Random hits on the keyboard

“Boo-zaaa! Boo-zaa!” Mevlut shouts across the dimly lit streets of Istanbul. Reading A Strangeness in My Mind,  I feel like I am walking through the city after sunset, when the noise settles, but every corner still breathes a story. Pamuk leads us into Istanbul through the life of Mevlut, a humble boza seller, and shows how uncontrolled urbanisation and the city’s shifting social, political, and economic tides shape a man’s life just as much as he seeks to shape his own path. Mevlut moves through Istanbul the way many of us move through our own hometown, sometimes in hope, sometimes in confusion, and often, unwantedly, accepting whatever the day brings. As I followed him, I felt a familiar pull of nostalgia, like when I look back at the inner alleys of Kathmandu or the old temples that have stood longer than any of us. Pamuk’s Istanbul, always growing and always unsettled, carries the same restlessness and warmth. The book moves slowly, but never lazily. It mirrors the rhythm of Me...

Fareed Zakaria is recognized as one of the most influential international relations thinkers of our time. He is an Indian migrant to the US. Zakaria is the weekly host of Global Public Square (GPS) on CNN, providing analysis of global headlines. The book, Age of Revolutions, is another milestone book from Fareed. The book provides a historical background of major political changes and revolutions from 1600 to the present. It begins with the Dutch financial empire and its growth, followed by a detailed narrative of British industrialisation and colonization in Africa and Asia, leading to a massive change in production and economic prosperity. A critical description of the French Revolution is interesting with a comparison to other European powers, focusing on the reasons for its failure, which are presented convincingly and logically. The book presents globalization and liberalization as positive forces for change, leading to a reduction in global poverty and advancements in technology....