ROMILA  THAPAR

Questioning Paradigms, Constructing Histories: A Festschrift for Romila Thapar; Edited by Kumkum Roy and Naina Dayal;Published by  Aleph; Pages 539 ; Price Rs 999/-

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 During her career, Romila Thapar opened the study of early India to inquiry and conceptual frameworks arising out of the modern social sciences. She asked some original questions about the social development  in two thousand  years of our  history and called in question  current  paradigms of historians from both the colonial era and  recent nationalist era. She  has delineated   interplay among political, economic, social, religious and other factors, and has always taken a holistic approach. Faced with the absence of reliable dating, she has found new information in ancient texts -- Persian, Arabic, Sanskrit and Jain -- in Old Tamil traditions and folklore, and correlated  with findings from archaeology, numismatics, linguistics and inscriptions. She has constantly pursued  a history based on evidence drawn from a number of  sources, in many  languages from all levels of society across time. Making innovative use of familiar archaeological and literary sources and mining new data, Thapar has enlarged the world's understanding of India. Thapar has brought out  15 substantial books, beginning  with "Asoka and the Decline of the Maurya" and  the  classic "A History of India" and  "Early India: From the Origins to AD 1300."

She is a  professor of ancient Indian history at the  J N U  and  held visiting posts and received honorary degrees from universities the world over.  Along  with historian Peter Brown, Thapar won  the prestigious Kluge Prize for Lifetime Achievement in the Study of Humanity.

Romila Thapar has produced a unique body of work. Her original and path-breaking commentaries and essays on ancient Indian history, along with her incisive writings on culture, society, archaeology, philosophy, classical literature and education have inspired a growing number of historians, scholars, public intellectuals and ordinary people alike.

The book under review edited by  Kumkum Roy and Naina Dayal-- two teachers of History--- is a  Festschrift to Romila Thapar’s and her students and colleagues from across the world celebrate her contributions by applying her methods and insights to a range of historical, philosophical, sociological and cultural questions. The volume brings  Thapar and her pioneering work to the attention of a world  audience.

 Romila Thapar declared : “…an enquiry should begin with a question… The question may be something quite simple, the answer to which will further qualify what you are saying. Or it may be a question that gives you the possibility of looking at the event or the person in history from different points of view. And that one question then leads to other questions that reflect these different points of view. So I would say that the fundamental approach to any piece of research or what one is working on grows out of a question.”

The book  takes forward key strands of her contribution to the academic discipline. Twenty-seven scholars, acclaimed for their own contributions to academia, have come together to celebrate the pursuit of knowledge about and scholarship on different facets of the history of early India and their modern narratives and debates. A ‘Response’ by Thapar not only addresses the core issues of the 2018 conference from which this book emerged but also sheds light on some key moments and challenges in her own career even as she evolved over time, not only as an academic but also as a public intellectual.

The essays in the book are organised into five segments reflecting facets of Thapar’s earlier and relatively recent interests: “Political Processes”; “The Symbolic and the Social”; “Historical Consciousness and Reconstructions”; “India and the World Beyond”; and finally, “The Past and the Present: Dialogues and Debates”. They showcase her exceptional achievements as one among the best historians of our time.

