Reading list: four books for December 2018
Picks for your TBR list: Yuval Noah Harari's 21 Lessons for the 21st Century, Krishna Trilok's A.R. Rahman biography Notes of a Dream, Gurcharan Das's Kama and Rishi Vohra's I am M-M-Mumbai.
Looking for some great books to add to your TBR list? Grab a cup of coffee with some of the favourite picks of this season and simply unwind.
21 Lessons for the 21st Century
Author: Yuval Noah Harari. Genre: Anthropology
As always with Harari, we have a book that has us thinking and pondering deeply about some of the most pertinent questions about life, but in terms that is easy to grasp and extremely relatable. Although it may appear that Harari is offering readers with an easy answer, he certainly isn’t. Rather, he is trying to push the readers in a position where they can find their own answers. What is striking about Harari is his ability to understand, where as a society we have come from, and where are we headed. However, people familiar with Harari’s previous work, may have a nagging feeling that this is not as great as Homo Deus, or Sapiens. Still, 21 Lessons is indeed a great and satisfying read.
Notes of a Dream
Authors: Krishna Trilok. Genre: Biography
In spite of a valiant effort by Trilok, Notes Of A Dream, being an authorised biography has its share of problems. Apart from a few new factoids about Rahman, readers should not expect a great deal of something new about the life and times that made Rahman the man he is. Instead, we get various account of what everyone surrounding him, see him as. The accounts provided by his sister, his wife and the people working around him paint him as an ingenious music director with a very humble beginning who went on to become Indian Music’s pantheon in his own right. What you should pick this book up for, is the manner in which Trilok manages to paint the daily life of Rahman, placing readers right beside him.
Kama: The Riddle of Desire
Author: Gurcharan Das. Genre: Fiction/Anthropology
India is a unique civilisation in the sense that we have juxtaposed Dharma, our duties and Kama, our desires side by side. Both of them are equally important to lead a complete and meaningful life. Gurcharan Das, using a fictional narrator tries to swim through the quagmire that this juxtaposition has taken shape in today’s world, where our philosophies have been influenced by a plethora of civilisations. The book tries to reconcile all these philosophies and various other teachings about desire and devotion that we have accumulated over various epochs. The underlying tone and philosophies that come into play in the fictional narrative make this an interesting and worthwhile read.
I am M-M-Mumbai
Author: Rishi Vohra. Genre: Fiction
A tale of grit and overcoming adversity, I am M-M-Mumbai provides deep insight into the dark underbelly of the film industry. While the overarching theme is the outsider’s attempt to establish a footing into the world of acting, the sub plot of a failed attempt at romance is quite unnecessary. Rishi Vohra’s writing style is fresh and while the novel is well structured, it could have done better if he stayed focused on the primary theme, and took a more holistic approach to showcasing the struggles of surviving in an industry where nepotism is the key to success.
By Mehul Reuben Das & Mukul Kashyap
From the December 2018 issue of FHM India.
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