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Ruttie Jinnah’s influence and redaction from history

Posted on December 20, 2020 by sanjeeta

Mohammad Ali Jinnah’s wife, Ruttie Jinnah was a fierce nationalise in her own right, and a proactive political companion to her husband. According to Jinnah’s contemporary political leader Sarojini Naidu, Ruttie was the only one with whom he could truly be himself. Despite her undisputed influence on him, she remains an understudied figure in history.

Here is an excerpt from the introduction of Saad S. Khan’s biography, Ruttie Jinnah, titled The Enigma of Mrs Jinnah.

Eqbal Ahmad, a great South Asian intellectual, once described Jinnah as an ‘enigma’ of modern history. Jinnah’s aristocratic Victorian manners, English lifestyle and secular outlook rendered him a most unlikely leader of Indian Muslims to have led the people to separate statehood.8 However, any keen observer of South Asian history and the politics of Pakistan may find Mrs Jinnah a greater ‘enigma’ than her husband. Sharing the same manners, the same lifestyle and the same outlook that Ahmad uses to describe Jinnah, she was the unlikeliest of candidates to have had a revolutionary, anti-British spirit, the intrepidity to face her family and community upon conversion to Islam, and her rising to become the first lady of the Indian Muslim community in such a conservative era when most Muslim women were wearing face veils.

As the historians study and explore Jinnah’s personality in the thousands of books and titles on him, we come to know him so well that he hardly remains an enigma any longer. Mrs Jinnah, however, has remained one—first, owing to her behind-the-curtains role in the rise of Jinnah and factors that led to the genesis of Pakistan. This should have made her one of the most studied historical figures by and within Pakistan, at least. To the contrary, however—and this brings us to the second reason she is an enigma—she suffered (to borrow the term from the scholar Akbar S. Ahmed) a complete ‘blackout’ from history.

Here, we look at both these conundrums: her influence on Pakistan and her redaction from history.

Influence on Jinnah and Thereby on the Creation of Pakistan

The first mystery about Mrs Jinnah is around her role in moulding her husband from a staunch all-India nationalist to a believer in the two-nation theory. It is well known that their courtship blossomed from 1916, when she proposed to him in Darjeeling. It was the same year that Jinnah got catapulted to national centre stage by becoming the architect and the author of the Lucknow Pact (also known as the Jinnah–Tilak Pact). It prompted Sarojini Naidu to label him as the ambassador of Hindu-Muslim unity. Despite strong opposition from her father, Ruttie came to Lucknow to see Jinnah bask in glory on the Indian political skyline.

The couple got married in 1918. After that there was hardly any major political or legislative engagement of Jinnah for which Ruttie was not by his side, till she left for Europe during her terminal illness in 1928. She died the following year. It was precisely that year, in 1929, that Jinnah propounded his Fourteen Points, effectively laying claim to a separate nation for the Muslims. These demands were to coalesce into one—for separate statehood—within a decade. Though Mrs Jinnah cannot be considered the sole reason for this metamorphosis, the exact coincidence of years, which is hard to miss, cannot be purely incidental. Living together and discussing politics for hours every day, it is hard to believe that Ruttie’s influence on Jinnah’s sea change in outlook was nil.

The argument that Mrs Jinnah was one of the factors that led to Jinnah’s becoming a bi-nationalist instead of the nationalist that he was, is subscribed by more or less all serious studies of Jinnah’s early political life. Akbar S. Ahmed,10 M.C. Chagla,11 Kanji Dwarkadas,12 Sheela Reddy13 and Ian Bryant Wells14 among others count Mrs Jinnah’s life—or death—as one of the factors that contributed to the change in Jinnah’s political philosophy, which led to the creation of Pakistan.

They disagree, however, on the extent of this influence, on what exactly caused it (for instance, Mrs Jinnah’s life or her death) and how. The present volume will uncover this backstage role of Mrs Jinnah, which will also help us grasp various hitherto underappreciated angles of Jinnah’s personality and decisions.

Her Blackout from History

Mohammad Ali Jinnah, better known in Pakistan as Quaid-e-Azam, was the founding father of Pakistan and is highly venerated in the country. Countless roads, towns, streets, institutions and projects are named after him. Those who profess their love for him show him a discourtesy by forgetting his first and last love, Rattanbai Maryam Jinnah. It is indeed a pity that the lady went missing from history and Pakistan’s collective memory. Both her role as comrade-in-arms of Jinnah, and her contribution to the freedom struggle in her own right are equally underexplored areas in the historiography of Pakistan.

Akbar S. Ahmed notes that Ruttie (and Dina) have ‘both been blacked out from history [in Pakistan]’. He argues, ‘Nonetheless, it is through a study of his family that we see the man [Jinnah] and understand him more than at any other point in his life because that is when he exposes his inner feelings to us.’15 Who caused this blackout and why? Who were the figures or what were the factors that led to the obliteration of Mrs Jinnah from collective memory?

Apparently, her direct descendants in post-Partition India and her in-laws in post-Independence Pakistan, for reasons that might not mirror each other, may have developed an interest in keeping Mrs Jinnah’s persona concealed from history. These include her parental family’s revulsion to her conversion, personal dislikes and jealousies by some on her in-laws’ side and simple lust for the Jinnahs’ inheritance in property from yet others living on both sides of the Radcliffe Line. The litigation for Jinnah’s property still continues a century down the road.

