India Books

I found this book after seeing Priscilla on TV. The book does an excellent job of conveying her no-nonsense approach to decorating. She has a fine eye and this book will help you to develop that same eye for your own decorating projects!

Beautifully presented, the book is a visual inspiration to all who review it. The author's straight forward writing presents practical answers to basic decorating questions applicable to all styles, not just Indian style.


Maritha Burmeister

Priscilla Kohutek's The Guide to Home decorating Indian Style is one of the most practical and readable home decorating books we have had the pleasure of owning. The user-friendly layout makes it an excellent how-to book for everything from simple and inexpensive makeovers to full-scale redos. Priscilla's helpful hints and solutions to real-life problems are supported by beautiful photographs, renderings and computer drawings. Her advice for making the most out of small spaces helped us make our kitchen a better place to work in. We also like her ideas for arranging the knickknacks we've collected and didn't know what to do with. This is a great book for people like us who want to make their home look good but can't afford to spend a lot of money on it.

Are you stumped about what to do with various rooms in your home? Does trying to get the right mix of furniture styles leave you dizzy? In a quandary about what window treatment you need for those huge domed windows? Priscilla Kohutek has written a delightfully readable guide for solving decorating problems. Although the emphasis is on Indian style the many ideas given can work with almost any style one chooses. The book is divided into practical sections. The question and answer format works very well. The answers to a myriad of decorating problems are easy to find. The photography and illustrations are first rate. Many of the decorating ideas that use Indian cloth, accent pieces and art are available here in the U.S. The superb artwork in the book enables you to easily visualize how the same idea might work for you. It will also help you use items from other parts of world in the same manner helping you create your own unique setting. This is a reference book you're going to want to keep handy.

This is a brilliantly written book about remarkable and eccentric character in the Indian films. Guru Dutt was a complex man but a simple soul who was always unhappy with his life. Unlike other filmmakers, Guru Dutt did not copy western filmmakers. You can read this book many times and still not figure out what Guru Dutt wanted in life or what type of person is he. Does any one know what they want in life? Many of his colleagues become emotionally attached to him. That was his legacy.

The author states that she came up with the idea of writing this book while she was working on a documentary on Guru Dutt for Channel 4. Therefore, this book contains rare insights by people who knew Guru Dutt intimately. This is what gives this book its life. And if you haven't watched the 3 part documentary made by the author I strongly recommend it. There you will find Guru Dutt's friend speak about him with emotions, something missing from the book.(January 2000)

The 3 part documentary is now available bundled with a special edition of Guru Dutt's Pyaasa released by Yash Raj Films. (Oct. 2002).

This book on Guru Dutt and his films is a rare insight into his life and works. This book soulfully touches the different aspects of his life, the shaping factors, love of the people around him ,the deep spiritual quality and poeticism of his films. It is fitting tribute to Guru Dutt. This is a lovable book can be read again and again. People with whom Guru Dutt worked like Kaifi Azmi ,Raj Khosla and others have so many interesting things to say about the person they loved and respected so much. Guru Dutt and Sahir Ludhiyanwi had some differences after and 'Pyaasa'. The author says that their differences existed only at the superficial level. Their souls merged at a much deeper level in their works How true! In fact when Guru sings 'Yeh Duniya Agar Mil Bhi Jaaaye...' it appears that the persona of Guru Dutt, Sahir has merged into one. It is the cry of the eternal poet . I compliment Nasreen Munni Kabeer for this piece of work. Like Guru Dutt's work, this book is meant to be felt deeply not just read from an intellectual perspective.

when you read this book you will understand why Indian films, at least those of Guru Dutt, have depth and are capable of moving people. There are few books written about Indian cinema as a whole. This book is different because it relies on first-hand memories of the people who worked with Guru Dutt, people who knew him personally, and people whose lives were transformed by their association with him. This book is worth reading if you're interested in cinema or in India.

This work is most misunderstood by those who approvingly cite this, and by those who criticize this work. This misunderstanding has nothing to do with the structure of the book, but everything to do with the nature of any scientific hypothesis. The author has *not* criticized the concept 'religion' because the latter is western: do we think the concept of positron is western? And this book is not a critique of essentialism: entire natural sciences are `essentialistic.' `culture' is not monolithic; of course, species is not monolithic either, yet is amenable to study. What properties of Christianity are ones by virtue of which Christianity is a religion? Here Sweet Willman, in his criticism of the book, presumed that the properties of Christianity = the properties of religion. There are others who criticize it because it conflicts with their intuition. Of course, the author explained the necessity of experiencing religion in India.

Coming back to what the book does: the author identified a set of problems through historical research. Any theory of religion has to solve these problems. The author proposed a hypothesis of religion that solves these problems, and further explains the experience of believers; that shows why one can't study, say, Christianity as religion without being a believer. Then it is showed, one is compelled to do theology in order to study Christianity as a world view. Given this, the author shifted the study to a different level of abstraction: religion as that which generates a configuration of learning. This hypothesis sheds light on various issues: skepticism of Antiquity; origin of natural sciences in the West; vacuous debates of all sorts of relativism; cultural differences; theories of actions; etc. In other words, this theory does generate more problems, and can solve the same problems-in the long run.

The author nowhere did mention that `Hinduism', `Buddhism' etc. are not `something' else but not religions; whatever conceptual gestalts these entities `Hinduism' etc. refer to are non-existent in the way unicorn is.

It is not often that one reads a book that changes one's outlook drastically. This is one such book. I am really impressed. Sooner or later, the ideas propounded in this book will prove to be a major challenge to many disciplines like anthropology, religious studies, and such like.

It is not often that one reads a book that changes one's outlook drastically. This is one such book. I am really impressed. Sooner or later, the ideas propounded in this book will prove to be a major challenge to many disciplines like anthropology, religious studies, and such like.

Although the theory on religion that is submitted in this book is generally found to be highly controversial, Balagangadhara's arguments are so strong that one cannot simply dismiss this theory as intellectual 'spielerei'. His account identifies crucial constraints on Western thinking about other cultures and the social world in general, and convincingly explains why even 'giants and geniusses' have not been able to surmount these constraints. I heartily recommend this fantastic book. In the legendary words of one reader: "it might even change your world view."

This real master work is from a great writer of a southern Indian Language Kannada.

I have read this several times. This book has changed the way I think and made me to think on each and every ignored detail of life (nature) which is presented as an true aesthetic phenomenon to enjoy. It forms as a life story in `Malenaadu' (Forest's hilly area) and grows with the personality of the hero.

when I saw this title I felt I have to write a review as this is the book I have read more than 50 times, well sometimes I would start at page x and read until page y, but I must've read this in full atleast 20 times or more..
This is not just a story, an illustration or a mere book, this is an experience of life with all its colors, hues, shades, subtleties and beyond, with every detail accounted for and almost nothing goes amiss here..if one decides he/she will read only one book in life before he/she dies, this may well be it!
The scope/range of this saga is so huge that only a complete reading will make it fathomable somewhat and definitely multiple readings will naturally happen! This book shouldnt be just read as a story, since all that happens in this was experienced by Kuvempu very closely in his life, the best way to read this is to visualize and feel what is there, this will open up an entirely new world not known to us before..
its best experinced in the original Kannada version, as I did, but for those who cant read it in Kannada, the next best thing is to read the translation..
I also would recommend in the same breath, the other epic written by Kuvempu, called 'Malegalalli madumagalu', I dont know if a translation is available or not...but thats another great work of art that shouldnt be missed by anyone who comes anywhere close to it.

This real master work is from a great writer of a southern Indian Language Kannada.

I have read this several times. This book has changed the way I think and made me to think on each and every ignored detail of life (nature) which is presented as an true aesthetic phenomenon to enjoy. It forms as a life story in `Malenaadu' (Forest's hilly area) and grows with the personality of the hero.

Written in 1934, The House of Kanooru is a powerful and universal story of family life and conflict in rural India. This book is a translation from its original language (Kannada) and has a genuine Indian (as opposed to Anglo-Indian) sensibility. The House of Kanooru explores the relationships between city and country, spirituality and superstition, men and women, masters and workers, and most importantly fathers and sons. Although many Kannada words (for food, birds,and religous rituals) are left untranslated, context almost always gives a general sense of meaning. The Kannada names of the many characters can be slightly confusing, but again context almost always supplies the key. This is a masterful book and is well worth the challenges it may present. There is also a brief introduction by Girish Karnad, who has made a well-received film version of the book (entitled Kanooru Heggadithi).

This book is hard to find but well worth the effort and wait. Order it from Motilal Banarsidass in India. It will cost only $23 including shipping! If you follow Aziz' techniques and put in the hard work you will go far.

