India Books

About three-quarters of the recipes in this book call for ingredients that you may not be able to find in the supermarket, such as besan, atta, kari leaves, and urad dal. But if you have access to those, dive in!

It is simply too bad that this book is out of print!

My husband loves Indian food and although I consider myself to be a pretty good cook, I was intimidated about trying my hand at something that seemed so foreign and exotic. An Indian friend had even brought me a few cookbooks, but I found them hard to follow. The last time he came to visit he brought me Neela Paniz' "The Bombay Cafe." Wow! What a difference! The directions are easy to follow even for people completely unfamiliar with the workings of an Indian kitchen. And while some recipes call for hard to find spices, there are plenty that use nothing more exotic than fresh ginger, garlic or serrano peppers. Special favorites are the Shrimp with Chiles and Garlic, Pepper Chicken (made with nothing more exotic that black peppercorns) and Nan (Indian flat bread.)

I highly recommend this book to the novice Indian chef.

Bombay Cafe was my favorite haunt when I lived in Santa Monica. When I discovered that Neela had published a cookbook of her remarkable food, I bought it immediately. I am happy to say that this book includes many of my favorite dishes, written simply and clearly enough that I can faithfully reproduce everything I loved when dining at Bombay Cafe. In my experience, this is not something that 'restaurant' cookbooks commonly achieve. An excellent effort by an uncommon chef. Thank you, Neela!

The Bombay Cafe Cookbook is one of my favorite cookbooks and I have scores of Indian cookbooks, as I'm sort of a gourmet chef. I wrote a cooking column for a sailing magazine for a couple years and one of my favorite articles was my "Two Ways to Tandoori" which you can read in one of my "Amazon So You'd Like to Guides," if you want. Tandoori chicken is just delicious. Anyway, while I was making the guide, I listed fifty cookbooks from my collection. I have more. I know, I know, one would think a couple books would be enough, but it's sort of an obsession with me, making food taste great and I just love to see how others have done it.

While I was doing the guide, I pulled out all my Indian Cookbooks, had them all stacked around me. Then I decided to pull out all the ones I didn't think I could live without. It came to an even dozen and The Bombay Cafe Cookbook was one of the books. The recipes are just divine. I've never been to India, been a lot of places, but never there. Delhi, Bombay, Ganges, names that just ring with adventure. I imagine I'm there every time I cook up something Indian. I can feel the smells as they wrap their delicious flavors all around the kitchen, or galley, if I'm cooking on board the sailboat my husband Dub and I live on half the year. You won't go wrong with this book. Check it out. Check out my other eleven too. Cook up something from India tonight, taste the adventure.

Review submitted by Captain Katie Osborne

This is one of the best cookbooks I have come across. I love the recipes - they are creative and light - like the Tandoori Chicken salad, or the Garbanzo beans sweet and sour salad. There are also some very Indian recipes that make you travel back in your mind to India - like the Railway station potato curry, or the Frankies. Most recipes are fairly easy to make.

This is Indian cooking with a fresh approach, and a lot of style.I have tried and served so many recipes to friends, and the reactions are always - that tastes GOOD!

Vidya dreams about going to college. She likes to read and enjoys school, and unlike other girls around her she doesn't want to get married. Vidya isn't a typical Indian woman.

Everything is going well for her, until the day her father is brutally beaten by an English soldier. With her father unable to work she must move into her grandfather's house which is occupied by an interesting cast of characters. Vidya's life is miserable and the only solace she finds is going upstairs to the library where she reads for hours. But going upstairs into the men's quarters is forbidden.

While in the library Vidya meets a young man named Raman. He's unlike the others in the household because he treats her like an equal and encourages her to read. As time goes on Vidya begins to develop feelings for Raman but she doesn't know if she is willing to give up college for a man.

What was different about this book compared to so many that I read set during World War II was this book took place in India. Ms. Venkatraman does an excellent of immersing the reader in Indian culture. She explains the foods, festivals and different customs. The caste system is explored in this book as well as the gender roles.

The only drawback to this book is there was no glossary. The author uses so many Indian words, which is wonderful, but I think the addition of a glossary would have helped students.

Overall, I enjoyed this story and I think it would be an excellent book for a social studies teacher to use. So many topics are coved in this book that it would be an excellent teaching too. Teens who want to read about history, politics and other cultures will enjoy this novel.

I shared the book with my mother(Usha) and my daughter(Arathi). All three of us found the plot very engaging and could not put the book down till we finished it. Each of us could identify with Vidya in different ways. The author's narration is so vivid and spontaneous that the characters come to life. The experience of growing up in a 'joint family' is described most realistically. It brought back memories, good and not-so-good, of summer vacations when a whole host of cousins, uncles, aunts would descend on us. The covert hierarchy that exists in extended Indian families is also portrayed very well. In my own family, the more 'successful' and prosperous members were accorded more respect and treated better than the others. They also tended to be about as nasty as Vidya's periamma.
I look forward to reading more books by Padma.

A family tragedy gives Climbing the Stairs its running start. Vidya is a thoughtful and intelligent fifteen-year-old girl growing up in colonial India who dreams of a college education until her father is so badly beaten by British soldiers during a peaceful demonstration that he is brain damaged. She and her mother and brother must then go live in her grandfather's home, where she has to play the Cinderella to her nasty, domineering aunt. Only by "climbing the stairs" from the first floor, the women's quarters, to the library in the second floor, the men's quarters, can Vidya find sanctuary and the books she craves.

Venkatraman writes vividly and with great authenticity about the mood of the times. Indian life, with this Brahmin family's practice of Hinduism, its holidays, prescribed customs and rigid class structure, is portrayed particularly well and she highlights the spiritual struggles of her characters in a way not usually featured in young adult novels. The account of young Vidya's time spent in isolation from the rest of the family in the "outhouse" set aside for menstruating women is worth the price of the book.

The author has based this serious novel on the life of her mother, who grew up in India during that period. Her writing is clear and elegant, and perhaps her story might have been a little more illuminating if she had been able to tell it outside the box of her mother's voice. Nonetheless, there is enough household drama in the lives of Brahmins living on the brink of an India about to change forever to rush the plot forward to Vidya's double happy ending.

Padma Venkatraman artfully weaves the large issues of freedom (and the vigilence it requires), monotheism, gender, self-possession, pacifism, and the deep well of literacy into a charged narrative of a young woman's coming to terms with her changing world and her distinct inner laws. The novel takes place in the early years of WWII when Japan was pressing India. A terrific book for anyone interested in the domestic Indian landscape; for anyone interested in a young woman's rise to self-possession. Hopefully this is the first of others!

In this multi-layered novel, Padma Venkatraman weaves together the themes of colonialism, feminism and pacifism without sacrificing story or character. Young adults will read it and understand it; adults will find the story line entertaining as well as thought-provoking. This would be a great book club selection and is sure to inspire spirited discussion.

