A Book A Day - A Literary Podcast from India
537 episodes - English - Latest episode: 3 days ago -Every day, I pick at least one new book, read what it has to offer, make notes and share the best ideas with you.
Sounds fun, right? Join me in this journey and explore a whole new world of books and stories.
For any suggestions/queries please contact us at [email protected] or visit Kalampedia.org on your browser.
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Episodes
History of The Gita by Devdutt Pattanaik | Hindu Philosophy
March 16, 2023 17:15 - 22 minutes - 21.2 MBIn this episode I briefly talk about the history of The Gitas (remember there is not just one, The Bhagavad Gita), and how they have evolved over time.
Indian Religions by Dr Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan
March 14, 2023 16:03 - 22 minutes - 20.4 MBIndian religions have a peculiar approach which cannot be understood in a typical western manner. This book by the former Indian president Dr Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan discusses the theological aspects of religions and at the same time guides us to build bridges to connect with each other. On a different note, this is the 300th episode of this podcast. Thank you so much for your positive response. Keep following!
The Story of Mahabharata - 6 | Indian Mythology
March 06, 2023 07:35 - 8 minutes - 7.76 MBHere we are. The last episode of our Mahabharata series is here. Enjoy the war!
The Story of Mahabharata - 5 | Indian Mythology | Hinduism
March 05, 2023 09:08 - 7 minutes - 6.8 MBHere is part five of our Mahabharata series.
The Story of Mahabharata - 4 | Indian Mythology
March 04, 2023 04:49 - 6 minutes - 6.02 MBLet's continue on our journey with the Kauravas and Pandavas of the Mahabharata and explore this ancient Indian epic a little more.
The Story of Mahabharata - 3 | Indian Mythology
December 23, 2022 17:11 - 13 minutes - 12.8 MBWe continue our Mahabharata journey as we explore what happens in the lives of Kauravas and Pandavas.
The Story of Mahabharata - 2 | Indian Mythology
December 20, 2022 14:40 - 8 minutes - 8.29 MBContinuing the story of Mahabharata, I narrate the next sequence of events in the lives of Pandavas and Kauravas, the two key families in this great epic.
The Story of Mahabharata - 1 | Indian Mythology
September 07, 2022 17:40 - 12 minutes - 11.3 MBIn this series, I am going to narrate the story of Mahabharata, the great Indian mythological epic. Let's start this journey together and explore the wonderful tales of the past.
The Mahabharata Series | An Introduction to Indian Mythology
September 05, 2022 17:59 - 9 minutes - 8.61 MBThe Mahabharata is the longest epic poem ever written, and dare I say, the greatest ever. In this series I am going to cover different aspects of this wonderful text. Stay tuned.
Man and Woman | Essay by Tagore
September 03, 2022 15:58 - 10 minutes - 9.32 MBTo conclude the week, I bring to you another one of Rabindranath Tagore's essays. In this essay, Tagore talks about the masculine and feminine, and how they have been traditionally viewed in society as well as literature. Keep following us on www.kalampedia.org as well as on the podcast here.
Kalidasa Vs Shakespeare | Essay by Rabindranath Tagore
September 01, 2022 18:49 - 19 minutes - 17.8 MBIn his essay titled Shakuntala, Tagore compares Kalidasa's great epic poem Abhijnan Shakuntalam with Shakespearean Tempest. I narrate some passages from the essay in this podcast.
The Indian Ideal of Religion | Essays by Tagore
August 29, 2022 18:01 - 20 minutes - 18.7 MBThis week I am going to share some of the writings of the great writer Rabindranath Tagore. Starting with an essay on religion in today's episode.
Indian Mystic Poets | Best Poems from India
August 25, 2022 08:23 - 15 minutes - 14.3 MBTo conclude our theme on India and Indian literature, I share some of the most beautiful verses ever written by Indian mystics. Hope you enjoyed this theme. Keep following for new conversations on books in the coming week.
The Great Indian Writers | Books from India
August 24, 2022 14:46 - 12 minutes - 11.5 MBIn this podcast I share a brief guide to explore some of the greatest Indian writers in the last century. Please share your favourite writers with me.
India After Gandhi | A Book by Ramachandra Guha
August 23, 2022 04:35 - 20 minutes - 19.1 MBRamachandra Guha's book India After Gandhi covers the history of India after it gained independence from the British in 1947. It is a fascinating read which takes you through the complexities of India's modern social and political challenges. I discuss it briefly in this podcast.
