Child Man - Malhotra Ashok

There is a part of us which neither listens to the voice of reason nor submit easily to social/moral conventions. Like a child, it relentlessly pursues whatever catches its fancy and keeps playing with fire. It can either help us actualize our heroic potential or put us on the road to self-destruction. Perhaps the key to this difference lies in what we do with our emotional/psychic wounds which are a necessary part of the growth process.

The book explores the inner landscape of this part of our psyche through the mythological figures of Balarama, Duryodhana and Bhima. It also examines the present day context of human existence which has ironically enhanced both our prowess and helplessness and thereby pushed this part of ourselves into our psychic/social underbelly.