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Cannot appreciate enough how books like these help us understand their work better. I'm thankful.
POV: Jaishankar is the Foreign Minister, and in an era of nationalism and chest-thumping, you're forced to pick up a book to understand whether Nehru did nothing and Modi did everything.
Even before a kid touches a history textbook in India—whether you live in the south, north, east, or west—you are told the story of the brave Indian king Porus, who fought valiantly against Alexander to protect his country. You're told of the compassionate and kind Alexander—neither as barbaric as the Muslim invaders nor as cruel as the British—who was so impressed by this display of valor and duty that he left India, appointing Porus as king. It's nice to learn about the other tribes he defeated before reaching Punjab in this book, and the Persian influence on the northern part of India. Good to know the actual history behind the legend. The OG guy who truly deserves the title ‘Great'.
It was very helpful reading this book during the time when Pakistan and their Turkish friends were spreading misinformation about us after the terrorist attack on India. The extent to which that failed state blames Jews and Hindus for everything is something I did not understand, but it is comforting reading this. Even the most liberal Muslim you meet would make sure to cry about being a victim of Zionism and Hindutva, instead of looking at why his community and his country are backward.
Like most foreigners, I read this because Gandhi said it helps. This is also the book I reread the most, and finally, I understand it. In the age of cringy Sanskrit references by American CEOs, reading this in Telugu makes me feel at home.
A Tollywood mass entertainer where Penrod Ballantyne single-handedly carries the British Empire.
Love this series. Love each character in it. The theme of the last one is basically globalization, and as an IR enthusiast, I loved this book.
Wow, a woman protagonist with agency — a woman who has opinions and is actually a human being, not just a ‘woman.'
If you love Jonathan and miss him, try uploading this book to ChatGPT and prompt ‘act with me like you are Jonathan from this.'
What's intriguing is that Mark doesn't carry the typical baggage of a tortured hero. No dark past, no tragic childhood. The book dives into the nitty-gritty of survival on Mars—the science, the math, the engineering. You'll learn about growing potatoes in Martian soil, jury-rigging life support systems, and calculating oxygen levels. It's like a crash course in space survival. Honestly, I chose this book because it's set on Mars. The idea of relying on sheer brainpower hooked me from the start. At the end of the book -Mars becomes a character in itself—a harsh, unforgiving companion to Mark's struggle for survival.
Very informative. Great to learn about the great men who worked with her, like Potemkin. I skimmed through another book called Romanovs, which connects Peter the Great's work with Catherine the Great, and explores how the whole business of serfdom, the Bolshevik Revolution, and the nature of the Russian monarchy link to future dictatorships under Stalin and Putin.