Book Archives - Defence Monitor

29 Oct

Universe propped up without help from God, says Hawking’s final work

Book: Brief Answers to the Big Questions; Author: Stephen Hawking; Publisher: John Murray/Hachette India; Pages: 232; Price: Rs 650 This book began when Stephen Hawking was alive but was published this month posthumously. It is billed by the publisher as his final thoughts and draws extensively from essays, keynote speeches and lectures that he wrote or delivered during his time on Earth and presents the crux of his thoughts on some of the most significant issues that the late cosmologist considered of great importance for the planet and humanity at large. For instance, the universe is propped up without help…

25 Aug

An engaging saga of the Durrani daughters

Book: The Begums of Peshawar; Author: Najma Yusufi; Publisher: Hachette India; Price: Rs 399; Pages: 306 This book, the debut novel by Najma Yusufi, a filmmaker and lecturer, is her tribute to her ancestors -- the Afghan Durranis settled in Peshawar. A descendant of the Durranis on her mother's side, she tells the story of the last ruling Afghani royal family which separated, scattered and now occupies a small corner of Munda Beri in the Pakistani city. Dispossessed and disheartened, they cling to their former glory. Najma Yusufi, whose father Mehmood Ali Khan Yusufi hails from Uttar Pradesh, has dedicated…

10 May

A train of thought – and thinking about thinking

Title: Tetralogue: I'm Right, You're Wrong; Author: Timothy Williamson; Publisher: Oxford University Press; Pages: 160; Price: Rs 399 It is all in our mind. How we live our lives depends, to a considerable extent, on the philosophical points of view we use to explain the world and guide our actions. But how can we find out the strengths and weaknesses of the various views? Easy, hop on to this metaphorical train of thought. In what may first seem a four-act play but is actually an ancient and effective way of questioning our assertions and their underlying presumptions -- the Socratic…