Top 10 essential reads you might have missed in 2024

Courtesy: Cambridge University Press & Assessment

As the year ends, there are books we can all be reminiscent about—ones that have stayed with us long after we closed their pages. Since we are in the last chapter of 2024, let’s take a deep dive into a few books that’ll have you glued to your cozy reading nooks and desks. From the great AI takeover to the realm of Bollywood glamour, this year’s academic book scene is bursting with variety. Reading lists are subjective, varying depending on an individual’s preferences and aversions, but here are some of the most thought-provoking academic books across various disciplines that are sure to spark interesting discussions and debates in the coming year.

So, grab a cup of some enchanting coffee, put on your reading glasses, and get ready to dive into the fascinating world of ideas and discovery.

For the tech wizards and geeks:

Numerical Methods – Think math is dull? Let IITian Amiya K. Jana’s Numerical Methods change your mind! This book brings a fresh perspective to numerical analysis, turning complex algorithms into straightforward solutions. This comprehensive guide strikes the perfect balance between theoretical concepts and real-world applications. Real-world examples and case studies demonstrate their practical use, while an in-depth analysis of each method’s strengths and weaknesses helps readers select the most effective approach for their problems.
Search Methods in Artificial Intelligence – Ever wondered how Google finds exactly what you’re looking for, even if you don’t know how to spell it? In his book, Deepak Khemani goes into depth on how search is central to problem solving in computer science and artificial intelligence and offers a complete approach to learning it. Perfect for undergraduate and graduate students, it covers a wide spectrum of search strategies.
Quantum Hall Effect: The First Topological Insulator – Author Saurabh Basu aims to simplify the Quantum Hall effect with this comprehensive guide designed for physics and engineering students, as well as curious researchers. This book takes you on a journey from the historical discovery of the effect in two-dimensional electron gases to its modern-day significance as the first topological insulator. It makes understanding condensed matter physics both accessible and intriguing.
Machine Learning with Python: Dive into the field of machine learning with this beginner-friendly guide that combines theory and Python coding. With no prerequisites, it begins from scratch and includes an introduction chapter on Python, making it ideal for both students and professionals. Parteek Bhatia, an avid researcher in machine learning and artificial intelligence, wrote this book to provide a “learning by doing” experience, making complicated topics approachable and useful to everyone.

For the curious minds and history buffs trying to find the origin of it all:

The Backstage of Democracy: Elections in India have transformed dramatically, with political parties now relying on consulting firms, social media campaigns, data analytics, and hashtag battles to sway voters. Amogh Dhar Sharma’s book ‘The Backstage of Democracy’ provides an inside look at this changing environment. Beyond merely technology, the book shows how electioneering is changing due to concepts of political knowledge, intra-party power dynamics, and public political sentiments. Sharma analyses the significant cultural changes causing these changes using a variety of data sources, providing new insights into the workings of Indian party and electoral politics.
Networked Bollywood: How Star Power Globalized Hindi Cinema – With how we often witness Bollywood emerging on the global stage now, it is quite interesting to wonder what caused this leap. Author Swapnil Rai unveils the dazzling world of Bollywood and its rise to global stardom. Through multilingual and transnational research, the book uncovers the lesser-known history of Bollywood’s globalization, stretching back to its early days in 1913. By examining the intersection of charisma, business acumen, and social inequality, it books offers a compelling narrative about Bollywood’s rise on the global stage.
Between Nation and ‘Community’: Muslim Universities and Indian Politics after Partition – In her thought-provoking book, Laurence Gautier takes you on a journey through the history of Muslim universities in post-independence India, exploring the complex relationship between education, politics, and identity. Based on a wide range of sources in English and in Urdu, it highlights the central role that these educational institutions played in the debates on national integration, secularism, minority rights and Muslim backwardness.
Performing Sovereign Aspirations: Tamil Insurgency and Postwar Transition in Sri Lanka – In the volatile times we continue to live in, Bart Klem’s ethnographic research sheds light on the human stories behind the Tamil separatist conflict in Sri Lanka, offering a powerful and moving exploration of armed conflict and its aftermath. It draws on two decades of fieldwork across towns and villages in northern and eastern Sri Lanka, ethnography within Sri Lanka’s civil service, and privileged access to the Norwegian-facilitated peace process. Definitely an eye-opening and deeply humanizing account for readers seeking a comprehensive yet empathetic exploration of conflict and reconciliation.
Dalit Ecologies: Caste and Environment Justice – With his work, Mukul Sharma aims to challenge your viewpoints and deepen your comprehension of social and ecological issues. By exposing the frequently disregarded fights for environmental justice within Dalit communities in India, the book debunks how Dalit literature, art, and culture are interwoven with ecological experiences, histories, and viewpoints. The essays in the book explore themes like caste and environment, Dalit autobiographies, folktales, urban waste, caste-based occupations, technological injustice, and the intersection of caste and climate change.
Democracy’s Dhamma: Buddhism in the Making of Modern India, c.1890-1956: Gitanjali Surendran reveals the astounding role of Buddhism in shaping modern India, tracing its influence on key figures like B.R. Ambedkar. This book traces this genealogy through the Buddhist itineraries and political projects of figures such as Anagarika Dharmapala, Swami Vivekananda, Rabindranath Tagore, Jawaharlal Nehru, Vinayak D. Savarkar, Rahul Sankrityayan and Ambedkar to reveal how Buddhism emerged as democracy’s dhamma, the religion of democracy.

As we step into 2025, these books published by Cambridge University Press offer a window into the most pressing and fascinating conversations happening across various fields of study. So, whether you’re an academic, a professional, or simply a curious reader, there’s a book here that will challenge your perspectives, develop a new interest, and help you increase your knowledge. Happy reading, and here’s to a year filled with curiosity, answers, and the joy of discovery!