India Books

Definitely Read this Book!! This is a book for every person. You don't have to be into yoga or meditation or spirituality to read this and LOVE it. Cheryl's conversations with Sadhguru are vibrant, funny, touching, and will most certainly alter your perspectives, whatever they may be.

Since reading this book I have begun practicing Isha yoga and I cannot believe how much I am changing already. I owe it to this book and a few good friends for encouraging me to read, to open my mind, and to try out this new way of life. Even if you don't think Isha is for you, give this book a read-through. As an English major I can attest that it is well-written, thought provoking, and just a darn good read! :)

I read this book after I attended a couple of Sadhguru's courses, and I found this one to be very well-presented by Cheryl - clear, succinct yet comprehensive. Discussions with Sadhguru are presented by Cheryl within the context of her own questions, and her experiences that provoked those questions. The details of settings and locations are woven in very nicely, so that I could almost visualize the crackling fire and the moon as I read this.
I have presented the book to others, who have relayed very similar feedback to me in person. If I could do things over, the only thing I would change is to make this the first Sadhguru book I read :)

This book rocks: it explodes several myths about life, some of which we tend to hold on dearly. To put it mildly, this book will have a positive impact on the reader. Since life on earth is all about action, if the actions recommended - i.e., 'Inner Engineering' yoga practice - are taken, it will have even better impact. In fact that is likely to be an effect of this book: to spur you into positive action. Doing it is not difficult. You only have to give yourself a chance. And it is most likely that you will not be disappointed. For its health benefits alone it is worth doing. I speak from my experience practicing a similar kind of yoga. As a big bonus, the book reads like a racy novel (peppered with humor), that is also thought provoking. Any which way you see it, this is a 'must read'!

What a great look into an American success story and how even creating such external life comforts still cannot create the joy we are all meant to experience. Cheryl has a real talent for sharing her experience and Sadhguru's wisdom just blew me away. I plan to buy this book for friends and family and take some of Isha Foundation's courses. Thanks for writing and sharing this work.

I had hoped the chapters to have more Q & A sessions with Sadhguru but the first few chapters were about Cheryl and her life...

She often writes her chapters like a novel(why do I have to know which way the breeze is blowing?)...she needs to skip all the niceties and just focus on her questions with Sadhguru and share his insight with us..

Some books are like the best of cats, they end up in your lap whenever you have a spare moment; they seek your company even as you desire theirs. Stealing Karma will be that book that one gives to a dozen friends - and they will all be grateful for it. Amazing.

Aneesha Capur's novel, Stealing Karma, is a story brimming with characters and situations that feel fresh, unexplored, and compelling. The dynamics here may mirror others in contemporary fiction concerned with domestic complexities, however, Stealing Karma spins them on their head and uses the cultural milieu to show us human interaction as we have never seen it before. I want to be here, in this world, and get to know its characters and how they will ultimately resolve the issues they face. The writing is clear, lyrical, steeped in place and feeling, and makes you thirst for more. Capur offers a delightful antidote to the kinds of fiction we have seen so much of in the past few years. This is a book that many readers of all backgrounds will be sure to find satisfying.

A pity that one can only read a few pages of what promises to be a most interesting story! Capur catches the reader's imagination and holds it with tantalizing imagery and dialogue, moving the plot forward, leaving one wanting for more. What happens to Mira? How does she cope? I look forward to reading the novel in its entirety.

In a world where so many of us have been driven by a sense of adventure or desperation or opportunity to seek our fortunes abroad, Stealing Karma weaves the story of the expatriate into the life of Mira who loses nearly all connection to India after she leaves for Africa. Mira is suddenly widowed and the precariousness of her adopted world, her erstwhile world of choice, is stark. In her excerpt, Aneesha Capur skillfully sets the plot for the reader: karma will transform the comfortable, even opulent, lives of Mira and her young child. But Mira now belongs to neither the world she left nor the world that has left her.......

After reading the manuscript review by Publishers Weekly provided in the Editorial Reviews concerning the novel `Stealing Karma' by Aneesha Capur I couldn't wait to read the nine pages submitted to Amazon's ABNA contest. Here is a book containing a plethora of subject matter near and dear to my heart; prophetic dreams, Hindu deities, astrological omens, African tribal beliefs and Jungian psychology and reincarnation. It was almost too much to ask for.

