A Book A Day - A Literary Podcast from India

What really happened on Mount Hira where Prophet Muhammad received first revelations of the Quran? We find out in today's podcast.

Today, with the help of a couple of brilliant books, I share the early life story of Prophet Muhammad. Stay tuned to learn more about Islamic History and Philosophy in the month of Ramadan.

In the month of Ramadan, I am reading a few books on Islamic history and philosophy. Sharing these books and ideas with you on this podcast, starting with the life story of Prophet Muhammad.

In this podcast, I narrate some of the beautiful passages that you will find in the English literature. I have picked these passages from my favourite books. Visit kalampedia.org to read more of such passages.

The School of Life is a place meant to educate us on the issues surrounding emotional health. They have published a number of books too. I discuss their book titled The School of Life and what we can learn from it.

Happy Endings is a short story by Margaret Atwood. It was first published in a 1983 Canadian collection, Murder in the Dark. I narrate this short story in today's podcast.

Classic Taoist wisdom applied to the world of parenting, guiding mothers and fathers to meaningful conversations and relationships with their children. William C. Martin has freshly reinterpreted the Tao Te Ching to speak directly and clearly to the most difficult of modern tasks -- parenting. I discuss some of these ideas in this podcast.

The Next 100 Years is a 2009 speculative nonfiction book by George Friedman. In the book, Friedman attempts to predict the major geopolitical events and trends of the 21st century. That also includes the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. Let's find out.

Should you always tell the truth or should you also lie sometimes, especially to be nice and polite? This age-old question in moral philosophy deserves our attention. Let's discuss then.

Can men live without women? If yes, what would their life be like? Both Hemingway and Murakami have explored this question in their books -- separated by over a hundred years -- Men Without Women. I discuss the books in this podcast.

Today I discuss the memoirs of an SS commandant at Auschwitz during the second world war. This book recounts the author's days at Auschwitz where the Jewish Holocaust took place.

In recent years there has been a debate on Hijab and whether or not it is an essential part of Islam. Let's take a look at what The Quran says and how the text can be interpreted.

In the book Great Thinkers, The School of Life (as the organisation often does) brings the ancient philosophical teachings for modern problems. I discuss the chapter on Stoics and what they prescribed for the problem of anxiety.

In today's podcast I narrate a creation myth from ancient Egyptian mythology.

Who is the majority in India? It sounds like a very simple question, but it's not. As Shashi Tharoor tells us in his book, India is a country where everyone is in minority.

In today's podcast I discuss Tété-Michel Kpomassie's memoirs titled An African in Greenland. It's beautifully narrated account of a young man who leaves Africa, travels through Europe, in search of Arctic mountains, and finally arrives in Greenland. Along the way he learns and shares some remarkable lessons on human societies.

The Great Narrative of Phertajido was told in the Bo language, now among the extinct Indian languages. Its last speaker, Boa Sr, passed away in 2010. The language is a part of history now. However, thanks to Professor Anvita Abbi, parts of this ancient language have been preserved and documented. In her book Voices From The Lost Horizon, Professor Abbi shares stories and songs from the ancient pas...

Fanaa is an idea in Sufism in which you destroy the self to become one with the almighty. In this podcast, I discuss Al Ghazali's point of view on Fanaa and how one can practice it.

The idea of death has become a taboo in our societies. We don't discuss it much. But this idea is always lurking around it. How do we deal with the fear of death? At the same time, how do we find consolation when we lose someone? Buddhist meditations on death might have some answers.

Meditation on gratitude changes our perspective and helps us live more positively. Let's practice this meditation in today's podcast.

We begin the Buddhist meditations series with the meditation on breath. Take a moment to relax and let me guide you through this short session.

Before we begin our meditation sessions, let’s discuss some of the common challenges that beginners encounter and how you can deal with them.

Today we discuss some of the basics that you need to follow before starting your meditation journey.

Why should one meditate at all? Does it really help one's mental health? Does this spirituality that everyone keeps talking about make any sense? I address these questions in today's podcast.

How much can we learn through books? Don't worry, it's a rhetorical question. But that has been the idea behind Kalampedia. Now, taking this idea forward, let's learn some valuable meditation techniques from the books of Kathleen McDonald, a Buddhist teacher and writer.