JustBooks - December 2011 newsletter

1. Volume 2 Issue 10
www.justbooksclc.com
blog.justbooksclc.com CONNECT December 2011
For limited circulation
A JustBooks Publication
2011: A year for books Pg 10
Quiz
Pg 11
Author
Profile
attention is the semi-autobiographical
Pushpa Achanta novel Noon (Faber and Faber, 304 pages) by
Aatish Taseer. It has won praise from
Pg 12
readers and reviewers alike. Taseer's first
fictional work The Temple Goers
Pushpa Achanta finds out the
(Viking, 304 pages) was nominated for the
response to English books that were
published in 2011 and penned by
Costa First Novel Award (formerly called Just
the Whitbread Award) in 2010.
writers from South Asia. Approached for her opinion on which Kids
South Asian English books or authors
were a hit in 2011, Annie Zaidi, a journal-
A
mitav Ghosh's River of Smoke ist, blogger, poet and author shared, "I
(Viking/Penguin, 528 pages) gener- have not read most of the hundreds of South
ated much interest in the literary Asian books written in English this year. But
world this year. Ghosh won the Blue one of the books that I remember as a definite
Metropolis International Literary Grand hit is A Free Man (Random House, 240 and insightful book titled The Emperor
Prix earlier this year at an annual literary pages) by Aman Sethi, journalist and writer." of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer
festival of the same name being organ- Incidentally, Zaidi and her friend Smriti (Scribner, 592 pages) by Siddhartha
ized in Montreal, Canada since 1999. Ravindra, a columnist, short story writer Mukherjee stands out. It brought its
According to the festival website, this and teacher of creative writing from writer (an oncologist or cancer physician)
prize "is awarded annually to a writer of Nepal co-authored the book The Bad into the limelight when he was conferred
international stature and accomplishment as Boy’s Guide To The Good Indian Girl or the Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction
a celebration of a lifetime of literary achieve- The Good Indian Girl's Guide To this year.
ment". Loving, Living And Having Fun A debut novel of this Rhodes Scholar, it
Some foreign newspapers opined that (Zubaan, 224 pages). also won the PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary
Ghosh was probably been conferred the This book reportedly attracted young Science Writing Award for 2011 and was
award as the focus of the 2011 edition of men to its launches in a few Indian cities one of those works that were nominated
the festival was on India. Although the earlier this year. Manu Joseph's Serious for the National Book Critics Circle
author's great reputation indicates that he Men (John Murray, 310 pages) is worth Award this year.
deserves it. mentioning here as it was the winner of "A book that I read and liked is The Book
Another book of 2011, set in India and the PEN Open Book Award in 2011.
Pakistan that got plenty of worldwide contd on pg 2...
In the non-fiction category, the realistic

2. 2 JustBooks Connect - December 2011
contd from pg 1...
From the Editor’s
Desk
D
id you read our new maga-
zine INK, a magazine for
you, dear book lovers? If
not, then look in your library's
magazine section for it. We hope
you will like our inaugural issue.
We have a long way to go but with
your support and encouragement,
we are sure we will evolve INK into
a true magazine about our book
industry. Don't forget to send your of Memory (Penguin, 318 sentimentality and narrow
feedback and suggestions to our pages) by psychoanalyst and world view. I was also amused
editor. writer Sudhir Kakar. to see so many women writers
The last two months of this year The other books I read this up in arms about it.
saw many interesting literary festi- year were all released much I think I am far too confident
vals and fairs being hosted across earlier than 2011", said as a writer, as are many other
India. The Hay Festival in columnist and novelist C K women writers in this, to even
Thiruvananthapuram, Bookaroo Meena, when asked to give his statements a credible
Children Literature Festival in name South Asian English thought.
Delhi, the Bangalore Book Fair, the books or authors (pub- I mention this controversy
Just Write Workshop and the lished this year) that she because I hope women writers
Strand Book Festival. And lest we enjoyed reading in 2011. in the future can roll their eyes
forget, Year 2012 will be welcomed Annie Zaidi picked Jaane and laugh at things like this
by the biggest literary festival of Bhi Do Yaaro - Seriously instead of validating such opin-
India- the Jaipur Literary festival! Funny Since 1983 by ions through anger."
Some exciting developments are Jaiarjun Singh (Harper
happening at JustBooks, too. We Collins, 300 pages) among Some unique books of
have opened more than 40 branch- the non-fiction works that 2011
es, have spread to seven cities delighted her. Retired Pakistani civil ser-
across India and now provide
vant Jamil Ahmad made a
access to four Lakh books. You Misses and literary debut at the age of
must have seen or read about
Controversies of 2011 78 with The Wandering
JustBooks in different Medias.
On the subject of books of Falcon (Penguin, 192 pages),
Many branches are conducting
2011 that were "misses" which is set in Pakistan
JustBooks Events that includes sto-
Annie Zaidi remarked, and Afghanistan.
rytelling, essay writing, book read-
"How do you judge who Oluguti Toluguti: Indian
ing. All this to be better connected
missed what, and who knows Rhymes to Read and Recite
with its members.
what it was aiming for any- (Tulika) by Radhika Menon,
At JustBooks we are happy that
way?" Sandhya Rao has 54 Indian
we are on our way to realise our
Rheaa Mukherjee, co- poems in 18 languages in
vision of - Get every book a reader and
founder and editor of the original tongue, English
get every reader his or her book. And
Urban Confustions, a jour- translations and English
to achieve our vision we need
nal of art and literature, and Hindi transliterations.
active participation from all book
added, “It's hard for me to Rakshanda Jalil's short fic-
lovers.
