This was part of a book review from my office Book Club assignment
Written in December 2011.
More Salt Than Pepper – Book Review
I have always preferred reading books which are known for its content or for its author. With no basic knowledge about Karan Thapar, ‘More Salt Than Pepper’ was an adventurous experience all through. For most who have heard about Karan Thapar already, he is a stern TV anchor, well-known for his seemingly rude talk that even made certain politicians walk out of live interviews.
I had no expectations on how the book would be. But after going through the initial pages, I realized Karan Thapar has a different dimension which is not known by most people. With a right mix of love, politics, entertainment, the book is a perfect conglomeration of various incidents at different points in time, portrayed from a reporter’s point of view. The articles were written for the HT column called Sunday Sentiments.
The book is very wide in its breadth, covering a vast range of incidents with every little incident explained deeply. It provides insight into few of the significant events in the past, like Indo-Pakistan war, Operation Blue Star, Benazir Bhutto’s assassination and many others. The way he explains everything with apt evidence to support his view, is commendable.
Another good thing about the book is, most of the characters in the articles can easily be related to people we come across every day. This makes the reader completely engrossed into the book by relating the events in the book to their day to day experiences. In every opportunity he never misses to mention his wife and the love he had for his late wife is very evident.
For anyone who is interested in politics and history, ‘More Salt Than Pepper’ will be the right choice to fulfill their quest. His argument that Dr. Manmohan Singh is never the weakest PM, by stating his achievements during his first tenure in office as Prime Minister of India, opens a new topic for discussion. But, the way he reasons things out with pertinent facts, will make anyone accept his argument right away. Thapar also testifies the significant role played by the leaders of the Saffron party, in settling the Kashmir issue.
In addition to all serious stuff, there are lots to laugh about. Thanks to Kris Srinivasan for all his mails to Thapar, which he shares in the book. An article on the American caution remarks on certain products will make anyone burst into laughter. He also speaks about the lifestyle in London and praises it as the best place for any person, from any country, belonging to any race, to live in peacefully. As he takes the reader through Mumbai, certain places in Kashmir, one can imagine everything he is speaking about and will definitely cherish the greatness of the places.
As Francis Bacon says, "Some books are to be tasted, some others are to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested", the books leaves back lots of thoughts that are to be thought over and over again. The famous saying by Dr. Kalam, 'Learn to forget the Me in You', quoted by Thapar in the book, will make anyone stop and think. On the whole, the book is a perfect mix of wide range of ingredients. It covers few of the most important events in history and politics, in addition to little other interesting stuff. Thapar made the book simple in its style and light in its content. No doubt, it's worthy for every minute spent on it.
Comments