With such high hopes in place I must admit that I was extremely disappointed after reading the excerpt. Not because the writing is bad or the story uninteresting. To the contrary, both writing and storyline are excellent. The disappointment experienced was due to the discovery that none of those tantalizing spiritual/occult matters already mentioned were included within the available nine pages.

Moving beyond my initial dismay, I did enjoy this excerpt and look forward to reading the novel at some later date. The characters are well developed and I found Mira an intriguing, beautiful and incredibly sympathetic figure. To create such an alluring and complex character in a short nine pages is a credit to the author and makes the reader hungry for more pages to explore.

This is my second time reading, Incredible touching lovestory with a historical backdrop.It is more relevant for me as it gives Indian point of view by a Europian I highly recomend this book Padmaja

Follow the life and love of an orphan .. turned spy .. turned hero. Travel India and Afganistan with the back drop of the British Colonization of India.

This is one of the best Historical Fiction books ever written. A classic, must read. Don't expect to put this one down. Put aside a weekend or two - this is one book you'll want to read over and over again.
This was my introduction to historical fiction. M M Kaye brings India to life through her research and life experience. The detail is outstanding.

**Don't watch the movie. You'll be disappointed.

Like a lot of other readers here, I read the book for the first time as a teenager, when the romance of the couple, the Raj, the Door Kahima and Rajasthan captured me. But at that age, to me it was a historical romance.

I had the opportunity to work and live in Afghanistan and got hooked on the history of the country, and then read the Far Pavilions again. It was then that I came to appreciate the nuances and authenticity of the detail of the Afghan war that are the latter part of the book.

A book that did stand the test of time from my teenage years to my adulthood - I'd recommend it to anyone.

I don't read a lot of historical fiction, in fact the only other novel of that genre that immediately that comes to mind is Gone with the Wind, but I had heard only good things about this epic, the story of a young British boy who grows up in colonized India. Stretching over several decades and including many historical events (though with a few fictional locations) and a detailed portrayal of the culture and traditions of India, "The Far Pavilions" is certainly comparable to Margaret Mitchell's Civil War masterpiece.

Orphaned at a young age, Ashton Hilary Pelham-Martyn is born at the time of the Indian mutiny against the British Empire and the East India Company. As the son of an Englishman, six-year-old Ash is in terrible danger, and it is up to his Indian serving woman (who becomes his mother for all intents and purposes) to disguise his true nature, rename him Ashok, and raise him as an Indian. It would be wrong to give away too many of the wonderful twists and turns of this novel as Kaye recounts Ash's extraordinary life, but she manages to create a rich and vast experience without it ever seeming unrealistic or melodramatic. Although Ash's fortunes do hinge on a lucky turn of fate, he is very much the master of his own destiny, and the story itself never spirals into the realm of the silly (and I only say that because many historical-fiction-epics *do* tend to do this).

The story is quite episodic in form, with the events of Ash's life told in reasonably structured segments: his childhood, his time as a servant in a rajah's palace, his romantic youth, his great love story with Anjuli, and his time as a spy working at the time of the Afghanistan war. Naturally, some of these are more interesting than others: I loved reading about Ashok's time in the Indian court of the spoilt and pitiful Lalji, a young rajah who is surrounded by friends and foes - but has trouble differentiating between the two. It is here Ash befriends a young Indian princess named Anjuli who is an outcast in the court, despised by her stepmother and ignored by most of the court.

Years later, Ash and Anjuli are to cross paths again, but in the most impossible of circumstances: Anjuli, along with her little sister Shishula, are being sent as brides to a dangerous and loathsome rajah. As they attempt to keep their passion for one another secret, Ash desperately tries to find a way to help her escape from her arranged marriage, whilst Anjuli is torn between her love for Ash and her devotion to her little sister, whom she feels she cannot abandon to a loveless marriage. It's heartbreaking stuff, as these two lovers - who are obviously meant for one another - fight within themselves between their duty and their love for one another, in which you're not entirely sure what is the best course of action for them both. As in all epics, there are some sluggish parts and I must say that after the romance between Ash and Anjuli comes to its conclusion, the novel slows down a bit.

