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India
Just 60 years after winning independence from British rule, India's economy is booming and the nation is fast becoming a leading global power. With a population of a billion people, India's society is as varied as its awe-inspiring landscape.
Home to a dizzying array of languages, ethnic groups, beliefs, and lifestyles, India can seem overwhelming in its complexity. India takes the lid off this cultural melting pot, showing how past events have shaped this diverse but unified nation, where tradition and modernity successfully coexist.
Through stunning photography and insightful text, India offers an eye-opening, thought-provoking, and authoritative visual guide to one of the world's most exciting and vibrant nations.
Home to a dizzying array of languages, ethnic groups, beliefs, and lifestyles, India can seem overwhelming in its complexity. India takes the lid off this cultural melting pot, showing how past events have shaped this diverse but unified nation, where tradition and modernity successfully coexist.
Through stunning photography and insightful text, India offers an eye-opening, thought-provoking, and authoritative visual guide to one of the world's most exciting and vibrant nations.
376 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2008
3 people are currently reading
128 people want to read
About the author
Abraham Eraly
15 books87 followersAbraham Eraly is an Indian writer. He has written many acclaimed books on Indian history.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 4, 2010
Bought this book at Borders the other day - $7.99 and a steal, if I do say so. Normally, the books on the super clearance shelf at Borders are there for a reason: they're big and useless and no one wants them. But I have an obsession with India, and I think this 350+ page, full color, coffee table book is amazing.
Divided into six sections:
1. Landscape - beautiful full page picture
2. History - easy to read, full of pictures, comprehensive timeline covering 6000+ years of Indian history
3. People - day-in-the-life of random Indians
4. Culture - mostly text, explaining complex indian cultures & beliefs
5. Archetecture - my favourite section, floorplans and pictures of an assortment of indian building
6. Travel - a short section covering the main attractions of the Indian subcontinent
There is so much information packed into this book, and in a very aesthetically pleasing way. Its not the definitive history book, or travel guide, or cultural treatise, but it incorporates aspects of all these things and displays them in a beautiful tomb perfect for browsing and flipping through.
Divided into six sections:
1. Landscape - beautiful full page picture
2. History - easy to read, full of pictures, comprehensive timeline covering 6000+ years of Indian history
3. People - day-in-the-life of random Indians
4. Culture - mostly text, explaining complex indian cultures & beliefs
5. Archetecture - my favourite section, floorplans and pictures of an assortment of indian building
6. Travel - a short section covering the main attractions of the Indian subcontinent
There is so much information packed into this book, and in a very aesthetically pleasing way. Its not the definitive history book, or travel guide, or cultural treatise, but it incorporates aspects of all these things and displays them in a beautiful tomb perfect for browsing and flipping through.
March 15, 2020
It was a good experience to read this brilliant work of Abraham Eraly. The book is full of information about Indian cultural, social and religious history as well as contains numerous pictures of famous sights and pictures of the daily lives of Indian people from diverse areas.
The best part of the book for me was that in which mythology of Hinduism has been discussed. I liked that very much because it was described in a lucid manner and in detail. After reading the book, now I have considerable knowledge about Indian culture and basic information about various religion e.g., Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, Buddism, and Islam.
When I began reading, I wasn't expecting that the book would have this much pictorial description of beautiful scenery. But soon I realized that the book has much more than mere words. I would recommend this book to all who want to know about Indian culture and its people.
The best part of the book for me was that in which mythology of Hinduism has been discussed. I liked that very much because it was described in a lucid manner and in detail. After reading the book, now I have considerable knowledge about Indian culture and basic information about various religion e.g., Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, Buddism, and Islam.
When I began reading, I wasn't expecting that the book would have this much pictorial description of beautiful scenery. But soon I realized that the book has much more than mere words. I would recommend this book to all who want to know about Indian culture and its people.
September 25, 2023
This was a mixed bag for me. I think the religion portions were done very well, but the architecture and heritage portions could've been more streamlined. Eraly would provide a lot of detail, which maybe some people prefer, but I thought he could've easily cut out the less interesting portions that almost every page had (like a close-up of some detail that isn't really special) and provided more sites throughout India.
I originally thought I wouldn't be interested in the section that basically has 3-5 pages about various people who lead interesting lives in India, but this ended up being one of my favorite parts. My favorite was the guy, Birkh Bahadur Dattani, who runs this old train. He starts it off with this quote: "A steam engine is like an old wife-you have to listen carefully to the mutters and grumbles, or she comes to a grinding halt." Classic.
I originally thought I wouldn't be interested in the section that basically has 3-5 pages about various people who lead interesting lives in India, but this ended up being one of my favorite parts. My favorite was the guy, Birkh Bahadur Dattani, who runs this old train. He starts it off with this quote: "A steam engine is like an old wife-you have to listen carefully to the mutters and grumbles, or she comes to a grinding halt." Classic.
August 30, 2019
A gorgeous book with tons of beautiful pictures showing the natural beauty of India.
March 27, 2013
A wonderful, fascinating book. DK has done another splendid job of presenting facts, people & photographs.
Chapters are Landscape (India's horizons) with gorgeous double-page photos; History (the story of India) covers from pre-history to the present & even a bit on the future; People (a day in the life) follows 14 varied Indians from a schoolchild to a presidential bodyguard; Culture (the spirit of India) covers religions, culture & the arts; Architecture (building a nation) covers 14 specific buildings from a mud hut to the Taj Mahal; Travel (exploring India) takes 5 regions & showcases their specialties and how to get there.
I really like this book but the culture and history are so different and unfamiliar that I had a hard time retaining much of it. Many sections would benefit from repeated reading.
The main drawback to this book is its weight, which Amazon.com says is 5.2 pounds, but it seems like more as you read it.
Highly recommended to anyone interested in learning about India, unless of course you already know more than this. Even then the photographs are stunning and helpful as well as interesting.
Chapters are Landscape (India's horizons) with gorgeous double-page photos; History (the story of India) covers from pre-history to the present & even a bit on the future; People (a day in the life) follows 14 varied Indians from a schoolchild to a presidential bodyguard; Culture (the spirit of India) covers religions, culture & the arts; Architecture (building a nation) covers 14 specific buildings from a mud hut to the Taj Mahal; Travel (exploring India) takes 5 regions & showcases their specialties and how to get there.
I really like this book but the culture and history are so different and unfamiliar that I had a hard time retaining much of it. Many sections would benefit from repeated reading.
The main drawback to this book is its weight, which Amazon.com says is 5.2 pounds, but it seems like more as you read it.
Highly recommended to anyone interested in learning about India, unless of course you already know more than this. Even then the photographs are stunning and helpful as well as interesting.
December 2, 2015
Such a great collection about different aspects of India. Great for people who wish to gather a better understanding of India. Great book if you plan on traveling there one day. Plus the pictures in this are beautiful!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews