It was my first Tharoor book, and I'm so glad that one random evening, I decided to buy this book almost on a whim because the blurb on Amazon intrigued me. To my astonishment, since Tharoor is generally described as having the most difficult diction, it was extremely accessible and immensely fun to read, to speak of the way it was written. Now coming to the contents, the book is a collection of Tharoor's essays and articles published in different newspapers and journals, or delivered as speeches at different time, having between them the common thread that they all focus on the aspects of reading, writing and pondering about them both. As a student with two degrees (Bachelor's and Master's so far) in English and Cultural studies, I found Tharoor extremely, extremely relevant and informative in the matters of postcolonialism, orientalism, and globalization. Reading this book has been an incredibly enriching experience for me, and after finishing it, I'm tempted to read more works by him. Finally, it was extraordinarily impressive to see the author describe and justify certain appreciations, allegations, and accusations a writer may have to deal with in a rather humanistic, philosophical, and common sensical than a theoretical way.

P.S. What beautiful outlooks on so many matters! My sincere regards, Dr. Tharoor!