Here at last is a key to modern India. India is the land of contradictions. It is the world's largest democracy, with half a billion voters casting their ballots in a summer election - but it still practises the caste system. It is a burgeoning economic superpower, exporting computer software and launching satellites into space - but it is among the poorest nations on earth. Gita Mehta illuminates India in all its rich detail; its history and its contemporary crafts; its culture and its politics; its ancient traditions and current concerns. She gives a loving but unflinching assessment of India today: entertaining, informative, and wholly personal.