I recently received an email message from a reader who introduced himself as one to whom Dr. T.R. Shankar Raman was a much-respected mentor, enthusiastically recommending that I should consider Dr. Shankar Raman’s recently published book The Wild Heart of India for review. This being the first I had heard of the book’s publication, I began enquiries about it.
Although published by Oxford University Press, the book does not appear on that ancient and respected publishing house’s UK or US lists. Fortunately, their India office was very helpful indeed and a copy has now arrived for review.
In fact, I’ve already begun reading it and am finding it to be an absolutely delightful collection of essays taking various aspects of the natural history of India, particularly the Western Ghats, as their central theme. Having not previously read Dr. Shankar Raman’s work, I have quickly found myself to have been truly captured by his clean and unadorned yet highly descriptive style through which his deep love and inspiring enthusiasm for his subjects clearly shines.
Watch for a complete review to be published here once I have completed my reading of the entire book. (And for those outside of India who might subsequently be interested in obtaining a copy for themselves, I have already checked retail availability; while not apparently sold by Blackwells, copies can be purchased through that big online shop, as well, I suspect, through obliging independents as appropriate.)
