https://madrasmedley.com/ Recent content on Madras Medley Hugo -- gohugo.io en-us © Copyright notice Wed, 04 Nov 2026 19:00:00 +0530 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/pompeii/ Wed, 04 Nov 2026 19:00:00 +0530 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/pompeii/ Pompeii is a story that checks all the boxes of a classic adventure fiction novel and belongs to one of my favorite genres: historical fiction. Set against the backdrop of the infamous Mt. Vesuvius volcanic eruption in 79 AD, Robert Harris weaves a masterful tale that brings together fictional and historical characters, incorporating drama, humor, deceit, lust for power, revenge, love, jealousy, and, most importantly, the spirit of human resilience against all odds. https://madrasmedley.com/divya-desams/quest-108-5/ Wed, 28 Jan 2026 13:30:00 +0530 https://madrasmedley.com/divya-desams/quest-108-5/ Visited: December 2020 🟧🟧🟧🟧🟧🟧🟧🟧🟧 +9 Chola Nadu · View full progressThe Story After a long gap I am back updating my trips to Divya Desams, thanks to Claude Code for helping revamp my website. We go back to December 2020 just before the new year as we set out as a family to visit our native Kumbakōnam. While I’ve been to Kumbakōnam many times, this time I wanted to visit all Divya Desams in the area and ended up visiting 9 in 2 days. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/kautilyanomics/ Sun, 18 Jan 2026 00:12:39 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/kautilyanomics/ Kautilyanomics by Sriram Balasubramanian is an interesting book that combines modern economics with the ancient wisdom of Kautilya, also known as Chanakya. While the Arthashastra is primarily known as a treatise on statecraft, politics, and military strategy, the author explores the economic policies and vision prescribed by Chanakya in the text and draws parallels with Bharat in the 21st century, highlighting the lessons we can learn from Kautilya. The author first explores the depth of research and the level of understanding of Sanskrit, as well as Bharatiya culture, that are required as prerequisites to begin understanding the foundations of this treatise. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/our-living-constitution/ Tue, 14 Oct 2025 00:12:39 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/our-living-constitution/ Our Living Constitution by Dr. Shashi Tharoor is meant to be a concise introduction to the Indian Constitution and a primer on the duties and rights of Indian citizens. While the book begins with this premise, it quickly turns into a subtle—but not so subtle—critique of the present BJP government led by Modi and offers little in terms of a balanced perspective, something unexpected from a person of Dr. Tharoor’s caliber. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/who-we-are/ Mon, 02 Jun 2025 00:12:39 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/who-we-are/ I was inspired to read this book after watching a podcast with David Reich. As someone who’s long been interested in the origins of humanity, the movement of people and languages, and the ancient DNA revolution, I was excited to understand it all in greater detail straight from the horse’s mouth. This book is a fascinating introduction to the world of ancient DNA and how it has fundamentally reshaped not just genetics but also other scientific fields, from archaeology and biology to medicine and economics. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/sangh-swaraj/ Fri, 10 Jan 2025 21:12:39 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/sangh-swaraj/ The Sangh and Swaraj is a short book on the role of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in India’s freedom struggle. It is authored by Ratan Sharda, a longtime RSS activist who has also written other books on RSS and demystified it for the general public. This book, in particular, shares documentary and anecdotal evidence of RSS’s role in the freedom movement, which has often been questioned in Indian mainstream media and used as a brickbat against the Sangh. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/why-bharat-matters/ Thu, 12 Dec 2024 19:47:38 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/why-bharat-matters/ Why Bhārat matters can be considered a point-in-time book that gives a snapshot of India, its place in the world today, and its relationships and challenges in a global economy. It can also be considered a geopolitical history book that outlines our journey since independence and the vicissitudes we’ve seen with our foreign affairs. The book also establishes the vision and focus for the future and charts the path ahead. Hence, it can be seen as a foundational book for a rising India. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/muslimseparatism/ Tue, 25 Jun 2024 18:00:41 -0700 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/muslimseparatism/ Certain characteristics characterize SRG’s writing: concise content, scathing criticism, meticulous detail, and bludgeoning impact. Muslim Separatism: Causes and Consequences is no exception. This is a review of the seminal book, ‘The Tragic Story of Partition’ by H.V. Seshadri. SRG, while broadly agreeing with the clarity and retelling of H.V. Seshadri, adds his own opinions where he differs from the author. The book delves into the causes that led to the partition of India and how the Hindu society and the leaders of the Indian National Congress failed and continue to fail to understand the consciousness of Islam and the sinister nature of the ‘residues of Islamic imperialism’ - the people and movement that emerged post the downfall of the Mughal empire. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/raya/ Wed, 27 Mar 2024 13:45:15 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/raya/ Raya by Srinivas Reddy is a biography of the legendary Indian King of the Vijayanagara Empire, Krishnadevaraya. The book references “Rayavacakamu,””Amuktamalyada,” and various sources from foreign travelers and merchants who visited the empire during its heydays under his reign in the early 16th century. While the book serves as a basic introduction to Raya and the life and times of that era, it lacks depth and tries too much to “secularize” the narrative that falls flat. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/harappa/ Sat, 17 Feb 2024 22:51:15 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/harappa/ Hymns of Harappa by Sai Papineni is a thought-provoking book for many reasons. At the outset, the book aims to provide a thesis/postulation to try and reconcile one of the most intriguing mysteries of proto-Indian history - who the Vedic people were and how they were related to the Harappan civilization. Were they the same or two entities that existed in different periods? To solve this riddle, the author references the Puranic king lists published by Britishman F. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/oneminutemanager/ Sun, 14 Jan 2024 20:06:32 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/oneminutemanager/ I’ll start this review with my usual disclaimer that I am not a fan of self-help books and usually avoid them. I picked this one up as my manager recommended it and finally read it. The New One Minute Manager, as the name suggests, is a short guidebook to managers on how they can manage people and help them and the organization grow together. While the original One Minute Manager came a couple of decades ago, this book has been adapted to today’s more flat organizational style compared to the top-down hierarchical structures businesses followed in previous decades. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/letstalkmutualfunds/ Mon, 08 Jan 2024 19:24:34 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/letstalkmutualfunds/ Let’s Talk Mutual Funds is the sequel to the very enlightening and foundational book “Let’s Talk Money” by Monika Halan. As the title suggests, this book is both an introduction and a dive deep into the world of mutual funds in India. It provides a step-by-step guide for investors on investing in mutual funds at any stage of their life or financial journey. There are a lot of similarities to its predecessor - easy-to-understand language, relatable examples, gotchas and lessons to learn, and the caring and considerate manner in which she disambiguates the complexities in mutual funds. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/hindu-rashtra/ Thu, 05 Oct 2023 08:30:56 -0700 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/hindu-rashtra/ Reading a book rarely makes you feel anger, despair, anxiety, hopelessness, and resignation. Strangely, these are the only emotions one experiences while reading Dr. Anand Ranganathan’s latest book - Hindus in Hindu Rashtra: Eighth-Class Citizens and Victims of state-sanctioned apartheid. If the title of this book isn’t sobering enough for a practicing Hindu, reading through it only makes it worse with every turn of the page. In his characteristic style, self-proclaimed ‘Darwinian-Atheist’ Dr. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/battle-for-rama/ Sat, 30 Sep 2023 08:30:56 -0700 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/battle-for-rama/ The Battle for Rama is a concise reference book on one of the most critical and controversial issues in Bharāt- the birthplace of Lord Sri Rama at Ramjanmabhumi at Ayodhya. The book details the entire history of the place, the continued worship and faith of millions at the site, and the various conflicts due to the construction of the Babri Masjid by Babur and its subsequent demolition. As always, Meenakshi Jain’s book is highly academic, with many primary source reference materials. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/letstalkmoney/ Fri, 25 Aug 2023 17:30:56 -0700 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/letstalkmoney/ Let’s Talk Money by Monika Halan is one of those books I’d recommend as a must-read for everyone, regardless of whether they’re a novice or an expert at managing their finances. I was impressed with how the book was structured, and it provides a step-by-step approach to making one’s money work for them in different life situations. Most people lack structure in organizing their finances, don’t have good advisors, and tend to make financial decisions out of emotion rather than logic. https://madrasmedley.com/thoughts/decadeinusa/ Wed, 09 Aug 2023 19:00:33 -0700 https://madrasmedley.com/thoughts/decadeinusa/ 10 years ago, on August 9, 2013, I first stepped into the USA. As a 23-year-old, I came here for my Master’s degree, and my plan was to graduate, hopefully, get a job, repay my education loan, and return to Chennai within 2 years. Clearly, fate had other plans, and cliched as it might sound, I can’t believe it’s 10 years already. Some stats: In my time here, I’ve been to 25 states, lived in 4 cities, worked for 3 tech companies, driven 10s of thousands of miles, explored a handful of National parks, visited 3 other countries, been to countless sporting events and 0 Taylor Swift concerts. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/doglapan/ Sat, 29 Jul 2023 10:09:06 -0700 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/doglapan/ Doglapan, the famous expression from Ashneer Grover of Shark Tank India fame, is also the name of his autobiography. True to his on-screen character, Asheneer gives us a very candid and engaging peek into his life and his journey from being a ‘refugee’ to one of India’s most prominent startup founders and an inspiration to many. First, kudos to Ashneer for making this book an easy and accessible despite having a lot of financial jargon. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/networkstate/ Sat, 22 Jul 2023 11:31:12 -0700 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/networkstate/ This eponymous book is what one would call a ‘Think Big’ initiative - how does one start a new country in the internet age, and what are the various factors at play and viability of this concept in multiple spheres - social, technical, logistical, legal, physical and financial. Balaji is a tech entrepreneur and visionary, and in his first book, he attempts to provide a vision for the future of our planet to move from nation-states to network states. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/ps2/ Sat, 03 Jun 2023 15:34:19 -0700 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/ps2/ Note: You can access part 1 of my review here. Part 2, and others, are a direct continuation of their previous parts; hence, it is easy to pick up from where we left off. We spend some time in Thanjai, where we witness a battle of words and wits between the Ilaya Piratti Kundhavai and Pazhuvoor Rani Nandini, but most of the story is set in Sri Lanka. As the story progresses, we see Vandhiyathevan eventually establishing contact with Kundhavai, who assigns him the new task of bringing back her younger brother, Arunmozhi Varman, from Ilankai. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/ps1/ Sun, 23 Apr 2023 21:10:19 -0700 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/ps1/ Ponniyin Selvan needs no introduction, and I consider it my good fortune to be born a Tamil and to have access to this literary masterpiece which has been celebrated for decades. While I still couldn’t read the book in Tamil, owing to my language gaps, I managed to read an excellent translation by Pavithra Srinivasan. Translating a text of this scale and grandeur takes work. Still, the author did a fantastic job bringing about Kalki’s vivid descriptions of the life and times of 10th-century Chozha Nadu alive. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/india-bharat-pakistan/ Mon, 27 Mar 2023 18:25:35 -0700 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/india-bharat-pakistan/ J. Sai Deepak has grown in leaps and bounds as a lawyer, a public speaker, and an inspiration for the youth of India, who are increasingly becoming civilizational aware. Adding to that list is his rise as an author and his second book of the Bhārat trilogy (or is it 4 books now?) - India, Bhārat, and Pakistan is a testament to this. Continuing from book one, JSD establishes the continuum of Middle Eastern Coloniality in Bhārat after the Mughal empire’s decline. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/genghis-khan/ Wed, 19 Oct 2022 20:58:43 -0700 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/genghis-khan/ When we hear ‘Genghis Khan,’ it brings different images to one’s mind, with most depictions portraying him as a fierce warrior and ruthless tyrant from Mongolia who, at one point in time, ruled the world. We think of the thousands of people he butchered, the vast swathes of territories he conquered, and the influence he has on the planet to this day, with 1 in 200 people alive today still considered his direct descendants. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/why-i-am-atheist/ Sun, 22 May 2022 22:06:16 -0700 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/why-i-am-atheist/ Why I am an Atheist is a short essay written by Bhagat Singh where he talks about his journey to becoming an atheist. Although he grew up in a religious household, his time in college during the non-cooperation movement made him skeptical about the existence of God. By reading further, he strengthened his conviction until he finally convinced himself that there does not exist an omnipresent supreme being who created and controlled the universe. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/mr-sampath/ Mon, 09 May 2022 21:42:54 -0700 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/mr-sampath/ Mr. Sampath is probably not one of R.K.Narayan’s most-loved books. This is because one doesn’t connect with the characters, the plot, or the setting it is in, even though it is in the familiar fictional world of Malgudi. However, it does have a few highlights, which made it an interesting read. For one, the titular character Sampath is introduced through the lens of another character named Srinivas. Sampath is the editor Srinivas stumbles upon to help print his journal ‘The Banner’ and pulls through various obstacles to keep the journal afloat. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/english-medium-myth/ Sun, 13 Feb 2022 13:51:45 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/english-medium-myth/ The role of language in shaping culture and civilizational progress is well documented across time and place. India, in particular, has immense diversity when it comes to language and dialects, which have existed for millennia. Post the colonial rule, there has been a marked shift towards the English language being the aspirational goal to improve one’s life at the expense of our native languages. This book provides a factual counter to many of the myths prevalent about the supposedly inescapable need for the English language and policy suggestions to address this problem. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/city-of-victory/ Sun, 23 Jan 2022 20:03:21 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/city-of-victory/ City of Victory is a concise historical summary of the rise and fall of one of Bharat’s greatest empires, the Vijayanagara empire. The author provides a blow-by-blow account of the battles, culture, lifestyle, arts, and other aspects of the kingdom, which spanned over 300 years. Before delving into the formation of the empire, we are given a brief historical account of the various Islamic invasions and their steady capture of different kingdoms in the north before proceeding south. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/cownomics/ Wed, 29 Dec 2021 18:43:56 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/cownomics/ Cownomics is a stimulating read on the importance of the Cow in Indian civilization and the need to re-center our society around the Cow. Arti Agarwal provides a concise research-based summary of the challenges in today’s world due to meat consumption and the ecosystem enabling it. The Cow has been worshipped and revered since the Vedic times in India. Its utility and impact on the wellbeing of family and society are immeasurable. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/good-news-india/ Sat, 25 Dec 2021 18:43:45 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/good-news-india/ We live in an increasingly digital world today (metaverse anyone?) and have the power of the internet in the palm of our hands. This also means that we have access to breaking news events happening anywhere in the world at our fingertips, within a few seconds of the events unfolding. It is, thus, easy to forget that as recently as two decades ago, the source of news media was primarily the monopoly of either state-owned news channels or private organizations with their agendas. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/early-indians/ Fri, 24 Dec 2021 18:43:32 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/early-indians/ Since its inception, the Aryan Invasion Theory (AIT) has taken various twists and turns and has been responsible for debates in multiple spheres like academia, literature, etc. Owing to India’s unique history, unlike other countries, there have been intense political disputes and consequences with deep-rooted ramifications due to the AIT. Our history books still teach AIT as the primary theory of how we acquired our languages and culture. Few people are even aware of the alternative approach known as the Out of India Theory (OIT) and how it counters the AIT. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/defence-hindu/ Fri, 12 Nov 2021 18:42:15 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/defence-hindu/ Defence of Hindu Society is part of a series of books written by Sita Ram Goel to awaken Hindu society to the existential threats they face and the need to counter them. It is always awe-inspiring to read the boldness and clarity of thought employed by Sita Ram Goel, especially given the era he lived in and the opposition he faced. This book is no different than many of his other works, like India’s Secularism. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/master/ Mon, 01 Nov 2021 18:43:14 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/master/ Sports biographies and autobiographies are always a fun read, and as a tennis fan, I have enjoyed reading tennis biographies in the past, most notably Andre Agassi’s and Rafael Nadal’s. But the story that every tennis fan and casual observer of the sport this millennium has been waiting for is that of the tennis legend Roger Federer. The Master, by Christopher Clarey, a noted sports journalist, is one of the most well-written biographies of its time and was a joy to read. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/india-bharat/ Mon, 11 Oct 2021 18:43:08 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/india-bharat/ It is pretty rare for a book that can be classified as very erudite to be welcomed with such pomp and praise, primarily when the book in question addresses the esoteric space of decoloniality and its implication in the Bharatiya context. And yet, that is precisely what lawyer J Sai Deepak has achieved in his first of a proposed trilogy of books on Bharat and Bharatiya consciousness. There is so much packed within this book that it is hard for any review to do justice. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/ideology-india/ Sat, 28 Aug 2021 18:43:00 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/ideology-india/ This book is a concise treatise on developing an ideology and mindset based on Hindutva, which is required for India to modernize and grow as a global player on the world stage. In the process, Subramanian Swamy touches upon different aspects of India and expands on what he calls ‘The Modern Right Framework’. Swamy gives a hurried overview of the Hindu civilization, the Vedas, Upanishads, and Sanatana Dharma. He then goes into some detail in analyzing the constitutional approach to the majority and minority question and the various judgments delivered by the Hon’ble Supreme court in this regard. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/sultan/ Fri, 20 Aug 2021 18:42:50 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/sultan/ I picked up this book as I liked the author’s (Arnab Ray) other book named Mahabharata Murders. Sultan of Delhi wasn’t as thrilling or racy as the former, as it is set in a very different environment. The book spans the life of Arjun Bhatia, the primary character of this story. It documents his move to India at the time of partition and his rise, fall, and rise again in the power circles of India. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/government-be/ Fri, 09 Jul 2021 18:42:39 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/government-be/ As citizens of democracies worldwide, we often have varied opinions on the roles and responsibilities of a government and how it should function to serve the needs of the people. Two broad camps exist around the duties of a government. One is the libertarian idea that they’re inefficient and incompetent. Thus, they should play a minimal role and let the market and civil society run the economy. The other is the statist view which considers governments to be all-powerful and the only means to drive community and economy. https://madrasmedley.com/posts/brand-building/ Thu, 24 Jun 2021 18:03:33 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/posts/brand-building/ For better or worse, the Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated many things. That includes the perennial question that’s always boiling under the surface — what am I doing with my life? This is a question that isn’t necessarily a first-world problem, and I felt compelled to introspect it through this post. Some of the best wisdom comes from unknown quarters. How prescient was this tweet? It precisely captures my current state of mind, and I’m sure of many others. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/bitcoins-blockchain/ Thu, 20 May 2021 18:42:26 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/bitcoins-blockchain/ As the book’s name suggests, it is an excellent introduction to bitcoin and blockchain technology basics. Although that is the book’s primary focus, it also gives the historical context for why bitcoin came into existence. The author, Antony Lewis, explains the various attempts at creating an instrument that was censorship-resistant and didn’t involve a third party. He then talks about the history of money itself, right from the barter system to the fiat money we use today. https://madrasmedley.com/divya-desams/quest-108-4/ Thu, 13 May 2021 18:15:41 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/divya-desams/quest-108-4/ Visited: December 2019 🟩🟩 +2 Vada Nadu · View full progressThe Story I’ve been lagging behind on documenting my experiences in visiting Divya Desams. Covid isolation is, in theory, supposed to give one more time to indulge in their favorite pastimes. But, it hasn’t worked out so well in practice. In this part 4 (you can refer to parts 1, 2, and 3 here, here, and here respectively), I will cover two temples I visited in Mathura and Gokul in December 2019. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/sanghi-shakha/ Thu, 08 Apr 2021 18:42:05 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/sanghi-shakha/ Just the title of this book might be off-putting or a reason to mock for quite a few people in India, who consider themselves to be ‘liberal.’ The term ‘Sanghi’ has been tarnished and manipulated by an ecosystem to be a term of derision and hate. If you’re associated with a particular political outfit, organization or are simply assertive of your religious identity, you’re labeled ‘Sanghi." And this is where the author, Rahul Roushan, begins his semi-autobiographical tale, expounding on his personal transformation from being a libertarian to a ‘Sanghi’ over the years, with the political backdrop of India. https://madrasmedley.com/posts/family/ Mon, 15 Mar 2021 17:56:25 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/posts/family/ Something incredible happened last week. I discovered a long-lost family connection (a second-cousin) through an app that suggested we could be relatives owing to similar DNA. I reached out to this “algorithmically-matched” relative of mine, only to discover that she was indeed my second cousin! We confirmed this after a few message exchanges, and it was mind-blowing. It’s not since I first used a mobile phone that I’ve felt such amazement at the potential of science and technology. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/10-judgements/ Wed, 10 Mar 2021 18:41:56 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/10-judgements/ India’s story, post Independence, can be illustrated through different lenses - historical, political, geographical, to name a few. It is not often that one views India from a judicial perspective, and 10 Judgements That changed India does precisely that. By analyzing landmark judgments by the highest court of the land in the decades post-independence, the author vividly paints how our country’s law and constitution have impacted its turn of events and evolved to their current state. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/what-if/ Mon, 01 Feb 2021 18:41:46 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/what-if/ Funny and quirky physics book answering wacky questions. Like the author says - there are stupid questions but trying to throughly answer them can take you to some pretty interesting places.  Originally published here. https://madrasmedley.com/travel/delhi-mathura-vrindavan/ Sun, 10 Jan 2021 10:41:44 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/travel/delhi-mathura-vrindavan/ I’ve never explored much of what is popularly known as the “Hindi Belt” of India. My friend Nidhi was getting married in the capital city. It was the perfect opportunity for me to visit places I’ve always wanted to see. Thus, in late December, my partner-in-crime Sachin and I set out from Seattle to Delhi. This blog post is a recollection of what, in retrospect, was definitely one of my best ever trips. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/aryan-myth/ Sat, 02 Jan 2021 18:41:37 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/aryan-myth/ The Aryan Invasion Myth is a short read on the present state of the long-standing debate on the origins of the Indian people. To the uninitiated, there are broadly two schools of thought concerning the origins of early Indians - The Aryan Invasion Theory(AIT)/Aryan Migration Theory(AMT) and the Out of India Theory (OIT). The AIT claims that there was an original Dravidian populace (Harappan civilization) native to India. These tribes were driven southwards by invading/migrating ‘Aryans’ from the West (Steppes) around 1500 BCE who established the Vedic society and ‘brought’ language(Sanskrit), culture, and religion (Hinduism) to India. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/annihilation-caste/ Tue, 29 Dec 2020 18:41:26 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/annihilation-caste/ Annihilation of Caste is a publication of the undelivered speech written in 1936 by B.R Ambedkar for the Jat-Pat Todak Mandal. The Jat-Pat Todak Mandal initially invited Ambedkar to deliver a lecture on the Caste System’s ills. They later withdrew their invitation as they found the content of the speech objectionable. Ambedkar went ahead and published his speech on his own. It is considered one of his landmark speeches. It raises many pertinent questions on the caste system as it prevailed and the need for reform within the Hindu religion. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/idea-india/ Tue, 22 Dec 2020 18:41:05 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/idea-india/ Ever so often, one picks up a book based on the promise of what it claims to offer, only to be disappointed after reading it. The analytical nature with which this exciting book is written ensures that it goes beyond what it promises to deliver. Harsh Gupta and Rajeev Mantri write a compelling book providing a comprehensive view of India’s trajectory from a political, economic, social, and civilizational perspective. Being economists themselves, the authors explore India’s various facets since independence and chart the way forward for the country with a unique combination of civilizational attitude and global outlook. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/parva/ Sat, 28 Nov 2020 22:34:37 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/parva/ Parva can only be described as a magnum opus. Reviewing an epic comes with the obvious challenge of not being able to capture all of its glory. How does one view it? At its heart, it is a retelling of the Mahabharata, stripped of its mythological aspects. But to leave it at that would be a gross injustice. One may consider it a commentary on what Dharma is. We discover the politics, warfare, and strategy of the Vedic times. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/suheldev/ Tue, 11 Aug 2020 18:40:57 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/suheldev/ As I read the last page of Suheldev, I felt a mixture of satisfaction and a bit of a letdown. I was pleased that we finally have a best-selling Indian author reviving stories of unknown/lost Indian heroes. But I also yearned for a more nuanced and gripping tale than the one I read. This is not a criticism of the author, but rather a reflection of my own expectations of stories based on Indian history. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/history-feet/ Sat, 20 Jun 2020 18:40:47 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/history-feet/ History Under Your Feet is an excellent book for reasons which are not typically why books are considered worthy of praise, at least by me. It is an inspirational book for someone like me, who aspires to be an author someday. This is because Ratnakar Sadasyula is an ordinary person like most of us, with a day job and a passion for history. He fueled his love for history by writing a blog on prominent historical figures who’ve become unknown due to the passage of time or been intentionally removed by Marxist historians. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/avishi/ Sat, 16 May 2020 18:40:38 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/avishi/ Avishi is a fictional tale re-imagining Vishpala, a woman mentioned in the Rig-Veda. It speaks volumes about the author, Saiswaroopa Iyer’s, creativity that she spun this impressive tale from that brief primary reference of Vishpala and her battle with Khela in the Rig Veda. We are introduced to the life and times during the Rig-Vedic period, with three prominent cities being featured - Vrishabhavati, Ashtagani, and the forests of Naimisha, the abode of the sages. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/everything-fcked/ Fri, 20 Mar 2020 22:42:08 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/everything-fcked/ The first thing I realized after reading this book is that self-help books are not for me. With that caveat, I’ll proceed with my book review. At its core, Mark Manson’s book is supposed to be about hope. Except, it talks about everything else but that. Manson touches upon a wide range of subjects, from philosophy and religion to the world wars and artificial intelligence. I will give him credit for the fact that he maintains consistency throughout the book - He establishes a concept and then draws various examples from real life to help us understand how things work. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/goat-thief/ Fri, 07 Feb 2020 18:40:23 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/goat-thief/ The Goat Thief by Perumal Murugan was, for me, a delightful foray into short stories after a lot of non-fiction books. These 10 short stories were originally written in Tamil by the author, and credit must go to the translator for capturing the tone and essence of the characters and the story and not losing it in translation. What was beautiful about the stories was the central characters' focus on an inanimate object which takes center stage - a toilet, a well, a couple of chairs, a tumbler, and so forth. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/curse-gandhari/ Sun, 02 Feb 2020 22:42:14 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/curse-gandhari/ The Mahabharata is an epic that keeps giving food for thought on every new reading. Just when one thinks that we have learnt all we can, it pulls the rug from underneath our feet once again. Aditi Banerjee’s retelling of the epic views the Mahabharata from Gandhari’s lens and makes for an enthralling read. Gandhari is not a character who comes to mind when we think of the Mahabharata’s iconic characters. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/gentleman-moscow/ Fri, 17 Jan 2020 22:41:59 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/gentleman-moscow/ What if I told you that here’s a book, which not only pulls you into a semi-fictional world set in early 1900s Soviet Union, with a lead character who is charming, witty, humorous, affectionate and a top-notch aristocrat, a tale which binds you from start to finish while also being an extraordinarily well-written novel, making it a delightful read? I can’t seem to put down in words how good this book is. https://madrasmedley.com/divya-desams/quest-108-3/ Fri, 10 Jan 2020 18:15:41 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/divya-desams/quest-108-3/ Visited: July 2019 🟦🟦🟦 +3 Thondai Nadu · View full progressThe Story We are back to our exploration of Divya Desams in Bhārat. Although I visited these temples last July, I got time to pen down the experience only now, so I apologize if I missed out on some details. For those who aren’t familiar with this series, I highly recommend you read part 1 and part 2 to get an idea. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/reset/ Tue, 26 Nov 2019 22:41:37 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/reset/ Subramanian Swamy’s latest book is as firebrand as the man himself, where he deals with one of the most discussed topics today - India’s economic struggles and the way forward. The book looks at India’s economy in three stages - Pre-independence, post-Independence till liberalization, and post-liberalization India. Being the analytical mind that he is, Swamy starts by setting the historical context accurately. He rightly attributes India missing the industrialization bus to the systematic bleeding of resources and the blocking of native innovation by the Britishers. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/letters-astro/ Mon, 11 Nov 2019 22:41:45 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/letters-astro/ I have followed Neil deGrasse Tyson for a long time. YouTube, books, Star Talk podcasts, a live talk, Cosmos, etc., are some of the ways I’ve become accustomed to his style and views on all things under the sun (pardon the pun). In spite of that, this book was a refreshing change, as perhaps for the first time, we get to see the personal, empathetic side of the man, who is exceptionally rational most of the time. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/lost-river/ Sat, 02 Nov 2019 22:41:32 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/lost-river/ The river Saraswathi has been in the collective memory of the Indian civilization since time immemorial. Revered as one of the mightiest rivers in the Rig Veda and prayed to as Goddess Saraswathi, it has transcended generations across millennia to remain in our consciousness. In this landmark work, Michel Danino tells us the gripping tale of the origin, rise, and fall of this mighty river and its renaissance in the 21st century. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/flight-deities/ Sat, 14 Sep 2019 22:40:42 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/flight-deities/ Flight of Deities and Rebirth of Temples is a dispassionate, unbiased, and critical retelling of the history of India focusing on the countless incidents of destruction of temples and temple structures by Muslim invaders. It provides an expansive account from primary and secondary sources and covers the length and breadth of the country in its scope, thus providing a truly comprehensive insight into these incidents. Kudos to the author Meenakshi Jain for this mammoth effort! https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/hitchikers-guide/ Wed, 03 Jul 2019 22:41:26 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/hitchikers-guide/ One of the more ‘whacky’ books I’ve read in the recent past. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is considered a classic, and I can see why (in parts at least). However, a true classic is a timeless one, and somehow, I didn’t feel drawn enough to the narrative and for large parts felt like I was reading a book written for teenagers. Star Wars and science fiction fans would definitely enjoy this tale of Arthur Dent, the last surviving human, whose planet, Earth, is destroyed as he goes on a ‘hitchhike’ around the galaxy with his humanlike alien friend Ford Prefect. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/born-a-crime/ Mon, 10 Jun 2019 22:41:14 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/born-a-crime/ I am not a huge fan of Trevor Noah as a comedian, but after reading his coming-of-age story, Born a Crime, it won’t be remiss to say I’m a fan of his writing. Born a Crime is a spellbinding tale about Trevor’s childhood years growing up in Apartheid and post-Apartheid South Africa, but it is as much a tale of his mother as it is of him. Having not read a lot about South Africa or Apartheid, I found the narration riveting, funny, crazy, and touching. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/saakshi/ Thu, 30 May 2019 22:41:06 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/saakshi/ Saakshi: The Witness is one of the weirdest books I’ve read, and I mean that in a positive way. It is as far removed from what I expected out of a Bhyrappa novel, and it’s another testament to his literary diversity. Saakshi weaves mythology, Vedanta, Puranas, and Gandhian principles in a tale which explores the human psyche from the depths of one’s inner conscience. Saakshi tells the story of an old man Parameshwarayya, who’s preta (soul) finds itself in the court of Yamadharmaraja with an opportunity to present his case himself as Yama wonders why he committed suicide for uttering a single lie in his life. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/india-age-of-ideas/ Wed, 27 Mar 2019 22:41:01 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/india-age-of-ideas/ India in the Age of Ideas is not a book/novel in the conventional sense, as it is a compendium of articles written and published in print media by the author, Sanjeev Sanyal, over the last decade. But it is in an innovative format to write a book as it was easy to read a bunch of articles which tell a story. The book is divided into three sections - Indian history, Urban Dynamics in India and Economics, fields which the author is known to have interest and expertise in. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/madurai-sultanate/ Fri, 15 Mar 2019 22:40:50 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/madurai-sultanate/ As the title suggests, this book gives a birds-eye view of the events which led to the establishment of the Madurai ‘Sultanate’ and its subsequent demise, all within 43 years during the 14th century. This book is an extension to Sita Ram Goel’s book - ‘Heroic Hindu Resistance to Muslim Invaders’ as it continues from where he left off and tells us about the various raids of Muslim invaders in South India. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/pakistan-or-partition/ Sun, 10 Mar 2019 22:40:20 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/pakistan-or-partition/ It’s not often that I’m completely bowled over by the precision in which someone puts forth an issue and presents arguments which are compelling, educational, rational and with the right historical context. The scholarship of Ambedkar is world renowned and, I am glad I got to experience it first hand by reading this ‘hurriedly written’ book by the great man. Dr.Ambedkar presents the case for and against Pakistan by exploring the options present to the two political parties of the time which were at loggerheads - The Congress headed by Gandhi and the Muslim League led by Jinnah. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/hindu-resistance/ Fri, 15 Feb 2019 22:40:09 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/hindu-resistance/ A question which has long troubled me about Indian history is how such a great civilization could not resist against the Islamic invaders and surrendered meekly. The usual explanation I came across was that Hindu kings of the time lacked unity and thus were easy targets to be conquered. This explanation never quite sat well with me, and thanks to doyens like Sita Ram Goel and Dr.Ram Gopal Misra, whose book he reviews in this book, I have uncovered the layers of truth buried deep under Marxist and leftist perpetrated ‘history’ which we learned in our history books and which continue to dominate our media and academic circles. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/difficulty-being-good/ Sun, 10 Feb 2019 18:13:17 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/difficulty-being-good/ Dharma is a word which has been used for millennia in the Indian subcontinent and later throughout the world, but it is also probably the word which has been taken for granted the most. By this I mean to say people have been using Dharma in a variety of contexts, each of which has added their own meaning to what Dharma actually means. It is not naive to suggest that Dharma cannot be translated into a single meaning in any language, and it can only be explored for its various facets. https://madrasmedley.com/divya-desams/quest-108-2/ Tue, 05 Feb 2019 18:15:41 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/divya-desams/quest-108-2/ Visited: October - November 2018 🟧🟧🟧🟧🟧🟧🟧🟧🟧🟧🟧🟧 +12 Chola Nadu · View full progressThe Story Hey. In 2017 I set out to visit all the Divya Desams and document my visits to these temples. Do you’ve no clue what the above sentence means? Well, here’s a refresher to part 1 of my journey. Assuming you’re now sufficiently informed, I will dive right in. Next on my list was Sirkāzhi-Thirnangur, two small and bustling towns in the district of Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/sapiens/ Fri, 18 Jan 2019 19:07:03 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/sapiens/ I am a fan of history, and one thing I can convincingly say about historical books is how difficult it is to weave them into an engaging story, no matter how narrow the scope of the book. In that regard, Sapiens is an outstanding book as it tells the greatest historical story of them all - of our own species, Homo Sapiens, and how we came about to be what we are today. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/aavarana/ Tue, 04 Dec 2018 22:40:03 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/aavarana/ History is a fascinating subject if explained in the right way. Bringing out historical events in a way one can relate to them, instead of listing them as dates on a calendar, is the best way to learn history. And Aavarana excels in that. This is the first novel of SL Bhyrappa that I’m reading and I’m glad I came across his novels sooner rather than later. Aavarana is a multi-layered story which needs to be read many times to appreciate its nuances. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/longitude/ Sat, 20 Oct 2018 22:34:29 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/longitude/ Colonization of the world by European superpowers is something most people are familiar with. But it’s not often clear what exactly made them “superpowers” of that era. Longitude, by Dava Sobel, gives us an insight into one of the important reasons, by delineating the remarkable story of John Harrison, who spent the majority of his lifetime with a single minded focus and dogged determination to solve the 400 year old problem of finding the longitude at sea. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/origin/ Sun, 23 Sep 2018 22:33:58 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/origin/ Robert Langdon and Dan Brown have come a long way from the heights of ‘Angels & Demons’ and ‘The Da Vinci Code’. What’s unfortunate is that the duo no longer evokes the suspense and excitement in deciphering codes and symbols while being embroiled in a race-against-time thriller to save the world from impending doom. Origin, the latest in the series, reads like a shadow of a glorious past, being annoying at times and for the most part disappointing. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/indian-renaissance/ Sat, 25 Aug 2018 22:33:52 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/indian-renaissance/ The Indian Renaissance is the tale of India’s economy. Although Sanjeev Sanyal has written some excellent books on India from a historical and geographical perspective, he is an economist by profession, and his first book shows us that it’s his forte as well. After a brief look at how India collapsed from being the country with the largest share of GDP in the world to one of the lowest, he centers most of the book around the liberalization reforms of 1991 as the focal point and the watershed moment in independent India’s history, considering it more important than 1947 itself. https://madrasmedley.com/posts/chariots-aryan-invasion/ Sat, 04 Aug 2018 17:44:17 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/posts/chariots-aryan-invasion/ This past month of June has been pretty important for Indian history buffs. The recent spate of excavations done by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and the study of ancient DNA led to a few important discoveries. First, artifacts of a 4000-5000-year-old civilization were unearthed in Odisha, showing that the Copper Age civilization in India was more widespread than previously thought. This was followed by what could be one of the most significant discoveries in the past century when archaeologists found a burial pit found with a chariot at Harappan sites in Sanauli, Uttar Pradesh. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/ashoka/ Sat, 02 Jun 2018 22:33:36 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/ashoka/ Ashoka the Ungreat looks at the life and times of Ashoka and paints a perspective opposed to the mainstream narrative which is that of a just and peaceful ruler. What gives this perspective credence is the evidence is based on the same triad of the Rock edicts, Ashokavadana and the Sri Lankan texts on which contemporary historians base their claim for Ashoka’s ‘greatness’. However, only the parts which suit their narrative have been taken into consideration, while the others which describe Ashoka’s tyranny, religious zealousness and incongruencies between the edicts and the texts have been ignored. https://madrasmedley.com/thoughts/vidura/ Sun, 13 May 2018 17:46:06 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/thoughts/vidura/ When we think of the important characters in the Mahabharata, few names come to mind instantly - the Pandavas (Yudhishtra, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula & Sahadeva), the Kauravas (led by Duryodhana, Dushasana etc.), Bhishma, Krishna, Draupadi. We even get reminded of Shakuni, Drishtyadhumna, Dhritarashtra, and Gandhari. But we tend to overlook, or not give too much weight to a central character in the epic - Vidura. This post is an attempt to look at Vidura’s part in the complex sociopolitical landscape of the epic and more importantly, the nature of his relationship with the eldest of the Pandavas, Yudhishtra. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/bhima/ Tue, 08 May 2018 19:06:57 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/bhima/ Bhima: Lone Warrior is the English translation of the Malayalam epic Randamoozham. If there was one regret I had after reading this book, it was that I couldn’t read it in its original form. Few authors can narrate the tale of the Mahabharata with such poise and elegance, keeping the narrative true to the original Vyasa’s (Krishna Dvaipayana) poem, and the author, known as MT, deserves all the praise he has received for it. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/india-secularism/ Sat, 14 Apr 2018 19:06:47 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/india-secularism/ I was fortunate to get my hands on some of Sita Ram Goel’s books, one of India’s eminent historians. In this book, he talks about the meaning of Secularism as it originated in the West, and how it’s context has been contorted and turned on its head in India. A comparison between the pagan or Advaita philosophies, with that of monotheistic religions follows, and we get to see why secularism as it’s defined in the West is, in the author’s words, like ‘holding a lamp to the Sun’, in India. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/seven-rivers/ Sun, 01 Apr 2018 19:06:30 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/seven-rivers/ It is no mean task to tell the story of a civilization as old and as varied as India’s. Few people can provide a narrative which is compelling and engaging, and construct a thread of events which link the people of 21st century India with their ancestors from many millennia ago, and for this, the author, Sanjeev Sanyal, deserves to be commended. Having read the “Ocean of Churn” already, one notices there is quite a bit of overlap between the two books. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/mahabharata-war/ Wed, 14 Feb 2018 19:06:22 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/mahabharata-war/ It’s not often that you read a book outside of academia, which provides you a wealth of information and value, while building your curiosity. Nilesh Nilkanth Oak has done just that, with his rigorous and scientific method of approach in ascertaining the date and time period of the Mahabharata war. The author, like many previous Mahabharata researchers, has taken the astronomical references provided within the Mahabharata text itself, to determine this. https://madrasmedley.com/posts/diary/ Mon, 01 Jan 2018 18:09:03 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/posts/diary/ Happy new year everyone! 🙂 I start with my 10th year of diary writing this year. Needless to say, I’m happy and proud that I’ve stuck to this habit, quite meticulously, over the past decade. I’d like to share my thoughts on diary writing and my “journey” so far. I started writing back in 2009, with the goal of recording the events, people and places in my life, and as a tribute to my father, and my grandfather before him, both of whom had written it for many years. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/blood-red-sari/ Sat, 30 Dec 2017 19:06:11 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/blood-red-sari/ I don’t think I’ve given a lower rating for any book I’ve read so far. I would have given it 0 stars if I could. That should, in a nutshell, explain how I felt about this book. A terribly slow and sluggish novel, with a wafer-thin plot about a manila envelope and how three women try to discover the meaning of it’s contents, disguised within the authors failed attempt to make the narrative thrilling. https://madrasmedley.com/divya-desams/quest-108-1/ Sun, 17 Dec 2017 19:37:27 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/divya-desams/quest-108-1/ Visited: October 2017 🟦🟦🟦🟦🟦🟦🟦🟦🟦🟦🟦🟦🟦🟦🟦 +15 Thondai Nadu · View full progressThe Story This past October I was blessed to start my quest to visit all 108 (106 on Earth) Divya Desams by completing fifteen in a one day visit to Kanchipuram, a town in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. This post is part one of what I hope will be an ongoing series of my visits to these temples. I intend this post to be a travel guide combined with some interesting Factoids and history of these temples. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/ikshvaku/ Fri, 17 Nov 2017 19:06:01 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/ikshvaku/ Not too impressed with the first book of the Ram Chandra Series, primarily because the writing style is exactly the same as that of the Shiva trilogy. While one might argue that it was successful, I felt it didn’t make the narrative interesting enough. I also felt the need to “humanize” all aspects of Lord Ram and the subtle but not-so-subtle analogies of present day events in India to that of a 5000 year old civilization felt flat. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/ramanuja/ Fri, 03 Nov 2017 19:05:51 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/ramanuja/ A primer on the life of the Sri Vaishnava philosopher, Ramanuja, with an introduction to Vishishtadvaita and its differences with Sankaracharya’s Advaita. Ramanuja was a great integrator, and his success lies in combining the devotional aspect of the Azhwars, with the Vedantic Upanishads. As an introductory book, it helped clarify some basic doubts I had on the origins of Vaishnavism. However, the philosophical aspects were hard to comprehend, which, in retrospect, was expected. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/bachelor-of-arts/ Sat, 28 Oct 2017 19:05:32 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/bachelor-of-arts/ I’m too small a person to comment on R K Narayan’s writing but I can safely claim that he has an inimitable style which makes you appreciate the nuances of day-to-day life and transports you into the setting of his semi-fictional world. Set in the background of Malgudi, The Bachelor of Arts is part two of the trilogy starting with Swami and Friends and traces the life of Chandran, and his experiences in colonial era India as a college student, who later falls in love and gets heartbroken, leading to a stint as a Sanyasi in Madras before returning to Malgudi, after realizing the sacrifices his family has made for him and how their love needs to be reciprocated. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/ocean-of-churn/ Mon, 23 Oct 2017 19:04:55 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/ocean-of-churn/ There aren’t many books which make you feel thankful that you came across them. The Ocean of Churn, by Sanjeev Sanyal, is definitely one of them. For quite some time I’ve wanted to read a book which would give an accurate and vivid description of how civilization came to be, especially around the Indian subcontinent. Few people could tell the story in such a concise manner as has the author, as we wade through the origin of Homo Sapiens right up to the bustling cosmopolitan 21st century behemoth that the area has now become. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/mahabharata-murders/ Mon, 25 Sep 2017 19:05:23 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/mahabharata-murders/ After a series of non-fiction books, it was good to get back to fiction with this crisp and meticulous whodunit, The Mahabharata Murders. One of the most tantalizing aspects of the Mahabharata is the depth each character has, enabling readers and writers throughout history to imagine and interpret them in innumerable ways. And with every new interpretation, you unlock a new facet, previously undiscovered, and yearn to dive into its expanse again. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/elon-musk/ Fri, 22 Sep 2017 19:05:15 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/elon-musk/ For quite some time I’ve subscribed to the view that Elon Musk is the greatest mind of the 21st century. SpaceX, Tesla, Solar City and the rest of his companies have been groundbreaking and pushed the limits of human capability, and we owe it to his singular capability to state the impossible and achieve it. My curiosity to learn how it all began, and what makes Musk, Musk, led me to read this excellent biography by Ashlee Vance. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/educational-heritage/ Mon, 07 Aug 2017 19:05:03 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/educational-heritage/ A cursory look at India’s glorious educational past, and the events which have led to its current, degraded state. While we’ve often heard of Takshshila, Nalanda, Vikramshila and other universities of yore, we don’t learn much about how these universities came about and functioned under the patronage of various kings, in a conducive and collaborative ecosystem. Reading the accounts of students, both native and foreign, who went through many hardships in order to secure a place and study in these centers of excellence was a bitter-sweet experience. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/astrophysics/ Thu, 22 Jun 2017 19:04:45 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/astrophysics/ In spite of a sample size of just one astrophysics book read so far, I’d like to rate this book as a very good introduction to the nature of the universe we live in, and our pursuit in discovering it’s msyteries. Neil deGrasse Tyson explains in easy-to-understand language, how and why we came to be - right from the Big Bang, to the nature of elements, from dark matter and dark energy to supernovas and pulsars , from general relativity and the electromagnetic spectrum to our most recent discoveries of exoplanets. https://madrasmedley.com/posts/going-back-home/ Thu, 06 Apr 2017 17:37:06 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/posts/going-back-home/ My aunt forwarded a collection of cartoons by RK Laxman a couple of days back of which one caught the eye and mind (above). I had a hearty laugh at the brilliance and irony* of the sketch, until it struck me how relevant it was even two decades later, and led to the inevitable prick of my conscience at my current bearings. The question of going back home is one which troubles a lot of students and professionals who cross the oceans to ply their trade, especially those from India, who are traditionally more attached to their families. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/basha/ Sun, 12 Mar 2017 19:04:38 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/basha/ Reading a third person’s view on Rajinikanth is always an enjoyable experience. The fan in every Tamilian glows proudly as someone effuses praise on the Superstar’s humility, punctuality, dedication and his respect for people and the art itself. On this occasion it is right from the horse’s mouth, Suresh Krissna, director of his smash hit Baasha, who takes us through his experience of directing Rajni in 3 of his most memorable films - Annamalai, Veera and Baasha. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/public-policy/ Tue, 03 Jan 2017 19:04:31 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/public-policy/ How is our country governed? What are its various organs, tiers and aspects, and how do they impact our day-to-day life? How can we as citizens, understand public policy and play a role in shaping them to improve our standard of living? These, and many other aspects of our democracy and governance are answered in a clean and cohesive manner in this book. It aims to address the citizen who yearns to be aware of how the government machinery works for him/her, and what he/she can do to make it better. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/era-of-darkness/ Fri, 23 Dec 2016 18:13:17 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/era-of-darkness/ ‘The British rule was good for India’, is a common argument put forth by apologists for the Raj, both in India and elsewhere. Tharoor, in his latest book, debunks, denounces, debases and ultimately destroys this argument and the various claims to support it. The grim realities of British colonialism and its effects and consequences are examined in great detail, displaying at every stage, the supremely self-serving nature of the ‘elite rulers’, with little to no regard for their ‘subjects’. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/art-of-war/ Thu, 22 Dec 2016 19:04:22 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/art-of-war/ A treatise on war and military strategy. For a manuscript written around 500 B.C, it surprises, with a lot of insights relevant to modern warfare. It would also be of more interest to someone employed in the armed forces than a layman.  Originally published here. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/mysterious-stranger/ Thu, 17 Nov 2016 19:04:10 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/mysterious-stranger/ ‘A History of Magic’, not by Bathilda Bagshot, but by David Blaine, arguably the greatest magician of our times. In his first and only book till date, Blaine walks us through how magic evolved, from the early days of grand illusions to the current ‘real-time’ street magic. We get interesting insights into the magicians and performers who inspired him to take up magic as a profession, including the most famous of them all, Harry Houdini; his mother’s role in encouraging him, the tribulations he faced in getting people to take him seriously, his endless hours of dedication to the art and a lot more. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/tryst-tendulkar/ Mon, 07 Nov 2016 18:13:17 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/tryst-tendulkar/ If you are familiar with the question-answer-website Quora, you are probably aware of it’s most famous power user - Balaji Viswanathan. His book reads a lot like his answers there, albeit a really long one. From Tryst To Tendulkar… is a simple and brief recap of the history of modern India. Right from the time of independence, to the framing of the constitution and alignment of states, India’s relationship with it’s neighbors and other countries, the wars she has fought, the travails and successes in science and economy, the dark period of emergency and the financial crisis, the role each government and prime minister had in shaping India’s future, the rise of India’s software services industry in parallel with Tendulkar’s ascent, the various internal conflicts rising out of religion and language. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/code-book/ Mon, 19 Sep 2016 18:13:17 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/code-book/ If you’re looking for an excellent primer to the world of cryptography and cryptanalysis, then The Code Book, is the one you must lay your hands on. The book can be looked at in three perspectives. At a micro level, it is a guide to the various techniques of secret writing, and how they can be deciphered. Right from Caesar’s cipher to quantum cryptography, the book traces how encryption and decryption has evolved in the last two millennia, which, by itself is fascinating. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/cursed-child/ Sun, 31 Jul 2016 18:13:17 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/cursed-child/ There are only a few books which are ‘unputdownable’. The Harry Potter series has always been in this category for me and millions more. Reaffirming this status is the latest offering from J.K Rowling set in the magical world of Harry Potter - Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, as I completed the book in one sitting. Revisiting the wizarding world after close to ten years, was refreshing and exciting and most of all nostalgic. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/sita/ Fri, 08 Jul 2016 18:13:17 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/sita/ Another interesting retelling from Devdutt Pattanaik, this time on the Ramayana. As with Jaya, I liked the snippets after each chapter, highlighting historical events and their connect with the story. Looking at the tale of Rama through Sita’s eyes provides a new perspective for all readers. Reading about the not-so-familiar and generally ignored ‘Uttara Ramayana’ (after Rama’s coronation as King of Ayodhya) was one more engaging aspect. A good read, but not a ‘must read’. https://madrasmedley.com/thoughts/karna/ Sun, 13 Mar 2016 17:31:56 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/thoughts/karna/ One of my fondest memories from school was when we were split into different houses during my sixth grade. The selection process was, of course, random. Our “P.T.Sir” interrupted one of our classes with a huge bunch of colored banians, one for each of the four houses - Bhishma, Abhimanyu, Arjuna and Karna, and started distributing them on a round robin basis. Secretly I was hoping to get into Karna house. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/siddhartha/ Fri, 04 Mar 2016 18:13:17 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/siddhartha/ Siddhartha is a simple but profound tale of a man’s discovery of the purpose of one’s life. Set in the era of the Buddha (referred to as Gotama), it details the myriad experiences of Siddhartha, who feels discontent with what he observes around him and decides to experience the knowledge of the Atman, or Self. As a young man, he realizes that one cannot learn about the Atman from any teacher, and one has to discover for themselves, it’s true meaning. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/yuganta/ Mon, 15 Feb 2016 18:13:17 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/yuganta/ If setting a precedent as to what one can expect by reading a book, and delivering on that promise, was a measure of a book’s stature, then Yuganta by Irawati Karve ranks very high in that regard. It presents a realistic take on the events of the Mahabharata and explores the main characters in depth, as humans, stripping them of their divinity. What made it compelling was the concise, no-nonsense narration, the evidence which backed the author’s interpretation, and the logical conclusion one can derive from these events. https://madrasmedley.com/posts/ramanujan/ Tue, 29 Dec 2015 16:52:55 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/posts/ramanujan/ There are few whereabouts which offer the sanctity required for an immersive book reading experience. A long flight journey, devoid of all external disturbances apart from the occasional turbulence, is certainly one of them. The book partaking my journey was Robert Kanigel’s : The Man Who Knew Infinity, a biography of one of the world’s greatest mathematicians - Srinivasa Ramanujan Iyengar, and I must say, it was both enriching and enlightening. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/ramanujan/ Sat, 19 Dec 2015 18:13:17 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/ramanujan/ Refer to post. https://madrasmedley.com/posts/appa/ Sat, 20 Jun 2015 16:27:19 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/posts/appa/ Last month was a special one for me. I had my graduation ceremony where a Masters degree was conferred upon me and my friends. It was one of those markers on the number scale of life - when you stop and reflect on your life’s passage, of how far you’ve come from where you were, those reference points you reminisce with a wistful smile, the moments which remain with you forever. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/jaya/ Wed, 06 May 2015 18:13:17 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/jaya/ While I’ve consumed the Mahabharatha in many forms - stories from my grandmother, B.R.Chopra’s epic on TV, Amar Chitra Katha tales, etc. I’ve never read an actual detailed retelling of the story, from its very roots. Jaya, was my first, and I’m glad it was, considering how the author has weaved the well known plot in a manner which engages you and makes you appreciate with awestruck wonder, this compelling epic. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/playing-it-my-way/ Wed, 01 Apr 2015 18:13:17 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/playing-it-my-way/ Sachin’s autobiography was one book I had a lot of expectations on, as an avid fan and book reader. While the fan in me was delighted to read about his exploits on and off the field, the book reader in me was a tad disappointed, because the narration made it seem like a summary of his professional career, from Sachin’s perspective. However, given the length of his career and the number of important moments in them, I feel the book has done a good job overall, in being honest and keeping the reader interested till the very end. https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/steve-jobs/ Thu, 26 Feb 2015 18:13:17 -0800 https://madrasmedley.com/book-reviews/steve-jobs/ I was a big fan of Apple and it’s products and Steve Jobs, prior to reading this book. While my awe for the company and its products has gone up a notch, my perspective on Steve Jobs has changed significantly. Walter Isaacson beautifully traverses through the life of the greatest businessman of our times, and as we go along his journey from being an adopted son, to a college dropout experimenting with LSD and Zen culture, to founding Apple with the ‘other’ Steve, being kicked out, starting NeXT, Pixar, and then returning for a second stint at Apple which transformed it into the world’s most valuable and creative company, we learn about jobs innate sense of design, his obsession to have total end to end contorl on all of his products, his vision, and the pleasure he takes from developing products which are at the interestion of art and technology. https://madrasmedley.com/published-articles/ Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000 https://madrasmedley.com/published-articles/ Indic Review of SL Bhyrappa’s Parva: A Monumental Ode To The Mahabharata Hindu Student Council Articles Sports Sportskeeda articles Rafael Nadal Blog