Saad S. Khan’s vivid biography, Ruttie Jinnah, provides an incisive look into Ruttie’s life and legacy, bringing forth a novel and fresh understanding of Jinnah and the freedom movement.

Jawaharlal Nehru: A life in words

Posted on November 12, 2020November 18, 2020 by ashmita

There is no dearth of writing on Jawaharlal Nehru. More will always be less when accounting for his contribution to the country, which starts from before the inception of India, the idea of India. A man who fought imperialism, colonialism, and strove for the idea of a nation propped by secularism, diversity and communal camaraderie is not a figure easily summarised in words. But this 14^th of November, we are celebrating Nehru’s birthday with a list of works that come close to portraying the brilliance of his persona, a figure larger than life, vital to our history.

An Autobiography

by Jawaharlal Nehru

Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of independent India, was a great personality who also wrote a number ofinspiring and knowledgeable books. ‘Jawaharlal Nehru: An Autobiography’ is his autobiographical work which he penned down between the years of 1934 and 1935 while he was in prison. In this book, Nehru explores his ideologies and the events in his life that led him to the situation he was positioned in when he wrote this book.

The practice of civil disobedience that Nehru had taken up, is discussed by him terms of his belief in the movement. The author starts off the book with an introduction to his ancestral history, where he mentions that his predecessors had to run away from Kashmir to settle elsewhere.

The book also paints a vivid picture of the pre-independence era in India, where the air of dissension was at an all-time high. The book depicts the political realisation of an upcoming giant of a nation and the battle for its freedom.

front cover Discovery of India — The Discovery of India||Jawaharlal Nehru

The Discovery of India

by Jawaharlal Nehru

Jawaharlal Nehru wrote the book ‘The Discovery of India’, during his imprisonment at Ahmednagar fort for participating in the Quit India Movement (1942 – 1946). The book was written during Nehru’s four years of confinement to solitude in prison and is his way of paying an homage to his beloved country and its rich culture.

The book started from ancient history, Nehru wrote at length of Vedas, Upanishads and textbooks on ancient time and ends during the British raj. The book is a broad view of Indian history, culture and philosophy, the same can also be seen in the television series. The book is considered as one of the finest writing om Indian History. The television series Bharat Ek Khoj which was released in 1988 was based on this book.

Glimpses of World History

by Jawaharlal Nehru

‘Glimpses of the World History’ is an account of the progress of the world through centuries and ages. This book is a collection of letters that Jawaharlal Nehru wrote to his daughter Indira when he was in various Indian prisons for three years. The letters were meant to introduce her to the world and its history. In the first few letters, Nehru expresses his sadness for not being able to be around his daughter and give her the materialistic gifts that other parents could but he promises to give her a gift that he could afford; in the form of knowledge and wisdom through words that come from the very core of his heart. Nehru wrote 196 letters and covered the history of mankind from 6000 BC to the time he was writing the letters.

Letters from a Father to His Daughter

by Jawaharlal Nehru

When Indira Gandhi was a little girl of ten, she spent the summer in Mussoorie, while her father, Jawaharlal Nehru, was in Allahabad. Over the summer, Nehru wrote her a series of letters in which he told her the story of how and when the earth was made, how human and animal life began, and how civilizations and societies
evolved all over the world.

Written in 1928, these letters remain fresh and vibrant, and capture Nehru’s love for people and for nature, whose story was for him ‘more interesting than any other story or novel that you may have read’. This is a priceless collection of letters from one legendary leader to another.

Get a small glimpse into the life of Pandit Nehru in his own words.

Invaluable dissenters in troubled democracies

Posted on October 19, 2020October 20, 2020 by penguin

What is the value of freedom of speech and dissent in a democracy today, and how does it affect the very pillars of this system of governance? These are difficult questions, often leaving us with no answers. T.T. Ram Mohan navigates these tensions in his book:

We don’t like dissenting voices and we don’t like to express dissent. Authority, in particular, doesn’t like to be questioned or challenged. And people don’t like to challenge or question authority because they know there’s a price to be paid for doing so. We are exhorted by wise men and women to ‘stand up for what is right’ and ‘speak truth to fear’. We are careful not to heed these exhortations. Our survival instincts tell us otherwise. It’s far more rewarding to stay quiet, nod assent or, better still, practise unabashed sycophancy.

In recent years, we have heard a great deal in India about intolerance and the supposed muffling of dissent on the part of the present government. Governments everywhere do try to stifle or manage dissent in varying degrees and in different ways. But the situation is not very different in other spheres of life, such as the corporate world, the bureaucracy, non-government organizations or even academia.

This is truly a sad state of affairs. Dissent is invaluable. We need dissent, whether in government or in the other institutions of society, in order to ensure accountability of those in authority. Dissent is also vital for generating ideas and solving problems. It is only through the clash of ideas that the best solutions emerge. Herd mentality or ‘group think’, as it is now called, is the surest recipe for mediocrity and underperformance. Institutions must be designed to protect and foster dissent.

