Preview: Our Top New Releases from June

Superior: The Return of Race Science
by Angela Saini

In the twenty-first century, we like to believe that we have moved beyond scientific racism, that most people accept race as a social construct, not a biological one. But race science is experiencing a revival, fuelled by the misuse of science by certain political groups.
Even well-intentioned scientists, through their use of racial categories in genetics and medicine, betray their suspicion that race has some basis in biology.
In truth, it is no more real than it was hundreds of years ago, when our racial hierarchies were devised by those in power.
In Superior, award-winning author Angela Saini explores the concept of race, from its origins to the present day. Engaging with geneticists, anthropologists, historians and social scientists from across the globe,Superior is a rigorous, much needed examination of the insidious and destructive nature of race science.

 

Yoga Mythology: 64 Asanas and Their Stories
by Devdutt Pattanaik with w/ Matthew Rulli

The popular names of many yogic asanas – from Virbhadra-asana and Hanuman-asana to Matsyendra-asana, Kurma-asana and Ananta-asana – are based on characters and personages from Indian mythology. Who were these mythological characters, what were their stories, and how are they connected to yogic postures?
Devdutt Pattanaik’s newest book Yoga Mythology (co-written with international yoga practitioner Matthew Rulli) retells the fascinating tales from Hindu, Buddhist and Jain lore that lie behind the yogic asanas the world knows so well; in the process he draws attention to an Indic worldview based on the concepts of eternity, rebirth, liberation and empathy that has nurtured yoga for thousands of years.

 

Babu Bangladesh
by Numair Atif Choudhury

Bangladesh, 2028. A biographer begins to document the life of an enigmatic and controversial political luminary – Babu, also known as ‘Babu Bangladesh’. In unearthing the story of a man whom many thought was the leader of his generation, he begins to uncover the story of a nation itself. Buildings acquire consciousness to chart political outcomes, a tree stands defiantly even as marauding troops try to blast it out of existence, tribes of snake and tree worshipers compete for regional supremacy, even as fish-humanoids emerge from the waters … Flitting between fantasy and reality, manoeuvring through the rainforest swamps of Bangladesh with as much ease as the immigrant colonies of New York, blurring the boundaries between myth, history and truth, Babu Bangladesh! is a work of stunning scope and ambition from the most exciting literary voice to emerge from the Subcontinent in years.

 

New Delhi Conspiracy
by Meenakshi Leekhi w/ Krishna Kumar

A malicious man with a dangerous agenda.
An assassin on a diabolical mission.
A courageous politician on a treacherous trail.
And a conspiracy that will shake the nation.

When a scientist is shot to death in front of politician Vedika Khanna’s home, his dying words leave her chilled to the bone. After all, Prime Minister Raghav Mohan is beloved by citizens, and a threat to his life is a threat to national security.
So, with nothing to go on but the smallest of clues, Vedika and her trusted aides – the resourceful journalist Shreya and the tech-wiz Kartik – must embark on a perilous journey that will take them from the corridors of power in the Capital to the high-rises of Hong Kong and the innermost sanctums of Tibetan monasteries.
As Vedika and her team race against time to unravel clue after clue and uncover a sinister plot against the nation, will they succeed in their mission, or is it already too late?
A thriller that goes under the layers of Indian politics to show its inner workings.

 

Air: Pollution, Climate Change and India’s Choice Between Policy and Pretence
by Dean Spears

India’s air pollution is a deadly threat. Will its politics meet the challenge? Exposure to the world’s worst air pollution kills over a million Indians each year. It also affects children’s growth and threatens the economy and health of the next generation. No family can save itself from the collective danger of pollution. That is the task of governments, which, instead, have enacted showy, ineffective policies while neglecting to even measure the problem. With a smart package of policies, India could have healthier air. In fact, some strategies could bring down air pollution today, while also reducing the country’s deep vulnerability to future climate change. But to do so would demand an honest reckoning with both challenges: particles in the air and rising temperatures. India’s children need a serious commitment to change – not empty reassurance. The environment and economic progress are often portrayed to be at odds, but the compelling stories and hard facts in this important book challenge that outdated, narrow debate. It is time to clear the air.