Recommended Read: Challenger, by Adam Higginbotham

Close to four decades ago, NASA and the American space program faced one of their biggest setbacks ever. In January 1986, one of the two rocket boosters attached to the space shuttle Challenger sprung a leak and exploded. The explosion happened just 73 seconds after the shuttle had taken off and Challenger crashed into the Atlantic Ocean less than three minutes later, killing all seven astronauts on board. It was a disaster of epic proportions and one that was watched live, on television, by millions of Americans. 

The story of how – and why – this disaster happened has been told in bits and pieces in thousands of magazine and newspaper articles, and on many TV shows. But now we have Adam Higginbotham’s book, Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space, which was published in 2024 and which is the full, deeply researched, comprehensive account of what really happened on that day in ’86 and how a multi-million-dollar piece of machinery fell apart due to sheer carelessness, apathy and incompetence of those involved. The book is an incisive piece of work, sharp and very well-written.

Recommended Read: Ghosts of K2

Here’s an honest admission: I’m not much of a climber. When holidaying in Nainital, I often take a cab to go from the Mall Road up to whatever hotel I happen to be staying in, usually not more than 2-3km away. Forget about mountains, I even take the elevator when going up to my apartment, which is on the 2nd floor of the building I currently live in. And yet, I do have this strange fascination for reading about adventures in climbing, of great exploits in extreme mountaineering. Real accounts of people risking life and limb to get to the top of some piece of rock. I mean, getting to the top of something like Mount Everest or K2 entails suffering extreme physical hardship, tolerating intense cold and freezing winds, facing difficulties in breathing due to lack of adequate oxygen and coming to terms with extreme dangers that include the risk of losing toes and fingers to frostbite. And, of course, there's the ever-present risk of death. More than scaring the hell out of me, which it certainly does, extreme mountaineering leaves me confused. It’s simply incomprehensible to me. Why do it at all?!? But I guess that is what separates a couch potato like me from mountaineering heroes, the people who have astonishing courage, the sheer indomitable will to achieve something that is impossible for 99.99% of the rest of us.

In the context of the above, I just finished reading ‘Ghosts of K2,’ a terrific book by author Mick Conefrey, who has laid out the saga of how people started trying to climb K2 in the early 20th century and how an Italian team became the first to summit the great, savage mountain in the 1950s. Many tried, most failed, some died. Even for those who succeeded, controversies dogged them for the rest of their lives. But the story of the sheer effort – the planning, the massive resources, the logistics, the manpower, the technology – required to go up a mountain like K2, and actually getting to the summit, is simply brilliant. It’s a story that unfolds over many decades and Conefrey has done a very good job of telling that story. If you are at all interested in mountaineering – or even stories of extreme adventures of any kind - I’d suggest you get a copy of this book. The paperback is available on Amazon, for a mere Rs 375.

Book Review: Secondhand - Travels in the New Global Garage Sale

Humanity is drowning in a sea of… stuff. You know, stuff, things we can’t stop buying. Shoes, clothes, furniture, electrical home appliances, kitchenware, digital devices, automobiles. We buy stuff to use, to show to others, to keep up with the neighbours, to give as gifts, to store so it can be used ‘someday.’ We buy stuff for the pleasure that its ownership gives to us, we buy stuff so we can pass it on to our children someday, we buy because we fall for the marketing that makes us believe we need to ‘upgrade,’ and we buy stuff because, well, because we can. But how many of us ever stop to think, even for a minute, what happens to all our stuff once we are done with it, when we no longer have any use for it and when we don’t want to keep it any longer? Where does it go, what happens to it, where it ends up? Adam Minter’s book, Secondhand: Travels in the New Global Garage Sale is a thought-provoking read that encourages us to pause and think about the afterlife of the things we buy, once we sell, donate or discard those things. It’s an unexpectedly interesting story that takes you all over the world, exploring the world of ‘secondhand,’ which in some ways almost functions like a parallel universe, a shadow economy that barely accounted for.

