Books and Authors — Study Notes for MPESB Group 1/2/3
Overview
Books and Authors is a staple topic in the General Knowledge section of MPESB exams. Questions typically test your ability to match a book title with its author, identify the author of a recently released book, or recognize books written by prominent personalities (politicians, sports figures, economists). This topic rewards consistent reading of current affairs rather than rote memorization of ancient lists.
The focus is on recent notable books (typically last 3–5 years), autobiographies of Indian leaders, award-winning literature (Sahitya Akademi, Booker Prize, Pulitzer), and books by or about personalities in news. MPESB may also ask about classic Indian works and their authors as part of heritage questions. A strategic approach is to categorize books by genre — political memoirs, sports autobiographies, economics, fiction, and MP-related works.
These are easy marks if you maintain an updated list and revise periodically. Do not rely on decade-old compilations; focus on books published in the last few years alongside evergreen classics.
Key Concepts
- Autobiographies vs Biographies: An autobiography is written by the person themselves (e.g., APJ Abdul Kalam's Wings of Fire). A biography is written by someone else about the subject (e.g., Narendra Modi: A Political Biography by Andy Marino).
- Award-winning books: Sahitya Akademi Award, Jnanpith Award, Booker Prize, and Pulitzer Prize winners.
- Political memoirs: Books by Presidents, Prime Ministers, and Cabinet Ministers.
- Sports autobiographies surge around major events: Books by cricketers, Olympians, and sports administrators often coincide with World Cups or Olympics.
- Madhya Pradesh connection: Books about MP's history, culture, tribal life, or books by MP-born authors deserve special attention for state-level exams.
- Ghost-written books: Many celebrity books are co-authored. Know the primary name credited (e.g., The Perks of Being a Wallflower — Stephen Chbosky; Exam Warriors — Narendra Modi).
- Publisher or release year rarely asked: Focus on author-title pairs, not publication details unless a book is landmark.
Key Facts — Must-Remember Books and Authors
Political and Administrative
| Book Title | Author |
|---|---|
| India 2020: A Vision for the New Millennium | APJ Abdul Kalam |
| Wings of Fire | APJ Abdul Kalam |
| Exam Warriors | Narendra Modi |
| Karmayogi | Narendra Modi |
| The Accidental Prime Minister | Sanjaya Baru |
| An Era of Darkness | Shashi Tharoor |
| Why I Am a Hindu | Shashi Tharoor |
| Unstoppable | Aparna Yadav (written about MP) |
| My Experiments with Truth | Mahatma Gandhi |
| The Discovery of India | Jawaharlal Nehru |
| Glimpses of World History | Jawaharlal Nehru |
| India Wins Freedom | Maulana Abul Kalam Azad |
Sports
| Book Title | Author |
|---|---|
| Playing It My Way | Sachin Tendulkar |
| The Test of My Life | Yuvraj Singh |
| Straight from the Heart | Kapil Dev |
| Ace Against Odds | Sania Mirza |
| Dreams from My Father | Barack Obama (though not sports — commonly confused) |
| Unbreakable | Mary Kom |
| Golden Boy Neeraj Chopra | Navdeep Singh Gill |
Economics and Business
| Book Title | Author |
|---|---|
| Ignited Minds | APJ Abdul Kalam |
| Making of New India | Bibek Debroy (Editor) |
| I Do What I Do | Raghuram Rajan |
| The Argumentative Indian | Amartya Sen |
| India After Gandhi | Ramachandra Guha |
| Everybody Loves a Good Drought | P. Sainath |
Fiction and Literature (Indian and International)
| Book Title | Author |
|---|---|
| The God of Small Things | Arundhati Roy |
| Midnight's Children | Salman Rushdie |
| The White Tiger | Aravind Adiga |
| A Suitable Boy | Vikram Seth |
| The Palace of Illusions | Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni |
| Train to Pakistan | Khushwant Singh |
| Godan | Munshi Premchand |
| Gitanjali | Rabindranath Tagore |
| Malgudi Days | R.K. Narayan |
| Shyam: An Illustrated Retelling of the Bhagavata | Devdutt Pattanaik |
Recent Notable Releases (2020–2024)
| Book Title | Author |
|---|---|
| The India Way | S. Jaishankar |
| Lal Bahadur Shastri: Lessons in Leadership | Pavan Choudary |
| Modi@20: Dreams Meet Delivery | Multiple contributors (edited) |
| Not Just a Nightwatchman | Vinod Rai |
| Winning Like Sourav | Abhirup Bhattacharya (2018) |
| Made in Heaven | Neeraj Chopra (with Navdeep Gill) |
| Ambedkar: A Life | Shashi Tharoor |
| Breaking the Mould | Raghuram Rajan |
Worked Examples
Example 1: Who is the author of the book "The God of Small Things"?
- Step 1: Recognize this is a Booker Prize-winning novel (1997).
- Step 2: Recall the author is an Indian woman novelist.
- Answer: Arundhati Roy
Example 2: "I Do What I Do" is written by which former RBI Governor?
- Step 1: Identify the book relates to economic policy and central banking.
- Step 2: Recall it discusses decisions during the author's tenure as RBI Governor (2013–2016).
- Answer: Raghuram Rajan
Example 3: Match the following:
| Book | Author |
|---|---|
| 1. Wings of Fire | A. Shashi Tharoor |
| 2. An Era of Darkness | B. APJ Abdul Kalam |
| 3. Playing It My Way | C. Sachin Tendulkar |
- Step 1: Wings of Fire is Abdul Kalam's autobiography → 1-B
- Step 2: An Era of Darkness discusses British colonial impact → 2-A
- Step 3: Playing It My Way is Tendulkar's autobiography → 3-C
- Answer: 1-B, 2-A, 3-C
Common Mistakes
- Confusing autobiography with biography: Students mark The Accidental Prime Minister as Manmohan Singh's autobiography. Correction: It is written by Sanjaya Baru about Manmohan Singh — a biography.
- Mixing up Nehru's books: Discovery of India, Glimpses of World History, and Letters from a Father to His Daughter are all by Nehru. Students often attribute India After Gandhi to Nehru. Correction: India After Gandhi is by Ramachandra Guha.
- Confusing Arundhati Roy's books: The God of Small Things (fiction) vs The Ministry of Utmost Happiness (also fiction) — both by her. Students sometimes confuse with An Era of Darkness. Correction: An Era of Darkness is by Shashi Tharoor.
- Outdated lists: Relying on books from 2010 or earlier and missing recent releases like The India Way or Modi@20. Correction: Update your list every 6 months from current affairs sources.
- Ignoring sports autobiographies: Students focus only on political figures and miss easy questions on Sachin, Yuvraj, Mary Kom. Correction: Maintain a separate sports-books section.
Quick Reference
- Arundhati Roy → The God of Small Things (Booker 1997)
- APJ Abdul Kalam → Wings of Fire, India 2020, Ignited Minds
- Shashi Tharoor → An Era of Darkness, Why I Am a Hindu
- Raghuram Rajan → I Do What I Do
- S. Jaishankar → The India Way
- Sachin Tendulkar → Playing It My Way
- Gandhi → My Experiments with Truth
- Nehru → Discovery of India, Glimpses of World History