Since dissent is all too rare, it’s worth celebrating dissenters. In this book, I profile seven of them from different walks of life. The personalities I have chosen are not necessarily the most famous or the most effective dissenters. The American linguist and intellectual, Noam Chomsky, would have easily qualified. So would the economist and Nobel Laureate Joseph Stiglitz. But these are celebrities whose ideas are quite well known. I have chosen to write about individuals whose dissenting ideas may not be known to many. Ideally, I would have liked to meet the individuals in person or at least interview them over the Net. Alas, I had no luck, except with Kancha Ilaiah.

I have not attempted to be comprehensive in my treatment of these personalities and, indeed, lay no claim to being familiar with all of their works. They are all so prolific that whole books could be written about them. Rather, I have focused on some of their works or themes just to capture the flavor of their dissent.

In what ways are these dissenters questioning the mainstream view? What challenges have they mounted to the establishment? How have they managed to shape public perceptions on important issues? These are the questions I have attempted to answer. The impact the dissenters in this book have had is quite modest. Roy has been able to influence policy on large dams and the rehabilitation of displaced individuals. Stone has contributed to the anti-war sentiment in the US and to the conspiracy theories about the assassination of President Kennedy. Ilaiah has raised awareness of the inequities in the Hindu order but hasn’t had much luck in stopping the Hindutva juggernaut. U.G. Krishnamurti has got people thinking seriously about spirituality and the pursuit of enlightenment. Varoufakis languishes on the margins of European politics. Irving is a virtual pariah amongst historians and in the mainstream media. Pilger’s journalism thrives mostly on the Net.

The value of these dissenters is to be judged by positing the counterfactual: If it were not for the likes of them, how would the establishment have behaved? These individuals may not have been able to change the dominant narrative. But they have, at times, been able to apply the brakes on it. That is a valuable contribution.

With the possible exception of Irving, the dissenters in this book have been professionally and financially successful. This suggests that despite the hostility of the establishment, there is room in the market economy for dissent of high quality. Indeed, as I note later, it is the celebrity status of these dissenters that acts as a protective charm and keeps them from being trampled on. The moral in today’s world seems to be that if you want to express serious dissent, make sure that you are rich and famous enough to be able to afford it.

Rebels With a Cause does the difficult work of explaining the real value of dissent, and therefore, a democracy. Read it here.

And We Came Outside and Saw the Stars Again: a powerful antidote

Posted on September 26, 2020 by sanjeeta

A rich, eye-opening anthology, And We Came Outside and Saw the Stars Again , dozens of esteemed writers, poets, artists and translators from more than thirty countries offer a profound, kaleidoscopic portrait of lives transformed by the coronavirus pandemic.

As COVID-19 has become the defining global experience of our time, writers transcend borders and genres to offer a powerful antidote to the fearful confines of isolation: a window onto corners of the world beyond our own.

UNPRECEDENTED was the ubiquitous term first used to describe the COVID-19 pandemic that swept the world in 2020, as if the event were unlike any other. The truth is that it has been rather routine in its procedure, part of the eternal cycles of nature. Even in the Bible, similar disasters—earthquakes, deluges, famines, plagues of insects, pestilence of livestock, boils, thunderstorms of hail and fire—are recurrent visitors in the theater of human affairs. Which doesn’t mean, of course, that newcalamities such as this one aren’t extraordinary.

It isn’t surprising that the official approach to the pandemic was initially forensic, with an insistence on numbers: how many deaths and infections per day in a given hospital of a given city in a given country, how long a possible vaccine could take to bring us all out of purgatory, and so on, as if suffering could be quantified, ignoring that each and every person lost was unique and irreplaceable. The Talmud says that death is a kind of sleep and that one person’s sleep is unknowable to others. Although the misfortune arrived at a time when the essential tenets of globalism were being questioned—tariffs imposed, borders closed,immigrants seen with suspicion—the pandemic was planetary, hitting wherever people did what people do. It preyed with distinct fury on the poor and vulnerable, as natural catastrophes always do, especially in countries ruled by tyrants responding with disdain and hubris. Inevitably, the lockdown also forced a new method to everything everywhere. The sound of the kitchen clock suddenly felt new, the warmth of a handshake, the taste of fresh soup. As an antidote to numbers, it was once again left to writers to notice those changes, to chronicle them by interweaving words. That’s what literature does well: it champions nuance while resisting the easy tricks of generalization. This international anthology includes over fifty of those writers representing thirty-five countries and arriving in about a dozen languages. Cumulatively, their accounts are proof of the degree to which COVID-19 brought about the collapse of a hierarchy of principles we had all embraced until then. Call it the end of an era Shenaz Patel, from Mauritius, for instance, realizes that “suddenly, like an octopus disturbed in its sleep, everything kept hidden under the placid surface latched onto us with its many arms and spit its ink into our faces.” She adds: “We are faced with a true ‘civil war’ of speech, echoing through radios and social media, between those who respect the lockdown and those who don’t; those who understand and the ‘cocovids,’ the empty heads who go out anyway; between the ‘true patriots’ and the selfish few who knowingly put others in danger.”