Essays in the first section thus interrogate the sound of silence in the Ashokan inscriptions , the pivotal role of communication techniques and networks in Mauryan administration , the complexities of post-Mauryan states and state-formation in early medieval South India , the intersection of state-formation and temple-building activities in the Deccan in the seventh and eighth centuries CE  and in Odisha between the 11th and 13th centuries CE . The articles in the second section devote attention to examine the relationship between the sedentary and the wild through the lens of symbolism. The first of them illustrates how, for instance, a tree, an object of the wilderness, can be transformed into a culturally embedded artefact, the sacrificial post in a Vedic ritual, the yupa  while others underscore the importance of differentiating ‘forests’ and make context-specific readings of habitations, woods and the wild  or explore the various representations of Sita and Shakuntala . Articles in the third section cover a wide spectrum: from exploring the innovative aspects of medieval commentarial traditions on the epics in establishing the authenticity of Valmiki and Vyasa , through contextualising the composition of the Mahabharata within the rubric of the second urbanisation of circa 600 BCE , examining the role of bardic traditions in consolidating Brahmanical order , mapping the contours of socio-religious change in Bengal through the lens of the Puranas , reconstructing a history of the Delhi Sultanate by looking beyond the capitals of the Sultans , reflecting on ‘the indeterminate nature of textual traditions’ by drawing upon a case study of different narratives of the 14th-century king Parakramabahu IV of Sri Lanka , and finally to the pivotal role of public performance as medium of expressing a sense of history . Contributors in the fourth section demonstrate the trans-regional dimension of history contemplating on, for instance, key aspects of the ‘Aryan question’ and especially the different disciplinary practices employed to address the ‘Aryan question’ in our times , relations between ‘Persians and Indians’ in circa sixth to fifth centuries BCE , comparison between Homer’s Iliad and Sanskrit  Mahabharata , ports and forms of exchange between peninsular India and the Graeco-Roman world , and the subcontinent’s maritime interactions with the eastern Mediterranean areas between the late first century BCE and the end of the third century CE . Essays in the fifth section are timely ruminations on the past/present interface. They address issues such as the lineages of inter- and transdisciplinarity and knowledge production , Marxism and nationalism , the disturbing ascent of anti-intellectualism , the writing of children’s textbooks with particular focus on the treatment of food and dietary practices in such books, showing how they re-shape in the process contours of identity , and finally the challenge of redefining heritage .

The beauty of the present collection lies in its sheer richness of themes and the very nature of engagement with South Asia’s many pasts in the crucible of the present, sensitised at once to current debates, controversies and challenges, indeed, to the very importance of social responsibility in the life of an intellectual. 

There is plenty in this book to seriously ponder over. Here is an extract from Prof. Thapar’s response to the essays included in the book. She reiterates that it does not matter how good the textbook is, it still requires the teachers to convey to the school student that the textbook is saying. It is imperative that the teacher be trained to think about the subject and brought up-to-date in their thinking otherwise they will not recognize the changes in disciplines — the paradigm shift. The teachers cannot expect their student to parrot the book to get the requisite grades. “That is not education”.

The editors and the entire team that helped put together this volume should be duly congratulated.This is a fantastic work that calls for careful reading and deep thinking over. 

                                                            

P.P.Ramachandran.

30/06/2019.

GOWRI  RAMNARAYAN ON M S AMMA

M S and Radha by Gowri Ramnarayan ; Published by Wordcraft ;Pages 216 ; Price Rs 709/-

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Gowri Ramnarayan who is the grandniece of  M. S. Subbulakshmi   is a  journalist who writes on music regularly for the “Hindu”. Having accompanied M S for 16 years she is eminently fitted to write on M S. She has done research on the role of emotion in art. She has written a number of books and translated stories of Kalki and Vijay Tendulkar. The book under review is the story of the bond between M S and her daughter Radha.

                           Pandit Ravi Shankar, who writes the Foreword to this book has stated, “M S’s aura, beauty and persona captured the audience even before she sang a single note. Her amazing voice had the tonal quality of a temple bell, which resonated throughout the concert hall. It was unique, combining deep pure emotion and technical perfection.”

                                       She represented in her simple everyday life, the values of an ancient culture—humility, compassion, consideration for others and unwavering principles of conduct—all these ingrained in her from her childhood.

                           The M  in her stood for Madurai—the sweetness of Madurai Tamil, the fragrance of Madurai malli, the gentleness of Madurai people, the magnificence of Madurai in legend , history and literature, all equally celebrated in verse and song. The S in her stood for her mother Shanmukhavadivu who was an eminent Veena player. Her grandmother Akkammal  was a violin artist. Thus, she was from a family of musicians.

                             M S , initially trained by her mother, was later fine-tuned by the doyen Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer. She acquired the status of a saint by her portrayal of Meera. She captivated the world by the grandeur of her voice. The man who transformed her from an ordinary singer to a Bharat Ratna was her husband Sadasivam. M S  made music and Sadasivam made M S.

