Books on My Shelves – 9
By N Ravi Shanker
Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested. (Francis Bacon)
Quotations: Quotations irrespective of language, have always fascinated me. They convey pithily the essence of human thought on any topic. The wittier they are, the greater is their allure. My favourite quote is “Trifles make perfection, and perfection is no trifle.” (Michelangelo). I possess a collection of books on Quotations, and it is my companion during travels. My prized possession is “Best Quotations for All Occasions” (Ed). Lewis C Henry.
Literature: “The Count of Monte Cristo” (Alexandre Dumas) is set in the background of the Napoleonic era in France-Italy. The novel covers the gamut of human emotions: treachery, passion, revenge, justice, hope, et al. In the novel, the travails of Edmond Dantes, a young seafarer, is captured – how he is wronged by Ferdinand, Danglars, and Villefort; and how he is schooled by Abbe Faria. The suave manner in which Edmond Dantes as The Count of Monte Cristo, avenges the wrongdoers is a classic. A novel which I read when I was in school, it remains my all-time favourite.
“Ponniyin Selvan” (Kalki Krishnamurthy – Tamil). By all accounts this is a classic – part history, part mystery. It is centered on the Chola Dynasty and the rise of Arulmozhi Varman (later to be known as Raja Raja Chola). Palace politics involving both the Chola and Pandya kingdoms is thrown in to the storyline.
Mythology: “Ramayana” & “Mahabharata” (C Rajagopalachari). My introduction to these epics were through this author. His style is immensely enjoyable. On this theme, I have been through oral traditions, stage plays, cinemas, TV serials, and books by several authors. Yet, for me, the appeal of this author is unmatched.
Mythology remains a favourite interest of mine. One author, Kavita Kane, has penned books on many characters from the two epics: Sita’s Sister (Urmila), Lanka’s Princess (Surpanakha), Karna’s Wife (Vrishali), Menaka’s Choice, Fisher Queen’s Dynasty (Satyavati), Ahalya’s Awakening. The author transports us into the minds of these characters, who shaped the actions of men in their menage.
Biography: MS Subbulakshmi, is a name to reckon with in the annals of Carnatic music. Three authors have penned a biography on her, and they adorn my book shelf: Of Gifted Voice (Keshav Desiraju), MS – A Life in Music (TJS George), Kunjamma …Ode to a Nightingale (Lakshmi Viswanathan). Each one of them has researched well and written about the Bharat Ratna awardee.
Cricket: I am crazy about cricket, and lap up most books on the subject. Two recent additions are Democracy’s XI (Rajdeep Sardesai) and Star Gazing (Ravi Shastri). Sardesai expounds on a Prince (Tiger Pataudi), a commoner (Sunil Gavaskar), a boy genius (Sachin Tendulkar), and a small-town revolutionary (MS Dhoni) among others. A good read. Shastri dwells about players across the world, whom he admires – those who played before him (Sobers); those whom he played with (Gavaskar, Viv Richards, Imran, Kapil); those who played after him (Tendulkar, Dhoni, Virat), his contemporaries in commentary box (Benaud), et al. To take a line from his commentary – “the atmosphere is electric”; the book is in the same genre.
Philosophy & Science: The Story of Philosophy (Will Durant) traces the thoughts of Plato & Aristotle, Voltaire & Kant; Spencer, Russell, and Dewey. Their thoughts have influenced the times they lived in, and at times are timeless. A Brief History of Time (Stephen Hawking) – in this engaging book, the brilliant mind, who overcame physical limitations, expounds on the physical world around us, even as he dwells into the philosophical implications of modern physics.
Management: HBR AT 100 – This compilation contains the most influential and innovative articles from Harvard Business Review’s First Century. In it you get the ideas of Peter Drucker, Daniel Goleman, Michael Porter, Linda Hill, and CK Prahad, among many others. Read it, and return to it. It is in my view AI (Allure Indelible).
Comics: This format holds a special place in my heart. I grew up on a liberal dose of Classics Illustrated, which introduced me to many novels; Phantom & Mandrake; Amar Chitra Katha, et al. It never tires, even as you retire.
(N Ravi Shanker is Honorary Director, Doon Library & Research Centre)
