Review of Girl in Scarlet Hijab by Suresh U. Kumar

Amazon Buy Link

Rating: 4/5

I picked up this book because the title and cover stayed with me. Right from the first pages I felt the story had a pulse — it moves with purpose and keeps you involved. The mood is earnest and brave, and I found myself caring about what the characters were trying to do.

Setting and plot

The story is set in Cochin, Kerala in the early 1980s, when student politics and big protests sweep the city. The main action starts after a violent incident that shakes everyone, and a group of young people form a movement on the streets. The book shows how small decisions inside the movement turn into huge consequences for the city and for people’s lives.

Main characters

At the center is the girl in the scarlet hijab. She is quiet but sharp, and her presence becomes a kind of rallying point for others. Alongside her are young men and friends who bring different ideas and loyalties to the struggle. I liked how the author let their strengths and flaws come out slowly, so I could see them changing as the story went on.

Themes that stayed with me

The book is about more than protest. It is about courage, identity, loyalty, and what people are willing to risk for what they believe in. It asks how far young people will go when they think they are right, and how private things like love and memory get mixed up with public fight. Those layers made the story feel bigger than a single event.

Writing style and pacing

The writing is descriptive enough to paint the city and the tension, yet not so fancy that it slows the story. The pace picks up when it needs to and gives room for quieter moments. I found the scenes that focus on small human details the most moving, because they made the stakes feel real. The voice is steady and controlled, which suits a political story like this.

What I loved most

I loved the way the scarlet hijab becomes a symbol in the book. It is simple but powerful, and it ties together the personal and the political in a way that felt honest. The book also made me think about how movements are built from many small acts, not just one big speech or one great leader. That idea stayed with me after I finished the last page.

A small, gentle critique

If I have to point out one small thing, it is that at times the story tries to hold many threads at once, and I wanted a little more time with a couple of secondary characters. A little more space for them would have made some emotional turns hit even harder. This did not break the book for me, but I felt it once or twice.

Closing note

Overall, this is a strong, thoughtful novel. It kept me hooked and it left me with images and moments I keep thinking about. If you like political stories that also care about people, this one is worth your time.

Review of Technology Innovation : Sword or Plough : Insights For Curious Minded People, Students, Researchers, Policy Makers by Ajit Balakrishnan

Amazon Buy Link

Rating: 5/5

I picked up Technology Innovation: Sword or Plough with simple curiosity, and I finished it feeling both informed and quietly stirred. The book asks a single big question in a way that stuck with me: will our new technologies help people grow, like a plough, or will they cut societies apart, like a sword? That central idea frames everything that follows.

What the Book Argues

In plain words, the author traces how major tech waves — from industrial machines to software and now AI — change not just how we work but how societies distribute power, dignity, and opportunity. The book makes the point that technology itself is not neutral; outcomes depend a lot on the choices people, companies, and governments make. I felt the argument was steady: history, examples, and questions all point back to that same theme.

Structure and Content

The book moves between history, storytelling, and practical reflection. It looks at past revolutions in production and then connects those lessons to current topics like automation and AI. For me, the flow worked — the historical parts helped me understand why today’s issues are not brand new, and the modern examples made the stakes clear. The writing kept things readable; it never felt like a textbook.

Style and Tone

I liked the tone. It reads like someone who has seen technology from close up — experienced, thoughtful, and a little bit conversational. The language is accessible: I didn’t need a technical background to follow the ideas. That made the book useful whether you’re a student, a researcher, a policy maker, or just a curious reader.

A Small, Gentle Critique

My only small reservation is that sometimes I wanted a bit more in the way of concrete, step-by-step policy suggestions. The book offers strong framing and useful reflections for leaders, but at moments I wished for clearer, practical roadmaps that a policy maker could pick up and act on immediately. This is a tiny quibble because the book’s strength is its big-picture clarity.

Who I Think Should Read It

If you want a clear, historically grounded take on why tech choices matter — and what questions to ask when negotiating tech’s social impact — this book is for you. It’s good for students trying to understand career and society changes, for researchers who want context, and for policy makers who need a readable framework to think with.

Final Thoughts

I came away feeling the book is timely and helpful. It doesn’t promise easy answers, but it does give you a reliable way to think about whether innovation will feed people or harm them. If you care about how technology shapes real lives, this one is worth your time. You can find the book on major retailers and the publisher’s store