                                She was the first woman to storm the Madras Music Academy’s and later bagged  the most coveted  title in the world of Carnatic music Sangita Kalanidhi.  India's highest civilian honour  Bharat Ratna was conferred on her but regrettably after the demise of Sadasivam .

                                Gowri Ramnarayan tells the story of this  great singer from Madurai and deals with  the special relationship between MS and  Radha. She  takes us through Radha’s early training in music, her highly acclaimed debut as the young Meera in the film of that name which made MS an icon, her brief branching out as a Bharatanatyam performer and her eventual return with the tanpura to her assured place beside MS. The story begins in an intimate and vivid moment in 1936 when a two-year-old girl with sparkling eyes and two well-oiled plaits, is introduced to a beautiful woman as she steps down from a horse-drawn cart in a narrow Tiruvallikeni street. As she is "enveloped in a cloud of jasmine", her father T. Sadasivam says, "Radha, from now onwards, this is your mother".

                                     Radha deleted  her real mother  from her memory. She attached herself to MS, who became over the years her mother, teacher, sakhi and nurse . She became a part of a musical journey in which M S led  her all over the globe. She virtually became M S’s shadow. Her exposure to music began the moment her new mother entered her life. She would sit for hours listening to M S practice and would sit with her on stage, remaining completely still and absorbed. Music entered her without her even realising it.  Radha had a native  sense of rhythm, amazing  photographic memory and natural vivacity. M S  and Radha became inseparable in all concerts.  A veteran  declared , "To see MS on the stage without Radha is to see the sky without the crescent moon. No doubt it is vast and starry, but something is missing."

                                    Radha had a brief career as a dancer but rendered full support to her mother.  She declared proudly "Sacrifice implies loss, but being second voice to Subbulakshmi is indeed a gain. It is my great good fortune to be able to sing with Amma." 

                                                      Radha assisted M S in all her personal matters until she was overcome by tubercular meningitis and bedridden. Roles were reversed and MS took care of her as if she were a child again.

                                     Prime Minister Manmohan Singh , releasing the book  declared , “ MS was a rare individual and it is difficult to believe that she existed in flesh and blood. She shaped the lives of millions,” He recollected how Jawaharlal Nehru had said at the end of a concert: “What am I? A mere Prime Minister before the queen of emotions. She led a good life and her voice will inspire generations.”

                              The author declares “In writing about M.S. Subbulakshmi, I am asserting the values that our nation holds dear — damyata, datta, dayathvam (restraint, generosity and compassion). M S sang this prayer song at every concert with conviction and hope.” The greatest virtue of this volume are the stunning photographs of yesteryears---the like of which we have seldom seen. There are detailed and delightful descriptions of  M S’s and Radha’s musical development and the range of their stupendous repertoire. 

                                    Here is a book worth cherishing for its breezy style and collection of rare stories about the legend M S—to whom Sarojini Naidu  surrendered her title, “Nightingale of India”. 

                                                            

                                               

Tit Bit

My copy of the book is autographed by

 S.Saundarya.       

I attended her concert.

P.P.Ramachandran

24/06/2019.

JYOTI SHELAR

The Bhais of Bengaluru  by  Jyoti Shelar; Published by  Blue Salt Penguin ; Pages: 213; Price Rs 299/-

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All of us have heard of Mario Puzo and read his classic novel on the  “Mafia”—“Godfather”. Many  of us have seen Marlon Brando emote the Don and decline the richly deserved  Oscar.

Who is the Mario Puzo of India and the equivalent of “Godfather”?. He is S.Hussain Zaidi and the book is “From Dongri to Dubai” based on the Dons of Mumbai.

Now we have a novel on the Dons of Bengaluru . It is “The Bhais of Bengaluru” written by Jyoti Shelar who was assistant to Hussaini. The book  brings out unknown tit-bits   about gangsters who commencing from minor extortionists turned into horrifying  names in  Bengaluru real-estate circles.  Jyoti Shelar, a print journalist with over ten years  experience as a field reporter, prises open  this unknown  underbelly of India’s Garden City.