The Case for India by Will Durant
August 21, 2022 03:10 - 13 minutes - 12 MBIn 1930 Will Durant published a book titled A Case for India after visiting the country. The historian and philosopher put out a strong case for India, which till date remains one of the best books written on this country.
History of South India | Rajmohan Gandhi's Book
August 19, 2022 18:42 - 10 minutes - 9.64 MBRajmohan Gandhi’s book Modern South India is a great place to start exploring the history of South India. The region has its own cultural and geographical significance, which makes its history quite different from other parts of India.
How First Humans Came to India from Africa | Pranay Lal
August 19, 2022 00:48 - 10 minutes - 9.45 MBIn Pranay Lal's book Indica, we learn about the journey of first humans from Africa to India. I discuss it in today's podcast.
How Life Evolved on Earth | Natural History of India| Indica by Pranay Lal
August 16, 2022 17:38 - 13 minutes - 12.5 MBToday I come to the next part of Pranay Lal's book Indica where he discusses how life evolved on Earth. Keep following the podcast for more conversations on books or visit www kalampedia.org to read.
The Story of Earth | Indica by Pranay Lal | Natural History of Indian Subcontinent
August 15, 2022 17:51 - 12 minutes - 11.3 MBThis week I am going to talk about some interesting books on India. Starting today with Indica, which covers the natural history of the Indian subcontinent, I discuss the early history of Earth's formation.
Book Reading by Prochy Mehta | Who is a Parsi?
August 03, 2022 20:21 - 20 minutes - 18.8 MBProchy Mehta's book "Who is a Parsi?" undertakes a difficult challenge to answer the puzzle described in its title. Who is a Parsi? Is a Parsi the same as Zoroastrian? Let's try to get into this question with the help of this book. In this podcast the author narrates a chapter from the book. Hope you enjoy that.
Morals and History by Will Durant | Audio Essay
June 11, 2022 18:02 - 15 minutes - 14.5 MBTo conclude the theme of audio essays this week, I am going to narrate one called Morals and History from Will and Ariel Durant's book The Lessons of History. Hope you enjoyed the essays. Check out the previous episodes for more essays and do not forget to subscribe.
An Essay on Love and Beauty | Alain de Botton
June 10, 2022 17:50 - 12 minutes - 11.2 MBIn his book Essays in Love, author Alain de Botton explored different stages of a romantic relationship - from first kiss to first argument, elation to heartbreak, and everything in between. Each stage of the relationship is narrated as an essay. And since we are narrating essays this week, I pick one from this book (on Beauty) and narrate it today. Hope you will enjoy. Please subscribe to the podcast.
An Average Man by RK Narayan | Audio Essay from India
June 09, 2022 20:26 - 8 minutes - 7.49 MBR.K. Narayan was a well-known Indian writer famous for his set of work and writing in the fictional South Indian town of Malgudi. He was one of the leading and famous authors of early Indian literature written in English along with two others, Mulk Raj Anand and Raja Rao.Narayan's greatest achievement was to make India accessible to the outside world through his writing and powerful words in his literature. Today I am narrating one of his essays titled An Average Man. Don't forget to subscrib...
Things Emotionally Healthy People Know How to Do | Audio Essay by Brianna Wiest
June 08, 2022 13:28 - 10 minutes - 9.52 MBBrianna Wiest is the bestselling author of 101 Essays That Will Change The Way You Think. Since I am narrating essays this week, I have picked one from this book. The essay is called Things Emotionally Healthy People Know How to Do. Hope you will enjoy it. Stay tuned for more essays this week. Don't forget to subscribe and visit www.kalampedia.org to check out more books related stuff.
Friendship by Joseph Addison | Audio Essay
June 07, 2022 10:32 - 12 minutes - 11.8 MBThe greatest sweetener of human life is Friendship. To raise this to the highest pitch of enjoyment, is a secret which but few discover. Joseph Addison's profound words on friendship still hold great value even after more than 300 years. In this episode I narrate his essay called Friendship. Hope you will enjoy this and other audio essays to follow this week. Do not forget to subscribe. Visit www.kalampedia.org to know more.
How to be a Good Listener | The School of Life | Book Podcast
June 03, 2022 10:59 - 11 minutes - 10.4 MBListening is a skill that holds great value but rarely does it get as much recognition as it should. There are all kinds of writing and speaking courses, but no one teaches us to listen. Let's talk about this wonderful skill that holds the key to our relationships as well as professional success.