choose books that were misses. tion anthology Release and
We call all our members to con-
I think that the relationship a Other Stories (Harper
tribute regularly, and especially
reader has with a piece of text is substantiat- Collins India) is probably the first one fea-
our young readers to send in their
ed and validated through a personal experi- turing Indian middle class muslim char-
stories, poems, book reviews or any
ence." acters.
other interesting article for our Just
It is pertinent to state that despite the I, Lalla: The Poems of Lal Ded
Kids pages.
large number of English books being (Penguin, 328 pages) - verses of the epony-
In this last edition of Year 2011
released in this country, many of them mous 14th century Kashmiri woman
JustBooks Connect, let's find out
have done well either in terms of com- mystic also known as Lalleshwari, ren-
from some literary figures what
merce or critical response or both. Small dered in English by Ranjit Hoskote.
books of 2011 they liked or did not
wonder as India is amongst the top ten Narayan's Kocharethi, The Arayar
like. And also look into some
nations in the world in publishing. Woman (Oxford University Press, 264
unique titles.
Mukherjee opined about a distasteful pages) translated by Catherine
Tell us what you think of this edi-
literary incident in 2011, "I thought it Thankamma is perhaps the first work by
tion and write in your thoughts and
funny that V S Naipaul said that women's a tribal man from Kerala.
contributions to editor@just-
writing is different, partly because of their Let's see now what 2012 will bring! 
booksclc.com.

3. JustBooks Connect - December 2011 3
Stealing Karma Selected Poems
Aneesha Capur Pablo Neruda
Harper Collins Penguin Books
Reshmi Chakraborty Pushpa Achanta
A W
neesha Capur's Stealing Karma riting substantive poetry
is based in Nairobi where Mira does not come easily to all.
Sharma lives a luxurious but dis- Understanding what the
contented life with her husband and poet is trying to convey may take
daughter. History fogs up the present as more than one reading. More so, in
Mira keeps slipping into bouts of depres- the case of translated verses. But not
sion despite her determination to be a so, when one is reading the leg-
better wife and mother. When things go endary poet Pablo Neruda.
wrong, Mira has to survive for the sake Pablo Neruda (the pen name of
of her daughter. Neftali Reyes) started writing verses
Together with their African house- when he was around ten and his first
keeper, mother and daughter form an collection was published when he
unusual family as Mira tries to battle her was about sixteen years old under
demons and her daughter Shanti tries to get through to a moth- the nom de plume that he chose for himself.
er lost in the stupor of memories. One of the few poets who won the Nobel Prize for
This is a novel that piques curiosity if only for the unusual Literature, Neruda wrote many verses in Spanish that had
Karmic angle to the mother-daughter saga. It is moving and depth amidst simplicity. The sea, women, love, death, ships,
poignant despite the problems in its plot. factory workers and cities and countries that he visited
Capur is a gifted writer and creates some truly touching inspired him to pen lines that reflected his feelings about
moments out of simple situations. them. Selected Poems consists of some of Neruda's poetic
The book works on many levels and addresses several issues expressions that were translated into English.
including familial relations and racial prejudice but despite its The presence of the Spanish and English versions on adja-
flaws, Stealing Karma is a novel that piques curiosity if only for cent pages of this collection may be distracting to some read-
the unusual Karmic angle to the mother-daughter saga. ers irrespective of the languages they know.
Written beautifully, Stealing Karma, is assured and sharp for However, anyone who enjoys poetry should definitely
a debut novel.  read this master. 
Maverick: The Success Story Behind The Geek Nation
World's Most Unusual Workplace Angela Saini
Ricardo Semler Hodder & Stoughton
Random House
Manjula Sundharam Dr. Rajagopalan
R W
icardo Semler narrates his ill India regain its pre-renais-
change management story as a sance position in global sci-
leader at one of Latin ence and technology? Why
America's fastest growing companies. did it not live it up to its promise since
He describes how his unconventional independence? Is it because of the
leadership changed the environment stranglehold of its traditions and super-
in the company from autocratic to stitions? Or is it because of penny
participative and made it the most pinching in funding R&D? Did the IT
preferred workplace in Brazil. boom raise India's profile in the global
If employees are asked to blindly markets while ironically diverting its
follow instructions without question- top talent into mindless coding? What
ing, how can they be encouraged to are some of the valiant and significant
think, innovate and act as human R&D happening in India?
beings? The author defines 'Geekiness' as one's 'passion about an intel-
Following this thought Semler allowed his employees at the lectual pursuit'. Indian civilization was once arguably way
manufacturing plant to dress as they please, enter the work- ahead of the western world in science and technology.
place at a time they thought was reasonable for themselves and European renaissance helped the western world make rapid sci-
their teams, pick a task that excited them, and choose a salary entific and technological progress. Colonialism fueled western
that they thought they deserved. Fixed working hours, rigid capitalism with cheap raw materials, captive markets and mili-
organizational charts, and policy manuals strip away freedom tary might. Was the decline in Indian science and technology a
and give a false feeling of discipline. By allowing employees to natural consequence? If so, how come India failed to regain its
speak their minds and letting them determine their own way ('rightful'?) place, even after six decades of independence? This
of achieving goals, Semler persuaded his employees to work as book explores this failure of post-independence India, from the
responsible adults and increased productivity at the work perspective of an U.K born Indian. 
place. 
For the full reviews check out justbooksclc.com

4. 4 JustBooks Connect - December 2011
The abcd of Bengali detectives
Sleuthing Bengali Style
- including the guests, Agarwal's secre- also worried about the marriage of his
The All Bengali Crime Detectives tary and an itinerant seller of collectibles daughter and how he will pay for that.
who had come to show Agarwal his One of the sub-plots is the search for a
Suparna Chatterjee wares. The 'not ready for retirement' stal- groom for this daughter Pia. And
Rupa and Co warts - ABCD, who are also miffed at although this is the major preoccupation
being forced to take a back seat in the of the mother, the father aside from
local organization of the Puja pandal by a sleuthing, also gets involved in the inter-
younger gang of the para or neighbour- actions. Pia goes through the habitual tea
Geetanjali Singh Chanda hood youth, take up the challenge of solv- and "seeing" of the girl but does not hesi-
ing the crime. tate to speak her mind and swiftly dis-
The retired judge is definitely the misses each suitor with her outspoken-
'brains' of the group and orchestrates the ness. Pia is possibly the only female char-
T
others. But each one plays their part in acter with guts in this novel. For the rest,
his debut novel is an ethno-detec-
tracking down suspects and applying all four wives are non-differentiable from
tive thriller, and as much a medita-
their sleuthing skills. One of the four is a each other and presented as stereotypical
tion on retirement and
Bengali wives whose lives
Bengaliness as it is a 'whodunit'. But
revolve around the kitchen,
often the tension of a thriller looses
procuring the right fish for the
out to wonderful snippets and
day, nagging their husbands
foibles of the Bengalis ranging from
and finding suitable matches
ruminations on the adda culture,
for their daughters.
pet names like Poltu, Bhombol or
As the plot evolves, the chase
Kaltu that can ruin the amorous
for the criminal results in vari-
advances of many a roadside
ous red herrings and unexpect-
Romeo, to delicious snippets of
ed twists. Finally it is the
why the simple gulab jamun is
retired judge who calls a meet-
called ledikeni in Bangla.
ing at Mr. Agarwal's house and
The four retirees "with receding
unravels the various threads to
hairlines and protruding bellies" are
reveal who actually stole the
hardly detective material but then
priceless diamond that may not
they also feel too young to opt out
have been so priceless after all.
of life as such. They gather in the
The author, Suparna
park, ostensibly to exercise, but
Chatterjee was born and
mainly to participate in the particu-
brought up in Calcutta but now
larly Bengali pastime of adda.
lives in Bangalore. This proba-
For the non-initiates, an adda is a
bly accounts for the nostalgia
gathering (mainly of men), who
that imbues this first novel. The
meet to chat. The topics range from
loving descriptions of things
the price of fish, to local gossip to
Bengali are one of the rare
politics to comparisons between the
charms of the book.
filmic genius of Satyajit Ray and
There is even a fascinating
Jean-Luc Godard, to Marxist philos-
historical anecdote that attrib-
ophy. The latest to join the group of
utes the change of Durga Puja
senior citizens is Akhil Bannerjee, a
from a spring festival to an
recently retired judge, who com-
autumnal one back to the battle
pletes the ABCD series of - Akhil,
of Plassey in 1757. (I cannot
Bibhuti, Chandan and Debdas.
potential suspect himself as not only was account for the veracity of the story but
One day, unexpectedly, they all receive
he the last to see the diamond but he is why not?) There is also a hilarious
an invitation to dinner from a rather aloof
description of the competition among
Mr. Agarwal who lives in the same
various paras for the best Durga Puja
neighbourhood. They spend a convivial
evening together but the next day they
The loving descriptions of things pandals.
are in for a shock when they discover Bengali are one of the rare charms Chatterjee acknowledges her debt to
"Enid Blyton, Agatha Christie and Satyajit
that Mr. Agarwal's prize collector's of the book. There is even a fasci- Ray - three writers who planted in me a
item, a diamond, the size of a pigeon’s
egg, has gone missing. They had seen
nating historical anecdote that burning desire to become a sleuth" but her
the exquisite jewel just that evening and attributes the change of Durga real talent is not so much in weaving a
detective story, which is almost inci-
are horrified at how it could have disap- Puja from a spring festival to an dental here, but in recounting and
peared from under their collective
noses. Immediately the first suspects are
autumnal one back to the battle of transporting one into a fun and ethno-
the servants and then the various others Plassey in 1757. graphic account of Bengalis. This is just
who could have had access to the jewel the book for a long plane journey. 

5. JustBooks Connect - December 2011 5
The Gandhi way
Of idealism and loving those we change
Bharathipura Jagannath's complex but naïve faith is form of creation, but our hero does not
moving. He believes that his iconoclasti- see himself as an anarchist but one with a
UR Ananthamurthy cism will somehow free the spirit of the vision of a dynamic modern
town towards a new creative impulse. To Bharathipura. He does not have a clear
Translated from Kannada by
him, the image of the deity Manjunatha, idea of what kind of a practical change
Susheela Punitha is a symbol of an ignorant, superstitious, this notion of modernity would shape
Oxford University Press apathetic society, with its unjust value itself into.
Dr. Rajeshwari Ghose
system. By breaking the superstitions
surrounding its "purity" and the
entrenched fears which stop the untouch-
W hat he does have are a number of
questions reeling in his head.
Inactivity, to him is no option. He must
ables from entering its divine precincts, act or he must die. The stance is dramat-
he hopes to free the townspeople from ic. He is young; western educated and is
L
ike Ananthamurthy's earlier novel the constrictions of the womb space. full of anxiety of the existentialist, a
Samskara, this novel too, was orig- Breaking iconic sanctity is an age old trendy school of thought in his student
inally written in Kannada. We are historical phenomenon-the images are days. His rather quaint friend Adiga, the
fortunate to have English transla- temple priest, warns him
tions of at least these two of his that it could be his ego that
major works. is playing up. Could it?