Hussain himself hoped  to undertake this study  but got bogged down by other dons.

  The book under review  starts its journey  with how  Kempe Gowda founded Bengaluru on a piece of land he believed was heroic after witnessing  a tiny hare chasing a dog during a hunting expedition.

Each  locality boasted of  one tough, well-built man who was held in total fear – Malleshwaram had Market Jaggi, Kalasipalaya had Ganpathy, Srirampura had Miyan Pehelwan, and Shivajinagar had its Pehelwans. There  was no trace of what Kannadigas call ‘Bhugataloka’ or the underworld and the city was still unfamiliar with organised crime or crude  criminals.

 ‘From Pehelwans to Bhugataloka’, introduces readers  to Bengaluru’s first powerful rowdy in the 1960s, Mune Gowda, whose mere presence in a room was enough to intimidate people. He exacted  mamool             ( extortion money). A dozen young, well-built locals armed with swords decided to teach him a lesson, but face-to-face with him, only one managed to hit, which cost Mune Gowda three fingers of his right hand. His womanising ways proved to be major weakness. His enemies succeeded in making  a woman feed him crushed glass along  with his food.

Then in the 1970s, it was from Bengaluru’s once-revered wrestling houses that the city got its most dangerous and notorious don.

 Jayaraj’s hallmark was robbery which  increased after his entry in to the Indira Brigade and he started a tabloid ‘Garibi Hatavo’ against corrupt cops. But on January 25, 1977, Jayaraj’s attack on an opponent in the court room changed his fate and he was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment. The void created by Jayaraj’s absence was sought to be filled by Kotwal Ramchandra and ‘Oil Kumar’. After Jayaraj got out of jail, Oil Kumar tried to bump off Jayaraj by using Kotwal. When Jayaraj’s men were after him, Kotwal ended up falling in to Sreedhar’s hands, who sought revenge against Kotwal for the attack against his brother.

Dawood Ibrahim’s close aide Sharad Shetty was a close friend of Muthappa Rai, who eliminated Jayaraj and Oil Kumar. Rai later escaped to Dubai and to get in Dawood’s good books, he revealed Chhota Rajan’s location to Dawood so that he could eliminate him. In 2003, Chhota Rajan had Sharad Shetty shot. After being deported from Dubai, Rai decided to live a reformed life.

One of these dons was a die-hard Amitabh Bachchan fan, who roamed around the lanes of Shivajinagar wearing bell-bottoms that his matinee idol had popularised. Tanveer Ahmed was smitten by Bachchan after watching  Don, Muqaddar Ka Sikandar, Trishul and Mr Natwarlal .

 “Tanveer was particularly fascinated by Bachchan’s style of brandishing a gun or a knife on screen. Back then, Bengaluru was unfamiliar with the gun culture. Knives, choppers, machetes and swords that outlaws referred to as lambiwali were more common. Tanveer copied Bachchan’s fight sequences and began wielding his chopper in true filmy style,”.

When Bachchan’s Inquilaab released in theatres across India in 1984, Tanveer, then 22, rushed to Naga Theatre in Shivajinagar to watch it. “The serpentine queue at the ticket counter made him restless. He broke the queue hoodwinking others and soon got into an argument that took an ugly turn. Tanveer, who was armed with a sharp knife, stabbed one of his attackers in the heat of the moment. 

This was the first official criminal case registered against Tanveer. He then moved to Mumbai only to return to Bengaluru sometime later.

The book also deals with rowdy elements like , Bekkina Kannu Rajendra and Srirampura Kitty and how they spread terror in Bengaluru. Muthappa Rai, Agni Sreedhar and Tanveer are now a reformed bunch

 As evident from various incidents mentioned in the book, rowdies have been a supporting pillar to many political bodies and even been on front face at many occasions. The book expatiates on  bravery of many people who were part of police system;  it also raises serious questions on the effectiveness of the same system quoting various incidents where the dons lived a luxurious lives inside jails and used to be masterminds of organised crimes while being in police custody. The book also discusses the battle for supremacy and power that existed between various gangs of the underworld while pointing out their allegiance with one another. Overall it is a great read for crime and mystery readers.

