If you buy one
Book
this week, make it TECHNOLOGY ACQUISI-TION IN PAKISTAN: Story of a failed privileged class and a successful working class has been written by Ghulam Kibria. Only he, thanks to his long
Technology Acquisition in Pakistan
airyFailed Prostleged Class
association with the local reservoirs of skill and indige-nous innovation, could have written this book. He has head-ed Appropriate Technology Development Organization (ATDO) and Milli Techniqi Idara; two unique initiatives in the field of technology and has supervized research on the basic engineering industry in Pakistan. The book, describes the squandering of its rich potential in the field of technology develop-ment. It gives a detailed account how technology evolved and what were the social and politi-cal factors that converted scien tific research into technology for the benefit of mankind. Shattering the popular myth of ‘technology trans-fer, the author emphasizes that each country has to acquire technology by using its own potential and creating the social and political conditions that encourage scientific and technological development.
Against this background the author evaluates Pakistan’s technological inheritance and concludes that in 1947 Pakistan was at the take-off stage of technological develop-ment. He describes how
The Review, Oct 1-7, 1998
0
r
Pakistan’s ruling classes mis-managed, due to their unde-mocratic, ruinous policies and faulty planning, bringing the country to the brink of under-development in the last fifty years.
The book is remarkably. readable, and meant not only for engineers and economists but for all those who want to know what went wrong. Published by City Press, the book is available from 316, Madina City Mall (the former Rex cinema), Abdullah Haroon Road, Karachi.
Or
A SET OF THREE.
Fazleesons have published Payam-e Lateef, Aqwal-e-Sachal compiled by Prof. Afaq Siddiqui and Danish-e-Ayaz, compiled by Asif Farukkhi and Mohammad Pirzada. A selection of poetry in pocket-book sized editions, each book has a short biog-raphy about the poets. The idea may not be novel, but the very fact that it has been implemented and has filled a much-ignored niche is worth-while. Visit any of the neigh-bouring countries, India, Nepal, Bangladesh
and helps in
پیام لطیف
اقوال سچل
Iran and you come across similar pocket-size edi-tions that give one an Immediate insight into the lit-erature, art and history of the country. It also documents
the prolifera-tion of one’s culture. These books are an ideal introduc-tion to children and young adults. With the English language fast replacing the mother tongue in urban areas, and coupled with a loss of cultural identity, chil-dren today. have little or no cultural affiliations and are poorer for it. The books will serve as a window to this rich world. A couplet quatrain to a page makes it reader-a or friendly effort. The slim books capture a wealth of Sufi poetry with its nuances and
PG
دانش آیاز
complex imagery. Also with an increasing intolerance and religious fundamentalism on the rise, the need to under-stand the mes-sage of Divine Love eulogized by the Sufis, seems to be the only rational course to embrace. The wealth of meaning in each couplet is a source of unmatched aes-thetic pleasure and true spiritual guidance, where the poets speak about giving every man and woman the right to live and let live. Priced at a mere Rs 40 each, the books are a steal. Available at Fazlee Book Depot, Urdu Bazaar, Karachi. R.K.
LEONARDO JEREMY DARIO IRONS MALKOVICH
PEDIG
FYN
The MAN the IRONMASK
If you play one
Computer
game this
week, make it SEVEN KINGDOMS. It’s always during the fourth quarter of every year when the market is flooded with new releases that the good games are lost in the onsalught. However, with good publicity the company. could actually bring out its game, but then all advertise-ments being similar and flashy, nobody cares. Now Interactive Magic has already got a severe beating in terms. of criticism when earlier it released the pathetic War Inc. and so one wouldn’t have much reason to believe that its most recent release Seven Kingdoms would be any different. You may start with very low expectations but after playing for seven hours you will, for sure, be convinced of designer Trevor
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