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The Sceptical Patriot: Exploring the Truths Behind the Zero and Other Glories Paperback – Unabridged, 21 May 2014

by Sidin Vadukut (Author)
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 406 ratings
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The Sceptical Patriot: Exploring The Truths Behind The Zero And Other Glories is a book that questions several widely held myths and notions about India. It aims to prove or disprove various legends and historic facts, including questions about whether India really invented the zero in mathematics, whether India really hasn’t invaded a foreign nation in the past millennium, and whether Sushruta, and Indian, was the world’s first surgeon and whether he invented plastic surgery much before the Europeans did.The book describes India as a land of myth, history, and rumours, all of which have combined to provide the country with a past that is amazing, rich, and also highly questionable. The author says that our past became so embellished and the stories retold until they were exaggerated to take people’s minds off our uncertain future and less than ideal present. Written in a humorous and irreverent tone that makes the book a light, refreshing, and enjoyable read, The Sceptical Patriot: Exploring The Truths Behind The Zero And Other Glories was published in 2014 by Rupa Publications India. This is the first edition of the book and it is available in paperback.
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  1. Print length
    218 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Rupa Publications India
  4. Publication date
    21 May 2014
  5. Dimensions
    20.32 x 12.7 x 1.27 cm
  6. ISBN-10
    8129129035
  7. ISBN-13
    978-8129129031
  8. See all details
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Product description

About the Author

Sidin Vadukut is a columnist, journalist, and blogger. He has an engineering degree from NIT Trichy and an MBA from IIM Ahmedabad, and is currently working as an editor with the Mint business newspaper, apart from regularly contributing to other publications. He has previously written the bestselling Dork trilogy.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Rupa Publications India; First Edition (21 May 2014)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 218 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 8129129035
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-8129129031
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 243 g
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 20.32 x 12.7 x 1.27 cm
  • Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ India
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 406 ratings

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Sidin Vadukut

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Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
406 global ratings
The Chapter of Takshila as the oldest institution and Sanskrit as the best language for Artificial Intelligence or Bose invention of Radio ...
4 Stars
The Chapter of Takshila as the oldest institution and Sanskrit as the best language for Artificial Intelligence or Bose invention of Radio ...
If you frequently receive the forwarded messages, emails stating Indian facts, how we have invented "everything" and famous quotes or even the myths about Sanskrit., This book is definitely for you.It analyzes various historical facts such as India pioneering plastic surgery, never invaded another country, invention of zero etc., The author underlines the idea that in ancient times, people were not concerned about having their names on their inventions. Rather, they were only focused on making their knowledge beneficial to all, which is probably why a whole lot of western inventions could very well have been made several centuries ago by unknown non-westerners.The Chapter of Takshila as the oldest institution and Sanskrit as the best language for Artificial Intelligence or Bose invention of Radio before Marconi are worth a read.In the closing chapter of the book, is the best. It talks about how we should contribute more to the world and think beyond boundaries rather than just forwarding the *Proud to be Indian* facts' emails to every person in contact list. The humorous writing style is worth mentioning. A must read for everyone who blindly follows the Indian Facts ( without giving second thought 😂😂😂).
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Top reviews from India

Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating read indeed!
Reviewed in India on 14 April 2016
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Fascinating read indeed! Sidin challenges the notions of Indian identity, deep-rooted stories of our "glorious past" with amazing finesse. There is adequate evidence of his research but the witty tone never lets the reader feel as if he/she is on an academic pursuit of some sort. The humour is just your companion on this journey which takes a closer look at certain things "Indian" and investigates them with no greater agenda.
And before you know you have finished the book and are a relatively more informed sceptical patriot :)
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Divakar Kaza
4.0 out of 5 stars Plain and unvarnished - debunking myths
Reviewed in India on 7 August 2014
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THE SCEPTICAL PATRIOT: Exploring the Truths Behind the Zero and Other Indian Glories - Sidin Vadukut

I am a great fan of Sidin Vadukut. Read his previous three books on his part autobiography/part fiction tales of bumbling in the the Consulting world. First rate humor, tongue in cheek, great prose, right doses of sarcasm and down right funny...so when this new book came out, bought it before I could read the reviews...you cannot go wrong after three books.

Sidin takes on the famous Indian myths...( all of us get these religiously as email forwards or on whatsapp...around Independence Day or Republic Day...telling us what a great country we WERE) ...If our current is crappy, our future shaky...we have no choice but to harp on the golden olden days...

