River of life, river of death : the Ganges and India's future

The book, like the Ganges, is stately, somewhat meandering, but fascinating and nourishing, and well worth a visit. * Peter Admirand, newbooks.asia * An extraordinary and fascinating combination of history, geography, environment, politics, religion, and much more. Written with affection for and understanding of a country of special importance. This is a river of unsurpassed significance on the world stage, whose flow and life is traced from the Himalayas to the Sunderbans and the Bay of Bengal. Not just the story of an often difficult past but also of hope for a possible healthy and attractive future. * Nicholas Stern, IG Patel Professor of Economics and Government at LSE * To try and fathom the wonders and follies of India through a river is grand ambitionand Victor Mallet pulls it off! * Gurcharan Das, author of India Unbound and The Difficulty of Being Good. * Victor is one of those rare foreign journalists who not only likes and understands India but, in addition, has the capacity to see its faults as well as impartially assess the efforts it's making to correct them. This means his coverage of India is always informed and thought-provoking. Even when sympathetic he's never biased. I, therefore, implicitly trust his views and I have always learnt a lot from his writing. * Karan Thapar, Indian television anchor * Victor Mallet demonstrates vividly why India needs to get to grips with the huge challenge of antibiotic resistance... I hope Mr Modi's policy advisers read his powerful narrative. * Jim O'Neill, economist, inventor of the BRICS acronym and chair of the Review on Antimicrobial Resistance * Masterfully combining fascinating history with acute observation of India today, River of Life, River of Death is brilliantly effective in its central argument - that the threats facing the Ganges - from pollution, overpopulation, climate change, and often bad policies - are also the severest problems threatening India's progress. Mallet is at times brutally realistic about the prospects for rapid improvement, but passionately concerned that success must eventuallybe achieved. The result is a splendid and important book. * Adair Turner, Economist and Chair of the Energy Transitions Commission * This book is an essential read for those who care about rivers and environmental issues in India. * Amit Ranjan, South Asia Research * In prose that is as sanguine and fluid as his subject, Victor Mallet's River of Life, River of Death charts the course of the Ganges, the spiritual and material lifeline of northern India, through the vicissitudes of time, space, and the hubris of men. Rich in detail and sparkling with the insight of a trained observer, Mallet's chronicle is an engaging and enlightening read. * Shashi Tharoor, Indian MP and author of Inglorious Empire * Much to read and ponder. * Greenbarrel.com * Books of the year: "a wonderful achievement". * William Dalrymple, New Statesman and Spectator * Mallet's diagnoses of how the Ganges grew so diseased, and why governments have been unalbe to revive it, are astute and comprehensive. * Samanth Subramanian, Literary Review * The most impressive sections of the books (sic) are Mallet's sharp accounts on the various players... a valuable reference point to understanding one of the world's most intriguing rivers. * Jacob Koshy, The Hindu * The book is well rounded and comprehensive. * Kaveesha Kohli, The Print * Mallet's book is well-researched and richly anecdotal. * Uddalak Mukherjee, Telegraph (Kolkata) * Fascinating. * Barney Smith, Asian Affairs Journal * The book is well written and easy to read, even for a non-specialist audience...there is much to learn from River of Life, River of Death, and it is to be hoped that Mallet will repeat his journey down the Ganges in a decade or two to update us on the fate of this extraordinary river. * Kenneth Bo Nielsen, University of Oslo, Pacific Affairs * Read more...