Anyone who has spent time in India will love this book
340827
Anyone who has spent time in India will love this book.  It is such easy reading that you can stop and start at any time without missing a beat. I laughed out loud at the true-to-life adventures these guys share. Brings back fond memories of India!
1839438
Like others who have read this book, I too was captivated by the story which evolved from the author's on-the-spot journal entries. I could never take a trip like this - too old, too straight -  but I certainly loved being included. I felt I was there!  I have read many books about India by Indians but nothing like this. I enjoyed the author's delight in the people, the sites and scenes. I recoiled too. Such a complex country, so many paradoxes, cruelties and blessings! Thanks for all the telling details. I am not "spiritual" like the author. It is not easy to convey spiritual experiences; I thought she did a good job. She made them believable and not esoteric. Thank you, Erin, for sharing your spiritual life, your  passionate love of Mother India and your many astounding adventures. I am starting a meditation course and looking forward to the next book.
1942829
gives you a true sense of what it would be like to live in India
2027924
One of the best parts about this book was the time they spent in India.  Best for the characters, and for the readers.  Probably one of the better armchair tours of India I've read.  I'm aware of some things about India, but I learned so much more about the culture and the customs.  The author related the time Anna and Kiran spent in India in a very realistic way, and in a manner that both entertained and educated.  After reading that section, I finally 'got' the book.  It was a recounting of Anna's life which depicted it all - the good as well as the bad, her triumphs and insecurities, and her feelings for herself and the people in her life.

There are no gigantic moments, no odd mystery to be solved, no sudden revelations, but a recap of life.  Inspiring and comforting in its way, letting us know our path in life will have curves and even potholes, as well as happy moments.  We may get off course once in a while, but if we drive well, we will get there in due time.  I think after the trip, I was waiting for some other "major" event, and when the story line just eased out, I felt a little bewildered, but it is still a good read.
626717
Ajit Harisinghani's style of writing takes you along with him on his travels. It's as if India is right before your eyes; the people, the villages, the rivers & mountains, the flora & fauna- infact, you can 'smell' every thing. And therein lies its beauty! Ajit has that rare talent which very few writers have- to capture in 'words', exactly what your eyes see.
Its a fun book & I would strongly urge everyone to read it.
2035228
I recently read this book during my first trip to India.  Having limited exposure to overseas travel, the experience was a bit of a sensory overload. Adiga's novel helped tie it all together and gave me some insight into the study of contrasts that is moden India.  From the rural villages and the urban slums to the luxury high rises and Western styled billboards, India is is a constant juxtaposition of wealth against poverty and old versus new. This novel does a brilliant job of capturing that juxtaposition and the costs one must pay to satisfy the ambitions of upward mobility and the promise of Westernization.
4434134
Whether you are going to India or staying home and cooking Indian, this book is a must. The insights into the concepts of Indian food preparation are clear and accessible to the western reader. The recipes are efficiently  presented, and the selection of recipes takes one to the heart of Indian  regional cuisines very quickly. We found this book valuable as a  preparation for travel in India, as well as for home use. We have looked  and tried several Indian cooking books -- this one is the best.
3320690
I will be sent to India from my company in September and to prepare for the cultural differences, I picked up some books on Indian business culture. Just for fun, I thought I could also use a lighter read and downloaded India unplugged. Now that I have read several books on this subject of cultural differences between the US and India, I feel that this is the one book from which I have learned most!! Aurelia Zoss does not intend to be preachy about anything; rather, she relates her own experiences from working in an Indian office surrounded by Indian colleagues and bosses. These little stories have given me so much understanding of what to expect that I really want to thank the author for sharing her insights.

I was astonished by the detailed account of cultural nuances the author neatly weaves into entertaining stories from her real, everyday life in India as a foreigner.