Book Review: Flying Blind - The 737 Max Tragedy and the Fall of Boeing

One assumes airplanes are safe. As in, totally, completely safe. In recent decades, air travel has become so commonplace, so mundane, we never ever think we might be at any sort of risk when flying. Given the number of accidents that happen every single day on roads – involving cars, motorcycles, trucks and buses – flying seems to be so much safer. And for the most part, it is. Things don’t go wrong too often, but when they do – when planes crash – those who are in those planes don’t usually walk away. Almost inevitably, lives are lost. Sometimes, these accidents in aviation do happen by chance, a freak occurrence, something that nobody could have predicted or prevented in any way. But some do happen because of sheer negligence and/or shoddy engineering. Peter Robinson’s book, Flying Blind: The 737 Max Tragedy and the Fall of Boeing, is the shocking story of how things went wrong at Boeing, an American icon and one of the most respected, trusted aircraft manufacturers in the world.

Book Recommendation: Taste - My Life Through Food

Stanley Tucci is a movie star who loves good food. He can act and he can write and he’s written one hell of a food-focused memoir. Taste: My Life Through Food is Tucci’s account of growing up in an Italian household (his family migrated from Italy to the US before he was born), eating hearty Italian fare cooked by his mother. As he grows up, he holds on to the love of good food and makes a conscious effort to eat well wherever he goes. Tucci has a wonderful way with words and writes with a certain flamboyance, subtly dosed with his sardonic wit and dry humour. He writes about the food he cooks and home – for his own family as well as for guests – and about a selection of great restaurants (both big and small, not necessarily expensive, often family-run) across the world, in the US, in the UK and in Europe, where he’s had some memorable meals. Those meals are described with elan – Tucci’s writing has a flair you’ll likely enjoy. In fact, if you love to eat well and like to read books that are all about food, Taste is one book you must absolutely read.  

Taste: My Life Through Food is available on Amazon   

Book Review: Arriving Today

I looked up my order history on Amazon and the first thing I ever ordered on Amazon was on 28^th September 2014. That first order was a book, Dan Walsh’s These are the Days That Must Happen to You, which I quite enjoyed reading and which I still have in my small collection of books. That year, I placed a total of five orders on Amazon, all of which comprised only books. Since then, over the last 10 years, I have placed close to 1,100 orders, comprising books, clothes, shoes, watches, mobile phones, chocolates, cookies, headphones, power banks, random toiletries, chairs and tables, cupboards, air-conditioners… the list is pretty much endless. 

Whenever we need to buy something – almost anything – for the house, my wife and I automatically default to opening up the Amazon app on our phones. More often than not, we don’t even think of visiting local malls and markets – buying on Amazon is just so much easier. But I have to admit, I’d never given much thought to what buying on Amazon entails in the context of what happens behind the scenes, in terms of the global supply chain that kicks in when we place an order online, and the mind-boggling logistics that need to be worked out by ecommerce companies in order to get our orders delivered on time. And that is exactly what Christopher Mims tells us in his book, Arriving Today: From Factory to Front Door - Why Everything HasChanged About How and What We Buy.

Book Summary Websites: Are They Really Useful?

Some things take time – that’s just the way it is. Want to be an expert at playing the piano? Want to build a National-level championship-winning physique? Want to learn to cook like the head chef at a Michelin-starred restaurant? Want to get a PhD in aerospace engineering? For any of those things – and perhaps thousands of others – there are no shortcuts. You need to put in the time, the effort, the proverbial blood, sweat and tears. There’s no other way.

On that note, what about reading a 1,000-page book? Or rather more specifically, a 1,000-page non-fiction book? It could be a book on politics, history, psychology, economics or religion. To gain an in-depth understanding of what the author has attempted to convey over a thousand pages, does one need to actually sit down and read every one of those pages, or could there be another way? Personally, I’d say you have to make that effort, you have to read every bit of it – there’s no other way. But clearly, some others believe there might indeed be a short cut.

