Indian culture and spiritualism have exerted a strong hold over the world’s greatest intellectuals—from psychologists like Carl Jung to poets like T.S. Eliot, from orators like Swami Vivekananda to philosophers like Sri Aurobindo, from statesmen like Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam to writers like H.G. Wells. Compiled by Salil Gewali, Great Minds on India is a remarkable collection of the thoughts and views of these world-renowned opinion-makers on India’s cultural inheritance and glorious legacy.

Indian spirituality, from solemn sages to irreverent rebels. A plethora of religions, cultures, languages and peoples have over the ages nurtured a plurality of ideas, beliefs, influences and practices thriving in India. In India's Greatest Minds, Mukunda Rao takes readers on an exhilarating, exhaustive journey through the lives and teachings of India's most illustrious spiritual masters, thinker-activists and philosophers, making their wisdom accessible to all. Beginning from 700 BCE to the present day, moving across the length and breadth of the subcontinent, and covering every significant school of thought, Rao provides a comprehensive view of the trajectory of Indian thought as it developed over centuries, enriching minds and shaping modern discourse. Whether tackling profound questions on the meaning of life or plunging into the restless urgency of social reform, this book showcases an intellectual and cultural heritage that is uniquely Indian. From Kapila, Patanjali, Buddha and Mahavira to Andal, Kabir, Guru Nanak, Bulleh Shah and Chaitanya, and from Shishunala Sharifa, Ramakrishna and Vemana to Birsa Munda, Tagore, Gandhi and Ambedkar - the profiles of luminaries in this invaluable compendium will inspire and elevate its readers. Rich in both essence and detail, this treasury celebrates the individuals who rebelled against existing conventions and transcended every divide in their quest for enlightenment, transforming themselves and the world along the way.

A wise and witty compendium of the greatest thoughts, greatest minds, and greatest books of all time—listed in accessible and succinct form—by one of the world's greatest scholars. From the “Hundred Best Books” to the “Ten Greatest Thinkers” to the “Ten Greatest Poets,” here is a concise collection of the world’s most significant knowledge. For the better part of a century, Will Durant dwelled upon—and wrote about—the most significant eras, individuals, and achievements of human history. His selections have finally been brought together in a single, compact volume. Durant eloquently defends his choices of the greatest minds and ideas, but he also stimulates readers into forming their own opinions, encouraging them to shed their surroundings and biases and enter “The Country of the Mind,” a timeless realm where the heroes of our species dwell. From a thinker who always chose to exalt the positive in the human species, The Greatest Minds and Ideas of All Time stays true to Durant's optimism. This is a book containing the absolute best of our heritage, passed on for the benefit of future generations. Filled with Durant's renowned wit, knowledge, and unique ability to explain events and ideas in simple and exciting terms, this is a pocket-size liberal arts and humanist curriculum in one volume.

Minds Without Fear is an intellectual and cultural history of India during the period of British occupation. It demonstrates that this was a period of renaissance in India in which philosophy--both in the public sphere and in the Indian universities--played a central role in the emergence of a distinctively Indian modernity. This is also a history of Indian philosophy. It demonstrates how the development of a secular philosophical voice facilitated the construction of modern Indian society and the consolidation of the nationalist movement. Authors Nalini Bhushan and Jay Garfield explore the complex role of the English language in philosophical and nationalist discourse, demonstrating both the anxieties that surrounded English, and the processes that normalized it as an Indian vernacular and academic language. Garfield and Bhushan attend to both Hindu and Muslim philosophers, to public and academic intellectuals, to artists and art critics, and to national identity and nation-building. Also explored is the complex interactions between Indian and European thought during this period, including the role of missionary teachers and the influence of foreign universities in the evolution of Indian philosophy. This pattern of interaction, although often disparaged as "inauthentic" is continuous with the cosmopolitanism that has always characterized the intellectual life of India, and that the philosophy articulated during this period is a worthy continuation of the Indian philosophical tradition.

'Peerless Minds brings together the finest minds that sustain India as a riveting and relentless idea. The exceptional life stories featured in this book reaffirm the truth that the luckiest of nations are the ones that continue to be rebuilt and reimagined by peerless minds.'S. PRASANNARAJAN, Editor, Open magazineThree Nobel Prize winners. Two Bharat Ratnas. Three Knights of the British Empire. A Pulitzer Prize winner. A two-time Best of the Bookers winner. An Abel Prize winner. A Pritzker Prize winner. A Fields Medallist. Two Fukuoka Prize winners. A Turner Prize winner. Two Praemium Imperiale recipients. A double Academy Award winner. Many Padma Vibhushans and Padma Bhushans. But that is not why these people are really here. They are here because they, as Indians and people of Indian origin, have had extraordinary achievements and have inspired, each in their own way, a generation of Indians. Here you will find, among others, economist Amartya Sen; authors V.S. Naipaul, Salman Rushdie; mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik; philanthropist Azim Premji; mathematician Manjul Bhargava; from the world of music, Annapurna Devi, Lata Mangeshkar and Zubin Mehta; industrialist Ratan Tata; sculptor Anish Kapoor; architect Balkrishna Doshi; spymaster A.S. Dulat; historian Irfan Habib; Michelin-starred chef Vikas Khanna; poet Javed Akhtar; and stand-up comic Hasan Minhaj. In conversation with them are authors and journalists such as James Astill, Prannoy Roy, Vir Sanghvi, Aatish Taseer, Shereen Bhan, Karan Mahajan, Rajdeep Sardesai, Khalid Mohamed, Priya Khanchandani, Indu Bhan and Anil Dharker. A fascinating collection of long-form interviews with some of the greatest minds and biggest achievers of our time, Peerless Minds is a book to be cherished and preserved.

Singapore and India established diplomatic relations in August 1965. However, their ties date as far back as the 10th century. The last half century has seen a blossoming of their relationship. The two countries' warm and substantive friendship is based upon history, economics, defense cooperation and a high degree of mutual trust. The relationship is quite unique because a significant portion of Singapore's population consists of ethnic Indians and an Indian language, Tamil, is one of Singapore's official languages.The book brings together 52 of Singapore's thought leaders. They come from different sectors of the Singapore's society. Each of them has written an essay on India's past or present or future. Each essay is short, easy to read and full of insight and humour. One of the writers is Singapore's Senior Minister, Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, a person who is admired both in Singapore and in India. The book includes essays on Nalanda University, Amaravati, India-Singapore Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership. On the lighter side, the book contains two charming essays by Ambassador Karen Tan and Eirliani Abdul Rahman on their time in India.The book's foreword is written by Mr Goh Chok Tong, Singapore's second Prime Minister. It was Mr Goh who overcame prejudice and inertia and launched a new beginning in Singapore-India relations.This publication is a candid reflection of India and India-Singapore relations by Singaporeans who carry the hope that India will rise above its challenges to join the ranks of the great nations of the world. It will be of interest to Singaporeans who are interested in India and Indians who are interested in Singapore.