In sixteen linked essays, Nobel Prize--winning economist Amartya Sen discusses Indias intellectual and political heritage and how its argumentative tradition is vital for the success of its democracy and secular politics. The Argumentative Indian is a bracing sweep through aspects of Indian history and culture, and a tempered analysis of the highly charged disputes surrounding these subjects--the nature of Hindu traditions, Indian identity, the countrys huge social and economic disparities, and its current place in the world (Sunil Khilnani, Financial Times, U.K.).