[warrioraks]

Despite the State: Why India Lets Its People Down and How They Cope




This one is a quick read. Would rate it as 4.5/5 for the content and guts shown by the author.

It is common knowledge that politicians and governments are primarily self-serving entities. This book exposes the extent of it. Great piece of investigative journalism covering 6 Indian states (Mizoram, Punjab, TamilNadu, Odisha, Bihar, Gujarat) across multiple political parties. It was shocking to read the levels of institutional corruption, media manipulation, favoritism, injustice and apathy the different state governments have propagated. It was an eye opener.

This is the only book till now where I had to pay for shipping charges on Amazon. No regrets!

[airguitar]

Recently read the book "Past and Curious" by Stanley Carvalho. It's a collection of 40 stories (more like reminiscences) of Bangalore in the 70s, 80s and 90s. It's a breeze of a read and finished in one sitting. It's the story of many of us that grew up in Bangalore ( well, not different from the stories of others that grew up in cities other than Bangalore ).

If you are one of those that forgot all about those nice days, wonderful people and great stories in the "busy"ness of your life, it's time to get the book and rewind!

[dailydriver]

Originally Posted by airguitar

"Past and Curious"

Nostalgia is like a grammar lesson: you find the present tense, but the past perfect!"

- Owens Lee Pomeroy

[whitewing]

Originally Posted by carheadbanger

The Gene: An Intimate History by Siddhartha Mukherjee

Thanks for the recommendation. Has been an educative read.

The author states that

“Three profoundly destabilizing scientific ideas ricochet through the twentieth century, trisecting it into three unequal parts: the atom, the byte, the gene.”

and attempts to help the non technical reader to gain an understanding of the evolution of genetics and eugenics. In the process touches upon the topics of racism, infanticide, the question if "a human play God", and a just one while at it?
The writing style is engaging – right from the point where Darwin sets off on the ship Beagle resulting in the theory of evolution to the toils of the Monk who failed clearing the exam to be a teacher, who would posthumously be recognized as the father of genetics - Gregory Mendel.
He takes us though the rapid progression of the understanding of genetics post WW2.
While taking us through this journey, we also get the societal context in which these discoveries were made – helps one understand how fascism gained currency.
He also dwells on the moral dilemmas around this topic.

Genetic tests,” as Eric Topol, the medical geneticist described it, “are also moral tests. When you decide to test for ‘future risk,’ you are also, inevitably, asking yourself, what kind of future am I willing to risk?”

Sobering to know that the largest killing based on genetics was not due to Nazis, but due to to the infanticide that happens in countries like China and India.

[shashanka]

"My Family and Other Animals" by Gerald Durrell

We had moved from one city to another a couple of months ago & I discovered that some of my stock of books have been mislaid (possibly still lying in some corner of the old home), including my collection of Gerald Durrell's classics. A couple of days ago while meandering around in a Kolkata bookshop, I spotted the old favourite "My Family and Other Animals" on a shelf. I bought it and came home with a wonderful feel-good factor hugging me. I devoured it at one sitting. The book is a re-capture of his boyhood on the Greek island of Corfu and is hysterically funny and nostalgic (for the author). His character sketches of his family members (as hilarious as the local Greek characters), is a feast for lovers of Wodehousian literature. For all lovers of great English humor.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by shashanka

"My Family and Other Animals" by Gerald Durrell

He is one of the best naturalists! All his books are amazing. You can try all. Also they have an amazing audio version of the same. The main books (My Family..) was also made into a TV series.

[shankar.balan]

I am going to post a mix of non fiction and fiction.

Gerald Durrell. I discovered his books in 1980-1981. Catch me a Colobus was the book.
And thus was born a lifelong love of his books.

My family and other animals was made into a TV series three times. Frankly I preferred the first one to the later ones. The second was acceptable but the third was the worst. They completely made a mess of the story and plot. It was shown on Emirates as part of the TV shows in 2015-2016 - I used to watch it on the American leg or the European legs, but it has disappeared since.

