Customer Reviews
Insiders or outsiders - By: D. Beaver, 24 Feb 2006 
Part biography, part history, but mainly a journey of a man trying to understand the place of Buddhismin a modern India.
Even as a former scholar of Indian civilization & religion I discovered many new & interesting facts. Pankaj has researched well; the book strikes a good balance between academic rigour & accessibility.
India is described honestly & beautifully - from an insider's perspective but without partiality. He is clearly fascinated by his country & loves the people who either made a mark on its history, or struggle to exist from day to day. For an outsider there is a clarity about why India throws up problems & questions for the visitor trying to understand where modern India is going now & why the reality is so different to our preconceptions of India. All of this is cleverly interwoven with the main, important facets of the Buddha's life & message.
The Buddhist reader will feel refreshed & never patronised. The studentin search of Buddhist knowledge could hardly do better than start with this book. Unlike the thousands of books on Buddhism out there, this one hardly ever repeats or goes over familiar ground. I believe he has achieved the near impossible by writing as though this has been a fresh discovery for him, rather than being passed from a particular tradition. You will be carried along by his curiosity & his style.
Erudite and Enjoyable - By: Rivka, 09 Jan 2006 
Right away I would like to make clear that I am not a reader of non fiction but Pankaj Mishras book An End to Suffering is one of the most engrossing reads that have come my way lately. A skillful combination of Indian travel writing, Buddhism, philosophy & a quick look at Indian history makes it an easy read for anyone interestedin making a startin those subjects.
His own wide ranging experiences & reading form the basis of the book which makes the writing personal & intimate without sacrificing an objective point of view or facts & figures.
Thouroughly enjoyable, makes me want to read all his other books.
