Sikhism: A Very Short Introduction

Ahh yes, another post-structuralist attempt at deconstructing a religion which posits the absoluteness of truth and its primacy in human life. Nesbitt takes over from where the notorious McLeod left off after being caught red-handed fabricating evidence to back up his fallacious claims on the field of Sikh studies. The entire book is narrated in a monotone voice with Nesbitt resorting to her tried and tested tactic of throwing in the occasional line of hyped-up academic jargon where she fails to make a convincing argument (the whole book is full of this failure sadly) and otherwise dismissing the lived experience of Sikhs themselves. An insult to the Sikh faith and the impartial academics studying it. This would make the Victorian show more orientalists of yesteryear proud and that should indicate to you how far removed from reality this book is. show less

I came into this book only really knowing 5 things about Sikhi: that Sikhs (esp. Sikh men) wear turbans, that Sikhs aren't supposed to cut their hair, that Sikhi is an Indic religion, that it is monotheistic, and it originates from Punjab specifically. I end the book definitely knowing more, but feeling less that I know comprehensive beginner-level information about Sikhi and more like I know a larger collection of loose facts about it, and I'd definitely expect more from a book calling itself an introduction to any topic. The information presented is interesting, sure, but it feels lacking when paired with the seeming holes in knowledge you're left with.

Solidly fine, but that's about it; this book is very strangely structured, and uninterested in answering even the most basic questions about the beliefs that feed into Sikh practices. It's nice to know about those practices, of course, but without any context, it's hard to see why anyone is doing them. It's as if someone wrote about the various rituals of communion in Christianity without bothering to explain that Jesus is the son of God. Why are these people so obsessed with these little wafers of bread? It doesn't even taste good.

Again, a very readable introduction to the topic, this time, Sikhism. Seemed to give a balanced view of the differing sects within the religion. Indexed with an extensive reading list. Glossary.