The Story of the Mighty Paperback

A senior professional from the Indian publishing industry, the exceptionally well-read and eminently knowledgeable Sridhar Balan tells us the story of the ‘paperback’ format of books, which has over the last few decades democratised reading and made books more accessible to a wide range of buyers. In addition to his work in publishing, Balan is a well-known writer himself and his columns have been published in The Hindu, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Financial Express and The Asian Age. His book Off the Shelf: On Books, Book People and Places was published by Speaking Tiger in 2019.

A ‘paperback’ is defined as a softcover book with a thick paper cover or paper board cover, the pages of which are held together with glue rather than stitches or staples. Glue is used in a hardback too but here the pages are sewn together in sections. The hardback is characterized by sturdy boards with a loose jacket cover. The paper used for printing in a paperback is often of lower grammage or thickness than that of the hardback. Therefore, the paperback appears less sturdy, lightweight and perhaps flimsier. It’s difficult to believe that such an object could save a life. But that’s precisely what the paperback carried in the breast-pocket of French legionnaire Maurice Hammoneau did during the battle of Verdun, in the First World War, in 1913. Hammoneau was shot and lost consciousness. When he regained consciousness, he found that he was alive because the book had stopped the bullet – its last twenty pages had miraculously stopped the bullet from creating a fatal wound. As for the book, we know it well in India. It was the pocket edition in French of Rudyard Kipling’s famous work, Kim. This book can be viewed in the Rare Books Room of the Library of Congress in Washington DC, along with some correspondence between Maurice and Kipling.

The Lensman: In Conversation with Pradeep Chandra

Based in Bombay, Pradeep Chandra is a senior photojournalist who has worked with the Times of India for more than 25 years. He has also worked for a host of other newspapers and magazines and is the author of five books, three of which are on megastar Amitabh Bachchan. His latest book, Amitabh Bachchan: The Forever Star, was released in 2022. I had an opportunity to speak to Pradeep about his work as a photojournalist and an author, his books and the experience of working with Amitabh Bachchan. Here are some excerpts from that conversation.

Book Review: An Inky Parade - Tales for Bibliophiles

Author, avid bibliophile and book collector Pradeep Sebastian’s new book, An Inky Parade ‘is a window into the charming world of antiquarian book trade in India and around the world, as well as an ode to the book as an object of art, sure to delight every reader,’ says the publisher’s note. ‘Blending personal experience, revelatory conversations and bewitching legends from the world of books, the author paints in full splendour the picture of a life devoted to the romance of books,’ it adds.

In Conversation with His Excellency Prashant Agrawal, Ambassador of India to Laos

During the time when he was serving as Indian Ambassador to Namibia, Mr Prashant Agrawal led The Cheetah Project, for reintroducing the Cheetah to India after a gap of more than seven decades

I like speaking to people who are ardent readers and who love books – such people often have interesting perspectives on not just books but also life in general. The conversations that I have with such people, some of which I post here on this website, often make for interesting reading.

Some time ago, I had an opportunity to catch up with His Excellency Mr Prashant Agrawal, Ambassador of India to Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Laos), who loves to read and has an eclectic taste in books. Currently based in Vientiane, the national capital of Laos, Mr Agrawal is a senior diplomat, who joined the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) in 1998. In addition to having served in various capacities in the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi, he has also served as Deputy Chief of Mission and India’s Deputy Permanent Representative to UNESCAP in Thailand, and India’s Consul General to Hong Kong SAR and Macau SAR. Before taking up his current assignment in Laos, Mr Agrawal was serving as India’s High Commissioner to Namibia, where he successfully initiated and led Project Cheetah, aimed at reintroducing the Cheetah in India.

Despite a packed schedule and a hectic pace of life, Mr Agrawal – who also has a degree in mechanical engineering from IIT Kanpur – retains his love for books and reading, which has been dear to his heart since his school and college days. I had an opportunity to ask him a few questions about his early days, his love for reading, the books he likes and the authors whose work he likes. Here are some excerpts from the conversation.

Reading By Design: Professor G.V. Sreekumar

Prof. G.V. Sreekumar loves books and is an ardent reader

A dear friend and former colleague from my days with CHIP magazine, G.V. Sreekumar is a Professor and former Head of IDC School of Design at IIT Bombay, and his specialisations include typography, calligraphy, publication design, information graphics, design pedagogy, and visual semantics. Prof. Sreekumar studied Applied Art at M.S. University, Baroda, and Visual Communication at IDC, IIT Bombay. Since the year 2000, he has been a faculty member at IDC, IIT Bombay as well as a design consultant with many corporate houses.

