Two Non-Fictional Books

MAKING HISTORY, edited by Peter Lambert and Phillipp Schofield is an interesting look at history as a discipline. Divided into five parts, the book looks at how the way history has been viewed, written, and taught has evolved over the centuries. With postmodernism and deconstruction both challenging the notion of past as we thought it to be, the entire edifice of history has been shaken, so that it has become difficult to distinguish fact from fiction and even raised doubts over the authenticity of ‘facts’. Some chapters of the book were extremely interesting but I didn’t like the focus which was majorly on US, England, and Germany. There was nothing about the practice of history in Asia and I’d have loved to read about how history is being treated in Greece as Herodotus, known as the ‘father of history’ was a Greek.

First Line: This book is about how, when and why particular approaches to making history have emerged, established themselves, changes and even collapsed.

Editors: Peter Lambert and Phillipp Schofield

Pub. Details: London and NY: Routledge, 2006

First Published: 2004

Pages: 310

Source: CL

*

With time being in short supply for me always, I thought it was time I read something on Time management and so picked up this book by Robert W. Bly.

The edition that I read was a trifle out-dated as per the technological advances but there were some very good tips including what I thought was the most important: that you don’t stay in bed even for a second more. Other points regarding making lists, breaking your day into segments, avoiding procrastination were good too. Now, if only I can follow them….

First Line: The ability to work faster and get more done in less time isn’t slavery, it’s freedom.

Pub. Details: ND; Jaico, n.d

Pages: 168

Source: OTS