James Herriot is another superb author. The life and tales of a Country Veterinary Doctor in the 1930’s onwards in Yorkshire, England. Beautifully televised in the 1970’s and 1980’s as All Creatures Great and Small. Heartwarming is the only word that springs to mind.

John Mortimer and his entire Rumpole of the Bailey series, about a criminal lawyer, an ‘Old Bailey Hack’. Superb wit, humour and wonderfully pertinent quotes from Classical poetry. Not least is the character of Hilda Rumpole, the lead character’s wife, who goes by the euphemism ‘She Who Must be Obeyed’. This lovely series was televised in the 1970’s by Thames Television.

And the unforgettable Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle. What superb stories!
Immaculately portrayed by Jeremy Brett in the ITV/ Granada TV series.

Not least is the superb Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple series of Agatha Christie.
The former’s foibles were best portrayed by David Suchet. Better than Kenneth Branagh or Peter Ustinov. And the latter, to my mind was better portrayed by Geraldine McEwan rather than by Joan Hickson.

And how can one not mention the wonderful and scintillating Yes Minister and Yes Prime Minister. The books by Anthony Jay and Jonathan Lynn were a masterpiece. And so was the brilliant TV series with Paul Eddington, Nigel Hawthorne and Derek Fowlds. So much so, that in Australia apparently it was so popular amongst everyone and even the politicians watched it in Canberra and thought that Paul Eddington was actually the Prime Minister of England and greeted him as such on his visit to Australia!

Other books that spring to mind are the excellent Perry Mason series which I loved. And the TV Serial with the lead role played by Raymond Burr.

Ian Fleming’s wonderful James Bond books that spawned the worlds most successful franchise! (Did you know that he also wrote the excellent Childrens story Chitty Chitty Bang Bang?)


There is so much more. And we ought not to allow the reading habit to become extinct! There is so much joy to be had from a good book. And with a good book, one is never alone!

Originally Posted by shashanka

"My Family and Other Animals" by Gerald Durrell

We had moved from one city to another a couple of months ago & I discovered that some of my stock of books have been mislaid (possibly still lying in some corner of the old home), including my collection of Gerald Durrell's classics. A couple of days ago while meandering around in a Kolkata bookshop, I spotted the old favourite "My Family and Other Animals" on a shelf. I bought it and came home with a wonderful feel-good factor hugging me. I devoured it at one sitting. The book is a re-capture of his boyhood on the Greek island of Corfu and is hysterically funny and nostalgic (for the author). His character sketches of his family members (as hilarious as the local Greek characters), is a feast for lovers of Wodehousian literature. For all lovers of great English humor.

[vickzkool]

Couple of books I thoroughly enjoyed -

1) India’s Money Heist by Anirban Bhattacharya - a real life detailed account of the Chelembra bank robbery in Kerala and how the perpetrators were hunted down in what appeared to be a perfect crime - 4/5

2) Birds, Beast and Bandits - 14 days with Veerappan - Written by 2 wildlife professionals who were kidnapped by Veerappan ,this book sparked my interest after my holiday to Bandipur triggered by numerous travelogues on T-BHP - 4.5/5

[whitewing]

Originally Posted by vickzkool

2) Birds, Beast and Bandits - 14 days with Veerappan - Written by 2 wildlife professionals who were kidnapped by Veerappan ,this book sparked my interest after my holiday to Bandipur triggered by numerous travelogues on T-BHP - 4.5/5

The kidnapping and the immediate aftermath makes a comical read. Can't but feel sympathy to innocents being kidnapped. This book I felt shows the bandit in a better light, perhaps he did have one.
All said the guy killed almost 200 people, several hundreds of elephants and an unknown amount of sandal wood. His main source of income was also rumored to be from illegal quarries.

The other side - that from the the STF that hunted down the Veerappan is put in Vijay Kumar's - "Chasing the bandit". This gives more context to the wide network that Veerappan had and also the roles of his henchmen. Unfortunately glosses over the atrocities that were supposedly purported by the STF.