This book is worth its price for the introduction alone. The author recounts political history of India's Kerala state through the many waves of European trade and reveals a larger historical context for European history that is invariably missing from all so-called World History classes taught at U.S. universities. The auther is herself a descendant of the players in the history she recounts.
A worthwhile investment for any Indian American under the age of 45.

Reviewed by Tammy Petty Conrad for Reader Views (12/07)

What a delicious read! I have a wonderful collection of cookbooks and the ones I enjoy most are the ones that read like novels. They include stories about the food and people who make the dishes. Even if I never get around to cooking anything included, I appreciate the flavors and tales behind the delicacies shared. This is one of those books.

The author, a native Indian from Kerala in the southwestern part of the country, shares her background and her family's recipes in such a loving way. She includes not only recipes, but the traditions, history and memories that go with them. I learned about the variety of food in her country and the diversity of recipes available in different regions. I also discovered some interesting historical facts. Having lived in the United Kingdom previously, it was fun to learn how some of the dishes arrived there from India and how they were modified for British palates. Interestingly, the Mulligatawny soup found in London started out much differently in India as molagu thanni!

I took many notes as I read about the author's childhood and the dishes she remembered most. Paayasam, a type of banana pudding made with plantains and coconut milk, grabbed my attention. Now I know what to do with the plantains I always see at the grocery store looking a bit lonely! This is a vegetarian book, but that is no reason for meat lovers to disregard it. The variety of dishes is amazing.

The author says that "The skill of a traditional cook depends on his or her ability to judge taste with the eyes and nose." Traditionally you are not allowed to taste a dish while making it. I can't imagine not taking at least one small taste before serving something to my guests. Or being so attuned to your cooking that you would automatically know by the smell or sight whether it needed adjusting.

The author is also aware that anytime you try a new cuisine you need to take the time to learn about the ingredients and what they are used for, even how you can find them or what you can substitute for them if needed. Chapter Two goes through not only ingredients, but cooking methods and utensils required. At the end of the book, she includes an internet resource list for those who live in areas without available ingredients. She talks about the magic of spices and says that "Understanding spices is the cornerstone of the art of Indian cooking...." One thing I hadn't thought about was howmuch the flavor of spices can vary from brand to brand and depending on where they are grown. She gives us permission to make adjustments based on our own palates and understands that cooking is a personal venture.

There are so many wonderful recipes to choose from. Mathan Puzukku, pumpkin and red beans with coconut and curry leaves, is a thick curry I can't wait to try. Anything with coconut grabs my attention like Varuthupperi Kootaan, or fried plantains in coconut yogurt sauce. There is a whole chapter just on puddings. The recipe index is quite helpful as are the menu suggestions.

All that's left for me to do is make a list and go the new Indian grocery store that just opened in my neighborhood. With "Grains, Greens, and Grated Coconuts," I will have an adventure in my kitchen and who knows, maybe it will lead me to travel to India and try the dishes firsthand someday.

Very nicely written, lots of historical data connected to the food of the region which was entirely new to me. Enjoyable reading and interesting recipes. Since I do like Indian Food, my hope is to try some of the recipes when time allows.

This is a really remarkable book, self-published and free of hype. There are no glitzy photographs of the food, which is a shame because I'll bet it's beautiful, but there is a pithy history of Kerala and then there are the recipes. They are exquisite, and the vibrant flavors of the food are conveyed by the author's enthusiastic descriptions. I'm not a vegetarian, but could live meatlessly and lusciously for weeks on these recipes. For vegetarians, this is a bonanza. The recipes range from relatively simple to complex, but none of them seem undoable in an American kitchen. The author has lived in America for a while, so she is familiar with the equipment and ingredients available here, and makes this cuisine approachable for us. Her notes are thorough and engaging, and well worth a read even if you don't plan to make that particular dish. If you have any interest in Indian cooking, or even if you don't want to cook it but enjoy reading about it, this is the best book on Indian cuisine that I've seen in a long time.

6/27/2007
Grains, Greens and
Grated Coconuts:
Recipes and Remembrances of a
Vegetarian Legacy
By Ammini Ramachandran
Foreward by Suvir Saran
Reviewed by Marty Martindale
It seems, the best cuisine in India is never found in restaurants, but in private homes where treasured recipes are used along with priceless experience and wisdom.
This book is based on the household cooking of Kerala in India and its many vegetarian marvels. The country of India is vast and complex, and Kerala is home to several key spices including the practically universal black pepper. The ancient spice trade caused
Kerala to became a very sought-after destination for millions. With each visitor came new plants and trees in exchange for their treasured spices. In the book, Ramachandran devotes forty pages to the vast number of visiting groups and their contributions the region over many years.
Next is carefully detailed information on their spices, herbs and vegetables, also the importance of rices in their diet. Following these, she explains cooking procedures and unique utensils.
Here are short descriptions of recipes in the book you might wish to try first:
* Varutha Erisseri -- Green Plantains in Toasted Coconut and Cumin Sauce: Basically this is a dish of stewed plantains, chili powder, turmeric powder, freshly grated coconut, vegetable oil and cumin seeds. The sauce is made from oil, mustard seeds, more chili and curry leaves. Served over rice.
* Tomato Pachadi - Tomatoes in a Fresh Coconut and Yogurt Sauce: Tomatoes, turmeric powder, grated coconut, green chilies and yogurt. For a garnish, combine vegetable oil, mustard seed, a fried chili, curry leaves and brown sugar.
* Vishu Kanji - Rice Soup with Coconut Milk: This simple dish is made from two kinds of rice, frozen lima beans and coconut milk.
* Maanga Chammanthi - Fresh Mango Chutney: Combine mangoes, grated coconut and green chilies in a blender.
Grains, Greens and Grated Coconuts is not a book about a cuisine you will cook quickly, for it demands study and practice. However if you are willing to spend time and feel at home with new combinations, you will get closer each time you work with it. Possibilities for some new taste combinations are definitely reachable and offer an exciting prospect!
For supplemental information, the author recommends these sites:
PEPPERTRAIL
INDIAN HOME COOKING
AMERICAN MASALA
You can reach Marty Martindale at: FOOD SITE OF THE DAY

Appachana does an excellent job of bringing India to life in these stories. Her ear for dialouge is so acute that I could literally hear the characters talking, thinking, etc. If you like literary short stories, these are wonderful.

This book of short stories is absolutely excellent. The main theme is the compromises that we make to continue to live in within society's standards. They are everyday scenarios taking place in India or Canada. There is a strong feminist slant in this collection, which is definitely refreshing from the other more traditional stories that I've read. However, there is a price for being liberated, especially in India. The two Sharmaji stories are quite entertaining and the issue of expectations becoming inflating as a result of an unionized environment definitely isn't unique to India. I'm looking forward to reading Ms. Appachana's other book.

