Temptations of the West : How to be Modern in India, Pakistan and Beyond

Old, new; rich, poor; rural, urban; Brahmin, Dalit; Hindu, Muslim - India is a country of contrasts, and "Temptations of the West" explores this diversity in all its forms.

From the empty corridors of a grand but guestless western-style hotel to improvised shacks clustered along muddy roadsides; from the polite efficiency of stewards on board one of India's private airlines to overpopulated tenements and one-roomed school buildings where no teachers ever set foot; from sites of religious worship to those of mass burial; from road blocks to voting booths - as Mishra's travels take him from one part of India to another, and then beyond, to Pakistan and Afghanistan, he paints a clear and often alarming picture of disarray and disorder.

All too often, superficial changes seem simply to paper over the cracks, and beneath modern facades, the old tensions still exist.

A travel book unlike any other, "Temptations of the West" also offers a detailed and thought-provoking exploration of the histories, politics, religions and philosophies of India - and her neighbours.