Ladies Who Launch
If the turnout at a book launch is the index for a bestseller, Neelima DalmiaAdhar's Merchants of Death could have been the season's biggest book: a five-star hall was crammed to its seams with her guests. But the impressive panelshe'd put together-- two ministers, including Mani Shankar Aiyar, ex-Speaker Balram Jakhar and ex-Pakistani minister AitzazAhsan-- reminisced, joked, ribbed the author and her sister, did everything but discuss the book. There are some books, one gathered, that are better leftundiscussed-- and unread.
Mani On One's Mind
By now it's a universal truth for book launch organisers: invite Mani Aiyar to launch a book at your own peril. The intrepid Mani tore into Merchants with such gusto that the author cried out:"That's an exaggeration!"
