Krish Ashok
Techie (https://t.co/dULL1kpela), Author of Masala Lab (https://t.co/MdeRPLmgVz…), Musician (https://t.co/9sVjqvRpa4)
20+ Book Recommendations by Krish Ashok
Lessons in Chemistry
Bonnie Garmus
Meet 2022's most incomparable protagonist! This blockbuster debut set in 1960s California features the singular voice of Elizabeth Zott, a scientist whose career takes a detour when she becomes the star of a beloved TV cooking show. "It's the world versus Elizabeth Zott, an extraordinary woman determined to live on her own terms, and I had no trouble choosing a side...A page-turning and highly satisfying tale: zippy, zesty, and Zotty." --Maggie Shipstead, best-selling author of Great Circle Chemist Elizabeth Zott is not your average woman. In fact, Elizabeth Zott would be the first to point out that there is no such thing as an average woman. But it's the early 1960s and her all-male team at Hastings Research Institute takes a very unscientific view of equality. Except for one: Calvin Evans; the lonely, brilliant, Nobel-prize nominated grudge-holder who falls in love with--of all things--her mind. True chemistry results. But like science, life is unpredictable. Which is why a few years later Elizabeth Zott finds herself not only a single mother, but the reluctant star of America's most beloved cooking show Supper at Six. Elizabeth's unusual approach to cooking ("combine one tablespoon acetic acid with a pinch of sodium chloride") proves revolutionary. But as her following grows, not everyone is happy. Because as it turns out, Elizabeth Zott isn't just teaching women to cook. She's daring them to change the status quo. Laugh-out-loud funny, shrewdly observant, and studded with a dazzling cast of supporting characters, Lessons in Chemistry is as original and vibrant as its protagonist.This is the single most joyfully brilliant novel I’ve read in a while. I’d happily binge on an entire series of books featuring Elizabeth and Madeline Zott https://t.co/Q56qbncrPf
"Turmeric Nation A passage through india’s tastes "
SHYLASHRI SHANKAR
@S_P_Experience Excellent book https://t.co/rAOwejBxuC
LORDS OF THE DECCAN
Anirudh Kanisetti
This is one of the most unputdownable history books you will ever read. Amaklamatic storytelling by @AKanisetti https://t.co/w0DV8cPrlP
@CantbeatI Check out @saffrontrail's book
How To Raise A Feminist Son
Sonora Jha
After @bhalomanush and @tmkrishna, this is going to be another fun conversation. Her book is absolutely brilliant. https://t.co/hFqZ0BqQuL
Midnights Borders
Suchitra Vijayan
This is a superb read, @suchitrav! https://t.co/RzqW3yX4vo
BORN A MUSLIM
Ghazala Wahab (Author)
@hganjoo153 Read @ghazalawahab’s new book
COVID-19
Anirban Mahapatra
In the relentless fog of the misinformation universe that we find ourselves in, @bhalomanush and his book are shining beacons of clarity https://t.co/x5Ce49pVPR
The Ministry for the Future
Kim Stanley Robinson
"From legendary science fiction author Kim Stanley Robinson comes a vision of climate change unlike any ever imagined. Kim Stanley Robinson is one of contemporary science fiction's most acclaimed writers, and with this new novel, he once again turns his eye to themes of climate change, technology, politics, and the human behaviors that drive these forces. But his setting is not a desolate, post-apocalyptic world--rather, he imagines a more hopeful future, one where humanity has managed to overcome our challenges and thrive. It is a novel both immediate and impactful, perfect for his many fans and for readers who crave powerful and thought-provoking sci-fi stories"--This is one of the most jawdroppingly impactful works of fiction I’ve ever read on the theme of climate change, and the most amazing thing about the book is that it feels like non-fiction. https://t.co/T71xgKaSEb
Feasts and Fasts
Colleen Taylor Sen
"The second most populous country in the world after China and the seventh largest in area, India is unique among nations in its diversity of climates, languages, religions, tribes, customs and cuisines. Today, Indian food in its many incarnations has become a world cuisine. This reflects an increased awareness of the virtues of a traditional Indian diet, especially the centrality of fruits, vegetables and grains and the extensive use of spices, the benefits of which have been confirmed by modern science. India has always been part of the global economy. For thousands of years, the subcontinent was the centre of a vast network of land and sea trade routes - conduits for plants, ingredients, dishes and cooking techniques to and from the rest of the world. Foreign visitors have long marvelled at India's agricultural bounty, including its ancient indigenous plants, such as lentils, mangoes, turmeric and pepper, all of which have been central to the Indian diet for thousands of years. Yet what is it that makes Indian food so recognizably Indian, and how did it get that way? Feasts and Fasts: A History of Food in India is an exploration of Indian cuisine in the context of the country's religious, moral, social and philosophical development. It addresses topics such as dietary prescriptions and proscriptions, the origins of vegetarianism, culinary borrowings and innovations, the use of spices and the inseparable links between diet, health and medicine. It also looks at special foods for festivals, street foods and the splendour of Mughal feasts. This lavishly illustrated book gives a mouth-watering tour of India's regional cuisines, containing numerous recipes to interest and excite readers."--Publisher's website.@yelandur @hpnadig Beautiful book. Strongly recommend
Parliamental
Meghnad S
Raghav Marathe, cynical millennial turned reluctant policy analyst, arrives in Delhi with his boss, Prabhu Srikar of the RJM party, and a first-time MP with a tendency to throw up. As they navigate their way around Parliament, handling backroom deals, nepotistic party heads, and laws that seem to be tailor-made to benefit the ruling party, they learn that politics and idealism don't always go together. While Srikar tries to adapt to his new avatar and lie low, Raghav uses his Twitter alter ego, @Arnavinator, to vent his frustration and spread chaos. But when a new bill that threatens freedom of expression is bulldozed through with impunity, Srikar and Raghav must make a choice - to compromise on their values or to stand up for what is right. But at what cost? And can they and their unlikely allies - a jaded lawyer, an ambitious journalist and a rising YouTube star - really make a difference? A heady mix of politics, satire and current events, Parliamental is a roller-coaster ride through the corridors of power.@Memeghnad @themallubong Read Masala lab, cook some food, eat heartily and then sit in a lounge chair and read Meghnad’s excellent book.
