From the blurbs

Towards a History of Consumption in South Asia edited by Douglas E. Haynes, Abigail McGowan, Tirthankar Roy, Haruka Yanagisawa, OUP, Rs 750

As scholars seek to understand the recent growth of the middle classes in South Asia, there has been a spurt of studies on contemporary consumption practices in the region. However such research rests on a thin understanding of the past. This book conceptualizes consumption historically. The essays examine the consumption of British manufactured goods in the early stages of colonialism and rural consumption patterns during periods of socio-economic changes.

50 Genetic Ideas You Really Need to Know by Mark Henderson, Penguin, Rs 399

In recent years knowledge of our genetic code has changed our understanding of life on Earth. But these advances have also generated controversy. This book distils the central ideas of genetics. It covers topics like the genome project and examines how nature and nurture work together and illuminate the role of genes in shaping our behaviour.

Portfolios of the Poor: How the World’s Poor Live on $2 A Day by Daryl Collins, Jonathan Morduch, Stuart Rutherford, and Orlanda Ruthven, Permanent Black, Rs 325

This is a report on the yearlong “financial diaries” of villagers and slum dwellers in Bangladesh, India, and South Africa. It tracks, penny by penny, how specific households manage their money. The stories are often surprising and inspiring. People squeeze money out of creditors whenever possible, run sophisticated savings clubs, and use microfinancing wherever available.