Taatung Tatung and Other Amazing Stories of India’s Diverse Languages


Book Description

Languages make us human. The ability to communicate and be understood through songs, art, words, inscriptions, or even gestures is essential because we, as a species, cannot live in isolation. And each one of these languages has its own journey. Early humans leaving messages on cave walls; three men on a raft stumbling upon a language they weren't looking for; a secret language that evolved to hide a people; the world's only undeciphered language that is 4000 years old. The stories in this book take you from the northeastern-most tip of our country to the forests in central India, from indigenous languages that are thousands of years old to those that have developed recently. Engrossing, entertaining, and packed with trivia, this book is for non-fiction lovers and students, who have a keen interest in all things India!




10 Indian Scientists Whose Extraordinary Work You May Not Know


Book Description

This book explores the lives and achievements of ten Indian scientists who made remarkable contributions in various fields of science—from measuring the brightness of stars and discovering a treatment for cholera to inventing fibre optics and increasing food sustainability. Though their names and work may not be widely known, they have transformed the quality of our lives. They are . . . Ruchi Ram Sahni Meghnad Saha Yellapragada Subbarow Sambhu Nath De Narinder Singh Kapany Obaid Siddiqi Modadugu Vijay Gupta Chandrima Shaha Jagannathan Vijaya V.R. Lalithambika Vaishali Shroff traces the journey of these scientists, detailing the challenges they faced—financial scarcity, gender bias, inadequate facilities and infrastructure—as she takes us through the evolution of science in India over three centuries.




A Brush with Indian Art


Book Description

Winner of the 2019 Hindu Young World-Goodbooks Award for Best Book (Non-Fiction) Embark on a vivid journey on which you'll learn about the origins and evolution of art in the country. Prepare to be amazed by the first pictures made by early humans; reflect upon the serenity of Buddhist cave paintings at Ajanta; marvel at the splendour of Mughal miniature art; delight in the religious depictions of Tanjore; study the hybrid Company and revivalist Bengal styles; and discover the best of modern and contemporary artists. Watch it all come alive in intricate black-and-white sketches and stunning photographs of the most celebrated visuals across time. A rich primer on the different schools of art and the most significant movements in Indian art history, A Brush with Indian Art might even nudge you into propping up your first canvas!




Flavours of The Spice Coast


Book Description

The southwestern coast of India, famous for its spices, has been a cultural melting pot for two thousand years. Jews, Muslims and Christians, merchants and missionaries came and stayed, adding their influences to the region’s culture and cuisine. The traditional produce of the coast is the base for a diverse range of dishes. Vegetables like yam and tapioca, fruits like coconut, mango and banana, and, of course, a feast of fish and prawn are combined in new and interesting forms. Written over a period of nearly fifty years by Mrs. Mathew, these wonderful recipes draw upon the rich heritage of Kerala food. They combine the traditional and the innovative, vegetarian and non-vegetarian, creating a collection to suit every palate and every pocket. There are traditional Kerala favorites like Appam with Stew and Parotta with Kurma Curry, as well as popular snacks like Banana Chips and Murukku. From street corner specialties like Trivandrum Chicken to the more adventurous Fish with Mango, or even Meen Pollichathu (Fish Roasted in a Plantain Leaf), this book is sure to add many a new dish to your repertoire.




Dear Mrs Naidu


Book Description

Twelve-year-old Sarojini’s best friend, Amir, might not be her best friend any more. Ever since Amir moved out of the basti and started going to a posh private school, it seems like he and Sarojini have nothing in common. Then Sarojini finds out about the Right to Education, a law that might help her get a free seat at Amir’s school – or, better yet, convince him to come back to a new and improved version of the government school they went to together. As she struggles to keep her best friend, Sarojini gets help from some unexpected characters, including Deepti, a feisty classmate who lives at a construction site; Vimala Madam, a human rights lawyer who might also be an evil genius; and Mrs. Sarojini Naidu, a long-dead freedom fighter who becomes Sarojini’s secret pen pal. Told through letters to Mrs. Naidu, this is the story of how Sarojini learns to fight – for her friendship, her family, and her future. Published by Zubaan.




The Chowpatty Cooking Club


Book Description

Bombay, 1942 With Mahatma Gandhi's call to the British to Quit India, the city has become a hotbed of revolutionary activity-student protests, secret magazines and even an underground People's Radio which broadcasts news that the British want concealed. Sakina and her friends Zenobia and Mehul desperately want to be part of this struggle for freedom. But there is little that they are permitted to do. But at least, they are trying to do something useful, while their mothers are only running a cooking club ... The Songs of Freedom series explores the lives of children across India during the struggle for independence.




If It's Monday It Must Be Madurai


Book Description

What is it like to travel with others for adventure, lust and god? This delightful travelogue, in which Srinath Perur embarks upon ten conducted tours, is full of rich experiences: hanging on to a camel in the Thar Desert, joining thousands on a pilgrimage in Maharashtra, crossing living root bridges near Cherrapunji, rediscovering music while on the trail of Kabir, and a lot more. As much about people as it is about places, the book is also a reflection of the nature of popular travel today, which is marked by the packaging of experiences, the formation of tourist economies and compulsive picture-taking. How this influences tourists comes across vividly: in their creation of a mini India on a bus as they race through treasured sights in Europe; in their perfunctory devotion as they hop from temple to temple in Tamil Nadu; and in their ‘enjoying’ with sex workers far away from home. Ironic, and often comic, If It’s Monday It Must Be Madurai is an idiosyncratic portrait of India and her people.




Is Your Child Ready to Face the World?


Book Description

Being a good parent is a skill that is acquired over time, one that requires constantly adapting to the rapidly changing times. In today’s world, where academics, extra-curricular activities and distractions in the shape of numerous gadgets make heavy demands on children’s time, it is tough to communicate with them. Dr Anupam Sibal, through his experience as father, paediatrician and Group Medical Director of Apollo Hospitals Group, outlines his approach to effectively getting through to children and mastering the art of parenthood. Focusing on the different values and qualities that make a good person, Dr Sibal has a hands-on approach to instil each of these in a child. Exploring the crux of parenting, this book asks and answers whether your child is ready to face the world.




Besharam


Book Description

Besharam roughly translates to "shameless" in Hindi. This collection from Indian writer Priya-Alika Elias is a bold, sassy, and brilliantly written book on love, dating, body image, consent, and other issues that women today relate to and men should be thinking about. Elias reflects on, and challenges, the ideas of how women are told by society to be humble, obedient, and ashamed of their actions and desires. Her writing is fresh, feminist, and thought-provoking, disrupting taboos and exploring what it means to be a young women in today's world.




India to the Rescue


Book Description

Adapted from Sushant Singh's Operation Cactus: mission impossible in the Maldives.