The Argumentative Indian: Writings on Indian History, Culture and Identity

It's hard to imagine a tougher assignment than conveying the history and development of a culture in one book, but that's what Sen effectively accomplishes. Sen doesn't simplify the complex diversity of the Indian people and we are rewarded with a particularly rich understanding. I enjoyed this type of treatment (a collection of writings), because articles that appeared later in the book helped reinforce earlier discussion without being overly repetitive. Interesting factoid- one artifact of India's diversity is that all 17 languages are found on Rupee paper currency.

[I have just finished the first chapter of this book... can't wait to read the rest in the coming days] This is my first reading of Amartya Sen's writings. After reading an excerpt of the "Argumentative Indian" recently, I ordered this book by this eminent Nobel Laureate. The author doesn't waste time. Right off the bat, from the very first page in the first chapter, his book is filled with timely anecdotal commentary (with appropriate references) and precise discussion about the topic he is writing about. His approach to Indian culture and history is very pragmatic and well thought out. His book clearly is not bound by any religious bias (... is sprinkled with examples of ancient and medieval Indian historical quotes/events of all religious contexts - from Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, Jainism...) The influence of Hinduism (and Buddhism) on Indian ethos and identity is of course not minimized. Anecdotal quotes (... Jain philosophers response to Alexander's query) that are hard to find for the average reader and historical facts (that are not muddled by the popular historical accounts) are all presented here - and with riveting clarity and multiple references to scholarly works. Reading through the book, one cannot but see how the profound philosophy and thoughts of two thousand years ago could be applied to the problems of today. Many popular misconceptions of India will be dispelled by this book. For the well read about India, this is a treasure trove of information that one can refer to with satisfaction. Anyone with a desire to understand the Indian (be it in the US, Suriname or India) should read the book. In fact, every corporate head who is planning to open an office in India should read this book. By the author's own admission, writing about India is a vast topic that is impossible to approach from any one perspective. My four star rating is simply an indication that no work is perfect and that there is always room for improvement. This book, IMHO, is far better than many of the 5-star rated books here on Amazon. Excellent book and I highly recommend it. venu_ravi at yahoo dot com

Nobel laureate does a great job in tying India's vast and exhaustive culture and how it has been preserved all along which is one of its biggest strengths in competing against China in becoming global economic super powers.

Never knew India was this amazing and so rich in pretty much everything.

