The Blog of Small Things

  Name : Do Different : The Untold Dhoni Authors : Joy Bhattacharjya and Amit Sinha Year of Publication : 2022 Genre : Non-fiction, Cricket Rating : * 1/2( One and a half stars out of 5) Having realised that the subject of their book is an out-of-bounds enigma who is not amenable to an in-depth biography, the authors throw the kitchen sink and hope that something works. The book is curiously structured into five parts : reports of Dhoni special innings, perspectives from different persons ( Sharda Ugra's essay is the lone solace), short essays on random themes, quotes and statistics. Demystifying Dhoni requires access or literary prowess, both of which the authors lack. They try to do something different but Dhoni remains untold.

Name : The Dhoni Touch Author : Bharat Sundaresan Year of Publication : 2018 Genre : Non-fiction, Cricket Rating : **( Two stars out of 5) Bharat Sundaresan is a fine cricket writer known especially for his efforts in tracking down Patrick Patterson, the West Indian quick who had disappeared from the public eye for years. However, this book flatters to deceive. It almost reads like an official biography vetted by the enigmatic Dhoni himself. The book steers clear of controversial but important episodes like spot-fixing, conflict of interest etc and focuses instead on childhood nostalgia.  Bharat has the potential of pulling off a Helicopter shot but ends up playing safe.  

Name : Aram Author : Jeyamohan Year of Publication : 2011 Genre : Fiction, Short Stories Rating : ***** ( Five stars out of 5) Jeyamohan takes incidents from the lives of people known to him and weaves a magical yarn of stories that resonates long after one finishes reading the book. Compassion and humanity are intertwined together as a common thread through all the 12 stories. Even a story as depressing as "Nooru Naarkalikal" ends with an emphatic declaration of hope. My top two favorites are " Yaanai Doctor" wherein Dr.K exposes how the benchmarks of the materialistic world do not matter inside a forest teeming with life and "Thaayar paadham", a minimalistic short story with lots left unsaid but leaves us with a lump in the throat nonetheless.  

  Name : India after 1947 Author : Rajmohan Gandhi Year of Publication : 2022 Genre : Non-Fiction, Memoir, History Rating : *** ( Three stars out of 5) Rajmohan Gandhi's love for his nation and his grandfather's ideals make him turn to the written word once again to reiterate his vision for an inclusive nation of individuals who "love their neighbours". The content in the book is not new for a reader who follows the author but in a society wherein lies are sold as panacea, Rajmohan Gandhi's truths need to be read diligently.