Snakes and Ladders: Glimpses of Modern India [Abridged] [Audio Cassette]

Gita Mehta (Author, Narrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1997

Oxford-educated writer, reporter, and lecturer Gita Mehta looks at contemporary India. India is not, as Westerners believe, a single country, but several civilizations in different states of development. Mehta's evocative reports cover India from political corruption and ancient cultures to her encounters with film directors and poets. In her engaging style, she provides unique insight into the Indian mind and heart. June publication date. 2 cassettes.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

India is a land of contrasts. It is the world's most populous democracy, but it still upholds the caste system. It is a burgeoning economic superpower, but one of the poorest nations on earth. It is the home of the world's biggest movie industry after Hollywood, as well as to the world's oldest religions. It is an ancient civilization celebrating fifty years as a modern nation. Now, as never before, the world wants to know what contemporary India is all about.

As she has proved in three previous books--her wry take on the marketing of the mystic East in Karma Cola; the rich historical saga of Raj; and the beguiling tales of A River Sutra--there is no better guide to India's multihued mosaic than Gita Mehta. She knows India in all its rich detail--its folkways and history, its culture and politics, its ancient traditions and current concerns. In Snakes and Ladders, she gives a loving but unflinching assessment of India today, in an account that is entertaining, informative, and wholly personal. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

From AudioFile

Gita Mehta brings modern India to life in a series of essays about the economy, politics and history. As parts of India reach toward the first world, Mehta describes how the caste system is slowly disappearing, poor people are working their way out of debt, and all the people are working toward a democracy. An Oxford-educated writer and reporter, Mehta presents a well-rounded picture of the multitude of cultures, civilizations and attitudes represented by the various areas in India. SNAKES AND LADDERS engrosses the listener, peeling away the veils of myth and presenting an in-depth, educated picture of this important world culture. M.B.K. (c) AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Product Details

• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: Audio Literature; Abridged edition (June 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1574531891
• ISBN-13: 978-1574531893
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 4.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,756,775 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent reading on India, November 3, 2003

By 

Ashish Mathur (Hicskville, NY United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Snakes and Ladders: Glimpses of Modern India (Paperback)

I have read many books describing the life, culture and natives of India. Being an Indian, I must say that this book was not only a good narration of India but also came close to real India on many aspects. The collection of essays is great and covers many aspects with interesting and ammusing language. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested to know about life in India.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars an easy to digest examination of modern India, September 1, 2001

By 

M. H. Bayliss "book queen" - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Snakes and Ladders: Glimpses of Modern India (Paperback)

I knew next to nothing about modern India, so I learned a lot from these breezy essays. Sure they wonder all over the place -- chapters jump from political topics to the draught to Indian yuppies, but for the casual reader, the essays are very entertaining and informatative. The effect is that of reading several short travelogues about India all in a row. Mehta writes well and makes some sharp observations about India's political development. I wanted to see more description of the various parts of India (the desert like areas versus the huge cities and vast fertile plains) because it is a land of such great contrasts. Most of the essays left me wanting to know more. I enjoyed the personal anecdotes from the author's childhood. Not a history book, but a good and easy to read overview for the Indian novice.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Whole Masala, March 30, 2001

By 

Richard Wells (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Snakes and Ladders: Glimpses of Modern India (Paperback)

In the past six months I've read at least twice that many books about India, and of them all "Snakes and Ladders" and Wm. Dalyrmple's "City of Djins" have been the best. Gita Mehta is an exceptional writer who manages to combine fact and emotion in a series of elequent essays. The last 50 years in Indian history - her first 50 years of independence - are a swirl of social change in a country that is aswril in its every moment. When you think "India" you must think of a dance of a billion richly colored veils. Ms. Mehta plucks veil after veil from the dance and by describing the veil she describes India. It's a remarkable achievement, and a real insiders view into the politics, arts, and life of an extremely complex nation. Ms. Mehta captures India in a short 220 pages and in doing so presents a view that other authors might take volumes to display. Highly, highly recommended!