The central character in this Our hero has no sure
novel, Jagannath is a person with answers. His friend Rayaru
whom it is easy for a candid mod- warns him that sustaining
ern Indian reader, to identify. He idealism in the real world
feels like many of us, impotent is only for the very brave.
with rage at the appalling treat- His own Gandhian ideals
ment of the underdogs of society, have left him a pauper and
in this case, specifically the pari- at odds with his wife and
ahs. family in a world that idol-
Even more important, he sees izes Gandhi but nourishes
himself as a non-person, some- unbridled greed and cor-
how inauthentic, if he does noth- ruption.
ing to change the social order When Jagannath finally
which he confronts all around accomplishes what he sets
him in his mofussil temple town out to do and makes the
of Bharathipura. He can smell its untouchables touch the
stench and see its dark alleys, sacred Saligrama, in his
both in a literal and metaphoric own domestic shrine, and
sense. The revolutionary in him breaks the taboo of the
wants to get rid of the "age old untouchable entering the
superstitions" and substitute it temple, he feels he has
with the "scientific temper", and finally acted. But where is
thereby extricate the inhabitants the creative impulse that
of the town from the "womb of this act of destruction was
Manjunatha", the local all encom- supposed to unleash?
passing deity. The untouchables are
He works out a simple prioriti- ideological and mental
zation for his revolutionary agen- constructs for Jagannath;
da. If the central ideology of the they are not real individu-
town—its faith in a pure temple, als whom he knows. Is that
unpolluted by the entry of what leads to the rather
untouchables can be shaken—and outlandish ending of the
if the collective of "untouchables" tale? He observes that it is
can be made "touchable" a rational socio- only those we can change
economic order will inevitably follow. either reinvested with a new garb of that we can love. Was he trying to change
The book was first published in 1973 sacredness or are replaced by other icons. the pariahs into images of himself with
and was written when temple entry was What exactly is to replace Manjunatha? their clean shirts and white dhothis? Was
still a social issue, especially in South Will the creative impulse automatically such a transformation possible or even
India. Though the specific issue may be follow the destruction? The famous desirable? The novel, to quote
dated, the social realities still persist Russian anarchist and iconoclast Bakunin A.K.Ramanujan, in another context, ends
much in the same mangled fashion. believed that destruction itself was a but does not conclude. 

6. 6 JustBooks Connect - December 2011
In conversation
The art of making children read
your children discover the pleasures of for decades, are being made attractive
Ram Mohan Susarla
reading. Making the books meant for and relevant to the times that we live in.
children into movies is yet another good Overall there is no shortage of good
O
news. books.
N
ne of the refrains heard often from ow books are becoming
parents these days available in the electronic
is that their chil- format, so children can be
dren do not have time to encouraged to read the eBooks
read or are not interested and utilize the time spent
in anything beyond their browsing in a productive man-
course work and syllabus. ner. Instead of using the internet
This is true to a certain as a medium to just download
extent. The demands on music and movies, the added
the present youngsters are pleasure of making them read
more and the time avail- would be akin to getting a dou-
able to pursue interests ble Sundae for them. Reading is
other than their studies is a wholesome entertainer and the
less. And when one con- sheer volumes of titles available
siders the range of options in the market for children must
that children have, to uti- surely be an incentive for the
lize their spare time rang- parents to take their kids on
ing from outdoor physical weekends to bookstores where
activity to video games they can get good bargains on
and browsing the internet, children's books. Taking kids to
to make them read is books stores or library, asking
indeed a challenging task. them to pick their own
However, before taking books, helps in expos-
them to task for their lack of ing kids to the world of
interest in reading, it is worth- books and ignites their
while to introspect about curiosity. Reading will
whether as parents, we have follow from this curios-
made efforts to inculcate the ity.
reading habit in them. How Talking about making
many of us as parents have actu- children read reminds
ally taken the trouble to intro- me of the grandmother
duce their wards to the joys and tales that we used listen
pleasures of reading? as bedtime stories. It
These are some observations on always helps if parents
the changing trends in our can set aside some time
lifestyle that have occurred over everyday to tell stories
the last couple of decades. When or read to their children
we were growing up, the only and make them realize
alternative to outdoor activity that there is a world
and reading was Doordarshan. beyond TV and the
Now, with the entire gamut of Internet. As the cliché
hundreds of channels and the goes, if you do not have
internet along with gaming con- the time, you must cre-
soles vying for the children's ate time. Bedtime read-
attention, reading has taken a Like the Tintin series —on which many ing for young children and discussing
backseat. of us grew up on—and the release of the books with your teenagers and adoles-
An exception is the runaway success of movie by Steven Spielberg. Comics are cents might be what is needed for your
the Harry Potter Phenomenon which has any day a good enough reason for chil- children to get hooked on to books. All in
given some hope. It has re-introduced the dren to get out of bed and hence these all, making reading a family affair will
generation of today to the pleasure of developments must be welcomed. provide the necessary impetus for your
Y
reading. I call it a phenomenon as nothing oung minds love interestingly illus- kids to become full-fledged readers.
comes close to the impact that the Harry trated good stories. And fortunately Catch them young and watch them
Potter series has had on young minds and publishers like Tulika, Tara Books, Young grow. This must be the motto in all mat-
hearts and the way in which they Zubaan, NBT, CBT and Scholastic India ters and with reading as well. Once you
thronged the bookstores at dawn on the are coming out with such books for have the basics in place, rest assured
release day. It was indeed heart-warming young readers. Old favourites like Amar everything would follow. A good place
for a Gen X booklover like me. Books like Chitra Katha, Tinkle, Chandamama and to start would be your local library and a
these could be a starting point in letting Champak, which held children in sway good time to start is now. 

7. JustBooks Connect - December 2011 7
The Physics Formula
Is the Future Already Here?
Physics of the Future our own genome sequence on a CD for as Kaku claims that our
little as $100. Tissue engineering and
growing of organs from our own cells for wants, dreams, personalities
Michio Kaku
replacement in human body shop, and desires haven't changed
Allen Pane cloning, gene therapy, genetic enhance- much in the last 100,000 years.
ments etc., will become common place.
