Unfolding different perspectives of viewing the strategic partnership between India and the US is what IANS books brings to you this weekend. Also, an interesting way to look at Sufi mysticism is in the offering. Take a look.
1. Book: India-US Partnership: Asian Challenges and Beyond; Editor: P.P. Shukla; Publisher: Wisdom Tree; Pages: 194; Price: Rs. 795
India and the United States of America aim to form a strategic partnership of trust, cooperation and collaboration, especially in the Asia-Pacific region. The Indo-US relationship has had its share of ups and
downs, but both admit to the necessity of greater understanding.
This book covers economic and political aspects of the changes taking place in Asia and provides a perspective different from the standard narrative, that of the inexorable rise of China to the top. The writers
examine the strengths and the weakness not only of China, but also of the other major countries and offer a more balanced picture.
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2. Book: Forged in Crisis: India and the United States since 1947; Author: Rudra Chaudhuri; Publisher: Harper Collins; Pages: 368; Price: Rs. 699
This book examines a series of crises that led to far-reaching changes in India's approach to the United States, defining the contours of what is arguably the imperative relationship between America and the South.
It provides a fresh interpretation of India's advance in foreign affairs under the stewardship of prime ministers Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and finally Manmohan Singh. It reveals the complex and distinctive manner in which India sought to pursue at once material interests and ideas, while meticulously challenging the shakier and largely untested reading of non-alignment palpable in most works on Indian foreign policy and international relations.
3. Book: Sufism: Its Spirit and Essence; Author: Dhritabrata Bhattacharjya Tato; Publisher: Har-Anand; Pages: 180; Price: Rs. 595
Common perception, according to the author, has it that Sufism fluctuates between the profane and the spiritual. In the past, eminent Sufis - such as Mansur al-Hallaj, who claimed "I am the Truth" - have been labeled heretics. At the other end, some Sufis have been hailed as perfect ascetics and believers.
Mapping this diversity calls for examining the spirit and essence of Sufism in different contexts. Who are the chief exponents of this path exciting the seekers even in our contemporary times? What is the reason for the Sufi doctrine of a firm believer? What are the paths of the free souls?
This books tries to answer these questions with the help of literary texts, legends, history, theology and social sciences. It may work as a passport to the seekers of the world of Sufis, and a comprehensive
introduction for students of Sufism.
4. Book: Powers of Two: Finding the Essence of Innovation in Creative Pairs; Author: Joshua Wolf Shenk; Publisher: Hachette; Pages: 340; Price: Rs. 499
All of us have experienced creative connection and glimpsed its power. Yet, for centuries, the myth of the lone genius has obscured the critical story of the power of collaboration.
The author argues that creative pairs are the exemplars for innovation. Drawing on years of research on great partnerships in history, the author identifies the common journey pairs take.
Using scientific and psychological insights, he uncovers new truths about epic duos and sheds new light on the genesis of some of the greatest creative work in history. This book will make you see creative exchange as the central terrain of our psyches.