From the blurbs

UNDERSTANDING GANDHI by Usha Thakkar and Jayashree Mehta, Sage, Rs 550

Decades after Gandhi’s death and scores of books later, much about him remains unknown and enigmatic. This book fills such gaps through personalised accounts by some of his closest associates and followers.

HEALTH, ILLNESS AND MEDICINE: ETHNOGRAPHIC READINGS edited by Arima Mishra, Orient Blackswan, Rs 595

Reflecting on the current debates in sociology of health and illness, this volume explores a wide range of issues—family planning practices, efforts at combating tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, organ transplantation, the relationship between illness and cultural practices, and illness narratives.

DELHI ON THE ROAD by Supriya Sahai, Harper Collins, Rs 299

This visual diary, sketched over 18 months of driving and walking to all corners of Delhi, is a simple but striking introduction to the streets, the people and the everyday chaos that make Delhi the great metropolis it is.

UNDERSTANDING CASTE: FROM BUDDHA TO AMBEDKAR AND BEYOND by Gail Omvedt, Orient Blackswan, Rs 175

This book brings to the reader the failures and triumphs of the many efforts that have aimed to dissolve the oppressive facets of Hinduism and its caste ideology. It tries to understand dalit politics and the rise of the Bahujan Samaj Party. This important and essential reading will be an invaluable primer to students.