Known Turf by Annie Zaidi

Annie's well-written book bring back into focus the India we can't wish away: dacoits, high child mortality rates, malnutrition, crimes against women, extreme poverty, caste violence, displaced communities, bonded labour, murky local politics, corruption and much more.

The media often covers stories on these topics. However, Annie ties these themes together with her own thoughts and experiences which make for stronger and lasting impact. However, I liked her more personal pieces on chai, Sufism and growing up in Mumbai the most. In her last piece, she writes that Delhi has often been painted as "woman-ravishing monster." That's what I thought until I read about Annie's encounters with men in Mumbai. Mumbai is no angel on the "woman-ravishing" index either.

The Caravan of White Gold

In The Caravan Of White Gold, the author Michael Benanav travels with a Tuareg nomad caravan, along an ancient trade route, to salt mines in the heart of Mali in West Africa. The mined salt was sold at Timbuktu, the closest commercial center. Benenav adapts to the extreme conditions of the desert for nearly 6 weeks, and develops a strong friendship with Walid, his guide and companion.

What interested me most about the book, is the last chapter in which Benenev emphasizes that, with globalization, life is being squeezed out of traditional cultures with startling speed. We've all heard this observation a thousand times before, but when one reads real-life stories of this global "compression," one can't help but feel a sense of loss and ambivalence. Benanev writes, "None of them (the nomads the author befriended) was sentimental over the prospects of leaving behind the lives they've know." Who could blame them?

What makes us want ancient societies to continue to exist while while most of us enjoy the benefits of modern life? It's a double standard. But despite that logic, I can't wish away my fascination for older ways of life.

Read Benenav's amazing but sad article about the displaced Van Gujjars of the Himalayas here: http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Asia-South-Central/2009/0731/p17s07-wosc.html.