All About Jazz! 7 Things You Didn’t Know about Bombay’s Jazz Culture

Posted on August 29, 2018February 23, 2020 by Penguin India

Bombay, renamed Mumbai after the goddess Mumbadevi, defies definition. Vibrant, engaging and provocative, Bombay, Meri Jaan is an anthology as rich and varied as the city it celebrates.
Salman Rushdie, Pico Iyer, Dilip Chitre, Saadat Hasan Manto, V.S.Naipaul, Khushwant Singh and Busybee, among others, write about aspects of the city. In one piece within the anthology Naresh Fernandes explores the jazz culture of the sixties. Intrigued?
Read on to find out 7 things you didn’t know about the jazz culture of Bombay:

There was a class divide between musicians and their audience

There was no correct way to play jazz. You just went with the flow.

Most jazz musicians were originally from Goa

What was considered high praise by jazz musicians may surprise you…

Bollywood songs were arranged and assisted by jazz musicians like Chic Chocolate.

Jazzy weddings?A jazz song from Lorna Cordeiro’s album became a standard at Goan weddings

Grave diggers were in high demand

Bombay, Meri Jaan, comprising of poems and prose pieces by some of the biggest names in literature, in addition to cartoons, photographs, a song and a Bombay Duck recipe, tries to capture the spirit of this great metropolis.
Available Now!

The August Puffin Reading Challenge

Posted on August 14, 2018February 23, 2020 by Penguin India

We are back with our August Puffin reading challenge resonating with the theme of Independence Day! These books are informative and will help your little ones gain the knowledge about the country in an engaging way.
Encouraging interests in many aspects related to India and its working, this list is a great way to get your children to understand the culture, origin, the vast diversity and the great geography of India in the form of fun facts and reads.
4-7 Years

1. Goodnight India
This book is part of the bestselling Good Night Our World series, including hundreds of titles exploring popular locations and exciting, child-friendly themes. Many of India’s most beloved regions are artfully celebrated in these board books that are designed to soothe children before bedtime while instilling an early appreciation for India’s natural and cultural wonders.

2. Goodnight Delhi
Goodnight Delhi highlights Janpath Market, Bangla Sahib Gurudwara, Lodi Gardens, Humayun’s Tomb, Deer Park, Red Fort, Jama Masjid, Qutub Minar, National Zoo, Old Fort, Bahá’í Temple, the National Rail Museum, and more. This educational board book explores all of the sites and iconic landmarks this dynamic city has to offer. Welcome to the capital of India!

3. We the Children of India
We, the children of India— Former Chief Justice Leila Seth makes the words of the Preamble to the Constitution understandable to even the youngest reader. What is a democratic republic, why are we secular, what is sovereignty? Believing that it is never too early for young people to learn about the Constitution, she tackles these concepts and explains them in a manner everyone can grasp and enjoy.

4. India A to Z
Why are the Himalayas considered geologically alive? When did the First train huff and puff its way between two stations in India? What was India’s very own desi dino called? How did India’s currency come to be Named the rupee? Which Indian glacier is the highest battleground in the world? Who wrote the world’s first grammar book? If questions like these make you curious about incredible India, here is a bumper info-pedia packed with fascinating facts, terrific trivia and colourful Cartoons on just about everything in India, this book encourages interest in a wide range of subjects.

8-10 Years

5. A Bagful of History
As you travel back in time in this book, you can dine with Mughal princess Jahanara Begum, have a Jugalbandi with Miyan Tansen, compete with the nawabs od Chandni Chowk in a kite-flying duel, be a part of Raja Ram Mohan Roy’s fight for the education of the girl child and witness many more exciting events !
10-13 Years
6. A Brush with Indian Art
Embark on a vivid journey on which youll learn about the origin and evolution of art in the country. Look at the first pictures made by humans; reflect upon the serenity of Buddhist cave paintings at Ajanta; marvel at the splendor 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.

7. The Night Diary
It’s 1947, and India, newly independent of British rule, has been separated into two countries: Pakistan and India. The divide has created much tension between Hindus and Muslims, and hundreds of thousands are killed crossing borders. Half-Muslim, half-Hindu twelve-year-old Nisha doesn’t know where she belongs, or what her country is anymore.

7. Essential India Box Set
This box set comprises of:
My India: This book contains excerpts from Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalaam’s speeches during his post-Presidency years. Drawn from his addresses to parliaments, universities, schools and oter institutions in India and abroad, they include his ideas on science, nation building, poverty, compassion and self-confidence.
The Incredible History of India’s Geography: Maps and mountains, lions and tigers, rivers and oceans-all sorts of things you didn’t know about India’s geography you’ll find here. Discover various things you never expected, like the fact that we still greet each other like the Harappans did or that people used to think India was full of one-eyed giants. Full of quirky pictures and crazy trivia, this book takes you on a fantastic journey through the incredible history of India’s geography.
The Puffin History of India, Volume 1: Trace the origin of human beings and the different aspects of their development and growth, right from the Big Bang and the origin of the universe, up to 1500 CE. Well-researched and comprehensive, this book speaks of great civilizations and empires, epics, myths and legends, religions old and new, wars and conquests, clothes, food and lifestyle, trade, travel and adventure, and much more.

9. India At 70
This book traces the country’s whirlwind journey, giving us a look at the last seventy years. Against a political backdrop, it provides glimpses of India’s vast and rich culture, its many languages and remarkable diversity, its eminent personalities and notable achievements in all spheres. Featuring bite-sized information, fun facts, charming illustrations and detailed maps, this special book sums up the logs of India’s Independence in a fitting way.

