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Vidya Dehejia who has published two important books, Early Buddhist Rock Temples (1972) and Early Stone Temples of Orissa 91978), is a dedicated scholar of Indian art. But in the present publication she steps down from the high pedestal of specialized scholarship to perform what is a very important task, that of interesting the man in the street in our great heritage. She has set about it in the right way. There has been a realization that if Indian art is to be introduced to beginners in the form of a text book on history from Mohenjadaro to the Taj Mahal, it will be just another case of cramming dates and events learnt in the senior classes of school and forgotten even before entering college, with the added risk of engendering an aversion for the subject so taught in young readers. The author has therefore chosen thirteen varied themes and written brief and simply-worded essays thereon, each one illustrated so that there are as many as seventy-two monochrome reproductions in the book. It is now coming to be re­cognized that the visual method of impart­ing knowledge cannot be bettered. A lecture by itself may fail to hold the at­tention of the audience but the same ­lecture with sides may prove quite fascina­ting. The author has mentioned a few differing view-points held by writers on Indian art but has avoided the pitfall of entering into a controversy.