Misreadings examines five major misconceptions that cloud popular perceptions of social reality. The first is the transformations brought about by urbanization in gender relations, particularly the patriarchy, which the term ‘manxiety’ best captures. The second misreading concerns the evolution of socialist thinking that Marx himself initiated to accommodate with its scope higher levels of efficiency in private entrepreneurship. To this end, Marx’s Capital is closely scrutinized. In the context of caste, the next misreading examines how immediate, everyday concerns often trump the dictates of the ritual hierarchy. This makes caste alliances malleable, especially in the context of contemporary politics, which is why election predictions along caste lines become suspect. Closely related is the misreading of traditional texts; while they can inspire, they can also muddle the goals of modern democracy. Finally, the misunderstanding of history leads one to overlook the four accidents that occurred between the fifteenth and seventeenth centuries that favoured the rise of European colonialism.

Through these ‘readings’, this book aims to correct long-held popular beliefs and prejudices and, in doing so, encourage a democratic temper, foster empathy, and emphasize a greater sense of citizenship at the popular level.