Ghosh returns to non-fiction with aplomb, giving us an in-depth and remarkable account of how one plant (opium poppy) has contributed to “the current unmaking of our world”.
by Benedict Paramanand The case study method of teaching in most business schools is blamed for a lack of creativity, innovation, and a risk-averse mindset among most managers. They have been training the brains of young MBAs to learn from what has happened rather than look around in the moment and discover what problems can be solved in newer ways.…
By Sangeetha Menon “Kanmani watched her village from the hill. The lands stood dry and bare, broken even. The skies stared back in defence as the sun growled.” These are the opening lines of Maari, a story about a village in Tamil Nadu dealing with severe drought and finding solace through culture. The young protagonist, Kanmani, is worried as she…
By JoAnne Saldanha Have you ever had a perfectly normal, happy day ruined by something that left you so furious that you felt that the only way you could cope was to walk away from the situation, only to encounter something else that leaves you boiling with anger until you explode, spewing hurtful words that you had never meant to…
Reviewed by Zai Whitaker Once in a while a spectacular natural history book comes along, and The Living Air: The Pleasures of Birds and Birdwatching is one of them. Aasheesh Pittie is in that category of ornithologists who are also good writers; who have not only seen the rare Jerdon’s Courser but describe the incident in a way that makes…
Except for an essay on the poisoners of the living world, the nightshade plant, the other essays are non-vegetarian, so to speak. By and large, the critters are of a size that wouldn’t require a microscope to see them. They can slither, bite, sting, trumpet, dash, bark and swim. The essays aren’t organized in any particular order. The chapter titles…
By Meghaa Gupta The wildings (stray cats) of Nizamuddin are in a frenzy. An unknown cat is invading their minds with its thoughts… Mara is scared, put me down! Where did my mother go? Where are you taking me? Don’t want to leave the drainpipe! You’re frightening Mara… It needs to be silenced, once and for all. Except, this intruder…
By JoAnne Saldanha “LEAVE MY BROTHERS ALONE.” These words stand out on the opening spread of Lady Tarzan! Jamuna takes a Stand, a picture book biography of the indigenous environmental activist Jamuna Tudu, written by Lavanya Karthik, illustrated by Rajiv Eipe and published by Jugnoo Prakashan. The illustrations indicate that the ‘brothers’ being harmed are trees. Jamuna’s fierce cry and…
By Nidhi Gaur Climate change is not fifty years away. It is here, shaping our reality. When we are Home, written by Priyadarshini Gogoi and illustrated by Pankaj Saikia urges readers to take heed of this crisis through the story of two siblings rafting on an overflowing Brahmputra, as they think about their home… fragrant with Aneaido’s til pitha, rhythmically…
By Richa Chadda Life in coastal suburbs runs in a different rhythm to the one inland. Instead of being dictated by a clock or calendar, time follows the routine set by the moods of the sea. What happens when this coastal almanac gets threatened by the clamour for development? When cities grow to swallow every inch of land, getting under…