A list of good reads
- Mint offers a contrarian view on the success of hyper-nationalist Bollywood movies—i.e they are no longer a guaranteed hit.
- How do you display human remains in a sensitive way? That’s the challenge Vienna’s Natural History Museum is trying to solve with its collection of 50,0000 human body parts dating back to 1796. AFP via France24 reports on this unusual problem.
- For fans of his work, The Guardian’s profile of MC Escher is a brief but informative introduction to his work and life—and includes a Mick Jagger anecdote.
- Quartz offers a thought-provoking 4-step guide for a parent trying to teach their kids empathy.
- BBC News has a must-read report on Nepalese children who are made to work in bars and clubs in Kathmandu—exposing the lesser-known side of child trafficking.
- Looking for holiday reading? GQ lists the top 50 books of ‘literary journalism’ of the 21st century. At #1: Katherine Boo’s ‘Behind the Beautiful Forevers’, which tracks the lives of children in a Mumbai slum.
- The Guardian connects the ongoing spread of HIV with the rise of newer Covid variants.
- Wondering how Munawar Faruqui is dealing with his shows being canceled? The Print has a very good interview with the comedian.
- Paging all Bangaloreans: Indian Express takes a close look at Ullal lake—which is a great example of what is happening to water bodies in the city, far away from the public eye.
- Popular Science introduces us to the latest conspiracy theory: terrain theory—which involves anything from the “total denial of the existence of viruses and bacteria to the belief that lifestyle choices alone force otherwise benevolent microbes to transform into pathogens.”
- Fast Company looks at efforts to use virtual reality to treat mental illnesses—and raises the question: Can the metaverse be actually good for us?
- NPR has a delightful read on how Rabindranath Tagore’s ‘Kabuliwala’ helps combat prejudice against refugees to this day.
- The Indian Express has a good read on the rise of Bangladesh and why it has out-performed its neighbours.
- Scroll offers a great piece on the emerging hip-hop scene in Kashmir—and how it is helping young people to reclaim a disappearing language.
- Maneesh Chhibber in India Ahead offers a takedown of former CJI Ranjan Gogoi’s autobiography ‘Justice for the Judge’.
- This one is a walk down nostalgia lane: Al Jazeera on the rise and fall of the 70’s cult youth magazine in India, ‘JS’.
- Curious about the next generation of Ambanis? South China Morning Post reports on the “billion-dollar bond” between the twins, Isha and Akash.
- Wion explains why the “sperm smuggling” movie ‘Amira’ is facing a huge backlash in the Middle East.
- MD&A offers a counter-intuitive take on ride-hailing companies like Uber—and explains why they still haven’t become profitable.
- The Signal takes a closer look at the rising problems with moderation over at Clubhouse in India.
- Mint offers a fun guide on how to wing your next book club meeting when you haven’t read the damn book.
- Madhav Gadgil in The India Forum argues that “India’s conservation laws, based on pseudoscience, have criminalised people’s defence against marauding wildlife.”
- ABC News reports on the rising popularity of surfing in India—and how it is making Indians more aware of plastic pollution.
- The Atlantic reviews the much-awaited SATC reunion of Carrie Bradshaw and friends on HBO’s 'And Just Like That’.
- National Geographic offers a delightful history of the Christmas tree as a holiday tradition across the world.
- Long Reads has a beautiful essay on women in Mexico who keep their “disappeared” loved ones alive by cooking for them.
- Connie Wang, in Refinery 29 pays homage to the Asian tradition of serving cut fruit—minus all the pits, piths, and peels.
- A good watch: a preview of 2022’s biggest themes by The Economist.
