BOOKS OF THE WEEK - SATURDAY, 29TH JUNE, 2019

WHO IS BHARAT MATA

On History, Culture and the Idea of India: Writings by and On Jawaharlal Nehru


By - Purushottam Agrawal 

ISBN : 9789386702845   
Price : Rs. 599.00

About the Book : 
An unprecedented and timely collection of writings by and on Jawaharlal Nehru—the man who shaped newly independent India; and the icon whose legacy is the subject of intense and often angry debate today. ‘who is this Bharat Mata, whose victory you wish?’ asked Jawaharlal Nehru leading light of the Indian freedom movement who would become the country first prime ministers a public gathering in 1936. And then he explained: the mountains and rivers, forests and fields were of course dear to everyone, but what counted ultimately were ‘the people of India…spread out all over this vast land. Bharat Mata, mother India, [is] essentially these millions of people and victory to her [is] victory to these people.’ This collection of writings and speeches by and on Nehru shows us the mind—the ideology, born of experience, observation and deep study—behind this democratic and inclusive idea of India. It is a book of particular relevance at a time when ‘nationalism’ and the slogan ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ are being used to construct a militant and purely emotional idea of India that exclude millions of residents and citizens. ‘who is Bharat Mata?’ contains selections from Nehru’s classic books— an autobiography, glimpses of world history and the discovery of India; his speeches, essays and letters from the Pre- and post-Independence years; And some of his most revealing interviews. The concluding section of the book comprises reminiscences and assessments of Nehru by his contemporaries them, Mahatma Gandhi, Bhagat Singh, Sardar Patel, Maulana Azad, a run a Asaf Ali, Sheikh Abdullah, ramdhari Singh Dinkar, Ali Sardar Jafri, Martin Luther King Jr and Atal Bihar Vajpayee. In this carefully put-together anthology—which also carries an illuminating introduction emerges as a remarkable man of ideas and action who had an instinctive understanding of India’s civilizational spirit, as also a clear commitment to the scientific temper; and as a leader who, despite the compulsions of politics, remained a true democrat. His legacy continues to be extremely relevant—for, in the words of the editor, an understanding of ‘Nehru’s political and intellectual journey is a pre-condition for India’s survival as a democratic Polity and as a humane, compassionate society’.
About the Author :
Purushottam Agrawal Is an acclaimed author, columnist and academic. His published works, in Hindi, include the novel Nacohus; a collection of essays on culture, Vichar ka Ananta and a classic work on Kabir, Akath Kahani Prem Ki.
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BOOKS OF THE WEEK - SATURDAY, 22ND JUNE, 2019

Gun Island: A Novel

By - Amitav Ghosh

ISBN : 9780670089161    
Price : Rs. 699.00

About the Book : 
Bundook. Gun. A common word, but one which turns Deen Datta's world upside down.
A dealer of rare books, Deen is used to a quiet life spent indoors, but as his once-solid beliefs begin to shift, he is forced to set out on an extraordinary journey; one that takes him from India to Los Angeles and Venice via a tangled route through the memories and experiences of those he meets along the way. There is Piya, a fellow Bengali-American who sets his journey in motion; Tipu, an entrepreneurial young man who opens Deen's eyes to the realities of growing up in today's world; Rafi, with his desperate attempt to help someone in need; and Cinta, an old friend who provides the missing link in the story they are all a part of. It is a journey which will upend everything he thought he knew about himself, about the Bengali legends of his childhood and about the world around him.
Gun Island is a beautifully realised novel which effortlessly spans space and time. It is the story of a world on the brink, of increasing displacement and unstoppable transition. But it is also a story of hope, of a man whose faith in the world and the future is restored by two remarkable women.
About the Author
Amitav Ghosh was born in Calcutta in 1956. He grew up in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and India. He studied at the universities of Delhi and Oxford and published the first of eight novels, The Circle of Reason, in 1986. He currently divides his time between Calcutta, Goa and Brooklyn. The first novel in his Ibis trilogy, Sea of Poppies, was shortlisted for the Man Booker prize.
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Kevin Missal: Narasimha, mythology, fantasy and literary delight!

The Booknerds and the iconic bookshop The English Book Depot collaborated to host bestselling author Kevin Missal for the launch of his latest book Narasimha: The Mahaavatar Trilogy Book 1, an evening brimming with mythology, fantasy and literary delights.

Kevin Missal wrote his first book at the age of 14, and at 22, St. Stephen's College, Delhi graduate is a bestselling author and a full-time writer, with the first two books in his Kalki series being runaway successes. Dharmayoddha Kalki: Avatar of Vishnu and its sequel Satyayoddha Kalki: Eye of Brahma have sold one lakh copies in under a year. Kevin loves fantasy fiction and has always been a fan of mythology. His books have been featured in publications like The Sunday Guardian, The New Indian Express and Millennium Post.

The moderator for the evening was Himadri, a YouTube and Instagram influencer of repute from Doon Valley.

The discussion was led by Rohan Raj, Co-founder, The Booknerds who grilled Kevin with some candid questions but Kevin Missal answered all questions with aplomb and explained how a contemporary writer has to be involved with everything from creative book cover design, social media campaigns, build a great relationship with editors and publishers and so much more. He said, "I write because I want to convert non-readers into readers".On being asked by other bibliophiles about his foray into writing  mythology and fantasy he said, "I am a huge Star Wars fan and always wanted to render the same storyline treatment to Indian mythology."

When Rohan inquired about why he chose to write about Narasimha, Kevin said," I happened to write on Narasimha when I realized he’s the angriest Avatar of Lord Vishnu. The more I researched about him, the more he became layered and complex. Did you know he had a wife? Did you know he was a devoted husband? It made me think that people know only the Narasimha they have read in populist stories and not the one that came prior. So I happen to write on him."

