Briefings: Making of the Mahatma

More importantly,Devji establishes that Gandhis project was an ethical revolution in world politics,to rid it of violence in an age defined by state violence. Therefore,he should not be seen as a failure because India was partitioned and his dream of a unified,free subcontinent could not be achieved. The battle for Indian independence was a proof of concept. With its success,he had hoped to win the world to the path of non-violence. He succeeded in some measure,with his methods being deployed to fight racism and imperialism in several countries,notably the US and South Africa.

The Circle of Love

Elton John has always been the quintessential showman,changing octaves and spectacles with equal flamboyance. And in true rock star style,behind the glamour lurk the devils. In Love is the Cure,he confronts the past and plots the global battle against the disease.

This effortless read is peppered with anecdotes about other celebrities who appear here as friends and supporters. John finds Princess Diana one of the most compassionate people ever. Queen frontman Freddie Mercury covered with lesions and nearly blinded by AIDS remembers to send his fellow drag-queen a thoughtful Christmas gift from his hospital bed.

The true hero of the book however is Ryan White (1971-1990),a hemophiliac teenager who contracted HIV from a blood transfusion and was then prohibited from attending school. The White familys battle against the stigma of AIDS and Ryans desire to live normally,inspire John beyond measure. As a tribute to Ryan,John breaks free from a cycle of alcohol,cocaine,bulimia and self-hate. He seeks help,enters rehab and goes on to start the landmark Elton John AIDS Foundation.

This book reads like a breezy conversation and not high prose. It engages the reader,reminding us that as recently as 1993,doctors in leading American hospitals often refused to treat AIDS patients. But as John notes,while the madness and misinformation,the suffering and hopelessness of AIDS might be a closed chapter in the West,it continues to be a death sentence in other parts of the world.

Thats Out

If the ball slips out of a bowlers hand and flies over the boundary rope,is it a four or a six? Can longer-version cricket be played with a white ball? Besides answering these tricky questions and throwing up much insightful,entertaining trivia,this book by veteran journalist Kishin R. Wadhwaney raises grave objections to archaic rules that have somehow survived the games modern-day scrutiny.

The books cover can shout out its synopsis from the shelf. MCC law manual is an seems an incomplete title but the caricature of a donkey,with the hind leg raised,just below the title,drops more than a hint about Wadhwaneys regard for the games decision-makers.

Player-turned-umpire and lifelong student of the game,the 83-year-old prolific writer dissects the rule book which,he says,is full of contradictions that create confusion. He cites the word wicket,which has several meanings in a cricket dictionary. It could be the stumps with bails atop,it could be dismissals that a bowler takes and even the batsmen waiting for their turn in the pavilion. Wadhwaney isnt just finding holes,but comes up with imaginative suggestions to make the game less complex.

As for the questions in the beginning,its only a batsman who can score a six. If the ball slips out of a bowlers hand,it is declared a four. The law isnt specific about the colour of the ball and the duration of the game.