Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking Susan Cain 2013 Penguin pp. 352 Susan Cain’s book is an excellent read, particularly for introverts who have for long wondered why they can’t seem to adjust to the world. While the introversion-extraversion debate continues in academic circles, the popular conception is to…
The Good Women of China: Hidden Voices Xinran 2003 Vintage Books pp. 229 This book presents stories of women in China in the last few decades of the twentieth century. As a document of what transpired in China, this is an important book for times to come. The writing is lucid and full of emotion…
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…
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…
In this post I want to share the lovely resource bank that has been created on the website of Teachers of Bihar. The website provides a vast collection of resources that are useful for teachers. While the website also provides a section for students, but it’s primary target audience is teachers. The website links to…
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…
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…
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…
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,…
This is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor Adam Kay 2017 Picador pp. 256 ‘This is going to hurt’ is a collection of diary entries written by Adam Kay. A non fiction account of his years of training and growing as a junior doctor, the diary entries hide beneath its many layers…
