New Delhi, March 6 -- Listicles have a bad name on the internet. Elite readers routinely chide this format, mostly rightly so: they see listicles as clickbaity traffic magnets, bereft of substance. But when done well by the best in the business, listicles can show a maturity that parallels more serious forms of writing. With 100 Ways to See India: Stats, Stories, and Surprises, the listicle format comes of age and sets right its follies by combining its strengths with traditional print gravitas into a digital-native avatar.

Times of India journalist Rohit Saran's power-packed book, illustrated splendidly by his design colleague Sajeev Kumarapuram, traces independent India's journey and present-day realities through short but wholesome bi...