What is new in the book? Apart from its format, in brief, it has thought-provoking angles of observation and deductive conclusions on many topics, which may look ordinary or rare. Who will benefit from the book? Any lay person with an historical bent of mind on mathematical topics stands to gain from it. Both undergraduate and graduate students in history of mathematics courses would enjoy it. All reflections are independent—they are excellent bedtime reading too.
What is new in the book? Apart from its format, in brief, it has thought-provoking angles of observation and deductive conclusions on many topics, which may look ordinary or rare. Who will benefit from the book? Any lay person with an historical bent of mind on mathematical topics stands to gain from it. Both undergraduate and graduate students in history of mathematics courses would enjoy it. All reflections are independent--they are excellent bedtime reading too.
History is universally understood as a story of the past. In both the volumes, history is told in stories only. There are no boring dates, as that is one singular reason for which people hate history in schools and colleges. There are no generic descriptions of the reigns of kings and queens, as no one likes monarchies any more. Each volume contains 70-80 articles, essays, but the author calls them reflections, absolutely independent of each other. They are dated; each one of them has an immediate reason to be written for. They are spun around in order to make connections with 2-3 nodes of life-most importantly making a connection with the present. If an event in the past doesn’t make a connection with the present, then it is not worth digging it out. History is not a recipe book that one would refer to for finding a solution to a present problem. At the same time, those who do not learn from history are condemned to repeat it. Author’s roots being deep both in India and the US, the scenarios are drawn accordingly. One of the objectives is to rekindle interest in history in general. Ironically, the US public has been losing interest in history-both contemporary and gone by eras. Whereas, Indian, especially the Hindus, are light years away from history in any shape or form. Both volumes have the same format. Taking into consideration the taste of the readers, reflections are divided into four sections.
Your comparison of catching new ideas with fish is fascinating. Subhash Sood, MD (# 6) Thanks, Satish...illuminating, as always... Len Jessup, UNLV President (# 37) I’m amazed at your candid write-up….. Shankar Venkatgiri, Professor IIM Bangalore (# 51) You are blessed with good friends, who are very protective of you! Rahul Bhatnagar, MD (# 53) Enjoyed so much about this true story!! Many thanks. Yu Xu, UNLV Nursing Professor (# 60) An excellent tribute to an unsung hero of life. Birth & Death are the inevitable stages of life. Thank you Dr. Bhatnagar for sharing your thoughtful writings. Gouranga Saha, Physics Professor (# 68) Incredible Manocha! Interesting piece. Raju Abraham, Professor of English (# 72)
Amazing experience. You are adventurous. Keep up your thoughts and observations. Your second-hand experiences are edifying. Robert W Moore, Emeritus UNLV Professor of Management (# 13) Your reflections always awe me. Thank you. Rohani, PhD, Professor in Malaysia (# 20) Satish, you have a special relationship with your students, which is heartening to see! All the best. George Varughese, Emeritus professor, UK and the Author of Crest of the Peacock (# 35) Thanks for sending your good valuable notes from time to time. My colleagues and I all relish the humor of your mathematics. Man Mohan Sharma, Ramjas College, Delhi University (#36) Thanks Satish beautifully written no one could have said it better. Allan Ackerman, Professor of Computer Science, College of Southern Nevada, Las Vegas (#51) There is no doubt your own life (intellectually and otherwise) has been enriched by your dedication to writing. .Also, I believe when any of us enjoy something so much as you enjoy writing, we can live longer and healthier lives. Amritjit Singh, Langston Hughes Professor of English, Ohio University, Athens (# 70)
The title of a book is like the name of a person, which amongst the Hindus, in particular, is very significant. It is generally given in a naam sanskar (naming ceremony). A family astrologer or temple priest describes the characteristics of a newly born baby based upon the Zodiac signs or horoscope duly prepared. A propitious time and name are chosen accordingly. For me, this process is no less important even when it comes to choosing a title of my book or a Reflection. After having given titles to over a thousand Reflections and eight books, it still takes considerable amount of time and thought for the naming of a new one. The process involves frequent tinkering with both syntax and semantics.
This book examines the life and work of Ajit Singh (1940-2015), a leading radical post-Keynesian applied economist who made major contributions to the policy-oriented study of both developed and developing economies, and was a key figure in the life and evolution of the Cambridge Faculty of Economics. Unorthodox, outspoken, and invariably rigorous, Ajit Singh made highly significant contributions to industrial economics, corporate governance and finance, and stock markets – developing empirically sound refutations of neoclassical tenets. He was much respected for his challenges both to orthodox economics, and to the one-size-fits-all free-market policy prescriptions of the Bretton Woods institutions in relation to late-industrialising developing economies. Throughout his career, Ajit remained an analyst and apostle of State-enabled accelerated industrialisation as the key to transformative development in the post-colonial Global South. The author traces Ajit Singh’s radical perspectives to their roots in the early post-colonial nationalist societal aspirations for self-determination and autonomous and rapid egalitarian development – whether in his native Punjab, India, or the third world – and further explores the nuanced interface between Ajit’s simultaneous affinity, seemingly paradoxical, both with socialism and Sikhism. This intellectual biography will appeal to students and researchers in Development Economics, History of Economic Thought, Development Studies, and Post-Keynesian Economics, as well as to policy makers and development practitioners in the fields of industrialisation, development and finance within the strategic framework of contemporary globalisation.
Now you can play one of the world's best-loved games anytime, anywhere. A working miniature dart kit, The Mini Book of Mini Darts has everything you need to get your game on, and more. Created, designed, and illustrated by the team behind the successful Darts! calendar, it includes 40 colorful dartboards (used for 43 games); an ingenious fold-out design that features a stand-up magnetic backer; six blunt-tipped magnetic mini darts; and a full-color book filled with games, rules, technique, lore, and triviaÑa celebration of darts. Ah, that satisfying thwack when the dart hits its targetÑbut with no worries about needle-sharp projectiles going astray, or the need for a regulation distance between the oche (throwing line) and dartboard. Just set up the easel-style board on a desk, table, office cubicle, dorm-room floorÑor yes, barÑthen move back a few feet and play. The 43 games start on the traditional side, with classics like Cricket and 501 played on familiar boards of concentric rings, then move quickly into quirky, innovative, and fun challenges like Pyramid Power, Trip to the Stars, Cupid's Arrow, Roulette, Please Stand By, and Coney Island Hustle. The boards themselves are works of art, with imagery ranging from bowling pins to Stonehenge to a mushroom and pepperoni pizza, from a Mayan calendar to a drum kit. Plus readers will learn about top players, the origins of -01 games, dartitisÑthe darts version of the yipsÑand how to master the perfect throw.