Since I've never studied Indian history or culture, I have no idea how accurate it all is - all I can say is that it certainly *seems* accurate. Kaye writes with a confidence and genuine interest in the historical workings of India during this time, and provides enough detail to bring India to life in the reader's mind. However, the real spirit of this novel lies in the rendering of the culture clash between two great countries, and within the protagonist himself. As an English boy who has been raised to believe he is Indian, and then returned to England to complete an English education (and returning to India as part of the military), he stands with one foot in both camps, empathizing with both, but belonging to neither.

This conceit provides a wonderful look into the inevitably tragic occupation of India by the British Empire, and the seemingly-impossible historical situation that this creates. On the one hand, only natural that the Empire would want to control India for the sake of Progress and Trading - and in the meanwhile, they did outlaw the terrible custom of the suttee (the burning of widows alive). On the other hand, it is absurd to suppose that any country or individual has the right to take over another country for the reason that they cannot be expected to run it properly themselves. In one of her best passages, Kaye has Ash wonder if his imperialist uncle would enjoy his household (which is full of corruption and tyranny in the servant's quarters) being taken over by an Indian man who could run it better than himself.

It is for this reason that Ash and Anjuli are perfect for one another, as Anjuli too is half-caste and so fated to belong nowhere. Throughout the story the couple make many friends from many different faiths, but in all cases in which they are shown kindness, there is also the sense that they are not given acceptance. Amongst Muslim friends, they are aware that they are considered infidels, among Hindu friends, they are aware that they cannot share the same food utensils, among British friends, there is the sense of social snobbery and bemusement. This sad sense of separation among the members of the human race permeate the entire book, and linger long after it's been finished.

It's a pretty hefty volume, but I definitely think it's worth the time it'll take to read it.

I've found that often books I thought were fantastic when I was young have not stood the test of time when reread later. However, even though I've read and reread this book countless times over the years, each time it comes up trumps.

Set against a backdrop of India from the mutiny to the second Afghan War, this is a huge saga of the British Raj under Queen Victoria. It follows the lives of Ash, the son of British parents who is initially raised as a Hindu servant, and Anjuli, an Indian princess, from their childhood through their various emotionally charged meetings and partings.

M.M. Kaye obviously has a strong affinity with India, and it rings out through her wonderfully elegant and colourful descriptions of the landscape, customs and people. An added bonus is that she has obviously done a great deal of research into the history of the times, and many of the characters (such as Ash's friend Walter) and the events described are factual.

The Far Pavilions is a beautifully written novel and I thoroughly recommend it to those of you who (as I do) prefer your historical romances to be strongly rooted in history.

Learning the tarot is a very simple yet informative for the beginner as the name suggests. What is extra about this book is exercises for the interpretation, which I found it to be fairly entertaining. The meaning of the card is well discuss but there is no reversal for this book and thus becomes a drawback of the handbook. Overall, this is a book for a beginner readers who wanted to gain an insight through the simple explanation.

This is one of the best beginners' guides for Tarot that I have come across. Nowhere else will you find a more comprehensive yet simple approach to putting together the Celtic Cross. Ms. Bunning gives key words for each position, and she looks in detail at the pairs within the Celtic Cross. Her detailed descriptions of both the positions and position pairs is a great way to learn the individual position meanings and how they relate to each other.

Ms. Bunning uses a lesson format, with lessons that slowly build on each other as you learn. It's a very non-pressured approach. The lessons are fairly short, yet comprehensive, and you can work at your own pace. The exercises are helpful as well, and encourage intuitive interpretation rather than rote memorization. For the individual cards, she provides key words that sum up the card, as well as a more detailed look at each card, but as always she encourages you to find meanings that are unique to you.

Another one of the most valuable lessons I took away from this book was "how" to pose a question. She goes way beyond the simple "yes or no" answer, and explains how to use the Tarot as a tool for deeper understanding. The way she encourages you to ask a question opens up the answers for a greater scope of understanding, giving you the opportunity for a broader look at your answer.

My only criticism would be that her organization did not always make sense to me. For example, I feel the Fool's Journey in Appendix A should be read before delving into the interpretations for the Major Arcana, as it gives a good feel for the Majors as a whole. Also, the pairs within the Celtic Cross in Lesson 16 should not be put under a microscope until the Celtic Cross itself is looked at, which is in the back of the book in Section V. However, there's not much to criticize here. These sections, while, I feel, are out of order, are each quite comprehensive.

