5 books that lend deeper insights into the world

Arshia DharPublished on Oct 11, 2023

October seems to be the month for memoirs and biographies of public figures who have kept us intrigued through the years

Several figures in the public eye have had us hooked to the happenings in their lives—from politicians to actors, writers to pop culture icons from a bygone era. This list of new titles offers readers more about such individuals, packing in several surprises.

A Day In the Life of Abed Salama by Nathan ThrallMilad is five years old and thrilled for his upcoming school trip to a theme park on the outskirts of Jerusalem. However, tragedy awaits, as his school bus is involved in a terrifying accident. His father, Abed, rushes to the accident site, only to find that his son has already been taken away. This sets off Abed on a journey to unravel Milad's fate, exploring a maze of physical, emotional, and bureaucratic obstacles he must face as a Palestinian.A Day in the Life of Abed Salama is a hauntingly immersive and detailed portrait of life in Israel and Palestine, and an illumination of the reality of one of the most contested places on earth, especially in the current backdrop of an ongoing battle in the region.Publisher: Allen Lane — **A Day In the Life of Abed Salama** **by Nathan Thrall**
Milad is five years old and thrilled for his upcoming school trip to a theme park on the outskirts of Jerusalem. However, tragedy awaits, as his school bus is involved in a terrifying accident. His father, Abed, rushes to the accident site, only to find that his son has already been taken away. This sets off Abed on a journey to unravel Milad's fate, exploring a maze of physical, emotional, and bureaucratic obstacles he must face as a Palestinian.
*A Day in the Life of Abed Salama* is a hauntingly immersive and detailed portrait of life in Israel and Palestine, and an illumination of the reality of one of the most contested places on earth, especially in the current backdrop of an ongoing battle in the region.
**Publisher:** Allen Lane

Another Sort of Freedom: A Memoir by Gurcharan DasAn honest memoir of a man's struggle to unshackle oneself from expectations, Gurcharan Das’s memoir is also moving, funny and at times irreverent. Born in Lyallpur, Punjab, during the Second World War, when Hitler, Churchill and Hirohito were beating everyone up, Das’s mother noted in her diary, “This is a restless baby.” By age two, he had become “a difficult child”, and by the time he turned three, she was calling him a “troublemaker”. He discovered one day that he could run and, according to him, he has been running ever since.The book follows him through the Partition's chaos to misguided attempts at winning over first loves. Setting out to earn an engineering degree, he ends up with one in philosophy from Harvard University. He then drops out of a promising academic career in ivy-covered halls to become a salesman for Vicks VapoRub in India's dusty bazaars. The rest, as they say—and so does Das himself—is history.Publisher: Allen Lane — **Another Sort of Freedom: A Memoir** **by Gurcharan Das**
An honest memoir of a man's struggle to unshackle oneself from expectations, Gurcharan Das’s memoir is also moving, funny and at times irreverent. Born in Lyallpur, Punjab, during the Second World War, when Hitler, Churchill and Hirohito were beating everyone up, Das’s mother noted in her diary, “This is a restless baby.” By age two, he had become “a difficult child”, and by the time he turned three, she was calling him a “troublemaker”. He discovered one day that he could run and, according to him, he has been running ever since.
The book follows him through the Partition's chaos to misguided attempts at winning over first loves. Setting out to earn an engineering degree, he ends up with one in philosophy from Harvard University. He then drops out of a promising academic career in ivy-covered halls to become a salesman for Vicks VapoRub in India's dusty bazaars. The rest, as they say—and so does Das himself—is history.
**Publisher:** Allen Lane

