Category: Books

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

    William Dalrymple

    There was so much money in India – that’s one of my biggest takeaways from this book! Every other page has a note at the bottom that shows the current value of the money that was paid to a local mercenary or the Company as protection money, or a deal as simple as crossing the river safely! I am exaggerating only a little bit. It reminded me of the inane charging for random things by modern airlines, and corporations in general trying to squeeze out every bit of revenue from the average user. And the story of the East India Company is exactly that – a corporation that arrived in India for trade, and ended up pillaging the country and finally giving it to the Crown on a platter.

    Dalrymple begins from where it all started – London, 1599, when the idea of the company was first discussed seriously by a diverse set of individuals. Though not an original idea, the joint stock process allowed the Company to raise resources efficiently in the beginning, and until things went south, provide handsome profits to its investors. The book traces the Company’s trailblazing journey in India, one that features not just its own principals like Clive, Hastings and Wellesley but the local rulers and power brokers as well – from the Mughal emperor (in name) Shah Alam, and Tipu Sultan to mercenaries like Benoît de Boigne who helped shape the Maratha army into one that matched the Company’s own fighting force, and interesting characters like Begum Samru, a feisty courtesan who became a mini-ruler in her own right! Some familiar from history, and others from the author’s own earlier works (like James Skinner from White Mughals). A word on Shah Alam – he is a far cry from his glorious predecessors, but in an age when living till 50 was a luxury, the man survived every tribulation that was thrown at him and lived into his late 70s even as his enemies perished around him.

    It is amazing how, from an inconspicuous office in far away England, with less than a hundred employees, a corporation controlled the destiny of a land as large and diverse as India. It was in 1600 that the Company received the charter from the Queen, and by the early 1800s, they had defeated the last credible threat – the Marathas. These two centuries are full of intrigue, and there are multiple occasions when a single different decision or event (e.g. if Nelson had not sunk Napoleon’s navy and the latter had been able to give Tipu an assist) might have resulted in an entirely different contemporary history. Politics – the English replicated the Roman divide et impera, and economics – many of their moves would have been impossible without local financing – went hand in hand in what was the first hostile takeover of a nation by a business entity. That’s not the only first – abuse of corporate power, lobbying, unfair trade practices, the Company pioneered all this. And finally, in another first, it had to be bailed out by the government because it was too big to fail!

    If you’re a history enthusiast, this is obviously a must-read, and even if you’re not, this is a fascinating piece of history that you’ll enjoy.

  • The Wizard and the Prophet

    Charles C. Mann

    The world is only a few decades away from reaching a double figure billion population. We’re already experience a scarcity of many things we take for granted – clean air, potable water, affordable food and scalable energy sources. How will the species survive? There are two lines of thought – both with the same intent, but fundamentally different approaches.

    Represented principally by Norman Borlaug (the wizard) and William Vogt (the prophet), this book juxtaposes these diverse lines of thought in the context of the four main resources – food, energy, air and water. Vogt sees nature as the main protagonist and the human species as one among the diverse cast of organisms. As per this view, humans have to understand and play within the constraints of nature. Borlaug considered humans the principal character, and nature as raw material that the species could reconstruct to its own advantage. It was just a matter of finding the right methods and technology, and educating people. A “worldview that valued efficiency rather than empathy and the spirit.” Two different ways to survive, and thrive. In a way, scarcity and abundance thinking.

    Funnily enough, even though both men were (almost) contemporaries, they crossed paths only once. Their arguments and their supporters and followers more than made up for it though!

    In addition to this very interesting philosophical debate, the book also works as a rough biography of Borlaug and Vogt. Both of them went through many trying circumstances, and whatever they have achieved is a tribute to their tireless spirit.
    Another very interesting section, towards the end, throws light on the behind the scenes action of the Green Revolution in India and Pakistan. It is amazing how events such as the Cuban missile crisis, India’s wars with China and Pakistan, and even Nehru’s death all had a crucial role to play! It was touch and go a lot of times and worth a screenplay.

    All of this makes for an interesting read and I wish the author had made it a bit more accessible by focusing a little less on the detailing. It is not an easy read, but it does provide some excellent perspectives on topics such as global warming, fossil fuel scarcity, GM foods, all of which have an increasing impact on our daily lives.

  • A Gentleman in Moscow

    Amor Towles

    I was hesitant to write anything about this book for fear that it would take away from its wonderful aftertaste. But not doing so would be an injustice too, so here goes.

    The adjective I would use to describe A Gentleman in Moscow is sublime. That applies to the story, the writing, and the protagonist – Count Alexander Ilyich Rostov. On 21st June 1922, a Bolshevik tribunal sentences him to house arrest indefinitely. The “house” is the Hotel Metropol, and he is forced to substitute his suite for an attic room. As the author insightfully notes, “the Russians were the first people to master the notion of sending a man into exile at home.”
    Russia, post-revolution, exile – it is difficult to imagine anything that’s not depressing in the 450+ pages that follow. But in the face of imminent disaster, Towles, just like his protagonist, steps up to the plate, shuns maxims, and hits the ball out of Gorky Park. (ok sorry, but bad wordplay is a sure sign of my affection) Hope has a new champion. For Count Rostov is probably a living embodiment of Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations, and from the time that he is forced to choose from his possessions what he can take along to his new residence, he embraces his future by well, counting his blessings. His poise does not miss a step as he moves from “it is not the business of a gentleman to have occupations.” to becoming a waiter, and he continues to exhibit his “essential faith that by the smallest of one’s actions one can restore some sense of order to the world.”