A Short Story by Rabindranath Tagore | Raja and Rani | Book Podcast
June 02, 2022 10:49 - 12 minutes - 11.4 MBToday I am going to narrate a short story by Tagore. It is called Raja and Rani and was published in Mashi and Other Stories (1918). Hope you will enjoy it.
Introduction to Vedanta | Indian Philosophy | Book Podcast
June 01, 2022 03:44 - 33 minutes - 31.4 MBThe Vedanta philosophy, one of the orthodox schools of the Indian philosophy, includes various elaborations and interpretations of the Upanishads. In Swami Vivekananda's words, the Vedanta captures the Hindu way of life. Let's find out more about it.
Introduction to Yoga Philosophy | Indian Schools of Philosophy | Book Podcast
May 22, 2022 04:41 - 26 minutes - 24.2 MBThis week we are discussing different schools of Indian philosophy and we now arrive at Yoga. Yoga philosophy is well described in “The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali,” where he outlines the eight limbs, or stages, that one should follow to reach moksha. More on this in this episode. Keep following for more interesting content from some really good books.
Introduction to Buddhism | Indian Philosophy | Book Podcast
May 21, 2022 12:29 - 25 minutes - 23.5 MBToday I will discuss the basics of Buddha's philosophy. It is another non-theistic school in Indian philosophy, which focuses on inquiry and contemplative investigation to find the truth. Listen to this episode to understand it better. Don't forget to subscribe.
Introduction to Jainism | Indian Philosophy | Book Podcast
May 19, 2022 13:36 - 21 minutes - 20.2 MBIn this episode I discuss the basics of Jaina philosophy, or Jainism. Jainism is one of the world's oldest religions, originating in India at least 2,500 years ago. The spiritual goal of Jainism is to become liberated from the endless cycle of rebirth and to achieve an all-knowing state called moksha. Find out more in this episode.
Introduction to Indian Philosophy | Charvaka Darshan | Book Podcast
May 17, 2022 09:30 - 16 minutes - 15.7 MBThis week I will discuss different schools of Indian philosophy, starting with the Charvakas. It is a heterodox school of Indian philosophy. Charvaka holds direct perception, empiricism, and conditional inference as proper sources of knowledge, embraces philosophical skepticism and rejects ritualism and supernaturalism. More about it in the episode.
The Philosophy of Insomnia | Book Podcast
May 06, 2022 16:57 - 9 minutes - 8.41 MBPhilosophers have long wondered about the cause of lack of sleep since they too frequently deal with this problem. So, let's take a look at insomnia through the eyes of a philosopher and discover something new along the way.
Philosophy of Truth in Life of Pi | Yann Martel | Book Podcast
May 05, 2022 16:57 - 12 minutes - 11.3 MBYann Martel talks about the relativity of truth in his book Life of Pi. Throughout the book, he keeps emphasising on this point. What is truth? Is it relative? Let's explore these questions with the help of this brilliant novel. Don't forget to subscribe.
Finding a Moment | The School of Life | Book Podcast
May 04, 2022 13:05 - 15 minutes - 14.5 MBEva Hoffman's book How to be Bored gives us much needed wisdom on how important it is to take a pause in our lives. A pause to relax, to reflect - something which we have forgotten in our fast-paced lives. I discuss this wisdom with you in this episode. Please subscribe to stay tuned.
A Short Story on Afghanistan | Rudyard Kipling | History Book Podcast
May 03, 2022 16:11 - 11 minutes - 10.8 MBI narrate a short story today which was written by Rudyard Kipling over a century ago. The story tells you about the life of Afghanistan back then and how Kipling's own biases affected that. Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast.
The Sixth Extinction | Climate Change Science | Book Podcast
May 02, 2022 17:57 - 13 minutes - 12.3 MBElizabeth Kolbert's Pulitzer Prize winning book The Sixth Extinction argues that the Earth is in the midst of a modern, man-made, sixth extinction. I discuss the fundamental ideas of the book here.
A Haunted House | Short Story by Virginia Woolf | Book Podcast
May 01, 2022 18:24 - 7 minutes - 6.63 MBA Haunted House is an interesting short story by Virginia Woolf. It is and is not a ghost story. In less than two pages of prose, Woolf explores, summons, and subverts the conventions of the ghost story, offering a modernist take on the genre. I narrate this story in today's podcast. Visit www.kalampedia.org to check out more interesting stories or follow the podcast here.
