Difference between 'taken back' and 'taken aback' [closed]
Solution 1:
The second sentence is incorrect. As you point out, "taken aback" means of a person that s/he has been surprised. It might be correct to say something like:
In this work of Pankaj Mishra, we are taken aback when we learn that in 18th century Europe, cows could fly.
But it would probably be more natural, even there, to use the verb "surprised."