Books & Authors

Marshall McLuhan is indeed the author of 'The Medium is the Massage' (1967). This is his famous work exploring media theory and how electronic media affects human perception and society. The title is a play on his earlier work 'The Medium is the Message'.

O. V. Vijayan is the correct author of 'Legends of Khasak' (1969), which is a seminal Malayalam novel. This work is considered a masterpiece of Indian literature and tells the story of a school teacher in a remote village. Vijayan is one of the most celebrated Malayalam writers.

Milan Kundera is the author of 'The Judgement' (originally 'Le Jugement' in French). Kundera is a Czech-French writer known for works like 'The Unbearable Lightness of Being'. 'The Judgement' is one of his shorter philosophical works exploring themes of decision-making and existential choice.

C. P. Snow is the author of 'The Masters' (1951), which is part of his 'Strangers and Brothers' series. Snow was a British novelist and scientist who wrote about intellectual and academic life. 'The Masters' explores Cambridge college politics and the struggle between traditionalists and modernizers.

Chinmaya R. Gharekhan is the author of 'The Horseshoe Table', which is a memoir about his diplomatic career. Gharekhan is a former Indian diplomat who served as India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations. The book provides insights into international diplomacy and India's foreign policy.

Larry Collins is the co-author (with Dominique Lapierre) of 'The Fifth Horseman' (1980), a political thriller. Collins was an American journalist known for writing bestsellers with Lapierre. 'The Fifth Horseman' is a fictional account of a nuclear threat scenario, adding to the biblical Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

John Fowles is the author of 'The French Lieutenant's Woman' (1969), which is considered his masterpiece. This postmodern novel is set in Victorian England and explores themes of freedom, existential choice, and the nature of fiction itself. The novel was adapted into a successful film starring Meryl Streep.

The Faraway Music is indeed authored by Svetlana Allilueva (Stalin's daughter who defected to the US). This is a factual recall question about authorship.

The Future of India is correctly attributed to Bimal Jalan, a former Governor of the Reserve Bank of India who wrote extensively on India's economic future. This is factual recall.

The Great Unravelling is correctly attributed to Paul Krugman, the Nobel laureate economist who wrote this seminal work on economic policy failures. This is straightforward factual recall.

The Inscrutable Americans (likely full title) is indeed by Anurag Mathur, a humorous novel about an Indian student's culture shock in America. The claimed answer is correct.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is definitively by Douglas Adams - one of the most famous science fiction works in English. This is basic literary knowledge.

The Guns of August is correctly attributed to Barbara Tuchman, her Pulitzer Prize-winning historical account of the events leading to World War I. This is straightforward factual recall.

The Humboldt Gift is indeed by Saul Bellow, the Nobel Prize-winning American author. This is a work of literary fiction by a major author.

The Eye of the Storm is correctly attributed to Patrick White, the Australian Nobel laureate in Literature. The book is one of his major works.

The End of a Beautiful Era is indeed by Joseph Brodsky, the Nobel Prize-winning Russian-American poet. This is factual recall of a major author's work.

The Court Dancer is indeed by Rabindranath Tagore (R.N. Tagore in the option), the legendary Bengali polymath and Nobel laureate. This is factual recall about Indian literature.

The Degeneration of India is correctly attributed to T.N. Seshan, the former Chief Election Commissioner known for his reforms. This is factual recall about Indian political commentary.

The Comparative Advantage of Nations is correctly attributed to Michael Porter, the renowned strategy professor who wrote about competitive advantage of nations. This is factual recall about economics/business.

Francis Fukuyama wrote 'The End of History and the Last Man' (1992), arguing that liberal democracy may represent the final form of human government. The book became influential in post-Cold War political discourse, while Rousseau (18th century), Dalrymple (contemporary historian), and Thackeray (19th-century novelist) wrote in different eras and genres.

Richard Preston authored 'The Hot Zone' (1994), a nonfiction thriller about Ebola virus outbreaks. The book popularized emerging virus narratives and influenced public understanding of viral threats. Ruskin was an art critic, Dalrymple writes historical nonfiction about India, and Thackeray was a Victorian novelist.

Nicholas Evans wrote 'The Horse Whisperer' (1995), a bestselling novel about a horse trainer who helps a traumatized girl and her horse. It was adapted into a 1998 film. Achebe (African literature), Kunzru (contemporary British fiction), and 'None of these' are incorrect.

Option 1 is correct.

Option 3 is correct.

Correct Answer: John Steinbeck