There is a small but interesting library here at JSS, and I've found some interesting books on the subject of India that I thought I'd share.
The first one is called Leaves From the Jungle by Verrier Elwin. Its about a British man (who eventually became an Indian citizen) who set up an Ashram in the general area I am staying. Its in the form of a diary, and from the 1930's, and an interesting look at village life and dynamics from that time.
Another very good one was India in Slow Motion, by Mark Tully, formerly a BBC journalist. Its about governance in India, which seem like a dry topic, but each chapter focuses on a particular event or personality, and reads well. The general theme is that India is corrupt and changes slowly, and its interesting to see the analysis of the power dynamics that make it so.
As an aside, the politics here are kind of weird. The major parties (BJP and Congress) don't stand for anything in particular. For the past while, they have been trading off being in power, and the agenda of the ruling party is consistent, as is the platform of the opposition. When they switch power, they switch agendas. Its like if all of the sudden Obama was for the war in Iraq, and the Republicans were suddenly against it. Here, the party in power is mostly for the status quo and in the vested interests, and the opposition party is pro-reform and anti-corruption... until they get elected and benefit from the control of government funds and planning.
One last book I just finished reading is called India After Ghandi, which is over 800 pages if you include the index and footnotes. It is a very detailed and interesting look at the formation and stabilization of the Indian nation, the conflicts and political movements, and the leaders and their policies.
The first one is called Leaves From the Jungle by Verrier Elwin. Its about a British man (who eventually became an Indian citizen) who set up an Ashram in the general area I am staying. Its in the form of a diary, and from the 1930's, and an interesting look at village life and dynamics from that time.
Another very good one was India in Slow Motion, by Mark Tully, formerly a BBC journalist. Its about governance in India, which seem like a dry topic, but each chapter focuses on a particular event or personality, and reads well. The general theme is that India is corrupt and changes slowly, and its interesting to see the analysis of the power dynamics that make it so.
As an aside, the politics here are kind of weird. The major parties (BJP and Congress) don't stand for anything in particular. For the past while, they have been trading off being in power, and the agenda of the ruling party is consistent, as is the platform of the opposition. When they switch power, they switch agendas. Its like if all of the sudden Obama was for the war in Iraq, and the Republicans were suddenly against it. Here, the party in power is mostly for the status quo and in the vested interests, and the opposition party is pro-reform and anti-corruption... until they get elected and benefit from the control of government funds and planning.
One last book I just finished reading is called India After Ghandi, which is over 800 pages if you include the index and footnotes. It is a very detailed and interesting look at the formation and stabilization of the Indian nation, the conflicts and political movements, and the leaders and their policies.
