BOOK OF THE DAY

PULITZER PRIZE WINNER • NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A spellbinding novel that transforms history into a story as powerful as Exodus and as intimate as a lullaby. With a new afterword by the author. 

This "brutally powerful, mesmerizing story” (People) is an unflinchingly look into the abyss of slavery, from the acclaimed Nobel Prize winner.

Sethe was born a slave and escaped to Ohio, but eighteen years later she is still not free. Sethe has too many memories of Sweet Home, the beautiful farm where so many hideous things happened. And Sethe’s new home is haunted by the ghost of her baby, who died nameless and whose tombstone is engraved with a single word: Beloved. 

“A masterwork.... Wonderful.... I can’t imagine American literature without it.” —John Leonard, Los Angeles Times

BOOK OF THE DAY

To read Tripping Down the Ganga is to stream down Hinduism’s holiest river—the lifewater of India, the mirror of our immemorial civilization—on the raft of Kapila’s immensely readable prose.’—Shashi Tharoor

As a schoolboy in the early 1990s, Siddharth Kapila began accompanying his devout and intrepid mother on numerous yaatras to sacred sites along the Ganga. In 2015, now a more sceptical young man, he decides to visit them on his own. And over the next seven years, as he journeys from Gaumukh, the source of the river in the high Himalayas, to Ganga Sagar, where it meets the Bay of Bengal, he realizes that he isn’t simply exploring his mother’s faith—the faith of tens of millions of Hindus—but also his own.

Up in Gangotri, he meets renunciant babas who share with him their life stories and their meagre food. In Kedarnath, a sadhu tells him how the Shiva temple miraculously survived the devastating floods of 2013. At Badrinath, he attends a family friend’s marriage to Vishnu, to undo a defect in her horoscope. Walking from Haridwar to Rishikesh with the kanwariyas, many of whom have travelled hundreds of kilometres on foot, he sheds his disdain for these young men often accused of bullying and aggression. In Allahabad—now Prayagraj—he tries to parse facts about the Naga sadhus from legend as he watches them perform astonishing feats of strength. Ancient Varanasi offers diverse experiences, from a bhang-induced revelry on Mahashivratri to conversations on the occult with Aghoris, who tell him why they sometimes feed on the dead. In between, he visits Bodh Gaya, where he prays to Shiva at the Mahabodhi Temple dedicated to Buddha.

Moving back and forth in time, Kapila reflects on the politics—and economics—of religion, the hypocrisy and bigotry of some of his fellow pilgrims, the opportunism of some sadhus and the integrity and compassion of others. And he reflects, too, on the resilience of people’s devotion, the great diversity of Hinduism, and the mighty pull of the Ganga, which keeps bringing him back to itself no matter how hard he reasons against the faith of his birth.

As much an entertaining travelogue as an introspective memoir, Tripping Down the Ganga is an unprecedented book on the everyday Hinduism of believers and non-believers alike.

BOOK OF THE DAY

From the New York Times bestselling author, the larger than life story of America's fifth president, who transformed a small, fragile nation into a powerful empire

In this compelling biography, award-winning author Harlow Giles Unger reveals the epic story of James Monroe (1758-1831)-the last of America's Founding Fathers-who transformed a small, fragile nation beset by enemies into a powerful empire stretching "from sea to shining sea." Like David McCullough's John Adams and Jon Meacham's American Lion, The Last Founding Father is both a superb read and stellar scholarship-action-filled history in the grand tradition.

BOOK OF THE DAY

A spellbinding story of two young people whose fates intersect and diverge across continents and years—an epic of love and family, India and America, tradition and modernity, by the Booker Prize–winning author of The Inheritance of Loss

“A spectacular literary achievement. I wanted to pack a little suitcase and stay inside this book forever.”—Ann Patchett

“A novel so wonderful, when I got to the last page, I turned to the first and began again.”—Sandra Cisneros

“Devastating, lyrical, and deeply romantic . . . an unmitigated joy to read.”—Khaled Hosseini

“A grand and stirring love story, written in exquisite prose.”—Namwali Serpell

“Magnificent . . . A masterpiece.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

One of Publishers Weekly’s Top 10 New Books of the Fall

When Sonia and Sunny first glimpse each other on an overnight train, they are immediately captivated yet also embarrassed by the fact that their grandparents had once tried to matchmake them, a clumsy meddling that served only to drive Sonia and Sunny apart.

Sonia, an aspiring novelist who recently completed her studies in the snowy mountains of Vermont, has returned to her family in India. She fears that she is haunted by a dark spell cast by an artist to whom she had once turned for intimacy and inspiration. Sunny, a struggling journalist resettled in New York City, is attempting to flee his imperious mother and the violence of his warring clan. Uncertain of their future, Sonia and Sunny embark on a search for happiness together as they confront the many alienations of our modern world.

The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny is the sweeping tale of two young people navigating the many forces that shape their lives: country, class, race, history, and the complicated bonds that link one generation to the next. A love story, a family saga, and a rich novel of ideas, it is the most ambitious and accomplished work yet by one of our greatest novelists.

BOOK OF THE DAY

*The One Idea That Saves the World: A Call to Conscience"* by Laurence Overmire is a book that argues for the power of love and compassion to address the world's most pressing issues. It's a call to action, urging individuals to embrace a more conscious and responsible way of living to foster positive change. 

*Here's a breakdown of the core message:*

*The Idea*: The book posits that the one idea that can save the world is love and compassion. It's not a passive feeling, but an active force that compels individuals to act on behalf of others and the planet, according to Overmire. 

