The self-styled ‘Hi-story Teller’ Prabir Ghosh has done it again. Following the success of his previous titles, Fifty Grey Shades from Indian History and A Time Travel to India’s Glory, his upcoming book, The Influencers: Commodities That Shaped World History, catapults readers into a captivating, time-traveling exploration of fourteen everyday commodities.

Spanning from black pepper, coal, and cotton to opium, saltpetre, and whale oil, the book offers a holistic look at the tangible forces that sculpted our collective past and silently reshaped humanity into modern civilization. Ghosh brilliantly unveils the “Hi-story” (his signature term for unearthing the human narratives buried beneath cold historical facts) of how each chosen commodity holds an indelible influence from antiquity through the middle ages and into the modern era.

Represented by Saisha Nighhot’s Avion Marketing company, each chapter of this book serves as a rich biographical journey of a single item, tracing its roots, its evolution across eras, and its profound impact on religion, society, politics, science, and industry. Enhancing this narrative tapestry are carefully curated illustrations that the author personally salvaged from old archives, all married perfectly to a lucid, effortlessly flowing prose.

It is, quite simply, a brilliant and eye-opening masterpiece. We guarantee that after turning the final page, readers will never look at these everyday items the same way again—they will view them with a newfound sense of awe and profound respect. To give an example, once they read about the chapter on salt, they will surely realise that salts can’t be taken with be taken ‘with a pinch of salt’.

Atul Tiwari

Atul Tiwari is a seasoned journalist at Mumbai Times, specializing in city news, culture, and human-interest stories. With a knack for uncovering compelling narratives, Atul brings Mumbai’s vibrant spirit to life through his writing.