Published to celebrate the 50th anniversary of India's independence, this collection of 40 essays by scholars from both East and West provides an enriching glimpse of Indian history, culture, and society over six millennia. Sponsored by the Association of Indians in America, it is conceived on a grand scale. The essays, meant mostly for the generalist, project an appealing excitement and embrace a high quality of fact and prose while providing something for every reader in their coverage of history, art, economics, women, philosophy and religion, science and technology, and more.