5 books you can't miss this November

The month of November will reignite memories of long queues at ATMs following the recall of 86 per cent of circulated currency during the demonetisation in 2016 as at least three books – both fiction and non-fiction – will attempt to unravel the controversial decision.

Among the most anticipated novels from the coming month is 'Don't Tell The Governor' by Ravi Subramanian, whose stories are set against the backdrop of the financial services industry.

"When the Prime Minister declares demonetisation at 8 pm on November 8, 2016, it leaves the nation stunned. But the governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), who should have ideally been party to the decision, is at a crossroads. He has just carried out the most brazen act of his life – yet, it looks like it might also have been his most foolish.

The next book, non-fiction, is by Meera Sanyal, who stepped down from her role as CEO and Chairperson of the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) India in December 2013, and is titled 'The Big Reverse: How Demonetization Knocked India Out'.

Describing demonetisation as a black swan event in Indian history, the book, according to the publisher, will provide "the most comprehensive analysis of the policy, its execution and pitfalls". It will present unprecedented insights backed by data, history and research, and as a result, answer the questions that still continue to haunt Indians, on the what, why and how of demonetisation.

"While the Modi government claimed that it was the silver bullet that India needed to eliminate many of its longstanding problems such as black money, corruption, tax evasion and terror funding, the months that followed proved it otherwise. The return of 99.7 per cent of the banned 500- and 1,000-rupee notes showed that the RBI's idea of a Demonetisation Dividend was nothing but a mirage.

And then there is 'Of Counsel: The Challenges of the Modi-Jaitley Economy' by former Chief Economic Advisor Arvind Subramanian, whose trusteeship saw the country through one of the most hotly contested and turbulent periods of economic governance and policymaking in recent decades – from the demonetisation to the introduction of the Goods and Services Tax, or GST.

Subramanian, according to the publisher, provides an inside account of his rollercoaster journey as the CEA. With an illustrious cast of characters, Subramanian's part-memoir, part-analytical book candidly reveals the numerous triumphs and challenges of policymaking at the zenith.

Bibliophiles will also be introduced to 'A Stranger Truth: Lessons in Love, Leadership and Courage from India's Sex Workers' by Ashok Alexander.

When Alexander left a high-profile corporate job to head Avahan, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's programme to stem the growth of the HIV epidemic in India, he was plunged into a world far removed from the comfort zones he had lived and worked in all his life.

And last but not the least, there is 'Heads You Win' by Jeffrey Archer. It is billed as an "incredible and thrilling novel" by the master storyteller, whose final twist will shock even his most ardent fans. The publisher said that this is the international number one bestselling author's "most ambitious and creative work" since 'Kane and Abel'.