Edited by Monica Juneja and Sumathi Ramaswamy

Each scholar takes a different track: the art historian Zitzewitz looks at the theatrical performances that are imaged in the artist’s photo-performances, tracing a historical lineage to popular performances and even the artist’s own childhood participation in dramatic enactments of historical and mythological stories. Zitzewitz further argues for the interpretation of performance as an inhabiting of gender. Whether exploring the gendered iconography of nation or cinematic tropes


Reviewed by: Rashmi Viswanathan
By Aishika Chakraborty

This richly researched and evocatively articulated narrative, however, might leave a historian hankering for more in terms of a radical re-engagement with some of the existing frameworks. While the author begins with critiquing existing historiography on reducing the life of the Widow Reform Movement to its architect, Vidyasagar, the choice of opening the book with a chapter dedicated to the man does make the reader question the extent to which the book falls into the same trap.


Reviewed by: Surbhi Vatsa
By Manish Gaekwad

It is here, in the kotha, that Rekha Devi begins to piece together the shreds of her life and secure it from one day to the next, discovering herself in the process—learning music although she ‘sang like Neelkamal’, her goat, and wondered how she could ever sing, when she hardly ever spoke (p. 20). Her body, however, responded instantly to music (p. 22). She wished the ustad who tried to teach her music would use a spittoon and ‘not open his fountain mouth which sprinkled red spittle all over


Reviewed by: Kalpana Kannabiran
Edited by Michael D. Bordo, John H. Cochrane, and John B. Taylor

The second section of the book deals with the challenges of financial regulation and its relationship with monetary policy. The discussion revolves around the Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) which failed in early 2023. The SVB was a successful new age financial institution, with a clientele drawn from the technology and startup sectors. Established in 1983


Reviewed by: TCA Anant
By Arati Kumar-Rao

Kumar-Rao skilfully offers readers a deep and thorough understanding of the fragile landscapes using extensive investigative journalism and vivid descriptions of challenging circumstances.


Reviewed by: Mir Wafa Rasheeq
By Upamanyu Chatterjee

The richly textured sections on semi-urban and rural Bangladesh are remarkable for visual details. Imagine this: A ‘gora’ missionary holding a bundle of dirty clothes is lowering himself gingerly into a scum-covered pukur to wash himself and his garments. The steps are broken and slippery and a large, cheering audience of locals is shouting instructions! Here is another


Reviewed by: Malashri Lal