Oxford Press

Don't be discouraged by the intensely academic focus of the Oxford Press; among the tomes of reference journals, economic manuals and socio-political anthologies, we found a couple of real gems, like the complete book of Slayer Slang (from TV's favorite vampire killer) and The Grateful Dead Reader. Sure, you'll have to brave Contemporary Indian Poetry to get to them, but just the joy of finding something irreverent in a place as somberly educational as Oxford Press will be worth the effort.

Most people do visit the bookstore for textbooks and reference guides, both professional and amateur. Oxford has a wide collection of ready-reckoners on everything from English Comedy to Schizophrenia, with Darwin and Kant thrown in for good measure. The literature section has all the usual classics in handsome paperback, ideal for gifting a bibliophile.

Lovers of verse will find, among others, the complete works of Donne, Whitman and Keats, plus a host of Indian poetry translated and compiled in hardcover. The assortment here is somewhat eclectic and will require some wading through to locate the book you want. Take your time and pore over the more intriguing titles on the comfortable lounge chairs.

Nature nuts, conservationists and aspiring Corbetts will find much to delight over in the Wildlife section. An entire block is dedicated to books on science and medicine, and another row of shelves to Oxford In India - works of interest by Indian authors and activists. Here you can trace the effect of Hindu philosophy on Freud's theories, and put a face on that anonymous mass we call rural India.

Oxford Press also has a varied collection of economic, political and philosophical works. The children's section has an interesting series called Playscripts that takes second-graders through the more daunting literary classics.

Contrary to appearances, it isn't all dictionaries and dissertations at the Oxford Press. A book on Buffy-speak may not be much, but it holds its own against the brooding prophecies of the Ph D majors.