I have found the Universal Waite deck she uses for illustrations to be an excellent learning and reading deck. The engaging pictures drawn by Pamela Colman Smith encourage creative intuition and profound insight. I would highly recommend buying this deck to use with this book. The backs are a completely reversible indigo and gold star field, so if you decide to move on to reversed cards, this deck will grow with you.

After you have been working with your deck for a while, go back and reread the first half of the book, the fool's journey, and the detailed instructions for the Celtic Cross and its pairs. You will find you get even more insight from it the second time around. I would highly recommend this book as one of the best for beginners.

The book was very helpful. It explained the cards and their meaning in a very simple and helpful format. I liked the different exercises I had to do, and it helped me gain greater knowledge of the cards and their meaning.

I recently bought the Universal Waite Tarot Deck and this book to begin learning how to use the Tarot. This book is very very detailed! NOT confusing AT ALL!!! I love the way she simplified the book, it is not a whole bunch of mumbo jumbo, she knows exactly what shes talking about! She gives an overview of each single card, spreads , lessons etc etc. The whole nine. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in learning the Tarot!

This book is very informative and has historical knowledgeable. I find it a great learning tool.

My son bought this book for a College Course at Purdue Calumet. The day it came I started reading it, It was a very good read,very heartbreaking that a child lived this way. It took me one night to complete, I had such a hard time trying to put it down. My son had a hard time getting into the whole story, until I told him to look at this girl as if she were a relative or friend. That's when it captured his 18 year old heart. It makes you think about what a Cruel world we live in. This book will break your heart, especially if your a mother.

This book is, essentially, written in rhythms with short pages and short paragraphs that make it a really fast read. I really enjoyed this novel, I found it was very insightful and moving.
However, as an honors student, I am used to over analyzing everything and when I read something I always find myself thinking: how could I make this better? In the beginning, the character talks about having a tin roof and I instantly saw this as a metaphor that would be carried on throughout the book. A tin roof means that the father does not gamble away the money, that the son works in the city, and that the rain stays out and the baby is healthy. The tin roof, I thought represented protection and security, something the main character would not have once she entered the brothel. I was disappointed though, and it was never brought up again.
I was also a little confused, this book does not stay consistent and some times it is written in past tense and other times in present tense.
I was not all that happy with this format, it made it go fast but didn't leave a lot of room for character development and I felt that I didn't get a good enough sense of the horrors of what was happening in the brothel.

I wasn't particularly expecting this book to be my sort of thing, but I found it to be surprisingly easy to read. The subject matter is quite sensitive but the story is told in a quite unique way.
The writing smart, crisp and the chapters are very short. In fact some of the shorter chapters are like poems. That might sound like it's pretentious but I found it really worked. The story is quite moving in places and I enjoyed it because it's not the sort of thing I would normally read. If I have any quibble it's that, due to the short chapters and liberal spacing used on the pages I found I'd read all 270 odd pages in one day. I could happily have read a bit more.
Anyway hats off to Patrica McCormick who tells the tale of sexual slavery without ramming home any kind of message designed to make the reader feel guilty for having (hopefully) a more pleasant existence than the main protagonist.

I finished this book in one night. I was very moved, and feel for girls in these situations all over the world. I was surprised to find this book in the teen section at target. Its very graphic & detailed, but leaves a lasting impression. I would highly recommend this book for mature teens and adults.

Truthfully, I started this story and stopped. Started and stopped. I kept having nightmares in my sleep of Lakshmi. These dreams were so harrowing that I would have to step away and pick up another book with new words to scrub out the ones from Sold that conjured the images in my mind. (I know this may sound weird to some people but I'm aware that I operate like a sponge at times, making it very difficult for me not to feel. I'm just too spiritually sensitive to such things.)

In other words, Patricia McCormick writes with a brave and an unflinching eye. The story is told from the POV of Lakshmi. A novel of this proportion is difficult to summarize because this story is about everything: all that we hold dear and all that we fear, the hopes we have for our children and the dangers that exist for many other children in the world, the strife of women and the bias of men...I could go on and on but instead will focus on, what for me, is the novel's triumph: the power in believing.

Lakshmi believes that she is old enough to help earn money for her family; when they lose their crops to a monsoon and her stepfather demands that she be sold, Lakshmi is brave and looks forward to the opportunity to help. She believes that this will help the family put a tin roof over their home, clothes on her baby brother, and food in their stomachs.

