Book excerpt: The worship of a living person as a manifestation of the divine is here examined as it is practiced among the sants of North India. This well-researched book provides the first coherent understanding of the movement as a whole, tracing its sources in both Indic and Islamic milieus and contrasting its perceptions of guru and lineage with those found in orthodox versions of Hindu and Buddhist tantra and Indian Sufism. At the same time, Gold examines the dynamic between holy man and tradition, and guru and disciple, to provide a vivid portrayal of devotees' attitudes toward the independent, and at times highly idiosyncratic, holy men.