India, Food, and James Brown

India Becoming: A Portrait of Life in Modern India by Akash Kapur
The son of an Indian father and an American mother, Akash Kapur spent his formative years in India and his early adulthood in the United States. In 2003, having established a life in the West, he returned to his birth country for good, eager to be part of its exciting growth and modernization. What he found was a nation even more transformed than he imagined, where the changes were fundamentally altering Indian society, for better and sometimes for worse. To further understand these changes, he sought out the Indians experiencing them firsthand--young and old, across classes, in cities, and in the countryside. The result is a rich tapestry of live being altered by economic development, and a fascinating insider's look at many of the most important forces shaping our world today.

Taste What You're Missing: The Passionate Eater's Guide to Why Good Food Tastes Good by Barb Stuckey
Whether it's a grilled cheese sandwich with tomato soup, maple-cured bacon sizzling hot from the pan, or a salted caramel coated in dark chocolate, you know when food tastes good to you. But you many not know the amazing story behind why you love some foods and can't tolerate others. Now, in Taste What You're Missing, the first book that demystifies the science of taste, you'll learn how your individual biology, genetics, and brain create a personal experience of everything you taste--and how you can make the most of it.

The One: The Life and Music of James Brown by RJ Smith
Forget Elvis Presley. Forget Bob Dylan. Forget the Beatles. The most important musician of the twentieth century was James Brown. Full of unprecedented research and never-before-heard interviews, The One is a portrait of a man whose fascinating life helps us understand the music he made. The musical genius, who all but created funk and dominated R & B and pop, was born into abject poverty in South Carolina and raised in rural Georgia amid violent racial tensions. He grew up in a brothel owned by his aunt, landed in juvenile prison at age sixteen, and upon his release met his first bandmates, members of the group that would become the Famous Flames. From the Chitlin' Circuit to the Apollo Theater, Brown amassed fourty-four Billboard Top 40 hit singles, played up to 350 shows a year at his peak, and was a showman like no other.