This is the most wonderful and advanced book on enlightenment and consisting of all its mysteries , meditation ,practice & calrification. Aziz is a ultimate master who has reached the state of Absolute , state of Awareness and love (heart) all integrated. His teaching is highly advanced. one can practice all his teaching to reach freedom from mind , peace ,love.
this book also answers lot of questions from spiritual seekers.
all the infoa bout book is also available online in his site.
the contents of book are
1. Transcending Ignorance
1.1. Entering the Path
1.2. The Art of Meditation
2. Dimension of I Am
2.1. Awakening of Awareness
2.2. Surrender into Being
2.3. Enlightenment to the Heart
2.4. The Inner State
3. Dimension of the Soul
3.1. Enlightenment to Me
3.2. Life as a Human
3.3. Facing the Unknown
4. Dimension of Intelligence
4.1. The Wisdom of Clarity
4.2. The Nature of the Mind
5. Dimension of the Creator
5.1. The Beloved
5.2. The Presence of Grace
5.3. The World of Creation
6. Dimension of Enlightenment
6.1. The Self Realised
6.2. Secrets of Teaching
7. Upon Completion
7.1. The Human Buddha

Aziz Kristof is now Anadi Kristof. He came out of self imposed seclusion last year. Anadi lives in Almora, in the north of India and holds spiritual retreats, all over the world, the latest of which is in Israel.

Before going into seclusion, He had authored two books - The Human Buddha and Transmission of Awakening, and co-authored another book Enlightenment Beyond Traditions with his soul brother Houman Emani.

Simply put The Human Buddha is the most advanced book on seeking you will ever find. Yes, this book is even more advanced than Nisargadatta Maharaj's I am That, by whom Aziz was profoundly impacted. If you have reached this far, then consider it to be an act of providence. Read this book, and prepare to be transformed. The first half (1/5th of the book) consists of Aziz's guided meditations, in which He talks about absolute meditation, and living in the present. The second half (most of the rest of the book) consists of question/answer sessions in which Aziz answers the questions of His disciples.

At the fag end of the book comes a short, but profoundly inspiring autobiographical account, in which Aziz, talks about His early childhood, His growing up years, how He had to compulsorily serve in the army, His subsequent escape and travels throughtout Asia, and His final journey to India. He finally attains enlightenment in Kerala, to the south of India.

Unlike most other masters (many of them genuine) who seek to assemble large groups of disciples around themselves, Aziz has no such ambitions. He wants to keep His work private, and open to only the genuine seeker, not someone who is looking for thrills or a sense of mystery. While this limits His appeal, it also makes Him more open and available to the genuine seeker. After reading this book, if you feel that your search has ended, contact Aziz (Anadi) at the below website, and experience the fullest and most comprehensive teaching of enlightenment

[...]

This large book consists of two parts. The first 1/4 to 1/3 is Aziz' guided meditation. There is some insightful material but the real meat of this book is in the remainder which is question and answer which is grouped into chapters of like questions/answers. An amazing book, something like Nisargadatta's "I Am That", that I would return to time and time again.

This book provided everything I hoped it would: 1) A brief outline of the major events and major figures in Mughal history - 2)Some anecdotal material - 3)maps, pictures, diagrams, etc.

It also had some bonuses, like a suggested list for further reading, some translations of texts and letters from people from the time period. The Babur-nama undoubtedly provided the most entertaining texts.

This certainly isn't the be all end all of Mughal history, but that's not what this book is attempting to be. It provides a concise, brief picture of the dynasty and provides the perfect springboard to go deeper into the subject. I finished the book in one sitting in a few hours and that was with really looking at the paintings, diagrams and pictures. All in all, this is a brilliant little intro to a fascinating subject. It certainly has made me want to read further.

This is a small, but nice book that gives only an overview of the Mughal Empire. It is full of colored pictures mixed in with the text, and lots of info sidebars. While it made for an enjoyable read, if you need something more on the academic side, with heavy detail, this is not the book you are looking for.

I love the Discoveries Series. An intelligent text is interwoven with beautiful illustrations and pictures. Each illustration comes with text that is pregnant with information. In fact, the text and the illustrations can be read as parallel texts.

This one on the Mughal empire is an absolute delight - even though the final days of the Mughals India are treated only very briefly. It's the sort of text that children and adults can learn a lot from. Beautiful and Magic.

