The culinary balti (the word means "bucket" in Urdu), invented by enterprising Indian restaurateurs to lure in a new crowd of "goras" (white people), is an apt illustration of the inventive wit of its creators, but also of the way history can be falsified or forgotten. In this illuminating book, Ziauddin Sardar reveals the gaps in our understanding of colonialism. History, politics and culture are filtered through a personal lens: arranged marriage is viewed through his experience of meeting his wife; his approach to parenting pans out to the paternalism shown by the British to their subjects. At times, this technique has a dizzying effect, but it is one in keeping with Sardar's aim to reveal the vibrant and nuanced reality of British life.