He takes some of the most famous myths...Indians invented plastic surgery, India never invaded any country, We invented the Zero,Takshila was a precursor to the IITs etc etc.,

Interesting research, possibly field visits to most of these places where the myths originated...and we have a compact book debunking most of these myths...and in trade mark Vadukut style...the one liners are as usual funny beyond words.

Overall an interesting book, enjoyable to read and since these myths get discussed in all cocktail parties ( after the third drink), please read it so that you have enough cocktail armory disputing the myths !

While it is a good effort, give me Sidin Vadukut and his imaginary tales in the world of consulting any day...they are a class apart.
2 people found this helpful
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J Akshay Iyer
3.0 out of 5 stars Good
Reviewed in India on 24 October 2014
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Good book! To start with, the author does not make any grandiose claims about deep historical knowledge or scientific rigour in his research, but he does present an attitude of inquiry that is easily available to anyone who cares to find out more about historical 'facts' being peddled in the online and offline worlds.

The description is easy to read and understand with measured doses of the kind of humour that the author has come to be known for.

This is one book that one can definitely pick up on travel.
One person found this helpful
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Oscar Abraham Varghese
5.0 out of 5 stars Sidin does it again!
Reviewed in India on 2 July 2014
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If you're one of those people who cringes at "India is great" email/whatsapp forwards this book is definitely for you. If you are one of those people sending it, get someone to buy this for you. Ideally the person who has blocked you on whatsapp after receiving those messages.

Sidin makes a good (balanced one might say) arguments over widely accepted beliefs of our Indianness and history.

Buy, read it and gift it to a friend. Then take it away from him/her before they can finish it so they will order one for themselves. And repeat.
One person found this helpful
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Damini🌸
4.0 out of 5 stars The Chapter of Takshila as the oldest institution and Sanskrit as the best language for Artificial Intelligence or Bose invention of Radio ...
Reviewed in India on 10 September 2017
Verified Purchase
If you frequently receive the forwarded messages, emails stating Indian facts, how we have invented "everything" and famous quotes or even the myths about Sanskrit., This book is definitely for you.

It analyzes various historical facts such as India pioneering plastic surgery, never invaded another country, invention of zero etc., The author underlines the idea that in ancient times, people were not concerned about having their names on their inventions. Rather, they were only focused on making their knowledge beneficial to all, which is probably why a whole lot of western inventions could very well have been made several centuries ago by unknown non-westerners.The Chapter of Takshila as the oldest institution and Sanskrit as the best language for Artificial Intelligence or Bose invention of Radio before Marconi are worth a read.

In the closing chapter of the book, is the best. It talks about how we should contribute more to the world and think beyond boundaries rather than just forwarding the *Proud to be Indian* facts' emails to every person in contact list.

The humorous writing style is worth mentioning. A must read for everyone who blindly follows the Indian Facts ( without giving second thought 😂😂😂)
.
Customer image
Damini🌸
4.0 out of 5 stars The Chapter of Takshila as the oldest institution and Sanskrit as the best language for Artificial Intelligence or Bose invention of Radio ...
Reviewed in India on 10 September 2017
If you frequently receive the forwarded messages, emails stating Indian facts, how we have invented "everything" and famous quotes or even the myths about Sanskrit., This book is definitely for you.

It analyzes various historical facts such as India pioneering plastic surgery, never invaded another country, invention of zero etc., The author underlines the idea that in ancient times, people were not concerned about having their names on their inventions. Rather, they were only focused on making their knowledge beneficial to all, which is probably why a whole lot of western inventions could very well have been made several centuries ago by unknown non-westerners.The Chapter of Takshila as the oldest institution and Sanskrit as the best language for Artificial Intelligence or Bose invention of Radio before Marconi are worth a read.

In the closing chapter of the book, is the best. It talks about how we should contribute more to the world and think beyond boundaries rather than just forwarding the *Proud to be Indian* facts' emails to every person in contact list.

