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Preparing for the UPSC Civil Services Exam?
Then you know that you have to read multiple books.
But instead of reading 5 books per subject, value lies in reading a single book multiple times.
Here's a list of my books:
(& how many times I've read them over 6 attempts)
Then you know that you have to read multiple books.
But instead of reading 5 books per subject, value lies in reading a single book multiple times.
Here's a list of my books:
(& how many times I've read them over 6 attempts)
A Brief History of Modern India
By Rajiv Ahir (Spectrum)
A good book for covering history thoroughly.
If you're new to the game, nothing beats this book.
The chapter summaries at the end of the books are pure gold.
Read - 20+ times.
By Rajiv Ahir (Spectrum)
A good book for covering history thoroughly.
If you're new to the game, nothing beats this book.
The chapter summaries at the end of the books are pure gold.
Read - 20+ times.
From Plassey to Partition & After
By Shekhar Bandopadhyay
This book is amazing.
It teaches you to think about history and gives you a lot of perspectives to understand events.
There are no easy answers here but you learn to think.
Read - 5 times (2020 attempt pre+mains)
By Shekhar Bandopadhyay
This book is amazing.
It teaches you to think about history and gives you a lot of perspectives to understand events.
There are no easy answers here but you learn to think.
Read - 5 times (2020 attempt pre+mains)
Indian Polity
By M Laxmikanth
Thorough, detailed and crisp.
The best basic book for covering polity.
Understand this book and you'll have firm grasp of polity.
Yet after a point it gets a little repetitive.
Read - 20+ times.
By M Laxmikanth
Thorough, detailed and crisp.
The best basic book for covering polity.
Understand this book and you'll have firm grasp of polity.
Yet after a point it gets a little repetitive.
Read - 20+ times.
Introduction to the Indian Constitution
By DD Basu
If you're new to polity, this might not be the easiest book to grasp.
But once you understand the jargon, there is no better book to understand the constitution.
Read - 5 times (2020 attempt pre+mains)
By DD Basu
If you're new to polity, this might not be the easiest book to grasp.
But once you understand the jargon, there is no better book to understand the constitution.
Read - 5 times (2020 attempt pre+mains)
Certificate Physical Geography
By GC Leong
I love this book.
The maps, the images, and the short crisp chapters make understanding physical geography a fun game with this book.
Read - 20+ times. Owned 4 copies over 6 years.
By GC Leong
I love this book.
The maps, the images, and the short crisp chapters make understanding physical geography a fun game with this book.
Read - 20+ times. Owned 4 copies over 6 years.
Geography NCERTs Class XI/XII
These 4 books are the best resources for covering Geography.
If you understand everything given in these books, you won't need anything else for geography in GS.
Read - 20+ times.
These 4 books are the best resources for covering Geography.
If you understand everything given in these books, you won't need anything else for geography in GS.
Read - 20+ times.
Environment
By Shankar IAS
Good book to get the basics of environment. Covers almost everything from a prelims and mains perspective.
Read - 20+ times.
By Shankar IAS
Good book to get the basics of environment. Covers almost everything from a prelims and mains perspective.
Read - 20+ times.
Indian Economy
By Sriram IAS
Good primer on the basic concepts of economy and gives you the basic facts for Indian economy which you can then supplement with current affairs.
Read - 10+ times
(In my earlier attempts I usually followed @Mrunal_Patel)
By Sriram IAS
Good primer on the basic concepts of economy and gives you the basic facts for Indian economy which you can then supplement with current affairs.
Read - 10+ times
(In my earlier attempts I usually followed @Mrunal_Patel)
Tamil Nadu State Board
Class XI History Book
Best short book I've found for covering ancient and medieval history.
However, as weightage to these areas is increasing you can go for old NCERTs by Satish Chandra and RS Sharma.
Read - 10+ times
Class XI History Book
Best short book I've found for covering ancient and medieval history.
However, as weightage to these areas is increasing you can go for old NCERTs by Satish Chandra and RS Sharma.
Read - 10+ times
Other books that I've read at least 2 times:
• India’s Foreign Policy by Rajiv Sikri
• India's Struggle for Independence by Bipin Chandra
• 10 judgements that changed India by Zia Mody
• The State of the Nation by Fali Nariman
• Mastering World History by Norman Lowe
• India’s Foreign Policy by Rajiv Sikri
• India's Struggle for Independence by Bipin Chandra
• 10 judgements that changed India by Zia Mody
• The State of the Nation by Fali Nariman
• Mastering World History by Norman Lowe
Other books that I've read at least once:
• Rebel Sultans: The Deccan from Khilji to Shivaji by Manu S Pillai
• The Burning Forest: India’s war in Bastar by Nandini Sundar
• Bureaucrazy by M K Kaw
• The Incredible History of India’s Geography by Sanjeev Sanyal
• Rebel Sultans: The Deccan from Khilji to Shivaji by Manu S Pillai
• The Burning Forest: India’s war in Bastar by Nandini Sundar
• Bureaucrazy by M K Kaw
• The Incredible History of India’s Geography by Sanjeev Sanyal
Other books that I've read at least once:
• EI: Why it can matter more than IQ by Daniel Goleman
• The Difficulty of being good by Gurcharan Das
• Sunflower: On the Possibilities and Limits of Forgiveness by Simon Wiesenthal
Fun fact: Simon Wiesenthal was a Nazi hunter.
• EI: Why it can matter more than IQ by Daniel Goleman
• The Difficulty of being good by Gurcharan Das
• Sunflower: On the Possibilities and Limits of Forgiveness by Simon Wiesenthal
Fun fact: Simon Wiesenthal was a Nazi hunter.
There you have it.
UPSC prep is not for the faint hearted.
If you're serious about UPSC prep, you will probably have to read the same books 4-5 times/attempt.
With each attempt, you'll know the subjects better but you'll also get bored by the repetition.
Ready for it?
UPSC prep is not for the faint hearted.
If you're serious about UPSC prep, you will probably have to read the same books 4-5 times/attempt.
With each attempt, you'll know the subjects better but you'll also get bored by the repetition.
Ready for it?
