Modern India

This latest installment in “Understanding Modern Nations,” a series targeted at those wishing to expand their knowledge of the world, explores India. Each chapter focuses on a different subject (history, music and dance, art and architecture, food), beginning with an overview and followed by entries on related topics (under media and popular culture, readers can learn more about social media, Bollywood, and censorship, for instance). As the second most populous country in the world, India has a complex history and present—it has one of the largest gross domestic products in the world, yet the World Bank reported in 2012 that India has more than 500 million people living in poverty. McLeod (history, Univ. of Louisville; The History of India) puts the country in historical context to help readers better understand its current state. Appendixes are included after each chapter, and a short “Day in the Life” narrative depicts typical days for a range of people living in India, from students to working mothers. An appendix of “Facts and Figures” provides statistical data, detailing 2,300 years of political happenings. A bibliography lists some of the most significant English-language works that have been published on India in recent years.