Meghnad Desai's Books

Pakeezah

By: Meghnad Desai

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Meghnad Desai tracks the film's tortuous journey and reveals fascinating, little-known aspects of it. He foregrounds the craftsmanship, perseverance and perfectionism of its maker, Kamal Amrohi, who would wait weeks for the perfect sunset. Desai sees the film as a 'Muslim social' set in a 'Lucknow of the Muslim imagination', as a woman-centric film with a dancing heroine at a time when they were a rarity and above all, as a film that harkes back to an era of 'nawabi culture with its exquisite tehzeeb', a world that is lost forever. Pakeezah: An Ode to a Bygone World is a fitting tribute to a film that Meghnad Desai calls 'a monument to the golden age of Hindustani films'.

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Page Count

160

Publisher

Harper Collins

Published Date

ISBN 10

9351160238

ISBN 13

9789351160236

Raisina Model

By: Meghnad Desai

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Raisina Model

By: Meghnad Desai

Meghnad Desai reflects on Indian democracy as it completes seventy years of colourful, eventful and energetic parliamentary existence. Pulling no punches, Desai looks at the history and evolution of Indian democratic institutions, pinpointing their achievements, but also their repeated failure to live up to the standards envisaged by the nation's founders. Drawing on his own career as a Labour peer in Britain's House of Lords, Desai has the rare understanding and familiarity with the process of politics, and is able therefore to identify its universal features and zoom in on its uniquely Indian aspects. This is a candid, reflective and unsparing view of the precepts and practice of Indian politics. It traces at the evolution and growth of identity politics, coalition governments and single-party rule and the differing political narratives of the north and the south. The Raisina Model is a critical and frequently uncomfortable meditation on India's contemporary political culture.

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Page Count

208

Publisher

Penguin Enterprise

Published Date

ISBN 10

0143444603

ISBN 13

9780143444602

The Route of All Evil

The Political Economy of Ezra Pound

By: Meghnad Desai

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The Route of All Evil

The Political Economy of Ezra Pound

By: Meghnad Desai

Ezra Pound was a major figure in the American and European literary world. He was also notoriously indicted for treason in a US court, but judged unfit to stand trial and incarcerated in a mental hospital for 13 years. His anti-semitic and fascist views are well-known. This book restores Pound's relevance as a radical economist.

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154

Published Date

ISBN 10

0571217737

ISBN 13

9780571217731

Marx's Revenge

The Resurgence of Capitalism and the Death of Statist Socialism

By: Meghnad Desai

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Marx's Revenge

The Resurgence of Capitalism and the Death of Statist Socialism

By: Meghnad Desai

In this provocative and enthusiastically revisionist book, the distinguished economist Meghnad Desai argues that capitalism's recent efflorescence is something Karl Marx anticipated and indeed would, in a certain sense, have welcomed. Capitalism, as Marx understood it, would only reach its limits when it was no longer capable of progress. Desai argues that globalization, in bringing the possibility of open competition on world markets to producers in the Third World, has proved that capitalism is still capable of moving forwards. Marx's Revenge opens with a consideration of the ideas of Adam Smith and Hegel. It proceeds to look at the nuances in the work of Marx himself, and concludes with a survey of more recent economists who studied capitalism and attempted to unravel its secrets, including Joseph Schumpeter, John Maynard Keynes and Friedrich Hayek.

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Page Count

593

Publisher

Verso Books

Published Date

ISBN 10

1789609453

ISBN 13

9781789609455

Rethinking Islamism

The Ideology of the New Terror

By: Meghnad Desai

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Rethinking Islamism

The Ideology of the New Terror

By: Meghnad Desai

Despite increasingly frantic calls - especially after the London bombings of July 7, 2005 - for western leaders to 'understand Islam better', there is a still a critical distinction that needs to be made between 'Islam' as religion and 'Islamism' in the sense of militant mindset. As the author of this provocative new book sees it, it is not a more nuanced understanding of Islam that will help the western powers defeat the jihadi threat, but rather a proper understanding of Islamism: a political ideology which is quite distinct from religion. While Islamism may be draped in religious imagery and suffused by apocalyptic language, it nevertheless is similar in nature to secular ideologies of terror. And once, the author holds, this is properly appreciated, the ways to defeat it will become much better evident. Historically sophisticated and passionately argued, "Rethinking Islamism" makes a powerful case by a master theorist of political philosophy. It will be essential reading for students and policy-makers in the fields of politics, current affairs and religion.

