{"title":"Pavan Varma","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"being-indian-book-pavan-varma-9780434013913","title":"Being Indian","description":"In the 21st century every sixth human being will be Indian. India is very close to becoming the second largest consumer market in the world, with a buying middle class numbering over half a billion. The Indian economy is already the fourth largest in terms of purchasing power parity. It is in the top ten in overall GNP. Yet at least 200 million Indians remain desperately poor. Illiteracy rates are high. Communal violence is widespread; corruption endemic. Brides are still tortured and burnt for dowries; female infanticide is common. The caste system has lost little of its power and none of its brutality How are we to make sense of these apparently contradictory pictures of India today? And how can we overcome the many misconceptions about India that are fed by western stereotypes and Indians' own myths about themselves. Pavan Varma turns a sharply observant gaze on his fellow countrymen to examine what really makes Indians tick. How, for example, does the indifference of most middle-class Indians to the suffering of the poor square with their enthusiasm for parliamentary democracy? How can a people who so supported Mahatma Gandhi's strategy of non-violence during the struggle for independence burn young brides for their dowries and beat domestic servants to near-death? Why do Indians have a reputation for being spiritual and 'other-wordly' when their traditions so exalt the pursuit of material well-being as a principal goal of life? Drawing on sources as diverse as ancient Sanskrit treatises and Bollywood lyrics, Pavan Varma creates a vivid and compelling portrait of India and its people. Being Indian is an essential book for anyone who wishes to understand Indians, and for Indians who wish to understand themselves.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49520005710097,"sku":"GOR003976596","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":49570420883729,"sku":"CIN0434013919G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49651808305425,"sku":"GOR003644108","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50481634410769,"sku":"CIN0434013919VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ WELL_READ \/ SBYB","offer_id":50762081829137,"sku":"CIN0434013919A","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0434013919.jpg?v=1750942258"},{"product_id":"being-indian-book-pavan-varma-9780099486824","title":"Being Indian","description":"In the 21st century every sixth human being will be Indian. India is very close to becoming the second largest consumer market in the world, with a buying middle class numbering over half a billion.It is in the top ten in overall GNP. Yet at least 200 million Indians remain desperately poor. Illiteracy rates are high. Communal violence is widespread; corruption endemic. Brides are still tortured and burnt for dowries; the caste system has lost little of its power and none of its brutality.  How are we to make sense of these two, apparently contradictory, pictures of India today? And how can we overcome the many misconceptions about India that are fed by the stereotypes created by foreigners and the myths about themselves projected by Indians? In Being Indian, Pavan Varma, whom the Guardian has called 'one of the country's most perceptive writers', demolishes the myths and generalisations as he turns his sharply observant gaze on his fellow countrymen to examine what really makes Indians tick and what they have to offer the world in the 21st century.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49640381153553,"sku":"GOR013372690","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ WELL_READ \/ SBYB","offer_id":49897278275857,"sku":"CIN0099486822A","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":49909749383441,"sku":"CIN0099486822G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":52526898774289,"sku":"GOR003372919","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/B0092G4GK8.jpg?v=1750972579"},{"product_id":"kama-sutra-magnet-book-pavan-varma-9788174367068","title":"Kama Sutra Magnet","description":"Said to have been written sometime in the fourth century BC, the Kama Sutra by Vatsyayana is much more than a mere description of exotic sexual practices. It is an ancient classical work on the art of love.   Written in the style of a scientific manual, the book offers a view of sexuality absolutely untinged by guilt, shame or the sense of sin. In this gorgeous edition, the male-female union is portrayed in all its splendour through the use of Indian miniatures and other paintings.  Contents: Why Desire Is Desirable \t\t The Need for Preparation \t\t The Right Setting \t\t The Needs of a Woman \t\t The Embrace \t\t\t\t The Kiss \t\t\t\t\t The Use of Nails \t\t\t\t The Bite \t\t\t\t The Use of Violence \t\t\t The Act of Congress \t\t\t\t Nothing Is Taboo in Sex \t\t The Ending of Congress","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"- \/ - \/ -","offer_id":50760267858193,"sku":"","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50760268087569,"sku":"GOR006018295","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ LIKE_NEW \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":52111781560593,"sku":"GOR009337681","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52655908126993,"sku":"NLS9788174367068","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/B0073W1MAA.jpg?v=1751190465"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.worldofbooks.com\/collections\/author-books-by-pavan-varma.oembed","provider":"World of Books ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}