New Arrival

New Arrivals on Display : 15-Feb-2012

The following titles will be on display on the 'New Arrivals' shelf until 15-Feb-2012. You are welcome to reserve a book, if you wish to borrow any of them. Reservations will be entertained on a first-come, first served basis and do remember that if you have reserved more than one title, you will be given preference only on one. May we remind you that now you can also reserve the books through WEBOPAC from our website: www.indiahabitat.org

[ Architecture ] [ Authors' Corner ] [ Biography/Memoirs ] [ Delhi Documenta ] [ Economics ] [ Fiction ] [ Land Resources ] [ Leadership ] [ Literature ] [ Political Science ] [ Psychology ] [ Sports ] [ Transportation ] [ Urban Development ] [ Water Resources Management ]

Architecture

Architecture in India since 1990 / Mehrotra, Rahul.--Mumbai: Pictor, 2011

This is an illustrated study of the architecture of post-1990 India, a period that marks the liberalization of the country’s economy and reflects the contradictions, glamour and displacement wrought by globalization and rapid economic mobility. Showcasing a complex construct of disparate adjacencies in which bizarre forms of coexistence characterize the built environment, it brings to life, with vivid illustrations, a transformation in the construction of identities, which range from the pan-national to those more fluid in their expression. Hybridity and pluralism reign over singular identities, their architecture being the mirror of the socio-economic as well as the political fabric of a nation-state.

Forts and palaces of Himachal Pradesh / Bande, Usha. --Jaipur: Literary Circle, 2011

Himachal Pradesh is a small hill state nestling in the lap of the Western Himalaya. This book gives visual impressions coupled with brief history of the forts. It also focuses on art and architecture including woodcarvings, stone work, specificities of the architecture, like the Naggar palace of Kullu/Manali area which has typical architecture with horizontal wooden slabs and mud walls that are quake-resistant; temples and temple art associated with the palaces; treks to these palaces and forts through thick pinewoods and steep slopes; the atmosphere of awe and wonder; local customs and culture.

The Heritage of Haidar Ali and Tipu Sultan: art and architecture / Pande, Anupa. --New Delhi: National Museum Institute of History of Art, Conservation and Museology, 2012

This book is a detailed aesthetic study of the art and architecture of the palaces, forts, mosques, mausoleum at Srirangapatna, Bangalore and the neighbourhood. Further, this book closely examines the exquisite murals in the summer palace at Srirangaptna. It also incorporates the scientific investigation of the pigment composition of the paintings. Finally, the appendix has a survey of the coins of the Mysore Sultans from the National Museum collection. This book is based on extensive fieldwork and photo-documentation and an in-depth study of contemporary Indian, Persian and English literary sources, paintings, illustrated imperial manuscripts and inscriptions.

Biography/Memoirs

Amen: the autobiography of a nun / Jesme, Sister. --New Delhi: Penguin, 2009

On 31 August 2008, Sister Jesme left the Congregation of Mother of Carmel. The authorities’ repeated attempts to have her declared insane, she says, left her no option. This book is an outpouring of her experiences as a nun for thirty-three years. Spirited and fun-loving, from a good family, deeply rooted in Catholicism, Jesme was drawn to religious life at seventeen after a Retreat at junior college. As a nun, seven years later, she felt distressed at the many ills growing inside the convent and being forced to remain silent about them. There was corruption, by way of donations for college seats; sexual relations between some priests and nuns, and between nuns; class distinctions whereby the cheduthies, or poorer and less-educated sisters, did menial jobs; and a wide gap between comforts and facilities enjoyed by the priests and nuns.

Sadhguru: more than a life / Subramaniam, Arundhati.--New Delhi: Penguin, 2010

This is the story of Sadhguru—a young agnostic who turned yogi, a wild motorcyclist who turned mystic, a sceptic who turned spiritual guide. Pulsating with his razor-sharp intelligence, bracing wit and modern-day vocabulary, the book empowers us to explore our spiritual self and could well change our life. It seeks to re-create the life journey of a man who combines rationality with mysticism, irreverence with compassion, ancient wisdom with a provocatively contemporary outlook and a deep knowledge of the self with a contagious love of life. Described as a profound mystic, visionary humanitarian and prominent spiritual leader of our times', he is equally at home in a satsangh in rural Tamil Nadu as at the World Economic Forum in Davos. In Sadhguru's view, faith and reason, spirituality and science, the sacred and the material, cannot be divided into easy binaries.

Sonia Gandhi: an extraordinary life, an Indian destiny / Singh, Rani.--New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2011

Sonia Gandhi's story represents the greatest transformational journey made by any world leader in the last four decades. Circumstance and tragedy, rather than ambition, paved her path to power. Born into a traditional, middle-class Italian family, Sonia met and fell in love with Rajiv Gandhi, son of future Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi and grandson of Jawaharlal Nehru, while studying English in Cambridge. Cruelly tested by the assassinations of her mother-in-law and of her husband, Sonia grew into a strong, authoritative but always private figure, now president of a coalition ruling over a billion people in the world's largest democracy. Through exclusive interviews with members of Sonia's party, political opponents and family friends, author casts new light on Sonia.

