward existential ruin. But this book tells a different story. It’s not about high-profile tech CEOs who want to use AI to “break shit,” but about a bunch of smart pragmatists using AI to make the world better.

Josh Tyrangiel’s journey into AI began with a late-night YouTube video featuring General Gustave Perna, the retired four-star general who orchestrated the distribution of Covid vaccines during Operation Warp Speed. Perna’s success—and the end of the pandemic—depended on AI’s practical ability to synthesize and standardize vast amounts of logistical data. AI wasn’t the hero of the story—it was the tool that helped real people get things done.

This book follows those people, who make up a kind of AI counterculture. It explores AI’s quiet revolution in government services, medicine, education, and human connection—places where it’s being used to amplify human judgment rather than replace it. It tells the stories of teachers, doctors, and bureaucrats who often stumbled into AI as a means to solve specific, tangible problems, often with no prior software expertise.

While the loudest voices in AI debate doomsday scenarios and trillion-dollar market opportunities, this book focuses on those working in the messy, incremental, but deeply impactful space of AI practice. However, there is one big caveat—success is not guaranteed. Change is hard. Institutions move slowly. But even in failure there are lessons for everyone who’s interested in using AI—carefully, thoughtfully—to build a better world today.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Josh Tyrangiel is a writer for The Atlantic. He was previously the editor of Bloomberg Businessweek and chief content officer for Bloomberg Media. A twelve-time Emmy and Peabody Award–winning producer, he created Vice News Tonight on HBO and has produced numerous feature-length documentaries for HBO, Netflix, and Apple TV.

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