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On
The Shelf
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The
Story Of Tea
By
E. Jaiwant Paul
Roli Books
Price: Rs 225 |
Are you,
like Samuel Johnson was, a ‘‘hardened and shameless tea drinker,
whose kettle has scarcely time to cool, who with tea amuses
the evening, with tea solaces the midnight, and with tea welcomes
the morning’’? Does your teapot, like his did, hold 10 cups
at a go? Must you have tea whenever it rains, and also whenever
it doesn’t? If the answer’s yes, go ahead and savour this
book.
But
The Story of Tea is not for those who think tea is
just something to drink. This delicious mix of anecdote, history
and legend will not interest them. They would do better to
open Page 38 for the map of tea-growing areas in China and
page 56 for those in India and Sri Lanka, and close the book.
They who do not understand why humankind must remain forever
indebted to one Sheng Nun who ruled China in 28 BC. Legend
has it that Shen Nung was in his garden, sipping hot water,
when a breeze blew a few leaves from a nearby plant, growing
wild, into the imperial bowl. The emperor sniffed the aromatic
brew and drank it. Shen Nung decided that such a wondrous
brew must be shared with his subjects and tea was born.
—
Vandita Mishra
Catwalk
Cuisine: The Models’ Cookbook
By Prasad Bidappa and Parvana Boga Noorani
Viking India
Price: Rs 595
“There's
no method to this cookbook,’’ says Prasad Bidapa, image consultant,
in the book’s introductory note. Well, there’s no reason for
it either. The fundamental problem with Catwalk Cuisine
remains its blissful ignorance as to who it is addressing.
No serious gourmet is likely to be enamoured by the likes
of Methi Aloo, Hot and Sour Soup, Palak Moong Dal,
Chicken Tikkas and the like, especially since the recipes
are no different from what you already know. Who wants cooking
classes from Sheetal Malhar, Atul Wokhlu (who?) and co even
if they look good enough to eat?
—
Anoothi Vishal
The Nature Yearbook of
Science and Technology
Edited by Declan Butler
Price: $75.00
It is
said science does not know international boundaries while
technology is always national. While one can debate on the
universal applicability of such a statement, one can never
doubt the fact that getting to the most reliable source for
information is never an easy job. This is probably most applicable
to the rapidly expanding frontiers of science and technology
where specialisation and super-specialisation have become
the order of day. Navigating through this quagmire of information
is always an arduous task but life may now be easier for those
seekers of the scientific truth with the addition of a maiden
edition of The Nature Yearbook of Science and Technology.
—
Pallava Bagla
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More
1000 Science Quiz
By Dilip M. Salwi
Rupa & Co
Price: Rs 95 |
Quizzes,
of late, seem to have become the buzzword in our country.
The stupendous success of KBC almost seems to have
transformed the mundanity of ‘‘gathering information’’ into
a fun game for all ages. More Than 1000 Science Quiz,
which is a sequel to 1000 Science Quiz, aptly fits
the bill. Dilip Salwi is renowned for writing in a form that
popularises science and is accessible. Science evidently forms
an integral part of the ‘‘information game’’ and its awareness
is indispensable. In its attempt to evaluate one’s scientific
awareness, the selection also promises to sustain the interest
of those youngsters who are relinquishing science for lucrative
careers.
—
Divya Srivastava
Postscript
 The
intrigue of the Second World War hasn’t diminished one bit,
with both Louis de Bernieres and Tom Brokaw using it as the
setting for their books. And while Bridget Jones continues
to hog all attention, in New York, readers are avidly following
the story of Dave Pelzer from the hands of an alcoholic mother
to a series of foster homes.
Amazon.co.uk,
bestselling titles
1. Captain Corelli’s Mandolin: Louis de Bernieres
2. Chocolat: Joanne Harris
3. Nigella Bites: Nigella Lawson
4. White Teeth: Zadie Smith
5. McCarthy’s Bar: Pete McCarthy
6. How to Be Good: Nick Hornby
7. Breaking the Chain: Willy Voet
8. The Black Book: Ian Rankin
9. About a Boy: Nick Hornby
10. Bridget Jones’s Diary: Helen Fielding
New
York Times, non-fiction, paperback
1. The Greatest Generation: Tom Brokaw
2. In The Heart Of The Sea: Nathaniel Philbrick
3. A Heartbreaking Work Of Staggering Genius: Dave
Eggers
4. Kitchen Confidential: Anthony Bourdain
5. Ethics For The New Millennium: The Dalai Lama
6. In A Sunburned Country: Bill Bryson
7. A Child Called ‘It’: Dave Pelzer
8. The Lost Boy: Dave Pelzer
9. Galileo’s Daughter: Dava Sobel
10. On Writing: Stephen King
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