This week I read two books. First, " To The Brink and Back - India's 1991 Story " by Jairam Ramesh. The book was written around the 25th anniversary of the Liberalisation policy initiated by the Government of India in 1991. Jairam Ramesh who was working with the Planning Commission (appointed by Dr Manmohan Singh himself) was brought into the prime minister’s office (PMO) as a special appointee to facilitate communication between the Prime Minister and Finance Minister. The author had a vantage point to what transpired in those critical days of the Indian economy. The book gives a peek into the political and economic situation during the key months of June to August 1991 when India unveiled its policy of opening the doors to foreign investments and also devaluing the currency to make its exports more competitive. While everyone is aware of these often narated facts the novelty of the book lies in the focus on the partnership between prime minister Narsimha Rao and ...