What is Hinduism /Mahatma Gandhi, National Book Trust India, 1994

This book was published on the occasion of the 125th birth anniversary of Gandhiji . Published on behalf of the Indian Council of Historical Research the book is a selection of articles drawn from Young India ,Harijan and Navajivan . I thought of writing about this book because this is one of the most simplest and easiest book I have read on the theme till date.I must confess I have read very little . For people like me who are not scholars but are interested in knowing more about our culture it is difficult to find a relevant book that is not too burdened with scholarly expositions.


The chapter explaining the opening lines of Isa , incidentally my favourite quote and a goal I would like to achieve in life , is the best I have read. Gandhiji speaks straight from the heart. His pride in his faith is evident from the articles . Essence of hinduism is in its all inclusiveness. Many ancient civilisations have died but the hindu way of life still survives and the culture still fascinates many foreigners and Indians alike. A British gentleman who was in Kolkata this week for the first time had a glimpse of the excitement in the city around Durga Puja and was simply astounded. He kept on saying he had witnessed living art in the manner pandals were being made which he called "art installations". This year Germans are involved in the planning and designing of Ekdalia Evergreen Club's Puja.

Gandhiji's writings carry this essential spirit of the Indian culture in words which ordinary people can follow easily.He writes about equality of religions, non-violence being common to all religions, his conviction that God is, that Truth is God, about the message of Gita and it’s Ideal, about Hinduism and why he has chosen to remain a Hindu. Some of the extracts are from his daily discourses and retain the conversational style which makes you feel you are listening to the great man directly. I also liked the very practical nature of the messages which gels with the thought process of a modern sceptical mind. It is a 119 page book with 43 chapters .It is a good publication to possess and read and to reread.

The age of Wonder : how the romantic generation discovered the beauty and terror of science/ Richard Holmes ,Harper Press, 2008

“In wonder all philosophy began: in Wonder it ends….but the first Wonder is the Offspring of Ignorance , the last is the Parent of Adoration” Coleridge Aids to Reflection

The book is a celebration of romantic science a movement which spanned perhaps two generations beginning with Captain Cook’s expedition in 1768 and Darwin’s voyage aboard the Beagle in 1831 .Richard Holmes asserts that the notion of “wonder” unites romanticism as a cultural force and the spirit behind scientific quests during the period. The scientific discoveries of the time had a great influence on the writings of poets and writers of the time including the composition of the remarkable science fiction and cult novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. It was a great age of scientific lectures and also an age when the monopoly of the elite Royal Society was beginning to be openly challenged.

The book is interspersed with numerous references to writings of famous Romantic poets and descriptions of how the various scientific theories affected the works of these brilliant writers. The book carries interesting insights into the lives of men and women and the existing practices in various aspects of human society during the times. Lives of Joseph Banks,the astronomer Wilhelm Herschel, the chemist Humphry Davy and others are portrayed in such a manner as if they are characters involved in a cosmic drama . The spirit of romanticism underlies the fluent narrative and strikes you repeatedly as you get completely engrossed in the story. It is a well researched document and can be enjoyed for its many exotic and rare stories.
Joseph Banks , the official botanist to H M Bark Endeavour commanded by Lieutenant James Cook first” clapped eyes” on the island of Tahiti on 13 April 1769 .Contrary to legend Endeavour was not the first European ship to reach the fabled island .The French botanist Philibert Commerson had already described Tahiti as a sexual Utopia. The book describes the experiences of Banks and his team during their stay in the Polynesian island .Sexual bartering was common and Endeavour lost hundredweight bag of nails in the process stolen by its crew. Thieving was common but the norms of social ethics were different. Tahiti had a life changing impact on the young Banks who on his return broke off his engagement as he found himself at the moment unfit for marriage and civil life.
Some of the expeditions were unsuccessful like Mungo Parks second expedition to Africa in search of the mythical land of Timbuctoo. He lost an entire team of over forty people including his own life in the heart of Africa. Mungo Parks abandoned a successful medical career in pursuit of the unknown. The book has references to medical practices of the times. Fanny Burney underwent a painful operation for breast cancer without the application of anaesthetic. It was carried by the famous French military surgeon Larrey .Fanny Burney screamed all throughout the operation but went on to survive and live for another twenty years.Larrey was known to have performed 200 amputations in twenty four hours after the Battle of Borodino.
The debate around decline of British Science , the infighting around the presidential elections of Royal Society , the release of Charles Babbage salvo “Reflections on the Decline of Science in England “ in 1820 reflect the nature of changing times when science was gaining prominence in other European nations.

The 554 page book reads like a story book and is full of absorbing anecdotes. It is a good way to know about the exciting times of western science especially for people who have little knowledge of scientific history. Richard Holmes writes brilliantly .While reading the book I remembered the strap line of a popular advert of a leading daily “Simply unputdownable”. The paperback edition which is a later edition should be avoided .The print size is difficult on the eyes. The book has lovely illustrations including a photograph of William Herschel’s forty-foot reflector telescope and a Victorian image of the death of Mungo Park on the river Niger. There is a very informative cast list at the end –short biographical entries on different personalities mentioned in the book. Richard Holmes is a Fellow of British Academy and was a Professor of Biographical Studies at the University of East Anglia. Shortlisted for BBC Samuel Johnson Prize ,the book can be enjoyed by anyone including students of literature and humanities.

Links

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2008/nov/02/enlightenment-science-art

http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/295631-19#