Book in Focus

Incredible Treasures
UNESCO World Heritage Sites of India

Editors: Shikha Jain, Vinay Sheel Oberoi,
Photo Editor: Rohit Chawla
Publisher: Mapin Publishing
(Pp 240, ISBN 978-93-85360-71-8, Rs 2950)

A coffee table book which takes you on a tour! The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has earmarked the World Heritage Sites, which are places on earth that are of outstanding universal value to humanity, to be protected for future generations to appreciate and enjoy. UNESCO has inscribed 38 such sites in India, all of which are presented in this volume, together with beautiful illustrations and commentary by heritage experts and conservationists. The book showcases India’s rich repository of the country’s glorious past—from the earliest periods of rock art, Buddhist caves and Hindu temples, Sultanate and Mughal forts, palaces, tombs and memorials, medieval Hindu and Islamic cities, step-wells and observatories to Portuguese churches, Victorian and Art Deco ensembles to 20th-century industrial and modern heritage sites. The book is a treat for the eyes. As you turn pages by pages, you are transported to these sites. Besides, the descriptions of each site give you the background and importance of each site. The production of the book is superb, including the paper quality and binding. A very informative book on the treasure troves in India!
-Varsha Verma

Jukebox

Author & Illustrator: Nidhi Chanani
Publisher: HarperCollins Children’s Books
(Pp 224, ISBN 978-93-5489-296-7, Rs 399.00)

Here’s an illustrated book on family and friendship, tinged with magical realism where two girls find a time-travelling jukebox, rare vinyl records, and cryptic notes on music history. These are the only clues they find for Shaheen’s father’s abrupt disappearance. While she and her cousin Tannaz look at the Jukebox with awe…they are pulled from their era and transported to another time! Keyed to the music on the record, the Jukebox sends them to decade after decade of music history, from political marches, to landmark concerts. But they have to find Shaheen’s dad before the music stops. Children would love this time-bending magical mystery.
-Varsha Verma

Elements of Mechanical Engineering

Authors: D. S. Bedi, M. P. Poonia
Publisher: Khanna Publishing
(Pp 732, ISBN 978-93-86173-06-5, Rs 365)

The book embraces three different fields of Mechanical Engineering, namely Thermodynamics, Strength of Materials and theory of machines. Every topic is supplemented with large number of solved examples which deals with every possible situation. At the end of each chapter, review questions have been added so that the students are made conversant with the type of compulsory questions they have to face in University exam.
-Vasu V