Book excerpt: This book represents the culmination of approximately twelve years of study of Indian music, culture, society and religions. The author spent nine of the twelve years living in India learning music from exponents of the 'classical' tradition. This book was not written as solely an academic evaluation but rather reflects a deep personal interest in the people and music of another culture. As a result of the author's wide-ranging background in Indology and the experience gained from living in the culture, he is able to make definitive statements on the interrelationship between modes of perception, social organisation and musical structure. In so doing, the author has evolved a model which can be used in the study of any culture and music system and thereby makes a significant contribution to ethnomusicology.