Page 81 - EW March 2025

Overall, one is struck the outcome of numerous
by how diminished the factors, including the THE INDIAN BOOK OF BIG
US role now is compared impact of thinkers, IDEAS: THE 45 GREATEST
to previous rounds of philosophers and social THINKERS, PHILOSOPHERS &
REFORMERS OF ALL TIME
bloodletting in West Asia. reformers, whose works Mukunda Rao
The US role in this telling have significantly
is reactive, and agency is influenced society. HATCHETTE INDIA
with Hamas, Israel and These individuals Rs.499 Pages 234
Iran. The contrast becomes sought to deal with basic
stark when you compare existential questions, such
Blinken’s limited success as the origin, purpose and came from differing social Mukunda Rao has
with Kissinger and Nixon’s ultimate destination of backgrounds in terms of done a splendid job of
setting the terms of peace life; the ideal way of living ethnicity, caste, language, selecting 45 greatest
and dictating actions to and how humans should class and religion. Their thinkers out of a
Israel, Egypt, and others in co-exist with each other as insights, philosophies and galaxy of enlightened
the wake of the 1974 Yom well as with other species; reforms have enabled hu- philosophers from
Kippur war. In January the wider cosmos and any mankind to evolve towards India. Their big ideas
1974, Kissinger helped realities that might exist realisation of Oneness, continue to exercise
negotiate the first Egyp- beyond the empirically ob- surpassing narrowly-con- powerful influence
tian-Israeli disengagement servable. These ‘Big Ideas’, structed ascribed identi-
agreement in eight days, to borrow from the title of ties and social hierarchies
and in May he arranged a this delightful book, that based on birth and creeds, E.V. Ramaswamy.
Syrian-Israeli disengage- great individuals contrib- to promoting humane Written in easy, conver-
ment after a month of uted through living out thinking. sational style and shorn
intense negotiations. their own lives and, in Each individual profiled of unnecessary detail, this
India and China figure many cases, through their in this book has a small compendium is likely to
only parenthetically in this written works, continue to chapter devoted to him/ appeal to children and
account, and mostly as exercise powerful influ- her, shedding light on adults alike. It’s a vibrant
part of Trump’s challenge ence over millions of their ‘Big Idea’ followed by account of historical
to Biden. All in all, War is people. Therefore they are a short essay outlining its figures over a vast span of
an essential and enjoyable worth examination. significant contribution to time covering many cen-
read for anyone interested Author Mukunda Rao humanity. Thus readers turies, summarising their
in contemporary world has done a splendid job are provided brief biogra- thoughts, philosophies
affairs, US foreign policy, of selecting 45 greatest phies and histories of their and reforms. The book
and the two conflicts that thinkers out of a galaxy of rich legacy. opens up an enjoyable way
defined the Biden Presi- enlightened and influen- The individuals profiled of learning history in a
dency. As for history’s tial philosophers and re- include great spiritual manner that the reader is
verdict, that will have to formers from India. In this teachers Mahavira, Sid- likely to be influenced by
wait. book, he details some ‘Big dhartha Gautama, Guru the great thinkers it com-
SHIVSHANKAR MENON Ideas’ about life and living Nanak, Akka Mahadevi, memorates.
(The Book Review) that they articulated and Lalleshwari, Ravidas, Adi That said, the book
which continue to have Shankara and Ramak- could have done with an
Inspiring short salience in this day and rishna Paramahansa; introduction, in which
champions of gender jus-
age. The lives and contri-
the author could have
biographies butions of these figures tice Pandita Ramabai and explained why he decided
Savitribai Phule; advo-
to write it and on what
are inspirational and hold
salutary lessons for mod- cates of harmony beyond basis he selected the 45
OW WE LEAD ern readers. The profound religious differences Kabir individuals profiled. Some
our lives and thinkers profiled in this and Bulleh Shah; literary readers including this re-
Hwhat we make book — men and women giants including Rabindra- viewer are certain to have
of it is largely shaped — excelled in different nath Tagore and Subra- preferred a round number
by — the worldviews we historical periods (among mania Bharati, and social of 50 biographies. Even so,
hold, whether consciously the earliest being the phi- justice reformers Ram- the book is praiseworthy
or unconsciously. losopher Kapila, who dates mohan Roy, Birsa Munda, and a must-read!
Worldviews, in turn, are back to 600-700 BCE), Bhimrao Ambedkar and YOGINDER SIKAND

MARCH 2025 EDUCATIONWORLD 81