Since Prof. Sreekumar is an ardent reader, I thought it would be interesting to talk to him about his favourite books and authors. Here are some excerpts from the conversation.

Let’s Talk Mutual Funds: In Conversation with Monika Halan

Financial expert and widely respected journalist and book author, Monika Halan talks about investing in mutual funds and the pitfalls that investors should avoid

Ups and downs, highs and lows – they’re all part of life. That’s alright as long as one remembers to prepare for the lows when riding the highs. And financial prudence – proper financial planning – is an important part of that. If I have one deep regret in life, it’s the fact that I paid no attention at all to planning my financial future when I was young. In the early years of my career, I spent money like there was no tomorrow and made no effort to save anything, much less invest any of whatever little I earned.

While I started working in my early-20s, I only started thinking about saving and investing money when I was already in my mid-40s – a colossal mistake. But in any case, even if it was already very, very late, I did realise my mistake and set about rectifying the situation as best as I could. And for me, that was investing in mutual funds, which has since then provided me with some decent returns. I’ll never make up for those 20 years I lost – spending indiscriminately when I should have been saving and investing. But for whatever little it’s worth, I hope I’ve mended my ways for good and now there might perhaps be some hope for my financial future.

The Book of Body Positivity: Addressing Medical Professionals’ Bias Against Overweight Individuals

The society doesn’t exactly make things easy for people who are deemed overweight. Fat, obese, whatever. Every day in schools, colleges, workplaces and often even in their own homes, fat people are called names and are shamed – sometimes with casual nonchalance, at other times with studied cruelty. People who are overweight are sometimes (often?) labelled ‘fat and useless,’ get looked at with disgust, are sniggered at, are excluded, left out, laughed at, spoken to in a condescending manner and made to feel bad about themselves. 

It’s as if every thin person on the planet has an automatic, God-given right to talk down to those who are overweight. And since ‘fat shaming’ is a global, universal phenomenon, those who are overweight quickly learn to acquiesce, compromising any dignity or self-respect they might happen to be left with. Crack jokes and laugh at a fat person’s weight and they will usually pretend to laugh along with you. Because, hey, aren’t those jokes really funny?

Book Review: Crypto Crimes - Inside India’s Best-Kept Secret

Everyone wants to get rich quick and some believe crypto is one way to get there

Cryptocurrency. Bitcoin. Digital assets. While the vast majority of people in India (and probably elsewhere in the world) have heard of these terms, most have very little or no understanding of what these really are, what they mean and what drives their value. And yet, many still believe that dabbling in these might somehow open the gateways to earning massive sums of money. This is, perhaps, what is truly amazing about cryptocurrencies – how little people understand these and how, despite having no idea of their underlying value (or the complete lack of it, depending on who you ask) they’re still prepared to invest in these anyway. Greed? Speculation? Yes, but given their meteoric rise in prices over the last 15 years, crypto can be an irresistible lure for some. Back in 2010, some guy named Laszlo Hanyecz paid 10,000 Bitcoin for two Papa John’s pizzas. At that time, one Bitcoin was equal to around two or three US dollars. Today, one Bitcoin is valued at US$64,470. Can’t blame Hanyecz though; given its lack of any real, measurable value, who could have predicted Bitcoin’s crazy price trajectory?

Western Media Narratives on India: In Conversation with Umesh Upadhyay

Published earlier this year, Western Media Narratives on India: From Gandhi to Modi explores how cultural imperialism influences the Third-World nations. ‘Media in the hands of the former colonizers that wish to maintain their sway has become a tool to dictate people’s thoughts. Focussed on India, this narrative spans from the nation’s independence in 1947 to the present day, scrutinizing the relentless targeting of Indian leadership by the dominant Western English media. With time, these attacks have intensified, particularly on a resurgent India,’ says the publisher’s note.