Economics

Target 3 billion: PURA: innovative solutions towards sustainable development / Kalam, A.P.J. Abdul. --New Delhi: Penguin, 2011

With 750 million people living in villages, India has the largest rural population in the world. Based on his Indian experience, author recommends a sustainable and inclusive development system called PURA—Providing Urban Amenities in Rural Areas—to uplift the rural masses not by subsidies but through entrepreneurship with community participation. To make his case, author cites the examples of individuals and institutions, in India and from across the world, who, with an entrepreneurial spirit and a burning desire to make a difference, have successfully generated and tapped into the potential of the rural masses.

World 3.0: global prosperity and how to achieve it / Ghemawat, Pankaj.--Boston, Massachusetts: Harvard Business Review Press, 2011

This book is a comprehensive framework for thinking about globalisation, market failures, and market integration. The author sets a visionary but pragmatic agenda for senior managers, businesses, and governments. His views about managing capital reversals and imbalances while exploiting the large, untapped potential of globalisation are particularly relevant.

Fiction

Inheritance or the vault of souls / Paolini, Christopher. --London: Random House, 2011

This is a sophisticated novel that explores powerful themes in an entertaining and breathtaking way. The book begins with a recap of what has happened in the previous books. The readers are reminded of Eragon’s plight from small farm boy to Dragon Rider. They are also reminded of the Varden and their quest to overthrow the evil king Galbatorix.

When the Kurinji blooms / Krishnan, Rajam. --Hyderabad: Orient Blackswan, 2009

Translated from the Tamil Kurinjithen, author’s lyrical, erudite novel is a family saga of three generations of Badagas in the Nilgiris. As the winds of social change and modernity invade their protected lives, the innocence and harmony is replaced by conflict and tragedy that precede a new beginning. Using the blossoming of the Kurinji as a motif of the passage of time and the disappearance of a way of life, author paints panoramic views and captures the enormous vigour of a people in the grip of transition.

Land Resources

Theatre of conflict, city of hope: Mumbai, 1660 to present times / Dossal, Mariam. --New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2010 (Reference)

This is the first volume to present such a comprehensive history of Bombay-from 1660s to the present times. The book maps the radical transformation of Bombay from an agricultural settlement of little significance to a megalopolis. What had originally been seven islets of fishing villages, coconut gardens, rice fields, salt-pans, and vegetable plots, had by the nineteenth century given way to chawls, warehouses, cotton mills, railway lines, and docks. In recent times shopping malls, skyscrapers and slums have become prominent in the urban landscape. The book discusses several other significant aspects concerned with land use and planning of the city-customary rights versus state regulations, revenue survey, land acquisition, agricultural and industrial growth, housing problems, development of the metropolis and problems confronting the city today.

Leadership

The John Adair lexicon of leadership / Adair, John. --London: Kogan Page, 2011

This is a collection of author’s works the essential leadership skills and themes are interwoven to make up a rich tapestry of practical wisdom on the art of leadership in a business context. This is a practical blueprint for developing our own abilities as a leader or a manager.

Literature

A Concise history of Indian literature in English/ Mehrotra, Arvind Krishna, ed. --Ranikhet: Permanent Black, 2012

This book is a history of two hundred years of Indian literature in English. It starts by looking at the introduction of English into India’s complex language scenario around 1800. It then takes up the canonical poets, novelists, and dramatists, as well as a few unjustly forgotten figures, who have made significant contributions to the evolution of Indian literature in English. The book comprises twenty-four chapters, written by some of India’s foremost scholars and critics. Each chapter is devoted either to a single author (Kipling, Tagore, Sri Aurobindo, R.K. Narayan), or to a group of authors (the Dutt family of nineteenth-century Calcutta; the Indian diasporic writers of the twentieth century), or to a genre (beginnings of the Indian novel; poetry since Independence). Biographical information on major literary figures is provided, and in most cases their work is historically contextualized.

Political Science

Gandhi in the West: the Mahatma and the rise of radical protest / Scalmer, Sean.--Cambridge University Press: 2011

The non-violent protests of civil rights activists and anti-nuclear campaigners during the 1960s helped to redefine Western politics. The author uncovers their history in an earlier generation's intense struggles to understand and emulate the activities of Mahatma Gandhi. He shows how Gandhi's non-violent protests were the subject of widespread discussion and debate in the USA and UK for several decades. Though at first misrepresented by Western newspapers, they were patiently described and clarified by a devoted group of cosmopolitan advocates. Small groups of Westerners experimented with Gandhian techniques in virtual anonymity and then, on the cusp of the 1960s, brought these methods to a wider audience.

