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Indian Instincts [Hardcover] [Jan 01, 2018]
From tracing the possible first arrival of man in India to writing about love, sex, money, parenting and values in Indian society and discussing nationalism, religion and democracy, Miniya Chatterji presents an accessible yet brilliant intellectual treatise about issues that affect Indians the most. Indian Instincts is a seminal and deeply philosophical work, presented tactfully with entertaining and memorable instances. It is a must-read for anyone who wants to know what makes an Indian. The vivid and insightful examples make us reflect: Are we willingly entrapped in the institutions of our own making? Have these institutions-the government, corporations, religion-become sources of the problem in India, increasing economic inequality?
This book, a collection of fifteen powerful essays that argue for greater equality and opportunity in contemporary India, holds up a mirror to what we Indians have become.
This book, a collection of fifteen powerful essays that argue for greater equality and opportunity in contemporary India, holds up a mirror to what we Indians have become.
- GenresNonfictionIndia
344 pages, Hardcover
Published January 15, 2018
20 people are currently reading
106 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
April 20, 2018
This book provides a fresh, modern and pragmatic perspective on the complex subject of India, its people, and its political, cultural, and economic ecosystems. Miniya Chatterjee interweaves hard-hitting and well-researched facts with intriguing anecdotes and personal experiences in the form of fifteen essays that talk about the country's history, present, and possible future, and most importantly, the people who are the threads of the diversely hued cultural fabric of the nation. The author has succeeded in providing unbiased and rational opinions on who we are as a nation, how we got here, and what the road ahead might be like. In my opinion, this book can be enjoyed equally by those who are well-versed in the cultural and political history of the country and those who are largely unfamiliar with it, and I feel that by the end of it, you will either find out some fascinating things about India or will at least see something that you already knew in a completely different light.
March 8, 2021
The book is quite informative and full of fiction.
Lot of facts seem to be true but are false.
From my personal experience, being son of an airforce officer who was NOT a pilot( pilots are paid higher, just so you know) following facts are difficult to digest...
1) I read about her dad being an Air Force pilot and getting a meagre pension( ₹ 1,00,000) not ENOUGH to make ends meet?!!
What ends were you trying to meet
2) Her mom used to work as a teacher AND take tuitions to help them survive..?!! AND sit with her brother helping him ROTE LEARN inorganic chemistry. in the night.?!! Did she sleep at all?!
3) Taking loans for IIT coaching.. that too in early 2000's so much so that they had to sell a house!!? The coaching used to cost about ₹ 50,000-60,000 per year..
I see a mixture of exaggeration and truth.
Do read the book but do check your facts from valid sources, anything with a reference seems like truth but may be just a made-up reality.
Lot of facts seem to be true but are false.
From my personal experience, being son of an airforce officer who was NOT a pilot( pilots are paid higher, just so you know) following facts are difficult to digest...
1) I read about her dad being an Air Force pilot and getting a meagre pension( ₹ 1,00,000) not ENOUGH to make ends meet?!!
What ends were you trying to meet
2) Her mom used to work as a teacher AND take tuitions to help them survive..?!! AND sit with her brother helping him ROTE LEARN inorganic chemistry. in the night.?!! Did she sleep at all?!
3) Taking loans for IIT coaching.. that too in early 2000's so much so that they had to sell a house!!? The coaching used to cost about ₹ 50,000-60,000 per year..
I see a mixture of exaggeration and truth.
Do read the book but do check your facts from valid sources, anything with a reference seems like truth but may be just a made-up reality.
August 6, 2020
I wish I knew the art of writing good reviews but alas! I can't put my feelings in words after this fabulous read.
From caste, creed to love and sex, the author has curated a range of topics from her perspective and putting her observation into this fine text. I wish I had come across this book sooner.
Having lived in various nations abroad for quite a good part of her life, her thoughts on India are truly thought provoking which many of us choose to ignore (having lived all our lives here).
The story of Devdasi was kind of a shocker to me and the thing I liked the most about this book is that most of the essays has personal anecdotes from the author which kept me intrigued and I didn't feel like putting this book down.
Having read from cover to cover I'd recommend it anyone (Indian or a foreigner) who wants to get a gist of India in few essays (though India just cannot be put into few essays but this book is definitely a start).
Miniya if you ever read this I would love a follow up book. Cheers and kudos to you 😁
From caste, creed to love and sex, the author has curated a range of topics from her perspective and putting her observation into this fine text. I wish I had come across this book sooner.
Having lived in various nations abroad for quite a good part of her life, her thoughts on India are truly thought provoking which many of us choose to ignore (having lived all our lives here).
The story of Devdasi was kind of a shocker to me and the thing I liked the most about this book is that most of the essays has personal anecdotes from the author which kept me intrigued and I didn't feel like putting this book down.
Having read from cover to cover I'd recommend it anyone (Indian or a foreigner) who wants to get a gist of India in few essays (though India just cannot be put into few essays but this book is definitely a start).