There are similar predictions in other Like our cavemen ancestors, we
areas. In IT, quantum computing might still demand 'proof of the kill'.
be the in-thing. While robots performing
Dr. Rajagopalan routine tasks will be common place, ing an end to the era of scarcity. Nor does
humans will still man tasks requiring pat- he explore the 'problem of the plenty',
tern recognition and common sense. though he rightly points out that the real
Computer chips will become so embed- bottleneck in the future will not be tech-
ded into gadgets that we will no longer nological hardware but the availability of
be aware of them. Superconductors at manual labour intensive software.
room temperatures will enable trans- It would have been very instructive if
portation using magnetism. the author had taken the further step of
While these predictions may or may not explicating the implications of the per-
come true, Kaku points out that these are sistence or otherwise of the so-called
nevertheless based on current scientific caveman principle. For example, how is
work. One cannot help noticing the liber- it that the author claims that we will
al dose of optimism of the author, espe- become a 'planetary civilization'
but still will behave like cavemen?
After all, a planetary civilization is
supposed to be symbolized by the
growing integration wrought by
the internet, English language,
globalized economy, universal cul-
ture, a common environment,
sports, tourism and even global
pandemics.
Another major blind spot of the
book is the absence of any discus-
W
sion on what would happen to our
e have consistently underes-
flora and fauna in the light of such
timated the power of science
dramatic projections on scientific
to revolutionalize society.
developments and their impacts.
We get enamored by the achievements
Then, the book would have been
of entrepreneurs, inventors and enter-
much more interesting, even if at
tainers and ignore the importance of cially on predicted developments in the cost of leaving out predictions regard-
fundamental contributions of scientists. exploring space and space travel. The ing the far future. As it is, such predic-
In reality, it is only when we learnt to har- author counters this by pointing out how tions of the far future sound more iffy
ness a new force of nature - gravity, elec- some of the common place technologies and like flights of imagination.
tromagnetism, the weak nuclear force or of today sounded like science fiction even But nature can throw many surprises.
the strong nuclear force- human society as recently as 1900s. Just recently, scientists have been puz-
underwent significant transformations. The author zones in on the problem of zled about some sub-atomic particles
What are such fundamental break- adequate energy sources and their effi- which apparently travel at speeds faster
throughs in the pipeline? How will they cient use as the most crucial questions. than light! They are frantically setting up
impact our lives? He hopes that a combination of nuclear experiments at enormous costs to verify
In contrast to the rapid advances in fusion and solar energy will prove ade- this claim. If this claim holds, how can
humanity's scientific and technological quate. Nanotechnology, superconductivi- one distinguish the past, present and
knowledge, Kaku claims that our wants, ty at normal temperatures and other such future? How will we define cause-effect
dreams, personalities and desires haven't developments will vastly improve effi- relationships?
changed much in the last 100,000 years. ciency. There is in fact a possibility that One interesting aspect of the book is the
Like our cavemen ancestors, we still humanity will say goodbye to the era of colorful characters working on the cut-
demand 'proof of the kill'. This 'caveman scarcity. ting edge of science. In contrast to popu-
principle' will continue to tilt the balance However, his effort at incorporating the lar notions, these scientists sound more
in favour of high-touch over the panacea implications of social, economic and like excited children, devoting entire
offered by high-tech. political factors on technological devel- careers chasing a dream which may
Just to get an idea, let us look at some of opments and its deployment is at best never materialize in their life time. What
the predictions for medicine. Biology will spotty. For example, he does not consider drives them to do this? 
become information science. We can get the impact of expanding wants in project-

8. 8 JustBooks Connect - December 2011
Reader’s Reader’s contribution
The down payment for happiness
Voice Sulekha Kumar
Our Lady of Alice Bhatti
Mohammed Hanif
Jonathan Cape
I
n the colossal chaos that is Karachi
what chances does the junior nurse
Sister Alice Bhatti, a Catholic from
the untouchable 'choohra' community
have for protecting her body, her dignity
and her dream.
Alice's experiences in life have made
Things that have changed her bold and defiant, wise and cautious
and yet 'givens' of the social set up are
since I joined JustBooks such that she is extremely vulnerable at
A
the same time. "Every step forward in life
long year has passed by since I is preceded by a ritual humiliation. Every lit-
took a membership at JustBooks. tle happiness asks for a down payment."
The books here are really inter- Will Alice rise above her circum- of the people, top it up with the police,
esting and come in a huge variety. This stances, amid her past in Borstal jail, her underworld, and the tragic set of events
has increased my appetite for reading home in the squalor of French Colony, is set into motion.
more and more. the filth of Sacred Heart Hospital and her A sizzling satire in a crisp tight knit
I have started exploring books written marriage to a police tout? narrative; brings into focus the vices that
by new authors that I never knew The bleak drama of Alice Bhatti's life is grip the society in Karachi. Hanif has
before; this is giving me a great view played out against the backdrop of cer- penned it in brilliantly evocative prose
about the world around me and has also tain motifs. with wry humour and sparkling wit. The
improved my language. This obsession First, vibrant presence of mindless vio- story crackles all the way through with
of reading books is pretty infectious. lence embodied in guns of various sharp and cutting irony. The novel enter-
Whenever I have guests staying over descriptions- Kalashnikovs, Mausers, tains and depresses too. It is a sordid tale
at home, I get them to come to JustBooks toysize pistols all find uses in settling with no character in chaotic Karachi
with me and it so happens that they scores, declaring love and possibly, get- offering any hint or hope of redemption.
always step out with a book which turns ting rid of boredom.
out to be a very enjoyable read. Second, lusting and leering men
All in all, JustBooks has added that Sulekha Kumar, a member of JustBooks
abound, men who look upon women as
extra bit of spice to my life by offering RMV II Stage, is a freelance writer who
'loose change in a street deal' or 'slaves
books that just pushes my imagination! has published short stories in Hindi and
they bought in a clearance sale', men
English. A gold medalist in English
who have no qualms about intimidating
Ananth Kamath, Malleshwaram Literature and Russian from Bhopal
women into sexual acts and then cutting
Bangalore  University, she taught at MLB College
them up.
before joining (and assisting) her husband
Third, class hierarchy, caste prejudice,
in his diplomatic assignments. During
clan clout and cold crass calculation
their home postings, she held many edito-
play their game to the finish with a bru-
rial positions, of which she particularly
tality and brazenness. Add to that the
enjoyed her stint at the Children's Book
ignorance, gullibility and impulsiveness
Trust. 