Strange Burdens: The Politics and Predicaments of Rahul Gandhi by Sugata SrinivasarajuStrange Burdens is not a biography but a book of political commentary. The book studies Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's ideas and leadership since he officially entered the political field in March 2004. It traces his path right up till the conclusion of the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Srinagar on 30 January 2023, and encapsulates the dilemmas of his disqualification as a Lok Sabha MP a couple of months later.The narrative here takes into account the two decades with the intention of understanding Gandhi's politics, dilemmas and contradictions, his triumphs as well as his burdens and benignity. It is not the purpose of this book to understand his failures and successes as comparative notes, but speculate in the best traditions of political commentary about why he is where he is, both politically and as an individual. The book does not set out to interrogate his suitability or unsuitability as a public figure, but is rather focused on how he has been caught in the crossfires of history. Publisher: Vintage Books — **Strange Burdens: The Politics and Predicaments of Rahul Gandhi** **by Sugata Srinivasaraju**
*Strange Burdens* is not a biography but a book of political commentary. The book studies Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's ideas and leadership since he officially entered the political field in March 2004. It traces his path right up till the conclusion of the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Srinagar on 30 January 2023, and encapsulates the dilemmas of his disqualification as a Lok Sabha MP a couple of months later.
The narrative here takes into account the two decades with the intention of understanding Gandhi's politics, dilemmas and contradictions, his triumphs as well as his burdens and benignity. It is not the purpose of this book to understand his failures and successes as comparative notes, but speculate in the best traditions of political commentary about why he is where he is, both politically and as an individual. The book does not set out to interrogate his suitability or unsuitability as a public figure, but is rather focused on how he has been caught in the crossfires of history.
**Publisher:** Vintage Books

Tupac Shakur: The Authorised Biography by Staci RobinsonMore than a quarter of a century after his brutal death in 1996 at the young age of 25, Tupac Shakur continues to be one of the most mysterious, complicated and prolific figures in modern history. Shakur’s strong lyrics, for which he was vilified by many when he was alive, read in these pages as prophecy. His cry of outrage in a country that repeatedly told Black men and women that they were nobodies, continues to inspire his followers across the world.In Tupac Shakur, author and screenwriter Staci Robinson—who knew the artiste as a young man and who was entrusted by his mother, Afeni Shakur, to write his biography—uncovers the myths and unpacks the complexities that have shadowed his existence, even in his absence. With exclusive access to his private notebooks, letters, unpublished lyrics, and uncensored conversations with those who knew and loved him best, Robinson tells a powerful story of a life defined by politics and art, and a man driven by equal parts genius and impulsiveness.Publisher: Penguin RandomHouse — **Tupac Shakur: The Authorised Biography** **by Staci Robinson**
More than a quarter of a century after his brutal death in 1996 at the young age of 25, Tupac Shakur continues to be one of the most mysterious, complicated and prolific figures in modern history. Shakur’s strong lyrics, for which he was vilified by many when he was alive, read in these pages as prophecy. His cry of outrage in a country that repeatedly told Black men and women that they were nobodies, continues to inspire his followers across the world.
In *Tupac Shakur*, author and screenwriter Staci Robinson—who knew the artiste as a young man and who was entrusted by his mother, Afeni Shakur, to write his biography—uncovers the myths and unpacks the complexities that have shadowed his existence, even in his absence. With exclusive access to his private notebooks, letters, unpublished lyrics, and uncensored conversations with those who knew and loved him best, Robinson tells a powerful story of a life defined by politics and art, and a man driven by equal parts genius and impulsiveness.
**Publisher:** Penguin RandomHouse

Worthy by Jada Pinkett SmithIn a media-driven cultural landscape that crafts narratives for our celebrities, Smith recounts her journey in an intimate conversation with her readers. Along the way, she understands her path to accepting her might as a woman, and discovers that a strong sense of self is every woman’s right and saving grace.Smith had an unusual upbringing in Baltimore, and went on to have an unconventional marriage to one of the most well known actors in the world. In this impactful memoir, Smith strips herself of all the labels and stories crafted by others, and reclaims her narrative with fierce self-love. Publisher: Fourth Estate — **Worthy** **by Jada Pinkett Smith**
In a media-driven cultural landscape that crafts narratives for our celebrities, Smith recounts her journey in an intimate conversation with her readers. Along the way, she understands her path to accepting her might as a woman, and discovers that a strong sense of self is every woman’s right and saving grace.
Smith had an unusual upbringing in Baltimore, and went on to have an unconventional marriage to one of the most well known actors in the world. In this impactful memoir, Smith strips herself of all the labels and stories crafted by others, and reclaims her narrative with fierce self-love.
**Publisher:** Fourth Estate

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5 books that lend deeper insights into the world

October seems to be the month for memoirs and biographies of public figures who have kept us intrigued through the years

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