NO HALF MEASURES

by Jennifer Nandi

“This book is the next best thing to going birdwatching with Jennifer. Read it for the sheer pleasure of going travelling in the wild with an informed, engaging guide.”
- Pradip Krishen, Author of Trees of Delhi and Jungle Trees of Central India

ABOUT THE BOOK
Tasked with steering a very important client through an area of unrest and insurgency, Jennifer embarks on a thrilling adventure to navigate uncharted territories on the edge of India’s map. 
The region has a rich tapestry of diverse ethnicities that contribute to our nation’s cultural mosaic. Armed with an appreciation of Natural History and its ability to raise one’s consciousness to the wider world, Pete and Jennifer, through shared exploration, experience things out of their normal frame of reference.

284 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 4, 2024

Reviews

[Sandeep · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first came across Jennifer Nandi's writing in The Green Ogre, where she had written about her bird-watching experiences in the Himalayas. I was in awe of the language and the effortlessness of her writing in those posts. I later met her during a Dandeli birding trip in 2013, where along with some lifers I had picked up a thing or two about cutting out the noise in one's own head during birding, thanks to her advice. So when I heard of her debut book, I was overjoyed. Got a hold of one through Kindle, and this one did not disappoint.

Through this book, Jennifer takes us along with Peter McKay, a British Citizen with 40 days to kill along the North Eastern states of India. This region is a birdwatcher's paradise, a junction where multiple bird highways meet. Jennifer, and Pete with an accompanying local guide and a driver travel through the North Eastern states of India, braving riots, separatists, unclean restrooms, shady overnight lodges, and some bad weather, in an attempt to soak in the local culture and the wildlife. This is not an easy trip to make, due to the amount of unrest on some of these parts, and I am fortunate that I could experience those parts through Jennifer's writing

The book is a breezy read, and it almost feels at the end that you were in all those places Jennifer described, right behind her and Pete as they stroll through the rainforests, binoculars in hand, or sip the local brews sitting next to a campfire. I am hoping that Jennifer Nandi could chronicle more of her birding adventures. Thank you, Jennifer Nandi; I know there cannot be a repeat of that Dandeli trip with me being in the US now, but this was the closest to that experience that I could get of birding with you!

[Lynda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This exquisitely written book is full of passion and wide-eyed wonder for the natural world. If you are a birder, you must read it! Jennifer Nandi takes the reader on a wild ride through untouched jungles and mountain terrains in the farthest reaches of northeastern India bordering on Myanmar, Bangladesh and Bhutan. She touches on interesting points of history and, with the utmost respect for native peoples, gives the reader a sensual feel for the land, its many cultures and exquisite creatures - some of which are only found in this remote region of the world. I savored every page of this book and could not put it down. Thank you, Jennifer, for taking me on this magical journey. I only wish I could have been there with you.