9. JustBooks Connect - December 2011 9
Reader’s contribution
Tamil stories and their controversies
Unable to bear the torture, the wife sets Tamil stories and controver-
G Venkatesh herself on fire and stealthily clutches
onto her husband tightly and has her sies have always been Siamese
silent revenge. Writer Anuradha twins. The Brahmin community
W
e all agree that writing is a cre- Ramanan alleged that this movie was burnt copies of the magazine
ative process. Most of the story based on a story written by her.
writers are able to visualize Maharishi's Bhadrakali was another that carried the controversial
something beyond the ordinary and pen novel that ended up in a controversy but story 'Chirai' by Anuradha
it in an eloquent form, and that results in of a different kind. Ramanan. The story evidently
a work of fiction. Some of which can The 1975 movie, also titled Bhadrakali
cause controversies. and based on the novel was about the was semi-autobiographical; like
Amongst the Indian literature, Tamil travails of an impoverished Tamil the heroine in the story,
literature has one of the richest legacies Brahmin family where the married Anuradha was deserted by her
created by its writers. But many of these daughter ends up with mental sickness
writers have also faced a lot of flak for after she witnesses a horrific rape and husband, though the similarity
writing the unthinkable that the conser- murder. ends there.
vative Tamil society found difficult to Deserted by her husband after she
digest. While some writers struggled ends up killing her
with legal wrangles and court cases over own child in a
credits, delayed payments and copyright demented state, the
issues. woman kills the vil-
Writer K Jayalakshmi, it appears, was lain in the end after
fighting a court case with producer- donning the avatar
director K.S. Gopalakrishnan, for half of of 'Bhadrakali'.
her life time. She had written a short The actress playing
story about an impoverished family the lead role unfortu-
where the daughter gets married to an nately died in a
affluent man. plane crash even
Her brother goes to her house on an before the movie was
invitation for a birthday party for his released and sceptics
nephew and is outraged at
the treatment given to him.
While he leaves his sister's
place, his sister hurriedly
thrusts a bag in his hand.
After returning home, the
brother, incensed at his
mother and wife for forcing magazine that carried the controver-
him to attend the birthday sial story 'Chirai' by Anuradha
party without a formal invi- Ramanan. The story evidently was
tation, throws the bag. From semi-autobiographical; like the hero-
the bag that was given by ine in the story, Anuradha was
his sister, rupee notes and a deserted by her husband, though the
letter hurl out. Allegedly, similarity ends there.
the director lifted this story With dwindling writing talent, the
and made it into a movie controversies have also slowly died
that enraged the writer down. But it is a comforting fact that
because there were no cred- creativity in Tamil writing has been
its given to her in the movie. of the highest order.
Needless to add, the pay-
ment came to her only after
she filed a case in the court. A still from the movie Bhadrakali G Venkatesh lives in HAL stage
In one other Tamil movie, there III and works for a private firm in
is a silently suffering woman (Revathi) said that she had not followed proper Indira Nagar. He is a voracious
from a very poor and downtrodden fam- religious norms during her portrayal of reader and an amateur writer.
ily, who marries a municipality worker 'Bhadrakali' and so she paid the price for
Essentially a Mumbaikar, he has
(Pandian). The torture of the poor it.
woman begins right after marriage with Thus, Tamil stories and controversies shifted to Bangalore more than a
the drunkard husband bringing in a have always been Siamese twins. The year ago. Music, Gardening and
streetwalker into the house. Brahmin community burnt copies of the Reading are his other hobbies. 

10. 10 JustBooks Connect - December 2011
1. Cricket writer Rahul 4. This is the first novel written by an Indian adivasi:
Bhattacharya bagged this award Kocharethi
recently: Oluguti Toluguti
Castrol Awards for Cricketing Chemmeen
Excellence
The Hindu Literary Prize 5. 'Controversially Yours' is penned by:
Man Booker Prize Herschelle Herman Gibbs
Shoaib Akhtar
Vinod Kambli
2. Shakti Bhatt First Book Prize of 2011 was given to:
The Wandering Falcon
The Collaborator
Chinaman
3. Which volume of
the Ibis trilogy is
'River of Smoke'?
First
Last
Second
The Hindu Literary Prize, The Wandering Falcon, Second, Kocharethi, Shoaib Akhtar
JUSTBOOKS Justbooks arrives in Mangalore
TOP 5
O
ur newest library - JustBooks Mangalore - opened yesterday
to an ecstatic welcome by the reading community and citi-
zens . It went on to create a record within the JustBook fran-
N EW A RRIVALS chisee community for the most memberships on the opening day!
