Pillai's book draws heavily from Chanakya's Arthashastra. Amongst Hindu scholars of the day, there is a clear consensus for Arthashastra to be the most influential book ever written on statesmanship and politics. Unfortunately, though, Pillai's book fails to evoke the same emotion as expected out of a book following Arthashastra's suit.
I have always believed that the hallmark of a good book lies in its power to pull you back into its pages from time to time. This year, too, I had the pleasure of indulging in a few stellar books. Of all the books I read, I have selected the five titles which totally held my imagination.
In 1840, Edgar Allan Poe described the ‘mad energy’ of an ageing man who roved the streets of London from dusk till dawn. His excruciating despair could be temporarily relieved only by immersing himself in a tumultuous throng of city-dwellers. ‘He refuses to be alone,’ Poe wrote. He ‘is the type and the genius of … Continue reading Before you can be with others, first learn to be alone
Jog your imagination a little and envisage a sumptuous Swedish winter smörgåsbord replete with mouthwatering choices: a fine assortment of cold and hot foods and desserts, of course. It's an exaggerated analogy, but Umberto Eco's 'Inventing the Enemy' gives you a similar experience. 'Inventing the Enemy' compiles a diverse selection of Umberto Eco's essays and … Continue reading Book Review | Inventing the Enemy
"The charm of history and its enigmatic lesson consist in the fact that from age to age, nothing changes and yet everything is completely different." - Aldous Huxley 'The Ascent of Money' is a scintillating journey tracking the evolution of money from the erstwhile Babylonian clay tablets to the exotic financial instruments of modern day. … Continue reading The Ascent of Money