- Indian Rheumatology association
Vinod Ravindran MD, CCT-Rheumatology (UK), FRCP
Consultant Rheumatologist
Centre for Rheumatology, Calicut, Kerala, India
Books and me!
I consider myself lucky to have been able to sustain a keen interest in reading books (paper ones, I must clarify!) during some of the busiest periods of my life. I like biographies, travelogues, fiction and colonial history. In addition, classics in both Hindi and English remain my favourites. In choosing books, I trust my research and word of mouth, and also follow recommendations of my family made over dinner. I have learnt not to rely on book reviews published in the newspapers or promotions in the book fairs/festivals, as they can be misleading and may push an agenda of their own. From my travels, I hardly return without having purchased a book from a local shop or at the airport. Buying online is a cost-effective way, but nothing beats the sheer joy of visiting a local shop for old books on Sunday with my family in Calicut. Purists may not like it, but I do underline or highlight my favourite passages in the books I read. I am not possessive about the books after I have read them, that’s why they would be found scattered all over the globe, much to the chagrin of my family! Here is a selection of 5 books I have read in recent months.
John F Kennedy- an unfinished life
By Robert Dallek (Penguin Books)
This masterpiece of a biography introduces the reader to how the 35th president of the USA overcame many lifelong physical infirmities and demonstrated exceptional strength of character in leading his nation. It might make rheumatologists wonder whether he was suffering from spondyloarthritis?!
The Art of War
By Sun Tzu, translated by Lionel Giles (Lexicon Books)
“All warfare is based on deception”. This book is a Chinese military treatise written in the 6th century BC. This is considered the definitive work on military strategies and tactics and remains one of the basic texts in this field. Some of my other favourite quotes from this book are “supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy’s resistance without fighting” and “he will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight”.
Anmol Kahaniyan
By Munshi Premchand (Fingerprint!)
This collection of short stories from our own Munshiji, the Indian master storyteller, is unique as it has our all-time favourite stories such as “Mamta”, “Aap-beethi”, “Mahatheerth”, and ‘Haar ki Jeet” depicting the indomitable nature of humans in overcoming tough individual circumstances and embracing righteous path for the goodness of the society and the nation.
And then there were none
By Agatha Christie (Harper Collins)
One does not need to be a fan of Agatha Christie to appreciate this creepy crime fiction masterpiece. Ten people had to die without it becoming ridiculous or the murderer being obvious. Both as a book and movies, it keeps you on the edge, and no wonder it came first in the global vote to find the world’s favourite Agatha Christie books for her 125th birthday.
Indian Summer
By Alex von Tunzelmann (Simon & Schuster)
Focusing on one of the most distressing periods for our nation, this historical masterpiece provides a unique account of the saga of partition as it unfolded and the roles played by the contemporary key figures. Some passages, particularly on the brevity and acts of actual “division’ by powers that be and the apathy aftermath, are heartrending.