The task of giving as accurate information as possible while including one’s opinions is often a difficult one, but Amartya Sen accepts the challenge with his text The Argumentative Indian. The book is a collection of both new and old essays authored by Sen, each one discussing a certain division - and the sub-division - of Sen’s conception of India. Unlike many authors who focus on India, Sen takes a non-religious approach; in fact, Sen himself is an atheist whose knowledge is greatest in economics. It is with this view that readers are able to get a completely different perspective of India than they are used to, and this is very beneficial to not only the the readers but to Sen as well. With his diverse approach, Sen is able to capture reader’s attentions possibly quicker than he would had he chosen to go with the usual path. However, Sen’s views tend to get in his way on multiple occasions and perhaps wind up doing more harm than good. The same goes for the details he includes throughout his work: though useful, they do end up clogging up both the brain and the text. Sen’s writing is almost paradoxical - the same factors are as much as his uprising as they are his downfall. Overall, Sen’s The Argumentative Indian is something to be read, regardless of if the scale tips from poor to sound. Letting alone his writing, Sen’s views in The Argumentative Indian are quite refreshing. Rather than focusing on India’s religious properties, Sen discusses the lesser-seen traits of the country, such as its large calendar system and the relationship between itself and China. Sen even delves into topics that many try to avoid when speaking of any country, let alone India, like his chapter “India and the Bomb”. When Sen does occasionally cross over the topic of religion, he does agree that it is an important aspect of India but it is not the key. Sen also mentions that it is because of the emphasis on India’s religious qualities that the West is having a difficult time understanding the reality of India, saying in both chapters six and seven that “false-exoticism” and mysticism stem from the mistaken focus. With Sen’s adverse view in The Argumentative Indian, the average reader is finally able to get both sides of India’s story and a well-rounded view/knowledge of the entirety of the situation. Sen does attempt to not let his views take over and tries to play devil’s advocate for many of the arguments, but there are many moments throughout the novel where it can be seen that his bias has taken over. Sen is renowned for his work in economics and this can easily be understood when looking through The Argumentative Indian. There are numerous occasions that Sen’s knowledge of his specialized subject shine through - facts and eloquent statements run rampant when let loose. However, they are quite frequently released at the wrong times. A perfect example of such is found within chapter sixteen of the novel; though it is titled “The Indian Identity”, at the very least a quarter of the chapter focuses on the effects India’s economy has on globality, constantly reiterating, “the big contribution that a global economy can undoubtedly make to the prosperity of the world”. It is moments like these - where Sen’s interests overcome the chapter’s focus - that have the reader thinking they are reading an opinion piece or an economics report rather than an analysis of India as a whole. Sen’s unique views help him greatly in numerous regards, but they also come back to bite him. Similar sentiment can be said as well when reviewing Sen’s use of information in his novel. When reading The Argumentative Indian, it sometimes feels as if one is reading a history book when they are faced with the details Sen includes. Not only is the reader enlightened about historical events but figures as well, both past and present. From the famous Indian movie-maker Satyajit Ray to the great emperor Akbar, the relationship between China and India in the 7th century to India’s making of the atomic bomb, information abounds. Sen’s enthusiasm for giving gifts of information to the readers awards them with great knowledge that will be needed and used whenever discussing India. However, Sen’s generosity with information comes with a price - there is such a thing as giving too much. Though Sen’s enthusiasm with bestowing knowledge to the reader is noted and appreciated, he does go overboard on more than one occasion. Sometimes Sen would be so enthusiastic of his teachings that he would become superfluous to the point where I found myself skipping pages at a time so as not to reread what had been discussed (and continued to be) for the past five pages. I found that even after skipping the pages and coming back to the text, I still had a perfect understanding of what was going on. Not only was I trying to avoid constant and duplicate reiterations, but sometimes entire pages would consist only of facts; not only is this daunting, but it can be tedious as well and therefore disconnect the reader from the text. The information Sen provides in The Argumentative Indian was useful at some points, but then useless at the next.

A brilliant review of cultural history of India.

This was a very enjoyable read for someone who knows very little about the topic but is planning a visit to India in the Autumn. It was very easy to read as each topic was self contained. The expanse of history covered was amazing in such a small book. The topics discussed were so revelant , it was like matching indian histroy with current day living. Made me want to read up more about the culture .

An excellent book, a good read.

When a book is written by Amartya Sen, it does not require any comments. We are not able to judge this world-level scholar's work. I love his work.

can be hard reading for someone not exposed to eastern culture. Very academic at some places.

fast delivery item in very good condition

Really good. Can get a little repetitive at times. All the same, it's really good. Also, if you're planning on reading this book, familiarity with 'Orientalism' by Edward Said would be really helpful.

ここに描かれるのは、oriana falalciが"force of reason"で描いた歴史観とは別な世界です。ここでは様々な宗教が共存して、アショカ王やアクバル皇帝の下で融合し、理性の下で更なる高みへの昇華を求める知識人の世界です。著者はインドの長い歴史に見られる多元主義の伝統とその結果としての”世俗主義”のインドにおける本質的な重要性を何度にもわたって緻密で精巧な論理の下で強調します。そこで呈示されるのは多元主義の下で、”発見”されるのではなく、”選択”されるidentityというわけです。確かに、緻密で非の打ち所のない論理がここには展開されています。それだからこそ"argumentative indian"というわけです。インドは確かに、このような解釈を可能とさせます。私自身も子供のときにこの不思議なインドの多様性への”寛容”なるものの一端にかすかに触れたような気もしないでもないです。でも、これは本当リアリスティックな議論なのでしょうか？何か決して否定することのできない道徳のお題目を聞いたような感覚が最後まで抜けなかった読書体験でした。