[Richardcrasta]

This is the description for my nonfiction book of very general observations of the behavior of nonwhite people with white people, with more specific relation to Indians and Asians:

• How did Salman Rushdie end up becoming a Western sacred cow (i.e. a true Moo-Salman?)
• What happens to literary bad boys from the East and from Africa?
• How can East and West live together with greater authenticity, mutual recognition, and respect?
• Who uttered the immortal words, “If you wish to succeed in the West, impress the whites!”
•      For whom is this a golden rule: "Do not fire your pen guns until you hear the Ayes of the whites"?
• What is the New Spiritual Colonialism?
• How do the smooth and wise French keep the African ex-colonies happy?
• What are the rules for Asian and African writers wishing to win the Booker Prize?
• What is the Occidental Cow and how many billion teats does it have? How does it compare with the Third World's Cow?

These are a few of the questions probed in “Impressing the Whites”, of which one reviewer wrote: "The reader laughs, squirms, recognizes his/her own hypocrisy and the blatant absurdity of most unquestioned social conventions. In this, Crasta succeeds in ways not unlike Sasha Baron Cohen's Borat character or Chris Rock race routines succeed, i.e., brilliantly."

This controversial, provocative book was mentioned on BBC World News and the author was interviewed on three top national television channels.

Though the case studies mostly focus on India, America, and Britain, the Rules (also called The Commandments) often apply to black people (among those quoted are James Baldwin and Richard Wright) and to nonwhite people everywhere. In places, the book resonates with some of the themes in Edward Said’s landmark book, “Orientalism”--which the author hadn't read at the time of writing this, and which is why this book often has a completely different take.

Satirical and passionate, and re-issued for the first time after 2000, this 2011 e-book edition of a never-published 2002 edition has new Appendices and new (Optional) Commandments, and comments on the phenomenon of The White Tiger and of Barack Obama.

As the Author's Disclaimer warns, "Void where fatwahed. Some assembly of facts and intelligence required. Misuse permitted only to those who have made up their minds without reading the book."


thank you.

 

[Terrence OBrien]

What does "authenticity" mean in the blurb?

 

[Richardcrasta]

What does "authenticity" mean in the blurb?

I mean being your real self all the time or most of the time rather than playing games or reinventing yourself to please the Other.

the book is known to a handful of Indians, but I am trying to reach readers elsewhere.

 

[Wendy Jenae]

When writing a book description, you have to approach it as a sales letter. Unless someone has heard about your book elsewhere and doesn't need convincing, they are going to look at the description for something that will help them make that final decision to buy. If they don't get it from the description, they will go to the reviews. You don't want reviews to make or break a sale if you can help it.

Having said that, here's how I would begin to re-work it. Keep in mind, I'm doing this quickly to give you an idea of what a compelling description would look like. It's not perfect and would need your input:

Why do non-whites behave differently when in the company of white people? What is it they are hoping to gain by doing so?

Satirical and passionate, "Impressing the Whites" examines these questions and gives an insight into such behavior.

Though the case studies mostly focus on India, America, and Britain, the Rules (also called The Commandments) often apply to black people (among those quoted are James Baldwin and Richard Wright) and to nonwhite people everywhere. In places, the book resonates with some of the themes in Edward Said's landmark book, "Orientalism"--which the author hadn't read at the time of writing this, and which is why this book often has a completely different take.

Other questions this book probes:

• How did Salman Rushdie end up becoming a Western sacred cow (i.e. a true Moo-Salman?)
• What happens to literary bad boys from the East and from Africa?
• How can East and West live together with greater authenticity, mutual recognition, and respect?
• Who uttered the immortal words, "If you wish to succeed in the West, impress the whites!"
• For whom is this a golden rule: "Do not fire your pen guns until you hear the Ayes of the whites"?
• What is the New Spiritual Colonialism?
• How do the smooth and wise French keep the African ex-colonies happy?
• What are the rules for Asian and African writers wishing to win the Booker Prize?
• What is the Occidental Cow and how many billion teats does it have? How does it compare with the Third World's Cow?

This controversial, provocative book was mentioned on BBC World News and three other top national news shows. One reviewer wrote: "The reader laughs, squirms, recognizes his/her own hypocrisy and the blatant absurdity of most unquestioned social conventions. In this, Crasta succeeds in ways not unlike Sasha Baron Cohen's Borat character or Chris Rock race routines succeed, i.e., brilliantly."

Re-issued for the first time since 2000, this 2011 updated ebook edition contains extra writings on the phenomenon of The White Tiger and of Barack Obama.

As the Author's Disclaimer warns, "Void where fatwahed. Some assembly of facts and intelligence required. Misuse permitted only to those who have made up their minds without reading the book."

 

[Richardcrasta]

Really appreciate this, Wendy--it looks a lot better than my original.
Thank you.