in a tree hollow,
snails multiply as far
as the eye can see
Infinite Snails [Haiku]
2
DAILY PHOTO: Lepakshi Pillars
Share on Facebook, Twitter, Email, etc.
BOOK REVIEW: Social and Cultural Anthropology [VSI] by John Monaghan & Peter Just
Social and Cultural Anthropology: A Very Short Introduction by John MonaghanMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Amazon.in Page
Get Speechify to make any book an audiobook
This was one of the most interesting “Very Short Introduction” books — of the many titles in the series that I’ve read. The authors use stories and examples to convey the basics of the subject in way that’s not mind-numbingly dry (i.e. the scholarly norm) – in fact, there’s a fair amount of humor laced throughout the book.
Most of the examples come from the two tribes that these two authors study – i.e. one in Mexico and the other in Indonesia. However, those two groups provide a rich arena of interesting anecdotes, and the authors do use social groups outside their research focus when necessary.
In addition to learning about the nature of ethnographic fieldwork and what anthropologists do, there’s an exploration of culture, the various ways in which people are socially organized (i.e. kinship, castes, societies, etc.,) and how different societies view religious belief, economic activity, and selfhood.
If you’re starting from zero and are seeking an introduction to anthropology, I’d highly recommend this one.
View all my reviews
Share on Facebook, Twitter, Email, etc.
BOOK REVIEW: Enter the Dangal by Rudraneil Sengupta
Enter the Dangal: Travels through India’s Wrestling Landscape by Rudraneil SenguptaMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Amazon.in Page
Get Speechify to make any book an audiobook
Enter the Dangal offers a fascinating discussion of the sport of wrestling in India, be it the dirt-pit Kushti variety or on the mats in the highest stage the sport has to offer, the Olympics. Sengupta offers a glimpse into the fully formed subculture that exists around akhada, live-in wrestling academies. We see India’s wrestling world through both the tradition- and virtue-oriented training grounds that produced greats like Gama and Sushil Kumar, but the book also takes forthright dips into the darker reaches of the sport.
The book is divided into three parts. The first part both provides background and tells the story of one of the most profound experiences of modern Indian wrestling, Sushil Kumar’s match for the gold medal in the 2012 Olympics [he took silver.] The second part explores the long wave of the rise and fall of Indian wrestling, and the third part takes the reader back to the golden age of wrestling, telling of the international matches of Gama and the movement by some Indian wrestlers into both the legitimate and staged wrestling domains of Europe and America.
There are two discussions that I found particularly intriguing. First, there’s the matter of women entering this all-male domain. Historically, not only did women not wrestle, mothers and sisters didn’t even go to the akhada to see their son’s and brother’s training. Second, the book answers an interesting question: why is India such a non-contender in the Summer Olympic games? [India falls between Uzbekistan and Ireland for total Summer Olympic medals, not even making the top 50 – which, for a country of its size and talent pool across a range of body types, is pretty dismal performance.] The answer is rooted in patriarchy, corruption, and downstream problems resulting from those problems (i.e. lack of best practices vis-à-vis sports science and poor facilities.)
I found this book to be compelling read and would highly recommend it for those wishing to learn more about wrestling in India.
View all my reviews
Share on Facebook, Twitter, Email, etc.
The End Times Ball [Common Meter]
A sign that hangs on down the street proclaims to one and all that coming soon there will be a Lonely-Hearts Club Ball. A dance of manic turbulence where singles 're all & none. You can come all by yourself, but you'll never leave as one. You'll be swept into unity with undulating hoards. Bound by bindings you'll feel, not see; you'll never cut these cords. So, welcome to the end of you, as only you can know. And welcome to the beginning of the everlasting flow. For an end is a beginning of something bold and new. And a beginning is an end: 'cause we're just passing through.
Share on Facebook, Twitter, Email, etc.
DAILY PHOTO: Om Beach
Red in the Blues Blues
by Elkanah Tisdale
They gerrymandered the district; got all this red up in my blues. They gerrymandered the district; got all this red up in my blues. They did it all after midnight, so it wouldn't make the evening News.
Share on Facebook, Twitter, Email, etc.
Rocky Shores [Free Verse]
a rocky monolith, jutting from the sea, is smashed by waves. overgrown with moss & gnarled trees. battered brutally & unrelentingly, and yet unchanged & unmoved. birds confidently settle upon the rocks & take off again, leisurely.
Share on Facebook, Twitter, Email, etc.
Panglossian Limerick
There was a philosopher named Pangloss whose sole objective was to get across: Ours is the best of worlds! And yet, the crapper swirled and nothing escaped but dregs and dross.
Share on Facebook, Twitter, Email, etc.
DAILY PHOTO: Scenes from Mumbai
Tiger Riding for Beginners 