Books
Books

Books

2024 Book Posts Book Reviews BooksLeave a comment

A Short History of Malaysia || A 10 point book review

Mention Malaysia and one perhaps thinks of two things. One is the Petronas Twin Towers and the other the capital Kuala Lumpur. Maybe a smaller number of people may recall its memorable tourism campaign; “Malaysia. Truly Asia”. After reading this book the reader will fully understand why its so apt. It traces the evolution of a nation situated along one of the most important shipping routes in history. Throughout its history, people of diverse ethnicities have populated this land, including the Chinese, Indian Tamils, Malays, and indigenous groups shaping its unique structure. The book traces the history of the land beginning with the period before the first influential kingdom of the area, Melaka Sultanate, through it and the periods of occupation by the Portuguese, Dutch and the British, and concludes with the modern period.

2024 Book Posts Book Reviews Books IndiaLeave a comment

The Incredible History of India’s Geography || A 10 point book review

India has some of the most unique features of geography in the world and this has shaped its rich and truly astonishing history. India is considered as one of the cradles of civilization and one of the world’s earliest urban cultures developed here in the Indus Valley Civilization. This book traces this relation between its geography and its impact on the people and the course of history. It starts from the Indus Valley Civilization and ends with the modern India.

2024 Book Posts Book Reviews Books Heritage Hyderabad hyderabad hyderabad heritageLeave a comment

Asif Jahs of Hyderabad || A 10 point book review

Did you know that after the Indian Independence on 15 August 1947 there was a period of 13 months when the Princely State of Hyderabad existed as an independent nation? It only joined the rest of India in September 1948. Hyderabad these days is mostly known for its Biryani, its IT sector, the unique Hyderabadi language and of course the Charminar. Founded in 1591 to accommodate the growing population of the nearby Golconda, Hyderabad has seen over 400 years of history which can be split into 2 phases with a brief Mughal transitional period in the middle. The first one was under the Qutb Shahi Dynasty, during which much of the foundation of the city’s growth and development was laid and the second was Asaf Jah dynasty, which ruled Hyderabad till the Indian Independence in 1947. In this book, Rajendra Prasad traces the history of the Asaf Jahs, also known popularly as the Nizams, from their rise in 1724, through their decline and eventual end in 1947. Through objective analysis and subtle humor, Rajendra writes an engaging and comprehensive account of a dynasty that has come to define and influence Hyderabad till the present day.

2024 Book Posts Book Reviews Books BritishLeave a comment

The Raj on the Move || A 10 point book review

During the days of the British Raj in India, the officers of the Indian Civil Services used to travel throughout the length and breadth of the country touring their domains to discharge their duties. On these travels they needed accommodation, sometimes in some of the most remote corners of India, and most often, Dak Bungalows offered this. These bungalows, variously called Circuit houses or Forest Rest houses, were set up by the methodical British in their efforts to bring order to a chaotic country. In Raj on the move, Rajika Bhandari combines her love of Dak Bungalows with some fine writing to bring out the essence of these forgotten buildings. She talks about the buildings in multiple chapters each devoted to one aspect of the building including purpose, architecture, food, locations and perhaps most interestingly for some, myself included, the famous resident ghosts.

2024 Book Posts Book Reviews BooksLeave a comment

Solved || A 10 point book review

In this book, David Miller, who was a former Toronto Mayor, talks about the role of city governments in taking action on climate change. He makes the case for cities being one of the most important players in our fight against climate change. In the book he shows how some cities around the world are already doing impactful work, and urges other cities to follow.

2024 Book Posts Book Reviews BooksLeave a comment

The Intelligence trap || A 10 point book review

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle believed in the existence of fairies which seems off for a genius like him. The Intelligence Trap tries to explain this behavior of high IQ people making seemingly stupid mistakes. Packed with examples and real-life case studies, this book also explains how to avoid the intelligence trap by following some simple techniques.

2024 Book Posts Book Reviews Books Climate ChangeLeave a comment

Unstoppable || A 10 point book review

Unstoppable is about the solutions offered by science to deal with Climate Change. In it, the author, Bill Nye, first gives an explanation of Climate Change, then moves onto explain the different sources of clean energy we have including solar, wind, hydro, nuclear etc. He also looks at other aspects which are connected like water, space and what the general public can do.