    But one cannot be blamed for thinking that even for such a wonderful character, the four walls of a hotel is bound to be a constraint. The Metropol, though, is a world unto itself. We discover spaces and mind spaces inside, the people who work there, and its visitors. And through the eyes of the Count and his friends, we see Russian history unfold from Lenin to Stalin to Khrushchev.

    Amor Towles’ mastery over situations and the words he uses to express them is not something I have seen much of around. It’s genuine craftsmanship. In the Count, he has created a character that brings out the essence of old world charm, and class. Instead of aristocratic snobbery, what one gets is a very human mix of upbeat bearing and wistful serenity – a character for whom one genuinely feels for. The Count has his basic lessons right – “The first was that if one did not master one’s circumstances, one was bound to be mastered by them; and the second was Montaigne’s maxim that the surest sign of wisdom is constant cheerfulness.” And it isn’t just the Count – the support characters also do a splendid job of covering a vast spectrum of predicaments, thoughts and behaviour.

    And thus it is, that when one reaches the end of the book, and lets out a sigh, one has the “feeling that this moment, this hour, this universe could not be improved upon”.

  • The Algebra of Happiness: Finding the equation for a life well lived

    Scott Galloway

    I’m familiar with Scott Galloway thanks to his various talks on YouTube. Funnily enough, I haven’t read his other book – The Four – which is related to the YouTube videos. But given the logical nature of his talks, and the reasoning behind the conclusions and predictions he makes, I was curious to find out how he approached happiness as a concept. Apparently, this is also the subject of the last session of his Brand Strategy Course at the Stern School of Business, NYU.

    If you’re not familiar with his work, it might be a good idea to watch one of his videos. For nothing else but to prepare you for his tone. It’s blunt towards abrasive, but laced with humour, and since it’s usually about brands worth billions, a roast is probably fine. I mention this because the book, despite being about happiness, follows the same style and tonality. I enjoyed it, but if you’re expecting a serious book that delves deep into the theoretical construct of happiness, this might not be the one.

    The author begins by admitting that his life is not exactly the perfect framework of happiness. Perhaps that’s what places him in a perfect spot to deconstruct happiness. Multiple entrepreneurship experiences, failed marriage, complicated relationships with parents and friends, all tend to give you perspectives of what happiness actually means.

    The book is divided into four section – basics, a deeper look at success, career, ambition, money and the professional life in general, love and relationships, and finally introspection. The age arc of happiness, the importance of having a right partner, alignment on money, not keeping score, being accountable to those who you care for and being present in their last days, understanding your own values, not being an a****ole – the lessons are delivered pretty much staccato outside of the broad sections. Profoundness and profanity coexist, and adds a lot of texture to the narrative.

    At the risk of repeating myself, this is quite unlike the standard “happiness” book you will read, but it delivers a bunch of insights that I found valuable. There is bluntness, but there is also humour and empathy, and together it ensures the book gives you some happiness.

  • The Courtesan, the Mahatma and the Italian Brahmin: Tales from Indian History

    Manu S. Pillai

    I had really liked the author’s earlier work – The Ivory Throne – and particularly the last 100 or so pages where he brought out the humans from behind the aura of regality. I began seeing them in a different perspective and my engagement with the book was much richer. I think the author has repeated this in The Courtesan the Mahatma and the Italian Brahmin as well.

    The book is divided into three parts. The first part is set before the Raj, and the second, during. We’ll come to the third in a bit. All the essays are around 6 pages and I initially found this a little annoying. But it became easier once I got used to the format. The good thing is that many of them generate enough interest to make you go through the sources and that’s a lot of future reading!

    The first section definitely has the shadow of the Mughal empire looming, but barring a couple of essays, the focus is not on them. Through a collection of very interesting characters, the author illustrates the multicultural diversity of India. This section also shows how history itself changes from the time the event happens to now, and how they it lends itself to various narratives that suit a particular social context.

    The second section is relatively more contemporary, and in addition to well-known figures like Annie Besant, Veer Savarkar, V.K Krishna Menon, Vivekananda etc, it brings out those who occupy the by-lanes of history and some whom history too has left behind. I liked this more than the first section, probably because of the poignancy of stories like The Champion of Tuticorin and The Seamstress & The Mathematician. This section also offers a couple of interesting what-ifs – what would India have looked liked without the Raj, and what if the Mahatma had lived to 125 (the life span he preferred)?

    The final section is an afterword – an essay for our times, and makes excellent points on why our multiplicity is our strength, and the complicated fabric that holds us together is not something that hyper-nationalism should try to tear.

    The writing is lucid and the past does come alive. The tales are interesting in many ways – one features a Mappila Ramayana with Ravana as a sultan and Surpanakha seeking sanction from the Sharia, another one has Wajid Ali Shah trying to divorce twenty seven wives in one shot, there are a few with the East India Company’s honchos in India, and from the Italian brahmin to kamasutra to football, it covers vast tracts of history. Highly recommended if you have an interest in history, and especially off the beaten path journeys into the past.
    P.S. A few hundred more pages would have been welcome though!