Once she is sold, she believes Bajai Sita and Auntie are going to set her up for housework. When that doesn't happen, she is taken under the care of Uncle Husband, whom she believes will protect her but instead, he sells her into the hands of Mumtaz--the sadistic owner of a brothel called "Happiness House." This girl, for all that she is forced under in her sexual slavery, is strong. Initially, she believes her hunger can outlive Mumtaz's threat to starve her if she doesn't work. Actually, Lakshmi's belief is correct because it was Mumtaz who grew tired of waiting for Lakshmi to give in so Mumtaz begins drugging her.

The details from then on are harrowing and like I said, I had to put the novel away several times to give my mind a break from the pain Lakshmi endured. It was all so vivid and made all too real after reading McCormick's author note.

After a while, Lakshmi believes that she can pay off her debts. When she finds out that Mumtaz has no intention of letting her go, Lakshmi holds on to the belief that an American worker will rescue her...I won't say whether or not this happens for those who don't like endings to be spoiled.

I can't say enough about this book and yet there is so much more that my heart knows needs to be said, like the way the characters survive through the power of language, how education should not be a privilege but a right to every person in this world, the crisis of health care and fighting to educate communities about HIV, the power of friendship and memory...there's just so much in this novel. Goodness! I HEART McCormick for writing this book and you will too if you haven't read it already.

Jim Corbett was an excellent writer and storyteller. Although I've read other stories written by adventurers and hunters that were Corbett's contemporaries, none were as interesting or as well told. My 11-year-old son particularly enjoys them. I would highly recommend any of Jim Corbett stories for teens or pre-teens as well as adults.

This book, read first when I was 14 years old, and since added to my adult library, read and re-read again, has stayed with me like so very few other books in my life.

I wont over-egg the review - Corbett wouldn't have liked that kind of lionising (good pun!) and he doesn't need it. Suffice to say I respect Corbett deeply, and often think of him. Unabashed admiration for this man is easy. All his books are worth your money, but start with this one.

Probably the best big game hunting book ever written. Will keep you on the edge of your seat and I do not recommend reading it while camping in the woods (especially if the woods happen to be in India). Corbett describes stalking man-eating tigers and often they stalk him. These are not made-up stories nor are they self justifying. Corbett ONLY hunted tigers that the local population asked him to, after dozens or sometimes hundreds of people had been killed. His descriptions are beautiful and picture an era (India in 1900-1930) that has long since gone. I have read it many times, the first when I was about 11 years old.

This book was written by not only a very brave man but a man that possessed great character and class. His only reason for hunting these Man-Eaters was to rescue the villagers from this ever present terror. He took no money for his efforts. Very exciting reading without ever a hint of bragging about his extraordinary gift of successfully hunting the most dangerous animals on earth.

In the early twentieth century, British held South Asia was terroized by a number of infamous tigers and leopards. Entire villages were abandoned and literally hundreds of human beings found out they weren't at the top of the food chain. In the "Man Eaters of Kumaon", hunter jim Corbett describes in vivid and suspensful detail his hunt for tigers in Northwest India.
Corbett describes the perilous beauty of the jungle clad hills in the shadow of Nepal's majestic summits. He also masterfully paints an image of terror and suspense as he faces off against tigers, leopards, a bear, and a venomous snake. Even as he pursues his prey, he often comes close to having the tables turned on him. He also presents readers with a glimpse of the cultural spectacle and harsh life-or death realities in India under the Raj.
Corbett doesn't come across as very prideful. In fact, he even respects the animals he's hunting and often notes injuries or situations that likely caused them to hunt humans. I will warn potential readers that there are several rather gruesome scenes ranging from finding dead or injured humans to some of the hunting itself. However, I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in adventure, hunting, or both. It is well written, a fast read, and ultimately a powerful tale of man against beast.

expresses the real simplicity of life and how complexity only distracts us from the true treasures of life. at first i was a bit dissapointed as i wanted something to shout at me, jump off the page, but thich offers only truth and simplicity, essentially what we really need. his heart speaks through his words. it's a tiny book, so i spent much time with each page, contemplating, practicing, etc. i use his teachings each day.

very grateful, highly recommended. : )

This book is absolutely Great!!! Is very easy to read and the author seems to be in a conversation with the reader. The author makes Buddhist concepts easy to understand.

