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The Sceptical Patriot : Exploring the Truths Behin
A delightfully tongue-in-cheek yet insightful look at Indian self-perception and self deception India. A land where history, myth and email forwards have come together to create a sense of a glorious past that is awe-inspiring...and also kind of dubious. But that is what happens when your future is uncertain and your present is kind of shitty-it gets embellished until it becomes a totem of greatness and a portent of potential. Sidin Vadukut takes on a complete catalogue of India's Greatest Hits and ventures to separate the wheat of fact from the chaff of legend. Did India really invent the zero? Has it truly never invaded a foreign country in over 1,000 years? Did Indians actually invent plastic surgery before those insufferable Europeans? The truth is more interesting-and complicated-than you think. Interesting Facts A path-breaking book that questions the legitimacy of a range of popular India facts, be it theclaim that the country invented zero, or the assertion that Indians have always been peace-loving, or the belief that Sushruta was the worlds first surgeon. An important title that makes us reassess history and understand its significance. Is written in a style that is accessible, humorous, irreverent.
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Who Let the Dork Out?
From the bestselling author of Dork and God Save the Dork, comes another potential blockbuster! With just 12 months to go before the 2010 Allied Victory Games in New Delhi, there is pandemonium at the Ministry for Urban Regeneration and Public Sculpture. Specially appointed by the prime minister to oversee preparations for the Games, the ministry now find themselves in the centre of a media shit storm. Preparations are months behind schedule they had completely forgotten about Takewondo and the minister Badrikedar Laxmanrao Dahake not only has to deal with an irate PM but also with, high intrigue in the Lok Sabha, fiendish investigative journalists, and a relentless BBC reporter who insists on interviewing him live in English. Dahake is about to resign when he runs into an unlikely saviour: master strategist, media expert, and international financial wizard Robin Einstein Varghese, currently running the Delhi Lederman office.