On the trail of tigers and gangsters

♦ GODFATHERS OF CRIME: FACE-TO-FACE WITH INDIA'S MOST WANTED (Hachette, Rs 399) by Sheela Raval is an enthralling account of years spent by the author chasing terrorists across the world. She witnessed first-hand the transformation of Mumbai's organized crime syndicates into the international organizations they have now become. She even had privileged access to Chhota Shakeel, the closest aide of India's most-wanted terrorist. The book is full of chilling and amusing anecdotes about the world of crime. The details in each of the sections must be the result of meticulous research. The most interesting part about the book is the description of the way in which Raval maintained, all through her career, not just her objectivity but also her professional credibility with both sides of the law.

♦ SCIENCE IN SAFFRON: SKEPTICAL ESSAYS ON HISTORY OF SCIENCE (Three Essays Collective, Rs 475) by Meera Nanda is the author's attempt to put in proper perspective the oft-heard claim concerning India that "it is all in the Vedas". She writes that the attribution of great scientific discoveries to ancient Hindu rishis and munis has been an integral part of the indoctrination programme of swayamsevaks ever since they started their Hindu right-wing propaganda in early 20th century. According to Nanda, fabrication of heritage is a way of domesticating the past and turning it into stories that serve present purposes. In this context, she examines the origins of the Pythagoras theorem and of zero. Nanda also looks at medical knowledge in ancient India and shows how Vivekananda rewrote Patanjali's Yoga Sutra. The book goes on to prove how there can be nothing "purely" European or Indian or Islamic about science. Science, Nanda says, serves as a wonderful example of the exchange of ideas among civilizations.

♦ TIGER IN YOU (Niyogi, Rs 395) by Shiraz Mukherjee is the story of six friends - Rahul, Imran, Jessy, Keya, Hazel and Bhombol. The college graduates travel to the Sunderbans. They soon realize that the possibility of being devoured by the Royal Bengal Tiger is not the islanders' only headache. Years of institutional neglect have led to the flourishing of several criminal activities in the region. In the course of the journey, each of these individuals finds within themselves strength that they did not know they possessed. The book has picturesque descriptions of the Sunderbans - at times you can almost smell the forest.