In this pleasant and readable narrative, acclaimed journalist and author Gurcharan Das weaves his personal story into the larger context of India's recent history, discussing at length the economic and political issues facing the nation. He argues that deeper economic and political reforms will be needed for India to take advantage of its early information technology lead within Asia, forego the need for a complete industrial revolution, and become a successful services-oriented society and economy. Das' argument relies on firsthand experience and personal contacts.  (IDA144, $15.95)