Snakes and Ladders: Glimpses of Modern India - Softcover

Gita Mehta's lively, informative, and witty essays are an excellent introduction to the subcontinent for readers who may not be familiar with India's culture or history. Gita explains her title choice by comparing the country's fortunes with the ancient game of Snakes and Ladders: " ... it seems we Indians have vaulted over the painful stages experienced by other countries, lifted by ladders we had no right to expect. At other times we have been swallowed by the snakes of past nightmares ... " Readers of Snakes and Ladders will find themselves eagerly scaling the ladders, then sliding down the snakes' gullets in happy pursuit of Gita Mehta's perceptive portrait of India as she knows it.

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 multi-hued 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, entertaining, informative, and wholly personal.

Combining a topic that will be in the news all year with a high-profile writer known for her sharp tongue and brilliant observations, Snakes and Ladders is sure to be one of the most talked-about and reviewed books of 1997.