Mid-day's editors recommend their favourite books, and tell you why

The Cricket War by Gideon HaighRecommended by Clayton Murzello Deputy Editor middayFor precise detailing layered with writing style there are few cricket books to match ace Australian writer Gideon Haighrsquos 1993 classic The Cricket War mdash The Inside Story of Kerry Packerrsquos World Series Cricket Sample this ldquoIan Chappell tugged at his cap at the nonstrikerrsquos end and turned to studying Robertsrsquos 23yearold scion Michael Holdingrdquo There were several books written on cricketrsquos great divide of the late 1970s but nothing can match this Pun unintendedPlastic Emotions by Shiromi PintoRecommended by Fiona Fernandez Features Editor middayFrom fact to imagination history and romance this rollercoaster chronicle charts the mercurial life of Sri Lankan architect Minnette de Silva Set during the island nationrsquos dramatic political timeline 1940s60s her relationship with Le Corbusier is at the core Their Frenchkissed correspondence is lyrical but real Readers will enjoy this stormy affair between mentor and proteacutegeacute De Silvarsquos body of work slays gender and professional stereotypes She was the first Asian woman to be elected an associate of the Royal Institute of British Architects The spirited sareeclad architect built her career amidst competition read Geoffrey Bawa Her Mumbai links JJ School alumnus and her role as cofounder of MARG will engage city readers Ignore its broad spine because Pintorsquos jugglery between past and present romance and heartbreak salutes a woman with a spineFermatrsquos Last Theorem by Simon SinghRecommended by Sachin Kalbag EditorinChief middayFor 358 years one of the most intriguing problems in mathematics remained unsolved until a nerdy and goofylooking British mathematician named Andrew Wiles solved it in 1994 by standing on the shoulders of giants Prof Wiles then at Princeton University used Galois Representations the TaniyaShimuraWeil Conjecture Frey Curves Ribetrsquos Theorem etc to prove Fermatrsquos Last Theorem but hey donrsquot get overwhelmed by these The problem is named after Pierre de Fermat a brilliant yet eccentric French jurist and mathematician from the 17th century Simon Singhrsquos book though is not about the mathematical nuances of how Mount Fermat was conquered but about the people that made it happen It has drama Wiles failed in his first attempt it has intrigue it has a little bit of laughs and a lot of tears Eventually there is victory I cried when Wilesrsquos proof was accepted It is a book as much about mathematics as it is about the human conditionCosmos by Carl SaganRecommended by Sachin Kalbag EditorinChief middayParents read their children their favourite books to put them to sleep every night My father gave me Cosmos and said lsquoRead it yourselfrsquo I was 11 at the time so I canrsquot blame him We were poor and he could not afford to buy me expensive gifts and he usually gave me a book for my birthday Cosmos I learned later is the worldrsquos largestselling popular science book of all time For good reason Cosmos is not an equationriddled science book it is a voyage of selfdiscovery Sagan is a scientist a poet a novelist a dad a curious mind and science communicator all rolled into one This year do yourself a favour mdash read and reread Cosmos and give the book to as many people as possible It is the least we can do to make society a richer placeRafa My Story by Rafael Nadal and John CarlinRecommended by Ashwin Ferro Sports Editor middayThe book that I often turn to when I need a positive push in life is tennis legend Rafael Nadalrsquos Rafa My Story cowritten by the Spanish champion along with British journalist John Carlin One of the nicest subchapters in the book is when an 11yearold Nadal has to choose between tennis and football both of which he loved immensely Nadal writes ldquoThe pain of leaving football for tennis wouldrsquove been greater had my football team not been taken over by a new coach The previous coach whom I loved had understood that I couldnrsquot be relied on to turn up for all our training sessions due to tennis commitments but he let me play because I was the top goal scorer But the new guy said that if I didnrsquot turn up to train as the other boys did I couldnrsquot play So that was thatrdquo Just imagine had it not been for that new coach the 22time Grand Slamwinning champion might have just ended up being a Real Madrid Galactico or better still a FIFA World Cup winner with SpainKim by Rudyard KiplingRecommended by Samarpan Bhowmik Head Digital Marketing middayEvery time I have reread Kim itrsquos not simply for the intrigue of a grand adventure the portrayal of India under the infamous ldquoEmpirerdquo or the illumination of cross sections of society It is to witness the evolution of the titular character as he journeys from boy to man Also while I have enjoyed being transported back in time what truly stands out even to this day is Kimrsquos relationship with identity Especially relevant in current times the novel delves into the various influences on identity mdash of society at large contemporaries mentors spirituality and life experiences Itrsquos a comingofage story like few others and one I would wholeheartedly recommendEvery Agatha ChristieRecommended by Aastha Atray Banan Editor Sunday middayWhenever I want to be comforted and feel pleasure itrsquos Agatha Christie to the rescue The wellwritten homely murderinavillage trope will never get old I love the subtle observations about human character and her ingenuity has never ceased to surprise me According to Agatha evil is always present between us and the person next to you could be a murderer Exciting At least in fictionCatcher in the Rye by JD Salinger and The Outsider by Albert CamusRecommended by Mayank Shekhar Entertainment Editor middayThere are two books purely for pleasure that I never have to reread Because theyrsquove lived rentfree in my brain pretty much my entire adult life And this usually happens with books read at a young age anyway that you develop a lifelong relationship with One is JD Salingerrsquos Catcher in the Rye The other is Albert Camusrsquos The Outsider Between both I felt it was the same lead character Holden Caulfield who grew up to become Meursault Either way you think books donrsquot change your life Irsquove been an existentialist ever since I met these two dudesMy Dearest Self by Nimna VijayRecommended by Poulomi Chatterjee Executive Publisher HarperCollins IndiaAditirsquos story mdash of emotional exhaustion heartbreak and the inability to choose herself first mdash will appeal to anyone whorsquos ever felt pulled far from their core For todayrsquos readers I would highly recommend Nimnarsquos emotional insightslsquoReading has the power to restore mental healthrsquoAnantha Padmanabhan CEO HarperCollins IndiaThere are very few habits that have the ability to be lifechanging The uncomplicated and simple act of being immersed in a favourite book or story provides us the ability to disconnect lose ourselves to imagination and restore mental health With this campaign we are hoping not only to have regular readers devote more time but also have reluctant readers choose a book over a digital screen