 No one is a born Don or Bhai .It is life that makes them so. Anyway the road to Don—hood is open and  nurtured by rage, revenge and thirst for power which leads to “The Underworld”.

Besides the dons, Shelar has  thrown light on various events that played a vital role in the growth of rowdyism in Bengaluru. There is a bit about the kushti culture and how the pehelwans gradually veered into the darker alleys. There’s also a bit about how ardent Rajkumar fans would go on a rampage under the guise of love for the actor and the cause of Kannada language movement. One chapter is dedicated to  the art of  chain snatching while  riding a motorcycle. This  formed a peak  in the city’s policing history as the cops had never experienced such a modus operandi before.

 The Bengaluru dons were equally brutal and shrewd as their Mumbai brethren but they always had a plan. They played with swords and machetes but still dreamt of a white-collar life and even worked towards it. Two of the most notorious dons in Bengaluru are now living white-collar lives. This planning and intelligence take them a notch higher than the Mumbai dons, who are either on the run or behind bars.

Jayaraj had immense hatred for the police and he would take them on through his newspaper. He was killed in 1989 in a well-planned and executed murder. This was the first time Bengaluru woke up to gunshots and Mumbai bhais were called in for the job.

The book  will be to Bengaluru what  “Dongri to Dubai” is for Mumbai.

P.P.Ramachandran.

16/06/2019 .

RAVI   SUBRAMANIAN

The Bankster by  Ravi Subramanian ;Published by  Rupa Publications ; Pages 358 ; Price Rs 250/-

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Ravi Subramanian, the author of the book under review , is an alumnus of IIM Bangalore, who  has dealt closely with the world of global banks in India for over twenty years. This has endowed him with a close and clear understanding of the capers of bankers.                    “If God was a Banker” was his maiden  book and he walked away with the Golden Quill Readers Choice Award in 2008. Over the years he has acquired the moniker “John Grisham of India”.

 The book embarks with three stories running at the same time.The chief item of the book is  the familiar Greater Boston Global Bank (GB2).The key role player is Karan Panjabi, the banker –cum- financial journalist.  The plot begins in an exotic locale  in Angola and with Joseph Bragnanza, a CIA secret  agent dealing in  blood ,diamonds and arms . From  Angola to God’s Own Country----we move to  a small town in Kerala, Devikulam and a 75-year-old man fighting the government in Gandhian way for clarity in the nuclear program being commissioned in his area . Then  we have our GB2 where the  manipulations and power struggle  throw rich light on the powerful  bankers.  With these three points –a triangle as it were--three streams of stories are developed clashing at times and finally converging  into a denouement that deprives three bankers of their lives.

What could be the connecting point of an international CIA agent and events happening in Kerala and the tragic deaths of Greater Boston Global bank employees? .A major  conspiracy to undermine the growth of the country  and how  it gets murkier  with the contribution of some  bankers? How is the financial crime  unfolded  and how does it rattle  the foundation of the multinational bank?

 The story starts with two different scenes; an undercover CIA agent is finalising a multi-billion dollar secret diamonds for arm and  ammunition deal, a Kerala based resort owner get charged for smuggling of a dead Elephant’s Tusk.

As one reads one  feels the events are happening in one’s presence .  Greater Boston Global Bank (GB2) explodes when  a number  of murders rock the façade of the compliant and conforming bank that GB2 has built up over the years. Who is to blame? Who are the killers? And  the motive? No one has a clue.

 Karan Panjabi, a press reporter and an ex-banker digs deeper, he realises that he has discovered  a massive  conspiracy with far reaching ramifications - a secret that could destroy not only the bank but cast a shadow on the entire country. He is at his wit’s end. He has  only thirty-six hours and must trust no one if he wants to stay alive and uncover the truth.

