This book, written for the general reader, is an introduction to Indian civilization and culture by a leading scholar and writer in the field. It is based on three invited lectures at Stanford University and the University of California together with much additional material on art, architecture, and science. In The Wishing Tree: Presence and Promise of India, Subhash Kak presents what is arguably the most complete, articulate and up-to-date overview on the entire Indic tradition. More notably, he speaks not from a dry academic standpoint but from one in contact with the very soul and spirit of the culture. His panoramic view covers spirituality, science, linguistics and history, making clear India's important role in world civilization past, present and future. He dispels the many current distortions and misinterpretations of India, the cobwebs of colonial and Eurocentric thinking, and reveals her vast civilization in its true light. Everyone interested in India and in human civilization will be fascinated and transformed by his many-sided insights. They will never look at India again in the same way. - David Frawley.