I loved the intro and the first few pages....Then, the book became an education instead of the sweet collection of anecdotal ideas it started out to be. For me, there's just too much about Dharma and such. I love the ideas, but not the feeling I'm supposed to be learning....being compelled to become a follower.

Maybe in time, but not for now.

Buddhist or not, this book helps to create a great perspective on how to find peace in all life's facets, positive and negative. The poems and essays are very helpful. The book is a great tool in helping to find balance in one's life.

Thich Nhat Hahn's writing style is inherently calming to me. Just reading his simple clear language I find my mind clearing of some of the usual noise. His message is meant to inspire and provide each of us with tools to develop the kind of inner peace that both reduces our own suffering- and thereby necessarily reduces the suffering of others. I highly recommend this book.

Shellie Warren has revealed a painful area for women ,one that there is no help within the church body.Women who have missused sex and their body to fill a void. I can relate, after many years of trying to figure out why I was repeating the same pattern, Shellie gave a knowledgeable title to my confusion.I devoured the book with highlighter in hand repeating passages of scripture or lines from her poems that will serve as a stepping stone to finally loving "ME" first. Shellie thank you so much for giving me wings.

Amidst all of the calamity, lust, sex, & promiscuity that is in the world, this is a book that can bring about change. Thank you Shellie for keepin' it real. It took strength that truly had to come from God to tell your story.

Having had some of the same experiences of the author Shellie Warren, all I could say is WOW and that I must MOVE in sharing this word. Her book has prompted me to start planning on speaking with young adults and late teens at my place of worship and at the local H.S.'s to get the word out. We must equip our young people with information to make better choices in life. That's the very reason that God allowed her to write this book!



I am firm, when I say "This Book Will Bring About Change !!!"

Kudos to Shellie R. Warren on writing such a powerful message filled book. The author of this book could be anyone of us because in some form or fashion we all have been a victim of poor decision making that led to unhealthy relationships etc.
"Inside of Me" is just another example of not being able to have a testimony without the test. It's a must read for all ages and genders.

This is an awesome book for all to read. The experiences that Shellie shares are as real as it gets. It should be shared with young men and women to let them know that they will have choices to make and their decisions will have an impact on thier lives as well as others around them. I am proud of Shellie for being brave enough to share with us her experiences so that hopefully we can avoid some of the things that she endured. To all thinking about purchasing the book----Just Do It--It is priceless!! God Bless you Shellie and continue to share your awesome gift !!

Its not by accident that after about 35 reviews, nearly all have given this book 5 stars. What is there to say that hasn't already been said? I have seen alot of comments that say "this is a must read for women"... just to clarify, this is a book "for everyone- men and women." I am a 24 year old guy and read this book in 2 days. God has certainly blessed Shellie with tremendous writing ability. You will not be dissapointed with this book...

I had purchased the book after reading a few reviews which were very positive. If you want to know more about the person, Mani Bhaumick, this book is a good one. If the topic of Quantum Physics and its journey towards explaning the universal truth in the same manner as old religions interests you, this book offers a good start. Unfortunately, I got bored reading the past of the author (which is no doubt interesting but why spend money to know this!!!). Further,the portions relating to developments of Physics went over my head - I guess this may be because I am a normal Accounting person or I am not be very intelligent. And then, there are photographs of the author with various celebreties (why was this necessary?). And I felt the end of the book was also very abrupt. The book could have been more simple and focused on the subject. I guess persons of normal intellect may avoid this book. It will be useful if someone can recommend books that are more simple (with illustrations, where possible) and where the focus of the book is purely Quantum Physics rather than spice this up with avoidable diversions.

