Academician Nitin Pai's debut book to release next year
Noted academician Nitin Pai's maiden book, Nitopadesha: Moral Tales for Good Citizens will release next year, publishing house Westland announced on Tuesday. In a style reminiscent of classic fables like the Panchatantra, and the Hitopadesha, the book claims to address "a lacuna in traditional and contemporary literature: the absence of stories on what it is to be a good citizen in a democratic society."
Citizens of all ages can enjoy this book: Pai
"This book is of little stories that citizens of all ages can enjoy telling each other," said Pai, co-founder, and director, Takshashila Institution—an independent center for research and education in public policy. "You can read it for the serious and weighty stuff that you might discover in its pages, or simply be delighted by the characters, their adventures, and their predicaments," he added.
The book teases out intricacies of 'dharma of citizenship'
Through playful anecdotes and stories-within-stories, the Bengaluru-based author teases out the intricacies of what could be called the "dharma of citizenship," quite distinct from the rajadharma of the Arthashastra or the swadharma of the Dharmashastras. "I am happy to have played a role in transmitting some of our civilizational wisdom, good sense, and simple joys to contemporary readers," Pai said.
He is also a columnist with various newspapers and magazines
A graduate of Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, Singapore, Pai is also a columnist associated with various newspapers and magazines. Notably, according to publishers, inside this book of traditional wisdom readers might also find insights from political science, philosophy, cognitive psychology, and economics.
With Nitopadesha, you slip into a familiar universe: Ajitha
"Nitopadesha is a pleasure to read; you slip into a familiar universe, following the thread of the story from one narrator to the next, from one layer to the one under," said Ajitha GS, managing editor, Westland Publications. "But equally, in our fractured world, it is an urgent inquiry into that question we all ask: but what can I do?" Ajitha added.
