Steve Coll’s books are a class apart. He is undisputedly the authority on Pakistan-Afghanistan-America affairs and nexus. His latest book, Directorate S, coming after an equally important book on the same subject ‘Ghost Wars’, is a testimony to his depth and diligence. It is fascinating to read about the many games that each of the […]
Read an interesting book on my kindle ‘Liberal Fascism’ by Jonah Goldberg. This Oxymoronic-sounding phrase was used by the author to actually show a mirror to the pseudo-Liberals in America. You read it; and you get a feeling as though it was about the pseudo-Liberals that you encounter on a daily basis. Liberalism as an […]
Interesting, but not extraordinary. This Rand research document discusses good and bad counterinsurgency or we may call it counterterrorism practices and derives conclusions that are educative to forces involved in CT operations. In all about 30 cases were taken for study. Having seen CT ops closely in Kashmir, AP, Chhattisgarh and North East, I can […]
Textbookish, with some useful information for the beginners. But for those familiar with the history and politics of the two countries, little new to expect.
It is a different kind of book. ‘The Misfit’s Manifesto’ is a life story of the author, weaving into it the stories of several of her friends, who, starting off as misfits or different people, transformed their lives. Failed lives to fulfilling ones. It is not a book of psychiatry. It is rather a biography. […]
Henry Kissinger is rated as the best Secretary of State for the US in the last century. He is credited with path breaking negotiations with China, in West Asia n during the Vietnam War. This book analyses Kissinger’s negotiating skills and comes out with 15 lessons to be learnt. A good book to know what […]
Yale professor Ami Chua’s provocative, informative and thought-provoking work on new politics of identity. Very insightful. Primal group identities are today driving the political upheaval in the world, she argues citing countless examples. The racist side of the contemporary US politics that she highlights is frightening as also the duplicity and double-standards of the Left […]
It stirs you up; fabulous and poignant. Aatish surpasses his own excellence, and presents another literary marvel in ‘The Twice-Born’. He proves his prowess once again as a master chronicler. The Benaras that we didn’t know, regardless of umpteen visits we might have made, is showcased; not just as a travel diary, but as a […]
A very stimulating n thought provoking book by a former diplomat; a must read for diplomat’s n policy makers n politicians; shows a mirror to them but also shatters many a myth. A gripping narrative that I could complete reading in 3-4 long flights. Of particular attention is d chapter dealing with d message of […]
Most fascinating, complex, illuminating and often frightening history of ‘us’, from the origin of the universe to an unknown future. Except for the part dealing with the evolution of the human race, where one can get less convinced about the very linear nature of it, the entire book keeps you spellbound, makes it a mind-boggling […]