1. 1Q84 by Haruki It was an electrifying, exciting, fun filled and deeply satisfying
Murakami day. To us, the one picture that really epitomizes the arrival of
2. The Litigators by John JustBooks in the community of book lovers is this:
Grisham
3. The Affair by Lee child
4. Lucknow Boy: A Memoir
by Vinod Mehta
5. A Shot at History by Abhinav
Bindra
R ECOMMENDED
1. Pigeon English by Stephen
Kelman
2. The Storyteller Of
Marrakesh By Joydeep-Roy
Bhattacharya
3. The Sari Shop by Rupa
Bajwa
4. Chasing The Monsoon by
Alexander Frater
5. Does He Know A Mother’s Heart?
by Arun Shourie
R ENTALS
1. Revolution 2020 by Chetan
Bhagat Seeing this picture, we are reminded of the quote from Katherine
2. The Secret Of The Nagas by Patterson: "It is not enough to simply teach children to read; we have to
Amish Tripathi give them something worth reading.
3. The Kane Chronicles (Book Something that will stretch their imaginations-something that will help
2) by Rick Riordan them make sense of their own lives and encourage them to reach out toward
4. Diary of a Wimpy Kid (Book people whose lives are quite different from their own."
3) by Jeff Kinney Cheers!
5. Percy Jackson and the From JustBooks blog - http://blog.justbooksclc.com 
Olympians(Book 2) by Rick Riordan

11. JustBooks Connect - December 2011 11
Author Profile
Iris Murdoch
unsympathetic and she does not
Anindita Sengupta spare us an unflinching view of the
IN A NUTSHELL
inner workings of their minds. Take
Charles Arrowby from The Sea, the
T
Born On:
here are novelists whom everyone Sea, one of her most famous works. July 15, 1919.
agrees about and there are others He starts off sounding eccentric,
who incite such dissenting views even amusing, but quickly tests Born In:
that a room might contain both ardent patience with a host of inexplicably Dublin, Ireland.
fans and desperate denouncers. Of the self-centred actions. Murdoch offers
two categories, Jean Iris Murdoch elaborate insight into how he Parents:
belonged to the latter. A section have arrives at his destructive decisions. British of Irish origin; father worked in the
dismissed her as nothing better than a Yet, there is a dark thread running civil service.
romance novelist, speedy and sensation- through the book that leaves no
al. doubt that these actions cannot be Education: Studied philosophy at Oxford
But for her legions of fans, Murdoch is justified. and Cambridge.
a novelist who exercised immense con- Some critics complain that the
trol over plot, character and situation, a philosopher sometimes triumphs Married To:
writer with great psychological insight, over the novelist, reducing charac- John Bayley, professor of English and nov-
stylistic beauty and wit, and a strong ters to puppets thrown into situa- elist.
moral core. tions to make a point. The kinder
It is certainly worth remembering that way of looking at this is that what Selected Bibliography:
despite being considered one of the powers one forward through the Under the Net (1954)
prominent writers in the ethical litera- unsavoury actions of characters is The Bell (1958)
ture movement, she maintained a fine the coiled spring of dramatic ten- A Severed Head (1961)
balance, an integrity within her novels, sion. Murdoch believed that it was The Unicorn (1963)
that prevented them from becoming important to "invent characters and The Italian Girl (1964)
didactic or preachy. Murdoch disliked convey something dramatic, which at The Red and the Green (1965)
the label of "philosophical novelist" and the same time has deep spiritual signifi- The Time of the Angels (1966)
preferred to see herself in the tradition cance (The Paris Review)." The Nice and the Good (1968)
of the nineteenth-century masters-Sir This dramatic momentum was Bruno's Dream (1969)
Walter Scott, Jane Austen, Lev Tolstoy- crucial in gliding over the strange, A Fairly Honourable Defeat (1970)
whom she found "to a staggering degree bizarre and uncanny happenings in An Accidental Man (1971)
better than the most praised of contemporary the characters' lives. Despite dense The Black Prince (1973), winner of the
novelists." language in many places and rumi- James Tait Black Memorial Prize
For Murdoch, the task of the novel nations on a variety of human and The Sacred and Profane Love Machine
was concerned above all else with love, metaphysical elements, Murdoch's (1974), winner of the Whitbread Literary
that is, our "indefinitely extended capacity novels are eminently readable. Award for Fiction
to imagine the being of others." Her charac- They're in her own words "jolly A Word Child (1975)
ters are often deeply flawed, even good yarns". Murdoch wanted peo- Henry and Cato (1976)
ple to enjoy reading her books The Sea, the Sea (1978), winner of the
and this is evident in the tight Booker Prize
grip she maintains on plot and Nuns and Soldiers (1980)
characters, both elements working The Philosopher's Pupil (1983)
seamlessly to propel the novel The Good Apprentice (1985)
forward. Her novels are hugely The Book and the Brotherhood (1987)
enjoyable and often have the sus- The Message to the Planet (1989)
pense and thrills one associates The Green Knight (1993)
with crime fiction. She deftly bal- Jackson's Dilemma (1995)
ances the slower, more mundane
details of a character's life--so nec- Day Job:
essary and revealing--with drastic Civil servant, lecturer at Oxford University.
events. There is a sense of the ter-
rible. Dreams, intense visions and Influences:
illusions play an important part Simon Weil, Plato, Sartre, Wittgenstein,
in heightening this sense. Her Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, George Eliot, Marcel
plots are intricately patterned and Proust, William Shakespeare.
there are symmetries within
them. Reading Murdoch is that Awards:
rare experience-enlightening as Dame Commander of the Order of the
well as entertaining. British Empire; on the 2008 Times list of "The
50 greatest British writers since 1945". 

12. 12 JustBooks Connect - December 2011
Just Kids
Folk tales from Bhutan:
Room in your Heart
Kunzang Choden
Pema Tshering (Illustrator)
Age group: 6 - 11 years
Pages: 36
Jayanthi Harsha
O
ne of the greatest and most terri-
bly powerful things in the world
is love. Love is the reason why
humanity is in harmony and not in
chaos today. Certain types of love, like
mother's love for her children are the
strongest. But, the purest type of love
has no barriers, encompassing the
whole of civilization itself.