This book is also written in a page turner style.

Reading on Veerappan I couldn't but get reminded of Ramalinga Raju saying why he couldn't stop the illegal act - "It was like riding a tiger, not knowing how to get off without being eaten."

[dailydriver]

Anybody even remotely interested with Veerappan and his ways should read Shankar Bidari's recently released autobiography Satyameva Jayate.

Though the book is largely self-praise, it does provide valuable insights into the ways of the high and the mighty.

Being instrumental in reducing the numbers of the members of Veerappan's notorious cohort, Bidari has seen the bandit with details that very few others have.

PS: No personal or commercial interests in the book. Just sharing a thought.

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by whitewing

The kidnapping and the immediate aftermath makes a comical read. Can't but feel sympathy to innocents being kidnapped. This book I felt shows the bandit in a better light, perhaps he did have one.
All said the guy killed almost 200 people, several hundreds of elephants and an unknown amount of sandal wood. His main source of income was also rumored to be from illegal quarries.

I remember reading this as a Kannada series on Taranga, right after their release. Therefore, it gave a very different vantage point about Veerappan not available until then, and when he was still alive.

Unlike other kidnappees, these two guys were accustomed to living in forest, and weren't really afraid of either the surroundings or even the kidnappers. That allowed them to talk to the gang members almost at an equal footing, and discover the different world those gang members came from. They even negotiated a wish list from Veerappan for his surrender, which originally had some very childish requests. Makes one wonder what a different world he was from. He released them after learning they were not valuable as hostages.

However, when they approached the STF Chief (think it was Shankar Bidari), he just ignored all their inputs. That is what I remember from the stuff I read 25 years ago.

[vickzkool]

Any recommendations to find the book '' Spies in the Himalayas '' , i have been trying to find one but appears to be rare and northwards of Rs 4k on amazon , any pointers will be greatly appreciated

[Ithaca]

Netflix dropped a series on Friday 25th Nov 2022 - Khakee: The Bihar Chapter

The series is loosely based on the book - The Bihar Diaries by Amit Lodha IPS. This was to be a movie by Neeraj Pandey but has been converted into a TV series, which I feel does more justice to the story. I have seen only 4 episodes so far and it is very tightly made.

Do read my review of the book pasted below.



Link: https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/shift...ml#post4641247 (The Books Thread (non-fiction))

[N.A.GTC]

Originally Posted by Ithaca

Netflix dropped a series on Friday 25th Nov 2022 - Khakee: The Bihar Chapter

The series is loosely based on the book - The Bihar Diaries by Amit Lodha IPS. This was to be a movie by Neeraj Pandey but has been converted into a TV series, which I feel does more justice to the story. I have seen only 4 episodes so far and it is very tightly made.

Do read my review of the book pasted below.



Link: https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/shift...ml#post4641247 (The Books Thread (non-fiction))

Eh, didn't really like that book too much. Had read it about a year ago. Felt like a collection of Quora answers to "How does it feel to be a cop" loosely strung together in a book - it even had several typos. Still, a better book than what many other bureaucrats and cops have written in the past. It indeed gets interesting/exciting and funny at points, but it's also quite cringy and repetitive in a lot of places.

2.5/5

EDIT: Just realised I had read the other book by this author - 'Life in the Uniform', and not 'Bihar Diaries'. Oops. My bad.

[whitewing]

Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann
Rating: 4.5/5

This is the recounting of a series of murders of the Osage Indians, the subsequent investigations. This is set in the boom towns of the oil industry.
Reads like a whodonit novel. If one has enjoyed reading Conan Doyle's "The Valley Of Fear", this is highly recommended.

What makes this book stand out is the research that has been put in to dig up statements, reports and interviews of an 100 year old incident and bring it to life.
In the process, he recounts the tragic story of the natives (including the Osage) being overrun by the pillaging white man.
Also tells of a time where Edgar Hoover is trying to get a footing in the Government apparatus, and the incidents that led to FBI gaining the name it did. How a few fearless upright officers can make a huge difference.