With changing leadership of GB2, everyone is re-framing one's equation with the brand new Indian CEO. An ambitious and  senior banker is playing with bank’s key employees for some specific reason and vice versa. Then one day, sudden consecutive suicides of bank’s employees  transformed  a banker turned journalist to investigate the reasons behind the deaths  and the  damage  caused to the  Bank. Surprisingly, the result of the  investigation turned out as a global conspiracy.

Eventually, the  three stories get connected. The climax and connection between Vienna, Angola, Kerala, and Mumbai will turn out into  an amazing suspense thriller a la Hitchcock.

Author has used real life incidents too in the book like- Koodankulam nuclear power plant protests, Fukushima incident, Chernobyl incident which makes this story  realistic. 

 Ravi reveals  his thorough knowledge, acute observation skill and abounding  interest in global events . He has pulled out a neat and fast-paced  thriller based on the corporate world of financial services.  He has been able to give corkscrew twists to his tale . An engaging  story line, elegant narrative power combined with truly  realistic characters –and in impeccable good language---makes the “Bankster” and absolutely un-put-downable book.

P.P.Ramachandran.

9/6/2019.  

VENKI      RAMAKRISHNAN

The Gene Machine--The Race to Decipher the Secrets of the Ribosome  by Venki Ramakrishnan ; Published by Harper Collins  ; Pages 288 ; Price Rs 699 /-

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                                         The 2009 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for solving the structure of the ribosome was shared by three scientists---Professor Venki Ramakrishnan, with Professor Thomas Steitz and Professor Ada Yonath  . Venki ,the author of the book under review,  is a senior scientist at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, UK, and is the current president of the Royal Society, London.

The book  'Gene Machine' is as good as a Sherlock Holmes story written with great verve and  wit. What is provided is  an entertaining,  informative and insightful, personal account of developments in the ribosome field.

Hear what Venki says, “It was early October 2009. 'The prize for chemistry was to be announced on Wednesday. The chemistry prize often alternates between the hard-core chemists and the more biological chemists… Since they had given it to a "biological" area the year before, I figured the ribosome would not be a candidate and I would be reprieved for another year. So by Wednesday morning, I had completely forgotten about it. Halfway to work, I got a flat tyre on my bicycle and had to walk the rest of the way.'

Born in India, Ramakrishnan obtained a bachelor’s degree in physics at age 19, followed by a physics Ph.D at age 24.  He did not think highly of theoretical physics  and began exploring molecular biology, using tools such as neutron scattering and X-ray crystallography to explore the structure of biomolecules. The success of his research came in part because of the tools he used so well, as well as interactions with Steitz  and Yonath .

 This  volume is   about his contributions to the discovery of the structure of the ribosome --an enormous molecular machine made up of a million atoms--that makes DNA come to life, turning our genetic code into proteins and therefore into us. Gene Machine is an insider account of the race for the structure of the ribosome, a fundamental discovery that both advances our knowledge of all life and could lead to the development of better antibiotics against life-threatening diseases. But this is also a human story of Ramakrishnan's unlikely journey, from his first fumbling experiments in a biology lab to being the dark horse in a fierce competition with some of the world's best scientists. Finally  the book  is an honest account of an insider of the pursuit of high-stakes science.

Venki talks of  his education and discovering  his place during his early rambles in the world of  science. He is a young  research scientist confronted by  obstacles and dilemmas that several  scientists encountered before him and others will face  in the years to come. We are also allowed to peep into his  personal life and how he benefited from the sustained  support of his wife, Vera Rosenberry.

 The book divulges  the human face of scientific research with closely connected  emotions which resulted in both excitement and disappointment. However Venki declares that  that the book is a purely  personal account – constrained by his vision and memory.

We lead on to matters slightly technical. Venki starts his story with  India, where he studied physics before immigrating to the United States to earn his doctorate in physics. During this time, he met and married -- a major life event served to refocus his attention on how to successfully provide for his family as a working scientist. Confronted with a lifetime of “boring and incremental calculations that wouldn’t result in any real advance in understanding”, Dr. Ramakrishnan took a big risk and abruptly shifted his career focus to molecular biology after reading an article about the ribosome in Scientific American. To do this, he spent two years as a grad student in molecular biology at UCSD, gaining essential knowledge and skills necessary to pursue his new career.

