THE ASSASSINATION OF INDIRA GANDHI

By Dr. R Sudarshan

For many of our generation, 1984 was a great year of the turmoil surrounding the killing of a popular Prime Minister. But the mind also drifted then to place that event in the landscape of history to see it not as the most critical incident of the year, but as a crossroad of history, where the ordinary and the extraordinary happen in tandem.

Upamanyu narrates the assassination in a similar context to the passage of time. Brilliantly. He speaks of the extraordinary things like a high pedestal betrayal and a massacre of people alongside the pedestrian life that we all live - the excitement of wealth by a family, a boy seeking revenge on a sexual predator, a latrine cleaner longing for release, a lone man's companionship with sparrows and a whole lot of commonplace stories. All happen together on the stage of life but none are linked to the other.

A masterful piece of writing. A perspective that stuns you with its time-neutral philosophy. And the very exact things that you see in your life while thinking beyond your life.

On the shelf - an incredible writer's control of language, perceptions, perspectives, and some effervescent thoughts.

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IT'S RAINING BOOKS

By Dr. R Sudarshan

Watch video: https://fb.watch/eyWr0eJz78/

July has seen a lot of rain. And we were not excluded even indoors. The torrent is not of water, but of books at the Silverfish. Twice a month, the shelves have been replenished with over 300 volumes. The dynamic 10,000 titles at the store have always had a monthly flux of over 300, which keep moving in as the old is sold. And the display shelves for 'recent arrivals' and 'best sellers' are like a serpent molting - shedding the previous and renewing afresh as the time rolls. A book store can't be more organic and livelier than that.

'Silverfish Books' has just turned 2 years old, by the way. And the footfall has crossed 10,000. Every day, we see a new face at the store. And everyone will have found a new title to read.

For any relevant query, message 81051 12990.

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Silverfish Books, Farmer's House, # 1A - 13th Cross, Kalidasa Road, VV Mohalla, Mysore.

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COMMUNITY DIALOGUE - 1

By Dr. R Sudarshan EATING CLEAN: COMMUNITY DIALOGUE - 1; Featured Speaker - Sindhu Ramachandra; Friday, 15 July 2022 at 5:30 PM E ating clean is a lifestyle fundamental, easily ignored and abused in the fast lane of tongue temptations. And the long convoluted tube that we call 'gut' is often turned into a gutter that is forced to process what it is not meant for - synthetic food, herbicides, pesticides, and life-threatening substances. Sindhu is a biochemist with work experience from IISc. She pursues data science and AI in the context of biochemistry. An ardent believer in organic farming, she cares for clean foods. And she knows how unclean foods can turn your life upside down. Community Dialogues at the Farmer's House are an engagement with reason to restore the dignity of life. Come, listen, interact and benefit. Attendance is FREE. Register with Gagan at 97421 62956. * * * Farmer's House, Silverfish Books, Kutz Bowl and the Farmer's Market, # 1A, 13th Cross,...

SISTERS OF THE WAR

By Dr. R Sudarshan T hose of us that are born in a land and society of relative peace will never understand the pains and perils of war. The extreme sufferings people undergo for no fault of theirs and their inescapable fate of circumstances are unbelievable stories for us, as we sip from our mugs of comfort coffee. The civil war in Syria is an ongoing reality of our times. Rania Abouzeid writes the real story of two pairs of sisters, surviving the bullets, broken homes, blasted childhood, and a routine of a revolting rut. Those are real-life stories of how hope works. A reflection on how the one earth and one time that we all share is an unequal opportunity of existence. On the shelf - a mood that grips you and makes you grateful for what you have. For any relevant query, message 81051 12990. * * * Silverfish Books, Farmer's House, # 1A - 13th Cross, Kalidasa Road, VV Mohalla, Mysore.

THE CURIOUS CASE OF CULANTRO

By Dr R Sudarshan Y es. Culantro and not Cilantro. The long distance cousin of coriander that came from Mexico in the middle centuries to Europe and landed in India approximately some 300 to 400 years ago along with its Mediterranean cousin Cilantro, the coriander. Culantro is relatively rare but so much more stronger than coriander that once you are used to this, coriander recedes to a second choice. A couple of Culantro plants have been taken to the farm and are growing impressively well. Probably, there will be lots of seeds in a few weeks, so that we could propagate and feature the leaves in the weekly market too. And one plant of Culantro has prospered well in a pot at the store too. For any relevant query, message 81051 12990. * * * Padma Farms, Farmer's House, # 1A - 13th Cross, Kalidasa Road, VV Mohalla, Mysore.

Silverfish spill the Golden word!

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