Miniya if you ever read this I would love a follow up book. Cheers and kudos to you 😁
January 13, 2021
This has to be required reading for every Indian citizen.
May 3, 2020
Indian Instinct by Miniya Chatterji, one of the few woman who had managed to raise in the corporate ladder to a leader. This is a collection of 15 essays on freedom and equality in India.
Summary: Though the essays aren’t a scholarly product & it’s deeply personal, nonetheless well researched as each one comes with decent footnotes and good reference for further reading.
They are arranged thematically like a way of life — it is not just another socioeconomic critique of current events, rather it adopts latest scientific proceedings like genetics, applies psychoanalytical principles, keeps about the financial realities of the world to reach a point. It can be easily inferred that she is well read as it mentions works of Amartya Sen, Ramachandra Guha, Sudhir Kakar & many other contemporary Indian intellectual and also superb knowledge on Indian history & philosophies & follows various journals and papers. It is also a great read as it is filled with anecdotal stories like a visit to a hyped brothel, teenage love ordeal, defence brat life, her international travels etc. She doesn't shy away from discussing women issues like periods, marriage abuse and sexuality. Finally, she give the picture how the institutions: Government, Religion, & Corporations are regulating the freedom of every individual if not dictating it.
For cosmopolitan Indian working women, it’s a must read, not just to enlighten yourself — but to climb the ladder for survival.
Summary: Though the essays aren’t a scholarly product & it’s deeply personal, nonetheless well researched as each one comes with decent footnotes and good reference for further reading.
They are arranged thematically like a way of life — it is not just another socioeconomic critique of current events, rather it adopts latest scientific proceedings like genetics, applies psychoanalytical principles, keeps about the financial realities of the world to reach a point. It can be easily inferred that she is well read as it mentions works of Amartya Sen, Ramachandra Guha, Sudhir Kakar & many other contemporary Indian intellectual and also superb knowledge on Indian history & philosophies & follows various journals and papers. It is also a great read as it is filled with anecdotal stories like a visit to a hyped brothel, teenage love ordeal, defence brat life, her international travels etc. She doesn't shy away from discussing women issues like periods, marriage abuse and sexuality. Finally, she give the picture how the institutions: Government, Religion, & Corporations are regulating the freedom of every individual if not dictating it.
For cosmopolitan Indian working women, it’s a must read, not just to enlighten yourself — but to climb the ladder for survival.
December 25, 2019
Indian Instincts is a collection of essays about all what India is made up of - democracy, nationalism, religion, parenting, aesthetics and others.
Miniya, from her analysis of survival and evolution, tries to eliminate the concept of inherent differences by proving that we're all coming from the same African women. Concepts of nationality, religion, caste are nothing but man-made phenomenon. She also touches upon the blatant inequality in our country - top 10% controlling >75% of our country's wealth with >20% of the population below the international poverty line. She also focuses on how education needs an urgent transformation to a) include sex education and gender sensitivity (no validation required to prove how vulnerable Indian women are) and b) to raise rational and opinionated students (India is moving towards an era of knowledge where we need thinkers and not followers). Religion in India attracts the largest chunk of philanthropy yet we're home to the world's largest malnourished children. The entire book is a well curated analysis of all things Indian and the role freedom and education has in fighting against all odds.
Miniya, from her analysis of survival and evolution, tries to eliminate the concept of inherent differences by proving that we're all coming from the same African women. Concepts of nationality, religion, caste are nothing but man-made phenomenon. She also touches upon the blatant inequality in our country - top 10% controlling >75% of our country's wealth with >20% of the population below the international poverty line. She also focuses on how education needs an urgent transformation to a) include sex education and gender sensitivity (no validation required to prove how vulnerable Indian women are) and b) to raise rational and opinionated students (India is moving towards an era of knowledge where we need thinkers and not followers). Religion in India attracts the largest chunk of philanthropy yet we're home to the world's largest malnourished children. The entire book is a well curated analysis of all things Indian and the role freedom and education has in fighting against all odds.
June 23, 2024
It's a wonderful book about our country India. Many aspects of our indian society are written here like freedom, religion, cast and manymore. I personally liked it as it told us how our mind are enslaved, how we are not able to enjoy the term freedom in an independent country. I liked how the author has analysed all the aspects of the country and explaining in a wonderful way. But there are also many points in the book which most of the people will not agree. Overall it's a wonderful book written in simple words and anyone can read. This book gives readers a new way of understanding how modern day India works.
February 18, 2020
This was indeed a fresh perspective on the nation. The author writes as somebody who is an outsider as well as an insider because her roots are in india. She manages to take into consideration most of the recurrent topics like religion, procreation, nationalism, corporate culture. Although there are topics where the information was too basic and hence can't be termed scholarly. The best part about the book is the amalgamation of personal experience added with scholarly research. As a whole it's a great read for somebody who wants to know India from outside.
January 30, 2019
As a foreigner living in India, I learned much about India and especially the Indians from this book. Very informative, complete and well written.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews