It took mankind 50,000 years to reach its first significant technological a six-inch blade that touched off a series of rapid changes in the life of the Stone Age people. Today, the milestones come at dizzying pace, and every decade or so produces a breakthrough that transforms our lives from the food we eat to how we communicate with others. Transformed too are the ways in which countries jostle for advantage in the global marketplace. And those who cannot compete individuals or businesses or nations fall by the wayside. Extreme India at the Crossroads provides an overview of where the world is at this inflection point in history, in respect of trade, technology, energy, resources, population and the environment, among other things. More important, it looks at how India is placed in these areas, and how it can benefit from the transformed global scenario in the coming years, if it is to move up to a place in the super league. In assessing just where India could be and how best it can get there, the author looks not only at competitive and resource advantages but also some key weaknesses that we have to overcome to sustain high growth and remove widespread the quality of governance, a bureaucracy that is mired in red tape, and rampant corruption, for instance. In doing so, he presents a remarkably clear picture of a complex situation that will be invaluable to anyone who has ever tried to crystal gaze.