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Page Count

205

Publisher

Bloomsbury Publishing

Published Date

ISBN 10

0857716336

ISBN 13

9780857716330

Testing Monetarism

By: Meghnad Desai

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Testing Monetarism

By: Meghnad Desai

Testing Monetarism pursues the complex question of the nature of the controversy surrounding monetarist theory and evidence, and the reasons for the persistence of this controversy. The theory of monetarism is examined in its old guise as the Quantity Theory of Money, and subsequent chapters look at the evolution of the theory to its present form in the period since the 1950's, and Desai weaves together issues of theory with those of econometric evidence. He looks in turn at major predictions of monetarism, critically examining the claims made in the literature in the light of his discussion of the methodology of testing theories and highlights flaws in the empirical data surrounding monetarism.

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Page Count

259

Publisher

Bloomsbury Publishing

Published Date

ISBN 10

147250836X

ISBN 13

9781472508362

Rethinking Islamism

The Ideology of the New Terror

By: Meghnad Desai

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Rethinking Islamism

The Ideology of the New Terror

By: Meghnad Desai

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205

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Bloomsbury Publishing

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ISBN 10

0857716336

ISBN 13

9780857716330

Hubris

Why Economists Failed to Predict the Crisis and how to Avoid the Next One

By: Meghnad Desai

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Hubris

Why Economists Failed to Predict the Crisis and how to Avoid the Next One

By: Meghnad Desai

A frank assessment of economists' blindness before the financial crash in 2007-2008 and what must be done to avert a sequel The failure of economists to anticipate the global financial crisis and mitigate the impact of the ensuing recession has spurred a public outcry. Economists are under fire, but questions concerning exactly how to redeem the discipline remain unanswered. In this provocative book, renowned economist Meghnad Desai investigates the evolution of economics and maps its trajectory against the occurrence of major political events to provide a definitive answer. Desai underscores the contribution of hubris to economists' calamitous lack of foresight, and he makes a persuasive case for the profession to re-engage with the history of economic thought. He dismisses the notion that one over-arching paradigm can resolve all economic eventualities while urging that an array of already-available theories and approaches be considered anew for the insights they may provide toward preventing future economic catastrophes. With an accessible style and keen common sense, Desai offers a fresh perspective on some of the most important economic issues of our time.

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Page Count

301

Publisher

Yale University Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0300213549

ISBN 13

9780300213546

The Rediscovery of India

By: Meghnad Desai

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The Rediscovery of India

By: Meghnad Desai

What makes India a nation? What has held its many disparate societies with their diverse, sometimes conflicting, narratives together for more than sixty years? What has allowed India to sustain its commitment to the democratic process, given its location in a region that is largely undemocratic? In this magisterial analysis of the last five hundred years of Indian history, Meghnad Desai looks at India’s colonial past, its struggle for independence and its many contemporary conundrums, to discover answers to the questions that have confronted India-watchers for decades. Rejecting much received wisdom, including narratives fashioned by India’s ruling establishment, Meghnad Desai goes back to the beginnings of the East–West encounter at the end of the fifteenth century and tracks its impact on the cultures and politics of the present day. Through a series of ‘Counterfactual Boxes’ Meghnad Desai analyses the accepted defining moments of India’s past and suggests alternative courses that history could so easily have taken. Meghnad Desai draws on a wealth of sources to illuminate India’s journey to the twenty-first century. Whether it is an examination of British parliamentary debates on the question of India’s independence, or the liberalization of the economy after decades of licence-permit raj, or the state’s complicity in the Gujarat riots, Meghnad Desai’s original, occasionally iconoclastic, approach to seemingly settled arguments makes The Rediscovery of India a path-breaking and comprehensive account of India’s past and present.

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Page Count

764

Publisher

Penguin UK

Published Date

ISBN 10

818475566X

ISBN 13

9788184755664

Testing Monetarism

By: Meghnad Desai

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Testing Monetarism

By: Meghnad Desai

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259

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Bloomsbury Publishing

Published Date

ISBN 10

147250836X

ISBN 13

9781472508362

Marx's Revenge

The Resurgence of Capitalism and the Death of Statist Socialism

By: Meghnad Desai

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Marx's Revenge

The Resurgence of Capitalism and the Death of Statist Socialism

By: Meghnad Desai

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Page Count

593

Publisher

Verso Books

Published Date

ISBN 10

1789609453

ISBN 13

9781789609455

Hubris

Why Economists Failed to Predict the Crisis and How to Avoid the Next One

By: Meghnad Desai

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Hubris

Why Economists Failed to Predict the Crisis and How to Avoid the Next One

By: Meghnad Desai

The failure of economists to anticipate the global financial crisis and mitigate the impact of the ensuing recession has spurred a public outcry. Economists are under fire, but questions concerning exactly how to redeem the discipline remain unanswered. In this provocative book, renowned economist Meghnad Desai investigates the evolution of economics and maps its trajectory against the occurrence of major political events to provide a definitive answer. Desai underscores the contribution of hubris to economists’ calamitous lack of foresight, and he makes a persuasive case for the profession to re-engage with the history of economic thought. He dismisses the notion that one over-arching paradigm can resolve all economic eventualities while urging that an array of already-available theories and approaches be considered anew for the insights they may provide toward preventing future economic catastrophes. With an accessible style and keen common sense, Desai offers a fresh perspective on some of the most important economic issues of our time.