This book is not only a fun read, but it also teaches you a lot about the intricacies of Indian behavior. I can recommend this book for the future expat as well as for people doing business with Indians.
1672053
Traveling has always fascinated me. Ever since I was a little child growing up in rural Guatemala, exploring has been my dream. I always dreamed of doing what P.J. Parmar is doing: traveling around the world with not much more than the clothes he has on. Going from one exciting and unpredictable place to another yet more exciting and unpredictable.
Parmar amazes me with the simplicity and acuracy of his narration. His appreciation and respect for other cultures and civilizations is evident in every page. You will definitely get more out of reading this book than you will from your glossy travel agency guides and magazines.
I enthusiastically recommend this book to all travelers around the world, especially to those interested in more than the spas and beach resorts of a country.
Reading this book makes me want to go back to the times when I could afford being adventurous. Maybe that time is not gone yet, maybe it never will.
776403
I gave this book as a gift to a friend of mine from India who has been in the U.S. a couple of years, and he said he truly appreciated it.  It is an excellent collection of very memorable short stories.  I personally have read this book over a year ago and I still remember each story in vivid detail.
A great gift to anyone with ties to India, and great reading for anyone else.
2492961
I much enjoyed this wonderful book. It is well written, entertaining, and full of practical advice and insights into Indian culture. I thoroughly recommend it for anyone visiting India, especially for those who want to linger and get to know her people in greater depth.
893416
This was a fun and enlightening tour thru India with "Bindi Girl", Erin.  I've read quite a few travelogues of India, but this is one of the few that discusses learning about the religious/spiritual side of India.
2348665
The images and descriptions of Bombay, India and Afghanistan are vivid and drew me into the story. Having travelled to India several times, I think this captured so much of Indias history. Although long, its well worth the read.
4428234
This is one of my favorite books.  A westerner leaves the U.S. and eventually becomes a resident of India.  I find the storyline very interesting with so much to learn from the different spiritual teachers he interracts with along the way.
2973308
A few days ago I visited our local library near Chicago. While browsing through books written about India, in which I am keenly interested being from there, I happened to come across this book. It caught my attention because I had met the author in person when my visit to Hyderabad to see my parents in 1991 had coincided with her's when she was there to cover the four hundredth anniversary of the city's formation. She came to our house to interview my father, an old Hyderabadi. She later published the interview in New York Times. I have just finished reading the book and found her knowledge of India truly astonishing and truthful, especially because of the short period of time she had lived there. I think she is actually very courageous to write exactly what she saw and observed. I do not see any prejudice on her part against India. I know that facts can be bitter and hard to accept. But we must learn from what others think about us and our country.
4142533
I read this book the first time when I was in Mumbai India and I was staying at the Taj hotel mentioned many times in the book. Much of the story takes place in that general vicinity so I was able to visit the bar that features heavily in the book and other places. I was in India on one of my many business trips there and I had a driver that I had take me around to all of the different places mentioned in the book. It was almost magical.

I loved this book. As someone said in an earlier review it is one of those books that you read and it makes you hunger and crave another book just like it. The book  that has that much impact.

I went through the slums also featured heavily in the book and got great pictures of things he describes as being there. I visited the area where the lepers hang out and talked to them for awhile. I first read this book in 2004 or 2005ish and I absolutely feel in love with the book. It is always the first book I recommend to people who like the same kinds of books I like.

If you like James Michener, some of Leon Uris' books or Lawrence Sanders this book will have a certain type of feel that you will recognize especially Michener. But it also has a type of rawness that only a man who has truly lived this kind of life can get across.  I loved the book and if you read the teasers for the book and it seems interesting I almost can guarantee that this book will not only be a good read but it will have an impact on you.

This book made India a magical place for me and while I admit that I don't always look forward to the 25+ hour travel time to get there I always look forward to discovering more of the kind of India that this book discusses. Enjoy it.
2223899
I read the reviews of this book and wondered how a non-native could create such hype with an Indian cookbook so I ordered a copy through our library. Then I discovered one of the most visually beautiful visits to India that anyone could hope have between the covers of a book.

The real test would come by cooking up a few dishes and that proved equally satisfying as well. Then I had to track down a copy of own. This book is worth searching for.