Category: Books

The Age of Surveillance Capitalism: The Fight for a Human Future at the New Frontier of Power

Industrial capitalism exploited nature and gave us the bounty of comforts we enjoy in the modern era. Surveillance capitalism is exploiting human nature. The consequences are that there is increasingly no refuge, no sanctuary, from the relentless efforts of corporations that are intent on controlling every facet of an individual’s existence. In the current trajectory, it will lead to a further consolidation of wealth and power. Not an easy read, but most definitely a must read.

The Anarchy: The East India Company, Corporate Violence, and the Pillage of an Empire

The amazing story of how from an inconspicuous office in far away England, with less than a hundred employees, the East India Company controlled the destiny of a land as large and diverse as India. They started in 1600, and by the early 1800s, they had demolished the last credible threat to their domination in India – the Marathas. A corporation that arrived in India for trade, and ended up pillaging the country and finally giving it to the Crown on a platter.

The Wizard and the Prophet

As the world races towards a population in double figure billions, there is a huge pressure on ensuring basic necessities for all – water, food, clean air, and scalable energy sources. Represented principally by Norman Borlaug (the wizard) and William Vogt (the prophet), there are two schools of thought in how humanity could solve this. Scientific and philosophical, it’s not an easy read, but does provide some great perspectives.