Book Review: India’s Most Legendary Restaurants

Across the length and breadth of the country, India has one of the richest, most diverse food cultures anywhere in the world. For committed gastronomes, some of the most authentic, soul-satisfying food experiences can often be found in people’s homes. But these aren’t always accessible and certainly not to everyone. And that’s where restaurants come in – almost every city in India has a selection of eateries that have made a name for themselves over the years, specialising in the local cuisine, with the flavours amped up and taken to whole new level, achieved via a mix of carefully selected ingredients and cooking techniques developed over many years, sometimes many decades. And the best part is, you’re just as likely to find such legendary eateries inside a five-star hotel as on a nondescript streetside corner.

Why We Die: Book Review

Death is the final frontier, the inevitable end. We know that and yet most of us find it difficult to deal with thoughts of dying and of death. With major advances in medical science over the last 100 years or so, doctors and scientists have been able to increase human lifespans, but in the end, we have to accept that human bodies simply aren’t built to last forever. Ultimately, death still wins. Always. For those who might be inclined to ask why, Nobel Prize winner, molecular biologist Venki Ramakrishnan’s recently published book, Why We Die: The New Science of Ageing and the Quest for Immortality has some answers.

‘We are living through a revolution in biology. Giant strides are being made in understanding why we age—and why some species live longer than others. Could we eventually cheat disease and death and live for a very long time, possibly many times our current lifespan? Venki Ramakrishnan, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry and former president of the Royal Society, takes us on a riveting journey to the frontiers of biology, asking whether we must be mortal,’ says the publisher’s note. ‘Covering recent breakthroughs in scientific research, he examines the cutting edge of efforts to extend lifespan by altering our physiology. But might death serve a necessary biological purpose? What are the social and ethical costs of attempting to live forever? Why We Die is a narrative of uncommon insight and beauty from one of our leading public intellectuals,’ it adds.

Book Review: The Pursuit of Reputation

Let’s start with an honest admission. While I’ve worked as a journalist for most of the last 25-30 years, I have also worked in Public Relations and Corporate Communications for a few years. With a German car manufacturer, in Formula 1, with India’s only F1 and MotoGP circuit, and with a leading agency that’s headquartered in Bombay. So, I can claim to have seen both sides of the coin as a journalist and as a PR professional. And yet – and this is the surprising part – even after having spending a few years working in PR, I don’t think I’ve ever been able to fully understand what PR is all about. 

At one time, in the distant past, PR used to be mostly about sending out press releases and then following up with newspapers and magazines for media coverage. Now, what with the rise of bloggers, vloggers, social media influencers, YouTube, smartphones, apps and a thousand other digital doodads, I’m told PR is much more complex – a ‘strategic’ function that’s at least as important as marketing. These days, we have highly-paid specialists who ‘craft’ ‘PR strategy’ for companies and going by the terms they use – content marketing, earned media, owned media, paid media, positioning strategy, messaging strategy, share of voice, advertising equivalence value and many more – the PR pros are giving MBA types a run for their money when it comes to using buzzwords.

Book Review: Fluke – Chance, Chaos, and Why Everything We Do Matters

In his book, Fluke, author Brian Klaas presents some powerful ideas that might make you reconsider the way you approach life and its many complexities

Think about this for a second. There are currently more than a billion websites in the world, about 200 million of which are active. Two hundred million active websites. And here you are, on The Lucknow Wallah, reading about Fluke. In the larger scheme of things, how random is that? What might have been the probability of you ever visiting this website and spending 2-3 minutes of your life reading this particular article? Infinitesimal, perhaps. And yet, here we are. Pure chance? Think about the biggest movie stars, the richest businessmen, and the most successful people in the world, regardless of what their profession might be. How did they get there? Are they necessarily the smartest, brightest, most talented, most knowledgeable, most hardworking people in the world? Sure, they probably do have one or more of those qualities, but there may well be many others with at least as many – and perhaps more – of the qualities that are required in order to succeed, and yet they don’t achieve the same levels of fame, success, money etc. Ever wondered why that might be?