The humorous writing style is worth mentioning. A must read for everyone who blindly follows the Indian Facts ( without giving second thought 😂😂😂)
.
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6 people found this helpful
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Jitendra Jain
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant book!!
Reviewed in India on 10 May 2015
Verified Purchase
Sidin picks up some of the common "facts" about India which often land up in your inbox/whatsapp, presents his thorough research and conclusioni on those facts, with his trademark sense of humor. The books makes for an interesting read. Remember Akshay Kumar's speech in Namaste London where he is talking to a British man at the party and he talks about India's achievement. Now read this book and listen to Akshay Kumar's speech again.
One person found this helpful
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Bekxy Kuriakose
4.0 out of 5 stars A fun way of exploring Indian history and famous facts
Reviewed in India on 25 July 2015
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Book Review: In this very interesting book, Sidin Vadakut (journalist, blogger and writer of Dork series) explores the truths behind of some of India's well known 'facts' which get quoted, forwarded and talked about so often.
Did India really invent the zero? Did Indians actually invent plastic surgery before the Europeans? Was India the richest country in the world before the British came? The truth is more interesting-and complicated-that you think.
The author goes about searching for these 'truths' in an inquisitive manner and along the way he gives anecdotes from his own life and peppers the journey with humour and wit. One realises that our past can be complicated and not so straightforward as we would like to think. As Sidin says "History is an enigmatic mistress who likes to keep her lovers on their toes."
The author ends the book with a thought provoking epiphany, one relevant for all of us Indians today "we need to stop asking the history of centuries past to vindicate our actions today. History is not a manifesto for action, a list of crimes to be avenged, a litany of positions to be reversed or a collection of rights to be wronged."
4 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

PR
4.0 out of 5 stars A Sceptical Introspection
Reviewed in the United States on 3 August 2014
Verified Purchase
Let's get one thing out of the way (which even the author did at the start of the book) - this book is not a replacement for reading detailed works of history that themselves are referenced in the book. The idea that the author wants to convey is that in a world full of information how one can separate the grain from the chaff by being sceptical and rational to all information that one is fed. Once the reader understands this premise, the book in itself is just a medium of igniting that sceptical spark through pacy, and simple recounts of historical facts challenging/validating the chest-thumping, whatspp/fb propogating India facts.

Sidin is not an unknown name at least in Indian celebrity circles- his latest claim to fame being his appearance as an option choice in an obscure Page 3 multiple choice quiz question around the screenplay of Salman Khan cinematic blockbuster, 'Kick'. He previously gave us the 'Dork' trilogy, an autobiographical journey of his days in Management consulting. Although it was a light, fun read, at times the narrative used to meander. Sidin also used to write 'Cubiclenama', a weekly column in the Mint newspaper, which was always a good read on important corporate culture, yet non didactic and laced with satirical humour. I mention these two works so as to comment on the book in question.

The Sceptical Patriot is a book where Sidin is at his best - fact & research based short narratives on facts/myths/legends that most of us would relate to. The innate humour is there in the narrative in the form of Sidin's personal experiences and make it a breezy read. The book deals with many of the oft propagated/cited India facts and deconstructs their provenance in a scientific, logical manner. The bigger message of the book however is not whether these facts are true/false, but it is of being a sceptic, rationalist in an age where propaganda and misinformation are as easy to spread as the common flu. The India myth busting/fact validation is just one of the instruments that Sidin has used to arrive at his point of view.

There are 2 key aspects of the book that I enjoyed the most:-
1.) If you want to invest time in fruitful, sceptical research, there are plenty of resources available at your disposal. You just need to look for them
2.) The 'history' of Indian History - Sidin introduces us to the various important characters who were instrumental in unearthing Ancient Indian history, and the techniques used by them to arrive at the conclusions.

The book reignited my passion in history as a subject after so may years of inadvertent disassociation. I never had thought that the ever so revered Vedas were reconstructed as recent as 1907, or that Rajendra Chola's navy (which was regarded so highly in my class VIII history books) went far out in South-East Asia on invasions.

Overall a very satisfying read, and I recommend it to those who love investigating the veracity of tall claims and even to those who don't!
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GR
5.0 out of 5 stars Important lessons for the non-sceptics
Reviewed in the United States on 17 May 2014
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Sidin's book will certainly be an eye opener for a huge number of believers of propaganda spam that easily draws our attention in our inboxes. It is stuff we like to read and comfort ourselves with, especially in the face of a deteriorating India (as I write this I see a glimmer of economic hope in Modi's ascension to power) where our sense of National self esteem has been ground into the dust by 5 years of blatant misgovernance.