Business Management Books That Will Help You Thrive

Posted on August 8, 2018February 23, 2020 by Penguin India

Answering some fundamental questions, from signing your first contract to the complex management of VC funding, these brilliant business books are a must read for every working professional.
In this carefully curated list of books by highly accomplished authors, you will learn about the successes and failures of the oldest, most powerful company in the world (East India Company) and the newest multi-million dollar startups (like Zomato).
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Contract Terms Are Common Sense: IIMA Series by Professor Akhileshwar Pathak
It is crucial for managers to understand the terms of the contract that they work with. This exceedingly effective guide helps readers explore and master the many terms and conditions set up for conducting businesses. The book makes the subject readily accessible by employing easy-to-understand and discover-yourself techniques.

Business Law for Managers: IIMA Series Paperback by Anurag K. Agarwal
Even though most business managers have diverse academic qualifications-engineering being the most common, followed by chartered accountancy, economics, medicine, etc.-few come from a law background. However, it is crucial for a manager to understand the nitty-gritty of law. This hands-on guide to understanding business law is for anyone and everyone looking to run a legal-hurdle-free business.

A Business of State by Rupali Mishra
Around 1800, the English East India Company controlled half of the world’s trade and deployed a vast network of political influencers. Yet the story of its 17th-century beginnings has remained largely untold. Rupali Mishra’s account of the Company’s formative years sheds light on one of the most powerful corporations in the history of the world.

Master Growth Hacking: The Best-Kept Secret of New-Age Indian Start-ups by Apurva Chamaria and Gaurav Kakkar
Growth hacking is a combination of coding, data intelligence and marketing. It doesn’t take a lot of investment-just a whole lot of creativity, smart data analysis and agility. It has now emerged as the preferred term for growth used by start-ups and entrepreneurs in India and across the world-the new mantra they swear by, but don’t want you to learn about.
Full of riveting stories, Master Growth Hacking lets you learn from the pioneers of the field in India.

Chanakya and the Art of Getting Rich by Radhakrishnan Pillai
Chanakya’s Arthashastra is an unrivalled political treatise that has been used by scholars, academics and leaders across the world. In Chanakya and the Art of Getting Rich, Radhakrishnan Pillai brings out the inherent lessons from Arthashastra to present a strategic and practical way of wealth creation. This is a holistic study, written for anyone and everyone.
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The Puffin Back to School Reading Challenge

Posted on August 7, 2018February 23, 2020 by Penguin India

The Puffin Back to School Reading Challenge is the much needed break from school work your child needs.
‘Tis the season…for Back to school shopping but what better things to buy your kids, than some fun companions: books!
We know it’s that time of the year when summer vacations are a throwback to the lazy and fun times spent with your kids. However, reading with your kids can be the perfect opportunity to make new memories.
We have an exciting reading challenge that will not only help your young learners discover their interests but also help sensitize them to important topics in their formative years.
From breaking gender stereotypes to solving engaging math puzzles and exploring foreign lands, we have amazing recommendations for kids in Kindergarten to Middle school.
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For 4-7 year olds:

Peppa Pig: Peppa Plays Cricket by Peppa Pig
It is a very sunny day. Perfect for a game of cricket! Daddy Pig teaches Peppa, George and Suzy Sheep how to play cricket in the garden, followed by the most important part of the game – taking a break for tea and cake! Everyone loves cricket, especially Daddy Pig!
The perfect book for your little cricketers, teaching them the rules of the game as well as teamwork and sportsmanship.

Eric Carle’s Book of Many Things by Eric Carle
Children will have hours of fun learning first words and first concepts in this beautiful book from the creator of The Very Hungry Caterpillar. From food and clothes to animals and feelings, this is the perfect way for little ones to learn what they need to navigate their busy worlds.

Pink and Blue by Ritu Vaishnav (Author), Vishnu M Nair (Illustrator)
Pink is for girls. Blue is for boys
Girls play house. Boys play cricket
Cry like a girl. Kick like a boy
Sometimes grown-ups can say silly things that just aren’t true–not for all kids anyway! This book is an attempt by a mum to start a conversation with her little one about gender stereotypes. It encourages kids to question these notions before they begin to shape their thinking and offers adults an opportunity to initiate this very necessary discussion.

Helping Others Is Cool (My Book of Values) by Sonia Mehta
Nicky and Noni both badly want to win the School Champ contest, so they’re much too busy to help anyone around them. But along the way, they realize what it takes to be an all-rounder. What do they learn? Read on to find out.

For 8-10 year olds:

Middle School: Hero To Zero by James Patterson and Chris Tebbetts
After a mostly-successful stint at Hills Valley Middle School, Rafe is excited to visit the incredible city of London with his class. Sightseeing around a foreign country sounds like a blast, until Rafe finds out his roommate will be none other than Miller the Killer, bully extraordinaire! And it’s no surprise that Rafe’s bad luck follows him across the pond, putting him in one crazy situation after another–out of all of his adventures, this trip could prove to be Rafe’s most embarrassing yet, undoing everything good he has going for him back home!

Detective Nosegoode and the Music Box Mystery (Detective Nosegoode 1) by Marian Orlon
At first glance, Mr Ambrosius Nose Goode seems to be a perfectly ordinary older gentleman.
But appearances can be deceiving: this unimposing man was once a famous detective and his dog isn’t an ordinary mutt either – he can talk! When a mysterious man with a fake black beard comes to town and a music box goes missing from the workshop of clockmaker Mr Ignatius Blossom, the two friends begin to investigate.