He also mentioned that his father has played a humongous role in him being inspired to write in the genre.

The session concluded with a book signing session and Neha Raj, Co-founder, The Booknerds presenting the mementoes.

- Information courtesy The Booknerds

#Narasimha #KevinMissal #Mythology #BrewingKnowledge #BookCafe #IndianMythology #Bestseller #Dehradun #BookLaunch

BOOKS OF THE WEEK - SATURDAY, 15TH, JUNE 2019

The Carpet Weaver
By - Nemat Sadat 

ISBN : 9780670092048 
Price : Rs. 599.00

About the Book : 
Afghanistan, 1977. Kanishka Nurzada, the son of a leading carpet seller, falls in love with his friend Maihan, with whom he shares his first kiss at the age of sixteen. Their romance must be kept secret in a nation where the death penalty is meted out to those deemed to be kuni, a derogatory term for gay men. And when war comes to Afghanistan, it brings even greater challenges-and danger-for the two lovers.
From the cultural melting pot of Kabul to the horrors of an internment camp in Pakistan, Kanishka's arduous journey finally takes him to the USA in the desperate search for a place to call home-and the fervent hope of reuniting with his beloved Maihan. But destiny seems to have different plans in store for him.
Intimate and powerful, The Carpet Weaver is a sweeping tale of a young gay man's struggle to come of age and find love in the face of brutal persecution.
About the Author :
Nemat Sadat is a prominent activist and journalist currently based in the USA. He is the first native from Afghanistan to have publicly come out as gay and campaign for LGBTQIA rights in Muslim communities worldwide. While teaching at the American University of Afghanistan, he secretly mobilized a gay movement off campus but was then persecuted by the Afghan authorities and deemed a national security threat for allegedly subverting Islam. Sadat has previously worked at ABC News's Nightline, CNN's Fareed Zakaria GPS and the UN Chronicle, and has earned six university degrees, including graduate degrees from Harvard, Columbia, and Oxford. The Carpet Weaver is his first novel.
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BOOKS OF THE WEEK - SATURDAY, 8TH JUNE, 2019

City of Girls 

By - Elizabeth Gilbert 

ISBN : 9781526615237     
Price : Rs. 599.00

About the Book  
It is the summer of 1940. Nineteen-year-old Vivian Morris arrives in New York with her suitcase and sewing machine, exiled by her despairing parents. Although her quicksilver talents with a needle and commitment to mastering the perfect hair roll have been deemed insufficient for her to pass into her sophomore year of Vassar, she soon finds gainful employment as the self-appointed seamstress at the Lily Playhouse, her unconventional Aunt Peg's charmingly disreputable Manhattan revue theatre. There, Vivian quickly becomes the toast of the showgirls, transforming the trash and tinsel only fit for the cheap seats into creations for goddesses.
Exile in New York is no exile at all: here in this strange wartime city of girls, Vivian and her girlfriends mean to drink the heady highball of life itself to the last drop. And when the legendary English actress Edna Watson comes to the Lily to star in the company's most ambitious show ever, Vivian is entranced by the magic that follows in her wake. But there are hard lessons to be learned, and bitterly regrettable mistakes to be made. Vivian learns that to live the life she wants, she must live many lives, ceaselessly and ingeniously making them new.
‘At some point in a woman's life, she just gets tired of being ashamed all the time. After that, she is free to become whoever she truly is,' she confides. And so Vivian sets forth her story, and that of the women around her - women who have lived as they truly are, out of step with a century that could never quite keep up with them.
About the Author
Elizabeth Gilbert is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Big Magic, Eat Pray Love, and The Signature of All Things, as well as several other internationally bestselling books of fiction and nonfiction. She has been a finalist for the National Book Award, the National Book Critics Circle Award, and the PEN/Hemingway Award. Her latest novel, City of Girls. 
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BOOKS OF THE WEEK - SATURDAY, 1ST, JUNE, 2019

12 Rules for Life: 
An Antidote to Chaos

By - Jordan B. Peterson

ISBN : 978-0241351642     
Price : Rs.699.00

About the Book : 
Jordan Peterson's work as a clinical psychologist has reshaped the modern understanding of personality and now he has become one of the world's most popular public thinkers, with his lectures on topics ranging from the bible to romantic relationships drawing tens of millions of viewers. In an era of polarizing politics, echo chambers and trigger warnings, his startling message about the value of personal responsibility and the dangers of ideology has resonated around the world. In this book, he combines ancient wisdom with decades of experience to provide twelve profound and challenging principles for how to live a meaningful life, from setting your house in order before criticising others to comparing yourself to who you were yesterday, not someone else today. Gripping, thought-provoking and deeply rewarding, 12 rules for life offers an antidote to the chaos in our lives: eternal truths applied to our modern problems.
About the Author :
Jordan B. Peterson is a Professor of psychology at the University of Toronto. Raised in the frigid wastelands of Northern Alberta, he has flown a hammer-head roll in a carbon-fiber stunt-plane, and built a Kwagu'l ceremonial bighouse on the upper floor of his Toronto home after being invited into and named by that Canadian First Nation. He's taught mythology to lawyers, doctors and business people, consulted for the UN Secretary General, helped his clinical clients manage depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder and anxiety, and lectured extensively in North America and Europe. With his students and colleagues, Dr. Peterson has published over a hundred scientific papers, and his book Maps of Meaning revolutionized the psychology of religion. Formerly a professor at Harvard University, he was nominated for its prestigious Levenson Teaching Prize.
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