Published by Grove Press / Vintage, 2014, 320 pages. A hawk stares out from the cover of this book: it is hard to turn away from the fierce intensity of its gaze. And intense, too, is how I would describe this book, which is about grief, trauma and the relationship between humans and goshawks. When …
Category: Non-Fiction
Indian Summer— The Secret History of the End of an Empire: Alex von Tunzelmann
Published by Henry Holt & Co. / Simon & Schuster, 2007, 496 pages.Review by RIshad Patell Reading this book as an Indian who grew up in the nineteen eighties and who had been fed a version of Indian independence through text books and what was taught in school, it is interesting to look at this …
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Pilgrimage to the End of the World—The Road to Santiago de Compostela: Conrad Rudolph
Published by University of Chicago Press, 2004, 144 pages. At a time when more and more people are moving away from religion, this book takes you back to the essence of faith. Conrad Rudolph is not particularly religious, but decides to make the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, walking all the way, staying in gîtes …
The Type Taster—How Fonts Influence You: Sarah Hyndman
Published by Type Tasting Publications, 2015, 148 pages. Sarah Hyndman brings 20 years of experience as a graphic designer, with findings from neurologists and psychologists, to her book about types and fonts. When I read the book’s blurb, I expected a collection of essays, which this book is not. It’s a largely visual, hands-on introduction …
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Economics—The Users Guide: Ha-Joon Chang
Published by Bloomsbury Publishing / Pelican Press, 2014, 528 pages. I am one of those people who have a mental block about economics. When I read about it, my eyes glaze over and my brain goes “are you kidding?” and shuts down. I think this is ridiculous. I consider myself a reasonably intelligent person, and …
The Riches of Al-Fahim’s Autobiography
From Rags to Riches—A Story of Abu Dhabi: Mohammed Al-FahimPublished by CreateSpace Independent Publishing, 1995, 192 pages. Review by Lesley O’DowdMohammed Al-Fahim’s autobiography, From Rags to Riches was first published in 1995. By the time he wrote this illuminating story, Al-Fahim was an eminent, highly respected Emirati businessman in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. As he …
Shady Characters—Ampersands, Interrobangs and other Typographical Curiosities: Keith Houston
Published by Particular Books / Penguin, 2013, 252 pages. Writing and typeface are things we take for granted, almost as if the letters, punctuation signs and symbols we use have always been around. So it’s good to have someone remind us that behind these characters is a long and interesting history. Keith Houston picks a …
An Ideal Boy: Charts of India
Published by Dewi Lewis Publishing, 2001, 120 pages. Review by Imran Ali Khan There are images and then there are words, or is it the other way around? I am never quite sure. But a good way to ‘instruct’ is to say it without spelling it out, and so it is with the Indian Charts …
Adiós muchachos: Una memoria de la revolución sandinista—Sergio Ramírez
Translated from Spanish by Stacey Alba D. SkarPublished by Alfaguara, 2007, 320 pages. Published in English by Duke University Press Books, 2011, 264 pages. This is the story of the Sandinista revolution in Nicaragua, written by someone who—in the late 1980s—became the country’s vice-president in the Frente Sandinista de la Liberación Nacional (FSLN) government of Daniel …
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I am Malala—The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and was Shot by the Taliban: Malala Yousafzai
Review by Lesley O’Dowd National news in countries around the world showed 16 year old Malala addressing the United Nations in July 2013. Viewers heard her eloquent plea for the right to an education. Since recommencing in England the education interrupted by the near-fatal Taliban bullet in her head, Malala has produced an autobiography, co-authored …
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