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HT Picks; New Reads
On the reading list this week, a book by a Jungian analyst that helps Indian readers understand what actual loving is all about, an updated edition of a classic work on cancer, and a collection of 200 of Mir’s best verses presented with translations and critical commentary
On sustaining love
Each time the spell of falling in love is cast, a series of archetypal behaviour patterns are set into motion. The beloved becomes the epicentre of life. However, this blissful state most often gradually turns into disillusionment as external pressures become more demanding and ego battles strain relationships. Separation is the most common solution in the West and increasingly more so in the East. Transpersonal psychology examines the Self beyond the Ego, recognising spiritual growth as an important dimension of individual development.
Taking the reader through the entire journey of love with its tumultuous ups and downs, Rashna Imhasly-Gandhy, a Jungian analyst and transpersonal psychologist whose work bridges Eastern wisdom and Western depth psychology, helps us understand our psyche, examine our expectations — conscious and subconscious, and then reveals what actual loving is all about. Using the Radha-Krishna, Shiva-Shakti myths, she paves a practical path towards solving marital crises, activating inner healing and sustaining love.*
A profound portrait of an enigmatic disease
The story of cancer is a human one – a tale of chance discoveries, seized opportunities and human endurance. From innovative early surgeries to the Curies’ ultimately tragic work with radiation, from Sidney Farber’s hugely risky discovery of chemotherapy to the author’s treatment of his own patients, The Emperor of All Maladies is a profound and revelatory portrait of an enigmatic disease humans have lived with, and perished from, for more than 5000 years.
In this updated edition of Siddhartha Mukherjee’s instant classic, four new chapters reveal what has changed in the universe of cancer in the years since the book was first published. With moving eloquence, he offers an insight into our evolving understanding of cancer’s causes and the emerging, revolutionary new treatments that might shape its future, including those that Mukherjee himself has helped devise.*
Asserting humanity as his first principle
One of the main poets of the Delhi School of Ghazal, who was instrumental in shaping the Urdu language, Mir Taqi Mir lived a life of misty luminosities and subdued radiance. While the man himself is a myth – even his autobiography conceals more than it reveals – his legacy has survived for over three centuries, in a style he founded and a world view he propounded.
This one-of-a-kind collection presents 200 of Mir’s best verses, meticulously selected and translated by the author, along with critical commentary to help modern readers appreciate the context. The couplets assert humanity as Mir’s first principle, man as his primary concern and poetry as his foundational creed. With an introduction that tells us little-known details about the poet’s life, The Essential Mir will cajole, persuade, impart pleasure and offer company to both general and informed readers.*
*All copy from book flap.
