The author engaged in an enlightening discussion with the guests, upon matters of lateral thinking drawing unusual comparisons between locks, mathematics and the great Indian epic Mahabharata, the author kept the audience in rapt attention. This was followed by a book reading and signing session.
‘Locks, Mahabharata and Mathematics’, explores the well-established anecdote on Indians that they are the best lateral thinkers in the world. Taking it forward the author has expressed the thinking pattern with the Mahabharata in the backdrop. The book astutely amalgamates the three diverse things like Locks, Mahabharata and Mathematics together in the form of numerous stories. With the Mahabharata in context the author delves into the paradigm of polynomials juxtaposing Draupadi as an answer to all the Pandavas as she was married to each of them. Therefore, like a lock to five keys. In another story Jarasandha resembles split locks and symmetries. He has linked all of these characters and their life instances with mathematics. The reference to the parallels that bind the three non–parallel realms thus makes the book a fascinating read.
About the book:
A delightful exercise in lateral thinking
There could be no three more disparate things than locks, mathematics and the Mahabharata. However, as Locks Mahabharata Mathematics shows, this is as entertaining a combination as any. Given here is a treasure trove of stories drawn from all three subjects. What could be more beguiling than a book that mixes Draupadi, a lock with five keys, and the quirky world of polynomials? Or Jarasandha – who could be split apart but whose two halves could never be kept separate – split locks and symmetries? Profusely illustrated with drawings of locks from his personal collection, this is a neatly original book like few others. These are tales that combine reason with fantasy to elevate the spirit.
About the author:
V. Raghunathan's first career was as an academic – as Professor of Finance at IIM, Ahmedabad, for nearly two decades, until early 2001. His second- a corporate one- started in 2001, first as President, ING Vysya Bank for about four years, and then with the GMR Group – an infrastructure major. He is currently CEO, GMR Group Varalakshmi Foundation. Also, since 1990 he has been an Adjunct Professor at the University of Bocconi, Milan, lecturing in behavioral finance.
Raghu has published over 400 academic papers and popular articles, and six books. He is the author of the best-seller Games Indians Play – Why We Are the Way We Are( Penguin, 2006), and Stock Exchange, Investments and Derivatives (Tata McGraw Hill,2007). He also writes a regular guest column in The Economic Times and monthly pieces in Mint and is a busy public speaker.He has probably the largest private collection of old locks in the country, has been a cartoonist with a national daily, has played chess at all-India level, and sketched competitively in the past. His website is www.vraghunathan.com.
About HarperCollins India:
HarperCollins India is a joint venture between the India Today Group and Harper Collins Publishers worldwide. The partnership brings together the dynamism and reach of one of India’s largest media groups and the publishing experience and expertise of a premier international publishing company. It publishes a wider range of books than any other publisher, from cutting-edge contemporary fiction, to thrillers, from fantasy literature and children’s stories to enduring classics apart from the non-fiction titles that include biographies and current affairs which are of immense relevance and interest to readers across a broad spectrum. HarperCollins India is headquartered in NOIDA, NCR.
About Oxford Bookstore:
Established in 1919 Oxford Bookstore is the best equipped 'base-camp' for journeys of the mind offering its customers the widest range of outstanding titles and consistently courteous and informed service for close to a century. Today, with more than 30 stores in India, India’s first dedicated Children’s bookstore, Oxford Junior, India’s first of its kind tea boutique, Cha Bar, India’s only literary festival created by a bookstore, Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival, Oxford Bookstore offers booklovers access to the very best in publishing enhanced by a variety of events which salute books, visual & performing arts and celebrate the word. Oxford Bookstore measures its success by the smiles on millions of happy customers that the brand has served over the last 9 decades. There are a few treats as sumptuous as a visit to Oxford Bookstore in India. Each time you walk into our iconic store in Calcutta where the brand started in 1919, its charm leaves you wanting for more. Our fleet of 200 happy to help expert booksellers and informed hosts work day and night to bring to customers world class reading experience be it through our books or our fine teas and live by the brand’s motto - Much more than a bookstore – at every Bookstore, be it Kolkata, Mumbai, Bangalore, Bhubaneswar, Hyderabad, Shillong, Silliguri, Guwahati or Goa. In December 2012 Oxford Bookstore took a chapter from its growth story in India by launching, Katakali, its first overseas bookstore in the luxurious Taj Palace Hotel at the foothills of the Atlas Mountains in the exclusive palm-filled oasis of the Palmeraie, Marakkech. In April 2013, with the opening of its most architecturally crafted retail store in a stunning new destination in Delhi’s historic centre, Connaught Place, Oxford Bookstore carved out yet another incredible space for quiet browsing, reading and contemplation. Its growth story continues…For more information, please also log on to: www.oxfordbookstore.com
