Book Recommendations of 2023

In the year 2023, my emphasis was to reduce the breadth of fields from which I read and focus more on the depth of certain fields in which I have enduring interest. Amongst the books which I read during the year, below is the list of 10 best books which I read during the year. If time permits, I’ll publish a similar blog post on the best essays, articles and papers which I read during the year.

1. Yashastilak and Indian Culture by K K Handiqui – Somadeva’s यशस्तिलक is a veritable goldmine to understand the early medieval period of Indian society and culture, and the study of its cultural elements by K K Handiqui is quite masterful.
2. The New Science of Politics by Eric Voegelin – While liberalism faces notable opposition in the cultural domain, liberalism in politics is hard to contest and reactionary polity has few takers. Voegelin’s work goes beyond this dichotomy to offer a different approach.
3. माताभूमि by Vasudeva Sharan Agarwala – It’s a collection of essays written by the distinguished author exploring the theme of what constitutes a nation, what sustains the Indian nation, the eternal ideals which need expression in nationhood and how the heart of the nation shapes us.
4. Sexual Desire by Roger Scruton – The new understanding of sex rooted in individualism does away with the element of paradox or mystery which is inherent in sexual desire. Are there any deeper ontological foundations of our old understanding of it? Scruton explores this.
5. Selected Writings of Gopinath Kaviraj – Gopinath Kaviraj’s writings on all streams of Indian philosophy are exquisite. In this one, the editor has selected some of his key essays exploring different concepts viz. Pratibha Darshan. Good introductory book to explore his works.
6. Studies in Applied Purva Mimansa by S G Moghe – The hermeneutics of Purva Mimansa is indispensable to our understanding of Indian knowledge tradition. In this one, the key concepts of Purva Mimansa are introduced in lucid fashion which are often quite tricky.
7. सार्थवाह by Dr. Moti Chandra – This book is perhaps the best monograph written on the ancient Indian travels. How long distance travel happened, the support system, the ones who undertook such journeys etc. are covered in a comprehensive way.
8. Hindu Architecture in India and Abroad by Prasanna Kumar Acharya – This book provides a thorough survey of Indian architecture from Indus-Saraswati civilization in India and Indosphere (viz. Java, Thailand, Vietnam etc.). It also covers the key texts of this discipline.
9. The Crisis of Modernity by Augusto Dol Noce – It’s one of the most incisive critiques of modernity covering its impact on each aspect of our existence – religious, communal and political. Since Indians don’t engage much with critique of modernity, it’s even more relevant.
10. The House of Wittgenstein by Alexander Waugh – The family of Ludwig Wittgenstein was blessed and cursed simultaneously. The strain of genius existed with the spectre of neuroticism. It’s a good light read to explore such paradoxes in the context of the Wittgenstein family.