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Page Count

301

Publisher

Yale University Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0300216076

ISBN 13

9780300216073

Dead On Time

By: Meghnad Desai

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Dead On Time

By: Meghnad Desai

For the Right Honourable Harry White, Britain's charismatic and politically savvy prime minister, it is a busy day like any other at 10 Downing Street. Every minute is packed with politics, people and policies, and the odd flirtation. There is a peremptory invitation to lunch with megalomaniac media lord Matt Drummond, a parliamentary rebellion to be batted away, an urgent call from the White House about a crisis in the Middle East. Until, finally, Harry White and his entourage are ready to fly to Glasgow for the last item on their schedule: the Old Firm game between Rangers and Celtic, the traditional Scottish rivals. It is a game that Harry has little interest in, but there are at least two men who have waited many years for exactly this moment. Will they be able to realize their plans? Will blood flow between the Catholic and Protestant fans as their teams battle for supremacy on the ground? Will the day end well for Harry White and his new conquest Sarah? Or will the events of this single day transform the political face of England for ever? An unexpected first novel by the well-known economist and political commentator, Dead on Time is a delightful mix of action, humour and realpolitik. The author brilliantly renders recognizable characters and situations in a manner that blurs fact and fiction to give us a racy behind-the-scenes take on politics and politicians, journalists and media planners, and all those who shape the way we perceive the world today.

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Page Count

214

Publisher

HarperCollins

Published Date

ISBN 10

9351360571

ISBN 13

9789351360575

Making Sense of Modi's India

By: Various

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Making Sense of Modi's India

By: Various

An incisive look at India under Narendra Modi essays by Meghnad Desai, Andrew Whitehead, Sudheendra Kulkarni, Rashmee Roshan Lall, Sevanti Ninan, R. Jagannathan, among others Making Sense of Modi's India attempts to understand the meaning and implications of Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party's massive victory in the May 2014 general election, regarded as a watershed in post-Independence India's political history. The book brings together a cross-section of leading voices from academia, media and politics to examine the factors behind the dramatic resurgence of Hindu nationalism and Modi's own meteoric rise.Where is India headed under Modi? What exactly are the contours of the 'new' India he has promised to build? And is his promise of 'development' real or a cover for a hidden agenda? The book raises these questions in an attempt to contribute to - and hopefully shape - the debate on the future of modern India.

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Page Count

219

Publisher

Harper Collins

Published Date

ISBN 10

9351776336

ISBN 13

9789351776338

Politicshock

Trump, Modi, Brexit Ad the Prospect for Liberal Democracy

By: Meghnad Desai

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Politicshock

Trump, Modi, Brexit Ad the Prospect for Liberal Democracy

By: Meghnad Desai

Recent events around the world have shaken old certainties. Questions are being asked about the survival of the Liberal Order, which has been dominant for over fifty years. The election of Donald Trump and the Brexit vote have alarmed many commentators. Across Europe too there have been developments-the emergence of fringe parties of the left and right in France, Germany, Spain, Italy and Greece-which have disturbed the liberal thought. In India, the arrival of Narendra Modi at the head of the 'Hindu nationalist' Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2014 had raised fear similar to those in Trump's case. In this perceptive account, Meghnad Desai opens up the debate beyond the West and looks at parallels between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump as two outsiders who broke through the barriers to reach the top. He analyses Asia's challenge to Western hegemony and asks if the conventional wisdom about the hegemony of free trade liberalism needs re-examination. He peers into the future to look at the greatest challenge facing the world today: Will the Liberal Order survive, collapse or mutate? Is the world at a cusp? Is history-the old saga of blood, sweat and tears-about to resume its course? Politicshock analyses Trump and Modi and other outsiders who have come to the fore not as freaks but as results of systematic forces-economic, social, political and cultural-who will now shape the critical destiny of the time that we live in.

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Age

Page Count

200

Publisher

Rupa Publications

Published Date

ISBN 10

8129148390

ISBN 13

9788129148391

Book's by Meghnad Desai

Pakeezah

Pakeezah

Raisina Model

Raisina Model

The Route of All Evil

The Route of All Evil

Marx's Revenge

Marx's Revenge

Rethinking Islamism

Rethinking Islamism

Testing Monetarism

Testing Monetarism

Rethinking Islamism

Rethinking Islamism

Hubris

Hubris

The Rediscovery of India

The Rediscovery of India

Testing Monetarism

Testing Monetarism

Marx's Revenge

Marx's Revenge

Hubris

Hubris

Dead On Time

Dead On Time

Making Sense of Modi's India

Making Sense of Modi's India

Politicshock

Politicshock

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