The World According to Physics
Jim Al-Khalili
"This book frames the nature and importance of modern physics in an accessible, compelling, succinct way, showing lay readers that physics is crucial to our modern understanding of the world-and indeed the world as we currently know and experience it. Through the narrative, the book naturally describes essential facets of what physics is and why it has become such a (some might say, the) fundamental science. In addition, the reader will gain a sense of the grand scope and sweep of science and the collective, self-correcting nature of how science is done. For some, the book may serve as an invitation to physics. To others, it may serve to clarify the role of physics and describe a shared, global, centuries-long quest for fundamental knowledge"--This is a beautiful book. Over the last one year, I’ve been using 2 sources of book recommendations. 1. @bhalomanush (whose book on Covid-19 is a brilliant read) and 2. Speakers on @amitvarma’s TSATU podcast https://t.co/NboKH2HuDx
Natural
Alan Levinovitz
"The widespread confusion of Nature with God and "natural" with holy has far-reaching negative consequences, from misinformation about everyday food and health choices to mistaken justifications of sexism, racism, and flawed economic policies"--@pravieen @KitchenChemProf Get him this excellent book by @AlanLevinovitz https://t.co/rpOUr3Z7Jw
Caste
Isabel Wilkerson
The Pulitzer Prize-winning, bestselling author of The Warmth of Other Suns examines the unspoken caste system that has shaped America and shows how our lives today are still defined by a hierarchy of human divisions. "[Caste] should be at the top of every American's reading list."--Chicago Tribune "As we go about our daily lives, caste is the wordless usher in a darkened theater, flashlight cast down in the aisles, guiding us to our assigned seats for a performance. The hierarchy of caste is not about feelings or morality. It is about power--which groups have it and which do not." In this brilliant book, Isabel Wilkerson gives us a masterful portrait of an unseen phenomenon in America as she explores, through an immersive, deeply researched narrative and stories about real people, how America today and throughout its history has been shaped by a hidden caste system, a rigid hierarchy of human rankings. Beyond race, class, or other factors, there is a powerful caste system that influences people's lives and behavior and the nation's fate. Linking the caste systems of America, India, and Nazi Germany, Wilkerson explores eight pillars that underlie caste systems across civilizations, including divine will, bloodlines, stigma, and more. Using riveting stories about people--including Martin Luther King, Jr., baseball's Satchel Paige, a single father and his toddler son, Wilkerson herself, and many others--she shows the ways that the insidious undertow of caste is experienced every day. She documents how the Nazis studied the racial systems in America to plan their out-cast of the Jews; she discusses why the cruel logic of caste requires that there be a bottom rung for those in the middle to measure themselves against; she writes about the surprising health costs of caste, in depression and life expectancy, and the effects of this hierarchy on our culture and politics. Finally, she points forward to ways America can move beyond the artificial and destructive separations of human divisions, toward hope in our common humanity. Beautifully written, original, and revealing, Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents is an eye-opening story of people and history, and a reexamination of what lies under the surface of ordinary lives and of American life today.@brijwhiz @Isabelwilkerson Yes. Caste is indeed the better term for this. Her book is fantastic!
