The Mahabharata ( Kisari Mohan Ganguli )

The Mahabharata is an ancient Indian epic where the main story revolves around two branches of a family - the Pandavas and Kauravas - who, in the Kurukshetra War, battle for the throne of Hastinapura. Interwoven into this narrative are several smaller stories about people dead or living, and philosophical discourses.

Pakistan: Between Mosque And Military ( Husain Haqqani )

 Among U.S. allies in the war against terrorism, Pakistan cannot be easily characterized as either friend or foe. Nuclear-armed Pakistan is an important center of radical Islamic ideas and groups. Since 9/11, the selective cooperation of president General Pervez Musharraf in sharing intelligence with the United States and apprehending al Qaeda members has led to the assumption that Pakistan might be ready to give up its longstanding ties with radical Islam. But Pakistan's status as an Islamic ideological state is closely linked with the Pakistani elites' worldview and the praetorian ambitions of its military. This book analyzes the origins of the relationships between Islamist groups and Pakistan's military, and explores the nation's quest for identity and security. Tracing how the military has sought U.S. support by making itself useful for concerns of the moment – while continuing to strengthen the mosque-military alliance within Pakistan – Haqqani offers an alternative view of political developments since the country's independence in 1947.

The Forty Rules of Love: A Novel of Rumi ( Elif Shafak )

 The Forty Rules of Love is a novel written by the Turkish author Elif Shafak, Her interest in writing this book was influenced by the degree she received in Gender and Women’s Studies. The book was published in March 2009. It is about Maulana Jalal-Ud-Din, known as Rumi and his companion Shams Tabrizi.This book explains how Shams transformed a scholar into a Sufi (mystic) through love.

From MTV TO MECCA ( KRISTIANE BACKER )

 In the early 1990s Kristiane Backer was one of the very first presenters on MTV Europe. For some years she lived and breathed the international music scene, quickly gaining a cult following amongst viewers and becoming a darling of the European press. As she reached the pinnacle of her success she realised that despite having all she could have wished for, she was never truly satisfied. Something very important was missing.

A fateful meeting with Pakistani cricket hero Imran Khan changed her life. He invited her to his country where she encountered a completely different world to the one she knew, the religion and culture of Islam. In place of pop and rock stars she was meeting men and women whose lives were dominated by the love of God and who cared very little for the brief glories of this world. She began to read the Quran and to study books about the faith. A few years later, after traveling more widely in the Islamic world and knowing that she had discovered her spiritual path, she embraced Islam in a London mosque. And then her real adventures began.

 In this very personal memoir, Kristiane Backer tells the story of her conversion and explains how faith, despite the many challenges she faced, has given her inner peace and the meaning she sought.