I have read lots of background essays on the influence of the Mughals in India - but Ms. Berinstein's is the best as it links the influence of the Samarkand society on an attempt by later Mughal leaders to integrate into Indian society - if you want a good reader and on the way to India - this is a must read - it is a jumping off point to read more about the Mughals individually, the Sikhs, the Rajputs and the impact of British power on a declining culture. A quality paperback (small in size but packs a wallop) with excellent pictoral displays. Jay Pineda, Ph.D (History and Political Science, University of California, Santa Barbara)

This book is one of the most honest and unbiased account of the Indian freedom movement. A must read for all Indians/Pakistanis who otherwise have a biased view of the events, based on the history books available in their countries.

In this book, Maulana Azad describes the political events between 1939-1947 and explains his views on the political blunders that lead to partition. While Maulana is severely critical of Jinnah and the Muslim League for playing the communal card, he does not shy away from blaming Nehru for the failure of the Cabinet Mission plan, and Sardar Patel for his indifference towards the loss of muslim life in the aftermath of partition. It is the sad story of a truly secular and nationalist man, whose dream of independance was tainted by the partition of a nation he loved so dearly. Truly honest and thought provoking.

The book creates a clear picture of the development of freedom movement in India. It brings out weaknesses which brought up the divided minds which ultimately lead to partition. The reader experiences much pain while going through the outcomes of division which were realized by few. Today's IndoPak presents the testimony of the truthful observations and predictions of Maulana Azad. I think it is the "BOOK OF FUTURE". Very few, especially among Muslims, were able to realize what they were doing by favoring partition. I hope they would surely realize one day what they did and quickly so if they read this book. It would be useful for a Pakistani to read this book.

The book is an excellent compilation of the events that shaped the partition of India. Our own flesh worked hard to part with our body. Issues that transpired between our much respected and awed leaders have been brought to the fore. The communal hatred was so deep rooted that imagination only is sufficient to experience the horror. Anyone with a quest for knowing the inside story of those days should read this book. Historical facts may have been twisted by the media then and issues forgotten over time but an autobiography such as this will put straight the facts that happened during the dark ages of turmoil. Many of us will admit that partition, after knowing the facts, was not necessary. We could have lived as one family.

The book by Maulana Abul Kalam Azad is a true picture of the Political situation before independence.Depicts politics within politics.

The world's largest democracy is on the move. Till about a quarter century ago, this country had been almost written off, for its inability to get out of the vicious circle of poverty, trapped inside a "Hindu growth rate" of less that 3 percent, and a growing population nearing Malthusian proportions.

Till the beginning of the nineteenth century, India was a leader in world trade, and also a great contributor to world civilizations and culture, rightly termed as the jewel on the crown of the British Empire. Since then, several accounts have been written about the rapid deterioration in India's economic progress and her inability to keep pace and participate in the Industrial revolution. Colonial exploitation emerges as the key factor in some accounts, but the absence of disciplined pluralism in a country of extreme diversities is another. Since her independence from the British in 1947, India, once a conglomerate of over 600 loosely coupled princely states, became a single country, a Sovereign, Democratic, Socialist and Secular Republic, as per the preamble of her Constitution, considered to be one of the best written constitutions of the world.

Despite best and well intended efforts in planned economic growth, more than half of the country's population lived below the poverty line even 40 years after independence in 1947. The attempts to gain control over the "commanding heights of the economy" seem to have failed despite having laid some good economic foundations in terms of steel plants, research institutes and a successful green revolution.

Come 1991, the national budget presented by the then Finance Minister (now Prime Minister) Dr Manmohan Singh, was the magical turning point in India's destiny. In a country where everything was controlled in a "License Raj", the corridors of power were suddenly opened to a blast of fresh air of economic liberalization. The rest, as they say, is history. But the good news is that the rapid strides that India has made since 1991, is just the beginning of a glorious journey for her rightful place in the global economy in the twenty-first century.

Despite changes in political leadership at the central government several times the basic economic philosophy and direction has not changed since 1991.

This book is an excellent and accurate view from an insider, the Minister of Commerce and Industry, who has been at the helm of India's glorious economic journey, part of the A team, shaping policies and aspirations, and leading from the front, if one ignores all political affiliations.

To get a bird's eye view the economic transformation at the world's largest democracy, this is an excellent book. Each chapter is devoted for a interesting topic- IT, Manufacturing, Rural Development, and of course the author's own elected constituency in the State of Madhya Pradesh, to cite a few.

The book lacks the depth of an academic research paper, but does not fall short in terms of an honest, passionate and exciting narrative of the unfolding economic miracle of the twenty-first century.

The single most significant aspect of this book is that it's under the byline of Kamal Nath, arguably India's most talented and resourceful politician since Independence. In fact, he's 61 years old -- just a year older than Modern India, which was carved out of the British Raj in 1947.

There are those who predict that he will some day be the country's prime minister, and, indeed, some of his friends are already canvassing in his behalf. Mr. Nath's intrinsic decency and good nature make him a likable figure not only in his own Congress Party but also among Opposition members. His exceptional intelligence and acuity have impressed world leaders. As a journalist, I've observed his career for nearly three decades, and I've been struck by how accessible and sharply focused he is. No doubt Mr. Nath has his share of political enemies, but you'd be hard pressed to cite too many instances when he's down-sizing anyone (except, maybe, a journalist or two).

Moreover, Mr. Nath is a "contemporary" Indian -- a truly global citizen in this era of globalization, a man who's equally at ease in the chancelleries of the West, in the negotiating chambers of multilateral organizations, and in the poor constituencies of his native land. He's the beneficiary of a remarkable family: his late father, Mahendra Nath, was an accomplished industrialist who also established one of India best institutions of management education. Kamal Nath continues his family's tradition of educating and inspiring talented Indians, and also furthering philanthropy.

He makes no bones about enjoying life. He's a colorful character, full of good humor and good cheer and bonhomie. As a journalist, I rarely admire politicians -- not because of any bias against them, but because it's best to be skeptical of those in power. But I must admit to a certain fascination with Kamal Nath's life and career. If he occasionally succumbs to the poor advice of associates, or associates himself with dubious characters -- well, he's a big boy now, and knows very well how to take care of himself. He knows how to take criticism in stride, and put it in context. He's not exactly unflappable, but, given the constant scrutiny and limelight he lives under, Mr. Nath is about as even tempered as a man holding public office can be. That isn't to say he's not capable of being politically ruthless and calculating -- but then, which politician isn't? His three decades in India's national parliament bear testimony to Mr. Nath's ability to successfully navigate the political and social shoals of India's complicated society. They also bear testimony to the fact that, the rumors and whispering notwithstanding, Mr. Nath's personal integrity remains intact. Born into wealth, and having a family business that's formidably successful, Mr. Nath doesn't need to be corrupt.

His book is well organized, and offers a wide-ranging review of India's economic and social development. It offers his special insider's insights into how policy is made and implemented. Mr. Nath has a good grasp of not only India's indigenous economic scene but also of world affairs. Global audiences -- particularly investors -- should find "India's Century" useful; no wonder India's industrialists are promoting the book heavily, and a recent launch party in London was attended by the "who's who" of Indian and global business.

Having said all that, here are some quibbles and disclosures: Mr. Nath fails to mention that the book would never have happened without the extraordinary efforts of Robert L. Dilenschneider, the New York-based guru of strategic communications, who persuaded McGraw-Hill to publish the timely book. He fails to mention that it was I who suggested the book's title, and informally assisted him in the early stages of the book. I'm sure that these are unintentional oversights, because I like to think that Mr. Nath is far too magnanimous a person to withhold credit where it's due.

Another lapse -- one that Mr. Nath cannot be necessarily held responsible for -- is that some of the wonderful photographs that adorn the back cover and inside of the the book were not credited to the young man who took them, Siddhartha Prakash of New Delhi. Instead, another, equally talented, photographer, Sanjit Das -- some of whose pictures were also used -- was credited with those pictures. I hope that the publisher corrects this matter and makes the proper restitution to the photographer. It's an unnecessary blemish on the book, and one that was entirely avoidable had there been more vigilance during the editing and production stages.

Regardless of Mr. Nath's political future and fortunes, this book will enjoy a long shelf life. It is a sensible book about what makes modern India tick, a book by a skilled practitioner of the art of the possible -- politics.

The book is a must-read for people who do business transactions with India or Indians and want to get a deeper understanding of what drives the country and its people. The book explains the reasons behind India's phenomenal economic growth and why it's a sustainable model vs. "flash in the pan" phenomenon.

Additionally, it details the cultural ethos and history of a country which is essential to building long term relationships with its people. This fact is not very well imbibed with most of corporate America who go for pure numbers and shy away from a personal connection. After a slew of books on India and emerging markets (World is Flat, etc), which present a peripheral and superficial view from an outsider's viewpoint; it's great to read a book on India's growth from a very important member of its economic growth team. A must-read!

