An overview of the scientific contributions of ancient India including Arabic numerals, ayurveda, basic chemistry and physics, and celestial observations.

"Although ancient India was unearthed by archaeologists long after Egypt and Mesopotamia, experts now believe it was one of the first civilizations in history. Ancient India has given the world Hinduism, Buddhism, advanced mathematics and astronomy, games such as chess and Chutes and Ladders, and much more. Through engaging sidebars and an in-depth timeline, augmented by full-color photographs, readers learn about the history and achievements of this...

"Through the stories of administrators, soldiers and subjects, describes how the East India Company went from a trading company to a quasi-imperial government with over a quarter of a million troops, whose high tax on tea helped spark the American Revolution,"--NoveList.

This six part series explores the influence on ancient culture on our lives today. Host Michael Wood visits the ancient cities and great ports of India and China, the deserts of Egypt and Iraq, the Mexico of the Inca, Aztec and Mayan peoples, the Greek and Roman monuments of Europe and the jungles of Central America searching for the living legacies of these once great civilizations. The series traces how the institutions that arose with urban civilization...

"A personal, narrative work of journalism and cultural analysis, The beautiful and the damned examines India's many contradictions through five individual perspectives."--Publisher's description.

"Watch elephants bathing from a houseboat in Kerala, marvel at ancient cave paintings in Bhimbetka, wander Delhi's bustling streets, and ride a train through the snow-capped peaks of the Himalayas. In spread after colorful spread, India's breathtaking landscapes, rich history, and cultural splendor leap to life on the page, framed by the story of a little girl named Thara and her grandmother. In a carved wooden trunk, Nanijee keeps mementos collected...