In spite of the Gods: The Strange Rise of Modern India - Book Review
The nation of India is one of the world’s largest democracies, a regional and upcoming world superpower that is now often compared to the mighty China. Its importance to the international community is magnanimous, but often neglected. The book In spite of the Gods: The Strange Rise of Modern India is a great and illuminating work on the vast and diverse nature of India. The book is written by the British Edward Luce who among being the Financial times correspondent for five years in India, is also married to an Indian. The books unique structure of vignettes about Luce’s observations he made on the thrilling adventures doesn’t bore the reader. The central theme this book …show more content…
Since we are mostly focused on China when talking about the emerging powers of the Asian continent, Luce’s book is very helpful in understanding that it is not only China or Japan, but also India that is developing and entering the competition for the regional, if not the world’s biggest power. Luce’s gives us a very profound insight into India’s economic development which significantly changed its course in 1991. As he travels around this big and extremely diverse country, he introduces us with the cruel reality; even though the pace of its development is fast, India still remains a country of a large poor population, corruption, inequality and …show more content…
“India’s cultural pedigree is indeed ancient. One of the world’s earliest civilizations existed in the Indus Valley in what is now Pakistan between approximately 3100 and 1700 BC.” (Luce, 145) This makes it understandable that even today India proudly cherishes its culture and traditions and that it in some aspects opposes the change and the Western influence. However, in its attempt to catch up with the world India looked up to the Western societies and changed its political image, economy and certain views. Yet, it preserved its uniqueness and is still one of the most culturally rich countries in the world. The book makes us question whether it is possible to develop and advance without fundamentally changing and losing cultural identity. It makes us question whether India will be unique in its development and modernization by choosing its own path that will not force drastic changes and cultural losses or if it will be just one of many countries that will blend in and become developed by the Western standard. Luce recognized the complexity of the problems India is and will be facing in the future, but is quite positive in his projections of India becoming a great power that will grow and develop “in spite of gods” but will also preserve its culture “in spite of
The nation of India is one of the world’s largest democracies, a regional and upcoming world superpower that is now often compared to the mighty China. Its importance to the international community is magnanimous, but often neglected. The book In spite of the Gods: The Strange Rise of Modern India is a great and illuminating work on the vast and diverse nature of India. The book is written by the British Edward Luce who among being the Financial times correspondent for five years in India, is also married to an Indian. The books unique structure of vignettes about Luce’s observations he made on the thrilling adventures doesn’t bore the reader. The central theme this book …show more content…
Since we are mostly focused on China when talking about the emerging powers of the Asian continent, Luce’s book is very helpful in understanding that it is not only China or Japan, but also India that is developing and entering the competition for the regional, if not the world’s biggest power. Luce’s gives us a very profound insight into India’s economic development which significantly changed its course in 1991. As he travels around this big and extremely diverse country, he introduces us with the cruel reality; even though the pace of its development is fast, India still remains a country of a large poor population, corruption, inequality and …show more content…
“India’s cultural pedigree is indeed ancient. One of the world’s earliest civilizations existed in the Indus Valley in what is now Pakistan between approximately 3100 and 1700 BC.” (Luce, 145) This makes it understandable that even today India proudly cherishes its culture and traditions and that it in some aspects opposes the change and the Western influence. However, in its attempt to catch up with the world India looked up to the Western societies and changed its political image, economy and certain views. Yet, it preserved its uniqueness and is still one of the most culturally rich countries in the world. The book makes us question whether it is possible to develop and advance without fundamentally changing and losing cultural identity. It makes us question whether India will be unique in its development and modernization by choosing its own path that will not force drastic changes and cultural losses or if it will be just one of many countries that will blend in and become developed by the Western standard. Luce recognized the complexity of the problems India is and will be facing in the future, but is quite positive in his projections of India becoming a great power that will grow and develop “in spite of gods” but will also preserve its culture “in spite of