The Modi Decade: Political shifts and cultural recalibration explored at DLF 2025

The book was launched by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in January 2025.

A panel discussion at the Delhi Literature Festival delved into the profound political, social, and cultural shifts under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership, as explored in the anthology Indian Renaissance: The Modi Decade.

Bookstrapping: Reading and its positive effects on mental health

Reading involves a highway system that connects the back of the brain’s reading network to the front. This highway system is an excellent basis to build new skills. Therefore, by keeping the brain active, reading fosters lifelong brain health, states Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta. (Image Source: Books Are Our Superpower)

In this week’s Bookstrapping, our reviewer Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta sums up that reading offers an avenue for emotional expression, self-reflection, and empathy. Not just that, it also provides an escape, a way to experience other worlds, and a means of finding solace in difficult times.

Storyboard18 ‘Delhi Literature Festival’ to kick off on May 2 at Bikaner House

Several key sessions intersecting policy, politics and literature will add political and intellectual gravitas to the festival.

The 2025 Storyboard18 Delhi Literature Festival will host some of India’s finest minds and bestselling authors, including Amb. Abhay K, Dr. Aishwarya Pandit, Arun Anand, Lakshmi Murdeshwar Puri (former diplomat), Ravi Shankar Etteth, Mukul Kumar, Pavan K. Varma, Taslima Nasrin etc

Basketball will take time to develop fan base in India: Sonny Vaccaro, sports marketing expert

"AI informs me that basketball is not in the top 4 sports in India. Even a groundswell effort to install basketball backboards with hoops at local playgrounds would begin to help establish the sport in neighborhoods," stated Sonny Vaccaro to Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta.

In this week’s Bookstrapping, Storyboard18 presents an exclusive conversation with the legendary sports marketing genius Sonny Vaccaro – the man who convinced Nike to sign Michael Jordan.

Bookstrapping: In a conversation with Scaling Mount UPSC’s author Sajjan Yadav

“I cleared my exams in the pre-internet days. I was from Hisar, Haryana and I went to Jawahar Book Depot and asked for the IAS books. That’s all. Today, the internet is making it easier, but people who want to join a preparatory course, often move cities,” Sajjan Yadav noted in his conversation with Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta. (Image Source: Amazon)

Scaling Mount UPSC’s author Sajjan Yadav, in his conversation with Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta, cautioned that the first few years of being in service would require passion and diligence in order to sail through the tide.

Bookstrapping: T.J. Power’s “The Dose Effect”

"The author highlights that our brain is a survival expert. Therefore, understanding brain chemistry is the key. It empowers us to comprehend the biological basis of our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. This knowledge can lead to more effective treatments for mental health disorders and foster a greater appreciation for the intricate and delicate balance that governs our inner world," Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta highlighted in her review. (Image Source: Amazon)

Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta highlights that reading T.J. Power’s “The Dose Effect” reminds that recognizing the power of neuro-chemicals allows for more informed discussions about the ethical implications of manipulating these systems. This further encourages a more compassionate and scientifically grounded approach to understanding the human condition.

Bookstrapping – Nalanda: How It Changed The World by Abhay K

Nalanda was never a university built with a blue print. It was initially a stupa in honour of Sariputra, the scholar. Then it became a Vihara for Buddhist monks and finally it evolved into a University (Mahavihara) in the 5th century of the common era, highlights Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta in her review. (Image Source: X)

In this week’s Bookstrapping, reviewer Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta highlights that the Author Abhay K offers a good range of explanations for Nalanda’s decline – foreign invasions, the resurgence of Brahminism and the decline of patronage to Buddhism.

Bookstrapping: The Paradox of surging authors and dwindling readers

"Books in other languages, particularly those from culturally rich regions like Latin America and Europe, are gaining traction now through translation and increased international exposure. Every author is contributing to building a reading culture, even if it is to promote their own book," stated Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta. (Image Source: Unsplash)

In this week’s bookstrapping, Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta highlights that while the ease of publishing has led to a proliferation of books, the attention economy remains fiercely competitive.

Bookstrapping: Trillions by Robin Wigglesworth

In Trillions, Robin Wigglesworth explains why the indexing revolution has saved investors, billions of dollars in fees and has shaken up the investment industry. It has also created a more democratized landscape - allowing small investors access to diversified portfolios previously available to institutional investors only, reviews Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta. (Image Source: Amazon)

Robin Wigglesworth’s book traces the development of the idea that hedge funds and investors can never do better than an index fund in the long run., highlights Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta in her review.