The book is authored by Kamal Nath, a seasoned Indian politician who received much acclaim as the tough negotiator for the `third world' countries' rights at WTO. The narrative of the book is certainly easy-to-read and I would recommend it to my NRI (Non Resident Indian) friends, many of whom continue to be armchair politicians even after acquiring foreign citizenships.

The only jarring aspect of the narrative - perhaps understandable, given Nath's political background - was that one is reminded over and over why Congress, Nath's party, IS THE party to lead India into the future. [eg. "Looking back at those days, it becomes obvious that many owe the Congress apologies for the misplaced fervor with which its government was attacked over the WTO agreement"]. Discounting a bit of political rhetoric, the book is certainly a good read.

I would recommend it to those interested in contemporary India and the changes in the policy making landscape at the highest levels.

I have to agree with one of the other reviewers - this is THE book on development in India and how it has progressed during the reform period. I recently wrote a paper for a master's course on the global economy and development and found this to be an extremely useful resource. It ended up providing the backbone of a 40+ page analysis of Indian development.

This is not, however, a book solely on "economic" development. Dreze and Sen take a much more holistic approach. The first edition of this book was written before Sen wrote "Development as Freedom" but the work roughly follows his arguments there - and from other writings by Dreze, I take it that they are in agreement about the holistic nature of development. Dreze is likewise a well-known scholar about India and an excellent economist.

My only caveat about this book is that, in part due to Sen and Dreze's training, the approach is lacking in an assessment of more "personal" case studies relating to different sectors, and is confined mostly to official numbers for analysis. Additionally, the environment is given light treatment, perhaps because the first edition came out in 1996 - but given the significant environmental damage done in recent years, it deserves more significant treatment.

However, from what I have seen, this work is perhaps the only substantial and holistic treatment of Indian development in the post-reform era. It is a breath of fresh air in a period when Indian development literature is overrun by shallow analysis focusing on the "universal benefits" of liberalization - and it emphasizes significant weaknesses and poor prioritization on the part of the Indian state in harnessing economic growth to fuel real social development as well.

This book is Sen at his best. The current 2002 edition is an update of a 1995 edition entitled "India: Economic Development and Social Opportunity." The modification of the title reflects a move to make the notion at the center of Sen's thinking more precise. For those not involved in the public policy debate in India itself, this is the central notion and the real value of Sen's work and finds its best exposition in this broad-ranging, political-economic commentary on development in Sen's native land. By contrast, the exposition it has Sen's more "theoretical" works such as the recent "Rationality and Freedom" is desperately inadequate.
Sen is very much not someone inclined towards a single solution to social problems, or a single rule-of-thumb for such solutions, but there is nevertheless a strong, unitary theme to Sen's commentary.
The discussion (in Chapter 7) of "Gender Equality and Women's Agency" is paradigmatic. It is not only paradigmatic though, for Sen believes that the eradication of the anti-female bias which pervades much of Indian society is itself central to the solution of all the social problems in India in its own right.
Still, in large measure what Sen has to say about how women's oppression in India can be overcome, applies also to what he has to say about the plight of low caste people, people living in poor areas of the country and poverty and oppression in general.
Sen's notion could be summarised by means of a series of five concepts, each of which in turn takes a step closer to the essential notion of what is needed to lead a good life in society: (1) commodities, wealth and value, (2) functioning, (3) capability, (4) voice and finally (5) critical voice.
The problem is that the notion of "critical voice" (subjectivity) cannot be developed within the framework of utilitarian economics and social-choice theory as Sen seems determined to do.

The chain is as strong as its weakest link. A nation as rich as its poorest person. Sen understands that no nation can be genuinely proud unless it takes care of basic things like education and offers genuine opportunities to the marginalized. The book is a must read for everyone who are on the 'India Shining' bandwagon. True that the middle class in India is growing, but so is the Maoist threat. Great social engineering by noble souls like Anna Hazare, Bindeshwar Pathak, Baba AMte is the answer. Unfortunately Sen misses that. The book doesnt deal with such solutions. Nevertheless it does deserve 5 stars because it astutely analyzes the existing problem. We need more people like Sen to bring forth the truth.