It was a gift to read of Mani Bhaumik's life and history, and I found the first third of the book completely fascinating. When the scientist mind came in and we were offered a look at the world through a very wide spread net of intelligent perception, my reading slowed down, but my fascination lit up.
This book successfully attempts to weave personal narrative, life passion, spirituality and deep science into a one-size-fits-all-wear-it-anywhere-package. The amount of personal research Dr Bhaumik has done is evident in each page, yet he has brought it into an engaging form: science filled with metaphor and anecdote that keep the reader curious and involved. I can imagine any age level from middle school on up benefitting from this work. There is a genuine desire to share insight; so the book is devoid of the pomposity of rhetoric so often obscuring most scientific treatises.
I had a hard time letting the book go, so i spread it over time. This isn't a light ramble though it reads like one; it is a dissertation on the nature of the universe. I so appreciate the way he includes the reader into the active process of understanding. The final revelation would seem to be that by meditating, (which in itself adds a huge gift to the entire system), one will automatically develop a profound awareness of the answers they seek on the nature of existence.
Rarely has such a vastly over arching viewpoint been so distilled; we go from an understanding of the cosmological history of all, and offer a way to balance the perceptions so that they are no longer elusive abstract phenomena, but are included in our life path.
Thank you for the great ride, highly recommended.

Dr. Bhaumik nails this most difficult task of wedding his personal story as a beautiful metaphor, to the greatest story ever told - the unfurling of our universe. He pursues the question that his father refused to answer and aren't we lucky for it. His formidable intellect and acquired rags-to-riches wealth gives way to a humility and innocent passion that can only reflect what he is and always will be: pure unadulterated spirit. I flat out love the way he presents meditation as the sacred portal of entry to our birthing ground, the unified field. The description of our holograhic universe by using the analogy of the human genome replicating whole humans brought tears to my eyes. The implication that we ARE the united field brings me to my knees because it resonates with every fiber of my being. By celebrating the similarities rather than the differences, Dr. Bhaumik honors what we all know at some level: What we're looking for is looking for us. His is an invitation to step up to and behold an idea of God that we can all live and die with. What a wonderful additional gift for more of us to get and live the Big Idea. Thank you Dr. Bhaumik for your remarkable contributions to our little parenthesis in eternity. - Dr. Herby Bell

I think this book is wonderful approach to the science of God's existence. If you've ever seen the "Elegant Universe" (I think it is called) on PBS where they delve into String Theory and explain quantum physics to the layman, this book is a perfect follow-up. I think that because I had seen this show, I absorbed much of the physics he presented very quickly. I remember stopping at one point and thinking, "this is some scientific stuff."

Even if you've never heard of String Theory or Quantum Mechanics, it is worth reading this book. Dr. Bhaumik's book presents complicated physics theories in simple terms, and then ties those principles into his statement that everything from human consciousness, to the farthest stars, to the smallest particles are all interrelated and have a single name: God.

When I got to certain points in the book, I could hear my brain frying ;-) These were some increbile points he was making and I was blown away.

The only reason I gave it four stars is because he spends a little too much time in my opinion on his upbringing in India. Yes, it helps set the stage for the life eventually goes onto, and underscores several of his ideas, but it should have been cut shorter.

We live today in a world so divided by disparate religious ideas that there is a very real possibility that we as humans won't survive these differences.

The spectrum of this divde is great and varied. Extreme Christian fundamentalists longing for a biblical Armageddon promote political choices that could bring on an ultimate nuclear holocaust. More moderate Christians eschew science in favor of a literal reading of the Bible and turn a blind eye to scientific "theories" as varied as global warming, the evolution of our species or the age of the universe.

Extreme Islamic fundamentalists scoff at earthly political goals altogether and wish only to live in a world governed entirely by the Koran. Unfortunately, like the Judeo/Christian Bible, interpretation of these sacred scriptures is subject to whoever perceives that he/she has been selected by his or her god to do so. This has resulted, in many instances, in the wide-scale destruction of people by those convinced by these chosen spokesmen that they will achieve heavenly rewards by their own and their victims' deaths.

Obviously, examples like these can be found everywhere in the world and in many other religions as well.

In a fervent desire to get beyond religious misconceptions of basic spiritual concepts, many thoughtful people have followed one of two divergent philosophical paths of inquiry concerning the universe and our place in it.

Science and spirituality (as opposed to religion) both seek the answers to this most fundamental question. While never quite at physical odds with each other, proponents look askance at each other for the others' naive understandings of reality. Yet a few individuals in both camps have been able to take a "quantum leap" of understanding and realize that science and spirituality should not just "agree to disagree".

For some scientists, David Bohm, Rupert Sheldrake, Karl Pribram and others, the deeper science goes towards discovering the most fundamental nature of Matter and Energy, the more the paths of science and spirituality merge into one.

