2023: The world in non-fiction

Even in the US (world’s richest country) one in seven persons continue to live below the poverty line which hasn’t shifted in the last five decades. Leading expert on poverty and homelessness and a Professor of Sociology at the Princeton, Mathew Desmond argues that to understand the causes of poverty the need is to look beyond the poor. More than the lack of monetary resources, poverty manifests itself as constant fear, persistent trauma, sustained instability, and social exclusion for the teeming millions. More than new policies, suggests Desmond, the rich need to put themselves back in the narrative to become poverty abolitionists, refusing to live as unwitting enemies of the poor to counter the of repeated adage ‘the poor you have always with you’. Poverty, by America (Allen Lane, Rs 1399) is an essential reading by a Pulitzer awarded writer.  

Emperor of Rome (Profile/Hachette, Rs. 1599) is a fascinating account of the social and political world of almost thirty Roman Emperors for 221 years – from Julius Caesar to Alexander Severus. Delving into the lives of the richest, most luxuries, most extreme, most powerful, and most deadly who ruled Rome till 235 CE, Cambridge Professor of Classics Mary Beard not only helps in understanding ancient political culture better but opens our own eyes to the politics of the modern world too. As in the past, autocracy continues to upturn the natural order of things by replacing reality with sham, undermining our trust in what we think we see. 

Divorce has become more of a norm than exception, with any number of subjective interpretations on offer to explain this growing trend. Having gone through it, Shasvathi Siva concludes that divorce in itself is not a bad marriage. Instead, it serves a savior not only for estranged couples but their respective families too. But it leaves the couple stamped and branded, leaving behind feelings of constant ebb and flow. However, one would need to work through such feelings and come out with the head held high. Divorce Is Normal (Penguin, Rs 399) is an invaluable companion for anyone on the verge of taking a call on separation and divorce. 

Women need inspiration and resilience to overcome patriarchal tyranny and religious bigotry. Feminist Noorjahan Bose’s compelling memoir presents a story of courage and determination in Daughter of the Agunmukha (Hurst, Rs. 2021), which reflects author’s affinity with the fiery spirit of a deltaic river in Bangladesh. Despite being abused by male relatives with persistent social inequalities, Bose worked her way through all odds to emerge a leading feminist campaigner. It is a moving account of her personal triumph to piece together shattered life that exposes regional and religious parameters of subjugated identity thrust on women. Only fiery spirit could break such a social construct. 

Oprah Winfrey has witnessed abundant happiness in her long-running television show and Harvard University Professor Arthur Brooks has researched the meaning of happiness in his distinguished academic career to brew together an emotional caffeine to turn meaningful ideas into doable experiences towards mainstreaming happiness all across. Build the Life You Want (Ebury, Rs 799) brings together the art and science of living in the present moment while disabling the entrenched human ability to rerun past events and pre-run future scenarios. It is a meditative experience on getting ready to rebuild life which is both self-serving and valuable to others. 

Aryans (Hachette, Rs. 799) is timely research on the reality of a major movement of
people into India over three millennia ago, the historical evidence of which has been conveniently appropriated by the overwhelming politico-religious ascendency despite the historical, linguistic and paleogenetic evidence. Being a part of popular imagination, the book adds possible and probable layers of complexity to the narrative. A product of a meticulous scholarship, Charles Allen concludes that the idea of a pure ‘Aryan race’ has no scientific meaning. The book makes an interesting reading, helping the reader to see how absorbing history can be.       

Horses may have reduced presence due to increased automation, but it is the horse that takes us through the rich history of India. An interesting tour de force, The Tale of the Horse (Pan MacMillan, Rs.599) is an absorbing and entertaining mix of stories and histories which reflect the lived reality of the horse across cultural, social and political landscape. From the kings and traders to grooms and bandits, the horse has been instrumental in shaping sub-continent’s cultural and political history. Yashaswini Chandra has brought to light a relatively unexplored subject that provides a fascinating perspective on the horse as a ‘sentient being’. 

Domestication of cats in India may have been a recent phenomenon but cats have
been present in our art, literature and speech for aeons. Cats are considered clever and cunning but have been showered with affection and admiration in stories, poetry and proverbs. Renowned art historian B N Goswamy has presented a delightful picture of The Indian Cat (Aleph, Rs.1299), as evident in our written and oral literatures. It is an immensely readable book with stories on cats drawn from Jataka Tales and Panchtantra which justify the reason for the feline addressed as a close relation with affection.   

First published in Deccan Herald on Jan 1, 2024.