The Discovery Of India

Paper quality is good to read, good binding, surely go for it.

Nice book. Excellent cover and print quality. You canot ask for more in this price. What a towering intellectual Nehru was!! If you want to educate yourself and the next generation about our past, this should be the one to have in your bucket list.

The book is a collection of Nehru's prison notes, which, as he himself acknowledges, can feel fragmented at times. Yet, his poignant prose and astute knowledge prompts the reader to reflect on what truly makes India unique and why it's admired worldwide. Nehru takes us on a journey through India's past, from the ancient civilizations of Mohenjo Daro and Harappa to the Vedas, the Mughal era, and the events of his own time. Along the way, he offers glimpses of his personal life and philosophy. As he delves into India's vast history, he also looks to its future, reflecting on the devastating impact of foreign tyranny—economic, moral, and intellectual decline—while inspiring a renewed sense of identity and unity in the final years of British rule. Not many could turn down an invitation from Mussolini and quote both Emerson and Plato in the same book. Discovery of India stands as one of the most thought-provoking modern takes on India's history, even Einstein called it a "marvelous read."

Want to learn/know about brief history of india and it culture. Then this is a must read gem. Note:- This book is not for UPSC prepration.

This is one book which every Indian must read in his lifetime. It not about india's history but its true character and its evolution articulated by Pandit Nehru in a most candid, critical and an easy to comprehend language...

Nehru was to India what a mother is to her newborn child. That's why he still lives in our hearts. He created institutions that still hold inspite of the numerous assaults they have faced. You may or may not agree to what all he said in the book. and that would be absolutely ok with him. Nehru loved this country. He did what was best for it, given the circumstances. When we see tinpot leaders of today, respect for Nehru becomes even greater.

The sheer breadth and depth of Nehru’s knowledge shines through. He dives into the various schools of Indian philosophy, into the Vedas, Upanishads, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Indian colonies in Asia, the British rule, the possible future of the world after WW-2. He was remarkably prescient in foreseeing that America and USSR will be the dominant powers post WW-2, and that Britain will cease to be the world power that it had been. He also anticipated that the USA and Britain will have different visions for the world, but when push came to shove, Britain would side with the USA over the USSR. The book is rather heavy especially when it comes to philosophical discussions. My favorite part was the description of what Nehru saw first hand: the British Rule, and the looting and the atrocities perpetrated on India. Don’t expect to be entertained, but to be educated. When we find how pitiful our condition was in the 1940’s, it becomes even more remarkable what Nehru and other visionaries managed to make India into. Nehru comes across as a man deeply influenced by science, philosophy, socialism, and the idea of a welfare state. It’s not surprising given the conditions prevalent in India then. I could go on, but it’s supposed to be a review, not a summary.

I cannot possible do justice review in a few words this great book and I am not capable enough to review such a great work as this. I can say Nehru was a genius and there is no doubt about it once one reads this book. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. It's a huge book around 700 pages. This book will definitely shape the way we think about India and also life as such, since there is also lot of philosophy inthis book. This book would move you emotionally. In the era where people blindly ape the west, this book tries to take us to our roots just what the title of the book says. It shows us how advanced a civilization indians were, when compared to the Greeks or Romans. What were the contributions of India to the world. It also tells us where and how we failed in the modern times and tries to explain what we need to do to reclaim that glory. This book touches everything from the harrappa mohenjodaro times to the time just before we got independence. This book combines history, philosophy and a little bit of biography as well. This book also discusses the problems faced by India, including that of partition and also the world issues. It discusses the possible solutions to it. The epilogue is so poetic, emotional and beautiful, that it almost made me cry and I didn't want the book to end. This book deserves to be read more than once and should be read by every Indian. I would definitely do that.

Great read, come across very biased but most booked do

Pandit Nehru is a scholar with a soft touch. His work is throroughly analytical and candid, yet lyrical in its tone which makes for easy reading. This book is a page turner once you relax and get into the right frame of mind, which I must admit takes a little bit of time. But once you do that it is therapeutic, no less. Sunil Khilnani, Professor of South Asian studies at Johns Hopkins University, writes in the Introduction (which is generally very positive about the book), how Pandit Nehru's usage of terms like "racial memory" jar in today's world. On the contrary, I feel that his usage of such terms is very apt, and very Indian. It shows how acknowledging our own histories and genetic dispositions is not antithetical to, but part and parcel of mutual understanding and of communal harmony. This book is an eye-opener for many Indians, in India and abroad, who have fallen into the fold of the Hindutva ideology that aims to bring India in line with globally prevalent nationalistic tendencies based on religious conservatism, as practiced in America for example. Discovery of India is a reminder that the Indian freedom movement was driven by nationalism of a superior kind, that while deeply knowledgable and assertive of its national character, was still open minded about absorbing international influences and cared about humankind as a whole. Makes me proud that this man was my first Prime Minister.

I usually do not buy Penguin classic books because of pathetic paper quality and smudged printing - but this was an exception. Very good binding, very good cover, thick paper and great printing quality. Very happy with my purchase.

A book with many high values.

Excellent!