Turning the Mirror: A View From the East

Book excerpt: This book is based on an in-depth filmed conversation between Howard Burton and award-winning writer Pankaj Mishra.They discuss several of Pankaj’s books, including From the Ruins of Empire: The Intellectuals Who Remade Asia and An End To Suffering: The Buddha In The World, and his motivations behind them. This carefully-edited book includes an introduction, The Weight of History, and questions for discussion at the end of each chapter: I. A Different Perspective - Unknown intellectuals and overlooked worldviews II. Demanding a Response - Reacting to an existential challenge III. Inseparable Factors? - Capitalism, imperialism and modernity IV. East and West - A meaningful distinction? V. Discovering Buddhism - Transcending false stereotypes VI. Personal Examinations - Growing up Western in the East VII. At an Impasse - The end of an experiment VIII. Learning From the Past - The benefits of increased historical understanding About Ideas Roadshow Conversations: Presented in an accessible, conversational format, Ideas Roadshow books not only explore frontline academic research but also reveal the inspirations and personal journeys behind the research.