Speaking of Siva is a selection of vacanas or free-verse sayings from the Virasaiva religious movement, dedicated to Siva as the supreme god. Written by four major saints, the greatest exponents of this poetic form, between the tenth and twelfth centuries, they are passionate lyrical expressions of the search for an unpredictable and spontaneous spiritual vision of 'now'. Here, yogic and tantric symbols, riddles and enigmas subvert the language of ordinary experience, as references to night and day, sex and family relationships take on new mystical meanings. These intense poems of personal devotion to a single deity also question traditional belief systems, customs, superstitions, image worship and even moral strictures, in verse that speaks to all men and women regardless of class and caste.
A very important book
—— Paulo Coelho, author of The AlchemistThe Seat of the Soul changed the way I see myself. It changed the way I view the world
—— Oprah WinfreyA remarkable treatment of thought, evolution, and reincarnation
—— Library JournalFilled with wisdom, and written in a beautifully simple, almost poetic style, The Seat of the Soul is a book to be savored
—— Brian Weiss, Chairman of Psychiatry, Mt. Sinai Medical Center, Miami, and author of Many Lives, Many MastersA readable, thought-provoking [work] on how our perceptions must change dramatically if we are to survive
—— Library JournalIntellectually nimble and rigorously researched . . . admirably clear-eyed . . . Kadri is a precise and stylish writer, as good at explicating abstruse arguments as he is at conjuring vivid scenes . . . this brave and sane book could not be more timely
—— ScotsmanTruly penetrating and provocative
—— ObserverLearned, level-headed, engaging, Kadri's [book] deserves praise on every front
—— Boyd Tonkin , IndependentThoughtful
—— Independent on Sunday[An] erudite and instructive book... Captivating
—— The Times[A] fascinating journey . . . Kadri approaches his themes with unstinting humanity and intelligence, as well as great fluency
—— SpectatorYou will come across...a fresh eye, and a clear perspective, in Sadakat Kadri's new book, Heaven on Earth. Learned, level-headed, engaging, Kadri's "journey through Shari'a law" deserves praise on every front
—— IndependentThis is an extremely valuable book...Knowing this stuff is important, and Kadri takes us through it wonderfully well. He has a great grasp of the facts and – this is my favourite thing – a good, dry sense of humour
—— Nick Lezzard , GuardianSuperb… So much discussion of sharia is marred by misinformation and paranoia: this level-headed book provides a timely corrective
—— David Evans , Independent on SundayThe most gripping, moving and entertaining literary memoir I have ever read.
—— Amanda Craig , Independent on SundayThe story Rushdie tells is never less than gripping.
—— Colin McCabe , New StatesmanA magnificent new memoir.
—— Matthew d’Ancona , Evening StandardThis moving, sometimes irritating, often beautiful and blissfully funny memoir is also a resounding manifesto, reminding us that novelists have a right and duty to tackle the most controversial subjects.
—— Jake Kerridge , Sunday ExpressHis big, bold, controversial memoir…matches Rushdie’s confident personality.
—— Ian Finlayson , The Times[A book that] rattles with the terror of the moment.
—— Graeme Wood , Barnes & Noble ReviewThe big book of the week was Salman Rushdie's memoir Joseph Anton
—— GuardianIt’s an extraordinary document.
—— Anthony Cummins , MetroRushdie says art outlasts persecution, but artists may not. A look at how this dichotomy has played out in his life.
—— Salil Tripathi , Live MintJoseph Anton is as riveting for the small vignettes as the big, historical sweep.
—— Ginny Dougary , Financial TimesReads like a thriller...painfully true.
—— Robert McCrum , ObserverHe is compelling here...grippingly reconstructing his long years in hiding.
—— Robert Collins , Sunday Times[N]ot many Americans had heard of Rushdie until Valentines Day, 1989, when the dying Ayatollah Khomeni of Iran issued the infamous fatwa calling for Rushdie’s head... Rushdie spent most of the next decade in hiding, accompanied by armed British agents. He’s now published his account of that stranger-than-fiction time: Joseph Anton: A Memoir.
—— Kurt Andersen , Studio 360Aside from the vivid, splendidly told account of his childhood and family background, Rushdie's book charts in, fascinating, grimly humourous detail, the shadowy half-life he lived until that fatwah was lifted on March 27, 2002.
—— Paddy Kehoe , RTE Ten