chaitanya athale

The title is a little confusing. A colleague who saw me walking with this book at my coffee break (disclaimer: I'm an old scientist) mocked me, asking if I thought I was a young person. Aa it happens, this advice is sage, witty and full of interesting insights into "how science is done". About creativity, administration and avoiding the back biting often associated with professional academics. Love the book and recommend it to scientists of all ages AND non scientists curious about how scientific discovery functions as a professional exercise.

I loved reading this book as somebody who likes watching police procedurals. Indeed as it turns out the book was eminently suited for television and has been made into a serial on Netflix "Delhi Crime". What I felt lacked in the book (hence 4/5 not 5) is that the material is so rich and a more detailed story could have been told. Perhaps in consultation - like Hussain Zaidi was. I aslo missed a bibliography. For example the author mentions his monograph on tribes that were previously (in British times) considered criminal in nature. Maybe we can hope for a scholarly book on that in future! Anyway, for any observer of contemporary India and criminal detective stories, a must read, esp since it is non-fiction!