On the spiritual side, a person such as the Dalai Lama honors the discoveries being made by science; to the extent that he says that if science proves a concept that is counter to his own Buddhist tradition, then the Buddhist idea must succumb to science! Truly a remarkable statement in view of most religious orthodoxies.

Mani Bhaumik is one of these "leapers", whose early life happened to be suffused in mystical Hindu traditions. Yet, the talents for science and mathematics he displayed at a young age allowed him to escape the poverty and ignorance epidemic in his community.

Finding his way to the West and his subsequent invention of the Exemer Laser (known commercially as Lasek) culminated in his enjoying a fabled lifestyle of the rich and famous; coincidentally the name of a popular television show of the day in which he displayed his wealth. His Hollywood star-studded life of parties and luxury in Beverly Hills is the stuff of dreams.

But somewhere along the way, the dream ended. Like many others throughout history, he finally had to ask himself, is this all there is?

Even while climbing the ladder of success, however, he never forgot the ground below from where he began. His political and spiritual grounding as an acquaintance of the "living saint" Mahatma Ghandi (in the political struggle for independence by the Indians against Great Britain) demonstrated to him how true spirituality can be manifested in the everyday world.

Throughout his early life in America he used his practice of Hindu meditation as primarily a method of remaining calm and centered in the high-flying academic and business worlds he was increasingly a part of.

But when he began to ask whether "this is all there is", he wanted to explore the deeper realms of reality found through mediation; those spoken of in the Gitas, the sacred writings of his religious tradition.

As a man with one foot in Western science and one foot in mystical Hinduism, he came to realize that it was perhaps his dharma to create a bridge between the two.

The result is the narrative of a wonderful, poetic journey through his own life before he begins the even more fantastic journey into the realms of quantum theory and sublime mystical states.

In the process, he does a truly amazing thing. He makes the underlying scientific field of all physical reality--which is, in fact, non-reality--move so closely towards the highest mystical states that it makes the a non-belief in "god" the most non-rational and least plausible conclusion one could make for a human being.

As a formerly agnostic seeker of knowledge, I've spent the past few years, trying to reconcile the remarkable scientific discoveries of DNA, quantum theory and consciousness with the fantastic realms of mind explored and written about by mystics, shamans, artists, users of entheogenic plants and others throughout the ages.

Mani Bhaumik's journey is a wonderful stepping stone on our own journey through a life that offers so many unanswerable questions. I've found that the most wonderful thing about our journey is that once a stepping stone is reached, another one appears almost magically.

And it's only one step away.

We have made about 10 dishes out of this book. By keeping a clear goal and by giving you some basic principles to apply universally, this book has made it possible to create great meals that are easy enough to fit in the work week. I've had better Indian food before, but only at restaurants where the time investment was staggering. Had I imagined it was so easily accessible, and the value of the quality of meal you get for your time investment, I would have been cooking Indian every week, which is just about what we do now.

Thanks for this great book! I think it's a must-have, especially for couples and bachelors.

I don't consider myself a good cook at all, but this book is about as easy as it gets. I think I've made the spicy seared shrimp in my wok about 15 times already. It is SO delicious. I can't believe I actually made something so tasty. Just learning how to make that is worth the price of the book.

I have just begun using this book. I love the explanations of technique-- this is a fantastic book if you are just beginning to cook Indian-style cuisines. I wish I had it a few years ago when I first forayed into Indian-style cooking. Kahate's flavors are more delicate than other Indian authors, and can be paired easily with non-Indian dishes... or adapted easily to please a more robust palate (like my husband's) when you have more experience.

I purchased a copy of this book for my father, father-in-law, brother and a dear friend.

An excellent introduction to Indian cooking. The book is well organized and the instructions are easy to follow. I was particularly impressed how you could obtain such variety with so few spices.

I first checked this out of the library. I renewed it three times and than gave up and bought my own copy. The food is wonderful and she simplifies recipes to a point where even a not very good cook can achieve great results. If you like Indian Food this is a very good basic cook book. You'll be rewarded with good healthy food and you don't have to lay out money to go to an Indian restaurant. And if you've never experienced the wonders of Indian food this is a great introduction. I would recommend cutting down on the amount of cayenne pepper she calls for. I'm a chicken and don't like my food that hot. But if you're a real Indian cooking buff and like it hot got ahead.