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Synopsis The book, remarkable for both its length and lucidity, is divided into a dozen sections, each section comprising half a dozen to about five times that number of chapters. A wide variety of themes, ranging from the Vedic texts to survival strategies in the present situation, are discussed. The scholarship is Indological, historical and sociological. Not only does the author produce concise summaries of relevant literature, he also presents his own original thoughts and insights. Judging, for instance, by the section on the caste system, which is the longest in the book, comprising 31 chapters, Mr. Ramanathan's handling of the available literature is notable for its fidelitly to the original sources and for its accessibility. He discusses ancient textual materials and contemporary ethnographic works with equal confidence and with a focused sense of relevance.