Book excerpt: These essays reflect the works of the authors over a period of 50 years since their first visit to India in 1956. They re-emphasize the importance of area studies challenging American parochialism in the social sciences. They challenge the use of statistics to identify universal patterns that underlie economic and political systems. 9/11 reinforced the authors' methods and modes of inquiry. It challenged America's parochialism. It reminded America that it was a part of a diverse world and that they did not have the means to grasp its complexities.