"A brilliant contribution to understanding the past in the present."

"A must-read for people of all ages and all nationalities."

"... a superb example of seeking out the soul of poetry."

"... a unique attempt -- often brilliant, wise, provocative and always bravely original."

"... a truly invaluable collection. I wish my daughters had had a book like this...when they were at school!"

"... will bring Indians and Pakistanis closer to Ghalib's genius and, inshallah, to one another."

"... a remarkable book."

"I only wish there had been a resource like this when I was learning Urdu."

"This book, I hope, will be the pioneer in the fashion for rewriting our classics so that they appeal to the present generation."

"Students of literature would benefit hugely from this book which ought to be a part of the syllabi of our universities."

"A genre-defying book. It is at once a self-help manual, a volume of literary criticism, a book on epistemology, an attempt at creating indigenous South-Asian theory or socio-political philosophy, a book to promote critical thinking, and, dare I say, critical writing."