Journalist Sengupta introduces non-Hindu audiences to the world’s third largest religion using a practitioner’s perspective in this quick but substantive text. To Westerners, Sengupta writes, Hinduism is normally seen as a series of sensational clichés about cow worship or funeral pyres. But the reality is much more complex, as depicted here in a mix of personal memoir, general history, and speculation about where the faith community is headed. Sengupta’s summaries are succinct and knowledgeable, and his expertise is evident. He includes scholarly analyses of Indian nationalism and a literature review of Hindu religious works, with some especially interesting discussions of Hindu takes on recent religious debates, such as the tensions between religion and science.... [F]or readers with little knowledge of Hinduism but a strong interest in it, Sengupta will be a welcome guide.

Publishers Weekly

Although Hinduism has thrived for more than 3,000 years and is currently practiced by one billion individuals, there is little coverage in English. To redress that lack, journalist Sengupta offers not a primer of Hindu beliefs but, rather, a personal inquiry rich in history and analysis about what it means to be a twenty-first-century Hindu.... [When] he focuses on Hindu philosophy, he is eloquently clarifying. He explicates the religion’s perception that ‘the divine is everywhere’; its ‘commitment to plurality’; and its recognition of ‘union in diversity’—teachings, he asserts, that could benefit everyone. Reaching deeper, Sengupta explains that Hinduism is a quest for ‘illumination, for radiance, and for knowledge’; a profound interpretation of consciousness; and a path to peace. He also candidly acknowledges that the tradition can be both liberating and ‘bewildering,’ even for Hindus. Segupta’s enlightening elucidation is invaluable for understanding Hinduism, India, and the growing Hindu community in the U.S.

Booklist

The writing is warm and appealing as Sengupta deftly presents a tradition that is ancient, wise, and accepting. VERDICT: A satisfying and engaging guide to Hinduism for inquiring minds.

Library Journal

With this audacious and articulate book, journalist Hindol Sengupta presents an impassioned and most welcome case for Hinduism as an ancient and sophisticated tradition with great relevance for the contemporary world. . . . The book is . . . an invitation to the reader to join the author in his discovery of the tradition of his upbringing. Why is Sengupta’s book particularly welcome at this current time? Its importance can be discerned on several levels. We human beings, collectively, are currently living through one of the most culturally, politically, and religiously polarized periods of modern history. . . . Sengupta has some important things to say, not only about Hindu traditions, but about the contemporary human condition. His book is not only as a defense of Hindu thought and practice against stereotypes and distortions, but an argument against extremism of all kinds. . . . Sengupta is also frank in rejecting the political extremes found in contemporary Hinduism, while at the same time presenting these in a balanced and subtle way. . . . A very important work which will hopefully receive a wide readership.

Reading Religion

As India transforms from traditional to modern, rural to urban, agrarian to industrial and old to young, this book offers a fascinating look at the change from below: as seen by the entrepreneur, the consumer and, above all, the ordinary citizen. The added attraction is the lucid and engaging writing style of the author.

Arvind Panagariya, Columbia University

Being Hindu explains the challenges of contemporary Hindu in a world torn between entrenched secular modernity and rising religious fervour. The author regards his work as the outcome of his own journey to understand what it means to be a Hindu. The book—a great contribution to those who would want to understand Hinduism from the contemporary context—is a compelling read.

S. Gurumurthy, writer and teacher on Hinduism and economics