1. While reading this book, write down all the phrases and words you don't know. Write new sentences using these phrases so that you can know what they mean and practice using them. How many of these phrases are distinctly Indian?

2. Read more about India. How far is Calcutta from Darjeeling? Are the Himalayas new or old mountains? Are they taller than the mountains in America? Who lives in the Himalayas and how do they spend their time?

3. Mukerji writes "Heights like that of Everest are symbols of the highest reality—God." People of many religions associate natural phenomena with the worship of God or gods. How is this true of religious groups in America? Give specific examples.

4. In part one, chapter 4, Mukerji compares the whirling and falling of snowclouds to the dancing of "fanatical dervishes." What is a "dervish...