Unfortunately, we all are too busy with
our own personal survival, success and accepted cheerfully into the cottage by They represent hospitality in its purest
glory, that we forget that there are oth- the old woman. She manages to feed form from which it later evolved to the
ers around us, apart from our own fami- them all and give them space and shel- forms we see everywhere round us. The
ly members to be loved as well. ter for the night. Finally, when it is time writer carefully weaves the story
Understanding this fact fully will take to leave, the strangers begin to under- towards the conclusion, which is neatly
us further on the path towards perfec- stand the true essence of the old and beautifully conveyed, taking in the
tion, rather than things like immortality woman's kindness to them. reader along with the vistors them-
or great wealth. The most important thing about the selves.
"Neypo shong gna? Is there room for story, apart from the moral itself is its The book, despite its few pages, man-
me?" simplicity, which is just as simple as the ages to convey a lot of meaning to the
This book showcases one such exam- old woman herself. The author does not reader. Young children understand not
ples of true love. An old woman lives need to invoke complicated happenings just the true meaning of welcoming
with a dog, cock and a cat in a cottage like magic or even natural elements like strangers, but caring and respecting
by the hills. She lives simply, enjoying storms to head the story to its final con- them as well. The children will also like
life without festivity or glamour. One clusion. The pictures painted in water the story for its simple language and its
day, when night has fallen, some travel- colors help to bring the characters to life, colorful descriptions. The paintings help
ers seek refuge in the tiny cottage. in the progress bringing the story closer- to convey the various traits of the
Without hesitation, the old woman to the reader. The words - "Neypo shong Bhutanese people in the form of the visi-
accepts them all. As the night passes, gna? "and the response the old woman tors to the old woman's cottage. 
more strangers come along and are gives every time become quite symbolic.
JustBooks Picks for Young Readers
Mall Mania by Stuart J. Murphy In The Country Of Gold-digging Ants The Adventures Of The New Cut
by Anu Kumar Gang by Philip Pullman
Percy And The Rabbit by Nick
Butterworth Diary Of A Soccer Star by Shamini Flint Trouble At The Taj by Sonja
Chandrachud
The Shining Stones by Shanti Pappu How To Save A Dragon by Annie
Dalton Skunk Girl by Sheba Karim

13. JustBooks Connect - December 2011 13
Just Kids
Riding the mystery wave
on behalf of Scorpia to another mem-
Alex Rider - Scorpia Rising
ber, Abdul Aziz al-Razim.
Since Alex Rider has had victorious
Anthony Horowitz clashes with Scorpia which led to the
Age Group: 12-18 years, downfall of its prestige and deaths of
Pages: 431 very crucial members of Scorpia —read
Publisher: Walker India fifth and seventh book— Razim
decides to use Alex Rider as a weapon
against the British government. Scorpia
kills one of its founding members, Levi
T
Kroll and dumps his body in the river
o enjoy this book fully, it is
Thames in London.
advisable to read the first eight
A message is found in his coat pock-
books in the Alex Rider series.
et which leads MI6 to Cairo in Egypt.
After undergoing a variety of victori-
Once MI6 has taken the bait, it sends
ous adventures, Alex Rider begins his
Alex Rider
life as a normal
undercover as
boy whose life
a student to
revolves around
Cairo where
school and home-
something big
work.
is going to
The clashes with
happen.
criminals and
Once Alex
encounters with
Rider reaches
My Parents assassins who
Cairo, Scorpia
want to kill him
executes the
You have always been there for us are far from his
final phase of
You have taught us right from wrong mind. Alex starts
its plan. To
You have taught us Gods words believing that he
make this
You have taught us his song will ultimately
more interest-
become a normal
ing Scorpia
Everyday you teach us boy from a super
brings an old
Goodness, Compassionate and Charity spy, but that does
enemy of Alex
You believe in the people of the world not happen.
Rider back
And, with kindness, what it could be Very soon the
into his life. In
criminal organisa-
Cairo it all
I would like to thank God tion "Scorpia" —to
comes to an
Because we have been truly blessed find out more
end as Scorpia
There is no other way of putting it about Scorpia read
is pulling the
As both of you are the best the fifth book—
strings and
strikes a business
MI6 is just
You give me education deal with an extremely wealthy man
dancing to their tune.
And don't let me bore from Greece named Yannis Ariston
The language in the book is very sim-
As you both are the only one Xenopolos.
ple and transports the reader to the
After you there is nothing more The deal is to bring back the exqui-
world of Alex Rider. It is definitely an
site Elgin marbles from London to
irresistible book. To find out more read
Janishjit Singh Bedi, Class V, Vibgyor High Greece. Since the British government
the book.
School , Mumbai had refused to return the Elgin marbles
back to its rightful owners-the Greeks,
Rahul Rajpal, Class VIII, St. Joseph's
Ariston who loves his country and its
Central School, Mysore
heritage beyond limits decides to take
Janishjit is an avid reader especially of it by force.
Rahul is a member of JustBooks KD
BONES from Justbooks Hiranandani, Ariston arranges for a secret meeting
Road, Mysore. He is a voracious reader
Powai, Mumbai. He loves to play tennis with Zeljan Kurst, who is the current
and loves mimicry. He also likes to
and keyboard. During his free time he cre- head of Scorpia to hatch an immaculate
swim and play badminton.
ates cartoon characters and games. He is a plan to restore the heritage of the
He wants to become an actor when he
person who is always ready to help when Greeks. Zeljan Kurst entrusts this
grows up. 
someone needs him. responsibility of formulating the plan
Young Readers can send their contribution to editor@justbooksclc.com