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Monday, October 21, 2024
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Book Excerpts

How docile, pliable silkworms became ‘war animals’ under Hitler

In Silk: A History in Three Metamorphoses, Aarathi Prasad weaves together the complex history of the queen of fabrics.

How Kannadigas justify adding jaggery in Sambar—Sea level, idli-fermentation speed

In Tamilian style, sambhar, chutneys and podi, etc. are all dumped on an idli or dosai. In Karnataka, dosey and idli with chutney is the authentic combination.

Savitribai Phule carried an extra saree to school. Brahmins regularly threw ‘filth’ at her

In ‘Savitribai Phule’, Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta traces the life of the revolutionary and places her in historical context.

Influencers are using their make-or-break power to blackmail companies

In 'The Pursuit of Reputation', Amith Prabhu and Sujit Patil attempt to reveal about the workings of the public relations machinery working behind every brand at present and its potential in the future.

Intellectual dishonesty has survived in The Economist’s editorial room—since 1862

In 'Modi: The Challenge of 2024', author Minhaz Merchant writes how The Economist marked its 175th anniversary in 2018 with an eight-page essay spelling out a 'manifesto for renewing liberalism for the 21st century'.

Vaishnava gods to secular portraits, evolving Thanjavur paintings influenced Raja Ravi Varma

Elements of the Thanjavur style influenced paintings produced as far away as Solapur in Maharashtra as well as various parts of Karnataka in the 18th century.

For the West, the Indian village was ‘ever-present & never-changing’ – even Karl Marx wrote so

In ‘The Indian Village’, sociologist Surinder S. Jodhka examines the changing nature of the country’s rural landscape.

‘I won’t be your son If I don’t shake all of India,’ Farooq Abdullah once angrily told father

'Farooq of Kashmir' by Ashwini Bhatnagar and R.C. Ganjoo delves into the life and times of the former CM of Jammu and Kashmir, Dr. Farooq Abdullah, highlighting his shrewd maneuvering and essential role in Kashmir's political landscape.

Tourist rush into a sleepy Tamil Nadu town causing wildlife roadkill. 2 ecologists helping

In 'Women in the Wild', Shweta Taneja talks about how ecologist Divya Mudappa and her partner are rescuing macaques from roadkills in a small Tamil Nadu town.

Bhupen Khakar came out through his paintings. He called them iconography of homosexual love

Bhupen Khakhar’s contributions as an artist and his advocacy for LGBTQ+ visibility have left an enduring imprint on the art world.

On Camera

US and allies boast of killing whomever they want, yet lecture India on morality

To believe that educated Indians will never question their government is silly. We question the government every single day. Currently, we are worried about how our spy agencies are run.

Even working remotely can lead to burnout. Here is how to prevent it

New ways of working have opened up the debate on how, where and when people work, which in turn has an impact on employees’ expectations, behaviour and wellbeing.

Indian Army helmets in spotlight. Upgrades over the yrs & how they stack up against US & China’s gear

The helmets of Indian soldiers have been a talking point in the past, and though a lot has changed over the years, the phasing out of older models is an ongoing process.

Sikh separatists & their gang wars in Canada are not India’s problem. Call the troops back

If Sikh separatists are a nuisance, it should worry their host countries. Should it bother India if they keep killing their own in gang rivalries and making their neighbourhoods unsafe?