Capital: The Eruption of Delhi

In this profound and fascinating book, Dasgupta (Tokyo Cancelled) conducts a series of interviews and personal explorations which reveal the history and evolution of the city of Delhi, examined through the attitudes and opinions of its inhabitants. He paints a picture of wealth and privilege, poverty and neglect, rampant corruption and boundless ambition, emphasizing the dichotomy which has transformed the landscape over the past few decades. It's a telling look at the author himself, Delhi and its people, and the 21st Century Indian culture as a whole. Packed with revelatory details and vivid in its impressions, this book covers everything from business to pleasure, sex to marriage, showing how Delhi has become a place of opportunity built on the backs of its residents. Dasgupta's sprawling narrative vibrantly captures the hustle of the current generation as they steer Delhi toward its global economic future. It's both a love letter to a city in transition and a haunting cautionary tale. (May)