Snakes and Ladders

India is a land of contrasts. It is the world’s most populous democracy but still upholds the caste system. It is a burgeoning economic superpower but ranks among the poorest nations on earth. It is home to the world’s largest film industry after Hollywood as well as two still-practised religions that are millennia old. It is an ancient civilization celebrating more than half a century as a modern nation. Mehta is fascinated by India in all its rich detail and gives a loving but unflinching assessment of India today in an account that is entertaining informative and wholly personal.