Globe Trotters by Arefa Tehsin (Author), Nafisa Nandini Crishna (Illustrator)
Hudhud is horrible to everyone. He polishes off his classmates’ lunches, plays cruel pranks on his teachers and troubles innocent creatures. Until his strange new history teacher decides to set him straight.
The lesson? A curse! Now Hudhud must roam the vast earth . . . with-and as-the greatest migratory animals. And so begins Hudhud’s remarkable journey.
Follow Hudhud on this surreal trip, through the Arctic Ocean and the Sahara Desert, among fragrant flowers and tall grass, and find out all about the inner lives of some majestic animals and the wonders of the wild.

The Cloudfarers by Stephen Alter
Paramount Academy is nothing short of a prison. As Kip comes to terms with this awful military-style school, he makes new friends who have a terrible secret: they are Cloudfarers-a lost tribe of beings from another planet, who have been exiled on earth. And they need his help to get back to their land, away from Principal Captain Lovelock, who is on to them. But time is running out . . .
Join Kip and his friends as they embark on a stormy adventure on the clouds and through dangerous cliffs and mountains to reach a safe haven.

For 10-13 year olds:

The Firework Maker’s Daughter by Philip Pullman
What Lila wants to be more than anything else in the world is . . . a Firework-Maker!
But firework-making is not just about being able to make Crackle-Dragons and Golden Sneezes. There is also one special secret: every Firework-Maker must make a perilous journey to face the terrifying Fire-Fiend!
Not knowing that she needs special protection to survive the Fire-Fiend’s flames, Lila sets off alone. Her friends, Chulak and Hamlet – the King’s white elephant – race after her. But can they possibly reach her in time?

Maths Sutras From Around The World: Speed Calculations On Your Fingertips by Gaurav Tekriwal
Learn how to be quick and better at Maths with this well-researched book that has an amazing collection of mathematical techniques from around the world. Explore ingenious maths concepts and systems, and try your hand at popular puzzles like KenKen, Kakuro and Alphametics. Who says maths can’t be fun?

My First Book of Money by Ravi Subramanian and Shoma Narayanan
They say time is money. But they never really tell you why. They say money doesn’t grow on trees. But they don’t tell you where it comes from. Aman and Anya are as clueless about cash as you are. Then, they start asking questions. Egged on by clever Dadi and forthcoming Mom and Dad, Aman and Anya learn what finances are really all about.
So go ahead! Read on for a rollercoaster ride through the world of money.
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Look out for our Independence Day reading challenge next week!

Liberating Reads for this August

Posted on August 6, 2018February 23, 2020 by Penguin India

August is here and along with the new month comes some fun liberating reads! Our list of new books includes memoirs, biographies, research and case studies. Whether you prefer fiction, non-fiction you’re sure to find something to suit your taste here.
So take a look at our bookshelf for August, and tell us which book you’d like to pick up first!

The Beauty of all My Days

Each chapter of this memoir is a remembrance of times past, an attempt to resurrect a person or a period or an episode, a reflection on the unpredictability of life. Some paths lead nowhere; others lead to a spring of pure water. Take any path and hope for the best. At least it will lead you out of the shadows.

The RSS: A View to the Inside

The RSS is the most influential cultural organization in India today, with affiliates in fields as varied as politics, education and trade. Backed by deep research and case studies, this book explores the evolution of the Sangh into its present form, its relationship with the ruling party, the BJP, their overseas affiliates and so much more.

Kama: The Riddle of Desire

Here, in his magnificent prose, Gurcharan Das examines how to cherish desire in order to live a rich, flourishing life, arguing that if dharma is a duty to another, kama is a duty to oneself. It sheds new light on love, marriage, family, adultery and jealousy as it wrestles with questions such as these: How to nurture desire without harming others or oneself? Are the erotic and the ascetic two aspects of our same human nature? What is the relationship between romantic love and bhakti, the love of god?

The Kipling File

Narrated by Kay Robinson, The Kipling File is a moving story of doomed friendship and difficult love recounted against the powerful backdrop of Anglo-Indian life in a Punjab that has begun to stir with anti-colonial sentiment. Through his eyes unfold the turmoils that shaped the author of beloved classics like The Jungle Book and Kim.

Polite Society

Keenly observed, sharply plotted and full of wit and brio, Polite Society reimagines Jane Austen’s Emma in contemporary Delhi to portray a society whose polished surface often reveals far more than is intended.

Staggering Forward: Narendra Modi and India’s Global Ambition

Analysing Prime Minister Modi’s foreign and military policies in the context of India’s evolving socio-political and economic milieu, this book offers a critical perspective that helps explain why India has not progressed much towards becoming a consequential power.

The Last Englishmen: Love, War, and the End of Empire

Dense with romance and intrigue, and of startling relevance to the cross-cultural debates and great power games of our own day, The Last Englishmen is an engrossing and masterful story that traces the end of empire and the stirring of a new world order.

Notes of a Dream: The Authorized Biography of A.R. Rahman

Featuring intimate interviews with the soft-spoken virtuoso, as well as insights and anecdotes from key people in his life, this balanced, uplifting and affectionate book is the definitive biography of A.R. Rahman–the man behind the music and the music that made the man.

Not Quite Not White

At the age of twelve, Sharmila Sen emigrated from India to the US. The year was 1982, and everywhere she turned, she was asked to self-report her race. Part memoir, part manifesto, Not Quite Not White is a witty and poignant story of self-discovery.

Imagining Lahore

An anecdotal travelogue about Lahore – which begins in the present and travels through time to the mythological origins of the city attributed to Ram’s son, Lav. Through the city’s present – its people, communities, monuments, parks and institutions – the author paints a vivid picture of the city’s past.

Kartikeya and his Battle with the Soul-Stealer

Surapadma’s reign of terror flourishes and the fate of all creatures-mortal and immortal-hangs in the balance. Shiva’s son, Kartikeya, must destroy several formidable asuras before he can confront the Soul Stealer and salvage the dying, gasping universe…

The Man Who Saved India

Sardar Vallabhai Patel saved India. The very shape of India that we recognize today was stitched together by Patel, the Iron Man of India. The Man Who Saved India unravels the personality of one of the greatest men in Indian contemporary history.

Love, Take Two

When Vicky Behl and Kritika Vadukut meet on the sets of the period drama Ranjha Ranjha, everyone agrees they have serious chemistry–and not just on screen. But will the pressure and scrutiny of Bollywood allow them a happy ending or will there be a twist in the tale?

Feminist Rani

Feminist Rani is a collection of interviews with path-breaking and fascinating opinion leaders. These compelling conversations provide a perspective on the evolving concept of feminism in an age when women are taking charge and leading the way.

Glow

Build strength and immunity, brighten and clarify your skin and obtain peace of mind with these potent Indian remedies. These combinations, recipes, home-made face masks, oils and morning infusions will transform not just your skin but also your body and mind. After all, outer beauty is only a symptom of inner health.

When Coal Turned Gold

In When Coal Turned Gold, former chairman and managing director of CIL, Partha Sarathi Bhattacharyya, tells the story, warts and all, of how he dealt with the Dhanbad coal mafia, how he changed the way the industry was perceived, how he dealt with the trade unions and the government and, most importantly, how he was able to script one of the greatest success stories the country had ever seen.

A Game Changer’s Memoir: Ex-SEBI chief recalls defining moments of his tenure

A masterful strategist, Bajpai, in this book, recounts his truly inspiring journey as he weaved through complex rules and frameworks in his efforts to turn SEBI into an effective financial regulator for the country.

Ways of Being Desi

Ways of Being Desi is a brilliant, provocative and deeply honest exploration of the ingredients that make us who we are. It is not a simple listing of food, films or even the universal importance of ‘Aunties’ in South Asian culture; it is a meditation on the subcontinent’s recent past and all that happens when we decide to forget our shared histories.

The Perfect Us

They’ve been together for ten years, surviving everything… Now Avantika wants to take the next step. But will Deb be able to catch up? Or will it rip them apart? No matter how hard he tries, Deb can’t convince Avantika that he’s the one for her. The Perfect Us is love’s struggle to find the happily ever after. . .

Ninety-Seven Poems

This is a book of pictures—of a park bench and a prescription. And a toothbrush in a mug. It’s got half-lit cigarettes and broken geysers. And a cute apartment in Prague. There’s a fortune cookie, some pigeons in cages and stars tumbling from the sky. There’s the usual traffic, a digital wristwatch and a violin from Uncle James—we can go on, but you’d rather see for yourself.
For we think this book has pictures. But some say it’s full of poems.

The Sage’s Secret

What if the legend of Kalki, the tenth avatar of Vishnu, is an elaborate hoax created by Lord Krishna? In the year 2025, twenty-year-old Anirudh starts dreaming of Krishna. But these visions that keep flashing through his mind are far from an ordinary fantasy-they are vivid episodes from the god’s life. Through these scenes, as Krishna’s mystifying schemes are revealed, Anirudh slowly comes to terms with his real identity . . .

Not Just Grades

Not Just Grades is about schools that have proved that it is possible to weave positive personal development together with academic excellence. Innovative and full of creative ideas, these schools have a made in difference in imparting education in the absence of extensive resources or capital.

Rain + Books = The Perfect Monsoon

Posted on July 5, 2018February 23, 2020 by Penguin India

This monsoon we have a great list of new books for you! Whether you enjoy literary classic, thriller, fiction or mythology, we’ve got you covered with books by authors such as Devdutt Pattanaik, Premchand, Alex Salkever and Vikram Sood – to name a few.
So this summer, cuddle up with a cup of tea and a good read!
Take a look at our list of July books!
Acid

Two striking women, Kamala and Shaly, helm an unusual household, fuelled by their intense, tempestuous romance in a rapidly changing Bangalore. Acid unravels the secrets that lurk beneath the surface of our lives, and marks the entry of a searing new voice in the Indian literary landscape.

Bihar Diaries

Bihar Diaries narrates the thrilling account of how Amit Lodha arrested Vijay Samrat, one of Bihar’s most feared ganglords, notorious for extortion, kidnapping and the massacre of scores of people. Bihar Diaries captures vividly the battle of nerves between a dreaded outlaw and a young, urbane IPS officer.