*The Call to Conscience:*

 The book emphasizes the need for a shift in consciousness and a heightened sense of personal responsibility. It encourages readers to examine their own actions and choices and consider their impact on the world, says Amazon.com. 

*A Vision of Hope:*

 Despite acknowledging the significant challenges facing humanity, the book offers a vision of hope, suggesting that positive change is possible through collective action rooted in love and compassion. 

*Key Themes:*

Environmental Responsibility:

The book highlights the urgent need to address climate change and environmental degradation, emphasizing the interconnectedness of all living things. 

*Social Justice:*

It calls for a more just and equitable world, where all individuals are treated with dignity and respect. 

*Personal Transformation:*

The book encourages individuals to cultivate compassion, empathy, and a sense of responsibility for the well-being of others and the planet. 

Overall, "The One Idea That Saves the World" is a call to action that urges individuals to embrace love and compassion as the driving force for positive change in the world.

*Courtesy: Google AI Overview*

BOOK OF THE DAY

New science reveals the groundbreaking potential of the vagus nerve to regulate your body’s vital systems and heal a wide variety of medical conditions without drugs

The vagus nerve is fundamental to our health and vitality, coordinating critical functions  from the precise heartbeat we need to exercise or rest to the balance of appetite and digestion. Made up of 200,000 fibers, the vagus nerve sends thousands of electrical signals every second between your brain and your most important organs. Yet despite its essential role in life, important vagus nerve functions have eluded centuries of scientific investigation. Now neurosurgeon and researcher Kevin Tracey has discovered the previously unknown power of the vagus nerve to reverse inflammation, balance the immune system, treat chronic illness, and keep our organs humming together in harmony.

    In The Great Nerve,  Dr. Tracey shows us how stimulating the vagus nerve with a tiny electrical implant has the potential to reverse life-altering diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, lupus, MS, diabetes, obesity, stroke, depression, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. If this sounds too good to believe, Dr. Tracey shares stories of patients who have gone from being nearly bedridden to running and dancing, along with the science that makes possible these recoveries. He also explains the evidence for lifestyle strategies like ice baths, meditation, exercise, and breathwork that can maintain and improve vagus nerve function. 

    By opening the door to the new field of neuroimmunology, The Great Nerve not only revolutionizes how we understand and treat disease, it gives us unprecedented hope for our health. This is the story of your body’s ability to heal itself.

BOOK OF THE DAY

**THE MILLION COPY BESTSELLER**

Sapiens showed us where we came from. In our increasingly uncertain times, Homo Deus shows us where we're going.

'Spellbinding' Guardian

The world-renowned historian and intellectual Yuval Noah Harari envisions a near future in which we face a new set of challenges. Homo Deus explores the projects, dreams and nightmares that will shape the twenty-first century and beyond - from overcoming death to creating artificial life.

It asks the fundamental questions: how can we protect this fragile world from our own destructive power? And what does our future hold?

'Even more readable, even more important, than his excellent Sapiens' Kazuo Ishiguro

'Homo Deus will shock you. It will entertain you. It will make you think in ways you had not thought before' Daniel Kahneman, bestselling author of Thinking, Fast and Slow

ON READING

BOOK OF THE DAY

From the beloved author of Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind comes a new book of teachings on the essence of Zen practice

"I felt a burden being lifted from my shoulders just by reading this remarkable book." —Oliver Burkeman

“Our way of sitting is for you to become yourself.”

In this long-awaited book from one of the most influential spiritual teachers of the last century, Shunryu Suzuki Roshi shares simple, warmhearted teachings on a practice that is fundamentally about becoming yourself. In his inimitable style, filled with humor and insight, Becoming Yourself speaks directly to the newest beginners while also serving as a touchstone and a continual source of inspiration for even the most experienced practitioners and Zen teachers.

Becoming Yourself unearths new jewels from the late Suzuki’s lectures and brings to light many of his unpublished teachings.

Becoming yourself is not meant to be understood as an idea; it is meant to be tried out as a way of being. It is “Just to sit,” a practice of wholeheartedly being as you are, moment after moment, no matter what is happening. It is a practice of deeply connecting with how it feels to be alive in your surroundings, whether on a meditation cushion or not, and stepping forward from that connection. It is opening to your life, wherever you are, and finding right there a deep well of innate wisdom, compassion and care.

BOOK OF THE DAY

Discover 50 short and simple mindfulness practices for cultivating happiness—anytime, anywhere—from world-renowned spiritual teacher Thich Nhat Hanh.

You don’t need to “formally” meditate in order to bring mindfulness into your daily life.

Whether you’re new to Buddhist teaching or you’re a more experienced practitioner, this quintessential resource of Thich Nhat Hanh’s most essential teachings will show you how to walk, sit, work, eat, and even drive with full awareness.

In one accessible and easy-to-use volume, you’ll find many kinds of meditations, including:

• Daily Practices: walking meditation, taking refuge, telephone meditation
• Eating Practices: kitchen meditation, mindful eating, tea meditation
• Physical Practices: resting and stopping, deep relaxation, mindful movements
• Relationship & Community Practices: deep listening and loving speech, peace treaty, hugging meditation
• Extended Practices: touching the earth, lazy day, traveling and returning home
• Practices With Children: helping children with anger, the cake in the refrigerator, pebble meditation

The only way to truly develop peace both in oneself and in the world is to learn to live in the present moment instead of the past or the future. Integrating these practices into daily life will allow you to cultivate peace and joy within yourself, leading to freedom from fear, misunderstanding, and suffering.