This is possibly THE book you want to read if you want to read ONE book on economic development (or lack thereof) in India. Prof. Sen and Dreze are among the best scholars when it comes to the problems of the Indian subcontinent. Another reviewer seems to completely disregard the fact that this book is not by Sen alone, but it is a result of a joint effort with Jean Dreze. Whoever cares about India and know a bit about the Economics literature on this country will KNOW that Dreze is a first rate scholar who has *literally* devoted his life (professional AND personal) to this country, and disregarding his contribution to this volume is not only wrong but also very disrespectful.

This is a deep, extremely informed, very well written book that anyone who cares about Indian economic, political, and social development should read. Even if both Sen and Dreze are economists (Sen is also a Nobel prize winner), the book is accessible to anyone, as it contains virtually no math or statistics. An outstanding list of references will provide an excellent guide to the reader interested in knowing more about the topics covered here.

Here is the table of content. I particularly recommend Chapter 7, on gender inequality:

1 Introduction and Approach
2 Economic Development and Social Opportunity
3 India in Comparative Perspective
4 India and China
5 Basic Education as a Political Issue
6 Population, Health, and the Environment
7 Gender Inequality and Women's Agency
8 Security and Democracy in a Nuclear India
9 Well Beyond Liberalization
10 The Practice of Democracy

An excellent book by two outstanding authors who not only know what they are talking about, but they also deeply care about India. Highly recommended.

When this book was new, it was nearly impossible to find. I had to try ordering it from 3 different brick-and-mortar booksellers - Amazon didn't carry it then. Ingram and Baker/Taylor didn't even have it on hand. Once I had it, I wondered why the publisher was being so stupid.

Hands down, this is one of my favorite cookbooks, Indian or otherwise. The only way I'll ever part with it is to die first - and there will be a line for it, since the recipes are hits with everyone I've ever served them to. I have nearly all of the Curry Club books by Pat Chapman, and I use this one as much or more so than all of those combined.

If you find a copy of this book for a reasonable price, GET IT. I have all three of the Authors' books, and if you don't have the other two, get them as well. They are easier, much easier, to find.

I agree with the other poster who stated this particular cookbook is going for *silly* prices on the Web. We can blame the publisher; this was the second of the three books, and the first and last were heavily advertised, promoted, and stocked by every major bookseller in the country. Why this one wasn't I'll never know. Chalk it up to foolish marketing or a very bad PR department!

Save gas money and eat in! With this book you'll never know you didn't go get takeout from the best place in whatever city you're in - even if it's London.

This is a truly wonderful cookbook - for anyone who lives where it's hot!!! Being able to grill something other than steak or hamburger is a wonderful thing...But this book is also great for anyone who likes "real" Indian cooking or likes ethnic (ie other than American) cuisine but not "spend all day in the kitchen" cuisine. The recipes are easy to follow and fairly easy to execute and they work. The other delightful bonus of this book is Mrs. Chandra's brief but vivid remembrances of her childhood in India that are interspersed throughout the book. I borrowed this book from my local library and am buying it BEFORE I've returned the library copy. This book is well worth owning!

When I became interested in tandoori a few months ago I put in for a book search for this book at Amazon and I gather a few other people did as well. I am afraid that perhaps as a result some book sellers have begun trying to get as much as they possibly could for this book. Currently this book is priced on the internet at betweeen $149.95 and as I check today $2091.59!!! This is crazy!!! I recently got this book on e-bay after having unsuccessfully tried to find a copy that was priced reasonably on the internet. It is a nice book but frankly now that I have a copy I cannot guess what these exorbitant prices might be about other than greed. If you can't get this book try Nita Mehta's "Tandoori Cooking in the Oven" or Pat Chapman's "Tandoori Curry Cookbook". Both books have enough information that I think you will be able to adapt to your grill. Lets not support these kind of exorbitant prices or these kinds of pricing strategies.

As a HUGE fan of Indian food, I bought this book on a whim, thinking I would never be able to reproduce some of the wonderful dishes I have had in Indian restaurants. Boy, was I wrong! Smita Chandra is a delightful author who infuses her recipes with a bit of history and a dash of insight into Indian culture. These recipes are simple and easy-to-follow, and can also be prepared on an indoor grill. Most of the ingredients and spices can be purchased at a local Indian grocer or can easily be concocted in your own kitchen using a coffee bean grinder. I never expected to have garam masala on my spice rack -- let alone make it myself! -- but I find myself reaching for it again and again when I prepare some of the wonderful dishes in this cookbook. Suitable for novices and experts alike, Indian Grill will not disappoint you.