#Review: India in Triangles by Shruthi Rao and Meera Iyer

India in Triangles is one of those rare non-fiction books that reads like an adventure novel. I found myself completely engrossed in the story of how India was mapped—not just through numbers and coordinates, but through sheer human grit. The idea that a group of surveyors, armed with rudimentary tools and an astonishing method of triangulation, set out to chart an entire subcontinent is mind-blowing. What struck me most was how these men walked thousands of kilometers, often barefoot, braving swamps, mountains, malaria, and even political tensions, all for the sake of precision.

The book balances the technical and the personal really well. It doesn’t overload the reader with jargon but explains the science behind triangulation in a way that feels accessible and even thrilling. There’s something incredibly humbling about reading how the height of Mount Everest was calculated decades before anyone ever climbed it. It made me look at maps and measurements—things I usually take for granted—with a whole new respect.

Overall, India in Triangles is both informative and inspiring. It celebrates unsung heroes of science who didn’t crave fame, but whose contributions changed how we see the world. For readers who love history, geography, or just a well-told tale of determination, this book is an absolute gem.

Find the book here.