Philosophy of Veganism | The Philosophy Files by Stephen Law | Book Podcast
April 30, 2022 16:06 - 20 minutes - 19 MBShould you eat meat or not? What are the philosophical arguments for or against the idea of veganism? Stephen Law, in his book The Philosophy Files, takes us on a quest where we discuss these kinds of questions. Originally intended for children, this book provides interesting philosophical conversations for adults as well. I discuss one chapter of this book in today's podcast.
Publishing a Book in India | Meghna Pant | Book Podcast
April 28, 2022 12:57 - 11 minutes - 10.4 MBMeghna Pant's book How to Get Published in India is an easy guide for all the aspiring writers in India that dream to get published one day. I discuss briefly what you will get out of this book in today's podcast. To know more, you can write us on [email protected] or visit www.kalampedia.org and check there.
Hyperactivity and Emotional Health | Eva Hoffman and The School of Life | Book Podcast
April 27, 2022 11:56 - 11 minutes - 11 MBlive in a hectic, hyperactive, over-stimulated age. Excessive busyness and overfilled schedules are the norm, as are their effects on our mental and emotional lives. How to overcome this challenge? We learn it through Eva Hoffman's book How to be Bored in today's podcast. Subscribe to keep exploring the world of books with me.
A Short Story from African Mythology | Anansi the Spider | Book Podcast
April 26, 2022 09:40 - 10 minutes - 9.57 MBAnansi is an Akan folktale character. He often takes the shape of a spider and is sometimes considered to be a god of all knowledge of stories. In this podcast I narrate a story which tells us about how he came to possess all the stories. Keep listening. Don't forget to subscribe. Visit www.kalampedia.org to know more.
Shashi Tharoor on British Colonialism | India Shastra | Book Podcast
April 25, 2022 10:25 - 15 minutes - 13.9 MBShashi Tharoor, in his book India Shastra, gives a broader perspective of India's history, culture, politics, social practices and much more. In one of the chapters, he talks about the atrocities committed by the British during the colonial period. I share this in today's podcast. Subscribe to keep listening to more such interesting stories or visit www.kalampedia.org to explore more.
101 Essays by Brianna Wiest | Book Podcast
April 24, 2022 13:26 - 7 minutes - 7.13 MBIn her second compilation of published writing, Brianna Wiest explores pursuing purpose over passion, embracing negative thinking, seeing the wisdom in daily routine, and becoming aware of the cognitive biases that are creating the way you see your life. The collection is called 101 Essays That Will Change The Way You Think. I narrate one of the essays from this book.
Thich Nhat Hanh on Spirituality | The Art of Living | Book Podcast
April 23, 2022 10:14 - 13 minutes - 12.1 MBThich Nhat Hanh discussed Buddhist philosophy and mindfulness in the simplest ways possible. In his book The Art of Living, he educates us on some of the very basics of leading a good life. I discuss it briefly in today's podcast. Please visit www.kalampedia.org to support me.
A Story from Persian (Iran) Mythology | Sohrab and Rustom | Book Podcast
April 22, 2022 10:06 - 14 minutes - 13.3 MBSohrab and Rustom is a narrative poem with strong tragic themes first published in 1853 by Matthew Arnold. The poem retells a famous episode from Ferdowsi's Persian epic Shahnameh relating how the great warrior Rustum unknowingly slew his long-lost son Sohrab in single combat. I narrate the story in today's podcast. Don't forget to subscribe to this podcast. Visit www.kalampedia.org to know more.
Creation Myth from Quran | Islamic Philosophy | Bookcast #254 | Book Podcast
April 13, 2022 16:02 - 14 minutes - 13.6 MBI narrate the creation myth from the Quran and Hadiths in this podcast.
Creation Myth from Quran | Islamic Philosophy | Book Podcast
April 13, 2022 16:02 - 14 minutes - 13.6 MBI narrate the creation myth from the Quran and Hadiths in this podcast.
The Art of Loving | Erich Fromm | Book Podcast
April 11, 2022 11:04 - 13 minutes - 12.4 MBSeligmann Fromm was a German social psychologist, philosopher and writer. In his book The Art of Loving, he discusses the idea of love and how it is going extinct as an art under the assault of romanticism. I discuss some of these thoughts in this podcast.