Premchand Short Stories (Volume 1-5)

Munshi Premchand’s prolific writing contributed largely to shaping the genre of the short story as we know it in India. His range and diversity were limitless as he tacked the themes of romance, satire, gender politics and social inequality with unmatched skill and compassion and this miniseries brings together some of his most celebrated short stories.
This miniseries brings together some of his most celebrated short stories on the themes of women, caste, the city, village life and animals.

Empress: The Astonishing Reign of Nur Jehan

Acclaimed historian Ruby Lal uncovers the rich life and world of Nur Jahan, rescuing this dazzling figure from patriarchal and orientalist clichés of romance and intrigue, while giving a new insight into the lives of the women and the girls during the Mughal Empire, even where scholars claim there are no sources. In this book, Nur Jahan finally receives her due in a deeply researched and evocative biography that awakens us to a fascinating history.

How India Manages Its National Security

In this authoritative and comprehensive survey of the challenges a changing global security environment poses to India, former deputy national security advisor Arvind Gupta outlines the important aspects of the country’s security apparatus and how they interface to confront internal and external conflicts.

India Moving: A History of Migration

To understand how millions of people have moved-from, to and within India-India Moving: A History of Migration embarks on a journey laced with evidence, argument and wit, providing insights into topics like the slave trade and migration of workers, travelling business communities, refugee crises and the roots of contemporary mass migration from Bihar and Kerala, covering terrain that often includes diverse items such as mangoes, dosas and pressure cookers.

Daughters of Legacy: How a New Generation of Women Is Redefining India Inc.

What are the challenges and perks of handling age-old legacies?
If you come into a position of power through a position of privilege, how do you make sure that you earn respect, more so if you are a woman?
These and many more questions are what Daughters of Legacy seeks to answer through the stories of twelve successful women who grew up with strong business lineages.

Mandodari: Queen of Lanka

Borrowing from Sanghadasa’s Jaina version of the Ramayana, Mandodari-one of the least known characters of the Hindu epic-is finally given a voice.
Considered to be one of the most beautiful apsaras, she was married off to the mighty Ravana, the legendary king of Lanka. In her story, she speaks about her struggles after her marriage, her insecurities and her pious nature that challenged her husband’s growing aspirations. She narrates the rise of Ravana’s power and the blunders he made that ultimately caused the downfall of Lanka.

The Unending Game: A Spy’s Insights into Espionage

As a country’s stature and reach grow, so do its intelligence needs. This is especially true for one like India that has ambitions of being a global player even as it remains embattled in its own neighbourhood. The Unending Game tackles these questions while providing a national and international perspective on gathering external intelligence, its relevance in securing and advancing national interests, and why intelligence is the first playground in the game of nations.

The Dhoni Touch: Unravelling the Enigma that is Mahendra Singh Dhoni

For over a decade, Mahendra Singh Dhoni has captivated the world of cricket and over a billion Indians with his incredible ingenuity as captain, wicketkeeper and batsman. Bharat Sundaresan, author of The Dhoni Touch tracks down the cricketer’s closest friends in Ranchi and artfully presents the different shades of Dhoni-the Ranchi boy, the fauji, the diplomat, Chennai’s beloved Thala, the wicketkeeping Pythagoras-and lays bare the man underneath.

Master Growth Hacking – The best kept secret of new age Indian startups

Full of riveting stories, Master Growth Hacking lets you learn from the pioneers of growth hacking in India. There are interviews with the founders of Zomato, IndiaMART, ShopClues, UrbanClap, Paisabazaar, Furlenco, FusionCharts, WittyFeed, UpGrad and a lot more.
Growth hacking is the new growth mantra that start-ups are using and don’t want you to learn about!

Frontiers

Aurangzeb’s aim is to conquer the kingdoms of the Deccan and expand the great Mughal empire to include hitherto uncharted, rebellious territories. Raja Shivaji, a jagirdar from the hills of western Deccan, dreams of Swaraj and has raised his sword against all those who stand between him and his goal.
Theirs is a battle of wit and might-one in which neither will give up. Frontiers, a historical saga, brings to life the complex and ever-shifting dynamics between these two arch nemeses.

Chanakya and the Art of Getting Rich

Chanakya’s Arthashastra is an unrivalled political treatise that has been used by scholars, academics and leaders across the world. In Chanakya and the Art of Getting Rich, Radhakrishnan Pillai brings out the inherent lessons from Arthashastra to present a strategic and practical way of wealth creation. This is a holistic study, written for anyone and everyone.

Your Happiness was Hacked

We’ve become a tribe of tech addicts, and it’s not entirely our fault.
But we can reclaim our lives without dismissing technology. The authors of Your Happiness was Hacked explain how to avoid getting hooked on tech and how to define and control the roles that it plays and could play in our lives. This profound and timely book turns personal observation into a handy guide to adapting to our new reality of omnipresent technology.

Shyam: An Illustrated Retelling of the Bhagavata

The Bhagavata is the story of Krishna, known as Shyam to those who find beauty, wisdom and love in his dark complexion.
Shyam: An Illustrated Retelling of the Bhagavata seamlessly weaves the story from Krishna’s birth to his death, or rather from his descent to the butter-smeared world of happy women to his ascent from the blood-soaked world of angry men.