As I read Ms. Appachana's work, I was constantly reminded of how things were and still are back home. For me, there was no drowning myself in fiction - the characters were real enough to touch and smell (surely every Indian is aware of a Sharmaji!). There was no unnecessary drama - no unchartered territory to explore - no special messages to convey. Such genuine depiction of character and events, free of frivolous mentions, stands dignified in its own accord.

There are not enough words to express the excellence of this book. I have read many books by Indian authors, but not one of them has depicted life as vidvidly and honestly as this author. Her stories speak of the lives of the common person, the hypocracies, the trajedies, the compromises made just to continue living. She even gets the dialect right when portraying different characters and their form of speech. Anyone who is South Asian can relate to the experiences of her characters, and for everyone else, this is life in South Asia.

Appachana does a wonderful job of getting her points across without being preachy. The stories touch on many issues, mainly of gender inequality, but also of class, caste, and other social issues. She shows these issues through the eyes of her wonderfully portrayed charactors very effectively. Although her writing style is excellent, I found it a little flowery for my personal taste. Many of the stories were extremely moving, some even left me in tears. This book is definately worth reading, whether or not you know anything about India.

When I bought India, Mirror of Truth, I only knew this was a book written by a Westerner, who was sent by his Guru to teach meditation in India. The idea sounded extremely ridiculous by itself, and I was very eager to read the book. Well, the book proved to exceed my expectations in all ways. It is full of the author's very fine and subtle insights; it shows the country by the eyes of a person who is not at all indifferent, neither to the huge spiritual heritage, nor to the future of this great nation. Speaking in terms of Indian philosophy itself, the book shows the unity of Rishi, Devata, and Chandas - The Seer, the object of seeing, and the process of cognition, and how they intertwine with each other all the time, as the teacher is student himself, and this is all just one whole thing. The author's sublime perceptions of the Divine are a red thread that goes throughout the book. This book is an exceptionally inspiring reading for anyone seeking fine spiritual insights and wishing to visit India together with the author, in his heart.

As another western teacher of meditation, reading Steve's experiences held my attention on both the level of a "would be" pilgrim to India myself and more deeply on the level of Spiritual clarity as an aspirant of Enlightenment.

Dr. Briggs' descriptions of his own subtle awareness of the Divine, lifts the heart of every meditator and/or seeker of Truth. His gift of identifying the most precious value associated with the Indian culture should be an inspiration to the entire world.

He certainly nullifies the Rudyard Kipling quote "Oh, East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet,Till Earth and Sky stand presently at God's great Judgment Seat;But there is neither East nor West, Border, nor Breed, nor Birth,When two strong men stand face to face,tho' they come from the ends of the earth!"

Whether the reader is interested in travel as an Indian pilgrimage, or a seeker of the ancient Truth as revealed by the inmost celestial experience, "India, Mirror of Truth" delivers.

When I moved to India in 1997 to work with Steve Briggs, Will Fox and the other monks mentioned in Steve's book, my initial experience with India was that of culture shock. Tim Jones informed me that most people take about 6 months of dealing with Indians and Indian way of life before they get a handle on how things are done. What I found is that for the Westerner, India is a multi-layered mystery. It is structured much like a lotus blossom, with layer after layer of traditions and customs, that are radically different from those of the West. It has now been 2 and a half years since I moved back to the USA, and reading Steve's book puts me right back into India. It has the feel of the place.

Each of the stories about the people and the places rings true. Somehow Steve has managed to bridge the cultural gap with stories that are engaging, funny, and poignant yet accurate.

India is a country of contrasts. The devastatingly poor, the incredibly rich; the natural, spontaneous and happy villagers, the hard-bitten, cynical residents of the cities; pompous, arrogant, mean-spirited government babus, the kind and generous people who accept strangers into their homes and treat them as family. Those who revere the timeless traditions of their ancient culture; and those who have lost their way in globalization and mass merchandizing. Those caught in material pursuit; the sanyasins and sadhus who have renounced it all in pursuit of the divine. Steve's book tells the stories of all these diverse groups intermingling to make up a rich fabric of one billion people. And he tells the stories so well that his book is a page-turner.

For me the best part of his superb book are his descriptions of experiences of the divine. People everywhere have heard of being in The Zone, they have read stories of saints, they have heard about inner experiences of self-realization, but it is all so far away for them. Yet something draws them to wonder what it must be like when the swirl of thoughts and agendas ceases. Steve unfolds amazing experiences of transcending the relative mess, taking a dip in the cool serene silence and having the inner dimensions open to reveal a taste of the divine. He manages to give the reader vicarious experiences of spontaneous right action, of thought and action supported by Nature, of divine personages revealing themselves in all their celestial glory in deep meditative experiences, of seemingly chance encounters that were predestined by actions taken lifetimes earlier.

It is a glorious book. Anyone who is curious about mystical experiences of enlightenment would get a lot out of Steve's book. Anyone who has been to India and wants to sort out why things there are the way they are will find this book illuminating. Anyone who is curious about other cultures will discover the perspective of a ageless civilization that is very different from their own. Anyone who wants a very good read that has adventure, strong characters, swift moving plot and is entertaining through out should read this book.

I have recently read this excellent book on Steve's travels in India. I did not expect the book to be as good as it is - it starts slowly and builds 'forcing' me to stay up late to read just a little more. I found my self in tears several times for the book is more than just about a complex diverse culture and country but a spiritual odyssey that is captivating and reminding me of my own journey in life. Having spent a little time in India enlivened the book even more as it is a country and experience one can only have be visiting there. I found it to be a very provocative book in that it brings one back to his own self - and to that I thank Steve for this marvelous read.

Steve Briggs was a fellow tennis professional in the late seventies shortly before he first traveled to India. It does not surprise me how well written his recollections of his seven year pilgrimage to India is, for he discovers the soul and spirit of the Indian people, the heart of their culture, and their tradition of knowledge which continue to be of timely importance for those who find the game of life so fascinating and enjoyable.

As an educator/instructor, and now as a writer, Steve is perfectly capable of guiding his students/readers on a journey that will satisfy the timeless thirst for the most important discovery of all - the awakening to one's Self and living a life of value, enlightenment, and service to humanity.

"India: Mirror Of Truth," is a composite view the author shares with his reader on his journey through a country that is home to the world's most ancient wisdom and mature family values, while uncovering the very personal ambitions that were accomplished by Steve's own search for knowledge of that illumination.

I feel this book is a must read for anyone who has ever had the desire to take the trip of a life time to a country whose magnificence is a reflection of it's inner spirit which is available to all seekers looking for truth! His book is an absolute mirror of the heart, heroic character, and noble reflections of a man whose experience demands that he write another book, the sooner, the better.

The KEY TO PARADISE is the story of Diane, a French aristocrat surgeon who of course, has blue blood in her veins, but who above all, possesses the nobleness of the heart.

I love this book because I realize that the tragedy that strikes the heroine could happen to anyone and I became aware of the ravages of irradiation. The sinking of the Poseidon reminds me the Kursk, the Russian atomic submarine that is inexorably going to contaminate the Baren Sea.