What kept me glued to the book was the depth of research. I was taken in by the lack of pretence about it being the last word on the subject and the author's humility in admitting that everything that he has researched and put out there today can and possibly will be proved wrong tomorrow.

I think it is a must read for every Indian, not just to shatter some of the myths, but to propel oneself through a routine of introspection and investigation into any form of propaganda, so that we do not accept anything sold to us at face value. We need to get into the practice of examining the truth for ourselves in an era of easy information availability. Also what's important to understand is that the truth is usually not a simple a yes or no, and if we delve deep enough, the answer is not always obvious... This book clearly illustrates that, it does with a healthy amount of research to answer questions like... Who really invented the radio? OR Did India really invent/ define zero, plastic surgery?

Chapter 9 on "why history and scepticism matter" is perhaps the take away piece which we must retain in an environment inundated with high decibel propaganda on almost everything. It is the ability to investigate, debate and communicate that is currently missing in our polarised television news commentaries and debates as this impairs our ability to make rational informed decisions or sensibly analyse outcomes of actions which affect large numbers of people.

I hope to read more of such stuff from Sidin, so good luck with your next book!
2 people found this helpful
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Mukesh Kumar
3.0 out of 5 stars Strictly okay. Go with slightly lower expectations and you would be rewarded !
Reviewed in the United States on 18 June 2014
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My tad bit of disappointment with this book is more to do with my over-the-top expectations that were aroused mainly because of the title. The content is strictly okay. Not profound but not fluff either. It could have easily have been shorter and sharper. There are some good insights nevertheless.
I guess the book is primarily targeted to the 'dude-lit' readers and the hyper-jingoist audience, who are totally ignorant of any aspect of our history or society. So, it was wrong of me to expect a historical treatise from such a book. Overall, it is a mildly engaging read and I particularly liked the last chapter, where the author discussed the epiphanies that he had about India, while researching about the book. The intent of the writer is quite good, he constantly speaks about the need of skepticism and liberal ideas. If only the execution and the target audience had been better
One person found this helpful
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Rithvik GV
4.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining Pulp History
Reviewed in the United States on 5 May 2014
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This book is a profound and illuminating read, built on meticulous research and extensive examples, that is instructive of the central problem that's at hand. The author needs a better spam filter. I don't know what this says of me but I found the existence of the highly amusing "facts" that are the subject of debunking in the book to be more mind-blowing than the actual investigations.

It was quite refreshing to read something that is almost entirely a product of good research and that doesn't pretend to be anything that it isn't. The text comes peppered with the author's trademark non-sequitur humour and makes for a short, breezy read. The book does feel quite front heavy though, and the prose can appear contrived at times in search of a few extra jokes. I would have, instead, preferred to have even more of the already copious endnotes that are more discursive for those with a more inquisitive bent of mind. A David Foster Wallace treatment, if you will. But, I quibble. The book ends on interesting, and I thought compelling, reminiscences on the importance of history that hopefully encourages everyone to explore historical topics even more important than the surreptitious subversion of NASA by Indian R&AW agents that's alluded to in the book. (Hi, NSA.)

If for nothing else, I would recommend the book just for being a reminder that civilized people spell sceptical with a c.
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RSM
5.0 out of 5 stars Much more than just a 'new release'...Thumbs up!
Reviewed in the United States on 8 May 2014
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There cannot be enough good things written about this book. I could go on and on about the way Sidin fuses humor (or is it humour? Who cares yaaar!) with something as serious as history, but I want you to buy this book and find it out.

Amidst all the film obsessed, film crazy (nothing wrong about that though) authors who like to tom-tom their fancy degrees (well earned though) and who are trying to revolutionize reading in India by telling us totally filmy (and am sure made up, because you know fiction!) details about their intimate love making, here is an author who has picked up something which is unfortunately 'off beat' for an author to choose. It is 'unfortunate' because the masala-fed readers might not like it immediately. The amount of research the author has done is splendid and actually requires a lot of time and patience and not making up spicy bits for the sake of selling books.

In this book you will come across a lot of great names and what they thought on various subjects. Of course, Indian history is central to it all but I have noted at least 12 new things to read because it would be great to know what the great minds thought during the times they lived in on various aspects of everything.

I read somewhere (hope sidin doesn't criticise this quote in his next book) that reading books is like being in discussion with great minds...this book has verified that quote. Thank you Sidin, for moderating that discussion!

By all means a 'must read' book. Hope it propels you to think and question!
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