Hope you enjoyed our year’s inaugural on the importance of the reading habit. We hope you’re convinced! Here’s a list of books releasing in 2023, which we believe you must pick up.
1. The influencer industry: the quest for authenticity on social media.
Author: Emily Hund
The Influencer Industry, by Princeton University Press, promises to reveal, how in a profit-driven communications world, the people we think of as “real” are merely those who have learned to exploit the industry’s ever-shifting constructions of authenticity. It explains how early digital creators gave rise to the multi-billion-dollar industry that has fundamentally reshaped culture.
2. How We Eat: The Brave New World of Food and Drink
Author: Paco Underhill
How We Eat by Simon & Schuster talks about how ‘processed food’ has been the norm and is preferred by people but it lacks nutrition. The book covers grocery retail, the rabbit hole of consumerism and then shifts on the demand side. The author takes an informative and optimistic approach to growing nutritional interest among people. People in the retail business must read this. Coming from the author of ‘Why We Buy’, ‘The Call of the Mall’, etc; this promises to be insightful.
3. A Lucky Man: The Memoirs of a Radio-wala
Author: Mark Tully
In this long-awaited memoir published by Speaking Tiger, nine time author Mark Tully, whom 70s kids knew as the “BBC guy’ while growing up,documents his encounters with the towering and influential political figures of South Asia, including Indira and Rajiv Gandhi, Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, Zia, and Mujibur Rehman to name a few.
4. Kathmandu Dilemma: Resetting India-Nepal Ties
Author: Ranjit Rae
Kathmandu Dilemma by Penguin Random House acknowledged that as a close neighbor, India has been deeply associated with the seminal changes in Nepal, and the bilateral relationship has seen many twists and turns.Yet, there are things that bind both nations- religion, culture, traditions, language, etc. These are changing and evolving. With China being a powerful nation, this book by a former Indian ambassador to Nepal, must be read, to know the relationship between two neighboring countries.
5. Ratan Tata, a life
Author: Dr. Thomas Matthew
The book, a much awaited one from HarperCollins, traces Ratan Tata’s personal to professional life in immaculate detail, his determination and commitment to enduring principles and values for success. There are many learnings that one can take from his experiences. Dr. Matthew is a retired bureaucrat and has worked in key roles in the ministries of Finance, Defence and Industry, and was Additional Secretary to President Pranab Mukherjee.
6. Women We Buried, Women We Burned: A Memoir
Author: Rachel Louise Snyder
This powerful title from Bloomsbury starts with the series of profound losses for the award winning author. It traces her path from being a teenage runaway to a globe-trotting reporter determined to amplify the voices of those who are ignored or silenced. This memoir promises to embody the transformative power of resilience.
7. Winnie and Nelson: Portrait of a Marriage
Author: Jonny Steinberg
This book by Penguin Random House offers a portrait of the marriage between former South African president Nelson Mandela and his wife, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela. It reveals how both knew that theirs was not simply a marriage, but a struggle to define the anti-apartheid policy itself. It explains how politics works with relationships.
8. Unscripted: The Epic Battle for a Media Empire and the Redstone Family Legacy
Authors: James B. Stewart and Rachel Abram
The book by Penguin Press, scripts a shocking-inside story of the struggle for power and control at Paramount Global, from the Pulitzer Prize–winning journalists who first broke the news.
9. Experiential Intelligence: Harness the Power of Experience for Personal and Business Breakthroughs
Author: Soren Kaplan
Yes, after emotional intelligence, it’s the time of ‘experiential intelligence.’This book by Matt Holt Books is being referred to as the ‘ultimate guide to equip leaders’ to know who has the talent they need to propel their business into the future. It opens new possibilities for a more diverse workforce.
10. Courtiers: Intrigue, Ambition, and the Power Players Behind the House of Windsor.
Author: Valentine Low
Courtiers by St. Martin’s Press is an insightful book about how the British monarchy really works. It also reveals the shifting alliances, what the future of the institution is and how the courtiers operate and the challenges they face. And it’s interesting because Valentine Low has been reporting on the royal family for over a quarter of a century!
We know many books have got missed out! Write to me about what you’re looking forward to reading in 2023! I can’t wait to hear from you on reeta@reetaramamurthygupta.in.
Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta is a columnist, biographer and bibliophile. She is credited with the internationally acclaimed Red Dot Experiment, a decadal six-nation study on how ‘culture impacts communication.’ She writes the weekly column Bookstrapping on Storyboard18. On Instagram @officialreetagupta.