I was very touched by the letter Diane wrote to her family during her trip to India, in which she decided to adopt an abandoned child because her irradiated body would never give birth again.

The story of her electoral campaign is a fantastic succession of colorful anecdotes and a humorous satire of macho politicians. I am fascinated by her platform which is an eloquent and moving cry from the heart.

I was also deeply moved by the drama of the young Iranian soldiers and by the extraordinary story of King Omar.

The KEY TO PARADISE is a wonderful tapestry of Occidental and Oriental societies woven in a dazzling style.

This novel is truly fascinating and I could not put the book down until the end. The writing is so beautiful that you would like to meet such a cultured author who arouses your curiosity.

CRITIQUE OF "THE KEY TO PARADISE", BY CHRISTIANE DES SAGETTES.

As the translator of "The Key to Paradise" by Christiane des Sagettes, I would like to express the great pleasure I had to translate her fiction into English. The breath of her vocabulary impresses me a lot and her style recalls in me the fascination I encountered reading exotic adventure fictions in my youth.

The story develops on a background of contemporary events that concern us all. Protagonists and dialogs are superbly painted.

"The Key to Paradise", that makes us travel all over the world, is the occasion for Christiane des Sagettes and through the character of Diana, the heroine, to present her very own platform as she actually, herself, entered the 1981 presidential campaign in France, as a pacifist and defender of women's equal rights.

Her platform reveals, on the one hand, an infinitely touching plea against the destructive and murderous insanity of men and, on the other, an urgent prayer for the union of women beyond borders --the name of the association she created in France in real life; women who, according to her views, are the only ones to be able to offer the children of the world peace and happiness, that men have been unable to accomplish in the course of centuries. With much humour and realism, the account of her electoral campaign shows us the hardship and opposition that women face in the political world.

Christiane des Sagettes is very well-acquainted with the Middle East and its customs and gives us a lively account of its exotic sites, full of passion and accuracy. The shattering episode during which Iranian children-soldiers are lead to march in mine-field, to open the road for the regular army during the Iran-Irak war, has been verified by Western military sources. King Omar's personality is beautifully depicted and ends the fiction with a touch of hope in the future.

With great anticipation, I am awaiting the announcement of a second fiction by Christiane des Sagettes to translate it with the same pleasure as "The key to Paradise".

Jacques M. Poletti, Ph.D. Emeritus, French Dept., UCLA

CHER

"The Key to Paradise" is a powerful and thought-provoking tale filled with insightful political, social and religious commentary of our modern age, all brilliantly interwoven in eloquent prose by Christiane des Sagettes. The heroine, a strong-willed French surgeon, suffers a terrible tragedy from the effects of radioactive pollution. Dissatisfied with her government's lack of action to ban nuclear power, she creates her own political platform and runs for office in France under the banner of "Women without Borders." She urges people to realize that "all inhabitants of the planet share a genetic pool common to our species." This gripping story moves from her elegant chateau in the French countryside to the slums of Calcutta and into the fanatical world of revolutionary Iran, where the heroine, working on a humanitarian rescue operation alongside a team from "Doctors Without Borders" is kidnapped and tortured. It was there that she learns of the teaching of the Baha'i faith and a new world is opened to her. Anyone who is passionate about the ideal of present and future generations living together in peace in a nuclear-free world should read this fascinating book.

This book is a lively and fascinating novel full of suspense, beauty, travel, human values and emotions with an international impact. With refined descriptions, it's pleasant reading shifts us into a sensorial universe.

Indeed, beyond this gripping story, the author Christiane des Sagettes, through her heroine Diane de la Roseraie, addresses with an honest lucidity the major world problems which have threatened and are still theateneing our planet and humanity. The most frightening one is probably the behavior of men who hold the keys to power and the right of life and death on humanity and its environment.

Diane de la Roseraie holds also a key which can open the door to hell or paradise for us and the next generations. It will depend on our choices as men or women. "The key to paradise" is an hymn to tolerance and ethics in every domain : human, religious, politic, economic and scientific. Diane de la Roseraie makes us realize that moral values will determine our future.

This book, which may seem a fiction, is completely realistic. With an incomparable talent, Christiane des Sagettes depicts a paradoxal context in which cohabit "crimes against humanity" and "simple moments of true hapiness", "resignation" and "hope".

The wealth of this book brings back to life in our sclerosed society the universal message of peace. Furthermore, "The key to paradise" is an enriching travel around the world as well as inside each one of us.

It is a difficult read, no doubt, but this is one book which each and every educated person must read; doesn't matter if it takes a lifetime. If one reads three pages a day, it'll take one year to finish the book; that is the kind of patience the book demands, but it's worth it and extremely rewarding. Logistics overcome, comes the barrier of prejudice; several of them: India, Hindu, Ashram, Philosophy, Spirituality, New-Age etc. But what is needed is an absolutely open mind and the book becomes a pure Life's User Manual.

The book itself is a Univeresity that breathes universality. During the course of reading, one gets attuned to many related areas and ideas by way of allusions and comparisions. It also solves progressively one's long-held doubts and discords. Besides, in whichever profession one is, it helps to improve on the practical aspects. Further, the poetic beauty of the text enhances the sheer pleasure of reading even while the insights gained expands one's sense of mundane existence. Two other booklets, "The Mother" and "The Mind of Light" or "The Supramental Manifestation upon Earth" are essential supplements, lest one's understanding of the author is prone to be lopsided.

Rating this book is like rating god for his creation-a joke of first order. This book is an eternal book, its language ancient, contemporary, futuristic and transcendant. the only way one can approach this book is in quiet contemplation and deep introspection. every thought, doubt and question that might have crossed the minds of humankind is addressed, explained. understanding this book is the puny first step. it needs to realised, acted, lived and revisited. that would be rare human who does not find this book has changed his/her life. one feels like annihilating oneself to greatness of this being.

This book is the greatest achievement of Mankind!It is the greatest philosophical book ever written and in the best English Language ever written too.It is the Ultimate culmination of a 3,000 year Indian Philosophic Thought.

Sri Aurobindo examines deeper than anybody ever did the Human Condition and treats with the utmost profundity,clarity,linguistic beauty,logical acuity,originality and imagination all the major questions of Life:Why is there something rather than nothing,what is the meaning of life,why are we here,where did we come from,what is our relationship to the ultimate ground of Being,what is the function of ignorance,suffering,pain,what is the Nature of the Ultimate Being.He surpasses Shankara,incorporating in his philosophy the Tantric idea of the meaningfulness and purposefulness of the Becoming,as well as all central elements of Buddhist Philosophy.In relating all these to modern man (Western and Eastern) and connecting everything together through the most plastic,expressive,exquisite language ever written,he achieves the Ultimate Synthesis of all philosophical and spiritual thought of Mankind.

Although one needs to become accustomed to his unique language and expression ,as well as to spend initially some time in understanding the way he uses certain terms (some of his own creation,so that the Inexpressible could at least be hinted at),this initial investment of time will more than reward the serious reader in the end.

Some,with whom I agree,suggest that one start reading the book from the chapter "The evolution of the spiritual man"(Book 2,chapter 24) and,after moving on to read the next two chapters too,to go back and start reading it from the beginning.These last chapters give an overview of his philosophy and are written in an easier language.

"THE LIFE DIVINE" is itself one of the most pure EMBODIMENTS of the DIVINE

This is a difficult book to read. Let us be under no illusions about that. It is verbose, repetitive and massive in its scope: tackling virtually the entire gamut of issues that philosophy traditionally deals with. But by the time you have finished reading the book (it took me three months to finish)it would have transformed the way you live your life. You may not agree with Aurobindo, and in fact, he probably does not want you to blindly agree with him, he would much rather that you think things out for yourself; but one thing that he certainly does is to question the 'commonsense' view of the world: the view of the world that we build up using bits of unexamined,untested, received, 'truths'. Take just one such 'truth': We believe--or at least we have done so ever since Descartes--that Matter and Consciousness are two separate things. Aurobindo puts forward the suggestion that the two are actually one and the same entity, only they are in different states being: somewhat like Ice and Steam being different states of water. If we concede that matter may be a form of consciousness, only in an inert state, all sorts of consequences would follow: especially with regard to our attitudes towards the environment.
As I had said earlier, the scope of the book is massive. Its three parts can be roughly divided into Ontology (where he discusses the Nature of the Cosmos), Epistemology (where he discusses the nature of Knowledge (&Ignorance), and the problem of Evil--which he attributes to Ignorance: a consequence of Ahamkara or ego-centricism) and finally, in the last part, he provides a broad, general direction for living our lives in accordance with our revised view of the world (Ethics). However, the book is not tightly structured (If you are looking for a book like Wittgenstein's Tractatus you will find yourself truly frustrated) it is loose, repetitive, and disjointed. Possibly because it was originally written as a series of essays and published monthly in a magazine called the Arya (between 1914 to 1919). He must have had to repeat himself because his original audience would have forgotten a point that he would have made five years ago. But the cumulative effect of the repetitions is that his ideas have a tendency to gradually seep in and sink into your mind, rather than strike you as a sort of brilliant epiphany.
Aurobindo's philosphy is ultimately rooted in ancient Hindu Vedic thought. In the course of the book, Aurobindo tackles Marx, Darwin, Nietzche, Freud, Hegel, Feurbach, (plus a whole range of European philosophers) and his idea is to adapt their philosophy to the 'Truth' as expressed by the Seers of the ancient Vedas. Does he succeed in doing so? I don't know. That is for professional philosophers to decide. For me, the book has been a revelation, the scales have dropped from my eyes: I see things differently now. Hopefully, I will continue to do so for a while before the snares of living in a modern city finally engulf me once again. Haven't they said that we can't stand to face the truth for too long?

There are very few great spiritual classics that each century produces. The Life Divine is one of these great spiritual classics, one of the key spiritual studies of the twentieth center, perhaps of all time. There are few great mystics and enlightened masters who are able to express themselves in extensive philosophy and profound poetry. Sri Aurobindo was one of these, and the Life Divine is probably his magnum opus.
The Life Divine is no mere call to a life of piety, asceticism or outward religious fervor. It is a call to bring the Divine as a force of higher consciousness into all that we are and do, both individually and as a species. The Life Divine unfolds a panoramic exploration of consciousness from the Absolute (Brahman), to the Cosmic Creator (Ishvara), to the individual soul (Jivatman), and all the realms of existence, manifest and unmanifest, known and unknown. There are few books that cover such an expanse and with such depth, direct knowledge and clarity. For those who want to widen their horizons and extend their awareness into the realms of higher consciousness, there is perhaps no other book that is as complete, comprehensive and challenging. Reading it requires both concentration and meditation of a very high order, but brings great riches of inner insight in return.
As someone who has studied the main religious traditions of the world, and has written extensively on the traditions of India, this book has remained with me as life time companion. I recommend it to all those who are looking at the spiritual life as a quest for a higher consciousness and grace that can transform all that we do. One can continue to delve into the book for new wisdom and insight year after year. The Life Divine teaches us in depth about the great spiritual traditions of India, Veda, Vedanta, Samkhya, Yoga, Tantra and Buddhism, but from a view of practice and realization, and a seeking for the universal truth behind all these great teachings.
Most notably, the Life Divine outlines the spiritual purpose of the soul and of our human lives. It charts a way to a future in which we can go beyond our current mentality of ego and strife to a world of Divine peace, bliss and knowledge. It charts the transformation of our species from a confused adolescence to the maturity of wisdom and grace. Sri Aurobindo shows how the Divine Shakti can descend into our minds and lift us to a higher level of intelligence as our natural state of existence. The book is perhaps the best study of the spiritual evolution of humanity, the evolution of consciousness in man and nature, which is available.

I am so impressed with Badshah Khan to the point of being overwhelmed with admiration. One reason is his breadth of vision and his tolerance. At one point Gandhi asked Khan if his English sister-in-law had become a Muslim, and Abdul Ghaffar Khan replied that he did not know: "Why should not a husband and wife adhere each to their respective faiths?" (p.145) I long for this kind of tolerance in the world!

The book is an amazing story of success and failure. Khan and Gandhi succeeded nonviolently in bringing independence to India. The failure lies in the facts that: 1) Neither one of them wanted to see the partitioning in to two nations, 2) their dreams of a united Hindu-Islamic nation turned into a nightmare, 3) they both envisioned a nonviolent nation and that has turned out to be a far-fetched notion. Yet, Khan & Gandhi proved that non-violence can work, as proven again by Martin Luther King, Jr., and Nelson Mandela.

As the author notes, probably no other leader suffered so much for the cause of peace and nonviolence as did Khan. No, not even Gandhi or even Mandela. I think we have in this book the profile of THE most amazing man in world history!! And the fact is that he is probably known by far less than one percent of the world's population.

I love everything Eknath Easwaran writes and this book exceeded my expectations. The stories and information are priceless - buy this book if you want to know about the life of Badshah Khan.

I request customers and other visitors to read the article by Arif H. Akhunzada titled "Bacha Khan legacy is Questionable" with caution because in Pakistan objective interpretation and description of history is mostly marred by the official stand on history enshrined in the so-called "Pakistan Ideology".

Pakistan Ideology i.e. the Idea that sparked the struggle for Pakistan is a highly communal, theocratic, and Pan-Islamist view of history that considers the people of the Subcontinent to be divided into two religious communities-Hindus and Muslims-with entirely different ways of life and very little in common to live in a single state or society. According to this ideology, the Idea of Pakistan was born when the first Arab Muslim invader i.e. Mohammad Bin Qasim invaded India (Sindh) and converted some of its inhabitants to Islam.

This divisive and jingoistic philosophy very well serves the interests of the military bureaucracy that has been ruling Pakistan since inception and the allied religious and fudal classess.

As Abdul Ghaffar Khan aka Bacha Khan espoused a non-communal approach to life in which the highest spiritual act and worship was the "service of humanity" irrespective of religious affiliation and practically upheld what he thought as the true purpose of life ( evident from his personal life and joint struggle with Hindus, Sikhs, etc. for freedom), he, therefore, is an anathema to Pakistani national elite. This elite, through a systematic campaign, has tried its best to malign Abdul Ghaffar Khan, mispresent him to the world and his own people i.e. Pashtuns, make him controversial, and permanently erase him from history and the memories of the successive generation of Pashtuns. These elite want Pashtun society to evolve the Taleban way.

There is also another dimension to all this. The political, bureaucratic, economic, and intellectual elite of Pakistan predominently comes from two communities; Punjabis and Muhajirs. The other three communities of Pakistan i.e. Sindhis, Baluchis, and Pashtuns have only peripheral rule in Pakistan. The Punjabi-Muhajir elite wants to build a Pakistani nation based on Islam and Hindustani Muslim Culture. Therefore, any thing that gives these marginalized communities (i.e. Baluchis, Pashtuns, and Sindhis) a sense of identity, pride, self-esteem, and confidence is virtually unbearable for the Punjabi-Muhajir elite that dominate Pakistan.

I will request the world not to forget Bacha Khan. The values and the view of life he upheld are eternal and humanistic. His legacy belongs to the entire humanity rather than a specific community. As a Pashtun, I believe that my people i.e. Pashtuns can achieve spiritual and material success only if they follow Bacha Khan's philosophy of non-voilence and peaceful struggle for personal and collective development. Unfortunately, initially British and later Pakistani state ruthlessly suppressed his movement and philosophy. The politics of the Cold War, in which radical Islam and Jehad were used as counter to communism, also have its share in weakening Bacha Khan's "Khudayi Khidmatgar Movement".

I will further request that readers should read anthropological studies on Pashtuns than relying on superficial views about them here and there.

This is a sweeping portrait of Badshah Khan, a courageous Muslim figure. I felt inspired as I read this touching work, though I wanted more.
I wish that Khan's autobiography, My Life and Struggles would be more readily available. Also, a more detailed biography would be helpful. This book is wonderful as an overview but one who wants to dive deeper should investigate further.
This book is an excellent introduction to Badshah Khan. It shows how one can use the bismillah (in the name of God the infinitly compassionate and merciful) as a means to internalize compassion and mercy in ourselves. This is the core of Islam and of the utmost importance today.

All the Amazon reviews for this book below perceive Abdul Ghaffar Khan superficially, only from the angle of the non-violent doctrine and rural Islamic philosophy he preached, rather than any practical political accomplishments and impact on history and his society that may have been made by him - or the lack thereof. High ideals are fine, except that they are a little ephemeral as far as practical reality is concerned - unless they help achieve something effective and concrete. And sadly this is what this otherwise good and simple man failed to do. Living in the same society as he did, I will focus on him from the angle of Pashtun social realities and issues, unlike the other foreign reviewers who are just content with the usual wishy-washy praise of his non-violent Islamic ideals. It must also be kept in mind that Eknath Easwaran is a pacifist Hindu thinker, and so has written this book mainly from the viewpoint of highlighting his pacifist aspect above all else. Which is true, since Ghaffar Khan's pacifism was largely Hindu inspired, but for Pashtuns he is basically a politician and cultural figure, and pacifism is just a facet of his character, albeit a key one. 20th century Pashtun political history is an obscure issue but still crucially important, inspite of its failed and forlorn character. I consider this book as perhaps the most useful introduction so far for the foreign reader, of the man at the centre of it - and I rate it at five stars because there are only a handful of books worth the name on the international level that deal with his doings, and this one is about the story of the man himself. Ghaffar Khan aka Badshah (or Bacha) Khan was a towering figure mainly because of his personal qualities of head and heart - infinite patience, steely determination and simplicity. He himself belonged to the Hunnish origin "Khan" Pashtun landowning class. He is acclaimed by most Pathans (Pashtuns) as being the father of their "nationalism". He founded a simple rural political-cum-cultural-cum-religious movement in the countryside to "dignify" Pashtuns and their culture and language and free them from first British and then Pakistani rule. They were known as "Red Shirts", the name being derived from their uniformed cadres and were first affiliated politically with the All India National Congress of M.K.Gandhi and later merged into and then broke with many other Pakistani groupings (when they couldn't dominate them). They were finally turned into a formal political structure of their own by 1986, which came to be dominated by his late son and daughter-in-law, and is now very much their family concern, a "lucrative" political party in the hands of his grandchildren and their in-laws and other cronies. They now use his image and "philosophy" to keep their fortunes alive. He was the key regional ally of Gandhi in his non-violent independence struggle for India. His position on Pakistan was varied and inconsistent. He had earlier tried vainly to oppose the dissolution of the Turkish Caliphate in the 1920s. All these activities earned him long spells in jail. But his anti-British stance didn't stop him from getting his sons elitist British educations and properties in Britain, as well as good political positions and alliances in later Pakistani governments.

Let us now review Badshah Khan's accomplishments - and those of his successors - for those are what really count in the historical long run. What is there visible to us that he has achieved for his people through his struggle and philosophy? Nothing but a vague demand for some sort of a "Pashtun nation" of sorts that even its proponents very conveniently refrain from defining exactly - and some sort of "unity" for the Pashtun ethnicity divided between Afghanistan and Pakistan. That was never really elaborated upon either. First of all, he desired Pashtun political union with India, after it became independent; later, he toned that down and would give the impression of wanting total Pashtun independence; otherwise, he would only demand Pashtun provincial autonomy within Pakistan; and many a time, he swore fealty to Pakistan's integrity! He is also known for his advocacy of Afghanistan as the "real" Pashtun state, and that is where he now lies buried. In the end, he merely wanted to change Pakistan's Pashtun province's name from NWFP to the more realistic "Pakhtunkhwa". That was the nature of his ever efflusive politics. No doubt he talked about some vague Pashtun independence and national self-determination, but avoided really important issues like improving and reforming their cultural quality. Otherwise he was just a popular rustic social figure, wearing the rude homespun cotton garb of a village simpleton who gave his society nothing of particular merit other than going around from village to village drinking green tea with the men and extolling the virtues of rustic Pashtun goodness and their good old rough Red Shirt camaraderie. Now let us see what effect this influence of his has had. When we look at the Pashtun society in 2006 and compare it to what it was in 1930 - at the height of his movement - we see no real changes in it at all: their dirty mud caked village roads and stinking ramshackle bazaars are the same, their rich, exploitative landowning upper and noveau riche classes, who use their educational skills and government jobs to enable their legendary corruption, plunder and pelf (and who are the local comprador dependents of US global imperialism) - are the same; the great masses of the Pathan populace are boorish vicious tribesmen and illiterate peasant artisans, cultivators and daily wagers, little better than animals in any respect, going around swathed in their rough stone age felt sheets and caps and turbans, working with much the same equipment in their fields as they did 3000 years ago in the days of their Gandhara predecessors, and living likewise: the open drains by the roadside and walls serve as the men's public urinals. The only notable differences between Gandhara and now are that there are some dilapidated roads, vehicles, electricity and various other trappings of modernity that were introduced here by British influence; and lately Pashtuns have been inundated with cell phones, in an unnatural and despicable mix that I call "neolithic globalism" - and Badshah Khan or his marvellous legacy are certainly not responsible for that. (It is because of the folly and misdemeanours of the modern world that we see the likes of backward Bedouin sheikhs sporting chunky Rolex watches and Rolls Royces, and medieval Pathan ruffians of all hues - and other such "natives" - having undeserved free access to the latest electronic gadgets and vehicles, and taking them for granted. Sad paradoxes indeed). The modern state institutions that exist in the Pashtun areas under Pakistani rule are those bequeathed by former British rule, and they exist merely as a modern verneer beneath which things go on here as they have been doing for thousands of years. With these institutions existing just as rubberstamps, the real decision making power lies with informally constituted tribal councils made up of "elders" and "influentials" and "notables" at the local level, extending all the way up. Bribery, patronage and coercion and are considered normal business procedure. Nobody pays taxes, and smuggling constitutes trade. Gun running, narcotics and counterfeiting are traditional lucrative sources of income here. Merit doesn't exist. People tend to settle all disputes personally owing to police and government ineffectiveness in such a society, and given the extreme and proud Pashtun temperament - often end up using guns whatever the nature of the problem. Grasping, greed, jealousy and lawless behaviour are customarily extolled as being "manly". "Insults" have to be avenged - often by death - and so many things are regarded as insults, that normal people elsewhere can't even imagine: for instance, asking someone to remove his car parked wrongly behind yours can be regarded by him as insulting, and among most Pashtuns in general such incidents are the norm because of their lack of adherence to and cynical disregard for proper procedure and manners is so universal as they haughtily dismiss all such procedural "fuss" as being beneath strong, clever men. Even someone overtaking another person's car is often regarded by the one being overtaken as an insult... Pashtun fracticide, treachery and tribal disunity are unparalleled and legendary. Extreme religious fervour has always been the norm in this claustrophobic society. Its conventions are extolled and enforced ruthlessly. Marriages are all arranged. Women are still bought and sold in marriage deals. Polygamy is considered normal and even a prestigious aspiration. Pashtun society is infamous for its sub-human and extreme cultural attitudes regarding its women and their rights. Afghan tribesmen use the Pashto word "kaddah" for wife which literally means "baggage" or "belongings". Women are made the cornerstone of a twisted all-pervasive male "code" of feudal-tribal "honour" that rules day to day Pashtun living, involving senseless butchery, blood feuds, duels and land and money grabbing. What is more, the women willingly and "proudly" accept their place in all this too, may I inform those shocked western and other liberals who read this! (After all, it is they who make sure to pass on these noxious traditions to their sons).

In short, Pashtun society is a lowlife jungle society in every sense of the word, at a time in history when all should know and do better. It is stuck in a time warp. All this is what Badshah Khan (and now his brood) endorsed and glorified as the "Pashtun nation's precious cultural identity", a situation to protect and be proud of. His non-violence was mostly a tactic for political activities against the British, and later the Pakistani administrations. And not all of this was non-violent either, if one cares to read about the Qissa Khwani Bazaar massacre of 1930 and the Baburra massacre of 1948, where he got hundreds of his uniformed cadres slaughtered as they were preparing for confrontations. No doubt the reader will come across gushing, over-reverent Pashtun views regarding him. (An example is a Pashtun's Amazon review for the 1998 edition of this book, on a separate webpage). But these are worthless tinsel, the bombastic rigmarole typical of the blustery and exaggerated Pathan mentality and "public morality" that they show to others, especially foreigners. You can ask me instead about what Badshah Khan & Co. accomplished. I belong to the same provincial district as the Badshah Khan family, called Charsadda, and my family is even distantly related to theirs.

So honestly, what did this man achieve in his society that merits such a fuss? His successors are nowadays typical Pakistani politicians, who run an opportunist business venture of a party devoted to robbery and thuggery. That is what characterises Pakistani politics nowadays. Not only have things not changed in Pashtun society, but they have in fact taken a turn for the worse since America revived and equipped Islamic fundamentalism here to counter the USSR in the 1980s. Whatever little cosmetic good 100 years of British rule did the Pashtuns in Pakistan has now been effectively wiped out by that. Badshah Khan could not give his people what their British "oppressors" had given them, and he merely created a cheap circus troupe, a cheerleading carnival performing in red uniforms for the benefit of bored peasants and later, corrupt politicians. Although he himself definitely had a strong character, with a deep sense of genuine personal committment and he suffered greatly for his rustic nationalist causes, that alone amounts to nothing on the real level as he had nothing significant to offer and improve his society with other than calling for some ephemeral nationalist unity based on a decidedly decrepit culture. If Pathans honestly realise that, then there might be some hope for change in their dark lot. If not, then they should happily keep Badshah Khan as their icon along with their pathological, medieval state of being for as long as they exist. It is indeed sad to see how the exaltation of the lowest common denominator factor pervades all affairs of life globally nowadays - whether that means praising rarified ideals, or eulogising inferior and bad culture among other things. After 9/11, these negative potentials become very clear indeed.

I admit that I am always intrigued by the reworking of fairy tales for adults since the layered nuance and the symbolism of fairy tales are as important to adult psychological development as they are to that of children. Robin McKinley's work in this area stands out for me (including her adaptation of "Beauty and the Beast", called "Beauty.") Therefore, I was delighted to discover Mary Lennox and hope that "My Lord Beast" is not her sole attempt at the genre.

In this instance, the setting and time frame Lennox chooses (19th century England) allow for some social commentary that is as applicable to the 21st century as it is to that era. The characters are nicely developed and considerably more real than the norm for romances (and fairy tales, for that matter). The addition of some understated elements from "Bluebeard" add to the richness of the characters and the plot. Without giving away too much, it can be said that Lennox has added some intriguing twists to the original characters from "Beauty and the Beast" and adds two (the "Indian" Ram Dass, and Lord Beast's cousin). Both choices work well.

If you would like a good read for the beach, a vacation, a plane ride, or an evening in front of the fire, this is a good choice.

Lord Breme (Aubrey Drelincorte) is a man tortured by a memory that he can't remember. On a trip to India in 1842, Aubrey found out that his lovely wife Susannah had been having a long time secret affair with his cousin and heir apparent Rupert Hindley. Aubrey was devastated by the news and aimed to confront the pair. Though he remembers nothing of this incident, Aubrey was told that he shot and killed Susannah and was then himself mauled by a tiger. Sure that he had killed his wife, injured, and suffering from malaria, Aubrey fled back to England.

Lilias Merrit is the youngest daughter of a merchant. Lilias' sister Pamela had recently wed Squire John Trevell for a sizeable dowry. Now the girls' father has arranged a marriage between Lilias and Richard Landham, a good looking wealthy man with an unattractive personality. In an effort to flee from Richard's grips, Lilias petitions Lord Breme for help.

My Lord Beast is a historical romance with a well developed storyline. The author has done a very good job at seamlessly interweaving historical relevant issues and cultural norms into a timeless love story that can be both enjoyed and appreciated by the modern reader. Thus, the romance portion of this book seems a natural extension of the events of the story rather than the complete point of the entire book.

As romance books go, this 1 is both literate & charming. Mixing -Beauty & the Beast-, -Rebecca-, &-Kim- [at the very least], Lennox creates many charming people in this tale of a man mauled by a tiger & the pretty maid who rescues him when he returns from India. From their first meeting, Lord Aubrey is captivated by Miss Lilas Merrit, a non-traditional Englishwoman w/non-traditional beauty. Forced to marry & breed an heir, he quickly discovers the charm of her musicial, Gypsy-loving free spirit.

Nothing outstanding, but i *did* enjoy identifying the sources!

Reviewed by Rebecka Vigus for Reader Views (3/06)


Step back in time to England where arranged marriages were often marriages of convenience. We are first introduced to Audrey Drelincourte, Earl of Breme, arriving home from India to save his reputation, his family home and to wed and produce an heir. Is he the beast everyone believes him to be?

Then we meet Lilias Merritt, feisty, outspoken second daughter of impoverished merchant Geoffrey Merritt. Lilias flees her father's home to avoid an arranged marriage to Richard Landham. In her escape she runs to the gypsies who plant her on the doorstep of Breme and directly in the path of Lord Breme himself.

Read along and see how the two clash and strike out against the feelings that pull them toward their destiny.

Having his carriage stopped on the road, Lord Breme listened to his man, Ram Dass carry on a conversation with a lady on horseback. As the carriage started again he commented, "Rather cheeky assassin." His thoughts stayed with Miss Merritt as he wondered about a woman "who went out on a winter eve with no groom, when a gentlewoman would have taken a carriage and an abigail. But she spoke like a lady and had just taken to task the owner of a coach and four with a gold crest emblazoned on it." Even ill, Audrey could find amusement in that.

Arriving at Breme, Lilias proposes to be a nurse the ailing master of the house. Only to be told, "I don't need a well-bred nurse-companion." With hopes of sanctuary here dashed, Lilias wonders what will become of her.

Although Lord Breme relents and keeps her on, their relationship is rocky and built on distrust. She wonders about the rumors, and he is there to stop the flow of rumors.

Did Lord Breme kill his wife? Can he clear his name? Can he remember what happened that fateful night? Will he be able to marry and produce an heir, and save his home? How does Lilias fit into all of this? Does she avoid marriage to Landham? Can she earn the trust of the lord of the manor?

All this and much more will be found in this book. Mary Lennox gives you very believable characters. Her sense of the times is uncanny. England's ton can make or break a person and she uses this knowledge to further the plot. It was a delightful read.

I loved this gothic-style interpretation of the beauty and the beast story. Lilias doesn't consider herself a beauty, nor does she consider Aubrey a beast. Lilias is strong and works hard to help herself and the man she loves. I hope Ram Dass has his own follow-up story.

Devamrita Swami has immersed himself in this search for the lost history of ancient civilization after he graduated from Yale in 1972.

This work must be counted as one of the greatest I have ever come across. Even a cynic would find this book highly entertaining.

This book cites so many interesting and unexplainable phenomena that one wonders how much we really know about our ancient civilizations. Even if you have narrow-minded views about our ancient history and life in general as of today this book is an eye-opener.

And there is a ocean full of bibliography attached to each chapter which makes it more the interesting to justify each and every claim of the author.

As the name suggests the book is not biased to Vedic Studies but takes the Vedic Perspective to explain some of the concepts which we are still grappling with.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone.

Really superb overview of many astounding ancient facts. Unlike many more popular writers, author avoids the pitfall of speculation and interpretation. The Egypt section could be considered a definitive answer to the question how the pyramids and other giant structures were built.

It is a very well researched book, which highlights the Vedic thoughts without the Macaulian filter.

It was interesting to see the concepts, which I took for granted, being explained this way. Frankly there was nothing new for me. But I had learned these through stories that tell you "what" but not "why".

After reading this book, I realised the power of story telling and the effect that "Mahabharata" has on our pschyche.

This scholarly book is now part of my reference library, even though all the writing that I do relate to technology.

What erudition!! I would not hesitate a second to buy such a book.

Devamrita Swami gives a complete overview of the many current ideas and vast ocean of information about ancient Vedic India. Search for Vedic India gives lots of mind-boggling information.

For example: The top blocks of the Egyptian pyramids weigh more than the ones on the bottom. For some reason the Egyptians used the heavier blocks on the top, where they would have been more difficult to place. The best theory to explain this is that that ancient culture could somehow levitate huge ton-sized stone blocks. Indeed, the 5000 year old Vedic India texts give similar accounts.

The book is very well written. It kept my interest like only a few rare other books do. I would recommend this book to anyone with even the slightest interest in history, anthropology, or ancient civilizations. Highly recommended.

Bolder minds are keen to discover the hidden achievements of the ancients. This curiosity will transform the way we
see ourselves and the universe. Were some ancient civilizations much more advanced than what we allow?

Particularly, India's Vedic texts challenge our pride and conceptions. The sages of India's lost past delighted in knowledge of the nonmaterial. But they testify that they also knew how to produce material benefits without industry. Dare
we consider that the subcontinent of India, thousands of years ago, was the center of the greatest spiritual wisdom and mystical technology that the Earth has seen?

The India of remote antiquity may surface as the greatest find in the new millennium. Searching for Vedic India reviews
the latest research from both mainstream and independent sources. Most importantly, it unfolds the ancient answers to the
modern riddles of consciousness, reincarnation, extraterrestrial contact, and spiritual dimensions beyond the laws of time and space.

Devamrita Swami is an author and researcher specializing in the history and knowledge of ancient India. Born in New York City, he began his immersion in India upon graduating from Yale University in 1972. Visiting India annually for almost three decades, he is an ordained sannyasi, or monk, of India's Vaishnava spiritual tradition. He is now based in Australia, from where he travels to every continent. His previous
book, Perfect Escape, is a contemporary commentary on a section of the spiritual text Srimad-Bhagavatam.