Psychology

The Best thing about you is you! / Kher, Anupam. --New Delhi: Hay House India, 2012

Bollywood superstar Anupam Kher plays a new role altogether: using examples from his own life and experiences, he subtly motivates and inspires us by providing a handy guide to discovering our real self and finding peace of mind and contentment in today’s chaotic times. He feels that the best way to counter the negativity that exists in the world these days, where people are gripped by fear, insecurity, stress, frustration and unhappiness, is by acquiring a positive outlook. Citing his own example, he reveals how a humble background need not be an obstacle to attaining the dizzying heights of success, but, simultaneously, sounds a warning about the importance of gracefully handling such success.

Sports

The States of Indian cricket: anecdotal histories / Guha, Ramachandra. --Ranikhet: Permanent Black, 2008

The book marries the craft of history to the life of cricket in India and is described by its author as the product of a lifelong addiction to the most sophisticated sport known to mankind. In this book, author draws upon the memories of several generations of cricket lovers to give us wonderful sketches of India’s cricketers, the forgotten as well as the famous: from C.K. Nayudu and Vinoo Mankad to Saurav Ganguly and Anil Kumble. Using the device of imaginary all-time India Elevens, he provides rich insights into the cities and states in which Indian Cricket was forged.

Transportation

Metro rail projects in India: a study in project planning / Ramachandran, M. --New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2012

The metro rail system introduced in major Indian cities in recent years has resulted in significant improvements in the country's transportation infrastructure and intra-city connectivity. This first-of-its-kind study maps the story of India's largest mass rapid transit system and uses data, analysis, and first-hand information to provide a comprehensive and authentic analysis of the urban transport scenario in Indian cities. Covering metro projects proposed and undertaken across the major Indian cities of Delhi, Bangalore, Kolkata, Chennai, and Mumbai, among others, this volume focuses on the complexities of project planning. In addition, it also looks at how large cities across the globe effectively addressed their urban transport problems to provide a comparative view.

Urban Development

Dubai: the making of a megapolis / Gupte, Pranay. --New Delhi: Penguin, 2011

In just two decades, Dubai has reinvented itself from a small, poor and quiet fishing village to a dazzling city with a vibrant urban life. Cultivating an open and welcoming culture, Dubai manages to attract people from all over the world, heartily embracing any entrepreneurial contribution they wish to make. The emirate is now also known for its cosmopolitan melting-pot culture, and its enabling environment to conduct business, and this, along with the tax-free system and hassle-free infrastructure, makes it a much sought- after site for multinational enterprises who want a base in Asia. Unlike the Gulf emirates that can count on petroleum wealth, Dubai has wound its way to prosperity by planning carefully and executing those plans methodically. Its airline and luxury construction have made it a popular destination for luxury tourism. Projects like the Burj al-Arab, the Palm Jumeriah and the Burj Khalifa, along with events like the world s richest horserace the Dubai World Cup and the Dubai Shopping Festival, have sustained tourist interest and focused the world s attention on the emirate.

Water Resources Management

Traditional water management: practices of Uttarakhand / Shah, Manikant. --New Delhi: Pentagon, 2012 (Reference)

This monograph is richly illustrated with photographs, maps and several tables. The documentation become very precious as the traditional hydraulics today is a vanishing folk heritage. The book demonstrates the direct relevance of this folk scientific heritage in finding solutions to the prevailing water crisis. The author rules out any solution based on privatization of water. The book strongly pleads for harvesting every drop of rain and every snowflake.

New Additions in Authors' Corner
(For reference only)

Mehrotra, Rajiv, O-0195

The Spirit of the muse: conversations on the journeys of artists.—New Delhi: Hay House, 2011

This is an illuminating series of intimate conversations with some of the greatest contemporary classical performers, artists and writers. Presented in this collection are rare insights into the creative process and responses to questions. Panged in the book are musicians such as Pandit Ravi Shankar and Yehudi Menuhin together, Zubin Mehta and L. Subramaniam; painters Satish Gujral and Anjolie Ela Menon; sculptors Amarnath Sehgal and K.S. Radhakrishnan; dancers Leela Samson and Mrinalini Sarabhai; filmmakers Adoor Gopalakrishnanan and Mrinal Sen; playwright Habib Tanvir; poet Gulzar; and writers Mahasweta Devi and Indira Goswami.

New Additions in Delhi Documenta
(For reference only)

Chalo Delhi: writings and speeches, 1943-1945 / Bose, Subhas Chandra. --Calcutta: Netaji Research Bureau, 2008

This collected works brings together all his speeches and writings as a leader of the Azad Hind movement from June 1943 to August 1945. His stirring speeches In Singapore, Malaya, and Burma electrified massive audiences of civilians and soldiers, united Indians of all religions, and inspired them to join the march towards Delhi.

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