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Book Review: How to Give Up Plastic

How to Give up Plastic: Changing the World: One Plastic Bottle at a Time William McCallum 2019 Penguin pp. 224 The part self help, part planet help book focuses on exactly what the time tells you- changing the world one plastic bottle at a time. It is this idea, that it is not a big…

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Book Review: Before the Coffee Gets Cold

Before the Coffee Gets Cold Toshikazu Kawaguchi (trans. Geoffrey Trousselot) 2015/ 2019 Picador pp. 224 I chanced upon this book while looking for books by Japanese authors. Admittedly, it is the name of the book that caught my attention. Coffee and book together make a strong combination and I thought this must be written by…

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Book Review: A Thousand Splendid Suns

A Thousand Splendid Suns Khaled Hosseini 2007 Riverhead pp. 432 Hosseini’s second book weaves an engaging tale around the lives of Mariam and Leila. Unlike his earlier work, this book presents female protagonists who strive through trying circumstances. While the context is quite similar to The Kite Runner, the protagonists gender, and thus the central…

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Book Review: Chaurassi (84)

Chaurassi (84) Satya Vyas 2018 Hind Yugm pp. 160 Chaurassi is a fictional story of Rishi and Manu (Manjeet). Set in Bokaro, the story details out the lives of the members of a middle class Sikh family. The romance that brews between the landlord’s daughter and the young man is sweet. The characters are not…

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Book Review: Underground Spaces Unveiled

Underground Spaces Unveiled: Planning and creating the cities of the future Han Admiraal and Antonia Cornaro 2018 ICE (Thomas Telford) pp. 210 This fascinating piece of writing by Admiraal and Cornaro opened a new world for me. Maybe those working in the fields of urban planning and design would not be as wide eyed at…

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Book Review: The Adivasi Will Not Dance

The Adivasi Will Not Dance Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar 2015 Speaking Tiger pp. 200 The Adivasi Will Not Dance is a collection of stories based in the tribal culture, primarily of Santhal tribe, in Jharkhand. The stories revolve around the lives of men and women belonging to the tribes of the region, their experiences and struggles,…

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Book Reviews: Ikigai and How to Not Always be Working

Ikigai: Giving every day meaning and joy Yukari Mitsuhashi 2018 Octopus Publishing pp. 118 How to Not Always be Working: A toolkit for creativity and radical self care Marlee Grace 2018 Morrow Gift pp. 112 Ikigai is a book about the art of always staying busy in an attempt to increase your longevity. The book…