Neurogastronomy
Gordon Shepherd
Challenging the belief that the sense of smell diminished during human evolution, Shepherd argues that this sense, which constitutes the main component of flavor, is far more powerful and essential than previously believed. --from publisher descriptionWhat a fantastically insightful book (on the recommendation of @bhalomanush) PS: Not easy reading without a basic understanding of biology and chemistry https://t.co/EvESe78vyg
The Age of Surveillance Capitalism
Professor Shoshana Zuboff
THE TOP 10 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER Shortlisted for the FT Business Book of the Year Award 2019 'Easily the most important book to be published this century. I find it hard to take any young activist seriously who hasn't at least familarised themselves with Zuboff's central ideas.' - Zadie Smith, The GuardianThe challenges to humanity posed by the digital future, the first detailed examination of the unprecedented form of power called "surveillance capitalism," and the quest by powerful corporations to predict and control us.The heady optimism of the Internet's early days is gone. Technologies that were meant to liberate us have deepened inequality and stoked divisions. Tech companies gather our information online and sell it to the highest bidder, whether government or retailer. Profits now depend not only on predicting our behaviour but modifying it too. How will this fusion of capitalism and the digital shape our values and define our future?Shoshana Zuboff shows that we are at a crossroads. We still have the power to decide what kind of world we want to live in, and what we decide now will shape the rest of the century. Our choices: allow technology to enrich the few and impoverish the many, or harness it and distribute its benefits. The Age of Surveillance Capitalism is a deeply-reasoned examination of the threat of unprecedented power free from democratic oversight. As it explores this new capitalism's impact on society, politics, business, and technology, it exposes the struggles that will decide both the next chapter of capitalism and the meaning of information civilization. Most critically, it shows how we can protect ourselves and our communities and ensure we are the masters of the digital rather than its slaves.This interview with @shoshanazuboff is one of the most insightful things I’ve heard all year. If you haven’t read her book “Surveillance Capitalism”, you should. https://t.co/werZmMtykC
The Food Lab
J. Kenji López-Alt
Whether he's boiling hundreds of eggs to figure out what really makes their shells stick or frying up dozens of steaks to debunk long-held myths, J. Kenji López- Alt shows that home cooks don't need a state-of-the-art kitchen to cook pitch-perfect meals. In a unique book centered on beloved American dishes such as prime rib roast, Caesar salad, and buttermilk biscuits, Kenji explores the science behind searing, baking, blanching, and roasting. In hundreds of easy-to-make recipes with over 1,000 full-color images illustrating step-by-step instructions, readers will find out how to make perfect roast turkey with crackling skin, how to make scrambled eggs extra fluffy or creamy, and much more. Combining the unrelenting curiosity of a cheerful science geek with the expert knowledge of a practiced chef, The Food Lab gives readers practical tools and new approaches that they can apply the next time they step into the kitchen.@CurryTR_ @ajit_bhaskar As tempted as I am to say "wait for my book", here's a quick list - Food lab by Kenji Lopez Alt, On food and cooking by Harold McGee
Ivory Throne
Manu S. Pillai
@thekarachikid @shakirhusain @mdeii No single book comes to mind, but @UnamPillai’s Ivory Throne is an excellent place to start when it comes to understanding why Kerala is what it is today from a historical standpoint.
Octopus's Garden
Ringo Starr
Come sing and dance around in an octupus’s garden in the shade! The classic Beatles song comes to life with colorful illustrations from bestselling illustrator Ben Cort and a CD with a new music recording and audio reading from stellar musician Ringo Starr. I’d like to be under the sea In an octopus’s garden in the shade He’d let us in, knows where we’ve been In his octopus’s garden in the shade Who wouldn’t like to visit an octopus’s garden? Well, now you can! This lively picture book, complete with a CD of the beloved song, brings Ringo Starr’s joyful underwater tale to life and is perfect for reading, sharing, and singing again and again.@fauxfleur Wow! Gorgeous. Reminds me of RIngo Starr's book for children "Octopus's Garden" https://t.co/w1jwJDYUtf
Midnight's Machines
Arun Mohan Sukumar
“Midnight’s Machines” by Arun Mohan Sukumar is a fantastic read! So many #TIL moments about India’s chequered history with technology. https://t.co/sFBy5EFs09
Coromandel
Charles Allen
COROMANDEL. A name which has been long applied by Europeans to the Northern Tamil Country, or (more comprehensively) to the eastern coast of the Peninsula of India. This is the India highly acclaimed historian Charles Allen visits in this fascinating book. Coromandel journeys south, exploring the less well known, often neglected and very different history and identity of the pre-Aryan Dravidian south. During Allen's exploration of the Indian south he meets local historians, gurus and politicians and with their help uncovers some extraordinary stories about the past. His sweeping narrative takes in the archaeology, religion, linguistics and anthropology of the region - and how these have influenced contemporary politics. Known for his vivid storytelling, for decades Allen has travelled the length and breadth of India, revealing the spirit of the sub-continent through its history and people. In Coromandel, he moves through modern-day India, discovering as much about the present as he does about the past.@PhadkeTai Coromandel by Charles Allen
The Meritocracy Trap
Daniel Markovits
@sruthijith @GabbbarSingh Recommended reading: https://t.co/rxjicFrgLX Daniel Markovits (Yale Law) suggests that while a lot of tech is obviously net-positive on all counts, some (like derivative trading, ride-hailing apps etc) only shift wealth to 1 side without a significant increase in utility for all
Matter
Iain Banks
My favourite kind of science fiction is the one where, after reading 100 pages, I go “there is no way this can be made into a high budget TV series, it’s the kind of writing that can evoke in the readers mind a universe of astonishing sophistication” https://t.co/ctidyxsSPX
Atlas Shrugged
Ayn Rand
The decisions of a few industrial leaders shake the roots of capitalism and reawaken one man's awareness of himself as an heroic being. Reissue.@npueu Yep. Planning to get her Atlas Shrugged next