The Anarchy: A Cautionary Tale of Capitalism

I have never understood the recent trend (a decade or more) of subtitling book titles, and I suspect it’s the publishers’ tactic of trying to boost book sales. But in the case of William Dalrymple’s recent tome, The Anarchy, the subtitle actually does more justice to the subject: The East India Company, Corporate Violence and… Continue reading The Anarchy: A Cautionary Tale of Capitalism

Writings On the Wall #6: Solidarity

With the threat of Covid-19 spreading to many more countries and cities, it is only to be expected that many places are under lockdown and people are being quarantined. Travel will be severely restricted. I had written in my post on Covid-19 that while the world takes precautionary measures and imposes restrictions, it is better… Continue reading Writings On the Wall #6: Solidarity

Writings on the Wall #5: A Tribute to the Dead

Having just written a post about Olga Tokarczuk's book, Flights, I thought I must share my thoughts on travel as a way of visiting the past and paying a tribute to the great souls who made their cities and countries great. It isn't only about visiting crypts in cathedrals or cemeteries, many a time it… Continue reading Writings on the Wall #5: A Tribute to the Dead

Travel, In Ways You Never Imagined

As someone who loves travel, I must say that Olga Tokarczuk’s book, Flights, opened up new vistas in my mind about how to think about it. Part travelogue, part meditation on time and journeys, part historical storytelling, it is hard to even call it a novel, which is what it is. The genre-defying Flights is… Continue reading Travel, In Ways You Never Imagined

A Paean to Thymos

Over a year ago, I had written a post on identity politics as it exists around the world, including in India, and in it I had referred to an excerpt from Francis Fukuyama’s new book, Identity, that I happened to read online on Quillette. I had then said that I would like to read the… Continue reading A Paean to Thymos

Live Life Outside the 24×7 News Flow

The new year, 2020, has begun and I thought it's the perfect opportunity to share with you, new videos that I have made for my blog. They carry forward the same message of the need for quiet reflection and form yet another link in the Owl Wisdom idea. First, the theme film for my blog… Continue reading Live Life Outside the 24×7 News Flow