Because electron microscopy was in its infancy during most of this work, this meant that an older technique, x-ray crystallography, was the main tool used to decipher the structure of the ribosome. But         x-ray crystallography created fuzzier, less detailed images than electron microscopy, so this led to the field being informally known as “blobology”.

Despite disappointments and setbacks in his second career, Venki persisted for more than 30 years before being awarded the 2009 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, being named president of the Royal Society of London, the world’s oldest scientific society and then being knighted in the 2012. He is not happy being called  ‘Sir’.

We are apprised of  the inside story of lab life including the struggles, failures and blind alleys, the collaborators and friends, the professional competitors and rivals, and the timely and critically important help provided by a number of scientists, as Venki and his team worked tirelessly to solve the structure of this microscopic biological machine. We learn how a scientist develops the ideas, skills, tools -- and the people, along with all the quirks and talents that each one embodies -- that are essential to achieve such a remarkable scientific discovery.

This profoundly human story is written with honesty and humility. His story about the phone call in October was amusing, and he even shares his wife’s incredulous response when she first learned he had won the Nobel Prize: “I thought you had to be really smart to win one of those!” 

One of the key themes in this book is that  contemporary science is a synthesis of ideas and progress by teams of highly dedicated individuals who devote their lives to solving questions they find compelling.

The author devotes the Epilogue to present some thoughts on the influence (both good and bad) of Truly Big Prizes, particularly the Nobel and the Breakthrough Prizes, upon scientific careers and scientific progress

This lucid and highly readable account will be enjoyed by students in any of the sciences, by those interested in the history of science, or who love reading memoirs. 

The colourful characters that were involved in the race to crystallise the ribosome provide a richness to the narrative. Venki was the “dark horse”—someone who “came out of nowhere and surprised everyone” .Among Ramakrishnan’s main competitors was Thomas Steitz, a talented Yale crystallographer, who was renowned for his directness and—as Ramakrishnan observes—a slightly Amish appearance due to his chin-strap beard. Others included the Israeli crystallographer Ada Yonath, who led a large team split between the Weizmann Institute in Israel and the Max Planck Institutes in Berlin and Hamburg, and the “Sage of Santa Cruz,” biochemist Harry Noller, an RNA expert with “the demeanor of a mellow, pot-smoking California hippie.”

A wonderful account of fighting academicians, eccentric competitors the author encountered as well as a cynical view of the scientific establishment.

Gene Machine gives an enlightening and enjoyable picture of the human side of scientific research and stresses the importance of interdisciplinary efforts to deal with the “big picture” issues in modern science.

 
Throughout the book, Professor Ramakrishnan keeps revisiting the theme of the 'politics of recognition'. In a chapter devoted to this he gives a very informative account of the history of the Nobel prize, how it has evolved, how it is perceived by the public, and how it compares to different awards in science and other fields.

Professor Ramakrishnan also cites interesting facts about early Nobel prize laureates and acknowledges great scientists who had been omitted, for instance, Dmitri Mendeleev who formulated the periodic table. This alludes to another Nobel laureate Dr Francis Crick's view, cited by the author, that there is 'a certain amount of lottery' about the prize.

Towards the end, Professor Ramakrishnan references the Bible, in the context of the various awards and honours that he has received, as he argues, due to having been awarded the Nobel prize in the first place. He quotes Matthew 13:12: 'For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.' 

'Gene Machine' is one book you cannot  put  book down.

Tit-Bits

1.Venki married Vera Rosenberry, a separated woman with a tiny daughter, Tanya. The couple have a son of their own,named  Raman. Vera is a children's book illustrator.

2.In 1964,Dorothy Hodgkin, a Fellow of the Royal Society, went on to win the Nobel Prize for her work, an event reported with the headline  "Nobel Prize for a wife from Oxford", beginning the article with :"A housewife and mother of three yesterday won the Nobel Prize for chemistry".Clearly for some journalists,her domestic status and ability to procreate were still the most important facts about her.

P.P.Ramachandran.

2/6/2019.