This volume brings together Atul Kohli's essays published over the last twenty-five years. They are organized in three sections, each section representing a distinct theme - political change;
political economy; and politics and development in select states.
The introductory essay provides an 'umbrella' for these essays, giving the volume a semblance of coherence. This essay accomplishes two intellectual tasks - outlines the state-society frame of
reference that underlies much of the author's published work; and provides an overview of the author's interpretation of broad political and economic changes in India, especially in the
post-Nehru period. It also provides references to other relevant works not included in this volume, and then situates the specific essays in the volume within the broader changes.