"The cumulative contribution of . . . the papers is enormous. clearly the thrust of the publication is most appropriate at this time when workers laboring on family farms in low- and middle-income countries account for 40% of the work labor force. Exploring options for those openly unemployed or underemployed is indeed a worthy cause. This publication is a gold mine for scholars and policymakers alike inasmuch as it offers a variety of testable hypotheses." --Balbir S. Sahni in Pacific Affairs "Though a volume based on a seminar is conditioned by the papers presented by the participants, this book is an exception in that the editors have done a laudable job. . . . Every paper reveals a high quality of research. A perusal of the book will show that Indian economists are as good as their counterparts elsewhere." --The Hindu "This book will be of use to all those interested in employment in the rural non-agricultural sector." --Asian Economic Review "This publication is a gold mine for scholars and policy makers alike in as much as it offers a variety of testable hypotheses." --Pacific Affairs "The book provides useful material for policy makers and researchers. It is welcome addition to the existing literature on rural non-agricultural employment." --Review of Development and Change A dynamic nonagricultural sector in rural areas is increasingly being seen as a major source for generating employment in India. It is also considered to be an avenue for decentralized industrial development which can reduce the burden on the over-stretched urban infrastructure. This volume is a timely empirical contribution to our understanding of this process of economic diversification in rural India. Taking into account all the available evidence, it constitutes the first extensive and up-to-date analysis of the nature, trends, and determinants of rural non-agricultural employment in India. Further, it examines the inter- and intra-state variations in the levels of such activity and reviews the methodological issues involved in studying economic diversification at various levels of spacial disaggregation. Appearing at a time when India is in the process of reevaluating and altering its development strategies, this book will be invaluable for policy makers and social scientists interested in issues relating to employment, development strategies, and economic diversification.