India Unveiled has been internationally acclaimed as one of the most revealing compendiums ever written about the country. The stunning photography and engaging text with an insightful portrait of its people, landscape, and diverse culture, truly captures the essence of India, one of the oldest continuously surviving civilizations on earth.

It is possibly the only book written by a westerner that has been officially recognized by an Indian Prime Minister. India Unveiled was presented by the Government of India to President Clinton and the White House Press Corps during his presidential visit to India. India's UN Ambassador presented India Unveiled to all the UN Ambassadors.

- Independent Publisher Book Awards: Best Travel Book of the Year
- Benjamin Franklin Award: Best Travel Essay of the Year
- Mid-American Publishers Association (MAPA): Best Armchair Travel Book of the Year
- MAPA's Best Color Photography Book of the Year First Runner-up
- British Book-of-the-Month Travel Club Selection

Incident Proves Prayer is More Powerful than Protest
      When I am asked what impressed me most about India, my reply is the peaceful demeanor of her people and their openly expressed devotion. The following story will illustrate both characteristics. After a four hour bus journey from Madras to the South Indian town of Tirupathi, our guide informed us that we would not be able to continue our trip to the nearby holy mountain of Tirumala. A local labor strike prevented our going further. Because Tirumala is one of the more important pilgrimage centers in all of India, the passengers were very disappointed, yet none complained. Most were tranquil as we sat together in a group waiting to see what would transpire. We realized that missing our visit to the magnificent statue of Sri Balaji, the deity to whom the temple was dedicated, would be a great loss to us all. Hindus believe that prayer requests made standing before this statue will be granted, which explains why an average of 30,000 pilgrims visit there on any given day. I struck up a conversation with one of the passengers who saw the labor strike as a man-made adversity that could serve as a spiritual challenge for all of us.

His insight inspired me and I joined the others in praying silently that our pilgrimage to Tirumala would somehow be completed. At that moment such peace came over me that I had no doubt that God would grant our request. Shortly after lunch, we were told that the strike had been canceled and the buses would transport us to the mountaintop. Through God's grace, I had been able to tap into the collective devotion of the pilgrims and to feel their all-pervasive love, which I believe changed the course of events. I learned a great lesson that day: Prayer is more powerful than protest!
      In a similar situation in other countries, most people would have complained vehemently. But not these pilgrims. Because of the value and historical proof in Indian life that prayer has worked for millenniums, there was no discussion and it was a given that prayer was the natural and proper course of action. More than in any other culture I know, Hindus have connected God with their daily life.