A review by sridharpandu
The Elephant, the Tiger, and the Cellphone: Reflections on India, the Emerging 21st-Century Power by Shashi Tharoor

1.0

The book is a collections of essays (published in leading English dailies) laid out thematically, it doesnt address the main theme - so what does the 21st Century hold for India?

The ideas of Indianess laid out in the book are rather shallow and doesnt resonate with the skin deep virtues that permeate Indianess. The authors arguments are with a heavy dose of prejudice - He praises all thing that have a Kerala touch and is very acerbic when it comes to other things especially Bihar. One reader even had to point this out to him.

Essentailly all the essays highlight the incongrous landscape of the large culture and junta of India. I think it was a "bundle of contradictions bound into a book".